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October 2005
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10.
This is Kaleel
Sakakeeny with your XM Go Travel Update
Family reunions are big!
Seventy-two million of us hit the road to see uncle Joe, play horseshoes
with cousin Alice and swap stories with long lost relatives.
But planning a family reunion can be a challenge.
The Milwaukee-based publication, Reunions Magazine, advises families
planning a reunion to chose a cruise because
that’ll reduce the stress of planning meals and activities.
Plan a family reunion around a milestone emotional event like an
anniversary or wedding.
Use a travel agent with reunion experience to handle all those complex
logistics.
And get creative!
Reunion activities can include river rafting, stays at dude ranches, and
even European trips to retrace the family heritage.
Family reunions stir up old feelings, so pack a sense of humor… and be
prepared to forgive and forget.
download
audio (1.2 MB)
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9.
 This is Kaleel Sakakeeny with
your XM Go Travel Update.
Remember when no self respecting traveler over the age of 21 would be
caught dead staying in a
hostel?
I mean who wants to share a bathroom or sleep in bunk beds on vacation?
Well, today’s hostels have gone upscale. But the price is still
right…way less than you’d pay for lodgings in major cities of the world.
Heading south of the border?
Check out the
Tango City in Buenos Aires, they offer free massages,
tango lessons and Spanish classes.
In Valencia, Spain the rooms in the Home Delux Hotel boast classy
designer décor, free internet and individual balconies.
And the Hi Miami in Florida blends a former Al Capone hangout with 4
star amenities
Upscale hostels still cost between 45-60 bucks a night and can be
usually be booked only on line.
For short city stays where you don’t spend a lot of time in your room,
an upscale hostel may be the best way to go.
Hostelworld.com
is a great place to start your search for that perfect hostel!
URL:
http://www.hostelworld.com/
download audio (1.2 MB)
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8.
This is Kaleel Sakakeeny with your XM Go Travel Update
You won’t find the larger than life heroes from the movie classic
Casablanca anywhere in
Morocco.
But if Bergman and Bogart aren’t there, the kingdom is still an exotic,
safe and exciting place to visit.
Nothing defines morocco more than its
souks…those crowded, colorful
open-air markets where virtually everything is sold or bought there from
camels and spices to herbs, gold and rugs.
The cacophony of street sounds sometimes borders on madness.
tinkers are yelling, selling their wares. Donkey carts whiz by loaded with protesting chickens and mound of fresh
dates drip with honey.
Morocco’s closeness to Europe, makes it a more open more liberal
destination than most other Muslim countries .
And while it’s not for the timid tourist, Morocco extends a warm welcome
and a cultural authenticity to the curious traveler.
download audio
(1.2 MB)
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The more you know, the more you'll GO!
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7.
This is Kaleel
Sakakeeny with your XM Go Travel Update
It’s no surprise that 71% of kids said they need vacations…
And half of them said their needs influence their family’s choice of
destinations and accommodations.
What is surprising, is that the kids say they spend less time in front
of the TV while they were away, and were less likely to argue with their
parents.
They don’t like golf vacations or getting up early, and their top
choices of where to go are theme parks followed by a beach or a lake.
How much time can they stand to be away from their friends?
It seems that the ideal vacation lasts about a week…and most of the kids
said they enjoyed eating together with their families while on the road.
Favorite activities? Hands down it was staying up late and eating out.
And a hefty number of the 6-17 year olds said they were much more likely
to talk with their parents when on holiday.
And it certainly doesn’t get much better than that!
download audio (1.2 MB)
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6.
 This is Kaleel Sakakeeny with
your XM Go Travel update
Do women want something different from men when they travel?
Apparently USA Today thinks so.
In a recent article “Where the boys are not” 88% of women surveyed said
they had plans for a no-men-allowed getaway.
And these are not Desperate Housewives either.
A five-star hotel in London features 68 rooms in a wing for women only
and uses just female room service staff.
Fairmont hotels is offering Ladies only Pajama Party Weekends, and
Girlfriend Getaway trips.
So, what do women travelers want that guys don’t ?
A lot, says Suzanne Wenz, a Fairmont executive:
(please download our the audio portion of this update for Ms. Wenz’s
comments)
And it seems women don’t just travel alone because they have no partner.
Often they just want time with other women.
download
audio (1.13 MB)
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5.
This is Kaleel Sakakeeny with
your XM Go Travel update
When Travelers say they want authentic cultural travel experiences, the
industry listens.
In Hawaii, guests at the
Outrigger Resorts and elsewhere make Outrigger
canoes and learn the language and arts of the ancient Hawaiians.
And in the Caribbean, places like the
Jolly Beach Hotel in
Antigua teach
their guests to “speak Antiguan.”
There are lots of laughs as European and American kids (and grown ups)
learn the lilting, tongue-twisting language of the islands where “It’s
funny” becomes: “Dis sweet me bad!”
Many working farms have developed
Agri Tourism
stays where visitors
spend a week or more milking cows, shearing sheep and collecting the
eggs they’ll eat for breakfast. The kids love it and the parents say
they appreciate exposing their children to down on the farm values.
And Harry Potter fans are signing up for Harry Potter tours of the
Hogwart's school which is really filmed at
Oxford University.
download audio
(1.15 MB)
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4.
This is Kaleel
Sakakeeny with your XM Go Travel update
The country is so informal, the director of the national museum sings a
song with his granddaughter in his office.
But Iceland makes up in sheer beauty and dramatic landscape what it may
lack in sophistication.
Geysers, (GEY-SERS)a uniquely Icelandic word, gush from the ground while
ice-blue glaciers invite all kinds of alpine sports.
Yes, the weather can be gloomy and downright cold, but summer visits are
spectacular with nearly 24 hours of daylight and midnight golfing.
Reykjavik, the capital, is intimate, rather charming and boasts a
surprisingly inventive cuisine and a strong cultural scene.
This is the home of ancient gutsy sagas and intrepid ocean explorers.
Things are a bit expensive as they are on any island, but Iceland’s sea
faring traditions, authentic fishing villages and quality crafts make it
a unique destination for a 3-5 day visit.
download audio
(1.16 MB)
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3.
This is Kaleel Sakakeeny with
your XM Go Travel update
Few things are more vexing than getting your car rental bill which is
almost always more than what you thought it would be.
In fact, travel giant
Travelocity
calculates that the average car renter pays some 24% more than they
intended when they rent at a major US airport
The biggest offender seems to be the big state of Texas with the largest
gap between daily rental rates and actual costs, while California seems
the least likely state to surprise renters
The costs add up quickly…there are sales and use taxes, excise taxes,
value added taxes, airport fees, surcharges and convention center tabs.
And of course hidden mileage charges.
It can be a nightmare
Alert travelers use web sites that provides complete transparency
relative to costs
But specifically ask the rental company for all pertinent charges… and
do the math before you do the driving.
download audio (1.12 MB)
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2.
This is KS with your XM Go
Travel update
Don’t bring a dozen red roses to a dinner party in Italy. Send them the
next day…be sure they’re not red because that implies romance, and
Italians prefer an odd number of flowers
Didn’t know that?
That’s why Dean Foster, a self-styled master of global etiquette, wrote
five books on the subject where you’ll learn never to cut your potatoes
with a knife in Austria.
Foster says that what we don’t know about cultural differences could
ruin our vacation…or screw up a business deal
Foster ‘s snapshots of cultural “dos and don'ts” are fun and helpful.
Like don’t make dramatic gestures in China. They’ll be offensive.
Good advice, I’m sure, unless you’re stuck in a Beijing traffic jam.
download audio
(1.16MB)
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1.
This is Kaleel Sakakeeny with
you XM Go Travel update
By the time Frank and Natalie Pechacek of California got their two small
kids, diapers, formula, bottles, stroller through security and onto the
plane, …they were exhausted and very stressed.
So the former Fortune 500
executives did something about it.
They created a company that prepares and ships all kinds of baby
supplies to a traveling family’s final destination.
All the parents have to do is visit the company’s
website and choose from a
list of baby products, including diapers, wipes, formula,
snacks,…whatever baby needs.
The supplies are all priced competitively.
Then Families provide their hotel or resort location, date of
arrival…and the package is waiting for them when they check in.
Delivery charge is usually Fed Ex Ground and it runs about $15.00.
As one dad said…no more lugging an extra suitcase with baby supplies or
buying them at the destination.
And no more hassles at the security gate
The service can be found at
http://www.babiestravellite.com/
download audio (1.17 MB)
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When Kaleel
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