Interested in the Caribbean? Comprehensive list with of where to head

by Jamie Rhein on

I don’t know about you, but this time of year when the sky is slate gray more often then it’s sunny, and the leaves have dropped from the trees like rain, I start thinking about warmer pastures. “Let’s get out of Dodge,” I say. Not really, but that’s what I fantasize.

The Caribbean has been an appealing option since a couple of years ago a friend asked me if I wanted to go to Costa Rica. Although, Costa Rica isn’t part of the Caribbean scene exactly, it got me thinking about that part of the world. Our trip didn’t work out and remains unfinished business. This article in The New York Times offers oodles of option ideas for a Caribbean vacation from the pricey to the not so bad. Now, I’m thinking again.

One of the reasons for the Caribbean travel deals is the beating that the weather gave to the area this year. The financial meltdown is another. Just like Las Vegas has become cheaper in order to draw tourists, so has the Caribbean.

The article touts Anguilla, Bahamas, Barbados, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grand Cayman Island, Grenada, Martinique, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Marten, St. Kitts, St. John, St. Lucia, Turks and Caicos and Tobago.

Each destination has a different appeal depending on what you’re after.

Curaçao’s newest resort to open since the 1990s caught my eye because it was developed to be part of the 19th century Rif Fort which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The room rates at the Renaissance Curaçao Resort and Casino are above what we’d spend, but maybe there are cheaper hotels on the island. My adage is stay cheaper and pop over to the more expensive place for drinks, a meal and browsing.

There are cheaper digs elsewhere. One less expensive family option is The Virgin Island Campground on Water Island for $75 a night.

Reading the article is one way to get your mind wandering. Along with the places to stay suggestions are dive shops and restaurants. I’d use the article as a starting point and then see what else you can find by doing some research yourself. [The photo is of Honey Moon Beach at Water Island. You might be in competition with me if you chose this place.]

Group vacations – French villas are hot!

by Annie Scott on

Want to make all your friends swoon? Rent out a villa in the south of France for an affordable, peaceful vacation.

Want to make all your friends love you? Take them along!

French villas have become one of the top destinations in the great tradition of group vacations. I love group vacations; it’s like an extended party. Get everyone you like together and watch them interact for a week. It’s fascinating, often scandalous, and makes one feel like they’re in some 17th century comedy of manners, or an old-Hollywood movie.

One villa I recommend is Villa Plantat, near the small town Quissac. Villa Plantat (plantat means “to plant”) is an elegant house set on 400 acres of beautiful grounds with an orangerie and a private spring-fed swimming lake, and is located close to both historic Roman ruins and the Mediterranean sea (just 35 minutes away).

Villa Plantat can provide a private provencal chef for just around $20 per meal, and they also have twice yearly yoga retreats (2 hours of yoga per day plus special events; not yoga boot camp) in May and September. $1380 per person includes accommodations, wine (!), and classes.

Villa Plantat is available year round for $4,200 per week (price drops by $500 for additional weeks) and sleeps thirteen. That’s just $323 per person. Or, for ten people, $420 per week.

Save up your miles and get to the south of France. It’s an idyllic, quaint, and quintessentially lovely experience you won’t forget.
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Cruises still a good bargain, says Arthur Frommer

by Aaron Hotfelder on

In this week’s Budget Travel article, travel guru Arthur Frommer has the skinny on a number of cruises throughout the world that might actually be cheaper than living at home. With many cruise lines forced to lower their prices due to shrinking demand, Frommer writers, travelers can find themselves great deals on even upscale ships.

Here are a couple of the best deals Frommer cites:

  • A 14-night Celebrity cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Valparaiso, Chile, for only $449. That works out to about $32 per day, which, as Frommer notes, might be cheaper than living at home.
  • A 12-night cruise on the Mediterranean starting in Barcelona for $849. But get this: the price includes airfare from New York. (Other fees apply though)
  • A 7-night cruise of the Mexican Riviera, departing from San Diego, starting as low as $449.

Admittedly, going on cruises isn’t really my style, but if they get any cheaper I might have to develop a new style.

Read the full article here.

20 recession busting tips from a family friendly travel site

by Scott Carmichael on

Family friendly travel site wejustgotback.com has posted a list of 20 tips for dealing with trips during these bleak economic times.

The list contains some fairly logical tips like wisely picking a destination based on the driving distance, but also some pretty savvy ones like how to haggle with the hotel manager for some free perks.

The site also does some homework for you, listing some of the best travel deals available, with the emphasis on family friendly hotels and free activities around the country.

What impressed me most, is that they also do the math on some of these deals, and explain why a deal may not be as “hot” as it seems.

Wejustgotback is easy to navigate, and the site is broken down into several sections. Anyone who travels with kids will appreciate the “tip sheets”, where parents can read tips submitted by other readers, or where you can submit your own tips. After all, nothing beats real life experience. Many parts of the site can only be accessed after a quick and free registration.

Another fantastic resource on the site is the “search by child’s age” feature, located in the left column. In the results from that search, you will find guides on how to travel with a toddler or how to entertain your kids on their first cruise. Like most sections on the site, these guides also contain content supplied by readers.

I’ve spent most of the morning browsing through the information posted on Wejustgotback, and it really does contain a ton of great stuff. What impresses me most is the balance between their own articles and real life experience from readers. If you travel with kids, I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you are planning a trip or if you just need some idea on where to go next summer.

How tos for understanding travel promotions and other deals

by Jamie Rhein on

When finding the best travel deals the options can seem overwhelming. Sometimes the math may not add up. A supposed deal isn’t a deal at all.

Linda Zavoral’s article, originally published in San Jose’s Mercury News, outlines the vocabulary of various travel savings to help travelers make better decisions before opening their wallets.

For example, a package does not have to offer savings. All it means is that you’re purchasing more than one service bundled together.

If a hotel is offering a package deal where tickets to an attraction are connected to a room, shop around for cheaper options. Sometimes the package deal is for more expensive rooms in the hotel, and you can find inexpensive tickets to the attractions elsewhere.

When booking a tour package, Zavoral also suggests that you check the deals a travel company may offer against what you might be able to book yourself. In many cases the travel agency’s price may be cheaper because the agency is buying up blocks of airplane seats and accommodations, but check anyway.

Another saving might come from checking out various places for the cheapest hotel room rates. Find out what the cheapest available rates are by looking at the hotel’s website and other travel sites.

If a hotel says its offering a freebie like free breakfast– or some other amenity as part of a package, check to see if this is a regular offering at other times, or truly a for now only deal.

When booking a room, make sure you’re clear if the rate is per person or per room.

Also, check to see if phone booking or online booking is cheaper. Sometimes the person on the phone may not be aware of a deal. In that case, check the website. This holds true whether its a hotel, a cruise line or a tour group.