How Do Couples Get A Perfect Holiday...

Have you felt the strains of living life a little out of the ordinary of late?  Well, it can be said that “covid-19 has had an effect on all of us”.  But now after each state and territory in Australia has experienced closures and you, isolation. Life is still not as we know it and it wont be for awhile, but at least there is light at the end of the tunnel...time for a holiday.  A desired perfect holiday!

Ultimate Winery Experience

If you have been pondering where you and your loved one would escape to, to feel the joy of freedom, relaxation, fun and whatever you desire, remember to consider these three tips:

• Get organised.  Ask family or friends if they can look after your children, pets, plants or house for a few days.  If need be look at services where you can get a live in nanny or where your pet can be comfortably lodged in a boarding kennel environment.  Also, do not be hesitate to touch base with a friendly neighbour who may be able to water your plants and keep an eye on your house or there may be a local kid who would love some pocket money.  Simply ask them and then you are another step closer to your perfect holiday.  

• Couples you want that perfect holiday?  So, holiday where there are no children unless you truly do not care.  Options for a perfect holiday would be to stay at a resort that has adult only facilities, such as a pool area or more oooohlalala, stay at an adult only resort. Yes, they do exist.  Be it a private villa, a luxury resort, remote outback camp or an adventure such as heli-touring, fishing, self-driving or an exploration cruise to experience different cultures and unique scenery.  You can experience a perfect holiday.

• Because this is all about you and your loved one.  Discuss what you both mutually want to do or get out of your holiday.  There is no use, hanging out remotely in a luxe tent at a beach destination if your loved one despises being away from concrete buildings.  Will it be an action packed holiday or leisurely lazing by a pool and wine sipping at a fancy restaurant.

Kimberley Coastal Camp

Here are some suggestions to stimulate discussions to what you may desire on your holiday:

•      Gourmet cuisine or fresh local produce
•      Wine your drink and you would love to taste and experience more from a region
•      You both love the ocean, so you will not go inland
•      You love the ocean, but it is nice to broaden your life experiences, so why not head inland

Remember, this is about you two getting away together.  Take a relaxed pace and appreciate what we do have on our doorstep here in Australia, all within a few hours drive or flight.

When border restrictions are eased, travel and holidays are going be different.  Social distancing, washing of hands, sanitising and less contact of communally touched items will be in place.  

At Travel With A Difference we have over twenty years in coordinating and booking holidays and travel arrangements, so contact us

Grab a cuppa, sit back and relax completing this Find A Word Destination and receive a gift when you book your holiday with us 

AUSTRALIA is AMAZING

Western Australia

"On My Bum"

We all have our own reason, as to why we choose to take off and remove ourselves from our regular life routine.   Some like to take a holiday for a week or so, stay in one location and simply relax and enjoy the resort.  Others may choose to travel and utilise different modes of transport and explore several towns and cultures.

I wanted to visit a place that I'd heard of back in 1991 from when I meet an eighteen year old female Canadian traveller in Nepal. She was travelling solo; I was twenty-one and travelling with a friend.  I was intrigued by her and her travels.  The opportunity arose at the end of 2013, when I was going to Bali and then on to Malaysia to explore the destination and view some hotels.  Laos was only a 2 hour 45minute flight away from Kuala Lumpur, that would take me to Vientiane the capital.  I'd then sit at the airport cafe for a few hours before boarding a forty-five minute flight to arrive into Luang Prabang.   Laos was that long awaited destination.

To get to Laos there is no direct path from here, it is bit of a hop-skip and jump either via Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia or Thailand.  But this was an opportunity and it was the UNESCO town of Luang Prabang, that I wanted to experience and that's what I did for ten days.

Sure, I doubled up on visiting the night market, having a g&t at a café or restaurant along the Mekong or Nam Khan Rivers before dinner or walking in and out of stores pondering their wares and where to spend my money.  The expats are prevalent in town, but so are the opportunistic locals.  Designer clothes and home wares to delicious croissants, were all there for purchasing, as well as home-stitched clothing or a serving of sticky rice (eaten with your fingers of course!).

Having the joy and freedom to consume my breakfast, lunch and dinner at any time and at any location, there was only so much aimless gazing I could do.  I started to click photos of all that I was observing.  I was on this journey alone, so I embraced living in the moment and called this moment “On My Bum” as that’s what I was doing, sitting on my bum as I clicked these and other pics during my breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Enjoy!

Vientiane Airport cafe

Sakkaline Road

Sakkaline Road

Kitsalat Road

Kitsalat Road

Ock Pop Tok Textiles - fairtrade village

Elephant Village Sanctuary

Shangri-Loa expedition up the Nam Khan River

Sakkaline Road

a Tad Sae Waterfall cafe

located between Nam Khan River & Sakkaline Road

The owner of the cafe

Ps. Not on my bum, but the sounds they generate

Wanting to escape and experience the unknown?  Travel With A Difference can also coordinate a celebratory, well-being or a bespoke free-spirit holiday. 

group travel cringe or embrace....

Group holidays, do you cringe when you hear the word 'group'? 

Don't worry you're not alone; I still hear people say, "oh, I could not stand that".  But the more diverse these group holiday options are becoming the more people are participating and embracing them. 

There's a variety of 'group holiday' experiences to be had. It may be a small group journey - where you join a small group of up to twelve guests to experience a destination. The more niche is the special interest group getaway - where groups of whatever number will experience a footy game, Gallipoli, trekking, a photograph or writing workshop just to name a few.  Then, there's the small 'like-minded' holidays, where men or women gather with their friends to chill-out, share a laugh and whatever takes their fancy - usually a cooking class or a game of golf.  Yes, they leave their loved-(family and pets)-one’s home.

Also, I question. Does then going on a cruise entail 'group travel'? As you are amongst the masses of thousands, all living the same life for the duration of time it takes to embark and disembark on the cruise.

'Generational-holidays' could also be group holiday, as I have coordinated these Generational-holidays where the grandparents take their children, spouse and grandchildren on a holiday...those number of guests soon add up!

Travelling as group does definitely have its merits. It allows you to travel in the safety and companionship of others. It means your holiday arrangements will be pre-arranged and mostly pre-paid, giving a smoother and more seamless journey.  It takes the pondering and decision making out of it, which can be a time waster when on holidays.  For sure, you still have to take the time to ponder and decide, but is mostly done before you depart on your holiday. The pondering and decision making would be on what destination you are going to go, what is it you want to experience, what the cost you are prepared to pay and so on.

So, for your next holiday you may just ponder...am I travelling in the company of simply a friend or loved one or am I going to cringe or embrace the thought of a 'group holiday'? 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts....

Travel With A Difference CALENDAR has a few 'special interest' group holiday you may be interested in: Uganda - eco and sustainable.  France - history of Julia Child and food. Uganda - charity and sustainable.

trekking Bay of Fires

Bill Peach journeys: Sydney to London

Absolute Sanctuary group yoga retreat

lodging whilst trekking Vietnam

Travel With A Difference through knowledge and experience, can tailor-make a memorable and unique journey for you....

ika mata

This was a real cultural wow factor meal I experienced, over twelve years ago firstly when I was visiting the Cook Islands, then again with friends when we sailed into Hai Pai, Tonga.  Lucky me! Only to experience it again recently at a Cook Island function and it was you, who I thought of, thinking I must share this. So, here is, an amazing local fish dish you can try at home or on holiday when at The Cook Islands....

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 kg Fresh game fish
1 Fresh chili
2 1/2 Medium tomatoes diced
1/2 Large cucumber
1 Red onion
1lt Coconut cream
3 Lemons
White vinegar and salt to taste

WHAT TO DO:
Cut the fish into bite size cube sand place into a bowl. Fill the bowl with salted water with a cup of white vinegar and a couple squeezes of lemon juice.  Let marinate for 2-4 hours.

Dice up the vegetables and place into a bowl. Squeeze three lemons into the salsa mix with a couple of splashes of white vinegar.

Add cococut cream to your salsa mix and stir together.  Make sure you taste it and add more lemon, salt or vinegar if need be.

Once you have the taste acquired, add as much chili as you want or just enough to counter the acidity. 
Let it set for an hour or two and serve chilled.  Serves 4-6 friends.  And whilst there have some fun.....xx

neeeeext destination....that bucket list!

Its something most of us have experienced at some point in our life, where we sit and ponder and say “I really want to go there” or “…do that”. I know I have and so have clients I chat with. It’s the destination where we can experience, where we can pursue our favourite activity or adventure, it the thing that puts a fire in our belly.


Often it occurs more than once. It may be that childhood dream of wanting to see a city, the thrill of adrenalin, the cause to help others, a desire to learn a new language, to taste a new flavour of cuisine or culture or simply to have that change of climate. But I bet that whatever is on your dream list, bucket list, to do list, whatever you want to call it, there is more than just one destination or activity you’d like to experience. Hmmm….

Specials and updates pour in to my computer screen daily and yes, it is a moment in time, when I sit ponder and imagine. Then reality kicks in, the phone rings, I’m sitting at my desk. Regularly people ask me, where am I travelling to next and I reply “its endless….Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia… oh, to go back to Italy, France, Portugal and Morocco…to swim with whale sharks, to rent a villa with friends, to sail on a timber deck yacht in Croatia….ah, to be sharing the moment….”. I’m not sure, if others have as many desirable places to experience, but if I’m unable to experience them at this point in time, then the second best thing for me is to feature some of them on Travel With A Difference’s calendar. The Calendar has been created for the simple fact that, there are so many wonderful holiday experiences to be had.


Whether your desired bucket list holiday destination or experience is one purely for you to fulfil or one that can be shared with family or friends, it is worth putting on your calendar to do. It’s the joy of having experienced the dream destination that keeps us pondering on the next. Journeys on my calendar are selected or created with that point of ‘difference’, so they can be enjoyed by all. It may have set dates, but then again, the journey most likely can be tailored to suit you.

Once you’ve experienced your dream holiday, I’m sure you’ll return with a “neeeeext destination” only to be placing yet another on your bucket list to plot and plan. I see it time-after-time and all I can say is, we are lucky and fortunate. Enjoy…

trekking together....

A valued client/friend contacted TWAD earlier this year with the desire for her and her female friends to go on a trekking holiday in Asia.  They had trekked Tasmania and the Northern Territory several times and now were after something different. It was great talking with her to discover her desired requirements: it was to combine some trekking, stunning countryside, cooking class or sensational cuisine, as well as a bit of luxury along the way.  Nutting through the destinations, giving consideration to their time and seasonal climate constraints, North Vietnam was the chosen destination.
When visiting Hanoi, a cruise out on Halong Bay is a must, with the travelling time there, that added a couple of days to the itinerary.  The eight night / nine day itinerary was created.  It involved a night in Hanoi on arrival, four days trekking in a National Park with three nights in basic homestay accommodation and amenities, a night a Nihn Bihn - this was the capital city before Hanoi, a night cruising Halong Bay followed by two nights in a luxury hotel at the end in Hanoi along with a cooking class at K.O.T.O. - a local hospitality school giving children off the streets the opportunity for a change in life.
The journey invitation was for eight women, due to circumstance, it extended to ten with me becoming one of the group.  Not only was I keen on the itinerary, but it would be the first time I'd be travelling with a group on an organised itinerary and I've spent many years travelling. So, this was going to be interesting!!
Sapa is the most spoken of location when people say they're going trekking in Vietnam, but due the travelling time to get there and the request from our client for a location with a strong local and less tourists, we headed south west. Pictures below display the stunning scenery in which we were surrounded by daily as we trekked. The accommodation and hospitality on the luxurious Bhaya was a delight, after sleeping on bamboo floors with a thin mattress for three nights, plus the food sensational.  When we arrived in Hanoi, our journey had been elevated once again, by two nights in the beautiful and historical Hotel Metropole.
Do, enjoy my holiday photos below and if you have a group of friends or colleagues or if you wish to take your family on such a journey, simply phone us, we love to discuss, create and coordinate holiday with your requirements in mind...   
Travel With A Difference reservations: 03-5254 1279

A holiday with everything we had wished for ~ Lawes, QLD

And the journey goes on... Please visit our facebook page for further images. Enjoy, Karen

wanting to pack my bags...

I'm not sure why it is, but at this point in time, I'm considering destinations, as I'm wanting to pack my bag and go on a journey.  I think it might be triggered by the change in climate. The days have turned cool, wet and windy, the days are shorter and the regular daily updates I receive about stunning resort or intriguing destinations, whilst sitting at my desk either tapping on the keyboard or speaking on the phone, doesn't help.

Maybe it is because, I am going to Vietnam on an amazing journey with a group of female friends/clients later this year, where we will be hiking, cruising Halong Bay, participating in a cooking class at K.O.T.O and spending a night or two in a luxury hotel, after spending nights staying in local homestay accommodation. Maybe what has also got me pondering an escape, is that my future fellow travellers have started chatting about what to pack. Packing for me has never been an issue, I don't live a life of having an excessive wardrobe, so I don't need one when I'm holidays. I trust having lived mostly out of a backpack for three years, whilst travelling and living aboard hastened me to want what is useful and practical.

It is a given when I holiday, I pack my swimmers (bathers), at the moment I'm favouring my European style bikini from Raife. Sneakers are always packed, they'll get used whether it be a dawn walk around town exploring the street before the chaos of the day begins or a power walk on the treadmill.  The sun hat is a must for those lazy pool side days, my handy Mimco sun visor will be great for the hiking days. A sarong is a must, it is so light and versatile when on holiday, I never travel with a towel. Another mandatory item I pack is a shawl, it is great for cool evenings over your shoulders, I've used it as a skirt visiting temples, a pillow whilst travelling or simply when the airconditioning becomes intolerable.  
Of course there is more to packing, but these are my basic needs. I'll share more in the near future on other items and what toiletries to pack.  Enjoy and share your thoughts, on what you must have in your bag, if you wish?

Urbanhats

trekking, cooking class, charity, luxury... Nth Vietnam

Here we have an amazing eight night - nine day journey, where you and your friends can get together and share an amazing and memorable experience...

For an in-depth, active adventure in Vietnam this trip is a must! From Hanoi we transfer tothe remote north western region of Pu Luong Natural Reserve. This area is home to some of Vietnam’s 15 ethnic minority groups whose fascinating cultures and warm hospitality is experienced first hand as we trek through villages and stay as guests in their homes. Pretty scenes of lush prime rain forests, silver waterfalls, bamboo forests and tea and rice terraces complete our backdrop. From here we retreat to the serenity of Halong Bay where we spend the night aboard a traditional wooden ‘junk’ boat floating amongst its 3000 limestone islets and emerald waters.We return to Hanoi and experience a cooking class at the famous K.O.T.O not for profit restaurant. We then celebrate with a farewell dinner and some free time for last minute shopping!

Pu Luong National Park

Sofitel Metropole Hanoi



K.O.T.O. Hanoi by Justin Mott



K.O.T.O (Know One Teach One) is a non-for-profit restaurant and vocational training program that is changing the lives of streets and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam. It’s a place where customers enjoy delicious Vietnamese and European cuisine and where the staff (mostly former street and disadvantaged youth) are so full of energy and enthusiasm that it’s contagious. www.koto.com.au

Contact: Travel With A Difference for further information and costing for your desired travel date. T: 03-5254 1279

at my french table...

it all started a several years ago when I met Jane Webster at a spa cuisine cooking class at Lake House, Daylesford.  She spoke of her chateau in France and I spoke of Travel With A Difference, over the years we maintained contact.
Not long after we meet, Jane packed up her family and belongings and moved to Chateau de Bosgouet in France. Here, she created her desired dream and compiled a fabulous story of her life and the culinary food tours that she offers.  Her fabulous French living life was written into a book 'At my French Table', to which I have recently purchased.  The wow factor of Jane's week long food journeys staying at Chateau de Bosgouet and reuniting with Nikole Furnari (nee Ramsay)  the photographer for the book, was something I just had to share with you. 

If you love travel, food, France, dreams....do yourself a favour and reserve a week long culinary journey or simply, buy the book.

Nikole visited and lived with Jane and her family, whilst she photographed and captured the moments of all things divine within Jane's dream...At my French Table at Chateau de Bosgouet!

a book to escape by...

Chateau de Bosgouet

fresh produce and homemade

Gather your friends and meet in France, imagine the fun and laughs....
Contact us today for reservations.

getaway in vietnam...

Many holiday options and offers come into our office from river cruising, to dog-sledding, to trans Siberian rail journeys to walking, cycling and trekking journeys...but this, I just had to share.
Its Six Senses newest resort, Six Senses Con Dao, Vietnam.  Why do we love Six Senses?  - they operate sustainable resorts offering comfort, wholesome food and privacy within a location that is unique.
On Saturday, 2 July at 5pm Getaway on Channel 9 will feature Con Dao, an island that is a 45 minute flight from Ho Chi Minh City.

In conjunction with the show, Travel Indochina have a 6 Night stay in an Ocean Front Villa with private infinity pool and daily breakfast.  This is including three free nights.
COST:  per person $1137 twin share
TRAVEL: 02 July to 30 September

OFFER: ends 31 July 2011 - yes, our 10 Year Celebration offer is valid also.

This is a stunning holiday offer for anyone who wishes to sit back and relax...whilst not forgetting that Côn Đảo National Park is working with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Vietnam to further protection in the marine areas, with programs to establish a Marine Protected Area that protects coral reefs, seagrass beds and species, while also developing sustainable nature-based eco-tourism. The island's management is strongly geared towards sustainable use, hoping to learn from previous experiences in Vietnam and the region to balance development with conservation.

Combine this with a few days in Ho Chi Minh City...what more could you ask for?

Speak to us today for further information, a brochure or to book your deserving getaway....