What do you get when you combine thousands of sexy masqueraders, endless jumping and wining in the streets, a steady flow of island drinks and blaring soca tunes? Answer: Carnival in Trinidad. Known as THE GREATEST PARTY ON EARTH, the celebrations around Carnival takes place annually on this tiny cultural melting pot of an island.

Check out Travelista TV for video coverage!

This year’s festivities officially kicked off on the weekend of February 13^th and didn’t end until Beyonce’s final performance of the “I AM…..” world tour in Port of Spain on February 18^th, 2010.

During Carnival, there are so many parties, events, things to do, and things to know that I decided to go through Antilia which offers a variety of all-inclusive packages to experience Carnival like a true VIP!

As soon as I touched down, I was greeted by my driver who drove me to the new, chic and modern Carlton Savannah boutique hotel. My room was gigantic and gorgeous with every amenity I could ask for. The best surprise upon my arrival was the pretty rectangular box that contained my sexy Carnival costume along with a detailed itinerary and invitations to the exclusive parties, excursions, and events surrounding Carnival.

Sunday Evening, 2.14.10

I arrived just in time in time for the exclusive party thrown by Brian Lara  (world famous cricket player and businessman) which was thrown at his elaborate mansion.  The champagne was flowing, the top soca artists performed and there was roti, doubles, and all the other delicious food you could imagine.  His party was full of the “who’s who” of Trinidad including the President of T&T, George Maxwell Richards, Wendy Fitzwilliam (Former Miss Universe) Anya Ayoung Chee (Miss Trinidad & Tobago 2008), and other famous foreigners including Actor Malik Yoba, TV personality AJ Calloway, Jamaal Magloire (NBA player), etc. Every aspect of the party was fabulous and fun!

Brian Lara, Travelista Teri

Monday, 2.15.10 (2:00 AM – 8:00 AM)

J’ouvert time!  I was up by 2am in preparation to get dirty with the Dirty Dozen J’ouvert band.   I chose to wear some old clothes that I didn’t mind throwing away. There were thousands of revelers out on the streets dancing, jumping up, wining, and having a good time, while covering themselves and each other in mud, paint, chocolate, and powder.  I met up with T&T born model Sandhurst Miggins, who showed me how to get down and dirty at this world famous nighttime fete.  This exhilarating street party is for everyone. From the richest businessman to the local farmer, people come out to express themselves and enjoy the music, camaraderie, drinks and good vibes. Check out Travelista TV for video coverage of J’ouvert!

Model Sandhurst Miggins, Travelista Teri

Stay tuned for more of our Carnival adventure…

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Travelistas in Miami!

Travelistas in Italy!

Travelistas in Turkey!

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The Travelistas love heading down to Miami for fun, relaxation, and boy-watching! Take a look at our must-dos when you’re in the Sunshine State!

Shop: Miami is full of shopping, whether it’s on South Beach, Lincoln Road, or in Coral Gables. We like the newly-opened Viva Verde Boutique in Coral Gables.  This is a true gem of a boutique, stocked with essential oils, soy candles, organic pajama sets, and carefully-selected gift items.

Check out Miami’s art scene and see why Art Basel stateside (Dec 3-6) decided to set up its annual event here. The Wynwood Art District has some of the best art exhibits in the city.

Eat: We love brunch at The Raleigh on Sundays, and for dinner, we favor Casa Tua. For authentic Latin cuisine, we recommend taking a break from Collins Avenue and Lincoln Road and heading to Little Havana for sweet potato, cassava, and ropa vieja. On the last Friday of the month, there is Viernes Culturales, a street party with live music, gallery openings, and the smell of Cuban cuisine.

Nightlife: What better reason to come to Miami then to get a taste of salsa dancing. We head over to the Yuca Club on Lincoln Road for dance lessons and the lively dance party. Another spot is Lenny Kravitz’s Florida Room (in the Delano Hotel) for live music and some of the best cocktail mixologists on the beach. Get there early!

Stay: The traditional boutique hotels of South Beach still live up to the name, whether it’s the Raleigh, Delano, or Shore Club. Newcomer Hotel Gansevoort South is giving the others some competition. This trendy boutique hotel made its name in the Meatpacking District of NYC. The newly opened Miami outpost is as popular, complete with Plunge, the rooftop pool, which turns into a sexy evening spot. At Philippe Restaurant you can dine on Asian-fusion cuisine and randomly spot Gabrielle Union and Dwane Wade. The Standard Hotel, directly on Biscayne Bay, features secluded bungalows and a casual sexy scene if you want to escape South Beach. The Turkish hammam and spa is a wonder!

Get your cruise game on by taking a look at Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Oasis of the Seas! Sailing from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, this ship offers top of the line services, amenities, and state rooms. We’ll be on board to take advantage of everything the Oasis of the Seas has to offer!

Travelista Packing Tips

Travelistas and La Dolce Vita

Introducing the Travelistas!

Oh la dolce vita! The Travelistas enjoyed their September vacation in the beautiful country of Italy. Sitting in the heart of the Mediterranean, Italy continues to be one of the leading travel destinations, with its incomparable artistic and cultural heritage. We’ve always loved Italy, for its limoncello, gelato, and fabulous designers! And ladies, let us not forget to mention that the men were calling out “bella, bella” (which means beautiful in Italian) every where we went!?

We joined the Bella Italia tour, organized by the fabulous Fleace Weaver in Los Angeles.  Alongside forty other “bellas”, the Travelistas saw the best of Italy: Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, Sicily, and Florence. The Bella Italia tour took Italy by storm, and like a Michelangelo painting, every single moment was rich in detail.

We started our tour in Rome, riding through the ancient city on a Vespa scooter, capturing all the city highlights with the wind in our hair.  The Colosseum was on our list, as this is the medieval site of brutal gladiator fights, where slaves and lower-class citizens were pit against animals, to fight to the death. We walked along the Piazza Navona area, ate a gelato sitting on the Spanish Steps, and threw our coins into the infamous Trevi Fountain.

No trip to Rome is complete without visiting Vatican City, the world’s smallest independent country. Home of the Pope and the Sistine Chapel, it exists as a sovereign state run by absolute rule of the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, with its own zip code and its own laws.

Roman nightlife is not to be missed. For dinner, we ate around the city, enjoying cute restaurants in such zones as Trastevere, Campo dei Fiori, and the Jewish Quarter. In Campo dei Fiori, we ate at Pierluigi, where we could see our fresh catch of the day, and feasted on sumptuous fish and fresh vegetables.

At night, we partied with the who’s who of Rome, hitting up such swanky spots as Hotel de Russie (where celebs stay when in town), Salotto 42, Casiana Valadier and Sofia’s.  Romans party hard, but we managed to wake up with great anticipation for the next day.

La dolce vita…stay tuned for more of our Italian escapade!

Introducing the Travelistas!

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A key to being a true Travelista is to pack light, tight, with everything you need for day and for night.  Always pack a swimsuit – even if you’re going skiing.   Remember, there are jacuzzis everywhere!  The same goes for packing a beautiful cocktail dress; you want to be ready to go to a fabulous event!  Read our great tips below to always be prepared for your trips.

- Carry-on Luggage:

Here’s a quick list of things you should pack in your carry-on: wallet, driver’s license and/or passport, credit cards, itinerary, hotel confirmation numbers and addresses and phone numbers, small bills for tipping, jewelry, camera and any other valuables, prescription medication, vitamins (airborne, vitamin c packets), fabulous sunglasses, chewing gum, antibacterial handy wipes, ipod, cell phone charger, etc. Remember that containers with liquids can’t be any larger than 3 oz.

- Checked Luggage:

Packing:

Roll your clothes rather than packing flat so you can fit more in your suitcase.  Make sure all lotions, liquids and creams are packed in a plastic bags that will not leak. Empty a little product from full plastic bottles, squeeze the bottle slightly then place the cap on. This allows the contents to expand in flight without letting the contents ooze out. Tape the tops of your bottles if necessary.

Travel light! Most checked bags can’t exceed 50lbs (some international airlines have tighter restrictions).  Save room in your bag for things that you buy, or pack a lightweight duffle bag that you can use if you know you’re going to shop.

Make your luggage easy to identify since many people have similar bags.  Clearly identify your luggage from others by a colored ribbon or band securely around the handle.  Ensure that you have tagged your luggage with your name and contact information (women, put only your first initial(s) and your full last name for safety reasons).

Packing double duty items (things that fill more than one need) reduces bulk in your luggage. A sarong can be used as a dress or cover-up but it also makes a great beach blanket, table cloth, privacy curtain, sun shade just to mention a few.

Here’s a great site that allows you to customize your packing checklist

http://www.independenttraveler.com/packing/

Introducing Travelista TV!

Bon Voyage!

Ciao Hello Beautiful Family! We are Andrea and Teri of Travelista TV, an online video diary of exotic travel. We jet set around the world in search of the good life – adventure, culture, cuisine, parties, and star-studded events.  We have traveled to over fifty countries collectively, and we love speaking foreign languages as we embrace new places and faces.

You can catch us dancing salsa in the Dominican Republic; flirting with hotties in Brazil; or yacht-hopping with the ballers in the Mediterranean.

Every week we will share with you the latest and greatest in travel, including:

• our favorite hotspots around the world
  
• where to get the best travel deals
  
• celebs on vacation
  
• practical tips for the jet-set woman, including what to pack and how to look good while traveling
  
• how to make the best of your vacation on any budget
  
• Travelista videos and photos from around the world

As your fellow travelers in crime, we encourage you to live the good life. So relax, get your cocktail, open up the map, and pick a country. It’s time for a jet-setting experience, the Travelista way!

Get Practical Packing Tips from the Travelistas!

Check out our video!