Sicily/Malta - Insight Vacations

Old Nov 9th, 2010, 08:28 AM
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Sicily/Malta - Insight Vacations

My wife and I have recently returned from our 4th Insight Vacation tour, Sicily in Depth with the Malta Option (September 23-October 4, 2010). It was a wonderful tour with many amazing sites and gourmet meals. Rather than repeat a day-by-day accounting of the itinerary I will provide a summary and/or observation of what we saw and did.

Flights: Our Air Canada flight left Toronto 1 hour late hence we were 1 hour late arriving in Rome. After a quick run for the B3 train to our terminal we hopped on the shuttle bus to the plane for our flight to Catania. As we got to the plane I noted that they had a staircase at both the front and the back of the plane. I thought this was a great idea.

As we took our seats I noticed that most people we still talking (loudly, if not yelling) on their cell phones contrary to the norm at home where all electronic equipment and phones are turned off once on the plane. Now I don’t know if everyone was flying for the first time, were frightened and wanted to make sure they said goodbye to their loved ones before their imminent death, or what, but it was a notable noise. I did see some though in quiet conversation so I assumed they were going to confession before their demise. When the plane started moving away from the gate they were told to put the phones away. Once we landed in Catania but before we got to the arrival gate out came the phones to report their safe arrival. Those that had been to ‘confession’ were now in heated debate with their confessor about what exactly had been said versus what had been inferred.

When the plane stopped everyone got up and tried to make their way to the exit. No orderly egress that you normally experience in North American travel but the every-man-for-himself kind that you often see depicted in movies about airplane crashes. We had a difficult time getting out of our row of seats and finally had to simply be rude and jump into the aisle without further regard.

We observed worse treatment of persons with priority boarding. As usual the gate official announced the priority boarding of first-class passengers, those requiring assistance and those travelling with children. So these passengers got up and boarded the shuttle bus to the plane. However, rather than taking them directly to the plane the officials proceeded to board the rest of the passengers regardless of which row they were seated in. Now the priority passengers were blocked in the seats on the shuttle. Once the bus arrived at the plane it was a free for all. People sitting at the back of the plane boarded at the front and vice versa. Meanwhile those requiring assistance or with children were left to fend for themselves.

The same things happened on our flight from Catania to Malta and then Malta to Rome.

Shuttles: The shuttles to the Catania airport for our flight to Malta and from our hotel in Malta to the airport for our flight to Rome were perfect. However the same can’t be said about our shuttle from the airport in Catania to our hotel in Giardini Naxos.

Our flight arrived in Catania around 3:15 but we did not exit Customs and baggage claim until 3:45. Unfortunately the last Insight shuttle had left at 3:30. We jumped in a taxi assuming the hotel was close by. The cab driver said (in broken English) that the hotel was 5 or 6 kilometers from the airport at least that is what we understood. So away we went. Ten minutes and 20 Euro later we asked if he knew where he was going. Oh yes, oh yes he assured us. The meter kept climbing…30, 40 70, 80 Euros. We finally saw a sign for Giardini Naxos and realized the driver had meant 56 kilometers. Rather than being a suburb of Catania (like we assumed) it was a town. As we pulled into the parking lot of our hotel the meter hit 100 Euro. Not the start to our vacation we expected.

At the ‘meet and greet’ that evening we met 2 other couples who had been on the same flight as us and had also taken a taxi to the hotel. We mentioned this to the Tour Director. She indicated that she would have had the shuttle wait for us had she known we were on the flight just arriving from Rome. This was not the answer we had expected as Insight had made all of our flight arrangements. We would have expected that our arrangements would have been relayed to, and confirmed with, the Tour Director.

My wife and I knew that this ‘failure to communicate’ was out of the ordinary for Insight given our previous tours but this was the others first excursion with Insight and did not give them much of a first impression. It should be noted that as the tour unfolded their first impression was changed as they saw how well Insight takes care of its’ client.

Our Group: There were 18 Australians, 14 Americans, 5 Canadians and 1 person from New Zealand in our tour group. It was a great bunch and we had a wonderful time hearing about others travels especially the Australians as they seem to travel longer and further afield then some of us. They certainly have given us some food for thought in choosing our next venture.

Tour Director/Local Guide: Our Tour Director was Andie Brown. She is a lovely lady, extremely well organized, truly knowledgeable and dedicated even working later some nights preparing some personal little additions for our tour. It was greatly appreciated. Diana was a local guide that led us on our tours of Taormina, Syracusa and to the Villa Romana del Casale outside the nearby town of Piazza Armerina. She certainly brought the sites to life with her knowledge of Roman and Greek history and her exuberant storytelling.

Departure/Arrival Times: Most days we had wake-up calls by 6:00 with breakfast starting no earlier than 6:30. Departure times varied but we never left the hotel before 8:00. There were some days when we didn’t arrive at our hotel before 5:30 but most of the time we arrived by 4:30.

Life on the Bus: We had a very good and punctual group. Of course there was the daily rotation of seats (back 2 seats on the right each day, up 2 seats on the left) which allowed everyone the opportunity to sit at the front of the bus. Unfortunately some of us caught colds which then passed through the group. After acquiring some medications from the pharmacy all went well.

SICILY
Villages: You will visit many small villages, some perched on the top of a mountain, some along its side. Each village was interesting in its own right, many with cobble-stoned streets, some with steep inclines, some with a myriad of small alleyways breaking off from main through-fares. Taormina, Erice (ancient walled city) and Ragusa Ibla (old Ragusa) would be the most memorable.

After touring the Greek Theatre in Taormina we spent a couple of hours shopping on the wide pedestrian mall and then settled in at a piazza café for some light fare while watching a street performer do his best as the Statue of Liberty.

As you approach Ragusa Ibla you are awe struck by the postcard setting of the town perched above the newer section of Ragusa. We had a wonderful lunch just off a main square and then had time to purchase a wide assortment of chocolates from a vendor apparently named as the ‘best chocolate in the world’.

Basilicas/Cathedrals: We learned that the main difference between a basilica and a cathedral is that a cathedral contains the seat (cathedra) of the Bishop. Both offered amazing views of paintings, frescoes, mosaics, statues and in some cases tombs of notable gentry, artists and clerics.

Ancient Sites: While the Greek Theatre in Taormina was interesting I was most impressed by the Greek Theatre at Syracusa and the ‘Ear of Dionysius’. As we left the ‘ear’ a choir group broke out in song echoing across the site. The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento was also very interesting even more so at night when the alit monuments could be seen from our hotel room. I was also very impressed with the Villa Romana del Casale.

http://www.italyguides.it/us/sicily_...ek_theater.htm

http://www.italyguides.it/us/sicily_...ek_theater.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_of_Dionysius

http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/456_V...el_Casale.html

Accommodation: We had no complaints with any of our hotels. Of course some were a little more upscale but all certainly met our needs and Insights standards.

Buffet Breakfast/Meals: Most buffet breakfasts consisted of eggs, sausage (actually more like hotdogs), bacon, fruit, cereals, an assortment of breads, platters of sliced meat and cheese, juice, coffee. The meals could be quite different but all offered at least 4 courses. You would start with an anti-pasta, then pasta, then the main dish (fish, chicken, veal, beef) followed by desert. My but you do certainly eat hardly meals.

Optionals: The only optional tour we did not take was the excursion to Mount Etna simply because we have been to a number of volcanoes in our journeys. All the optionals were certainly worthwhile especially the following three offered in Palermo.

We left the hotel at 6:15 (got back at 11:00) for the dinner at the farmhouse in the hills above Palermo. We were first served a plate of prosciutto and fried mozzarella cheese, then a plate of eggplant and fried vegetables, then a plate of salami accompanied with smoked cheese, and finally the main meal of sausage, pork and potatoes. Well, not exactly finally. There was of course desert with a wonderful espresso. To wrap it up we were served home-made lemoncello liqueur.

The outing to the Vucceria open air market was worthwhile especially if you have never experienced this before. As you make your way through the narrow aisles, ducking the various umbrellas, canopies and awnings you are hit with the smell of vegetables and fruit, flowers, fresh baked goods. Of course walking by the fresh fish was another matter.

Afterwards we headed to the Capuchin Catacombs. Unbelievable! Do not miss this.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/i...chin-catacombs

The ‘Seafood Spectacular’ was another one of those ‘I can’t believe I ate the whole thing’ moments. We had pasta, salad, swordfish, calamari, shrimp, jumbo prawns, and desert before closing with a lemon sherbet.

The Sicily portion of our tour ended in Catania with a great highlight dinner at our hotel. It was a fairly early night with most people heading out the next morning for places afar while we readied for our excursion to Malta.

We thoroughly enjoyed Sicily and would recommend it others without hesitation.

MALTA

Only 7 of us continued on to Malta. There was one couple from the USA (on their 15th Insight tour), their travelling companions from Canada (on their 12 Insight tour) and well- travelled young lady from New Zealand (departing for a tour of Greece following Malta).
When the shuttle pulled up to the Grand Hotel Excelsior in Valletta we were amazed. Are we really staying here? Please don’t tell us it was a mistake. It was absolutely stunning. As we walked in we were struck by the marble statues, the crystal chandeliers, the leather chairs and couches.

The Insight representative provided drinks and snacks while she gave us a quick orientation, an outline of the excursion included in the Insight brochure and also offered another outing to the island of Gozo the following day.

After a quick check-in we made our way to our rooms. Unbelievable. They provided everything including small shaving kits with the shaving cream. We had a small furnished balcony overlooking the front entrance and the wide staircase climbing up to Valletta’s city centre.

That night the 7 of us had wonderful dinner together in the hotel restaurant. This afforded us the opportunity to discuss more fully our ventures with Insight and other sojourns we have made. We certainly have some great new ideas for future holidays.

Buffet breakfast was included during our stay. Now we had become quite accustomed to the usual fare provided by most hotels but this buffet was so much more expansive and even included a nut bar (walnuts, brazil nuts, hazel nuts).

At 8:00 the next morning the other 5 were heading out on the excursion to Gozo. From all reports this was well worthwhile and included stops at ancient temple sites. We didn’t go as we already had plans to go to the Hypogeum at Paola.

The Hypogeum is a pre-Christian three storey underground burial site. You must purchase tickets well in advance of your visit as they only allow access to 80 people per day, 10 at a time. We were there on October 2nd. A sign indicated that they were sold out till October 25th.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypogeum

While you can get there by taking the number 1, 6 or 11 bus, we took a taxi (20 Euro) to ensure we would get there on time. From the various maps we had looked at it appeared that Paola was a village where in fact it was really more of a suburb as it was totally built up between Valletta and Paola. As it ended up we could have taken the bus and been there in lots of time.

The tour lasts about 1 hour. While you are provided an audio-guide you are also accompanied by a site official who tells you when to duck your head and how many steps you will be climbing or descending at certain points. This was quite appreciated as you are pretty much in the dark as only computer-controlled subdued lighting is available. No pictures are to be taken.

As we exited the Hypogeum we turned left. At the head of the street turn left again and walk on for a few blocks. Following signs on the walls you will arrive at the Tarxien Temple site (6 Euro entrance fee). Unfortunately there was no audio-guide or site guide provided. Consequently the site really appeared no more than rubble when compared to the sites we had just seen in Sicily.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/m...arxien-temples

Afterwards we retraced our steps back to the main square where we caught the bus (47 cents) back to Valletta. I am sure the bus was a 50s version with its grinding gears and creaking. It was quite the experience. The bus brought us to the bus terminal outside the main gate to Republic Street.

Republic Street (Valletta) it a fairly wide pedestrian mall with all manner of stores, cafés, restaurants and interesting places. We were disappointed that St. John’s Cathedral was closed as I had wanted to see Caravaggio’s famous painting ‘The Beheading of John the Baptist’. We did get to tour the Grand Master’s Palace (Knight of St. John of Malta, 10 Euro entrance fee) before settling in to lunch at an outdoor café.

Later that afternoon we headed out the back of the hotel for the short walk down Great Siege Road to the water taxi (1 Euro) over to Silema. Once there we joined Captain Morgan’s Grand Harbour tour (16 Euro). Well worthwhile.

The following morning we left for the tour of the Blue Grotto. The 25 minute tour I felt was a little too rushed. I was disappointed that we would not have time for a quick swim.
http://vrmalta.com/malta-tour/source...-grotto-r.html

After the Grotto we went to Marsaxlokk a small fishing village on the south-east coast for a shopping excursion. I found it a little tedious in the heat of the day with the crowds and the stuffiness while trying to make your way through the market area. I would have preferred spending more time in Valletta.

We absolutely loved Malta and hope to return for a more extended stay.

On Monday October 4th we flew to Rome where the next day we would be starting Insights Italian Escapade tour.
DaveJJ is offline  
Old Nov 9th, 2010, 09:37 AM
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Thanks for your report. I spent 12 days on Malta and found there was quite a bit to do there so I hope you get back to see the rest. I hope you went to Marsaxlokk on a Sunday as the market is much better than it is on weekdays.

Aren't the buses amazing? And the bus drivers are so cranky! They don't really keep to a schedule. One bus ride (I think it was from Mdina to Valletta) was supposed to take 25 minutes but only took 17. And if you get the last bus of the day you're really in for a wild ride. I never saw so many people crossing themselves outside of a church! LOL
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Old Nov 10th, 2010, 05:06 AM
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I am curious about the age-range of the folks on the trip.
Also, how many were on the trip. It is difficult to find a trip limited to Sicily from the US so I am keeping records for when the time comes.

Pat
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Old Nov 10th, 2010, 10:28 AM
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There are never more than 40 people on an Insight tour. Other tour companies will have up to 50 passengers. Insight has some of the seats removed from the buses they use so that everyone has comfortable leg room.

On this tour there were 39 of us with the majority between 55-70. This held true for the other 3 Insight tours we've taken. I'd say the 'mean' age would be 62.
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Old Nov 10th, 2010, 11:42 AM
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wanttogo - Grand Circle does tours that are dedicated to Sicily (they do have extensions of their Sicily tour). I've taken two of the GCT tours and found the guides to be knowledgeable and the trips well run. I'm about to do another trip with them in the spring to Egypt.

http://www.gct.com/Trips/2011/Sicily-2011.aspx
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Old Nov 10th, 2010, 03:50 PM
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wanttogo,

I have taken tours with Insight and agree that they are excellent and do limit the numbers on their tours. I've also traveled with Grand Circle 5 or 6 times and absolutely love touring with them. The time they spend in each place is far greater than most other tour companies.

For instance, I'm planing to go to Sicily with them next spring and they will spend 6 days in Palermo, 1 in Agrigento and 6 days in Taormina. They also have the option to go to the Amalfi Coast and Malta if you choose.

One thing they do that I haven't found in other tours is a "Home Hosted Lunch or Dinner". They divide up the group and 8 or 10 will each go into someones home for a meal. It's one of my favorite parts of the tour. Seeing how they live and eating the foods of the area. Fabulous!

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful time!
Susan
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Old Nov 12th, 2010, 11:39 AM
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Thanks for sharing your report! I love description of the airplane melee to start the trip (particularly the post-landing confessional retractions - too funny).
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Old Apr 9th, 2011, 05:34 PM
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Club ABC Tours offers tours to Sicily only. I have taken their 9 day tour which was very enjoyable and very good value. I would not recommend going in the summer as it is hot and humid. it only costs a small amount to belong to the club for a year.
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Old Apr 9th, 2011, 06:38 PM
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DaveJJ, thank you for your report on your Insight trip to Sicily and Malta. I have looked at that offering many times, but at present the dates are not convenient for me. I have taken four tours with Insight and, like you, heartily recommend them for those who prefer escorted jaunts. Went to Switzerland, Portugal/northern Spain, and Paris/Provence, and Best of Britain in recent years. Would agree that the optionals are well worth the price.
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Old May 13th, 2011, 04:25 AM
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Hi thanks for your report. I will be going in malta on 21 May for two days. Someone can say me the must-see in malta? I have time to go to Gozo island?
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Old May 13th, 2011, 04:26 AM
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sorry I forgot to ask for very good and reasonable priced restaurants in Malta?
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Old May 14th, 2011, 07:12 AM
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You can see a number of interesting places in Valletta. I would certainly try to see the Grand Master's Palace and St. John's Co-Cathedral. Even just walking around Republic Street is interesting. While I can't recommend a particular restaurant I can say that you will find a good variety of establishments on/just off Republic Street.

Gozo is not that far away from 'mainland' Malta. I would think you could easily add that as an excursion.
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Old Oct 10th, 2015, 10:25 PM
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Thanks for the detailed account of the Sicily tour, David! I am considering this trip (only Sicily portion) for 2016. Can you tell me if this was an exhausting trip or easy paced? Also, I am thinking of going by myself (I am 39, will be 40 when this trip comes around next year). Are there many solo travellers on this trip?

Also, how many days of the tour are spent on the bus? Are there days when you don't have to be on the bus?

In Rome, are the connecting flights to Catania only accessible by shuttle?

What time was the welcome dinner on the first night.

For 2016, the tour will operate in reverse - starting at Una Palace Catania.

Thanks!

Livia
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Old Oct 11th, 2015, 04:38 AM
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live4ever76.....I'll try answering your questions in order.

In comparison to some other tours we have taken with Insight (to date 8) I would say this was easy paced. But I should note that there are early departures. Both my wife and I were used to getting up early when we were working so we did not find that a problem.

Each tour we have been on there were a few single travellers. I don't recall how many on the Sicily tour but I think on average there were at least 3-5.

Most days you will be on the bus moving on to the next city/town. However in some locations you arrive early in the afternoon with an optional tour offered for the remainder of the day. If you choose not to do the optional then you would have some 'down time' to explore on your own.

When I mention 'shuttles' I mean the shuttles provided by Insight to and from the airport and hotel. Since your tour would be starting in Sicily then a shuttle in Rome would not be applicable.

The welcome dinner was between 6 and 7.
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Old Oct 13th, 2015, 11:32 PM
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Hi Dave!

Thanks for your prompt reply and the detailed info. I'm really glad I found your post on this trip.

Also, I am thinking of going a day earlier, since I heard that was advisable to get over jet lag. Did you do this for this trip?

The 2016 hotel line up for the Sicily trip is the following:

Day 2: Una Hotel Palace, Catania
Day 3: Mediterraneo Palace, Ragusa
Day 4: Best Western Ai Cavalieri, Palermo (3 nights)
Day 7-8: Hilton Giardini Naxos: Giardini Naxos (2 nights)

Staying at good, clean hotels will be a factor in choosing a tour for me. I like the Hilton and Una Palace, but I'm a little wary about the Best Westerns, although I know they are a "premier" line typical of most European hotels.

Did you happen to stay at these same hotels and if so, what is your input on them?

I have a few more questions for tonight. On average, how long were you on the bus daily travelling to destinations?

Also, regarding the meals not included - lunches and dinners, will there be optional arrangement meal excursions provided or will the tour guide recommend some places?

Thanks again for all of your input! I sincerely appreciate it!

Livia
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Old Oct 14th, 2015, 04:59 AM
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Very informative trip report. Book-marking for later.
BTW, super funny description of the antics of people while in the plane! I could not help laughing
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Old Oct 14th, 2015, 05:50 AM
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In an effort to combat jetlag my wife and I take melatonin. We start taking it 2 days before our departure (at 2:00 pm) and then for a couple of days once we have arrived (at the 2:00 pm equivalent, ie. 7:00 pm). It works for us. Though we didn't for this trip we have in the past flown in to Europe at least 1 day in advance of the tour to help get adjusted. Sometimes we break up the travel by staying one night where we first land (ie. Frankfurt) before continuing on to where the tour starts (ieAthens, Cairo)

We stayed at the same hotels in Ragusa and Palermo. I don't recall the details of each hotel but generally speaking all the hotels we have stayed at with Insight have been quite satisfactory. The only problem we had once was the hotel in Florence but that was due to the heat and the fact that the city had issued an order that all air-conditioners had to be turned off October 1st.....three days before we got there.

Sicily is not a large island so travel between the various destinations does not involve a long time each day on the bus (perhaps 4 hours). The long days (if you want to call it hat) was more because there are many stops along the way at some very interesting places. We were surprised by the number of Roman and Greek ruins.

The Tour Directors with Insight are usually very well informed and could certainly offer suggestions for lunch. However we love discovering small local restaurants on our own to get a taste of the real local fare.

I would recommend the Malta option if you can work it in. It is quite interesting and the hotel Insight used was unbelievable. In fact we just got home last week from Malta (started in Amsterdam then Rome then Malta). We stayed at the same hotel. Malta has a number of interesting sites especially the temples that are older than the pyramids.
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Old Oct 14th, 2015, 04:37 PM
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Ok, thanks for the additional info Dave!

On average, how long did you travel on a the bus before there was a rest stop or stop to visit a destination?

Four hours on a bus non-stop seems really long!
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Old Oct 15th, 2015, 04:01 AM
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There are regular stops for bathroom breaks, at least once every 2 hours. The frequency of these stops of course depends on how long it had been since you left a destination stop. There are also rest/total driving time requirements that the driver has to observe.
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Old Oct 15th, 2015, 04:55 PM
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Thanks, Dave! Did you book air with Insight or on your own?
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