ADVENTURE DESTINATION VACATIONS SHOW & TELL - First Choice Travel and Cruise

Alaska, Australia, Tahiti, Europe, Costa Rica, Morocco, Iceland and Hawaii are just some of the adventures some of our guests have chosen to experience!

Are you ready for an Adventure Vacation?

What is YOUR idea of an ADVENTURE VACATION?

Everyone has a different perception of an adventurous vacation. It could be climbing a mountain, standing on a magnificent Glacier in Alaska, ziplining in Costa Rica, deep sea fishing in Mexico or the Caribbean, swimming with the stingrays and sharks in Bora Bora, riding a camel in Morocco, sailing on a ship that looks like pirates were on it first ....the list goes on. Here are some of our own First Choice Travel and Cruise Vacation Travel Specialists and Clients ideas of a good time on an Adventure Vacation!!

PANAMA CANAL CRUISE ON WINDSTAR

Randy and Karen Videkovich took a cruise aboard the Windstar Wind Spirit. They sailed from Puerto Caldera Costa Rica to Quepos, Bahia Drake, Puerto Jimenez, Golfito and Isla de Coiba before their transit of the Panama Canal. The cruise ended in Colon Panama.

Karen said it was worth every penny! Randy loved the fact they were on a working vessel and that he was able to see the bridge and engine room. The crew even took the time to explain that they had to wait until low tide to go under the bridge because the mast was the taller than the BIG cruise ships!

HONG KONG, SINGAPORE AND CHINA CRUISE

Hong Kong, China, Sanya, China, Hue Danang Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam and Singapore

Here are some specifics if anyone know who is interested in traveling this itinerary

You MUST have Currency when traveling to China. They hardly excepted credit card and I was glad that I brought money with. The ship oasis of the sea was beautiful. The service was decent and like I said the ship was great. The extra activities on the ship for free which I was shocked at. Rock climbing, Ifly, wake boarding, Northstar. Those were all free.

Singapore was our absolute favorite. It was clean, gorgeous, there was no language barrier, and credit card was excepted everywhere. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton which was superior to any other Ritz that I have been at or stayed at.

Hung Kong has a lot of money and staying in the downtown area would be nice. Not sure though after two days if we would be bored or not. We stayed on lantau island which had Disney world, a tourist attraction with temples.

Vietnam was dirty, polluted, and fairly poor. I have no desire to return there. The only place I would ever consider returning to would be Singapore only if it was in another itinerary.

No Currensy was needed in Singapore even though I came prepared.

The shower curtains on Royal Caribbean kind of sucked as well. We spent two days in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam and even though we picked a different excursions for each day, they both mirrored each other visiting the same places

We went to a couple shows which were really good but they also had some bad acts as the main stage

I would have to say this was a one and done trip. I definitely want to do the Baltic and Mediterranean again. This was Steve's first cruise and he was not impressed with the food. I'm a pickier eater than he is so I'm not sure how to interpret that. LOL.

He did like all the activities on the ship though and thought the ship was great.

In Good Health,

Karen

MOROCCO WAS REALLY AN ADVENTURE FOR THESE 2 SINGLE LADIES!

Camels, bikes and girls...sounds like trouble!

How exciting to visit and experience Morocco!!! Mary worked with the girls on choosing G ADVENTURES for this trip to Morocco! I can't wait to see where they go next!

AFRICA for these 2 couples

Mary, I know I’m a bit behind but I finally remembered to send you a photo from Africa. Thanks for everything you do for us!! --Barb

ONE BRAVE WOMAN GOES ANTARCTIC ON US!!

One of our favorite travelers is Diane Brown from Wisconsin. She is making her way around the world and on this trip she shares with us all her adventures!!

Diane's Bucket List was crossed off in the ANTARCTIC!

SNOW yesterday...I have pictures....LOTS of pictures. One day it was 40...so warm on shore with penguins..we took off jackets, and gloves and hats.
Loving it....Lindblad is the best....everything is done just right...much more professional then Princess.
Diane

ANTARCTIC views

Yes, after a week of trying to rest and get back into real life, here I am.

First of all, you really must look into Lindblad Expeditions for your travel choices. Some people might find them very rewarding. BUT you must remember they are not cruises....but expeditions contacted with the National Geographic Society.

People will be disappointed if they are expecting a "cruise." Lindblad remembers everything from soup to nuts and leaves nothing to chance. It was the most organized and well planned trip I have ever been on.

All staff and people and guests were outstanding.

Diane Brown

I think I saw this movie!

Can you imagine seeing all this up close and personal??? We think Diane is our hero! She is traveling the world and seeing what she wants to now. As you can see she has made a lot of new friends too!Why put off once in a lifetime adventures like this? Good for you Diane Brown, She is living the DREAM!!! YOU GO GIRL!!!!

Never leave home without your Packer Hat.

PS-Diane is calling herself the PENQUIN LADY now!!!

CAMBODIA and VIETNAM was on their list, along with many other Adventure Destinations!

Baders loved their trip to Cambodia!

We recently returned from Vietnam and Cambodia and I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge Sheri Koch for the planning and coordination she provided to make it such a wonderful trip. We have worked with Sheri since 2002 to book travel to China, Peru, Croatia and numerous other destinations. Because of the great customer service she provides it’s easy to plan and book a trip and we always know we can embark on our travel confident that all the details have been attended to and everything will go flawlessly. (As much as that is possible when traveling!)

This great service is evident every time we work with her and our trip to Vietnam and Cambodia was no exception. Although we were going to travel with a tour we wanted to arrive a few days prior to the start of the tour and she deftly handled all the independent flight arrangements, airport transfers and hotel arrangements. Then about one week before departure a problem arose concerning the cabin we would occupy while on the cruise we would be taking up the Mekong River at the midpoint of our trip. After a frantic call to Sheri, she contacted General Tours/Ama Waterways and quickly resolved the issue and our accommodations on the boat were fantastic.

Bill and Cindy in Cambodia

It’s examples such as these that make it such a joy to work to work with her and we look forward to planning our next adventure with First Choice Travel and Cruise.

Bill and Cindy

JAPAN and stop overs in Hawaii for these two adventure travelers!

Mary, - great trip but lots of expected flying.

Hotels - Sheraton in Kauai - great hotel, great location except for finding it in the dark the first night.

Westin in Japan - one of the best hotels we've ever stayed in - first class all the way.

Miyako in Kyoto - convenient but marginal

Granvia in Hiroshima - convenient and nice

Westin in Maui - great hotel and location

Locations - Kauai - great island - the best for vegetation and great scenery. We stayed there 25 years ago on our honeymoon - that Sheraton destroyed by the hurricane in 1992. Good weather - only rained one day - had plenty to do including resting.

Tokyo - a huge city but very clean and well managed. 14 million people but well provided for with subways, buses, etc. People were nice, had little language problems. Could talk for hours about their culture. People dressed immaculately and their city, cars, trains, buildings and living areas were also immaculate. Lots of things to do but not enough time. Enjoyed it very much.

Kyoto - only there a day and a half. A city of shrines - the tour covered it quite well as well as taking us to an authentic shopping area.

Hiroshima - it was hard to believe that we wiped this city out in 1945. Now very modern and active. We spent most of the day at the memorial for the A-bomb which was very sad to see. They have erected several individual cites that depict different things they want remembered. Met one man who was there at 8 years old - he did not speak English but told us a little about it with the assistance of a nice young Japanese couple - he showed us the radiation scars on his arms and face. We also met a man was in his mother's womb at the time - he had put together a scrapbook of the whole calamity in honor of his mother - I asked him if he planned to publish it and he said he couldn't afford to - someone should. We also met several small groups of middle school aged kids who were on a field trip and looking for Americans to talk to - we were about the only ones so we were bom-barded - loved it.

Tokyo - for another two days at the Westin. The side trips were on the bullet trains and were great - smooth as silk and very fast and punctual.

Maui - a great island with lots of things to do. Weather was nice and we explored the island well. We went to a Lutheran Ash Wednesday Service that was quite different including a native Hawaiian choir and a hula dance to a hymn that was very sensitive. Probably the best all around island for a variety of things to do. We went whale watching which was unbelievable.

We could see them surfacing from our hotel room but got very close to lots of them on the catamaran.

Overall, Mary, a great trip.Everything worked fine and we thank you for your normal great help and planning.

Thanks again,

K&K

ALASKA

Alaska might be #1 on your bucket list for Adventure!

Is your idea of adventure rafting in Alaska? Our state certified Alaska and Canada Specialist can help you with that adventure and more. She has experienced the river rafting in Alaska a few times along with numerous whale watching adventures, flights over and helicopter stop on a glacier, the misty fjords and one fixed wing to Mt. McKinley.

Or may we suggest touring with your children in Europe for an educational adventure they will never forget. Or sightseeing the pyramids in Egypt would be a high adventure.

For more information see

Pictured on top of this page is Mary Malsch with her husband Harry and daughter Brooke standing on a glacier in Alaska.

Alaska is one of the most popular US destinations for Adventure!

An adventure vacation to me is going somewhere or doing something totally different. Alaska helicopter on a glacier or Costa Rica natural hot springs. Canopy bridges or zip lines thru the tree tops are quite adventurous also. Some experience you will remember and talk about to anyone that will listen. Nancy Tennessen

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

Australia and New Zealand are top on the list for Adventure and Exotic Vacations!

Mary has been helping all of our Australia and New Zealand clients experience adventure for over 15 years now and it never gets old to her. Every guest is excited and ready to live the adventure in Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania. Mary said nothing says adventure more than visiting the outback, seeing the aboriginals and scuba diving in the great barrier reef. Backroads Hiking and Biking trips all over the world are another exciting adventure Mary sells quite frequently.

"Every vacation is an adventure for me because I can’t just sit on the beach and relax for very long. I have to go exploring because I hate to miss a thing! When I went to Costa Rica it was an adventure because it was someplace I though I might never see. The rainforest, active volcano, hot springs and wildlife were fascinating to me! Walking on the suspension bridges in the canopy of the Rainforest was an adventure IN an adventure. What I am trying to say is that I don’t need to be swinging through the trees or whitewater rafting to feel like I am on an adventure. The whitewater rafting, helicopter sightseeing, hiking and canopy tours are just icing on the cake!" Mary Malsch

See more of Mary's ideas or email her at

TAHITI, BORA BORA AND MOOREA

Amazing Underwater views in Tahiti!

Gayle Zielke, our Tahiti Tiare Specialist still insists that Tahiti is the ultimate vacation for Honeymooners, Anniversary couples and even families looking for adventure and meeting the locals and experiencing the Tahitian culture. Contact our South Pacific Specialist for Tahiti and Fiji:

For Tahiti:

Snorkel..Up close and personal with the stingrays. The picture is not as clear as it is underwater!

Swimming underwater up close and personal with the stingrays, beautiful tropical fish and sharks is an adventure not to be missed in Tahiti. I loved this Bora Bora adventure but to be honest couldn't look directly at the sharks like I could with some beautiful parrot fish we made friends with. My husband Gary says he was glad I was not looking really close as a small shark swept past my leg to get the goodies from our Tahitian guide. It wasn't as scarey as it sounds.

COSTA RICA ZIPLINE

Zip Lining in Costa Rica on your wish list?

I think I am kind of a big baby adventure traveler anyway. You can find HIGH ADVENTURE everywhere!! I tried the ziplining in Costa Rica and screamed the whole way. Here I am hugging a tree for dear life. Everyone else loved it. Contact our Costa Rica Specialists: ,

Bon Journo! Sometimes my idea of high adventure is going on a cruise through out the Mediterranean and finding a cab driver who speaks English enough to take us into the smaller hidden away cities (not as touristy) like Cefalu, Positano and other secret villages!

See Gayle or email:

THAILAND HONEYMOON ADVENTURE

We loved it!

Bangkok was insane/crazy.

Chiang Mai was hands down our favorite. And then the elephant tour. I do not even know where to begin. Honestly, our favorite part of the trip.

Phuket was gorgeous.

If we could go back, we would go! We wish we could have stayed just a little bit longer. And honestly, nothing went wrong the entire trip.

Brittany and Ryan

ICELAND AND IRELAND

Check out our Ireland and Iceland Fun and Adventure of a lifetime!

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA of an ADVENTURE?

"An adventure vacation is for anyone wanting fun and adventure away from home. From the extreme thrill seeker to someone less daring; the level of excitement depends on you. Whether mountain climbing in South America, skiing in Canada, or kayaking in Colorado we can help customize the perfect adventure for you." Laurie

Machu Picchu

Hello Mary, We had a fabulous time. The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with @gadventures was amazing. I highly recommend them. The food was terrific and the Porters were incredible. They would leave after us at camp and pass us on the Inca Trail to be to camp first to set up our tents and prepare dinner. This adventure was the hardest challenge I have ever done, but our guides were there to encourage us the entire way.

We loved the entire time. Thank you for all your help planning our trip and my frantic emails during our vacation.

#firstchoicetravelandcruise #booklocaltravelglobal #incatrail #gadventures #adventuretravel #makingmemories #localtravelagency #AdventureAwaits #PlanYourAdventure #travelagentsrock

FOR MORE ADVENTURE DESTINATION IDEAS AND INFORMATION CLICK HERE:
ALASKA, AUSTRALIA, COSTA RICA, EUROPE, HAWAII, TAHITI, River Cruising, Other CUSTOMER COMMENTS!

Let us help you have a great adventure with unique and authentic experiences. The experienced Destination Travel Experts at First Choice Travel and Cruise will take care of the details and you sit back and take care of creating the memories!!!
Call 262-542-5955 or email: