The good, the bad and the bizarre from the world’s best travel media
Florence, Italy | © Greg Gross
THE ROADS LESS TRAVELED
The constantly changing political landscape makes it possible to see incredible places — and meet incredible people — once thought to be off-limits. The result: refreshing new options for the traveler.
One of the fringe benefits of an ever-changing world is that opens up new possibilities to us for travel, to places that would’ve been thought unthinkable only a few years before.
The New York Times offers up one of those in its visit to Damascus, Syria. Long at odds with the United States over Israel under the hard-line approach of its late longtime leader, Hafez al-Assad, Syria has toned things down under the leadership of his son, who replaced him as president.
Syria is no longer on Washington’s terrorism watch list and American travelers are free to go there. The Times pieces gives you an idea of what you’ll find when you go.
I have friends, American friends, who’ve been to Damascus in recent years. The love the place, for all the reasons the Times cities, but in particular for the friendliness of its people.
STALKING THE WILD TRAVEL BARGAIN
There’s no place on Earth where you can’t overspend as a traveler, but according to the folks at The Price of Travel, these 17 countries (five in Latin America, eight in Asia, two in Africa and one in Europe) make it easier to stick to your travel budget, and still have a great trip.
NOTE: It’s always a good idea to keep track of currency exchange rates in any country you plan to visit. Murphy’s Law of Travel states that the value of the dollar in that country will always go down just before you arrive. Mercifully, Monsieur Murphy isn’t always right, but you need to be prepared — just in case he is.
And now, here’s this week’s Digest:
AIR
from Airfarewatchdog.com
George Hobica holds this truth to be self-evident, that all airline vouchers are not created equal. And he has a chart to prove it.
from the New York Times
Want to escape some of those nasty airline fees (and who doesn’t)? The NYT’s Michelle Higgins has the skinny on all the ways to keep your wallet fat at the airport.
SEA
from Singles Travel Company
If you happened to miss this weekend’s International Cougar Cruise, fear not…there’s another one coming up in April, in the Mediterranean. Who knew that cougars had such range?
LAND
from Frommer’s Travel
Are your skis getting restless? Time to start looking for skiing bargains. The Frommer’s folks have a few.
from Frommer’s Travel
If you prefer your showers warm and unfrozen, the FT crew also offers up a list of five of the best hikes in Hawaii for viewing some of its many spectacular waterfalls. SLIDE SHOWS
(CAUTION: All that wet foliage can make some of Hawaiian waterfall hikes quite slippery, and you may be a long way up. Stay on marked paths, follow all safety guidelines and don’t get too close to the edge looking for that perfect shot.)
AFRICA
from Lonely Planet
The LP crew offers up a tantalizing introduction to Nairobi, capital of Kenya.
from the New York Times
Need another reason to visit Africa? How about examining its influence in our very own art world right here in America? The NYT offers up some examples of that influence already appearing in US art galleries.
AMERICAS
from SFGate.com
San Francisco is still a great place to get crabs…and get your mind OUT of the gutter, thank you! These crabs come out of the bay, they’re delicious…and you can catch them yourself. A tasty bit of local heritage.
from USA Today
A few years ago, New Orleans was a city struggling with high unemployment and high crime. Now, it’s being touted as a great place for a second home. What a difference a hurricane makes…
from Frommer’s Travel
Not every tantalizing island getaway is in the tropical western Pacific. The incredibly long coast of the South American continent offers several. SLIDE SHOW
ASIA/PACIFIC
from the New York Times
On Malaysia’s Penang Island, the old city of George Town is undergoing something of a revival, two years after being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
from MacauStag.com
What happens in Vegas stays in…Macau? This former Portuguese colony off the Chinese mainland is known as “the Las Vegas of Asia” for a reason. Several reasons, actually, a few of which are hinted at on this Web site.
EUROPE
from CheapOAir
Five things to do in Madrid. VIDEO
from Entree to Black Paris via Facebook
The 20th arrondissement is home to the Centre George Momboye, named for its founder, an expatriate fro the Ivory Coast who offers 50 courses a week in drumming and dance styles from almost everywhere in Africa.
from the New York Times
As we travel, so do our cultures. Witness the passionate culture of Argentine tango, going strong in Berlin.
from USA Today
It looks as if the British have caught our Fear of Terror bug: Tours of the world famous Big Ben are now restricted to British citizens only. No foreigners allowed.