As a child, I collected postage stamps. I remember being fascinated by the beauty of some of the stamps that came from all over the world. This fascination was fueled by the fact I grew up living 3 houses away from a neighbor who was a mechanic for American Airlines. He and his wife traveled to many of the destinations my stamps came from. I used to sit on a stool and watch as he tinkered with his projects. While he worked, he told me about the city or country he and his wife had just visited. Ralph always said he thought I would find a career in the Travel Industry. He was correct. In my career that has spanned almost 35 years, I have worked as a Tour Escort, managed a Travel Agency, and worked as a Travel Consultant. My present position as a Senior Travel Consultant at All-Travel is probably the most rewarding position I have ever held. Because I started in the industry before computers existed and specialties abounded, I was trained as an “all around agent”. As a result of this experience, I am able to manage travel that ranges from Corporate to very “High End Leisure”, and every other type of travel in between. With the incredible technology that is available today, my job is even more exciting. I am fortunate to have a wonderful mix of clients. While I enjoy great pleasure in making my Corporate clients’ travels as easy as possible and my Leisure clients’ dreams come true, I have still not yet decided what I want to be when I grow up. I will let you know........if I ever figure it out.............
[Video] Four Seasons Papagayo, Costa Rica
1 Bedroom Canopy Suite Tour filmed by All-Travel Destination Expert Bobbie Abood.
For more information about Four Seasons Papagayo call 1-800-300-4567 or click HERE.
Add a commentSt. Regis Princeville Resort in Hawaii Offers Something For Everyone
By: Bobbie Abood
The Halele’a Spa was created around “The Seven Pillars of Well-Being”: Beauty, Life Balance, Harmony, Aqua, Vitality, Nature, and Nutrition. Individualized, all-inclusive spa programs are designed by a wellness qualified wellness consultant. The spa is over 11,000 square feet, has twelve treatment rooms, including a couples room and a VIP room with a fully contained spa experience. There are a variety of massages and specialty treatments that incorporate the indigenous fruit and flowers of Hawaii. 
There is a 24-hour athletic center with state of the art cardio and weight equipment, a spa boutique, and a hair and nail salon.
There will be a new gallery of retail boutiques near the hotel lobby that will present shopping unlike anywhere else on the island.
For some guests the most strenuous activity they will want to do is to enjoy the quiet gardens, poolside cabanas, and warm sands. For me, reading a good book while sitting on my lanai and hearing the ocean’s waves wash onto the shore, is perfect. For others, there is championship golf on two Princeville courses, horseback riding along sea cliffs, snorkeling or diving, kayaking or surfing in Hanalei Bay, or hiking a rainforest and finding spectacular waterfalls. There is something for everyone.
The St. Regis Princeville is committed to attracting both couples and families to the resort. There will be a “Family and Young Guest” program with “adventure that has no age restrictions”. There will be a dedicated young guests activities club, a 5,000 square foot infinity designed pool with a dedicated family area, a full range of ocean and beach sports including surfing, snorkeling, diving, and swimming, special menus for young guests, Hawaiian language, ukulele and hula experiences, beach-side storytelling under the stars, and supervised outdoor adventures.
Unfortunately, we were not able to take photos as the property does not yet show the way it will when it is completed. Hopefully, we will be able to do another real site inspection on our next trip.
Add a commentAbout St. Regis Princeville Resort in Hawaii
By: Bobbie Abood
Before becoming the St. Regis Princeville, the hotel operated as a different entity and underwent an extensive renovation. Someone in their infinite wisdom, decided guests preferred more spacious rooms instead of lanais. Because of this, most of the lanais were eliminated and the additional square footage added to the room size. This will not change. Only a small percentage of the rooms and suites will have lanais. A “lanai” room category will now be offered so guests will be able to confirm a lanai as long as the room category is available.
Each guest room is 547 square feet and has either a King or two Queen Beds, 42” HD LG flat screen television and high performance audio system, a TV auto sensor that provides easy viewing of photography and video from hand held devices, high speed wireless and wired internet access, IPod sound dock and clock radio, sitting area with loveseat, two occasional chairs and coffee table, in-room safe, honor bar Original artwork by Kauai artists, and a large picture window with a seating banquette.
The suites will range in size from 820 to 2400 square feet. They will offer a private entry foyer with original artwork by Kaua’i artists, contemporary décor with hand crafted residential furnishings, spacious living and dining area, premium entertainment center including a 52” and 42” HD flat screen television and Bose 3-2-1 audio system, TV auto sensor as in guest rooms, and marble bath with oversized tub and separate shower. The Bali Hai Signature, Presidential and Royal suites include dining area for six to eight guests, full kitchen with private butler entrance, master bedroom and “Royal Spa” bath suite, and guest powder room adjacent to living area. Interestinly enough, the view from these rooms show the peaks that were included in the 1958 movie version of “South Pacific” with Rosanno Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor.
It was called Bali Hai . The preferred, Hawaiian name for the green twin peaks featured in the movie is Makana (meaning "gift").
There will be five distinctive dining venues offered –each offering the freshest seasonal ingredients and locally inspired fare and utilizing ingredients farmed and produced on Kaua’i:
- Hawaiian-inspired restaurant with outdoor terrace that will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Chef Jean-Georges Vongreichten signature restaurant
- Poolside restaurant Oceanfront bar with views of Hanalei Bay
- Intimate cocktail lounge that offers club style service and live entertainment
Add a commentHard Hat Inspection of St. Regis Princeville Resort in Hawaii
By: All-Travel Consultant, Bobbie Abood
My husband and I did a hard hat inspection of the St Regis Princeville Resort. It is St. Regis brand's first resort in Hawai’i and will afford an unparalleled level of sophistication and serene luxury to the island. It is a beautiful oceanside property that overlooks Hanalei Bay.
The resort will introduce the St. Regis Butler service, the new Halele’a Spa and Kaua’i Grill, a signature restaurant by Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. We met with Chris White, Director of Sales and Marketing, who is working towards transforming the resort into an elegant oasis that will pay homage to the land and culture of the island. This transformation is guided by the Hawaiian concept of the Ahupua’a, a philosophy of living in balance with nature.
In its prior state, before becoming a St. Regis, the hotel lobby was a huge expanse of marble, which had none of the welcoming characteristics of a fine Hawaiian hotel. It 
was cold, austere, and unwelcoming. The new Lobby will be a dramatic point of entry. It will have a coffered ceiling of natural woven matting, native dark wood floors, beautiful wood columns, and soaring glass panels with incredible views of the sea. While the hotel is still in a very “hard hat”, incomplete stage, I could tell how beautifully elegant, warm. and serene it will be.
The landscaping that leads to the hotel entrance has all been redesigned and replanted and now has beautiful, mature trees and lovely beds of flowers. Guests will stop at the Guard House and provide their name. A greeter will meet them at the hotel entrance, welcome them, and escort them to their room. Their will be no additional check in process required. Ultimately, Chris White explained, the St Regis experience will start at the airport where a greeter will meet the guests and assist them with any questions they may have. There is a local airport in Princeville that will be modified to allow G4’s to land. At this time, ResortAir flies from Honolulu to Princeville. This service must be confirmed through the hotel.
The resort’s design brings a residential feel to the rooms and interior public spaces and reflects the island of Kaua’i’s natural surroundings-the sea, sky, and earth. We viewed the two Model Rooms. One was an Ocean View Premium room and the other, a Junior Suite. The resort will have 252 guest rooms including 201 Standard rooms, 41 Prince Junior Suites, 7 St. Regis Ocean View Suites, 1 Bali Hai Signature Suite, 1 Presidential Suite and 1 Royal Suite. Butler services are provided to hotel guests residing in Prince Junior suites and categories above.
Add a commentA Safari to Africa
I recently returned from a lengthy safari to Africa.
We arrived in Nairobi on election day and returned to the United States on January 15th when Parliament opened. At no time during our trip did we ever fear for our safety or security. John Kago, our guide in Kenya, made certain that we were kept informed of the events taking place, but in no way were we alarmed or feeling as though we needed to cancel or cut short our trip. On the contrary, when it came time to leave, we almost had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the plane we had had such an extraordinary trip.
Each of our guides, John Kago in Kenya and Willie Peter in Tanzania, was exceptional in his own way, and we could not have asked for more knowledgeable, intelligent, friendly, amusing new friends, which we certainly consider them to be. Each had his own way of connecting with us, and each did an exemplary job of teaching us about the animals, the terrain, and even the stars we were seeing in Africa. We hope both John and Willie are available when we make our next trip to Africa. We also would like the praise the drivers whose training and eagle eyes, along with those of our guides, allowed us to see animals that some people never see.
As for the lodgings, all of them were exceptional. The food, service, and friendliness of the staff was fabulous in each and every location.
We are aware that there has been great concern among tourists regarding the recent events in Nairobi, and we have made a concerted effort to assure people, particularly those thinking about travel to Kenya or Tanzania, that their concern is unfounded so long as they use a reputable safari company.
Lastly, high praise must go to Bobbie Abood at All-Travel. When I contacted her about our trip and who went above and beyond the call of duty to insure that the trip we dreamed of was the trip we got.
On a final note, we definitely plan to return to Africa in what we hope will be the not-too-distant future, and we will most certainly book our trip with All-Travel! Thank you for an exceedingly memorable experience.
For more information on traveling to Africa call Bobbie at All-Travel at 800-300-4567 or visit www.all-travel.com
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