Tracey MacDonald

Tracey MacDonald
Travel Agent, Branch Partner

Superstore at Joe Howe
3601 Joseph Howe Drive, Halifax, B3L 4H8

An Interview With Tracey MacDonald

How many years have you been selling travel?
I have been in the travel business for 30 years. The majority of that time has been booking leisure travel.

What are your hobbies?
As a family I have been a Host Family for International students coming to Halifax to learn English. We have participated in the program for over 6 years. I wanted our children to be exposed to different cultures at a young age. We enjoy travelling as a family. Now that my son is older he starting to travel on his own.

What type of resort activities do you favor? ie water sports, lounging by the pool, etc?
I very much enjoy soaking up the sun with a good book.

What are your favorite destinations?
The Dominican Republic is one of my favorite destinations. I had the privilege of spending 2 months living in a small fishing town in Las Terrenas on the Samana Peninsula. Australia and Ireland certainly top the list but now that returned from South Africa - It is my #1 destination. Kruger national park - luxury tenting was amazing!!

What languages do you speak?
English is my first and only language

PLACES I’VE BEEN

Australia

Travel History

South Africa - Game Drive - Kruger National Park and City stay Cape Town - 2024

What a bucket list trip this was!

Amazing luxury tent stay for 3 nights in Kruger National Park. We saw the BIG 5 (elephants, giraffe, lions oh my!) had an amazing guide. We flew from Johannesburg to Cape Town for a 5-night stay.

What a beautiful city. So much to do. Beautiful waterfront for shops/restaurants/bars. Beautiful coastal drive to the Cape of Good Hope - It was Spectacular!

Food and people were outstanding. I would go back tomorrow if I could.

The tour was with Exoticca and I would highly recommend them.

Greece - 2024

Arrive in Athens and dove straight into the city’s ancient roots. Explore the Acropolis, stand before the mighty Parthenon, and soak in the panoramic views of the city.

Wander through the Plaka district, a lively neighborhood full of neoclassical charm, souvenir shops, and authentic tavernas.

Traveled to Kalampaka, the gateway to Meteora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Explored two monasteries perched atop towering rock pillars. Each has a unique charm, religious art, and stunning vistas.

Traveled on to Olympia. Walked through the birthplace of the Olympic Games and stood on the ancient starting line.

Visited the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.

Greece is so much more than just the Islands.

Italy - Rome, Florence and Venice - Globus Tours - 2023

Rome was so much more than I expected. The history and even had the opportunity to see the Pope do his Sunday blessing at the Vatican.

Great tours guides then we were off to Florence. Beautiful city and great shopping. Venice was my favorite. What a magical city. The gondola ride was the highlight. I could have spent 4-5 day there.

This trip was a Globus - choice touring tour. Lots of options to have flexibility on touring or free time to roam on your own.

Punta Cana, DR - 2023

An outstanding trip to the 5 star Majestic Mirage in Punta Cana. The property is the perfect size at approx. 500 rooms. Service/food accommodation were awesome... And the beach.. WOW!

Australia - 2022

Is Australia worth that long trip for only 7 days.. It 100% is. This a travel agent fam trip for 7 days . We have 2 Nights in Brisbane, 4 nights in Cairns and 2 nights in Sydney.

We were not stop and it was awesome. Cairns was my favorite. Laid back beach town. This quick trip just wet my appetite to spend much longer here on my next trip back.

Rockey Mountaineer Rail Tour Banff to Vancouver - 2021

A trip of a lifetime. We live in such a beautiful country and I was in awe of the Rocky Mountains.

The service and experience on the Rocky Mountaineer were second to none. They truly roll out the red carpet.

Southern Ireland - Royal Irish Tours - 2019

I have just returned from Ireland on Royal Irish Tours. We had only 6 days but saw so much. What a beautiful country with beautiful people. It is very similar to the culture here in the Maritimes and felt very comfortable. We were in Dublin, Cork, Dingle and Killarney with many stops in between, including a few pub stops! Cruised along the Cliffs of Moher. visited the Titanic Museum, which was the last departure of the Titanic before it began it's sail across the Atlantic. So much history! I will be back to see much more of this beautiful country.

AMA Waterways River Cruise on the Danube - 2017

What an amazing experience this was! What a relaxing way to see some the most beautiful places in Europe. It was 5 star all the way. The cabins are beautiful and well planned with lots of storage space. The French balcony was great. We were able to slide back the glass doors and relax in our cabin as the scenery goes by. The public areas were also as relaxing. The main lounge surrounded with windows was a great place to have a drink and meet fellow passengers or curl up with your favorite book. The food was absolutely outstanding and plenty of it. The wine and beer certainly flow during lunch and dinner!

In each port you have your choice of tours from easy paced walking tours to more strenuous bike tours and hikes, all with excellent and knowledgeable guides from the local area.

If you have not River Cruised... I would highly recommend it and AMA Waterways was FANTASTIC!

Samana, Dominican Republic - 2015

Our family lived in this beautiful part of the Dominican Republic for 2 month Nov 2014-Jan 2015. We rented an apartment and a car and travelled extensively in this part of the country. It is such a laid back, relatively untouched by tourism and is truly a stunning part of the country. Long sandy beaches and no one on them, even during peak time.

The kite surfing is amazing and so is the surfing. There are not many places that are untouched in the Caribbean but this a little secret that will get out soon. So go now!