Winter Getaways 2019

Winter Getaways 2019

This morning I had the privilege of talking with Sheila Gray at Local 12 News about winter travel ideas. This is the perfect time to plan a getaway and escape the cold! We talked about four categories: Bargain, Family, Off-The-Beaten-Path and Go Big. No matter what your style or budget there is a great getaway for you!


Click the link to view the segment. For booking info check out www.lovelandandsea.com.


Good Morning Cincinnati News Segment 

Bargain Travel 

The Bahamas - There are great specials available to get people back to the islands after the hurricane. Most islands in The Bahamas (14) are completely open for business. The islands that were affected can use our support. By traveling to the Bahamas we are supporting the economy and keeping people employed in the tourism industry. 

Family Travel

Take a Caribbean Cruise on the Brand New Norwegian Encore. The ship is perfect for families!  They offer go carts, laser tag with augmented reality, virtual reality games, an aqua park and kids club. 

For adults they offer a spa with a snow room and salt room, casino and Broadway-Style entertainment. October is a great time to book with many special offers including free drinks packages and free airfare. 

https://www.ncl.com/cruise/norwegian-encore/activities

Off The Beaten Path

Merida, Mexico. Conde Nast Magazine just named Merida the "Best Small City in the World, 2019." They offer charming walk-able streets, rich culture and friendly people.  I visited over the summer and fell in love! You can also check out Mayan ruins nearby. 

Photos from my recent trip are here:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/LoveLandandSea/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2462555150435462

Go Big

The Galapagos. Winter is the wet/warm season so it's perfect for those who want to snorkel and see animals such as marine iguanas, green sea turtles, and penguins. Land and Cruise options available. This destination is part of my Animal Adventures Collection. 

Kantun-Chi Eco Park - Review

I have been to Mexico several times. I have visited the Riviera Maya numerous times and have enjoyed eco parks, cenotes and wildlife. I've done a ton of excursions and felt like I had "done it all."

This last trip was different though. I was taking my son with me for the first time. Things were different. Excursions that I enjoyed on my own or with my friends were not as family-friendly. I love going to cenotes (sinkholes filled with water which are either open, partially underground or fully underground and cave-like).

The cenote tour I did 2 years ago was fun. I got to zipline into a cenote, kayak, jump, rappel down and more into 5 different cenotes. The problem was, this was an all-day tour that required getting into a bus early in the morning and driving (on very rough roads) to reach each of the cenotes. I knew my 11 year old son would have a hard time on an excursion this long and would likely get bored on the bus in between the action. I also wasn't sure how he would do on the more adventurous options.

I was introduced to Kantun-Chi by Alex Martinez, who told me about the beautiful property he worked at and how it was great for families. I decided to visit with my son last month and I'm so glad I did. My friend and her 11 year old son joined us.

The first thing I noticed about this place was the unspoiled beauty. I truly felt surrounded by nature and it was clear that this was not anything like the crowded commercial eco parks in the riviera maya. It felt private, secluded and peaceful.

We made our way to gear up (everything is provided) and went to our first cenote. The boys were amazed at the rock formations and the bats flying around. We all jumped in and it was refreshing to say the least!

The next cenote was just a walk down a path. This was one of my favorite things about Kantun-Chi. They have all of the cenotes and an underground river on the same property. There is no bus ride to take you to each one. It's all there and easy to access.

The kids were thrilled to see another cenote that looked so different from the first one. They were eager to get in and snorkel.

The favorite was the cenote where they got to jump in. This was a chance for the boys to show how brave they were! It's about 4 meters high and into a beautiful cenote surrounded by trees with roots coming up all around. Luis, our guide was encouraging the fun the whole time. He was also very passionate and knowledgeable which made the whole experience incredible.


The underground river was just amazing. The experience was a combination of swimming, crawling and walking through this underground world with formations that were a million years old. It was truly unique and memorable.

Lunch was really unexpected. I was thinking that it would be a very causal meal, like a picnic. I was wrong! The food was amazing and had plating that mimicked an 5 star resort instead of an eco park. It was such a unique experience to be one with nature and then dine outside surrounded by beauty with food that was top-notch.

We had limited time so we only spent about 3 hours there. However, they give the option to stay longer and explore the cenotes on your own after the tour, or relax in the hammocks. Next time I will plan to spend more time there.

This place is not only great for families but the environment is so romantic it could be perfect for proposals or even weddings.

For booking information contact me or visit http://www.kantunchi.com/

Spring Break 2018 Travel Tips & Ideas

This post is a follow up to my news segment this morning on WKRC Local 12 in Cincinnati.

Today I talked about why you should book your trip now, some great deals out there and provided tips on maximizing your trip. Below you will find some additional details and a link to the video.

It's a great time to think about traveling somewhere warm, especially for #springbreak. @LoveLandandSea shares tips to help plan and save money. https://t.co/MhgYSETfq5 pic.twitter.com/uuyLtEPI30

— Local 12/WKRC-TV (@Local12) January 16, 2018

Spring Break Travel Tips

1. Book Now!

January is a great time to book your Spring travel. Waiting too much longer means you will lose availability options for both flights and hotels and that means you could end up paying a lot more.

It's also currently "Wave Season." This means it's the time of year that all of the cruise lines offer their best deals and unique sales.

2. Consider Mexico & Punta Cana.

Cincinnati has some fantastic non-stop flight options that come with great discounts. This year are there even more non-stop discounted flights to Mexico so savings are amazing!

Not only can you save money with these flights, but you will get to your destination sooner, spend less time traveling and not have to worry about a layover or missing a connection.

3. Book a Mystery Deal 

There are a couple options available for this. The company I work with the most for these deals is Apple Vacations. They offer a deal where you don't know the resort until the day of travel. They guarantee that it's at least a certain "Apple Rating" (similar to star ratings) so you know what to expect in terms of level of luxury. If you are okay with being surprised you can save hundreds of dollars this way.

4. Consider Voluntourism

Many tourism destinations in the Caribbean were affected by the recent hurricanes. In addition to continuing traveling to those destinations (which helps in itself) there are several opportunities to volunteer your time in these destinations. Organizations such as Worldhope.org have options for multiple destinations and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company has created "Rebuild Days" where they will have volunteers focus on specific projects to rebuild the island.

5. Book Tours and Excursions in Advance

Spring Break is a very popular time to travel. While during the off-season it's usually fine to wait to book your excursions, during peak travel times the best ones can actually sell out. Ask your travel agent to arrange your tours in advance so you don't miss out!


For the latest deals visit www.lovelandandsea.com