The TravelRight Dispatch

POSTCARD FROM BELIZE
​We recently returned from the Central American nation of Belize, where we spent time in the western rainforest near San Ignacio, in the Mayan communities to the south and on the coastal peninsula of Placencia. I can easily recommend all three, so abundantly authentic and unvarnished, big on community and culture (despite a modest infrastructure) with wild natural beauty to dazzle even the most jaded. If you like your destinations a little raw and a lot beautiful, Belize checks every box. I'm publishing my first piece on LinkedIn, December 12.

EXCERPT
Snow Global​
We started off the 2025 travel year in Switzerland, hitting Arosa Gay Ski Week in the Graubünden region, south of Zurich. This story just published in the December issue of IN Magazine:

Thankfully, the lights at the pool at the Faern Altein Hotel have been dimmed. My partner is full-on unicorn-patterned bikini swim trunks, but I’m playing it more low-key. Not five minutes after wading in, we are sloshing around the pool’s lazy river channel with dozens of fit men. It’s a warm welcome – and a little bit handsy – one that sets the tone for the week at the 20^th annual Arosa Gay Ski Week in the Swiss Alps.

HOTEL CRUSH
The Banks Resort, Belize
​In the lush Sibun River Valley within the foothills of the Maya Mountains, The Banks by The Belize Collection is surrounded by about 10,000 acres of wild paradise. Our luxe L-shaped villa here sported gorgeous furniture, plus little extras like remote-controlled blinds, an outdoor shower and a heated plunge pool. The actual resort pool is perfectly inviting, as you can see above, as is Humo Restaurant, which overlooks the river. Don't miss a visit to the neighbouring Rainforest Lodge at Sleeping Giant.

INTEL
How to Fit in With the Locals
​Don't know how to speak kangaroo? Sticking out like a sore thumb? Asking dumb questions? Mispronouncing shit?

1. Do your research. Learn as much as you can about the destination in advance of your trip. You’re spending considerable money to get there, may as well have an idea what you’re in for and side-step the fuckwittery.

2. Get humble. As a guest in someone else’s town, you should act accordingly. Don’t think you know everything, because you don’t. And don’t measure other countries and cultures by your own—not every person in the world has bacon and eggs for breakfast. As well, punctuality in many regions is, in fact, just a concept.

3. Talk the talk. At least try to learn a few phrases in the language of the country you’re visiting, even if it’s just hello, goodbye and please. Learn how to count to 10. And how to say, “Can I have a receipt, please?”

4. Skip touristy restaurants. Instead, seek out places filled with locals. Notice what they’re eating so you can order the same. Don’t get in a huff if there’s no English menu. On the street, look for food kiosks and carts crowded by local workers or police officers. They know what they’re doing.

5. Veer off-path. Get out of the confines of the holiday resort and learn something—engagement is enlightenment. Travel is supposed to broaden your perspectives, and part of that means going with the local flow.

You think you know luxury, huh?
​The new episode of The TravelRight.Today Podcast teaches you how to: plan a multigenerational trip, embrace the New Luxury and side-step bad behaviour in the airport lounge. Spoiler Alert! Mind the Goldfish crackers on the carpet, Marvin!

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