Traveling Alone, Together
Lots of news this week !
This week's newsletter will focus on:
1. Traveling Alone, Together
2. Travel Tuesdays: and Beyond Africa
3. Hotel of Week- Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Jasper
4. Canadians Travelling with Unvaxxed Kids
5. Updates on Group Trips - Portugal & Southeast Asia
6. Travel with Sheila to Newfoundland
7. Work with me at Lush Life & Schedule a Consultation
Enjoy! And let me know if I can help you plan a getaway!
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Traveling Alone, Together
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Traveling Alone, Together - This week, I was interviewed as part of a story by CBC Radio's Jason Osler about why solo travelers are traveling in groups. https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-90-columnists-from-cbc-radio/clip/15873608-traveling-alone-together
Jason and I spent over a half an hour, and I wasn't sure which clips he'd use in his piece, or how he'd frame it (and maybe some of that recording will be used in future pieces); but the main thing for me in being part of this piece was the importance of solo travelers emerging to travel together after the pandemic.
Jason contacted me after reading this New York Times article https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/14/travel/solo-travel-group-tours.html - Traveling Alone, in Groups. Jason had been following me on twitter and social media, and knew I was working with solo travelers. So, he contacted me after reading that
article, wanting to know if I was seeing the trend pick up in Canada.
As I've noted in the radio interview, I was seeing solo travelers, especially solo ladies, wanting to travel pre-pandemic. But that trend has only increased now that we emerge from CoVid. Everyone has been home for 18 months, and it's time to kick the adventure up a notch.
People are traveling alone, together.
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Make sure you mark your calendars (and you can even sign up here) for my Lush Life Travel Tuesdays. These are special client presentations I host on zoom on Tuesdays, and regularly invite travel supplier partners to join me to help give you travel inspiration, and even start planning some travel. My Travel Tuesdays take place almost every Tuesday at 5pm (that's edt now that we're in daylight hours) - unless we have
a special accommodation for time zone, like this coming week.
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Upcoming - mark your calendars:
I'm rejigging a couple of dates. More later, but to know that what's ahead is:
Travel Trivia tbc
Travel Solo, Not Alone tbc
and Beyond - Africa Sheila welcomes Wayne Nupen, Regional Touring Director of and Beyond Africa on October 26,2021 at 11am edt - that's 5 pm in South Africa.
and Beyond designs personalised high-end tours in 15 countries in Africa, five in Asia and four in South America, offering discerning travellers a rare and exclusive experience of the world as it should be. We own and operate 29 extraordinary lodges and camps in iconic safari, scenic and island destinations in Africa and South America. This enables us to positively impact more than 9 million acres of wildlife land and 2 000 kilometres of coastline.
Hotel of the Week - Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and - Virtuoso "Best of the Best" Hotel Catalog
Tucked within a UNESCO World Heritage site and celebrated for its rustic elegance, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge provides a majestic Rocky Mountain stay. Discover your own little scenic village of heritage cabins, with wildlife right outside the door of
your homey guest room. Every green and tee on the spectacular golf course aligns with a mountain peak – just one reason the course ranks as Canada’s best. Go hiking, fishing, horseback riding – even explore the Columbia Icefield; winter months bring every snowy pleasure imaginable. The 10,000-square-foot spa induces serenity, no matter what the season.
See https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sheilagallanthalloran/travel/luxury-hotels/6163912/fairmont-jasper-park-lodge
Virtuoso travelers receive: For 2021:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Daily Full breakfast for two guests per bedroom
- $100 USD Equivalent Resort or Hotel credit, to be utilized during stay (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
- Authentically local welcome gift
- Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
Many of these perks and amenities are only available when you book your stay through a Virtuoso travel advisor like Sheila.
Insider Tip - Jasper National Park is heaven for stargazers. The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada officially designated it a Dark Sky Preserve – one of the largest in the
world.
See https://jasperdarksky.travel/
In 2011, Jasper was designated as a Dark Sky Preserve by the Royal Astronomical Society in Canada, due to its limited light pollution that creates ideal conditions for dark sky
viewing
WHAT IS A DARK SKY PRESERVE?
According to the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, a Dark Sky Preserve as an area in which no artificial lighting is visible, and active measures are in place to educate and promote the reduction of light pollution to the public and nearby municipalities. Sky glow from beyond the borders of the preserve will be of comparable intensity, or less, to that of natural sky glow.
As a Dark Sky Preserve, Jasper National Park has made a special commitment to protect and preserve the night sky and to reduce or eliminate light pollution in all its forms.
WHAT MAKES JASPER DARK SKY PRESERVE DIFFERENT?
Jasper National Park is one of 17 designated Dark Sky Preserves in Canada. We are the second largest Dark Sky Preserve in the world, and we are the largest accessible Dark Sky Preserve – meaning there’s a town within the limits of the preserve.
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Do you know about the Virtuoso hotel catalog? Virtuoso hotels are the world’s best places to stay. Intimate retreats, sustainable safari camps, gorgeous beach resorts … and so much more. There’s a world of dream stays to discover within Virtuoso’s curated collection of more than 1,400 hotels, resorts, lodges, villas, camps, and private islands. Ready to go? Your next getaway starts here. And remember - if you book through me, as your Virtuoso travel advisor, I can negotiate special perks on your behalf!
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Group Trips Being Developed
The AMA Waterways group to France is back on for November 2021, as is the long stay (8 weeks) to Portugal for January & February 2022. Let me know if you'd like info. I have special set ups for solo travelers too.
For Portugal, I have an 8 week package Jan.25.22-Mar.3.22 available for Faro, Portugal - with air for Ottawa folks (or we can do Toronto as well, and/or land only).
The package includes:
- International flight to Faro with Air Canada/Air Transat in economy class including 1 piece of luggage without fee.
- Private transfers as per the itinerary with English speaking assistance
- 56 nights’ accommodation in first class hotel with no meals
- Service charges
And I have updates on the two group trips to Newfoundland - one in September 2022, and with the iceberg festival added for May 2023. See below.
Still coming - a 2023 trip to Southeast Asia. I'm working with my partners at Abercrombie and Kent to build a trip to Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos for October 2023. This will be an opportunity to travel alone, together. All rooms for solo travelers. Details to come over the next week or so.
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Travel with Sheila to Newfoundland
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Did you miss my presentation with Hilary Brown and Carla Brake this past Tuesday. We had a terrific discussion about my two groups to Newfoundland. It made me so excited to be bringing people to my home province of Newfoundland. And fellow Newfoundlander, Carla Brake, the Director of Globus business development, helped me share the enthusiasm and love of our home.
The excitement was contagious with my clients too. I've already confirmed at least 8 more people to join me (with at least two dozen others thinking it over, and asking questions). So far, I have several friend groups of couples, moms and daughters, sister groups, and solo travelers all coming along.
It's going to be so much fun. Wanna come?
If you’re looking to travel to Newfoundland, and visit my home province with me, come “Travel with Sheila” from Corner Brook to St. John’s, Newfoundland. Spots are limited though, so if this interests you, please let me know. This will sell out.
I will be escorting two tours to my home province of Newfoundland & Labrador. The two trips are September 7-18, 2022 for a tour of Newfoundland & Labrador, and then another on May 29-June 10, 2023 for a tour of Newfoundland & Labrador with Iceberg Festival.
Here are the full details details and flyers
Watch the video - and - let me know if you'd like me to save you a spot!
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When You Work with Lush Life
When you work with Sheila at Lush Life Travel, you get access to our in-depth knowledge, honed over 16 years experience in travel (with another 20 years in financial services). Atop our foundation of financial risk management skills; we have layered the bricks to build a wall of travel knowledge and relationships. We leverage all of our expertise to help you live your lush life through travel.
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Live a Lush Life - Travel!
Lush regards,
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