The TravelRight Dispatch

NO PLAN, STAN?
Absolutely everybody has been asking me where to take their winter holiday these past few weeks. It's almost like I need a cut-and-paste list on my desktop ready to go. My answer is always a question: “Well, what do you want to actually do?” Sit on a beach, hide away in an eco lodge, tour a wine region, scream around a big city, shop for a hair transplant? What?" That decision comes first. My second piece of advice is: Go somewhere different! Cast your brain further afield. Pick a B city! Go to South America! Go to Iceland! There’s a lot of nickel-and-diming going on these days when it comes to flights and vacations, so watch your purse. Yes, the plug for How to Plan a Vacation goes here.

I’ve been building my travel schedule for 2026. Looks like: sailing in Puerto Vallarta, road-tripping in Los Cabos, Africa’s big travel-trade show in South Africa (hopefully), Quebec with my family, and up into the Austrian Alps come August. The Mekong River is trending heavily in my Excel document for the autumn. What are your plans? Maybe I can help?​

EXCERPT
You may not know that I write about the travel industry—in particular, for business-travel magazine Ignite. My latest piece on the best Canadian corporate retreats includes places that you can easily turn into a personal getaway. Small gatherings in the countryside are a great way to recharge the batteries and get in a little pampering at the same time. Luckily, Canada is a big place—full of nature-focused luxury hideaways that take you out of your everyday. Click on this purple button:

HOTEL CRUSH
Almare, a Luxury Collection Resort, Isla Mujeres
​I’ve been rethinking Cancún lately. OK, so don’t make a big face—it’s easy to get to and isn’t Florida. In particular, I was recently on Isla Mujeres, a 25-minute boat or ferry ride from Cancún. I've always thought it was just a two-star beach town full a yahoos in their Oakley sunglasses, trucker caps and cutoffs. Turns out—kinda cool. The beach-chic factor is amped up at Almare, a new Marriott all-inclusive resort. It's small enough to feel informal, but big enough to have proper amenities—local cuisine, nice pools, a posh spa and a rooftop with plenty of shade for my bald pate.

INTEL
​Timing is everything! Back to today's theme: travel planning is not only comforting, it also saves money. I’m trying (yet failing) not to be bossy, but here are a few blanket statements:
​1. You should be booking your ski trips right now, like ASAP, while lift tickets are still low.
​2. Your winter sun vacation should be bought and paid for soon, or you will just pay a lot more than if you had bought it in, say, August, (I am guilty of this) and you won't get exactly what you want.
​3. Cruises? I hope you’re booking for late 2026. If not—ca-ching! Cruises are least expensive the day they go on sale, which, for 2026, was a long time ago. The best dates and preferred rooms sell out fast.
​4. If you’re planning on Europe next spring or summer, you should be booking that within the next month or so—at least before Christmas.

In the Car, at the Gym!
​This month's edition of The TravelRight.Today Podcast features bits about travelling solo and not getting lonely, a little overview of the Canary Islands and my picks for the Caribbean this season. Check your local drugstore for sales on sunscreen!

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