What are your three favorite travel destinations across the globe? And where would you love to vacation next? The Meandering Traveler asked those questions of Tandy, one of Pavlus Travel’s skilled luxury travel planners.
Check out her favorite destinations. Are these a draw for you too?
(Tandy, a personal travel planner for Pavlus Travel, loved a recent trip to Iceland. Photo by Tandy of Pavlus Travel.)
Favorite Travel Destination #1: Galapagos
Top of mind for Tandy is any vacation within the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. “I traveled to the Galapagos Islands with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions in 2024 and it was the best trip ever,” she stresses.
Nestled in the Pacific Ocean, the Galapagos Islands are located 1,000 miles off the South American coastline. They’re remote, eco-protected and rugged. Think of this favorite travel destination as Mother Nature’s showcase of wildlife.
Here’s one good example. “We were in a Zodiac going to see the great albatrosses and where they nest,” Tandy explains. That was exciting, and as the Zodiac was returning to the ship, naturalist Gilda, an expedition team member, received a call saying dolphins were spotted in another location.
“So, we traveled there to find ourselves in the middle of 400 or 500 dolphins,” she emphasizes. “They jumped all around us for about an hour, just before sunset. Truly, it was one of the best moments of my life.”
Tandy also loves the National Geographic-Lindblad brand and what it stands for. “They are so focused on education, conservation and eco-protection, which is so critical today.”
She also enjoyed meeting kind, humble local residents in the Galapagos, as well as going snorkeling, noting that on each outing she “saw more than I thought was possible.”
Year-round, for example, National Geographic-Lindblad Expedition offers a 10-day “Exploring Galapagos” itinerary. Multiple small ships operate these sailings, so chat with your personal travel planner to select the one that’s best for your travel style and personality. At press time, fares began at $5,556 per person, double occupancy.
Favorite Travel Destination – #2: Iceland
Also high on Tandy’s favorite places list is Iceland. She describes it as “a pristine place with amazing geothermal energy, and some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. It’s a super clean country as well.”
Many top luxury lines sail to Iceland. For instance, Silversea’s 220-passenger Silver Endeavour will operate an 11-day, port-intensive journey from Edinburgh (Leith), Scotland, to Reykjavik, Iceland, on May 4, 2026. Along the route, guests will visit 14 different destinations in three countries.
This itinerary has no sea days, so for destination collectors, it’s a good option to consider. In the United Kingdom, the ship will call in Scotland at the Isle of May; Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands; Fair Isle; Lerwick in the Shetland Islands; and Noss.
Heading to the Faroe Islands, Silver Endeavour will call at Torshavn and Vestmanna. In Iceland, guests will explore the land of fire and ice at Seydisfjordur, Bakkagerdi, Grimsey island/Drangsnes, Holmavik, Dynjandi Waterfalls and finally, Reykjavik.
At press time, fares started at $11,050 per person, double occupancy. Talk with your personal travel planner about questions, to look at accommodations choices and to smooth the pre-cruise process.
Favorite Travel Destination – #3 – Portugal
Another hot spot that Tandy loves is Portugal. She cites the incredible cuisine and wines, the country’s culture and history, and the beauty of the Douro River Valley and Algarve regions.
For example, Tauck offers an enticing, eight-day “Villages and Vintages: Cruising the Douro River Valley” itinerary. Traveling roundtrip from Porto, Portugal, guests will sail on the Andorinha, an intimate river vessel designed for Tauck.
As for exploring, guests will enjoy private Tauck shore excursions (a $1,675 value), plus three incredible Tauck Exclusive events:
- Private dinner with wine pairings at Quinta do Portal, a Douro Valley wine estate.
- Port wine cocktail-making workshop.
- Bicycle tour through the Vinho Verde wine country.
To learn more, contact a friendly personal travel planner, eager to answer your questions and assist with managing your trip.
Expert Travel Planner: Tandy’s Diverse Background
With 13 years of solid travel industry experience, Tandy has worked for Pavlus Travel remotely from Littleton, CO, for nearly three years. Previously, she was employed by a travel club for a decade and built a team of 1,500 people there.
Prior to that, she was employed as a mortgage loan officer. She also served for nine years in the U.S. Army as a nurse and medic. Tandy is a 2024 graduate of Christian University with a bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology.
Today, her work/life passion is helping her customers with fashioning a fabulous vacation. That involves managing their booking of a luxury cruise, river cruise, tour and air ticketing. “I do my best to truly connect to our Pavlus guests and serve them to the best of my abilities,” she tells The Meandering Traveler.
Favorite Travel Destinations: Top Brands & Service
Typically, Tandy plans many cherished vacations for her clients. She books many on itineraries of such top brands as Tauck, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Odysseys Unlimited, AmaWaterways, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Globus, Avalon Waterways and National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions.
As a Tauck-certified advisor, she acknowledges Tauck as one of her personal favorite brands. Why? “For anyone who’s been on a Tauck trip, the value is tremendous,” Tandy explains. “As a result, I find that people who travel with this company are almost always a repeat customer for life.”
In addition, “our Pavlus guests really love that Regent Seven Seas is an all-inclusive, luxury experience,” she says. Other clients enjoy the luxury experience with Odysseys Unlimited. Tandy says one reason that brand is so popular is that its tour guests often spend two to three nights at each hotel.
Another top-notch brand is AmaWaterways, which “has been built from its co-founders’ hearts,” she believes. “That’s reflected in everything that the river line does.” She notes that the river line also has many active and wellness-focused experiences.
Favorite Travel Destinations: Where to Go Next?
For Tandy’s next vacation she’d love to take, she mentions two standouts — National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions to Antarctica, as well as Windstar Cruises to Tahiti and the Tuamotu Islands.
Antarctica or Bust!
For example, she particularly likes National Geographic-Lindblad’s 12-day “Voyage to Antarctica” itinerary. At press time, fares began at $13,584 per person, double occupancy. Solo rates start at $22,286 for early in the 2025-2026 Antarctica season, beginning this coming November.
Tandy also says guests booking with Pavlus Travel will receive a special perk providing great value. She also says that she and other Pavlus personal travel planners strive to provide the best service.
Exploring Tahiti
As for the Windstar cruises in the South Pacific, she likes the line’s intimate vessel sizes. Plus, she says guests love the “incredible water sports platform off the yachts, plus really exceptional excursion offerings.”
She would personally opt for the 10-day “Tahiti and the Tuamotu Islands” itinerary on the 312-passenger Star Breeze. At press time, prices for that voyage started at $4,599 per person, double occupancy, depending on departure date. Solo rates started at $7,681 for a December 2025 departure date, for instance.
Other itineraries in Tahiti are also offered. So, chat with your personal travel planner. “Pavlus Travel’s guests will also receive a Pavlus perk, superb personal service and expert management of your booking so you can kick, back, relax and enjoy the anticipation of an incredible exotic cruise,” says Shelby Steudle, president, Pavlus Travel.
The Great Land
Lastly, Tandy dreams about taking an Explora Journeys’ vacation to Alaska in 2027. “Luxury travelers will discover an intimate, pampering onboard aura,” she says. “I’m particularly partial to their state-of-the-art spa and saltwater therapy.”
In addition, she reports many guests have told Pavlus Travel how exceptional the food is. For those who’d like to see what this luxury line is all about, check out the 12-night “Journey of Tranquil Waters & Ice-Blue Horizons.”
Explora III will operate that itinerary roundtrip from Vancouver, B.C. in summer season 2027. Fares at press time for a June 10, 2027, departure, for instance, started at $8,510 per person, double occupancy, with solo rates starting at $10,640. Explora Journeys also offers other Alaska itineraries as well.
Other “Wish List” Vacations
Beyond Antarctica, Tahiti and Alaska, Tandy’s travel “wish list” also includes the Maldives, New Zealand/Australia, and an Africa safari. But truly, Tandy quips that “you could pretty much ask me to go anywhere and do anything in a travel experience, and I would probably say ‘yes.’”
All joking aside, though, Tandy was surprised to learn that she absolutely loved river cruising after traveling to France for Viking’s “Christmas on the Seine” in 2024. She urges her clients to consider this type of vacation to sail right into the heart of Europe, walk off the ship, and immediately start exploring.
“I also love any beach where I can take a morning run and enjoy crystal blue waters,” she emphasizes. Tandy also is passionate about travel that involves mountain vistas and “the peace and serenity that comes with experiencing what God created.”
As for cruise travel, she loved a past Azamara cruise around Iceland and would travel on that upscale cruise line again. In the future, “I look forward to doing even more cruises, particularly with Silversea, Explora Journeys and Crystal,” she adds.
Pickleball Fan, Mountain Biking Enthusiast
As for personal interests, Tandy is happily married. Her husband Greg and two stepsons “are a true blessing to me,” she stresses. And for a bit of a chuckle, Tandy also lives with a “Top Gun” pet duo – two cats named Goose and Maverick.
What are her favorite activities during free time? A self-proclaimed pickleball fan, “I play pickleball about two hours a day, four to five days a week,” she acknowledges. She also enjoys mountain and gravel biking, camping, crossword puzzles, trying new things and traveling with her family and friends.
In addition, “I lead a pickleball life group with my church,” she says. “I volunteer in the community to pick up trash, serving those that are underprivileged, and volunteer with other organizations too.” She’s traveled on church mission trips to Costa Rica and hopes to do that again soon.
Work Life at Pavlus Travel
The personal travel planner is strongly dedicated to serving customers as valued clients and friends. “I enjoy getting to know my clients, learn about their family stories,” she says.
“Some of them have sadly lost a beloved spouse and are widows or widowers,” Tandy adds. “It’s such an honor to assist them as they begin traveling once again.”
Going beyond the norm to assist her clients, she notes that most bookings she makes are cruise-focused. Then she personalizes and crafts the vacation by adding on flights, hotels, or transfers.
Most notable, “I also always involve our knowledgeable guest relations team to partner with me,” Tandy says. “That helps ensure we are serving our guests in the best way possible way.”
In one example, she assisted three couples with an 11-night Abercrombie and Kent “Tailormade Journeys” tour of Sicily. Using the expert services of Pavlus’ air concierge team, she helped all of them with flights, and a couple of the travelers with hotel bookings outside the tour.
Tandy’s Travel Tips
We asked Tandy for several travel tips. Here are three of her top pieces of advice:
Favorite Travel Destinations: Do Your Research
One is to do your research about the travel destination or experience. “Learn what kind of clothes to wear and what the average weather is for that time of the year,” she explains.
Also, she suggests to her clients that they research the little spots to not miss. Learn where the local residents go for a favorite coffee drink or fresh market shopping. Find a small gallery that specializes in local artwork.
The Meandering Traveler heartily concurs with that advice. Another resource? If solo travelers are heading on vacation, check out our recent blog that offers solo travel tips.
Look for Extra Tours if Arriving Early
And if you are arriving a day or two before the start of a tour or cruise, another Tandy tip is this: Check out the local tours or experiences available on site. How about a cooking class at a local restaurant, or a beach hike or museum hopping? Such elements can truly enhance the vacation.
Find a Great Travel Advisor
Most importantly, “whenever you’re thinking about a potential vacation, find a great travel advisor and company to assist you in making and managing your booking,” she says.
“My agency’s goal as well as mine personally is to always make the traveler’s experience more seamless and less stressful,” Tandy explains. And she adds that Pavlus Travel never charges any service fees for its skilled personal travel planners to assist clients.
“No two travelers are alike, and their vacation aspirations are very diverse as well,” adds Pavlus’ Steudle. “That’s why a skilled personal travel planner can be truly valuable in assisting a consumer to make the right vacation choices.”
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