Terre-de-Haut, Guadeloupe Hidden Travel Gems

Standing on the dock at a marina in Bas-du-Fort, Guadeloupe, Alain, a Belgian transplant, pointed his finger at a group of islands on the French West Indies chart." You must sail to Terre-de-Haut, it's a mini St. Barts, but not many people know about it," he says. Soon after, my husband, John, and I cast the dock lines off our chartered 41-foot catamaran, Jade Marie, and steered a course of [...] Read More


Barbuda Hidden Travel Gems

We sailed an exhilarating 40 nautical miles north from Falmouth Harbour, Antigua to Barbuda on a 41 foot catamaran. Barbuda is Antigua's small sister island. We anchored between Cocoa Point and Palmetto Point on the southwestern coast. I jumped in the dinghy and captured this photo of the brilliant blue water with our boat bobbing off the beach. Not many people go to Barbuda; in fact, not many people know [...] Read More


Sailing Tahiti Hidden Travel Gems

If you're looking for real adventure, consider sailing across Tahiti. Eileen Ogintz did a piece on her recent Tahiti trip for Tribune Media Services.We are in paradise - really. The fish literally eat out of our hands, the water is so clear I can see seashells in the sand six feet below us and the island nearby is ringed by lush, green trees, some dripping with exotic fruits.Ogintz points out [...] Read More


National Geographic Adventure's Best Adventure Islands The Outdoor Weblog

If you're reading this blog, chances are you are a lover of all things outdoor, like me. You may call me crazy, but I've never thought of islands as being "adventurous". I imagine a beautiful beach, with umbrella drinks under the shadow of a ritzy resort. But, an article in the February 2008 issue of National Geographic Adventure has helped me changed my opinions of islands and help me realize [...] Read More


Winter's Cold Increases Arthritis Pain: A Complimentary Booklet On Knee and Hip Pain Brings Relief Straightfromthedoc

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 2058689 Did you know that winter weight gain and cold, snowy weather can exacerbate arthritis pain? Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of hip and knee pain in older adults, and it is affecting younger adults earlier. Active young people with demanding lives often damage their joints and look for relief from arthritis pain in order to continue their activities. Winter is the perfect time for new [...] Read More

© Michal Osmenda


With Valentine's Day coming up this weekend, my wife and I are stranded in our house at the moment at the snowstorm of the century eats up the Eastern US. TV meteorologists and even a few political commentators have coined new terms to describe the storm - like snowpocalypse and snowmageddon. While just being home with my wife is probably an acceptable way to celebrate the holiday, I think boutique hotels make a better setting for a romantic holiday.

What exactly is a boutique hotel? Wikipedia says that they are smaller establishments that provide "intimate, usually luxurious or quirky hotel environments." I think I'd prefer luxurious to quirky.

Paris "the City of Love" would be a nice place to shop with your true LOVE. Maybe someplace like The Paris Eiffel Cambronne, not far from the Eiffel Tower. Of course if Paris is tool cold in February, there's always Bali or Boracay...

© rogers-photos


I read recently about the Manchester University anthropologist who plans to "live" in the Manchester airport for a year. At least they bill it that way in the headline. But then when you read the story you find out that he's going to spend "up to" 18 hours a day in the airport. Up until I read that part I wondered if his car would still be in Manchester airport parking at the end of the year. But I guess he'll be driving it home at the end of the day everyday...

Dr. Damian O'Doherty (the anthropologist) is 42. He'd spend his time in terminals and departure lounges, "observing passengers' and workers' habits." according to the news piece.

The study is expected to cost around £40,000. It's being paid for the British government's Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. The research is supposed to examine how airports affect people. The goal is to figure out how to make airports better places to visit or work.

The study is being criticized as a waste of money. Since he probably lives right there in Manchester, I doubt O'Doherty is sleeping at taxpayer expense in the Airport hotels. Personally, I can't see the problem with the study. I'd love for airports to be nicer places, easier to work in.

And at least O'Doherty won't need the taxpayers to foot the bill for Holiday insurance...

© stevendamron


It is perhaps the newest and oldest Mediterranean playground: Beirut
. Now twenty years after the end of the Lebanese civil war, and after a year without sectarian violence in the city, the tourists are coming back in record numbers.

Despite war and religious strife, Beirut has survived. Over two million tourists visited Beirut in 2009 - up 39% over 2008. In peak season Beirut no competes with Greece and Italy for beach scene tourists. Adventurous Westerns are rediscovering the city and the well to do from across the Arab world flock there.

That survivor mentality causes people to seize the moment - partying with passion, despite power outages and brutal traffic. "Beirut is like a Lebanese Babylon, where Arabs can dance on tabletops, swim in bikinis and kiss their girlfriends in public," says British journalist Warren Singh-Bartlett, a 12-year resident. In summer, the famous beach clubs hold their own against the playgrounds of Greece and Spain.

Call it a peace dividend. If the city remains peaceful, tourism will continue to grow. Between the beaches, the dining, the new urban development, and vibrant nightlife, Beirut's new found popularity is well deserved.

© qubitsu


Travel & Leisure had a piece recently on the world's top 50 hotels. I don't know how such a list can be more than someone's list of personal favorites, but it's a fun list to read.

Some are on the list because, while they might treat you very well, they're especially exotic. Take the Oberoi Vanyavilas in Rajasthan, India. Teak floors and pushily outfitted rooms - but the rooms are tents. And the resort is in a game preserve with tigers. Live tigers. I don't know that I could sleep in a tent it I knew there were tigers around...

Maybe Jade Mountain in St. Lucia would be more enjoyable. Open air suites with in-room pools or private Jacuzzis. And (presumably) no tigers.

Unless I win the lottery soon, I suppose I need to be pay more attention to sites like this one on luxury hotel deals. Maybe I can think about a trip in April, during my school's spring break.