Hilton January: buy now save all year

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The end of the holiday season doesn’t mean all the discounts are gone. So, while the big box retailers begin to reset their prices to “normal,” Hilton is extending Christmas cheer through the end of January. The hotel chain is offering cuts of up to 33 percent on weekend rates in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. The brands included are Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites (keep in mind that not all properties are participating, though).

As long as you book by the end of the month, you can secure the discounted pricing for any Friday, Saturday or Sunday stay throughout the rest of the year. So, instead of scrambling at the last minute for Valentine’s Day, birthday or anniversary presents, get it all out of the way now. This could really take the headache out of gift-giving this year.

[Photo by Sue E via Flickr]

A short primer for Aruba rubes

by Aaron Hotfelder on

I’ll admit it: I didn’t know precisely where Aruba was until I had already decided I’d spend a week there last month. What language did they speak in Aruba? I wasn’t quite sure of that either. Major cities? Um, Aruba City? Needless to say, I was a complete Aruba rube.

Because I fear many of you are equally in the dark about this Dutch Caribbean island, and to go along with my post, “5 things to do in Aruba other than working on your tan,” I thought I’d offer a very brief primer on Aruba. So here goes:

  • In a nutshell: Famous for its miles of white sandy beaches, top-notch hotels and restaurants, and a rocky, deserted national park in the north, Aruba is one of the Caribbean’s most-visited tourist destinations.
  • Location: In the southern Caribbean Sea, only 17 miles(!) north of Venezuela.
  • Size: About 21 miles long, four miles wide
  • Capital and largest city: Oranjestad
  • Principal towns: San Nicolas, Noord, Santa Cruz
  • Currency: The Aruban Florin (US dollars are accepted everywhere)
  • Population: 103,000
  • Languages: Dutch and Papiamento are the official languages. Papiamento is a creole language derived from Portuguese and influenced by Spanish, English, and African languages, among others. English is widely spoken in Aruba.
  • Neighbors: The islands of Bonaire and Curaçao, which together with Aruba make up the “ABC Islands.” (Get it?)
  • Wait, isn’t Aruba Dutch or something: Why, yes it is. The Netherlands Antilles, Aruba, and The Netherlands form the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This means Arubans have Dutch passports and Aruba, though an autonomous region, does not have its own military.
  • Finally, is there anything to do in Aruba? Oh yes, plenty. For five of the best things to do, check out this post.

Photo of the Day (12.26.2009)

by Brenda Yun on


Mele (day after) Kalikimaka, everyone! I could be predictable and post a Christmas-themed photo for the day, but I happened upon a nice shot from fellow Gadling blogger Aaron Hotfelder and just had to commend him for this glorious shot of cowboys in Aruba. Horseback riding in the Caribbean is one of the last things I would think to do, and such large cacti are the last things I would expect to see, too, but that’s the joy of travel, don’t you think? It’s wonderful unpredictability.

If you have some great travel shots you’d like to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day!

American Airlines jet skids off Kingston runway – breaks in two

by Scott Carmichael on

Details are still quite sketchy at the moment, but late last night, an American Airlines jet landed at Norman Manley airport in Kingston, Jamaica. It then skidded towards the end of the runway, and split in two.

Passengers reported that the plane made a large “bang”, then never slowed down when it hit the tarmac, and that they actually saw the plane break in half. The plane ended up crossing a road, and came to rest on the beach.

An American Airlines spokesperson denies this, and says there are just some minor cracks. The photo on the right (from Gizmodo.com) pretty much confirms the passengers statements, as it clearly shows two pieces of fuselage.

There are no fatalities, and only 40 minor injuries, which is a miracle, considering how devastating this accident could have been. The plane had origininated in Washington, and made a stop in Miami, before proceeding to Kingston.

14-year old Dutch sailor goes missing, turns up in St. Maartin

by Kraig Becker on

Remember Laura Dekker? She’s the young Dutch girl who made headlines last summer for wanting to sail solo around the world at the age of 13, only to later be denied the opportunity by the Dutch government. At that time, it was decided that she would remain in the custody of her father, but under the supervision of the Council of Child Protection until her case could be reviewed next summer, once the school year had come to an end.

Late last week this story took another odd turn, when it was reported that the now 14-year old girl went missing, sparking all kinds of speculation in her native country as to her whereabouts. Her boat, the 26-foot long Guppy, remained safely in dock, but the local media was reporting that Laura had been spotted withdrawing 3500 Euros (roughly $5000) from her bank account. After that, she simply disappeared, without a trace.

That is until this weekend, when according to the BBC, the teenager was taken into custody on the island of St. Maartin in the Caribbean, after being recognized by a local. Exactly how she got there has yet to be determined, but yesterday it was reported that she ran away from home, apparently in reaction to being denied the option of sailing. Apparently she left her father a note before going, but the details of that note are also unknown.There is some speculation that she may have been hoping to find a boat and set sail on her own once she reached the Caribbean.

Laura is already on her way back home to the Netherlands, and it is unclear how authorities there will react to this little jaunt to the Caribbean. She was expressly forbidden to travel abroad without permission before her case was reviewed next year. I can’t help but think that this won’t help her case much.

I’ve written about Laura more extensively elsewhere, and I have always felt that 13 or 14 was too young for her to sail solo around the globe. I won’t deny that she has all the technical skills to be a sailor. The girl practically grew up on a boat, and her skills are, by all reports, highly developed. But that still doesn’t mean she should be turned loose on the ocean by herself. As I’ve said before, there are plenty of 14 year old kids who have the actual skills to drive a car, but that doesn’t mean I’d let them go on a cross country road trip by themselves.

I do respect Laura’s dream to sail around the world of course, but it does beg the question “what’s the hurry?” Can’t she wait a few more years and go when she’s gained more experience and maturity? Or is this simply a ploy to set some dubious mark as the youngest person to make such a journey? Is that a good enough reason to risk any teenager’s life?

So? What do you think? Should she be allowed to go? Are the high seas any place for a 14-year old by themselves? I’d love to have the Gadling readers weigh in with their thoughts.