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impsimummoi.
SINGLE LIFE
The Living Is Exotic
by settle for that
same tired commute to the shore
or the lake this summer, when
you can probably swing a corn-
plete singles' package to more ex-
1 otic, exciting locales like Morocco,
Istanbul, Athens or Turkoise?
While some singles labor un-
der the misconception that their
getaway options are limited, oth-
ers have discovered a world of
singles-centered travel opportu-
nities.
Where are singles heading this
year? According to Bree, a reser-
vation agent with Club Med (the
company doesn't let its agents
give their last names), the
unattached continue flocking to
warm beaches that offer a full
palette of recreational opportu-
nities. "At Cancun, there's sail-
ing, waterskiing and lots to do
outside of the village," she says.
"Those who like more interna-
tional crowds are choosing Mar-
tinique (a French island) way
down south in the Caribbean." A
third singles hot spot is Turkoise,
composed of three British islands
southeast of the Bahamas.
Client demand for diversity
has led Club Med to open and op-
erate 115 villages worldwide, pri-
marily in the Caribbean, Mexico,
Tahiti and the U.S.
The resort club's clientele is
split evenly between singles and
families, said Myrna Cameron at
Club Med's Scottsdale, Ariz.,
headquarters. The company
offers all-inclusive packages that
cover airfare, lodging, food and
all activities, most spanning sev-
en days and some emphasizing
specific interests such as golf, ten-
nis and horseback riding. Single
travelers have the choice of a sin-
gle room or being matched up
with roommates of the same sex
and age.
Rich Lippman has kept in
touch with several friends made
during a springtime Club Med
trip to Cancun. The 37-year-old
Los Angeles writer, whose books
include Eating In: The Official
Single Man's Cookbook, said he
didn't like the roommate he was
assigned, but added "you don't
spend a lot of time in the room."
Stacy Reines, a thirty-some-
thing single professional from
Maryland, enjoyed her trip to
Greece with Premier Jewish Sin-
gles so much that she agreed to
serve as the unique travel ser-
vice's Baltimore-Washington
area representative.
Based in St. Louis, Premier, of-
fers_12 to 15 vacation packages a
year custom-tailored to Jewish
singles from their mid-20s to ear-
ly 50s. Premier's diverse desti-
nations range from Israel to
Istanbul to the Windward Isles.
In the coming weeks, the agen-
cy's menu will include tours to
Australia and New Zealand, the
Caribbean, Athens — and in Oc-
tober, a South African safari.
The packages typically cover
This summer,
ditch the
usual trip
to the lake.
How does
Turkoise sound?
Or the
Windward Islands?
ROBIN SOSLOW
Special to The Jewish News
airfare (including cost-saving
add-on flights from cities across
the U.S.), lodging, meals and so-
cial events. In addition, a Pre-
mier tour leader accompanies
each group of 15 to 60 people to
not only provide travel tips and
guidance, but also encourage
mingling among the guests. "You
save money because they match
you up with a roommate and ar-
range group rates," says Ms.
Reines. "And the Jewish slant
lets you see Jewish sites you
might miss on your own."
Interestingly, Premier Jewish
Singles began eight years ago as
founder Roxanne Weisman's at-
tempt to fill a need she saw for
her own children. Says co-owner
David Miller: "Roxanne was a
typical Jewish mother worried
about where her children could
go to have fun, meet nice people
and be safe."
Finding few travel opportuni-
ties that met her standards, Ms.
Weisman — already a part-own-
er of a travel agency — decided
to arrange her own singles cruise.
One success led to the next, so
Ms. Weisman officially launched
Premier Jewish Singles. While
on an excursion, Ms. Weisman
met Mr. Miller, a British-born
Jew who had lived in Israel 17
years. Impressed with his travel
expertise and ebullient spirit, she
recruited him as a partner.
Although Mr. Miller and Ms.
Weisman stress that Premier is
not a matchmaking service, quite
a few clients who boarded Pre-
mier flights and cruises as sin-
gles have wound up as couples.
"Just this January, we lost two
good travel friends to marriage,"
Mr. Miller says. The couple first
met on a Premier Caribbean
cruise.
While the service loses some
repeat customers to marriage,
others wind up forming local and
long-distance friendships. Mira
Zimmerman, 37, has taken time
off from her job at a Pittsburgh
hospital to join four Premier Jew-
ish Singles excursions. "It's the
best thing for people who like to
travel and have nobody they'd
like to travel with," Ms. Zim-
merman says..
Mr. Miller also hears from four
women from his London tour who
meet every week for dinner. "Not
everyone falls in love, but they all
certainly make friends and have
a great time."
Premier attracts travelers na-
tionwide, arranging connecting
flights from New York City, Los
Angeles, even the guest's home
city. Some trips are all-inclusive,
Mr. Miller explains while others
aren't: "In cities like Hong Kong,
you can go out and eat on your
own comfortably. But in places
like Bangkok it's harder, so we
plan more meals in with the
group. In contrast, the London
tour includes few meals but
many social events."
Serving as tour and social di-
rectors, Mr. Miller and Ms. Weis-
man host first-night wine parties
and other get-togethers so guests
can make friends with one an-
other. Also, Premier mails out a
guest list with phone numbers
two weeks before a trip, so that
people can meet and possibly re-
quest roommates in advance.
So put in for that summer va-
cation. But remember this bit of
advice: while singles can put off
planning longer than couples or
families, travel planners suggest
advance reservations for special
packages and peak travel peri-
ods. Besides, the sooner you
schedule your exotic getaway, the
longer you'll have to fantasize
about it.
❑
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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