Where's Johnny Jet? Enjoying Everything Bangkok Has to Offer

Key: Bold links open pictures in a separate browser window, while regular hyperlinks open websites.

Sawadee from Bangkok, Thailand! The five-hour-plus flight from Abu Dhabi, where we left off last week, could not have been any easier -- unless, of course, I had been sitting in First Class. Thailand is the final destination on my around-the-world journey and I will spend the next three weeks exploring this incredible country. We'll start in Bangkok, then head south to the beaches and finally north to the mountains and temples. If you're up for seeing one of the world's most exciting destinations, then put on your smile because we're in Bangkok, baby! If a city (granted, it's polluted) filled with friendly people, incredible bargains, insanely good food, luxurious hotels and hour-long massages for $6 is not your thing, then you can stay closer to home. This week, Margot Black takes us on a family-friendly vacation to the Monterey Peninsula. And if you really don't feel like going far, Sarah Kozer reviews the super-scary new flick Shutter -- you'll just have to go as far as your local movie theatre to check it out.

Johnny Jet Makes T+L's Web Pick

Great news! JohnnyJet.com was made Travel + Leisure's web pick of the month! How cool is that? When you get a chance, go out and buy T+L's April issue (I bought 10 copies myself) and turn to page 28. We've been fortunate enough to get some incredible press in the past month (most notably The Los Angeles Times and Washington Post) and we hope it continues. Who would ever have thought when I started JohnnyJet.com for fun in 1999 that it would turn into a full-time job and that we would be mentioned over 1,100 times in print, radio and TV! It's so exciting and mind-boggling.

Abu Dhabi Airport

Now to the good stuff! I was in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for too short a period … a mere 24 hours. But at least I got to see some of it, rather than none at all. If I hadn't needed to be in Thailand for a conference, I would definitely have hung out for longer. I look forward to going back to Abu Dhabi once their cultural district is finished and visiting their neighbor to the north: Dubai. To get to Bangkok, I flew Etihad Airways (check out my full review). Check-in was smooth and this time, the agent didn't make me weigh my carry-on. Phew! I had some time to kill in the airport so I made my bag even heavier when I picked up a few trinkets. The coolest were a few $10 silver camels with ornate stones. The one thing the smoky airport did not sell were postage stamps, which I needed to mail my postcards and to add to my yearly travel journal.

Abu Dhabi to Bangkok

The 777-200 plane was packed with mostly Europeans making a connection from Europe to Thailand. The plane was configured three-by-three-by-three and I sat next to a cool young British couple who packed everything up and were leaving England to move to Thailand and open up a hotel on TonSai Beach in Krabi. I was so thankful to be sitting next to them and not the German guy who mistakenly took their seat. This guy smelled so bad that every time he moved, even one row behind and two seats over, I had to breathe through my mouth. If I were the flight attendant, I would've doused his stinky ass with some Axe body spray. Fortunately, he slept most of the flight and when he was awake, I passed the time hanging out with the flight attendants in the back galley. The hot meal they served was decent and as I wrote last week, Etihad's entertainment system is way above average. I didn't even watch one of the many movies because I was too busy talking and flipping from the GPS map to the live cameras. It was almost unfathomable for me to comprehend that I was flying over India, soon to be landing in Thailand!

Thailand

I love Thailand. I visited for four nights in 2004 on my first solo international trip. I learned that it's exciting, safe (for the most part, including the tap water), the people are genuinely friendly, the food is outstanding and everything is ridiculously inexpensive. Besides, how can you not like a place where everyone is so polite and warm? Everyone in the service industry greets customers with a Wai and I mean everyone. The higher their hands, the more respect you have earned. Maybe western cultures should consider doing this so we don't have to touch sweaty, germ-infested palms when shaking hands.

Get a Good Guidebook

There's so much to see and do here that I could write 500 newsletters and still not cover everything. One of Thailand's best qualities can be summed up by something a college friend of mine, who grew up in Bangkok, said. He explained to me how Thai people treat everyone with respect, no matter what class they come from: The rich eat with the poor and vice versa. It's not like India, where the rich and the poor typically do not associate. The Thai approach is awesome and I experienced it as I spent a total of 10 days in the capital, using it as my hub to go either north or south. Since I can't write about everything, be sure to pick up a good guidebook (I used Frommer's Thailand) and don't be afraid to go out and explore on your own. FYI: This trip, I had two friends to share it with me. My friend Natalie from Canada joined me for the first week, my buddy Mike from Connecticut the second.

The Name Bangkok

The word Bangkok translates to mean "the village of wild plums". However, the Thais refer to the capital city as Krung Thep, which means "city of angels". And just like Los Angeles, the city is sprawling. Ten million people call this place home and it's filled with traffic and pollution. On a side note, the government really needs to start doing emissions testing on vehicles but that's another subject altogether. What's interesting is that Krung Thep is just an abbreviated version of the real name, which just happens to be the longest place name in the world according to The Guinness Book of Records. Are you ready? The real name of Bangkok is ... Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit. That's not a joke and to hear my tour guide Chintana Suwawan pronounce it, click here.

Arriving in Bangkok

In September 2006, Bangkok replaced the 92-year-old Don Muang International Airport (25 miles north of downtown) with the $4 billion Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK), which is situated about 19 miles east of Bangkok. Suvarnabhumi (pronounced su-wan-n-poom) in Thai means “the golden land” and was chosen by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Incidentally, the King is highly revered by Thais, so don't ever disrespect him by bad-mouthing him; it's actually against the law! I was excited to see the new airport for the first time. The place is massive -- about 6 million square feet of floor space -- and has a modern industrial look with lots of exposed steel and glass. Walking to passport control was bit of a hike and I got nervous when I saw a huge queue at a last-minute visa window. Luckily, I remembered that Americans don't need visas to enter the Kingdom of Thailand. TIP: Choose the customs line that has two agents working the counter, otherwise you could be stuck there for ages. I waited 15 minutes and my bag came out five minutes later. I liked the airport but the domestic terminal doesn't have a lot to offer; I'll write about this next week.

Airport to Hotel

I made the trip from the airport to central Bangkok four times in two weeks so I learned from my mistakes. First of all, when you go through baggage claim or walk outside the main door, don't fall prey to any of the very aggressive imposters posing as official taxi drivers. A ride with them will cost you double or triple the regular fare. Just walk until you see this taxi counter. The line was never more than five people deep and be sure that the driver turns the meter on. The price with tip and toll fares (25 baht and 40 baht respectively) should be about 400 baht ($12.80USD) total. Now that's a bargain, especially considering that the ride can be anywhere from 35 to 90 minutes. That fare also includes the 50 baht airport service surcharge (from the airport) and don't get freaked out if the driver makes you pay the toll in advance. A few weeks ago, I paid $60 for a 25-minute ride in a metered taxi in Phoenix, which should help to put Thailand's cheap prices in perspective. BTW: Tips are not mandatory here but are appreciated.

ATF

The annual conference for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is what brought me to Bangkok. The 10 countries that make up ASEAN are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Each year, the conference is held in a different country (next year it's Vietnam) and this year, the Thai government showed off their new Impact Conference Center; what a great facility! The place was enormous and the best part, besides meeting all the delegates, was attending the opening night dinner. Each country had dancers perform, including a special appearance by Miss Thailand. FYI: ASEAN was established in 1967 to promote tourism throughout the region and thanks to visa-free policies for its members, visitor numbers are increasing. Here's a link with more information.

Ground Transportation Advice

Bangkok taxi drivers were pretty much the only people I encountered who didn't speak English. That's because most of the drivers are from the rural northeast part of Thailand. The best way to avoid confusion and headaches is to get the address of where you are going written in both English and Thai. All hotels have taxi cards so be sure to grab one before you head out.

Thai Baht

Given the current economic climate, going to Southeast Asia is one of the smartest moves you can make. Even with our dollar dropping and not being as strong as it once was against the baht, Thailand is still one of the few places in the world where it's a bargain for Americans. The most expensive part of your trip will be the flight over and there are even some great deals on those too. At press time, $1 USD = 31 Thai baht. That means 1 Thai Baht = 3 cents. TIP: There are plenty of ATMs in the airport so grab some baht right after you clear customs. Here’s a link to a currency converter.

The Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel

I spent five nights at the brand new 4.5-star Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel, which opened in late 2007. I had never been in a Pullman hotel before so I wasn't sure what to expect. But from the moment I pulled up, I knew I was in for a treat when an army of beautiful Thai women and men dressed in conservative dark business suits with orange shirts and slick ear pieces welcomed me. Rarely, in any of the luxury hotels in Bangkok (or in other Asian cities, for that matter) will you ever have to open the main door yourself and this goes for the Pullman as well. The lobby was sleek with high ceilings, marble floors, funky background music and a young crowd. For a second, I felt like I was in a W hotel but with 10 times the service for a quarter of the price. Can you believe the rooms here start at just 2,700 baht ($86 USD) a night? Now that's what I'm talking about!

My Room

The Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel has 386 rooms and suites, all modern with a brown and orange color palette. The rooms were masculine, clean, not terribly large but had sliding walls to the bathroom and closets, which, when opened gave the appearance of more space. The desk had an Ethernet cable (no wireless) but not only do they have broadband access, but all guests get one free hour of high-speed Internet with each day. After that, it's 200 baht ($6.40) an hour or 500 baht ($19) for 24 hours. For those who prefer to veg out and watch the boob tube, there's a sweet flat screen TV with 11 or so channels. Most are in English including ESPN but it's not the US version so be prepared to watch a lot of soccer.

Hotel Food

The only thing I didn't like about the hotel was that I could hear hallway traffic and I got a phone call at midnight asking if I wanted my TV fixed. Wrong room, buddy! What I loved, besides the two free bottles of water, cool looking pool and Koi pond, was the hotel restaurant. There were two on-site but I only dined at Cuisine Unplugged. After arriving at 9pm, I was famished and exhausted. Instead of venturing out, I went downstairs and ordered some Thai food … well, I guess it's just food when you're in Thailand. Usually, hotels don't have the best food and they rip you off but this place shocked me. My Larb Gai (here’s the recipe) was so good and the bill came to just 180 baht ($5.76). Is that crazy or what? And the morning buffet was even more insane. It was included in the room rate and had everything you can imagine: cereal, eggs, omelets, pancakes, waffles, pastries, donuts, fresh exotic fruit, juices for American patrons. Baked beans for the English and dim sum, sushi, miso soup and a variety of Thai dishes for the Asian travelers. Heck, I pretended I was an international ambassador and tried a taste of everything. Pullman King Power Hotel, 8/2, Rangnam Road, Thanon-Phayathai, Ratchathewi; Tel.: +66 2 680 9999.

King Power Duty Free

The Pullman is not in the city's best location. The prime spot is along the Chao Prayo River. But it was situated in a busy area of town next to a BTS SkyTrain station and The King Power Duty Free Complex. I didn't even go inside that tourist trap … it appeared to cater to mostly Japanese tourists who love to shop. Instead, I jumped on the SkyTrain each day and explored the city. The station was just two blocks away and the Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel offered free tuk-tuk rides to guests and shoppers.

Tuk-Tuk Advice

Here's some advice when dealing with tuk-tuk drivers (with the exception of the drivers at the hotel). If you've never even heard the word Tuk Tuk (it means putt-putt), let alone ridden in one, they are three-wheeled, open-air, bright-colored vehicles that are loud and noisy and a whole lot of fun. Tuk-tuks don't have meters so you have to bargain for your fare before you get in. The lowest possible price is 40 baht ($1.28USD) but unless you're a local, that's not going to happen. Usually, before I approach a driver (they are everywhere), I ask a nearby store clerk or concierge how much they would pay to go from point A to point B. If I'm told the ride should be about 70 baht and the driver quotes me 200 baht, I know I have lots of negotiating room. NOTE: Always negotiate with a smile. This brings up another point: always smile when haggling – don't get mad! It's against custom and the same goes for bargaining with street vendors. Tuk-tuk drivers are notorious for trying to bring tourists to their friend's businesses so that they can earn a commission. So if the price drops drastically to, say, 50 baht, be sure you say, "No stops, no massage parlors and no shopping!"

Skytrain

Bangkok's BTS SkyTrain, an elevated monorail, was built in 1999 and has two lines: Silom and Sukhumvit. Besides cruising along the river, this is the best and fastest way to get around the city. It's easy to navigate, clean, safe, has great views and it's air-conditioned. Just get some Thai coins from the teller at the station and use one of the self-service machines to get a ticket to ride. The average fare I paid was 25 baht ($.80 cents) and they also offer unlimited day passes if you're planning on doing a lot of sightseeing. No matter what the fare is, be sure to hang onto your card so you can exit the station. From the Pullman Hotel to the Chao Phraya River took a total travel time of 20 minutes and that includes a train change at Siam, the only stop where the lines meet. NOTE: Bangkok also has a new subway system but I didn't need to take it.

Chao Phraya River

The Chao Phraya is a major river in Thailand; it's where the best hotels are located and many of the top attractions reside. The best way to see it is by hiring a private long tail boat (a long, skinny boat powered by a car engine). I'm sure I got ripped when I paid 1,000 baht ($32USD) both times I rented one, but I was in a hurry and didn't have time to beat the owner down for a 60-minute tour, which included a ride down a few canals. Bangkok was once known as the Venice of the East with all of its now filled-in canals. The water is really dirty … I'm talking toxic sewage but I only got a drop on me once because the low boats are fitted with tarps that block the splashes. And one piece of advice: Don't go to the snake farm unless you want to go to a tourist trap.

Dinner Cruise

Another great way to see the river is at night on a dinner cruise. Natalie and I took The Shangri-La's Horizon II Riverboat. It was luxurious and we sat outside on the top deck, in the corner at the best table in the house. TIP: Let the pushy Chinese elbow themselves when the food is first served. Wait a short while, then make your way up. There is plenty of food and the ride lasts two hours, from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. Cost: 2,200 baht per person ($70USD).

Public Bus Ferry

The cheapest mode of transportation is a public bus ferry. Rides start at just 8 baht ($0.25 cents). Mike and I took it from the dock next to the Shangri-La to the Grand Palace, which took about 20 minutes even with about five stops. Cost: 15 baht ($0.48 cents).

Shangri-La

I spent one night at the 850-room Shangri-La Hotel. The location is perfect -- a block and a half from the Saphan Taksin BTS station and right on the river. The views are insane, especially the ones from my room and from the Horizon Club, where I had breakfast. The hotel has two towers; the Krungthep Wing is much more luxurious than the main one. Combined, there are all kinds of amenities like shops, pools, tennis courts, gym, restaurants and more. The Shangri-La is regarded as the fourth or fifth best place to stay in the city and like all of the high-end hotels, they offer excellent service. All the employees don friendly smiles, including the Thai dancers at the riverside Salathip restaurant. The room was sophisticated with its teak furniture, Thai paintings and Internet. The bathroom had wall-to-wall white marble with a tub, an oval shaped shower with a rain showerhead and a curved sliding glass door. Shangri-La Hotel, 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu, New Road, Tel: (66 2) 236-7777.

Oriental Hotel

Five hundred yards up the river is the 124-year-old Oriental Hotel. It's the city's most historic, famous and opulent place to stay. Perhaps the world's, as well. Two Danish sea captains established the original hotel but it's no longer standing. The service there is unreal and just to give you an idea, I needed to get back to the Shangri-La and they had one of their many shuttle boats make a detour to take me. The captain didn't call anyone higher up to ask; he just did it. Now that's service. Although I didn't stay here, I did get to experience some of their fine offerings.

Afternoon Tea

Mike and I arrived at 4pm for the hotel's famous traditional afternoon tea. After a spot of tea and a scoop of sorbet to clean the palate, out came a three-tiered silver tray filled with mini-scones, finger sandwiches and accompanied by homemade jam and clotted cream. After filling our Buddha bellies, we proceeded to the Oriental's garden annex. It's located across the river next to the hotel's health club, tennis courts, restaurant and cooking school.

The Oriental Spa

The renowned Oriental Spa is always rated top five in the world by all the big travel magazines. We headed upstairs to the Ayurvedic Penthouse, where we each had a consultation with Dr Prasanna who then recommended a treatment. I ended up getting the 90-minute Keraleeya Abhyangam ($130USD). It began with a beautiful therapist washing my feet, then rubbing warm, soothing oil all over my bare body except for the area covered by the tight stocking undies they gave me. Wow … these things really made me look out of shape. The massage felt so darned good that I kept falling asleep. Afterwards, I had a 10-minute steam bath where my therapist came in and rubbed coarse herbs all over my body, then plopped me in the hot shower. I felt like jelly afterwards but the post-treatment tea and spiced watermelon wedge revitalized me. To complete the visit, we had a lavish buffet/BBQ dinner at the hotel's Riverside Terrace Restaurant. The views, food, dessert and service were outstanding ($70pp). The Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Avenue; Tel: 66 (2) 659 9000.

Thailand Street Massages

Thailand is famous for massages and not just the hanky panky kind! On practically every street corner, you'll find a legitimate massage parlor where you can get a Thai body massage or foot massage for just 200 baht ($6.39USD) an hour. A two-hour session costs 300 baht ($9.50USD). I got quite a few foot massages and when I was pressed for time, I would get just a 30-minute session and pay half the price, 100 baht ($3.19USD). Seriously, if I lived in Thailand, I would get one of these every day! At these prices, I would bring my laptop and make their studio my office. How's that for multi-tasking?

Potalai Spa

If you don't want to spend $130 at the Oriental and want something a bit cleaner than a streetside massage parlour, there's another option: Potalai. It's Thailand's largest traditional massage and spa complex and is about a 30-minute drive from the Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel. It's on the outskirts of the city in a brand new, massive, tranquil wellness center. It was there I learned that Thai massage is derived from an ancient Chinese practice where they would push the bones back into place. See? I told you they were pushy … I had a 90-minute soft Thai massage for 2,300 baht ($73USD). It began with the old washing of the feet but this time it came with a twist … soap and sliced limes. Then, I went into one of their traditional rooms and changed into a robe and baggy short pants. You don't get naked here. It was so relaxing, I'm lost for words but I do remember that afterwards, I had sweet tea and lunch from their healthy light spa menu. Potalai, 28 Soi Yothinpatta 3, Praditmanuthum Road; Tel: 66 2508 1238-49.

JW Marriott

If you feel more comfortable in an American hotel chain, you can't go wrong by staying at the luxurious JW Marriott. I spent a night in one of their 441 plush rooms. The five-star hotel is centrally located in the business district. The moment I pulled up, I experienced their great service. My taxi driver didn't have change for a 1,000 baht bill so I asked the bellman who opened my door if he could break it. He said no problem. I thought he'd just pull out a wad of money but instead, he ran inside to the front desk. At most places, they would tell you to go and do it yourself but not here.

JW Room

My room was built solid; I couldn't hear any hallway noise and it was state-of-the-art. There was a 32-inch LCD flat panel TV with satellite, the Marriott's new remote Jack Pack, which allows guests to connect portable electronic devices like laptops and iPods to the TV. The room had US plug outlets and the light and AC controls were bedside. To top it off, the view of the skyline was awesome and it had black-out curtains so I could sleep late. The bathroom was wall-to-wall (and floor) white marble and the White Elephant Restaurant offered an excellent buffet lunch for just $11USD apiece. In the U.S., it would easily have been double or triple the price. JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok, 4 Sukhumvit Road, Soi 2; Tel: 66 2 6567700.

Food

I don't need to recommend any place to eat because Bangkok is filled with amazing eateries -- from street food to fine dining. They have every kind of cuisine in the world, not just Thai. I usually stay away from street food but when I do take a chance, I make sure the food is cooked and that the stall is clean, popular and recommended by a local. Actually, the worst meal I ate on this trip was at an expensive hotel restaurant ... It wasn't really bad, it just wasn't great and the price was outrageous. A restaurant that I can tell you is not popular with tourists is Thong Krueng Restaurant. My college buddy Andy took me and it has an extensive menu. We ordered three main dishes, two bottles of water and the bill came to a whopping 380 baht ($12USD). FYI: Every menu I came across was in both Thai and English throughout the country. What's interesting is that the Thais don't use chopsticks unless they are eating noodles and they use a fork to shovel food onto a spoon; They don't put sharp objects in their mouths.

Shopping

In Thailand, you can shop 'til you drop. They have high-end stores, malls (my favorite is the Siam Mall) and crowded street markets. The latter are the most popular and the most exciting. The most famous it the Patpong night market but I stayed away from that madness this trip. Instead, I perused the Suam Lum night bazaar. It's a little less crowded with all the same stalls, selling everything from pirated DVDs to clothing. The biggest shopping extravaganza is the Weekend Market in Chatuchak. You can take the SkyTrain right there (get off at the Mo Chit stop). It's open from 9am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays and it's somewhat organized with similar shops next to each other. The best time to go is early in the morning to beat the heat and the crowds.

Jim Thompson's House

One of my American friends insisted I visit the Jim Thompson House. She loves it because it's in the middle of a crazy loud city, yet it's so quiet and peaceful. She was right; it was cool to see and I learned more about Jim Thompson's legacy. I first heard of the New York architect (who is believed to have singlehandedly revived Thailand's silk industry) last year when I went to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. It was there, in 1967, that he went missing. The Jim Thompson property contains six teak houses, all built according to Thai architectural principles but with Western additions: bed, staircase, china, dining room table (made from two majong tables). The gift shop sells high-quality, expensive silk goods. Cost to enter is 100 baht ($3.20USD) and includes a free tour. Jim Thompson House, 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama 1 Road; Tel: 662-216-7368.

Best Time to go: Thailand's high season is November through April when the weather is the best. If you go during the high heat or monsoon seasons, you will get big discounts.

The Grand Palace

Bangkok's number one tourist attraction is the Grand Palace. The name is appropriate because this place really is grand. It's on sacred royal ground so there's a strict dress code. Visitors are not allowed in without pants/or long skirts. According to their website, men or women cannot wear "shorts, mini-skirts, short skirts, tight fitting trousers or outer garments, see-through shirts or blouses, sleeveless shirts, vests, sandals, sweat shirts, sweat pants, pajamas or fisherman trousers." If you don't have long pants, no sweat ... pun definitely not intended; you will sweat like a pig if you go midday. Visitors can "borrow" a pair with a refundable deposit of 100 baht ($3.20USD).

Early Bird Gets the Palace to Themselves

I visited the Grand Palace twice on this trip and so I learned that by arriving when it first opens at 8:30am, you can have the place to yourself for 30 minutes. The entrance fee is 250 baht ($8). The Grand Palace covers 716,500 square feet and is surrounded by four long walls (6,234 feet). The place has so many ornate buildings, statues and perfectly manicured grounds; I have never seen anything like it before. The palace was greatly influenced by Western architecture, including colonial and Victorian motifs.

Emerald Buddha

The Grand Palace was built in 1782 when King Rama I took over the throne. The first thing he did was move the capital for defensive reasons from Thonburi to the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. The palace was built not only as his residence, but with offices for various ministries. Only one remains inside the palace walls today. That's why they call it the Grand Palace. The most popular building inside the complex is the Chapel Royal of the Emerald Buddha, called Wat Phra Kaeo. It has all the architectural features of a monastery, but without a residential quarter (that's why no monks live there). The Emerald Buddha, carved from a block of jade, is the most revered Buddha image in Thailand. Crowds come from all over to pay respect to the memory of the Buddha and his teachings. TIP: You have to take your shoes off to see the Emerald Buddha so don't wear anything too expensive. Just so I didn't have to go hunting around Bangkok for a shop with size 13 shoes, I put each shoe on separate shelves and carried my orthotics with me. The Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand; Tel: 02-623-5500 Ext. 1124.

Note: This trip was sponsored by Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Johnny Jet has been featured over 1,000 times in major publications, including USA Today, Time, Fortune and The New York Times, and has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNBC, MSNBC, NBC, FOX News Channel, and PBS. JohnnyJet.com has been named "one of the top best money-saving web sites for travel" by Budget Travel Magazine, while the L.A. Times calls it "one of the top 10 essential travel resources on the internet." In the May 2007 issue of Outside Magazine, Johnny Jet was touted for having one of the world's best "dream jobs". Every week Johnny hosts a "travel website of the week" for several radio stations around the country, he writes weekly for Frommers.com and he has written for USAToday, The Boston Herald and Coast Magazine. Sign up today for Johnny Jet's free weekly travel newsletter at www.johnnyjet.com.

Talk with other Frommers.com readers on our Florida Message Boards.