Vacation Tips by Dragonfly Trips

Aboard AMA Waterway's AmaLegro

2011-11-27T14:01:00.000-08:00

This post is a follow-up to my last one that described ports of call on the river cruise that I just returned from. Now I'll discuss the cruise itself...

The itinerary

It was a 7-night cruise from Nuremberg, Germany to Budapest, Hungary. There were optional pre and post stays in Prague, Czech Republic and Budapest. My Dad went with me and we used Hilton Honors points to stay one night in Prague and two nights in Budapest on our own. I wish we had done the pre-stay in Prague for a couple of reasons - first, so we would have gotten an extra night there and second, so we would have gotten teh tour inclusions to get the history and layout of the city.

The boat

We were onboard AMA Waterways' AmaLegro. It has three decks in the rear part of the boat and two decks in the front. All of the cabins are in the rear part. The cabins are all waterview and those on the second and third decks have french balconies which are large floor to ceiling windows that can be opened like a sliding glass door, but no area to sit outside. This wasn't a problem at all. If we wanted to go outside, there was plenty of room on the sundeck or on a small deck at the front of the boat off of the lounge. The rooms on the first deck have small windows that are fairly high up and are at water level. There were four suites which had sitting areas, extra floor to ceiling windows and great bathrooms with full tubs and separate showers. The showers were the same in all of the rooms and were wonderful! The water pressure was perfect and could be adjusted. There were three shower heads - heaven!

The lounge

The lounge was on the top deck in the front of the boat. There was plenty of room to sit around on sofas and chairs or at tables. There was a nice bar and the pianist (Krassi) was playing much of the time. A light lunch was offered daily in the lounge for those who didn't care for a heavier lunch in the restaurant. Each night, the Cruise Director (Kate) would give a short talk about the events for the following day, and there was nightly entertainment. The bartenders (Aneta and Claudia) were very attentive and fun.

The entertainment

The first night was a 60's party (they played more 50's music) that was really fun! My Dad enjoyed cutting the rug with the housekeepers (Thanks Julit!). Another night a singer named Valerie May came aboard with her husband (her sound guy) and sang songs from all over Europe. She sang in several different languages and her voice was incredible. A trio name LaStrada entertained us one evening. There were two violinists and a guitarist. I wasn't sure I'd like it, but I definitely did! The night we stayed in (well, near) Budapest, some Hungarian dancers came aboard. I missed some of their show, but what I saw of it was great. They even got the crowd involved at the end.

The inclusions
Included in the price of the cruise was all of the tours with the exception of a couple of optional tours, free flowing wine with dinner, all meals (exceptional), nightly entertainment and an unbelievable overall experience. The price for these cruises is higher than an large ocean cruise, but the tours alone are worth the extra and all in all it probably evens out.

Advantages
There are a lot of advantages to river cruising...

My favorite thing was that I was able to see a lot of central Europe and only had to unpack/pack once.

Also, getting to know the crew and the other guests was a great experience. I heard other passengers saying that they'd never experienced being sad to say goodbye to people after a cruise. We made a lot of new friends.

Being able to dock right in a town and walk on and off the boat as we pleased allowed us to go at our own pace and see the parts of the cities that we wanted to see. The overall schedule is pretty packed - up early every morning and we stayed up pretty late several nights listening to Krassi play some tunes.

There are a lot of options for river cruising in Europe, Russia and Vietnam/Cambodia. If you're interested in learning more about them and booking a cruise, guided vacation or self-drive vacation, please contact us or visit www.dragonflytrips.com.

River cruising in central Europe

2011-11-27T11:29:00.000-08:00

I just returned from an amazing river cruise in central Europe and it was unbelievable! We started off in Prague, Czech Republic, but only stayed one night and didn't see everything we wanted to. Prague is a great city and we wish we had stayed longer.

The second day we took a bus to Nuremberg, Germany to get on the MS AmaLegro for a 7-night cruise on the Danube River. The bus ride was about 3 and a half hours and went through beautiful European countryside. I loved seeing all of the rolling hills and towns. The architecture in Europe is so different that here in the U.S.

We arrived at the bus station in Nuremberg and easily found a taxi to take us to the boat. The next day we went on a tour through Nuremberg and to Kaiserburg castle. After the tour we had some free time so we walked around and found a great cafe to warm up with some coffee. It was cold out! On the way to the cafe, there was a great farmers market. It was really neat to see all of the produce and flowers for sale to the locals.

We started our cruise down the Danube and headed to Regensburg, Germany. We had to navigate through several locks. At first they lifted the boat up, but then we crossed the Continental Divide and the locks lowered the boat after that. Regensburg was one of my favorite towns. The tour was great and full of interesting facts. We had free time to walk around the town and enjoy the views from the clock tower. The Glockenspiel is a clock that has been running for 500 years and every day at noon the figures move.

The river between Regensburg and Passau was gorgeous - mountains, hills, meadows, and villages. We were able to sit in the lounge and have a great view while staying warm.

Passau's St Stephens Cathedral boasts the largest pipe organ in Europe (2nd largest in the world). It, and everything else in the Cathedral, was amazing. I'm really glad we went in there.

Our next stop was Melk, Austria and a tour to the Melk Abbey. Inside was a museum and our tour guide was able to tell us a lot about the history of the area and of the Abbey. It was fascinating. The rooms in the Abbey and it's beautiful church were incredibly ornate. I loved it!

Most of the cruise passengers got on a bus in Melk and headed on an optional tour to Salzburg. I opted to stay on the cruise and watch the landscape and vineyards of the Wachau Valley pass by. I'm glad I did, though I heard the Salzburg trip was amazing, too. It was really foggy out, lending itself to a much needed afternoon nap.

Next, we visited Vienna, Austria. We arrived the evening we left Melk and met up with the passengers who went to Salzburg. We took a bus (provided by the cruise company) into the city to visit the Christmas market at night. This was one of two cities that had the markets set up during our trip. The rest were being set up a week or so later.

The next day we toured Vienna in the morning and took an optional tour to Shoenbrunn Palace in the afternoon. I'm so glad we did that. The Palace was incredible and we really loved hearing about the history of the Habsburg Empire.

Our final stop on the cruise was Budapest. Because the Danube was really low, we weren't actually able to dock there. We couldn't even get close. We had to dock an hour and a half away and get bussed into the city. It's too bad because we would have been docked right in the middle of the city, but it all worked out just fine.

Budapest was my favorite city of all. It also helped that we had two extra nights there after the cruise. We stayed at the Hilton Budapest Castle District which was on top of a hill in the Fisherman's Bastion which looked like a castle.

It was great that we got the tour on the last day of the cruise so we got a good feel of the city and knew where we wanted to go during our short stay there. We had a day and a half on our own to do whatever we wanted. We walked a lot and saw so much. I really want to go back someday.

My next blog will cover the cruise itself - the boat, the crew, the included tours, etc. If you're interested in a river cruise, a guided vacation, or a self-drive vacation, please contact us or visit www.dragonflytrips.com

A dream vacation to Oahu, Hawaii

2009-10-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

My family just returned from an incredible ten day vacation on the island of Oahu, Hawaii! Eight of us (parents, brother and his wife and two teenage daughters, my husband and I) stayed in a vacation rental in Waimanalo - right on the beach!

Day One - Thursday

Yes, it is a long trip to get to Hawaii from Maine, but it was worth it and we'll do it again! We flew from Portland, Maine to Chicago (2.5 hours or so) then from Chicago to Honolulu (over 8 hours!). With a six hour time difference, we still had plenty of sunshine when we arrived. We headed straight to the house once we picked up our rental cars (a minivan and a fullsize car - splurge for a convertible when you go - the views are amazing and a convertible would be great!).

I was a little worried about staying in Waimanalo after reading some online posts. The government has set this town aside for the native Hawaiians and they don't necessarily welcome tourists. We didn't have a problem at all - everyone was very nice to us. There are only five "legal" rental homes in Waimanalo - we were in one of the legal ones. The Honolulu County has a listing of all legal rentals - those who have filed the proper paperwork with the County.

We went swimming in Waimanalo Bay as soon as we got there. The crystal clear turquoise water was just too hard to resist. There were good waves for boogie boarding, body surfing and swimming. A couple of days the trade winds were not around and the bay was as calm as could be. We went kayaking and snorkeling - it was beautiful! Our last day there had the roughest waters - and we sure had fun swimming that day! We all got in the water and played. It was an absolute blast!

Day two - Friday

We went grocery shopping at the Marine Base at Kaneohe on Friday morning to stock up. Great deals! Then back to the house to start in on MaiTai's and fun in the sun and water. Met the neighbors (Hi Jean, Kalei and Dorothy Ann!) and had a great time.

Day three - Saturday

We went to Honolulu to Bob's Dive Shop to rent snorkel gear for everyone (my husband and I brought our own) then headed north through central Oahu and up to the North Shore. We stopped at Waimea Falls nature park and Waimea Bay so my neice could jump off the jumping rock into the ocean, stopped at Sunset Beach to watch the surfers, Turtle Bay resort for some snorkeling, and a great little eatery on the side of the road - a van with writing all over it (white van with black writing) for yummy garlic and coconut shrimp. There's another famous shrimp van past that with colorful writing all over it called Giovanni's. Then we headed down the west coast past Chinamen's hat, and back down to Waimanalo. It was a great circle tour of the island. Every turn caused oohs and aahs - just beautiful!

Day four - Sunday

Back to Kaheohe base for Sunday brunch. OMG - it was awesome! Fresh poke salad was my favorite. There was a sushi chef, a pancake station, an omelet station, salads, fruit and chocolate, great pork, beef, potatoes, desserts. I think we each went up five times. Then back to the beach house for swimming and sun.

Day five - Monday

We went to Hanauma Bay for snorkeling. It was about 10-15 minutes away. Hanauma Bay is a nature preserve and is a huge tourist attraction. We read in a book that we should go early. We were there by 8am. We watched the required movie to learn about the park and the rules, then headed down the hill to the beach, which is in an old volcano crater open to the ocean on one side. The snorkeling was amazing! We saw tons of tropical fish and some turtles. Everyone went snorkeling while Mom sat on the beach and watched all of our stuff. It started getting crowded around 9:30 - I think we left around 10:00 and went back to the house.

After showering and changing, we went to Waikiki which was about a half hour away. Walked on the beach, had a drink at Margaritaville, did some shopping, another drink at Duke's (great restaurant/bar right on the beach!), more shopping, then off to find some sushi for dinner. I don't know the name of the place where we ate, but it was in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center right on the main drag through Waikiki. It was the BEST sushi I've ever had!!!

Day six - Tuesday

Hmmm... what did we do on Tuesday? I can't remember (that was almost two weeks ago now) Maybe we stayed at the beach house all day and played in the water.

Day seven - Wednesday

We went to Germaine's Luau over on the west coast which was great! Get a cup in the gift shop and they'll fill it instead of the much smaller plastic cups that everyone else gets. Each attendee gets three drink tickets. The hula and tahitian dancers were great. The food was pretty good, too.

Before the luau we walked around on the lava rocks at the beach next door and played around with the fish and crabs in the tidal pools. It was pretty cool.

After the luau, the four 40-somethings headed out to Waikiki to have a few drinks and check out the nightlife. Back to the house by midnight. It was hard to stay up too late as we were still getting used to the time change.

I think this was the day when the wind was so calm. We did a lot of swimming and my husband and brother did some snorkeling way out in the bay while my neice and I stayed nearby in the kayaks. A lady named Love was out there standing on her surfboard using a kayak paddle to get around (this is a popular activity there). She took pictures of my husband and me in the kayaks and e-mailed the pics to me.

Day eight - Thursday

My husband's birthday! His friends call him Buzzy so we went to Buzz's Steakhouse in Lanikai for dinner. Wow, it was amazing! Try the calimari steak appetizer. If you like rum (a lot), order a BFRD. It's not on the menu, but we were told about it. My husband ordered two - which is the limit - they won't serve anyone more than two. BFRD = Big Freakin' Rum Drink.

That morning, my husband and I went back to Hanauma Bay for awhile and went further out past the reef. I liked that a lot better than inside the reef! The water is deeper (around 20 feet where we were) but it's crystal clear so you can see perfectly. I liked being able to be above the coral and not swimming right over it (we never touched the coral - that would kill it - we were very careful about that).

The days are running together - I think this is the day that my brother's family and my Dad went to Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial.

Day nine - Friday

My husband and I headed to Lanikai Beach which was voted one of the most beautiful beaches in the world by Conde Nast and other travel magazines. We drove around Lanikai which has beautiful neighborhoods then parked on the street and went to the beach (all beaches in Hawaii are public and have paths to them if they aren't right next to the road). We brought our snorkel gear - and I'm sure glad we did! The water was really clear and you could see the coral heads everywhere. As soon as we got in and looked through our masks, we saw the natural beauty of it. We swam out quite a ways and were able to see huge coral heads loaded with fish. We saw another sea turtle. We loved Hanauma Bay, but this was almost as good - and not crowded. It was like our own private nature preserve. We loved it!

My brother's family went back to Waikiki so the girls could go parasailing and do a little more shopping.

Day ten - Saturday

We didn't have to leave for the airport until after noon and the waves were bigger than they'd been all week. The ocean beckoned us - and we all went in for a few hours. It was so much fun!

Headed to Honolulu to return the rental cars around 12:30 or so. Flight left at 4:20. Mom really liked the drink in the airport bar called the Tropical Itch which comes with a bamboo back scratcher in it.

Day eleven - Sunday

We landed in Chicago at 5:00am after an uncomfortable overnight flight with United Airlines on a very crowded plane. Pay the extra money to upgrade for more leg room. The lady across the aisle from us literally had to climb over her armrest to get out because the seat in front of her was so close.

We got back to Portland at 12:30 and were home by 2:00 or so. I missed Hawaii already! Slept all afternoon.

For a great family vacation - try a vacation rental villa!

2009-06-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

Do you have a group of friends or family who want to take a vacation together? Consider renting a private vacation villa. Homes on beaches or cliffs or in beautiful gardens allowing you and your group the privacy of your own luxury home. Most have pools and beautiful views. Two bedrooms to twelve bedrooms (and more!) allow you to have private accommodations while enjoying being together and enjoying each others' company. Rent a car or hire a ride...buy your groceries on the island or destination or hire a personal chef to cater for your entire trip. I can help you arrange this amazing vacation for your entire group. For a sampling of vacation villas that you can stay in, check out http://www.dragonflytrips.com/ and scroll down to the villas link in the middle of the page.

Know before you go - how to find vacation reviews

2009-01-29T16:00:00.000-08:00

Finding the resort of your dreams is rather confusing sometimes, to say the least. Trust your travel agent to give you sound advice, but be sure to do your due diligence as well to be sure it will be the perfect vacation for you. One recommendation I have is to read reviews on the Internet. A couple of noteworthy review sites: TripAdvisor.com and DebbiesCaribbeanResortReviews.com. These both have frequent visitors updating the reviews for hundreds of resorts and destinations.

A word of caution: read the reviews with a grain of salt. That's to say that some people have unrealistic expectations prior to their trip, others might have just had a tough experience - unique to them, while others seem to pick on things that wouldn't bother some of us. Read the reviews and hear what the people are actually saying.

Examples -
Language - there are a lot of comments about language barriers in foreign countries. That is generally going to be the case and should not ruin a vacation or result in a poor review of the property.

Food - Also, different people have different food tastes. I read a lot of reviews saying the food at a particular resort or restaurant is great while other reviews say it's terrible. It's all a matter of opinion. Some of the 3 star resorts have ok food while the 4 and 5 stars generally have a little better food. All-inclusives are generally known for pretty good food - not the best gourmet or anything. There are some resorts that do boast great food. When you're reading the reviews, make mental notes on the opinions of the food. If people are getting sick - is it just one or two reviews stating that or is it in almost every review? That may give you an indication of whether it's actually the resort's food, or if someone just had a bad experience. (I always start my days on vacation with an immodium pill just in case).

The rooms - Some resorts have amazing rooms and some are pretty general - it usually depends on the resort rating. If a resort just opened, they might have some growing pains, so it's important to be patient as they work out the kinks. If you are concerned about a few unfinished outlets, or having to call maintenance once or twice, you might consider a resort that has been open for a year or so. If you can live with these and enjoy the other resort amenities, try a new one!

Most resorts have mixed reviews - some people love it and others hate it. So, my advice is to definitely read the reviews and understand what your likes/desires/needs are in comparison to those writing the reviews. This will certainly assist you in making a great vacation choice for you! Of course, contact your travel agent who can give you expert advice as well. If he/she hasn't been to that particular resort, they probably have contacts from suppliers or fellow agents who have.

Tours - Escorted or Independent?

2008-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Tour operators offer different types of tours to suit every person's travel tastes.
An escorted tour usually includes a tour guide that travels with you from destination to destination and/or specialists in each destination. It also includes the transportation (usually motorcoach, rail or boat/cruiseline), lodging and some, most or all meals. This is a great way to see a country or region of which you have little or no prior knowledge. The tour guides can certainly make a trip the most memorable you've ever had. Many of the tours take you to off-the-beaten-path locations to see a view that you never would have seen if you were traveling on your own. Many times the tours go to small towns and meet the locals for dinner in their homes for a taste of the real life in the region.
Independent tours usually include transportation and lodging, but all touring and meals are on your own. This allows you to plan your own route and travel at your own pace. The lodging arrangements can be made in a large well-known city, or in small bed and breakfasts in the country. You may chose to stay in one hotel and make day trips to different nearby areas, or travel across multiple countries experiencing each night in a different place.
Independent travel requires some research on the part of the traveler while escorted tours don't require as much, if any. In any case, you can achieve your dream vacation with a little thought. I also recommend using a travel agent to assist with the plans and booking (of course :) )

Why use a travel agent?

2008-12-15T06:00:00.001-08:00

The travel industry sure has changed over the years. With the Internet playing a key role in booking, research and 'deals', the Travel Agent has had to adapt and find ways to survive in the industry. Have you noticed that there aren't as many Travel Agencies around? The 'brick and mortar' agency is still around, but not to the same degree as it was in decades past. There is a new evolution of the Travel Agent called the HomeBased Travel Agent. Both groups of travel agents have all of the training, support and tools available to them to plan and arrange their clients' dream vacations. The homebased agent doesn't have the overhead (or exposure) of the storefront, but has access to the same brochures, training and suppliers.

Sure, you can do all kinds of research online and book your own vacation without the help and guidance of a Travel Agent (or Vacation Consultant as we like to call ourselves), but we are here to assist you and to add value. After all, you want to go on a great vacation - not one full of surprises and gotchas, right? We are here to educate our clients on the destination, the resort or cruise, what is included (and more importantly what is not), what to expect, what to wear, how to protect themselves and much more. We have direct access to the suppliers and can contact them to ask specific questions or make specific requests. We are your partner in travel and we want to help you have a wonderful vacation!

Remember that you don't pay more to use a travel agent in most cases - you pay the same published price you would pay on the internet if you did it yourself. There are cases where there may be a service fee (for domestic airline flights or professional consulting fees, if applicable), but for the most part, you are booking through us and getting additonal value for your vacation dollar! Many times we can get special group rates, room or cabin upgrades, or other special amenities from our preferred suppliers.

Next time you want to go on vacation, please consider using a Travel Agent!

Seeing America - Midcoast Maine

2008-12-08T09:47:00.001-08:00

Whenever I travel I am asked where I'm from. When I say Maine, I usually get one of three answers:

Maine? Is that in America?
Oh, I've always wanted to go to Maine.
Oh really, what part of Maine?

To the first one, I typically describe where Maine is in the U.S. and that it's beautiful here - and yes, we do have indoor plumbing and electricity.

The second question is usually followed by discussions about lighthouses and lobster bakes.

I have a standard answer for the third one: "Do you know Maine?" The answer is usually, but not always, no, so I don't bother with the town or general area. For those who know Maine, I'm in Leeds, just north of Lewiston/Auburn. For those who don't know Maine, I am a little over an hour from the coast and an less than an hour to the mountains.

Many first timers to the state want to see the coast, as they should. The coast of Maine is like no other with it's jagged rocks, pink granite, hundreds of peninulas (fingers) and islands. The small fishing towns and windjammer filled bays provide days of sightseeing enjoyment. From the City of Portland with all of it's shopping, dining and art venues to Bar Harbor (three plus hours northeast of Portland) with Acadia National Park and all of the towns and villages in between, midcoast Maine offers a vacation experience like no other in the world!

My picks: Snowsquall Inn in Wiscassett has great hosts and atmosphere and allows for day trips to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, Boothbay Harbor and Monhegan Island. The Blue Hill Inn in Blue Hill (also with great hosts) offers a great location for visiting Belfast, Deer Isle and Stonington (my favorite place), and Acadia National Park which is a must-see for first time visitors to Maine. Stonington is the town at the end of Deer Isle. Dozens of islands surrounded by pink granite lie off the coast. I highly recommend taking a kayak or renting one from Old Quarry Ocean Adventures (www.oldquarry.com). We've camped there, too, and it's a perfect spot!