Just off the plane in Tanzania | HNHO - Peter Island Resort | client feedback - "It was a trip of a lifetime"

WHERE TO NEXT?

Dear Traveler,

Walking Tigger in near zero degree temperatures yesterday morning feels like a lifetime ago.

18 hours after my plane took off from Boston, I landed at Kilimanjaro Airport tonight where today’s high was 80 degrees.

2 ½ weeks away from NH.

Adventuring through Tanzania and Rwanda.

Lions, elephants, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas and my favorite – baby warthogs.

If we are lucky we’ll see all of the above.

And possibly the Great Migration.

While floating above the bush in a hot air balloon!

And of course the mountain gorillas.

Just like Forest Gump’s box of chocolates, on safari you never know what you are going to get.

And that is a huge part of the excitement!

How often as an adult do you have that much uncertainty about exciting things that are about to happen to you?

I’m back as my five year old self on Christmas eve just wanting know what’s in those presents under the tree!

And each day on safari, before each game drive – twice a day, that feeling returns.

Anticipation of the unknown.

When was the last time you had that feeling?

And just imagine what it’s like watching your kids on safari?!

My strategy for beating jet lag when going to Africa is this…

On my first flight to Amsterdam (overnight) I slept. Only about 5 hours.

I arrived, went to the lounge, took a quick shower to wake up and had a cappuccino. For the next 8.5 hour flight I stayed awake. That gave me lots of work time, especially because the wifi functioned the entire route – even over Egypt, the Red Sea and Ethiopia.

I was able to get a lot of work done including about three hours spent catching up on summarizing feedback I received from clients who traveled over the holidays.

Hearing feedback from you is a key part of the working together. As a the goal is a long term relationship, hearing your candid comments is instrumental in me getting to know you better and making sure our partners around the world who played a part in your experience hear the praise for their guides and drivers and the constructive comments so they can improve.

A culture of learning and growing. It’s so important.

Below you’ll read the feedback from one of my dear clients who took her extended family on safari over the holidays. From her 9 year old nephew to her 80 year old mom.

Read her comments. It’s impossible to read them and not want to take a safari!

A few more safari tips for you…

Below left are my things before putting them in packing cubes. Always use packing cubes are safari! They are your portable drawers.
I bring a small lingerie bag for when my laundry gets washed (helps it so no small items are lost).
I like having a pair of jeans and a sweater to wear at night to dinner. Safari clothes are good for the game drives, but when they are over I’m in the shower and putting on clean clothes.
Money for tips in all denominations (I will give you a list of suggested gratuities and envelops so you don’t have to think about any of it).
Even if visas can be done on arrival, I get them ahead of time to minimize entry time.
Always have a VIP greeter on arrival (which I will secure for you). See our greeters, Ana and Ana below. They were so welcoming, bypassed lines for us and brought us to the VIP salon to meet our driver. We were out of the airport in less than 10 minutes (including waiting for our checked bags).

No hassle whatsoever. You may never have imagined that a trip to Africa could be so easy. But it is!

Last week’s most popular article was at tie:

Robb Report’s The 50 Most Hotly Anticipated Luxury Hotel Openings of the Year and Condé Nast Traveler’s The Best Luxury Family Resorts in the US and Caribbean.

This week’s inspirational articles include 5 vacations that could improve your sex life, the British royal family’s favorite vacation spots and a place on my personal bucket list.

Also articles on Barbuda, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the USA.

The informational articles include the benefit of the strong US dollar against the Euro and why airport lounges are getting harder to access.

Follow Truvay Travel on instagram to see my wildlife adventures for the next two weeks!

Where to next for you?

It is now way past my bedtime – 12:45a here and I’m getting up at 5:30am! Good night!

Warmly,

Below:

Hot New Hotel Opening – Peter Island Resort
Client feedback – Kenya safari
Inspiration + Information

🌟 Peter Island Resort is reopening next week after being destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The property was thoughtfully renovated and modernized.

Why visit Peter Island Resort?

Peter Island is a private, 1,800 acre island (the largest in the BVIs) with no other resorts or development. The resort is one of the most secluded destinations in the Caribbean.
The island’s white sand beaches and lush tropical landscapes are surrounded by crystal-clear waters. It’s a paradise for nature lovers, with scenic hiking and biking trails and panoramic views of the surrounding BVI archipelago.
Enjoy snorkeling, diving, kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing and deep-sea fishing right from the resort.
Deadman’s Bay is a mile-long crescent beach shaded by palm trees with a beach bar and restaurant open to day boaters. (The lore is that Deadman’s Bay is named for pirates that were marooned on neighboring Dead Chest island and subsequently drowned swimming to Peter Island).
Grab a cocktail and watch the sunset at the Drunken Pelican beachside bar.

Of course it comes with the usual perks and VIP treatment when booking your stay through Truvay Travel.

📷 Peter Island Resort

Reach out to plan your visit to

the British Virgin Islands

My client, a mom, wanted to plan the first safari for her extended family of nine (ranging in age from 9 to 80 years old). Through our conversations we determined the best destination for them was Kenya. Here are her comments when they returned…

What were you seeking help with in planning this trip?
Everything… from location, resorts, what to expect, length of stay, etc. I didn’t have any clue on where to begin to plan a safari adventure!

The GOOD. What went well? What were your favorite and most memorable experiences? Any particular WOW moment or experience?
Everything was AMAZING. I literally cried when I had to leave our first camp. They were so personable.

I just didn’t want to leave them, they were SO NICE. All of them. The kindest, most amazing group of people.

The food was delicious; the game drives were outstanding. We saw the Big 5 and so much more. Every day was a new adventure and so much fun.

Our second lodge was sooo luxurious and I couldn’t even describe how beautiful everything was – from the people, to the food, to the villa, it was just “chef’s kiss.”

The NOT SO GOOD. Was there anything that could have been improved? Anything we could do better in the future?
The only downfall was the loss of my duffel bag. But it was nobody’s fault.. just an airline hiccup. Your point of contact in Kenya was able to get me my bag within 3 days, so that was a huge relief. I felt a lot better when I received my bag. Other than that, everything was great. I can’t think of one negative thing.

Is there anything you would do differently next time?
No, I don’t think we would’ve done anything different. Everything in Kenya was astounding. No change whatsoever.

Was there a person or people that you met along the way that you’d like to recognize for being especially helpful?
Sandra in Kenya, in regards to locating and acquiring my lost bag was extremely helpful. The guides in Nairobi were exceptional – very welcoming and helpful. All of the rangers from both locations were extremely informative, detail oriented in story telling about wildlife and their habitats, quick on game drives to get to next exciting animal to see, very accommodating.

The team at the first Camp were the kindest, most humble people – they sang for us when we arrived, they sang for us when we left. I literally had tears in my eyes I didn’t want to leave. I just wanted to stay and sing with them.

What is your favorite memory of the trip?
I can’t pick just 1… there are too many to list.

At our first camp our rangers took us arm’s length to see some of these wild animals. The sundowners, the New Year’s Eve event outdoors – they had a big BBQ for all the guests was a great experience, the Maasai village people singing and dancing for us was an incredible experience, going to their village and meeting all the people and the kids. Omg and the kids.. they were sooo adorable. Loved it.

Our second camp – I mean, no words to describe this place. The staff meeting us at the airstrip, Jan was great, the rangers were amazing, the kids connected with their ranger immediately.

On our first game drive we saw a pride of 9 lions on a hunt – it was OUTSTANDING.

Unbelievable.

We were RIGHT NEXT to them. No words, just no words.

Our last night the chef prepared a meal for us in our villa which was delicious and then they set up a projector so we could all watch The Lion King. It was again, the “chef’s kiss” of our stay. How everyone remembered our favorite drinks, our favorite meals, sides, etc… They took such great care of us at each camp.

It was a trip of a lifetime.
I took over 1000 pictures. I’m still going through all of them to reminisce on the many moments.

If you have suggestions for how we might be able to make your experience working with us even better next time, please share.
In Kenya I wouldn’t change a thing. Everything was incredible and amazing all around.

Three nights at each location was the perfect amount of time. Our full day at Nairobi seeing the elephant orphanage and the giraffe center was exceptional. Everyone loved that experience…such a great way to start our safari experience.

Anything else you’d like us to know?
I really appreciate all that you do. All the minor details that go into planning this extensive of a trip does not go unnoticed.

You are great at what you do. Even Jan was commenting how Mimi is exceptional and goes above and beyond with her clients. And I felt that. I agreed right away and we were both raving on all the behind the scenes that it takes to endeavor this type of journey for a large group/family.

So Thank You from the bottom of my heart for providing me with the tools to have experienced the trip and journey of a lifetime.

I am very grateful for choosing to do this with you and your team because honestly I don’t think that just any run of the mill travel agent can carry this type of workload for a multigenerational family like ours. To keep everyone entertained and excited and happy is god given talent and that’s all on YOU. Up until the day of travel you’ve tirelessly carried us and I’m very grateful, blessed and appreciative of everything.

Wow. As someone who does what I do because I love to help people have incredible moments with their loved ones, there are no words to describe how happy she made me. I am so blessed to have her as my client.