Jennifer Merrick

Greetings from Sri Lanka!
Baxter Media is currently on the road on a tour with Whittalls Travels, along with Canadian travel advisors to experience the highlights of this island country, whose popularity has soared recently.
“We reached the two million visitor mark [on Nov. 17th],” said Nuwan Mahawattage, our tour guide from Whittalls Travels. “We haven’t seen these numbers since before Covid.”
Over the course of the next nine days, the FAM group consisting of Minaz and Naeem Thaver from Gala...

Tulum: Sunshine and Music in the Mexican Caribbean
Young and old, locals and visitors alike mingled in ZAMNA Park in Tulum, Mexico, on a sultry summer evening for the inaugural Mexican Caribbean Music Festival (MCMF). The convivial atmosphere amplified as the music began to play. First up was a popular Mexican band with funky costumes and a catchy beat. Next, a Colombian group, Los Aterciopelados, took the stage, and the audience cheered and danced ...

Many Caribbean all-inclusive resorts, as gorgeous as they may be, feel like they could be interchangeable. The white sand beach, palm trees, buffets and swim-up bars reveal little about the destination they’re located in.
The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences, however, embraces its surroundings, bringing the best of the Mexican Caribbean to its truly special property. Strolling on the boardwalk through the jungle, we were greeted by a monkey that swung through the branches ...

Nothing makes me happier on vacation than being surrounded by the grandeur of the mountains. And I had landed in heaven in the Arlberg region of Austria. E-biking through the deep, verdant valleys around St. Anton and hiking the wildflowered trails near Lech, the beauty of the Alpine wilderness and the mountain peaks was everything I imagined it to be. What I wasn’t expecting though, was the joy of returning to our family-run hotels after our mountain adventures. What made it particularly spe...

More than 500 travel advisors gathered at the historic Old Mill Toronto Hotel earlier this week for Exoticca’s third annual Fall Fling.
The event combined a trade show with a dinner presentation, showcasing the 10-year-old company’s latest innovations, new tools designed to empower advisors and a clear message: Exoticca is committed to growing hand-in-hand with its travel partners.
Attending the event this year from Barcelona was Exoticca’s CEO, Pere Vallès. Travel Courier sat down with him a...

In this series, I’ll introduce one fabulous destination and show you where to stay, savor and play on two different budgets. Splurge-worthy picks are all about luxury resorts, fine dining and individualized experiences, while budget-friendly ideas offer bargain digs, cheap (but good) eats and free or inexpensive activities to enjoy. I’ll provide money-saving tips (even for the splurges) and ensure that whatever your budget is, you’ll be able to make the most of your vacation.
SheBuysTravel Ti...

From Elton John’s platform boots to Queen Victoria’s slippers, this quirky museum in Toronto, Ontario,offers a unique perspective on culture and fashion.
Inside the funky, shoebox-shaped building designed by renowned Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama, visitors can browse a massive collection of footwear that spans 4,500 years and hails from places all around the globe.
Items like Elton John’s silver, 12-inch-plus platform boots, Marilyn Monroe’s red leather stilettos and Elvis Presley’s loa...

This small-but-mighty attraction in Toronto, Ontario, features miniaturized versions of destinations across the country and offers the chance for your likeness to be part of the display.
You’ll feel like Gulliver waking up in Lilliput at this fun downtown Toronto attraction. Opened in 2021, Little Canada features a Little Toronto and six other destinations: Niagara, Golden Horseshoe, Ottawa, Quebec, East Coast and West Coast. The details in Little Canada are extraordinary. Dedicated craftspeo...

Davos, Switzerland: A Magical Mountain Getaway

“The founder knew there was a special energy here,” said Ferdinand, a spokesperson at the Hotel Schatzalp, looking out at the panoramic views of the alpine meadows and mountain peaks. “And later science proved it.”
He was referring to Willem Jan Holsboer, a Dutch railway pioneer and entrepreneur. At the end of the 19th century, Holsboer spent two years scouring the Alps for a site to build a sanatorium for tuberculosis patient...

Memories and Marvels: Exploring the Many Sides of Berlin

A few of the pictures at the Berlin Wall Memorial looked like they could have jumped out of my high school yearbook. One young man in ered front and longer hair in the back. “Business in the front, party in the back,” we used to joke about the mullet. Judging by his wide smile and shiny eyes, he looked like he enjoyed a good party, too. The year was 1986, and like the others whose photographs ...

Article and photography by Jennifer Merrick
“This place has a soul,” said Max, our Scottish-born guide with Canyon Raft Co., who was navigating us down the shimmering Elk River. The sun’s rays warmed us, welcoming spring, and the snow on the Rocky Mountains glistened on the jagged peaks that surrounded us. We agreed that the ethereal combination of river and mountains in this corner of southeastern British Columbia, about three hours south of Calgary, was blessed. But it was more than just th...

Tanque Verde Ranch
The Enduring Appeal of an Arizonan Dude Ranch Vacation
by Jennifer Merrick
“You don’t seem to see much evidence of the ‘city’ worries in this group, do you?” reads the caption of the black and white photo in a 1950s newspaper article. “They’re on a riding picnic high up in the Rincon mountains on a sunny winter day at Tanque Verde.”
The picnickers are smiling in their cowboy hats surrounded by the beauty of the Sonoran Desert. The article extolls the pleasures of a ranching...

In this series, I’ll introduce one fabulous destination and show you where to stay, savor and play on two different budgets. Splurge-worthy picks are all about luxury resorts, fine dining and individualized experiences while budget-friendly ideas offer bargain digs, cheap (but good) eats and free or inexpensive activities to enjoy. I’ll provide money-saving tips (even for the splurges) and ensure that whatever your budget is, you’ll be able to make the most of your vacation.
Highlights of a F...

In this series, I’ll introduce one fabulous destination and show you where to stay, savor and play on two different budgets. Splurge-worthy picks are all about luxury resorts, fine dining and individualized experiences while budget-friendly ideas offer bargain digs, cheap (but good) eats and free or inexpensive activities to enjoy. I’ll provide money-saving tips (even for the splurges) and ensure that whatever your budget is, y...

Like many travelers to Mexico, we wore a wristband. But ours didn’t allow access to buffets, unlimited cocktails, pools or nightly shows. Instead, it gave us the privilege of exploring a protected natural marine ecosystem that Jacque Cousteau once called ‘the aquarium of the world’.
An Overview of Camp Cecil de la Isla
For three glorious nights, we slept on the beach in luxe tents with real beds on the uninhabited Espiritu Sant...