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January 24, 2010

The Tourism Impact of the January 2010 Earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Filed under: Personal Post, Uncategorized — Tags: , , — myroadtotravel @ 10:43 pm

Article by Robert Curley – About.com Guide

HaitiThe January 2010 Port-au-Prince earthquake is not only a humanitarian catastrophe, it also is a devastating blow to recent efforts to put Haiti back on the tourism map. Part of the bitter irony of this unforeseen natural disaster is that it comes just as Haiti was starting to show signs of recovering from its myriad political, criminal and natural crises and achieving enough stability that visitors could safely be welcomed again. Just recently, Choice Hotels had announced plans to bring the first Comfort Inn to Haiti, which also would have been the island’s first property from an international hotel chain.

Now, Haiti will have to cope with the loss of thousands of lives and the destruction of public infrastructure (roads, buildings, utilities) that was far from ideal even before the earthquake. A wall at the famous Hotel Oloffson has collapsed (though the property is reportedly otherwise intact), as has the Haitian National Palace and the Port au Prince cathedral, according to witnesses. The Hotel Montana has been destroyed, with many people trapped inside; the same is true of the Karibe Hotel and doubtless many others.

The one piece of good news so far is that the airport in Port au Prince is operational and capable of receiving relief flights, despite the loss of its control tower. Also, while travel to the Port au Prince area will obviously be affected for many years by this tragedy, it’s worth noting that other areas of the country did not experience the same level of destruction, leaving open the possibility of a revived tourism industry at some point in the future.

Both the Hotel Olaffson and the Hotel Villa Creole in Port au Prince are reportedly being used as shelters for quake victims.

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have cancelled its flights to Haiti. JetBlue is allowing passengers traveling to Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo, or Santiago in the Dominican Republic whose travels are affected by the quake to rebook at no charge. Check with your airline for more details. Some Dominican airports are being used as staging grounds for relief flights to Haiti; the Dominican Republic occupies the eastern half of Hispaniola, while Haiti occupies the western half of the island.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines said that no visible damage has been reported at the cruise port of Labadee, Haiti. Cruise lines are reportedly waiting for permission from the Haitian government before resuming stopovers in Labadee.


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January 17, 2010

Google Crisis Response to the Earthquake in Haiti

Filed under: Personal Post, Uncategorized — Tags: , , — myroadtotravel @ 4:44 pm
Google Crisis Response to the Earthquake in Haiti

Google Crisis Response to the Earthquake in Haiti

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January 4, 2010

Maui Vacation Rentals from Rugged to Royal

Filed under: Hawaii Travel — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — myroadtotravel @ 1:30 pm

Maui Vacation Rentals

You’re facing a dilemma.  On one hand, you want to do everything you can to ensure that your vacation in Maui will be a dream-come-true.  On the other hand, you don’t want to return from your Maui vacation having spent so much money that it will be a very long time before you can afford another visit.

The ideal Maui vacation will be a combination of relaxation and adventure, but even lying on the beach at Maui comes at a significant cost.  When you add in other expenses like sightseeing tours, snorkeling or horseback riding, a visit to the Maui Ocean aquarium, a traditional luau–any of the things which will make your Maui vacation and unforgettable one, you’re almost certainly looking to economize where you can.  One of the most obvious places to economize is on your Maui accommodations.  Maui vacation rentals are never cheap, but there are nonetheless ways for you to ensure yourself the best deal when you find a place to stay.

You’ll have your choice among hotels, condominiums, and private homes for rent.  Because Maui is such a magnet for tourists, there may be stiff competition for beachfront hotel rooms from other vacationers who realize that this may be the only visit they have to Hawaii and want to enjoy themselves to the hilt.  Should you decide to join them and pay for a top-of-the-line luxury hotel suite, you’ll be guaranteed outstanding service and pampering during your stay.

The large number of vacation rentals in Maui, however, also means that you will have an opportunity to find accommodations which put less of a strain on your budget.  The cheapest way to vacation in Maui, without a doubt, is to take advantage of the many campsites located throughout the island in all sorts of settings.  You can camp on the beach, in an open meadow where you can wash each morning in a waterfall, in the middle of a rain forest, or sheltered from those afternoon rainstorms by a grove of trees.

Some of the camping areas in Maui offer cabin rentals, and while the cabins are primitive, they do solve the problem of lugging around tents and sleeping bags.  Cabins in Haleakala National Park, for example, cost $75 a night and have room to sleep as many as twelve people.  If your idea of the perfect Maui vacation is one that is spent in the saddle, you won’t do better than to rent the vacation home available at the Mendes Ranch in a Kahakuloa in the West Maui Mountains. 

For more traditional Maui vacation rental alternatives, think about staying in a condominium.  Maui is famous for its condo resorts, and condos are ideal lodgings for family vacations or if you are traveling with a group of friends.  Many condo resorts offer access to a variety of attractions for an extra fee.  You may find one which has golfing or tennis privileges, and almost all condos have pools and shuttle service to the beach.  Choosing a Maui condo for your vacation rental will also save you money on your meals, because you’ll be able to prepare your breakfast and a snack to take with you during the day, and splurge at one of Maui’s outstanding restaurants for dinner. Another advantage of using a condo as your lodging is that it will probably have laundry facilities.  You can reasonably expect to spend between 100 and $300 a night for a condo depending on its size and location, as well as the time of year.

No matter how, or where you spend your time in Maui, you are guaranteed the vacation of a lifetime.

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December 13, 2009

Why Family Travel Insurance Can Be a Good Idea

Filed under: Travel Insurance — Tags: , , , , , , , , — myroadtotravel @ 8:30 pm

Family Travel Insurance

Countless travelers never give travel insurance a second thought.  Many of the ones who do think about it see it as a needless expense.  If you, however, are planning a trip with your family in the near future, you should not dismiss the idea of family travel insurance.  Why?

Think about what you will do if you and your family find yourself in one of these situations:

  • * You or another family member becomes ill and you will have to cancel your trip.
  • * Political unrest or a terrorist incident occurs in your destination city before your departure, and you want to cancel your trip.
  • * Your flight is canceled.
  • * You have packed medication, and your bag containing it is lost or stolen.
  • * Your wallet or purse was stolen and along with it all your money and passport.  You need emergency cash, and you need to have your passport replaced.
  • * You have reached your destination and are having the time of your life, when the news arrives that your tour operator has gone bankrupt and will not be able to cover the rest of your tour expenses or to get you back home.
  • * You or a family member is injured or becomes ill while you are in a foreign country.  Your existing health coverage does not pay for services received outside of its network of providers.
  • * A hurricane, flood, or other natural disaster damages your hotel or cruise ship so severely that it is no longer functional.

That may present a bleak picture of the joys of traveling with your family, but you can set aside all your concerns simply by deciding to spend a few extra dollars to purchase family travel insurance.  Having the insurance will free you from all worries about what might happen while you’re far from home in a strange country or city, so you can relax and enjoy your time together.  Here are some tips on how to find a good family travel insurance policy:

Make sure to get family travel insurance from a provider who is not connected to your tour operator.  While many tour operators and cruise ship companies offer family travel insurance at a discounted rate, your coverage will disappear if the operator or company happens to go bankrupt in the middle of your trip!

Study the fine print on your family travel insurance, because if your flight or cruise departs late, you may want to cancel.  Some family travel insurance policies, however, have a clause which says that your cancellation won’t be covered unless it means that more than half of your vacation will be canceled!

Be absolutely certain, when purchasing a family travel insurance policy, that you are completely honest with the insurance company about all your family’s medical conditions.  If someone has a pre-existing condition and you don’t mention it, you might have any claim for medical expenses you incur during your family vacation denied!

Because so many things can go wrong during a family vacation, you need to understand clearly what your insurance company is offering to cover, and what circumstances have to occur before they are liable to pay your claims your claims!  If you have a good family travel insurance policy, however, it can be a true lifesaver.  Your travel insurance company can act as an advocate if you have a medical emergency while abroad, and the medical facility might be tempted to overcharge you because you are far from home!


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November 16, 2009

Choosing the Perfect Outdoor Romantic Vacation

Filed under: Romantic Vacations — Tags: , , , , , , , — myroadtotravel @ 5:00 pm
 

 

Desert Vacations
Desert Vacations

Is it time for you to start recapturing the love in your relationship?  Have you decided that the best way for you and your significant other to rekindle the spark is by sharing an outdoor romantic vacation?  Getting away from it all in the great outdoors can be a real chance for intimacy, as long as you choose the destination which appeals to both of you.  There are many ideas for outdoor romantic vacations, and we gathered just a few of them for your consideration:

Head for the Woods

Whether you want to spend your outdoor romantic vacation as far away from civilization as you can get, or would prefer to enjoy the woods while still remaining close to civilization, you can tailor your vacation to suit your needs.  There are now many hiking parks which have their own trails as well as camping facilities, and there are national parks where you can load your provisions into your backpack and set out to rough it in the wilderness.  Mountain biking vacations are also an option.

Enjoy Some Desert Sun

Whether you’re in the US, or closer to the Middle East, spending an outdoor romantic vacation in the desert will give you your choice of a number of activities.  If you’re in the American West, spending time on a desert dude ranch and exploring on horseback is one option.  If, on the other hand, you’re in the Middle East you can do your explorations from the back of a camel!   In some desert areas, you can dune surf in the tradition of the ancient Egyptians who indulged in some wild rides down the slopes of towering Sahara dunes on pieces of discarded pottery.  The two of you may get some curious stares when you pack your snowboard for your desert vacation, but that’s all part of the fun you’ll share!

Jungle Tours Jungle Tours

Do Some Mountain Climbing

Could any adventure possibly be as romantic as mastering the heights of a challenging mountain together?  There are mountains begging to be climbed on every continent, so you’ll enjoy sharing your time as you pick the perfect mountain to meet your level of climbing experience and your budget.

Explore a Jungle

How many other couples do you know who have shared the romance of a jungle adventure?  Raft down a jungle river; take a safari to view the mountain gorillas in the jungles of Rwanda; or spend a week living among a South American Indian tribe in a jungle eco-tour vacation.  Get a close-up glimpse of some of the world’s endangered species, or climb through the jungles of Peru to view the marvels of Machu Picchu.  Jungle romance most definitely does not have to be reserved for Tarzan and Jane!

 The choices you have for romantic outdoor vacations are limited only to your shared imaginations.  You’re certain, with little effort, to find the one which will satisfy your needs for both relaxation and adventure!

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