The most complete GUIDE to the INSIDE
The Insider’s Club November 2016
Hot Spot of the Month
The Cayman Islands
Choose Your News
Explore: The Cayman Islands 4-5 What To Do While You Are There 6-9 Where To Stay 10-11 Featured Experience: Couples Retreat Package 12-13 Exclusive Virtuoso World Travel Experiences 14-25
Tech News: Travel Technology 27-28
A WORD FROM YOUR TRAVEL ADVISOR
Dear Fellow Travelers & Adventurers, In this month’s newsletter we are featuring the Cayman Islands as well as our monthly tech news, travel tips, things and places to see in our hot spot, and exclusive travel deals from around the world. As always we welcome any suggestions you may have for this newsletter. Please let us know if there is a specific location, hotel, restaurant, excursion, etc. you would like us to feature. Thank you for your business and the opportunity to collaborate on your travel dreams. I look forward to arranging your next great adventure.
-Carol
Explore: The Cayman Islands
Explore: The Cayman Islands Written by US News Travel The charming Cayman Islands continue to be a coveted Caribbean getaway for both adventurous and more immobile travelers. Gorgeous barrier reefs call to divers as the rum punch calls to the beach bums. Honeymooners hike through the 200-year-old Mastic Trail as parents take their children for interactive swims at Stingray City. Whichever way you choose to mellow out, the Cayman Islands can oblige. The Cayman Islands are an archipelago of three islands, lying 90 miles south of Cuba. The largest, Grand Cayman, is full of beautiful resorts with all-inclusive options, perfect for those who prefer pre-planned itineraries and don’t mind sharing the sights with larger crowds. For the more adventurous traveler, the less-traveled Cayman Brac and Little Cayman offer some of the best diving and snorkeling you can find in the Caribbean.
The Cayman Islands
What to do while your there
Seven Mile Beach For several years now, Seven Mile Beach has been lauded as one of the Caribbean’s best beaches. Take one glance at this crescent-shaped shore and one sniff of the soft, coral sand and you’ll easily understand why. Many of Grand Cayman’s best resorts are situated on Seven Mile, and there are a number of casual beach bars and restaurants, a playground, restrooms and showers to boot.
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Mastic Trail If you’re a nature lover, you should definitely add the Mastic Trail to your list of Cayman Island must-dos. The trail is a 200-year-old gravelly path that winds through a native mangrove swamp and a 2 million-year-old woodland area, surrounded by some of the island’s most colorful and rare plant life. The trail is preserved as a flat, beginners hike by the Cayman Islands National Trust, which also sponsors guided tours.
Stingray City Located in the North Sound area of Grand Cayman, Stingray City is the most popular attraction on any of the three Cayman Islands. Travelers insist it’s a tourist trap — but perhaps a tourist trap that’s worth visiting. The “city” is really a shallow sandbar where you can interact with and feed the Atlantic Southern stingrays that live there.
Eden Rock & Devil’s Grotto Just south of Seven Mile Beach and approximately 46 feet below the surface are Eden Rock and Devil’s Grotto, two of the most popular diving spots on Grand Cayman. Both are wonderful underwater mazes filled with tarpon, silversides, parrotfish and barracuda, and they should be enjoyable swims for both beginner and intermediate snorkelers.
The Cayman Islands Where you should stay
The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, on world-famous Seven Mile Beach, is Grand Cayman’s only five diamond luxury property and a flagship of the Caribbean. Offering breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea, the resort boasts 144 acres with 365 guestroom accommodations. Guests can enjoy a la prairie spa; five restaurants, including Blue by Eric Ripert; an interactive culinary studio; retail; a Greg Norman-designed, nine-hole Blue Tip golf course; Ambassadors of the Environment by Jean-Michel Cousteau; The Courts by Bollettieri; and adventures unique to this sought-after destination.
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Grand Cayman Beach Suites Formerly the Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman, this outpost sits on Grand Cayman’s western side, overlooking Seven Mile Beach’s shoreline, and beckons to travelers with its array of on-site amenities. At the Grand Cayman Beach Suites, you can arrange a tee-time at the Jack Nicklausdesigned Britannia Golf Club before embarking on a snorkeling or scuba diving adventure. Or, indulge in a rejuvenating spa treatment before laying your towel along powdery sands. Finish your day with a dip in one of the two freshwater pools before easing your appetite at one of the hotel’s two restaurants.
Featured Experience: Escape to the Ritz Escape To The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman Available through Dec. 23, 2016 Package includes: • 5-Night hotel accommodations in a Club Resort View Guestroom from $2,723 per person, based on double occupancy • Round trip hotel transfers • $100 Resort Credit (per room, per stay) • Complimentary room upgrade (based on availability) • Daily buffet breakfast for two
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World Travel Experiences
The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong Hong Kong, China
Valid for travel now through March 31st, 2017
Experience Includes: • • • •
Stay 2 nights receive the 3rd night complimentary Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability Daily Buffet breakfast, for up to two in room guests $100 USD Equivalent Food & Beverage credit, to be utilized during stay (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full) • Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
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World Travel Experiences
Park Hyatt Paris Paris, France
Valid for travel now through May 12th, 2017
Experience Includes: • • • •
Stay 3 nights and receive the 4th night complimentary Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability Daily full breakfast, for up to two in room guests Complimentary one-way airport or train station transfer for all stays of 3 nights or above on Park Deluxe category or higher • $100 USD Equivalent Food & Beverage credit, to be utilized during stay (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full) • Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
Exclusive Virtuoso
World Travel Experiences
Taj Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa Valid for Travel 01 Apr 2017 - 30 Sep 2017
Experience Includes: • • • • • •
Stay 3 nights and receive the 4th night complimentary Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability, excludes Presidential Daily full English Breakfast, served in restaurant 1 1/2 Hour City Walk with a professional tour guide Wine Tasting for two guests in the Wine Gallery once during stay For stays of 4 nights or more guests will additionally receive: a ZAR500 food credit in either Mint restaurant or the Twankey Champagne & Tapas bar, once per stay • Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
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World Travel Experiences
Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows Kohala Coast, HI United States
Valid for travel now through December 23st, 2016
Experience Includes: • Stay 5 Nights Or Longer, Save 25% • Upgrade one category at time of booking subject to availability (maximum upgrade to a Deluxe Oceanfront guestroom). Applies to all published rates and packages. Does not apply to Villas or Bungalows and special discounted offers or promotions. • Daily buffet American buffet breakfast for up to two in-room guests, in Bay Terrace Restaurant. ( Does not apply to Villas and special discounted offers or promotions.) served in restaurant • $100 USD Resort Credit for Dining, Spa or Golf per stay to be utilized during stay. (not combineable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full). • Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
Exclusive Virtuoso
World Travel Experiences
Fairmont Southampton Southampton, Bermuda
Valid for travel now through March 30th, 2017
Experience Includes: • • • •
Stay 2 nights and receive the 3rd night complimentary Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability Daily full breakfast, for up to two in room guests $100 USD Equivalent Resort or Hotel credit, to be utilized during stay (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full) • Complimentary WiFi • Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
Exclusive Virtuoso
World Travel Experiences
The St. Regis Aspen Resort Aspen, CO United States
Valid for Travel January 1st - April 3rd 2017
Experience Includes: • Stay 4 nights and receive the 5th night complimentary • Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability • Continental breakfast daily, for up to two in room guests • Welcome note accompanied by fresh fruit bowl and mineral water • $100 USD Equivalent Food & Beverage credit, to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full) • Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
Tech News: Travel Tech
Mobile Passport The Mobile Passport app speeds you through U.S. Customs and Border Protection at 1 cruise port and major 20 airports. Just fill out your profile and answer CBP’s questions – then go straight to the “Mobile Passport Control” express lane at the airport! The program is rapidly expanding and you can see where it will be available in the future by visting their website.
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Loungebuddy Looking for a good airport lounge in which to kill time between flights? Whether you’re traveling economy or first class, LoungeBuddy comes to the rescue, helping you find airport lounges in more than 500 airports around the globe. A helpful Lounge Access Wizard allows you enter trip details, service level and any applicable elite benefits or memberships; LoungeBuddy pulls up a list of locations you can access for free or a one-time fee. Users can also filter or search by amenities.
RunGo Running is a great way to get a bit of exercise, but unless you’re a native who knows the lay of the land, it can be tough finding a good and safe jogging route in an unfamiliar city when you’re traveling. Enter RunGo a run tracker and navigation aid that allows users to discover new jogging routes, complete with voice navigation to help guide them through unfamiliar locales. Users can download routes for offline use, start routes halfway or create their own within the app.