Announcing TripConnect's Spring Giveaway Winner

Sarah Jonkus from Tennessee is the grand prize winner of our spring giveaway which ended June 14th.  Sarah, a nurse, is planning to use the prize to visit her mother-in-law who lives in Lithuania.   It won’t be Sarah’s first trip there.  In fact, she met her husband in Lithuania while teaching English as a foreign language. Take a look at Sarah’s guides on some great cities in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states.  Wish you won the giveaway? Our Fall Vacation Giveaway starts the very end of August.  Be sure to visit the TripConnect home page at the end of the month for more details and you can enter to be a winner like Sarah.

TripConnect Launches Facebook Application

Are you a Facebook user?

TripConnect's Facebook application allows you to display elements of your travel profile on your Facebook profile page. You can show off your favorite travel destinations, places that you want to go (your wish list) and travel groups that you joined.

Adding the TripConnect Facebook Application

To link your Facebook and TripConnect accounts, visit http://apps.facebook.com/tripconnect and click on the button to Add Application. Once added, you will be presented with a TripConnect screen asking you to login or register.

If you have already registered at TripConnect, click login and key in your userid and password. Voila, your accounts are linked and your Facebook profile page should now have a section your TripConnect Travel Profile.

If you need to register, then click to Register and follow the three step process. You'll enter general user information, enter My Travels (places that you've been and places on your wish list) and sign up for TripConnect Travel Groups. Make sure you check your email (and junk mail folder) to find the TripConnect Confirmation Email and click to confirm your email address. Once you complete this, you should be able to view your Facebook Profile page and see your TripConnect Travel Profile.

Updating Your Travel Profile

Once you've added the TripConnect Facebook Application, you can visit the edit page to update your profile. You'll see a list of links; you can edit your travels (places you've been, places you want to go), rate places, add reviews, or join more TripConnect Groups.

What is this all about?

We believe that the best travel advice comes from people you know (friends, family) and people that share similar travel interests. TripConnect is a tool to help you share your travel interests, get travel advice from people that you trust, and meet other travelers. Have a favorite travel destination? You can add a review that includes your favorite hotels, attractions, restaurants, and photos. Going somewhere soon? Get some friendly travel advice by posting a question to your friends and to your favorite travel groups. Want to meet people? Join your favorite Travel Groups or click on People to search for members that have been or want to go to a destination. You can also create a travel group that can be made public or private. Researching a destination? Visit our Destinations Page to see the latest reviews, questions, and articles.

Have fun!

Announcing TripConnect's Winter Giveaway Winner

Cynthia Dickey from Missouri is the grand prize winner of our last giveaway which ended March 28th.  Cynthia and her husband are planning to use the prize for a Hawaii getaway this December. Take a look at her profile and find out why traveling is Cynthia's favorite hobby. Wish you won the giveaway?  Our current Spring Vacation Giveaway ends June 14th, so there's still time to enter to win the $2500 travel voucher.  Click here to enter now and you could be a winner like Cynthia. If you already have entered the Spring Giveaway, get your friends to cheer your reviews and photos  to receive more entries. 

Let People Know How Helpful They've Been

Has a TripConnect member given you the tip that made your trip a success?  Let them know by sending a "Thank You".  These special Thank You notes help recognize the people that take the time to provide great information.  You can find links to Thank You's next to reviews.  So, next time you read a helpful review, let the writer know by sending them a customized Thank You which will appear on their profile page once they accept it.  Click here to see a sample Thank You for my Boston review.

Your Travel Guide

TripConnect’s new guides help make planning and researching your trips easier.  Guides contain a destination overview and have separate tabs for hotel, attractions and restaurant reviews. 

Ceyxa’s guide to Oahu, Hawaii has some great recommendations on the island and if you are interested in a budget trip to Barcelona, Sallyaquire’s guide is full of insider tips.  When you add your reviews try the new guide format.

Fall Travel Photo Contest Winners

Our recent Fall Travel Photo Contest received over 1,000 photos.
We are excited to announce the winners:

First prize:       Allison C (Allitcat) from New Jersey
Second prize:   Damien Balfour (Leviathan) from Australia

Thank you for sharing your wonderful travel pictures. 

Grow Your TripConnect Network in One Click

A strong network on TripConnect can help you learn about new and exotic locations from trusted friends. With a larger network, benefit from a friend or family member’s tips on your dream vacation or even a weekend getaway. 

Are you looking to grow your network, but just don’t have the time to enter many email addresses? TripConnect’s new Microsoft Outlook upload tool lets you import your email contacts with a SINGLE click.  Once your contacts are uploaded, you can see who is already a member and select which friends you want to invite. TripConnect will only send invitations to the contacts that you select and you can clear your list of contacts at any time.

Now you can easily invite all your Outlook contacts to link to you.  Ready to invite your contacts now? Sign on to TripConnect using Internet Explorer and click here to start developing your network today.

TripConnect Top Five Best Beaches around the World

Where do beach lovers vacation? Members of the beaches group on TripConnect.com rated their favorite beaches for a holiday.

1. MALÉ- KAAFU ATOLL, Maldives

Malé, says a TripConnect user leemieyee, is one of the best beaches in the Maldives. With its tropical climate and warm temperatures year round, the rays are inviting and relaxing for tourists and honeymooners. The beaches captivate visitors with their virginal white sand and wide shoreline views.   

2. SANIBEL ISLAND, Florida

TripConnect member kasdon finds that Sanibel Island has great beaches with creative activities for the whole family.   Sea Shelling: Sanibel Island is known for its shells stemming from the Gulf of Mexico. Beaches are said to be quiet and relaxing and you might even get glimpses of dolphins here.    

3. THE PUNALUU BLACK SAND BEACH, Hawaii

According to TripConnect beaches group member gabrielo, Punaluu is a great camping experience. Watch the blue Pacific Ocean break on the black sand. You can also swim with turtles, have a picnic or enjoy an afternoon siesta. The fresh water springs at the bottom of the bay can make for a chilly swim here.

4. GUADELOUPE

Guadeloupe, say TripConnect user pocius, is an overlooked island with contrasting sandy, white beaches and black, volcanic beaches.  A day trip to Les Sainte is also recommended for a getaway.

5. PLAYA RINCÓN BEACH, Samana, Dominican Republic

TripConnect member nrockwell finds this beach under developed with a local feel, unlike the larger, touristy resorts elsewhere on the island.  The hotels tend to be European owned and restaurants are diverse with good food. Expect few English speakers at Playa Rincón.   

TripConnect.com: Get Travel Advice From People You Know

Click here to join TripConnect’s beaches group.

Announcing Previous Contest Winners

We had hundreds of great submissions for the September contest and the results are in.
Here are the winners:

HOTEL MAVEN 
Ned Noname for his review of the Hotel Monaco in San Francisco.

SHOW AND TELL
Peter M from Australia's photo of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the Capitol.

FRIENDLY ADVICE
Maryann Virack’s advice on Vegas.

These members won gift certificates from Amazon.com for their excellent reviews:

Marquis Devereaux for his review of Harlem, New York.

Grant Price for his many contributions to the site.

Bortherleelove from Oregon for his review of Santorini, Greece.

Jabower from the UK for sharing survival tips on trekking to the holy lake of Gosaikunda in Nepal.

Jeans for her great contributions to the site.

Bummed you didn’t win? Enter our new Travel Photo Contest and you could be the next winner of a $500 travel gift card. 

Top Five Unusual Wine Trips

Forget Napa and Bordeaux, a new crop of wine-trip destinations are growing in popularity, according to TripConnect users.   

TripConnect’s Top Five Unusual Wine Trips:

1. Charlottesville, Virginia: Charlottesville is not only the location of Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, and the University of Virginia, but is also the center of dozens of world class wineries. Charlottesville is in fact, Virginia’s wine capital. An ideal trip for wine lovers who also want to delve into American history.

2. Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys, Chile: While fall is beginning in the U.S., it's springtime in Chile, with the early signs of next year's wine grape harvest just appearing on the vine.  These coastal wine regions feature some spectacular up-and-coming wineries, including Matetic, Casa Marin, and Kingston Family Vineyards. TripConnect user ckingston recommends these wineries for their exceptional, limited production Pinot Noirs, Syrahs, and Sauvignon Blancs.

3. Calistoga, California:  Often eclipsed by Sonoma and Napa, Calistoga California is home to many smaller, quality producers from the valley that do not have the luxury of a prime tasting room location.  For this reason, where to drink is almost as important as who’s growing: high on TripConnect user spenvin’s list is Barvino, a restaurant in the Mount View Hotel and Spa serving a well curated selection of wines from local producers such as Spencer Roloson Wineries.

4. Wachau Valley, Austria:  France and Italy are generally the first to come to mind when it comes to wine in Europe, but the wineries of Austria are some of the most highly acclaimed in the world. Enhancing the popularity of this region are the many cycling and tasting tours along the bucolic setting of the Danube River.

5. Mendoza, Argentina: For the adventurous vino fans who also love horseback riding, hiking and rock climbing: Mendoza, Argentina strikes just the right balance of healthy outdoor activities along with a chilled-out nightlife. This wine trip spot was listed for its very reasonable but delicious wines and overall party atmosphere.

For more wine tips, click here to join our wine group.
Next week’s Top Five: Top Five Unusual Hotels for Business Travelers. Want to share your travel tips? We want to hear from you.  E-mail us at top5@tripconnect.com.