Tahiti Unplugged

Name: Budget Travel LLC
Price range: $

By Jason Cochran

June 4, 2005

Our picks for the most romantic but affordable inns in the islands

Simple is the way to go on the French Polynesian islands of Tahiti, Moorea, and Huahine: All you really need is a thatched hut with friendly owners and a beachfront location.

On Tahiti, the namesake of the French Polynesian islands, pleasure lies in hiking magnificent green peaks and verdant valleys; browsing markets for beach wraps, exotic fruits, and carvings; and wading far from shore in warm, gently lapping water

All international jets land in Papeete, the hectic capital of French Polynesia's 118 islands. Although many tourists quickly switch planes (destination: isolation), the island of Tahiti is worth more than a layover. To begin with, it's the most populated spot in the island nation, which gives visitors the clearest insights into modern Polynesian life. The Gauguin Museum and the Museum of Tahiti and Her Islands, both on the west side, shed light on the free-spirited tribalism that seduced generations of artists and voyagers--and scandalized starchy missionaries.

Tahiti's sea-facing hotels all have the same noisy defect: They're on the busy main road, which hustles along the prime coastline and ruins the serenity. Hiti Moana Villa, on the southwest coast 40 minutes from Papeete, feels mostly removed from the hubbub because of its position on a large lagoon. The Brotherson family runs the establishment with exactitude. Son Steve keeps the 10-year-old property looking no older than two; mom Henriette, in her girlish flowered dresses, tends the vibrant courtyard gardens and koi pond. Three garden bungalows, done in polished wood and vibrant colors, are within earshot of the loud morning traffic, but they come with furnished porches suited to sundowners and journal writing. Upgrading to one of the four ocean-facing bungalows near the pool and the boat ramp yields a quieter space with a kitchen and picture-window views of the lagoon--which, many days, is used for training by rowing teams in canoes. For cheap meals, there's a supermarket a mile down the road, and, a quick stroll away, a few roulottes (evening-only food stands serving $9 dinners). Don't leave the islands without trying a bowl of cold poisson cru, a traditional raw-fish dish that's made with fresh coconut milk.

Granted, Papara Village Family Resort's mountainside site requires a short car trip for any activity except jungle hikes. But having to drive five minutes to the beach is a minor penalty when you consider the serenity and the stirring view: miles of surf, wee pink churches in the distance, and a valley speckled with a thousand shades of green. It feels like sacred land, and it is; several stone marae slab altars dating to the 1700s, before missionaries arrived, dot the property (along with a few cows). The resort is owned by Noel Chave, a young Polynesian whose family has lived on the spread for three generations. Noel routinely finds tiki statues in his lawn, which the local archaeology museum subsequently comes in and takes away. Two bungalows and three family-size houses, all made of concrete, have fully equipped kitchens, ceiling fans, TVs, and narrow balconies but aren't remarkable for much more than their good value. Still, guests are free to eat any fruit they can pick from the many trees--lemon, mango, and grapefruit among them. Few properties on Tahiti are as tranquil, and few on any island provide closer access to both bygone and modern Polynesian life.

Punatea Village counters the Tahitian norm in many ways. Its rooms are sheltered from the road; it faces bracing surf rather than a peaceful lagoon; and it's big enough for kids to roam around, with a swimming pool in a garden grove and a private waterfall nearby. A live-in cook prepares full dinners for $25 (try the tuna steaks with vanilla sauce) in a pavilion beneath the towering palms. The four simple beach bungalows--bed, sofa, porch, no kitchen--are spaced for maximum privacy. As is often the case with family-owned properties, there are also a few smaller, cheaper, motel-style rooms sharing a building set back from the sea, but they can't compare with the romance of renting a private hut. The young, attractive Bordes family, who lives on the property with a menagerie of cats and dogs, built everything from scratch three years ago. It's an hour's drive from Papeete, near the village of Pueu, and a 15-minute drive from Teahupoo beach, where the waves are cherished by surf pros.

The tight-budget choice in ritzy Punaauia is Taaroa Lodge, on the main road 20 minutes west of Papeete. The owner, Ralph Sanford, is a middle-aged surfer who wanted a place where both his international surfer friends could hang out and paying guests would feel comfortable. Three years ago, he ordered a few prefab chalet kits from New Zealand and set about creating his casual clubhouse on a grassy plot overlooking a good snorkeling lagoon. The inspiring, jagged profile of Moorea looms on the western horizon like something Bloody Mary enticed the Seabees to visit. Big windows, solar power, a shared open-air kitchen, and a much-used barbecue grill give Taaroa the kind of laid-back vibe usually only found on the outlying islands. Ralph happily loans out kayaks and sailboards to guests, and as an added bonus, water at the lodge is potable (drinking untreated tap water isn't recommended anywhere in French Polynesia). For the most dedicated shoestringers, there's a $24 dorm.

- Hiti Moana Villa P.K. 32, Papara, 011-689/57-9393, papeete.com/moanavilla, bungalows without kitchens from $85, bungalows with kitchens from $115

- Papara Village Family Resort B.P. 12379, 011-689/57-4141, from $100

- Punatea Village P.K. 4700, Afaahiti, 011-689/57-7100, punatea.com, room $55, bungalow $90

- Taaroa Lodge P.K. 18, Punaauia, 011-689/58-3921, taaroalodge.com, room $50, bungalow $106

Moorea

Removed but not too remote or rustic, Moorea is a heart-shaped island fringed with sandy-bottomed lagoons and languid resorts where honeymooners swim with stingrays and dissolve into mai tais.

At first sight, Moorea evokes a storybook illustration of Peter Pan's Neverland. The interior is a jagged jumble of cloud-crowned crags, while the coastline is encircled with placid coral reefs ideal for snorkeling and lazy boating. Just 30 minutes from Tahiti by ferry, Moorea is the easiest of the outlying islands to reach. A car ride around the coast takes about an hour.

The Kindynis daughters are gone. Learn that now, because when you tell any male Moorean that you're staying at La Baie de Nuarei, the first thing he'll ask is if you've seen the owners' beautiful offspring. To the frustration of single men across the island, the girls are attending college in Europe, leaving French-born papa Tamagna and mama Tamara (a beauty herself) to pour their energies into their inn. They've spared no expense. Liberally embellished with whimsy-full-size mermaid frescoes in bathrooms, metal dolphin sculptures springing from showerheads-the lush enclave of three secluded wooden homes feels more like an artist's retreat than a pension. Each home comes with a kitchen, TV, and a cozy sitting area. Guests can borrow boats and books or indulge in a treatment at the best-equipped spa outside the resorts, operated by the Kindynises as a sideline. The gated property is on a clear, shallow lagoon a few feet from Moorea's most popular public beach, Temae, and a 10-minute drive to the excellent restaurants at Cook's Bay-and it faces the same massive, underwater coral garden fronted by the Sofitel Ia Ora, which charges $230 more a night.

For more than a decade, Patrice Coucuret ran a popular B&B in Provence. In 2002, he tired of unexpected midnight appearances by weary road-trippers and, with his wife and his poodles, decamped to a hillside in southwest Moorea, where guests always arrive announced and excited. At first glance, Fare Arana is très tahitienne: Each guest gets a furnished patio and deck overlooking a lagoon, with the fragrance of flowers wafting about. But Patrice brought the French bonheur and pastis cocktails with him, which he uses to fuel lingering conversations in a poolside cabana. Faraway Provence, precious and countrified, fills the rooms. Each bungalow has a crockery-stocked kitchen with lace curtains and sea views, wood and wicker decor tastefully accented with dried flowers, trim painted in periwinkle and cinnamon, and-most unusual-air-conditioning. It's adorable and inviting. The inn's name should have been the first clue: In parts of French Polynesia, arana means "nest."

On the north coast's Opunohu Bay, Fare Vaihere is a tiny outfit that strives for the dignity and service of a large resort. Cyril and Florence Morize, the French owners who opened the place 18 months ago, can even be spotted chauffeuring guests in their Land Rover on free restaurant runs each evening. Their five smart bungalows, looking barely used, come with porches, electric kettles, little fridges, and towels monogrammed in orange and white, the house motif. The one waterfront bungalow can be windy, but three others are safely inland on the clipped lawn.

A fifth bungalow, with three bedrooms, has a full kitchen for do-it-yourself petit-déjeuner (the four smaller rentals include continental breakfast). The Morizes' three good-natured kids periodically scamper by with their goofy family dogs. Just off the slender, 130-foot beach are the waters where Captain Cook anchored when he first landed in 1769; today you'll see mega-yachts and boutique cruise ships. Kayaks and snorkels are free, and you can fish off the private wooden pier. Or sneak into the pools at the fancy Sheraton, a short walk up the road. (Everyone does it.)

Village Temanoha is one of the few Polynesian hotels-at any price range-to colonize the bush. Just a five-minute drive from the tourist zone down an unpaved track, Temanoha's six low-slung cabins have kitchenettes, terraces, wooden furniture, and bathrooms walled with rustic stone. They're scattered on a plant-studded lawn with a central swimming pool, trees dripping fruit and flowers, and fern fronds the size of shower curtains. The Castellani family, who owns the property, keeps a few chickens running around to gobble up intruding centipedes (a stinging pest that visitors may hear called "hundred legs").

- La Baie de Nuarei B.P. 605, Maharepa, 011-689/56-1563, labaiedenuarei.pf, from $154

- Fare Arana P.K. 19.5, Atiha, 011-689/56-4403, from $140

- Fare Vaihere P.K. 15.5, Opunohu Bay, 011-689/56-1919, farevaihere.com, double $150, for six $250

- Village Temanoha 94 Maharepa, 011-689/55-2500, from $107

Huahine

Relatively few outsiders come to Huahine, an unspoiled paradise of vanilla plantations, thick jungles, wide lagoons, and world-class surf.

Actually two islands linked by a short bridge, Huahine has only 5,700 residents and two isolated resorts. Flights from Papeete take about 45 minutes, and once the planes land, Huahine's sleepy airport often shuts down for the afternoon.

The only decent place to stay on the southern end of Huahine, Pension Mauarii proudly grooms a castaway vibe. Door handles are fashioned from branches, buffed tree trunks act as pillars, tubby tikis stand guard in the courtyard. Capped by thatched roofs rigged with flap doors to catch the breezes, the chalets are twice the size of their competitors; some even have interior lofts. All have giant bathrooms done in inlaid coral, cracked tile, and, in a nod to honeymooners, the odd fertility totem standing at attention. The young owner, Vetea, entertains guests over meals like a surfer-boy version of Fantasy Island's Mr. Roarke. He's respected for transforming a once-tired pension into a handsome, full-service resort. Unlike anywhere else in this price range, the Mauarii aims to provide everything a visitor needs-convenient since Fare, the island's only real town, is a half-hour drive away. There's an activities concierge (wakeboarding, scooter rental, and so on) and a gourmet restaurant, which, unusual for this island, serves all three meals. The restaurant's prices are a little more than they have to be, but the food's good. Note: Rooms book up early.

Huahine Vacances, located where the two islands join on Maroe Bay, sells a package deal extraordinaire: For one price, you get a house of your own, plus use of the compact car and the 13-foot speedboat that come with it. Bordeaux-born Michel Sorin arrived here on vacation in the early '80s and never left. He had a vanilla plantation that got obliterated by a nasty-and extremely rare-storm in 1998. So he built three suburban-style ranch homes and opened them as a pension. Two have three bedrooms, one has two, and all come with spacious living/dining areas and giant terraces with views of the water. Each could easily please a family of six, what with niceties like hairdryers, washing machines, cribs, ovens, and grills. Jacqueline, Michel's Polynesian wife, will even babysit for $50 a day. A few doors west, a competing outfit, Villas Bougainville, provides much the same package, only with more space and a position set back in greenery, hidden from the water.

Huahine's consistent waves attract die-hard surfers who stay for months, subsisting on nearly nothing. How do they do it? They stay at places such as Chez Guynette, a.k.a. Club Bed. By day, it's Huahine's unofficial nerve center for backpackers, who swat flies and nurse cold Hinano beers on the patio. By night, it's a long-running, eight-bed crash pad operated by New Jersey-reared Marty Woolston and her teddy bear of a Polynesian husband, Moe. So what if it's dark and needs renovations? Who cares if you don't get more than an efficiency-style room and a shared kitchen? It costs just $18, and it's right at the port in Fare, a few doors up from the only supermarket on the island, so you won't need a car. The best surf breaks are a short paddle away. At these prices, Guynette is what dropout fantasies are made of.

- Pension Mauarii B.P. 473, Fare, 011-689/68-8649, mauarii.com, room $75-$90, bungalow $100-$150

- Huahine Vacances P.K. 10, Maroe Bay, 011-689/68-7363, iaorana-huahine.com/en/huahine.html, two-bedroom house, car, and boat from $205 a night for two or three people

- Villas Bougainville B.P. 258, Fare, 011-689/60-6030, iaorana-huahine.com/en/bougainville.html, two-bedroom house, car, and boat from $255 a night

- Chez Guynette B.P. 87, Fare, 011-689/68-8375, iaorana-huahine.com/en/guynette.html, $18

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The Mother/Daughter Traveling Team

I am mystified by the travel paralysis that seems to have gripped so many Americans. It's an odd, dangerous time, or at least it looks that way when I'm glued every night to CNN, but getting out in the world is really no more risky than staying at home. And travel is such a wonderful, therapeutic way to relieve all that news-generated stress. I'm not planning a holiday jaunt to North Korea anytime soon, but I am planning to get away somewhere warm, wonderful, fascinating. Seizing the moment has always served me well, particularly when it came to jetting off with my closest friend and most faithful travel companion-my mother. As an only child growing up in small-town Massachusetts, I was always very close to both of my parents. When I was just out of college, my father died suddenly. As a way of helping us recover from his death, my mother and I decided to use our nest egg to travel the world. We found an astonishingly inexpensive tour company in Boston, International Weekends, and booked our first big trip overseas: 16 days in China with air for only $899. And just like that, a mother-daughter traveling team was born. There were so many trips available to the most exotic locales. We couldn't resist any of them. Over the next decade-from the early '80s into the early '90s-we traveled to Romania, Guatemala, the Soviet Union, Senegal, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Tahiti, and throughout most of Europe. We never found excuses not to go. It was almost as if we had a premonition that we should not delay. We were lucky enough to hit every place at just the right moment. We traveled around China when it was first opening up to American tourists in the early '80s. At our first stop, Shanghai, my blond-haired, blue-eyed mother caused quite a sensation. Crowds of locals gathered around her, fascinated by this odd-looking Western woman. They stared, they touched her hair, they were awestruck. This happened throughout China and later in other isolated corners of the world. It was a thrill to be so out of place, to step into worlds not our own, to feel so very foreign. We went to Romania and the Soviet Union when both were still part of the forbidden empire. Stepping behind the Iron Curtain delivered quite a frisson. Sometimes, unfamiliar with local customs-and restrictions-we'd inadvertently get ourselves into a bit of trouble. Once, in Moscow, a handsome young man asked us to dinner at a local restaurant. When the bill came he paid in local currency and asked if we'd give him our share in dollars, but not there and then-later, on the subway on the way back to our hotel. We passed him the money heading down an escalator, not realizing that we'd just broken the law on exchanging dollars with Russian citizens. As time progressed we became consummate planners, booking trips with key annual events in mind: tulip season in Holland, the Stars of the White Nights Festival in Leningrad. For several years we spent Christmas and New Year's in Europe, each time splitting the holidays between two different European capitals: Christmas in Prague, New Year's in Budapest, the same for Lisbon and Madrid, for London and Paris. These were some of our most precious moments together, spilling into new raucous streets at the stroke of the New Year. We were even in Prague for its first independent Christmas free of the Soviet grip. Traveling together elicited some great reactions from both locals and fellow travelers. Everywhere we went people were charmed to encounter a mother and daughter who got along so well, more like best friends than anything else. Local families adopted us along the way, feeding us in their homes, volunteering to show us the sights. And international young men, who must have shaved a few years off my age seeing me with my very young-looking mother, were drawn to me like magnets. I got marriage proposals in Romania, Senegal, and China. To immortalize our trips together we'd always elicit some passerby to snap our photo in front of key landmarks. We developed them big and hung them in frames in our home gallery: Mom and me in front of the Great Wall; at Red Square; at Ayres Rock; near the Sydney Opera House; at the pyramids in Egypt. Before long the picture gallery was enormous. These adventures together cemented our relationship and really did turn us into best friends. We were constantly planning for our next trip or reminiscing about our last. We'd cook up some specialty dish we'd discovered halfway around the world, explore wines we'd tasted, and polish off dinners with some newly discovered liquor-Japanese sake or maybe a Polynesian mai tai. These trips became a big part of our lives, even long after they'd ended. People we met along the way wrote us letters and visited us in New York. I even helped our Romanian tour guide get out from under the wicked Ceausescu regime and immigrate to this country. Mostly everyone knew us as the mother-daughter travelers-"Lilly and Sheri, where are they going next?" Then, quite suddenly, my mom fell ill and couldn't travel anymore. We eventually found out it was Alzheimer's. We often discussed how lucky it was that we had traveled so much when we still could. In her rooms at the various assisted-living places into which I moved her, I hung the large framed photos from our worldwide adventures-a complete picture gallery featuring decades of memories. These brought her immense pleasure. The photos jogged her memory, which was dimming progressively. On each of my visits, Mom asked me to tell her the stories of where we went and what we did. I'd recount our famous travel tales and she'd marvel that she'd actually been on all those exotic adventures. "Sheri," she'd say, "you mean to tell me we traveled all over the world? I can't believe it!" She died this past summer. The time to travel with your loved ones is now. Not later. Now. Life is short. It may be risky to wait. Travel now.

Road Trips

Road Trip: Northern California

The one-lane state-park road I was driving in northern California threads cautiously for a half-dozen miles through a towering forest of coast redwoods, the tallest trees - the tallest living things-on earth. Here and there, it edges so closely between the ancient giants, some of them more than 1,000 years old, that I feared scraping both sides of the car. These stately redwoods surely qualify as a natural wonder; they certainly awed me thoroughly. But would I and my car make it unscathed to the end of the road, nosing erratically as it does through the shadowy canyon formed by their massive trunks? I had my doubts. By any measure, this short woodland path through the redwoods is extraordinary. And yet it was only one of many bedazzling sights and experiences I enjoyed on an economical, 1,200-mile drive recently that took me north from San Francisco along California's rocky coastline to the Oregon border and back south again by way of winding roads through the soaring Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada. My surf-to-summit route, one of America's most spectacular drives, is a scenic treat from beginning to end. But don't figure a great trip like this is going to bust your budget. You can see it all for yourself for much less than you might expect. For example As a onetime Californian, I plotted the drive to show my wife Sandy five of my favorite places. For me, "favorite" usually means somewhere in the remote countryside. So we headed for a sprawling, semi-wilderness region of state-and-federal park and forest lands, where lodging and dining prices tend to be very affordable. Along the way, I found many low-priced rooms that boast lovely water or mountain views. Indeed, a couple can stay in a historic, pine-shaded lodge at Lake Tahoe, one of California's most popular High Sierra retreats, for as little as $44 a night midweek during peak summer season. You might catch a glimpse of the sparkling blue lake from your balcony. Just down the road a few minutes on the Nevada side of the lake, a gambling casino advertises nightly "All-U-Can-Eat" buffets for $6.99, featuring ribs on Monday and steak on Tuesday. We're both hikers, so we broke up the drive by taking exciting day hikes. At Point Reyes National Seashore, we walked through groves of fragrant eucalyptus to a wave-splashed cove where portly sea lions frolicked among the rocks. At Mount Shasta, a 14,162-foot-high, Fuji-like volcanic cone tipped with snow, we wandered through fields of multicolored wildflowers. A maze of cliff-side paths tempted us in the coastal village of Mendocino, a logging town turned artists' colony. None of these hikes added a penny to our budget. Several times, we stopped at roadside beaches to wade in the chilly Pacific surf or investigate the squirmy marine life of tidal pools; no charge for this either. Once we watched a small whale swim past just offshore, its blowhole spouting as it glided slowly north. A terrific show, and all for free. Often we picnicked beside a tumbling stream - lunch al fresco with a million-dollar view for the price of a hunk of cheese and crackers from a local market. Now and again, a no-fee swimming hole beckoned. Getting started The San Francisco Bay Area's three major airports - San Francisco International, Oakland, and San Jose - are all convenient to this drive and are all serviced by low-cost airlines; Oakland and San Jose offer both Southwest Airlines and America West flights, while San Francisco is serviced by Southwest as well as ATA, National Airlines, and Sun Country. An Internet check indicates that auto rentals in August, peak vacation time, are least costly at San Francisco. Dollar (800/800-4000) quoted a weekly rate of $116 in mid-August for an economy car with unlimited mileage. At San Jose, the airport's lowest rate was from Payless (800/729-5377), at $116 a week. At Oakland, the best I could find was $150, quoted by Dollar. Balancing airfares against car rental rates, San Jose may be the airport for budget travelers in summer. On the road, I suggest budget-priced lodgings at each of five overnight stops. In summer, advance reservations are advised, but if you go without, you will spot inexpensive motels and lodges dotting most of this route. Somewhat isolated, they should be open to price-dickering. Room rates below are for two people per night (except where noted) during the summer high season. I chose this route for its magnificent scenery. Few drives anywhere treat you to so much for so little. Point Reyes National Seashore You may want to keep a swimsuit handy as you drive up the coast, although Northern California's beaches invite exploring rather than swimming because of frigid water and treacherous currents. (Summertime can also be foggy; September and October tend to be the sunniest months.) A case in point is Point Reyes National Seashore at Olema, a sprawling, semi-wilderness park that encompasses forests of wind-sculpted pines, lofty precipices, hidden valleys of ferns and huckleberries, rolling grasslands, and yes, miles of empty, wave-swept beaches. I've sunned myself on these sands, only braving the surf up to my knees. There's no charge to enter the park. On my latest visit, we opted to hike the mostly easy Bear Valley Trail, an eight-mile (round-trip) path that meanders through eucalyptus woods and broad meadows to an arched rock beside the sea. Sea lions played, and cormorants dove for dinner. As a short alternative, the ominously named half-mile Earthquake Trail leads to where the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906 began. Markers show where the land suddenly shifted 16 feet. The Point Reyes Lighthouse, clinging to a rocky cliff, is reputedly one of the windiest and foggiest places on the West Coast. Find out for yourself by descending the 300 steps to its exposed perch. On the left is Drakes Bay, named for Sir Francis Drake, the English adventurer who sailed into the bay aboard the Golden Hind in the summer of 1579. Presumably he carried a heavy jacket, which you should also keep handy on this drive. Details: From San Francisco, take State Route 1 across Golden Gate Bridge to Point Reyes, about 50 miles. En route, take in the giant redwoods at Muir Woods National Monument, made famous in a scene in Hitchcock's Vertigo. A few miles later, go for a dip at three-mile-long Stinson Beach, a local favorite. For bare-bones lodging, stay in the park at the 44-bed Point Reyes Hostel, overlooking a secluded valley (415/663-8811), for $16 per bed. Just outside the park in Inverness, the 35-room Golden Hinde Inn and Marina sits waterside on Tomales Bay (415/669-1389), running $90 per room weekdays/$139 weekends with breakfast. Just up the highway, the eight-room U.S. Hotel in Tomales (707/878-2742) lists a weekday rate of $99 per room but invites on-site bargaining. Better yet, try the 16-room Bodega Harbor Inn (707/875-3594) for $60 per room. It's 20 miles north in Bodega Bay, made famous in another Hitchcock flick, The Birds. Dine just outside the park in Point Reyes Station at the Station House Café (415/663-1515); a large lunch bowl of black-bean-and-turkey chili with grilled corn bread is $6.50. Information: Point Reyes (415/464-5100, nps.gov/pore). Mendocino Bound for Mendocino, Route 1 snakes alongside sheer cliffs, plunging back down to a series of public beaches - among them 16-mile-long Sonoma Coast State Beach. Twisting in tight curves that drop the speed limit to 15 mph in places, the two-lane road passes countless small, rock-filled coves, hurdles deep gulches, and tunnels through thick woodlands. Waves fling themselves in fury against the rocks, shooting geysers of spray into the air. It's a nonstop spectacular the entire 135 miles from Point Reyes. The reward at Mendocino is a picture book New England-looking village with the prettiest front yard in America. Seafarers from the East Coast settled here in the nineteenth century, building solid Cape Cod and gabled Victorian homes, now beautifully preserved. The "front yard" is Mendocino Headlands State Park, a grass-covered bluff wrapped around three sides of the town as a protective greenbelt. From Main Street, the park stretches across open meadows to rocky bluffs where we stood high above the crashing surf. Afterwards, we browsed the art galleries, where coastal-themed paintings were reasonably priced. Three out of four residents (pop. 1,000) are said to be working artists, drawn by the gorgeous setting and radiant light. Details: On the way to Mendocino, stop at Fort Ross State Historic Park, a rebuilt fort that is the site of a Russian hunting and trading outpost in 1812. Though Mendocino is far from ritzy, in-town lodgings are expensive. For budget prices, stay ten miles north in the logging and commercial fishing port of Fort Bragg, which delights with a rugged appeal of its own. Good choices are the 50-room Fort Bragg Motel (707/964-4787), $49 per room weekdays/$59 weekends; the 57-room Driftwood Motel (707/964-4061), $54 weekdays/$64 weekends; and the 28-room, pet-friendly Coast Motel (707/964-2852), $48 weekdays/$58 weekends/$10 for pets. Have breakfast or lunch in Fort Bragg at popular Egghead's (707/964-5005), decorated with Wizard of Oz memorabilia with huge omlettes with potatoes and toast starting at only $5.75. From Fort Bragg, take a ride on the vintage Skunk Train (800/777-5865, skunktrain.com), with a scenic half-day trip to the inland mountain redwoods costing $29. Information: Fort Bragg (800/726-2780, mendocinocoast.com). Redwood National Park Height, whether possessed by humans or trees, is imposing. Driving (and strolling) among the giant coast redwoods of Redwood National Park and three adjacent state parks, I was thoroughly awed. Many visitors liken a redwood grove-mighty trunks and overhanging branches forming a forest room-to the interior of a cathedral with its lofty arches and similarly muted light. Albeit a cathedral with a very leaky roof. In summer, morning fog often wraps a protective cloak around these giants, which thrive on the moisture. Trees can grow to 300 feet, as tall as a football field is long. The 215-mile drive from Mendocino to the park tunnels inland for awhile through several redwood groves before returning to the coast. Be sure to take the "Avenue of the Giants," a 30-mile alternate route north through Humboldt Redwoods State Park that is just a taste of the majestic redwoods ahead. At the park, headquartered at Orick, hike the easy milelong loop trail through the Lady Bird Johnson Grove, dedicated to the former first lady. The needle-strewn, spongy-soft path winds through a garden of mosses and ferns flourishing under the redwoods. Afterwards, test your driving skills, as I did, among the redwoods on narrow Howland Hill Road in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Happily, I made it with no damage to me, the car, or the trees. Swimmers love the warm water of the Smith River flowing through the park. Details: From Mendocino or Fort Bragg, continue north on State Route 1 and U.S. 101. Outside Orick, Rolf's Park Café & Motel (707/ 488-3841) offers six rooms in a peaceful woodland setting at $47 each. In Crescent City, at the park's northern tip, the Gardenia Motel (707/464-2181) has 48 rooms for $45 each; or try the 65-room Bayview Inn (800/446-0583) for $59. For good eats, order the seafood platter ($8.95) for lunch at the Harbor View Grotto (707/464-3815). Information: Crescent City (707/464-3174, northerncalifornia.net). Mount Shasta Just shy of the Oregon border, our drive leaves the surf behind and heads for the summits, at the same time nosing south back toward San Francisco. In seemingly nonstop curves, the road - good, but lightly traveled - traces the path of the Trinity River, crossing the remote and rugged Klamath Mountains to Mount Shasta. Cool off in the river along the way as you anticipate your first view of one of the world's most majestic peaks. Only a few other mountains - Japan's Mount Fuji, Africa's Kilimanjaro - dominate their setting as mystical Mount Shasta does. A dormant volcano in the southern Cascade Range, it stands alone, unchallenged by any neighboring peak. Many locals swear the legendary mountain is regularly visited by UFOs. Park your car high on its shoulder at the tree line and hike the rocky path toward the summit a mile or two for a grand panorama. Drop back down to the base for a swim in little Lake Siskiyou ($1 per person). For $10 each, we savored a wood-burning sauna and a cold plunge into a mountain stream at nearby Stewart Mineral Springs (530/938-2222), a rustic, clothing-optional spa. In California, I do as the locals do. There are two-person tepees for $24 or campsites for $15 a day. Details: From Redwood, retrace your way south on U.S. 101 to Arcata. Take State Route 299 east to Weaverville, picking up Route 3 north. Approaching Callahan, turn east to Gazelle and take I-5 south to the cozy, New Age town of Mount Shasta. The distance is 255 miles. Stay at the 21-room Swiss Holiday Lodge (530/926-3446), $50 per room with continental breakfast, hot tub, and views; the 31-room A-1 Choice Inn (530/926-4811), $49 per room weekdays/$69 weekends; or the 20-room Shasta Lodge Motel (530/ 926-2815), $42. The Black Bear Diner (530/926-4669) boasts comfort foods of pot roast, meat loaf, and fried chicken all for $9.99 a plate. Information: Mount Shasta (800/397-1519, mtshastachamber.com). Lake Tahoe On this drive, every day brings stunning new sights to refresh the spirit, an incalculable benefit shared by budget and luxury travelers alike. I doubt anyone can gaze on Lake Tahoe - one of the largest, highest, deepest, loveliest (and coldest) mountain lakes in the country - without beaming in pure pleasure. The lake provides very diverse ways to spend your time here - as a 72-mile drive around it proves. No wonder it's remained popular with Californians for skiing on adjoining mountains in winter, and waterskiing and fishing in the summer. On Tahoe's more rustic North Shore, the road edges the lake beneath dense groves of massive Douglas fir trees. Public beaches tempt swimming (brrrrr!), or you can tube on the warmer Truckee River flowing out of the lake. Sandy and I stopped for an easy five-mile lakeside hike around Emerald Bay. On the South Shore, thick woods give way to glittery gambling palaces at Stateline in Nevada. Of my five favorites, which is best? I can't decide. But if you take this drive, you surely will agree with me that Lake Tahoe does just fine as the grand finale. Details: From Mount Shasta, follow State Route 89 to Lake Tahoe, about 275 miles. The road bisects Lassen Volcanic National Park ($10 per car); plan to take the gentle three-mile (round-trip) hike to Bumpass Hell to see bubbling mud spots and steaming fumaroles. From Tahoe, return to San Francisco via U.S. 50 and I-80, about 205 miles. Stay and dine on Tahoe's more scenic North Shore. First choice is historic 21-room Tamarack Lodge Motel (888/824-6323), where Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, and other movie stars came to hunt, fish, and play cards; $44 per room weekdays, $54 weekends/multiday discounts. Other choices: 26-room Gold Crest Resort Motel (530/546-3301), $52 per room weekdays/$75 weekends; and 26-room Firelight Lodge (800/934-7222), $58 weekdays/$84 weekends. Dine on the buffet at nearby Crystal Bay Casino ($6.99) in Nevada or on huge Mexican platters ($8.95) at Blue Agave (530/583-8113), an 1868 log-cabin lodge reflecting Tahoe's past. Information: North Lake Tahoe (888/358-7461, tahoefun.org).

Trip Coach: March 22, 2005

Need help planning a trip? Have a question about your next vacation? The editors of Budget Travel magazine answered your travel questions Tuesday, March 22, at 12pm EST. Budget Travel Editors: Welcome to our live chat - we're ready to answer your questions! _______________________ Cooper City, FL: I will be traveling to the Netherlands this October. Any tips on how to find the best airfare? Should I book now, or wait? Thanks! Budget Travel Editors: One of our favorite travel tools is a comparative search engine called SideStep.com. I recommend it regularly and suggest using this to price Netherland airfares for your selected travel dates. We did a sample search for October 13-17 and got a best price of $476 from United. KLM is also a good airline to start with, and we recommend not booking your trip too far in advance (before Sept. 1). _______________________ Orange County, CA: I'm trying to arrange a company trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for about 80 people in February 2006. My travel agent has been trying with absolutely no success to get package rates for the last month or so. She has resorted to trying to get us quoted directly with resorts and airlines, which is maybe why the amount has shot through the roof. We haven't used an agency in a while, and of course, I have no way of knowing whether this is true or not. I've just fired off emails to a couple packagers, but do you have any suggestions? I really need to get this back in the budget originally quoted to me. Budget Travel Editors: You have several options. Your travel agent's suggestion to go directly to the airlines and hotels in an excellent one if she can't accommodate you with an air-hotel package for 80. Chances are you can strike a deal with both an airline and with a hotel but it'll require a few more calls. Typically, 16 or more people is considered a group, and sometimes that number can be even smaller. I think you'll be surprised at the willingness of companies to work with you, if you can guarantee so many warm bodies. Another suggestion would be to use Groople.com--a travel booking engine for groups! It's still new and working out some kinks/adding new features, but the savings can be phenomena. _______________________ Encinitas, CA: My wife and I are planning on taking 8-9 months and travel around the world. Can you suggest a good place to look for airfares for such a trip? Budget Travel Editors: Airtreks specializes in RTW tickets, with a website that plans and prices any journey for free, 877/247-8735, airtreks.comGo to our March issue, where Gayle Forman, author of You Can't Get There From Here, took a year-long trip around the world with her husband, and wrote about it in the magazine. She's chatting live next Tuesday at noon ET. _______________________ Savannah, GA: I am guardian of a physically limited 57-year-old cousin. She cannot walk far. Mary would like to go on vacation, but has no ideas of what she would want to do, just get away for a few days. There is not much money available. Is there any options to a cruise? That is the only vacation idea I have had and am not sure that is a good one. Sorry for the vague details. Thank you for your ideas. Budget Travel Editors: Fortunately, there are companies that cater to the mobility impaired and more and more companies are being formed to offer terrific vacations to this often under-recognized group of travelers. (It's about time because their 55 million strong!)Here are three excellent companies: Flying Wheels Travel Service Phone 507/451-5005 Web: flyingwheelstravel/ Accessible Journeys Phone 610/521-0339, or 800/846-4537 Web: accessiblejourneys.com/Wheelchair Getaways Phone 800/536-5518 Web: wheelchair-getaways.com/ _______________________ St. Louis, MO: I want to plan a summer vacation with my family. Parents in their 40's, daughter 15, son, 10. We went to Cancun and stayed at an all-inclusive last year. We enjoyed it , but would like to be more adventurous this year. We are on a budget of $3000 total. Do you have any great ideas? I have searched the internet until I am exhausted. Need Help! Thanks for anything you can offer. Budget Travel Editors: Why not check out the Riviera Maya, where you can still get a great value, and certainly stay within that budget. One particularly active all-inclusive resort is the Sunscape Tulum: sunscaperesorts.com. They have daily bike trips to the Tulum ruins. Check out the April issue for more information on this and other all-inclusives on the Riviera Maya. Also, look into renting a house - for $3,000, you could get a great house - it may even come with a cook! Then you can save even more money by not eating out. _______________________ New York, NY: I'm planning a trip to Puerto Rico in July for a friend's wedding. I have no idea where to start. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Budget Travel Editors: Let's start with airfare - since you're in NY, your best rate will probably end up being JetBlue, but why not comparison-shop at SideStep.com? Don't know if you're staying at the wedding hotel, but if you're looking for lodging, the Puerto Rico tourism site has a terrific travel planner, where you can click on the map of Puerto Rico and find hotels in whatever city you'd like to stay: gotopuertorico.com _______________________ Raleigh, NC: Do you know any last-minute vacations? Don't care where, within a 6 hour drive from Raleigh, or a flight for a budget of $100 per person Budget Travel Editors: Unfortunately you're not alone, which makes planning a last minute vacation during the busy "spring break" season difficult. It'll be tough to find that $100 flight your looking for, but from Raleigh-Durham, a good place to start would be low-cost carriers Southwest (southwest.com), JetBlue (jetblue.com), and ATA (ata.com). If those don't pan out for you, the single best website to find last minute vacations is site59 (site59.com). Specializing in last minute deals, the website allows you to a book a vacation--including flights, hotel stays, and a car-- from 14 days to 3 hours from departure. _______________________ Seattle, WA: Other than Mount Vernon, what places make a good day-trip for travelers without a car near Washington DC? 1 adult and 1 10-year old traveling. Budget Travel Editors: Your 10-year-old will love the Inner Harbor in the heart of downtown Baltimore, plus it's well-serviced by commuter rail from Washington D.C. The one-hour train costs $14 roundtrip between D.C.'s Union Station and Camden Yards in Baltimore; for more information contact Maryland Transit (mtamaryland.com, 866/743-3682). When you arrive you'll be greeted by a picturesque harbor featuring The National Aquarium (410/576-3800, aqua.org) and a boardwalk packed with restaurants and shops. Learn more about Baltimore's Inner Harbor at harborplace.com. _______________________ Stockton, CA: I will be traveling to India on May. However, my flight arrived to Singapore at 11 am of May 22 and depart next day at 7pm. I am would like to do something while there. What do you recomend? Is it safe? Budget Travel Editors: You're in luck. We're running a feature article on Singapore in our April issue - page 120. It includes great restaurants, tours, and tips on how to get around - everything you'll need for that day in Singapore. _______________________ Rye Brook, NY: Any suggestions for great inexpensive places to stay in Santa Fe with a pool. It is essential that the rooms are quiet and not on a busy road. Budget Travel Editors: The Pecos Trail Inn (2239 Old Pecos Trail, 505/982-1943, pecostrailinn.com/) has a pool with terrific views and rooms from $79. Some other good, affordable lodging suggestions that come fully loaded with lots of character are: El Paradero (220 W. Manhattan Ave., 505/988-1177, elparadero.com/) which has rooms from $85); the Silver Saddle Motel (2810 Cereillos Rd., 505/471-7663, motelsantafe.com/) with room from $39; Hotel St. Francis (210 Don Gaspar Ave., 800/529-5700, hotelstfrancis.com/) with rooms from $80; El Rey Inn (1862 Cerrillos Rd., 800/521-1349, elreyinnsantafe.com/) with rooms from $72. _______________________ Frankfort, IN: How you I find hotel rooms with softer beds than the rock-hard beds at most hotels? If I can't find more comfortable beds I won't be able to travel anymore. I have to line up the pillows on the bed and sleep on top of them since the beds are so rock hard. I have painful hip problems that these beds make worse. Budget Travel Editors: The quest for the perfect mattress can last a lifetime, and it's certainly frustrating when you pay to stay somewhere and wake up with a crick in your neck. While more and more hotels are offering "pillow menus" to their guests, few have mattress menus. Our best advice would be to call ahead to confirm the firmness (or softness) of the mattress. Sometimes, they vary from room to room, so it's worth inquiring. _______________________ East Syracuse, NY: We would like to trek a part of Italy that we've never seen. Please tell me if you think this is too much to do in just a long weekend: Leaving Cosenza (via train) on Friday morning, heading over to the Puglia area. Would like to spend a night in both Lecce and Locorotondo, overnighting in Matera on our return. We are looking for inexpensive but clean and safe hotels to stay. I'm not sure how expensive the Sassi Hotel is, but would you recommend it just for the experience? Also, is there an inexpensive trulli you can recommend in either Alberobello or Locorotondo? One more question, we will be heading to Genoa for a cruise, but would like to find an inexpensive villa in the Tuscany area for two days near a Tuscan cooking school. Any recommendations??? Thank you. Budget Travel Editors: Read our article on Apulia, from the September 2004 issue _______________________ Arlington, VA: Is there an all-inclusive place where our large family can vacation for 2 weeks in the summer? There are 16 of us, and the ages range from 8 months to 64 (healthy and active). Last year we went to a dude ranch...lots of fun for all, but expensive. We would be coming from California, Colorado, Texas, Florida and Virginia. Price is a consideration! Thank you. Budget Travel Editors: The all-inclusive resorts on Mexico's Riviera Maya--it's just south of Cancun on the Yucatan Peninsula--are great spots for families and large groups. Best of all with swim up bars, tons of activities, white sand, and warm water, they'll be no shortage of things to do. Five resorts that offer great values: Gala Beach Resort Playacar (877/888-4252, galaresorts.com.mx); Hotel Riu Playacar (888/666-8816, riu.com); Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar (888/923-2722, iberostar.com); Sunscape Tulum (866/786-7227, sunscaperesorts.com); and Barcelo Maya (800/227-2356, barcelo.com). And keep your eye out for our April feature story on Riviera Maya's all-inclusive resorts. _______________________ El Cerrito, CA: My 30ish daughter in San Francisco wants a honeymoon trip to New Zealand from Dec 11-25 (can fly on Christmas). Any ideas on packages? They want 1/2 active 1/2 relax. Destination is not so important but warmth is VIP--not hot though, so no Tahiti, Moorea etc. With round trip air - $2000 each SF/Auckland - we need help! Budget Travel Editors: A few companies (including Newmans Vacations and ATS Tours) offer packages with airfare, car rental, and vouchers for hotels, so your daughter and her new husband can plan things on their own. Their dates may be a problem, because like nearly everywhere else in the world, Christmas is a big travel time. We recommend they book something by around August at the latest. New Zealand is gorgeous and wonderful for road trips. There will be plenty of opportunities for adventure and relaxation. Since they want it to be warm, and to get the best price, they should stick to the North Island. The Bay of Islands area north of Auckland has beaches and romantic scenery. South of Auckland, there are rolling hills that are super, super green. Further south, there are a couple dormant volcanoes that make for great hiking. To the southeast, Roturua and its steaming mud pits and alien landscapes (NZ's Yellowstone). And at the southern tip of the South Island, Wellington, New Zealand's best, most fun city (it also happens to be the capital). The scenery on the South Island is even more amazing than its neighbor to the north, with jagged mountains and immense fjords, but they'd be pushing it to try to do everything on one trip. _______________________ Huntington, WV: I'm looking for a website(s) that would list Charter flights that may be available, i..e to Europe, Hawaii, etc... Budget Travel Editors: Unfortunately, there is no such site. Charter flights are abnormalities in the travel world, with flights and destinations and booking procedures that are never the same. No one has attempted at organizing them into an updated list of departures. So, to find out what's possible, you've got to go the old-fashioned route and contact a knowledgeable travel agent. _______________________ Anonymous: Know anywhere where culture and beach mix? Thinking of Cannes... Budget Travel Editors: Why don't you research Barcelona, Dalmation Coast, Greece and Turkey? Cyprus, Malta, or Tunisia also might be good choices. _______________________ Las Vegas, NV: Having a very hard time finding a ticket for my daughter coming from Chicago to Las Vegas March 28 to April 2. Can you find me anything affordable? I tried Priceline but cannot get through to a human on their 800 number. I want to charge the ticket on my account with her name on the ticket so I need to talk to a human. Thank you. Budget Travel Editors: Because it's in the middle of spring break, it probably won't be on sale. But try America West: 800-327-7810 Also, try SideStep.com. Find a price you like, then call the airline directly to book the trip. _______________________ Cranston, RI: I will be driving up to Quebec City for a weekend in April. What are the most important things to see and do with my short time? Budget Travel Editors: Auberge Saint Antoine is a fantastic hotel: saint-antoine.com. Or try Iled'Orleans: iledorleans.com/ang/k/k_index.html. Hike Mt. Saint Anne for a great day hike. Definitely do the organized city tour - it's very informative and takes about 2 hours. And while you're there, walk around, have a crepe, and enjoy the city. Here's the tourism website: bonjourquebec.com/anglais/index.html _______________________ Tigard, OR: I'll be disembarking a cruise ship in Copehagen in late June and wish to get to London. What's the best way and the cheapest way to get there? Thanks! Budget Travel Editors: Check out Europebyair.com or cheapflights.com for the best airfare prices. _______________________ San Francisco, CA: I am looking for a tour company that arranges trips for single people. I tend to travel with global exchange but I am not able to do their trips in April/May. Do you have any suggestions? Budget Travel Editors: Take a look at Adventure Center, G.A.P Adventures, and Interpid Travel, and Contiki Holiday, all of which will pair you with a same-sex roommate so you can avoid the single supplement. _______________________ Colorado Springs, CO: How can I get the lowest rate on a flight from Denver to Rome and back? What would that rate be? We would like to spend a few days in Rome possible going up to Florence before our cruise, which leave June 13 out of Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy returning at 8:00 AM June 24. Thank you. Budget Travel Editors: Check out Sidestep.com for the lowest rates. Right now it's showing $1100 from Denver to Rome, but that price might go down. Or, you might try booking a flight to Rome out of New York, and then book a low-cost ticket from Denver to New York. _______________________ Budget Travel Editors: Thanks for all your great questions! _______________________

Inspiration

Northern Vietnam

Just ask last year's nearly 3 million international visitors: Vietnam is hardly a best-kept secret. And the traffic is increasing. Since they were introduced in December, United Airlines' direct flights to Ho Chi Minh City -- the first American flights to the country from the U.S. since 1975 -- have been virtually sold out. Vietnam Airlines plans on jumping aboard with direct flights of its own later this year. Feel like you missed your window? Don't worry. Getting off the beaten path is remarkably easy in Vietnam. Most visitors stick to the two poles of this narrow, 1,000-mile-long land: Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south. National airlines offer dirt-cheap, two-hour flights between the two cities. But travel by train is still the more affordable option and allows for detours along the way. At least a quarter of all Vietnam tourists make Hoi An one of those stops. An 80,000-person port town on the Thu Bon river, Hoi An has seen its popularity surge since UNESCO -- the cultural preservation arm of the U.N. -- designated its Ancient Town a World Heritage site in 1999 for, among other things, its elegant 18th-century architecture. But Hoi An is still worth a visit, not only for its prolific seamstresses who can custom-make a silk dress in a matter of hours, but also for its proximity to two places under most travelers' radars: My Son Sanctuary and Bach Ma National Park. My Son Sanctuary In a lush valley below Cat's Tooth Mountain, My Son was once the royal burial and temple grounds for the Champa Kingdom, one of Vietnam's earliest major civilizations, which existed between the 2nd and 15th centuries. The Vietcong used the site as a base during the war, and American bombs destroyed many of the more than 70 Hindu-inspired monuments, though President Nixon finally declared them off-limits, partly at the urging of a Cham art expert. Bomb craters still punctuate the monument grounds, and land mines lurk beneath the surrounding jungle. (Signs provide plenty of warning about where the area becomes potentially unsafe.) Reminiscent of a mini-Angkor Wat, My Son is best enjoyed when you can wander the crumbling brick altars and temples in solitude. So go at off times. Tour buses are there from around 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; you can and should avoid the crowds by hiring a driver for an early-morning or late-afternoon trip (it's open from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). The ride costs about $20, and your driver will wait for you. Two hours at the site should do it. Also a UNESCO World Heritage site, My Son has seen a bump in tourism; a newly paved road, which cut the three-hour drive from Hoi An in half, is making it more accessible. Several international organizations, including Global Heritage Fund, have recently backed restoration projects, painstakingly reassembling the bombed-out monuments and planning for increased on-site security. But while those projects make My Son friendlier to visitors, the feeling now is still that of stumbling Indiana Jones-style onto an archaeological find. Bach Ma National Park Even more remote, Bach Ma National Park, 56 miles north of Hoi An, is Vietnam at its best -- untamed jungles, leafy valleys, views of sparkling beaches. The two-hour drive from Hoi An over the Hai Van Pass is easily the country's most beautiful. Then from Bach Ma's entrance, a tight 10-mile paved road snakes almost to the top of the park's 4,800-foot summit, with wild side trails (some requiring the use of overhanging vines to help you haul yourself over large logs) leading to waterfalls. You can hire a jeep to shuttle you up the park's main road, but the four-to-five-hour hike allows you to take time with the views. The temperature drops about 40 degrees as you climb; pack a hat, a rain jacket (the park is Vietnam's wettest spot), and lots of bottled water. High-ranking French officials built stately vacation villas along the road in the 1930s. Although most are now in ruins, the park service renovated a few near the entrance and summit after Bach Ma was designated a national park in 1991. They're now spare but comfortable inns, with wood floors, shutters, and verandas; an on-site caretaker serves basic Vietnamese meals. Beyond the update of these villas, not much else has changed at Bach Ma. For that, in part, you can thank conservationists, who have fought to preserve the park's biodiversity -- including tigers and over 1,400 plant species -- and a remarkable serenity. Northern Vietnam Transportation Vietnam Airlines 415/677-0888 Vietnam Railways vr.com.vn, Hanoi to Danang from $26 Lodging Cua Dai Hotel Hoi An, 011-84/510-862-231, elephantguide.com/cuadai, from $12 National Park Guesthouse Bach Ma, 011-84/54-871-330, bachma.vnn.vn, rooms from $6.50, dinner for two from $5.50 Morin-Bach Ma Bach Ma, 011-84/54-871-199, rooms from $20,dinner for two $10 Resources My Son globalheritage fund.org, tickets $3 Bach Ma 011-84/54-871-330, bachma.vnn.vn, tickets $1

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