Yes, the experts have spoken. Both Costa Rica and Quito, Ecuador have made the list. According to Travel and Leisure, Costa Rica is among the favorites. “Several just-opened eco-retreats are offering more ways to unwind in Costa Rica.” Check out why Travel and Leisure says that Costa Rica is one of the best vacation destinations in the world.
But not only did Costa Rica make the list! Our beloved Quito is also in the top 50. “Now, the long-awaited 2020 opening of Quito’s first-ever underground railway line, running 14 miles north-south, promises to truly transform Ecuador’s mountain city, putting once-inaccessible neighborhoods within reach and bringing locals downtown. The city’s skyline is changing, as the likes of Moishe Safdie and Jean Nouvel are enlisted for major new buildings in town. And after last year’s protests caused damage in the area, a community restoration effort has brought the Spanish Colonial Centro Historico back to its former glory,” explains the article. Read here what Travel and Leisure’s, David Amsden has to say about Quito.
Since President Trump took office in 2017, many North Americans have been under the impression that they are no longer able to visit Cuba. This is not true. People from the United States can indeed safely and legally travel to Cuba. While American Cruise ships no longer make port in Cuba and trade is restricted, travel is not only possible it is fairly easy! Here’s what you need to know:
The most important part of planning a trip to Cuba is knowing that you will need a visa. Luckily, the Cuban visa process is actually easier than most. There are a multitude of companies that you can pay to have a blank visa mailed to you, or some airlines offer the visa as part of the flight. The visa costs $50. An expedited shipping service may cost up to $35 extra. When applying for the visa, if working with a third party company, simply state your reason for travel as “In support of the Cuban People”. You will receive a blank quarter-page document in the mail–be aware: this blank slip of paper is your visa and you need it in order to enter Cuba. You fill in the document with your own information–Name, DOB, Passport Number, dates of travel. Voilà, you have your visa!
The second thing you will need in order to travel to Cuba is mandatory health insurance. This is even easier than the visa because you don’t need to plan ahead at all–they sell it at the airport upon arrival! You simply go to the booth in the airport upon arrival, tell them how long you will be in Cuba, and they sell you the standard government health insurance for about $3/day. All set!
Lastly, you need a flight (obviously). Despite what you may have heard, there are flights from the United States to Cuba every day. It’s not unheard of to get a flight from Florida to Havana for less than $200! Last week it was announced that US airlines will no longer be operating flights to several Cuban cities–but all flights are continuing as normal to Havana.
So that’s all it takes–an easy to obtain visa for $50, health insurance that you can buy upon arrival, and a flight! Next stop, Havana!
Back to School and the top 5 reasons why schools are including international travel programs
Yesterday I saw the first leaves of autumn shimmering a golden reddish hue in the afternoon light. The smell of the dry, hot concrete and the feel of the cool breeze of September air gave me the familiar thrill of “back to school.” Although I haven’t gone “back to school” for many years, the excitement of this time of year always takes over my senses. Students are buying new notebooks, colorful pens and markers, while teachers are busy with new curricula.
In the past few years, many schools have been working hard to include an international travel component for their students. Not only universities, but high schools and middle schools understand the importance of a global travel program. Why are schools pushing parents to spend a bit extra for their children to travel internationally? Here are the top 5 reasons according to research done by NAFSA, Association of International Educators.
1. Improves GPA
Studies have shown that students who have studied abroad have a higher GPA than those who have stayed on campus. This impact is even more pronounced with minority or at risk student population
2. Improves Language Learning
“ According to the Pew Research Center only 25 percent of American adults can speak a language other than English and only 7 percent of those adults learned that language in school rather than in their childhood homes. Compared to the 90% of European high school students who are learning English, U.S. students are woefully underprepared to meaningfully interact with colleagues and competitors from around the world. Studies have shown that students who study abroad made greater gains in language proficiency than students who studied the same language domestically.”
3.Fosters Intercultural Understanding and Provides a Global Context
“Studying abroad is a unique and transformational learning experience. Students who have studied abroad are better able to work with people from other countries, understand the complexity of global issues, and have greater intercultural learning. One study found that students returned from their study abroad experiences more tolerant and less fearful of other countries, but with a greater sense of positive feelings about their home—a phenomenon they called “enlightened nationalism.””
4. Increases University Acceptance Rates, Employability, and Career Skills
Many universities value a global experience on applications and although it is hard for any study to definitively state that one experience leads to a better job or higher income, multiple surveys have shown that the skills gained while studying abroad are the same skills that employers value and that employers recognize the importance of cross-cultural understanding in an increasingly global economic environment.
5. In Universities, studying abroad improves completion, retention, and transfer rates
“Far from the fears that studying abroad will delay a student’s graduation, multiple large-scale studies have found that students who study abroad, especially underrepresented or “at-risk” students, are more likely to complete their degrees or certificate programs than students who did not study abroad. Community college students were more likely to transfer to a 4-year institution than students who did not study abroad. First and second year retention rates for those students who study abroad are also considerably higher.” Source: https://www.nafsa.org/policy-and-advocacy/policy-resources/independent-research-measuring-impact-study-abroad
Interested in the Pros and Cons of studying abroad???
