Bonefishing and Blackjack on Grand Bahama Island

By David LaHuta
June 4, 2005
The choice is yours: sitting in your cubicle watching the clock tick or sipping a bahama mama on the deck at rumrunners

As if there weren't enough reasons to take Friday off. Grand Bahama Island is just 57 miles east of Palm Beach, so flights from Florida to Freeport, its main town, take less than half an hour--and Florida Express ferries from Fort Lauderdale cost $165 round trip. Where the West Indies hug the East Coast, there's a long weekend for anyone. Bosses beware.

Beachgoers

On GBI's tranquil East End, 30 miles east of Freeport, Bishop's Bonefish Resort offers waterfront suites and 14 miles of sugar-white sand. It's a short drive (renting a car is easy at the airport) to never-ending Gold Rock Beach--by far the most beautiful stretch of sand on the island. Low tide unveils a welcome mat of rippled sandy peaks, perfect for seaside strolls. Afterward, head to Freeport for the International Bazaar's straw market, where ladies sell handmade hats, baskets, and totes for less than $15 an item--they'll even make things to order, on the spot. On Fridays, Le Chicken Shack Garden Bar, a casual hangout nearby, holds its weekly feast of boiled Andros crab, caught off neighboring Andros Island. When the sun goes down, Port Lucaya's Count Basie Square has steel-drum bands, reggae DJs, and the occasional limbo contest. And don't forget to order a tropical Bahama Mama at nearby Rumrunners. Anyone who finishes the drink gets to autograph the wall.

Fishers

GBI has long been known as home of "the bone"--the elusive bonefish. Spend a Saturday on the virgin flats searching for a nibble from the wily, silver-skinned fish. Most boats are only big enough for two passengers, so expect an intimate experience. On the lazy West End, 30 miles from the airport, Bootle Bay Fishing Lodge--where legendary Bonefish Foley has hosted Presidents Nixon and Kennedy--rents doubles for $90 and runs half- and full-day fishing excursions. Bootle Bay's full-day outing ($375) is one of the least expensive on the island. After a day on the flats, treat yourself to some fresh conch fritters and a cold Kalik--the local brew--just down the road at the Chicken's Nest. Bring quarters (both American and Bahamian dollars, always worth the same, are accepted everywhere), since there'll be plenty of folks to shoot pool with.

Gamblers

Last December, the 19,000-square-foot Isle of Capri Casino at Our Lucaya--across from its partner hotels, the Westin and the Sheraton--opened in Port Lucaya, a touristy open-air mall where you'll find souvenirs like Androsia batik sarongs, duty-free liquor, and polished conch shells. The Port bustles with shoppers, pub patrons spill onto the walkways, and restaurants serve sweet Caribbean lobster tails (try Fat Man's Nephew, overlooking colorful Count Basie Square). Don't expect to mingle with Bahamians over blackjack--it's illegal for locals to participate in organized gaming. During the summer months, you can stay at the Sheraton for $129--it's a five-minute walk to the Capri, so you won't need a car.

Nature lovers

At the 40-acre Lucayan National Park, about 25 miles east of Freeport, take a self-guided tour through the well-labeled trails dotted with wild guava, tamarind, towering Caribbean pines, and gumbo-limbo trees. Unique to the preserve are the Lucayan tunnels, the longest surveyed underwater cave system in the world. When they're hit by sunlight, the water turns a dizzying blue (sorry, no swimming). At Gold Rock Creek, across the road, Kayak Nature Tours leads six-hour excursions through the mangrove swamps, home to snappers, crabs, and barracuda. The tour includes 90 minutes in a two-person kayak, lunch on Gold Rock Beach, and a nature walk. Spend Sunday bird-watching against a backdrop of waterfalls, flowers, and alligators at the 12-acre Garden of the Groves, seven miles west of Lucayan Park. The Garden exhibits nearly 5,000 varieties of plants, many native to the islands. Understandably, it's a popular spot for tropical weddings.

Grand Bahama Island

Transportation

  • Florida Express 866/313-3779, $165 round trip
  • Lodging

  • Bishop's Bonefish Resort 242/ 353-4515, gbweekly.com/bishopsbonefish, doubles $160
  • Bootle Bay Fishing Lodge 242/349-4010, bootlebay.com, doubles $90
  • Sheraton at Our Lucaya 800/325-3535, ourlucaya.com, doubles $129
  • Food

  • Le Chicken Shack Intl. Bazaar 242/ 351-2692, crab meal $10
  • Rumrunners Port Lucaya 242/373-7233, Bahama Mama cocktail $4.60
  • Chicken's Nest 242/ 346-6440, four fritters $1
  • Fat Man's Nephew Port Lucaya 242/ 373-8520, lobster tail $27
  • Attractions

  • Isle of Capri 242/350-2000
  • Lucayan Natl. Park 242/352-5438, $3
  • Kayak Nature Tours 866/ 440-4542, grandbahamanaturetours.com, $69
  • Garden of the Groves 242/ 373-5668, $10
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    Inspiration

    Sierra Gold Country

    With a flick of the reins, the driver urged his sturdy horses into a gallop as the lumbering old stagecoach approached an incline in the dusty road ahead. Bouncing behind him, my wife, Sandy, and I grabbed the edge of our hardwood seats and held on tightly. "Keep your eyes open," the driver shouted over the rackety din. "We might run into bandits around the next bend." And, sure enough, we did. Stagecoach? Bandits? What's going on here? As excited as kids, we were reliving the romance of the 1849 California Gold Rush. Stagecoaches like the one to which we clung once linked the mining camps that sprang up in the rugged foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The rare chance to ride in an authentic coach was just one historical episode among many in our four-day, 540-mile drive into Gold Country. Though some forty-niners struck it rich, you won't need a bag of nuggets to explore the region, which has become a popular weekend retreat for folks from the nearby San Francisco Bay Area. This is good budget travel territory, where appealing lodgings and Old West-style caf,s come at affordable prices. Much of what you will want to see and do is free-or almost so. Speaking of nuggets, many visitors still pan for gold in the rushing streams that cascade out of the Sierras. And with a quick lesson in the art of handling the pan-offered throughout Gold Country-you might go home with a bit of gold dust, a nugget, or even your own bonanza. California still mines millions of dollars of gold annually. But panning is hard work; I know firsthand. For less-demanding fun: Go white-water rafting; tour a former gold mine; view one of the world's largest gold nuggets (13 pounds); hike among giant sequoia trees; quaff a beer in an authentic miner's saloon; or sip (for free) the very fine wines of Amador County, where more than 20 wineries are clustered in the sunny hills just outside the town of Plymouth. Relics of the legendary quest for gold are everywhere on this very scenic drive-in the crumbling stone walls of a former Wells Fargo office or the rusting machinery of abandoned mines. But the principal vestiges of the colorful era are the onetime camps and boomtowns scattered about the hills wherever gold was discovered, some all but hidden now down shady country roads. Many became decaying ghost towns, but others have prospered from tourism, like Angels Camp, where Mark Twain was inspired to write The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. The two once-rollicking towns of Columbia and Coloma (site of the first gold discovery) have been carefully preserved as state historic parks, where the Gold Rush story is excitingly told. The discovery had a profound impact on California and America, uniting the eastern seaboard with the vast western lands that had recently been won from Mexico. As you tour, count the easygoing history lesson as a value-added bonus of the drive. Getting started For us, Gold Country made an ideal add-on to a trip to San Francisco, getting us out of the city and into the quieter countryside. The San Francisco Bay Area's three major airports-San Francisco International, Oakland International, and San Jose International-are reasonably convenient to the drive. Airfares into Oakland and San Jose, served by Southwest Airlines, the nation's largest no-frills airline, tend to be cheaper. No discount airline currently flies into San Francisco. When we made our arrangements, the Internet showed seven car-rental agencies at Oakland's airport-including Budget (800/527-0700, budget.com), Thrifty (800/847-4389, thrifty.com), and Dollar (800/800-4000, dollar.com)-all offering a compact car for a week with unlimited miles for about $150. The main road threading Gold Country, California Route 49, is aptly dubbed the "Mother Lode Highway." Mostly two lanes and endlessly winding, it stretches 310 miles north from the foothill town of Oakhurst, just outside Yosemite National Park, to Vinton, north of Lake Tahoe. You may want to tackle the entire route, but I've shortened the itinerary to focus on the most historically interesting and scenic segment. (Lodging rates listed are for two people during summer high season.) Day one: On the road San Francisco to Mariposa, 215 miles One good reason to make Mariposa your first stop in Gold Country is that it still has the look of a frontier town that briefly lured fortune hunters from around the world. But the number one reason, I think, is to gaze in awe at the huge, 13-pound Fricot Nugget. One of the largest and finest specimens in the world, it was found in 1865 in the Middle Fork on the American River about 100 miles north. Value: about $1 million to $3 million-if you discount all historical worth. Imagine stumbling across it. Sort of makes you want to spend a little time panning on your own, no matter how strenuous. The crystalline nugget, bright and shiny, is displayed at the California State Mining and Mineral Museum (adults, $2), where exhibits provide a good introduction to gold-mining techniques. The first forty-niners sifted the rivers flowing down the western slopes of the Sierras for placer gold, flakes, and nuggets swept from the mountains as gravel by raging currents. By the mid-1850s, however, the easy gold was gone, and big investment money was needed to tunnel for the hard-rock gold that remained. To learn more about this aspect of the frantic gold quest, step into the museum's 175-foot-long simulated mine tunnel. It's so realistic, I sort of hurried through, fearful that the ceiling might cave in. Save time, too, for the Mariposa Museum and History Center ($3), which displays even more gold-mining artifacts, including a typical one-room miner's cabin, a giant freight wagon, and a stamp mill-a monster machine that crushed ore to particles of sand, releasing the gold from the quartz. Excerpts from miners' letters sent back home to family and friends detail the hardscrabble life in a mining camp. Details From San Francisco, take I-80 and I-580 east to I-5 south. At Gustine, head east on Route 140 via Merced to Mariposa. The stretch from Gustine to Merced cuts through the San Joaquin Valley, one of the world's most productive agricultural areas. In summer, sniff the rich scent of ripening fruit and vegetables. In Mariposa, stay at the eight-room Sierra View Motel (800/627-8439), $59; the 28-room E.C. Lodge Yosemite (209/742-6800), $69; or the 77-room Miner's Inn Motel (888/646-2244), $75. Dine at the Miner's Inn Motel; the barbecued-chicken plate is just $9.95. Information 888/554-9013, homeofyosemite.com. Day two: A Hollywood favorite Mariposa to Jackson, via Calaveras Big Trees State Park, 145 miles Just north of Mariposa, Route 49 plunges for about 50 miles into a mostly untouched land of deep canyons and rumpled hills blanketed by sunburned grass. Here and there cattle graze. Traffic is light, and providently so. At times, the road edges steep precipices, ultimately dropping down the side in ten-miles-per-hour hairpin turns. At Coulterville, detour briefly off the highway to stroll Main Street. The sleepy little village, where adobe structures dating back to 1851 still stand, calls itself "the most unspoiled Gold Rush town in California." Indeed. We turned into a parking space just off Main and flushed a covey of wild quail. Still a gold-mining town, Coulterville doesn't discourage the legend that "When it rains, sometimes you find gold in the streets." Jamestown, another Old West charmer, is a Hollywood star. It served as a backdrop for High Noon and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, as well as countless other movies and TV shows. Here, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park ($2 for a tour) re-creates turn-of-the-century mountain railroading. Its historic steam locomotives and cars claim title as "the movie railroad," having appeared in Little House on the Prairie and other TV shows and films. In Columbia State Historic Park catch a 12-minute ride ($5) into the piney woods on a stagecoach. But watch out for Trigger Mortis, who might pop out from behind a monster boulder. He's a not-so-threatening masked bandit easily talked out of robbing passengers of wallets, watches, chewing gum, and other valuables. At ride's end, parched from the sun and dust, we slaked our thirst at the Douglass Saloon, downing a mug of homemade sarsaparilla, on tap for $1. Gold was first discovered in the area in 1850, and in one month 6,000 fortune hunters arrived. Before the placer deposits ran out, Columbia produced about $87 million in gold, most of it weighed on the set of scales displayed in the Wells Fargo office. Unlike many early settlements, the town, which grew to 15,000 in its heyday, never succumbed to fire, vandalism, or the elements, nor was it ever completely deserted. The best preserved of the boomtowns, its oak-shaded Main Street, stretching four blocks, is lined with two- and three-story wood and brick buildings housing a mixture of museums and shops. Over-hanging balconies and wood sidewalks reflect the frontier heritage. At Matelot Gulch Mine Supply Store, sign up for a gold-panning lesson ($5) and learn for yourself that panning is harder than it looks. For the price, you get a pan and a packet of sand "salted" with a fleck of gold so you recognize what you are looking for. Dip the pan in water and swirl gently again and again, trusting that the gold, which is heavier than the silt, sinks to the bottom of the pan. From Columbia, continue on to Angels Camp, and then detour east here for 23 miles on Route 4 into the lofty Sierras. The goal is Calaveras Big Trees State Park ($2 per car) and its impressive stand of giant sequoia redwoods. To see them up close, take the easy one-and-a-half-mile hike on North Grove Trail, where some sequoias-the largest living things on earth-grow nearly 30 feet in diameter at the base. In 1852, a grizzly hunter stumbled into the grove; his was the Western world's first recorded glimpse of these magnificent trees. Like gold, they astonish those who lay eyes on them as yet another remarkable feature of California. En route back to Angels Camp, take a walk through Murphys, another former mining camp turned vibrant weekender's retreat, and then end your day in Jackson. On Main Street at California Street, we recently discovered Hein & Co., a huge warehouse of bargain-priced used books. We stuffed every pocket of our suitcases with the armful we carried away. Details From Mariposa, take Route 49 north to Jackson. The detour on Route 4 from Angels Camp to Calaveras Big Trees, 23 miles (each way), adds about two hours to your day if you hike the trail. Stay in Jackson at the 36-room Jackson Gold Lodge (209/223-0486), $55 weekdays/$65 weekends; or the 119-room Best Western Amador Inn (800/543-5221), $79 weekdays/$84 weekends. Dine on Mexican dishes with the locals at Jos,'s; the chile relleno plate, $9.95. Information 209/223-0350, amadorcountychamber.com. Day three: Where it all began Jackson to Auburn, 60 miles Don't let the short distance fool you; the day ahead is full. If you are in Jackson on a Saturday or Sunday, you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast before catching the 10 a.m. opening of the Kennedy Gold Mine ($9). It's reputed to have been the richest and deepest gold mine in California. Preserved as a museum of Gold Rush history, the above-ground structures-the mine office, the changing house, the dynamite storage shed, the stamp mill-can be seen on 90-minute escorted or self-guided tours. If the mine is closed, take Jackson Gate Road (Main Street extended) behind the mine to see the Kennedy Tailings Wheels, four massive, Ferris wheel-like structures (two standing, two collapsed) that once lifted tons of gravel over two hills. They are an especially photogenic relic. You can frame the hillside mine structures through the giant spokes of the standing wheel. In the town of Plymouth just ahead, look for Shenandoah Road, a turn to the right. It's the gateway to Amador County Wine Country, a cluster of more than 20 fine wineries with tasting rooms that don't charge a penny to sip. Their red zinfandels are said to be among the finest in the world. In summer, the rolling hills are traced by rows of vines hanging heavy with ripening grapes. We thought we were in Tuscany. And then, just ahead is Villa Toscano (209/245-3800, general information), a vineyard-encircled winery with a tasting room designed to look like an ancient Tuscan villa. Classical statues line the walkway and fountains splash in the garden. Even wine, we recently learned, has a link to forty-niner gold. Newly rich, the lucky miners spurred a new economy providing them with comfortable lodgings and fine dining. Soon enough, Gold Country boasted more wineries than the rest of the state. Justification enough, we figure, to stop at two more wineries before heading on. In a topsy-turvy way, you'll arrive at the site where the Gold Rush began-now the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park ($4 per car) in Coloma-only near the end of the drive. No matter; you will have acquired the background to fully appreciate the significance of what happened here. In the 1840s, John Sutter was assembling an empire for himself in the nearby Sacramento Valley. He needed wood, so he went into partnership with James W. Marshall to build a sawmill in the Coloma Valley along the American River. The mill was almost complete when Marshall found his gold. Hordes scurried to Coloma, creating an overnight town of thousands. From Coloma, miners spread out to other streams and canyons north and south pursuing reports of other strikes. The rush was on. By 1857, however, the placer gold had given out, and Coloma became a quiet grape-growing town. Still quiet, much of Coloma is now incorporated into the park. In mid-summer, the American River, which slices through the preserve, draws big crowds to raft, wade, or swim in its rock-strewn channel. On the far shore, an area is set aside for recreational gold panning, and a park concessionaire provides lessons. "Does anyone ever find gold?" I recently asked John Hutchinson, a senior park aide. "Some do," he said, "if they work hard enough and long enough." On occasion, he has scored a bit of gold himself. Though a swim is tempting, Sandy and I set out dutifully to walk the park's interpretive trail, which follows the shoreline. A replica of Marshall's sawmill sits back from the water next to a weathered cabin used by his workmen. Further on, the trail turns abruptly toward the river's edge. On a gravelly bank behind a sheltered backwater, we reached the discovery site. Except for a small sign, it's simply a riverbank. North of Coloma, Route 49 snakes through a rugged mountain realm, offering some of the most dramatic scenery on the drive. Initially, the road traces the American River, where white-water rafters go splashing past. Climbing high above a deep gorge, it suddenly tops a summit and then quickly descends into Auburn, one of California's prettiest little cities. Details Except for the wine-sampling detour in Plymouth, stick to Route 49. In Auburn, stay at the 52-room Super 8 (530/888-8808), $59 weekdays/$63 weekends; or the 57-room Motel 6 (530/888-7829), $62 weekdays/$68 weekends. Dine at Tio Pepe's Restaurant; the hefty taco plate includes taco, enchilada, burrito, tostadas, and rice and beans for $7.95. Information 530/887-2111, visitplacer.com. Day four: Auburn to San Francisco, 120 miles Return quickly to San Francisco on I-80 to catch your flight home. Or for more Gold Rush lore, continue north 130 miles on the Mother Lode Highway to its terminus at Vinton. Either way, you might reflect on this thought: A state-park ranger once told me that practically every inch of the streams and rivers of the Sierras has been worked for gold at one time or another. But more washes down from the mountains every spring, when melting snow turns placid streams into racing torrents. The lure of California gold may have diminished, but it is far from gone.

    Live Talk: Traveling Around the World

    When journalist Gayle Forman took off to spend a year gallivanting around the world with her husband, Nick, she figured she knew all the tricks. After all, she'd been traveling since she was seven years old. But it turns out that circling the globe for 12 months requires a set of skills that you can't learn in a guidebook. In "Mr. & Mrs. Globetrotter", Forman shared a dozen secret tricks from the road and today she answers your pressing world-travel questions. Gayle will answered your travel questions Tuesday, March 29, at 12pm EST. In 2002, award-winning journalist Gayle Forman took a year off to travel around the world with her husband. While on the road, she communed with among others, Tongan transvestites, Bollywood starlets and out-of-work Amsterdam prostitutes and wrote about her adventures in the forthcoming book "You Can't Get There From Here: A Year on the Fringes of a Shrinking World," which is out in April. She has written for a number of publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Travel& Leisure, Elle, Glamour and Seventeen. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter. Gayle Forman: Good afternoon, everyone. Thanks for joining me on this chat. I'm Gayle Forman. I went traveling around the world with my husband for a year, hanging out with strange subcultures in the far corners of the world. My book about that adventure, You Can't Get There From Here: A Year on the Fringes of a Shrinking World is out now. When I'm not traveling, I love to help other people plan their trips. In my next life, I'm going to be a travel agent. So this chat is an hour of heaven for me, so much vicarious wandering. I'm going to get through as many questions as I can (so forgive the typos). So ask away& _______________________ Anonymous: So how much did you end up spending over the year? For Americans, taking a year off seems like a wonderful if not daunting task in terms of 'lost wealth'. Gayle Forman: This is a popular question so I'll start with this one. Nick and I traveled fairly well-clean, AC hotels, restaurant meals-for about $30,000 for a year, including airfare, visas etc for both of us. It can be done for much less or much more. We met people who had been gone more than a year on under $10k. It depends where you go and how long you stay in one place. Much of Asia is very cheap. Central America and South America are also full of bargains. Africa can be pricey and Europe, especially Western Europe, very expensive. If you want a luxury trip, well the sky's the limit. Fifty dollars a day will do you quite nicely in many Asian countries, but in Europe that will hardly pay for a day's meals if you are eating in restaurants. Short answer is you can do a trip like this on a few bucks a day--staying in youth hostels, eating street food--and go up from there. _______________________ Manhattan, KS: I would like to travel around the world with my wife to visit friends in nearly 40 different countries whom I met in Manhattan. What is the most economical as well as safe way to travel between countries on a continent? Gayle Forman: I could go on and on with the how-tos. But I'm assuming most of you don't plan on staying with this chat for hours. The short answer is that there are many ways to skin this cat. There are a couple of books on the subject-Practical Nomad is the most exhaustive. You can also check on my new web site (http://www.gayleforman.com/). There's a section called Plan Your Trip, complete with a lengthy article offering all kinds of nuts-and-bolts tips on planning a trip. It includes a section on locomotion that covers how to get from A to B, info on health, documents, etc. All the stuff I wish someone had told me when I was planning my trip. _______________________ Clearwater, FL: Can you tell us 3 places that you'd describe as "do not miss" that are not typically listed as tourist destinations. Thanks. Gayle Forman: I see someone else asked my favorite places, so I'll combine your two questions. My favorite places were the locales that surprised me. I loved Uzbekistan-Samarkand and Bukhara were amazing ancient cities and I had the best meal of the entire trip in Samarkand (for three bucks!). I also adored Malawi and think it will eventually become a big tourist draw in Africa. My absolute favorite place was probably India simply because it is so all encompassing. We were there two months, during which I acted in a Bollywood musical, went on a meditation retreat and made friends who I will know the rest of my life. It could be insanely maddening at times, but that's just the flip side of a culture (or cultures) so vibrant. We flew in and out of India on our way to Central Asia and as the Air Uzbekistan flight returned to Delhi, I caught sight of a turbaned Sikh guy guiding the plane to the gate and I just felt this sense of joy to be back. Of course, it was just for six hours; we flew on to Africa later that day. _______________________ Baltimore, MD: Any comments or feelings about visiting Croatia this year? Gayle Forman: There's a film festival in Croatia in June. I'd love to check that out. I haven't been to Croatia since before the Balkan Wars, but the islands of the Adriatic coast were simply gorgeous. _______________________ Clearwater, FL: How much of your trip was carefully planned and how much just evolved as you went from place to place? Gayle Forman: Again, I see a bunch of questions on this, so pardon my consolidation of this question and another couple: We decided where we wanted to go, more or less, and bought a skeleton ticket (LA-Tonga-New Zealand-Hong Kong, then overland to Thailand-India-Kenya). If I had to do it over again, I would have just bought the beginning portion of our tickets (to New Zealand or Hong Kong) and booked the rest as we went. It would have made better sense if we'd gone to SE Asia after New Zealand, and then worked our way up to China, across to Kazakhstan and then to India. We ended up zigging and zagging a lot. As for hotels, I booked a place in Tonga, our first stop, and we left there a few days later. After that, I never booked in advance. We always managed to find places, most often really great places. The one caveat on this one is if you're going somewhere wildly popular (Paris) during a high or shoulder season. You can usually find last-minute places but you'll have far fewer options. We got too many visas before we left and ending wasting money on them. If you're going to be in big cities, you can get visas as you go. Some of our favorite places (Malawi, Uzbekistan) were last-minute destinations. We literally jumped off a train in the middle of Tanzania (one that was supposed to take us to Zambia) because we wanted to go to Malawi. Don't overplan. The serendipity can be the best part. _______________________ Simsbury, CT: After finding out about the recent breakouts of the bird flu in Asia, I'm wondering if there are any precautions or vaccines that I need to take to prevent contraction? I plan on travelling to Taipei, Taiwan in the near future; I'm also a vegetarian. Gayle Forman: I wouldn't be too worried about avian flu. Exotic new diseases make good fodder for cable TV but in reality your risk of contracting avian flu or Ebola virus (or even SARS) is tiny, nothing like your risk of getting hurt in, say, a car crash. Sorry. As for vaccines, the International Society for Travel Medicine (http://www.istm.org/) offers guidelines for what vaccines you'll need. So does the CDC (www.cdc.gov/travel). I'm pretty sure that you won't need anything for a trip to Taipei, a very modern metropolis. _______________________ Long Island, NY: What is the difference between a passport and a visa? Gayle Forman: A passport is a little booklet that proves your identity as a citizen of a certain country. You need a passport to travel outside of the US. A visa is essentially an entry permit into a certain country. Different countries require visas from different nationalities (go to www.travisa.com for specifics). Many countries do not require a visa from US citizens. You must usually pay for a visa and it is stamped or glued into your passport. They make nice souvenirs. _______________________ Lakeland, FL: I'm traveling to Rome May 6th. Do you have an idea/feeling where the dollar v. Euro might be? Thanks. Gayle Forman: The weak dollar is definitely a drag for travelers. The current exchange rate is about 1 euro=$1.29. My experience, however, was that Italy was not nearly as bad as some other European countries. For instance in the Netherlands, it seems as though many establishments used the changeover to the euro as an excuse to jack up prices. Such that a cup of coffee that once cost 3 Dutch guilders (about a dollar fifty back in the day) now cost 3 euro. This tended to happen in countries where the value of the former currency and the euro were close (Germany, Netherlands). Wasn't such an issue in Italy. But anyone traveling to a euro country with greenbacks will feel the sting. _______________________ Miami, FL: We'd like to travel to South Africa in October this year to see Cape Town, the Garden Route, and the wine country but have heard conflicting reports about the safety and security of Americans traveling there. Do you recommend going? Is it "safe?" Gayle Forman: I'm going to use your question to address the safety issue. I traveled around South Africa on my own, with my husband and with my parents without incident. Cape Town and the Garden Route are generally thought to be safer than Johannesburg, a villifed city that I really like. S. Africa does have crime issues and many countries have safety concerns, but I tend to feel that they often get over-hyped and that a good amount of common sense, awareness of your surroundings, cultural sensitivity can go a long way to keeping you safe. For what it's worth, we traveled for a year and I spent at least two months of that time on my own. The only time I was a victim to a crime was in Rome. Some very clever pickpockets got me on the bus. _______________________ Royal Oak, MI: I was wondering how many foreign countries you have visited, and where your book is being sold. Gayle Forman: We visited about 20 on that trip. I think I've been to about 40 overall. I'm not in the 100 club, travelers who've been to more than 100 countries. My book is on sale at the usual places: Barnes&Noble, Amazon etc. _______________________ Anonymous: I am a female Navy vet who plans to travel to Turkey next year. I am going with a Turkish friend and her two small girls. Her husband is American. Even her husband has commented on the trip regarding security. How safe are Americans in Turkey? She says they love us, I have reservation because of traveling in the Mideast while in the Navy. Gayle Forman: Turkey is one of my favorite places I have ever visited--maybe because I went there on my honeymoom. I really would not be concerned about how the Turks will treat you. My overall experience was that everyone was welcoming and warm and loved Americans, and their tourist dollars, if not their government. There is certainly some animosity in the Middle East over the war in Iraq but Turkey has such a strong tourism industry that really, most people really want you to be there. The bombings in Istanbul a few years back-thought to be al Qaeda-upset Turks as much as anyone. Use the same caution and common sense and cultural sensitivity you would anywhere, but by all means go. _______________________ Verona, NJ: My husband & I are planning a 6 to 12 month round the world escapade to celebrate his imminent retirement (we did an 8 month round the world 25 years ago but we were younger and that was then). We plan to sell our house and so will have no U.S. address. What's best for mail? My sister offered to let us use her address--she would have to either take care of it or send it on to us or we could pay a service like USABox.com to forward mail? Or is there another way? At least paying bills and managing a checking account on the internet will be great (though we'd still need an address for those accounts). For some reason, this worries me more than the travel itself. How did you arrange your mail for a year? Gayle Forman: We had our mail forwarded to family, gave power of attorney to certain relatives and authorized them to access our various bank and credit card accounts. We set up automatic bill pay whenever possible and then family members did the rest. As for mail, aside from bills there wasn't much of it as most people knew we were gone for the year. If you already have credit cards etc. you won't need an address of your own to keep them, just somewhere where you can be contacted. A PO Box would also work but you'd have to have someone you trust check it for you so it seems easier to just forward your mail to a trusted friend or relative. If your sister is responsible, I'd take her up on her offer. _______________________ Chicago, IL: I will be traveling to Beijing and Shanghai, China this July. I was wondering if you had any suggestions for other locations, either in China or by China, that I could visit as well. Gayle Forman: I adored Lijang, in Yunnan province. And Beijing should not be missed. _______________________ Los Angeles, CA: I think that you stated that you spent about $30,000 for a year for both you and your husband. For a single person (one person) do you think that you could half that amount ($15,000.00)? Maybe 2/3 ($20,000.00)? Gayle Forman: Hotels were sometimes a flat room rate, sometimes priced per person. I would think you could definitely do it for 20,000, as long as you stay out of Europe. We spent six weeks in Europe, staying with friends much of the time, and I'd say we spent at least $100 a day when we were paying for hotels. _______________________ Carbondale, CO: What's the best way to get things going? It's hard to imagine taking a year off at once, how do you start the process? Gayle Forman: The hardest thing about taking a year off is deciding that you can do it. It really is a huge leap of faith, to decide that you can leave your job/home/dog/family etc. That was the hardest part. Seriously. _______________________ NYC, NY: So overall, besides having the luxury of writing a book, you think that traveling the world for a year or two is a positive experience? For some reason I have a longing to quit my job (bound in Times SQ is not fun) and go from Istanbul to Beijing back to Moscow. Gayle Forman: It was an extraordinarily positive experience. Travel changes you. That's why we love it. That said, it was also really difficult at times. I have always found that I get tired of traveling after about 3-4 months and I definitely hit some walls. And the truth of it is that traveling together is hard on a marriage. You are constantly grappling with unfamiliar places, cultures, languages, etc. You get tired of being the (lost) stranger in a strange land. Nick and I fought pretty intensely at times. I thought it meant we were doomed. But then I talked to other couples who traveled together and they all said that traveling had tested--and usually solidified--their relationships. It did for ours. Even when it's difficult, travel is always a positive experience. _______________________ Cerritos, CA: Hi Gayle, Did you ever feel threatened or really nervous in any particular situation? Gayle Forman: Yes, whenever I had to drive somewhere with an insane taxi driver or bus driver. It was the only time I was scared. Once on an overcrowded minibus in Tanzania (20 of us in a van built for 12) we clung for our lives as the driver careened around bends at ridiculous speeds. Every so often he slowed down to check out a bus that had flipped over on the side of the road, and then revved back up. I was very happy to reach our destination. _______________________ Atlanta, GA: Is there any place you regret going to? Is there any place you regret not going to? Thank you. Gayle Forman: Nick and I both regret not going to Laos. As we traveled, other travelers would ask us where we'd been and we'd say "Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand..." and they'd ask, "Not Laos? It was our favorite." Oh well. _______________________ Anonymous: Hi Gayle, What did you do for insurance on your trip? Did you get traveler's insurance? (Just for evacuation emergencies?) Gayle Forman: We bought travel health insurance, which is different from trip insurance (that covers cancelled flights, lost baggage, etc.) It is quite reasonable, as low as $500 a year. Ours was more like $1200 a year for each of us, and included evacuation insurance. Again, I have an article on my web site that gives URLs of various insurance carriers. _______________________ Helena, MT: How does an opportunity to travel and make money at the same time come about if one isn't a journalist? I'm a social worker and have a huge interest in travelling and travel journalism but I haven't ever written anything for any publication. My question is did you come up with the book idea yourself and then go or did a publisher approach you with the idea before the trip because you are a journalist? Gayle Forman: I did not sell my book until after we got back. And I did not write very many articles on the road, either. We saved all our money before we left--two years of serious belt tightening. And we did not make a lot. My husband is a a librarian and freelance journalism--not so glamorous as you might think. _______________________ Nevis, West Indies: What was the most exciting portion of your adventure? Gayle Forman: My favorite thing about travel is that wonderful moment, that alchemy, when the man at the tea shop remembers your name and suddenly, you connect, you belong. For me travel is all about those connections, and creating those bonds was my favorite part of the trip. _______________________ Clearwater, FL: New Zealand is high on my dream list. Would you suggest a minimum of a month to see its many pretty parts? Are the car rentals/campers reasonably priced? Gayle Forman: I would choose one island, North or South, and rent a campervan. New Zealanders are big on campervanning and there are lots of great campgrounds. If you go high season, be sure to rent a van well ahead of time. _______________________ Hoboken, NJ: How did you handle the packing issue? I'm sure you traveled through every season & climate, yet you must have had to maintain a manageable amount of luggage. Gayle Forman: The first part of our trip, we followed the summer, except for a few freezing weeks in Beijing. I mostly bought clothes as I went and then sent them home when I was done with them. We had our winter clothes shipped to us before we went to Europe in winter. We also did not use backpacks. We had two bags, the Beast and Beastette. The Beastette was a rolling bag that converted into a backpack. All our clothes went in that. The Beast was a hardshell rolling case--yes, a hardshell case. We had a computer and lots of tickets and cash and the Beast locked and when locked to something stationary was our traveling safe. When we cruised around a country, we would often leave the Beast in storage and make do with Beastette. We left Beast in an attic in Amsterdam. Beastette is still with us. _______________________ Plano, TX: Gayle, My friends and I (three in all) are planning a three-week trip to Europe this summer. Ireland, England, Amsterdam, France and Italy are the countries we'd like to visit. We will be staying in backpacking hostels throughout our journey. My questions are: 1. Do you think we are biting off more than we can chew as far as the number of countries to visit in the given time period? 2. What are some general tips for saving money? Thanks! Gayle Forman: It's a big mouthful. But then again, with the proliferation of cheap airlines (Ryanair and Easyjet) that allow you to fly from say London to Nice for as little as 10 euro, you might be able to do it. BTW, I recommend flying around Europe as opposed to training because it is so much cheaper now (if you book early enough). As for saving money, stay in hostels, don't eat in restaurants, get food from grocery stores, etc. If you are going to hit all these countries, my advice would be to pick one place in each one and stay there. Experience Italy in Rome, France in Marseille...Otherwise you'll just get to know the transportation system. _______________________ Los Angeles, CA: How difficult was it for you to reestablish your life after the year off? How long did it take you to find a job? How much money did you have put away to live on until you found a job? Gayle Forman: I'm a freelance writer so I went right back to it. Nick got his job back--and health insurance--right away. So that part wasn't so hard. Also, we built money into our savings so we'd have a cushion when we got back (I can't help it; I'm an accountant's daughter.) But re-entering regular life after such a momentous year away took a bit of adjusting. Then again, it was such a joy to see our friends and family, to sleep in our own bed, to get coffee without getting dressed and to not be lost anymore. The weekend we got back, we went to brunch at one of our favorite places and as we left, I jokingly said to Nick, "OK, so let's pull out our map and figure out where to go next..." And laughed with relief. _______________________ Ocala, FL: Which countries are the bargains for travel this year? Gayle Forman: Next on my agenda is Mexico. It's a huge bargain, and right next door and I feel like I've taken it for granted for far too long. There's more to Mexico than Cancun and I want to go exploring there and Central America. _______________________ Gayle Forman: Alas, I see that my hour is up. Thank you for all of your fantastic questions. I hope I could be somewhat helpful. I'm sitting here with a smile on my face thinking about all the places to go to... Happy trails. Gayle _______________________

    Booking Safaris on the Spot

    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.

    Live Talk: Planning an inexpensive, hassle free vacation

    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