I am a Corporate Travel Specialist with more than 20 years of experience helping small and medium sized businesses with their travel needs. I find working in the corporate travel arena to be very fulfilling - I like feeling as if I'm part of a company's staff, and relieving them of their travel worries so they can concentrate on their own responsibilities. I have received a diploma as a Business and First Class Specialist 2.0 class through Travel Agent University. I also specialize in “High End” spa, food/cooking and leisure vacations; Four Seasons Resorts; and Langham Hotels..and love finding new and unique properties for my clients to visit. My background is in office management and training, and I enjoy learning new systems and helping others. In my spare time, I am actively involved in the community where I live, and have helped establish an off-leash dog park there.
Travcoa Escorted Tour: Singapore, Vietnam, and Laos
Dear All-Travel,
We returned last month from a wonderful trip to Singapore, Vietnam, and Laos. On our way to join a Travcoa tour in Vietnam, we travelled in business class on Singapore Airlines, so we decided to take a day off there and adjust to the sudden reversal of day and night. The Four Seasons was very comfortable and well located just off the major shopping street. We also toured the city on a hop-on, hop-off bus just for tourists that stopped at all the major tourist areas. It's a great city tour.
Singapore Airlines offers wonderful service. On our outbound overseas flight, we were in an Airbus which had lay flat seats in business class, and impeccable service. On the return flight, we sat upstairs on a 747. Being upstairs is always nice because there are only a couple of dozen people up there, so it's always quieter, and no long lines for the lavatory. The older 747, however, had 'almost' lay flat seats, which were much less comfortable the the Airbus.
Travcoa does an incredible job, with a full time tour director, and local, English speaking guides in every city. Our group was only nine people, but they always provided a full sized bus, so we were very comfortable. The clientele is mostly older and retired, but active people. The Travcoa tour director does absolutely everything for you, so we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves. All tipping and all meals are included, the latter being great because we were always provided with wonderful meals. And if you want to eat somewhere else, you can simply bring your receipt back for reimbursement. The tour director and local guide will make recommendations and reservations. Travcoa used the best hotels, and got us the best seats for shows and restaurants. In one Pho restaurant in Saigon, we sat at the table where Bill and Chelsea Clinton had dined in 2000, evidenced by several photos in the room. 
Vietnam is a fascinating country, and crowded with very friendly people. The food includes lots of fresh produce, and great baguettes, a delicious remnant of the colonial days. The cities are very crowded, with lots of traffic - mostly scooters, sometimes carrying Mom, Dad, AND the baby. The people are very friendly, and everyone seems to be an entrepreneur. Every house has a business on the ground floor, and the streets are crowded with vendors of just about anything you can imagine. The Vietnamese view of their recent history is very interesting, but the people seem to be focused on the future, and we sensed no animosity about what is called the American War. We also stayed at a wonderful beach resort in Danang, and cruised on a private junk among the Karst islands in Ha Long Bay. The days were often early, which got us to the sites before the mobs of tourists, but there was also plenty of down time.
We made one stop in Laos, in Luang Prabang. It's a small city that's very pious - full of temples and monks. Less touristy than Vietnam, it was very peaceful and relaxed. A UNESCO Heritage Site, so the city is well preserved with low rise, colonial buildings, temples, and Buddhist monks everywhere. We were on the street at 6:00 one morning to watch hundreds of monks line up on the sidewalk, some as young as eight years old, to get alms from the residents, who got up even earlier to make the sticky rice, that must be fresh when they kneel on the sidewalk and put a spoonful into each monk's pot, which is slung around his shoulder over his saffron robe. 
On the way home, we had a nine hour layover in Singapore, landing at midnight. The transit hotel was booked, which worked out fine. We ended up in the Executive Lounge just in time to grab a bite before they packed up the dinner buffet before napping on sofas in the back, where there were a couple of other travelers sleeping. The employees even turned off the lights in that section for us. In the morning, there was full breakfast, news on TV, and many newspapers. Singapore airport is a giant mall, with a free movie theatre, and even a butterfly garden. They even offer half day city tours for free for people on layovers. Not the worse place to be stuck for a few hours.
It was a great trip, and we had no complaints. Everything Travcoa didn't do, Vicki did, and did a wonderful job. This included working with the Travcoa office, which, uncharacteristically, seemed a little less organized than their tour directors. Other than getting through airports, we never had any logistics to deal with. Our biggest decisions were what to eat, and what to buy. Overall, a wonderful trip!
-Ben
For more information on Escorted Tours call 800-300-4567 or click HERE.
Add a commentAsia Trip Review - China Panorama
Dear Vicki,
Our trip to China wa
s wonderful! The Lanson Place Hotel in Hong Kong that I asked you to book is a must do. It's a great boutique hotel! The service is amazing and so is the location. You can even borrow from an enormous DVD library. The rooms are wonderful: each has an efficiency kitchen, very high tech and put away. The amenities are also great. You even have access to a laundry room, or they will do it for you. The business center is 24hrs and free and there is a gym. They don't have a restaurant, but the breakfast in the lounge is amazing. The hotel is located in the absolute heart of Hong Kong's most popular shopping districts. There are lots and lots of eateries and Starbucks. You can order up from your room as well. The decor is Euro-Asian, antiquity with high-tech. I loved it!
In Hong Kong Airport, I would highly recommend everyone to take the Express Train to Kowloon or Hong Kong side. It's clean, cheap, fast, easy and plenty of room for luggage. Access is very easy from the airport. Much easier than taxi access. That's by design I'm sure. The train also cuts down on traffic time tremendously. Also, Eva Air is the best in the air.
In Shanghai, I like the Sofitel because it's a very nice hotel right in the heart of Shanghai's shopping district. Thanks for linking my frequent flyer mileage to the partner Cathay Pacific. I didn't know they we part of the One World Alliance. Cool!
Thanks Vicki. It was a great trip!
For more information on traveling to Asia call All-Travel at 800-300-4567 or click HERE.
Add a commentThe Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel, New York City
Dear Vicki, 
We loved the Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel! And we would definitely stay there again. The location was great (near Grand Central Station) and the rooms were quite large for NYC, with nice comfy beds, etc! There is a casual pub/restaurant that is open late (which was great for a late dinner) and they offer a free continental breakfast with your stay. My colleague also loved it and would stay there again as well. It was very charming...it felt like you stepped into a hotel in England…or rather, Ireland!
Add a commentUnique Tourist Attractions in Los Angeles
By: Vicki Daly Redholtz 
Are you visiting Los Angeles and looking for some unique places to go? Here are a few places that aren’t on the usual list of tourist attractions.
Nearly every Saturday, Esotouric Tours organizes delightful themed tours filled with mystery and history, woven in with the art and architecture of Los Angeles. You don’t have to be an expert on the subject at hand; just interested in exploring Los Angeles from a unique point of view.
The tour I took was based on the life, books and films of Raymond Chandler, the renowned mystery writer famous for such 1930’s and 1940’s books as “Lady in the Lake” and “The Big Sleep”, starring the famous detective, Philip Marlowe. We learned about Mr. Chandler’s excesses and misfortunes, while visiting sites that inspired and informed his writings. 
Our tour began and ended at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, an architectural jewel with dark rich woods and an interesting history, and included visits to other Chandler-related buildings and sites. The four hour bus tour was also enhanced by video selections from films based on his novels (and complimentary gelato at Scoops in East Hollywood). What a delightful way to spend a Saturday!
Other upcoming tours from this company include their popular “Black Dahlia” tour, as well as visits to “The New Chinatowns”, “South Los Angeles”, and a tour based on the author, James Ellroy.
On a more somber note, another informative place to visit while in Los Angeles is the Museum of Tolerance, an interactive museum with a 65-minute educational walk-through presentation on the Holocaust, as well as exhibits about prejudice, tolerance and civil rights. 
Plan to stay several hours, so you can participate in thought provoking interviews with Holocaust survivors, watch a short film on world issues, and attend a presentation entitled “Point of View”, where you can hear both sides of controversial topics and decide how you feel about them. I was very surprised by some of the information provided about hate groups and videos from around the world.
The Museum also schedules special events on tolerance and prejudice to keep the public informed about these topics. Closed on Saturdays, this is definitely one of the most educational places you can visit in L.A.
And, if you’re a hiker or want to see a spectacular view of Los Angeles, take some time to drive to the new Baldwin Hills Conservancy Scenic Outlook. You can park on the street at Jefferson Boulevard in Culver City, and walk up Hetzler Road, a steep and winding road, or you can drive it instead (parking is $6 per car as it is a State Park). Once you’ve reached the top, you will see a view of Los Angeles that spans from the ocean to past downtown L.A. 
The Hollywood sign is prominently viewed in front of you, and the entire city is at your feet. You will find walkers, hikers, cyclists and picnickers at this gorgeous spot which has been open less than a year. There is a small information center, and Park Rangers to help learn the history of this spot as well as the type of native plants found throughout the area. When you’re through, drive to one of Downtown Culver City’s 20 restaurants (most of which have outdoor seating), to enjoy a cold drink and something to eat.
Los Angeles is much more than Disneyland and Universal Studios. Any of these would be a great choice for the L.A. visitor.
Add a commentAll-Travel Has Friendly and Attentive Staff
First Name: Nick
Travel consultant you worked with: Vicki Daly Redholtz
Was prompt in responding to me: 5 = Excellent (worth a referral!)
Was knowledgeable of relevant travel product and information: 5 = Excellent (worth a referral!)
Offered competitive fares and schedules: 5 = Excellent (worth a referral!)
Paid attention to detail and accuracy: 5 = Excellent (worth a referral!)
Was friendly with a positive attitude: 5 = Excellent (worth a referral!)
What are the main strengths of All-Travel?: A friendly and attentive staff Especially Vicki Redholtz
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