How to get to Manhattan from EWR (Newark Liberty Airport)

The hardest part of planning our trip to NYC was getting there once we landed.  Most flights from Toronto fly to either Laguardia Airport or Newark Liberty Airport (though just announced today that Air Canada will start service to JFK.  West Jet also goes to JFK but it uses American Airlines as it's carrier).  This time we decided to fly into Newark.  There are a few ways of getting to Manhattan from EWR as stated here but which option gets you there the fastest and the cheapest?

It really depends what time you go.  There are a few forum threads going on in TripAdvisor asking this same question.  Everyone has their opinion but these are all personal preferences so choosing a way is very difficult.  Originally I had booked for a car to pick us up at EWR and to be dropped off at our hotel in Midtown Manhattan.  It was the only way I knew.  You can take a Taxi there as well but I find that the rates are very similar to taking a Town Car, so I've always opted to take the nicer ride in.  The problem this time around was we were arriving during the morning rush hour the last day before Christmas Break. Traffic suddenly became my worries.

I went back to the drawing board, and luckily I found MoreFFmiles on TripAdvisor and out of everyone, he had given the best advice on how to get to and from EWR.  So, I took his advice and we are so glad we did.  Not only did we save time, he saved us a whole lot of money in the process.

NEWARK LIBERTY AIRPORT TO MANHATTAN

Once we landed, we asked where the AirTrain terminal was and the employee directed us to it's location. When we got there, we went to the kiosk and purchased our tickets which was $12.50 USD per person one way (at this point make sure you keep this ticket as it will be punched once you get on the New Jersey Transit Train.).  Once purchased, we went up the escalator and went to the proper platform that brings you to NEW YORK PENN STATION (there are signs that lead you to the right platform or you can simply ask one of the uniformed employees in the station but just remember, KEEP YOUR TICKET )

There are two Penn Stations on this line.  Make sure you get off the New York one and NOT the New Jersey one.  Once on the train, there will be someone that punches your ticket and he will leave a little white ticket in front of where you are sitting.  If you decide to move, make sure you bring this ticket with you cause there will be another employee collecting these.

After about a 20 min ride, you're at New York Penn Station and from there you can either walk, take the subway or taxi to your hotel.

Honestly it's such a simple process.  It sounds more confusing when you read it, but it's really simple once you go through the motions.

This site is a good tool to use if you're thinking about this route or if you're a visual person like I am, the video below helped us a lot too in our decision.

MANHATTAN TO NEWARK LIBERTY AIRPORT

I find it important to give yourself enough time to catch your flight home.  Last thing you want is to miss your flight at the end of the trip, so for our return to EWR we decided to use a car service.  There are plenty of car service companies out there.  Make sure you do your research before you book one for yourself.  Yelp was a good site and that's how I found WiroLimo.  

There are a few things to keep in mind when booking a car service from EWR.  The one thing to remember is that you are in New Jersey, not New York so these cars to charge for toll fees.  From what I understand, toll fees have increased - the $50 one way car ride that I took with my friends 4 years ago no longer exists. When you see a rate of $45 one way, it really ends up being about $70 or so.

Now WiroLimo charges $90 FLAT from EWR (additional charges are added when using a credit card).  It's a bit more than the other companies but it's the most reliable.  Reading reviews, I saw that people who booked with other companies missed their flight due to the driver showing up late and running into traffic and a whole bunch of other horror stories.  

Booking with William at WiroLimo was painless.  It was fast and quick, and if you need to make adjustments on the fly, you can email him and he quickly gets back to you.  He will email you instructions on how the driver will contact you and give you a confirmation as well.

On our date of departure, Felipe sent me a text saying that he was downstairs waiting for us and look for the SUV with the flashing blinkers on.  He was there 30min before our requested pick up time and he goes at your pace.  He was nice and friendly and to my surprise they are equipped with a GPS and an iPad to get them through the city and avoid all the traffic jams.  He was polite and honestly one of the best drivers I have ever met!

The next time we go to NYC, we will be taking WiroLimo there and back since we plan on bringing check-in luggage with us this time.  The Airtrain option was a good one for us since we only had small carry-on luggage with us but I can't see us maneuvering that way with two big luggages.

I hope this post helps you as I know how confusing and difficult it can be to get to and from Newark Liberty Airport.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us through our email on the side bar or our twitter account.

Beach In The City

I have some exciting news! If you're a follower of our blog, you will know that we have gone to the Caribbean for Christmas twice in the last 3 years.  This year we thought we would change it up.  "A" has never been to New York City and I thought the most appropriate way to introduce her to NYC is during Christmas!  You've seen it in the movies, how wonderful and magical the city can be during the Holidays and this is what I want her to experience.

The most important decision of this trip was the hotel.  Location is everything in NYC.  Though they have a great public transit system, I find it best just to walk everywhere and experience what the city is all about. There is a certain energy you feel when you walk the streets of NYC and I wanted "A" to have that.

I want to share with you all how we decided on our hotel.  We found that it was a great way to narrow down your hotel options for a city vacation especially when there are so many wonderful hotels to choose from.

• Create a personal google map - you can do this if you have a gmail account.  Simply go to maps, then create maps.
• Mark all the sights, restaurants and shops you want to visit - this can give you an overview of how you want to plan your trip. It will also show you what the most convenient spot is to have your hotel.
• Search hotels - on the map you will find the most convenient hotels that is within the vicinity of your plans.  Once you've done that, go on tripadvisor and do your research.

Our map for Christmas 2011

I know it seems simple enough but it really helped us on narrowing down our options.

Royalton Lobby

With all that said, I am excited to let all of you know that we will be staying at the Royalton New York! This hotel to me SCREAMS New York.  It's a wonderful boutique hotel located right in Midtown Manhattan, steps away from Times Square, Rockerfeller Center, Central Park and 5th Avenue.  To us this was the perfect hotel.  

When we go on city vacations (which is rare) we love staying at boutique hotels mainly because it feels more intimate. I also find the interior decor of these hotels are just par to none.  Royalton is part of the Morgans Hotel Group which also offers the Hudson, Mondrian and Morgans in NYC as well as a few other wonderful looking properties in LA, San Francisco, South Beach and London.

We booked a Standard Room with a soaking tub. What is a Royalton soaking tub you ask?  See below

Royalton Soaking Tub

Isn't that just awesome?  I figured this was a great feature to have.  I mean who would not want to soak in this wonderful tub after a long day of trekking around the city in Winter?  

Another perk that sold us on this hotel other than the location was Forty-Four. Honestly we cannot wait to eat here and of course, have a cocktail or two.

So please stay tuned for our review of the Royalton, Forty-Four and all the other restaurants and sites that we will visit during our Christmas vacation NYC.  

If you can't wait for our review?  Check out this great review of the Royalton by Oyster

ADVICE: Room Categories

Often when you are searching for prices for an all-inclusive vacation, you come across something like this:

I will be using www.itravel2000.com for an example. This is a very popular Canadian travel site and it's one we use often when we are searching for prices. This info for a seven nights stay gives you the price, taxes, hotel and flight details. As you can see, there is a tab [+] you can open up to view all options. When you click to expand, you will see this:

It gives you the option of different tour operators (which means different possible flight times) and the most important, the room categories. If you are not picky with your room, then you probably don't care about this. If you like to have a room close to the beach with an oceanview or perhaps you would like a swim-up room, you need to either view these options if you use iTravel as your search engine or speak with your travel agent. Most room categories go up starting in increments of $20 and can start you off with the most basic room and go all the way up to the Presidential Suite. The travel agent we use is very good at letting us know what our options are and the price for each category.

Another option is to book at the lowest room category and upgrade when you arrive at the resort. It may be cheaper but with most resorts, it's better to upgrade at the time of your booking. Some resorts will charge anywhere between $20 to $60 per night. Before you book, it might be a good idea to email the resort to see how much they will charge and then weight out your options to see where you will get a better deal.

With the last trip we went on to Now Larimar, we found that many guests were disappointed and even unhappy with the room category they booked. They were under the impression they would be getting a certain room and when they arrived, there was some kind of confusion. I personally don't think it's the resort's fault, I think it's the lack of information provided by the travel agent or when you book online. Remember that if you are particular about your room, please try and find out what your options are by either speaking with your travel agent or booking the right room category online.

Punta Cana Photography - Ricardo Vásquez

For our 5 year wedding anniversary, we decided to trash our wedding outfits..otherwise known as "Trash The Dress"

I had looked around for different photographers in Punta Cana to do this shoot for us and I decided that it would be better to use the in house photographer at Now Larimar since you have to pay extra for a day pass for other photographers to come in.

I contacted Ricardo Vásquez through email and we had set up a time to meet and discuss what we wanted.  He is a real friendly and professional guy!

Below is a slideshow I made of the photo session we had with Ricardo or "Richie". His work speaks for itself and if you are getting married at Now Larimar or Secrets Royal Beach, make sure you ask for him.  He is amazing!

Contact Information:
Ricardo Vásquez
Email: ricardovasquezh@yahoo.es
web: flickr.com/​ricardovasquez



5 Years... from openmiQ on Vimeo

ADVICE: Burrito method of packing

{via}

Packing for vacations can be time-consuming and such an exhausting task. Us, Beach Junkies have a customized packing list that we created four or five years ago and it makes packing simple. Probably about two weeks before our trip, we start putting away clothes that we want to take. If we are traveling in the summer, we put clothes aside so we won't wear them and have to launder before our departure. If it's winter, we pull out those summer clothes that have been tucked away for the season. I think the toughest part is figuring out what to bring. In terms of clothing, the easiest thing is to do is choose a colour scheme and bring clothes that have a dual purpose (scarf/sarong or cover up/evening dress). Once you have figured out what you are bringing, packing everything in your luggage is a piece of cake. Check out this method:

BURRITO STYLE

{via}

I have started this style of packing a year ago. I just considered it "rolling up my clothes so it fits nicely in my luggage" but a couple of months ago, I came across a blog who called it the Burrito Method of Packing. So instead of piling up all your clothes in two separate piles, you simply roll up all your clothes and arrange it nicely in your luggage. You can definitely fit more in your luggage and nothing gets wrinkled.

ADVICE: Rainy Days

 

We all rely on mother nature to give us perfect weather when we are away on vacation.  The expectations of the sun beaming onto your skin,  the ocean looking bright turquoise green.  The sand soft and white on your feet.  It's what dreams are made of!  However, this is not always the case as some travelers know and more often than not, many of us scurry away into our rooms and wait till the sun comes out to enjoy the day.   I'm here to tell you that there are plenty of ways to enjoy the rain while you're on vacation. 

Assess the storm: If the storm passing through is ONLY rain, stay outside!  The reason why I say rain only is because once you hear thunder and lightning, you SHOULD head inside since it's dangerous.  Sitting out in the rain is awesome!  I've sat under a palapa on the beach while it rained and it was one of the most peaceful experiences I've ever had.  Just this year, we all sat in the pool while it rained and it was such a nice break from the heat!  It's such a calming experience!  I've also done it in the ocean but that gets tricky cause you really have to watch out for the current getting stronger.  So check it out and don't worry about getting wet, you're already in a swimsuit!

Play Games: I must admit that I hate card games but it is such a cheap form of entertainment when the weather outside is frightful.  Sit in the lobby, your balcony, under a palapa and feel the cool breeze from the rain while you play whatever games you decide to do.  It's also a good way to spend some quality time with the person you are traveling with.  Some resorts have game rooms that you can play other games but I usually find that they are filled with kids and teens and it gets noisy so thats not really our cup of tea, but if it's yours go right ahead.

Meet People: When we all travel, there is always this awkward barrier of should I talk to them or shouldn't I?  I love meeting people on vacation and sometimes the easiest way to do so is when it is raining.  Talking about weather is the best topic of conversation when breaking the ice.  It's also easier to talk about it when you and the people you're meeting are stuck under palapas with nothing else to do.  The only thing you have to figure out on your own though is if the other people want to meet or talk to other people.  Not everyone wants to meet people and it's a fun game of hit and miss I always like to play on rainy days.

Be creative.  You are not home so make the most of your day no matter what the weather is.  Experience the other sites a beach can bring in different weather situations. You'll be surprised of what you get out of it.

ADVICE: Snorkel Gear (UPDATED)

miQ snorkeling in Holguin, Cuba

I always get the question "Is there snorkeling at the resort?".  Most of the time, you won't know how good the snorkeling (if any at all) is until you get there.  Everyone has their own opinion on what "great" snorkeling is.  Great snorkeling for me is to be able to swim out of your resorts beach front without having to pay for anything and being able to see an abundance of fish in their own habitat.  I've been to 4 resorts that have great beach front snorkeling but there are so many out there that you really just have to research it to make a better decision on your choice.

snorkeling picture from El Dorado Seaside beach in Akumal, Mexico

Once you've done your research and figured out what kind of snorkeling there is out near the resort, it's time to ask your self wether or not you should buy the equipment or not.  75% of the time people won't buy it and they will just rent whatever equipment there is at the resort.  The other 25% go out and buy their own gear (like myself) just so they don't have to worry about it when you get down there.

Here are the pro's and con's of each choice.

Renting Snorkel Gear:

Pros:

• save on luggage space
• save on money

Cons:

• everyone uses the same mouth piece and mask and only gets washed with salt water
• most resorts will give you a time limit of an hour to use the gear
• the equipment is cheap and can cause cuts in your feet and gums
• dive shops are usually on the other side of the resort where you have to take a hike to get to.

Buying Snorkel Gear

Pros:

• sanitary, it's yours and yours only
• no time limit, use it as long as you want
• convenient
• better quality equipment

Cons:

• luggage space will be tight
• will have to spend some money

To me honestly it's a no brainer but I am a snorkeling enthusiast.  So I'm partial to buying my own gear.

If you decide you go ahead and buy your own gear, here are a couple of reviews I have done on some I have owned in the past.

The first snorkeling kit I ever bought was the Dolphino Pro Series Adult Dive Bag.  I saw this at Canadian Tire and said to myself "Wow, it's cheap and the fins are small!  These will work PERFECTLY!!"  Let me tell you, the only thing perfect about this was the fact that it fit in my luggage!  The fins broke after 2 days of using it, it is made out of cheap rubber so the friction of it cut me at the back of my heel, the silicone on the snorkel was so hard that it cut my gums and the mask leaked for days!  The lesson?  You get what you pay for!!

Beach Junkies Rating: 1 out of 5

The second time I went to buy gear was at Costco.  I saw this Body Glove Kit for about $70 and it looked cool!  I was hesitant but I thought I would try it out anyway!  This equipment lasted me 3 years and was one of the best snorkeling kits I have ever bought.  The fins are big enough to efficient propelling in the water but small enough they fit in your luggage or carry on.  The snorkel has a very soft and comfortable mouth piece and the top has a splash guard which prevents water from coming in for you to swallow (otherwise known as a dry snorkel).  The mask was awesome and never leaked!  It does get old though so you would have to replace it with a new set but for the price, I would recommend this for anyone looking to start out snorkeling!

Beach Junkies Rating: 5 out of 5

miQ snorkeling in Lucea, Jamaica

I said I would update this post as soon as I was able to use my new snorkel gear and now I have kept my promise =).

I absolutely love my new gear!!! The mask is better this time around.  It is not split in the middle and is a WIDE mask which makes for better visibility and a greater field of vision compared to masks that are split into two.  It was very comfortable and spending a bit more money on it was not necessary, but I could really tell the difference.

miQ snorkeling in Lucea, Jamaica

The snorkel I bought is a BARE Dry Top Snorkel.  I prefer dry top snorkels because you don't have to worry about inhaling water when the waves get rough.  This was my second dry top snorkel.  Really no big difference in the snorkel other than that the mouth piece gets really heavy compared to my Body Glove snorkel I previously had.  I noticed a significant drag on the bottom while swimming but it wasn't a nuisance, it just took a bit to get used to but overall the quality of the snorkel was excellent and I'll be keeping this for a while.

My new fins are the U.S Divers Blast fins. BIG difference from my old Body Glove fins.  The only draw back with these fins is that they are a bit heavier than my previous fins due to the frame on the outside, but other than that, these are AWESOME!  It took a bit to get used to the open toe shoe but it ended up being more comfortable.  The split fin make maneuvering in the water effortless and you honestly have more control of yourself in the water.  Sprinting in this took less effort than what I was used to and they definitely came in handy when I ran into a MASSIVE Barracuda in Jamaica =).  Lets just say that I left my friend with the Body Glove gear in the dust hahaha!

Overall these three items together worked very well and I definitely can't wait to get back in the ocean!!

Beach Junkies Rating: 5 out of 5

ADVICE: Medicine bag

When away at an all-inclusive resorts, you may encounter all sorts of ailments.  Here is what I carry with us when we travel. I keep all this in a ziploc and bring it in my carry-on:

• Advil - not only is it good for headaches and muscle pain, you can also take it when you get a sunburn. If you get a bad sunburn, immediately go inside. Take two Advils and a cold shower. Apply lots of aloe and take a nap with the A/C on full blast.
• Benadryl - I discovered this trick when we stayed at Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya back in 2007. We met a great couple - Michelle and Carl.  While the men were snorkeling, Michelle noticed my heat rash. She went back to her room to get me Aerius. She instructed me to go back to my room for the rest of the afternoon, take the two antihistamines and a cold shower and relax in the comfort of an air-conditioned room. She is one smart cookie because this trick worked (this is the same formula as the Advil and sunburn trick).
• Lanacane - this is great for instant relief for heat rash and bug bites.
• Immodium - just in case you have a bad case of BG's (this was a term we came up with when we stayed in the DR with four other friends - BG's stand for bubble gut). Only take one Immodium when it's absolutely necessary.
• Visine - Mr. Beach Junkie loves to snorkel and also swim in the ocean and pool. He tends to get red eyes after a day in the water and sun. A couple of drops of Visine does the trick right before we go out for dinner.
• Hand sanitizer - with germs lingering around everywhere, you never know if you will get to wash your hands before eating any food. Always good to have sanitizer on hand.
• Liquid bandage - water-soaked band-aids are never any fun so spray liquid bandage on your cut or scrape instead.
• Band-aids - always good to have (just in case you get blisters from your flip flops).
• Gravol - if you are prone to motion sickness, it's good to have these for the airplane and bus ride (maybe even for a boat ride).
• After-Bite - another remedy for instant relief of bug bites.
• Facial lotion and mist - I added these two items because you should hydrate your face on the plane and the facial mist is great for when you are feeling the heat on your face.

ADVICE: Packing your luggage and splitting the contents

After reading our guest resort review in the previous post, it gave me an idea. Let me quote the line in her review that inspired this post:

"We waited on board for over an hour for the luggage trailers to bring our passengers' bags to the plane group by TINY group. The captain advised us that we had to take off due to flight crew schedule restrictions, while 29 of our bags were still somewhere in the airport's luggage system."

Here's a little tip and it's something that Beach Junkies practices for every trip they go on. If you have the luxury of traveling with a companion, we advise spliting what you are bringing between the two suitcases. This way, in case one suitcase gets lost, you will have some of your clothing and toiletries in the other luggage. We also started doing this when a friend told me about her trip to Cozumel with her mom. Her mom's luggage didn't make it to their destination but luckily my friend's luggage made it through. If they had split their stuff, the mom would have had some of her clothes to get her through the week. I would certainly suggest to either pack your bikini/boardshorts in your carry-on or wear it on the plane. It's the most important item you need to enjoy your vacation.

ADVICE: Jelly Belly

On our trip to Cayo Ensenachos, I brought something that I have never thought to bring before. For some reason, I had some jelly bellies lying around the house and I decided to throw them into a ziploc bag and bring along. They stayed in my beach bag the whole week. It was great to have a little sweetness throughout the day, it was a treat after dinner and most of all, it came in handy when one of our travel buddies was suffering from a possible heat stroke. Before we were able to get her into a cool air conditioned area, we gave her some jelly bellies to boost up her sugar levels and some water to hydrate.

These little candies will become a staple now on my ever-growing packing list. Some flavors to give you that island feel - crushed pineapple, island punch, lemon-lime, mango, margarita, pina colada or just pick up the tropical mix.

ADVICE: Late flight = late check out

With chartered flights, chances are you're departing either late morning or late in the evening. If you have a morning flight home, you have nothing to worry about. Just check out and wait for the bus to pick you up. However, if you have an evening flight, let's say 9:55 pm, the bus is going to pick you up around 6:00 pm. Sure, you can still enjoy everything the resort has to offer until you board the bus but do you really want to step on the plane smelling of sweat and sun?

You have two solutions: #1 - enjoy your day on the beach or pool and ask for a courtesy room to shower or #2 - ask for late check out. I would go with #2. There is no harm in asking. You will probably have to pay somewhere between $40-$60 for a 4 pm checkout but believe me, it's worth it. On your departure date, wake up early and check with the front desk. If they have availability, they will re-program your card and then you can enjoy your day and be all refreshed for your return home. If you choose to go with #1, no problem. Check out at the designated check out time, store your luggage with the bell boy (remember to lock your luggage and keep your sunscreen & valuables with you), check with the front desk about a courtesy room and see if you can reserve a time to use it and then head off to the beach.

Personally, we like morning flights and we aim to get those flights. We have in the past had some evening flights and we have done everything from storing our luggage and freshening up in our friend's room (they were leaving a week later) to actaully sitting in the lobby all afternoon after checking out to getting late check out. I highly suggest getting late check out, it just makes life so much easier!

ADVICE: How to get rid of that musty smell in your room

A big complaint that I always see on reviews is a musty smell when they enter the room at the resort. Most of the time there will be that musty smell because of the air conditioning. One great tip we learned from Kathleen & Nancy (Royal Hideaway Ensenachos) is to turn on the ceiling fan (provided you have one in your room). This will circulate the air and hopefully remove the smell.

Other ways to banish the musty smell is to light a scented candle or febreeze your room (yes, I actually pack these with me).

ADVICE: The Perfect Tan!!

miQ tanning on Bavaro Beach

We all want it! From the second we arrive at the beach, the first thing we think of is a tan!  We need the tan to prove that we had gone away and enjoyed the sun, we need the tan to look good and most importantly, we need that tan to look good lol!

Lets face it, most of us roast ourselves to the point where we get burned and from experience, sunburn is NOT comfortable.  Your skin hurts all the time.  In the heat, in the cold, in the pool, in your shirt, in the blanket, it just HURTS!  I had one bad case of sunburn and I never want another one EVER!

this is what you call sunburn

I see a lot of people roasting themselves on the beach.  Everyone has their own system and strategy.  Some turn on a timely basis, kind of like a rotisserie.  Others just lie there and grab every second of the sun at all costs, even if they do look purple.  That my friends is NOT a prefect tan.  That is skin cancer waiting to happen!!

We have gone many times and I think we have finally perfected how to get the perfect tan.  Keep in mind though, this piece of advice works for OUR skin type.  It may not work for others.  The 3 things you should consider before you head out to vacation is Before, During and After.

Before: If you are fair skinned and get sun burnt easily, maybe tanning isn't the best thing for you.  Just accept it and loathe on that 70 SPF and let your pictures do the talking.  Another thing you can do is go to a tanning salon to get a base so that you don't get roasted the minute you get there.  It worked on me when I first started to visit down south, and I know it has worked for other people as well.

You should also buy all your sunblock before hand.  Sunblock is expensive at all resorts because they know you need it and have no other choice but to pay if you run out.  Get a variety of SPF's when you do.  We normally get a bottle of 45, 30 and 15 preferably waterproof.  Make sure you do your research as to which one to get.  Some are very hard to apply and some wipe of right after you sweat!  The brands we go for usually are Hawaiian Tropic and Neutrogena.  You should also buy some after sun care as well as one bottle of spray block.  It's good to use on your feet and legs when you don't want to rub the sand thats stuck onto them.

Leesh hydrating in the shade during peak hours

During: The best piece of advice I can give you is stay away from the sun from 12:00 pm-2:00 pm!  This is where most people get burnt!  The assumption is that you will tan faster this way, which is true, but you will also get BURNT faster!  Try to stay in the shade or in the water.  Basically, keep your skin cool during these times.  You still tan while you are in the shade.  The sand and ocean act like a mirror and bounce the rays off to your skin so you can get some decent gradual sun.

If you want to tan faster, my best advice is to be in the water for as long as you can.  You can get an awesome tan that way.  You still however need to apply sunblock too and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep yourself hydrated all the time with WATER not beer or alcohol!

After:  After a nice shower, apply a deep conditioning lotion.  I use Vaseline Cocoa Butter.  It's AWESOME!  Only use the Aloe if you are burnt in some areas.  This helps cool the skin down but it does NOT act as a moisturizer.  You still need something to prevent the peeling.  If you are burnt, wear long sleeves to sleep and try to keep your room at a comfortable warm temperature.  I find the cold stabs into your skin when it's burnt.

When you get there, people watch.  Compare the people that sit in the sun all the time to the ones that do it all in moderation.  One normally looks like a nice bronzed healthy person and the other looks like a boiled lobster in the buffet.  Take your pick to which tan you prefer.

Here is a rule of thumb...if you think it's too hot for your skin, chances are IT IS!

Happy Tanning!

DID YOU KNOW...Air Transat serves hot meals

As of December 1, 2009, Air Transat will offer up hot meal service to sun destinations plus, a glass of champagne or a mimosa. Click here to view their announcement. Keep this in mind when you are choosing which tour operator to go with for your all-inclusive vacation.

We have had excellent experiences when travelling with Transat Holidays/Air Transat and now they are improving their service. On our recent trip to Punta Cana, our morning flight offered a choice of a spanish omelette or eggs florentine (we passed on the food because we were sleeping) and on our afternoon flight back home, it was shepherd's pie or veggie pasta. It also included cranberry wild rice salad, bun, fudge and a lindt chocolate.

ADVICE: Tipping at all-inclusive resorts

I have been asked many times, how much money should I bring (and to this I always say, bring lots of $1 bills) and how do you tip? This is our scale (mind you, we love tipping)...

Maids - $2 a day
Bartenders - $1 almost each time we get a drink but if there is butler service on the beach or by the pool and if you find that one server comes to you frequently, tip them $5 in the beginning and you should be set. They will probably take care of you for that day and some of the other days that they are working
Servers at buffet restaurants - $1 for breakfast, $2 for lunch and $3 for dinner
Servers at a la carte restaurants - $5
Bell boy -  for when they pick up your luggage at the beginning and end of your stay - $5

ADVICE: Winter morning flights

Leesh straight off the plane

After speaking to our friends tonight about what they should wear on their flight to their island destination, I thought posting a list would come in handy. When traveling from a cold city to a hot destination, you want to make sure that you are dress accordingly for both.

1. Swimwear - Girls, throw your bikini on under your clothes (if you don't want to be sitting in your bikini on the plane, make sure to pack it in your carry-on) and guys, make sure to pack your board shorts in your carry-on. Your resort will most likely have a courtesy room for you to change in but do you really want to be fumbling around in your luggage looking for your swimwear? You want to make sure you don't waste any time when you arrive at resort.
2. Flip flops and sunscreen - Pack them in one of the outside zipper compartments or right at the top side of your luggage for easy access.
3. Sunglasses - Keep them on your head or in your carry on. You can use them to hide your tired eyes (from the lack of sleep due to the excitement of your vacation) and to put on right away when you step off the plane.
   
4. Layer your clothes - Ideally, you don't need to bring your winter coat with you if you are getting dropped off and picked up. If you are driving to the airport and leaving your car in the park and fly, you should just leave your jacket in the car. Wear a tank top, then a long sleeve shirt and a hoodie. You can peel off each layer when you start to feel warm. Also, bring a toque, gloves and a scarf (a pashmina can double up as a blanket on the plane and a wrap/shawl on chilly nights). This should keep you warm when you return and need to wait for a cab.