![]() Prepare Yourself Do some research prior to traveling. It’s important to know what you are getting yourself into before jumping straight into it. Know the norms before you go so you don’t stand out too much or unintentionally offend the culture. Be willing to see all of what the country has to offer and add things to your to-do list when traveling. Get to Know Locals One of the best ways to feel comfortable In a new country is to get to know the locals. Be willing to talk with your cab driver, the workers at the restaurants, local artists, tour guides, and shopkeepers. The more you chat with the locals, the faster you will be able to learn proper ways of interacting there. Sample Local Dishes Consider looking for independently owned spots while on your trip to truly indulge in local cuisine. There are so many dishes in other countries that you would never try if you haven’t traveled outside the U.S. Traveling somewhere new opens your eyes and taste buds to a new found love. You are able to tell so much about a country just based off of their food. For example, Costa Rica’s motto is “pura vida” meaning “pure life.” This country and their people truly embody that. Their staple mean is rice, sweet plantains, and your choice of meat this is a very simple meal which represents the country’s simplicity. Expect a lot of fresh fish & chicken, rice & fruit, and not much else! Attend Events of that Country Participate in festivals, celebrations, and sporting events. Be willing to explore the country. Check out different neighborhoods and learn to take public transportation. Be open to go out walking too (If it’s safe enough to do so.) Go dancing in a local club and listen to live music. Go to local concerts, operas, comedy shows, plays, musicals, and poetry readings. Engage in the Arts People express so much emotion about the human experience through art so this is a way to really get to know the culture. Observe the visual art that is around you such as paintings, sculptures, museums, architecture & murals on the streets.
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![]() Franklyn D. Resort Vacation Nanny: This resort is the only one in Jamaica with a free nanny service. She is the gift to your family while on vacation. She is happy to take care of your children when you want to enjoy the vacation for yourself. For the kids, there’s so much to offer: Yellow Bird Kids’ Club: A fully supervised place for kids to go with fishing, soccer, tye-dye, snorkeling, beach picnics, and day & night beach games. Swimming: Main pool and slide for kids of all ages. The “Big Blue” 100-foot waterslide is an adrenaline-rushing slide for kids to zoom down. For the Teens: Scuba diving classes, kayak races, bike tours, teen trips, crab races, volleyball, discos, glass-bottom boat rides, pool Olympics, & much more of the sort. For Adults: While the children are away, there is plenty for the parents to do! Day & Night Tennis, snorkeling, kayaks, board games, cycling trips, table tennis, billiards, pool, gym and fitness center, aerobics classes, & golf. Nickelodeon Resort & Spa Character Dining Wake up to breakfast with your favorite Nickelodeon characters like Dora and SpongeBob alongside you! Aqua Nick Splash around in the water slides, splash pads, spray grounds, and enjoy a ride in the lazy river. Take a glance into the Sliming Events and even get a family photo under the free flowing slime! Kiddy Play Area For children 4-12, there is so much for them to do here. Enjoy the free play on the mega ball pit, two story slide, and other things such as slime making classes, science experiments, and potential meet and greets with your favorite characters! Sports Hub For kids and adults, there is tennis, archery, basketball, soccer, giant chess, Ping-Pong, foosball, and a lounge area. Canary Islands, Spain To Do There are so many options in the islands for people of all ages. Young and old, there is always something to do. From cruises to sailing, nature and parks, museums, observations & planetariums, sports camps & clinics, culture & theme tours, and anything else along those lines that you can imagine. Popular Cities The seas of Arrecife, Adeje, Arona, Maspolomas, and La Orotava. These all have different accommodations and things to offer so do some research and see what’s best for your family! There is always a perfect fit. ![]() Universal is a huge park with so many amazing attractions to take part in. One of the smartest things to do is to purchase your ticket in advance. This will save you lots of time and money. App One thing that is super helpful in making your way around the park is the Universal Studios Hollywood App. This app shows wait times, show times, ride updates and closings, and even restroom locations. The app also points you towards food locations and what to get there. Parking When you go to park, be sure to take a picture of where you park so you can easily find your spot. General parking is a 10-15 minute walk from the park so make sure you schedule that in. Harry Potter World If possible, head to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter as early in the day as possible. It is the busiest around lunchtime. The most popular ride in the Wizarding World is located inside the castle but know that you are not allowed to bring anything on the ride with you. There are lockers outside the line for your belongings but it gets full fast so try to knock out this ride first. Studio Tour Make sure to schedule time for a studio tour. It is an hour long and gives you a nice break to sit back and let the entertainment come to you. You are allowed to bring food and drinks on the tour. Stroller & Locker Rental Both rentals are located just inside of the gates of the park. Strollers are $15 for a single stroller and $25 for a double stroller for all day use. There are also lockers to rent to hold your belongings. There are no additional lockers throughout the park so be sure to lock everything up here that you do not want to have to carry around. Going for a Birthday? Be sure to stop by the Guest Relations Office to pick up your birthday pin! Lunch Try your best to dine outside of peak meal times. There are no table reservations for any restaurants inside the park. Eating outside of peak times will leave you with shorter lines on the rides and a quicker time to eat. Universal also allows you to leave and come back with a hand stamp. There are a lot of great food options in City Walk if you want better quality food than what the park has to offer. ![]() Often times, young adults and those new to traveling have many questions regarding travel. This includes where to go, what to see, and overall how to get to these places in an affordable way. Where do I go? The biggest questions that most young adults have who have a strong desire to travel is “what places can I go to while on a tight budget?” And in short, the answer is that there are so many places! With just a little bit of research, there are so many places in the world that are extremely beautiful and don’t cost a whole lot to get to. Transportation: One of the most important parts of travel is transportation; and this can add up quickly. Be sure to take time in finding what flights are the cheapest and be willing to take a couple stops along the way. Once you are in the new country, be sure to learn the public transportation systems! Uber/Lyft costs add up extremely quickly and are an expense that can be avoided. How do I Exchange Money? When traveling to a foreign country, the money is different. One tip when first arriving at your destination country is that it's always wise to cash a small amount of money at the airport so you will have cash for a taxi or bus into the city. But don’t cash a lot. If you walk up to an exchange window at the airport, you will get less for your dollar because the moneychanger has little competition at the airport. It’s helpful to bring a calculator when you travel abroad. After you change money for the first time, figure out exactly how much of the foreign currency it takes to equal $1, $5, $10, etc. Jot these down so you will quickly be able to estimate how much something costs before you buy it. This will help you avoid paying too much for something while you’re still getting used to the currency in your destination country. Thailand: Instead of going to the great city of Bangkok, there are beautiful islands with white sands and crystal clear water that you can go to for a fraction of the cost. Costa Rica: Known for its low cost of living, Costa Rica is perfect for a cheap vacation. There are so many opportunities to see wildlife, take a walk along the coast, or learn to surf in the clean waves. ![]() Travel the World – We can design a customized vacation getaway on your budget. Crystal and Clear Travel is a full service travel agency. When you work with a travel agent to customize your vacation, there is no cost to you. We also offer mobile appointments to make it more convenient to meet with you at a more convenient time and location within our service area. We have dedicated ourselves to finding and fulfilling all of your travel needs at a cost that fits your budget and offer one of a kind personal service for any of your travel needs. Our friendly staff are certified Cruise & Vacation specialists to any destinations you desire. There are several reasons to use Crystal and Clear Travel to plan your vacation instead of the internet.Let us show a few: • Most websites make you pay upfront to get that “great deal” • You are already planning a vacation; so might as well relax and have someone else do it for you • We offer interest free monthly payment options • We can provide one stop shopping, so you’ll get airfare, hotel and excursions all in one package Creating Memories For All Through Monthly Payments So many of us start off saying “I’m going to take that vacation” and the next thing you know 10 years have gone by not ever taking that “Vacation” trip. Don’t let this happen to you! We offer an easy way to plan that dream vacation with convenient, interest free monthly payment options, regardless of credit history. Crystal & Clear Travel has ways to make any vacation a reality. Are you wanting to save towards family vacation? Take your sweet heart on a surprise of a life time? School or Family reunion? Or just yourself? Than you have come to the right place. We offer endless ways to save for vacations. Get started with a simple phone call. We help you decide where it is you want to travel and give you an estimate of what that vacation will cost. This way of saving is perfect for those who want to travel in one or more years from now! You really do not need to have your destination planned to start saving. Accounts are set up on a credit or debit card. When ready our travel payment plan clients will pick a date of travel and amount that fits their budget. While saving for you’re dream vacation there is no penalties for being late, not being able to make a full payment or deciding that you have to opt out all together. Whether you are wanting to travel to a local destination. Or you wanting to travel the far east. You can make this happen with your own personalized savings plan. The easiest way to save, without any hidden fees, making that dream vacation a reality. Once you have an amount that equals your deposit for that vacation your monies are then transferred to your reservation. We offer many Vacation packages that suit all budgets and can personalize your dream vacation whether it’s to Disneyland or Disney World, a short getaway, that long awaited romantic weekend with your sweetheart or all the way to that exotic island week long stay in an all inclusive resort. We take pride in creating the most comprehensive and affordable Tour packages to Europe, Asia, Middle East, Central and South America and the South Pacific Islands. Whether you are planning your Destination Wedding, Romantic Honeymoon, Family Vacation or that spectacular Dream Cruise, our staff is available to get the planning started. No vacation is too small! Remember – Travel agent services come at NO COST TO YOU. NO FEES! |
Becky H.
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August 2024
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