2009 Holiday Newsletter
Dear Focus Travelers All,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I can hardly believe another year has sped by and 2010 is upon us! I hope 2009 has been full of good times for each of you and that you have lots of wonderful memories stored away! I know I certainly have. Many of you joined Focus on one or more of our travel adventures this last year. What incredible times we shared.
April of 2009 saw Focus travelers cruising down the Nile. Exploring Egypt with Hamdy Nossair is always a delight. Hamdy shares his love and knowledge of his native country and gives our group members a much deeper insight into and appreciation of Egypt. Hamdy will again be taking a small group to Egypt and Jordan in June of 2010. Those of you who have not yet traveled to Egypt and Jordan please call or email and ask me for an itinerary.
In August/September of 2009 a Focus group delighted in cruising Alaska’s Inland Passage aboard the Yorktown – one of the Cruise West small ships. We loved every minute! October found yet another small Focus group in South Africa. We visited Cape Town, safaried in both South Africa and in Botswana, helicoptered over Victoria Falls in Zambia, and walked with the lions. Honest! On December 06 a group of 22 of us fly to Rio De Janiero to cruise the coast of South America visiting 5 Brazilian and 3 Uruguayan ports and ending with three days in Buenos Aires. We all agree that this Oceania cruise is a fantastic way to celebrate the season. Most of us will also take part in an incredible pre-cruise extension to Iguassu Falls.
What a sparkling, unforgettable travel year 2009 has been! And Joe Green of Tumlare Travel and Hamdy Nossair of HLO are helping Focus plan even more wondrous travel adventures for 2010 and beyond. I hope you will be as excited by them as I am! The Annual Focus Blowout is planned for Saturday, January 30, 2010. An invitation is included with (or attached to) this letter. I hope you will mark your calendars immediately and plan to attend.
Our first two Focus Adventures of 2010 are set and participants are eager to go. In February we cruise and explore Antarctica That trip is filled. In July a Focus group will enjoy a Danube River cruise followed by attendance at the once in a decade Passion Play in Oberammergau,Germany. Many of that group will go on to Switzerland for a week on Swiss trains high in the Alps. We have had one cancellation for the Danube/Passion Play Tour. Kay Bailey needs a roommate as her roommate had to cancel. If you are interested, call or email Ellie (see contact info at end of letter). The tour has only this one space available. We will, however, have wait lists available for both of these trips at the January 30th party.
BUT! We are now filling an incredibly exciting and exotic Tour of Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur, and Borneo. It goes September 9 – 29, 2010. This is not an off-the shelf widely sold tour. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity; the kind of trip only occasionally found offered by National Geographic and its ilk. Ruth Marie Lyons and I did the research and sold Tumlare on doing it for us because I truly think that Focus travelers want to be challenged by the unusual. Taiwan is often termed “the most undervalued travel destination in Asia”. Our itinerary for our 5 days there is so intriguing! Borneo, the third largest island on earth, enjoys the reputation as one of the world’s last undiscovered frontiers. We will cruise Borneo’s mighty Rajang River for 7 days on a Pandaw river cruise boat. Pandaw’s small, beautifully constructed boats offer passengers both comfort and the opportunity to experience Borneo’s culture, flora and fauna as few are privileged to do. Again, wait until you read the itinerary! Eighteen Focus folks have already signed up for this adventure. We have space for only 4 more!!
Also now filling is SAFARI KENYA! Kenya is a fascinating destination and those joining this travel adventure with Hamdy Nossair will have the chance to see the great migration on the Serengeti! An experience not to be missed! This trip will depart in early October, 2010.
It is important to get registrations in ASAP for Borneo and Kenya as space must be reserved!
If you are interested, please call or email me and I will send you the information as soon as I return from S. America.
And wait until you see what we have in store for 2011 and 2012! Benelux: Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg; Russia; a 14 day Canada and New England Discovery cruise; Italy; Greece; and more! All will be revealed at the January party where you will have the opportunity to see itineraries and put your name on an “Interest” list.
Those of you who live far away and won’t be able to come to the Blowout in January, please email me or call and let me know which itineraries you would like to see. I’ll be sure to send them to you along with the upcoming Travel Schedule.
As I write this holiday letter, I realize all over again how much focus Travel Club has given me (and I hope all of us who adventure together) in terms of friendships deepened, new ones made, and horizons broadened. What fun it is to explore the world with groups who so enjoy each other!
I wish each and every one of you a wondrous holiday season. May visions of Focus travel plans dance through your holiday dreams and may your New Year be full of happiness.Warmly,
Ellie