May 2, 2008
In May and June, prices for five-night air-and-land packages to theDominican Republic will hit rock-bottom
What makes a May/June package from Miami's Vacation Travel Mart (www.vacmart.com) so special is that its under-$500 price is available not simply from such Florida cities as Fort Lauderdale, but from New York and other northern towns as well. Specifically, for less than $500 per person, you'll receive round-trip air to the Dominican Republic on American Airlines, five nights at the Holiday Village Golden Beach Hotel in Puerto Plata (direct access to the beach, a swim-up bar in the pool, and an 18-hole golf course nearby), all three meals each day, unlimited drinks, and all non-motorized sea sports, for only:
I don't think I have ever seen prices like these -- they tell you something about our present economic slowdown, which has driven many suppliers to desperate measures. The under-$500 price is valid until June 31, needs to be booked by May 9, and extra days are had for a slight additional charge. Blackout dates: May 21-26. For a Caribbean vacation at a super-low price, you need simply go to www.vacmart.com, or call Hotwire at 800/288-1435, mentioning "Travel Ticker."
Write and read comments about this post.
- $437 from Fort Lauderdale or Miami
- $478 from New York or Newark
- $490 from Boston
- $585 from Philadelphia
- $589 from Atlanta
- $623 from Baltimore
I don't think I have ever seen prices like these -- they tell you something about our present economic slowdown, which has driven many suppliers to desperate measures. The under-$500 price is valid until June 31, needs to be booked by May 9, and extra days are had for a slight additional charge. Blackout dates: May 21-26. For a Caribbean vacation at a super-low price, you need simply go to www.vacmart.com, or call Hotwire at 800/288-1435, mentioning "Travel Ticker."
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: deals, dominican republic
For an example of a disastrous hotel recommendation appearing in TripAdvisor, go to Beat of Hawaii
Though I count myself one of the few opponents of TripAdvisor, I have a fellow combatant at my side in the people who publish Beat of Hawaii (www.beatofhawaii.com). They recently (April 30) printed a photograph of a hotel in Waikiki that received stellar recommendations in Trip Advisor and which one of the Beat of Hawaii editors used for his own recent stay in Oahu. Needless to say, the hotel was dreadful, objectively bad, and had nevertheless received rave reviews in Trip Advisor.
Now, no one is perfect, and this may have been an aberration, but I hope you will go to the website post and ponder whether travelers can rely on hotel recommendations by unknown amateurs (or pranksters).
Write and read comments about this post.
Now, no one is perfect, and this may have been an aberration, but I hope you will go to the website post and ponder whether travelers can rely on hotel recommendations by unknown amateurs (or pranksters).
Write and read comments about this post.
When is it best to start booking airfares for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year? How about now!
Various airlines have announced that they are accepting bookings up until January 31, 2009, with JetBlue especially prominent in emphasizing the wisdom of quickly reserving flights for those long-in-advance dates. Why? It's because recent cut-backs in airline capacity are making it not simply smart but necessary to snare your airfares sooner than you ever have in the past -- if you hope to use air transport over those heavily-booked periods. Scarcely a week goes by but that major airlines announce that their domestic flights are being reduced by at least 5%, or that certain routes will be serviced by smaller planes than before. Which means that space will be unusually tight for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.
Though you're obviously not thinking about what life will be in seven, eight or nine months from now, you should. Sit down, take out a calendar, choose your dates, log on, and make those holiday reservations -- now.
Write and read comments about this post.
Though you're obviously not thinking about what life will be in seven, eight or nine months from now, you should. Sit down, take out a calendar, choose your dates, log on, and make those holiday reservations -- now.
Write and read comments about this post.
May 1, 2008
Are you ready for this? A British airline is imposing a fee for using a check-in counter rather than a computer
In its relentless drive to find additional sources of income without raising ticket prices, Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) has now imposed a penalty for checking in at the airport. Instead of walking to the check-in counter and using the time of a live employee, you are supposed to check in over the internet before leaving home. Otherwise, you incur an extra charge of several British pounds.
But how can you check a piece of luggage onto the flight without approaching a live person at the check-in counter? Ah, there's the rub. The only people able to avoid the check-in penalty are those who do not plan to check luggage onto the flight.
If you do plan to check luggage (and there's a Ryanair charge even for a single suitcase), you will automatically also incur the added check-in penalty. The British have apparently accepted this predicament.
So who is it that's able to fly on Ryanair without incurring hefty, duplicate fees? It's people who check in for the flight over the internet, and then board the flight with carry-on luggage (under 22 pounds) only. A business traveler flying back and forth to a destination in one day, and carrying only a briefcase, flies cheap. A backpacker with his gear in a knapsack slung over the shoulder, flies cheap. The person able to embark on a lengthy vacation with only a piece of hand luggage weighing less than 22 pounds and capable of going in the overhead rack, flies cheap.
And I wouldn't take bets against the same rules being adopted by our hungrier airlines in the United States.
There's some opposition to the new Ryanair rules, but it mainly takes the form of humor. One person, in a British website, has suggested that there be a fee for the rental of seat belts, or of life preservers found under the seat. Another has advised locking the toilet doors and affixing a slot for coins to open the door.
But serious advice is also available. For several trips now, I've limited myself to a tiny, roll-aboard, carry-on suitcase in which I'm barely able to fit a single change of clothing and a few toiletries -- and I've survived, survived well, and am anxious to continue that policy of ultra-light-packing in the future.
Write and read comments about this post.
But how can you check a piece of luggage onto the flight without approaching a live person at the check-in counter? Ah, there's the rub. The only people able to avoid the check-in penalty are those who do not plan to check luggage onto the flight.
If you do plan to check luggage (and there's a Ryanair charge even for a single suitcase), you will automatically also incur the added check-in penalty. The British have apparently accepted this predicament.
So who is it that's able to fly on Ryanair without incurring hefty, duplicate fees? It's people who check in for the flight over the internet, and then board the flight with carry-on luggage (under 22 pounds) only. A business traveler flying back and forth to a destination in one day, and carrying only a briefcase, flies cheap. A backpacker with his gear in a knapsack slung over the shoulder, flies cheap. The person able to embark on a lengthy vacation with only a piece of hand luggage weighing less than 22 pounds and capable of going in the overhead rack, flies cheap.
And I wouldn't take bets against the same rules being adopted by our hungrier airlines in the United States.
There's some opposition to the new Ryanair rules, but it mainly takes the form of humor. One person, in a British website, has suggested that there be a fee for the rental of seat belts, or of life preservers found under the seat. Another has advised locking the toilet doors and affixing a slot for coins to open the door.
But serious advice is also available. For several trips now, I've limited myself to a tiny, roll-aboard, carry-on suitcase in which I'm barely able to fit a single change of clothing and a few toiletries -- and I've survived, survived well, and am anxious to continue that policy of ultra-light-packing in the future.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: airlines, fees, packing
A fourteen- or thirty-day cruise on a top quality ship costing under $100 a day per person, is a top bargain that deserves your attention
Now that cruise ships sailing between the islands of Hawaii have been reduced to one -- the Pride of America -- numerous other cruise lines have scheduled cruises leaving from California to and within Hawaii, of 14-days' duration and even 30 days' duration. And because a two-week or one-month cruise is hard to sell, they've priced cabins for most dates at below $100 per person per day. Note that these are not "re-positioning" cruises, but round-trip sailings from the same port (either San Diego or Los Angeles); you incur no airfare to return to your U.S. embarkation city. Still, the ships spend many days simply at sea, crossing the vast Pacific -- a maritime adventure for a very special traveler.
I think they're exciting opportunities for persons able to devote two to four weeks to a cruise, and have set forth the dates and essential details below:
Celebrity Mercury: 15 nights Hawaii, round-trip from San Diego
Write and read comments about this post.
I think they're exciting opportunities for persons able to devote two to four weeks to a cruise, and have set forth the dates and essential details below:
Celebrity Mercury: 15 nights Hawaii, round-trip from San Diego
- Oct. 22 from $1,729
- Nov. 6 from $1,599
- Dec. 19 from $1,849 (Christmas/New Years Cruise)
- Feb. 28, 2009 from $1,369
- Mar. 15, 2009 from $1,359
- Oct. 8 from $1,638
- Oct. 23, Nov. 7, and Nov. 22 from $1,371
- Dec. 7 from $1,282
- 2008 sailings from $1,545: Oct. 1, Oct. 15, Oct. 29, Nov. 12, Nov. 26, Dec. 10, and Dec. 24 (the last one from $1,945)
- 2009 sailings from $1,645: Jan. 7, Jan. 21, Feb. 4, Feb. 18, Mar. 4, Mar. 18, Apr.
- Sep. 25 from $2,999: This 30-day opportunity is especially appealing to me, priced at only $2,999 for an entire month of all-inclusive arrangements, on a top-quality ship.
Write and read comments about this post.
From May through November, villas in the Caribbean rent for so very little as to enable large families to enjoy the lowest-cost vacation imaginable
I've referred to the international real estate agent called Rentalo.com too often in recent posts, and this will be the last time for a long while. But currently, it is listing the availability for rent of large Caribbean villas at prices so low that they open up fascinating vacation opportunities for large families or small groups. I have printed below the verbatim descriptions by Rentalo.com of several available rentals, and ask you to note that some of these are beachside villas or swimming-pool-equipped villas, and one comes with a cook/housekeeper -- all for as little as $770 a week:
Villa del Sol, Dominican Republic: $770 per weekWrite and read comments about this post.
A gorgeous villa in Cofresi, which has the best beach on the North Coast, is just 13 miles from the Puerto Plata airport. Included in the rental are the services of a cook/maid/housekeeper, who will prepare meals and teach the kids some Spanish. The house has four bedrooms, three baths and sleeps eight. The beautiful rooftop galleria is the center of life from breakfast to drinks at sunset time. And the picture-book beach, 100 yards away, is a palm-lined, horseshoe-shaped cove that's almost a mile long. The amazing price, from May 1 to August 31, is only $770 a week for four people, plus $15 per person per night for additional people, plus 13% tax.
Chez Nous Villa, Jamaica: $900 per week
This cozy villa is located in Montego Bay's Ironshore villa community, conveniently near the airport, beaches, golf courses, restaurants and nightlife. Included in the rental is an attentive staff of two who ensure guests' comfort. The master bedroom has a.king-sized bed and private bath; the other bedrooms each have twin-sized beds and share a bath. All are fully air-conditioned. A beautiful swimming pool is surrounded by a garden full of fruit trees and tropical flowers. Hiking, golf, tennis, fishing and horseback riding are just some of the nearby activities. The price for six people is $900 a week from May to November.
Hacienda Margarita, Puerto Rico: $1,200 per week
With four bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, this luxurious Puerto Rico vacation rental sleeps 10, welcomes children and is perfect for a big family. Located in a gated and secure community with beautiful homes, a swimming pool and tennis courts, it is near the spectacular palm-lined Luquillo Beach and has a fabulous view of the Caribbean Sea and the famous El Yunque Rain Forest. It is also close to golf courses and shopping and close enough to go sightseeing for the day in Old San Juan. From July 1 to November 30, the weekly rent is $1,200.
Labels: accommodations, caribbean, deals
Apr 30, 2008
There's no longer any doubt about the fact that traffic to Las Vegas has slumped
If you ever needed proof that the United States was approaching a recession, you have only to look at the traffic to Las Vegas. For the first time since September 11, arriving passengers there have fallen off -- and their numbers have been reduced for no fewer than the past five months.
These are official figures of McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. They show a 2.5% drop-off in November, a 3.2% decline in December, 2.8% in January, and 1.7% in March. While traffic slightly improved in February, that was only because of an extra day resulting from Leap Year. The March figure was worse still because the largest convention in the United States took place in Las Vegas for five days in that month -- and yet total monthly traffic fell nevertheless.
The situation was foretold by the fact that the MGM hotels in Vegas have recently laid off hundreds of their workers. When my daughter Pauline first learned of those firings, she invited a Las Vegas expert to appear on our Sunday radio program to discuss whether a slump was taking place. Following the party line, he of course denied anything negative was happening, but the airport statistics now prove a slow-down to be the case.
So why should we be discussing this? Only because you may be among those dreaming of a Vegas vacation. There will obviously be big hotel discounts in the weeks to come, and similar reductions in the price of air-and-land packages to Sin City. Keep watching www.vegas.com, or www.lasvegasadvisor.com for the latest bargains.
Write and read comments about this post.
These are official figures of McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. They show a 2.5% drop-off in November, a 3.2% decline in December, 2.8% in January, and 1.7% in March. While traffic slightly improved in February, that was only because of an extra day resulting from Leap Year. The March figure was worse still because the largest convention in the United States took place in Las Vegas for five days in that month -- and yet total monthly traffic fell nevertheless.
The situation was foretold by the fact that the MGM hotels in Vegas have recently laid off hundreds of their workers. When my daughter Pauline first learned of those firings, she invited a Las Vegas expert to appear on our Sunday radio program to discuss whether a slump was taking place. Following the party line, he of course denied anything negative was happening, but the airport statistics now prove a slow-down to be the case.
So why should we be discussing this? Only because you may be among those dreaming of a Vegas vacation. There will obviously be big hotel discounts in the weeks to come, and similar reductions in the price of air-and-land packages to Sin City. Keep watching www.vegas.com, or www.lasvegasadvisor.com for the latest bargains.
Write and read comments about this post.
There's been a shift in British travel patterns that Americans might consider emulating
It isn't only the U.S. dollar that has fallen against the Euro; the British pound has dropped against the Euro as well (while maintaining its strength against the dollar). Result: British travel journals are headlining a sharp drop-off in British travel to Spain and Greece, where the Euro is used, and a corresponding increase in travel to Egypt and Tunisia, where the local currency is refreshingly weak. According to reliable travel newspapers in the U.K., British traffic to Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh is up by as much as 50%, as are passengers to Tunisia; while travel to such former British favorites as Alicante in Spain and Corfu in Greek waters is down by about 15%.
American travelers might ponder the fact that Brits in such large numbers are going to Egypt. They, like most other Europeans, regard Egypt as acceptably safe, and Europeans currently flock there by the millions. Most Americans, by contrast, have shunned Egypt since September 11, and are thus missing an inexpensive travel opportunity to a location that is an indispensable trip that must be made at some time in your life. The Pyramids, Sphinx and other ancient sights of Egypt (Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Giza) make for an enthralling visit; the city of Cairo is full of cafes; and a great archaeological museum (with relics of King Tut) rounds out the attractions, all visited with the assistance of plentiful hotels and restaurants charging a fraction of European levels.
As for Tunisia, and its off-shore island of Djerba, these are superb resort locations, especially for families, and my nephew who resides in Paris takes his family there periodically for two week stays at a seaside resort. He reports that prices are among the world's lowest.
The European population has concluded that both Egypt and Tunisia are safe to visit, and their assessment of the situation is supported by remarkable security measures taken by the Egyptian authorities. Though American tour operators have not yet created the low-cost air-and-land packages to Egypt that could easily be concocted, given the low value of the Egyptian currency, independent trips there are just as easily possible, and at a remarkably affordable price.
Write and read comments about this post.
American travelers might ponder the fact that Brits in such large numbers are going to Egypt. They, like most other Europeans, regard Egypt as acceptably safe, and Europeans currently flock there by the millions. Most Americans, by contrast, have shunned Egypt since September 11, and are thus missing an inexpensive travel opportunity to a location that is an indispensable trip that must be made at some time in your life. The Pyramids, Sphinx and other ancient sights of Egypt (Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Giza) make for an enthralling visit; the city of Cairo is full of cafes; and a great archaeological museum (with relics of King Tut) rounds out the attractions, all visited with the assistance of plentiful hotels and restaurants charging a fraction of European levels.
As for Tunisia, and its off-shore island of Djerba, these are superb resort locations, especially for families, and my nephew who resides in Paris takes his family there periodically for two week stays at a seaside resort. He reports that prices are among the world's lowest.
The European population has concluded that both Egypt and Tunisia are safe to visit, and their assessment of the situation is supported by remarkable security measures taken by the Egyptian authorities. Though American tour operators have not yet created the low-cost air-and-land packages to Egypt that could easily be concocted, given the low value of the Egyptian currency, independent trips there are just as easily possible, and at a remarkably affordable price.
Write and read comments about this post.
American Airlines has adopted United's fees for checking a second suitcase, dashing hopes that United's policy might be overturned
OK, it's official: American Airlines has just joined several mainly-smaller carriers (and United Airlines) in charging $25 each way for every piece of luggage in excess of one. This means all other U.S. carriers will now join the meanies and impose this substantial extra charge on suffering travelers ($50 for the second piece on a round-trip itinerary).
And you know what? The penalty may persuade a lot of misguided people to pack lightly on their next trip -- to their advantage. In Europe a month ago, I saw a great many middle-aged and elderly Americans each pulling two giant suitcases per person through Amsterdam airport. They were bringing that much because they feared looking ill-dressed or under-dressed by the few other Americans with whom they'd be traveling on a river cruise. They would undoubtedly later return home with suitcases of unused clothing.
On your own next trip, try under-packing. Bring one decent outfit for dressy occasions, one outfit for standard touring, and maybe a third outfit to be alternated with the second. The same with underwear. By simply accepting the prospect of periodically washing out clothing, underwear or socks using Woolite sprinkled into a bathroom sink, you'll transform your trip into a free-spirited, unburdened, light-hearted act of happy travel. There is nothing so pleasant as arriving at an airport with only a single small bag, gaining in that fashion the opportunity to take public transportation into town, winning your freedom from porters and taxicabs, avoiding the necessity to spend a full hour packing or unpacking every time you change a location.
Light packing is among the two or three basic keys to smart travel, an effective way to insure the enjoyment of your trip.
Write and read comments about this post.
And you know what? The penalty may persuade a lot of misguided people to pack lightly on their next trip -- to their advantage. In Europe a month ago, I saw a great many middle-aged and elderly Americans each pulling two giant suitcases per person through Amsterdam airport. They were bringing that much because they feared looking ill-dressed or under-dressed by the few other Americans with whom they'd be traveling on a river cruise. They would undoubtedly later return home with suitcases of unused clothing.
On your own next trip, try under-packing. Bring one decent outfit for dressy occasions, one outfit for standard touring, and maybe a third outfit to be alternated with the second. The same with underwear. By simply accepting the prospect of periodically washing out clothing, underwear or socks using Woolite sprinkled into a bathroom sink, you'll transform your trip into a free-spirited, unburdened, light-hearted act of happy travel. There is nothing so pleasant as arriving at an airport with only a single small bag, gaining in that fashion the opportunity to take public transportation into town, winning your freedom from porters and taxicabs, avoiding the necessity to spend a full hour packing or unpacking every time you change a location.
Light packing is among the two or three basic keys to smart travel, an effective way to insure the enjoyment of your trip.
Write and read comments about this post.
Apr 29, 2008
As predicted, African safaris in Kenya will now be priced at rock-bottom levels to persons willing to depart right away
Here's your chance -- the last chance you probably ever will have -- to enjoy an African safari for under $2,000, including round-trip trans-Atlantic airfare. Relying on the apparent peace that has settled over the political situation there, Lion World Tours of Toronto will be attempting to re-start the flow of tourism to Kenya by charging that little for an African safari, departing New York on both May 22 and May 24. Though the dates are fairly soon, persons traveling to Kenya do not need visas, and the trip can be booked with very little trouble or advance preparation by simply phoning Lion World at tel. 800/387-2706 or 416/920-5466.
These are two special departures of Lion World's "Best of Kenya" package, and therefore the specially-reduced price does not appear in the description of the tour in Lion World's website (www.lionworldtravel.com). But the ingredients of the trip are exactly those described: a journey nine days in duration, of which one night is your trans-Atlantic crossing, one night is spent in Nairobi at the Stanley Hotel, and five nights are in the actual games parks, staying at the Sarova Shaba Lodge, the Lion Hill Lodge, and the Sarova Mara Tented Lodge (where you'll receive daily games drives in a seven-seater van, and all three meals each day). On your day of return, you'll have dayroom use at the Stanley Hotel, and will then board an overnight flight to London, and then a daytime flight from London back to New York.
As I've stated many times, exposure every day to thousands of animals and every conceivable species of wildlife in Kenya's Masai Mara is an overwhelming experience, and five days of it are fully sufficient, in my opinion. This is a real African safari, of constant wonder, that would lose its impact if it were extended over a lengthier period of time.
A word about the price: It is $1,999 per person, and I do not believe we will ever again see such a price for a trans-Atlantic-airfare-included safari to Kenya. The rate has been greatly reduced because of the recent turmoil there, and in the hope that a bargain-shock will re-start the travel flow.
Write and read comments about this post.
These are two special departures of Lion World's "Best of Kenya" package, and therefore the specially-reduced price does not appear in the description of the tour in Lion World's website (www.lionworldtravel.com). But the ingredients of the trip are exactly those described: a journey nine days in duration, of which one night is your trans-Atlantic crossing, one night is spent in Nairobi at the Stanley Hotel, and five nights are in the actual games parks, staying at the Sarova Shaba Lodge, the Lion Hill Lodge, and the Sarova Mara Tented Lodge (where you'll receive daily games drives in a seven-seater van, and all three meals each day). On your day of return, you'll have dayroom use at the Stanley Hotel, and will then board an overnight flight to London, and then a daytime flight from London back to New York.
As I've stated many times, exposure every day to thousands of animals and every conceivable species of wildlife in Kenya's Masai Mara is an overwhelming experience, and five days of it are fully sufficient, in my opinion. This is a real African safari, of constant wonder, that would lose its impact if it were extended over a lengthier period of time.
A word about the price: It is $1,999 per person, and I do not believe we will ever again see such a price for a trans-Atlantic-airfare-included safari to Kenya. The rate has been greatly reduced because of the recent turmoil there, and in the hope that a bargain-shock will re-start the travel flow.
Write and read comments about this post.
Membership in IAMAT is essential for any avid traveler -- and can cost as little as $10
Because I sent a donation to IAMAT (which can be of any amount, however small), I recently received renewal of my membership card and a copy of the pocket-sized 2008 directory, accompanied by several other valuable documents which I'll describe below. IAMAT was founded more than 40 years ago by the late Dr. Vincenzo Marcolongo, one of the first people to realize how urgent was the need to create a reliable list of far-flung physicians for the first generation in human history to engage in widespread international travel.
"The traveler abroad," he wrote, "is already under the psychological stress induced by change...and is coping with the physical conditions of different water, food, and perhaps climate and altitude....There is a good chance, too, that the traveler's own immunities do not match the foreign local environment. If a medical problem arises, where does one turn for quick and effective health care?"
The answer: a directory of competent, English-speaking (and thus able to communicate with most travelers) physicians in every destination of interest.
The 2008 directory, which I received this week, lists hundreds of physicians around the world who are qualified in travel medicine, fluent in English, and willing to accept fees of $80 for an office visit and $100 for a visit to your hotel. Its information is awesome in its wide geographical reach. Going to Chengdu in the Sichuan province of China? Dr. Ni Rong and Dr. Sun Min have both permitted their cellphone numbers to be printed in the IAMAT directory and are at your disposal.
I can't imagine anyone scheduling a trip to any non-English-speaking area of the world who can safely depart without obtaining the IAMAT directory. It was obviously created for the most idealistic of purposes, to facilitate widespread travel among the peoples of the world. And its physician-members, according to Dr. Marcolongo, "have a sense of solidarity which makes them like one family."
The nations covered? They range from Algeria to Zimbabwe, from Austria, Belgium and Bolivia to Vanuatu and Yemen. And when you join (through a contribution that should amount to at least $20, though it needn't be that large), you receive three other publications of equal importance: A World Immunization Chart (both required and recommended immunizations for every country in the world); a World Malaria Risk Chart; and a pamphlet entitled "How to Protect Yourself Against Malaria." If you have ever posed a question about immunizations or malaria to your own internist (few of whom are able confidently to respond), you will appreciate the extraordinary value of this carefully-prepared information.
To join IAMAT, send your contribution to International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers, 1623 Military Road, #279, Niagara Falls, NY 14304-1745.
Or, for further information, visit its website at www.iamat.org
Write and read comments about this post.
"The traveler abroad," he wrote, "is already under the psychological stress induced by change...and is coping with the physical conditions of different water, food, and perhaps climate and altitude....There is a good chance, too, that the traveler's own immunities do not match the foreign local environment. If a medical problem arises, where does one turn for quick and effective health care?"
The answer: a directory of competent, English-speaking (and thus able to communicate with most travelers) physicians in every destination of interest.
The 2008 directory, which I received this week, lists hundreds of physicians around the world who are qualified in travel medicine, fluent in English, and willing to accept fees of $80 for an office visit and $100 for a visit to your hotel. Its information is awesome in its wide geographical reach. Going to Chengdu in the Sichuan province of China? Dr. Ni Rong and Dr. Sun Min have both permitted their cellphone numbers to be printed in the IAMAT directory and are at your disposal.
I can't imagine anyone scheduling a trip to any non-English-speaking area of the world who can safely depart without obtaining the IAMAT directory. It was obviously created for the most idealistic of purposes, to facilitate widespread travel among the peoples of the world. And its physician-members, according to Dr. Marcolongo, "have a sense of solidarity which makes them like one family."
The nations covered? They range from Algeria to Zimbabwe, from Austria, Belgium and Bolivia to Vanuatu and Yemen. And when you join (through a contribution that should amount to at least $20, though it needn't be that large), you receive three other publications of equal importance: A World Immunization Chart (both required and recommended immunizations for every country in the world); a World Malaria Risk Chart; and a pamphlet entitled "How to Protect Yourself Against Malaria." If you have ever posed a question about immunizations or malaria to your own internist (few of whom are able confidently to respond), you will appreciate the extraordinary value of this carefully-prepared information.
To join IAMAT, send your contribution to International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers, 1623 Military Road, #279, Niagara Falls, NY 14304-1745.
Or, for further information, visit its website at www.iamat.org
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: health
Looking for a memorable summer vacation at a reasonable cost? Give some thought to visiting the top Canadian national parks
Though we're all aware of the low-cost vacation opportunities at Yosemite and Yellowstone, too many American travelers fail to think about visiting
the two major Canadian national parks: Jasper and Banff, in the province of Alberta. Despite the recent rise in value of the Canadian dollar (it's now selling at par to the U.S. dollar), its admission charges are modest (a family group pays a total of about $20 a day to enter the parks, individuals $9.80), and there are lodgings and campsites in every price range, both in Banff National Park (soaring scenery, hot springs in which you can soak) and the more-northerly Jasper (remarkable varieties of wildlife).
Write and read comments about this post.
the two major Canadian national parks: Jasper and Banff, in the province of Alberta. Despite the recent rise in value of the Canadian dollar (it's now selling at par to the U.S. dollar), its admission charges are modest (a family group pays a total of about $20 a day to enter the parks, individuals $9.80), and there are lodgings and campsites in every price range, both in Banff National Park (soaring scenery, hot springs in which you can soak) and the more-northerly Jasper (remarkable varieties of wildlife).
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: parks
Apr 28, 2008
Despite high fuel costs, Royal Caribbean has just announced the highest first quarter profits in its history. What does that tell you?
Remember the anguished pleas of the cruise lines a few months ago, about the need for substantial fuel surcharges? Remember how this blog multiplied the fuel surcharge by the number of passengers aboard an average sailing, and was astonished at how much further revenue resulted from the surcharge? Remember how we hinted that perhaps the cruise lines were asking too much?
Royal Caribbean Cruises has just announced the highest first-quarter profits in its history. According to Richard Fain, its chairman and CEO: "We delivered the highest first-quarter yields in our company's history, with significant improvement in ticket prices and continued healthy onboard spending." The actual rise in earnings was seven times the profits of the same quarter a year ago. (They really needed that fuel surcharge).
(You may want to compare Fain's comments to those by executives of Mobil Oil. After deploring the sad necessity for increasing prices, the oil company recently announced an historic $11 billion profit in one three-month period.)
The State of Florida has recently accused some cruise lines of conspiring to jointly set fuel surcharges. Other states may wish to look into the matter.
Write and read comments about this post.
Royal Caribbean Cruises has just announced the highest first-quarter profits in its history. According to Richard Fain, its chairman and CEO: "We delivered the highest first-quarter yields in our company's history, with significant improvement in ticket prices and continued healthy onboard spending." The actual rise in earnings was seven times the profits of the same quarter a year ago. (They really needed that fuel surcharge).
(You may want to compare Fain's comments to those by executives of Mobil Oil. After deploring the sad necessity for increasing prices, the oil company recently announced an historic $11 billion profit in one three-month period.)
The State of Florida has recently accused some cruise lines of conspiring to jointly set fuel surcharges. Other states may wish to look into the matter.
Write and read comments about this post.
Can you safely book a future Alitalia flight to Italy? I tend to think so
Though I greatly regretted the recent election of Sylvio Berlusconi as premier of Italy (he's not my type of democratic leader, to put it mildly), his return to power has allowed me to give a confident answer to a great many questions from readers about the future validity of their tickets aboard Alitalia. Berlusconi will take any step necessary to keep Alitalia within Italian hands, or at least to transfer its obligations to a new Italian airline financed by Berlusconi's acquaintances. If you have earlier purchased a ticket on Alitalia for a future flight, you can now assume that this ticket will be honored by someone flying to Italy.
Already, Berlusconi has blandly defied the European Union by arranging a state loan of €300 million to the troubled Italian carrier, thus assuring its ability to fly for at least the next three months. He did this despite a strong edict against such a loan by the European authorities, who believe (in Adam Smith-fashion) that an insolvent airline should cease operations rather than be funded in this manner. And it is now quite certain that Italy will retain control of its flag carrier, rather than permit it to be acquired by the airline of another nation (as Air France tried to do).
So to all you worriers out there: calm your nerves and buy Pauline Frommer's Italy -- you'll soon be using it on an actual trip.
Write and read comments about this post.
Already, Berlusconi has blandly defied the European Union by arranging a state loan of €300 million to the troubled Italian carrier, thus assuring its ability to fly for at least the next three months. He did this despite a strong edict against such a loan by the European authorities, who believe (in Adam Smith-fashion) that an insolvent airline should cease operations rather than be funded in this manner. And it is now quite certain that Italy will retain control of its flag carrier, rather than permit it to be acquired by the airline of another nation (as Air France tried to do).
So to all you worriers out there: calm your nerves and buy Pauline Frommer's Italy -- you'll soon be using it on an actual trip.
Write and read comments about this post.
Yesterday's bankruptcy of a super-luxurious trans-Atlantic airline, Eos, is a crushing retort to wealth-worshiping travel writers
When second-rate travel writers want to sound portentous and full of substance, they sprinkle their copy with statements about how "upscale travel" is booming. They become commentators on economic trends, telling us that the wealthy are flocking in record numbers to the rooms and tables of five-star hotels and three-star restaurants all over the world. In every destination, as they would portray it, deluxe facilities are selling like mad, jet-setters are flocking to those mad clubs, the beautiful people are filling the super-costly boutiques.
Among the culprits in this field of journalism are the staff of the travel section of the New York Times, who told us in a lead article about nudist travel in yesterday's issue (April 27, 2009) that "the real boom in nude vacations is coming at the high end of the business, as upscale hotels and resorts, and even some luxury cruise lines, have begun to see the economic potential...."
To support this sweeping statement, the author cites the opening of precisely three upscale hotels catering to nudists (on the Maya Riviera, in Hot Springs, CA, and the Canary Islands) and an Arizona condo development for nudists selling two-bedroom units for $244,500 (hardly luxury), and then immediately refutes her own conclusion by quoting a statement of the American Association for Nude Recreation to the effect that "roughly 20 percent of [its] members have a median household income of $106,000" -- again, hardly a confirmation of a boom in nudism "coming at the high end of the business." In other words, the travel section of the New York Times has no proof whatever of its sweeping judgment, but simply sprinkles its article -- as it sprinkles most of its articles -- with giddy references to the boom in luxury travel.
I wonder what the New York Times would say about yesterday's bankruptcy of Eos Airlines -- the super-luxurious, business-class-only carrier that flew 48 wealthy passengers at a time over the Atlantic to London. Eos is the airline that explained the earlier bankruptcy (only several weeks ago) of one of its elegant competitors, MaxJet, by the assertion that MaxJet's arrangements weren't sufficiently luxurious (their seats didn't fully recline into beds), and therefore wouldn't enjoy the success of Eos.
So why didn't Eos prosper? While they can speculate about the wonderful success of "high end" travel arrangements, today's mainstream travel journalists have no language to explain the bankruptcies of "high end" travel suppliers like Eos.
The truth about travel is this: that cost-conscious travel is the major trend. That the overwhelming percentage of all hotel rooms in America and overseas are in economy hotels and motels. That the overwhelming percentage of all American travelers are cautious spenders who look for moderately priced facilities. That the number of luxury facilities are a tiny percentage of the total, catering to a bare fraction of the public. That the median family income of the United States, the total brought in by all breadwinners in a family, is $44,000. That the jet-setters, the champagne drinkers, the luxury boutique buyers and the so-called "beautiful people" are an infinitesimally small part of the travel market. That any sensible writer is aware of these facts, and does not conjure up economic trends that do not exist.
I hope readers of this blog will keep in mind the truth about travel when they read the glossy travel magazines and such newspaper travel sections as that of an otherwise fine publication.
Write and read comments about this post.
Among the culprits in this field of journalism are the staff of the travel section of the New York Times, who told us in a lead article about nudist travel in yesterday's issue (April 27, 2009) that "the real boom in nude vacations is coming at the high end of the business, as upscale hotels and resorts, and even some luxury cruise lines, have begun to see the economic potential...."
To support this sweeping statement, the author cites the opening of precisely three upscale hotels catering to nudists (on the Maya Riviera, in Hot Springs, CA, and the Canary Islands) and an Arizona condo development for nudists selling two-bedroom units for $244,500 (hardly luxury), and then immediately refutes her own conclusion by quoting a statement of the American Association for Nude Recreation to the effect that "roughly 20 percent of [its] members have a median household income of $106,000" -- again, hardly a confirmation of a boom in nudism "coming at the high end of the business." In other words, the travel section of the New York Times has no proof whatever of its sweeping judgment, but simply sprinkles its article -- as it sprinkles most of its articles -- with giddy references to the boom in luxury travel.
I wonder what the New York Times would say about yesterday's bankruptcy of Eos Airlines -- the super-luxurious, business-class-only carrier that flew 48 wealthy passengers at a time over the Atlantic to London. Eos is the airline that explained the earlier bankruptcy (only several weeks ago) of one of its elegant competitors, MaxJet, by the assertion that MaxJet's arrangements weren't sufficiently luxurious (their seats didn't fully recline into beds), and therefore wouldn't enjoy the success of Eos.
So why didn't Eos prosper? While they can speculate about the wonderful success of "high end" travel arrangements, today's mainstream travel journalists have no language to explain the bankruptcies of "high end" travel suppliers like Eos.
The truth about travel is this: that cost-conscious travel is the major trend. That the overwhelming percentage of all hotel rooms in America and overseas are in economy hotels and motels. That the overwhelming percentage of all American travelers are cautious spenders who look for moderately priced facilities. That the number of luxury facilities are a tiny percentage of the total, catering to a bare fraction of the public. That the median family income of the United States, the total brought in by all breadwinners in a family, is $44,000. That the jet-setters, the champagne drinkers, the luxury boutique buyers and the so-called "beautiful people" are an infinitesimally small part of the travel market. That any sensible writer is aware of these facts, and does not conjure up economic trends that do not exist.
I hope readers of this blog will keep in mind the truth about travel when they read the glossy travel magazines and such newspaper travel sections as that of an otherwise fine publication.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: fat cats
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
