All travelers to the various erotic resorts have what I like to call “sexpectations”. It is exactly these “sexpectations” that will influence their choice of resort, week and or group, and ultimately whether or not the adventure is a memorable one.

Sex-pec-ta-tions

1. The act or state of expecting : anticipating sexual adventures
2. Basis for expecting : assurance of sexual adventures
3. Prospects of experiencing sex

While everyone has sexpectations, like fantasies, they are not all the same. Although there are an endless number of variables and sub fantasies we breakdown the sexpectations of the majority of our travelers (couples) into three primary categories.

Adventure Travelers (voyeurs) – Those seeking to be immersed in an erotic, even sexually charged atmosphere to enhance and recharge their own sexuality and relationship. They are excited, even aroused by being in the erotic atmosphere, but do not have any desire to play or interact with anyone other than their own mate.

Virgin Explorers – Couples who have not really been involved in the lifestyle before. They have usually talked with each other about expanding and experimenting with their relationship. Typically, they view the open and free atmosphere of a clothing optional or nude resort as a great venue to experiment. Also, as we all know and most likely have personally experienced, often you are willing to try things when in a vacation atmosphere, in a foreign country surrounded by strangers that you might never consider in your home environment.

Seasoned Lifestylers – You know who you are, you may never have been to a lifestyle resort or you may have a tree at Hedo II (for those that do not know when you visit Hedo II 25 times they plant a palm tree with your name- there is a dentist that has 3!) either way you are there to experience and soak in everything and possibly everyone J

So how do you balance your Sexpectations and what is realistic to anticipate? As you can imagine they are different for each of the groups above, but oddly enough the three groups generally live in peaceful harmony at the same time at the same resort.

With that said, depending on your category and your sexpectations, there certainly might be different resorts and weeks where you are more likely to find more of your species!

This is where we work most closely with our travelers, helping them to select the right resort and the right week to allow them to realize and fulfill their sexpectations. Which resort is best? Should they just go on a normal week, or should it be a group week? How long should they go for? These are just a few of the factors to consider.

I like to tell folks, there is never any pressure to do something they may not be comfortable with. If anything, they might have to make their desires known or they may find themselves left totally alone out of respect for their space. Now I am not saying you need to wear a hat that says “come fuck us” (although some have recommended that as a tool) but you do have to present yourselves as open and willing to explore in order to get into that situation.

So, in short, think about your sexpectations, discuss them with your partner, then do it again and then do it again (communication is the key) J Then, when working with your favorite travel professional, don’t be afraid to tell them what category you fall into and what are your Sexpectations……it will pay off with the best vacation of your life J

This is the inaugural issue of a monthly travel column I have been asked to write for Kasidie. Over the coming months, I will take a look at various resorts and travel related issues from the point of view of the Lifestyle and Au Naturel communities.

Sometimes I will look at a particular resort and other times a specific issue but, regardless of the topic, I will explore it from that unique perspective of those of us in the Kasidie community. I will endeavor to make the observations and information poignant, informative, funny and hopefully a little bit sexy to capture the true flavor of the community and experience.

Quick background, my wife Lori & I own and operate Shoes Only Travel. As a niche market agency we only provide Lifestyle and Au Naturel Travel. This brings us in contact with a variety of people from all over the world and from all walks of life, all with one common desire, the enjoyment of Lifestyle & Au Naturel travel.

I thought that a good place to start would be with the most common question we get “Which is the best resort”? The answer to this age old question is……drum roll please……..”There is no correct answer”, at least not the same answer for everyone.

As different and diverse as people’s hopes expectations and desires are, so are their likes and dislikes. To make things even more complicated the same resort can have a totally different personality and vibe on different weeks depending on who is there.

Finally, from pretty much everyone’s perspective, while they might have a favorite resort, there are always things they like at one over another.  So someone may say they like resort A the best, but they really like the beach at resort B or the food at resort C or the party atmosphere at resort D and so on.

For Lori and I we certainly have certain resorts or adventures that we prefer over another but, depending what we are seeking on the specific trip we may prefer a different resort than our favorite because of the specific experience or crowd we are seeking on that trip. Basically, what I would say is if, for example, you have been to Hedo II 5 times maybe you should give Hedo III or Desire a try and Visa Versa you might surprise yourself!

It’s funny, whether from the US, Canada or Europe the questions, concerns and sense of excitement are relatively uniform from the “Virgin Traveler”. It usually revolves around a combination of excitement and fear of the unknown. For these travelers a common question and it is usually spurred by the mystic of Hedo (The granddaddy of this resort category) revolves around visions of Sodom and Gomorra J

What I like to say is, and this applies to most of our resorts is “Everything you have heard is true and everything you have heard is false”. This is because on any given week pretty much any experience from mild to wild is available to you. Although I would say that most newbie’s are somewhat surprised that it does not resemble stories of Caligula.

I touched on the most common questions we hear when speaking with our Virgin Adventurers - here is the most frequent comment we get upon their return; “This was the best vacation of our lives and we only want to travel to Lifestyle or Au Naturel resorts in the future, oh, BTW, we were looking at the calendar for next year and are these dates available?”

Jonathan Baltuch, along with his wife and best friend Lori are the owners of ShoesOnlyTravel.com. He can be reached there or through their profile here at Kasadie “ShoesOnlyTravel”.

Whether you’re looking for built-in friends and fun for your first trip to a lifestyle resort, or you’re looking forward to meeting up with old friends while meeting new friends to your favorite resort, a Shoes Only Travel resort takeover week may be just what you’re looking for. 

As the name implies, a takeover happens when Shoes Only books all the rooms in a resort or on a cruise giving them full, exclusive access to all the resort has to offer.   All the personal attention results in a more luxurious vacation for you and your partner! Another takeover plus is that with the resort all to Shoes Only guests for the week, all your fellow guests are there for the duration, unlike at other times during the year when check ins and check outs happen daily.  All your new friends will be staying just as long as you are!

For newbies to lifestyle travel, filling a hotel with others traveling with Shoes Only Travel may seem to mean only that everyone in the resort booked through the same travel agent- but that’s not the only perk of having booked for a takeover week.  When Shoes Only takes over, there are fun filled activities designed to get you mingling with your fellow Shoes Only travelers.  The first night is usually spent at a get-to-know-you reception where new lifestylers meet one another and experienced travelers reunite. Listening to returning guest regale their stories and pass along tips can help those newbies decide how to make the most of their first experiences. For the rest of the week, the activities are tailored to the Shoes Only crowd offering more fun and excitement.

Returning guests to a resort can have fun with the special activities planned exclusively for Shoes Only guests during a resort take over as they take in past favorites of the resort.  They can also enjoy familiar activities with a new level of service with the increased staff to guest ratios. 

Because take over weeks are 100% Shoes Only guests, bear in mind that there have to be enough guests registered to fill the resort requirement for take over.  This means you have to book ahead and pay in advance early enough to ensure a commitment to the vacation.  It also means it’s a great time to talk your friends, either real life or online, to join you. What a great way to meet friends from an online site such as Couples Touch or other social networking sites.  Even if you don’t click as well as you did online, there will be more playmates for you to meet in the course of your stay!

Shoes Only Travel has a variety of resort takeovers & group trips planned for 2009 at Desire, Hedonism, and Hidden Beach resorts as well as an exclusive Lifestyle Luxury Cruise, giving you 9 chances to give in to the private pleasures of an exclusive Shoes Only experience.  The first planned trip for 2009 is a holiday recovery in Desire, Los Cabos.  What could be a better gift than a get away in the sun with a nice group of  friends right after the stress of the holiday season?  It might be hard to put a bow on, but it is one gift you’re certain to remember forever! 

It is hurricane season in the tropics and just because Shoes Only Travel resorts are hot, hot, hot doesn’t mean they are immune from tropical storms or other travel disasters.

In the past resorts like Desire and Hedonism have given vouchers to guests whose adventures were cut short by a hurricane.  The smart thing to do is check with your resort or cruise line to find out what their policy is regarding inclement playing weather.

The better idea is to book your travel through a reputable travel agency such as Shoes Only Travel.  Having a travel agent on your side gives you someone in the know who will already have the answers, or will know who to call to find out how a resort or cruise line is going to accommodate you in the event of such an unforeseen event. 

Life happens and an array of other vacation pitfalls can keep you from your trip.  Better than relying on the good graces of your resort, Shoes Only Travel offers travel insurance through AIG that will cover the cost of your vacation, expedited returns, and, depending on the level of insurance you purchase, any damaged items or additional travel expenses due to the rushed end to your trip.

Besides weather related issues, the optional insurance also covers the cost of your excursion if you have to reschedule or miss it entirely due to vacation killers such as medical illness, financial issues along any leg of your trip such as airline strike, resort closure, homeland security threats, or even something as simple as being subpoenaed for jury duty.  Didn’t think about those scenarios when planning your sunny stay, did you?!

Of course insurance varies depending on what package you choose.  For a small fee, you can be sure to be covered in these events, however remote the chances may seem that they will happen. (Who thought the airlines would strike over the holidays?  But they did!)  Ask your Shoes Only Travel representative about more extensive coverage which will cover any reason that would keep you from your trip.

Travel insurance purchased through Shoes Only Travel costs very little in comparison to losing out on your trip.  While most resorts are accommodating to guests, travel insurance will guarantee that you receive full reimbursement of your expenses for a wider range of reasons allowing you to enjoy your fun at a time when you can really get into your stay.  Talk to your Shoes Only Travel representative- you’ve got more important things to worry about!