Trip Review: Iberostar Paraiso Maya

During the New Jersey’s Teacher Convention, the Campagna and Lerario Family(each with 2 adults and 2 children ages 14 and 11) from Woolrich, NJ took a trip to the Riviera Maya, Mexico with a stay at the Iberostar Paraiso Maya.  The families spent much of their time at the beach and main pool and really enjoyed the watersports, pool games, archery, rifelry, water polo and water basketball.  The group tried the free scuba diving demo in the pool (the dive shop offers certification programs at an additional cost).  The kids club received a good rating and the families thought the rooms were nice and comfortable.  They liked the breakfast buffet and the highlight was the fruit filled bread dusted in coconut!  Their favorite spot for dinner was the Japanese restaurant where they dined twice, but they also enjoyed the steakhouse and Brazilian restaurant.  They also loved the crepes and ice cream that were available by the shopping mall.   The wait staff around the property was also helpful.  Off property they hired a van to take them to Fifth Avenue in Playa del Carmen for some shopping and they also took a private day tour where they went to the Tulum ruins, swam with the turtles in Akumal Bay, snorkeled in the Yal Ku Lagoon and also went to a natural cenote where they could jump into off a 12 ft. high cliff.  The tour also included a tasty lunch.  They recommend bringing your own pool floats to avoid any waits in the resort pools.  They also suggest bringing bug spray for the evenings or on any excursion and plenty of sunblock.  Sunblock costs about $ 27 a bottle in the resort.  Overall – they all had a fantastic time!

Travel Tip: New Apps

Travelers want the ability to message or call family and friends, access Wi-Fi on their mobile devices and communicate with locals everywhere they go.  Here are several startups helping bridge the divide between foreigners’ concerns for international travel and connectivity that allows them to move about a destination with less stress.
Manet is a mobile app equipped with a local phone card that allows travelers to make national and international calls.

Wiffinity mobile app allows tourists to find and connect to free Wi-Fi hotspots around cities.

Ticketbis allows travelers from more than 40 countries to search deals for sports, music, theater and other cultural events and purchase in their local currency and also sell and exchange tickets.

SameSame is a visual translator using voice-recognition technology to help foreign travelers be understood wherever they’re visiting. To make sure travelers can express themselves in any situation, the app offers offline packages which include the most used images by location.  Images often help with communication more so than words.

Trip Review: Windtar on the Adriatic

Lauren and Evan recently returned from Europe after a wonderful honeymoon on Windstar’s Wind Surf, the largest tall sailing ship in the world!  Our trip began in Rome for a 2 night pre-cruise stay.  We really enjoyed a golf cart orientation tour of the city on our arrival day with all the city highlights; the perfect start to our stay (Lauren’s 3rd trip to Rome and 5th to Italy) as we were tired after the long flight.  The following day we explored the Vatican with a small group tour.  The amount of people in The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel was beyond overwhelming, but we did enjoy the opportunity to climb to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica and witness an amazing 360-degree view of the city.  We enjoyed staying close to The Vatican at the newly renovated Starhotels Michelangelo with a beautiful view of The Basilica; a lit at night.  And we loved meeting our local Tuscan guide, Giancarlo, who joined us for dinner.  The cruise departed from Civitavecchia and we sailed around Italy and up through the Adriatic Sea ending in Venice.  We had a number of amazing and active experiences that any family would enjoy including a thrilling mountain bike ride on an old railway line near Rovinj, Croatia; a climb to a look-out fort on the side of the mountain in Kotor, Montenegro for amazing views and a walk around the walls of pristine Dubrovnik, Croatia.  Other highlights included a private wine tasting and lunch at a family winery on the side of Mt. Etna in Sicily, a driving tour to Budva, Montenegro with a local guide, a full day at sea to relax, taking the chair lift on Capri for the views and a private Jewish heritage tour of Split.  The Wind Surf sails with a maximum of 300 passengers and offered plenty of delicious and healthy dining options and freshly prepared meals.  You can even join the head chef in port to purchase provisions and learn about the local delicacies.  Amenities on board include a spa, gym with fitness classes, small pool and whirlpools, bike rentals, evening live music, casino, shop, board games and a well-equipped water sports program off a platform at the back of the boat (kayaks, stand up paddle boards, trampoline, sailboats, waterskiing /wakeboarding and more)!  Cabins are spacious for such a small ship with plenty of storage and a well-equipped bathroom.  On board were multi-generational families with young adult children and lots of couples ranging in their 30’s to 80’s!  During school breaks more families are on board.  Overall the trip was unique and special.  We met wonderful travelers from around the world and learned a great deal about the history, politics, culture and food of this beautiful region of Southern Europe.

Travel Tip: Language Learning Apps

From Travel Age West Magazine: It never hurts to know a few key words and phrases before jetting off to a new destination, but dictionaries can be tough to tote around and language-learning software can get expensive. Fortunately, there are several great language-learning apps on the market will help you build your new vocabulary quickly — and cheaply.  Great for the entire family (especially the game oriented MindSnacks)!

Anki 
Anki is a flashcard-creating app that enables you to customize the cards you’re committing to memory, which is perfect when you plan on learning specific phrases. The app uses a spaced repetition system so that it knows which cards you need to review and which ones you’ve already mastered, allowing you to learn a wide variety of vocabulary words in a short amount of time.  Anki is free to download on both your desktop and mobile phone.

www.ankisrs.net

Babbel
What’s missing from a lot of language-learning apps is the ability to learn correct pronunciation. Babbel corrects this by allowing for pronunciation evaluation through its integrated speech recognition, which makes sure you’re saying everything correctly. The app also lets users brush up on less commonly featured languages such as Danish and Norwegian. The Babbel app is free to download.

www.babbel.com

Busuu
Busuu’s main draw is that it connects you with a community who are all learning a new language. You can ask natives for help in understanding difficult phrases or slang and, in turn, help them learn English. Unlike most language-learning apps, Busuu stresses social interaction. The app is free to download, although there are in-app purchases.

www.busuu.com

Duolingo
Probably the most popular and well-known language app, Duolingo teaches you languages module by module as you progress from learning grammar to learning words about food and animals. Duolingo uses several ways to impart vocabulary, from answering short multiple-choice questions to writing out translations (including accent marks). It also allows you to translate websites written in the language you’re learning in order to get a feel for how native speakers actually write and speak. Last but not least, Duolingo keeps tabs on your progress and lets you know which modules you excel at and which areas you need to practice. The app and the website are both free to use.

www.duolingo.com

HiNative
Like Busuu, HiNative stresses social interaction as an integral part of learning a language. Users can chat with native speakers to learn more about the language, as well as about their culture — essential for any trip you might be planning. You can also ask other users to correct your pronunciation by uploading recordings of yourself.  HiNative is free to use and to download.

www.hinative.com

Memrise
Memrise is another flashcard app that permits you to choose from crowdsourced courses in several different languages. The key feature of Memrise is that it encourages the use of memory tricks to recall vocabulary. The app also introduces the thrill of competition — you can rack up points as you learn different words and see how you fare against other users. The app and website are both free.

www.memrise.com

MindSnacks
MindSnacks makes learning a language incredibly fun with its series of games. Users are timed as they try to pick out the correct spellings of the vocabulary they’ve just learned or attempt to translate phrases as quickly as possible. Colorful and sometimes silly, the MindSnacks apps are a great way to pick up a few phrases on your daily commute. Prices vary — you can download the introductory lessons for free, but additional lessons will cost you.

www.mindsnacks.com

Travel Tip: Don’t Get Lost!

From USA Today Travel: It seems like it should be impossible to get lost these days, but it still happens to the best of us, especially when it seems everyone has one of those stories about Google Maps trying to lead them off of a cliff. If you happen to lose your bearings, take a moment to freak out, and then get yourself back on track with these tips:

• Know your accommodation. Taking a screenshot of your hotel’s contact information or swiping one of its business cards can be a lifesaver. If you think remembering that your hotel is by a church in Rome, that’s probably not enough information for a cab driver to get you home safely.
• In cities, get a paper map. I know this is a ridiculous concept, since your iPhone tells you everything you need to know, but if you forget your charger at home, or your phone gets stolen, then it’s important to have a backup means of finding your way.
• Learn key phrases. Sure, you might not understand the fast, quippy banter of a local who is more excited than you are that you’re going to their favorite restaurant in town, but being able to ask, “where” is pretty key. Plus, when I’ve been able to ask where something is, I’ve often had locals volunteer to walk me all the way there just to make sure I arrived safely. If a taxi driver offers to take you, just make sure you agree on a rate before, so you don’t end up paying a million dollars just to go down the street.
• Download a GPS tracker. If you’re either super paranoid about getting lost or you’re venturing out into the jungles of Peru, you can download free apps that actually track your location on a map, so someone could easily find you in an emergency. Hi ma!
• Locate what you need. There are few things worse than getting lost looking for a pharmacy while you’re sick. Apps like iWant allow you to find exactly what you need around you including pharmacies, gas stations and grocery stores.
• Get your bearings. Taking note of major landmarks and geographical indicators like mountains to the east and sea to the west will help you navigate. You could pack a compass, but I don’t know many people who actually do that. And besides, there’s one on your phone.
• Photograph your guidebook. Lonely Planet might be awesome to have on hand during travel, but it also weighs a ton. Before departing, I take photos of the pages I feel I might need and log them in my iPhone. This might include important addresses, maps or transportation information. If you’re headed somewhere specific, take screenshots of the “how to get there” page on popular blogs.

Before you do any mobile research out on the streets, get to a safe place first. If none of this is helpful, you could just be one of those travelers who gets lost on purpose, because not all who wander are lost!

Trip Review: Summer in Vail

An outdoorsy mother/son duo (a teen age 15) from Boston, MA spent their summer vacation in Vail.  They let us know it was perfect for their needs.  They stayed at the Four Seasons in the heart of Vail Village.  The family found the property to be nice and clean with an awesome staff.  They really liked the central location.  The rooms here are very spacious and there is a beautiful spa, gym and pool.  Internet access is included.  The duo enjoyed a variety of outdoor activities including daily hikes with Paragon Guides which they highly recommend.  In the summer Paragon also offers llama trekking, rock climbing, fly fishing and mountain biking.  The family also enjoyed a white water rafting trip with Timberline Tours.  This company offers family friendly rafting, stand up paddle boards and jeep tours.  For meals, they really enjoyed the hotel breakfast, lunch on the hiking trails and dinners in Vail Village where they found a nice variety of options ranging from pizza to fine dining.

Travel Tip: Snapchat Tip

Good news for all those with teens hooked on sending self-destructing selfies: the updated version of Snapchat introduced recently now includes a “travel mode” to prevent the app from eating up as much data as before (or just make sure your children are in a free wi-fi zone!).  Until the update, Snapchat would automatically download any photos or videos sent to a user once the app was opened, which could result in hefty roaming charges on the road and contribute to going over data limit at home. With travel mode toggled on, Snapchat holds off from automatically loading content. Users can then click on what they want to see to download it. It works pretty much the same way email functions on phones.

Here’s how to do it step-by-step:

• Open the app and click the Snapchat/ghost icon at the top of the screen.
• Click the gear in the top right corner, which is Settings.
• Under “Additional Services,” click “Manage.”
• Slide “Travel Mode” to on.

Trip Review: UK

The Kaplan and Naab Families (4 adults and 3 teens) from Philadelphia traveled to the United Kingdom in July.  The families started their trip with several nights in London at the St. Ermin’s Hotel (rich in British spy history).  They filled their days with a nice variety of tours, sights and museums and used the London Pass to make the most of their stay.  The families let us know that the Harry Potter themed Muggle Tour was really fun, but they do not recommend the Ghost Bus Tour that they decided to try.  Bad actors, but lots of laughs and taking in new neighborhoods as a result.  The teens loved Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge Tour.  They said the later tour is not to be missed- the views and glass floor are wonderful.  The London Dungeon Tour also turned out to be better than expected with lots of laughs and learning.  The only other bomb was the Sherlock Holmes Museum –  it is a bust!  Most of the group took the train out to Windsor Castle (while others checked out Wimbledon) which was spectacular and easy to do. In a visit to Parliament, they got in to see the House of Lords in action which was a highlight for the adults. After London, the two families headed to Bath by train and really loved this charming town.  They took a full day Mad Max tour to Stonehenge, Avebury and The Cotswold’s and thought that the tour was perfect and the guide marvelous.  The small bus was ideal.  They explain that their hotel, The Queensberry, was a little tired, but the staff made up for that – they were helpful and agreeable. The sights and shopping in Bath were also excellent – they loved the Roman Bath Museum and the abbey. From Bath they trained to Oxford for a day trip and visited the Great Hall at Christ Church (the dining room from the Harry Potter films) and its surroundings.   The Naabs headed home and the Kaplan Family then flew up to Glasgow, Scotland from nearby Bristol.  They loved Scotland and their relaxed stay at Mar Hall Golf and Spa Resort just outside town.  They agreed with us that at this point they would need a break after so much touring.  They had a rental car and found it easy to get around the countryside and cities.  They spent a day in Glasgow and drove up to Lock Lomond.  The boat tour we suggested was a hit and they completely enjoyed the sights, views and the peacefulness.  They even had fun getting lost and driving in circles!  They moved onto Stirling and really liked the Stirling Castle, the history and the town.  They used points to stay at the Hilton in Dunblane which wasn’t so great, but just for the night.  The trip ended in Edinburgh which they completely loved. The hotel was borderline, again using Hilton points, but the staff was very good.  They loved the Edinburgh Castle and also got to see the Holyrood Palace – which was wonderful and not crowded – the Queens marksmen were there having an archery competition in the gardens; so that was a nice surprise.  All in all both families had a marvelous trip.  They can’t wait to go back!

Trip Review: Journey to Israel

The Silverstein Family from Parkland, FL (traveling with parents and 3 young adult children; 2 who had already been on Birthright trips) ventured to Israel this summer for a custom, private tour.  They took off running upon landing to make the most of their 10-night journey.  The itinerary first took them to north to Caesarea with its Roman theater and aqueducts, Haifa and throughout the Galilee and the Golan.  Their northern adventures included river rafting, wine tasting on a kibbutz, meeting with an active military unit as well as with a local border resident to better understand what life is like.  The trip then ascended to Jerusalem for the Sabbath and to explore the many facets of this unique city both old and new.  Private tours of the Knesset (Parliament) and Yad Vashem (Holocaust Memorial) were included.  Walking along the walls of the Old City afforded interesting views and was a trip highlight.  They also went underground at the Western Wall Tunnels and really enjoyed seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls and menorahs from around the world at the Israel Museum.  On the way to the Dead Sea they visited the Ayalon Institute, a former ammunitions factory hidden in a laundry that was a trip highlight and the caves at Beit Guvrin.  They hiked up and down Masada, floated in the Dead Sea and then spent the afternoon hiking in Ein Gedi where they were fortunate to witness a herd of ibex.  The trip ended in Tel Aviv for some down time and to visit Jaffa.  They enjoyed renting bikes to explore the city (part of the city’s Tel-O-Fun bike share program) and traveling along the city’s beach promenade.  They stayed in a variety of hotels and inns.  A favorite was Mitzpe Hayamim in Rosh Pinah which was also a working farm.  The trip was thought provoking and informative on many levels. Overall a successful trip full of history, culture, religion, lots of fresh food, amazing photos and outdoor adventures.

Travel Tip: For Large Families

Jessica, a mother of 4 boys from the web blog Suit Cases and Sippy Cups, recommends the following tips for large traveling families:

1. Dress Alike.  It’s corny and it’s certainly apt to encourage people to count in their head as you pass by, but it works in so many ways that we keep doing it.  It completely eliminates the need to decide what everyone will wear each day and speeds up packing.  It helps other people know that you are a group and makes it easy to spot your kidlets in a crowd.  If you ever (temporarily) lose someone, it is easy to remember what they were wearing.  And my personal favorite, everyone matches in pictures and there are no clashing colors when you scrapbook or blog.
2. Pack Differently.   When you are packing just for yourself, its easy just to put everything you need into one bag and take off.  Packing for a crew takes a different way of thinking.  If you are roadtripping, pack your suitcases by the day, not by the person.  Pack everything everyone will need at each stop in one bag with another bag that you will need every night.  Another way I like to pack is to pack all the swim suits, pajamas and underwear in one bag, saving me from having to dig through four different bags when it is time to hit the pool or the hay.
3. Color Coding. This is something that we do faithfully at home and it carries over onto the road.  Plates, cups, bags, towels are all color coded for each child.  Matching suitcases can be tagged with a ribbon or a piece of tape to distinguish one from the other.
4. Tighten the Reins.  At home, I’m much more of a jump on the couch, eat cereal in the living room mom.  On the road, I try to channel my inner drill sergeant.Sorta.  Drill sergeant is not really in my nature, but we have our own set of rules we set aside just for travel to make things go as smoothly as possible.
5. Relax the Rules.  Yes, I am contradicting myself, but stay with me.  Traveling has its own unique set of challenges and that means that things that work at home won’t work on the road.   At home my couch jumping monkeys aren’t allowed much screen time.  When we travel, I relax this standard to virtual non existence.   Same with bedtime routines and sleep arrangements. Sometimes a mama’s gotta have standards and sometimes a mama’s got have sleep.
6. Buddy System.  Older kids are paired with younger kids to help take care of their needs as they travel.  In our family, we switch off with the older two helping the youngest one, while we all keep our eyes on #3.  He’s a flight risk.
7. Kid of the Day. Another great at home trick that carries over to the road.  The kid of the day has dibs on any special privileges that might happen.  While traveling this means pushing the elevator button, unlocking the hotel room, and choosing the restaurant.  Eliminating the arguing and helping each child have a moment to feel special are just two of the perks.
8. Manage the Transitions.  Preparing kids ahead of time about where they will sit on the plane and where they will sleep in the hotel eliminates the need for fusses and fights. After you have schlepped your kids and all their gear onto a plane, you just don’t want to have a meltdown about the window seat.Talk about it before your hit the jet bridge.
9. Don’t Eat Out. Saving money on food is often the difference in taking a trip and staying home for a larger family.  Food takes a huge chunk out of your vacation, and not just in dollars.  Packing a lunch and making breakfast in your room will also save you time and calories. Some accommodations have full kitchens with dishwashers and ovens. The staff can arrange to shuttle you to a local grocery store if they don’t already have one on the premises. With some planning you can eat wholesome, precooked meals, save tons of money, and never need to plan you sightseeing around finding a restaurant.
10. Tame the Laundry Beast.   The power of laundry to multiply increases by a power of ten in a hotel room.  There must be a plan to vanquish the monster!  Instead of waiting to do the laundry at home, I like to find a Laundromat or use the hotel to wash all our laundry and repack nice, clean clothes.  I can get the job done in half the time and it gives me an excuse to duck out of the hotel room and skip the bedtime wrangling for one night.  Be sure to pack a laundry bag, a baggie full of laundry soap, and some quarters and you are set.