Archive for the 'Latin America & Caribbean' Category
Foreign affairs: Where Gov. Mark Sanford should have been sleeping
June 24, 2009 4:04pm
Memo to: All American elected officials
From: Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times travel writer
Regarding: National and international affairs
And: Where to have them
Hey, stuff happens, and sometimes a fella strays. Sometimes, a governor needs to spend Father’s Day weekend cheating on his wife in Argentina. But as South Carolina Republican Gov. Mark Sanford can now authoritatively say, South America is perhaps a bit too far to stray.
Then again, look at the stateside troubles of U.S. Sen. John Ensign, the Nevada Republican who just admitted a 2008 stateside affair with a campaign aide, or John Edwards, the philandering Democratic presidential hopeful from North Carolina. If you’re going to stray, U.S. territory might not be far enough away.
A prudent elected official seeks middle ground. And no, we don’t mean Las Vegas. Because deep down, don’t you suspect that what happens in Vegas ends up on video somewhere?
But we can help. Whatever your amatory outsourcing needs, gentlemen, we suggest you consider these assignation destinations. Or, you know, be good and stay home.
Guantanamo Bay Press banned and extra beds available soon.
Rome Long flight, but very romantic. And the media is so busy covering Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s high-level appointments of various attractive young women —and subsequent threats of divorce by his wife — that tailing you wouldn’t be worth the trouble.
Darien Gap, Panama Green and steamy. And since there are almost no paved roads, they’d never find you. Just don’t forget the mosquito repellent.
Asuncion, Paraguay Because they put the “para” in “paramour.”
Rio de Janeiro Incumbent mistress getting old? Browse Ipanema Beach for a successor.
Tijuana Lots of hotel vacancies. And prices have never been better for car upholstery, dentistry and cosmetic surgery.
Nuuk, Greenland Taste the reindeer. See the aurora borealis. Enjoy Nuuk nookie.
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada Because once you’ve pulled on those yellow rain slickers, you’ll be just another happy, hooded, damp couple.
The Cayman Islands Between flings, check your offshore accounts.
— Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times staff writer
[Photo: The Spanish Steps in Rome, a very romantic city. Credit: Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times
New hotel review website Oyster sends writers undercover to deliver honest opinions & property photos
June 23, 2009 4:51pm
Do you ever read an online hotel review and question the sincerity of the person who wrote it? Was their glowing review genuine or was it influenced by a comped stay or a PR person with good writing skills? Or maybe you look at hotel photos and wonder how true to life they are? All my second guesses might be a little bit more analytical than they need to be, but I’d be willing to bet I’m not alone in my doubts. So it was with open ears (and eyes) that I took a look at the new Oyster Hotel Reviews website that launched Monday.
The name might be reminiscent of London’s transportation card or even a flip cellphone, but the name actually comes from the shellfish. Chief Executive Elie Seidman said, “The sensual oyster holds in it the potential to discover a beautiful pearl. But not every oyster has a pearl. Finding the right hotel can be a struggle, but at Oyster Hotel Reviews our hotel reviews give you the “raw” truth — independent reporting and honest, undoctored hotel photography — to make it easy to find what you’re really looking for.”
And that’s exactly what’s so appealing about this latest hotel review site to hit the online travelsphere — its transparency. Hotel reviews on Oyster are written by journalists who are undercover, no comps or incentives allowed. They are privately funded and pay for all of the writers’ travel expenses. On top of that, they take hundreds of photos from each property — and don’t airbrush out any power lines — what you see is what you get. (That said, the photos are still stunning and thankfully taken while the beds are made.)
Right now Oyster launched with 450 hotel reviews in Aruba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Miami, with New York and Las Vegas coming soon. Seidman said the Vegas package would be ready by mid-July, “We’ve already done all the reviews/visits and are just putting the finishing touches on it.”
Seidman added that Oyster is expecting Scottsdale/Phoenix, Honolulu, Maui, Los Angeles and San Francisco to be completed either before the end of the year or by early Q1.
I particularly like the website’s easy navigation. When I had a look at Jamaica — a place I’ve never visited before — there were options for the best romantic hotels, best luxury hotels and best family friendly hotels front and center. I was also amazed at how long the reviews are. These are not just two paragraphs with a star rating. The writers go in depth on categories such as Scene, Location, Service, Rooms, Beach (as was the case with Geejam in Jamaica), Cleanliness, Food, Family and more. They also have a Pros and Cons section to get a quick summary of the place.
Two-day sale on Mexico flights by Alaska and Horizon
June 15, 2009 10:31am
Now is the time to book, if you’re seriously contemplating a Mexico beach vacation sometime this summer or fall. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air have announced a two-day sale, which began this morning, on the eight destinations that they serve in Mexico: Cancun, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, La Paz, Loreto, Los Cabos, Manzanillo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.
Deal: Book a flight online to one of these spots, and you’ll get 25% off.
Tested: Starting via the sale page, I found round-trip flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Puerto Vallarta (PVR) in late June, traveling both ways on Tuesdays, for $264, including taxes and fees. This represents a $53 discount on the base airfare. Read the rest of this entry »
A look into the world of Peace Corps volunteers
June 10, 2009 7:00am
“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”
Anybody remember those words from President John F. Kennedy’s Jan. 20, 1961, inaugural address? Besides inspiring a generation of young Americans, they served as an unofficial motto for the U.S. Peace Corps, founded the same year. Since then, more than 195,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in 139 countries around the world.
To find out what volunteers are blogging about, you can visit an informal website maintained by two Peace Corps veterans and an engineering student.
Mexico: Acapulco gunfight is another setback for that country’s struggling tourism industry
June 8, 2009 9:17am
Another major setback for Mexico tourism: A shootout on Saturday night in the resort town of Acapulco has claimed the lives of 16 gunmen and two soldiers.
The gunfight occurred “in a seaside neighborhood of homes and cut-rate hotels that is mainly frequented by Mexicans and sits several miles from the main strip of tourist complexes. Some guests were reportedly evacuated from nearby hotels, but no tourists were known to have been caught in the crossfire,” according to a Los Angeles Times article by Ken Ellingwood.
The two-hour battle was between soldiers and gunmen apparently holding police officers hostage at an Acapulco house, as reported in an Associated Press video posted on The Times website. Read the rest of this entry »
Despite Air France crash, there’s little cause to fear flying
June 6, 2009 2:57pm
Although horrifying, the May 31 crash involving an Air France jet that took more than 200 lives doesn’t represent the true risk of flying. (Update: Two bodies and a briefcase containing a ticket from the flight were found in the Atlantic Ocean, Associated Press reported today.)
Your chances of being killed on a commercial airplane are tiny — far less than 1 in a million. Last year the worldwide rate was about two deaths per 10 million passengers, according to the International Air Transport Assn.
There were about two dozen fatal airline accidents worldwide in 2008, it said, which is pretty typical. And about 500 people total died. That’s a tragic toll. But think how many people get killed in car accidents: usually more than 40,000 every year in the U.S. alone.
Still, you might wonder: Is my airline safe?
Ticket sales open for Los Angeles-Cuba flights
June 5, 2009 2:01pm
Nonstop to Cuba? Si! A Long Beach company is marketing weekly nonstop flights to Havana (HAV) from Los Angeles (LAX) that will begin June 30. Because of U.S. restrictions on travel to Cuba, most customers will probably be Cuban Americans who have family there. But that could soon change.
“It’s been really, really busy,” said Michael Zuccato, general manager of Cuba Travel Services Inc., which opened ticket sales Tuesday.
The cost: Round-trip coach fares for the charter flights, on a Continental Airlines Boeing 737-800 that can carry 150 passengers, are $889 per adult, $779 for children under age 12 and $89 for infants, plus tax, Zuccato said. First class costs $1,395 per adult or child and $698 for infants, plus tax.
Mexico: Los Cabos hotel deals ‘a la carte,’ or all-inclusive
June 3, 2009 2:56pm
No, this isn’t a post about a restaurant week. Rather, the Los Cabos Convention & Visitors Bureau’s new campaign is more set to whet your appetite for a relaxing, pampering resort getaway.
Under the “Los Cabos a la Carte” promotion, a number of hotels in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo and the corridor in between are offering some attractive packages, a few examples of which are below:
Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort
Its “Fun in the Sun” package is offering rates starting at $179 per night (pre-tax) for a room; with that you get a $100 daily resort credit. A three-night minimum stay is required. You can book through the hotel’s website or over the phone.
When: Valid for stays through Dec. 17, 2009.
Note: This hotel has a number of online specials going, so check them all out before booking. For instance, if you’re not one to fully utilize a resort credit, you might opt for the “limited time only” deal of $99 per night (pre-tax) for a room and breakfast buffet for two. Read the rest of this entry »
Get ready for new border rules on Monday
May 30, 2009 7:39am
Starting Monday, June 1, most Americans will need a passport, passport card or other high-security document to drive back into the U.S. from Mexico or Canada. Don’t have the right stuff? You may face a secondary inspection and delays.
Actually, you may be delayed anyway because no one can say for sure what will happen Monday.
“We are expecting a smooth implementation,” Kelly Ivahnenko, spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, told me this month. She explained that about 80% of travelers were already showing the right documents at checkpoints. Those who don’t, she added, won’t be denied entry.
But because about 800,000 people cross into the U.S. by land every day, even 20% arriving unprepared could cause delays. And two years ago, when new rules required fliers to show passports when returning from these countries, and also the Caribbean and Bermuda — a change that affected fewer travelers — backups and confusion resulted.
Checkpoint procedures will change for everyone Monday. To help you figure it out, CBP has posted videos that show the process, from start to finish.
For details on the new documents and rules, visit the government’s GetYouHome website. For information on passports and passport cards, go to the U.S. State Department’s website for travelers.
— Jane Engle, assistant Los Angeles Times Travel editor
[Image: The San Ysidro port of entry in San Diego. Credit: Denis Poroy / Associated Press]
Vote on world’s best places at StoodThere.com
May 26, 2009 4:51pm
Some of the “100 Greatest Places to Stand on the Planet” on StoodThere.com would probably come to mind immediately for most international travelers. There are the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, Greece’s Parthenon and Italy’s Colosseum, Stonehenge in England and Petra in Jordan. There’s Mt. Everest, and Red Square, the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls.
But also included are the Ithaa Undersea restaurant in the Maldives (click on above image to see a photo gallery of this one), the Terracotta Army in Xi’an, China, and the Bean in Chicago.
While the list features a ton of Euro-spots, Africa gets little attention thus far. Read the rest of this entry »
