About Sand In My Suitcase
Welcome to Sand In My Suitcase!
This blog is about luxury travel (splurgey and affordable). Exploring exotic and close-to-home places. The wonder of discovering different cultures. Tasting the world. Dreaming where to go next. All weaved with a twist of adventure!
Who we are
We’re Janice and George Mucalov, lawyers by profession, now travel writers – much more fun, don’t you think?
Our travel articles and photos are published in leading U.S. and Canadian magazines and newspapers – and here on our blog.
BEST TRAVEL BLOG
We began our luxury travel blog in 2012.
It won 1st Place for “Best Travel Blog” in the 2017 Society of American Travel Writers (Can. chapter) annual awards.
And we’re tickled that we’ve won many more travel writing and blogging awards too!
Go to our blog now
This will take you straight to how we can help you (safari planning? where to stay in Los Cabos?), destination and other guides, our most popular posts and more...
Our travel style
We confess – we’re luxury lovers. Yes, that includes swank villa resorts with private pool suites. But also more affordable boutique inns oozing charm and character.
We love venturing off the beaten path. (Mozambique and Komodo Island, say hello!) As does discovering what’s close-to-home, which for us, is beautiful British Columbia.
And we have a crush on cruising (especially small ship and river cruises).
When we travel, you’ll find us hiking, snorkeling and bicycling. Sussing out cool museums. Gaping at UNESCO sites. Strolling city streets from end to end (poking our heads into this and that). And taking lots of photos!
Oh, we should mention that Janice never says “no” to a spa treatment.
Ethnic cuisine and good wine? Losing ourselves in long conversations with local guides and people? Also a big part of the enjoyment of our travels – which we like to share with you, our readers.
And if there’s an English book store or coffee shop around, George will find it.
Giving back
We’re not totally hedonistic though :-).
If we can, we prefer to write about hotels, cruises and tours that help in some way to make this world a better place. We donate 10% of what we make each year from our travel writing and blogging to Doctors Without Borders.
Travel writing memberships
We’re both members of the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC).
Janice is also a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA).
We write what we honestly think
All thoughts, views and words expressed in our travel stories and posts are our own. And we dish on the good and tell you about the not-so-good.
We adhere to the codes of ethics for professional travel writers set by SATW, TMAC and NATJA.
Dive into our travel blog!
Okay, that’s enough about us. Go now and take a peek at some of our travel posts.
100+ Surprising and fun facts about Greece
It’s illegal to wear high heels to the Acropolis, and Crete has healing powers. Really? These 100+ cool facts about Greece are fascinating!
The 11 most beautiful colonial cities in Mexico
Bursting with Baroque churches and gardens, the colonial cities in Mexico are beautiful! Queretaro, Taxco and Guanajuato are among the best.
12 Stunning sights you must see in Jasper National Park
From picture-perfect Pyramid Lake to hanging Angel Glacier, these are the 12 best sights you absolutely must see in Jasper National Park.
Why visit Athens? 12 Good reasons to go
Is Athens worth visiting? You bet! Trendy rooftop bars have sprouted. New hotels have been built. And the modern Acropolis Museum is splendid!
