Dear Fellow Traveler: This month we feature some more valuable travel tips, fun facts, an all-inclusive incentive trip to Mexico and a unique wilderness resort in Montana.

At the crossroads of incomparable luxury and unspoiled wilderness lies The Resort at Paws Up. A luxury ranch resort situated on a sprawling 37,000-acre authentic working cattle ranch in western Montana. Whether you choose an expansive private home or a sophisticated, safari-style luxury tent, Paws Up provides an unfiltered connection with the natural beauty of Montana amidst a landscape of impeccable rustic elegance and comfort. Here, you'll live day to day, adventure to adventure. Spend an hour, a day, or a week on horseback - all in a wilderness sanctuary you'll never forget. Cast a fly in sparkling waters to eager trout, explore the land Lewis & Clark swooned over, or lose yourself in a world-class spa. You'll sleep on the finest sheets, eat world-class cuisine and receive impassioned personalized service. It's home to first-class adventure on a grand scale. The Resort at Paws Up - truly The Last Best Place.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Paws Up offers accommodations for groups of up to 200 guests. Choose from a selection of luxuriously appointed, multi-suite homes designed specifically to accommodate groups and retreats. The resort features 18 luxuriously appointed homes that offer two, three or four bedroom options.

From late May through September, you can experience the resort’s 30 luxury tents, each with a private, ensuite master bathroom. These tents are more reminiscent of a luxury hotel room featuring hardwood floors, large king beds with duvets, art-adorned walls, dressers, mirrors and electricity. The bathrooms include heated slate floors and Montana-size showers and vanities.

DINING

Drawing from the agricultural wealth of Montana and the West, the Chef at Paws Up creates refined rustic ranch cuisine that articulately blends the most sophisticated culinary techniques with the freshest meats, produce and ingredients available.

Enjoy the atmosphere at either of the two on-property restaurants. Or, soak up the rustic luxury of Paws Up at a lavish barbeque where guests enjoy the spectacular scenery as dinner sizzles nearby. Every sense is excited. Every meal brings new adventure.

From gourmet cuisine inspired from cultures around the world, to authentic western ranch dishes, the dining experience is truly unforgettable.

RECREATION

Adventure enthusiasts rejoice! The 37,000 acres of resort, 100 miles of trails, 10 miles of the Blackfoot River and 1.5-million acres of the nearby Bob Marshall Wilderness combine to make for the ultimate wilderness playground.

Saddle up for a definitive Montana horseback riding adventure, take your best shot at a world-class sporting clays course, or experience Montana fly fishing with an expert guide or kick up some dust on an ATV tour. Nearby championship golf may challenge you next.

And, if that doesn’t satisfy your adventure appetite, there’s also swimming, boating, hiking, mountain biking, paintball, rafting, kayaking, rappelling and more.

All-Inclusive Perfection on the Pacific Ocean

Our client was looking for a couples incentive program, designed to run for eight weeks and culminating in a five star experience at an all-inclusive resort. The destination needed to not only provide first class accommodations, but appropriate function space, dining possibilities, as well as a wealth of activity options - from extreme to serene - to suit every taste.

Puerto Vallarta was the perfect choice: a new and fresh destination for our client which checked all the boxes and offered amazing value for their budget.

Gorgeous weather, a luxurious resort, white sand and the Pacific Ocean provided the backdrop for this spectacular event, and Monalto provided the planning experience and expertise to bring it all together in perfect harmony, inspiring guests to want to earn the trip every year.

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Where we've been this month...

Our clients visit some fantastic destinations each month! Here are some of the places we have hosted clients recently:

The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island
Kiawah Island, SC

The Lodge at Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach, CA

Seelbach Hilton
Louisville, KY

Glenegedale House
Isle of Islay, Scotland

Grand Central Hotel
Glasgow, Scotland

Clarion Hotel Dublin City
Dublin, Ireland

Westin St. John
St. John, USVI

Did You Know?

1. The shortest airline flight that you can buy tickets for lasts just two minutes and runs from the Scottish island of Westray to Papa Westray.

2. In 1987, American Airlines eliminated one olive from each salad served in first class. This saved them $40,000.

3. It's illegal to feed the pigeons in San Francisco. Citizens are even encouraged to report pigeon feeders to the city’s police department.

4. The North American “OK” sign made by curling the thumb and forefinger together is an obscene gesture in Turkey, Brazil and Germany, and can be seen as a threatening gesture in parts of the Middle East.

5. When flying Emirates you are not only permitted to use your cell phone (on select flights), but you can also keep an eye on what's going on outside the plane via several external mounted cameras which display on a personal screen.

What to do on Departure Day

It’s finally here… the trip you have been anticipating for months. The excitement is building! Your flights are booked, hotel confirmed, bags are packed! All you have to do is GET THERE!

So here are some tips to ensure you make it smoothly through departure day!

1. Check-In Online
Usually available from 24 hours to 90 minutes before your flight departure time – quick, easy and convenient! At your airline's website: check-in, choose your seat (seatguru.com will help you find the best seat), order a special meal, prepay additional baggage fees, request an upgrade (if eligible), and then print your boarding pass. Or, if you really want to keep up with the 'in' crowd, download the airline's app to your smartphone where you can do all of the above, and you won't even need to use a printer! Of course, make sure your phone is charged before leaving for the airport!

2. Be Prepared
The Boy Scouts were on to something - always be prepared! Before leaving for the airport always check you have your ID (driver's license or passport), credit or bank cards, any important medication, and your phone. Almost anything else that you forget can be acquired at your destination. Also, it's a good idea to check your flight status. Flightstats.com or the FlightTrack app will help you out.

3. Leave Enough Time
Such a simple concept yet so often overlooked. You need to be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to your flight (3 hours for international). Allow for traffic (Google Maps shows real-time traffic), allow for security lines (the TSA has an app for this), allow for ANY X factor delay. Some times and days are worse than others so plan ahead, leave early and you won't be disappointed.

4. Baggage Drop (if applicable)
You've already checked-in online and paid any baggage fees, so this should be a breeze! A quick flash of your ID and boarding pass (or smartphone) and you should be on your way. Expedia offers a quick reference for the different airlines' baggage costs.

5. Be Patient with Security
It's frustrating, tedious and downright stressful - we get it! But you can save some time and frustration by dressing and packing to simplify the process. Wear minimal jewelry and easily removable shoes, have your laptop in an easily accessible location, and abide by the TSA rules on liquids, gels, etc. Your belt, watch, phone, wallet and anything else from your pockets should go into your bag. Don't give the TSA agents any reason to search you! If they do hold you up, just remember "kindness kills" - you won't do yourself any favors at all by complaining.

6. Pre-Boarding
You're at the gate with time to spare and the only thing left to do it wait. Right? Well, that depends. Don't forget, you will be spending the next while sitting on an aircraft so why not use this time to check out shops, pick up supplies (especially a bottle of water for the flight) or get a decent snack so as to avoid the potentially inedible plane food. iFly.com is a great resource for detailed airport information. Of course, make sure you are back at your gate at least 30 minutes before your flight. This is now your time to wait, relax, check your email and dream about your destination.