Owner and Operator of www.yBoggle.com, an Online travel agency.
I am a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Officer, ex-Foreign Service Officer. I've lived in Ireland, France, Italy, Norway, Vietnam, Laos, Turkey, Thailand and Panama. I speak French, Spanish, Turkish and Laotian.
I've visited 58 countries on 4 continents.
We are picking up again on some great ways to save on what you were going to do anyway ...TRAVEL !
-Look for package deals, flight + car, or, + hotel, or all three. You will be surprised how much you can save! Even if you don't need the car or hotel, often the airfare will be cheaper with the package!
- Save on Fine Dining by buying coupons for your favorite Gourmet Restaurants in your city or any city. Here is an IQ question for you: If you could find a place where you could enjoy $25 worth of a quality restaurant's cullinary delights for just $10, how often would you do it?? Uhhh, probably until someone else says, "Stop!", right? Before you go out to eat next, or plan to travel anywhere in the USA, be sure to have Restaurant Coupons with you. Click here to see how.
It really pays to know the ropes in the Travel Industry, and we want to help you save!
Messages from our Mission Firefly Trip to Guatemala 11 - 17 July 2010... Blessing come in small packages, even in small countries. Ours this week are from a bit of each! Our Mission Firefly group arrived July 11, 2010 for our 6th visit to the village of San Antonio de Sacatepequez, Guatemala, in the past 14 months. Our group of 15 includes seven young people, many of whom are serving on their first mission trip. What an adventure for them, as well as for all of us! This particular trip includes the blessing of a beautiful little girl named Isabella, who is a Guatemalan native adopted 3 years ago by our leaders, Billy and Christy Taylor. This trip marks her first return to her native country, and she has totally captivated the entire village of San Antonio with her beauty and caring ways. Though she speaks no Spanish yet, she is not shy to play with the local children and mingle with the adults. Her heart seems so pure and loving that all who see her simply want to pick her up and hug her. She radiates the love we are taught by Jesus, and every smile or rolling of her huge brown eyes reminds us of the love we are meant to share, even with strangers in a strange country. Isabella is such a blessing to her family and friends but now she is blessing people in Guatemala without so much as a word in their language! Our Monday began by Mission Firefly meeting for breakfast together, then departing in the rain for the village. Road conditions were made nearly impassable for the last 1/2 mile so we carried the food in boxes disintegrating from the dampness. All the village turned out to welcome us with Principal and teachers in the forefront. We cooked a lunch of lentils, rice and sausage with fruit for dessert, then were entertained by the school children. They put on a show just for us, with singing and dancing. They were so proud to show that they have learned a "Dating Dance" called "El Son" with couples and several songs of welcome. It was really special to see how these children had worked in preparation for this special presentation to welcome us back! We worked several crafts with the children. They loved the masks of different animals they made as part of the "Old McDonald" song. Then Pastor Jorge Cerritos, a bi-lingual Christian from a local church, who is visiting the village, joined us in dedicating the fifth cinder block home we have helped them to build in the past 9 months. The family who are receiving the new house were appreciative. It replaced their shack built from tin and corn stalks. With weather closing in we walked up the mountain to the cars and returned to Antigua just before the storm arrived which caused the streets to run like rivers, up to the hubcaps of some vehicles. Today, the 12th, we again walked into the village as the road was made near-impassable by torrential rains throughout the night. We constructed crafts again with the children. First they made clay figures out of Play Dough, then they blew up balloons and beach balls. The last effort turned the school room into a chaotic, melee of happily laughing, boisterous kids of all ages! Then we fed them a wonderful Paella, which was lovingly prepared by members of our group. It is exciting to watch these children so enthusiastic to partake in any meal, let alone a flavorful dish like Paella! They came screaming to line up for seconds and thirds too! It makes all of us pause to understand how much we take our abundance in food for granted, while much of the world struggles merely to find enough to survive. I know that it is part of God's plan that we who have plenty share our Blessings with those who are not so fortunate! Also, today, part of our Group went to another village called, San Pedro, where there is a model school. We will try to consolidate their vision and duplicate it in San Antonio. Once again we find that our efforts to bless the small village of San Antonio ends up as a blessing for each one of us. The young members of our group learn to consider others who have less, and realize that we can become close friends even with people of a different culture, who speak a different language. And those of us who are older consider this as the way we are meant to live our entire lives. So some of us feel we have much "catching up" to do!
We'll be posting the final part of this trip in a few days ...LOOK FOR IT!
Want to improve your Lifestyle but curtail your spending? I'm going to show you in this and upcoming Posts some cool ways to save some cool cash!
Being a Travel Professional for several years now has given me some experience to pass on which can help you increase the Value of your Personal Travel. Want to learn some of those Secrets? These are just a few hints we use to direct Customers which help them save,yet have wonderful, memorable trips every time they go. Let's get started... -Buy airline tickets at the right time. Either a month out from the departure date, or...
-Buy Cruises with time payments, or better still, arrange group cruises and get your own cabin free! Let us know where you would like to go, how many are traveling, we'll assist you and we'll help you go for free!
-Talk with a Travel Professional before you book. You will see several key reasons for this in my earlier Post entitled, "What Advantage Does a Good Travel Agent Provide for the Savvy Traveler?" To contact one of these Travel Pros just visit www.yBoggle.com, or email: info@yboggle.com.
-Travel "off-season" when you can. Many travel destinations have a time when they are fully booked every year, then a season when they have the least guests and "shoulder seasons" before each. Guess when the rates are lowest? Of couse the Law of Supply and Demand works with resorts like any other commercial venture. When demand is highest, their accomodations and services are the highest, they become less during the "shoulder seasons", and are cheapest during the "off season". Sometimes you can save hundreds of dollars just by taking that Dream Vacation at the most advantageous time!
Hope these tips become a regular part of your travel planning - using them may allow you and your loved ones to take those Luxury Vacations you have always wanted.
Next Post will supply you with even more ways to save!
Let's look at what you get when you plan and select your Travel Online.
Is it worthwhile? Does it save? How could purchasing Travel Online enhance my vacation? What value does it bring? Will it make my life easier?
The answer (in Southern Alabama) is ..."Well, I rek'n so!"
Look, let's analyze this for a minute. What are all the things you need when planning a Family Vacation, Cruise, Reunion, or Romantic Get-A-Way? Let's list some of them first, then find a site (like yBoggle.com) where you can go to find everything at one time.
1. First, we need our Transportation, by air, land or sea. 2. Next, we need our Accomodations - Hotel, Condo perhaps, or luxurious Resort 3. Then we may need a Rental Car ...or why not a Limo! 4. Unless it is and All-Inclusive Vacation, we will need some reservations at Fine Restaurants at our target location. 5. We may want to do some Sightseeing Tours, right? Let's book those at the same time. 6. New clothes, specially picked for this Special Holiday may be called for. Order them online! shop on line 7. Don't forget your Passport, or maybe a Visa is also required to travel to our Ultimate Dream Location. There are some sites where you can do this Online! 8. Travel Insurance - If you are spending more than $1,000 on the cost of your Travel YOU NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE. (See my previous Post, "Why You Need Travel Insurance") 9. Currency Exchange - Wouldn't it be more convenient to have some of the Local Currency for your Foreign Vacation spot, before you arrive? 10. If it's a Golf Vacation you want, wouldn't it be great to have the Tee Time included in your Package? 11. If the trip coincides with a Concert, Sports Event or Theater Play you should be able to get your tickets for that at the same time as your Flight and Hotel, right?
Check out yboggle and see where you can get everything on one site, at the most competetive prices, and have someone to actually talk to to get details.
Let us know where are you going next! We would love to hear from you!
Posts
Here is an IQ question for you: If you could find a place where you could enjoy $25 worth of a quality restaurant's cullinary delights for just $10, how often would you do it?? Uhhh, probably until someone else says, "Stop!", right? Before you go out to eat next, or plan to travel anywhere in the USA, be sure to have Restaurant Coupons with you. Click here to see how.
