Zooming around the world to places like India, Myanmar, and southern Africa just got easier for citizens of 40 plus countries including Australia, Canada and the USA: For India, you no longer have to go to an India consulate to apply for a visa. As of November 27, 2014, you may now apply for...
Author: Joel Cabrera (Joel Cabrera)
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Magical Myanmar
Myanmar is the newest Zoom Vacations destination (March 12-18, 2015). For sometime now I had been waiting for the right time to visit Myanmar, which many had told me is a very special country. Sandwiched between India, China and Thailand, Myanmar has been influenced to some degree by the best of these 3 iconic cultures....
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Finding the Next “It” Spot
People often ask us how we go about selecting new destinations for Zoom Vacations tours. We actually go about this in a number of ways. The main way is that while on our tours, our travelers often tell us the places they would like to visit. We really listen, and especially when we start hearing...
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How Do We Decide Where to Go?
A l lot of people ask us how Zoom Vacations chooses a group trip destination and how we develop a trip. Zoom Vacations chooses a trip destination the same way that it develops a trip – thru in-person research and relationship building. Every Zoom Vacations tour begins with a research trip to the prospective tour...
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Why Safari
We had a question come into the office the other day that I thought I would answer for other readers as well. Dear Joel, I live in San Diego and we have an awesome zoo here. Why do you recommend doing a safari in Africa? That is a great question! This is like saying that you have...
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China, the Time is Now
Human beings are instinctively obsessed with the past and future, life and death, the yin and the yang. These reasons are why China is such a fascinating place to visit at the moment. I just returned from China and was once again reminded why it is a country that shows you much about your past and...
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To Listen, or not to Listen…
Before you take a trip, it is always a good idea to talk to friends who have been to the destination, and pick their brains for tips and ideas of what to do, and the best places to stay and eat. Especially if you have a lot in common with them, or travel the same way,...
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Perception Versus Reality
We travel to places that we perceive to be safe and desirable and limit our travel experiences to exclude places that we perceive as unsafe and undesirable. Sometimes this is because the perception has not caught up with reality. Such was my realization during a recent research trip to Nicaragua. Once a civil war torn nation,...
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Investing in Travel is Investing in Oneself.
When I look back on 2013, it is interesting to review which memories stand outfor me. It wasn’t any of the bigger purchases I made. No, the first and most important things that come to mind are several of the trips I took, and the unique experiences I had in those destinations. A few highlights include...
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What Goes into Planning Our Gay Group Tours
Creating the most amazing trips in the world for a discerning group of gays, their family and friends, is no small feat. Our travelers are well travelled and are always wanting the latest, best, trendiest and most sought after destination. As LGBT travelers we are used to being pioneers. With that in mind Zoom scours...