Travel plan idea blog

Help Chris choose a good spot to snorkel

I recently received a very kind email from Chris so I hope we have some good ideas for him:

I love your blog. Very great to hear your travel experiences and it is very valuable to hear other readers' comments. Maybe you can share some more of that knowledge. I'm trying to find the perfect place to go snorkeling in mid-June. We don't want to scuba, but we thought it would be nice to fine a place that we can relax at and snorkel for 3-5 days. We were looking at places from Cozumel, St Lucia, St Croix, or Belize. Do you have any suggestions or thoughts?

Cheers,
Chris

If you can help, please leave a comment.

Reader needs 5 day Disney travel plan - ideas?

So first the question and then my answer. Then you can leave some advice.

Going down to Disney for 4 or 5 days with the family - any suggestions on ticket packages, etc.? We want to do the main parks, Seaworld, Universal, etc., but want to be efficient about it. I don't need lodging suggestions (already set up).Two kids (9 and 11) and their mom. We have the weekend and Mon - Wed. I don't need to do it all, just want to hit the "must see" stuff that's the best for their ages.

Now I have a little Disney vacation plan of my own but I haven’t been there in 10 years or so – if anyone has suggestions please comment!

Day 1: When you land there, hit Universal's Islands of Adventure for day one.

Day 2: You'll need a full day at Magic Kingdom. It's a huge park with rides/events for everyone in the family.

Day 3: Use day three as a time to relax, you don't want to get burnt out by 5 straight days in the theme parks. Maybe spend this day at Universal's Citywalk or Downtown Disney to hit their shopping districts. If you want to do a park, visit a water park on this 3rd day.

Day 4: Seaworld is cool to visit on the 4th day. You can spend a lot of time here.

Day 5: You can wrap up your 5th and final day at Disney's Animal Kingdom before you head out. That park only needs 6-7 hours and you'll be able to see all the main attractions.

Parks not on this itinerary: Epcot and Disney Studios. Epcot is large and usually takes 2 days to visit. I don’t know which two days you’d take away from my plan in order to fit in Epcot. Disney Studios isn't that large but outside of a few rides, isn't worth visiting on a short trip like this. The parks I chose should have plenty of rides anyway.

Good Luck!

Know any good adult only resorts in Mexico?

I have a big pile of papers to read for various classes so for today let me ask you to do all the work by answering this question from Cathy:

I have your site on my yahoo home page and frequently read the articles. I am looking for suggestions for an adult only resort in Mexico for our 10th anniversary. We have traveled to Mexico a few times and have stayed at Spa Palace twice. We are looking for a different resort of the same quality. Any and all suggestions are wonderfully welcome. Thank you so much.

Reader submitted question about Atlantis Coral Tower Paradise

My fiancé and I are trying to book a vacation in the Caribbean for about 4-5 days flying from NYC. I'm looking at waterview room for 2 of us Atlantis Coral Tower Paradise Island at the end of May for 4 nights for a total of $1960 (fees/taxes included).

I was there a few years ago and stayed at the Royal Towers. They area bit nicer and newer, but Coral Towers are nice too. The whole place is great. Expensive, but worth it.

Does anyone have experience at Coral Tower? How does it compare with the Royal Tower? Do we have access to all the amenities that those that stay at Royal Tower have?

I’m thinking about the cheaper rooms since I probably won't be in the room much except to go to sleep, the beauty of the resort is the resort itself.

San Juan or Culebra in Puerto Rico? (reader needs advice)

There are a lot of questions in here from a reader who got conflicting advice. If you can answer only one, even that would help I'm sure.

I'm gonna go to Puerto Rico next week with my girlfriend for a short vacation. I've been to PR a bunch of times but never stayed in San Juan. For sake of convenience, it'd be nice to stay in San Juan, but as of now we're gonna stay in Culebra. I heard that San Juan is ok, but Culebra is the place to be. Let me say what I heard and then ask for advice.

I’ve heard to stay at Flamenco Beach in Culebra because you get the beach to yourself, but is that true any time? Anyway, they say you won't need to leave Culebra. If you do, you'll take the ferry to Fajardo and then drive 60 minutes to San Juan. Would I really be better off not even visiting San Juan? Wouldn’t San Juan give easier access to El Yunque (the rainforest), the Cumuy caverns, and other attractions?

Cause one guy recommended San Juan and another guy Culebra. LOL. Old San Juan is supposed to be great. He stayed at Ocean Park (gated community). The beach is public and is known as "G-string beach" to the locals. Sounds good...heh, heh. The locals supposedly come to the beach in thongs but don’t want to get myself in trouble looking since my girlfriend will be there!

The guy telling me Culbra stayed at Numero Uno guesthouse. If you do go to San Juan, you must eat at Pamela's, which is in the Numero Uno guesthouse. It's expensive, but well worth it. He said to go to Flamenco Beach. Supposedly if I walk around enough I can find some old Sherman tanks abandoned there – anyone know about this?

I also need advice on islands around Culebra. Some are nature preserves. If you can get on a sail boat trip, or small boat trip you can visit several, snorkel and scuba, and hang on empty beaches. The two I have been on are Monkey Island-(used to be a govt preserve for apes, and you could only swim in the surf because of the animals) and Viequez (about 10 miles away fro Culebra) I believe there is a phosphorus beach on Viequez. There are countless others including Saint Thomas which is close too. So where do I go? LOL!

And he also said the beaches in San Juan are just OK, and a bit touristy because of the strip of hotels there. Lots of NYers on the beach. He also said watch out for the undertoe. Even near the shoreline it can pull you out but is it worse in San Juan or Culebra?

And what’s the deal – I don’t need a passport, right?

And isn’t it much harder to get to Culebra? My friend had to rent a car and drive to Fajardo. (60 min from San Juan). Take the Ferry to Culebra ($2.25 each for the ferry, $5.00 for parking) The ferry leaves at 9AM sharp. Ferry ride is about 70 minutes.

Once on Culebra, you'll take a taxi/van ($2.00) to Flamenco Beach. (10 min drive) They do not sell beer at the beach, if you want some, bring it. They have food, drinks & nic-nacks all in kiosks. Then he said bring cash, only one of the kiosks takes a card, the others are simply grilling shark, chicken & plantain as well as rice and beans.

Orlando hotel advice for one of our own

Jill has been an important part of our community for a long time and now she could use our help.

She has tickets to the Police/Elvis Costello concert in Orlando in May and they need a hotel. It's the weekend before their 20th anniversary, so a splurge would be appropriate. One possibility is a savannah-view room at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Can anyone else recommend a nice hotel?

They are also considering a suit-and-tie, no-kids-allowed dinner at Victor and Albert's. Can anyone comment on this or another nice restaurant in Orlando?

Brazil fact guide / travel article

From what I understand the writer of this article has been living in Brazil for a while. I thought this was interesting because I mentioned recently that a friend and I might start a travel business where we do tours of Brazil's less touristy (not Rio) carnavals.

Now I've never been to Brazil but I have a friend who has lived in Brazil for 5 or so years who would be designing the tours. He speaks Portuguese and answers all my questions about Brazil. However, for those of you who want to know something about Brazil and don't know where to ask - follow the link at the end of the article for a Q&A with the author.

Khon Kaen, Thailand: advice please

I have a conference in Khon Kaen in January but have never really heard of it before. I know the name of the hotel where the conference is but I'm not sure if that's where I want to stay:

Sofitel Raja Orchid Khon Kaen Thailand
9/9 Prachasamran Road, Nai Muang,
Muang, Khon Kaen 40000 Thailand

And a few web searches revealed that there isn't too much on Khon Kaen but that some of the main attractions are:

Khon Kaen National Museum
Kaen Nakhon Lake and Wat That
Tortoise Village 50 km south of Khon Kaen
Cobra Village (not sure if I want to go there and not sure where it is)

So what, if anything, can you tell me about Khon Kaen?

Vacation Advice on St. Croix (Virgin Islands) please

Here's a question from Larry - let's see if we can help him out. I've also collected replies from some travelers and included them after the question:

Our vacation plans fell through so me and the wife are scrambling trying to find somewhere to go starting on Friday. I know it's short notice but we both need a break from the office so rather then give the days back we are looking for somewhere to go. I've found a good deal on a couple places at St Croix, but having never been to the Virgin Isles I wanted to know if anyone had any opinions on the island in general.

Or any suggestions for another secluded place with more of an emphasis on nature than nightlife, and no passport required. Thanks

1. The Virgin Islands are wonderful. I haven't been to St. Croix, but St. John was fantastic. The perfect vacation. A much quieter island than the main one, St. Thomas, we found secluded beaches where we were the only ones there and if you do feel like going out there's a small downtown with restaurants and bars.

2. Have a great time w/ whatever you choose. I can second St. John - beautiful beaches and a low key night life if you are looking just to take a break from everyday life. Everything from 1st rate accommodations to eco-tourism.

3. St.Croix is not St John. There is a big difference. St John is a much smaller island of which about 80% is a national park. It is not very populated. Because of this it is very expensive. I think there is only one hotel on the island. Most of the rentals are private houses. It is however, a great place to vacation.

That being said, I am not familiar with St Croix. I just would not assume they are similar.
I've spent a lot of time on St John and HIGHLY suggest you trying to go there...Haven't been to St Croix.

4. I have lived in STX for 21 years and it is one of the most underated and beautiful places in the world. The big Island is not a huge tourist destination as most people got to St. John or St. Thomas, that said there are good hotels here, great places to eat, and beautiful beaches.

If you tell me which places your thinking of staying I will give you the skinny on them. Bucaneer is probably the most complete place and great for kids. We also have great golf here, and a casino.

5. I used to live on St. Croix for about 2 years when Marilyn decided to change my vocation. I worked for Miles and Mark Sperber of Dive St. Croix. I called the top of Strand St. my home in Christiansted.

St. Croix is a big island. Plenty to do and see. North end of the island has a rainforest while the East end is a desert. Great diving, golf, lounging on the beach, etc. Cruz Bay is a definite. Swim out from the beach, and you are over one of the deepest walls in the Caribbean. Excellent restaurants also. And like Big VI said, they have gaming also. St. Croix is a killer spot for scuba diving...

6. St. John is wonderful! Relaxtion, Beaches, Quiet! St. Croix is nice as well but a little more commercialized and NOT as laid back. Good Luck! I worked at the Hess refinery on St. Croix for a couple of months. It's very nice but I prefer St Thomas or St Johns.

7. Great snorkeling in both places.. St. Croix has an underwater national park at Buck Island. Chenay Bay is a little guest house type hotel. pretty beach, close to town, ok bar food but clean rooms with their own kitchen. You can probably get a better deal at Carambola but 20 minutes from town... great beaches, pools, rooms all 1st class... close to golf and everything if its just you and the wife carambola is very romantic and used to be a Rock Resort back in the day.. also just redid all the rooms.. carambola is also right by the rain forest very tropical...

8. Maho Bay on St. Johns is where I honeymooned. Excellent, "eco-resort." Right on the beach. Snorkeling in Waterlemon Key and exploring the old Sugar Plantations is a blast. St. Croix, I don't know about. But St. Thomas looked like a zoo to me from the ferry to St. Johns...

9. I would second the Carambola. It is on the north shore so it is tropical and lush as it is in/near the rainforest. Also, the proximity to Cruz Bay is ideal for you and your significant other to do some snorkeling/scuba diving. There is a watersports business called Cruz Bay Watersports. They can outfit you for some snorkeling or instruct you with a resort course certification in diving. You don't want to miss seeing the East or West wall. In all my years of diving, it is in the top 5 of wall dives in the world. I also worked in Grand Cayman and San Salvador, Bahamas so I do know my wall diving.

Buck Island National park with underwater snorkeling trail. Makes a nice day. The botanical garden is also nice to stroll through. There used to be (I'm not sure if they are still in business) a concession that would arrange horseback riding on the beach near Carambola. Perhaps Big VI knows the name. Also, be sure to head to Christiansted for some shopping and dining.

10. Take an island safari tour one day. there individual open jeeps with a driver/guide you get to see a little bit of everything and some stuff you wont see unless with them. Carambola can arrange for you. Have a great time you won't be sorry.

Reader needs ideas for a one-night weekend getaway to PA or upstaet NY for fall foliage

I recently heard from Gerry who needs ideas for weekend getaway with the wife:

I'm looking for ideas for a single weekend night getaway (kid-free) with my wife (Saturday night only) for sometime in Oct. I'm in the north Jersey area and probably would head off to PA or upstate NY for fall foliage and hiking, but can only do one night, so that rules out all the nice B&B's which require a two night stay this time of year. Any thoughts on a reasonably priced getaway?

So far people are recommending Niagra Falls, which is a bit too far from here for a one night stay. People also recommended Mohonk Mountain House. Mohonk Mountain House looks nice, but has that two-night minimum which is the problem I keep running into. Too bad since I hear they are really good for foliage and hiking, you probably won't find anything much nicer, plus the advantage that if the weather is crappy, they have a great sports facility/spa. Disadvantage = price. Plus the two night minimum stay...

One friend said I could always do the Finger Lakes for a Wine Tour. Good idea, but still a bit far for a single night stay. I'm probably only looking for a 2.5 hour drive from Manhattan max. New Paltz was a good idea, but the single night requirement is killing me...

The Finger lakes B&Bs all have a minimum 2 night stay. I've been through that looking for a one night stay.

I was told to think about the Delaware Water Gap. There is the Shepard House B&B, and the Deer Head Inn. The Deer Head is a great place for jazz. About a 1/4 mile down the 611 or up Mountain Road, is trail access to the Water Gap recreational area. There also is a B&B located on Mountain Road directly across from the trail access. My friend can't remember the name, but he stayed there and it was great. He also said there was no minimum stay!

He said it's 5 minutes further up to the Appalachian Trail. He said to avoid the famous Bushkill Falls. Too hard on your calves and it's so overcrowded and they charge you 9 or 10 bucks or something like that. If you're lucky to know the area well enough, you can find Jacobs Ladder water falls.

William Penn falls is another one no one knows of, a secluded spot where you can have a picnic. This is all according to my friend though. Brownie's is located right across the street from the Deer Head is a great restaurant/watering hole. Plenty of antique shops if you don't feel like hiking and you always have the Crossings Outlets in Tannersville about a 15-20 min. drive west down 80. Or you could head a little further north to the Milford, PA area.

Another beautiful hiking area in the Water Gap is Worthington State Forest on the Jersey side (1st exit). Crater lake which is a glacial lake is a must see.

The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Mass is supposed to be a good bet. My friends stayed there earlier this month and really enjoyed it. The food is very good and the facilities are exceptionally relaxing. Rates this time of year are quite reasonable and it's a really easy drive. Either take I-87 up to I-90 or, for a nicer drive, take I-84 across to route 7 and go up through Connecticut to Stockbridge, MA. Is Stockbridge good for Autumn leaves?

Also, what about Cooperstown? Is it more than the baseball Hall of Fame? I heard about the Otesaga Resort in Cooperstown right on the lake. Or drive a little further and hit Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid or the Sagamore in Lake George.

And if anyone has heard about Journey Inn, they are in Hyde Park, across the street from the Vanderbilt mansion. Never been there - is it any good?

I also wanted to check out New Hope, PA - LOTS of B&B's and tons of restaurants all with their own themes and twists. I have a friend who stayed at the Porches on the Tow Path B&B which was very affordable and the location right in the middle of the shopping/railroad/tow path was good.

But another person told me to go to the Lambertville inn in Lambertsville NJ where all rooms are suites with fireplaces, supposedly reasonable priced and include room service breakfast, it is also right across from New Hope.

So anyway, I've talked to too many people and gotten so much advice I have no idea what to do. So I figure I'll ask everyone for more advice so I can be even more confused. LOL. If I have to get away from Fall foliage, Cape May is still quite nice this time of year. Plus it is now technically off season and might be cheaper.

Well, that's the email. Can anyone tell Gerry what to do?

How do I get my passport in time for vacation?

The government or at least one person in the government is apologizing for the passport delays that have ruined so many travel plans.

Meanwhile, I've heard from a few people about how to get your passport in time: talk to your congress person.

Here are some quotes:

My wife, daugter and I went to a local post office and handed in our passport applications. 12 weeks later we are still waiting and we are supposed to leave for Italy in 2 weeks (all booked and paid for). When we tracked it online, all it said was "currently being processed". We were told at the post office it would take 8-10 weeks and we did not need to pay extra to expedite.

We are really getting worried. We do have insurance with the tour company, but I do not think the airline tickets are covered because we booked seperately to save money. Anybody have an idea on what I could do to get my damn passports!

Answer 1: This worked well for a friend of mine - they called their local congressman's office and they were able to expedite the inquiry process. Contact your local congressman quickly. His office can definitely help.

Answer 2: There's a hotline you can call... My father actually works for them. I wouldn't expect great things.

Answer 3: Go with your Congressmans office. With all the recent inquiries into passports, they have to give it so many days before they can start calling on your passport. With two weeks to go, I have absolutely no doubt that you will get yours in time. Just stick with your Congressman's office. Trust me, I work for one.

Answer 4: I went to my congressman last week and three of the four of my family members passports arrived this week, it would have taken less time if that didn't have to correct the spelling of our last names...I'm still holding out for the last one but I am confident it will get here in time...I also applied on March 17th.

Do you have any questions about traveling in Rome with kids?

I don't have kids, but I do think everyone should spend some time walking around Rome, even if Rome's hotels are expensive. The city is just too romantic (yes also busy, noisey, and polluted) thanks to all the wonderful things to see.

However, there must be people with kids wondering how to make sure the whole family enjoys this must-see city.

If you're one of those people then this is your lucky day! I've arranged an interview with the author of Rome with Kids, J.M. Pasquesi.

But, like I said, I don't have kids. So instead of doing a normal interview, I'm going to let you ask the questions. If there's something you want me to ask, leave your question in the comments area below. Here are some possible topics Pasquesi can discuss:

- Introducing your children to art, culture and foreign food
- Top 10 things no one told you about traveling abroad with kids
- Tips for traveling safely in Europe with small children
- How to plan tours and itineraries to keep your kids from burning out
- How young is too young: Can a child really enjoy and remember a trip abroad?
- Games, stories and scavenger hunts to keep your kids engaged
- Finding family-friendly accommodations and restaurants abroad
- How and when to start planning your European family vacation

The following comes from a press release:

J.M. Pasquesi, Rome travel expert and writer, makes Italy's capital even more accessible for parents and children with her new, one-of-a-kind book Rome with Kids: An Insider's Guide (Synergy Books, July 2007), providing entertaining itineraries that reveal Rome's history and culture, along with step-by-step tours and tips to save families valuable time. Rome with Kids combines an adult's desire to become immersed in the glories of Rome with a child's desire to run, play and explore.

"Rome is largely an outdoor interactive museum," says Pasquesi. "Classical ruins are ideal for touring with children because they are so accessible."

So let's make this an interesting interview - leave your question below within the next few days.

Reader question: how to get from New York to Vieques in Puerto Rico

Let me first say that I really enjoy your blog/. I travel a lot for work, but hardly take vacations. Your blog lets me see what it is like to have fun when you travel.

I am planning on taking a summer vacation to the Puerto Rican island of Vieques. Could someone give me some advice about going there from New York. I would like to spend more money on activities and food, than I would on the actual travel.

This question was submitted by JB - can anyone help out?

Reader needs advice on Sweden: weather, anti-Americanism, food and nightlife

One of us needs some advice on Sweden. We do have one Sweden vacation plan, but if anyone can share some more information on Sweden that would be great. I've collected some answers already:

Question: I may have the opportunity to go to Sweden for a month this summer to learn the language and history/ culture. I am a teacher and my school has a non-profit foundation that would foot the bill for my trip. I would be going to a school about 40 minutes north of Stockholm. My questions are:

1. What is Sweden like in the summer (mid-July to mid-August)?
2. What are the people like? I've heard they can be a little tough to get to know. Is there any anti-Americanism?
3. Recommendations on food/ drink there?

Answer #1: Stockholm is beautiful but expensive. It has bodies of water and Islands as part of the city and you would think you are in the middle of nowhere. It's only dark for a couple of hours that time of year. You can golf to 11:30 at night. Head north for midnight golf:) Pleasantly cool in the summer - 70ish.

Answer #2: Great weather, people speak English, get used to eating fish. Sweden has an interesting history and culture and Stockholm is very pleasant town. The stereotype of a blond blue eyed Nordic is found imho more in northern Norway or Denmark and parts of Germany and Iceland and the Baltic States like Estonia and Latvia so you'll meet lots of brunettes.

Answer #3: Den Gildene Freden is a restaurant in Gamla Stan, which is the old part of the city. I'm not positive I spelled the restaurant right, but it translates to "The Golden Peace". It has the best Swedish meatballs you will ever eat.

Answer #4: The booze tax takes the fun out of it. Sweden is a funny place; everyone is very serious. The people are stunning. "Even the ugly ones" as one of my more outgoing colleagues said. The length of day thing swings both ways. You also get 19hrs of night during the winter so be warned. The real positive about having the opportunity to be anywhere in Europe is the ability to travel to the rest of Europe. Copenhagen, Helsinki, Oslo are all under 2 hr flights. Copenhagen is definitely worth the trip but there is plenty to see both in the Scandinavian countries & the rest of Europe that make it well worth your while if you have the freedom to experience it. However, I'm serious about the booze tax, its prohibitive. All the Swedes go to Copenhagen for fun so make sure you get going there. Try the reindeer.

Answer #5: I didn't experience anti-Americanism in Sweden when I was there and Copenhagen was pro-American if anything. A majority of the people speak English in Denmark (90%) & Sweden (80%+) & your going to learn the language anyway.

Generally speaking, regarding anti-Americanism, if you are a gracious guest, Europe is a gracious host. I'm a conservative & an outspoken one at that but I behaved as I would if I were a guest in someone's house & rarely had issues. I would suggest not engaging in any political discussions if it sets you off. You'll want to go to Copenhagen for the nightlife.