Topics

Olivia pre package room to share

labrys1 — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:48:29 GMT

I have booked a pre-package room at the Hanoi Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel (Olivia pkg) . Would like to share for the one night 9/2/13. $200.00.

day trips before the actual tour begins

Jill_Linda — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 14:37:50 GMT

we are arriving in Hanoi 2 days early and staying at the Sofitel..we are thinking of taking a day trip. Anyone interested in joining us?

Vietnam - Cambodia Flights

jenandb — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:03:51 GMT

Ladies of Olivia!

Flying out of San Diego - anyone find any great deals on flights yet?

Share room for pre and post trip nites offered by Olivia?

StephBoston — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:12:02 GMT

Hi Ladies, I am sharing a room with another solo for the main trip dates. But I believe that she wants to be independent and will not book the pre and post trip nites. From experience, I do want to book the O-offered nites on the 2nd in Hanoi and 17 in HCM/Saigon, which are a good value (especially since the ground transfer to and from airports is included!) The most likely flight From Boston at this point if the new Boeing planes are recleared to fly to Hanoi (actually Toyko with connnectioj) is 9:40 pm. - Probably arrive at hotel a couple hours later? So, I would arrive on the 2nd (due to all the time changes) and be able to really rest and then explore on the 3rd, AND so as to be ready to stay awake and enjoy the trip start excursion on the 4th. Please let me know if you are traveling solo and want to share and split the pre-trip and post trip nite cost. I am 62, social drinker and non-smoker. Looking for considerate, common sense roommate! You should have gotten the e-mail (and U.S. mail?) from Olivia with the cost info. Thanks. Not usually an early planner but logistics for this far away are important!!!

Amsterdam to Switzerland Riverboat Cruise FOR SALE!!!!

Tajenn — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:53:07 GMT

Hi Ladies...we have to sell our trip as we are happily pregnant and can't travel during this time. The trip is being sold for less than the advertised price AND we will pass on the early bird discount. You will SAVE THOUSANDS on this one.....please call or contact with any questions...(905) 713-1885 OR jenniferannesmith@sympatico.ca OR on our Olivia profile....thanks and have a GREAT day!!! Jennifer

Olivia's Vietnam & Cambodia 2013 Facebook Group

sleddog — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 20:40:59 GMT

If you haven't already joined the group...come join us…

Olivia's Vietnam, Cambodia & The Mekong cruise 2013 Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/393842540685070/

Indonesia?

ClairedeLune — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:19:35 GMT

My partner and I are signed up for Vietnam trip and plan to (re-) visit Yogyakarta and Bali before starting the cruise. I lived there for a few years in my youth and have not been back. Anyone else thinking about those destinations before the cruise? Want to meet up? Let us know, thanks (or as they say in Bahasa Indonesia: terima kasih).

Claire and Renee

Airline tickets?

Jill_Linda — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:39:58 GMT

anyone doing Asiana out of LA??

Anyone going to scandinavia.

Jill_Linda — Fri, 25 May 2012 21:20:03 GMT

Facebook Page now open for this trip! Olivia Travel..Vietnam and Cambodia

Jill_Linda — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 15:29:08 GMT

Join us on Facebook

Vietnam to consider gay marriage ?!!

StephBoston — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 21:18:52 GMT

Take a look at this link cut and paste

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2012/07/29/vietnam-considers-same-sex-marriage/B8JYaxgfgcRXCxo7RLetCI/story.html

"Even long-time gay-rights activists are stunned by the Justice Ministry's proposal ... in its overhaul of the countrie's marriage laws."

Read more about it on the weblink above...

Travel and Safety Tips for International Travel

JillCruse — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:30:51 GMT

Travel and Safety Tips as you Travel

Travel Tips for long flights:

Here are a few ways to make travel on long flights a bit more comfortable and to help you arrive at your destination ready to go. Here's what I add to my carry-on bag:

· Saline nose spray - dry nostrils are prime breeding grounds for colds and flu. People claim that using a nose spray during their flight, they don't get a headache upon landing or get sick on trips.

· Tooth picks

· Bandana - - many uses while on planes (hankie, place mat, polish your fruit, wear as a “sleep” blindfold, cover nose/mouth over those foul smells that arise on planes :-), napkin, clean your glasses . . . . many uses!

· Bring a re-useable empty water container as you go through inspections, and fill it up at one of many water fountains inside the terminal before boarding.

· Bring a hotel-size bottle of lotion. Hands and face often get very dry in flight.

· Have a few snacks on hand – nuts, apple, favorite candies.

· Small travel-sized pack of tissues (or put some tissues in a baggie)

· Pen to work on puzzles in magazines and to fill our customs/immigration forms

· A blow-up neck pillow - This is easily stored in your carry-on and makes taking a nap so much more comfortable.

· A large wrap that can be used as a scarf or even a blanket when it get too cool

· When on-board, be sure to take several walks about the cabin. This will increase your circulation and help prevent deep vein thrombosis.

· Your own head-set for viewing movies or listening to music

· Traveling at night and arriving at your destination in the morning? Ask your doctor for recommendations to help you to sleep on flights.

· Have an iPad? Load your favorite movie(s) from iTunes

· Have all your customs/Immigration forms filled out BEFORE landing.

· And finally, before landing, go to the restroom and freshen up. You will then be ready to face the long lines through customs and the beginning of your next adventure.

Feel free to add your tips in this section as well!

Safety Tips

The next time you are walking in a city center or taking public transportation, do this short mental exercise. It will serve you well when you're traveling in a foreign destination. Look around you:

· Which women stand out?

· Whose purse has an outside pocket half unzipped?

· Who keeps checking the posted subway maps?

· Who is wearing a day pack on their back that could easily be accessed?

· Who seems to be spending a lot of time on their cell-phone and not aware of their surroundings?

· Who looks relaxed?

· Is anybody consulting a guidebook or checking something in their wallet?

· Who looks timid? This is exactly what an experienced thug does as he chooses his prey.

· Which person would you choose to pickpocket? Why?

Remember, always stand tall, look confident and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Hopefully, these insights you gain will help you to protect yourself from wrongdoers as you travel.

Have booked this trip - SO early for me!!

StephBoston — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:48:32 GMT

The trip sounds like such a great combination of sites to see and how to see them. AND I do thank you Jackie for saying "hey want to go and be my roomie?" since I am a Solo and do prefer to meet or know who I am roomies with first!!! And I am usually SO time challenged usually booking trips later than earlier, that my Olivia and other friends cannot believe it. Neither can I!! Have some other trips like Cancun and the 40th cruises booked too, so I will see some of you before this September 2013 Adventure!!!.

Walking and Tours

JillCruse — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 07:26:32 GMT

We have over a year before the trip, and now is as good a time as any to start getting yourself in good physical condition to enjoy the trip!

What is so wonderful about this trip is that all of the tours are included! Many of the tours we do are walking tours. We may take a bus, small boat, rickshaw or ox cart to the destination, but then we spend time walking. Ankgor Wat has a lot of walking to see this amazing Unesco site, steps, uphill and downhill, and you will not want to miss it! When we visit the small villages along the Mekong River, we take smaller boats to get to the land, and may have to walk up a small hillside, or there could be some makeshift steps. even the airports have a lot of walking to get through customs and go from gate to gate.

So start now to get your body in better physical condition. Here are some tips:

Get Ready to Walk

How to ease into a walking program this spring, week by week.

Article By: Alice Lesch Kelly

Spring is an excellent time to start a walking program. After a sedentary winter, walking is the perfect way to get off the couch and start burning calories, toning muscles, and feeling great about yourself.

Although it's tempting to charge outside and go for a gung-ho walk on the first day of your walking program, it's better to start slowly and increase your effort over time, says Sara Donovan, founder of WalkSport, a national walking program, and author of the book Mall Walking Madness(Rodale, 2002).

If you have been physically inactive for some time, you need to be careful not to overdo it. Remember to consult with your physician before starting a new exercise regimen to make sure it's right for you.

It takes about a month to establish a fitness habit, Donovan says. That's why she advises new walkers to follow this four-week get-started plan:

Week 1: Start small — walk 10 minutes a day for seven days. "That helps you get into the habit of doing it on a daily basis," says Donovan. Walk comfortably, and enjoy yourself — your job this week is to start building a walking habit, not to walk a marathon distance. Focus on your posture: Walk tall and hold in your tummy.
Week 2: Walk 15 minutes a day, everyday. This week, focus on taking a stride that is a comfortable length. Push off with your back foot, and roll from heel to toe as your foot lands on the ground.
Week 3: Walk 20 or 25 minutes a day. Be creative about scheduling workouts — take two shorter walks if that's more convenient than one longer walk. This week, put some push into your pace. Start with five minutes of comfortable walking. Then, mid-walk, strive for shorter, quicker steps. Slow down if you're out of breath — you should be able to talk while you walk. End your walk with a 5-minute cool-down of slow, comfortable walking and then some stretches, such as the shin stretch (while standing on one foot, trace circles in the air with the toe of your other foot, then switch) and the hamstring stretch (put your foot on a chair or bench and slowly lean over that leg to stretch the back of the thigh; switch legs).
Week 4: Increase to your goal of 30 minutes a day. Get your arms involved — bend them at a 90-degree angle at the elbows and pump them gently as you walk. Every few minutes, speed up your pace for 20 quick steps, and then slow back down. (This is called interval training.)

After four weeks, your walking habit should be firmly established. Keep walking every day for at least 30 minutes. If you need some motivation to get yourself out the door each day, try Donovan's surefire motivation tips: Walk with a friend, use a pedometer to measure mileage, and give yourself non-food rewards (movies, CDs, a fun pair of socks) for every successful week of walking.

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JillCruse — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:28:53 GMT

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