Travelwiggle - Interviews with travelers.

         Ann (dark blue shirt, red glasses, right, in the back) guiding a Tour.

Learn more about Ann at “The TRIP Chicks”. Follow @TheTripChicks

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“Catch the travel bug and you’ll come home happier, refreshed, and ready for another vacation sooner than you think.”

You’ve been a travel consultant for over 25 years, what first sparked your love of travel?

My parents were members of the ATL Council for International Visitors and we had lots of international visitors in our home when I was young. Those visitors motivated me to travel. Expo 67 in Montreal made a huge impression on me in my youth, and I dreamed about traveling far and wide. A few years later, one day I walked into a travel agency and asked how could I train to be a travel agent. The owner signed me into the airline computer for self-paced lessons. The rest is history.

On one of your adventures, you were tear-gassed in curlers by riot police outside a Seoul Korea hair salon.

Can you tell me why this happened? And what your first reaction/thought was?

I had the misfortune of making a hair appt in Seoul the same afternoon and in the same neighborhood as the student unrest was gearing up. I decided to go outside for a whiff of fresh air while the hair stylist was giving someone else a very strong-smelling perm. Needless to say, the perm was nothing compared to the tear gas fumes. I was literally all alone right in the middle of armed police on one side and the shouting students on the other. My first reaction was to get the heck out of there. Made it back into the salon in the nick of time before the real action began. The tear gas was bad news.

I’m the queen of (mis)adventure. But the person upstairs gives us only what we can handle.

 In your experience, what are the benefits of traveling in a group vs. traveling alone?

Group travel is helpful for travelers who are hoping to have a very organized, tightly run trip with very few if any curve balls. Economically, group tours often make sense for folks wanting to get a good overview of a place and then use that info to come back later and spend longer exploring on their own. The tours are usually a pretty efficient way of covering alot of ground in the least amount of time. But experienced travelers often prefer the freedom and serendipity of doing what they want when they want. On a group tour, if you like a city but your bus is scheduled to leave out at 7 a.m the next morning, unless you break away from the tour, you have to follow the tight schedule.

What advice would you give travelers who opt to travel solo?

Smile. Be patient, flexible, and open. Pack light. Strike up a conversation or use hand signals with locals. Go to a restaurant without an English language menu. Ask students for suggestions. Couchsurf or try Servas or 5W homestays for a taste of the real culture. Use common sense and a well-honed sense of adventure. As a solo traveler, you can have experiences those on big group tours can’t come close to.

5 W = Women Welcome Women Worldwide (also open to spouses and friends of female travelers. I love couchsurfing.

What’s a spot in the world that you don’t think has been “discovered” yet and needs to be?

Honestly I would prefer those under-the-tourist radar places remain undiscovered for as long as possible so I and my friends, family, and globetrotting clients can enjoy them a little longer in their semi-pristine states.

Some of my undiscovered gems remain closely-guarded secrets. But one I would like to share is the lesser-traveled Alto Adige/Sued Tirol bilingual area of Italy that used to be part of Austria. There’s plenty of space in the Dolomites for everyone to enjoy! :)

What makes it special to you?

The Dolomites are the best of Italy and Austria rolled into one. The food, the transportation infrastructure, the culture (traditional folk festivals, wine, etc.), and scenery are just super. The trains run on time, and there’s a wonderful regional train/museum combo deal available at a rock bottom price for tourists. Also, no traveler should miss seeing the amazing ancient “Ice Man” Oetzi in Bolzano. Absolutely fascinating…

You’ve explored 85+ countries; which country could you see yourself living in?

There’s not a country I’ve visited that I wouldn’t consider living in for at least a few months. Long-term, it’d have to be New Zealand, Argentina, the South Tirol region of Italy, or my top choice: the first country I ever visited outside North America - my beloved Switzerland.

Switzerland has stolen a lot of travelers hearts - including mine!

Why do you think that is?

While many travelers prefer the French-speaking part of Switzerland, I am a huge fan of German-speaking Switzerland, especially the dreamy alpine villages of the Bernese Oberland. I actually worked on a Swiss farm so I could pick up some of the Bernese Swiss German language. With a train/postal bus/lake steamer transportation system that is the world’s best, an extremely well-prganized tourism infrastructure, cheese and chocolate (and great wine too..they just don’t make enough to export), drop-dead gorgeous scenery, four national languages, and a variety of colorful traditional markets and events, and modern cities which still protect their ancient quarters, endless opportunities for boating/hiking/running/cycling and more, Switzerland packs a huge punch in a compact country. I love it. P.S. And I forgot ..SKIING!!

Every year we take at least one small group to Switzerland and home-base in one tiny alpine village. They we make day trips from that cozy base. Everyone on our trip comes home saying “I want to move to Switzerland.”

Can easily understand why they’d all say that.. : )

What is a travel destination that clients are always requesting?

It comes in cycles. This year we’re getting more and more requests for Germany, Switzerland, and South Africa. Last year it was Italy, Spain, England, and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. France, I’ve heard, is the world’s most popular travel destination, and I’m sure the people with whom I biked and barged in Burgundy this past May would agree! La France est magnifique!

That’s interesting - the way travel requests change every year.

Travel comes in waves. More and more North American travelers also are heading to places where they get more bang for their buck, i.e. destinations where the US Dollar is still relatively strong. That means South America, eastern Europe (esp. Bulgaria, Romania, and other destinations not well-traveled by the typical North American vacationer.

To someone reading this who hasnt really traveled before - what would you say?

Mark your calendar today for your vacation dates and follow through. It’s good for your mind, soul, and overall physical health. The USA has the western world’s highest rate of lost “use or lose vacation” and that really needs to change. Catch the travel bug and you’ll come home happier, refreshed, and ready for another vacation sooner than you think. As The Trip Chicks say, “Put vacations on life’s front burner.” Get out there and discover the great planet we share!

Exactly! Love the saying. : )

Thanks so much for letting me chat with you today Ann! : )

                     Ann (red jacket, flower print shirt) in New Zealand.