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Greetings!
Make sure you receive our emails. Please add
bryan@zoomvacations.com to your address
book.
| Pictures from India |
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Before offering a trip to the public, Zoom Vacations
visits the destination, surveying every hotel to find the
right accommodations, meeting and hiring the best
guides, identifying the most interesting excursions,
exploring the highest quality restaurants and shopping
venues, and performing a run-through of the trip.
We just returned from our scouting trip of India, and
even we were blown away by everything this
destination has to offer. We found some of the most
beautiful hotels we have ever seen, and we shared
experiences you just don't get everywhere, such as
entering an historic palace on the back of a beautiful
elephant. We also brought along two Zoom Traveler
guinea pigs, Bob and Willie, which allowed us
to see first-hand how our travelers would respond to
this trip.
Upon returning home from India, Willie said, "The best
way I can describe my travel experience with Zoom is,
extraordinary. In all sincerity, India was an attack on
the senses, but in a positive way. I remember the first
time I stood at the gates of the Taj Mahal, and stared
at it for a few minutes in total disbelief. India was life-
changing in many ways; the people, colors, food,
smells and the sights."
Zoom Vacations will offer our India vacation in
November of 2008
(Thanksgiving) so mark your calendar, and join us on
what may be the most fascinating and magnificent trip
of your life.
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| Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras |
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Next year (February 26 to March 3) marks the 30th
anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi
Gras, and Zoom Vacations has created a trip that
allows you to experience the best of it! Plus, our add-
on excursions to the Great Barrier Reef, the wine
country, and more allow you the chance to round out
your stay down under.
Remember that like all Zoom Vacations trips, we can
also create additional pre and post trip excurions to
New Zealand, Ayers Rock, or any point of interest, all
tailored to your specific desires and interests.
Our introductory rate of $1995 will not last forever, and
as you know, flights will get more expensive the closer
we get to the date of departure.
Your Package Includes:
- Accommodations at a 5 star hotel in the heart of
the action
- Signature Zoom Events not found anywhere else,
such as our private, fully catered sunset harbor cruise
with open bar
- Fun, fabulous "tastes" of the city
- VIP ticket options for the week's events
- VIP seating during
the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade
- Of course, the services of a Zoom Concierge
throughout your stay
- Add-on excursions to the Great Barrier Reef and
more to help round out your stay Down Under!
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| Top 10 Favorite Travel Tips |
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The world of travel has seen dramatic changes in the
past 10 years. In some ways travel is better than ever,
and in other ways it is more difficult.
Taking into
consideration recent travel restrictions as well as
advancements Zoom Vacations has compiled our list
of our favorite things you can do to make sure that your
next trip goes as smoothly as possible.
1. Secure your bag with TSA approved locks.
These are especially handy to use in your hotel room,
when room safes aren't big enough to hold your
laptop or other electronics. Simply put them in your
luggage and lock it up. It's a lot more difficult for
someone to get out of the hotel with your large travel
bag.
2. Buy water after you pass security and right
before you get on the plane. Most airlines do not give
you enough water on the plane, and dehydration will
leave you feeling tired, achy, ect. Please note that this
will not be possible for some international flights,
such as when leaving Brazil, since they do an
additional baggage check as you board the plane and
you will be forced to discard any liquids you have.
3. Pack protein bars and other snacks.
These are perfect for the plane or when you are
touring and just need a quick snack but don't want to
sit down to a long meal.
4. If you have a laptop and plan on working or
watching movies during a long flight, pack an auto/air
adapter plug. This can be plugged directly into the
airplane's in-seat power receptacle, and will power
your laptop for as long as you need it.
5. Buy a noise-canceling headset. Not only
do they help keep things quiet, allowing you to relax,
but they also enhance your video and audio
experience. Especially if you spend a lot of time on the
plane, these are a great investment.
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| Zooming with Joel |
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You ask the question, he'll provide the answer!
Our Chief Travel Officer, Joel Cabrera, gets a number
of travel-related questions every week. Email your
travel question to Joel, and
your question may be featured in the newsletter.
Joel answers those travel questions that have kept
you in quandary for far too long.
Question:
James from Melbourne, Australia writes, "I see that
you are offering a trip to India. What is gay life like
there?"
Answer:
Dear James, Gay life in India is in its infancy
compared to other parts of the world. But in some
respects Gay Indians are more liberated. India is a
populous, conservative country steeped in hundreds
of years of local and foreign influenced tradition.
The contrasts between north and south, rich and poor,
lighter and darker skin, upper cast and lower cast, are
so divergent that being gay is just another wrinkle in
their fabric. Everyone just gets along. It is a society of
mutual respect even if those differences are
not "out" in the open.
As you can imagine, gay life in India is most evident in
big cities such as Mumbai, where a local gay group
held a Saturday night dance party in honor of Zoom
Vacations' recent visit. To be honest no one ever
batted an eye when we checked in at any of the hotels
where we had pre reserved king size beds. In fact, the
locals were very friendly and often asked to take our
pictures. As a gay man I felt very safe and respected
in India.
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| Club Zoom |
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If you are new to Club Zoom, here's the scoop. You
will receive discounts and special offers on many of
your favorite hotels, retail outlets, and services
around the country! And the best part is, it's free! It
is simply our way of saying, "thank you" for being a
part of Zoom Vacations.
Simply click on the link below to get the codes
necessary to redeem these offers.
RETAILERS
- Allen Brothers (fine steaks)
- Universal Gear (men's fashions)
- David Barton Gym, in NYC, Miami, and Chicago!
- NYC Restaurant: Paris Commune
- Brazil Chic (men's fashions)
HOTELS
- Chicago: The Amalfi Hotel
- Dallas: The Melrose
- LA: The Grafton on Sunset
- NYC: The Tribeca Grand Hotel
- NYC: The SoHo Grand Hotel
- NYC: The Flatotel
- San Francisco: The Hotel Monaco and the
Serrano
- South Beach: The Raleigh
SERVICES
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Featured Traveler: Dave Ciliberto of NYC |
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Charming, light-hearted Dave Ciliberto joined Zoom's
trip to A
rgentina in 2005, and then took off around the
world, exploring his gift of photography. A few photos
taken during our Zoom Argentina trip plus
others from his travels will be featured in his
upcoming Gay Pride Photography exibit June 2007.
For those of you near New York City, the exhibit will be
located at the Daryl Roth Theatre 101 East 15th Street
and Park Ave. South in the D Lounge (downstairs).
Dave said he loves photographing architecture, land
and sea scapes and people of other cultures, so
traveling is essential for his photographic pursuits. In
addition, traveling allows him to see how others live
and to enjoy the local food, culture, and communities.
"The more I traveled, the more I wanted to share what
I saw as beautiful with others through my
photography," Dave said. "I left my Human
Resources position at an investment bank and
decided to travel for a year to as many
places on my list as I could and capture what I saw.
So now I have a new part-time career in
photography"
"I get inspiration by what I see and experience like
others, but I also like to capture special perspectives
my eye catches from behind the camera."
Talking with Dave about photography, one easily
gets the sense for how much he loves it, and how it in
many ways drives other aspects of his life as well as
his emotions.
He said, "When I can be moved to emotion on what I
see and capture through my camera lens I know the
exploration and journey to that point in time was and
is so worth it. When I am inspired by something I see
and am able to capture and even surprise myself by
what I am viewing through the camera is an
incredibly wonderful experience. I get to see the joy
in people, the beauty in people, the land, the
environment. As I go back and look at my
photographs framed or in my portfolio book I joyously
relive those wonderful travel experiences."
Dave's trip with Zoom Vacations was filled with such
experiences, and he was even fortunate to have
several "models" from the group to photograph along
the way.
"The beauty of a group is splitting off with others who
want to do what you want to do and then coming
back together in the evening at dinner to share
stories and laughs, Dave said, "Also just being with
other gay folks is wonderful. There is power in unity
and we felt like a strong unit."
Dave also said that he appreciated the comfort of
being oneself at all times and knowing others related
to him. "There is a common link that is undeniable
and comforting," he said.
Dave selected this tour with Zoom in the first place
because he was dying to go to Argentina, and this
trip was doing it right. He said he enjoyed the hotels
as well as the wonderful mix of restaurants,
excursions, and social events offered during the trip.
Of course, he fell in love with Buenos Aires and
Iguacu Falls--two very different yet equally incredible
places.
"Buenos Aires was an amazing city that I loved, and
Iguacu Falls was breathtaking. Touring the falls
with a great group of gay men was fabulous. A
highlight of the trip was when we were all in the boat
going under the incredible thunderous Water Falls,
laughing just really enjoying and sharing in the
moment. Had I not traveled with Zoom I would have
missed out on some incredible times with new friends
and a lot of laughs! The camaraderie felt great!"
You may see Dave on a future Zoom Vacation to Rio
for New Years or Carnaval, both are high on his list.
Check out some of his work at his website, daveciliberto.com
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