Our extraordinary journey through Tanzania continues with a spectacular drive up to and along the now dormant rim of the Ngorongoro Crater conservation area. This park and it’s surroundings are in many ways the cradle of human existence as the oldest ever found homo habilis fossils were found just 5 miles from the outside rim… Continue reading Africa Calling – Ngorongoro Crater

Park entrance A restful night sleep and a hearty breakfast at Serena Losge consumed, we hit the road early again for our exploration of Lake Manyara National Park - famous for its tree climbing lions. While we didn’t succeed in spotting the big cats in trees, we did encounter a couple drying out from the… Continue reading Africa Calling – Lake Manyara & Serena Lodge

First game drive With an 11-hr time change to the US West Coast, our body clocks remain completely turned upside down which makes for an interesting experience to say the least. This means that some of us are wide awake while others doze off while bouncing in our safari vehicle without notice. Herd of Elephants… Continue reading Africa Calling – Tarangire National Park

Aerial view of the famed volcano As the US Thanksgiving holiday is upon us, it is not only time to reflect on friendships and thankfulness, it is also a chance to explore a new destination in East Africa for a few days with great friends. While it may seem crazy to travel this far for… Continue reading Africa Calling – Kilimanjaro

Weather continued to dominate our journey in Cancun with massive downpours on day one of our last resort stay. Our taxi driver had to navigate flooded streets and fallen trees on the drive along the north-western shore out toward Costa Mujeres. Once we arrived, a warm and welcoming staff took care of check-in formalities and… Continue reading Stormy Cancun – Secrets Playa Blanca at Costa Mujeres

Porte-cochere At Waldorf Two nights at Gran Velas were followed by a quick overnight inspection stay at the new Hilton & Waldorf Astoria Cancun complex which offers multiple lodging levels and services. I was privileged to spend a night at the Waldorf Astoria section with a king ocean view room with private terrace and plunge… Continue reading Stormy Cancun – Waldorf Astoria explored

Tropical storm Sara outside With Sara continuing to howl and rain over the Yucatán peninsula, we enjoyed the many culinary offerings of this magnificent resort. Especially the dinners are culinary highlights, each restaurant’s menu is carefully curated to the finest palates with incredible attention to detail. Our first experience of the offerings was at Frida’s… Continue reading Stormy Cancun – Gran Velas Culinary

Tropical storm Sara Another year approaches its end which means another trip to Cancun/Riviera Maya for an annual conference by our partner Apple Leisure Group. Timing is perfect as tropical storm Sara is hovering above the Yucatán peninsula for the foreseeable future, bringing winds and torrential rain to the area. Yet, despite adverse conditions, my… Continue reading Stormy Cancun – Gran Velas revisited

Peninsula Papagayo Costa Rica is one of the most sustainable countries in the world actively working to regrow it’s forest. In the late 18th century, 12-% of tge landmass was forested and much of its land was used for sugarcane and banana. In 2023, the UN declared that officially 50% of the land is forested… Continue reading Guanacaste – Active Day

Water view of the Andaz papagayo Resort This tropical hideaway is nestled on a slope overlooking Culebra Bay with its hidden beaches and lush green views. As the canopy covers the buildings, the best view of it is from the water. Fortunately, there is a boat transfer from the main resort to the beach club… Continue reading Guanacaste – A day at the Beach

United terminal C at Houston Intercontinental It’s it the time of year again for our GEM event, recognizing our Direct Travel Star advisors on a discovery trip to the Costa Rican area of Guanacaste. GEM stands for going the extra mile which is what all of us at Direct Travel do for our valued clients… Continue reading Guanacaste – discovered

Troll land portal - Yule lads Many of us grew up mesmerized by the novels of Jules Verne. Many of his imaginative works have been made into movies. One of the most famous stories, “The journey to the center of the earth” actually starts in Iceland where a so called “portal” supposedly exists out on… Continue reading Icelandic Adventure – Portal to the center of the earth

A view from the back of the bus Our Icelandic exploration continued down from the highlands to the fjords of the north. Endless rolling hills with roaming sheep and fabulous waterfalls made for a thoroughly enjoyable day. Godafoss is the “big one” No matter what people say, there are never enough waterfalls and Iceland is… Continue reading Icelandic Adventure – Akureyri and the North

Our expert driver Kristjan navigated our sprinter van across rural roads into the Icelandic highlands. Windswept valleys, stunning vistas, and evidence of winter grasping a bit more every day made for a fantastic day full of discoveries. Ancient turf house animal shelter Rjukandafoss waterfall From learning the art of living and maintaining ancient turf houses… Continue reading Icelandic Adventure – Winter arrived

Happy birthday Nancy Our exploration of eastern Iceland continued with a wintery drive across vast forested areas, lakes and scenic waterfalls. It was a casual day as we stayed overnight in the same place. Famous Five at the top of Hengifoss Our waterfall stop at Hengifoss tested the resolve of our group with a steep… Continue reading Icelandic Adventure – Eastern Fjords, rain & snow, hot springs