Pay-what-you-like Restaurants

AUSTRALIA The Edge The Edge is a cube that slides out from the Eureka Skydeck 88 observation deck of Melbourne's Eureka Tower. When the cube is fully extended, the walls and floor turn transparent--and as if that weren't scary enough, speakers blare the sound of shattering glass. The Edge opened last spring; up to 12 people can spend five minutes suspended over the city. Only one in three Skydeck visitors is willing to brave the Edge, but of the 30 marriage proposals that have been tendered inside, there hasn't been a single no. 011-61/3-9693-8888, eurekaskydeck.com.au, $25 for Skydeck and the Edge. Susan Crandell PANAMA Canopy Crane Tour More than 70 percent of all rain-forest species hang out high in the canopy, but it's not like you're going to climb a tree yourself. Tour operator Cox & Kings USA, however, is using the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's crane to bring you face-to-face with the fauna in Panama's Metropolitan Natural Park. The crane raises four guests and a naturalist guide 112 feet up through the treetops--and as much as 160 feet out in any direction. "When I first did the tour, we spotted a napping sloth and zoomed in for a closer look," says Susan Lee, who does marketing for Cox & Kings. "The naturalist imitated the call of an eagle, one of the sloth's main predators. The sloth looked at us, decided there was no danger, and went right back to sleep." Other commonly seen animals include green iguanas, toucans, and red-naped tamarins. The best time to take the 45-minute tour is between 6:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., when the wildlife is most active. 800/999-1758, coxandkingsusa.com, $110 per person (based on four people), no children under 12, reservations are required. Beth Collins TENNESSEE Zorb Smoky Mountains Where some people see a hillside, others see a thrill ride. The popular New Zealand activity of Zorbing--in which you tumble down a slope while inside a plastic bubble--has arrived in the U.S., at Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Before you start, there's a two-page waiver to sign, five different courses to pick from, and two Zorb options: You can sit strapped into a seat or flip head over heels in a ball filled with water. ("It's like white-water rafting without the rocks," says CEO Craig Horrocks.) The 12-foot spheres reach speeds of up to 35 mph; the view is a blur of trees, sky, and your limbs, punctuated by the occasional scream of "Awesome!" 865/428-2422, zorb.com, from $37 per ride. Liz Ozaist ARIZONA Grand Canyon Skywalk More than a few visitors to the Grand Canyon Skywalk at Grand Canyon West white-knuckle their way around the 70-foot-long, U-shaped glass structure, never letting go of the railing. Others jump up and down for the Skywalk's photographers, unbowed by the view of the jagged canyon about a mile below. The $30 million attraction opened last spring after years of collaboration between a Las Vegas businessman and the local Hualapai tribe, which owns much of the canyon's western rim. The surrounding area remains a work in progress, as a theater and a restaurant are under construction--so is the 14 miles of as yet unpaved road that leads to the entrance, making for a rather bone-rattling approach. grandcanyonskywalk.com, $60 includes admission to the reservation and the Grand Canyon Skywalk, cameras not allowed. Bus tours depart daily from Las Vegas, about two hours west (702/878-9378, destinationgrandcanyon.com, from $159). Henry Cabot Beck FLORIDA SeaWorld's Aquatica The star attraction of SeaWorld Orlando's new water park, Aquatica, is Dolphin Plunge--a pair of 300-foot-long transparent tube slides that weave through an actual marine-mammal habitat. The black-and-white Commerson's dolphins who frolic in the lagoon seem to enjoy the action, too. "When I was zipping through the tunnel, the dolphins were following alongside me," reports operations director Bryan Nadeau. "For a moment, I felt like I was in their world." The water park also has an eight-lane racing slide that whips you in and out of tunnels and around a 360-degree loop. 888/800-5447, aquaticabyseaworld.com, $39, $33 for kids ages 3 to 9. Jessica Henderson MAINE Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory The first Penobscot bridge, completed in 1931, was crumbling into the Penobscot River, so everyone agreed it was time for a new-and-improved bridge--if not on much else. "At first, the city wanted something that looked like the old structure," says Bruce Van Note, deputy commissioner for Maine's Department of Transportation. But area residents rejected every proposal, eventually coming up with a one-word idea of their own as inspiration: granite. "To lifelong Mainers, granite is rugged and timeless, and it matches the state's rocky coast," says Van Note. Made primarily of local Freshwater Pearl granite, the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory is one of only three cable-stayed bridges in the world to also have an observation tower (the others are in Slovakia and Thailand). No matter which direction you look from the glass-enclosed deck, the views are postcard-worthy. 207/469-7719, penobscotnarrowsbridge.com, $5, tower open May 1-Oct. 31. Sarah Mahoney SINGAPORE Singapore Flyer When it opened March 1, the Singapore Flyer captured the title of the world's tallest observation wheel from China's 525-foot Star of Nanchang. The 541-foot Flyer has 28 gondolas; each one holds up to 28 passengers and rotates 360 degrees over Marina Bay. Watch your step while boarding: The Flyer never stops moving. "That surprises a lot of people," says general manager David Beevers. "But once the doors close, it's quite serene inside the glass capsule as it ascends over the bay." Halfway through the 30-minute ride, you're up high enough to see Malaysia and Indonesia. 011-65/6333-3311, singaporeflyer.com.sg, $21, timed tickets can be purchased online in advance. David LaHuta

"We Had to Buy Our Own Bulls" In Peru, young couples are traditionally presented with two terra-cotta bulls when they move into a new house. "If you attach the bulls to your roof, they're supposed to bring you health, happiness, prosperity--all kinds of good stuff," Katie says. "We figured it couldn't hurt to try!" So Close When their guide told Katie and Erik that one hour, 53 minutes was the fastest time he knew of for kayaking from Puno to Taquile island, they had to try to beat it. They missed by eight minutes. "I might look like I'm smiling, but I wasn't happy about it," says Katie. Watch Your Head At 6'4", Erik was taller than virtually every Peruvian he came across--and almost too tall to stand up straight in this guesthouse on Taquile. (Check out the door!) Cold Mountain The first night on the Inca Trail got down to a frigid 20 degrees. When Katie and Erik woke up, their poles were covered in ice. Lunching Local Style After Katie and Erik returned from their kayak trip on Lake Titicaca, they were treated to a lunch of fried cheese and root veggies. "Our host was the man who stores all the kayaks for the tour company," says Katie. "He met us at the beach with his alpaca, Pepe." Seeing the Sites The couple passed several sites with ruins on the Inca Trail and wondered if Machu Picchu would just feel like more of the same. "But we were blown away," Erik says. "The site was huge, and the ruins were amazingly well preserved." No Pizza for You "We walked by this truck again and again in Cuzco," Katie says. "It was kind of a tease, because we love pizza, but the truck was abandoned."

Interested in getting coached? E-mail us your questions--seriously, the more the better--to Letters@BudgetTravel.com. Want advice? Log on for our weekly Online Trip Coach chats, Tuesdays at noon (ET), and let our experts answer your questions. Click here to submit questions and browse our archived chat transcripts. Dear Trip Coach... My fiancé, Erik, and I are getting married right after his regatta team competes at the national championship and before I start my medical residency. There's no time for a honeymoon afterward, so we're doing a pre-wedding trip to Peru. We love adventure and being active. Katie Hammes, Madison, Wis. FIRE AWAY! "First things first: What's the easiest way to get money in Peru?" ATMs, no question. El Banco de Crédito has them in most cities and accepts ATM cards affiliated with U.S. credit card companies. Avoid Global Net ATMs: They're installed everywhere tourists go, but they charge an extra fee. "We definitely want to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Should we work with a tour company?" You're wise to take the Inca Trail: No other route offers as majestic a view or the option to explore during the quiet morning hours. Peruvian law requires that Inca Trail hikers be accompanied by a licensed tour operator--which isn't such a bad thing, since the operators take care of the red tape, arrange for porters, and often supply the camping gear. Only 500 people, including guides and porters, are allowed to embark on the trail each day; reserve your spots at least three months out, especially if you're going between May and October. Canadian-owned Andean Treks has well-trained guides and porters (800/683-8148, andeantreks.com, five days from $595, trail fee $85). "We plan to arrive in Lima and then fly to Cuzco to start the hike, but we've heard that flights between the two cities are unreliable." No need to worry. LAN, Peru's most dependable airline, has new, well-maintained airplanes, and its flights are generally on time. It runs 10 flights a day from Lima to Cuzco (866/435-9526, lan.com). "Can you recommend any restaurants or hotels in Cuzco?" The majority of Peru's foreign travelers pass through Cuzco, so there's a lot of tourism infrastructure. A few blocks from the Plaza de Armas, in the historic San Blas quarter, the seven-bedroom Casona les Pleiades offers friendly hospitality (Tandapata 116, 011-51/84-50-6430, casona-pleiades.com, $45 with breakfast). For classic Peruvian food, dine at Pachapapa (Plazoleta San Blas 120, 011-51/84-24-1318, dinner from $8). Even restaurant owners go there to eat the lomo saltado, a dish of stir-fried beef tenderloin, tomatoes, onions, French fries, and soy sauce. (Peru's Chinese population is the largest in Latin America--a fact that's reflected in many of the local dishes.) "We'd like to look around Cuzco before we start our hike. How much time should we allow in the city?" Remember, you'll be coming from sea level, and Cuzco lies at about 11,000 feet. The Inca Trail trek will drop you to elevations of about 9,000 feet in the beginning, but the trail rises and falls between 1,000 and 1,500 feet daily--and on one day, there's a 3,934-foot ascent. Devote at least a day in Cuzco to getting acclimated to the altitude. One good way to do so is to climb up to the Incan ruin Sacsayhuamán. You can also travel down to the Sacred Valley, which is at about 9,000 feet. Once the agricultural land of the Inca, the valley is now home to small towns, markets, and ruins. Leave some time to walk around Cuzco proper. Start in the Plaza de Armas. Cuzco Cathedral, on the north end of the square ($9), is home to several classic paintings by Cuzco school artists--indigenous Peruvians who merged the techniques they were taught by Spanish masters with their own style. Afterward, head to Qoricancha to check out the Incan sun temple that fell to the Spanish in 1533 (Plazoleta Santo Domingo, $3). For another art fix, visit the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art (Plazoleta de las Nazarenas 231, 011-51/84-23-3210, $7). "We're also interested in going to other areas--maybe Lake Titicaca to go mountain biking and kayaking." Lots of people who visit Titicaca ride a motorboat to one of its islands and spend the night with a family, but you can skip the motorboat and do the trip by kayak instead. Book with Titikayak (011-51/51-36-7747, titikayak.com, two days from $145) or All Ways Travel (011-51/51-35-3979, titicacaperu.com, two days from $210). Most of the residents live in mud or concrete houses, some without electricity. Your dinner--which is often cooked on a wood-burning stove--might include a quinoa soup, a vegetable omelet with rice, and a local type of crepe for dessert. The younger members of the families are the most likely to speak at least a little English. A great option for mountain biking is Colca Canyon, in southern Peru. It's twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and has narrow roads that take you past soaring condors, hot springs, and villages. The closest airport is in Arequipa, about four hours' drive from the canyon. Colca Trek leads three-day bike trips and provides transportation from the airport (011-51/54-20-6217, colcatrek.com.pe, three days from $195). If you decide to hike the canyon on your own, catch a ride on a public bus (Turismo Milagros, 011-51/54-29-8090) or rent a car from Hertz (011-51/54-28-2519, hertz.com). "What's the best way to get from Cuzco to Puno?" Besides Titicaca, the southern city of Puno doesn't have many tourist attractions. If you fly to Juliaca, the closest airport, you'll be stuck figuring out how to fill the whole day. Instead, take the train or a bus so you can spend the time admiring Peru's dramatic mountain scenery. PeruRail's luxury train, the Andean Explorer, is designed like a 1920s Pullman coach and serves complimentary lunch and tea (011-51/84-23-8722, perurail.com, Andean Explorer from $148). Inka Express runs buses that stop at major historic sites between the two cities (011-51/84-24-7887, inkaexpress.com, from $45). The trip takes nine hours, whether you go by bus or by train. "We've heard a little about Islas Ballestas, off the southern coast. Are they worth a trip?" The islands' famed sea-lion and bird populations are most active around 9 a.m., but to see them you have to join the crowds on an early-morning motorboat ride. You may be better off exploring the Ica desert, on the mainland, where you can see fossils of birds, like a five-foot-tall penguin, or of prehistoric marine life, like sea sloths and whales. Or head to Nazca to climb Cerro Blanco, one of the world's tallest sand dunes. To visit the desert, book a tour with mining prospector turned guide Roberto Penny Cabrera (011-51/56-23-7373, icadeserttrip.com, two- to three-day tours from $100 for groups of three or four). In Nazca, guide Edmundo Watkin leads dune treks (011-51/56-52-3212, eight-hour group tours from $22). "Anything else we should know?" When you leave, you'll need $30.25 in U.S. currency to pay the airport's international exit tax. Lima has ATMs where you can get U.S. dollars, but you're on your own for the quarter! Unasked-for advice Peru has no shortage of creative cocktails, many made with fresh fruit and pisco, Peru's white brandy. The pisco sour is the old-time favorite, but keep an eye out for sours made with passion fruit, coca leaf, and goldenberry.

What's your best travel tip? Send us your tips, and if we publish one, you'll get a one-year subscription (or a renewal) to Budget Travel. You can e-mail them to us at Tips@BudgetTravel.com. Best Tips Ever The cleverest tips we've ever run are in The Smart Traveler's Passport, available at Amazon.com and better bookstores. Send us a tip: If yours is one that we illustrate, we'll send you a free book (along with a year's subscription). 1. You've got the power My girlfriend and I went to Jamaica during hurricane season, figuring the cheap tickets would be worth the risk. Sure enough, a hurricane hit. Luckily, our resort had a generator, which supplied power throughout the storm, so we still had a wonderful vacation. Now when we plan a trip to a hurricane-prone area, we always ask the hotel if there's a generator on the premises. Christopher Schubert, Staten Island, N.Y. 2. Give 'em your number I've lost my keys twice--once in Miami and once in Orlando--and they were returned to me both times because I had attached a tag with my phone number to the key ring. Each time, the person who found my keys was able to call me right away. Zanifa de Gregory, Orlando, Fla. 3. Make some noise I've discovered a way to drown out traffic and other troublesome sounds that can carry through hotel walls. I turn the TV to a channel with no station, just static, and then I adjust the brightness to darken the screen so there's no light. The white noise of the static lulls me to sleep every time. Roland Calagos, Modesto, Calif. 4. Separation anxiety If you pack electronics in your carry-on, be sure to include all cords, chargers, and adapters in the same bag. When my wife and I went to Africa, we put our cameras in the carry-on, and we packed the cords in our checked baggage. Our bags didn't show up in Tanzania, however, so we had all the equipment but no way to recharge it, and we couldn't find replacements. Andrew Fritz, Somerset, N.J. 5. Call it a playover If you find yourself at Chicago O'Hare with a lengthy layover, consider going to the Hilton there. A day-use fee of $11 gives you access to the gym--including the swimming pool. Or you can get a massage (it's best to schedule this in advance). Erin Caslavka, Carlsbad, Calif. 6. Head-to-toe cleaner My husband and I have found that our leather walking shoes often need to be cleaned while we're traveling. Rather than bringing shoe cleaner, we use makeup-remover pads, which I pack anyway. They do a great job of sprucing up our shoes! Alberta Wallis, Augusta, Ga. 7. Free to roam? When I got my cell phone bill after a cruise last fall, I noticed that I had $28 in roaming charges for making calls on my phone from the ship. Three weeks later, I went on a cruise with a different company and used the same phone. This time, I didn't have to pay any roaming fees. From now on, I'll always check with my cell phone provider to see if it charges any roaming fees for using my phone on board. Diane Bowman, Huntington Beach, Calif. 8. Valuable advice The battery chamber of a good dive light (I like Mini-C) is the perfect place to keep your valuables dry while you're snorkeling or scuba diving. When you take out the batteries, there's just enough room for a credit card, a room key, and a few bills. Anything you store in the compartment will stay dry as far as 300 feet down. P.J. Glanville, Sarasota, Fla. 9. Shed your baggage If you go on a Holland America cruise, see if the ship offers Signature Express Baggage Service. For $15 per person, the company prints your boarding passes the day before disembarkation and transports your luggage directly to your airline the morning of your flight. No worries about baggage check--just go directly to your gate. Jeanette Parker, Lafayette, La. 10. Save your energy Here's a simple way to make sure the batteries in your travel alarm clock always have power: Take the batteries out, place a Band-Aid down the length of each so its two terminals are covered, and put the batteries back in the alarm clock. When you're ready to use the clock, peel off the Band-Aids to expose the terminals. Dawn Yonally, Tahlequah, Okla. 11. Look Ma, no hands! When you travel with infants, you have to stop and feed them from bottles several times a day. That's not always easy when you're also trying to catch a train or keep up with a tour. We discovered that Podee Baby Bottles, which are designed so you don't have to hold them for the baby, allow us to give our girls their bottles while we push them in the stroller. Melissa Bowlen-Macomber, Edgewood, Md. 12. Secret weapon When I nicked myself shaving my legs, I realized that I hadn't brought a styptic pencil with me. I tried putting a little bit of antiperspirant on the cut instead, and sure enough, the bleeding immediately stopped. Jill Huntley, Columbus, Ohio 13. Out with the old If you keep a toiletries bag packed and ready, check the freshness of the items before you leave. While on a recent trip, my deodorant wouldn't roll on because I hadn't used it in months, and the toothpaste had a strange consistency. Robyn Zeiger, Silver Spring, Md. 14. Border bucks Americans who enter Turkey by bus or train need $20 in U.S. currency to pay for a visa at the border. I wasn't aware of this and had to borrow money from someone. Kristin Cruikshank, Columbus, Ohio 15. Find your way by PDA If you have a PDA or a Web-enabled phone, you can access subway and bus directions for Boston, Chicago, Long Island, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., among other places. Go to hopstop.com/pda, choose your location, and enter an intersection or address. The service will tell you the best way to get there using public transportation. Lisa Levine, Hollywood, Calif. 16. Surf for savings Before I go on trips to ski destinations or theme parks, I always check Craigslist and eBay to see if I can find discounted tickets and coupons. I've located some great deals on these sites. Just make sure the tickets or coupons are transferable. Perry Babel, Lakewood, Colo. 17. Wrap star When I travel, I try to look for wrapping paper in regional designs. While in Australia, I found paper with koalas and kangaroos. In Hawaii, I got paper decorated with surfers and hula dancers. And in Wales, I bought paper printed with Welsh love spoons and the Welsh dragon. Gifts for folks back home mean even more when they're wrapped in paper that you can't buy just anywhere. Betsy Rogers, Puyallup, Wash. 18. Middle management When I'm assigned a middle seat on a flight, I always ask the gate agent if I can wait before boarding the plane to see if another passenger doesn't show up in time. Inevitably, a business traveler misses his flight, and I can take his aisle seat. Most gate agents will let me switch before they issue seats to standbys. David Bykowski, Broken Arrow, Okla. 19. Take back the nightclub We were aboard the Golden Princess on a Caribbean cruise and found that the library had limited hours and few chairs. But the ship's nightclub was blessedly empty and quiet during the day. It had comfortable couches, plentiful natural light, and vast ocean views--perfect for reading or an intimate conversation. Stephen Part, Albuquerque, N.M. 20. Doggone easy To make it simpler to pass through airport security with my two dachshunds, I've outfitted them with easy-on, easy-off collars. The plastic clasps open with a pinch, so I can quickly toss the collars (with their metal ID tags) into the bin that goes through the X-ray machine, and then I carry the dogs through the body scanner. This is a great time-saver when the dogs are squirming around in my arms. Jane Jesse, Charleston, W.Va.