Fortuna Redux Travel Experiences

14/12/2024

This is what we wish for for all our travels and all our clients.

The life changes from travel, like all experiences, layer up subtly over time. To seed this with children is a great gift we can give to them as parents.

Quote from Rick Steves, New York Times interview 12.14.24

🌍

20/11/2024

“Travel isn’t worth the fatigue or the expense of it unless it is associated with ideas and with people, unless it stretches you, unless it makes you a somewhat different person when you return.”

- Arthur Frommer, 1929-2024

So much in the world and in the travel business has changed since Arthur Frommer, who died this week, wrote his first guidebook in 1957.

But Frommer’s beliefs continue to guide us, including:
* that meaningful travel is possible on a small budget
* that one travels better without a lot of money, because that money can put up barriers between the traveler and the destination
* that the best travel is when we go to places that challenge our assumptions

For the curious, $5 in 1957 is equal to about $57 today, a tight but totally doable per day travel budget for a single traveler.

16/11/2024

Helping us all make better travel choices, Fodor’s just released the No Travel list for 2025. These over-visited destinations are “collapsing under the burden of their own prominence:”

Perennial no list destinations are 🇮🇩 Bali, Indonesia; 🇪🇸Barcelona, Mallorca and Canary Islands, Spain; 🇮🇹Venice, Italy; 🇵🇹Lisbon, Portugal; 🇹🇭Koh Samui, Thailand, and 🇳🇵Mount Everest, Nepal.

Destinations beginning to suffer include 🇮🇹 Sicily, Italy; 🇻🇬British Virgin Islands; 🇮🇳Kerala, India; 🇯🇵Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan; 🇲🇽Oaxaca, Mexico; and 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Scotland North Coast 500

There’s a whole world of other amazing destinations! Fortuna Redux can work with you to make thoughtful travel choices that match your family’s travel prioroties with a care for local people and environments.

23/09/2024

Is your passport up to date? Finally, US citizens who meet the criteria can now renew their posssports online, making the process significantly easier. Travel.state.gov/renewonline

05/09/2024

Reflecting after you return from travels- right away, one week, one month, or several months after returning- can help you discover the deeeper meanings, connections, and ways that travel changes you.

If you were lucky to travel this summer, now is a good time to look back, not just at the memories, but at how you have been altered by the experience, and how these discoveries will lead to personal growth.

For those loooking for more guided post- travel reflections, the Transformational Travel Council’s Travel Travel Journal is full of helpful prompts and thoughtful reflections.

10/07/2024

New on the Fortuna Redux Blog:

Practical tips to help you minimize stress and maximize enjoyment while traveling with partners, spouses, older kids, teens, and other multi-generational groups of opinionated humans.

Because let’s be honest, traveling can come with its fair share of disagreement when family members have competing interests, priorities, and personalities.

So take a breath, remember this Buddha pose with two hands facing outwards which means “no arguing,” and check out the Fortuna Redux blog for practical tips for increasing communication and reducing conflict while traveling.

https://www.fortunareduxtravels.com/post/stress-free-family-vacations-tips-for-harmony-and-enjoyment

26/06/2024

Did you know that Krabi and Phang Nga Bay are not the only places in Thailand where you can visit the spectacular limestone karsts? At Khao Sok National Park- slightly off the heavy tourist beat but still with plenty of amenities- you can stay in incredible bungalows that float on Khao Sok lake AND take boat trips around the dramatic limestone creations. You can also take day and night hikes into Khao Sok National Park forests which is the largest virgin forest in southern Thailand and teeming with wildlife.

Khao Sok is located conveniently to Phuket or Surat Thani airports. Most bungalows will arrange transportation from the airport to the Khao Sok port, where you will then be transported to the bungalows. Combine this with beach time in the Khao Lak area and you’ll also experience a beautiful drive through the forests and karsts to the Andaman Sea.

Need advice in planning your family vacation to Thailand? Message us!

Thanks to Panvaree The Greenery for our incredible stay!

14/06/2024

Involving kids in the trip decision-making, such as identifying the pros and cons of different destination posibilites as shown here, can make everyone feel equally invested and excited. It also increases kids’ learning about the destinations and the world.

Which place wok out for this family trip after this analysis? ➡️➡️

Tanzania!!🇹🇿🇹🇿 (although the family also got excited about the potentials of Uganda for a future trip.)

05/06/2024

I’ve been thinking that working with a travel planner is similar to ordering takeout pad thai. If my extended family is coming over and we all want Thai food, technically I could make dinner myself. There are multitudes of recipes online, there’s an Asian grocery store not too far from me, I have a kitchen and supplies to cook.

BUT- my knowledge base and experience is no where near that of those who do it for a living. It would take me so much time, add insecurities and stress to the day, and chances are it would not turn out nearly as good as from a local Thai restaurant. It could even be a total disaster (like the time I made the noodles in advance and when dinner was ready they had solidified into one huge blob).

Travel planning is the same. Just because you technically can do something on your own, doesn’t mean that it will bring the best results. Especially if you don’t enjoy doing it, or don’t have lots of extra time on your hands.

Working with Fortuna Redux to plan your next trip will provide you guidance, expertise and peace of mind while still allowing for your own individual desires and preferences.

Photo: Golden Bridge, Ba Na Hills, Vietnam

28/05/2024

Shopping locally-made is one way that travelers can make a positive difference and contribute to sutainable local economies. But choosing locally-made goods is not always as easy as it may seem, because tourist shops and night markets are often filled with mass-producesd souvenirs disguised as locally-made crafts.

Here’s our tips for finding locally-made products:
1) research the traditions and materials that are native to the area before shopping
2) visit artistans making work in their studios and purchase directly from them there
3) look for and support social enterprises and artist collectives
4) be prepared to pay more to support local craftspeople
5) avoid purchasing items that can be found identically in many shop after shop.

Fortuna Redux is committed to encouraging better, sustainable practices in the tourism industry and for our clients. We’ll be posting more responsible travel tips to keep top of mind as we head into the summer travel season. www.fortunareduxtravels.com

Photos from artistans in Aswan (Egypt), San Juan de Oriente (Nicaragua), Kythera (Greece) and Penang (Malaysia).

🌍

07/05/2024

Try creating an “Unpacking List” for your next trip. See what fills you up when you leave things behind.

More on Unpacking Lists on the Fortuna Redux blog:

https://www.fortunareduxtravels.com/post/what-s-on-your-unpacking-list

16/04/2024

New blog post: What's On Your Unpacking List?

An Unpacking List is the things that you want to leave behind when you travel- the habits that anchor you, the roles that define you, your worries, the layers of yourself that you have built up through your life and that may now come to define, and sometimes restrict you.

Read the full post here:

Let it go.With spring and summer trips coming up, many of us are thinking about what to pack. I’ll be departing in a few days for a short trip to Oaxaca, Mexico with my sister and her family. This time, instead of thinking too much about what to pack, I’m planning my Unpacking List.“Your deep ...

25/03/2024

Both are seasoned travelers and have traveled together with their whole family, but this is their first trip JUST THE TWO OF THEM. ♥️♥️

I love working with families of all ages and sizes, but especially helping to plan mother-daughter trips. What’s better for relationship-building than exploring the world together?

If this is something you’ve considered, don’t hesitate, now is the time! The years pass by so quickly.

But who does the planning? Who makes the decisions? Where do you find common ground? Hiring a travel planner like Fortuna Redux can be a great way to add an experienced outside perspective when two or more adults are planning a trip. This way, the responsibility doesn’t fall to one person. It avoids endless conversations and debate about the unending choices available. Fortuna Redux gathers preferences and perspectives from both/all travelers, then designs a balanced trip that meets each traveler’s desires while also focusing on the experience you will have together.

🌍

07/03/2024

It's International Women's Day tomorrow and I want to give a shout out to all the incredible, hardworking women around the world who open their homes and hearts for travelers to discover their culture.

There are so so many, but one of my favorites is Saloma Lisa, who created Saloma Villagestay - Authentic Bidayuh Experience in her home village in Borneo jungle outside of Kuching. She provides travelers from around the world with an authentic village stay and introduction to traditional Bidayuh culture and cooking.

Saloma is the real thing: a friendly host, a tireless businesswoman, and committed to her community. Send this to or shout out in the comments to the women business owners (in travel industry or otherwise) that you admire.

25/02/2024

Travel indecision is real, especially when multiple family members weigh in with different priorities. Keep grounded in purposeful travel with our tips for deciding where your next family vacation will lead you. https://www.fortunareduxtravels.com/blog

Now is the perfect time to start planning your summer vacation! But one of the most frequent dilemmas I hear is “We can’t decide where to go.” With 195 countries and 372,000 miles of coastline in the world, it’s no wonder. Indecision can lead to choosing fall back destinations, instead of di...

07/02/2024

Dreary February weather here in the north has me dreaming of the colors, smells and tastes of local markets around the world. Stopping by a local market to pick up produce and supplies is usually one of the first things we do in any place we visit.

1-3 Luang Prabang, Laos
4 Hanoi, Vietnam
5 Takua Pa, Thailand
6 Kythera, Greece
7 Aswan, Egypt