Wish You Were Here

Why not put your trip on layaway?

2011-11-03T15:54:00.000-04:00

People get excited when they think about travel but most people have this dream vacation in their mind but don't have all the money upfront to buy it out right and book it. This is where our layaway plan comes in. Yes, that's right, we have a layaway plan! Just as you would put a deposit down on a Christmas gift at Walmart and put it on layaway, you can also do that with your trip! You can put a small deposit down on your trip to book it and lock in your rates so they don't go up. Then you start making payments on your trip either monthly or you can just wait until about 6 weeks out from your trip and then pay it all off. Why wouldn't you use this option? This is an option that many clients take advantage of and it allows them to actually afford a more upscale vacation. This is an option that could help you get to that destination that you have always thought of going to. Just think of the possibilities! So when you call Personal Travel make sure you ask about our Vacation Layaway and let us help you start paying on that dream vacation you have always wanted.

Personal Travel
812-923-8768
personaltravelonline.com

St Lucia - Life's a Beach!

2011-08-26T16:27:00.002-04:00

St. Lucia is amazing! We went to tour all 3 Sandals in St. Lucia. We arrived to beautiful mountains and gorgeous water. We finally got through the airport and set inside the air conditioned Sandals lounge in the airport. They took care of our bags and offered us drinks and a few snacks. We got into the transfer van with other couples and were on our way to our Sandals resort. It took 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to our resort, Sandals Halcyon. When we arrived they offered us cool towels scented with lavender. They set us down on the couch to get us checked in. Once we were checked in we were whisked away with our bags to our lovely newly renovated room. King size bed, huge flat screen TV, desk, lounge chair, mini bar, very nicely done bathroom with a huge tub.

Sandals Halcyon had 2 pools, pretty beach, their famous Pier restaurant over the ocean, 2 other restaurants, and of course you have the privilege to transfer to the other 2 Sandals resorts. Halcyon is a quiet and laid back property. There isn't much activity going on here but they do have just a few things to choose from such as volleyball, music, and a few shows or Karaoke in the lounge in the evenings.

We spent time at the other 2 resorts. Sandals Grande St. Lucian is a very active and happening resort. Their decor is very grand and very Caribbean. This property has the best beach for water sports and activities. They have a long stretch of beach. They have a very large and nice pool as well. They have the famous Rondovals here that are incredible! This resort has several restaurants and a few you need to make reservations for. The Italian restaurant you must make a reservation as well as their famous "Gordons" which is set over the water just off the beach. This restaurant is included for those guests who have booked into one of the top 3 category butler suites. If you would like to eat there but do not qualify for the free meal you can pay a fee of about $150 per couple to eat there. Best food I have EVER tasted! The Filet Mignon was amazing and I want to go back to St Lucia just to be able to taste that again. This restaurant has the best view of the sunset which was
breathtaking.

Sandals La Toc is a very large property and has a very lively atmosphere but you can also get away from all of the commotion and relax if you want. They have 3 main pools. The large one is very lively and the other 2 up on the cliffs are more relaxing and quieter. Part of this resort is set on a cliff and some on the beach. This resort takes a while to walk from point A to point B but there are shuttles that take you up and down. There are many restaurants here that do require reservations such as the Asian restaurant and the French restaurant. They have many things to choose from for night life. They have bars and a stage with shows and live bands. This property has a beach but it's not the best beach for water sports. It has a scalloped beach with cliff walls at each end.

This resort has the famous million dollar suite which has it's own private pool and jacuzzi, living room, large bathroom and the famous wall that can pull back to reveal an open air bedroom and look down on the beach and off the cliff! It is gorgeous and I would love to stay there some day when I have $10,000 to stay.

This island is called the Hawaii of the Caribbean. This island is known for it's active volcano and lush rain forests. This island has very sweet people and has a very neat culture. They remind me much of Jamaica. St. Lucia offers an experience of a lifetime!

Is Mexico and Jamaica safe for visitors?

2011-03-25T10:59:00.002-04:00

As travel agents we hear this many times. Clients are very concerned about Mexico and Jamaica because of the media hype about violence in select areas of those two countries. The two most popular destinations and the least expensive have been losing out on tourists because of our media and how they blow everything out of proportion. Yes, there has been recent violence with drug lords in Mexico but that is only on the borders of Mexico. The tourist areas are safe such as Cancun, Mayan Riviera, Cabo San Lucas, and many more destinations in Mexico. Same with Jamaica, all the violence you hear about in Jamaica is in Kingston. The areas that we send clients to are at least 60 miles away from Kingston.

Think about it, there are bad parts of town everywhere you go. For instance, everyone hears there is a lot of violence in Detroit. Does that mean you don't go any where close to Detroit? What about the west end of Louisville, Ky? There are parts of town you stay away from but just because there is more violence over in that part of town doesn't mean that you shouldn't go to any part of the Louisville area. Same with these countries. Mexico is a big country and people just write it off because they have heard of violence in one small section of it. You just have to be smart. Don't go out to the towns without a trusted guide or taxi driver from your resort. If you feel too unsure about going outside of the resort then don't go. There are good parts as well as bad parts just like any place.

Cancun and Jamaica thrive on tourism. Do you really think they would let these thugs and drug lords crash their economy by letting them into their city? They have beefed up security in these tourist spots and you can't even get on the grounds of the resorts unless you are on the list where you enter into the gates of the resort. It is more than safe. You have a higher chance of drowning than getting killed by violence in these spots. So, before you rule out these destinations for your next trip, think twice. Please take time and read this article from USA Today. It should put your mind at ease if you still have doubts.

Cancun: Is it safe?

The Best Reward is Our Clients Coming Back Happy!

2011-02-09T11:07:00.000-05:00

We pride ourselves in the fact that we can give personal service to our clients. With only 2 agents in the office we can really get to know our clients and their families. When our clients come back happy and let us know about how much fun they had, nothing makes us happier. Here is what one of our clients had to say about Beaches Turks and Caicos.

"We had a WONDERFUL time! I've never experienced a vacation like it! I was thrilled to be back in my own bed, but I have never been so sad about going home from a vacation. For our entire stay I didn't worry about the day or the time. We ate when we were hungry and slept when we were tired - I've never been so relaxed! The location was beautiful and the service was great! The kids LOVED the water park and spent 2 days just going down the slides. The wedding was beautiful and my sister-in-law was very pleased with the whole experience.We loved the all-inclusive aspect of this trip/resort. It was so nice to not worry about carrying a purse or wallet. We'd love to go on another trip like it sometime. It was a fabulous experience and we are so glad we had the opportunity to go. Thanks again for all of your help!"

~Catherine

Experience the Romance at El Dorado

2010-10-04T15:42:00.002-04:00

Imagine waking up in a Casita suite steps away from the beach with the sound of waves crashing onto the shore. You can experience that at El Dorado Royale along with so many inclusions that can't be offered anywhere else. This resort is the ultimate all inclusive resort! Every room has a stocked mini bar, a jacuzzi, 24 hour room service, king size bed concierge service, to name a few inclusions. One of the perks of booking into a Casita suite is experiencing an outdoor shower. This experience is one of the most romantic as well as one of the most uncommon.

This particular resort has 9 gourmet restaurants. They offer anything from Italian cuisine, French, Fondue, International, to Asian cuisine. The food is exquisite and very nicely presented. Everything is made special and they will try and accommodate all needs and desires when it come to how you want your food prepared.

Now imagine laying in your own beach bed right by the calm waves reading a book or drinking a pina colada. This is also possible on the beach of El Dorado! They have beach beds lined up and down the beach as well as lounge chairs for laying out and working on your tan. The water is turquoise and the palm trees sway in the gentle breeze. Beach butlers walk up and down the beach and ask if they can bring you anything to drink. If you are more of a pool person you have 13 to choose from on property. They have 2 main pools and the other 11 are spread throughout the property mostly by the Casita suites.

There are so many activities to choose from on property. They include many different non motorized water sports such as snorkeling, kayaking, and paddle boating to name a few. They offer camel back riding as well a horse back riding. The excursions are many including, Mayan ruins, zip lining, ATV riding, etc. This list goes on with the possibilities. They have nightly entertainment as well as many bars on property. There is always a show of some sort going on in the event palapa. Talent shows, impersonations, comedy, Las Vegas style shows, etc. You will never run out of things to do on property.

Last but definitely not least, they have the best service offered. All the staff is ready to serve you at any moment and they are willing to help you with even the smallest things. They will go out of their way to find you a real aloe plant to sooth your sun burn (true story). Everything there is top quality and specially for you! It is the ultimate romantic experience!

Experience a Butler at Sandals!

2010-07-19T14:10:00.003-04:00

The Sandals experience alone is enough to make you forget all your problems but to experience a butler is an experience of a lifetime. When we arrived at our resort we were greeted by our own personal butler. He handed us an ice cold water and a chilled towel to refresh with. After we were refreshed, our butler led us up to our Honeymoon Oceanfront One Bedroom Suite. We entered our suite and were seated in our living room area. The butler helped us with our check in process and then showed us all of the amenities in our suite. We had an in room bar stocked with juices, water, beer, and liquor. We had couches, a TV, and a table with chairs in our living room area. In our bedroom we had a 4 poster bed with a gorgeous oceanfront view of the brightly turquoise colored ocean from our large balcony. We had a huge shower, double vanity, jacuzzi tub, and large closet.

Since we were returning guests to Sandals we had
"Welcome Home" balloons by our door and we were invited to go to a dinner party the next night for returning guests. We knew we wanted to go to dinner at the Kimonos restaurant that night so our butler made reservations for us and came and escorted us to dinner that night from our room. We were dying to get out the next day and lounge by the pool, so we asked our butler to reserve the best spot by the pool for us. The next morning we strolled down to the pool and found our lounge chairs under an open umbrella and a reservation card with our names on it. We got the best spot out there! The butlers give you a cell phone in case you need to get a hold of them. If you forget your hat, sunscreen, or sun glasses they will bring those things to you from your room.

There are many other things that we saw that a butler can do for their guests. They can set up a candlelight dinner on the beach or by the moonlight pool. They can set up breakfast, lunch, or dinner for you on your balcony.

You can have your butler set up spa appointments or schedule a couples massage by the beach. The butler turns down your bed every night and has a towel animal waiting for you. They have the lights turned down and romantic music playing as you come in every night. The experience is like no other. It was amazing and I would recommend a butler to anyone going to Sandals. It makes for
the ultimate relaxation. Like they say in Jamaica, "No worries, no problems!"

Sandals Whitehouse

2010-07-06T13:57:00.008-04:00

A beautiful tropical paradise awaited us as we got off the plane in Montego Bay, Jamaica. We got our luggage and waited in an air conditioned lobby located in the airport, which was specifically for Sandals guests. We lounged in very softly padded couches and drank chilled pineapple juice as we waited for our shuttle. They announced that our shuttle had arrived to take us to Sandals Whitehouse and we made our way outside.

As we started on the road to Southcoast Jamaica we saw many sights along the 1 hr and 20 min drive. We saw many shacks as well as nice big houses. The road was very bumpy and windy, therefore the ride is an adventurous challenge. The drive was very different to what we are used to in the US. They drive fast and the roads are narrow and bumpy but everyone seems to arrive safely to their resort each time.

As we arrived to Whitehouse we were greeted with a cool wet towel that smelled of sweet lavender. We were taken right off of the shuttle and whisked away to our concierge lobby to check in. We had our own personal concierge to help us with the check in process. Within 10 minutes we were checked in and ready to see our room. Our room was located in the Italian Village which was decorated with romantic flowers and vines climbing the building. We walked into our nicely air conditioned room as we curiously checked out our room. We had a double vanity, jacuzzi, separate room with a shower and toilet with french doors. We had a very comfy king size four poster bed, an in room bar stocked with juices, water, soft drinks, beer, wine, and liquors. We had a sofa with a coffee table and a balcony that overlooked the Italian Village pool and the beach.

The next morning as we woke up rested we got dressed and strolled from our room to the Piazza and ate an a la carte breakfast at Eleanors. We had a delicious meal of coffee, juice, fruit, muffins, and french toast. As we walked out we couldn't help but be amazed at the size of the main pool. The water sparkled in the sunlight and we anxiously got ready to experience it first hand. We grabbed two rafts and laid out in the water for the whole day, occasionally grabbing a drink from the swim up bar. Later that day we took a walk along the beach and then walked down to one of the other two pools on property. We laid out by the French Village pool which was pretty lively. This is where all the activity happens.

Later that evening we went to our room to relax and get dressed up for dinner at the seafood restaurant, Neptune's. After a wonderful dinner by candlelight we went to the club/lounge and listened to singers sing some well known songs as well as some Jamaican songs. After the entertainment we strolled back to our room in the gentle night breeze. We went to bed to the sound of total piece and quite that night.