The Informed Traveler

Send us Fan Mail Travel expert Onanta Forbes discusses the latest happenings in Maui after that devastating wildfire and try and answer the moral dilemma of when visitors should return to Maui. Plus, did you know that August 23rd is Cheap Air Day? We'll learn more about it from the folks at CheapoAir. And, Ken Stewart from Crowfoot Travel Solutions will be along to give us a few destination i...

Send us Fan Mail Finishing up on her cruise to Alaska on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth cruise ship, travel expert Onanta Forbes offers some tips on planning your own cruise to Alaska. The Vegas Guru, David Yeskel is going to join us this week as well to give us an update on all things new in Las Vegas. Plus, Ken Stewart from Crowfoot Travel Solutions will be along  to give us a few destination ide...

Send us Fan Mail If you tuned into last week’s podcast you’ll remember we chatted with travel expert Onanta Forbes onboard Cunard's Queen Elizabeth cruise ship. She’s in the middle of a 10 day Alaskan cruise so in a few seconds we’ll get an update to see how her cruise is going. We’ll also chat about visiting Australia this week. Australia is a big country with lots of places to see but we’ll...

Send us Fan Mail If you're wondering what it's like to take an Alaskan cruise this time of year our travel expert Onanta Forbes will have all the answers for you as we will check in with her onboard Cunard's Queen Elizabeth cruise ship. Then we'll head south and talk with the folks from Loreto, Baja California Sur Mexico and learn about the things to see and do there. Plus, Ken...

Send us Fan Mail There’s been lots of talk about AI these days or Artificial Intelligence so in this week's podcast we’ll talk about AI and how it has or will affect the travel industry. Lots of talk about inflation these days too and how it’s affecting travelers vacation plans. The folks from Marriott Canada have come out with a list cost saving tips to help you out. We'll review that a...

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s podcast we’re going to talk about cruising, the folks from Passport Photo Online have come out with a list of interesting stats and trends so travel expert Onanta Forbes and I will break down some of the numbers. Then Travel Writer Debra Smith will join us to share her experience visiting Las Vegas recently and staying at Resorts World. Plus, Ken Stewart from Crowfo...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever flown across a number of time zones you’re probably well aware of the issue of jet lag. It’s a common problem so in this week's podcast we’re going to talk about Jet lag and offer a few tips on how to curtail the effects of jet lag. Then we’ll talk about camping. The President of the Canadian Camping and RV Council will join us. We’re already in the middle of J...

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s podcast, we’re going to talk about tipping and get some tips on tipping. Who to tip, when to tip and how much. It can be a bit confusing depending on where you’re traveling to. Plus, we’ll learn about exploring Switzerland using the Swiss Travel Pass. An easy, convenient and efficient way to get around Switzerland. Plus, Ken Stewart from Crowfoot Travel Solutions wi...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's podcast we discuss the question; should there be a dress code when flying?  It comes from travel journalist Christopher Elliott who raised the question in his newsletter Elliott Confidential. Then, Susan Catto from TravelZoo will join us to share some insight on all the fun things to see and do in Copenhagen. Plus, Ken Stewart from Crowfoot Travel Solutions wil...

Send us Fan Mail Getting through airport security can always cause a little stress when your traveling so in this week's podcast we'll give you some reminders of what you need to be aware of to smooth out the process. Then we'll head to Italy and learn about the R Collection Hotels, a hotel group that has 8 hotels to choose from in Italy. Four in the Lake Como area, three in Milan a...

Send us Fan Mail One of the travel trends we're seeing more of is the removal of the single supplement charge for solo travelers so in this week's podcast we'll discuss travelling solo and some of the benefits. Plus, if you're planning a trip to British Columbia a good place to start planning is picking up the book 125 Nature Hot Spots in British Columbia. We'll talk to th...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve been looking around for a hotel lately you may have been surprised by the price of room rates. On this week's podcast, we'll discuss the high cost of hotel rooms, why they're costing more and what you can do about it. Then travel writer Paula Worthington will join us to share her experience touring through the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. Plus, Ken S...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's podcast, travel expert Onanta Forbes is still in Playa del Carmen Mexico, so we’ll check in with her from the Secrets Impression Moxche'. Then we'll head across the Pacific to Thailand and chat with the Managing Director and Founder of Thailand’s award-winning AKARYN Hotel Group. They just opened a new resort in Chiang Mai called the Aleenta Retreat C...

Send us Fan Mail Our two regular weekly guests have been travelling this past week. Travel expert Onanta Forbes is in Playa del Carmen,  Mexico this week, so we’ll check in with her  and Ken Stewart from Crowfoot Travel Solutions was in San Francisco last week, so we’ll chat about his experience in our Weekly Roundup. And in between all that, we’ll visit with the GM of the Golden Skybridge, which...

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s podcast we’re going to have a little fun by playing the game “Would you rather”. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s a good conversation starter where you ask the question, would you rather... and give two choices for an answer. So travel expert Onanta Forbes and I are going to play a travel version of Would You Rather.  Plus, Ken Stewart from Crowfoot Travel Solution...

Send us Fan Mail So which do you think is better value for your money, staying at an all-inclusive resort or using what is known as an EP or European Plan? We’ll discuss the pros and cons of both in this week's podcast. Then we’ll play a conversation we had a few weeks back with the folks from Visit El Paso when they stopped into town. You might be surprised at all the unique things El Paso,...

Send us Fan Mail You may have heard about some of the changes to Canada’s Passenger Rights legislation this past week. In this week's podcast we’ll try and make sense of it and try to figure out if the changes will make any difference. Plus, we’ll get an update on what’s happening in Barbados, known as the birthplace of rum. We’ll chat with Peter Mayers from Visit Barbados.  Plus, Ken Stewart...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been the victim of a travel scam of some sort? I hope not. There’s certainly lots out there so in this week's podcast we’ll rundown a few examples of travel scams and how you can do your best to avoid them. Plus, travel writer Carol Patterson will join us to share her tour through Death Valley National Park. Known as the hottest, driest, lowest place in the US....

Send us Fan Mail Are you into finding out where to get some freebies when it come to your travel adventures? We’ll run down a few ideas on where to find a few free things while traveling. And we’ll dive into some of the things you need to know if you’re planning on using your credit card for travel health insurance. We'll talk about it with Patrick Sojka, founder of Rewards Canada, who recent...

Send us Fan Mail A new cruise survey from Travel Market Report shows that 7 out of 10 travel advisors say that their clients prefer all-inclusive cruise pricing, so on this week's podcast we’ll discuss all-inclusive cruising and look at some of the other Cruising Trends for 2023. Plus we’ll head to the Caribbean Islands of Antigua and Barbuda. Which boasts 365 beaches, one for every day of th...

Send us Fan Mail If you been watching the news lately traveling to Europe might be a bit dodgy with labor strikes and other examples of civil unrest happening. Which begs the question, what happens when you find yourself in the middle of a labor dispute while traveling. We’ll have some tips for you in this week's podcast. Plus, we’ll chat with Disney expert Renee Tsang, whose recent book is c...

Send us Fan Mail Representatives from Travel Texas were in town this past week so I got the chance to chat with several Texas destinations and learn a bit more about them. So in this week’s podcast we’ll share the conversations I had with Visit San Antonio and Visit Fredericksburg. Plus we'll discuss using a travel agent vs booking a trip yourself. And Ken Stewart from Crowfoot Travel Solutio...

Send us Fan Mail On our podcast this week we’ll discuss sticker shock when it comes to planning your next vacation. Like everything else, the cost of getting away is going up. Plus, we’ll discover the Seven Wonders of Oregon. Paradise for those who love the outdoors. And Ken Stewart from Crowfoot Travel Solutions will be along to give us a few destination ideas and travel deals with our Weekly Rou...

Send us Fan Mail This past week marked the 9th anniversary of the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370 so travel expert Onanta Forbes will look at some of the theories on what happened. Also this week, we’ll head to Vienna, Austria where they are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the 1873 World’s Fair so we'll learn about that and traveling to Vienna in general. And Ken Stewart...

Send us Fan Mail Roaming Fees & Occitanie, France On our podcast this week, travel expert Onanta Forbes gives us some ideas on avoiding those roaming charges when traveling abroad. Plus, we’ll learn about an area in the south of France called Occitanie. If great food and wine, beaches, hiking and historical sites that date back to the Romans is something that you might fancy, you’ll want to he...