All posts tagged: Holiday

travelbloggers.ca, ziploc space bag

Ziploc Travel Cubes – The Latest Travel Packing Trend

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A while back we did an article covering Packing Tips and another on Uses for Ziploc Bags. Just recently though, we’ve discovered Ziploc Travel Cubes/Space Bags and wanted to fill you in on what’s trending in the world of travel. At first glance we weren’t sold on the idea of over-sized Ziploc bags that you suck the air out of with a vacuum … because who’s going to have a vacuum on hand for the return trip? However, Gail spotted a great travel-related video on one of her favourite YouTube channels

TravelBloggers.ca

The 2014 Wine Country Ontario Travel Guide Now Available

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The guide showcases 107 wineries and makes travel planning easy NIAGARA, ON, May 16, 2014 /CNW/ – As the wine-touring season swings into high gear, Wine Country Ontario has just released its highly coveted 2014 Wine Country Ontario Travel Guide. Featuring a record 107 wineries, along with insider tips on how to make the most of an Ontario wine country experience, this must-have travel tool takes the guess work out of planning your next wine country outing, whether it be for a day, a weekend or a longer stay – a task that can sometimes seem daunting to visitors. With a detailed listing of Ontario’s finest wineries, the guide serves as the complete wine country resource for visitors to the region. It showcases the wineries in Ontario’s four primary wine touring destinations – Lake Erie North Shore, Niagara Escarpment & Twenty Valley, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Prince Edward County, provides factoids about the appellations and includes in-the-know information about the emerging regions, where innovative vintners are pushing the boundaries of Ontario’s wine country. It also includes a directory of charming accommodations, world-class restaurants, popular events and the region’s …

TravelBloggers.ca, Exuma Bahamas, Iain Shankland, Gail Shankland

10 Things To Do In Exuma, Bahamas

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When you think of the Bahamas, you naturally think of Nassau. However there are many more islands in the Bahamas you can choose to visit. Exuma (or Grand Exuma as it is officially known) offers many direct flights from Canada and the U.S. With 365 islands in the chain, there’s one for every day of the year! If  you’re ready to give up crowded streets full of tourists, huge cruise ships and casinos then you’ll really love the peace and quiet of Exuma – one of the Out Islands of the Bahamas. 1) Rent a car! You don’t want to fly to this gorgeous group of islands and plunk yourself on a beach at an all-inclusive club – what a waste that would be!! Rent a car for at least a couple of days so you can get out, explore and immerse yourself in the local culture. At $350 to rent a car for the week it’s well worth the money as well as the freedom it affords you to get out and see more!

Air Canada rouge to Offer More Caribbean Destinations this Summer from Toronto and Montreal

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MONTREAL, Jan. 27, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada today announced that its leisure carrier subsidiary, Air Canada rouge, is expanding its choice of more Caribbean destinations this summer. Routes previously operated by Air Canada from Toronto and Montreal to Cuba, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Cancun and Tampa, FL, will be converted beginning this spring to Air Canada rouge service. Together with its previously announced 2014 summer schedule to Europe, Air Canada rouge plans to operate a total of 44 routes serving 28 popular vacation destinations, including continuation of its summer routes – Athens, Edinburgh and Venice – and new service to Barcelona, Dublin, Lisbon, Manchester, Nice and Rome. The conversion of additional Caribbean vacation destinations to Air Canada rouge service represents an increase of 22 per cent more seats on these routes to the Caribbean this summer than last. The increase is greatest from Montreal where there will be in an increase of 36 per cent more seats on these routes and 20 per cent more flights than last summer with the introduction …

www.stone-hedgefinancialgroup.ca, TravelBloggers.ca

For Canadians Living Near The U.S. border, It Can Take Less Than 5 Minutes To Cross Over Into A World of Hurt

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A recent poll conducted by BCAA (British Columbia Automobile Association) showed that the majority of B.C. travellers crossing the border for short trip take risks – insurance risks from unexpected medical emergencies. In a recent cross-border travel poll it was revealed that 77% of British Columbians who have travelled to the U.S. without travel insurance, do so because they believe that short trips don’t justify getting insurance. With many Canadians making travel plans to the U.S. for Black Friday shopping, travellers should consider the risks with leaving their province – even for a few hours, without adequate medical coverage. “It’s a huge gamble to leave B.C. [Canada] for any length of time without any, or adequate, travel insurance,” says Hubert Rau, BCAA’s vice president of Insurance Marketing. “Learning from our survey that people are travelling unprotected is troubling. Even a minor, unexpected medical emergency, especially in the U.S., could cost thousands of dollars to treat, let alone all the other expenses associated with a medical incident.”

A Hearty Breakfast of Bacon, Eggs and…Giraffe at the Manor

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Giraffe Manor A relative sent us some pictures of this unique property in Africa and we just had to do more research and share it with our readers. Although the chances of us ever getting to Kenya, or Africa for that matter are slim-to-none, we can certainly appreciate the beauty of Africa and especially the unique animals along with this one-of-a-kind hotel. The Giraffe Manor is a unique property and boutique hotel located in the Lang’ata suburb of Nairobi, Kenya. The property is famous for its resident herd of endangered Rothschild giraffes that live on the extensive grounds. Set on 12 acres of private land within 140 acres of indigenous forest, the hotel is only 20 kilometres from Nairobi city centre. Giraffe Manor offers visitors an unparalleled experience with the giraffes. Guests can feed the giraffes from their breakfast table, photograph them and interact with them through open windows, at the front door and even at the second floor bedroom window! This is the only place in the world where one can share breakfast with …

Sunquest launches lower-cost vacation packages for Canadians from 5 U.S. border airports

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Three out of four US border city vacation packages are cheaper than the equivalent Canadian package Average savings of $550 per couple for vacation packages to select US and sun destinations TORONTO, Nov. 14, 2013 /CNW/ – Vacation travel has just become cheaper for millions of Canadians looking to travel to US, Caribbean or Mexican destinations. Sunquest, one of Canada’s most respected tour operators, is offering for the first time, packages from US border airports to allow Canadians to take advantage of the significant cost savings. With US flights costing an estimated 30% less than comparable flights from Canada, Canadians are voicing their opinions through their wallets. An estimated 5 million Canadians drove across the US border last year to fly from US airports to various points south. “As long as significantly cheaper flights are available from the US, Canadians will continue to fly from US border cities,” says Frank DeMarinis, President, Sunquest. “We are giving the customers what they clearly want, which is an option to save money on their vacation by booking cross-border …

TravelBloggers.ca, Maid Of The Mist, Niagara Falls

Three New Boats Ready to Showcase the Infamous Niagara Falls In 2014

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  Last year (2012), Hornblower Niagara Cruises [NiagaraCruises.com], won the contract to operate cruises from the Canadian side of the Niagara Gorge to the base of the Horseshoe Falls. Maid of the Mist Steam Company has been operating the tours since 1854 (originally they were ferries between Canada and the U.S. as far back as 1846) – and will continue to offer tours from the U.S. side of the river. For anyone familiar with the sights of the Maid of the Mist boats, it’s going to be quite a surprise to see the new catamarans running alongside the traditional-looking boats. The catamarans’ features include: improved manoeuvrability in the water, enclosed viewing areas for those who don’t want to get wet, an outdoor deck with tiered viewing areas to provide maximum sightseeing and they’ll also have seating, on-board washrooms and licensed concessions for new evening and night time cruises. The catamarans, (26 metres long and 10 metres wide), will arrive in Niagara Falls sometime in January 2014. One has already been built, with the second one …

TravelBloggers.ca Plane

Survey Shows That Canadians Have A Poor Understanding of Travel/Vacation Health Coverage

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Vacations aren’t always carefree – 21% have required medical attention and 6% don’t pack underwear TORONTO, Oct. 22, 2013 /CNW/ – The Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THiA) conducted a national survey* of Canadians about their travel habits and their understanding of provincial health coverage. The survey revealed that 35% of Canadian travellers do not buy travel health insurance. “Only six per cent of Canadians realize that provincial health plans cover approximately nine per cent of medical expenses when travelling outside of Canada,” said THiA President, John Thain. “Travel health insurance is designed to protect against unforeseen medical expenses.”