Sensory Friendly Solutions
Welcome to the Sensory Friendly Solutions Podcast!
Dive into our ever-growing series of 27 episodes that explore the fascinating world of your senses, tackling sensory sensitivity, sensory overload, and practical sensory-friendly solutions for daily life. Each episode is a blend of expert insights, personal stories, and actionable advice, designed to inspire and empower.
What sets us apart? Our episodes feature international luminaries like occupational therapist and researcher Dr. Winnie Dunn, best-selling author Carol Stock Kranowitz, and the world-renowned autism advocate Dr. Temple Grandin. We also amplify the voices of parents, individuals with lived sensory experiences, and innovators who’ve created sensory-friendly solutions that truly work.
But there’s more—our audio conference content takes a deep dive into specialized topics, including Sensory Friendly Dentistry and Sensory Friendly Travel, offering fresh perspectives on areas that impact everyday life.
At the helm of the podcast is Christel Seeberger, Founder and CEO of Sensory Friendly Solutions. With a 30-year career as an occupational therapist and her own lived experience of sensory sensitivity and overload due to adult-onset hearing loss, Christel brings unique insights and a passionate drive to make the world more sensory-friendly for all.
Join us for enlightening discussions, transformative ideas, and real-world solutions. Let’s work together to make life more sensory-friendly—because small changes create big differences!
Sensory Friendly Solutions
Matching tours and travelers: John Simon and Mona Crowley
In this episode of the 55+ Travelers: Arriving & Thriving Audio Conference join Sensory Friendly Solutions Founder Christel Seeberger, and guest hosts Sophie Yang and Christopher Basmadjian, occupational therapy students, as they take a deep dive into the extensive expertise of John Simon, Kefi Travel, and mature traveller Mona Crowley.
Join a conversation about delivering travel and tours that are attractive to experienced and mature travellers. This episode also has a special host, broadcaster Trish Hamilton.
Episode Guide
0:24 Welcome, John & Mona!
0:40 Kefi Travel
1:40 Free time on Kefi Tours
2:35 Approaching each trip individually
3:06 John & Mona meet on the streets of Dublin
4:13 How Mona likes to travel
5:06 Mona prepares for the mode of travel ahead of her trip
5:45 Putting in the sensory aspect into travel
8:07 Sensory-friendly travel
9:20 Finding what interests clients
10:09 Supporting small local hotels
12:23 Mona's best trip experience
14:10 Avoiding some of the busier destinations
16:40 COVID-19 and the impact on travel
20:16 What Mona looks for in a restaurant
20:55 A restaurant experience in Greece
23:00 The ideal hotel accommodation
25:42 Doing your homework
26:48 Making a tour fit with travelers
29:05 Mona's tips to travellers
30:40 Making travellers comfortable
32:06 John recommends slower-paced destinations
34:49 Mona's next trip
38:58 Thank you, Mona and John!
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Christel Seeberger: [00:00:00] Welcome to the 55+ Travelers: Arriving and Thriving audio-conference brought to you by Sensory Friendly Solutions. This is a very special bonus episode with an incredible number of ideas and tips for the travel and tourism industry to attract and cater to travelers 55+.
Trish Hamilton: [00:00:23] In this podcast, we're going to be talking to John Simon of Kefi Travel. Also Mona Crowley, which is one of John's clients, Christel Seeberger, owner of Sensory Friendly Solutions. And my name is Trish Hamilton, your host for this episode. So everybody, welcome. Thank you very much. John, we're going to start with you first. Please tell us a little bit about Kefi travel and what experiences you offer in particular to more mature travelers.
John Simon: [00:00:46] Kefi travelers set up not necessarily targeting mature travelers, but targeting a style of travel. So we're very much about slowing down the pace, getting away from the the high traffic areas, the must see items and out to the more the countryside, the villages not having things scheduled every single day. So allowing people free time to go out and explore on their own and find their own adventures, but also scheduling the occasional activity in there, which is, you know, could be grouper couple related or something, maybe to push the boundaries a bit and have some fun and to make people a little uncomfortable, because we find those are the more the experiences that people remember after a trip. So we really try and have a particular cadence to the trip, which is an activity day, a down day activity day down day, but all within the context of smaller areas, more local rural areas, if we can, to stay away from the larger centers, the larger tourist traffic.
Trish Hamilton: [00:01:38] And I find that really interesting that you say you give free time as well with some of these experiences. Do you think that that helps people to maybe if you need a break sensory-wise, sort of almost plan your own day and make it what you need it to be?
John Simon: [00:01:55] I like to think so. I can answer that question as well. But really, I find some of the neatest things people find is the day they have off when they're just off wandering around on their own and they'll find something of interest to them or find something which we weren't aware of that's of interest to everyone else that they can share and everyone else can go back and explore. So I think it allows people that that day, if they want to rest, allows them if they want to be more active, to do something very active that the rest of the group may not want to or to do whatever else is they want to do, because at the end of the day, people are paying to go on a trip and it should be what they want to do, not a rigid schedule that someone else has told them they have to do.
Trish Hamilton: [00:02:28] Right. Do you find that the experience of traveling with more mature? Do you find the experience of traveling with more mature people differs from, say, families and younger generations?
John Simon: [00:02:42] Not necessarily it. I find every every trip is different. I mean, some families can have a very laid back approach. Some have a very demanding requirement. So mature travelers have a very demanding schedule. They want to meet or they have particular requirements. They have we approach each trip individually, right. According to what the couple, the family or the group want and try and create something around what their hobbies, interests or desires are.
Trish Hamilton: [00:03:07] Mona, you travel a lot with Kefi Travel. Can you tell us a little bit about the first trip that you took and why it was so memorable.
Mona Crowley: [00:03:14] My first trip with John wasn't with Kefi travel. It was just with John as a no, I didn't even know him, actually.
John Simon: [00:03:22] We met on the street in Dublin, literally.
Mona Crowley: [00:03:24] I knew John's parents, known John's parents for years and he he was going to Ireland on his anniversary, if you could imagine. And I was in Florida where his mother and father were there. And he asked she asked actually if I'd have been to Ireland. And I said no. And this is my husband's heritage, Ireland. And they said no. But I gave Tom when he when I when he retired, I told him I would pay for a trip to Ireland. Well, if this is your chance to go, I said, no, I'm sure, John, and on his anniversary, doesn't want to take this old fogey couple. Anyway, she talked me into going and John said yes. And we met in Dublin on the street. And I've been traveling with him ever since. Yes. So a couple of years later, he did have Kefi travel and I've still stayed with them.
Trish Hamilton: [00:04:12] How do you prefer to travel? Do you do you hit the road like on a road trip? Do you like to fly on a plane, cruise the ocean? Like, what do you find is is the best way to travel?
Mona Crowley: [00:04:21] I like to travel with Kefi Travel
John Simon: [00:04:25]
Trish Hamilton: [00:04:26]
Mona Crowley: [00:04:29] I've always wanted to see Europe. I had seen a lot of the United States and Canada through my work because I travel a fair bit and never been overseas. So it's always interesting to me to go overseas and see their culture and their history. History over there is phenomenal. I will tell you, my husband always said that if he'd been there when he was younger, he would have enjoyed history in school more because it really brings to life, you know, you see the World War sites and the sort of things. So you really get a different feel. So. My mode of travel doesn't matter. Bus, train, plane, whatever will take me, I'll go.
Trish Hamilton: [00:05:06] Do you find that one is more comfortable for you than the other, whether it's, you know, because it's too bright or or too noisy, like, is there a particular mode of travel that that you find most comfortable?
Mona Crowley: [00:05:17] No, not really. I think you have to know how you're going to travel and how you're going to accommodate yourself. When I travel by train or by plane, I make sure that I get comfortable shoes or socks that I can wear. I make sure that I've got something to read. I've got earplugs that I can use. If it gets noisy there, you can always pull down the blind if it gets to. So, no, I try to accommodate for how I'm going and that sort of thing.
Trish Hamilton: [00:05:42] Do you find more and more that that people are sort of making those not necessarily exceptions but but are sort of putting it the sensory aspect into travel for you?
Mona Crowley: [00:05:55] I've never really noticed, I think they do I think most modes of travel do try to accommodate people now, right? People are more demanding now. People are more demanding now, and I have to say not Canadians, not so much, but when you travel a lot, you see different nationalities and some some nationalities are very demanding. Some of the tourist trade has to have to accommodate these people if they're going to stay. Stay with the program
Trish Hamilton: [00:06:22] Right now when you travel, are you a laid back traveler where you know your you would prefer to sort of, you know, kick back with you and your husband and kind of do your own thing or do you like, you know, the large crowds and the beautiful little bit of both?
Mona Crowley: [00:06:37] I would like a really large crowd. I think the largest crowd we've ever traveled with, John, is, what, 22, 24?
John Simon: [00:06:43] We did 37 when we had the seven families in Ireland.
Mona Crowley: [00:06:47] Ireland, yes. And it was great. It was great. But nice to have the day off where you can do what you want in a comedy. Now, a lot of my friends have traveled with other tours and it's get up in the morning at eight o'clock and you're on the road and it's eight o'clock at night before you get back into a hotel. And it's very demanding, their long days and you're going from hotel to hotel. I like being focused in one or two hotels where you'd have to pack every night and do day trips. And it's nice to have the option. So if you're in one hotel and you don't want to do a tour, you don't have to go. But when you're in a place where you're going to different hotel every night, then you have no choice. So it's nice to go. And again, I'm giving Kathy a plug, but it's nice to go somewhere. Whereas if they're going on a really especially for old paper, if they're going on a really strenuous trip that you don't feel you can make, well, you just stay in the hotel that day and read or go to the pool or whatever is around, go shopping or whatever. But you haven't missed anything because this is what you want to do that day. Whereas if you're on a tour where they're going to a different hotel every night, well, you're restricted. And as a senior, that's that can be very trying and very you don't have that option. You have to go. You don't have a choice. So it's it's nice to have that option. Nice to have the free days. Yeah.
Trish Hamilton: [00:08:08] John, do you find that people are looking for a more sensory-friendly experience when they're traveling?
John Simon: [00:08:13] I to agree with Mona. I don't get a request for a specific sensory-friendly type things. I think people are definitely looking for more relaxed, like get away from the crowds type experience. So, you know, if they're going to France, you know, they want to see the Eiffel Tower and some things in Paris, but people don't want to spend all their time that one big city with the crowds and things like that. They really want to get out in the countryside where they can hang out in a village and they can, as I want to say, that they want a quiet day, they can a quiet day. They find a local bakery they like or a local restaurant or coffee shop. And, you know, they visit each morning and they get to know the guy behind the counter that works there. So they just feel more comfortable, more relaxed. So I think that may be sort of another way of getting that sense very friendly is that they're looking for a more relaxed pace, a more and more control of what they're doing, as opposed to being dictated to from a more perfect schedule, as Mona said, moving every night and things. They want to they want to go to a place and feel like they're home for a little while.
Trish Hamilton: [00:09:09] So when you're devising or sort of, you know, creating the trips that you're putting together and itineraries and things like that, how much influence, for example, you knowing Mona and knowing that she travels with Kathy travel, you know, because of the way that your itineraries go in the free time and stuff, how much does that affect what you do in future?
John Simon: [00:09:32] Well, as I say, I try and like each trip, I try and focus around for for our clients around what they're interested in, like if they have particular hobbies or if they're into cooking food or wine things, we try and build it around things that are relevant to them. As Mona knows, I have my own certain things that I like to do. And and those will be on my trip when I call on them. But for for customers, you know, we ask a lot of questions about what they're interested in doing it and then try and build something. So to the sensory friendly side, like if that comes up or there's certain things around a quieter atmosphere and things will build that into the trip, we'll look for smaller locations. You know, we like to stay in smaller hotels, family owned hotels, which may only have 10 or 12 rooms because then the person on the counter is usually someone in the family. It's a much better reports on. It's a busy facility. So you don't know one hundred people there at breakfast trying to get through and things. It's much more relaxed. And usually those facilities are in an area that we'd rather be in. We're more local, more more rural areas and not large tourist areas.
Trish Hamilton: [00:10:33] And I think that would be really comforting as well, knowing that, you know, the people that you are staying with have a real stake in it because it's their business, too. So, yeah,
Mona Crowley: [00:10:42] You feel very safe in these hotels and I mean, lots of them. We didn't even locked doors because you were in that kind of a neighborhood and you had that feeling of security. So it's it's really nice not being maybe it's not a five star, really luxurious hotel, but you're you're in a neighborhood. You're you're seeing that people. You're meeting the people of that nationality, you're seeing their customs, and it's so much more relevant, I mean, it's nice to go to Paris, nice to go to London, but yeah, but it's nice to to get to really meet the people.
Trish Hamilton: [00:11:15] And you probably get some great tips, too.
Mona Crowley: [00:11:17] Yeah. Yeah.
Trish Hamilton: [00:11:18] For your for your free time. So sensory experiences can be, you know, as Christel knows, bright and flashy. What you're hearing touching all of the senses, Mona. Have you ever had and not necessarily obviously with coffee travel, but have you ever had a trip where you went and you just, you know, that was that was too much. And it's OK to answer now because we can cut that out.
Mona Crowley: [00:11:42] No, no, no. I was I was on a cruise once that I enjoyed I enjoyed the company we were with, but it was just too much it was too much razzmatazz. It was too much going. It was too much of everything. You had to organise yourself. You had to have dinner at a certain time. You had to do this. You had to do that. It's not fun.
Trish Hamilton: [00:12:01] Yeah, there really is a pace sometimes.
Mona Crowley: [00:12:03] I mean, it's nice to be able to well, not just relax. I mean, I love to be on the go and I usually go to all the tours and everything, but it's nice not to have to. And it's nice to know that if you really are up for it that day, you don't have to do it. So it's it's a much better environment.
Trish Hamilton: [00:12:23] So the best trip that you have ever had, when you think about that trip, what parts of it sort of made it sensory-friendly? If someone were to say to you, Mona, I'm looking for a trip, but I want it to be kind of laid back and a little bit relaxed. And, you know, I don't like big crowds and, you know, I like intimate moments and things like that. What would you recommend?
Mona Crowley: [00:12:49] Greece. And John knew I was going to say that. Yes, I did. And it's funny because the group that we travel with, whenever whenever we're asked where we want to go, we list all kinds of things. And the last thing we always say is Greece, always Greece, because the people there make you feel welcome. Right. And you feel like you're part of them when you go to a restaurant there. They were hospitable even in Athens, which is a huge city. You you don't get that rush feeling. The restaurants take care of you there. They treat you like family. And the islands are phenomenal. Again, it's it's quiet. You see all the like. You see all the historic sites and you learn all the things. But you do it at a I don't know, John. You just it's not that rat race. It's not. We went to the Eiffel Tower. It was wonderful. But you wait at least long lineups and it was hot and it was people and and I would do it again. I mean, I'm not sorry that I did it and I won't do it again. I shouldn't say that. And I always recommend people do that once in a lifetime thing. But in Greece, it wasn't like that. Even when we went up to the Acropolis, the Acropolis wasn't like that. I don't know why, but it just wasn't.
John Simon: [00:14:06] Yeah, I think I mean, in every country's got spots that are great, like in Greece, you could go to Santorini or Mykonos and get overwhelmed with crowds pretty quick. Yes. Yeah, right. And we once again, we try and avoid that by going to we try and pick islands that are, you know, not as touristy, but still have all the islands of incredible qualities. But so we get away from the crowds a bit. But since I mean, I can think of a couple sensory experiences, like the day in the Amalfi Coast went to the farm. Right. We went to visit a farm and people were like, well, why are we going to a farm in the Amalfi Coast? And we spent a day at this farm with a family for generations all there. And, you know, they came out and they showed us how they grew all the food and showed us some of the techniques they used. And this little was like four seven acres, the amount of things that were growing and we tied vines and things like that. They showed us how to cure meats and how they do that. Then they show us how they make their wine. And we tasted the wines and their uncle came in and Berto and he actually made cheese from scratch there for us in a room. We sampled it all the way through the process, all the taste and the textures as well as have more wine. But then we went down to see their cousin down the road who ran the local pizza place.
John Simon: [00:15:07] And we went behind the counter and everyone had a turn making genuine pizza and throwing the dough in a wood fired oven. Then we ate the pizza. Then we went back to the farm again and they had made limoncello, which we had freed from the rate from their lemon trees, and they gave us lemons and make them like apples because the lemons are so good and not sour, you could eat them like an apple skin and. All right. And it was like all the different senses that you get in that. And then in another time, we're in Romania and we met some music students and and the other night and we were staying in a secure schwa, which is Vlad the Impaler was born staying his actions. Oh, yeah. We're staying at Dracula's house. Wow. And it's on this big square and it's like midnight. And one of these students came out in the middle of the square is all dark for one night. You played the violin all by yourself and the sound echoing around the square. And we were just sitting there like just listening to this. Another student took turns one at the time, play an instrument all alone in the square and this little medieval village. And it was just like, you know, you couldn't have paid for that anywhere. Right. It was fantastic experience,
Trish Hamilton: [00:16:03] Little things like that that really are, you know, added value to a trip and having the slow pace of being on the farm. Like, I would love to see a process from start to finish. And, you know, you would think that it would be very, very relaxing to spend a day like that.
John Simon: [00:16:19] I think people were Mona can talk, but I think people were surprised that I wonder why they were going there first,
Mona Crowley: [00:16:23] The little a grandmother, the the oldest I mean, she was sitting in her chair and yes, that's my my, my, my that's my limoncello recipe. And I mean, it was really great. Yeah.
Trish Hamilton: [00:16:39] Ok, so covid-19 we haven't been able to travel and I'm only assuming, John, that this has not been a fun time for the travel industry.
John Simon: [00:16:48] It's been unpleasant. Yes.
Trish Hamilton: [00:16:52] But now the restrictions are loosening. How are you expecting travel to change or do you.
John Simon: [00:16:58] I think there'll be a change for a little while. What people maybe want to look for more, you know, not as crowded facilities to be in, maybe smaller groups and things like that. But, you know, the demands can be so huge. I think, you know, as people are human, like we're going to get back to some of the same habits we had before. There are some changes like Venice is making some big changes. I think that now it's not allowing cruise ships anymore. Right. And something like that. So some locations are going. Take advantage of this and make some big changes, but I think in general, you know, people can be looking for wide open spaces for sure. Right, right. But people have been gravitating to that anyway for the last few years, are looking for more, you know, out of the way off the beaten track type vacations. The challenge that people aren't aware of is that there's going to be like three years of travelers trying to go in one year next year.
Trish Hamilton: [00:17:43] That's exactly right.
John Simon: [00:17:44] A lot of places in the world already now we're seeing that already booked up. Right. So Canadians with the pace that we've been opening up, it's going to be a bit of a challenge for them when they decide they're ready to travel, that it's just not going to be a lot of choice left at that point.
Trish Hamilton: [00:17:56] Right. Mona, as a traveler, how has covid-19
Mona Crowley: [00:18:02] I havent been happy. No, no, I haven't. It has bothered me in that I do love to travel. And we go to Florida every year. And of course, this year we leave in the winter. And of course, this year we didn't go because it was just too long. We just wouldn't take a chance on it. But I'm looking forward to traveling. I'm looking forward to it. I've already started talking to John about where he might take us. But when Tom when when we go with Kefi travel with the group that we usually go with, they only go for like 10 days or 12 days. When we started out was because they had still young children. These people are all young. You see where the seniors. So my husband and I always take a few extra weeks on either side. So we're already starting to look at when we go to the next time, what will we do, which river cruise we might take or where we might want to go?
Trish Hamilton: [00:18:55] How do you think your travel experience will change? And I know that that earlier you had said that you kind of have it's what you make it. You know, you make sure that you have a book or you make sure that you have earphones and things like that. Knowing what we all know now about covid-19 and the masks and distancing and things like that, how is this going to change how you prepare and how you travel in the future?
Mona Crowley: [00:19:19] Probably not much different. I probably won't take a mass which I never, ever carried a mask, I probably would take a mask, might be more tempted to wear it in close, confined spaces, like on a plane, depending on how many people were around me and that sort of thing. But other than that. I think I would tend to tend to avoid large crowds. I would be like going to the Eiffel Tower, probably my first trip over, I would again try to go to smaller areas, but they wouldn't be as crowded people. But I always like to do that anyway. So it's pretty. I don't know that I would change that much because of that.
Trish Hamilton: [00:19:56] Christel, any questions that I'm missing that you'd like to get into?
Christel Seeberger: [00:19:59] Not missing, but I yeah, my wheels are always turning, so just I don't know. Phenomenal insights, John, both from you. Just things that have not come up in conversations or conversations before and Mona from you to I'm I'm really interested. Mona, we had we had a conversation before we even started here. I'd like to know, just as a very specific example, what do you look for in a restaurant? What makes a going to a restaurant? Just a wonderful experience for you as an example.
Mona Crowley: [00:20:35] What I'm traveling. I like to travel. I like to try the different foods of the different countries. I don't necessarily like a really formal setting. I would I prefer family type restaurants, restaurants where you're going to feel welcome. Other than that, I can't think.
John Simon: [00:20:50] Yeah, I can I can think of more to mention Greece than I can remember one eating experience we had there where we are in one of the islands. And I had arranged a restaurant with the owner and I said I needed to see the menu, just make sure everyone was going to be happy about what was going to be on it. He said, no, I'm not giving it to you. And he's like, I'm going to take care of my wife's going to Japan and cook and I'm going to take care of you. And there'll be stuff for everyone was like, Oh, I hate fish, I, I don't want to fish. But some people like fish. Oh, that's no problem. They said some people are vegetarians. That's no problem. And we were on the on the scope of those. We set down this restaurant overlooking the town, the village on the water and the food came out and it kept coming and it was all local dishes of every single combination, like more than in there were I think there were nineteen of us and we couldn't eat at all.
Mona Crowley: [00:21:33] He brought platters of food, just platters of food. And you just passed them outside. And it was something you didn't like this time because it was funny,
John Simon: [00:21:41] But it was so good. And at the end of it we asked, you know, where's your wife? And he she was cooking. So he brought her out and we all applauded and she started crying because she was so worried about making sure we're happy and stuff like that. It was I mean, it was incredible, an incredible night.
Mona Crowley: [00:21:55] I tell you, one other restaurant we went to and it was a similar similar in that it was a family restaurant and they didn't want to take visa. And we were 19 people and it was one bill. So we all start digging in our wallets for euros for John because I mean, nineteen people drinking wine and desserts and appetizers that the fellow said, don't worry about a come back tomorrow and pay.
John Simon: [00:22:20] Yeah, I had this happen several times.
Mona Crowley: [00:22:25] You know, we're sort of sitting there. We were on total and we were just sitting there. He said you go to the bank tomorrow and you get your money and you come back to our own pay and. Yeah, and that's kind of place that that we that we like to go to, that we go to. That wouldn't get that in a big restaurant in Paris. Right.
Christel Seeberger: [00:22:47] Mona, I'd like to circle around and you've talked a little bit about and John, you too. But just what comes to mind, sort of the number one thing, if we if we if we can get a hotel experience or accommodation experience, what do you look for? What really makes not a perfect fit for you? And then I'll ask John to follow on with what do you look for? Is sort of organizing that and choosing hotels to stay. And you shared a few things. But what makes that a perfect fit for you
Mona Crowley: [00:23:19] As they get older? The one thing that I would advise anyone to check is elevators when you're going to your particularly again. A lot of the older hotels do not have elevators, so as the senior, you have to either ask that question or see if there's any means of portering in smaller hotels. You don't get porters, you don't get that service. So you have to be careful. And we've been to hotels where you've had to take your luggage up several stairs and so far so good. But as you get older or if you have a disability of any kind, even if it's just a bum hip or, you know, this is something that you should look into, you know, just ask and you can email. These people are wonderful. You can email them and say, you know, do you have an elevator or what are the accommodations like? The other thing is, when I'm making my own travel arrangements, which I do for the other parts of my trip, I always like to know exactly how I'm getting from point A to point B. I don't want to get to a big airport like you get to a big airport like London or or Heathrow, Frankfurt. I don't like to get there or not know what to expect.
Mona Crowley: [00:24:35] Even when I was younger, I didn't. But as you get older, you really don't want to face that. So I like to know what the airport is going to look like. I'll actually go online and look at the airport and see what terminal I'm going to come into, what terminal I'm going to leave from. And I always try to make sure that I know how I'm going to get from the from that airport to the hotel. If there's bus service, if there's a subway or taxi, if I'm not sure, I'll email the hotel and say, what's the best way to get to the hotel? And they'll tell you what taxi service to you. I hate going to a foreign city and not knowing which taxis to use because you just don't know. Yeah. So I like to go to a hotel that can report back to me, if that's going to answer me. And these small hotels are wonderful. They'll call and say, we'll send somebody for you or use this taxi or the bus parks right outside our door. You can buy your tickets. I buy my tickets online. I get the I get it right in my hand before I go. And I know exactly where I'm going. And as you get older, that's important.
Trish Hamilton: [00:25:36] And I really like what you said about being looking ahead at where you're going to be and what you're doing. And I would think, Christel, that that would really doing your homework in that case would really help somebody prepare for bright lights, big noise, things like that.
Christel Seeberger: [00:25:54] Yeah, it really does. I think you've highlighted just the things, those little details that kind of was a make or break trip or make make or break the day for sure for you and just the communication. Right, that that you provide about those details. You know, you've had four tours you booked on your own. You're not not only able to go to a website and gather information there, but at that hotel, pick up the phone and call someone or email some someone directly and get something very, you know, a specific response, not general information. Right. It's customized. You can customize your experience. And I think, John, you know, I'd love to hear more from you about what what those details are that you share that makes it a fit for the travelers who tour with Kefi Travel.
John Simon: [00:26:52] Yeah, from a hotel perspective, Mona's right. I mean, one of the key things we look for is the responsiveness they'll tell. So if we send you know, if we're looking at hotels and we send some questions out, you know, which ones are responding quickly. They're thorough, they're flexible and things like that because we know that they're probably going to work with us pretty closely. In general, we're always looking for hotels that, as I say, are smaller, more inns or, you know, 10 to 20 rooms at most are in a walkable so that you're in an area that you can go out the door and see a number of restaurants or cafes and things like that, because once again, typically on Fridays days, you don't want to feel like you've got to arrange a drive or a cab and you go somewhere and you get a driver cab to get back again. You're constantly trying to get transportation as opposed to walk out your door and go over you want. So the location is pretty key. And then, you know, obviously you want to we're looking for cleanliness and certain standards. Mona's right about the elevators. It is a challenge sometimes because a lot of those small little hotels and older villages and towns don't have that. So it can be a challenge. But typically, if it's a responsible hotel and they'll have someone there to carry your bags if you want, they'll take care of that sort of thing for you or I carry Mona's bags for us.
John Simon: [00:28:03] But yes. So the walkability, the size, the response of the hotel staff, I mean, I always try and look for something unique to whether it's got like a rooftop terrace or people can see they're either in a relax or if it's got, you know, access to water on a beach or if it's got a pool or closed or something like that. Those things help as well. Just give people some options and flexibility. I mean, the you know, the big five star resort hotels and bigger chains like that are obviously nice and a guaranteed a certain level quality. But I don't find, you know, if you're in like a three room Hilton or whatever Hilton, but you show up on a hill with a big giant gate around it and stuff like that, you're not getting the same level. You could be anywhere in the world and a beautiful luxury hotel. But you're not getting that same feel in the morning, the traffic on the streets and the people bringing delivering the fresh food and vegetables and things, you know, and and just seeing what's going on. You're not getting that. So I would rather have a nice, clean hotel and a good location versus that that the more upmarket lifestyle. Yeah.
Christel Seeberger: [00:29:05] Yeah, Mona, I'd ask you if if there was one tip that you could give travelers, right, maybe two, maybe three, but I'll take one. I'll take one.
Mona Crowley: [00:29:18] Think the first one I've already said is a plan. Yeah, no, I know what you're going to do. Don't have any like try not to have any surprises when you live in St. John, New Brunswick, and you have to get up at four o'clock in the morning to get out to the airport for the 6:00 flight to Toronto to get to go four hours the other way. It's a long day. It's a long day when you're going overseas or even if you're going out west, it's a long day. So you really don't want any surprises at the other end if you can help. But you want to know the airport or the train station, but go to London, you want to know what train station you're going to arrive at when you come from the airport. You want to know what door to go. You want to know where your hotel is. You want to know how you're going to get there because you're going to be tired. Right. And you do not want to be wandering around an airport. Oh, I wonder how I wonder what taxi I should take. Where am I going to go? I've got luggage. It's just not pleasant. And I don't leave anything to chance if I can help but the experience traveler and don't take a lot of luggage. If you can't manage it, don't take it. We've we've been away for almost six weeks. We each have a carry on and we each have one piece of luggage that we carry. And you know how to pack and you know what to take, and you don't you don't take a lot.
Christel Seeberger: [00:30:40] John, if there was one thing you could think of that makes travelers comfortable. What would that take home message be? What makes people who travel with you comfortable?
John Simon: [00:30:54] That's a hard answer. I mean, to me, once again, it's the pace of the travel that people don't feel like they're being rushed and want to point out very well, you know, we're not moving hotels every night. We try to spend at least two or three nights in every single hotel so people can open their bags, unpack and and relax a bit. So to me, the pace is key in allowing people to be comfortable, you know, have some control. At the end of the day, it's people's it's their own vacation. Right. And I'm not I'm not keen on an approach which sort of dictates, you know, the moves every day or this activity going on. You have to be there. This has to do with you say often times, like the bus is leaving at 10:00. If you're not there, we're leaving and we'll be back at 6:00. And if you're then you can join us then. Right now, it doesn't matter to me if that if you want to do something different that day, you do it right. It's your vacation. You paid the money. You shouldn't be forced to do what someone else is telling you the whole trip. So I think people can spend more time now. You ask, but it may change the travel. People can spend more time thinking about what they want to do and not having to subscribe to like a prepackaged, you know, 14 different locations over 14 days trip. That's generic and not for them because there's lots of options that people can have their own trips now
Trish Hamilton: [00:32:07] Knowing that we will be traveling again very soon. Can you recommend a place that you think someone who may want a slower pace or who, you know, not the bright lights and somebody who wants a good vacation but doesn't want sort of the hustle and bustle? And what would you recommend for that?
John Simon: [00:32:28] I'm looking at it and say Greece again.
Mona Crowley: [00:32:31] You know what I'm going to say?
John Simon: [00:32:33] I mean, definitely. I mean, Greece is one of our favorite spots. And, you know, you can pick any island or small coastal village around Greece and you won't be disappointed. You'll be happy, you know, but there's also many other places there, smaller villages, you know, in big areas like the Amalfi Coast. We stayed in a small one, Marina del Gattoni, which on the Amalfi Coast. And you wouldn't have, you know, just down the road is Positano on Amalfi, which are huge back towards Earth. But we're in a little village. We had it almost to ourselves. Right. We were staying right on the beach
Mona Crowley: [00:32:59] Where we stayed in France,
John Simon: [00:33:01] France and Provence rostral. I mean, you know, we rented a house there and there's three restaurants and that was it in the main square. And by the end of the trip, like all the restaurant owners own, knew us. And that's another situation where his machine didn't work that night. And he said, come back tomorrow and pay. And we do know that a lot of drinks, a lot of food. You know, we stayed in some beautiful villages in southern Spain as well. We stayed one way up in the mountains, a white village there, only one hotel of twelve rooms. And we had ten of them. There's a little point of a mountain all by itself. And, you know, it was just us in the village. So there are there are good spots like that in most countries that you go to. So if a traveler wants that slower pace, I would say, you know, look at those. Right. I mean, as one knows from many trips, prickly ones do it myself. I'll go on Google Maps and I literally walk around the maps in the villages that I'm thinking of. And I'll walk the streets. I'll look around and I'll say, OK, this looks like a place where I think this group is going to enjoy. It's got the right amenities and it's everything's in walking distance. That's what we'll find a spot to stay.
Trish Hamilton: [00:33:57] Again with the preparation and looking ahead and really knowing what you're getting into, because maybe some people that would be their ideal vacation and maybe for some people it wouldn't be. So looking ahead and knowing what you're getting into, I think it's probably a big part of it.
John Simon: [00:34:11] Yeah. And into the sensory side of things, I mean, you can you can combine both without stressing people too badly because and we stayed in the Amalfi Coast, we stayed in that small village, but then we took the ferry out to Capri for a day, which is, you know, a huge hive of activity, very high end store shops, lots of tourists. So you get out for the day. But then we're back on the ferry back to our little village that night. Right. So you can control the amount of exposure to have to all that hectic pace, even trying to get on the ferry. There was almost a riot going to get off the island. But but so, you know, you can you can dip your feet in it, then just get out and get back to your pace again, recharge your batteries. Right. And that way you can sort of deal with some of that if you're if it bothers you.
Trish Hamilton: [00:34:49] So, Mona, have you thought where you would like to go next?
John Simon: [00:34:56] Don't look at me.
Trish Hamilton: [00:34:57] She's gonna say Greece again.
Mona Crowley: [00:34:58] No, no, no. I've always wanted to go to Lebanon, but I know that's that's not going to happen. John tried to plan a trip for us to Lebanon last year ago. Two years ago. Yeah. And it's just you just can't plan it. It's too much. It's too unstable. So I it's always in the back of my mind. And probably if it is ever safe enough, I'll be too old to drive. So no, no, it's funny because. There's just so many places
John Simon: [00:35:29] We are going to Portugal
Mona Crowley: [00:35:30] Next. We're going to Portugal. We will we will definitely do another river cruise. We love the river cruises can be very pricey, but they're so totally different than the ocean cruises and they are very, very geared for senior citizens. Again, they were three that when you go in the tourists, there are three levels of tours. There's the really fast moving tours and there's the moderate and then there's the slow. Even a wheelchair access can can do it. So the the river cruise and you're right downtown when you when you come into port. So even if you're on a wheelchair, you can go ashore and and see the sights. There's no children, there's no big bands. It's all very, very calm and very quiet and but still lots to do and lots to see. I just have one more travel tip, though, even not for seniors, couples who travel. I've traveled with several couples in the the men like to do their own suitcases and the women like to do their own suitcases and they keep them separate. Don't do that because when you lose a suitcase, it's not a good plan, especially for the women when she loses her suitcase is nothing in the other suitcase for her for her to have. So we were on a trip with my friends who had never traveled overseas. And I was telling them this and they said, What do you mean? I said, well, when he loses his luggage or when you lose yours, it's not going to be very fun if there's nothing else there. So I said, you put a little bit of everything in each suitcase. So that's a total travel, too. That's.
Trish Hamilton: [00:37:10] I know a friend who would have loved to have had it. Now, Christel, is there anything else or no.
Christel Seeberger: [00:37:19] Mona and John, you've just given a tremendous amount of I say both information and inspiration. Right. And so, yeah, I thank you both. The strategies, the tips and the stories of what makes people comfortable is fascinating and gives us hope and makes us anticipate traveling all the places we want to go in the future. Thank you.
John Simon: [00:37:46] And I think, you know, for anyone that's concerned about sensory overload and things like that, they shouldn't you know, there are ways to plan trips for people like that to accommodate them. So, you know, if if they're if they have that issue, but they still want to have a chance to explore the world and do you can do things to to mitigate that by some of the techniques we talked about today, you know, and they can build trips around what what their concerns are, and still be able to get away and have that experience.
Trish Hamilton: [00:38:14] John Simon, Kefi Travel. How can people find you
John Simon: [00:38:20] These days, find his mostly online, Kefitravel.ca. We also have a Facebook page as well, and we're fairly active on both and occasionally have some videos as well. So that would be the best way to find this coffee travel dossier or track down Mona.
Mona Crowley: [00:38:36] I always say this guys my boss.
Trish Hamilton: [00:38:39] And Kefi is spelled K E F I?
John Simon: [00:38:40] That's correct. It's actually a Greek word. It means zest for life, good and bad things of life. It's it's taken everything that comes at you and, you know, and just enjoying it and moving on.
Trish Hamilton: [00:38:50] Nice. OK, Kefitravel.ca. OK. And Monique Crawley, our happy traveler, we wish you the best and thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us today.
John Simon: [00:39:00] Thank you both very much.
Mona Crowley: [00:39:02] Thank you, John.
Trish Hamilton: [00:39:03] On behalf of Christel Seeberger at Sensory Friendly Solutions, I'm Trish Hamilton saying thank you for listening.
Christel Seeberger: [00:39:09] A huge thank you to our special guest host, broadcaster Trish Hamilton, along with our guests for this bonus episode, traveler Mona Crowley and John Simon of Kefi Travel. Thank you to to all of our listeners around the world. We hope you are enjoying and learning from the fifty five plus travelers arriving and thriving audio conference brought to you by sensory friendly solutions, you can find more resources about making tourist attractions, events and locations sensory friendly on our website at sensory friendly dot net.
