Live Talk: Traveling Around the World

If you've always dreamed of going on safari, you can see Africa's wildlife at pussycat prices--as little as $1,800 for an entire month of adventure--and that's including airfare from America, meals, ground transportation, lodging, guided tours over a large area, and several days of game drives. Instead of poaching a vacation from a middleman, who will invariably fatten the price (it's common to pay $3,500 for a weeklong safari including airfare), head straight to tourist-friendly South Africa--where the currency exchange is strongly in your favor--and book a trip there. Africa's land-based safari trips depart from several places, particularly the (somewhat iffy) cities of Nairobi and Johannesburg. But for most rookies, breathtaking Cape Town, South Africa, is probably the easiest and safest place to arrive in Africa. Not only is its seaside vibe as familiar as that of Miami or San Diego, but it's also an incredibly cheap place to spend a few days getting organized. Round-trip airfare from New York City or Atlanta (usually on South African Airways) will be your biggest expense: around $1,000 from a discounter such as Spector Travel (800/879-2374, spectortravel.com) or 2Afrika (877/200-5610, 2afrika.com). (Editor's note: Recently both Iberia and Air France have been slashing $400 to $500 off that rate; we suggest you shop around before booking). Book it on the spot! Once you get to the Cape, simply walk up bistro-lined Long Street in downtown Cape Town, where an assortment of travel agents book cut-rate African extravaganzas. In recent years, the South African rand has plunged in value-about nine to the dollar in early 2003, down from four to the dollar in 1996-making for sensational buys. Add that value to deep, last-minute discounts and you've got the makings for a trip of a lifetime, budget-style. You'll be shopping for a last-minute "overland" trip. An overlander is a glorified expedition led by at least two well-trained guides who drive heavy-duty trucks designed for some of Africa's toughest terrain. They're fitted with comfortable seats, giant zip-down game-viewing windows, a mini-kitchen, and entire stables of engine horsepower. At night, you park beneath the Southern Cross and roll out a tent. A few companies augment tent lodging with some simple accommodation, but all attract travelers from youth to middle age who don't mind getting a little grubby on the road to adventure. Before North and Central Africa destabilized, Africa's grandest excursion was the "Cape to Cairo" odyssey. But today's most popular (and most prudent) adventure highway runs from Cape Town to the majestic Victoria Falls in Zambia. About eight companies, most too small to market through American travel agents, depart from Cape Town on three-week overland trips, including all meals and encompassing a "What's What" of southern Africa. Most combine South Africa (florid Namaqualand, Orange River rafting); Namibia (sunup on the red dunes of Sossusvlei, game drives at Etosha National Park); Botswana (dugout canoeing on the Okavango Delta); and culminate in Zambia (in the thundering mists of the legendary Victoria Falls, the world's largest curtain of falling water). At the Victoria Falls finish line, you can fly home or grab another three-week overlander to Nairobi. For a small fee (about $50), most companies will run you all the way back to Cape Town. The full circuit loops 3,700 miles through some of Africa's wildest terrain. Safari, so good That huge, four-country itinerary--not affordable, practical, or safe if tried independently--will cost you just $350 to $600 for three-daily-meals-inclusive weeks. To get that price, head to Cape Town and pay a discounted rate for a space that would otherwise go empty. With so much competition for these trips, there are almost always unsold seats, sometimes hours before departure time. That's especially true from September to November, when temperatures are still tolerable and animals easily spotted. During those months, it's unusual to have to wait more than four days for a trip, and that time can be spent exploring exquisite Cape Town itself. I recently strolled up Long Street when availability included trips (ranging 19 to 21 days) on Umkulu Adventure Tours for $339, Nomad for $347, African Routes for $418, Worldwide for $509, and Which Way for $612. The routes were comparable; the only extra expenses (included in some of the higher-priced tours) were optional activities such as white-water rafting or scenic flights--usually $10 to $50 each. Other trips, such as six-week odysseys all the way to Nairobi (about $1,000 including food) or ending in Namibia ($175 for seven days or $200 for ten days), were available in shorter supply. Prices fluctuate according to demand, but they're often this low. Compare those figures to what you'd usually pay for the same tour from home. If you buy in U.S. dollars through their Web sites, African Routes (africanroutes.co.za) peaks at $1195, as opposed to Long Street's $418, and Nomad (nomadtours.co.za) is $975, as opposed to $350. Which Way is marked from $612 to about $975 from African Safari Consultants of California (866/733-4263; classicsafaris.com). Worldwide's "Southern Sun" ($572 on Long Street) is hiked to $840 if you buy it from its British agent (worldwideadventure.net). Dragoman (011-44/1728-861-133, dragoman.com) sells its "Great Southern Safari" Cape-to-Vic Falls trip for $1003. And Drifters (011-27/11-888-1160, drifters.com) sells one for $2170. Its camps are nicer but hardly worth another thousand dollars. And you'd still have to pay for airfare. After gathering opinions from some just-returned travelers, I paid a paltry $350 for 21 days with Nomad, a homegrown company that (unlike the British operators) keeps profits in South Africa, where they can do some good. I spied on bathing elephants, sledded down sand dunes, narrowly avoided an angry hippo in Botswana--for less than $17 a day, food included! Even adding airfare from America, costs were only about $58 per day for three-and-a-half weeks of African exploits. A month in the African bush for $1,500! Follow my advice and it can be done. Long Street, in central Cape Town, has its own Web site (longstreet.co.za) and hosts several of the city's more hurly-burly hostels. Of its travel shops selling last-minute spots on overland trips, One World Travellers Space (309 Long St., 011-27/21-424-0777) has proved to be especially reliable. Other good sources include Adventure Village (229 Long St., 011-27/21-424-1580, adventure-village.co.za) and Detour Travel Shop (234 Long St., 011-27/21-424-1155, detourafrica.co.za). Most local hostels also sell the trips.

Three major US airlines are teetering on the brink of annihilation and airfares are at a 20 year low. The biggest cruiselines recently imposed a "no discounting" rule on cruise agencies, but despite all predictions shipboard vacation prices are not soaring (yet). The Euro has become the Arnold Schwartzenegger of currencies, with the dollar a 90-pound weakling...and Americans are crossing the pond in record numbers (2004 was the second biggest year for European tourism, after 2000). It's been an odd year for travel, to put it mildly. But despite the upheaval in the airline industry (with its attendant holiday meltdowns), the weak dollar, rising fuel costs, and virus-plagued cruise ships vast numbers of Americans have caught the travel bug and are setting off to see the world in ever increasing numbers. The question is: are they doing it smartly? Are they getting the most for their money? Today, we'll have a broad-ranging discussion on planning vacations (and doing it well!). From using the Internet effectively, to hot destinations, to insurance and safety issues...Let's talk travel! I'm also happy to answer any questions you might have on traveling to Paris or New York, two cities I've written on extensively. Pauline answered your questions Tuesday, January 11, at 12pm EST. Pauline Frommer is Executive Editor of Budget Travel Online and like many of our editors, grew up on the road. She started traveling at the age of four months, dashing about Europe with her guidebook-writing parents. Pauline is the former Editor in Chief of Frommers.com and was at its helm when it won the coveted "People's Voice" Webby award. She is the co-author with her father Arthur Frommer of the book "The New World of Travel" and a recipient of a Lowell Thomas Award from the Society of American Travel Writers for her magazine articles. Married to photographer/actor Mahlon Stewart, she is the proud mother of five-year-old Veronica and one-a-half-year-old Beatrix, both terrific travelers. _______________________ Pauline Frommer: Good afternoon to all! I've oiled my keyboard, am strapping on the old thinking cap and am going to try and answer as many questions as I can in the next hour.Post again there and either I or one of our staff or best yet, one of our brilliant and well-traveled readers, will help you out. Okay, bring on the grilling! _______________________ Houston, TX: My 14-year-old daughter and I plan to visit the Czech Republic this June. She wants to buy a good Czech violin while we are there. I know that many luthiers work in and around Luby, but since I cannot figure out how to get to Luby or where to stay once there, I wonder if going to the source is advisable. What would you recommend for a 10-day sightseeing/violin buying/cultural experience vacation to the Czech Republic? Pauline Frommer: There are actually two main violin companies in the Czech Republic: Amati which is located in Karslice and Strunal which is in Luby (Amati is slightly larger). Both towns are very close to the famous spa town of Karlovy Vary, which in turn is a two-hour train ride from Prague. If you're determined to buy a violin on this trip (and you can certainly get one made to your specifications there for less than you could here), you could overnight in Karlovy Vary and either hire a driver or take a taxi from there to one of these two towns. There also will be public buses between these towns and Karlovy Vary, though translating the schedule could be a bit tricky. Still, this is doable, and Karlovy Vary is an interesting place to visit in its own right (be sure to take the waters). If you want some help in setting up this itinerary you may want to contact the very knowledgeable Czech expats who run Summit International Travel (http://www.summittravel.com/). They have terrific and inexpensive air/hotel packages to Prague (which you could use for airfares and hotels in the capital) and also can arrange custom itineraries. You're going to love the Czech Republic--a fascinating, beautiful country, which is especially friendly to music lovers (there are classical concerts in Prague nearly every night of the week). _______________________ Pittsburgh, PA: Was Australia affected by the tsunami? Pauline Frommer: No, not to my knowledge. _______________________ Philadelphia, PA: Vegas or Orlando: which is will be the least expensive to travel to this year? I like to find best bargains. Pauline Frommer: Vegas and Orlando are the number one and number two most popular US destinations for both domestic and international visitors. They both have an outrageously large number of hotel rooms, and--except during huge conventions (Vegas) or at the peak of school holiday periods (Orlando)-- a good number of those rooms are going to be empty at any one time, and discounting to attract guests. In Orlando, it's possible to stay at any number of faceless, but clean and comfortable motels along International Drive, for as little as $19 a night; you'll find the same kind of pricing in Vegas at Terribles Casino and periodically at the Westward Ho and Stratosphere hotels (on my last visit, I stayed at Harrah's--right on the strip and next to the chi chi Venetian--for just $39/night). Both destinations are also tops for "packages". Currently, e-LeisureLink.com is selling five-nights' hotel in Orlando, with airfare from a few East Coast cities and rental car for just $353. Southwest Airlines vacations currently has a deal that will lower the cost of a two night hotel stay in Vegas--with airfare from California--to just $79/person. Many other gateways are available on both deals and are similarly discounted. This is a long way of saying that, if you do it right, you can have a budget vacation at either place. Vegas may be slightly cheaper because the cost of theme park admissions keeps going up and up and up in Orlando (just last week Sea World raised it's rates to $59.75/person; last month it was Universal; and the month before that Disney "restructured" its rates.) It's very difficult to get a discount on DisneyWorld, though the "lesser" theme parks do often farm out admissions coupons to the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau (look for their "Magic Card") which can cut costs substantially. But heck, if you gamble in Vegas, there go any savings you might have gotten on the hotel or airfare (since the house always wins in the end. Yes, they do. Don't fool yourself about that.) _______________________ Conyers, GA: As a single person, what are some important things to consider when planning an inexpensive vacation? Pauline Frommer: Though packages can often save couples money, the dreaded "singles supplement" usually wipes out any savings for the solo traveler. So be sure to check, before booking anything, how the costs stack up if you buy the elements of the vacation (hotel, air, rental car, etc.) separately. Singles always get stung with extra costs on cruises and tours, so consider whether you'd be able to still enjoy your vacation if you shared your room with another traveler. Often the company you're booking from will arrange a share, and guarantee you the lower double occupancy price if they can't find anyone for you. If you're unlucky and they do find someone for a share you could be stuck with the roommate from hell. It's a risk. You may want to take a look at our online chapter on Travel for singles which lists a number of companies which arrange vacations just for singles; we also list vacations where you'll feel less stigmatized if you are alone. You'll find the chapter at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3223204/. _______________________ Yorktown Heights, NY: How easy will it be for a 13-year-old to hike to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite? Pauline Frommer: Half Dome is a tough trek for grown-ups but if your child is in reasonably good shape (and you may both want to get on a work-out program to prepare) I would say it was doable. From Happy Isle it's about 17 miles round-trip, so you'll have to leave at dawn to make it back by nightfall. You may want to consider camping in Little Yosemite Valley so you can take your time (you'll need a wilderness pass). Bring gloves, as your hands can get pretty chafed on the cables. _______________________ Kansas City, MO: Is it reasonably possible to save $5000 American dollars and live and travel around Brazil for one year? Pauline Frommer: That's an interesting one. If you stay out of the major cities (Rio and Sao Paulo are both pretty pricey compared to the rest of the country), I think you could just make it, though be sure to factor in the cost of airfare (you'll pay less in the summer months) and the fact that you'll have to pay $100 just to get into the country. You may also need a specialized visa for a stay that long so contact the Brazilian consulate before you start saving in earnest. My family and I were in Brazil this summer and found it to be very affordable. I delicious meal of freshly caught skewers of shrimp bought from a vendor on Ipanema Beach was about $2. We stayed at a wonderful resort in the colonial city of Paraty for just $30/night and rented a boat with driver for the day to take us around to see the islands in the bay for just $40 (for all four of us). So yes, Brazil can be done inexpensively. And it's definitely worth the visit, a fascinating place of great extremes (both economic and in terms of physical appearance) with among the sweetest, most welcoming people we've ever met. _______________________ Huntington Beach, CA: Hi Pauline, I'm visiting Madrid and Paris this summer from July 5th-August 15th. The airfare to fly into either one is around $1,100. Why is it so expensive and would it be better to buy later? Thanks. Pauline Frommer: Though domestic fares have fallen from many gateways, international fares remain pretty hefty. Add to that the fact that you're traveling in high season. You could possibly shave some off the cost if you fly into and out of the same gateway (I would guess that Paris would be the cheaper of the two) and book low-cost hops between the two on one of the "upstart airlines" that's making flying within Europe relatively inexpensive (EasyJet, Ryannair, GermanWings are just a few of these carriers; you may want to do a search on Mobissimo.com to get the lay of the land). As for whether to book now or later: you won't lose anything by waiting a few months and you could catch a sale that way. I'd wait until at least mid-March to book. It's highly doubtful that rates will go up from where they are, and you could possibly catch a sale. Another suggestion: try a discounter such as 800/FLY-EUROPE or go to aggregator CheapFlights.com. They may have access to non-published fares that could cut your costs significantly. _______________________ Cherry Hill, NJ: I am a senior citizen interested in a campus vacation that is inexpensive. If inexpensive courses or waivered courses are offered, I'm interested. Please do not recommend Elderhostel. Work-study is usually low cost. Is there a list of US universities offering summer adult housing and work-study? Thank you. Pauline Frommer: I know of no university that has work-study programs for non-accredited students. However, many Universities across the country allow seniors to audit their classes for free. You won't get free housing, but you will get free classes and in the summer, there may very well be inexpensive dorm lodgings available. These types of auditing programs are available in all 50 States. Sorry you don't want me to recommend Elderhostel. I think they're a terrific and highly affordable organization. _______________________ Grand Rapids, MI: I would like to know where I can find the best airfare from Grand Rapids to Lihue, Kauai. I keep finding airfare for $800 and above. We are leaving on June 24 and returning on July 2. HELP! Pauline Frommer: You may be out of luck. I'd say try an aggregator site such as Sidestep.com, kayak.com or mobissimo.com. They allow you to scour the web pretty rapidly. Or you may want to try and book a "two-legged" trip for yourself. Price how much it would cost to go to Los Angeles or San Francisco and then see what kinds of prices you can get from there. Both gateways often have terrific deals to the islands from such companies as SunTrips, Aloha Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines among others. A word of warning though: the latter two are in bankruptcy, so don't book them without travel insurance. For our other readers a note: Southwest Airlines will soon be code-sharing to Hawaii. So if you live in a Southwest gateway (which Grand Rapids is not), you may soon be able to get lower rates to the islands through SW. _______________________ Arleta, CA: I like to visit Niagara Falls in Canada, when is the best time and cheapest time to travel? Pauline Frommer: Winter. High season is during the summer months. _______________________ Providence, RI: Hi Pauline: I received an email a couple of weeks ago from my cousin who indicated she and her fiancé have decided to get married on the 3rd weekend in May in Greece, Santorini Island actually, and have invited a bunch of family and friends. I would love to go but also would like to make it a long vacation and do some other traveling. I want to spend about 4 or 5 weeks abroad and would love to know the most cost efficient way of doing this, all the while visiting the hot spots. You see, I'm also being "downsized" (a polite way of saying my job is going away because of a corporate merger) in May and will have plenty of time on my hands as well as a small severance package that will allow me to not worry about money while traveling, at least in the short term. Although that may change given how poorly the dollar is doing against the Euro. Anyway I did travel to Toscana this past May and found Italy wonderful. What I would love to do is travel in and around the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean Seas. I am budgeting about $5,000 US dollars. Any suggestions? P.S. I'm also turning 40 in June and want to make this a memorable trip. Pauline Frommer: What a great birthday present for yourself! Here are some suggestions on how to stretch your money (which you're going to have to do with the Euro as strong as it is currently): Get a good guidebook, plan an itinerary and book in advance at the highly recommended small guesthouses. You'll be getting into high season and the really popular cheap places will book up well in advance. You could also mix hostels in; some are pretty nice and have single rooms that can be less expensive than equivalent rooms in hotels. I don't know why, but I'm assuming you're a woman (please excuse me if you aren't). A wonderful way to save money and "personalize" your travels is to join a club called "Women Welcome Women". This is an organization of women all over the world (and many in Europe) who enjoy extending hospitality to travelers. Sometimes they'll give you a spare room for the night, other times, they'll just give you dinner and perhaps, a tour. But it's a great way to meet interesting people in the countries you'll be visiting. If you're male, you should look into "The World for Free" (a similar club). Turkey is wonderful, near Greece, and much less expensive than Europe. Consider it as part of your itinerary. You won't regret it. For meals: have your big meal of the day at lunch. This way you can try really great restaurants without spending too much. Then picnic at dinner time, picking up supplies at a local market: some cheese, a great sausage, a bottle of beer. You'll pay less on international airfare if you can fly into and out of the same gateway at the end of your trip. So plan a circular itinerary if you can (unless you find great deals on air hops, which is a distinct possibility. It's amazing how cheap some intra-European flights have been recently). You may want to look at Troy Tours which has had some inexpensive (and extendable) air-hotel packages for Athens and Istanbul. That's all I can think of right now. Have a wonderful trip! I envy you. St. Louis, MO: Are there any cheap ethnic dining establishments you would currently recommend in NYC? Also, could you recommend some good day spas for a massage? I'm planning a solo long weekend in NYC next month as a mid-winter break. Pauline Frommer: For a day spa, try Bliss, the Stone Spa or Oasis Spa. As for restaurants: yikes, the city is crawling with great ethnic eats. Here are just a few of my faves: Chinese: Great New York Noodletown (on the corner of Bowery and Bayard in Chinatown) is a must. Amazing sautéed pea shoots, fab salt baked seafood, really good duck and as you might expect, really good noodles. Chinese, dim sum: Try Jing Fong (on Elizabeth between Bowery and Canal) a Dim Sum Palace with a huge variety of tasty options. Be sure to stop by the buffet area along with picking from the carts. African/French: Les Enfants Terribles (37 Canal Street at Ludlow) is a really hip, fun scene, with terrific food and music. Greek: It's worth trekking out to Queens to visit Elia's Corner (24-02 31st Street, in Astoria) for fresh and well-seasoned seafood (the octopus is incredibly tender). This is a particularly nice place in summer as it boasts a large outdoor patio. Japanese: Shabu Tatsu (216 E. 10th) and its sister establishment Shabu Shabu (314 E. 70th) are where I bring out of town visitors for the experience&and food. Basically, you cook your own grub here, it's a lot of fun and the food is delish. Roumanian: Sammy's Roumanian (157 Christie Street, near Delancey) is like a bar mitzvah on steroids. A cheery keyboardist pounds out tunes from Fiddler on the Roof while you consume large quantities of chicken liver (mixed at your table with generous sloshes of schmaltz (i.e. chicken fat) and bottles of Absolut encased in ice. It's not an inexpensive evening, but its one you won't forget. Ethiopian: Meskerem (468 West 47th) is convenient to the Theater District and serves up massive portions of very tasty, very cheap food which you eat with your hands (you scoop it up with the spongy bread they provide). Caribbean/Southern: A strange combo, but Maroons (244 West 16th) does both exceedingly well. The best collard greens I've ever tasted and a great atmosphere. German: Hallo Berlin (626 10th Ave and 402 W. 51st). Lots of beer, great sausages&what could be better? Also, nice and cheap. Middle Eastern: Moustache (90 Bedford Street) offers up inexpensive but tremendously fresh foods. The spreads are particularly good. _______________________ Pontiac, MI: Pauline, my companion and I are planning a trip to Iceland the last week in March 2005. How can we do this inexpensively and hassle free? We plan to stay just three nights. Keep in mind that we have never been to Europe. What major places should we see? What should we not leave Iceland without? Thanks for your help! Pauline Frommer: My colleague Senior Editor Adrien Glover has just recently been in Iceland, so I asked her to respond to this one. Here's her reply: Iceland will be pleasant, easy, and naturally exhilarating introduction to Europe, but it's not cheap, so you'll have to plan carefully. For your first trip, I'd recommend looking into Icelandair Holidays (icelandairholidays.com/)--it offers relatively affordable air-hotel packages. Icelandair flies from Boston, New York, Baltimore, Orlando, and Minneapolis. Of its two big hotels in Reykjavik (icehotels.is/), the new Nordica is stylish but I'm actually a fan of the retro (and charmingly worn) Loftleidir Hotel, the only hotel in the city with its own mineral swimming pool. If you book your airfare and hotel separately, then look into staying at the Hotel Fron or a "guesthouse" ($100/ni.). Spend your first day soaking up Reykjavik (it's not big, and therefore easy to do), spend your second day on the Golden Circle Tour (it takes you to geysers, stunning waterfalls, lave fields) or to the Snæfellsness Peninsula (where you can watch whales and see glaciers). Be sure to return in time for a late-afternoon visit to one of the city's many public mineral pools. This is a must, and a quintessential Icelandic experience. You can easily arrange on the day of your departure to stop at Iceland's famous Blue Lagoon ($50), milky azure geothermic hot springs (bluelagoon.is/) en route to the airport. This too is a must for any first-timer to Iceland, and a terrific way to end your trip. While there, you might want check out the nightlife Reykjavik's famous for. For dancing, go to NASA and for music, talk to you your concierge about the latest spots for listening. One of my favorite restaurants is Perlan, which rotates on top of a geyser. It serves incredible gourmet food, featuring lamb, arctic char and other items Iceland is known for. (A dinner here will be a splurge.) Other eats include Iceland's famous lamb hot dogs (they cost just $2 and are sold everywhere--in the Keflavik Airport, at a stall near the port in old Reykjavik, etc.). "Black Death" or Brennevin (caraway schnapps) is THE drink of choice. Locals even mix it with Coke. Iceland is a strange beautiful place. Enjoy your trip! _______________________ Houston, TX: Hello, I'm planning a 6-day trip to London for March ('05). My cousin and I would also like to visit Paris for a day or two (inclusive) via train. We don't want to carry our luggage with us the entire time, do you have any suggestions, other than renting one room in London and one in Paris for the same dates? Pauline Frommer: There will be lockers at the train station (guarded) where you should be able to leave your luggage when you go to Paris. You can consult any good travel guide for costs and information on where in the station these will be located. _______________________ New York, NY: Can you recommend a good option for suites in Las Vegas? It seems the Strip hotels have really high rates. Any suggestions? Pauline Frommer: What you pay in Vegas will always depend on when you go. If you can be flexible with your dates, you can often get suites for very little money. You may want to go to the website of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau to see the listings of conventions. This will give you a good idea of which dates to avoid. You'll also pay a lot less for rooms midweek than you will on the weekend. Finally, you may want to consider looking off strip, though I personally prefer the excitement of the Strip to having a really large room. I've found that very few of the rooms in Vegas are that great to begin with (the exception would probably be the plush rooms at the Venetian and Bellagio). But in general, the rooms in Vegas are poorly lit (purposefully) so that you won't want to stay long in your room and will get back to the casino sooner! One final suggestion: try a room consolidator like Hotels.com or LasVegas.com. They may have deals that aren't available to the general public. _______________________ Anonymous: Why are fares from Denver, which is 700 miles away, to Las Vegas so high? We can't get a RT ticket below $215 bucks...yet my friends in Indianapolis, much farther away, can go for $150 round trip? What's the deal? Pauline Frommer: Competition. Those gateways that have the most airlines vying for your travel dollar get the best fares. _______________________ Pinon Hills, CA: I'm renewing my wedding vows in Las Vegas in February. It's my 20th anniversary. Can you suggest a nice place to have dinner afterwards? OR maybe a great show. Thanks. Pauline Frommer: Congratulations! If you're looking for a great, old-fashioned Vegas show, I'd recommend Clint Holmes. He's a really terrific performer (and would probably announce from the stage that you're renewing your vows. Just alert the manager in advance). As for a restaurant, it really all depends on how much you want to spend. The town is bristling with great restaurants. Orlando, FL: Pauline, Good afternoon and thanks for a great magazine. My question to you is about how to find opportunities/jobs similar to what you do be it as a researcher or something in the travel field. I am very good at researching destinations, love to travel and learn about other cultures and countries and would like to get some direction on finding an opportunity. Thanks for your help in advance. Pauline Frommer: There are no such jobs. You have to be a writer to work as a travel writer. No travel writer worth her salt would send someone out to research destinations for her; there would be no way she could write them up from someone else's notes. Sorry! _______________________ Columbia, CA: We are going to be in Vegas January 16-18 for a conference. We'd like to extend our stay, but need help on how to find those budget deals for shows and places to stay that combine fun with frugality. Should we wait we're there for the best deals or book through a search engine ahead of time? Thanks! Pauline Frommer: Wait until you're there. For shows, there's a half-price ticket booth on the Strip which is a real money saver, and, depending on the time of year, sometimes even gets the Cirque du Soleil shows (which are extremely pricey). And if you have a few moments to wander around to a couple of hotels during your convention you should be able to find an inexpensive room for yourself. Don't be afraid to bargain! There are always vacancies and managers are dying to unload rooms. Say to them "Well, I just got an offer of $40/night at (fill in the blank) hotel. Can you beat that?" You'll be surprised at how often this will work. Just be brave! _______________________ Boston, MA: Hi Pauline, I am trying to plan a group vacation in April for about 10 late-twentysomethings, mostly couples. We want to spend about 5 to 7 days wherever we go, with a combination of nightlife and outdoor activities, and keep the per person cost to around $700 for air/hotel. Some of our ideas were: Iceland, South Beach & Orlando combo, Cozumel, or a Napa-Tahoe-Yosemite trifecta. Any other cheap alternatives? Thank you! Pauline Frommer: My colleague Adrien Glover volunteered to take this one: Of all the destinations on your short list, I'd go with Mexico. I'd recommend renting a house on the Yucatan Peninsula (Cozumel or elsewhere) for your group vacation. This area offers something for everyone (beach for those who want to veg, cave diving, jungle treks, etc. for those who are more active, Mayan ruins for culturally oriented vacationers, good shopping opps, etc.) and is easy to get around. Many properties also come with cooks and a staff. (It isn't much more to have a cook and it's is a terrific way to help alleviate pressure around meal time, plus you can sample many local dishes without leaving your compound.) You and your friends should have no trouble finding a property big enough to accommodate you all for less than $700/couple, and there are quite a few websites dedicated to regional rentals in Mexico. NOTE: You'll need to rent a car(s) or minivan. When you do be sure to rent with an established international agency; the local outfits can be difficult to deal with should something go wrong. I'm just not sure you could actually do the other locations on the budget you have planned (especially Iceland). _______________________ East Lansing, MI: When is the best time to travel to Mexico and is San Miquel de Allende a good destination? Pauline Frommer: San Miguel de Allende is a wonderful destination (good for you for choosing a historic sight over a bland beach resort!). As for when you should go, don't go in May because everything shuts down then (that's when the Mexicans take their own vacations). Early fall is lovely, spring is great too, the winter can be chilly, and with summer comes the rainy season. _______________________ San Diego, CA: What is your favorite "can't miss" sight in the Miami/Florida Keys areas? Pauline Frommer: Vizcaya in Miami is absolutely wonderful. A historic home, eclectic and beautiful in its design. I'd highly recommend it. Also in Miami, you're going to want to spend at least an afternoon in the art deco district wandering among the pastel hotels and chi chi restaurants. It's a real scene and not to be missed. _______________________ Orlando, FL: Hi Pauline; Not only do we have the same name but we are bargain travel shoppers. My question is I am looking to go on a cruise and wanted to know if you recommend me doing a last-minute booking to see if I can gain some great last-minute deals, or if I should play it safe and book early with the cruise line that I have traveled before to benefit from my saving offers for past cruisers? Pauline Frommer: There's been a real shake up in the cruise industry of late. The cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity in particular) are trying to do in the discounters by not allowing them to rebate back to the consumer any of their commission; and by not allowing them to buy cabins in bulk and at a group rate and then pass back that discount to consumers. You combine these consumer-unfriendly tactics with the fact that cruising is booming and the result is: very few last-minute discounts. Last year, I would have advised you to wait. This year, my advice is to go to a "reverse auction" site such as CruiseCompete.com and see what kinds of discounts you can get in real time. You may also want to check in with such discounters as Cruisestar.com, cruisevalue.com, cruisebrothers.com, cruisesonly.com, etc. Finally, "Repositioning Cruises" where the cruiseline moves a ship from its winter to its summer port, continue to be good values. If you speak with any of the above companies, you may want to see if they have any good deals on these types of cruises. _______________________ Phoenix, AZ: I am planning a trip to Italy (Rome) in October...should I get my tickets immediately or should I wait and see what happen with fares?? Pauline Frommer: Wait!!! You'll pay through the nose if you book now, since they'll know they've got you. Start looking about three months before you're planning to leave. That way, if there are any sales, you'll be able to catch them. 1-800-FLY-EUROPE has had some really good prices of late to Italy. If you don't have a hotel picked out, you may want to look into an air/hotel package. This will often save you big bucks on both components. Some companies to look at for Rome: Tour Crafters Gate 1 Travel Go-Today.com VirginVacations.com _______________________ Milo, ME: Is there a best time of year to travel to southwestern areas for a scenic tour type vacation? Coming from Maine, we do mind extreme hot weather... anything less than 80 is fine. Pauline Frommer: Well, the Southwest is a pretty big area. If you're visiting the mountainous areas of the Southwest (in New Mexico, for example) the temperature should be pretty temperate, even in August. But if you're thinking of visiting Phoenix, say, you'll be pretty miserable in June, July or August. I'd suggest you visit weather.com/ so you can key in exactly where you'll be going and get a forecast. _______________________ Reston, VA: I once took a trip with Green Tortoise, an adventure travel company that provides you a bus to live on while traveling across the US. I loved it, as it was affordable and allowed me to cover a lot of ground. Are there any other travel companies that are similar that you would recommend? Thanks. Pauline Frommer: Green Tortoise is really one of a kind! I don't know of any other companies where you sleep on the bus. However, there are companies that do "cooperative camping". What that means is they set up tents for the customers and everyone bunks down together at night. _______________________ Raleigh, NC: I was thinking about going to Iceland specifically Reykjavik for Spring Break (March), is that a good time to make the trip? Pauline Frommer: Yes, that's a real party time to go. Iceland is increasingly popular as a destination among American college students thanks to the advanced dance club scene in Reykjavik. You may want to take a gander at our earlier response on Iceland for more details. _______________________ Houston, TX: I want to travel to the Dominican Republic this summer. Where should I go? I would like to stay at an all-inclusive resort. Pauline Frommer: What a question! There are dozens of terrific all-inclusives in the D.R. It's their stock in trade. In November, I was at the Sunscape Casa del Mar in Bayahibe, a nice, affordable place with a mostly European clientele that I enjoyed a lot, but there are tons of other places to go. My suggestion would be to visit DebbiesDominicanTravel.com. It hosts the most extensive message boards I know of on Dominican Resorts and you'll get hundreds of opinions there (not just mine) on resorts in La Romana, Punta Cana and Puerto Plata. One quick note about Punta Cana: there's been an outbreak of malaria there, so visitors going to that region will have to take malaria pills. The D.R. is a huge island so not to worry: none of the other resort areas are affected. _______________________ St. Louis, MO: I am going on a cruise very soon. Any hints to get an upgrade in cabin or any other amenities the day of the cruise. Pauline Frommer: It's unlikely you'll get an upgrade. Cruising is having its best year ever, and many ships are going out at near capacity. My two tips for you are: If you see something you like in one of the onboard shops, wait until the last day of the cruise to buy it as the shop will probably throw a sale. Don't buy shore excursions! You can put them together for yourself on the dock, much less expensively. If that makes you nervous, visit the cruise lines website in advance of the sailing. A number of lines are now posting their excursions, with full descriptions, online for purchase. You can see what's offered and then contact a local agency in whatever port you're visiting to see if they can put together an identical itinerary for less. Los Angeles, CA: Do you know of any organizations, listserves, blogs, etc. that would be good to join for someone who is interested in getting into the travel writing industry? Pauline Frommer: The American Society of Travel Writers would be your best bet. _______________________ Lancaster, PA: We want to take a cruise and this will be our first cruise. We always hear Alaska cruise are really nice. What are the better lines; least complaints, most bang for the buck, best places to go that aren't too touristy. Any suggestions would be appreciated Pauline Frommer: It's hard to say which are better, but the cruiselines do have very different personalities. Carnival, for example, tends to have the cheapest cruises, but many find the atmosphere on-board to be a bit too frenetic (it's kind of like being in Vegas for a week--some people like all the neon, some don't). Holland America is an elegant line, but it tends to attract a much older crowd (though they're trying to change that with new kids clubs onboard). Really your best bet would be to talk with a knowledgeable cruise agent. Go over your tastes and budget. Most Alaskan cruises follow very similar itineraries, so what you really need to figure out is: which ship can you afford, and which would best suit your taste. _______________________ Grapevine, TX: Do all travel agencies charge the same rate on all cruises? Is there any benefit in shopping around with different travel agents? Thank you Pauline Frommer: No, there are certain larger agencies that will rebate part of their commission, or may get a better price for the clients either by buying in bulk or as a reward from the cruiseline for selling a lot of cabins. It's always a good idea to shop around. You may also want to try the reverse auction site CruiseCompete.com (which will allow you to see what a couple of agencies are offering very quickly). The important thing is to go to an agency that specializes in cruises: look from one with the word "Ahoy" or "Cruise" or "Sailing" in their name. General agencies sometimes don't get as good deals as specialists, though, as I wrote earlier, a lot of the deals are drying up in the cruise industry. _______________________ Audubon, PA: We are planning a vacation for our family to London over spring break. Our daughters are 15 and 14. I have looked at Travelocity, Orbitz, cheapflights, etc.. for air fare and accommodations. Any other suggestions? Pauline Frommer: What a wonderful idea! You're children will love London. You'll get a much better deal on a package if you go with a specialist. Try: France Vacations (francevacations.net/ and yes, it also does London) Go-Today.com Off-PeakTraveler.com Gate1 Travel _______________________ Pauline Frommer: Thanks to everyone for the terrific questions! So sorry I didn't get to them all. Happy Trails to all! Pauline Frommer

You'd never suspect it from the awesome abundance of grand antebellum mansions, but beguiling, history-rich Natchez, perched atop one of the Mississippi River's highest bluffs, is a veritable budget-travel haven, packed with cheapies and freebies. It's an unfortunate fact that Mississippi consistently ranks as one of the poorest states in the Union, but this also translates into major bargains in meals, lodging, and entertainment. Clean single rooms for $20 in spanking-new motels with pool and other first-rate amenities? Atmospheric doubles for $85 in historic B&Bs? Three-course dinners and a drink for $6? Once one of America's wealthiest towns, this tourist treasure trove is now one of the cheapest. Named for a local Indian tribe, Natchez (pop. 20,000) was founded in 1716, the oldest permanent settlement in the lower Mississippi River Valley. It took this crude village about a century to polish itself into the rich, gracious consort of King Cotton. Most people are surprised to learn that this bastion of everything Southern voted against secession. So did neighboring Vicksburg, but the similarities ended there. When the Union armies arrived, Natchez gave balls and soirees while rebellious and more strategically located Vicksburg was bombarded and besieged into submission. Southerners remain divided over the question of whether Natchez was traitorous or shrewd, but the legacy is indisputable. Thanks to flirting instead of fighting, she boasts over 500 antebellum structures. Isolation as well as poverty molded and shaped the Bluff City. When King Cotton was dethroned, the world simply stopped calling. The local aristocracy was, as the old saying goes, "too poor to paint and too proud to whitewash," and nothing was touched as this bruised Southern magnolia slipped into a genteel time bubble. The town might have dozed into oblivion if some enterprising garden-club ladies hadn't unearthed something unique to jazz up their Depression economy: history. In 1932 they prepared to publicly show their gardens, but bad weather forced them to open their homes instead. The "Natchez Pilgrimage" was therefore born by default and gave tourists a tantalizing glimpse of the Old South - for the price of a ticket, of course. Today there are spring and fall Pilgrimages, and 620,000 visitors make an annual deposit of $110 million into local coffers. Grand manses and ancient Indians Most of the 15 "town houses" and "villas" open to the public would be considered grand mansions elsewhere. Very few were actually plantations, but there are plenty evoking the romance of Gone with the Wind - and all of them, needless to say, are the fruits of slavery, built with the riches from horrible human toil. Each "charms" in its own way, but the budget-conscious visitor needs guidance, as all tours cost $6. For the most antebellum bang for your buck, try Monmouth (1818), Rosalie (1820), Dunleith (1856), and grandiose Stanton Hall (1857), occupying an entire city block. A special favorite is Longwood (1860), an enormous, unfinished octagonal folly that boggles the mind with its sheer ambition. For those who prefer the eighteenth century, there's the House on Ellicott's Hill (1798) and the Governor Holmes House (1794), one of a cluster of colonial gems in the downtown Spanish Quarter. Buy tickets at the house of your choice or through Natchez Pilgrimage Tours (Canal and State sts.; 601/446-6631 or 800/647-6742). Ticket minimums apply during Pilgrimage, when all touring must be arranged through Natchez Pilgrimage Tours. All tours last about half an hour. For a look at plantation life, visit Melrose (1 Melrose-Montebello Pkwy.; 601/442-7047), part of the Natchez National Historical Park. Built in the 1840s, it includes numerous outbuildings, cisterns, a slavery exhibit, formal gardens, and, of course, the Big House, where the TV miniseries North & South was filmed. Admission is $6. Older still is the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians (400 Jefferson Davis Blvd.; 601/446-6502), whose highly sophisticated civilization peaked in the 1500s. Their chief was called the Great Sun and, like the Aztecs, they wore gaudy plumage, had a caste system, and occasionally practiced human sacrifice. In 1729, they avenged severe mistreatment from the French by killing some 250 settlers at Fort Rosalie, the site of modern Natchez. The French retaliated by eradicating the tribe. Today the village's ceremonial mounds have been restored and a typical dwelling and granary recreated. A visitor center, museum, and nature trail are all free. Blues, floozies, & Miss Scarlett A good place to get oriented is the new Visitor's Reception Center at the intersection of Highway 84 and Canal Street (800/647-6724, 601/446-6345). Although jarringly sterile in a town glorying in historic architecture, it offers interactive exhibits, historic displays, plenty of brochures, a gift shop, a bookstore, and a knowledgeable staff. The fine 20-minute documentary - the type that's free in most visitor centers - is $2. A compact grid roughly seven by eight blocks, downtown Natchez is a breeze to explore on foot, with a few gentle rises interrupting an otherwise flat terrain. Start at Bluff Park, an inviting riverside green dotted with historical markers and benches overlooking the Mississippi. Pick up your complimentary copy of On the River, a monthly paper with an excellent walking tour and map centerfold. You'll soon get an architectural history lesson with superb examples of colonial, Greek Revival, Victorian, Second Empire, federal, and more. The tour brings you back to the park where you can rest your feet, maybe enjoy a river breeze, and digest all you've seen. There are carriage rides of the historic district that cover about two-and-a-half miles and take 30-35 minutes. They're fun and informative, but you'll have to consult your budget about the tab: $9 for adults and $4 for children. The carriages line up at the corner of Canal and State streets. Nestled against the bluffs below the city is Natchez-Under-the-Hill. In its early nineteenth-century heyday it was the most notorious spot on the river: three bawdy blocks of saloons, gambling houses, and bordellos. Shifts in the fiercely capricious river have erased all but Silver Street, whose shops, bars, and restaurants barely hint at the sin that was. Gambling has returned aboard the Lady Luck Casino, and the Mississippi, Delta, and American Queens call here on a regular basis. A superb way to get a handle on local lore is the exhibit of 1850s - 1940s photographs in Stratton Chapel Gallery (405 State St.; 601/442-4741). Rescued and restored by Dr. Thomas Gandy, the pictures put a telling face on Natchez lost; the suggested donation is $3. For Natchez's contribution to the world of decorative arts, visit the Historic Natchez Collection Showroom (Canal Street Depot; 601/442-2500), free of charge. Scheduled to open soon is the Natchez Association for the Preservation of Afro-American Culture, at the corner of Main and Wall streets. The "African-American Heritage" brochure (available at the visitor center) is a superb free guide to important black historic sites and events in Natchez. The French Huguenots introduced muscadine wine to the South almost 300 years ago, a tradition that is maintained at the family-owned Old South Winery (65 S. Concord Ave.; 601/445-9924). The vineyards produce 12 table wines that are as fine as the names are fun, including "Miss Scarlett's" light rose, a delicately sweet "Southern Belle" white, and a dry white named (for some reason) "Carlos." Tastings and winery tours are free. In recent years Natchez has made a concerted effort to become more than a repository of historic architecture. The three annual Pilgrimages remain the big shebangs, but there's plenty more worth exploring. The city has a mini-Mardi Gras parade in late winter, and a March powwow at the Grand Village of the Natchez draws Native Americans from all over the region (admission is $1 per person). The Natchez Blues Festival (admission $5 per day) is held in May in Memorial Park and draws bigger entertainers every year. June is the Steamboat Jubilee and Floozie Contest Under-the-Hill which includes a leg of the race between the Mississippi Queen and Delta Queen, and the Natchez Bicycle Classic. Neither charges admission. Natchez's biggest, busiest single weekend is in October with the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race, a colorful spectacle indeed with dozens of hot-air balloons soaring above this antebellum town. The three-day event costs about $5 each day for admission into Rosalie Bicentennial Gardens, where you can enjoy live music, regional food, the balloon "glow" when pilots turn on the gas jets at night, and a fireworks extravaganza over the river. In December, professionals reenact Civil War battles at Jefferson College (601/442-2901), just six miles east in Washington. The college is an official state historical site, with restored buildings dating to 1817 and a fine nature trail along St. Catherine's Creek. Admission is free but donations are accepted. Dixie dinin' & drinkin' Your wallet will love mealtime around here, with $5 lunch buffets and dinners for $7 (including beverage) available all over town (part of the city's "cheapest on earth" condition). And as poor as Mississippi may be in some areas, it's definitely rich in catfish; this state produces more of it than any other - meaning that the lowly, bewhiskered critter is also fresh and cheap. It has been reaching new levels of culinary respectability as adventurous chefs sauce and saute, but most locals prefer it fried. There's also plentiful Southern and New Orleans cooking whether you're hungry for grits, fried chicken, barbecue, gumbo, or fried oyster po-boys. If you're counting calories, Natchez is not your kinda town. A top dining value is Wharf Master's House (57 Silver St., Under-the-Hill; 601/445-6025), where rope railings line an outdoor dining deck with great views of the river, the twin bridges to Louisiana, and, if your timing is right, the sunset. Just $9.95 gives you a choice of fried, grilled, or blackened catfish served with hush puppies, fries, or candied yams and salad or coleslaw. Half a hickory-smoked barbecued chicken served with baked beans and potato salad is $9.95. There's an even better view aboard the Lady Luck Casino, which has all-you-can-eat buffets (lunch $6.95 and dinner Sunday through Wednesday $8.95) on the second deck overlooking both the river and Under-the-Hill. The food is all right - if limited - but you may luck out and get prime rib. The only drawback is gaming noise from the adjacent casino and the incessant telephone paging. Expect to be gently rocked if a big barge swings by. Arguably the best fried chicken is at the Carriage House Restaurant (401 High St.; 601/445-5151), tucked beneath live oaks behind majestic Stanton Hall. For $6.95 you get two pieces plus rice and gravy, veggie, and dessert or salad. The $6.95 daily specials include entree, rice or potatoes, veggie, salad, and beverage. Be careful - it's real easy to fill up on those delectable little buttered biscuits that keep flying to your table. There are fine sandwiches and good breakfasts at The Fare Cafe (109 N. Pearl St.; 601/442-5299), a cozy two-story eatery where Pat and Sissie make sure everything is fresh. Try the "Jimmy Carter" breakfast special: two eggs, choice of meat, cheese grits, and toast for $4.95, and wash it down with a 75[cents] cup of coffee. Cheddar burgers with potato salad or chips are $4.25, and the $4.95 giant lunch salads (chef, chicken, tuna, or taco) are a meal by themselves. If barbecue is your pleasure, hit the trough at the Pig Out Inn (116 S. Canal St.; 601/442-8050), where the motto is "Swine dining at its finest." This onetime auto showroom has walls adorned with nostalgic Dixie memorabilia and a mural listing "What I Love About the South." Dinner plates of chopped pork (or beef) for $7.95 include two side orders of coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, black bean and corn salad, or corn on the cob. The barbecue sandwich with two side orders and a drink is only $6. Find more spice at Fat Mama's Tamales (500 S. Canal St.; 601/442-4548), popular with both drinkers and diners. Who can resist a log cabin offering fire-and-ice pickles, "Knock You Naked" margaritas, and Snickers-bar pie? A guaranteed crowd pleaser is "Gringo" pie, $5 for three tamales topped with chili, cheese, onions, and jalapenos. "Natchez" nachos for $4.50 are filling and fun. There's indoor and patio dining, or you can, as they say, "haul it home." There's heat of a different kind at Biscuits & Blues (315 Main St.; 601/446-9922), which is "dedicated to the preservation of hot biscuits and cool blues." Try a po-boy (a New Orleans-style hero sandwich) with Cajun sausage ($5.95); smoked chicken, roast beef, or grilled catfish ($6.95); or shrimp or oysters ($7.95). You can also get half a smoked, rubbed chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and baked beans for $8.95. Call ahead to see if there are live blues performances on the weekend. Snoozin' Southern-style Natchez has a handful of high-end lodgings with rates grazing the $80 to $90 range, but the hotel competition here is considerable, and the bulk of the local rooms, in an abundance of middle-priced chains and lower-end local motels, are far below that. True, the pastel decor in many of these properties is hopelessly unimaginative, but at these prices, who cares? The upper end of the spectrum is the Natchez Days Inn (109 Hwy. 61 South; 800/524-4892, 601/445-8291) which resembles a Greek Revival plantation home. There's a swimming pool, book/gift shop, and 120 rooms with a plush annex about to open. Singles start at $46, doubles at $51, including a deluxe continental breakfast. The Huddle House restaurant next door is open 24 hours and serves reasonably priced down-home fare (601/445-0405). The brand-new Best Western (45 Sergeant Prentiss Dr.; 601/442-1691) is set well back from highway noise and offers a pool, cable TV with three HBO channels, and rooms with microwaves and refrigerators available upon request. Rooms with double beds start at $50 during the week, $69 on weekends, including continental breakfast (some king-size beds also available at these rates). The Natchez Inn (218 John R. Junkin Dr.; 601/442-0221) has 36 rooms, all with cable TV, and a swimming pool. The rooms are basic but so are the rates: $30 for a single and $35 double. The Scottish Inn (40 Sergeant Prentiss Dr.; 601/442-9141) and Relax Inn (40 Sergeant Prentiss Dr.; 601/446-9272) are back-to-back budget motels sharing owners and a swimming pool. The Scottish Inn's 48 cable-equipped rooms have been freshly repainted, and singles start at $27.95, doubles at $35. Singles at the Relax Inn begin at $25.95, doubles at $35 with two beds or $31 for a king-size bed. Rooms in both are tidy and simply decorated, but the staffs, while friendly, are not overly professional. Across the river in Vidalia, Louisiana, check out the Budget Inn (700 Carter St.; 318/336-4261), your best bet for doubles at $31/night or $160 weekly (singles begin at $28). It's strictly no-frills, folks, but Robin's (318/336-7387) friendly restaurant next door will cheer you up. In a separate category is the Lady Luck Hotel (645 Canal St.; 800/722-5825, 601/445-0605) with clean, attractive rooms as low as $19.95 - depending upon availability - from Sunday through Thursday; otherwise the standard per diem is $59-$69 weekdays and $79-$89 weekends. This is a real bargain, as the hotel offers many first-rate amenities including remote-control cable TV in rooms, a pool and Jacuzzi, lounge and restaurant, gift shop, and room service. Naturally, the management hopes you'll spend some time on the nearby Lady Luck Casino, but that choice is entirely yours. By the way, if you're in the mood to splurge a bit, Natchez's romantic B&Bs are a reasonably priced godsend. Rooms in historic homes going for $120-$220 per double elsewhere can be had here for as little as $85. There are over 30 to choose from, all charming, each unique (you can get a list from the local CVB).

Thundering herds of wildebeest, prides of lions, great masses of elephants and giraffes, chattering monkeys, and lumbering water buffalo--all of them viewed from the safety of an open-topped van. That's the portrait of Africa to which most of the travel industry limits itself; the overwhelming majority of Africa tours tend to be wildlife safaris. For viewing an altogether different aspect of that immense continent--the vitally important cultures, politics, and society of Africa--the travel programs are few and rarely available for less than $4,000 or $5,000 per person. Until now, that is. Just in the past several years, a handful of dedicated Africa tour operators have begun to offer travel programs to the cities (and therefore the actual life) of Africa, priced as low as $2,500, and occasionally, for a breathtaking $1,550, including round-trip airfare from the United States. Though these expenditures are far above the usual recommended levels of Budget Travel, they are at least explained by the high airfare cost for reaching most African capitals, and they are justified by the importance of the subject matter. "Ten years ago there was no one rocking the boat, no one saying these prices were way too high," says Ken Hieber, owner of 2Afrika (877/200-5610 or 201/533-1075, 2afrika.com) based in Jersey City, New Jersey. "Americans were not very educated about this part of the world, and they truly were being led by the nose. There was a terrible exploitation of the U.S. travel market when it came to cultural tours of Africa. But with the Internet came the ability to do comparison-shopping, and more and more tour operators realized that they could no longer justify ridiculously high rates." In the path of Nelson Mandela, and sophisticated Cape Town For the past seven years, South African-born Hieber has been selling low-cost cultural tours to South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, independent of his low-cost safaris to Tanzania and Kenya. His business is booming. "I was bent on creating great trips at affordable prices for the average working person, not the chichi rich tourist, and my tours have increased by 45 percent in recent years," says Hieber. "I tell people that I don't sell status; I sell Africa. The truth is that when people travel to Africa without all the pretense of a luxury tour, the local people react to them much better. They can relate to them, they respect them more, and they welcome them with great warmth." While new specials are regularly posted on 2Afrika's Web site, some of the company's recent deals have included a truly inspiring tour called "Madiba" (Nelson Mandela's clan name), which traces the footsteps of the famous anti-apartheid leader with a tour of his Robben Island prison cell off the coast of Cape Town, as well as Johannesburg, Soweto, Pretoria, the Cape of Good Hope, and several wine regions of the country. The tour includes airfare on South African Airways from New York or Atlanta, all hotels for eight nights in South Africa, all transportation, and some meals. Price: $2,695 (an optional three-day trip to Victoria Falls at the start of the tour is $475). Another 2Afrika special is a hard-to-believe bargain of a nine-day package to Cape Town, including airfare from New York or Atlanta and accommodations for six nights at one of the better hotels in the city, for all of $1550, surely a travel-pricing record. 2Afrika also offers a few add-on excursions, including two on the famed Blue Train, an air-conditioned journey through the countryside that is part luxury hotel and part gourmet restaurant. Trips are available from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls with prices starting at $995 per person (based on double occupancy) for a deluxe compartment for four nights. Ashanti drummers, the Ivory Coast, and the legacy of slavery Based in New Milford, Connecticut, Africa Desk (800/284-8796 or 860/354-9341, africadesk.com) is another highly reliable source for low-cost Africa tours. Founded in 1981 by Christine Tyson, a divorced mother of two with $86 in her pocket, Africa Desk is also noted for its specially designed "Postcards" trips, soft-adventure travel packages for women that attract American females from all walks of life. Postcards trips focus on "women-sensitive issues" that relate to the women of Africa (and other parts of the world), and often include visits with schoolchildren, teachers, and music and dance groups. Most of the company's packages include fully escorted tours, but it can also arrange specially designed trips for independent travelers. Africa Desk has devised a number of cultural tour packages to various countries. Its "Ghana Cultural Tour" is a nine-day adventure through that West African nation, which starts in Accra with tours of the National Museum, Makola Market, Kwame Memorial, and the W.E.B. DuBois Center for Pan-African Studies. It then goes on to the heart of the Ashanti Region, once the seat of an empire that stretched from the Ivory Coast to Togo, and includes visits with Ashanti drummers and market ladies who sell intricate kente cloth fabrics. The last leg involves a tour of the bustling town of Cape Coast, with visits to the African Historical Museum and a tour of the fifteenth-century slave dungeons inside Elmina Castle. Including airfare from New York, hotel accommodation for seven nights, ground transportation, and meals, prices for the tour start at $2,589 per person. The "Ivory Coast Cultural Tour," also offered by Africa Desk, is another rewarding package. Starting off in Abidjan, the nine-day trip includes escorted tours to the Cocody Market, National Museum, and religious sites. It then goes on to Grand Bassam, the former capital and a popular beach resort area, and Tiagba, a river village that juts out of the water on wooden pilings. Including airfare from New York, hotel accommodations for seven nights, ground transportation, and meals, prices start at $2,219 per person, double occupancy. For a taste of French-African flavor, the seven-day "Senegal Cultural Tour" begins in Dakar at the deluxe French-owned Sofitel Hotel and includes tours of the city, arts and crafts markets, and government buildings. It then moves on to one of the most compelling places in all of Africa-Goree Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Now a mellow beach town dotted with colonial architecture, Gorée Island was one of the most infamous slave trading centers in West Africa during the eighteenth century, and most of its historic structures relating to the slave trade have been turned into museums. Including airfare from New York, hotel for five nights, and meals, the price of the tour is $2,239 per person. A tour of "roots" in the Gambia or Benin In 1989, Spector Travel of Boston (800/879-2374 or 617/351-0111, africa@spectortravel.com, spectortravel.com) began experimenting with even lower-cost Africa excursions, and it now offers several interesting tours. Its seven-day "Roots and Culture Tour" to Senegal and the Gambia starts with a tour of Dakar and Goree Island and continues on to Banjul with visits to a Gambian orphan village, health center, and primary school where tour members present gifts of books and school supplies to the children. Including airfare from New York, hotel accommodations, ground transportation, admission fees, and daily breakfast, the price starts at $1,699 per person (based on double occupancy). Spector's Saturday-to-Saturday "Roots and Culture Tour" to Benin offers another fascinating slice of West Africa. Starting with a city tour of Cotonou, it continues with a full-day excursion to Ouidah, the voodoo center of the country and a port city from which thousands of slaves were shipped to Haiti, Brazil, and the United States. In addition, there are visits to the Sacred Forest, the Portuguese Museum, python temple, and slave memorials. Including airfare from New York, first-class hotels for five nights, ground transportation, admission fees, and breakfast daily, the cost is $1,699 per person (based on double occupancy). For the adventurous: Roughing it For travelers with no qualms about roughing it a little, two outstanding adventure tour operators are wonderfully inexpensive to use. In Emeryville, California, Adventure Center (800/228-8747 or 510/654-1879, adventurecenter.com) offers over 100 "participatory camping" tours to Africa, and recently its tours have been booked solid. "We've seen grassroots cultural tours to Africa really taking off," says Trevor Saxty, Adventure Center's sales manager. "We focus on giving people an authentic African experience without insulating them too much from the reality of the continent. I always tell prospective clients the truth--if you don't mind getting a little dusty and helping out to pitch a tent, you will have a fantastic time. But I also tell them that Africa is not as unmanageable or difficult as most people think it is." Part of a larger company called Far & Wide, Adventure Center tours attract people of all ages and backgrounds, from bored executives and graduate students to honeymooners and retirees. The top cost of its trips (not including airfare to Africa) is $80 per day, with some as low as $40 a day. All have experienced trip leaders, require members to bring a sleeping bag, include some but not all meals, and involve groups of 8 to 24 people. Carefully note again that airfare to and from the destination is not included in the tour prices. The 4 1/2-week "Tribal Lands of West Africa Tour," which begins in Accra, includes the slave castles of Ghana, the ancient capital of the Ashanti, fetish markets in Togo, the ancient slave-market city of Ouidah in Benin, Hausa villages of Nigeria, and beautiful beach towns in Cameroon. Cost: $1,810. And the 18-day/12-night "Journey to Timbuctoo," with transportation via bus, boat, and dugout canoe, includes stops in Dakar, Djenne, and Dogon villages before a trip down the Niger River to legendary, mysterious Timbuktu itself, on the edge of the Sahara Desert. Cost: $1,500. Africa by bicycle Based in Seattle, the International Bicycle Fund (206/767-0848, ibike.org/ibike) is still another down-to-earth alternative. A nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable tourism and cross-cultural encounters, the IBF has a "Bicycle Africa Program" run by former Peace Corps volunteer David Mozer, who has over 25 years' experience traveling throughout Africa. Described as soft-adventure tours that average about 40 miles a day, the program runs about 12 trips a year to 16 nations. "Most of our clients are well traveled, well read, and rather independent people," says Mozer. "Many have traveled on their own to other exotic places, but when it comes to Africa they think they would be more comfortable in a group." On all of our trips, our goals are to give an overview of the diversity and complexity of African culture, to be environmentally friendly, and to have a positive impact on the local economy. We buy local foods, hire local guides, and use small lodgings." Mozer's clients range in age from 17 to 70, but most are in their 40s and 50s. Most are novice bikers, and the average group size is seven to ten people. The small hotels and private homes where they stay may not be elegant, but they are safe, clean, and African to the core. Breakfasts and dinners are included; airfare is extra. Among a far broader selection, IBF's tours include the 14-day/13-night "Guinea: West Africa People-to-People," which consists of rides through the Futa Jalo mountains and the Guinea coast, and several rural lifestyle and cultural programs with the Manike, Peuhl, and Soussou peoples of the West African coast. Cost: $990. The 13-day/12-night "Uganda: Pearl of Africa" tour includes rides through Entebbe, Kampala, the Rift Valley, Kibale National Forest, rural villages, cultural centers, and visits to museums. Cost: $990. In over 20 years of leading bike tours to the most remote parts of Africa, Mozer claims he has never had a bad experience, nor has he had one bike stolen. "The reaction we get from locals is amazing," he says. "When we ride into small towns, people come running out to meet us. They offer us drinks and bananas and they invite us into their homes. I remember an old man once in a small village who said to me, 'You're not like the other tourists who drive by in those big buses. Seeing you ride into my little village makes my heart big.'" Custom-designed group tours to Africa Finally, a seasoned South African-born travel specialist who offers affordable custom-planned group trips to his home continent: Norman Pieters, the owner of Karell's African Dream Vacations (800/327-0373 or 305/446-7766, karell.com). Based in Coral Gables, Florida, Pieters' company has been selling tours to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana for 18 years. "When it comes to travel to Africa, what I've seen in recent years is that people's travel budgets do not always reflect their financial standing. Many people who can afford to spend a lot prefer not to, and are concerned about getting good value for their money," says Pieters. For a fee of $250, he will custom design a tour and hunt for bargains. But first, he puts his clients to work. "For most people, Africa is a great unknown, and they often view it as a country rather than the enormous continent that it is," says Pieters. "So I give them homework to do. They must read up on the different places and decide what their priorities are. Do they want a cultural or simply a big-game nature experience? Once I know those answers, I can scrimp to put together a terrific but affordable trip." Pieters recently designed a 14-day escorted tour for American teenagers that took in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Sun City, Kruger National Park, Zimbabwe, and Victoria Falls. His price was $3,000 per person and included airfare from the U.S., all transportation in Africa, first-rate hotels, and all meals.