Gadlinks for Monday 9.21.09

by Brenda Yun on


Food and relationships have been on my mind lately, so today’s Gadlinks reflect some of these things. I am also looking forward to going HOME after being away for over two months! The last link is a nice homage to beautiful HAWAII and other gorgeous destinations. Enjoy!

‘Til tomorrow, have a great evening!

More Gadlinks HERE.

Dim Sum Dialogues in Thailand: Ko Pha Ngan

by Stephen Greenwood on

After what feels like hours, the ferry disembarks on a small dock that ends where a group of Thai people in hats and sunglasses are standing. They’re holding signs for connecting rides to hotels or offering cheap bus fares to various beaches on the island.

I suppose one of the pitfalls of not booking anything ahead of time is suddenly realizing that you have no idea what your next move should be. Haad Rin? Haad Yao? Haad Khuat? Haad Salat? Names of beaches barraged my eyes and ears.

With one full day before the full moon party, all hostels were rumored to be fully booked, so it didn’t matter where I started the search. I only knew that it would be better to stay close to Haad Rin since it’s the center of activity, and staying there would mean avoiding late night taxis or buses when it was time to go home. A couple of tourists waiting to leave the island point to a woman that they recommend for a taxi bus, and I take their suggestion.
I jump in the back of a covered truck and am heartily greeted by a loud American with a southern accent and a t-shirt tied around his head. He uses a slew of expletives to describe just “how [ridiculously] crazy Thailand is” and asks the group of passengers if we can believe how “cheap [stuff] is here”. He says he might not want to leave and mentions that there’s nothing to go back to at the moment anyway. Eventually, he’s drowned out by the sound of the struggling engine as the truck strains to make it over a series of steep, twisting roads that lead to Haad Rin.

The island’s area is roughly 168 km², with an estimated 50 km perimeter, so it really doesn’t take long to get to get anywhere on the island. From the ferry to the beach where the once-a-month festivities are held, it’s about a fifteen minute drive.

We arrive in Haad Rin, and I make a dash for the first cheap hostel in my guidebook – Mellow Mountain Bungalows. The view is gorgeous. Bright sunshine, sparkling water, green hills and white sand. Luckily, there’s one bungalow available and the price isn’t bad – 350 baht per night ($10 USD). I force myself to overlook the fact that the toilet and shower are both out of commission – the likely explanation for the room’s late vacancy – and decide that the communal shower will do just fine. If that fails, there’s always the ocean, right?

Once I’m settled, my initial instinct is to rent a scooter and explore the rest of the island. In retrospect, this should have been my first decision after arriving on the island – and would be my recommendation for anyone traveling without bags that require a taxi. It’s cheaper and more fun to explore the island by yourself. Just remember to wear a helmet and drive cautiously – I think calling the roads of Thailand “unpredictable” would be an affectionate understatement.

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Regardless, Ko Pha Ngan is probably one of the best places in Thailand to rent a scooter for the day. All of the roads on the island are quiet, two lane strips of asphalt that snake through beautiful forests and picturesque hills. There’s a few waterfalls that are easy to access, and enough beaches to sample to keep you busy for a few days. On my way around the island, I stop at a small restaurant owned by a Thai woman and her British expat husband. A crowd of British men are huddled around the bar, halfway through a “proper Sunday lunch” of roast lamb and mushy peas.

My favorite beach of the day is a spot on the Northern end called Haad Salad. There are giant rope swings, quaint guest houses and warm, shallow water. If it wasn’t on the opposite side of the island from Haad Rin, I’d opt to stay here for hours, but I’m short on time and decide to head back on the road while the sun sets in the west, and a full moon rises in the east.

I gun the scooter over the final few hills that descend into the beach. I’m relishing every moment of riding the curved pavement, the moon high in the sky, cutting through a paper thin layer of clouds. When I pull into the town, I can feel the buzz of energy in the air. By now, most of the tourists that are staying in Haad Rin for the party have arrived, and the tiny streets of the towns are packed with people.

A group of dutch tourists get neon paint patterned on their arms and legs. Four youngsters huddle around a friend in a tattoo shop. A pair of girls get their hair done at a salon. Hordes of people have already started dancing on the beaches to deep, resonant music.

Internet cafés are filled to capacity. I stop at one and count the number of screens that are logged into Facebook – 19 out of 20…and it’s the same at almost every cafe that I pass. Truly the mark of our generation. Maybe they’re making those last minute rendezvous from the Khao San?

I have no idea what to expect for the next 24 hours, but by the excitement that I feel in the streets, I have a good suspicion that I’ve come to the right place.

If you’ve missed the previous articles in this series, be sure to check out the entire Dim Sum Dialogues column for more on the road from Bangkok to Ko Pha Ngan.

Galley Gossip: Oahu, Hawaii – Ko Olina Beach Club timeshare vacation deal

by Heather Poole on

We were in Hawaii at the Ko Olina Beach Club in Oahu when the woman standing in front of the black board asked, “Do you honestly think you travel differently than everyone else? That what you’re looking for in a vacation is not what everyone else here wants.”

As I glanced at the others staying at the resort, most of whom were either families vacationing with children under the age of five, like myself, or senior citizens enjoying the fruits of their labor, I nodded my head. I do truly believe I travel differently than most people. I’m a flight attendant! And that’s what I told her.

Like most flight attendants, when I go on vacation I don’t want to stay anywhere that even remotely feels like a layover, which means I’m not a big fan of resort like properties with hundreds of rooms and thousands of guests milling about the pool. Regardless of how pretty that pool may be.

For the record, the pool at the the Ko Olina Beach Club is wonderful. My three year-old couldn’t stay out of it. The beach, a man made lagoon, is beautiful, so very relaxing at night under the stars. And the rooms, particularly the villas, are more than comfortable with their sunken tubs, full size kitchens, and a washer and dryer to boot. But that’s another story. This story is about how I’m a flight attendant and how flight attendants, not unlike most frequent fliers, do not want to spend their vacations in the same hotel-type room year after year. Even though this was our third year in a row at the resort. It was also the first time we’d agreed to partake in one those vacation club package deals.

Don’t ask.

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“Travel, for me, is an escape,” I said to the woman holding the chalk after she asked me what, exactly, I wanted to get out of my vacations. “When I go on vacation I just want to relax, eat good food, and let the vacation come to me.”

“So you’re telling me that you appreciate a quality hotel? That you want to know you’re getting the best you can get for your dollar when you’re on vacation? she asked.

“Umm…no…that’s not exactly what I said,” I said, and as I said that she drew two big columns on the board with a piece of chalk, the words RENT and OWN scribbled above each one.

“There’s no need to go there,” I said, watching her make a list of reasons to own, not rent. “Because when I go on vacation I really do like spending hours online searching for the perfect place to stay. I like the excitement of not knowing what to expect and the thrill of sliding the key card into the door and SURPRISE! Seeing what’s on the other side – whether it’s good or bad. Because sometimes you get the Calla Lily Inn in Palm Springs and other times you get the Villa Rosa in Positano. You see, that’s the fun part for me.”

“Are you telling me you don’t mind throwing money away?”

“I’m telling you that I’m a flight attendant and my husband travels more than I do,” I said, motioning to my husband who was just seconds from shoving an Ipod in his ear. “So when we travel it’s last minute travel. We can’t plan our vacations a year in advance. We can’t be bothered with trading our weeks. And we like change and diversity. No offense, but timeshares are just not for us.”

But the timeshare pool, on the other hand, was for us. Because that’s where we spent a good portion of our getaway discussing the pros and cons of owning a timeshare with a few of the owners in our complex. While none of these owners knew each other, they all had one thing in common, love for the timeshare. One woman told me that if I was really interested in purchasing one, not to bother with the sales people at the resort because there were some pretty amazing deals to be found on Ebay. That’s where she’d not only been snatching up quite a few timeshares, but had actually bought one for just $500! Not including the maintenance fees.

I actually tweeted that bit about timeshares being sold on ebay and two seconds later someone sent me a link to 10 Reasons Timeshares Are A Bad Deal. Of course I shared the 10 reasons with my husband over a magnificent sunset dinner in Waikiki. A woman sitting alone at a neighboring table who just so happened to be eavesdropping in on our conversation told us about redweek.com, the largest online marketplace for renting, buying, and selling timeshares. I told her I’d check it out.

As for renting a timeshare, sure, why not, great deals are out there and redweek.com is one of the best places to find one. When it comes to buying, I don’t think so. The best part about traveling, for me, is doing something different and getting outside the comfort zone, not making a second home. As far as selling a timeshare goes, good luck with that in this terrible economy. Because in order to sell, one must be willing to buy – regardless of what the really nice timeshare sales lady whose company stands to make a 40% commision on the resell says.

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Five great ways to use your frequent flyer miles

by Grant Martin on

As the economy shrinks and belts begin to tighten, mileage programs are playing a larger and large role in the everyday consumer travel lanscape. Many travelers are turning to their caches of miles for use in lieu of spending their hard-saved money on a ticket. Similarly, airlines are also paying attention to our mileage accounts, changing many programs to restrict the number of awards that they permit and making our free flights few and far in between.

Let not these pressures cause you to spend your miles unwisely, however. Like any good investment, miles should be managed, earned and used efficiently. Wasting a wealth of miles on an inexpensive ticket is not only a shame, but also a poor return for your time invested in earning these very valuable rewards.

Not sure where to start? Here are five great ways to use your current stash of miles.

High season tickets: We all know that its more expensive to get to Cancun or Europe during the summer months when the kids are out of school. Mileage rewards don’t reflect this swing however – it costs the same number of miles to fly to London in February as it does in July. They are restricted in volume, however, as demand for those high season tickets will be greater. That’s why you need to book your tickets early. Check with your favorite carrier to see when availability opens, but as a rough estimate, you’ll need to think at least 8 months in advance.
Upgrades: Our good friend (and fellow blogger!) George Hobica from Airfare Watchdog wrote an excellent article on using your miles to upgrade your coach ticket the other day. It’s true that not all fares and itineraries are upgradeable, but if you find the right combination of paid coach fares frequent flyer miles, you can score a business class ticket for pennies on the dollar of a normal business fare.

Alaska: The Arctic circle is as close as Albany as far as most miles are concerned. Consider spending your miles on a longer haul, expensive flight instead of a short haul jaunt upstate.

Last minute flights: Anyone who has tried to fly at the last minute can tell you that airfare prices skyrocket as the departure drops below 14 and 7 days respectively. Conversely, more award availability often opens up. The one caveat to this availability, however, is that fees often incur in kind. Those with elite status can often get around this atrocity, but those with no perks may have to cough up a little cash.

Friends and Family: Don’t keep your 100k miles to yourself – as long as you book the ticket, you can put anyone’s name on the reservation. This is a great way to surprise your girlfriend or parents with a trip overseas or to come see you, all without spending more than a few dollars on tax. Those with fewer scruples can even venture into selling their miles on Craigslist or to a friend, although those transactions are usually “illegal.”

Charity: Almost all mileage programs have charity partners. If you and your friends are all traveled out, why not donate the miles to the Red Cross? It’s better than letting them expire.

The Accidental Chef Travels: St. Martin on a budget

by Kendra Bailey Morris on


It was just a few months ago that I found myself, once again, with itchy feet. I needed to go somewhere warm and tropical, and I needed to get there as soon as possible. I ran the idea by the hubby, who is always up for a last-minute jaunt, especially when we’re talking the Caribbean, and started the proverbial search for where and when.

This is where things started to get tricky, and to complicate things, we were on a major budget. While flights to just about anywhere were at an all-time low, itineraries to the Caribbean islands were all over the map from my hub, Richmond, Virginia, with several boasting multiple stops with exceptionally long layovers, some in excess of 24 hours. One itinerary, Richmond to Nevis, offered a whopping thirty-one hours travel time, which essentially negated the fact that I actually live on the east coast of the United States.
Islands were quickly narrowed down because of this, and it wasn’t long before I discovered the beauty of Charlotte Douglas Airport which serves as major hub to many Caribbean islands. Connecting through CLT was showing uber-cheap flights ($350 round trip on US Airways including taxes and fees from Richmond to St. Maarten. Toss in flexible travel days (a Saturday to Thursday stay, which offered the lowest fare) and I was sold. Estimated money saved, thanks to CLT, travel flexibility and banging low rates on US Airways, roughly $200 per ticket.

Yet, the budget challenge continued as we needed a week’s worth of accommodations, and of course, plenty of cash money for eats and drinks. Luckily, we were traveling during the off-season, which I highly recommend for a couple of reasons– it’s way cheaper and the beaches are less crowded. Traveling from mid-April through early December is a great way to take advantage of some crazy reduced hotel rates. Whether it’s a 7th night free offer, complimentary spa treatments, meal vouchers or just super-low rates in general, if you can swing traveling during this time (and don’t mind the heat or fear hurricanes) you can manage to score some amazing deals.

For example, we discovered a total gem of a hotel in Grand Case, French St. Martin, the Grand Case Beach Club, an oasis of calm, azure swimming holes, impeccable service on all fronts, oceanfront rooms with views of Anguilla, and incredible food and drinks to be enjoyed at the hotel’s waterfront Sunset Café. Our one bedroom oceanfront room came with a fully equipped kitchen, separate living area and a king size bedroom, where sliding glass doors opened to take in the breezes from off the bay.

Like all guests, we arrived to a complimentary bottle of wine, soft music playing from a rotating CD player in our room, and hibiscus flowers scattered about the bed and bath. A complimentary continental breakfast in true French St. Martin style (croissants, yogurt, French butter and dark roast coffee) was offered oceanfront every morning, all non-motorized water sports were free, and on Wednesday, a hosted manager’s reception was held hillside complete with hors d’oeuvres, rum punch and great conversation with the staff . The price for all this luxury? $200 bucks a night including a 5th night free offer. By comparison, in-season rates for February 2010 for the same exact room are showing $435 per night.

The lesson? Visit the Caribbean in the off-season, look for package deals such as free night offers, and try to go for hotels/resorts that offer guests more than simply a room. As a result, our total estimated savings was roughly $1,375 in accommodations alone with the little extras serving as priceless additions.

Now, the food part was easy. We were in French St. Martin, after all, home to some of the finest cuisine in the Caribbean. Yet, many of the restaurants in Grand Case, while amazingly good, didn’t come cheap and would have totally thrown us off budget. We managed to find financial solace in the many lolos that dot the streets of town, but we still wanted to have at least one “nice” meal out. In order to do this, we needed to cut costs in other areas. This is where our in-room kitchen came into play.

I figured, along with the continental breakfast, which was quite generous, we could cook our own lunches in the room. Within walking distance of the hotel was a fantastic local grocery store, the U.S. Supermarche, brimming with delicious French specialties (think tins of imported foie gras, local vegetables, homemade pizzas, freshly baked baquettes, gobs of gooey French cheeses and $3 bottles of wine). With delights like this, who would want to eat out?

Nearly every day, we packed our picnic lunch of French delights and enjoyed them either on the beach or overlooking the bay from our patio. Estimating that the average breakfast for two would cost $20/day with tax and tip, and lunches would hover around $40/day with tax a tip, we saved approximately $300 more dollars sans the small amount we spent on groceries, and we ate a whole heck of a lot better.

I can’t talk about budgeting a Caribbean vacation without mentioning booze. This stuff will bite you in the butt when traveling (and I’m not talking hangovers). Partaking of wine, beer or cocktails can throw your entire budget off in a matter of days, so be careful when hitting restaurants and bars, or when it comes to the Caribbean beaches, calling over the cabana boy a few too many times while lying face up in the sand. Don’t worry, I’m not going to recommend abstinence while on vacation, but I will recommend watching where those hooch dollars go.

One way to save big is by stocking up in your room. It’s the Caribbean for god’s sake, so go get a bottle of top quality rum, a few mixers and have at it beach side instead of tossing out fivers at the tiki bar all day. Lastly, while it may be tempting, step away from the mini bar. Mini bars are the red button you never want to press. I don’t care how much fun you’re still having at one in the morning. Grab a big bottle of water and go to bed.

We were lucky during our trip to St. Martin since we were surrounded by fine French wines as well as fantastic locally made rum, so drinks on the beach consisted of a quick trip upstairs to the room to fire up the blender. We also saved by having a pre-game cocktail before heading out to dinner, which was one less drink we paid top dollar for. Estimated booze savings by drinking in, roughly $150 for our entire trip.

The bottom line, is that with careful planning, you can have a great Caribbean vacation just about anywhere without breaking the bank, but it will probably involve some minor sacrifices, such as carefully researched off-season flights/hotel, a good amount of flexibility, along with less eating out and more eating in. Yet, there’s one constant that I will bequeath you from firsthand experience, and that’s when you’re actually in the Caribbean sipping rum jumbies poolside, the last thing you’ll be contemplating is sacrifice.

Got a great Caribbean budget travel tip to share? We’d love to hear it.

–Kendra