JOURNEYS4LIFE TRAVEL

Dear Traveler, Do you check your luggage every time you travel? Even for shorter getaways? Among the issues most air travelers face when trying to reach their final destination is that their luggage often gets mishandled, damaged or delayed. According to U.S Department of Transportation and the latest lost luggage report 2.8 M bags were mishandled by U.S. Airlines in 2019.                                                                                  Image Credit: LuggageHero Here are five reasons to consider to avoid checking your luggage Reduce your risk of missing a connection Some airlines (especially the budget ones such as Ryan Air), will require getting your luggage between flights. In any event, that you have a tight connection you can easily miss your next flight. Protect your luggage Often luggage is mishandled by careless airline employees that can result in broken wheels, handles, or dirty spots. If you have invested $$$ in quality, brand name bags seeing your lu

Fellow traveler,  With your hardly-earned vacation right around the corner, how many times these thoughts have crossed your mind?: "Let me go with the flow and leave the planning of daily activities once I get there."  Well, this might have been the right approach in your 20s, but today's savvy travelers know that a bit of pre-planning is essential to be able to actually relax on a vacation. Of course, the variety of tricky experiences in my own travel adventures have served to reinforce this idea, and we generally pre-book the main points of interest ahead of time (while still leaving some free time for exploration), and would like to share a few key points learned from the process. Pre-planning will optimize your vacation time    In today's busy world, time is money -- and time at your vacation destination is especially valuable -- so leaving that to the last minute to "go with the flow", will often result in last-minute stress, missed opportunitie

How long have you been doing what you do and how did you get to be a Cultural Travel Expert? I started my business back in 2013 as a home-based independent travel advisor affiliated with Palm Coast Travel & Signature Travel Network. My true passion for Old World Civilizations/Historical UNESCO World Heritage Sites was sparked in my teenage years when I dreamt to become an archaeologist. Since then I have constantly studied about and traveled to many historical sites in the Mediterranean region and the Middle East known to be Cradles of Civilization. During my travels, I realized that they are many ways to see a destination - inexperienced people wait in half-a-day lines to get into must-see cultural sights and eat at crowded and touristy restaurants. My mission is to help travelers to experience the destination away from tourist crowds, skip the long lines to monuments and create enriching, long-lasting memories. Who are your clients exactly? My clients are typically savvy an

Dear Traveler, My personal journey began on the banks of the Blue Danube in Bulgaria, Eastern Europe. Despite its small size, my country has a lot of history, tracing back to the Bronze Age (if not further).  The abundance of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine era archaeological sites are undisputed witnesses to the significance of the region. Since a teenager, I was fascinated with ancient Mediterranean civilizations, especially Egypt.  My dream was to become an archaeologist in order to study the daily life of the people who inhabited the "Black Land Kemet",  and to learn the way they perceived the world millennia ago. Although not able to pursue the path of archaeology professionally, over the years I kept learning about the Ancient Egyptians and their trading and cultural relationships with their neighbors, such as the Minoans who lived on the island of Crete, the Athenians on mainland Greece, the Romans, just to name a few. A defining moment came when I started traveling to the

Safety is the foremost priority when traveling to foreign countries. When you are unfamiliar with the territory or the local culture or you don't speak the language, you have to take safety measures which will reduce the shock if something goes wrong. Here are 10 Safety Tips for International Travel: Register Your Trip with the State Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service to allow US citizens traveling internationally to enroll in their trip with the nearest US Embassy or Consulate. Benefits of enrolling in the STEP program will enable you to receive information about the safety of the visited destination, the ability of the Embassy to contact you in case of emergency (natural disaster, civil riot, family emergency), and access for your family and friends to get in touch with you in an emergency. Consider downloading the Smart Traveler app available for iPhone and Android       2. Know How to Contact the American Embassy In case of eme

 Dear Traveler, The Persian Gulf is not your typical popular destination. You might remember the episode from "The Sex and the City" show when Carrie Bradshaw and her girlfriends went to Dubai and spend the entire time party and on a shopping spree ...In fact, the first thought that comes to mind is that you gotta have lots of $$$ to blow when visiting this part of the world. And, of course, that’s at least partially true. However, in this blog, please allow me to introduce perhaps the best & most affordable way to visit the Persian Gulf -- by a Cruise Vacation! Two years ago, I saw an appealing cruise itinerary promoted by  MSC Cruises . It was so different and the price point so attractive (buy 1 get 1 free offer) that couldn’t resist. There were 5 port stops for 7 nights cruise on a brand new ship. Curious? Here are a few tips if you decide to visit yourself:                                                                                          Dubai Marina