WSGT‘s next Travel Influencer is Dr. Cacinda Maloney of Points and Travel, a website dedicated to smart luxury travel. Cacinda is also an Ambassador for Travelocity and has traveled every six weeks of her life for over 20 years working with a multitude of destination management companies and tourism boards worldwide.
1.)Where was the first place you traveled that made you think WOW—travel is amazing (think history book come to life or …..)
Probably Santiago, Chile was the first place that I traveled that really made me say “wow!” It was my first time in such a foreign place that was different from my hometown or where I currently was living.
2.)If you had unlimited resources, where would you go and what would you do?
Well, my resources are pretty darn good, so for now, it is just a matter of deciding where I want to go that I haven’t been. A lot of times I go on press trips and so I don’t necessarily get to choose the exact places I go. But for now, if I could go anywhere, I would go to Croatia, to get to know the country and get a feel for what that country is like, and from there I would go to Greece to tour a few of the Greek Isles.
I would also like to go to Easter Island, Chile; Antarctica; and oddly enough, I have never been to Antelope Canyon, right here in Arizona.
3.)What were you afraid to do and how did you find the courage to overcome it?
Public speaking, and I still don’t have courage.
4.)What apps do you use regularly that make your life easier?
American Airlines app – since I am Executive Platinum
Instagram – since I post a photo a day
Findery app – since I contribute to the site about travel
Diptic app – to perfect my IG account blend
AntiCrop app – to make sure a lateral photo can be square for IG
Scannable app – to scan documents/contracts for BRANDS that I work with
Uber app – to hitch a ride
5.)What places do you wish more people have seen?
6.)Best advice you have been given and by whom?
To “travel every six weeks of my life.” – given to me by Dr Mark Radermacher, a trainer I hired for my clinic.
7.)When were you surprised by the kindness of strangers on a trip?
As a child – a stranger stopped and helped when our car broke down, took us to his home to get out of the heat, helped my Dad tow the car to the car shop, then drove us home to a different state. Unbelievable!
As an adult – Crossing the border to Mexico, just outside of Tijuana, we realized that the road to Ensenada had been closed and we had no idea how to get there. My husband rolled down his window in traffic to ask someone and they ended up taking us all through town and looped us around until they found the road we needed to exit to get where we were going and they waved us on. Sometimes people are genuinely sweet!
8.)What inspired you to travel for extended periods of time or live in a new country?
As much travel as I have done, I finally realized that it can be an addiction! Dr. Radermacher, mentioned above, inspired me the time I called him out of the blue and asked him about recommendations for Vienna, Austria. He knew that place like the back of his hand and gave me a 30-minute dissertation on the highlights. When I got off the phone, I remember thinking to myself, “I want to know a place like that!”
9.)I travel because….
I can’t sit still. Because I love history and culture. Because I have an insatiable appetite to see the world!
Cacinda recommends:
TBEX – Travel Bloggers Exchange for USA and International Travel
TMS – Travel Media Showcase for travel writing within the USA
VEMEX – Visit Europe Media Exchange, for travel writers that want to write about Europe
Network, network, network!
Dr. Cacinda Maloney is a travel writer, blogger, photographer, and social media influencer who also writes articles freelance. She has been published on MSN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Huffington Post, iExplore, Flipboard Magazine, Travelocity, TripAdvisor and Italy Magazine. Just last month, she was featured on Business Insider.
Stay up-to-date with Cacinda through her:
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