Vacation in Hawaii? Kauai Vacation Rentals has hotels, condos, and more.
Vacation plan with help for a Hawaii directory: Hawaii Vacation on any island.
Find accommodations for your holiday in Cabo San Lucas Vacation in Mexico.
Travelers: Kauai Condos offers vacation rentals at Kuhio Shores.
Vacation with views: try Hanalei Bay Resort on your Hawaiian vacation.
May 20, 2004
Hotels in Europe
After getting used to small inexpensive motels in Korea, looking a the prices of hotels in Europe makes me wonder... Traveling in Europe is just so much more expensive than traveling in Asia (depending on the countries of course - Japan is expensive).
May 17, 2004
Japan Arilines frequent flyer mile problem
I usually speak highly of Japan Airlines, as I do in this JAL review from a while back. Today, however, I have a complaint. We made reservations to fly back to America this summer (economy as always) with plans to use our miles to upgrade one way (27,500 miles for an upgrade to business class). We found out that there are only ten upgrade seats available/flight and none remain available this summer.
Now miles expire after two years, and a chunk of ours expire in December. We have to figure out a way to use them which means we could be at the mercy of JAL. Whatever they say we can spend them on is what we have to take. Too bad we can't get what we want or save them.
May 12, 2004
Travel agents vs. the net / plane tickets
I just read an interesting article about a Canadian travel agent who was losing market share because his customers were turning to the internet. He has strated winning back customers with a web site of his own. I suppose this isn't just an issue for Canadian travel agents. The article mentions that nearly half e-commerce spending in the US and Canada is on travel. Here in Korea, I know I always search online (or my wife does) and when we find cheap plane tickets advertised or whatever we call up that agent. But that agent would never have gotten our business without their web site.
Speaking of plane tickets, I'm flying JAL again when I go visit my family this summer (I work in Korea; they live in America). Korean Air is the only airline flying direct from Korea to New York, and their service is excellent. But they are a bit pricey. We've also fflown JAL and Northwest. Prices are similar, but JAL's flight attendants are ten times better than Northwest's. I mean I only flew Northwest once, but never again.
May 8, 2004
A resort that's still an authentic fishing village
An intersting place to visit might be Praia do Forte or Fort Beach in Brazil. National Geographic Traveler explains how this town became a resort town without losing its charm. A rich guy bought the town in 1972. Then he gave the land back to the villagers with a catch: "native houses to be inherited but not sold, and thus immune to real estate pressures."
After recently visiting Hua Hin (read about my hotel in Hua Hin or my Thai massage in Hua Hin) and seeing more white people than Thai people and more Italian food than Thai food, I love the idea of a tourist destination with a nice beach retaining it's local traditions.
May 4, 2004
Tourists are returning to Hong Kong
Last year SARS really hurt the travel industry and Hong Kong was one of the hardest hit. Now tourism to Hong Kong has almost returned to normal but new cases of SARS on mainland China are causing concern.