Travel plan idea blog

Japan, Thailand, UAE, Israel

Starting with the positive articles, we have an article on Japan's theme parks including Tokyo Disneyland.

One thing I didn't see in Thailand was khon, a type of Thai performance art:

Khon includes the throaty yet strangely addictive melodies of old-style Thai singing and the booming voices of side-stage narrators, all accompanying brightly bedecked dancers as they frolic, strut and battle their way through adventure-packed tales of heroes and shady characters, lovers and jealous wannabes, good and universal naughtiness.

Most of the articles on traveling to Dubai that I've linked to in the past make it sound quite good, but this one is more neutral. They do say you can find good prices on gold jewelry though.

An even more negative article on Israel tourism. Not surprisingly the north is mostly empty and hotels are closing.

Posted by James Trotta at 11:06 AM | Comments (0)

Saving money on travel insurance

To determine how much medical insurance you need, check with your provider to see if things like hospital visits abroad and emergency medical evacuation costs.

Also check with your credit cards: American Express says that "American Express Centurion and Platinum cardholders are automatically entitled to free emergency medical evacuation coverage."

Regarding car insurance and rental cars:

Most of the liability and collision damage coverage needed while driving a rental car, Perkins said, may already be provided through regular automobile, household or other insurance policies. While credit card issuers typically don't include any liability coverage, many do provide extensive collision coverage. Usually offered under the auspices of premium Gold or Platinum cards, credit card companies will offer collision coverage at no extra cost assuming the rental is paid for with the card.

Posted by James Trotta at 10:50 PM | Comments (4)

National Assembly Building in Yeouido, Seoul Arts Center

A quick review of my first few days playing tour guide in Seoul:

Day 1: Kyungbok Palace, Namdaemun, JJ Mahoney's
Day 2: Bongeunsa & Coex mall in Seoul, Korea
Day 3: The National Museum of Korea
Day 4: War Memorial of Korea and Hongdae
Day 5: Han Ok Gol Village, Waffle House, shopping

The sixth day, Monday the 24th is when we went to the National Assembly Building in Yeouido. We went to the library first (you'll need to bring ID to get a visitor's pass) and looked around. There are some interesting pieces of art on the second floor but all information about them is in Korean.

Then we went to the National Assembly itself. They asked if we had a reservation but we didn't. They ended up throwing us in the actual room where representatives meet where one representative was talking to some of his constituents (I think - my Korean is far from perfect). The speech got boring since it was so hard to understand the Korean, but we had fun looking around the room that's famous for fighting (I'd seen the room many times before on Korean news as they reported fights in the Assembly).

We then went to the museum but everything was in Korean except for a few display titles so we were not able to get much out of the museum.

After the National Assembly, we went to Seoul Arts Center where my friend was exhibiting some of her work. She got us in for free and showed us around. Her explanations about the different artists and their work was really great and there was some interesting stuff there. Actually it was more than just interesting; it was really cool.

I don't remember what we did that evening but I think we might have watched a Korean movie (Korean DVDs have English subtitles). Or maybe we just went out for dinner; I don't remember exactly.

Posted by James Trotta at 12:39 AM | Comments (0)

5 Days Around Cambodia

Enjoy this Cambodia vacation itinerary submitted to our 2006-2007 winter vacation travel writing contest, and remember that the first 150 entries receive at least 5.00 but maybe hundreds more.

Cambodia is filled with history and culture that's ready to be absorbed by a tourist, just like you! Before you reserve your trip, plan and get educated about Cambodia.

Cambodia has two main seasons: a dry season and a rainy season. The rain season ranges from June to October. I would suggest booking your vacation during the dry cool season which is from November to February. However, if you think you can handle the heat, book during march to may which is the dry hot season.

Day 1:
Arrive at Phnom Penh airport (Cambodia's capital). There are several places that you should visit while in the city:
- While in Phnom Penh, explore the northern part of the city. North Phnom Penh is considered as the French area of the city.
- Visit the independence monument; It's a large brown structure that has a roof top that resembles a pinecone. The monument is important in Cambodian history because it signifies Cambodia's independence from France.
- The next place to drop by is the National Museum of Cambodia. There are several amazing photography on display there that reflects Cambodia's culture. The entrance fee is only $3.

Day 2:
Relax at the beach in Sihanoukville. Travel a couple of minutes south of Phnom Penh by bus to get to this location. This five star resort is extremely luxurious. They offer several exotic seafood ranging from different cuisines: from French to Italian! With water as blue as the sky and comfortable weather, it will surely feel like heaven.

Day 3:
Bus from Phnom Penh to Battambang (Battambang is another city located in Cambodia). The price for a one-way trip is only $6 per person. After you've arrived, be sure to visit the three main temples in Battambang: Ba Nan Temple. Barseat Temple and Wat Ek Temple. These temples were built during the 11th century.

Day 4:
Travel to Angkor Wat by bus or a rented car. This ancient temple is amazing, there are several stone structures of people, dancers and more! The most amazing sculpture are the huge stone heads of Khmer people. They have a modest smile with large lips, their faces are truly unforgettable. Do not forget to bring extra film because every step will lead to a perfect picture opportunity!

Day 5:
Return back to Phnom Penh. If there are a couple of hours before your flight, you might want to do some last minute shopping by going to the Tuol Tom Pong Market. There are several souvenirs to purchase at the market ranging from antiques to clothing. I would suggest shopping for large quantities of items on your last day, so you don't have to bring it along with you while you travel around Cambodia.

Lastly, do not forget to recommend your trip to your friends and family. There is so much culture and history in Cambodia that differs from other Asian cultures. They simply need to be explored more often.

Posted by James Trotta at 7:55 PM | Comments (0)

Han Ok Gol Village, Waffle House, shopping

Sunday was the 5th day of my friend's Seoul vacation with me as tour guide. We got a late start, having stayed up late the night before. The first thing we did was get some lunch at a Korean Chinese food place. Chinese food in Korea is quite different than it is in America.

Then we went to Han Ok Gol Village, a collection of homes from around 1900 located near Seoul Tower and Namsan. At 6:00 we saw a Korean folk dance with lots of noisy drums and gongs. This was interesting for a while, but the highlight must have been the crazy old man who kept trying to join them. He would be pushed or pulled away, sit down for a minute, and then try again. He wasn't a very good dancer.

If you have a group of ten or if they happen to have enough people who have signed up, you can try traditional Korean tea, mask making, calligraphy, or other things on select days from 2:00-4:00. This is also at Han Ok Gol Village but we didn't try it.

Then we went to Waffle House near Sookmyung Women's University (and my home) for a snack. This place is famous for waffles, but you can also get a good milk shake (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry) for 1,200 (about $1.20), or bing soo. Bing soo is a popular Korean desert consisting of shaved ice, soft ice cream, plus toppings like fruit and red beans.

Then we went to two busy shopping areas, Myeong Dong and Dongdaemun. Both places had many more women then men and much more clothing for women to buy but men can do some shopping here too.

Posted by James Trotta at 2:25 PM | Comments (0)

The Prairie's Gem: Winnipeg

Several people avoid traveling to central Canada because they think it's only filled with farms and flat land; This is not true! There are many great tourist attractions here that are affordable. One of these places is Winnipeg; They have many different unique attractions that cannot be found anywhere else in Canada! Here is the plan to a 5 day vacation to my hometown:

Day 1:
After arriving to Winnipeg's International Airport, check in at Place Louis Riel. This hotel is affordable with only an average price of 150 CAD. Place Louis Riel is also located in the heart of downtown, so you will be foot steps away from great restaurants and shops!

The first place you should check out downtown is Portage Place. It is a small friendly mall filled with interesting stores such as Orientals. Orientals sells several anime and imported Japanese Chinese products! This store is highly addictive to anime crazed fans in Winnipeg since it is only one of the few stores that offer a lot of anime products. Another store to check out is a booth on the second level. There isn't a name attached to this booth, but it is very noticeable since it's the only one located on the second level. This booth sells several hand made braided bracelets and necklaces. The styles can range from colorful kid friendly styles to more sophisticated tribal/ethnic styles. The staff are highly friendly there, so you can feel free to ask them questions about the productions since they create them right in front of your eyes! Don't forget to check out the 3 for $10 bracelet deals! It's the cheapest I've found in the city.

Day 2:
After spending a day at Portage Place, I'm sure you're ready to check out larger tourist attractions! My next suggestion is to visit The Forks. The Forks is a friendly area filled with handmade crafts, souvenirs, restaurants, snack bars and more! When you arrive at The Forks here are the first places you should check out: 1) Johnson's Terminal: you can purchase several unique souvenirs here. If you have time, you can go to the basement level to view or purchase antiques. 2) The Forks Main Building: Enter the main building around lunch time, you can purchase your lunch here. With a large selection of choice from sushi to Chilean food, your taste buds will be satisfied! After lunch, try walking up the tower located near the main entrance of the building. On top, there is a beautiful view of the Red River and the city skyscrapers. Don't forget to bring your camera! 3) Walk around the Forks and the Red River, there are several street entertainers during the weekends!

Note: For updates on events happening at The Forks, you can visit their site at: www.theforks.com

Day 3:
St. Boniface is the next place to visit during your trip to Winnipeg. This is a small French community located near The Forks. Before you enter the St. Boniface area, you will need to cross the Provenche Bridge. Get your camera ready because there is a unique architecture structure built on the bridge. It looks like a huge pointy pole sticking upwards out of the bridge with several thin polls branching off the pole onto the cement of the bridge. It is truly unique! If it's around lunch time, you might want to stop by the Salisbury House located on the bridge! After crossing the bridge, you are only 15 minutes away from the St. Boniface and Cemetery. You may visit buried historical icons such as Louis Riel here. If you are more interested in the history of Manitoba, you can drop by the Grey Nun's museum to view several vintage historical items and customs.

Day 4:
Three days of shopping, tasting food, taking pictures must be tiring. Take your fourth day visit here to relax at Assinaboin Park. You can walk on the long pathway around the park and enjoy the nice cool breezy air. After a long relaxing break, you can also drop by the Zoo (which is located in the park). If you have children, this is a must! They have many activities for children available in the Zoo, not just visiting animals. Don't forget to say hi to the polar bears!

Day 5:
The last and final place that is a must to visit is The Mint. The Mint is the only place in Canada where they produce money! Grab your rented car and head out to the edge of the city to the Mint. Once you arrive, you will see an awesome triangle shaped mirrored building; Take out your camera because this is a perfect picture opportunity. Once you enter the building, you have the choice to tour around and purchase souvenirs. Take the tour and see how money is made, it's very entertaining, especially to curious children.

Well, I hope you enjoy a nice trip to Winnipeg. This is the ideal city to visit in central Canada because it is not too overwhelming (like other large metropolitan cities in Canada) and there is always a friendly feel when you are here that cannot be experienced in any other city in Canada!

Myra Phan

Posted by James Trotta at 5:37 PM | Comments (2)

War Memorial of Korea and Hongdae

After visiting the National Museum of Korea on Friday, my friend's third day in Korea, it started to rain.

On the fourth day, instead of going hiking in the mud, we went to the War Memorial of Korea and attached Museum. Outside, there are lots of planes, artillery pieces, personnel carriers, etc. Visitors can climb into many of these war machines for a close-up view.

To get inside, you'll have to pay 3,000 which includes more than just exhibits on the Korean War. The museum has information on many aspects of Korean military history. We spent about an hour outside and about 4 hours inside.

Surprisingly they also had a Barbie exhibit (yes a Barbie Doll exhibit) and a da Vinci exhibit. One was 10,000 and the other 12,000 but we didn't try either one.

Later that night we went to Hongdae, the area near Hongik University. It's famous for bars and crowds and Saturday night did not disappoint. We ate and drank from 8:00 PM until around 2:00 AM when we went to a fancy noribang (karaoke room). This place, named Su, was 32,000 an hour which is quite expensive. It was the fanciest noribang I've ever been to and they had ice cream included in the price.

Then we went to another bar and drank some more. As you might imagine, we decided that since we were getting home to sleep around 5:00 AM that we'd settle for a late start on Sunday.

Sunday included Chinese food, Han Ok Gol Village, Waffle House, Myeong Dong, and Dongdaemun. More on that next time.

Posted by James Trotta at 1:57 AM | Comments (3)

Discovering Toronto - A Shopaholic's Guide

Toronto is filled with many high end and unique stores. If you are from a small city, it must be hard to find popular clothing stores such as H&M, who are only available to large cities such as Toronto. Here's a guide that will help you prepare for an efficient 1 day shopping spree in Toronto!

This was an entry in the winter vacation writing contest (though Toronto must be fairly cold in winter). I think we're on entry #3 here.

Prepare:

Before your trip, reserve a rental car online. I would suggest using www.bnm.com/tor.htm because they have several options and pricing for all budgets. The most affordable package I found was the economy pack from Enterprise; They offer a price of $137 per day for a mid size car.

Next, book your reservations at the Radisson Admiral Hotel located in Toronto's Harbourfront. With prices starting from $185 CAD This is the perfect hotel if you are on a budget. The hotel is also located downtown, where there are so many places to discover such as Queen Street, Yonge Street and Chinatown! Being located near these attractions is essential for saving money on gas!

Lastly, I find it useful if you bring along a small notebook with important information filled with addresses, directions and locations. Start off by writing all of the contact information for the rental car place, hotels and attractions that I will mention below. Next, Google, Google, Google! Using www.maps.google.com type in your hotel's location. Then click on the thumbnails pointing to your locations; Type in the location to your attractions. Google will provide instructions on how you can get to your requested places from your hotel! Write these down.

Purchase a map of Toronto and keep it with you at all times. From my experience, asking people for directions in Toronto is not helpful. Most people do not know directions to specific places out of their neighborhood, it's a big city! I don't blame them.

Day 1:

Once you've arrived at the Pearson's International Airport, your rental car should be available at the pick up location at the airport (the details will be given to you after you've reserved your vehicle). Using your handy notebook filled with directions you've Googled up before the trip, drive over to your hotel. After you've unpacked, you may be a bit jet legged from the trip. Feel free to relax near the beautiful view of the Harbourfront.

If you are feeling a bit hungry, you should visit the Benihana Japanese Restaurant near your hotel. Not only can you taste exciting new food, it will also be a unique experience! A chef will cook steak and/or seafood at your table in front of your eyes! Just one warning, while the chef is cooking, don't rest your arms on the table, it heats up. Are you excited already? You will need to know how to get here, go grab your notebook and write down these important information: Location: 100 Front St. W ; Phone Number: (416) 860-5002.

After your meal, you should have enough energy to burn while walking discovering downtown. Get your car and drive to the Eaton's Centre (220 Yonge St). There are several parking spaces available here. The Eaton's Centre is the third largest mall in Canada; This is surely a shopaholic's heaven! With 4 levels filled with various stores, you will leave the mall with an empty wallet! Here's a quick guide to discovering this large mall. If you are looking for bargains, start off at the basement level. The basement level is mainly the most populated because of the low prices which appeals to many teens. If you want more high end fashion stores such as FCUK and Banana Republic, go up to the third level of the mall. As you notice, the higher up the levels you go, the higher the prices raises.

Next, walk down to Yonge Street (this is only a few minutes away from the Hotel). There are several stores varying from music stores (such as HMV) to clothing stores. In my opinion, the stores aren't as impressive as Queen Street's since they seem to have many clothing franchise stores, so don't spend too much time here.

Walk to Queen Street West. There are so many amazing small independent clothing boutiques such as "Le Richie." They sell awesome punk clothing and accessories that you can't find anywhere else. If you have a comic book fan, check out Silver Snail, their collections in the stores will blow your mind away! While walking along Queen Street, don't forget to smile while walking past Much Music; For those who don't know, Much Music is a music station similar to MTV. If you have near Much Music around 5 - 6 pm, they are filming "Much on Demand" which airs nation wide. Walk past their group of audience and you might be filmed!

At the end of Queen Street, you will meet Spadina Avenue. Turn to the left to enter Chinatown. There are so many cheap prices on products at Chinatown. One warning, if you see a vendor selling phone cards at low rates, just note that it may be a fake. As for clothing, they are extremely cheap. While walking down the street, pay attention to the stores who sell 3 t-shirts for $10 CAD. These shirts are fairly decent with a nice Toronto or Canada print on them, these are the only articles of clothing I would recommend purchasing because of their decent quality.

As it gets darker, you probably want to carry your shopping bags home. After walking to Spadina Ave, I wouldn't recommend walking all the way back to the mall to get your car. On Spadina Ave, there are many buses (they are red, white and black if you can't notice them). Take out enough change for the ride. The fare for an adult is only $2.75 CAD which covers the subway ride too. If you miss the bus, don't worry, they come every 5 minutes or so, they are really quick! Take the bus that leads to "Spadina Station." At the Spadina Subway Station, take the subway leading to the Queen Station. (There's a map located right when you exit the bus into the subway station). When you stop at Queen Station, go through The Bay and exit into the Eatons Centre mall. Once in the mall, you can easily find your car.

After this long day of shopping, you must be exhausted. Go rest in your comfy white sheets. Prepare to pack up all of your several shoes, clothing and souvenirs for tomorrow as you will be going home.

Important Information:
Here are the addresses & phone numbers that should be in your notebook:

Pearson International Airport
Location: 5925 Airport Road

Radisson Admiral Hotel
Location: 249 Queen's Quay West
Phone Number: 416) 203-3333

Benihana Japanese Restaurant
Location: 100 Front St. W
Phone Number: (416) 860-5002.

Eaton's Centre
Location: 220 Yonge St

By: Myra Phan

Posted by James Trotta at 3:11 PM | Comments (1)

The National Museum of Korea

On my friend’s third day in Korea, I took him to the National Museum of Korea (not to be confused with the National Museum at Kyungbokgung). The museum is at Ichon subway stop; take exit #2 and walk straight until you see the museum on your left.

We arrived at 11:00 and finished around 5:30. The museum closes at 6:00 but we managed to see pretty much everything although we did walk fairly quickly through much of the pottery.

Lunch at the museum was reasonable if you got the noodle soup (oo dong) for 3,500 but the ham sandwich for 4,000 wasn’t a great deal. We ate at the 1st floor cafeteria but we saw at least one other place to eat in the museum.

After walking around in the dim museum all day we were pretty tired so we postponed plans to go to Insadong and rented a Korean movie on DVD instead. Since DVDs come with English subtitles, we were able to follow along (if not completely understand) The King and the Clown. It was actually very interesting to see the King’s throne since we had seen it in the museum earlier.

Thanks to all the rain our plans to go hiking tomorrow are being cancelled. I’ll let you know what we end up doing…

Posted by James Trotta at 3:04 AM | Comments (0)

Bongeunsa & Coex mall in Seoul, Korea

After a very busy first day in Korea, which involved a lot of sightseeing and partying, we got off to a pretty late start and arrived at Boneunsa, Bongeun Temple, just after 3:00 PM. In our defense, we did wake up early (around 10:00 AM) to eat breakfast, go for a jog in Hyochang Park (right near my house), and then have lunch at home as well.

At Bongeunsa there were lots of opportunities to donate, but no one collecting money for us to get in (although it looked like we'd have had to pay at the parking lot attached).

I think Bongeunsa is something you really have to see while you're in Seoul. There are several very nice structures including one with thousands of small Buddha statues inside. We also saw part of what appeared to a ceremony for deceased ancestors in which people took turns bowing and offering food and drink to their ancestors while a monk chanted and rang a bell. There's also a very large stone Buddha that should impress most people.

We were told that pictures were fine, but decided only to take pictures from outside the temples. Inside the temples (it's best to enter from the side - no one enters in the center because that would mean walking straight toward Buddha) we would just grab a cushion, sit, and take it all in.

Around 4:30 we headed across the street to Coex mall, which really starts getting crowded around 7:00. From bookstores and game rooms to coffee shops and people watching this was an interesting experience. The mall also has a reasonable aquarium that's a bit pricey and a movie theater.

Eating at the upscale Coex mall is generally going to be somewhat expensive but we probably found the cheapest option, a small kimbab place, where kimbap (vegetables and rice wrapped in dried seaweed) and soup runs 3,000 won (about 3 US dollars). The menu is in Korean and the people there didn't speak English. They have Ramyeon noodles or kimbab (vegetable - ya chay, cheese - chee jeu, kimchi, tuna - cham chee, or beef - so go gee). The romanization of the Korean is all wrong but it might help you order something there if you want kimbap. More expensive places have English menus.

The plan for tonight was to watch a Korean movie on DVD with English subtitles but when we got home around 8:00 or 8:30 PM my friend needed a nap. It's 11:30 as I write this and he's still napping...

All in all, the first two days of our Korean tour have been really good. On day 1, we had the palace, the museums, the open market shopping, and the bar/club, and the karaoke room. Then we followed that up with something different on day 2, a temple and a fancy shopping mall. My friend is getting to see many different aspects of Korea - too bad that has sapped all his energy...

Posted by James Trotta at 12:38 AM | Comments (0)

Problems on Princess Cruises

After it's fourth voyage, Princess Cruises' (operated by Miami-based Carnival Corp.) Crown Princess seems to be responsible for dozens of injuries. Apparently a steering problem caused the ship to list badly to one side, which sent people and objects all over.

Posted by James Trotta at 11:14 PM | Comments (7)

My friend’s first full day in Korea

We got to Kyungbokgung, or Kungbok Palace, around 9:45. Admission is only 3,000 won. That was good timing because the changing of the guard ceremony starts at 10:00. We walked around the palace grounds for a while and then went to the Korean National Folk Museum. When we were finished there, we went to the museum café for some rice cake, duk.

Then we went to the National Museum, which is back by the entrance. The stone chimes here were especially cool. Both museums were fairly small and we were finished by 1:00.

We went back to my place for lunch and since I’m right next to Sookmyung Women’s University, we then went to the university’s museum. This wasn’t too impressive.

We spent the rest of the day and all of the night hanging out with some Korean friends. In the evening we went to Namdaemun, a rather large market where you can buy pretty much anything from a touristy business card case to cheap underwear.

We had dinner in the nearby Shinsegae department store because I like Vecchia & Nuovo’s chicken panini with mango chutney. The Indian food in the little food market is good too.

Then at night, we went to JJ Mahoney’s in the Hyatt Hotel. JJs is a bar/club with way overpriced drinks and a nice upscale atmosphere. It was my friend’s birthday, and she had fun dancing and whatnot.

After JJs, we went to a Noribang or Karaoke singing room in Itaewon (short cab ride a way from the Hyatt). For 15,000 we got a private room with a karaoke machine and sang for an hour.

At 4:00 AM we got home and got to sleep. It’s really too bad about the construction outside that woke us up early…

Posted by James Trotta at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)

Riviera Maya, Mexico vacation at Bahia Principe Tulum Hotel

Another contest entry. Enjoy and keep submitting your travel plans to jtrotta@gmail.com

Oh joy, I’m feeling that again... 35º, 90% Humidity and as many tequilas as you can drink.

Pack your stuff, get ready and off we go.

In fact packing stuff isn’t really that hard, especially if you keep your wife or your mom at home, so they don’t carry 3 bags filled with whatever they can find inside their wardrobe.

Day 1 – Wherever you come from to Cancun. Arrive at Cancun and prepare yourself for at least 1 hour in a bus. Stay at the Bahia Principe Tulum Hotel (*****). Arriving at the hotel you should have a Welcome Cocktail waiting for you. Exotic fruits, no alcohol for a start and some nice looking scenery around. Temperature is horrible and most surely jetlag also.

Day 2 – Breakfast, of course. You can have it, for example, at a 1000 m2 bungalow with most food together than you could ever eat in an all year.
Start your journey. Explore the hotel. In fact those are 3 hotels side by side, but you can freely use your all-inclusive pass to go wherever you want, meaning pools, beaches, restaurants bars, etc. All you must do at your hotel is sleep at your room… in fact even that can be arranged, but… There are over 15 pools and 25 bars around, most of them opened 24 hours per day. You’re not allowed to swim in the pools before dawn.

Day 3 – We’re travelling to Chitchen-Itza (Chicken Pizza for the fellow Americans). Book in advance ($150 per person) as buses get crowded fast. The temperature is again terrible. Take lots of water with you, and I mean water, not tequila or beer, or whatever. Climb the pyramids and remember to never look down when coming back from the top. The place is beautiful. You should be used to them by now, but remember that mosquito’s there look like helicopters. The trip is long and should take you the all day. Hotel again, take a bath, relax a bit and prepare yourself for a dinner a-la-carte. The Italian restaurant is excellent.

Day 4 – After all this full-speed start let’s stay calm and quiet. Explore the beach around the hotel chain. You’re 100 m away from the 2nd largest coral reef on Earth, so get your diving material and enjoy. Snorkelling there is also a possibility, even though you can’t go far doing it. Have light meals, since you want to stay inside water all day long. Always use natural sun protectors so you don’t destroy nature around. Have a light dinner and get to sleep.

Day 5 – The Adventure – Jeeps, fast boats and a wonderful sightseeing. Use this day for a 200 km trip to the interior of Mexico. You drive your own rented jeep, go watch the turtles, the dolphins, a ton of natural reserves and eat lobster at lunch. All is included in the price of this journey ($180 per person). Get back to the hotel, take a bath and walk to the “Hacienda Santa Isabel”, a very nice place 1 km far away from the hotel where you can watch once a week the “Mexican Fiesta”, a party with regional music and shows, lot’s of food and 25 types of different tequilas.

Day 6 – Tired enough you decide to walk around the hotel once again. Visit a couple of the local shops, drink some cocktails inside the pools, learn how to cook a giant paella 10 m away from your current bathing spot and eat a delicious meal inside water.
As an alternative you can go to “Shell-Ha”, a natural beautiful place where “Blue Lagoon” was filmed years ago; today it’s a huge aquatic park.
Have dinner and visit 1 or 2 bars. Don’t waste your time at the local disco.

Day 7 – Pack your stuff (again) and wipe your tear. If you’re on a 7-day trip it’s all over. You’d better have booked 15 days instead, so you could maximize the plane fare.
Home we go now. We have that tequila bottle, a couple of shirts and other tourist souvenirs, but you have the feeling that you want to get back one day… some day!

Posted by James Trotta at 12:53 AM | Comments (1)

Delta Airlines Manchester vacation contest

If anyone wants to win a free trip to Manchester from New York, then this is the contest for you.

Speaking of contests, a few more entries have been submitted for my winter vacation plan contest so stay tuned. The next one is for the Riviera Maya in Mexico. Some readers may remember Riviera Maya from my previous posts like retiring around Riviera Maya, travel tips for Riviera Maya, and Ikal Del Mar and the Shangri-La Caribe.

Posted by James Trotta at 12:41 AM | Comments (1)

Things to do driving between LA and San Francisco

Question: I’m planning a family trip (wife two teenage daughters) to the west coast this summer. We know LA area pretty well. What things are recommended to do in San Francisco and on the way between LA and SF

Advice: In SF, hit the farmers' market early Saturday and load up on cheese, breads, pate, wine and fruit. Take the ferry to Angel Island, walk to the top of Mt. Livermore and enjoy your feast with a 360-degree view of the Bay.

Then take a cable car ride, go to Fisherman's Wharf (kind of touristy), go to Nob Hill, go over Golden Gate to Sausalito for some spectacular views of the SF skyline especially at dusk.

In the San Francisco Bay Area the Muir Woods is a must (just over the Golden Gate in Marin). Also, Sausalito (just over the bridge) is great. Go to the Muir woods early and go into Sausalito for lunch or brunch. Alcatraz is really cool.

At the Golden Gate Bridge, be sure to go to Fort Point just underneath the bridge on the SF side. The oldest stone fort west of the Mississippi is a great spot. Then take time to drive through the Presidio.

I don't like the SF Giants, but if you like baseball try to fit in a game at the ballpark. There are plenty of places to eat around it too.

If you are driving from LA to SF, I recommend the coast route 1 vs. 101 or I-5 through the valley. Great scenery the whole way and arguably one the most beautiful stretches of road in the country. A few notable highlights on the trip, Hearst Castle, Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Grove, and Big Sur - where time has stood still since 1967. Also, you could take a side trip to Ojai for a few winery tours too, although there are several wineries along the trip. If you have the chance, the Monterey Aquarium is very cool and they have some spectacular exhibits that are very informative.

Take the time to go through the Monterey Aquarium, then go south through Pacific Grove (and Point Lobos state park--it's free) and the amazing 17-mile drive past Pebble Beach and into Carmel. Walk around Carmel and have lunch or dinner. I'd skip Santa Cruz unless you want to take your kids to the Boardwalk (the amusement park)

Let me emphasize that in Cambria you have Hearst Castle. Also in Cambria get a motel room right on Moonstone beach and watch the sun do down in the Pacific Ocean with your family. Stop on HWY 1 (its the PCH in So Cal) at Elkhorn Slough (near Monterey) and rent some Kayaks and Kayak in the Slough and enjoy the Marine Wildlife up close. This is an incredible place that most travelers just drive by.

If you have time, just south of Half Moon Bay, is a private Beach called Martins Beach. Check it out. It costs $5 a carload of people. It is clean and beautiful. They shot scenes from the Robin Willams Movie "Bicentennial Man" there.

Be sure to leave plenty of time for the drive up the coast on the highway. It can be a slow go but the scenery is fantastic, one of the best drives in the. It would be a shame to feel pressed for time and not enjoy the sights. Be sure to stop at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo (just off the highway) for lunch.

We camp at Shaver Lake a mile up in the Sierras.. incredible place.. hurts your eyes, its so beautiful. Consider scheduling a trip to Lake Tahoe, which is only a 4-hour drive from the bay area. If you go to Tahoe try to stay on the north shore, like Kings Beach... South Lake is too commercial for me.

Another good side trip is Kings Canyon Park (Sequoia national Forest). This park is much like Yosemite, but less crowded. It’s just an incredible place. Climb Moro Rock to the top of a Granite dome and get a view that goes for miles.

Posted by James Trotta at 12:56 AM | Comments (11)

Norovirus on Pacific Northwest cruises & Asian cruise itineraries

At sea and on land, norovirus is becoming a larger problem in America. However cruisers in the Pacific Northwest seem to see the worst of it:

Public health officials say they are seeing more outbreaks of diarrhea and vomiting on ships calling on Seattle, Alaska and British Columbia than anywhere else in the country....the likelihood of contracting a diarrheal illness on an average seven-day cruise is still less than 1 percent, which may not seem like a big deal, unless you're the one who's sick.

On the other side of the world, we have a good overview of cruises in Asia. Many of these cruises involve Japan, China, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. A few include Hong Kong, Myanmar, and UAE.

Posted by James Trotta at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)

Travel insurance for work-related cancellations and changes

Interesting news about a new type of travel insurance that covers you in cases where your boss asks you to change vacation plans.

Richmond, Va.-based travel insurance provider Access America calls its new product BizPack. It essentially provides coverage for work-related cancellations and changes, focusing on travelers who fear they'll be called into the office just before or at some point during their vacations.

Posted by James Trotta at 1:09 AM | Comments (0)

People have to cancel vacation plans as family members suffer

I probably shouldn't even post this because I'm afraid that things are going to get very political, but let's just remember that violence in the Middle East prevents people from visiting family on vacation:

"I was supposed to go to Lebanon for the first time in my entire life. It was my dream," says eight-year old Olivia Abdallah.

She and her family were supposed to visit relatives this week in Beirut. But, her dream destination just may be the most volatile place on earth this week.

The family she was hoping to meet for the first time is caught in the middle--and can't be reached by phone. And, the airport they were supposed to fly into has been badly damaged.

Ask her father why the violence erupted, and he'll tell you it's: "Dumb people, people that don't know how to work for peace."

I don't want to point fingers at either side, I just want to remember that people over there are suffering. In turn, people who live with us and have family there also suffer.

As always, you may leave comments, but I may decide to moderate them more heavily than usual. Keep the comments clean and if you're not sure, don't comment.

By the way, this reminds me of an old blog entry, travel to the West Bank. I have very little information about traveling to Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon on this blog. If you have some you'd like to share with everyone, please email jtrotta@gmail.com

Posted by James Trotta at 1:13 AM | Comments (6)

Book Review - "The Heart of the World"

It’s one of mankind’s oldest quests – the belief in, and search for Utopia, Paradise or Shangri-La - a secret place of great beauty, often hidden or remote. This belief in a secret place is practiced by many different cultures and religions throughout the world, particularly those in the mysterious East. Tibetan Buddhists have long believed in ‘beyul’, or ‘hidden lands’, - places not only of spectacular beauty, but places where, it is said the physical and spiritual worlds overlap. In Tibet, now part of China, this belief goes back many centuries and is well documented in writings, drawings and passed on by word of mouth.

One such secret place is said to lie at the eastern edge of the Himalayas, a region still largely unexplored and unpenetrated. Tibetan prophecies tell of a spectacular series of waterfalls along the Tsangpo Gorge, one of the deepest and most spectacular chasms in the world. For centuries, Tibetan pilgrims and European explorers have sought this gorge. In 1924, the British Royal Geographical society firmly declared the waterfalls to be nothing more than a religious myth, after a British expedition failed to find them.

‘The Heart of The World’ is part travel book, part historical detective story, part study of Tibetan beliefs and customs. The author, acclaimed explorer Ian Baker, first learned of Tibet’s ‘hidden lands’ while studying in Katmandu on a summer semester program. He has spent the past 20 years trying to establish if the waterfalls actually exist, and their possible whereabouts. His painstaking and fascinating research takes him to many places throughout China and Nepal - from a meeting with the Dalai Lama, to dusty manuscripts in ancient libraries, and finally along the gorge to the falls themselves.

To further his quest, Baker has many adventures – a month spent alone in a cave in the wilderness to ‘find himself’ and a brief sojourn in university in New York, before realizing he was not suited for the academic life. Ironically, considering his exciting and often dangerous journey in Tibet, Baker recounts how he was almost mugged while in New York. Baker overcomes various tangles with the Chinese authorities and the notorious ‘red tape’ concerning travel permits in this part of the world. Eventually Baker succeeds in getting sponsorship from National Geographic, to undertake the trip of a lifetime.

Apart from the author’s description of the fascinating and often dangerous journey along the river, the book also offers a unique and knowledgeable insight into Tibetan Buddhism and some of its rituals and beliefs, making this much more than just an everyday travel book. As befitting the epic journey, it is a long book – some 450 pages, illustrated with photographs not only of the stunning mountain scenery but also some of the fascinating people the author met. The book contains an introduction from the spiritual leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama.

This is a wonderful book, which like the very best travel books will make you want to pack a suitcase and go there yourself. But as most of us will never do that, the next best thing is to vicariously live the adventure through this fascinating story.

The Heart of the World (A Journey to the Last Secret Place) by Ian Baker

Posted by Martin at 8:25 AM | Comments (0)

Don't forget to charge your batteries before you go on vacation

Here's a quick article on getting your digital camera ready for your vacation. It basically says to bring extra batteries and/or a charger (and if you're going overseas an adaptor or converter) and make sure you have enough space on your memory stick.

Personally, my wife and I love our Sony Cybershot (we're on our second). Battery life is excellent so as long as we leave the camera off when we're not taking pictures we really don't need extra batteries. We've lasted 11 or so days in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore on one charge.

Posted by James Trotta at 12:39 AM | Comments (0)

Do you want me to blog about "Vacation Bible Schools"?

It seems that whenever I go searching for vacation and travel articles, I find tons of articles about "Vacation Bible School" - if these schools are popular with you readers, I'll blog them occasionally but I don't remember them ever being so popular before. Why am I seeing so many articles on this subject nowadays? I mean of the first 10 articles I saw listed, 3 of them were for these schools.

I don't ever remember a time when any kind of school was considered vacation except possibly massage school (popular in Thailand I believe) or one of those learn to cook the local cuisine vacations.

Posted by James Trotta at 12:29 AM | Comments (9)

Attractions and activities for kids traveling to Australia

If you're taking your kid to Australia, I recommend this Australia for Kids web site. This site will certainly get your kids excited about an upcoming trip without overwhelming them.

For example, what kid wouldn't be interested in visiting Tasmania after reading the information on this page and seeing the cute picture? I think the information is done well. It's written at a high level and it doesn't say too much. It gives kids something to look forward to without satisfying all their curiosity.

Speaking of curiosity, I've always wondered what it would be like to hear an opera in Sydney, capitol of New South Wales. I've seen the Opera House pictures, but does it sound as good as it looks?

The other place I really want to go is where I went for my Master of Applied Linguistics. I did a distance program, so I've never actually been to Queensland even though I went to school there. So if you visit Queensland before I do, let me know how you like the Great Barrier Reef!

Posted by James Trotta at 2:02 AM | Comments (0)

P&O Cruise ships trying to "clean up"

I don't know of any cruise lines quite so liberal in America, but the death of Australian mother-of-three Dianne Brimble has exposed some very obscene behavior on P&O cruises:

It was so common for couples to have sex in public aboard the Pacific Sky cruise ship that the crew didn't bother to report it... They also ignored passengers on the P&O ship who were naked or blind drunk.

Posted by James Trotta at 12:23 AM | Comments (6)

Tenerife, Berlin's pirate bars, kids in souvenir shops

Tenerife includes destinations like Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz. This is the large, northern Canary Island, where vacationers "average about 43 years and stay about nine days". This article will tell you what they do for those 9 days.

Here's an article on what to do in Berlin, from the Berlin Wall to "pirate bars - unregistered watering holes in homes or unoccupied buildings that have to be discovered by word of mouth." Pirate bars sound like a good way to have a unique vacation experience.

Lastly, we have an article on how to keep kids from breaking your bank in souvenir shops. If you have kids, good luck with that.

Posted by James Trotta at 1:44 AM | Comments (0)

Hawaiian Holiday vacation plan

This Hawaiian Holiday is the first to be entered into our winter travel writing contest. Enjoy!

Day 1: Your bags are packed and you have been waiting for this trip all winter. It’s mid February and you are so glad to get out of the cold. Your flight lands in Honolulu at 3:15 pm. You have a surprise for your travel partner. Upon arrival you are greeted with fresh flower lei. They also offer to assist you with your luggage and provide shuttle service to your hotel. This service can be arranged ahead of time at www.leigreeting.com

For the next 3 nights you will be staying at the hotel of your choice in Waikiki. After checking in you can freshen up in your room and have dinner in anyone of the hotels restaurants. After dinner take a stroll on the beach and then go to one of the hotel lounges for some Hawaiian music.

Hotel suggestion: Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa - hilton.com

Day 2: You have pre arranged a tour with www.discoverhawaiitours.com. They have a large variety of tours available, and they pick up at most Waikiki hotels. I recommend the Circle Island Tour with Pearl Harbor. Along with seeing Pear Harbor and the Arizona Memorial, you will explore all the highlights of Oahu, including Diamond Head Crater, Dole Pineapple Plantation and many other interesting points. You will stop for lunch along the way. Your tour pick up time is early and you will return around 5:30 pm. Spend the evening at the hotel or take a cab to explore the surrounding area.

Tour cost is $69.99 pp

Day 3: Today you can spend at your leisure. A few suggestions are to skydive, jet ski, snorkel, or many other beach activities available. After all you are on the famous Waikiki beach. Oahu has 40 golf courses ranging from casual municipal links to elegant resort courses. While the men golf, women can have a relaxing spa treatment.

About an hours drive from Waikiki there is the Polynesian Cultural Center. You could rent a car and drive there for a day. Here you can interact with the people of Hawaii and learn about other South Pacific cultures. Their website is www.polynesia.com. They have different packages to purchase. There are countless things you could arrange for the day, depending on the activity level you choose. Prices vary according to package chosen….$50.00 to $200.00.

Day 4: You have pre arranged your inter island flights with Aloha Airlines. You arrive at the airport for your early flight to the Big Island of Hawaii. Upon landing you pick up your rental car that you pre reserved. Kona is on the west coast side of Hawaii, or the Kona Side. The east coast is the Hilo Side. Today your travels take you to Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park. It is a 45 minute drive from the airport, on Highway 11. The park is open 24 hours a day year round, and the visitors center closes at 5:00 pm. Entrance fee is $10.00. Here you can explore lava fields, and hike among Hawaiian’s wilderness. Start your tour at the Kilauea Visitor Center to catch that day’s events. You can cruise the Kilauea peak by car on an 11 mile loop called Crater Rim Drive. You can find a wealth of info at their website, www.nps.gov./havo/. Spend as much time here as you wish and then head for your hotel in Kona. You can grab a bite to eat along the way back.

Hotel suggestion: Kona Village Resort - konavillage.com

Day 5: After a leisurely breakfast, you will be driving along the coast of the Big Island. Head north along Highway 19 You can stop at Hapuna Beach State Park and enjoy one of the most popular white sand beaches on the island. When finished there keep going north to Kawaihae Harbor, and then onward to Waipi’o Valley. There is a lookout at the end of the main road. Don’t miss Hi’ilawe Falls. You don’t want to spend too much time at these places because there is a lot to see along the next 40 miles along the Hamakua Coast. Make sure you have your camera ready for all the waterfalls you will see. Don’t miss Rainbow Falls.

Next is Hilo, the islands capital city. Spend as much time here as you wish. Now might be a time to grab something to eat. There are many shops and restaurants on Banyan Drive.

Keep going on Highway 11, headed west. Take the cut off in Wai’ohinu down to Ka Lae or South Point. This is the southernmost point of land in the United States. Back on Highway 11 to the Kona district, to your hotel and enjoy the evening as you wish. If you still feel like exploring, a few miles south of the airport lays the seaside town of Kailua-Kona. This is where you can enjoy this evenings dinner.

Day 6: Sleep in today and take a late morning flight to Maui. Pick up the rental car, check into the hotel and enjoy the beautiful white beaches. This evening you have pre arranged reservations for the Old Lahaina Luau. Lahaina is little port city that comes alive at night with a mix of residents and visitors. Stroll the streets after the luau and head back to the hotel.

Hotel Suggestion: Ka’anapali Beach Hotel - kbhmau.com

Day 7: Today we are off on another road trip. Go around the top of the island to just west of Wailuku. This is the entrance to Iao Valley State Park. Here you will find Iao Needle. There are many easy hiking trails, and look outs. When finished here continue on the road, stopping as you wish and head towards The Hana Highway. This road begins at the Hana Airport and is known for its hairpin turns and one lane bridges. It is known for one of the most beautiful drives in the world. Nine miles beyond Hana you will come to Haleakala National Park at Ohe’o Gulch. Don’t miss Haleakala Crater. Head back to the hotel at your leisure.

Day 8: This is your last day. Enjoy Kaanapali Beach. Check out Lahaina during the day time. Do a little shopping for those souvenirs you didn’t get. Pack up for the trip home. Enjoy your last Hawaiian meal at dinner.

Day 9: Drive to Maui’s airport in Kahului for your homebound flight.

Note: Hawaii can get very expensive. Meals can be costly, so I really left it up to each individual where to eat. Thought your day you may find some out of the way restaurant that might appeal to you instead of eating in the hotels restaurant. Also there are a wide range of hotels to choose from. If you choose a hotel one a block away from the ocean you could still have the view, but the price would be considerably less. One last thing, many people choose to use their frequent flyer miles for the flight. This needs to be done almost a year in advance.

Posted by James Trotta at 1:13 AM | Comments (4)

Is Dubai a good place to visit or live?

The article of this author has mixed feelings about Dubai, but in the end he concludes it's worth a visit:

All in all, Dubai is a discombobulating place, where East collides with West and mutates into some new idea of a city that careens among bloated, ridiculous, audacious and beautiful, and it's all moving too fast for anyone to make the distinction. This futuristic city is a fascinating place to visit, but I would never want to live there.

Posted by James Trotta at 5:06 PM | Comments (3)

Corbett National Park India tours

I was recently doing some research for one of my hobbies, writing fantasy fiction stories. I wanted to include some of my favorite animals like the fishing cat and the mongoose and found a place in India that has both: Corbett National Park.

I thought it would be prudent and fun to do some research so I contacted a tour agency about Corbett National park tours. I'm not making any recommendations because I haven't used any of these companies yet or even shopped around - I've only contacted this one tour guide.

The following tour has been quoted at 380.00 per person including:

1. Accomodation (double)
2. All meals at Corbett
3. Breakfast at Nainital
4. Safaris as per the itinerary
5. Entry Fees into the national park
6. Natulaist at the time to safari
7. All the Transportation by exclusive car Delhi-delhi
8. All the taxes

Day 01: Delhi-Corbett National Park
Early morning drive from Delhi to Corbett National Park. On arrival check in at wildlife resort, after lunch we will take you for jeep safari tour into Jim Corbett Park.

Corbett Natiobal Park - The heavenly abode for adventure lovers and wildlife enthusiasts, Corbett National Park is set in the Shivalik foothills of the Himalayas in Uttranchal. River rafting and elephant rides are the favorite activities of the tourists here across the 520 sq km of India's first national park along the bank of Ramganga river. It is also known for Sal tree as its main flora. It is named after the hunter-naturalist Jim Corbett, who suggested the conception of this wildlife sanctuary, Over 50 mammals, 600 birds and 25 reptile species have been spotted here but the highlight of course is the Indian
Tigers, Leopards and Gharials, the rare fish eating, long-nosed crocodiles. Evening free O/N stay at hotel.

Day 2: Corbett National Park ( Dikhala)
Early morning elephant safari through open grasslands and dense forests for wildlife viewing in the Corbett National Park. After breakfast, jeep safari to lakeside to see crocodiles. After lunch, day free to relax. Optional spending the day in a watchtower overlooking a water hole. Evening film shows on wildlife. Dinner and overnight stay at the park.

Day 3: Corbett National Park ( Dikhala)
Morning and afternoon Safari, O/n stay at hotel.

Day 4: Corbett National park-Nainital
Early morning drive to Bhuvankhal at sunrise. On arrival at Nainital, check in at hotel, Afternoon sightseeing tour,Evening enjoy the boat ride in Naini lake, O/N stay at hotel.

Nainital - Nainital in Uttaranchal has beautiful Naini lake and panoramic mountain scenery. Besides the hill resorts of Almora, Ranikhet and Kausani, Nainital has extended tourist attractions as MulwaTal to the east along with Bhimtal, Sattal and Naukachiatal and recreational activities such as canoeing and yachting.

Day 5 : Nainital-Delhi:
Morning Free in the afternoon drive back to Delhi.

I also plan to check on local accommodations and maybe arrange my own accommodations and try out several different treks. This gives me more control, but also requires more work including some work finding local tour guides while I'm there when I'd rather be spending my time concentrating on the nature (and the book).

Posted by James Trotta at 2:56 AM | Comments (2)

Disneyland Paris - a Success Story

Next year, Disneyland Paris celebrates its 15th anniversary – a gamble by Disney that many said at the time would not work. However, since its opening in 1992, Disneyland Paris has become the most popular tourist attraction not only in Paris, but the whole of France. The lines at the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower may still be long – but far more people visit Disneyland Paris than these two institutions. The park attracts around 50 million visitors a year and in 2002 Disney introduced a ‘fast pass’ system with timed reservations for popular rides, to help deal with the crowds.

Disneyland Paris occupies a site covering about one fifth of the size of Paris itself, about 20 miles from the center of Paris. The Metro does not run to the park, but local high-speed trains run frequently from all parts of Paris to the park; the journey time is about 45 minutes from central Paris. The hotels in the park have regular shuttle bus service to and from both Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports. Northern France does not have the climate of California or Florida – consequently the park closes during the winter; it is open from March to October.

The park is based firmly on the two Disney theme parks in the United States, one of the few differences being the colors of many of the buildings – they are decorated mainly in pastel colors rather than bright colors; this supposedly being more ‘European’. Otherwise the general layout is fairly similar to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando – although quite a bit smaller - with Cinderella’s castle being the natural focal point.

As with the two parks in the United States, there are five ‘imaginary lands’ in the park which are: Main Street USA, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Discoveryland. Each one offers a themed selection of rides, shows and shopping – each one designed with Disney’s high standards and attention to detail.

There are several other sections of the park – an area called ‘Walt Disney Studios’ which offers movie-themed rides and shows as well as a behind the scenes look at many aspects of the movies. There is also a popular area called Disney Village, which is a collection of restaurants with various themes. Admission to Disney Village is free and the highlight here is undoubtedly ‘Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Dinner Show’ complete with cowboys, Indians and spectacular horsemanship. Rounding off the areas is the resort’s very own golf course, complete with club house.

One attraction unique to the park, and firmly in line with the European aspect, is the Manchester United Soccer School. The school opened in 2004, and gives children a chance to learn and play soccer based on the training at Manchester United – one of Britain’s most famous and respected soccer clubs.

Posted by Martin at 8:20 AM | Comments (1)

International and adventure travel with kids

This LA Times article reviews (briefly) several family travel web sites and offers some advice. If I had kids I might follow the advice, which is to set up "a sort of pre-travel boot camp that usually begins two months before a big trip."

Interestingly this includes getting kids in shape by walking around the neighborhood (and not allowing complaints). Toughen up the kids before you're on vacation and it's too late!

There's also a bit about teaching them to ride bikes, sit still in restaurants, and prove that not all American children are brats. And of course, keeping them occupied on the plan ride (see tips on flying with a 2-year-old) because you don't want people complaining about your kid on the plane (or wishing they had sat next to a dog instead).

Posted by James Trotta at 1:53 AM | Comments (0)

Keep your house safe while on vacation

Since homes are more likely to be broken into while the owners are on vacation, you may want to read this article on keeping your home safe. Parents might want to make sure there kids don't set up stupid traps like I did before going on a cruise when I was nine years old. When we got home I fell victim to one of my traps, an upturned nail on the floor (ouch).

Here's an article that makes a convincing argument to visit Panama (or somewhere in South America or the Caribbean) since Europe is expensive this summer. Or you could come to Korea like one of my friends will be doing. I should have a new Korean travel plan up in a few days.

Posted by James Trotta at 12:53 AM | Comments (0)

Where to keep your money and how to keep money safe on vacation

When I was in New Orleans for Mardi Gras in 2000, I hid my wallet in my car, a credit card in my shoe, and a little cash in my pocket. All in all I felt pretty safe from pickpockets (looking back a car thief would have ruined my vacation though I suppose that will always be true).

Then I met a young woman who I liked. We went to the House of Blues and that cost a few bucks. Then she wanted me to buy her a beer somewhere on Bourbon Street. The little cash in my pocket was getting used up quickly and who wants to take credit cards out of their shoes when they are trying to impress a lady?

Anyway, this article on keeping your money safe might have come in handy back then. Had I taken their advice and brought my wallet (minus social security cards, debit cards, extra credit cards, etc.) I might have seemed slightly more normal to the young woman (who if I recall was from Kalamazoo and named Missy). One interesting point was that it's better to bring a credit card than a debit card because a stolen credit card won't deplete your bank account.

Still, maybe I was on to something with the credit card in my shoe. The article does say to keep one card in your wallet and another somewhere else...

Posted by James Trotta at 12:15 AM | Comments (6)

Plan your vacation around anything

I found a few interesting articles about different kinds of vacation themes. I was reminded of my own vacation to Hong Kong and Taiwan around this time last summer where we aimed to try as much Chinese cuisine as possible. We were fairly experimental, and ended up with some great meals and some that left my stomach hurting. My friend was more adventurous than I - he tried the 5 spice goose liver for example...

Anyway, the articles. First, one on running during vacation:

Organizations like Seashore Striders and Seven Sisters & Two Brothers Road Races make it possible for beachgoers to mix in some fitness with their rest and relaxation.

With a bit of planning, a lot of adventuresome spirit and a love of food, this could be your summer for food festivals. Throughout the country communities are celebrating local foods and ethnic traditions in interesting and unique ways.

Wine and vacation seems quite popular. For example I've blogged about Dr. Z (the Sports Illustrated writer) who went on a wine tasting tour of Europe. And a while before that, the Tokaj wine region in Hungary.

Posted by James Trotta at 3:02 AM | Comments (1)

Last minute hotels and Australia vacation planning

I've been thinking about a last minute trip somewhere, but I've never been inspired by those "last minute deals". However, I did just find a good Australia travel deals site that has a big focus on last minute hotel reservations.

So what did I find for last minute hotels in Australia? Some excellent deals, starting at 56 dollars / night in Sydney and remember these prices are Australian dollars (currently 1 Australian dollar is about 75 cents).

I went to the page for last minute Sydney hotels and didn't immediately see that deal. Instead I set the results to July 10-15 and to show only available hotels and to display prices in US dollars. With hotels sorted by which came recommended, the best price was $70/night. When I switched to price I saw what must be a hostel or something at $12/night. I like how they show you the normal rate as well so that you know if you're getting a last minute discount or not. With this Bernly Private Hotel Sydney dorm, the normal rate was 16.00 so there was a discount. However the double room was normally 31.00 and still 31.00, meaning there was no last minute discount.

Of course, I could do the same searching for every city but maybe I should talk to my wife first... Instead I went to the Australia destination guides and had fun reading about Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, The Gold Coast, The Sunshine Coast, Cairns & the Barrier Reef, Perth, Adelaide, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Canberra, Alice Springs, Broome, Darwin, and Hobart. I'm sure they are all great places to visit, but I concentrated on the Sydney guide because I don't feel I need to get to adventurous the first time I visit a country. Plus I really want to go to Sydney Opera House, though last minute travel might be tricky when it comes to getting tickets for a show.

Posted by James Trotta at 2:00 AM | Comments (0)

Travelocity.com car rental trouble

First, I just read Javaun's comments on Portland Oregon and the surrounding area and if you haven't read it yet, go do so. Javaun has done all of us a favor with some excellent information based on his own vacation experience.

Now Javuan shared some great experiences, but sometimes there's trouble. The travel troubleshooter had to take on a Travelocity.com case again (remember I have vowed never to use Travelocity in the past). It seems that they promised someone a full-sized SUV Thrifty car rental. Problem is, Thrifty Cost Rica doesn't even have such a car...

They got a car from another agency, did their traveling, and contacted Travelocity.com when they got home. No response. The troubleshooter got Travelocity to pay the difference, but again we see a big company just ignoring complaints until they get in the newspaper.

Posted by James Trotta at 2:47 AM | Comments (1)

Resorts near Bangalore India

I hope you enjoyed reading about yesterday's resorts. Today we talk about Bangalore, India and resorts around that city (which I'm told is no good for tourists).

This article about Bangalore and places around there mentions a yoga resort. Shreyas is 1.5 hours from Bangalore (but only 22 miles) and it sounds like the author really liked it. This place starts at 200/night. I like yoga so this one goes on my list.

Kapila is a wilderness retreat on the edge of Nagarhole National Park, about a five-hour drive southwest of Bangalore. The author appreciates what they do for the surrounding community, but didn't like paying for extras such as bottled water and excursions into the wilderness. Considering kayaking or a safari runs about $11.00 while rooms start at 120.00/night (only 8 rooms by the way) this place is probably less expensive than the yoga place anyway. I like nature treks, so this one also goes on my list.

Posted by James Trotta at 12:21 AM | Comments (0)

Luxury, relaxing vacation resorts & spas

This is an interesting article that I don't trust because it reads like an advertisement. They make the Golden Sunset in Calatagan, Batangas, Philippines (2.5 hours south of Manila) sound like the best spa in the world despite the fact that it's not finished yet. I'd link to their website, but even that is under construction!

This article on learning to scuba dive mentions the Red Sea and the White Sands Resort and Spa in the Maldives. It "has fine beaches, water bungalows on stilts over the lagoon and good restaurants. It's as close to paradise as you can get. A week's half board, including return flights and seaplane transfers costs from £1,225 in January (extra nights from £96pp)."

Here's an article that talks about various resorts for adult couples (no kids allowed and I guess no singles either) in the Caribbean.

The expensive Hedonism resorts where clothing is optional are probably good for people who stuck to their summer diets and workout programs. Club Ambiance wins for biggest bargain:

Less pricey than the better-known resorts, Club Ambiance still offered a nice mix of activities, including mixed-drink lessons, a steel-drum reggae band, acrobats, volleyball, beer-drinking contests, bike rides and a dance club, she says. A seven-night stay begins at about $670 per person.

Posted by James Trotta at 3:52 AM | Comments (0)

Portland, Oregon: a bit of tourist information

A reader emailed me these tips:

In Portland the McMenamins are pretty cool places to stay. Kennedy School is a converted school with a movie theater, a few bars, and a spa. It’s in Portland’s old streetcar neighborhood. If you have a car its a perfect place to stay and explore PDX. If you have to stay Downtown then the Benson or Governor hotel are both nice.

Washington Park in the WestHills is amazing and the Rose Garden is a can't miss. Take a Day trip to the Oregon Coast or the Columbia River Gorge (both are good day trips). Another nice day trip is to Oregon wine country.

Take the streetcar to NW Portland Neighborhood for restaurants and shopping. Some Portland restaurants: Sungari Pearl and Heathman.

Posted by James Trotta at 6:03 AM | Comments (7)

Halloween at Disney's Magic Kingdom

A reader emailed me this tip:

For anyone planning a fall trip to Disney with smaller kids, check the schedule and go during the Halloween celebration. It goes on for a couple of weeks in October. They close Magic Kingdom early, and you return just after dark. The whole place transforms to "spooky" mode and kids go in costume to trick or treat in the park. Headless Horsemen starts the parade. Magic Kingdom stays open till 11 PM allowing you to get on rides with no wait at all. My kids loved it!

Posted by James Trotta at 5:46 AM | Comments (2)