August 25, 2003 -- Sometimes, it seems, our Canadian friends seem more adventurous than we do, with companies like GAP offering tours to Bangladesh, for instance. But now, The Great Canadian Travel Company, which says it is "North America's foremost expert in travel to some of the world's least-traveled regions," has something less dangerous than Dhaka, but just as untraveled, namely Uruguay. And you can join that country's jet set on its best beach, Punta del Este, for about $70 a day, on a month-long stay that includes roundtrip air from Chicago or New York.
This extended getaway costs just $2,259 for the lowest-priced departure on February 18, 2004, slightly higher for earlier dates. The price includes two nights in Montevideo and 28 nights at a resort condominium in Punta del Este, and the airfare (via Miami), transfers between the capital and the beach resort in an air-conditioned motorcoach, and all airport transfers. There are seven departures between January 7 and February 18, 2004 (summer down there).
Punta del Este remains the big attraction in Uruguay for wealthy Brazilians and Argentineans, but with the economies of all three nations in the bucket, rooms are empty and prices have been lowered, drastically. What's to do for a month? Well, maybe you'll really learn how to relax. But if you want to keep busy, you could just beach hop by day and nightclub it by night, with reasonably-priced food and wine available at many nice restaurants and bars.
Bird watching is big here, as is observing wildlife along the delta of the River Plate, where colonies of seals frolic. On the beaches, water sports range from parasailing and windsurfing to water skiing and snorkeling, not to mention deep-sea fishing trips. You can play golf at two courses nearby, and riding horses can be arranged. For even more suggestions, be sure to read up on Punta del Este in our Destinations section at www.frommers.com/destinations/puntadeleste.
For more information or to book, contact the Great Canadian Travel Company at 800/661-3830 or at www.greatcanadiantravel.com.
Virgin Vacations is offering great deals to Central America. For as little as $449, you can spend three nights in Costa Rica's capital city, San Jose, the price including roundtrip airfare from Dallas/Ft. Worth, three nights' lodging, daily breakfast, airport/hotel transfers, and hotel taxes and service charges. The same vacation out of New York (JFK) or Newark would run $529 and up; out of Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Buffalo and New Orleans $549 and up; from Atlanta, Miami, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Savannah $569 and up; from Charlotte, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee and Omaha $599 and up; from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Las Vegas or San Diego $629 and up; and from Portland OR, Seattle or Billings $729 and up.
The package is good through December 4, 2003, but must be booked by November 7, 2003 to get these prices. To review the details, book, or investigate Virgin's great deals to Costa Rica and other points south of the border, go to www.virgin-vacations.com/vav_sa.asp.