Toronto – My Travel Stamps

Great news! My Jobs with Travel Benefits feature is back this month, and I’m super stoked because I get to kick off this new set of career-inspiring stories with a fellow Jamaican wanderlust maven. I’ve known Tara Bradshaw for 10 years, and during that time two things have been constant: she’s either been off exploring some far-flung destination, or she’s been diligently planning her next vacation.

Checking out the street art in Wynwood Art District, Miami

Travel is definitely high on Tara’s priority list. I’d say fashion and shoes (the latter being another shared interest) are too. It’s very likely she will beat me up for even mentioning this, but good food ranks high for her as well. You would never guess her MAJOR foodie status just by looking at her, though. That’s because with her svelte frame, she could give Chanel Iman and Kendall Jenner a run for their money on any lifestyle magazine shoot!

But enough with the ribbing. Here’s what she had to say…

So Tara, you’re the E-Commerce & Business Development Manager at one of the most established and respected travel agencies in Jamaica. What does that role involve?

My role focuses on the e-commerce and development side of the business. Trafalgar Travel has always embraced technology, and we have a number of proprietary e-commerce solutions for corporations. My team and I are responsible for the development, roll-out, marketing and maintenance of those products. In addition, I also book flights, hotels, honeymoons, cruises, and family reunions on behalf of clients. However, the majority of my work surrounds projects related to technology, and any electronic commercial transactions that relate to travel. On a regular basis, I prepare proposals, make presentations, do demos of the products, write contracts, and sign on new accounts.

I love it when I get asked “do people still use travel agents?”, because I’m proud to call myself a well-rounded travel consultant, and I’m confident of the value my colleagues and I have to offer.

I heard US TV personality Steve Harvey say something in an interview some years ago that has stuck with me for some time. He said, “your career is what you’re paid for, but your passion is what you’re made for.” Would you say this role gives you the best of both worlds?

I think when you have the opportunity to work in an industry that you love, you do get the best of both worlds. Before this job, I spent a maximum of a year and a half in any position I was in. I even disclosed that fact in my interview, and warned my employers that I may not be around after six months! Close to five years later, I’m still here… and that says it all to me. I love to travel, and I also love helping others to plan their trips. I feel very lucky to be able to get paid to do something I’m so passionate about.

What are some of the destinations you’ve been to as a direct result of this position?

I’ve been fortunate enough to go on a few work-related trips since I’ve been at Trafalgar. In my very first year, I went to Nice, France for a supplier visit. I’ve been to Cancun for a trade show, Toronto for a training course, New York on a new airline’s inaugural flight, and Amsterdam for a conference. The business development aspect of my job also allows me to travel to events and conferences if I identify potential opportunities for Trafalgar.

Having fun at the botanical gardens in Amsterdam — Having fun in the botanical gardens in Amsterdam

I’ve known you long enough to guess you’ve squeezed some sightseeing time into those trips. Tell us about some of the fun things you got to do in those destinations.

I try to make the most of any business trips I go on, whether it’s exploring the city after the work portion of the day has ended, or adding some personal days before or after. I usually compare costs of the “official” dates versus the cost for the dates including my personal days. If there’s a difference in cost, I pay the balance. It almost always works out cheaper than if I had to buy a ticket on my own.

I research the destinations (and weather) beforehand so that I have an idea of what’s happening around that time. I like getting a feel of local life and am always on the lookout for any special events happening during my stay. I’ve been to museums, food festivals, wine tastings, art galleries, botanical gardens, and lots more.

About to sample some xiao long bao (food dumplings ) in a Beijing hutong (alley). — About to sample some xiao long bao (food dumplings ) in Beijing.

In addition to work-related travel, you globetrot quite a bit in your spare time. How far in advance do your plan trips, and what tools do you use as inspiration to build your itineraries?

I tend to plan my trips way in advance, sometimes even up to nine or 10 months beforehand. I have booked a few spur of the moment trips, though. My personal motivation is just always having a trip to look forward to. I don’t really use a particular tool to build my itineraries, I just research several destinations and websites and seek out things that interest me.

I follow a ton of travel accounts on Instagram, so I’m inspired by many of the posts I see. I seek accommodation that’s in a central location or very close to public transit. I also read local destination blogs in addition to the usual sites like Lonely Planet, Frommer’s, TripAdvisor. I especially like the local blogs to get information on what and where to eat.

You have a fantastic Instagram feed. How do you decide what images to share? Also, when you travel solo, how do you get the best destination photos with you in them?

Thanks! Honestly, I don’t have a strategy to which images I share. I just post the pictures I love. My preference is to take photos of the destination itself, so having travel photos with me in them aren’t usually my priority. I absolutely do not own a selfie stick. If I really want a photo with me in it, I’ll usually offer to take another traveler’s picture, and then ask him/her to return the favor. The exception was my very first solo trip, which was to Beijing. I booked a 30-minute private shoot with Flytographer, a company that contracts local photographers in several destinations around the world. That was awesome.

The Jamaican dollar is not very strong on the currency exchange market right now, yet you’ve been to some truly long-haul destinations on your own dime. What are the top three tips you can share with persons who are on a tight budget and do not believe that travel is affordable for them?

This is such a timely question. Just last night I had a friend say to me, “I need to do what you do to rack up your miles. Or do you get passes? What do you do?” I replied that what I do is purchase tickets and she said, “Oh, for your office?” I said no…. for myself. Like a regular person. LOL. I think most people are under the impression that I travel for free, but I pay full fare just like everyone else.

My top 3 tips are:

1. Try to save in a foreign currency that’s stable and strong, if possible. Travel from Jamaica is less affordable than travel from other parts of the world, but it is still attainable. Have a travel goal in mind and save monthly towards it. Research your destinations – airfare may end up being the most expensive part, but meals and accommodation are usually very affordable.

2. Understand the difference between cost and value. Just because something is the cheapest, doesn’t mean it’s the best value. You could book a hotel that’s dirt cheap, but then that also takes you 45 minutes plus taxi fare to get to any major attractions, which will waste your time and money.

3. Be flexible, especially if you’re traveling alone. Be willing to make more than one connection. Be willing to travel in Economy class. Be willing to leave from a different airport. Be willing to travel in off-season. Consider traveling mid-week instead of on the weekend. I have persons who ask me for the absolute lowest cost, but yet have exact specifications on date/time of departure, which hotel to stay in, and which class to travel in. Again, it comes back to cost vs. value.

Thanks for that great bit of advice, lady! The best thing about your tips is that they are easy principles to apply, wherever you live in the world.

You can follow Tara’s adventures – at home and abroad – on Instagram. Her handle is @tarabarrra.

(All photos used in this story are courtesy of her.)

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About Trafalgar Travel

Trafalgar Travel was founded in 1995 and has enjoyed 21 years of success in the industry. The agency has been recognized by the World Travel Awards as the Caribbean’s Leading Travel Agency for 10 consecutive years. They are the largest travel agency in the Caribbean, with offices in Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, St. Kitts and the Bahamas. Trafalgar Travel also has an in-house software development team focused on creating technological solutions for the travel industry.

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Editor’s Note:

My goal is to make this a monthly feature, so if you know someone who has a cool job with travel benefits and he or she wants to talk about it, please email me at [email protected]. Thanks!

When I flew into Toronto in early February the temperature on the ground was minus 22 degrees Celsius but with the wind chill factor, it felt closer to minus 40. Let that sink into every fiber of your being for a minute, will you? Allow the thought to settle and then freeze into place.

This was my first step outdoors on Canadian soil

I’m convinced the city realized it was my first time on Canadian soil and decided to throw me – a warm weather island girl – its frostbite version of a welcome party. Hip hip, horaay? No way. But with every vapor-forming breath and crunch on day-old snow step, this chica was ready to make the most of her time in the stark-looking yet blissfully new and unfamiliar terrain.

These are a few suggestions of fun things to see and do in Canada’s most densely populated city.

Visit The Bata Shoe Museum

I love shoes, so needless to say, I was like a kid opening multiple gifts at Christmas as I entered each floor of this more than 13,000-strong collection. Picture me giddy and unsure where to focus first and dying to unwrap each lovely package!

Founder Sonja Bata and her team spent years curating this world-renown exhibition that takes you on an evolutionary journey into the design and production of shoes over many decades.

There is an interactive Design-A-Shoe display, 17th century glass shoes from Holland, silk covered shoes from Korea and Barbie bite-sized footwear collection. I also saw Treccani Milanos, 19th Century Turkish bathhouse sandals, gold-leafed slippers of Asante rulers, plastic thong sandals worn by the Dalai Lama, and much more.

Tinier than really should be possible footwear — Tiny Barbie and Ken footwear

These Bata sandals, which show much sign of wear were donated by the 14th Dalai Lama in 2010.

Hot-blooded movie star Marilyn Munroe wore these red stilettos suring a 1967 trip to Montreal and the glamorous Elizabeth Taylor wore these silver evening sandals at an event in the 1980s. — Hot-blooded movie star Marilyn Munroe wore these red stilettos during a 1967 trip to Montreal and the glamorous Elizabeth Taylor wore these silver evening sandals at an event in the 1980s.

Many of the artifacts are fascinating. If you’re strapped for time, go see Standing Tall: The Curious History of Men in Heels or the Traditional Artic Footwear sections first. They put an entirely different spin on shoes as we know it. The cost for adult entry is CA$14.

Walk through Kensington Market

Located in the heart of downtown Toronto and west of Spadina Street, Kensington Market is a multi-colored and multi-cultural neighborhood that is a mix of residences and shops that sell food, drinks, spices and clothing. Here’s another plus: its brightly painted buildings and graffiti-outfitted walls will form picture-perfect backdrops for your Instagram and Facebook feeds!

An alley in Kensington Market with walls that looked like an outdoor art gallery

spices at kensington market — Nuts and spices of every type and variety

If it’s cold when you’re there and the weather gets too chilly, don’t despair. Super cozy cafes are likely to beckon with steaming cups of hot chocolate and energy-rebooting expressos or soothing lattes. After a warm-up cuppa something, tiny alleyways leading to throwback 19th century cottages that sit on close lots will entice you to explore more. There is no entry fee.

Time travel at Casa Loma

From the minute you step across Casa Loma’s threshold you are ushered into a time of no-expense spared splendor. Buildings of this size and grandeur were unequivocally the domain of the rich and indulgent. Actually, make that the super-rich and unapologetically indulgent – underlined and bolded, full stop.

It is the former home of Sir Henry Pellatt, a little known stock market investor who just happened to build a house the size of a castle then walk away from it when he ran into money problems 10 years later. It has 98 rooms and reportedly took 300 men and three years to build.

The exterior view of the "castle" that took three years to build. — The exterior view of the “castle”.

The ‘castle’ is now a much-visited museum and landmark but on occasion, it also is the place to be for private events. To get invited, chances are you must be loaded. The guard at the gate told me that multi-millionaire Michael Jordan had rented the entire venue for his birthday party the night before for the cool fee of one million dollars. C’mon now, why did you raise that eyebrow? How else would basketball royalty throw a memorable shindig over Canada’s NBA All Star weekend? Of course, his Royal Airness had to have it in a castle!

The details on this bed frame were just mind-boggling.

Regular visitors like you and me can enjoy far-reaching views of the city from the towers, gaze unabashedly at the ornate and intricately built period furnishings or see a small antique car collection. Music lovers will appreciate the magnificence of the piping system for a 3/15 model Wurlitzer Theater organ that was added after the owner died and young kids can enjoy a bite or two in the on-site restaurant.

One of the three classic cars in the carriage house

Everyone who has the luxury of life without knee pain, will be tempted to explore the secret passageways. Phew. Those stairs are not just narrow; they’re STEEP. The stables and carriage house are connected to the main building by an 800-ft. tunnel. Entry admission is $24 per adult.

Take the required pilgrimage to the CN Tower

Imagine racing to the top of the world (well honestly, a tower) at 15 miles per hour! Sounds thrilling, doesn’t it? Well, the city scenes that rush by serve as the precursor to the full-spectrum of your CN Tour experience – if you decide to brave joining all the winding queues. There is an Outdoor Sky Terrace where the natural breeze whips through your hair minus staged Beyoncé-style fans; a SkyPod observation platform; an EdgeFloor and an EdgeWalk.

The distinctive CN Tower is sure hard to miss!

There’s also my personal favorite, the Glass Floor. Entry to this level is free if you dine at the 360 Restaurant. Made of glass that was built to withstand the weight of 35 moose, you can stand on it and see the street below you, a toe-curling 342m (1,122’) straight down.

You wouldn't believe how many people were scared to step on the glass and look down. — You wouldn’t believe how many people were scared to step on the glass and look down.

Yes, you may get a little queasy or your mind might trick you into thinking it will crack beneath you. But it won’t. Personally, I think it is a whole lot safer than taking the world’s highest full circle hands-free walk on a 5 ft (1.5 m) wide ledge encircling the top of the Tower’s main pod. Now, that is outside at 116 storeys above the ground! (Never mind my weary heart, if you opt to try that, trained guides are with you all the way).

Ride a streetcar

Whether you think streetcars are ‘a remarkably efficient way of moving people’ or ‘as obsolete as the horse and buggy’, you cannot visit Toronto and NOT ride on this unique type of transportation. Operated on an intricate layer of overhead cables, the streetcars are an inexpensive way to see the city and the best part is, you can cover what you want to see at your own pace.

Canadian street car cables — Canadian streetcar cables.

There are 11 routes to choose from but the 506 Carlton Street Car is perhaps the most sight-seeing friendly. It travels from the eastern side of High Park and goes through Little Italy, past the University of Toronto, Cabbagetown and into Little India. If you’re on a walking tour, be careful! The streetcars share lanes with regular vehicles so both motorists and pedestrians must remain alert at all times.