Cuba on My Mind

It has been months since I returned with our group from Cuba, and I have to say that the experience has remained emblazoned on my memory.  I can't seem to forget the wonderful people I met, the unparalleled architecture we saw, and the beautiful cultural performances we witnessed, such as an inspirational choral performance.  It is amazing how little our group knew about Cuba when we arrived, and how much insight we gained by our visit.

Perhaps it is the gorgeous painting I bought in Cuba (my favorite in my home) hanging over my bed that keeps Cuba forever on my mind, or maybe it is the reminiscing with fellow Zoom Vacations travelers over the experiences we shared that we know few Americans get to encounter.  Whatever the case, I haven't stopped thinking about our time there.

The whole time we were in Cuba, our minds were in overdrive, constantly making connections and drawing parallels and distinctions between our home countries and other places we've visited.  Many people say that you should go to Cuba now before things change, and I know they are right.  We may be nearing the end of an age, and it is an era that I can promise you do not want to miss.  

New at Zoom Vacations

Zoom Vacations is constantly fine tuning trips to make them better and better each time.  Some changes and additions are subtle but significant.  Here is a list of current and upcoming changes to our roster of award winning trips:
 
Zoom China - Upgraded hotel location on the iconic riverside Bund. Great shopping area and great river and skyline views of the Bund from our new hotel in Shanghai.
 
Zoom Argentina - Added an insider tour of the Teatro Colon to the itinerary.  If you have even been to the Paris Opera House, you won't want to miss this. The welcome dinner is now at one of the top restaurants in South America, which was likened by one guest to Alinea in Chicago, considered the world's best restaurant.
 
Zoom Rio Carnaval - Now this trip includes Samdadrome tickets for the main Carnaval parade.
 
Zoom New Years - A Zoom Lounge will be available on Ipanema Beach with beverages and snacks while you sun tan and watch the hot Cariocas enjoy the beach. Also, a private Corcovado tour has been added to the itinerary.
 
Zoom Southern Africa August - Cape Town upgraded hotel and confirmed dinner reservations at the hard to get in Test Kitchen.
 
Zoom Peru - Confirmed dinner reservations at some of the best restaurants in town such as Central and Astrid & Gaston.
  
Read about our tour to China this May

China: The biggest misconception

The biggest misconception about China is that the food is all the same or is weird.  
 
For some, Chop Suey, mysterious, gooey, MSG, salty and deep fried come to mind.  However, the reality is that China is a humongous country whose culture is one of the oldest in the history or mankind.  So, its foods are just as varied, flavorful, elaborate, and delightful as its geographic locations.  
 
Every city we visit on Zoom China offers a different cuisine.  For instance, Shanghainese cuisine is punctuated with hot spicy peppers, and because of its location on the water it highlights ample seafood. In Beijing, Pekinese food incorporates a lot of vegetables; and in Xian the food has a middle eastern flair because Xian was the end of the Silk Road, a vast trading network that lasted for a thousand years, which started in Eastern Europe, snaked its way through the Middle East, and ended in China. 
 
Of course, because cities in China, like Shanghai and Beijing, are very international, the food scene has changed and some of the best French, continental and fusion restaurants can be found in these cities.  So, whenever you have a taste for home, western style restaurants are never far away and in fact are very popular with the locals.
 
Read about our tour to China this May

The End of Communism for Cuba and China?

The world is changing faster than ever.  Communism has been reduced to a philosophical ideology that does not translate well to running a government.  These are the lessons learned by Cuba and China.   
Cuba is finally set to openly embrace capitalism by welcoming more U.S. travelers to an island that has been frozen in time for over 50 years.  This means that U.S. citizens will be able to travel there with more ease, use credit cards and bring back Cuban products like hand rolled cigars and rum.  At this time all travel to Cuba is limited to fully pre paid packages, requiring a U.S. Department of Treasury permit and Cuba Visa to travel there from Miami.  Cash is the only form of payment while on the island.  Typically, only non touristic activities are allowed.  However, a properly designed itinerary will take you to powder white beaches, the finest restaurants in Cuba serving locally caught lobster, and excellent Chilean wines.  You can also visit pop up gay bars and the most exclusive art galleries.  Currently, one can bring back as much art and books as desired from Cuba.  

As Cuba becomes more accessible to the United States Cuba's old world charm may start to look more like Miami Beach or San Juan very soon.  Luckily, you can join Zoom Cuba for New Years and see for yourself what it's all about before things change forever.

Likewise, China is acting more like the West than it's old former proletarian ways.  The government ruling party may say it is communist, but the government machinery is very capitalistic.   China's luxury hotel offerings are multiplying so quickly that Zoom Vacations upgrades hotels practically every year.  Zoom China 2015 is no exception with the addition of the Waldorf Astoria on the Bund, offering magnificent Shanghai Bund river and iconic skyline views.  Also as a sign that its doors are open to foreigners, China is making travel there easier with visa waivers.  For instance, you can travel to 11 Chinese cities including Shanghai, Xian, Guilin and Beijing for 72 hours or less without a China tourist visa. 

 While China is ahead of Cuba in terms of capitalistic ventures, it will be no time at all before Cuba starts making visible efforts at catching up with the other first world economies.

Several Countries Expedite their Visa Procedures

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 and get a tourist visa-on-arrival (TVoA) online, entitling you to enter India anytime within 30 days of the approval. The electronic travel authorization, which will be in the form of an email received from the Indian authorities, will entitle you to a 30-day stay in India.  On arrival, simply present the authorization to the immigration authorities who will then stamp the entry into the country.

For Myanmar, a country with few consulates around the world, a simple online registration, which takes between 7-10 days to approve, is definitely the easiest way to apply for a tourist visa.  It costs $50, and like the India visa, you will receive an emailed pre-approval letter confirmation that can be presented on arrival and the visa stamp placed on your passport.

For Southern Africa, it gets even easier to see this culturally rich region.  As of November 28, 2014, you can now receive a UNIVISA upon arrival in Zambia or Zimbabwe.  The UNIVISA costs $50 and will be valid for 30 days, as long as you remain within Zambia and Zimbabwe for hotel overnight purposes.  It also covers Botswana and Namibia day trips without the added cost of a visa fee to those countries.  At a later stage other popular tourist destinations such as Mozambique, Tanzania, Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar are expected to be added to the list of UNIVISA participants.

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 a subscription to a gourmet food magazine, so why would you eat.  Traveling to Africa and seeing the Big Five up close and in their natural habitat is something everyone should experience at least once in their life. It is sheer magic.  Every moment is unpredictable, just like nature.  You never know if you will see a lion and lioness mating, a leopard taking down an impala, a pair of zebra frolicking, or a baby rhino curiously approaching your vehicle.  
 
But it's not just about the animals.  The landscape plays just as much a role in the magic.  On June 22, UNESCO declared the Okavango Delta its 1000 World Heritage site. One of the unique characteristics of the Delta is that the annual flooding from the river Okavango occurs during the dry season, with the result that the native plants and animals have synchronized their biological cycles with these seasonal rains and floods. It is an exceptional example of the interaction between climatic, hydrological and biological processes. 
 
The Okavango Delta is home to some of the world's most endangered species of large mammal, such as the cheetah, white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, African wild dog and lion.  I am headed back to southern Africa with a group in literally just days to experience South Africa, Zambia and Botswana again, and I just cannot wait!  Let the magic begin! 

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 the world not only for the most up and coming destinations but for how to take Zoomers there in comfort, style and safety.  In the last years Zoom has flown to far away places like Japan, South Africa, Nicaragua, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil (usually at the invitation of governments ready to welcome the gay traveller) just to name a few, to meet with hotels, and local guides, to taste the local cuisine and find just the right place for our Signature Zoom Events.  
 
Every Zoom destination is well researched personally by me and or Bryan Herb, Zoom's co-owners.  No detail is a mere coincidence.  No Zoom trip will be offered without our seal of approval.