Hello and welcome to the Informed Traveler Podcast Newsletter, our monthly newsletter designed to compliment our weekly travel podcast, offer additional travel tidbits and tips. As always, your feedback is welcome.

Quotes from last month's podcast:

If you haven’t heard this month’s podcast episodes yet you can find the full interviews HERE. Some notable quotes include:

“so for the same rate, you not only get uh you know a gorgeous, gorgeous accommodations, but uh service level that you couldn't touch at a shoreside uh uh resort, um, very personalized service”

"It's a town that has a lot of wildlife, marine life, wildlife watching, whales and dolphins, and there's sea turtles, and you know, all sorts of marine wildlife. It's just a breathtaking tour.”

“we go to four pubs and they tend to be different pubs to give people the good vibe. Non-touristy pubs, uh it is difficult to go to Dublin and not go to a touristy pub.”

^{3 Things I Learnt this Month}

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The final cruise ship of the 2025 season, Coral Princess, departed from the Canada Place cruise terminal in Vancouver on October 20 marking the end of a cruise season in which 301 cruise ships called in the city, delivering 1.2 million passengers since March 5. The successful 2025 season follows several record seasons, with preliminary bookings indicating another strong year to come in 2026.

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As many already know  Oct 12 marked the beginning of the EU roll out the Entry/Exit System (EES) for travelers from outside the Schengen area (U.S., U.K., Canada, etc.). It replaces passport stamps with a digital check‑in.

Looking at the Month Ahead 

Here some of the events happening around the world in the month of December.

Amsterdam Light Festival – Amsterdam, Netherlands: November 27, 2025 – January 18, 2026: The Amsterdam Light Festival takes place annually in the Dutch capital from December to January. With the drop of temperatures and the shorter, darker days, the Amsterdam Light Festival is a great way to still get out and about and enjoy Amsterdam, the beautiful capital city of the Netherlands.

Wonderfruit: Chon Buri - Thailand December 11th - 15th: Wonderfruit is one of the most distinctive and ambitious festivals in Asia. For one, it pledges to leave no trace: 25,000 people gather in The Fields, yet nothing is sent to landfill. For over a decade, the event has blended sustainability with creativity, and the 2025 program spans music, art, food, wellness and design.

Feria de Cali (Cali Fair) – Cali, Colombia, December: 25 – 30, 2025: From the 25th December to the 30th of December in Cali, Colombia you can find one of the biggest and most anticipated Salsa festivals in the world. This is a festival that has been running since December 1957 and is one of the best things to do in Cali for anyone who is interested in arts and culture.

Sydney New Year’s Eve – Worldwide - December 31, 2025: The Midnight Fireworks display is centered on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and has a different theme each year set to music. This fireworks display is televised internationally to more than one billion people worldwide and symbolizes the start of global New Year festivities.

Travel Tip of the Month

Check to make sure you have hot water and that the shower works properly as soon as you get to your hotel room. This way if you take a late night or early morning shower and something doesn’t work, you’re not going down to the front desk at odd hours.