Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Travel Tidbits – Angry Birds activity parks to open in Europe

Twenty reasons to visit Hanoi
From art to food, history and spas, Lance Richardson’s 20 reasons to visit Hanoi… Sydney Morning Herald

 

 

 

Angry Birds activity parks to open in Europe
Watch out little, green pigs everywhere. Angry Birds theme parks are soon opening in Europ… Fox Travel News

 

 

 

 

101 best sports bars in the U.S.
There are bars that play sports and then there are sports bars … CNN

 

 

 

 

Disruptive fliers may be charged for plane delays
New York-area airports may charge disruptive fliers for delays… MSN.com

 

 

 

Lawmakers call TSA screeners ineffective, rude
The Transportation Security Administration defended itself against pointed criticism Monday at a Congressional hearing on Capitol Hill… USA Today

 

 

More national parks curb plastic bottle sales
More national parks curb sales of disposable water bottles… USA Today

 

 

 

 

To plan your trip today:

All About Travel
6104 Northwest 63
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
info [at] allabout-travel.com
405.384.3880

About All About Travel

Opened in 1978, All About Travel is located in the Oklahoma City area.  We are a family owned and operated company that has strived to provide our clients with the highest quality of service for more than 30 years.  Our agents can arrange all your travel needs from the individual hotel and/or car reservation to an around the world cruise.  Nothing is out of reach.

We can help plan your honeymoon, your destination wedding or the much needed getaway for two.  Don’t forget about your business, we can handle all the travel needs for your company as well.  Anything from an airline flight and hotel for a meeting or all the planning needed for your next company-wide seminar.  We can arrange hotel space for all attendees and meeting rooms for all purposes.

Our agents travel to many destinations on FAM trips (Familiarization trips) these trips are designed by tour operators and cruise lines to make certain that travel agents are up-to-date on popular destinations and cruise ships.

So the next time you need to, or better yet, want to travel…Let us help, it’s what we do.

• Start Packing Travel Insurance

• Travel agents versus self-navigation online travel services

• Sea Kayak up close and personal with Killer Whales – Adventure giveaway!

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The Claremont Hotel, Club & Spa – Spa treatment giveaway WINNER!

Thanks to everyone that entered in our giveaway. Please be sure to follow us and look for future giveaways. The winner of our 50 minute massage giveaway at The Claremont Spa is Oakland resident Chef Patricia. Follow Chef Patricia on Twitter @lemontreeorg

Courtesy: The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa

The Claremont Hotel, Club & Spa is a Four Diamond property located at 41 Tunnel Road in Berkeley, CA. Just 12 miles from downtown San Francisco, it’s situated in the Berkeley Hills with gorgeous views overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

The 97 year old property is home to the Berkeley Wine Festival among many other events and offers 279 uniquely designed rooms, 30,000 sq feet of flexible meeting or conference space for your business, and a great place to plan your wedding.

Read More: The Claremont Hotel, Club & Spa – Spa treatment giveaway

 

All About Travel
6104 Northwest 63
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
info [at] allabout-travel.com
405.384.3880

About All About Travel

Opened in 1978, All About Travel is located in the Oklahoma City area.  We are a family owned and operated company that has strived to provide our clients with the highest quality of service for more than 30 years.  Our agents can arrange all your travel needs from the individual hotel and/or car reservation to an around the world cruise.  Nothing is out of reach.

We can help plan your honeymoon, your destination wedding or the much needed getaway for two.  Don’t forget about your business, we can handle all the travel needs for your company as well.  Anything from an airline flight and hotel for a meeting or all the planning needed for your next company-wide seminar.  We can arrange hotel space for all attendees and meeting rooms for all purposes.

Our agents travel to many destinations on FAM trips (Familiarization trips) these trips are designed by tour operators and cruise lines to make certain that travel agents are up-to-date on popular destinations and cruise ships.

So the next time you need to, or better yet, want to travel…Let us help, it’s what we do.

• Travel Tidbits – World’s Most Mysterious Destinations

• The Claremont Hotel, Club & Spa – Spa treatment giveaway!

• Making all her dreams come true, yours too with extreme adventure and travel

The Claremont Hotel, Club & Spa – Spa treatment giveaway!

Courtesy: The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa

The Claremont Hotel, Club & Spa is a Four Diamond property located at 41 Tunnel Road in Berkeley, CA. Just 12 miles from downtown San Francisco, it’s situated in the Berkeley Hills with gorgeous views overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

The 97 year old property is home to the Berkeley Wine Festival among many other events and offers 279 uniquely designed rooms, 30,000 sq feet of flexible meeting or conference space for your business, and a great place to plan your wedding.

Courtesy: The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa

The spa is a fabulous place to relax and re-energize and has been named among the 10 best spas of its kind in the country by Vogue, Elle and Shape magazines. Make sure you check out the classic and seasonal treatment menus to plan your spa experience and get the most out of the wonderful amenities offered.

Currently, Spa Claremont is offering a series of Chardonnay Wine Therapy Treatments including an Antioxidant Facial and Pour le Corps body scrub.

For those looking for a healthy boost and workout facilities, The Club at the Claremont offers a variety of classes and activities for all ages. Focused on the idea of living well, The Club boasts swimming pools, a yoga studio, group fitness classes, 10 tennis courts with professional instruction and summer camps and access to nearby golf and hiking trails.

Giveaway

One (1) – 50 minute spa treatment, tax included at the Claremont Hotel, Club & Spa in Berkeley, CA located at 41 Tunnel Road.

If you have traveled with us in the past email me at anje @ allabout-travel.com or leave me a comment below letting me know, this will get you 5 entries. Confirmed via our client database.

You (anyone, regardless if you have traveled with us) can enter until April 19th, 2012. Thank you and good luck! I’ve spent time at the spa and have had a massage at this spa, it’s wonderful!

Each of the following will get you one (1) entry.

“Like” this post.

Tweet about this giveaway; comment below alerting me that you have tweeted this. (Please include in your comment a link to your tweet)

Follow All About Travel on Twitter, comment below letting me know you are following us on Twitter.

‘Like’ All About Travel on Facebook comment below that you have ‘liked’ us on FB.

Follow The Claremont Resort & Spa on Twitter, comment below letting me know you are following The Claremont Resort & Spa on Twitter.

‘Like’ The Claremont Resort & Spa on Facebook, comment below letting me know you “liked’ The Claremont Resort & Spa on FB.

Subscribe to this blog, comment below letting me know you have subscribed.

Reblog about this giveaway, comment below letting me know you have reblogged this giveaway with The Claremont Resort & Spa. (Please include in your comment a link to your blog)

To plan your trip today:

All About Travel
6104 Northwest 63
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
info [at] allabout-travel.com
405.384.3880

About All About Travel

Opened in 1978, All About Travel is located in the Oklahoma City area.  We are a family owned and operated company that has strived to provide our clients with the highest quality of service for more than 30 years.  Our agents can arrange all your travel needs from the individual hotel and/or car reservation to an around the world cruise.  Nothing is out of reach.

We can help plan your honeymoon, your destination wedding or the much needed getaway for two.  Don’t forget about your business, we can handle all the travel needs for your company as well.  Anything from an airline flight and hotel for a meeting or all the planning needed for your next company-wide seminar.  We can arrange hotel space for all attendees and meeting rooms for all purposes.

Our agents travel to many destinations on FAM trips (Familiarization trips) these trips are designed by tour operators and cruise lines to make certain that travel agents are up-to-date on popular destinations and cruise ships.

So the next time you need to, or better yet, want to travel…Let us help, it’s what we do.

• Travel Tidbits – World’s Most Mysterious Destinations

• Travel Tidbits – 5 Reasons to Travel with Kids, Ten things you didn’t know about New York and more

• Making all her dreams come true, yours too with extreme adventure and travel

Berkeley Hills Spa off of Highway 13 – massage giveaway

I have decided to re-blog this entry because soon we will be giving away a FREE massage at this spa. If you’re like me you will love this place. I did and was amazed by it and wish I had more time to relax when I had this massage. Be sure to show up an hour or so prior to your massage experience.

I will be letting you know when we have things in place for the giveaway.

For over 20 years I have practiced massage myself and can tell you that I can be picky about the bodywork I receive. Everyone here was wonderful and the massage experience I had was delightful.

Keep tuned in…

All About Travel

Nestled up to the Berkeley Hills is an oasis off of highway 13, The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa. Scenic views of the San Francisco Bay are wondrous.

The Spa Claremont is a treat in itself. It’s probably a great idea to show up at least one hour before your bodywork treatment. The facility has some really spectacular amenities you can enjoy before and after your massage. It is a great way to revitalize.

Some amenities include: Spa Hydrotherapy Circuit (Spa Ritual); Deluge shower, Swiss therapy showers, Eucalyptus steam room and Jacuzzi.

The Spa Ritual is included with all Spa services. Monday through Thursday The Spa Ritual services are available to Salon guests. The services are available 2 hours before getting your hair or nails done. It’s a free service available to you that you won’t want to miss.

Deluge shower – “on a closed water system, a waterfall…

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Travel Tidbits – All About Cambodia

Cambodia’s Sweet Spot    
Coastal Cambodia is ripe for travel right now, still mostly itself, with roads and a few nice hotels. But the clock is ticking until the concrete and crowds arrive… New York Times

 

 

Phnom Penh’s New Expat Hot Spot
Phnom Penh has become a trendy expat hub, and the best new restaurants, shops, and hotels are inspired by Cambodia’s rich history… Conde Nast Traveler

 

 

Cambodia: Scholar-led tours of Angkor temples    
The ancient temple complex in Angkor, Cambodia, represents remnants of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to 15th century… LA Times

 

 

 

 

Getting off the beaten track in Cambodia
Towering majestically over the jungle, and sometimes tangled up in its monstrous roots, the temples of Cambodia’s ancient city of Angkor have inspired awe for centuries… CNN

 

 

 

Road-Tripping in Cambodia – Journeys    
Up ahead lay the decaying remnants of a French hill station where colonists used to while away their weekends when they ruled this Southeast Asian country…New York Times

 

 

 

 

Homage to the new Cambodia
Our pepper-red Eurocopter swung south-east over the expanse of the ancient West Baray reservoir and suddenly I could see the sandstone towers of Angkor Wat , the largest religious building in the world, glowing like a set of giant chess pieces in the Cambodian sunshine…The Telegraph

 

 

To plan your trip today:
All About Travel
6104 Northwest 63
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
info [at] allabout-travel.com
415.384.3880

Start Packing Travel Insurance

When you start packing for your trip, whether 500 miles or 5,000 miles, you may want to be sure you’re also packing travel insurance.

Preparing for the worst while planning your vacation may seem like a downer, however, it’s not as bad as it could be if you don’t plan at all. What would you do if your purse or wallet were stolen? What would you do if you stepped down from a Mayan ruin only to find it was further down than you thought, and you broke an arm or leg? How would you deal with that? Travel insurance is designed to help you with these issues. When is the last time you knew in advance that you would have to cancel your trip before ever going? Say you have paid in full for your vacation and “something” happens…You CAN’T go. Now what? If you are within a certain time frame and DON’T have travel insurance, you could lose ALL of your money. Now that’s a real downer.

Peter Greenberg of  TODAY Travel discusses the 9 reasons you want to buy travel insurance.

Reasons to buy travel insurance
1. Your flight has been cancelled.
2. Your bags are lost and your medication is in it. You need to have an emergency prescription filled.
3. Your passport and wallet are stolen, and you need emergency cash and a replacement passport.
4. You’re involved in an accident and adequate medical treatment is not available. You need medical evacuation.
5. You need to cancel your trip due to illness.
6. Your cruise line, airline or tour operator goes bankrupt. You need your non-refundable expenses covered and to get to your destination.
7. You have a medical emergency in a foreign country.
8. A terrorist incident occurs in the city where you’re planning to visit and you want to cancel your trip.
9. A hurricane forces you to evacuate your resort, hotel or cruise.

One of the Travel Insurance Companies we use most is the MH Ross Company. In order to answer some of your questions regarding Travel Insurance I conducted the following interview with Senior Vice President, Sheri Machat.

The MH Ross Company was founded in 1952 as an insurance agency and first began offering a custom travel insurance plan in 1961 for Unitours/Club Universe.  Sheri Machat, Senior Vice President joined MH Ross Travel Insurance Services in 1980.

Q: What makes MH Ross stand out or better than other Travel Insurance offered?

A: Our balanced distribution of Coverage, Cost & Customer Service. The service by our staff is one of the ways that we stand out from the competition – we truly care about our agents and their passengers.  Our benefits are very solid and provide industry leading coverage, such as Primary Medical on all plans but Asset Value.  Our Bridge and Complete plans include some of the following benefits at no additional premium:

• Hurricane Warning Benefit – cancellation of the trip if NOAA issues a hurricane warning within 24 hours of departure for your destination
• Non-Medical Emergency Evacuation – if a local authorities or the U.S. State Department issue a formal recommendation to leave a country due to a natural disaster; civil, military or political unrest; being declared persona non-grata – this benefit MUST be made by One Call Worldwide Travel Services
• Cancellation due to work reasons – being required to work during the trip – documentation is required

Both Asset Plus and Complete plans include Cancel For Any Reason allowing the Insured to cancel for reasons such as their dog had puppies, or a child made the soccer playoffs.  Depending on the plan selected, the Cancel For Any Reason benefits will pay 60% of the cancellation penalty on Asset Plus and 80% of the cancellation penalty on Complete.

Q: Is there something unique or different MH Ross is doing for the insured that is not offered by other Travel Insurance Services?

A: MH Ross offers four plans on two brochures – the Asset series for the budget traveler, and the Bridge/Complete series which offer superior coverage’s at a competitive price. Each brochure includes one product with Cancel For Any Reason and one without, which facilitates the price comparison between the two products for both you and your client. Also, on the Asset Plus, Bridge and Complete products, the Medical is Primary without compromising the benefit amounts- making the MH Ross medical benefits on these plans among the best in the industry.

Q: Does your Travel Insurance cover Air only, or does it also cover Train, Hotel, etc??

A: The insurance will cover the specific trip segments that insurance is purchased for, whether it is air only,cruise, land, train or hotel. The passenger should consider insuring all pre-paid non-refundable portions of their trip that are subject to cancellation penalties. 

If the trip is interrupted for a covered reason, we will also cover the unused, forfeited, non-refundable payments for shore excursions, theater, concert or event tickets or sightseeing if the arrangements are made during the trip.

Q: What are the common things that travelers might think is covered by travel insurance, but is not?

A: Baggage Delay – people sometimes think they are automatically paid the Baggage Delay benefit as a lump sum and not realize that it only pays for reimbursement of items purchased when the baggage is delayed for a minimum of 12 hours.

Trip Cancellation – if someone needs to cancel a trip due to illness, they must see a doctor.  They cannot just say I did not feel well and so I cancelled my trip.

Trip Interruption – medical treatment must be provided by a legally qualified physician documenting that the illness or injury prevents the Insured from continuing the trip.

Q: What is your refund policy?

A: The Insureds have a 10 day free-look to review the policy once purchased.  Should they wish a refund, within that time period, it is given without question.

Q: A medical emergency happens in a foreign country, how does this policy help?

A: First of all One Call 24-hour Assistance should be contacted.  They will make contact with the treating physician to verify the proper treatment is being provided.  It is important to note that when a medical case arises during the trip due to injury or illness, the primary focus is to make sure the patient is stabilized before they will even consider moving them to a different facility or returning them home.  Also, a “fit to travel” release form must be completed by the treating physician before we will allow them to come home to indicate that it is safe for them to travel. 

Q: Luggage is stolen or lost by the airline and important documents/medical equipment and prescriptions are inside the luggage. How does MH Ross handle this loss?

A: Prescriptions should never be checked in baggage, they should always be a part of the carry-on luggage.  Second, if something did happen, then the Insured would need to contact One Call Assistance Service in order to assist getting their prescriptions replaced. 

To plan your trip today:
All About Travel
6104 Northwest 63
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
info [at] allabout-travel.com
415.384.3880

Travel Tidbits – Site names top destinations for single men

Siracusa, Italy: a cultural city guide
Readers’ tips, recommendations and travel advice… Telegraph (London)

 

 

 

 

 

 

For wine lovers, tasty trips across Canada
From coast to coast, another way to savor the fruits of a nation … MSN.com

 

 

 

 

Site names top destinations
for single men
Barcelona, Buenos Aires and Miami top a list of 29 cities that attract single men on the go… CNN

 

 

 

 

 

Nimes, France: A cultural guide
An essential cultural guide to Nimes in France, a steadfastly French city built on Roman foundations… Telegraph (London)

 

 

 

Singapore: readers’ tips, recommendations and travel advice
Readers’ advice on trips to Singapore… Telegraph (London)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boston Essentials
Boston is a big city, but it doesn’t feel that way when you’re walking around and make no mistake, this is one of those cities perfect to explore on foot … IndependentTraveler.com

 

 

To plan your trip today:
All About Travel
6104 Northwest 63
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
info [at] allabout-travel.com
415.384.3880

Travel Tidbits – The 10 trashiest spring break destinations

The 10 trashiest spring break destinations
You don’t have to tune into MTV Spring Break to know that for many college students the annual rite revolved around booze, beaches and babes… USA Today

 

 

Eight Vacations for Ultimate Relaxation
A list of relaxing vacation spots around the world that will infuse you with a sense of calm before, during, or after the holiday rush… Smarter Travel

 

 

 

Swim with sea lions in the Sea of Cortez
It’s a popular day-trip tourist outing to swim with the sea lions… Seattle Times

 

 

 

 

 
All aboard the TMZ Tour: A tawdry trip through Hollywood
The faithful walk past a Charlie Chaplin who twirls his cane, a Marilyn who shows off her cleavage while blowing kisses and a ranting, Jheri-curled Samuel Jackson (a la “Pulp Fiction”)… CNN

 

 

 

 

 

iPads change economics and speed of hotel Wi-Fi
Guest room Wi-Fi networks that most hotels thought they had brought up to standard just a few years ago are now often groaning under user demands… NY Times

 

 

 

New adrenaline-pumping attractions
Get adrenaline pumping with these scary new attractions… MSN.com

 

 

 

To plan your trip today:
All About Travel
6104 Northwest 63
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
415.384.3880

Travel Tidbits – When in Paris, do as the Parisians do – eat pastries

Surfing the user-friendly waves of El Salvador
El Salvador has suffered from a civil war, natural disasters and continuing violent crime, but foreign surfers are lured by its world-class and forgiving waves… Seattle Times

 

 

World’s top revolving restaurants
Over the past 50 years, revolving restaurants have opened in more than 50 countries on six continents… CNN

 

 

 

 

 

When in Paris, do as the Parisians do – eat pastries
In the City of Light, the pastries are multilayered works of art… LA Times

 

 

 

 

 

Top 25 Cruise Lines
River cruises have never been so popular, but readers still love ocean-bound excursions too… Conde Nast Traveler

 

 

 

 

 

Forbes names new 5-star hotels, eateries for 2012
Forbes Travel Guide has crowned its new five-star winners in the hospitality industry, bringing the total to 57 hotels, 25 restaurants, and 30 spas… USA Today

 

 

 

A cultural guide to Honfleur
An essential cultural guide to a picturesque town immortalized by the Impressionists… Telegraph (London)

 

 

 

To plan your trip today:
All About Travel
6104 Northwest 63
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
415.384.3880