International Travel – Page 2 – Postcards From TLC

February 23, 2018

Our Apple Vacation—Nuevo Vallarta

I’m on our flight home from Nuevo Vallarta and am reflecting on our trip through Apple Vacations. We stayed the previous week at Dreams Villamagna Nuevo Vallarta.

Here are what I consider to be the pros and cons of using Apple Vacations:
PROS

It’s relatively easy to put together your own trip on their website and prices are transparent. (You do have to pay for the entire trip to reserve.)

-check under flights to see when/if your airport has non-stop flights
-plug in the dates and location of where you want to go

Choose flight type and room upgrades.

-I only upgrade our room for special occasions or if they go on sale. For the amount of time we are in our room, a garden view is usually just fine

Add travel insurance if desired.

-I usually skip this as I get trip insurance elsewhere–see Why You MUST Buy Travel Insurance

You can add on desired excursions if you wish.

-I usually skip this as well, finding the prices on resort to be lower or negotiable

Apple always includes transportation in their packages.
I watch their sales and more often that not, they are priced better than the same trip on other travel sites.

CONS

While Apple does not have a loyalty program, they also own Amstar or AMResorts which offers a loyalty program for a certain group of resorts.

-the loyalty program gets presented as a way to get discounts on spa services and excursions–you just sit through a 90 minute meeting
-BEWARE–the meetings tend to last way more than 90 minutes and are pretty high pressure to sell you
-since AMResorts/AppleVacations own the loyalty program, it seems their resorts may be priced slightly better or given a higher rating. Comment below or check their link if you question which resorts are part of the group

AppleVacations tends to use different charters for their flights.

-bear in mind that these planes have more limited space and luggage limits (you may only have a 45lb suitcase limit instead of 50lb–do your research)
-the air upgrades may be worth it for the first on/first off perk, but for this trip (with Swift Air) it wasn’t worth it for the snacks and beverages. Even though we paid a little more for the Preferred Perks they were out of “snack packages” both legs of the trip and the cocktail selections seemed to be off brands. Additionally, there were no selections that were coffee mixable, similar to Bailey’s, Kahlua, etc
-if you’d like to see my more detailed opinion of Frontier Air, click here

Overall, I believe AppleVacations offers a good deal online as long as you know what you’re getting. You can easily price out their trips before you buy and it’s easy to find frequent sales. You may even be able to choose luxurious accommodations, but you likely won’t be air traveling in style. Additionally, beware of their group of resorts in the loyalty program. If you are lucky enough to sit through one of these meetings (regularly longer than 90 minutes) be prepared to give up some of your vacation time and either buy a plan, or end up saying no, A LOT, repeatedly, and then again. But if you’re fine with that, enjoy the freebies! You will have earned them!

February 10, 2018

Scuba Diving

A few years ago, while on a snorkeling excursion, I decided that I really wanted to see what was deeper below the surface of the ocean. I had been a fan of and in the water since as far back as I could remember, and had no fear about learning to scuba dive.
I checked in with Dwain at Captain Nemo’s dive shop and he got me started on the path to certification.

We had a couple of weekends of class time, where we learned all about scuba diving, the importance of properly fitted and maintained equipment, and the effects of pressure on the body while diving. We covered material in our books, watched videos, and took tests to ensure we would be safe divers.
We also had a couple of sessions of pool time, which is when we were able to access a local indoor pool and learn how to assemble and use our equipment and practice our skills. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be able to master taking off my mask at the bottom of a pool, much less in the ocean. But I did! And I left it off for a couple of minutes.
After the class and pool sessions, the time had come to sign up for my Open Water dives, which would be done in Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas.

This is basically where we got to pull it all together in an open water environment under the guidance of an instructor to see if we would receive certification or not. Even under the horrible rainy, stormy conditions and a lot of time sitting in my car between dives, I passed! I was a newly certified, open water diver.

100_1219 — Housemates for the weekend AND Certified OW Divers

After that, it was time to go practice my skills. We headed to Cozumel, Mexico which is one of the top ten places in the world to dive. It didn’t disappoint! My dive buddy was an Englishman named Ray (hubby wasn’t certified yet) who was very experienced and we saw some neat stuff. We actually found a nurse shark napping and just before our ascent, 3 huge lobsters walked across our path in the sand. I didn’t have my camera yet, so I have no pics, other than one of me and Ray after the dive.

Over the next couple of years, hubby got his certification through Captain Nemo’s as well. Although, while he did his open water portion in Punta Cana, I was working on my Advanced Open Water certification. Win, win, right?

While on our honeymoon in St Lucia, we stayed at a Sandal’s Resort, which includes scuba diving. We took the opportunity for hubby to then work on his Advanced Open Water while I took a photography class.

As we are now getting ready to take a trip to the Pacific side of Mexico, we’ve discovered there might be a couple of places we would like to dive while there. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about scuba diving it’s that there’s always something else to learn. It’s a never-ending process. So even though we’ve come a long way baby, we’ve still got a lot left to learn!

January 20, 2018

Riviera Nayarit It Is!

I’m cold. It’s winter and I’m cold. Yesterday, we saw the temperature hover between 2 (-16C) and 12 (-11C) degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill factors of -10F (-23C.) For those of you who live in warmer climes, you have no idea how cold that is. When you walk outside even for a brief moment, you lose your breath!

Thinking warm thoughts and listening to the reggae station are not warding off the cold. There’s not enough hot cocoa. We’re just going to have to head to the beach for a brief respite and to rejuvenate enough to get through the rest of winter.

I found a really good deal to Dreams Villamagna Nuevo Vallarta in Mexico. I know it seems like we spend a lot of time going to Mexico, but we can be there non-stop from St. Louis in 4 hours. Nuevo Vallarta is in the Mexican state of Nayarit, which is on the Pacific side and is a part of the country we’ve not yet visited before. The closest we’ve been on that coast is Huatulco which is 547 miles away, so not even very close.

I don’t yet know much about Nuevo Vallarta but I plan to do some research before we get there. It seems to be an up and coming area located between Puerto Vallarta and Bucerias, that is attracting the crowd that’s not interested in the hustle and bustle of Puerto Vallarta, but would like all the luxuries of a resort area.

It looks like there’s a lot to do in the area on land or in the sea. There are numerous small villages to be explored and shopped all within a 30 minute drive, and there are a lot of beach areas in Banderas Bay. Whether we want to spend the day on a secluded beach, check out some of the “walking beaches”, or even try our hand at surfing, there’s a beach for it. I’m also hoping that we can see some of the humpback whales who winter there, frolicking with their babies. (I just loved seeing the whales in Alaska, check out Juneau, Alaska.)

While the resort touts itself as an unlimited luxury all inclusive, which to me usually means great food, some of their Trip Advisor reviews beg to differ. Even though I only take the reviews with a grain of salt, there is usually a bit of truth to them. I’m trying to keep in mind that the people who did not have a great experience tend to write reviews more frequently, and I’m hopeful the resort has worked out whatever kinks were getting in the way.

Would we cancel the trip or change resorts because of negative reviews? Probably not. Maybe if this were an important wedding, anniversary, or group trip I would reconsider going there. But this is just a mid-winter vacay for hubby and I. We’re pretty laid back and will roll with whatever we find at the resort.

If you have ever stayed at this Dreams and have anything negative to say, please post a review on Trip Advisor, don’t comment on this post. I’d rather go in as uninfluenced as possible and form my own opinion based on what we experience. If you have anything positive to say, feel free to do so in the comments.

Regardless, I’m cold. All I am really worried about is getting out of this cold and taking a break on the beach and seeing some of that side of Mexico. After that, winter won’t seem quite as long and I’ll be able to get through it better upon our return.

December 21, 2017

Dominican Republic–Girls Trip

Once upon a time there were three angels…(Charlie’s Angels reference)

Oops, wrong story. Once upon a time there were three girls who took a trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. They stayed at the Grand Palladium Resort, which is one of my favorites.They made the most out of the sun, sand, pool, beach and cocktails. The weather was perfect and they were able to go on some excursions and take in some sights. One morning, there was a jeep trip up into the mountains where they got to see and taste raw cocoa growing on a farm. Who knew chocolate would end up tasting so different from the actual cocoa it’s grown from?

Cocoa pod, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

They also went horseback riding and ziplined through the jungle. On their ride back down the mountain, they encountered this entertaining gentleman. They tipped him for his antics–he did a dance too–and returned to the resort.A couple of days later was scuba diving day.

There was a Dolin Dive Center on resort and Marcos was a great dive master. He took them through a shipwreck where they not only got to see some beautiful sealife, but they also were able to practice their skills. They also had the pleasure of diving with Inez from Uruguay.

The Palladium had a lot of activities to keep them busy. The food was good, the entertainment crew kept them involved in the fun games, and the pool and the beach were gorgeous.There was even a dance clinic happening at the resort with hundreds of dancers from around the world visiting that week so evenings in the disco were filled with incredible talent. At the end of the day, the girls had a relaxing, fun time.

The girls couldn’t wait to start planning their next trip. It sounded like they would be meeting again in Mexico next!

December 2, 2017

Flashback to Jamaica

Ahhh, Jamaica! One of my favorite places in the world to visit. It is an island in the Caribbean and is part of the Greater Antilles. When you fly into Sangster Airport, you land right on the beach on the North Coast. So, as your plane descends, you feel like you are incredibly close to the water. I remember being overwhelmed with the stunning blue colors of the sea. I had never seen such beautiful hues.

This past winter, we headed down for a week of R and R. Since this wasn’t our first trip to Jamaica, or the second, or the third (have I mentioned it’s one of my favorite places?) we knew exactly what we did and didn’t want to do this time. For this trip, we wanted to stay in Montego Bay, close to the airport, so I found a sale for the RIU Montego Bay on Apple Vacations. If you’ve never shopped for a vacation on Apple Vacations, you’ve been missing out. It’s one of the travel sites I watch regularly and they run some great sales on trips. While we’d never stayed at this particular RIU resort before, I am a fan of the RIU brand, so this was an easy decision.In Montego Bay, I knew we would be close enough to see our friend, Paul (see post Everyone Should Meet a Paul). I also wanted to take my husband Sonny to eat at Scotchie’s, which is known for their jerk chicken and pork. I also love breadfruit, which I was hoping was in season. Scotchie’s serves the majority of their dishes in tin foil or on paper plates, and with gravy (think hot sauce) made from scotch bonnet peppers. Also on the itinerary, was a trip to Luminous Lagoon, which I’ve wanted to check out for a while. The tour starts at sunset and takes you through the lagoon, which is home to phosphorescent micro-organisms that glow in the dark when agitated.

As the saying goes, ” the best-laid plans of mice and men, often go awry”, so did ours. We had some transportation issues and didn’t get to go to Scotchie’s for jerk and due to a small monsoon (flash-flooding, thunderstorm) our trip to the Luminous Lagoon was cancelled.

What we did get to do was hang out at our resort, meet new friends, and visit with old friends. Paul was able to come visit our resort on a day pass and he brought his wife, Tansia, and daughter, Talia, along. He also brought us a bottle of Sangster’s Chocolate Rum Cream. If you’ve never tried rum cream, you must–it’s what every good dirty banana is made from. I knew it came in flavors, but this was the first time I had had Chocolate. And since I can’t order it online back home, I was very grateful for Paul’s gift!

Paul, who is a jack-of-all-trades, entrepreneur, and a lifeguard, took us out for a quick sail around Mahee Bay in a small catamaran. We also walked up the beach to watch a wedding with Talia and our new friends Don and Stephanie. We sampled numerous frozen drinks “Jamaican style” compliments of a friend of Paul’s who was the bar supervisor. It was so nice to visit with Paul and his family for the day. Next time we hope to go visit the villa he is building just outside of the town of Lucea.The following day we got to take a snorkeling excursion/sunset cruise. We loaded up on a big catamaran, cruised west down the coast a bit, went snorkeling, and ended up at Margaritaville in Montego Bay.

We did a little shopping on the Hip Strip before heading back for a cocktail at Margaritaville, and then headed back to the resort for dinner which was right on time.I’ve never eaten so many seafood dinners as I have at RIU Resorts. It turned out this night was seafood night at the buffet restaurant and they had lobster tail available. My husband ate nothing but lobster and I think he topped out at 8 tails. I partook of the incredibly good lobster, but also enjoyed the shrimp and fish.

The next day was departure day. We got to the airport early, which is great because Sangster Airport has excellent duty-free shopping and we love to shop there. We picked up some souvenirs, and a little jewelry, and then finished waiting for our flight at Margaritaville with lunch and a beer!

Until next time Jamaica. Soon come back!

November 23, 2017

Cozumel Mexico

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to go to Cozumel, Mexico. As a newly certified scuba diver, I was chomping at the bit to go because Cozumel is usually considered one of the top 10 places to dive. A small island, located just off the Yucatan Peninsula, Cozumel is a little more laid back than Riviera Maya. It has more of an island feel to it–a little smaller, and quieter.
To get to Cozumel from Missouri, we had two choices. We could fly non-stop to Cancun, then ride a bus for 45 minutes south, then catch a ferry for another 45 minute ride over to Cozumel or fly to Atlanta, have a quick layover, then take a second flight on to Cozumel. Since the idea of lugging our suitcases onto a ferry didn’t sound very appealing, we opted for the latter and flew into Cozumel.
We stayed at the Iberostar, which was a wonderful resort.

Our room was half of a circular-shaped bungalow. It was kind of different to stay in a room that was a semi circle–there were no corners in which to stick my suitcase. We were also located right in the middle of the resort, equal distance to the pool, dive shop, and beach and we could see all three from our porch (which had a hammock on it).

Although our accommodations were awesome and we had a lot of activities to do at the resort, we ventured into town one afternoon for a Pirate Dinner Cruise later that night, which still ranks up there as one of the funnest days ever!
We took a cab into town, which was maybe 10 minutes from our resort. We arrived at a small shopping area across the road from the pier, where we would be boarding the Jean Laffite. At the moment, we were really in search of free Wi-Fi (our resort charged in 10 minute increments), which we found at a small, unassuming restaurant named Polar. We ordered some Tecate Light beers, split some fish tacos (which hubby doused with an incredibly HOT hot sauce), and were able to access everything we needed. After sitting there for 2 and a half hours, I don’t think our total bill came up to $20US.

After leaving Polar, we did a little shopping and stocked up on souvenirs. We came across a Fat Tuesday which was a fun place to have a cocktail and people watch.

Then it was time to get to the Pier and board our pirate ship! The performers were a talented bunch of guys who had the obligation of plying you with quantity (not quality) drinks and getting you to participate in the games which were part of the show. We cruised up the coast of Cozumel with these pirates entertaining every one in the group and then our ship turned around and headed back down the coast so that we all had the most incredible view of sunset.

We were also served dinner at this time, which was your choice of steak, lobster tail, or surf and turf. I had the surf and turf and thought the dinner was unbelievably good considering it had all been prepared in the small galley of our ship. If you EVER get the chance to go on the Pirate Dinner Cruise in Cozumel, Mexico, GO! You will have really fun 3 hour tour!

October 28, 2017

Grand Palladium, Riviera Maya Dining

Ha! We got off the plane in Cancun, Mexico and what were we greeted by at the airport? Margaritaville! If you’ve read any of my earlier posts Margaritaville Island or Smoky Mountain Getaway you’ll know that hubby and I are HUGE fans. I’m still wanting to get my hands on that frozen concoction maker! Maybe Santa will bring me one for Christmas.

Anyhoo, we actually bypassed Margaritaville this time. I would have had to order a frozen concoction or a beer and I didn’t think that was a wise idea since I hadn’t eaten anything yet that day and we still had an hour commute to the resort. I didn’t want to be that passenger to stop our bus because I had to use the restroom.
We arrived at the resort in time for late lunch. We headed over to one of the buffet restaurants where I had the most delish cream of asparagus soup and some chicken wings. During the next couple of days we determined that the buffet restaurants seemed to repeat the same items for each meal. They didn’t really knock our socks off with a ton of seafood and we found what worked best for breakfast and lunch. However, some of the displays were really neat to look at.

We decided that the a la carte restaurants had the best dinners at the resort. Two of them–Sumtuori, the teppanyaki grill restaurant and the Fish & Rice Resturant were the only ones that required reservations. The rest were first come-first serve.
Here’s my quick rundown in case you are headed to the Grand Palladium in Riviera Maya:
Sumtuori (Teppanyaki grill)–the food was pretty good, but I think our chef was pretty new. He didn’t say a word throughout the show (in Spanish or English and our table was made up of both), and a number of our orders were mixed up. So, we didn’t really get the “show” but his cooking skills were good!
Chang Thai (Thai)–this restaurant was incredible and delicious! I started with the chicken soup and then had chicken for my entrée as well. The interior of the restaurant was very unique in décor as well.

Ribs & More (Ribs/Steaks)–my food was awesome! I had a rib-eye (cooked perfectly to order) and baked potato. I do think the food seemed even better because of the company we were with, the Beards.

Portofino (Mediterranean/Italian)–this was my favorite dinner at the a la carte restaurants. I had salad and lasagna that was incredible!

La Adelita (Mexican)–I had the steak fajitas, which were very good. I loved the plates and décor of the restaurant and the menus were especially gorgeous!

Lola (Spanish tapas)–last but not least, the Spanish restaurant was good, but I had expected more of the Brazilian steakhouse. We had a lot of tapas (the salad bar was mostly tapas and our entrees were tapas) that were very yummo. Beyond that, the décor was beautiful and there was live entertainment which made the dinner very romantic.

I do have to mention some additional food and beverage options that added to the gastro experience at the Palladium. The beverage options were not only endless, but they were always presented beautifully, even when we ordered drinks to go, which were served in plastic cups.

And, one late afternoon, we had the “Chocolate Bar”. One of the indoor bars actually set up a display of nothing but chocolate. There were chocolate drinks, a chocolate fountain, white chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate cupcakes and many other goodies. Some of the goodies were also decorated with artisan chocolates which were my favorites. I really just wanted to take all the chocolate decorations off the desserts for myself.

So, if you are headed to the Grand Palladium, I would definitely recommend you eat at the a la carte restaurants, you will not have a bad meal at any of them. Be sure to try the unique selections and seek out the chocolate bar. You won’t regret it!

October 22, 2017

Riviera Maya—A Day at the Spa

Any travel day can be strenuous on you. Even for a “short trip”, you will likely have some changes from your daily routine that can throw you out of whack. Take our last trip to Riviera Maya Mexico, for instance. It was a 3 hour non-stop flight to get there. Should be a piece of cake, right? Not really.
Our flight was scheduled to leave at 6am. Factor in a 2-hour drive to our departure city the night before, and dinner, and it was already late when we arrived at the hotel. We got to bed, only to have to wake up at 3am so we could arrive at the airport 2 hours before our international flight. After an uneventful flight, in cramped seats (they were pre-reclined and had a 17 inch pitch though) we arrived in the Cancun, Mexico airport only to make our way through customs and immigration and find our shuttle. I had forgotten the part about the hour drive to the resort. Luckily, on our commute we only had to stop off at one other resort to drop people off on our way.
By the time we arrived at The Grand Palladium, we were starving and exhausted. We found one restaurant that was still open for lunch and then made our way to one of the adult “quiet” pools to wait for check-in. Yeah, even though we arrived early enough to enjoy the afternoon, we were too early for our room to be ready. Enter the pool area, Miguel! He was one of the Zentropia Spa staff and was taking reservations for spa appointments. Boy, if that wasn’t right on time for our tired bones! He was all booked for the day, but said he could schedule us in for the next morning for massages and use of the spa facilities for 3 days. We set it up for the next morning.
Once we did get into our room, we mustered up enough energy to go to dinner, but couldn’t stay awake long enough to even sit through the entertainment that evening. Bedtime came very early. The next morning we were more refreshed. We walked to breakfast and then headed up the beach to one of the other resorts in our complex, White Sands. They have rooms on a small lagoon and have to take gondolas to get around.After checking out their pool and restaurants, we headed back to our resort taking a different way. We found the spa on our way, and even though we were still 2 hours early, we went in. We figured we would just hang at the spa pool until our appointment.
After putting our stuff in one of the lockers, we discovered the spa had a hydrotherapy circuit. Jackpot for us! We love hydrotherapy! In that 2 hours, I think we used everything but the cold immersion tub. (It was really just too cold!) The relaxing pediluvium was one of our favorites. You walked through on rocks and pebbles with cool water jets massaging your legs.
It really helped our sore and tired feet feel better. The rest of the circuit was very relaxing. By the time we finished and headed to the infinity pool we were so relaxed, we were both ready for naps.
Salma and Nicole came to get us, they said they would be our massage therapists for the next 80 minutes. They went through aromatherapy, acupressure, lomi lomi, and shiatsu. They started with us face down and then halfway through, we flipped to face up. It was so relaxing, I think I may have dozed off a couple of times. If you ever go to a resort with a spa and massage services, make that appointment. Your body will thank you!
When our massages were finished Salma and Nicole handed us each a glass of champagne and we returned to the infinity pool.
What a way to end a massage session! The best part is, our spa pass is still good for two more entries to the hydrotherapy circuit. You can bet we’ll be using those before we leave here!

October 19, 2017

Frontier Air

They call themselves an American “ultra low cost carrier”. They fly to 54 domestic destinations and 5 international spots.
They used to fly to more locations and they were the contracted charter flight provider for more international flights a couple of years ago. However, they’ve undergone this transition in order to pass along low fares to us. Some of their changes are good, but some of their changes probably haven’t been well received.
We recently flew Frontier to Mexico for a little autumn R and R. The first thing I noticed while walking down the aisle during boarding was how sleek and modern the seats looks. They weren’t the bigger, cushier chairs that other airlines still provide. They actually reminded me of really nice, upgraded, leather, patio chairs. Apparently, the chairs have a 17 inch pitch, which while I don’t know what that means, I DO know they don’t recline. They are considered to be pre-reclined, but didn’t really feel that way to me. It made for a very upright flight.
Additionally, you get a tray table that is about half the size of other airlines. The good thing is they just fold up, and you don’t have to latch them. But that doesn’t change the fact that they are so small. Seriously, maybe 6 inches by 12 inches. It wasn’t even really big enough to comfortably hold my mini-iPad.
The biggest change was the fact that snacks and beverages were available for a charge. That’s fine, if eliminating free snacks and beverages are going to be reflected in my ticket price, awesome! We typically bring along something to snack on anyway. But, I’m sure for those not familiar with that quirk of Frontier, or for those ready to start the vacation party, it would be frustrating. Especially, considering the prices. Four adult beverages for $23.97, and no chance of getting a “value” pour. And, your beverage isn’t going to fit on the tray table if you have out your mini iPad.
All in all, Frontier is a good brand. But if you’re looking to fly in comfort and style, you may be disappointed. You know how you really get what you pay for? With Frontier, you only get what you pay for, with no bells or whistles, but they will get you to your destination.

October 12, 2017

Countdown Mexico

We’re headed to Mexico soon. Meeting up with our British friends, the Beards, for a replay of a vacation 7 years ago at The Grand Palladium in the Riviera Maya. Here’s a list of what I’ll need to get done before we go:

Check cambio to see what the current exchange rate is so I can decide how much money to exchange (please be a good exchange rate, so I can shop more!)
Gather up travel insurance info, which is already saved in my email
Get our passports out of the safe
Make color copies of our passports to leave behind with trustworthy friends in case they’d need to bail us out of any situation. I also keep a copy on my phone.
Switch my phone over to Mexico calling and text package (we rarely use our phones while out of the country, but you never know when you may need more than wi-fi
Alert my bank and credit card company of our travel dates, so they don’t think someone stole my cards and ran off to Mexico
Bring the suitcases up from storage, so we can start packing
Round up a lot of small bills for tipping

Things to remember to pack besides clothes:

iPad mini and chargers
Water shoes or dive boots (probably boots this time considering how many sting rays we saw in that area last time)
Underwater camera—I’ll make sure everything is cleaned and fully charged before packing it in my carry-on
Ear buds and a book for the plane (I will also have a sweater and pair of socks in my carry-on in case it’s a cold flight)
Band aids, nail polish, and polish remover pads
Prescription meds and OTC meds–Tums, Benadryl, ibuprofen, Imodium just in case. It costs way more to buy them there
Sunscreen and insect repellant to ward off mosquitos
Snorkel gear: mask, snorkel, fins—the last time we needed to borrow fins the crew could only find one fin in hubby’s size
If we decide to dive, I can rent that gear there
Dive log

Clothes wise, I will mostly pack:

bathing suits
Cover ups
Dresses for dinner
Flip flops and sandals
One pair of tennis shoes
Some gym/workout clothes (the resort has a pretty cool gym)

Pretty much anything else beyond that, is going to be overkill for a week-long trip. Honestly, I probably don’t need much more than the bathing suits anyway.