Archive for the 'South America' Category
2010 Watch List of ‘at-risk’ sites announced by World Monuments Fund
October 7, 2009 2:32pm
Sharing a commonality as of late: Traditional houses called machiya in Kyoto, Antoni Gaudi’s Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona, the Suq al-Qaysariya in Bahrain, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin in Wisconsin, and the bridges of Merritt Parkway in Connecticut.
These and 87 other treasures, from the ancient to the modern, are included on the 2010 Watch List issued by World Monuments Fund. The nonprofit organization, working on cultural preservation issues, puts out the list to draw awareness to the dangers that threaten certain cultural heritage sites — “irreplaceable monuments to human culture” — around the world, according to the organization.
A Watch List is published every two years, with some sites, such as Machu Picchu in Peru, making repeat appearances. That world-famous archaeological site has survived time, warfare and natural disasters, but “steady and significant increases in visitation at the site have prompted development and urbanization in nearby areas to meet the growing tourism needs,” according to a WMF press release. Read the rest of this entry »
Visit Antarctica — for just $9,774 per night
September 7, 2009 12:03pm
It will add nearly $10,000 to the price of your cruise, but if you fantasize about visiting Antarctica — the coldest, windiest and least populated continent on the planet — Crystal Cruises has a deal for you.
The Extreme Overnight Adventure in Antarctica, as it’s called, is one of the most expensive shore excursions ever offered. It costs more than the 19-day cruise itself, which is priced from $8,995 per person, double occupancy.
But a hardy (and wealthy) band of six passengers can get a two-day taste of Antarctica’s terrain and wildlife. They’ll visit a king penguin colony, see elephant seals and fur seals and spend a night at the Chilean Antarctic Institute. They’ll also brave below-freezing temperatures to trek to remote villages, visit a petrified arctic forest and travel by helicopter to a humpback whale sanctuary.
Read the rest of this entry »
Abercrombie & Kent offers ‘Christmas in July’ sale to spur holiday travel
July 9, 2009 8:34am
If you are able to plan travel for the end of the year, you can save up to 30% off 11 amazing Abercrombie & Kent luxury small-group itineraries in Antarctica, India, Jordan, South Africa and more. But you only have until the end of the month to book. This is the first time that A&K has offered a “Christmas in July” sale. Knowing that they recently had a big one-day sale in mid-May, my first thought was to be concerned that the economy was taking its toll on this great tour operator.
Pamela Lassers, director of media relations at Abercrombie & Kent, explained that their clients’ booking habits are changing:
“The challenging economic environment has changed the way that people plan their travel,” Lassers said. “In 2007, most trips were booked six months in advance; last year it was five months and this year it is four months or less. The current holiday promotion reflects the stronger dollar in many destinations and incentives offered by suppliers to encourage travelers to book now.”
Deals: A 17-day Essence of India trip that was priced at $13,725 has dropped to $9,625. Travelers who want to spend Christmas and New Year’s in Antarctica — and can stand traveling with their family for 20 days — can save $3,099 per person on family holiday to Antarctica, south Georgia & the Falkland Islands for $9,296 per person, based on double-occupancy. The lowest-priced itinerary A&K has on its December sale ($2,885 per person, double occupancy) is for an eight-day trip to Jordan with visits to Petra (that was featured in ”Indiana Jones”), Wadi Rum and Kempinski Ishtar on the Dead Sea for New Year’s.
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 »
Roundup: Extreme kayaker breaks world record & escapes snakes; NCL one-day cruise sale today; Golden Nugget Las Vegas & Southwest Airlines $49-$99 sale
March 26, 2009 9:27am
Travel TV | If you missed the “Today” show this morning, head on over to its website to watch the video (or read the transcript) about the man who broke the world record in extreme kayaking when he took his kayak head first over the 127-foot-high Salto Belo waterfall in Brazil. Pedro Olivia tells the secret to surviving a waterfall plunge at 70 mph and about how surprised he was to be greeted by big snakes after he survived the fall.
Roundup: Denny’s locations in Los Angeles area; Low fares from LAX to South America on LAN; Mexican peso falls hard
February 3, 2009 9:39am
Budget Travel: Did you forget already? I almost did. Denny’s made an offer during a Super Bowl commercial — they’re giving away free Grand Slam breakfasts today from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. at all of their locations. Here is a Google map (above) showing locations near Los Angeles. Note: The map shows the top 10. Click here to see more, or search “Denny’s locations near [your area]” to find more.
Airfare deals: Flights to South America are on sale. LAN Airlines lowered prices about 25% off its regular fares between Los Angeles (LAX) and Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Fares from Los Angeles to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay start at $699, pretax. Fares to Peru start at $499, pretax. Flights to Ecuador start at $476, pretax. Tickets must be booked by Feb. 28 and are good for travel from now through June 15.
Sy Montgomery, naturalist and traveler, has two great books back in print
January 27, 2009 2:14pm
Welcome back into print two terrific books about nature travel by celebrated wildlife writer Sy Montgomery.
“Spell of the Tiger,” originally published in 1995, travels to a dense mangrove swamp on the border between Bangladesh and India where Montgomery lived in a mud hut studying man-eating tigers.
“Journey of the Pink Dolphins,” which first appeared in 2000, explores the rare and mysterious freshwater dolphins of Amazonia. Read the rest of this entry »
12 books of Christmas: ‘Visions of Paradise’
December 20, 2008 6:00am
My new personal hero may be Bronwen Latimer, who created a photographic escape hatch for these gloomy days when the economic news is as overcast as SoCal skies on a stormy day.
Latimer asked National Geographic photographers where, in their view, was heaven on earth. The result is this luscious book, “Visions of Paradise” (National Geographic, $35), which takes a reader to some predictable places (Hawaii), some not so much (Nebraska) and some I’d never heard of (Lago Ypoa National Park in Paraguay).
The 12 books of Christmas: ‘Great Caves’
December 17, 2008 6:30pm
Caves always strike me as a little creepy, the result, perhaps, of one too many horror movies where the dripping water, the bats and the bad guys all seem to converge in one dank underground spot.
But Tony Waltham’s “Great Caves of the World” (Firefly Books, $29.95) brings them into the light, so to speak.
The 12 books of Christmas: ‘Sacred Places’
December 16, 2008 12:10pm
If you want something a bit more in tune with the vibe of the season, think “Sacred Places of a Lifetime” (National Geographic, $40).
Its subtitle, “500 of the World’s Most Peaceful and Powerful Destinations,” tells you it’s a big ride, but its really the organizing principle that is fascinating.
