Romance Travel

Romantic Getaways for Valentine's Day: Plan Your Dream Escape

Cupid's arrow is ready to fly, and what better way to celebrate the season of love than with a breathtaking getaway? Whether it’s a sunset stroll on a secluded beach or a candlelit dinner with a view, romantic travel for Valentine's Day is all about crafting that perfect moment with your special someone. Let’s get whisked away to the world's most amorous spots that promise love and luxury. It is time to expand that romantic Bucketlist


Imagine holding hands amidst the charm of Paris, the "City of Love", or indulging in the vibrant spirit of Venice while gliding through the canals on a gondola. For those seeking tropical intimacy, the overwater bungalows of Bora Bora serve as sumptuous sanctuaries providing unparalleled privacy and panoramic ocean views.

Travel With Nikki’s custmozed travel plans ensure there's something to entice every couple. Whether you wish for a serene escape or an adventure-filled escapade, your dream travel storyboard is just a heartbeat away. With lush locales like the wine country of Napa Valley or the ancient streets of Santorini, romance isn't just an add-on — it's the very essence of your trip.



Navigating through these exotic escapades, Travel With Nikki becomes your ally in love. We ponder over the particulars so that you'll be free to focus entirely on each other, with no distractions to dampen the spark of amour.

Don't let the perfect Valentine’s journey be the one that got away! Dive deep into what makes your love story unique with Travel With Nikki and let us craft a tailored Valentine’s odyssey just for you.


Explore "How to Work with Nikki" to start conjuring up the magic or schedule an appointment on Nikki's calendar to shape your heart-filled voyage.

Questions? Pick a time on Nikki’s Calendar!

Expectations vs. Reality: How to choose the right hotel room for your vacation

Expectations vs. Reality: How to choose the right hotel room for your vacation

Have you ever made a hotel reservation and when you got to your room it wasn’t what you expected? Do you know the difference between hotel room cateogoreis? Read more about how travel advisors make sure you get into the right room with the right view and check out this handy room category comparison chart.

Best Adult Only All Inclusive Resorts in Mexico for International Bath Day

Happy International Bath Day!
Let’s find the best Adult Only All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico to celebrate!

2020 was a year like nothing we expected. The best way to wash away the “2020-ness” is by plunging in to a warm bubble bath. Sink into a cozy, bubbly, blissful jacuzzi and wash away all of your worries and stress

A rose with any other name would smell just as sweet… and there are lots of names that resorts call bathtubs!

  • Bath Tub

  • Jacuzzi

  • Hydro Spa Tub

  • Soaking Tub

Knowing which one you are getting you your room can make all the difference, especially if you want jets! Here is a great read on Tub terminology!


Benefits of a prepared bath

Looking for a little help with getting your bath prepared? Let’s make sure the resort you visit offers a Butler or Bath preparation services. Pamper yourself!

Upsides of having a prepared bath:

  • no waiting around- big tubs take a long time to fil!

  • Butlers know exactly how many bubbles to add, no worry about over or under filling or creating a bubbly mess

  •  It’s ready right after dinner/nighttime stroll on the beach/whenever you request it 

You can find prepared baths at Unico 2087 and El Dorado Palifitos

Unico 2087 Balcony Soaking Tub

El Dorado Palifitos Bathtub

Baths Built for two

  • Do you like a solo bath? Or do you want room for two?

  • Some bathtubs are only large enough for one person others offer double sized options

Tubs for Two can be found at El Dorado Casitas Royale and Secrets Maroma Beach

El Dorado Casitas Royale

Secrets Maroma Beach

Best Bath Options

This is a HARD one to find as there are so many bath options in Mexico! I’ve got to give it up to Grand Velas Riveria Maya. They offer bubble baths inspired by your favorite cocktails…COMPLETE with a cocktail to sip and savor while you soak away your stress.

Choose from the following:

  • Pink Grapefruit Margarita

  • Apricot Freesia Martini,

  • Cucumber mint Gin

  • Pina Colada

  • Cabernet Neroli

There are so many tub options when thinking of your next Mexican Adult Only All-Inclusive getaway! Use the above categories can really help you narrow down what you are looking for and make sure you get the best Bubble Bath of 2021 during your next trip!

Can’t remember them all?

Have a different Bath Request?

Just let us know.

We are here to help!

Wanderlust- A strong desire to travel

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been filled with wanderlust. In fact, some of my earliest and most precious memories revolve around traveling. Naturally, one of those memories is of a trip to Disney World when I was about four years old. I remember being so excited to board the plane and fly, to see something new. I had just come out of an asthma attack when we were heading to the airport yet all I could think about was my eagerness to travel.

Learn what sparked Nikki’s love of travel

I have my mom to thank for my travel spark. She would bring my sister and I along on trips all across the country for work conferences. Soon enough, I was doing my own searching for conferences and convincing my mom to attend just so I could tag along. I was always on the lookout for conferences near Disney World. I hold Disney especially close to my heart because Ryan proposed to me at Epcot on his first ever visit there. We also had a Disney wedding where I got my most treasured souvenirs: his Mickey ears top hat and my Minnie ears veil! 

Find out what Nikki’s favorite travel souvenirs are!

No matter where I end up, I get to learn about different cultures and ways of life. Travel has expanded my worldview and my social circle. I’ve met some of my longtime friends from traveling and I’ve gotten to deepen my existing relationships from experiencing new places together. I also love to travel because vacation is all about taking a break and letting go of everyday responsibilities. After a year stuck inside, it’s incredibly freeing to set aside time to explore and enjoy yourself.

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My wanderlust continues despite the circumstances. Now that it’s been a year since the start of the pandemic, I’ve had a chance to reflect on what a balancing act it’s been between my desire to travel and my need for safety. This past year was an emotional rollercoaster. I’ve had to consider whether the trips I was planning for the year were worth the potential exposure for me, my family, and those around us. I kept my trips within the U.S. and was pleasantly surprised by the smart adjustments made by the airport, air lines, hotels, and resorts. Thank goodness for hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes! Even the rental car process was different. This whole experience has shown me that even though things are different, different doesn’t mean bad. 

How does one balance wanderlust and safety in a pandemic world?

COVID-19 may have altered my 2021 travel bucket list but it didn’t get rid of it! I keep travel plans realistic by keeping up with safety guidelines and planning accordingly. I intend on making both domestic and out of the country trips. Everything about Hawaii has been calling me back to its gorgeous shores. All I want is to feel the sun on my face and the waters flowing around me. Also, nothing in Michigan could possibly compare to the food in Hawaii. It’s all unbelievably fresh, from the fish to the fruit. I especially love their sushi. Outside of the U.S., I’ve been itching to get back to Mexico. For a while, I’ve had my eye on Xel-Há Park. It’s an adventure park where you can bike, jump off cliffs, and ride river tubes! I’m looking forward to riding a golf cart all around Isla Mujeres for a mix of relaxing and fun. I returned from Disney World and Universal Studios not too long ago but I absolutely plan on making it back there one more time this year. 

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Determining when you’re comfortable traveling is a super personal decision and one that I don’t want to force you into. I’m always available to talk over your concerns, answer any questions, and get you excited about your future travels!

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Best Adult Only All Inclusive Resorts in Mexico for National Bubble Bath Day

Happy National Bubble Bath Day!
Let’s find the best Adult Only All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico to celebrate!

2020 was a year like nothing we expected. The best way to wash away the “2020-ness” is by plunging in to a warm bubble bath. Sink into a cozy, bubbly, blissful jacuzzi and wash away all of your worries and stress

A rose with any other name would smell just as sweet… and there are lots of names that resorts call bathtubs!

  • Bath Tub

  • Jacuzzi

  • Hydro Spa Tub

  • Soaking Tub

Knowing which one you are getting you your room can make all the difference, especially if you want jets! Here is a great read on Tub terminology!

UNICO_hydrospa_tub.jpg


Benefits of a prepared bubble bath

Looking for a little help with getting a bubble bath prepared? Let’s make sure the resort you visit offers a Butler or Bath preparation services. Pamper yourself!

Upsides of having a prepared bath:

  • no waiting around- big tubs take a long time to fil!

  • Butlers know exactly how much bubbles to add, no worry about over or under filling

  •  It’s ready right after dinner/nighttime stroll on the beach/whenever you request it 

You can find prepared baths at Unico 2087 and El Dorado Palifitos

Unico 2087 Balcony Soaking Tub

Unico 2087 Balcony Soaking Tub

El Dorado Palifitos Bathtub

El Dorado Palifitos Bathtub

Bubble Baths Built for two

  • Do you like a solo bubble bath? Or do you want room for two?

  • Some bathtubs are only large enough for one person others offer double sized options

Tubs for Two can be found at El Dorado Casitas Royale and Secrets Maroma Beach

El Dorado Casitas Royale

El Dorado Casitas Royale

Secrets Maroma Beach

Secrets Maroma Beach

Best Bubble Bath Options

This is a HARD one to find as there are so many bubble bath options in Mexico! I’ve got to give it up to Grand Velas Riveria Maya. They offer bubble baths inspired by your favorite cocktails…COMPLETE with a cocktail to sip and savor while you soak away your stress.

Choose from the following:

  • Pink Grapefruit Margarita

  • Apricot Freesia Martini,

  • Cucumber mint Gin

  • Pina Colada

  • Cabernet Neroli

Gran Velas cocktail bubble baths.jpg

There are so many tub options when thinking of your next Mexican Adult Only All-Inclusive getaway! Use the above categories can really help you narrow down what you are looking for and make sure you get the best Bubble Bath of 2021 during your next trip!

Can’t remember them all?

Have a different Bubble Bath Request?

Just let us know.

We are here to help!

6 Reasons Travel Makes the Perfect Gift

STILL LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT GIFT FOR THE PERSON THAT HAS EVERYTHING? IT MIGHT BE TIME TO THINK ABOUT GIVING THE GIFT OF TRAVEL THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

Give a vacation for Christmas


WHY DOES TRAVEL MAKE THE PERFECT GIFT?

  • Travel provides memories that will last a lifetime rather than toys. clothing or items that might only be around for a few months. Think of it as the gift that keeps on giving. 

  • You don’t have to make extra room for a trip in your home. It doesn’t take over the toy room, sit in the corner for months, or collect dust on a shelf

  • Travel might actually be less expensive than all of the little gifts you would purchase individually (not to mention the wrapping paper and gift bags). 

  • Depending on when you purchase your trip, you could have extra time to save and pay for the vacation as many options don’t require payment in full at the time the reservation is made. 

  • Travel provides the perfect time for family bonding over shared experiences allowing you to connect with family. 

  • Traveling is educational for children. There is so much to be learned during the travel process (maps to navigate airports), as well as once you are in the destination (the local language, culture, customs) that kids just would have exposure to otherwise. 

Friend Trip to Riviera Maya Mexico & Ocean Coral and Turquesa

Thank you Nikki! Our trip was absolutely amazing! From our departure in the easiest airport ever- Lansing- to our direct shuttle service in Mexico, to the adults only section of Ocean Coral to our departure time! Nikki was always there to answer our questions during pre travel! We honestly didn’t have a single worry the entire time!

We loved the security that everything was taken care of and if it wasn’t we knew we could call you!  Honestly we were a little bummed about our room location and that it didn’t have bathtub, but, we didn’t complain, because for real, the room was still really nice.

You’ve always prepped us so well for our trips! We also joined a Facebook group for the resort which as you know can be good and bad. We really got some valuable tips for this trip at the resort. Especially how far a $1 can go with tipping ( the pool waiter reserved our chairs every day)! The AMSTAR agents at the hotel speak such good English and are very honest about the excursions!  We had a great time at Xel-Ha one day during our trip.

We will keep recommending and using your travel concierge services over and over again! 

Thank you Nikki! Don’t let us wait 4 years again to book a vacation!

James & Ryan

Jamie & Amanda

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South African Safari

My husband and I just got back from a 10 day stay at the Royal Malewane (RM) in South Africa. We had done a 7 day safari in 2017, but wanted to come back for a longer period of time and bring my in-laws!

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First off, Royal Malewane is the most luxurious place we've ever stayed! When you arrive you at the airport you are  greeted by your Ranger/Guide then they take you on a 30 minute drive to the resort.

When you arrive at the resort there is a staff of people there to greet you and to walk you into the Lodge. The view of the Lodge is unbelievable! Liz Biden (the owner) has AMAZING taste in her décor of the resort. It is all open with beautiful views of the Bush. There is a very large watering hole that is the main view of the entire Lodge. Everything is open so there is a TON of animal activity at the Lodge. You will not be disappointed. When we had arrived our view was a baby Elephant & mom drinking water out of the watering hole! Check in is easy, they just sit you down hand you a cocktail and just start telling you the safety rules meeting. Once that's done they take you to your room.

 

Each room is unique.. last time we had a room where the Elephants liked to drink water and the Nyala love to come by for a visit. This time we had a room that had monkeys visiting and lots of Bird activity (which was perfect because my husband loves birding!) and we even got to see some Warthogs hanging out. I got to see a fawn and white lion walk by and an elephant drank water out of our pool too! Everyday was something different! My in-laws had a great view of the main watering hole and had lots of elephant activity everyday at their room. The rooms are very spacious and super clean. Half the room is the bathroom where you have a huge soaking tub, open shower, his and hers sinks and a toilet room. The bathroom also connects to the outside shower & deck. Half of the room is also all window and sliding doors. The porch to the house is enormous, comes with double day beds, sun chairs, and your own pool! (The water they use is friendly for all animals to drink out of). 

Everything is included at the Royale Malewane except Spa treatments. A typical day would be wake up call around 5-6am, meet at the main Lodge for tea and a light snack, first game drive around 6:30 until about 10am or so depending on what you got to see out in the Bush. Then we would head back to the Lodge and have breakfast where they have a huge buffet style of appetizers, baked goods, yogurts, cereals, meats & cheese, fruits, etc.. Then they would also hand you a hot breakfast menu that you can order your actual meal from. Some days if it was just us they would bring out individual plates of assorted things for our appetizer. Once we were done with breakfast there would be a break where we could go hang out at the lodge or our room until about 3:30pm (lunch also is anytime between breakfast and before the game drive). They always have light snacks and drinks before the game drives. We would be out from 3:30pm until about 7pm or so. Come back and be greeted with hot drinks a warm fire, then followed by dinner. Every night dinner would be in a different location on each part of the lodge. Then once dinner was done we were escorted to our rooms and welcomed to a fire and the best turn down service. It's a very strict schedule but you don't want to miss any of the drives. Everyday is different and you never know what you might be able to see out there. 

This place is SUPER private. There are only 8 rooms on the property which makes for a very intimate experience. We never had more than two other tables in the same area where we were eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

The Food is EXCELLENT! they have the BEST chefs preparing meals all day! Brandon was our favorite. Everyone was good, but Brandon went above and beyond. We had the pleasure of having him last year as our Chef as well! I was sick for a couple of days and couldn't handle anything but chicken soup and he always had it ready and fresh for me! We never really ate lunch because they were always feeding us too much food. Lunch was also a huge affair too! 5 course meal with dessert and appetizers!  Dinner was the same as well.. always 5-7 course meals.  I have a severe Tree Nut allergy and everyone always went above and beyond to make sure that everything was prepared correctly so my food wasn't contaminated with anything relating to Tree Nuts. Each menu (for all meals) was customized to each person, and honestly if you didn't want what they had made for your menu they would make you whatever you wanted.

My husband had this whiskey that he loved from last year and Andrew made sure that there was a full bottle the whole time in our room for him. I also was partial to this Rosé and he had it chilled for me in my fridge every night. The mini bar is always stocked and there's also an armoire that's filled with liquor, cookies, treats, water and fruit. Room service is quick and they really take care of you.

As far as staff this place has the BEST team of people working for them from the waitstaff, to managers, to General Manager, to Rangers, Trackers, Spa Staff, even the Night Guard staff! Each one is special and amazing. We had a lot of favorites from last year that we were so excited to see again, and also made some new friends. They really go above and beyond at RM. When I was sick for those 2 days...EVERYONE had checked in on me and made sure I was okay. They even called in a doctor from the next town to check my vitals and to give me some medicine just to be safe. 

For the Safaris there would be two a day. You pretty much can make your own schedule if you wanted to skip a day or a night. It all depends on what you want to do. They usually last about 3-4 hours depending on what you get to see. We upgraded to a private safari tour because we wanted a more intimate experience with Juan, head safari game ranger. When you opt for the included group safari drive, you're going with other guests who each have their own agenda, and time is limited in Winter so you may not get to see what you want to see. We loved the private experience and the more time we spent with Juan and Patrick (our tracker) they got to know us and what we liked and always ended up surprising us with incredible views and experiences! Each safari ride is pre-planned. They bring snacks and drinks on each game drive and will ask if you want a "break" and will set up this wonderful snack area on the front of the safari truck. Ask for as many "sun downs" as you can because the views of South African Sunsets are unbelievable! If you're lucky enough to catch a red one enjoy it! As far as snacks,  daytime were mainly two types of cookies, tea, coffee, hot chocolate. At night they would pack dried fruit, jerky, chips, wine, beer, sodas and liquor.

I used the spa a few times last year and once this year. Mary was my massage therapist and this little lady gives the BEST deep tissue massages! She got out every singe knot I had in my body and it was wonderful! Even if you don't have a spa appointment I would just wander in there anyway. It is a BEAUTIFUL spa!

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For the departure day, you can choose to do a morning drive if you'd like. They will drop you off around 9:30am so you have time for breakfast and to go back to your room and pack. The staff takes care of all luggage and you just check out at the reception. It's quite simple and fast. And of course like the way you came, the way you go is with a large group of staff saying farewell.

I am so happy we were able to come back to Royal Malewane. Last year's trip was amazing because it was our first time and it opened my eyes to a whole new world, this time was different because we got to do and see so much more. I would definitely go back here every year if I could. The entire adventure was incredible. I honestly have no words for how it made me feel. All I know is we walked away with incredible stories and amazing friendships. These people will always have a special place in my heart and we can't wait to go back! 

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Secrets Maroma Beach - A Romantic Getaway

My husband and I just returned from a 5 night trip to Mexico.  We simply love visiting Mexico each year as it holds a special place in our hearts since that’s where we said I do 7 years ago.  

It didn’t however start off as we had planned. We chose to go to Secrets Playa Mujeres since we had gotten married at Secrets Capri. Well let’s just say it was NOT what we had expected.  The initial wow factor was not present upon arrival, the staff was less than attentive, the room was not well taken care of and the food was at best adequate.

But never fear Nikki turned everything around for us.  We spoke with her the evening we arrived at 10:00pm and by the next morning at 11:00am we were packed up and headed to Secrets Maroma.  Nikki made this transition seamless and beyond easy. We just do not have enough words to say how thankful we are for her and all the behind the scenes things she did to salvage the rest of our trip.  When you only get one vacation a year without your kids every minute is precious.

Amazing doesn’t even begin to describe our time at Secrets Maroma Beach. The staff were so attentive both in the preferred club area as well as throughout the rest of the resort.  The pool area was large and spread out so you had a variety of options to chose from each day.  Every single set of two chairs around the pool had a table as well as umbrella which was awesome.  NO need to get up at 6:00am to rush down to get the best spot.  

The food was incredible and options at the buffet’s were plentiful too.  It didn’t matter if you went to the Barefoot Grill poolside, Pizza oven bar poolside or the French restaurant everything was cooked perfectly, flavorful and made to order.  

Each staff member made it a point to always smile and give you a friendly and sincere “Hola”! If you needed anything even if it wasn’t in their department they went above and beyond to help you with whatever it was.  

If you’re looking for a fabulous all-inclusive resort in Mexico you must visit Secrets Maroma Beach.  It’s the right balance of romantic mixed with fun to feel refreshed and recharged when your trip is over.

~ Kristin 

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