Air and hotel deals no longer easy to find
If you’re looking for the best airfare or hotel deal, you can’t trust a single online source. The exact reasons are different for airfares than for hotel rates, but the net result is that the Internet is no longer able to provide what it once did: Easy and accurate one-search airfare price comparisons and quick identification of the best deal.The key factor for airfares seems to ... READ MORE
You can learn to lead a safari, sort of
It’s not just a safari. It’s a master class in the untamed world, a behind-the-scenes education with experts who are the talking Google gods of wildlife. That’s what it’s like on safaris that let tourists learn alongside locals who are training to be guides. The guides, members of Kenya’s Maasai tribe, spend three weeks on a training mission traversing East Africa’s Maasai ... READ MORE
Plenty still to love in the city by the bay
Tourists ride one of San Francisco’s iconic cable cars, shown high on a hill overlooking the bay and Alcatraz island, which is now a National Park.Photo © Lee Pius“I left my heart in San Francisco,” Tony Bennett crooned over the airwaves and on record players in the 1950s.For a city that has survived the Gold Rush’s ups and downs, the Beat generation, hippies... READ MORE
Help care for elephants in Cambodia
The trip to the hills of eastern Cambodia had all the makings of a luxurious getaway — delicious fresh fruit fed by hand, a dip in a refreshingly cold watering hole, and a relaxing massage.But I wasn’t receiving these amenities. Elderly elephants were. And I was one of several tourists paying for the privilege of doting on them.At the Mondulkiri Project, it’s not the... READ MORE
The Caribbean’s spicy island of Grenada
There’s no denying that Grenada, like other Caribbean islands, has the requisite white sand beaches lapped by crystal clear waters. Or that the modest pastel-painted houses in which most people live provide a storybook setting. But the Isle of Spice, as it’s known, also boasts a unique quality that sets it apart from other islands in the region. This realization springs from the... READ MORE
Is fear an acceptable reason to cancel?
Spooked by headlines about Zika, terrorism and mass shootings? Maybe the news is so bad you’re ready to cancel your vacation and stay home. But can you recoup what you paid for flights, lodging, car rentals and tours?The answer is, it depends. Your best bet for getting a refund under such circumstances is to buy an expensive type of insurance called “cancel for any reason” ... READ MORE
Enjoy lap of luxury at nearby resorts
Visitors to the Homestead can step back to earlier times by enjoying a carriage ride or partake of the present with a video arcade, among dozens of other activities for those of all ages. The resort, which is celebrating its 250th anniversary, occupies 2,300 acres of the Virginia countryside, abutting George Washington National Forest.Photo courtesy of the HomesteadWe have the good fortune... READ MORE
Acadia National Park’s eye-popping nature
Thunder Hole is a popular attraction in Acadia National Park. At high tide, waves roll into the granite channel, forcing out compressed air from the back with a thunderous roar. Water surges up to 40 feet high. Visitors can take steps down to an observation point next to the chasm. Kurdistan/Shutterstock In Maine’s Acadia National Park, you can go from soaring granite... READ MORE
Travelers benefit from exchanging homes
Some years ago, Londoners Brian and Catriona Luckhurst were looking for an inexpensive way to vacation in Brittany, France. With young children, the cost of traveling and lodging was too high. Their solution? Swap homes with someone who wanted to vacation in London.“We swapped our four-bedroom, semi-detached house in Twickenham in west London for a six-bedroom detached house in a... READ MORE
Reserve now for next year’s solar eclipse
Where’s the best place to watch next year’s total eclipse? If you’re thinking the grand open spaces of Wyoming, you have plenty of company.Hotel rooms across the Cowboy State are going, going, gone, well over a year before the arrival of the first total solar eclipse to be seen from the mainland U.S. in almost four decades.A national astronomy convention has reserved... READ MORE