Join me via video for a 4-night getaway at the Sandals Grande Antigua Resort September 2019 on a Sandals Education Experience (SEE) Fam Trip for Sandals Certified Specialists. Sandals is an adults-only resort for couples and is packed with romance, beaches, pools, views, cocktails and entertainment. My favorite part is that diving is included. I even took a PADI Peak Performance class while I was there to take advantage of the wonderful on-site diving instruction.

— Be sure to watch my full YouTube videos and please let Lainey book your next land or sea vacation. Follow all my links and please subscribe: https://campsite.bio/855gr8trip

— Lainey Melnick & Associates – Dream Vacations —

The latest trend in travel is to explore, experience and immerse yourself in global cultures. The continent of Africa offers the opportunity to dance with the Zulus, swim with great whites, hike with mountain gorillas, traverse among the big 5 and savor delectable wines and foods. You can create the bucket list vacation of your dreams by picking and choosing the destinations and activities that speak to you. 

South Africa is a great place to start exploring this continent. It’s modern and westernized but still gives you that entry experience into the culture. The coastal scenery is breathtaking where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic and crashes onto the cliffside rocks at the Southern tip of Africa. Natural landmarks like Table Mountain and Victoria Falls are a must-see. Travel throughout this country to vineyards, animal reserves where you can get up close to elephants, monkeys and wild cats, and Kruger National Park where you can safari with the big 5. If you are looking for more of a wildlife experience, Tanzania and Botswana, are the best destinations to see the great migration and the Serengeti.

For a more personal experience, you can safari in private reserves where you can stay at luxury lodges inside the reserves. This allows you to off-road, get close to the wildlife and visit the parks at the more active times of sunrise and sunset as well as nighttime drives. If you feel more comfortable exploring South Africa with a guided group, Trafalgar Travel offers group tours to see the highlights of South Africa and also offers options for smaller groups with the private reserves. For smaller luxury group tours, Tauck, Abercrombie & Kent, African Travel and Micato Safaris have some nice options. If you’d rather have a custom private itinerary made just for you, we can create the perfect experience using luxury lodges like andBeyond. There are now several cruises that also have South Africa destinations this year. Azamara and AMA Waterways both offer all-inclusive experiences where their ship is your home so you only have to unpack once and travel between port destinations at night.

For a more immersive experience, travel to Uganda or Rwanda to find the last of the mountain gorillas in the world. You are allowed only one awe-inspiring hour with the gorillas after your hike to find them. Be prepared for a more rugged experience, but you can hire a porter to carry your equipment if you just want to think about your photos. Once-in-a-lifetime group, independent or custom gorilla treks are offered. 

Reserve your dream vacation by contacting Lainey Melnick, the owner of the Westlake-area branch of Dream Vacations, 855-GR8-TRIP, www.855GR8TRIP.com, lmelnick@dreamvacations.com. Dream Vacations – Lainey Melnick & Associates is an American Express Membership Rewards Agency and an affiliate of Travel Leaders. Lainey has been a part of the Westlake community and Eanes ISD since 1998. As owner of a Platinum Ranked agency, she is the recipient of the 2018 Travel Influencer Award, 2017 Club Med Top Producer, and 2017 OPAL Award for Women, WTH Certified Spokesperson and serves as Executive Committee Communications Chair for Austin Women Invest to Elect.

Join me on my beautiful active discovery river cruise on the #danube from Budapest to Linz hosted by Avalon Waterways on the #Impression August 2019. We spent one night pre-cruise at the InterContinental Budapest and one night at Sofitel Chain Bridge to enjoy St Stephen’s Day gastronomy festival and fireworks where we also enjoyed a strudel lunch at Reteshaz and a wonderful dinner at Tigris Restaurant. Included are visits to Budapest Opera House, Dohany St Synagogue, Judapest, Vienna Museum of Fine Arts, Schonbrunn Palace, Judenplatz, Heurigen Wine Tavern, Belvedere Palace, Vienna Supreme Concert, Visegrád Knight’s Tournament, Linz Pubs, Engelhartszell, Grein, a canoe ride through the Wachau Valley from Krems to Spitz, the Castle Clam with the Count and Countess, and a very somber and heartbreaking visit to Mauthausen Concentration Camp. Live Music provided by Tom McKernan and the Untouchables. I flew on Qatar Airways, business class, from Cape Town through Doha, and home on Lufthansa economy from Linz through Frankfurt and Houston before getting home in Austin. See the photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/855GR8TRI…

— Be sure to watch my full YouTube videos and please let Lainey book your next land or sea vacation. Follow all my links and please subscribe: https://campsite.bio/855gr8trip

— Lainey Melnick & Associates – Dream Vacations —

Join me via video on my awe-inspiring, amazing, bucket-list trip to East Africa to see the gentle giants, Mountain Gorillas, in both Rwanda and Uganda. You’ll be able to see the difference between both experiences, the terrain, the hike, the drives, and the beautiful Gorillas. My wonderful guide is my local partner Timothy Kintu with Trekking by Tim. I create custom itineraries for my VIP clientele, options include helicopter travel, luxury accommodations, and wildlife interactions or you can reserve small group tours from my various supplier partners. Contact me to reserve your Gorilla Trek adventure. Thanks again to my South African hosts Trafalgar Travel Acclaim 2019 for top agents for making this trip possible. We are visiting Uganda, Rwanda, mountain gorilla view lodge, volcanoes national park, silverback lodge, Bwindi impenetrable forest, hotel des mille collines. I flew RwandAir between Cape Town and Kigali. See my Gorilla Trek photos here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/855GR8TRI…

— Be sure to watch my full YouTube videos and please let Lainey book your next land or sea vacation. Follow all my links and please subscribe: https://campsite.bio/855gr8trip

— Lainey Melnick & Associates – Dream Vacations —

Join me for one last night in the lap of luxury in CapeTown, South Africa for a layover at The 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa with a full hotel tour and an amazing dinner at Fyn Restaurant for a foodie’s dream dinner. This was made possible through my partnership with Trafalgar Travel after being hosted on the Trafalgar Acclaim 2019 reward trip for top agents and thank you to Thompsons Africa for their help with transfers and reservations for the night. I flew Qatar Air for my trip home via Doha and Budapest. Watch for my other African videos and my Avalon River Cruise from Budapest to Linz while you’re on my youtube channel. See my South Africa – Trafalgar Acclaim Photos here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/855GR8TRI…

— Be sure to watch my full YouTube videos and please let Lainey book your next land or sea vacation. Follow all my links and please subscribe: https://campsite.bio/855gr8trip

— Lainey Melnick & Associates – Dream Vacations —

Join me on my amazing trip to South Africa hosted by Trafalgar Travel on the Trafalgar Acclaim 2019 for top agents. We visited Cape Town, Knysna, Port Elizabeth, Joburg, Hazyview, Kruger National Park and Hoedspruit. Flying Turkish Air with their special complimentary stopover tour of Istanbul. South African Air to and from Hoedspruit. So many amazing experiences with the greatest group of people.

See my South Africa – Trafalgar Acclaim Photos here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/855GR8TRI…

Table of Contents 0:00:00 Credits 0:00:56 Austin Airport 0:01:20 Houston Airport 0:01:33 Turkish Air 0:03:38 Istanbul Layover Tour 0:08:50 Istanbul Airport 0:09:57 Turkish Air 0:11:10 Cape Town 0:11:34 Fifteen On Orange Hotel 0:12:20 Trafalgar Champagne Welcome 0:13:00 Gold 0:15:44 Marriott Breakfast 0:15:09 Trafalgar Bus Tour 0:16:14 Hout Bay 0:17:16 Cape Point Lighthouse – Table Mountain National Park 0:18:55 Ostrich 0:19:02 Cape of Good Hope 0:20:07 Simon’s Town Lunch 0:21:29 Boulders Beach Penguin Colony 0:26:59 Gala En Rouge with Zolani 0:41:20 House of Aloe 0:42:05 Premier Hotel Knysna 0:45:29 Drydock for Dinner 0:46:53 Breakfast at Premier Hotel Knysna 0:48:44 The Gull Tours 0:50:17 Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Awareness Centre 1:00:20 Oceanblue Adventures Whale Watching 1:05:01 Lunch at The Table in Plettenberg Bay 1:06:34 Featherbed Co Nature Reserve Dinner at The Cruise Cafe 1:07:18 Bar hopping in Knysna 1:08:12 Checkout process 1:08:31 Bloukran’s World’s Tallest Bungy Jump 1:09:46 Tsitsikamma National Park 1:12:39 Baboons and Lunch stop at Oubosch Farmstall 1:14:44 Trafalgar Wonderbags Treadright.org 1:19:15 Radisson Blu Hotel at Port Elizabeth 1:21:25 Dinner at Ginger 1:23:26 Breakfast at Radisson Blu Hotel 1:24:02 Port Elizabeth 1:24:44 Port Elizabeth Airport 1:26:16 Johannesburg (Joburg) 1:26:53 Apartheid Museum 1:29:53 Protea Hotel Fire & Ice by Marriott Johannesburg Melrose Arch 1:33:07 Dinner at Kitamu 1:36:21 Breakfast at Protea Hotel Fire & Ice 1:37:17 The Good Life – La Belle Vie 1:38:05 Road trip to Hazyview 1:38:24 Lunch at Ocean Basket Dahlstrom 1:38:59 Blyde River Canyon 1:41:23 Monkeys 1:44:02 Lisbon Falls 1:44:25 Protea Hotel Hazyview 1:47:01 Kruger National Park Safari 2:16:36 Protea Hotel Hazyview 2:17:13 Protea Hotel Kruger’s Gate for dinner under the stars 2:19“07 Niyani Cultural Village Hoedspruit 2:29:57 Zulu Lunch with Worms 2:31:40 Wart hogs 2:31:50 Hoedspruit Airport 2:33:12 South African Air 2:33:46 Cape Town 2:34:08 Fifteen On Orange Hotel 2:34:15 Dinner at Baia Seafood Restaurant Victoria Wharf 2:36:51 Amarula Shots 2:36:58 Table Mountain 2:43:39 DeWaal Winery in Stellenbosch 2:50:13 Bo Kaap 2:50:49 Greenmarket Square 2:52:29 Dinner at Belthazar Restaurant & Wine Bar Victoria Wharf 2:53:17 Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens 2:55:40 Cycads 2:57:23 Simon’s Restaurant and Wines in Groot Constantia

— Be sure to watch my full YouTube videos and please let Lainey book your next land or sea vacation. Follow all my links and please subscribe: https://campsite.bio/855gr8trip

— Lainey Melnick & Associates – Dream Vacations —

Join me via video for a 3-night getaway in St Lucia at the Sandals Grande St Lucian Resort with site visits to Sandals Halcyon Beach Resort and Sandals Regency La Toc Resorts July 2019 on a Sandals Education Experience (SEE) Fam Trip for Sandals Certified Specialists. Sandals is an adults-only resort for couples and is packed with romance, beaches, pools, views, cocktails and entertainment. My favorite part is that diving is included. See my Sandals St Lucia Photos here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/855GR8TRI…

— Be sure to watch my full YouTube videos and please let Lainey book your next land or sea vacation. Follow all my links and please subscribe: https://campsite.bio/855gr8trip

— Lainey Melnick & Associates – Dream Vacations —

There’s nothing worse than planning for a beautiful beach vacation only to have it interrupted or delayed with postponed flights, washed out beaches and impending doom threatened by a hurricane. Reduce your risk in the Atlantic region during June through December by booking below the hurricane belt.
The Caribbean islands of Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, St Vincent and the Grenadines plus Trinidad and Tobago are all excellent options offering all-inclusive resorts, villas, luxury hotels and more. A private rented villa offered by Villas of Distinction can be a beautiful choice for couples to groups on all these islands, but there are a host of other possibilities.

Set on one of the world’s finest beaches in Barbados, The Crane Resort opened in 1887 and is the oldest continuing operating hotel in the Caribbean. Setting the bar for luxury accommodations, you’ll find sprawling suites with beautiful views, a jazz club, and their restaurant, Zen, which is Zagat rated #1 for food in Barbados. The Baoase Luxury Resort on Curacao is a unique vacation experience offering the intimacy of a private villa or suite, some with private plunge pools, complemented by the luxury services and amenities of a 5-star resort. It’s hard to beat the Ritz-Carlton on Palm Beach in Aruba where every room has a balcony with a breathtaking ocean view. The Grenadines, aka Mustique, caters to the rich and famous. There, set on 13 acres of tropical gardens leading to Endeavor Bay, the Cotton House estate includes 17 luxurious villas, suites and cottages with garden or sea views with private verandahs and plunge pools. For romance on the Spice Island, Sandals Grenada offers couples-only unlimited luxury including infinity-edge pools in the sky and scuba diving on Pink Gin Beach while families can enjoy the views of Grande Anse Beach at Mount Cinnamon Resort and Beach Club.

For cruising the Southern Caribbean, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has 2020 itineraries that explore Barbados, Grenada, the Grenadines and the ABC islands of the Leeward Antilles.
Reserve your dream vacation by contacting Lainey Melnick, the owner of the Westlake-area branch of Dream Vacations, 855-GR8-TRIP, www.855GR8TRIP.com, lmelnick@dreamvacations.com. Dream Vacations – Lainey Melnick & Associates is an American Express Membership Rewards Agency and an affiliate of Travel Leaders. Lainey has been a part of the Westlake community and Eanes ISD since 1998. As owner of a Platinum Ranked agency, she is the recipient of the 2018 Travel Influencer Award, 2017 Club Med Top Producer, and 2017 OPAL Award for Women, WTH Certified Spokesperson and serves as Executive Committee Communications Chair for Austin Women Invest to Elect plus the Westlake Chamber of Commerce Marketing Committee.

To continue our travel prep series, take a look at how I pack only in carry-on bags for most of my travel. I also discuss the add-on lenses and microphone accessories for my vlogging and travel photos. In this video I am showing these products:

Tumi Voyageur Carson Nylon Backpack Gonex Compression Packing Cubes Set, Expandable Packing Organizers Moment – Superfish Lens for iPhone Moment – Tele 58mm Lens for iPhone iPhone Xs Case || Moment Photo Case in Tan Leather Shure MV88+ Video Kit Shure AMV88-FUR Rycote Windjammer for MV88 Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter Selfie Stick Tripod, 52″ Extendable Phone Camera Selfie Stick with Tripod Stand & Rechargeable Wireless Remote

— Be sure to watch my full YouTube videos and please let Lainey book your next land or sea vacation. Follow all my links and please subscribe: https://campsite.bio/855gr8trip

— Lainey Melnick & Associates – Dream Vacations —

Take a listen to our travel tips for how to prepare for travel to your bucket list destinations like Africa. The products that I talk about in this video are:

Tumi Voyageur Carson Nylon Backpack Foval International Travel Adapter Power Step Down 220v to 110v Voltage Converter with 4-port USB DanForce Headlamp Noise Cancelling Ear Plugs by EarJoy TrailBuddy Trekking Poles Sierra Dawn Campsuds with Citronella Raytix Travel Money Belt With RFID Transmissions Ceptics 12Pcs International Travel Worldwide Grounded Universal Plug Adapter Set – Charge Your Devices from Anywhere in The World Compression Packing Cubes, Gonex Extensible Storage Mesh Bags Organizers Under Armour Women’s Tech ½ Zip Chico’s Secret Stretch Luxe Convertible Crop Basic Sand Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX Hiking Boots – Women’s Marmot Day Pack GRAYL Ultralight Water Purifier Duration Clothing and Gear Insect Repellent Cotton Buds Toilet Tissue To go Ranger Ready Picaridin 20% Tick and Insect Spray Hand Armor By Hygenesis

— Be sure to watch my full YouTube videos and please let Lainey book your next land or sea vacation. Follow all my links and please subscribe: https://campsite.bio/855gr8trip

— Lainey Melnick & Associates – Dream Vacations —