Travel Blogs

Vacations are all about creating memories, and sometimes the places you stay are truly memorable--in a good way. On your next trip, you might want to spend the night someplace unique: at a bed and breakfast deep inside a cave, or perhaps a tree house 50 feet above the ground. All you have to do is conduct a little research and be willing to try something unusual. For example, the National Forest Service, which decades ago built dozens of mountaintop shelters in California, Idaho, and other states out west to keep an eye on wildfires. The shelters are no longer needed as fire lookouts, and groups can rent them out by the night for $30 to $40 (202/205-8333, fs.fed.us/recreation). Kokopelli's Cave Bed & Breakfast, in New Mexico, has a hot tub, fireplace, and space for up to eight guests--all 70 feet below the surface (505/325-7855, bbonline.com/nm/kokopelli). At the Fairlee Motel and Drive-in Theater, in Vermont, films are shown nightly from the Fourth of July through Labor Day weekend, with double features on weekends, and guests can watch from their room, with sound coming from a speaker mounted to the wall (802/333-9192). And how about tree houses? They aren't just places for kids to play. The Out 'n' About Treehouse Treesort, in southern Oregon (541/592-2208, treehouses.com), and the Cedar Creek Treehouse, near Washington's Mount Rainier National Park (360/569-2991, cedarcreektreehouse.com), rent professionally built cabins that literally have birds-eye views. Just be careful where you step when you wake up in the morning and are still feeling a bit groggy.

Budget Travel Editors: Thanks for joining us this week. Let's get to your questions! _______________________ Savannah, Georgia: I love to travel, and the journey is more important than the destination. Since I travel alone and dont like the idea of sharing with strangers, I would like to know if there are companies that have travel packages WITHOUT A SINGLE SUPPLEMENT. Thank you. Budget Travel Editors: There are a number of companies that cater directly to single travelers and most enable you to avoid paying a single supplement by pairing you with another same-sex single traveler who you'll be sharing a room with. If you don't mind meeting new people--and sharing your space with them--then it's a great way to keep costs low while exploring the world on your own. All Singles Travel (800/717-3231, allsinglestravel.com) has been in business for 10 years and caters specifically to the solo traveler. Most of their passengers range in age from their 30's through their 50's and the company also offers trips for Jewish, Christian, and senior singles. O Solo Mio (800/959-8568, osolomio.com) also specializes in singles travel and is currently offering thirteen trips in 2006 including trips to Fiji, Italy, and China. Travelers are mostly women, nearly all in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. And singles travel club Travel Buddies (800/998-9099, travelbuddies.com) organizes trips for small groups of singles to adventurous and/or exotic places, including cruises and weekend getaways. _______________________ Silver Cliff, CO: We would like to travel around the world spending about a month each in Australia, New Zealand, Africa, South America, and Central America. We would like to leave from San Diego next October and be back about 6 to 9 months later. Is there a way to purchase airline tickets with very flexible itineries and what airline(s) would be best for this type of extended trip? Thanks for your advice. Budget Travel Editors: You'll get the best deal on a round-the-world airline ticket from a specialist like Airtreks (877/247-8735, airtreks.com) or Air Brokers International (800/883-3272, airbrokers.com). The tickets are valid for one year from purchase -- which means that if you're planning a long trip, wait pull the trigger until a month or two before you leave. They're also valid for travel in only one direction, so plot carefully. If you want more flexibility to go wherever the wind takes you, consider buying tickets for your first segment ahead of time (say, Denver to Sydney) and then booking the rest as you go along. Gayle Forman traveled around the world for a year with her husband and wrote an excellent book about their journey: You Can't Get There From Here. She shared some of her best travel tips with Budget Travel in the March issue and contributed to a live chat. Anything not covered there is probably on her website gayleforman.com. It's chock-full of useful information on everything from airline tickets to visas to money. _______________________ Phoenix, Arizona: Hi; We are traveling to Hong Kong for the first time with our 3 young adult children. What are the best things to see and do in Hong Kong? We leave the U.S. on April 5th arriving in the morning of April 7th in Hong Kong and return the afternoon of April 15th. Should we avoid poultry products while over there? What other areas of the Hong Kong district should be see? Are there any things to make sure we do or don't do? Any information you can give is greatly appreciated. It is our first trip into Asia and our sons first trip out of N. America. We have a 2 hour lay-over in Taipai on the trip flight both ways. Thanks much, Vicki Budget Travel Editors: Lucky you! April is a terrific time to visit Hong Kong. The pace is always dazzlingly frantic, but you'll bypass much of the summer's onset of tourists and the oppressive humidity. There are no current State Department warnings for travel to H.K., and eating poultry products should be fine provided they are well-cooked and from a clean kitchen (avoid dubious street food!). The city is famous for its shopping--both bargains in crowded lane markets and impeccably tailored high-end goods in state-of-the-art, airy malls. Pacific Place even has the shops arrayed in a loosely hierarchical order: top designers on the top floors. Make a post-dinner trip to the unique Temple Street night market, and hop the bus for a rickety and scenic 45-minute ride to the markets at outlying Stanley Village, where you can find inexpensive Chinese trinkets and souvenirs as well as a beach. In fact, Hong Kong is made up of various islands, including Tai O, a cluster of wooden houses on stilts, and Lantau, crowned by a giant bronze Buddha statue atop a mountain at the Po Lin Monastery. (You can read more about the city's sleepy islands in Hong Kong Chills Out.) It's a short, spectacular ride on Star Ferry from Hong Kong Island across Victoria Harbour to Kowloon, where you can take tea in the soaring lobby of the Peninsula Hotel, complete with palm fronds, classical columns and gilt touches. Smack in the midst of Hong Kong Island, surrounded by twisting and climbing skyscrapers, lie the Botanical Gardens and the Tea Museum, a fun, hands-on look at the art of making tea ware and the customs and meanings surrounding tea. Wan Chai and Lan Kwai Fong are the main nightlife hubs and you'll spot clusters of ex-pats. All told, the city's British legacy means that most street signs and information is in English as well as Chinese and that many cab drivers, shop assistants, and passersby will understand at least basic requests. You can find additional information at the Hong Kong Tourism Board's website: discoverhongkong.com. And if you have the time, consider a daytrip by ferry to the island of Macao. The tiny Portuguese colony has been returned to China, and is rapidly morphing into a gambling mecca. You'll find a delightful and odd mish-mash of brightly colored Portuguese churches, flashy new casino-hotels, seedy side streets, and construction everywhere. _______________________ Chandler, AZ: Where can we get cell phones for use in Italy? Should we buy or rent? Budget Travel Editors: You have two decent options for obtaining/using a cell phone in Italy, which, by the way, has some of the best cell service on the planet. Your first option is to rent a phone at the airport (international airports only). The handset costs about $50/week. You'll be charged by the minute on top of that for sending and receiving calls. Your best option is do what the Italians do (when in Rome.....) and buy or rent a GMS phone that's compatible with the Italian phone system. You'll pay local rates, receive free incoming calls from any country, and calls to the US are about 40 cents/minute. To avoid paying more than you want, you can by pre-paid SIM cards, which you'll insert in the phone. Note: When purchasing your phone, make sure your handset is "unlocked" or you won't be able to make calls. For more info on using cell phones in Italy (and other countries), check out Cellularabroad.com. _______________________ USA: I am journeying to New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year and have received some rather impressive party invitations. Sadly, I suspect that my dazzling personality wasn't the draw, but rather it may have something to do with the post-Katrina recovery. Since this is my first time, I've asked around and have been told that in past years, the sage advice was to leave jewelry at home and to wear shoes that could be thrown away afterward. However, some of the parties that I'm attending are rather high-profile and being held on balconies above the crowds. What would be appropriate to wear -- especially on Mardi Gras? Thank you. Budget Travel Editors: The bulk of the Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans happen on the street in the form of parades, which begin two weeks before Fat Tuesday (this year, on Feb. 28). Neighborhood "krewes" dress up, make floats, plan performances--usually with a theme. Not surprisingly, this year many themes will be political and/or focus on Katrina. For example, one recent parade poked fun at FEMA. It's really only the final parade on Fat Tuesday, through the French Quarter, that gets the truly massive crowds, but I think the "throw away shoe" idea is going overboard. And you don't want to wear a necklace because it might get tangled with Mardi Gras beads. Other jewelry is fine. As far as the parties go, just wear what you would to a cocktail party -- a smart dress or pant-shirt combo. Accessorize with a mask, or you could even wear a full-blown costume. (Word is that many are following the "Proud to Swim Home" pro-Mardi Gras costume theme.) A lot depends on the weather. Most of all, you want to be comfortable. I just spoke with a friend in New Orleans who told me that if you really want to be "in," wear a fleur de lis. Just like the iconic NYC t-shirt, New Orleanians are wearing "I (fleur de lis symbol) NOLA" shirts. They're exploding around town as a symbol of support for NOLA. My personal favorite statement T is "Make Levees Not War." _______________________ Indianapolis, Indiana: Is there a website and/or book that list direct flights from different cities? I am starting to plan our next trip and we can go to a variety of destinations with 3 or more airports in close driving distance. Just trying to find the best deals... Thanks! Budget Travel Editors: Airline routes change all the time, but if you go to travel search engines SideStep.com or Kayak.com, you can plug in the cities and dates you're interested in, and the search results will let you know how many stops you'll make, or if there's a nonstop flight (i.e. it doesn't touch down; "direct" means it can land, but that you don't get off the place). Additionally, the sites will also let you know what the cheapest flight is on the route(s) you're interested in. A site called Groople.com lets you book flights for multiple people from multiple destinations. _______________________ San Rafael, CA: My wife and I are planning to fly to Germany in mid-May and leave mid-June. Either Munich or Frankfurt are acceptable cities. When is the best time to get the best air fares? Should we lock in fares now or wait another month or two to see if the airlines offer better prices. Right now the fares are running $900+. Do consolidators have low prices at all times? Budget Travel Editors: I would recommend starting your airfare search in mid-March. You're a shade too early right now and as a result, not likely to get the best fare. Beginning around Mar. 15, start checking your dates and desired gateways (SF-Munich) on SideStep.com or Kayak.com. These search engines will compare all available flights for the days you picked, and give you the lowest fare. You might also want to consider booking your airfare and hotel together. These days, you'll often find the better value by going with a package, especially to Europe. Gate 1 Travel.com and Go-Today.com are two of the premier air hotel packagers that offer particularly good specials in Europe. For example, Go- Today.com has a $569 air-hotel (3 nights) special to Munich. And a $499 fly-drive special (roundtrip airfare to Munich and 7-day car rental) that's valid until May 26. _______________________ Dobbs Ferry, New York: I am employed full time and attend college at night. I would like to take my two teenage children (16 and 20) on a vacation to Italy for about 5 days during the week of April 8 -16th. I am not particular about which days during that week and I am open to which cities we visit. I need to keep my costs down but I have been unable to find any packages. Thank you for your help! Budget Travel Editors: Italy is a hugely popular destination for American travelers, and there are many tour operators specializing in trips to the region. Go-today.com has myriad packages for Florence, Tuscany, Venice, Rome, Sicily, Naples, and Milan, as well as multi-city trips--hurry though, most of the current offerings must be booked by Feb. 16. A few April examples: a six-night hotel stay in Rome and airfare from $699 per person; a four-night stay in Florence and airfare from $799 per person; a four-night stay in a Tuscan villa, four-day car rental and airfare from $1199 per person. Tour Crafters is another good resource. Most of their current Italy packages are for travel through the end of March (which would be much cheaper than traveling in April, if your dates are at all flexible). For example, their Amalfi Coast deal with airfare, car rental, and four nights' accommodations for $654 per person is good through Mar. 30, as is their $492 per person package with airfare and a four-night stay in a city of your choice--Rome, Florence, Venice or Paris. Foreign Independent Tours has a series of whirlwind packages such as airfare and three nights in Venice from $665 plus escorted tours of Italy, however most of their current packages are only good through March as well. If you're set on traveling in April, check back with these providers in a few weeks or call to see when they will be posting packages for late-spring. Gate 1 Travel already has its April/summer packages ready. Airfare and four nights in Rome is pricing from $999 per person. Keep in mind that airfare taxes and fuel surcharges for most of these packages will be an additional $150-$200 per person. Good luck! _______________________ Budget Travel Editors: Thanks again for all your great questions. _______________________

All three northern areas have traditional houses, markets, and tiny streets characteristic of shitamachi (the old downtown). SEE Nezu Shrine Nezu 1-28-9, 011-81-3/3822-0753, nedujinja.or.jp A long winding tunnel of sacred orange torii gates marks the entrance to this peaceful shrine--one of the oldest in Tokyo. Well off the tourist track. Follow the English signs outside the Nezu Station on the Chiyoda Line. SEE Scai the Bathhouse Yanaka 6-1-23, 011-81-3/3821-1144, scaithebathhouse.com Works by the hottest contemporary artists, both foreign and local, are on view in this beautiful gallery in a former public bathhouse. Closed Sun. and Mon. Senso-ji Temple and its backstreets Asakusa 2-3-1, 011-81-3/3842-0181 Tokyo's most popular Buddhist temple attracts thousands of people every day, many of whom buy 'fortune slips' there in hopes of receiving good luck. If the fortune is negative, they just tie the slip of paper onto one of the poles outside to let the wind carry the bad luck away. Others come to waft incense smoke over their bodies as a cure for ailments. A wander around the surprisingly quiet backstreets provides glimpses of tranquil gardens, ponds filled with koi, and smaller, quieter shrines. SEE Ueno Park JR Ueno Station Park Exit Site of some of the city's best museums and galleries, such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and National Science Museum, as well as a large proportion of Japan's homeless. It is also the place to come for cherry-blossom viewing in spring, when it's taken over by revelers with beer and portable karaoke machines. EAT Edo Monja Hyotan Asakusa 1-37-4 (opposite Ryokan Shigetsu), 011-81-3/3841-0589, asakusa.24663.com Cook-it-yourself monja yaki may not be a feast for the eyes, but it's surprisingly delicious. Just toss your choice of seafood, vegetable, and meat with a batter made from flour and dashi broth (usually made from fish) and throw the mixture on the hotplate in the middle of the table (the expert staff can help). The place itself is nondescript, but the boisterous crowds and good food make it fun. EAT Funawa Asakusa 1-22-10, 011-81-3/3842-2781 A small café upstairs serves tea and Japanese sweets, such as marble-size ankodama made from bean paste. The real star is the tasty (and very bright) green tea soft-serve ice cream sold at the take-out window. For the less adventurous, there's also vanilla. Just look for the line. SHOP Sample Shop Maiduru Nishi Asakusa 1-5-17, 011-81-3/3843-1686, maiduru.co.jp Lifelike food souvenirs--plastic dumplings, yakitori skewers, and sushi--for the folks back home. PLAY Momidokoro Rakuya Asakusa 1-32-11, 011-81-3/5830-0595 A relaxing shiatsu center. This traditional form of massage uses the body's pressure points and meridians to relieve stiffness and promote healing. Wonderful wood and stone footbaths provide a bit of extra pampering for weary feet. All massage rooms are private. Some English spoken. Note: There's no English sign, so ask directions. $19 for a 20-minute massage. SPLURGE Ebisuya Rickshaws Departs from across the Senso-ji Temple main entryway, 011-81-3/5806-8881, ebisuya.com Sit back in a plush rickshaw and let your driver pull you through the lesser-known streets of historic Asakusa. The English-speaking guides are very knowledgeable. Two people per rickshaw. $35 per person for a 30-minute ride. Summer in the City In the summer, Tokyo becomes a city of street festivals, many of which are topped off by incredible fireworks. The city's biggest and most anticipated display is the Sumida River Hanabi Taikai, on the last Saturday night in July. ESCAPE Kamakura A statue of the awe-inspiring Great Buddha (Daibutsu) gazes over the lovely coastal town of Kamakura, home to ancient temples and peaceful shrines. Dousing your yen in sacred spring water at the Zeniarai-Benten shrine is said to bring prosperity. JR trains regularly depart Tokyo's Ebisu, Shibuya, and Shinjuku stations for Kamakura. Rides take about one hour. $8 each way from Tokyo and Shinjuku stations.

Flashy and modern, with dazzling skyscrapers and department stores. Train tracks divide the commercial hub to the west, Nishi-Shinjuku, from shops and bars in Higashi-Shinjuku. SEE Metropolitan Government Offices Nishi Shinjuku 2-8-1, 011-81-3/5321-111, metro.tokyo.jp Architect Kenzo Tange's twin towers still make an imposing mark on the Tokyo landscape. The boundless (and free) views from the 45th floor are enough to make even an exhausted Tokyo government employee smile. The north observatory is open daily 9:30 a.m.--11:00 p.m. and closed the second and fourth Monday of each month. The south is open daily 9:30 a.m.--5:30 p.m. and closed the first and third Tuesday of each month. Both are closed Dec. 29--31, Jan. 2--3. SEE Shinjuku Gyoen National Gardens Naito-cho 11, 011-81-3/3350-0151, shinjkugyoen.go.jp This vast green oasis in the heart of the city has acres of lawns that you are actually allowed to walk on. It's a more relaxed alternative to Ueno Park, and a wonderful spot for cherry- blossom viewing come spring. Open daily 9 a.m.--4:30 p.m. Closed Mon. $1.75. SEE Yoyogi National Gymnasium Yoyogi (halfway between Shinjuku and Harajuku), Jinnan-2-1-1, 011-81-3/3468-1171, naash.go.jp/yoyogi For the 1964 Olympics, Japan's most influential 20th-century architect, Kenzo Tange, created a vision of the future: twin swooping, grey concrete buildings that resemble flying saucers. The grassy hill next door is a good place to lounge and take in the view. EAT Canal Café Kagurazaka 1-9, 011-81-3/3260-8068 In spring, cherry trees form a pink canopy over the deck of this European-style café. To reach it, hop on a Chuo Line train, get off at Iidabashi Station, and take the west exit. EAT Okubo Korea Town Authentic Korean food that's definitely not made for tourists. Choose any of the crowded restaurants, like the Healthy House (Hyakunin-Cho 1-18-10 2F, 011-81-3/3366-2611, English sign), famous for its barbequed meats and bibimbop (rice mixed with vegetables and fried egg), or Oasis (Okubo 1-15-12 2F, 011-81-3/3209-6535, English sign), known for cheap, filling, spicy stews. Get off at Shin-Okubo Station on the Yamanote Line, and follow the locals--and your nose. EAT Thai Country Shinjuku 3-11-1, 011-81-3/3358-0557 A tiny, country-and-western-themed restaurant that's a favorite of local Thais for its home-style dishes, such as fried egg salad and curry. DRINK Advocates Shinjuku 2-18-1, 011-81-3/3358-3988 This small, dark, zebra-striped café/bar in Tokyo's largest gay district has $9 all-you-can-drink specials on Sundays 9 a.m.-- 9 p.m. It's the place to come for pre-club drinks on weekends, when the crowd spills over onto the street outside. DRINK Omoide Yokocho Near the western exit of JR Shinjuku Station Memory Lane, a narrow alley squeezed between Shinjuku Station and a jumble of bigger, newer buildings, is a clutch of tiny charming drinking shacks with just enough space for a handful of customers. Most patrons order beer and yakitori (meat on skewers), but the daily drink and snack specials can be delicious. Go now before the property developers get their way and this slice of Tokyo is lost forever. DRINK Motsuyaki-Dokoro Ishii, Nihon Saisei Sakaba Shinjuku 3-7-3, 011-81-3/3354-4829 Styled after 1950s Tokyo, the boisterous, standing-room-only bar is packed every night of the week. Vintage ad posters cover the walls and the staff wears old-fashioned happi aprons. Sample the shochu, a distilled spirit made from rice, sweet potato, or sugar cane. Order it mixed with oolong tea, fresh lemon or grapefruit and soda, or straight over ice. SPLURGE New York Bar Park Hyatt Hotel, Nishi-Shinjuku 3-7-1-2, 011-81-3/5322-1234, parkhyatttokyo.com Recreate a favorite Lost in Translation moment at the sexy wood-paneled bar on the 52nd floor, where Bill Murray's character drowned his sorrows in whiskey. After-dark views of the city's flickering neon are stunning, and there are excellent live jazz performances nightly. $18 cover after 8 p.m. SHOP Lammfromm The Concept Store Uehara 1-1-21, 011-81-3/5454-0450, lammfromm.jpExceptional boutique that stocks works by some of the hottest contemporary artists from Japan and abroad--Yayoi Kusama prints, Yoshitomo Nara T-shirts, and accessories by Takeshi Murakami of Louis Vuitton. The knowledgeable staff can guide you, and prices are not as steep as you'd think. SHOP Tokyu Hands Times Square Building, Sendagaya 5-24-2 (New South Exit of JR Shinjuku Station), 011-81-3/5361-3111, tokyu-hands.co.jp You name it, they have it. Wander the seven floors of this hardware store and you're sure to find items that you never imagined under one roof, like emergency earthquake supplies, gold lamé kimonos, and "bow-lingual" machines that tell you exactly what your dog is trying to say by "analyzing" its bark.