Travel Tips & Trips

Santa Fe Sage Inn: A perfect cost-conscious choice

2010-08-24T17:49:53Z

Every once in a while a travel hunch pays off. Such was the case during a recent stay at the Santa Fe Sage Inn. I’ve had the Inn on my travel steals and deals radar for awhile. To keep abreast of their latest news on special savings and vacation packages, I subscribed to their newsletter and followed them on facebook and twitter, but up until now, I hadn’t had a reason to book a visit.

I love a good deal as much any traveler on a budget. And finding one in trendy Santa Fe, especially in the heart of the summer high season, can take some sleuthing.

The Sage Inn promised affordable downtown lodging with a slew of tempting freebies - complimentary continental breakfast, free wireless high speed Internet, comfortable renovated rooms, free parking, and free Plaza shuttle. So when my husband’s college-aged granddaughter came to visit and wanted to spend a few days in Santa Fe before heading back to our place in the southern mountains of New Mexico, the Sage Inn sounded like just the ticket.

And it was. It was also clean, convenient, and super friendly. Imagine that.

Is There An Adventure In Your Future?

2010-08-23T19:39:54Z

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the most adventurous of us all?

photo by Alena_Chris via photobucket image sharingDoes the unknown freak you out? Do you see commonality where others see differences? How do you feel about taking risks? Do you leave the BlackBerry at home? What about travel planning. How much is too much?

Take this fun Adventure Travel IQ test I created for Canadian Mountain Holidays and find out.

Tell me your score and I’ll tell you mine. :)

Ten Tips for Travel Photography

2010-08-20T00:58:48Z

a guest blog by Ewen Bell

I’m thrilled that Ewen Bell of PhotographyforTravellers.com agreed to share his top tips for travel photography with us. I say “Ditto”!

Nepal Kathmandu Valley photo by Ewen BellRead on for Ewen’s advice for how to return home with vacation pictures that will make your friends and family feel they went along on the trip.

1. Get Closer

The easiest way to improve your photography is to get closer to the subject. The world changes when you are closer to it.

2. Go Slow

Take your time and you will take better photos. Rushing about gives you lots of shots that you might not want to keep, so maybe it’s better to go slow and enjoy the travel.

3. Shoot Wide

Get a wide angle lens and get more into the shot. Many compact cameras shoot the equivalent of 24mm wide, and that’s good.

4. Look for the Light

Cameras shoot light not objects, so you have to practice seeing the light as your camera does. Lovely light makes for lovely photos.

5. Ask first

Show respect for other people and ask permission before shooting. It avoids offending strangers and gives you a chance to better connect with the locals. Getting local is what it is all about!

Take the Stress Out Of Air Travel

2010-08-10T03:48:00Z

With their hard plastic chairs, plastic food and service to match, airports are about as inviting as a root canal. Sure, elite members-only lounges are a wonderful perk if you have access. But thankfully, more and more airports, especially in Europe, are offering in-house options where even the economy-flier can relax, work and freshen up in civilized surroundings. Here are a few airport rest-stops worth checking out next time you’re passing through.

MUNICH AIRPORT photo by llinke via flickr (commons license)

MUNICH

As the five-star Kampinski Hotel Airport Müchen, designed by Helmut Jahn, passengers are welcome to use the indoor pool, sauna, steam bath, whirlpool and gym for 22 euros. Thus refreshed, head to Airbräu, the world’s first airport brewery with an outdoor beer garden, for a cold one brewed right on the premises.

HELSINKI-VANTAA AIRPORT

At Helsinki’s award-winning airport, known for its Finnish cutting-edge design and first-class telecommunications capabilities, Finavia offers free unrestricted wireless Internet connection, but for a private microenvironment where you can watch a film or work online in peace and techy comfort, check out the “artpod” chairs at eService Bar near gate 20.

Looking For Adventure This Fall?

2010-08-05T16:28:45Z

Summer is winding down, but there is still plenty of time left to travel in 2010. If you’re hoping to visit some of the world’s most popular vacation destinations, without the hassle of the crowds, autumn is the perfect time to do so.

photo courtesy of Austin-Lehman AdventuresFrom Yellowstone to Utah and Arizona, adventure travel specialists Austin-Lehman Adventures offer a tempting line up of fall adventures to choose from. They also report space available on several of their favorite biking tours in Europe.

Learn more at www.austinlehman.com

Travel to Bhutan on Assignment with National Geographic and WorldNomads.com

2010-08-04T16:43:22Z

Travel Photography Scholarship - Bhutan

WorldNomads.com is giving one exceptional individual the chance to travel with National Geographic on-assignment photographer Jason Edwards to The Kingdom of Bhutan - Land of the Thunderdragon. Apply and the winner could be you!

photo by Wonderlane via flickr (common license)

Without a doubt, mentors have played an inspiring role in my life, helping me build the skills necessary to transform passion to profession. So it is with great enthusiasm that I share this amazing Travel Scholarship program from our travel insurance partners at WorldNomads.com that gives passionate individuals the opportunity to further their skills through professional in-the-field mentorship. There’s no better way to move forward than learning on the job from some of the best in the biz.

Apply by October 17, 2010 and you’ll qualify for the chance to travel with National Geographic on-assignment photographer Jason Edwards to The Kingdom of Bhutan - Land of the Thunderdragon! It’s that easy.

Plus, the lucky scholarship recipient will also win AU$2000 worth of Pentax photographic equipment. NICE!

How to avoid those outrageous hotel add-on fees

2010-08-04T15:29:31Z

Look for complimentary homemade pie at Rockland Maine’s Berry Manor Inn 24-7-365. Photo by Jumping Rocks. a guest blog by B&B expert, Marti Mayne

Mark Orwoll, trusted travel journalist, recently published a story about the exorbitant $12 hotel minibar fee for a can of nuts (which also resulted in a $12 stomach ache). This confirmed my contention that B&Bs are simply the better way to stay. In his story about the world’s most outrageous hotel fees, Orwoll unveils how hotels stand to gain $12.5 billion in add-on fees that you simply do not find at a bed and breakfast. I know I beat my “B&Bs are more affordable” drum over and over, but Orwoll’s insight into the ever-increasing hotel add-on fees proves my contention.

Read on and you may never stay at a hotel again.

Is there a polar bear in your future this fall?

2010-08-03T13:30:56Z

I’ve always wanted to see the polar bear migration in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. With regret, I’ll be off adventuring in Scotland in October when space is still available on The Great Canadian Travel Company’s fall migration tours. Perhaps you can make it. Hope so!

Better still, if you do go, I hope you’ll share your experiences and photographs in a guest blog. Read on for details…

Every autumn, polar bears gather along the water’s edge near the town of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, on the western shore of the Hudson Bay, about 650 miles north of Winnipeg, anxiously waiting for sea ice to form. Once the bay freezes over, hungry bears move out onto the ice where they will spend the winter months hunting seal.

photo courtesy of Great Canadian Travel Company

The Great Canadian Travel Company, which has been operating polar-bear observation tours to this area since 1980, reports that there is still limited space left on its 2010 polar bear tours.

How To Survive Reentry After The Vacation

2010-07-28T16:36:10Z

The worst part of travel isn’t the security checkpoints with prison-issue wands, puffs of air blowing in your face or gloved agents pawing through your belongings. It’s not the airline seats with their lumbar supports that spear your spine or the $2.25 you pay for a small bottle of filtered tap water at airport restaurants. It’s not the jetlag—which can be so brutal that your left foot doesn’t know where your right foot is walking—or the suitcase that vanished with the travel clothes, gadgets and gear you have spent half a decade assembling.

The worst part of travel is actually coming home. One day you are in Peru, gaping at Machu Picchu or in the Canadian Rockies, heli-hiking amid the granite spires of the Bugaboos. Maybe you’ve been cycling in Italy, trekking in Nepal, cruising down the Nile in Egypt, or sauna hopping in Finland. The next day, you open the door to your digs and…chaos.

The answering machine is blinking, there are hundreds or thousands of emails, the snail mail spills over the edge of a huge tub and stares at you from the floor. There are bills to be paid, deadlines to be met, appointments to be kept. Your hair needs new highlights, your car is due for servicing, there’s a leak in your office, you forgot to send your sister-in-law a birthday gift. The exotic fades as you slip into the quotidian and start trouble-shooting, catching up, returning calls, and squirming in the dentist’s chair. Hooray! You are home.

I have not yet figured out how to make homecoming a celebration. But I have a few tips if you are as overwhelmed as I am when you step over your own welcome mat.

Click to read more >>

Lonely Planet's top 10 spots to feel like a celebrity

2010-07-20T19:55:47Z

Star-studded A-List destinations

photo courtesy of VisitTelluride.com

Lock up that backpack, throw the sneakers to the back of the closet – you won’t be needing them in any of these glittering destinations. Follow Lonely Planet on a red carpet ride through the top 10 swanky spots the celebrities love – and you just might too.

Check out Lonely Planet’s Top 10 glamorous A-list destinations

Source: Lonely Planet

Is An African Safari Right For Your Family?

2010-07-17T10:00:24Z

a guest blog by Sandy Salle of Hills Africa Travel

One of the greatest concerns travelers have when it comes to international family travel is safety. We often hear from families who would love to travel to Africa but who also have some safety concerns: “Is a safari safe for our family?” “Are health conditions in Africa safe for my family?” “Is traveling to and through Africa safe for my family?”

The answer to all of those questions is yes, Africa is a safe and wonderful place to bring your family. But, as with all destinations outside of your own country, there are obvious safety precautions that should be addressed and looked into prior to departure.

Some of these universal travel concerns include health precautions, language barriers, differing cultures, and unfamiliar governments. With these concerns lingering, it’s important to be educated, and have the right tools to prevent any unexpected emergencies when traveling outside your native country. The enriching and rewarding family experiences far outweigh any of these concerning factors, as all safety precautions are addressed prior to departure.

But two of the most popular safety concerns we receive from clients are in regards to family safari tours and children on safari.

Six Tips for Traveling With Your Spouse

2010-07-16T15:29:40Z

“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it” ~John Steinbeck

Sure, you vowed to love each other “for better and for worse,” but who said anything about trekking Machu Picchu, tackling a via ferrata in the Canadian Rockies or a culinary bike tour through Tuscany, for that matter? For many, adventure travel wasn’t what they had in mind when they promised ‘til death do us part’.

In nearly two decades of marital globetrotting, I’ve learned a thing or two about traveling with the one you love. In fact, my married life started when my now-husband, Hank, and I eloped during a 3-month vacation. Two years later, we packed up the Subaru and didn’t return home for more than a year. And for the past decade we’ve divided our time between homes in Old and New Mexico.

But, I hadn’t really thought about what works - and what doesn’t - until recently when the adventure travel company Canadian Mountain Holidays asked me to write about the topic for their Adventure Blog.

In addition, I put the word out to my, facebook friends and twitter followers, asking for their best strategies for how to travel together AND save the marriage.

So, what’s the the secret? You may be surprised! For a collection of our best advice READ MORE

Waterfront Waysides: Cool off on these hot New England B&B porches

2010-07-12T18:02:14Z

The Inn at Harbor Hill Marina offers not only a porch, but plenty of chairs for viewing the boats in the harbor. Photo by Marti Mayne.New England is experiencing record breaking heat. Heck, the whole country is! You’re not only really ready to cool off, you’re also ready for a break. Now is the perfect time to consider a quick B&B getaway in New England. Imagine rocking your cares away on the porch of a welcoming B&B, cool drink in hand. Whether it’s in Boston or along the Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island or Connecticut coasts, here are a few recommendations for hot B&Bs in cool places, just a hop, skip and jump from Boston. Each one offers a fabulous balcony or porch poised to catch cool sea breezes and scenic views.

Portugal - Choose Your Adventure

2010-07-05T16:18:47Z

There’s a Portuguese party going on over on our sister site, YourLifeIsATrip.com, where each day this week we’re celebrating and sharing some very cool places to eat and drink, stay, visit and explore, focusing the YourLifeIsATrip.com spotlight on the “undiscovered” nature of the country.

Helping us help you launch your own Portugal adventure is our favorite travel search engine - TravelDragon.com.

To whet your appetite here are just a few of their Portugal recommendations:

Portugal Biking: From Ancient Towns to Douro Valley Vineyards

by Backroads

Departs May, August-October

Peel back layers of history and tradition as you journey through this captivating corner of northern Portugal. Pedal along pastoral lanes from the ancient market town of Ponte de Lima to Guimarães, a World Heritage site and the birthplace of Portugal. Spin into the stunning Douro Valley, where wine has been produced for nearly two millennia. Explore historic landmarks, climb pine-covered mountains, and encounter friendly locals on horse-drawn carts. Along the way, sample delectable port wine and fresh seafood, and… more

Portugal: Lisbon and the Silver Coast

by Sights and Soul Travels

Departs June

The journey to Portugal offers magical landscapes of sandy beaches rimmed by burnished-gold cliffs, fantastic Manueline architecture, fairytale walled towns, hilltop windmills and Moorish castles. The dramatic history of the Knights Templar and of the Portuguese discoveries is softened by the coral-colored hibiscus flowers and purple wisteria wrapping around centuries old stone walls, elegantly painted ceramic tiles and soulful fado music.

Save the Cheetah Through Safari Adventures

2010-06-29T23:05:16Z

TAKE AN EXTRAORDINARY SAFARI TO NAMIBIA AND HELP SAVE THE CHEETAH

Enjoy the trip of a lifetime AND help save most endangered cat in Africa? Yes.

Celebrating their new partnership with the Cheetah Conservation Fund, where research, conservation and education efforts are helping to save the endangered cheetah, Baobab Expeditions helps turn travelers into explorers who make a difference with an extraordinary safari adventure through Namibia.

HOW: Baobab will make a donation to the Fund for each participant on the safari.

TRIP DETAILS: Arriving in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, guests are met by Baobab’s excellent guides and driven north to the Frans Indongo Lodge, a charming farmhouse modeled on traditional Ovambo homesteads. A highlight of the journey comes on the second day with a full-day visit to the Fund’s International Research and Education Centre in Otjiwarongo where visitors are shown the value of sustainable practices to save the cheetah and where they are able to view this elusive animal.