5 Incentives to Visit Calgary, Canada this year!

Calgary, Alberta, Canada...a thriving cosmopolitan destination exuding with energy and dynamic adventures.

Incentive #1

This Year marks the 100th Anniversary of the Calgary Stampede. Considered the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", the Calgary Stampede is one of those events that seeing is believing! Some of the Highlights of attending the Calgary Stampede are:
- The WORLD'S Best Rodeo Athletes and the toughest Rodeo stock saddle up daily every afternoon of this 10 day event.
- Experience the Evening Show, one of the greatest extravaganzas that is guaranteed to thrill you!
- The Midway is ideal for Thrill Seeking people to ride some of the best rides of all time, along with the great Midway food that everyone has to have!
- The Chuckwagons race every night and give you nothing but exciting entertainment.
Along with all these great Highlights the Stampede has alot of other things to offer.  The Enmax Ice Show features Canada’s elite skating superstars and cirque style acrobats collaborate for this high energy show. There is Art Galleries, An Indian Village, Canadian Forces Display, Draft Horse show, Marching Bands, a Parade through the streets of Calgary, and so much more!
With this being the Calgary Stampede's 100th Anniversary tickets are sure to be sold out to the afternoon and evening shows quickly, so plan to start vacation at the Calgary Stampede.

Incentive #2
Cultural - Calgary has a dynamic Arts scene offering choices of live performances from ballet, opera and musicals to cutting edge theatre and dance.  Local and International talents alike are at galleries all around this beautiful city.

Incentive #3
Culinary Diversity - With our ever expanding cuisine, we have exceptional diversity and quality that includes ethnic restaurants and local delicacies such as venison, buffalo burgers and of course our famous Alberta Beef! Calgary is truly designed for food lovers!

Incentive #4

Shopping - Our shopping is is fantastic.  With several Malls to choose from Including the Outlet Mall "Cross Iron Mills" we also have Stephen Avenue.  Right in the heart of downtown Calgary, this main shopping and strolling thoroughfare is a bustling area with an eclectic array of shopping options. There are lots of specialty shops, local markets all over Calgary.


Incentive #5

 

The Rocky Mountains!  Calgary is only a short distance from the beautiful Rocky Mountains that everyone is the world talks about!  Travel up through Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper to experience beauty beyond compare. And why not take the Rocky Mountaineer Train through the Rocky Mountains out to beautiful British Columbia.  Ride in a glass domed rail car have a glass of wine, a delicious meal and take in the scenery.

 

 

 Take in Calgary and the Stampede and then extend your trip to take in other parts of Alberta and the Rocky Mountains. 

ADULT ONLY VACATION - SANDALS OR COUPLES RESORT?

My husband and I  recently travelled to Jamaica for a Sandals Canadian Travel Agents Golf Tournament and stayed in both a Sandals resort and a Couples resort. Wanting to compare them as they both state that they are "Luxury Inclusive Resorts", we stayed 5 nights at each resort.
Now, before I go any further I would like to state that both are Very nice All Inclusive Adult Only Resorts.  And I have only stayed in 3 different Sandals Resorts in Jamaica and only 1 Couples resort.  To be fair to the Couple resort that I stayed in it was probably at the bottom of the Couple resorts list that I would send people to. There is always one or two resorts in any Hotel chain that you can say are not as "good" as the other ones.

SANDALS GRAND RIVERA - OCHOS RIO

Last year we stayed in Sandals Negril and "The Manor" at Sandals in Ochos Rio, and this year we stayed at the Grand Rivera Resort. My favorite Sandals resort of the 3 resorts is Sandals Negril. Its smaller and more intimate, little nicer beach area, and you meet more people because it is smaller. The Manor is very nice as well but larger and its not on the beach.  We stayed in a Villa at the Manor that had 4 rooms in each villa and each villa had a pool that you shared with the other people in the Villa.  It was a long walk or cart ride down to the main building, and you had to take a trolley down to the Grand Rivera for the beach.
The Grand Rivera was also very beautiful and very large.  We stayed in a Villa just behind the main building. The grounds on the resort was beautiful, restaurants were fabulous (as all Sandals that we have stayed at are very good), but this resort the pool and beach area was a ways away from our Villa. But then that is to be expected when you are on a larger resort and have a bottom room category.

Sandals is luxury included and the staff at all the resorts were very good. I was surprised that it being luxury included that they DON'T include Internet or WIFI service, and they didn't include alcohol beverages in our fridge.  We were able to get someone to bring us some after 2 days, but that was a disappointment.  After all it is ALL inclusive!  I treated myself to the Red Lane Spa this time so that I can tell my clients if it is something they should include in their vacation. I had an 80 minutes deep tissue massage and a 45 minute facial.  Let me tell you IT'S WORTH IT!!  It was a total Spa experience with the ambiance as well as the service that I received.  And I was pleasantly surprised that the treatments aren't really that high priced for a 5* resort and they sell products at the same price that I can get them for in Canada. Sandals is a fantastic Holiday, you shouldn't ever be disappointed in a Sandals resort.  my favorite so far is Sandals Negril, but I am anxious to check out Sandals Turks & Caicos.  We are taking 6 of our agents on a Familiarization trip courtesy of the Sandals Organization on Dec 2-5/11.  It will be a whirlwind trip but we will be seeing Sandals in Turks & Caicos and The Bahamas!  I will definitely give you a report when I get back!

Sandals Entertainment

Dessert Table

COUPLES RESORTS

Following Sandals Grand Rivera we travelled a few miles down the road to Couples Tower Isle.  At first glance I thought it was a nice intimate resort with only 220 rooms and the decor was kind of modern/retro. There coloring at the resort is blues, black, yellow and white.  So it was totally different from Sandals where it is very upscale and a bit fancier.  The staff were excellent and very friendly! We went to our room and that is where my disappointment in this Couples resort started.  The room was "nice", but looked tired, and it smelled damp and musty.  You will get that sometimes at tropical resorts, but for the price they are charging (same as Sandals) I don't think this should be an issue.  Bedding was lumpy, so it looked like you didn't want to get into it. It turned out to be ok, but just didn't look that great.  My other disappointment to the resort was the Piano Bar. Very nice idea to have as it was a smaller area that was air conditioned that you could go to to relax and it was quiet....but it smelled so bad i couldn't stay in it! It was that same Damp/musty smell but very strong. And that was the one place that I felt the bartender could have cared less if she served us!

The positives to this resort are that the food is unbelievable!  They only have buffet at dinner on Saturday nights so you have to go to the Ala cartes or the pool grill for dinner.  We usually do the buffets most of the time, but we were very impressed with the food that we were served the whole time we were there!

Because its a smaller resort its was 2 flights of stairs and we were on the beach in front of the ocean or by the pool! They have Free WIFI and Internet in your room at the resort and they also stock your bar daily, so that was a plus!

So after giving you this review of Sandals and Couples I would like to make a note by saying "These are my opinions as a Travel Agent and only my opinions.  I would definitely send my clients to both of these Resort Chains as they are good quality resorts.

While in Jamaica we went on a few tours so that we could let people know what they were like if they decide to vacation there.  We did a shopping tour where they took us to a local market (very aggressive like Mexico) and to a shopping plaza where there was mostly jewelry and souvenirs.

Red Strip Bold Beer after shopping

 

We did Mystic Mountain where you take a gondola up the mountain.  they have an infinity pool and waterslide, zipline and bobsled. I have never ziplined before and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Its a must do!  The bobsled was very fun as well, as you go very fast down the mountain.

The Bobsled we rode

We also climbed the Dunns River Falls and had a blast! Not a good idea if you have really bad knees or back, but otherwise a lot of fun!

A sit in the falls

 

Some Golf Pictures

Our Team Sandra & Aristos from the Toronto Star

 

Our Caddie Homa

We had a banquet one night at "Beaches Bocobel" The family resort of the Sandals Foundation.  This is their new Water Park with Water slides!





 

"Martini Bar" At Couples Tower Isle

Catamaran we took out for a ride every day at Couples

Couples Tower Isle "Island" for Nude bathing

If you have been to any of the Sandals or Couples resorts I welcome your opinion on them so others can hear from other people that have been there.



Laurie Umscheid



CRUISING CUBA...A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

This amazing cruise has just been launched and its selling fast! Imagine getting off the beaten track and seeing the REAL Cuba!

Visit to a total of six UNESCO world heritage sites and four National Parks & Preserves. You will walk down cobblestone streets, up mountain paths, through rain forests and, of course, on fabulous world-famous beaches. And, each night you'll enjoy the incredible food, entertainment and comfort of your world-class ship. Experience the best of an all-inclusive resort and a cruise vacation, combined with a Cuba that few people ever get the chance to see.

 

 

    

 

Cuba has never been a cruise destination, but a Canadian based company has now brought that experience to the World! This Cuba Cruise is 8 days long and takes you to parts of Cuba that has never been opened up to anyone before.  The excursions that you can add to your trip are truly unique experiences!
HAVANA - Imagine experiences the history of this unbelievable city. This is one of the great historical cities of the New World. A throwback in time, Havana displays a colourful combination of colonialism, capitalism, and Communism blended into one.
CAYO GUILLERMO - Exploring the beautiful lagoons and beach is the experience at this location.
BAHIA NIPE - Did you know that Christopher Columbus discovered the bay of Nip and proclaimed it "the most beautiful land ever seen by human eyes." Located here is the largest game reserve in Cuba where you can see wild boars, zebras and many more interesting animals. You can explore the Guayabo Waterfalls that plunge 200 meters, as well as explore the isolated La Mensura National Park or hike the UNESCO biosphere of Cuchillas de Toa.
SANTIAGO DE CUBA - One of the most interesting and significant places in Cuba! This region is the island’s center for Afro-Cuban culture and a key to Cuba’s unique personality. Discover the diverse range of Cuban music and visit the ruins of French coffee plantations recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site. Santiago remains the most important urban area outside of Havana, and is home to the birth of most forms of Cuba’s long-lasting and globally renowned music. Visitors from around the world come to enjoy the music originating in Santiago.
CAYO CAGUAMA - Privileged to be the very first tourists welcomed into de los Jardines de la Reina, “the Queens Gardens” by the parks rangers. This National Park is comprised of a chain of some 660 coral cays (islands) 350 kilometres long. The coral formations are perfect for scuba diving and fishing as well.

 

CIENFUEGOS & TRINIDAD - Enjoy the beautiful City of Cienfuegos and view the impressive Castillo de Jagua: a fortress erected in 1745 for protection against Caribbean pirates.

 

Visit the Colonial village of Trinidad - a UNESCO world cultural heritage site. Bask in the warmth of the people and the charming cobblestone streets.

ISLA DE LA JUVENTUD - This is the second largest Cuban island and approximately 100km south of the island of Cuba, with a population of around 100,000. Due to its distance from Cuba’s mainland, it enjoys a special municipality status (not being a part of any province), and is administered directly from Havana.

 

Much of the island is covered in pine forests, and is the source of the island’s lumber industry. Arriving at Punta Frances, a glorious beach of pure white and pristine sand surrounded by crystal clear warm water.

 

Cuba is a very unique and beautiful country to visit.  Discover all the history that accompanies the beauty!!

 

Pictures © Copyright Cuba Cruise Inc. 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STOP DREAMING AND START PACKING!

I found this article on the internet and thought it was fantastic and had a lot of great suggestions.  They may not apply to some of you, but it gives you ideas on what might help you to be able to travel!

How to Travel More Without Quitting Your Job: 10 Tips for the Restless Desk-Jockey

By Julie Ovenell-Carter

When it comes to the old I-want-to-travel-but-I-need-to-work dilemma, it turns out you can have your travel cake and eat it too. You just need to get a little creative.


Here are a whole bunch of solid suggestions for how to see more of the world without giving up a regular paycheck—at least not permanently:

1. Get more bang from vacation time
There are lots of easy ways to stretch the vacation time you already get. Even if you’re only entitled to a meager two weeks a year—Americans, I’m lookin’ at you—you can make those 14 days feel like more if you arrange your travel to leave town on a Friday red-eye and return on an early Monday flight and head straight to the office. Think of your vacation time as days rather than weeks and think strategically about when you use them: tagging them on to statutory holidays can turn a long weekend into a proper mini-holiday.


2. Use professional development funds to attend conferences
If your employer sets aside a certain sum of money each year to advance your professional development, consider using it to attend conferences in interesting destinations. Even if it’s not a lot of money, you can use it to offset travel costs. And be sure to tag on a few extra vacation days at the beginning or end of the conference.

3. Bank salary to “buy” a year off
Some employers—especially in the education sector—will allow you to bank a portion of your salary for several years so you can effectively “buy” a year off. Some teachers in Canada, for example, take 80% of their pay for four years so they can take a fifth year off—with 80% pay.

4. Roll over vacation time
Many employers allow their staff to roll over unused vacation time from one year to the next. Consider not using all your vacation days one year so you can plan a longer and more ambitious escape the next.


5. Transfer within your company
Do you work for a company in Los Angeles that has a satellite office in Seattle? Or maybe a company in Toronto that has operations internationally? Look for opportunities to change locations without changing jobs. In your off-hours, you’ll have the excitement of exploring a new environment. And don’t kid yourself—you don’t have to go far to encounter culture shock: to a New Yorker, New Mexico might seem pretty foreign.

6. Negotiate play-vs-pay
If you’re accepting a new job, or are in a position to negotiate new terms for your current position, consider asking for more vacation time instead of more money. Many employers are getting wise to the fact that money isn’t always the best motivator and they’re willing to talk about other benefits instead—like more time off. (See below for tips on negotiating.)

7. Take advantage of exchange programs
In some professions—nursing, teaching, firefighting —there are opportunities to exchange positions with a similarly skilled person in another country. Sometimes the exchange occurs simultaneously, and sometimes it’s staggered. The beauty of exchanges is that the tedious administration process—the arranging of work permits and such—is minimized.

8. Take a sabbatical
Research terms once available solely to university professors, sabbaticals—sometimes paid, sometimes unpaid—are now available in other professions as well. Talk to your human resources department to find out your options.

9. Negotiate a job-share or compressed work week
If you have more modest travel goals and simply want to be able to enjoy more short getaways, talk to your human resources department or union rep about the possibility of a job-share or compressed work week (such as a nine-day fortnight: work nine long days and get an extra day off every second week). If you can work from home, you can work anywhere; push those “work from home” days to the end of the week and make it a long-weekend getaway. You’ll need to put in work hours during the day, but at night you’ll be free to explore.

10. Find a job abroad.
Check out sites such as Go Abroad and JobMonkey—and there are many others—to find a new job in a new country. Sometimes there’s a fee involved, ostensibly to pay for work visas and administration costs, but beware of scams.

11. Take a leave of absence.
Maybe you want to go help build a school in Africa. Maybe you want to take a one-year teaching contract in Korea. Many larger employers are open to holding your job for a period of time—often up to a year rather than lose a valuable employee. You continue to pay for your benefits while you’re on leave; if not, you may have to re-qualify on your return.

Stop Dreaming-Start Packing



Learn how to DOUBLE your "LIKES" on Facebook!

Would you LIKE to DOUBLE your "LIKES" on your Facebook Page?  Check this out!

The whole point of creating a Facebook Page for your
business is to build a fan base of people interested in
your product or service, right?

Facebook Pages are a great tool for interacting with
your fans on a regular basis and for them to discover
whether or not your product or service is right for them.

But to build a HUGE fan base you need people clicking
the all mighty "LIKE" button. Yep, the tiny little button
sitting at the top of your page. :-)

Gone are the days of "Become a fan." Today, it's all
about the "LIKES" and YOU WANT THEM (a lot of them!)

Because without them... you have ZERO reach. If you
have zero reach, you make ZERO dollars.

And this is where most Page Admins fall flat on their
face.
Let me explain...

Have you ever visited a Facebook Page for a business,
only to land on their "Wall" where you see the comments
and status updates?

If so, did it make you want to "LIKE" the page?
Probably not.
Allowing your visitors to land on your "Wall" is the #1 mistake
Page Admins are making all across Facebook.
But it doesn't have to be this way...
Because as a Page Admin, you have the ability to create
a custom landing page AND set this page as your "Default
Landing Tab" for your Page.

You'll first need to install an iFrame application into your
page (which is beyond the scope of this post unfortunately.)
This will allow you to create a custom tab on your Page.
Once you have your custom tab, you will want to create
some type of "offer" along with a "call to action" to entice
people to "LIKE" your page.
An example offer would be something like this:
"Click Like Above To Get Access To _______"

It's proven that you will get more "Likes" just by making
this one small change to your Facebook Page.

Good luck!
James Grandstaff


James Grandstaff is an Internet Entrepreneur and all
around good guy. To find out how he got 52.94% more
"Likes" to his Facebook page, check out his amazing
FREE presentation at: http://vulcanvac.dblikes.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=BLOG

FABULOUS FIJI!

FIJI...Beautiful People, Beautiful Water and Beaches, Fabulous Food...

A Destination worthy of being on your Bucket List!

I recently went on a Travel Agent Familiarization Trip with Goway Travel to FIJI and Sydney, Australia. On these trips we go to the destination and do site inspections of the resorts, checking out their activities, accommodations and food.  Below is the fantastic Air Pacific Plane we travelled in to FIJI.

We arrived in Nadi and were greeted by Rony from Rosie Holidays..and I must say that is a perfect way to start off any vacation in a destination that you have never been to.  Rony welcomed us, took a group picture, treated us to a welcome drink and cold towel to refresh ourselves after a long flight.

 



Rony from Rosie Holidays



Our welcome at the airport

After a fantastic Welcoming by the Fijian People we travelled on to the Novetel Hotel  This is a basic 3.5* resort.  Very nice in a Motel type setting. Very close to the Airport, but no beach or water access. They treated us to Breakfast and a lounge by the pool.

We then moved on to the Westin/Sheraton and Sheraton Villas.  This is a very nice hotel that I would suggest to anyone that wants to stay Denarau Island.  The three resorts are next to each other.  Great place to put a wedding as the Villas has great suites for families, and you have the adult only option at these.





The rooms at the Westin

 

 

The pool at the Westin







We were hosted by the Westin and had very beautiful rooms!  For our dinner that evening we travelled over to the Radisson Resort that is absolutely beautiful.  We were there at night so it was hard to take in everything, but this is a very lively resort with lots of lush greenery and trees, several pools and lounges.  At the Radisson they do a very unique experience for dinner.  We were hosted in a pool, where the table and chairs were put in the pool and we were served several courses for our dinner.  We totally enjoyed this experience!





Dinner in the Pool!



The next day we were picked up at the Westin and transferred to Port Denarau where we took a ferry over to the island of Likuliku where we did a site inspection of The Likuliku Lagoon Resort. This resort is a haven of subtle luxury and the first and only resort in Fiji with over-water bures. This is an adult only resort, where you will find the subtle luxuries, the friendly Fijian people and unimaginable beauty.



Relaxation!



Watch the fish while you are in your room

 

Over-Water Bures



 

After touring the Likuliku Resort we split our group of 10 people and half of us went to Malolo Island Resort and half went to Castaway Island Resort.  Both of these Resorts are amazing, but I have to say my favorite is Castaway Island!  Malolo is an intimate rustic resort.  Its about a bure by the beach, surrounded more of the friendliest people. Great for families and couples.  Definitely gives you the Fijian experience!



Malolo - Our Bure on the beach



Our sitting area





the bedroom area



Great snorkeling!

Castaway Island Resort is one of my favorites! This Resort is fantastic for families, but is also a nice place for a couple to go and relax. You will get the true Fijian experience here but still keep the comforts. The resorts traditionally thatched Fijian bures are great. You have the option of the island bure, ocean bure or beach bure.  We were fortunate to meet Lingo who is always walking around making sure everyone is having a good time, Steven the manager and we were very pleased to be able to meet the Executive Chev, Lance Seeto! After telling Lance that we hadn't had a true Seafood experience in Fiji, he changed the whole menu for us and brought us all Seafood for Dinner that night! 

Our Bure at Castaway

 

Our Seafood Feast!



Chef Seeto



Kokoda - tuna marinated in lime/lemon with coconut creme



 The next day we were picked up by the ferry and transported back to Port Denarau and then bused to The Outrigger on the Lagoon Resort. This is a very enchanting resort. Located on the Beachfront of the Coral Coast of Viti Levu Island this resort embraces the hospitality of a traditional Fiji Village. This is a very large resort but it is a very lively resort as well. 


View from out Balcony



The spa up on a hill overlooking the Outrigger Resort







We were hosted for dinner at the Outrigger that included a large buffet. One thing the Fijians do well is desserts!

The next morning we were picked up in cars that 2 of us went into and we went on a mini Amazing Race! This was amazing and so much fun!  We were to stop at different places and pick up clues, where we would have to stop and buy items that we would need at the end of the race. In all the excitement of the race, I flew out of the car to go and buy an item and didn't see the mud and took a slip and ended up on my butt!  The  people that worked there felt so bad for me and helped by splashing water on my clothes to help get rid of the mud caked to my clothes, legs and arms! But that didn't stop me and my roommate, we ended up winning the race! The great thing about the race was that it took us through the many villages along the way.



One of the "hazards" of the race!



Rony dressed up in traditional dress at the end of the race!



The next day we did a stop for a site inspection at the Sonaisali Island Resort.  This is a beautiful resort that boasts the ocean and a lagoon to swim in.  After the site inspection at Sonaisali we ventured on to the Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa.  This resort is huge and very modern, but the standard rooms are very large and all include an outdoor living area that extends the usable space.  This resort has a few restaurants to choose from as well as bars. 

 



View of one of the Restaurants



 

Plunge Pool off a room




Bathtub outside room



The next morning we left for the airport in Nadi taking an unbelievable experience with us and better understating of what Fiji has to offer to our clients. A Destination that I will definitely go back to!

 



Pineapple growing along sidewalk



Our Goway Group!