Destinations
This is the island kiwis call home
After being caged beneath the waves of an icy sea with great white sharks for company, an Australian tourist faces a much mellower but no less memorable early-evening experience: eyeballing kiwis, New Zealand’s flightless national bird, as they forage for worms at the water’s edge. For some visitors, the two combine to create a dream day on Stewart Island…
— Herald Sun
San Sebastian: A bay window on a Basque beauty
My first job out of university in the 1980s was as an English teacher in Bilbao, the Basque city then at the nadir of its post-industrial, pre-Guggenheim decline. Armoured cars were stationed on the city's main intersections and I well remember having a cigarette by the open window of my lodgings and hearing a bomb explode harmlessly at a nearby railway marshalling yard - just one more incident in Basque separatist movement ETA's 50-year war against the Spanish state, which officially ended in 2011…
— The Independent
Tours and Activities
When Will This Year's Cherry Blossoms Bloom in Washington, D.C.?
Each spring, travelers flock to the National Mall in Washington, DC for a glimpse of the iconic pink-and-white cherry blossom trees in their full splendor during the month-long National Cherry Blossom Festival. And now it’s time to plan for this year’s pilgrimage. The National Park Service announced its forecast that this year’s peak bloom date should fall between March 31 and April 3…
— Travel Leisure
Osaka eats are treats for the taste buds and wallet
"Irasshaimase!" comes the boisterous greeting from behind the messy, flat-top griddle at Fukutaro, a dimly-lit, greasy spoon restaurant in the Sennichimae section of town. Every time a customer walks through the front door, the harried staff calls out in unison, offering a hearty welcome and a chance to sit at a coveted spot along the massive, U-shaped counter. The greeting is typical in Japan. What's unique here is the food…
— Chicago Tribune
The park where visitors sleep with wolves
For thousands of years, large numbers of gray wolves roamed across Norway. Thanks to hunting and habitat loss, today there may be fewer than 30 living in the Norwegian wild. Protected since 1973, most of these now live in a single, highly managed pack in a "wolf zone" in the country's southeastern corner…
— CNN
Cruise
On Small Ship, Ocean Life (and Other Passengers) Are Up Close
Most of the boat is asleep when we pass through Ballard Locks in Seattle shortly before midnight. Blotchy, heavy clouds are stacked like anvils above a purple horizon. Stars wink here and there, a promise of a clearer night. Salmon still run freely between the fresh water of Lake Washington and the salt water of Puget Sound, through a fish ladder integrated within the locks…
— New York Times
Crystal Cruises Announces Polar Class Mega-Yacht, Launches Crystal Luxury Air
Crystal Cruises has topped its recent string of debuts with the surprise announcement of Crystal Endeavor, a purpose-built, polar class mega-yacht, as well as its own jet. "Crystal Esprit is getting a sister!" president and CEO of Crystal Cruises Edie Rodriguez revealed at a media event held in the Sheltair Hangar in Fort Lauderdale. Esprit, the cruise line's first ship in its new Crystal Yacht Cruises line, was christened just three months ago…
— CruiseCritic.com
Transportation
How JetBlue Is Stepping Up Its Credit Card Game
JetBlue recently rolled out a new credit card, in partnership with Barclaycard and MasterCard, that includes new ways for TrueBlue rewards members to earn points. The card comes with a big plus for international travelers: There will be no foreign transaction fees for purchases charged abroad—a benefit that branded cards increasingly need in order to compete in a crowded marketplace…
— Condé Nast Traveler
Nonstop New Orleans to Missouri flights resume in May
Branson AirExpress will resume nonstop seasonal flights from New Orleans to Branson, Mo., the second year flights have been offered between the two cities. Flights begin in May. Branson AirExpress, operated by Buzz Airways, will fly from Louis Armstrong International Airport to Branson Airport four times a week. The flights run through August…
— The Times-Picayune
One Person Filed 6,500 Noise Complaints for Reagan National Airport
Someone living near Washington's Reagan National Airport (DCA) is really ticked off about the increased noise generated by new flight patterns at that close-in airport. So ticked off that during 2015 that person filed 6,500 of the 8,670 noise complaints about DCA received by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority — an average of 18 complaints a day over the course of the year, according to the Washington Post…
— NBC
Lodging
What is the best family hotel in the U.S.?
Orlando is king for family-friendly resorts. So say the readers of TripAdvisor, who made their choices for best family hotels and resorts in the website's Travelers Choice Awards this month.The No. 1 choice was Floridays Resort Orlando, on International Drive just outside Walt Disney World…
— Sun Sentinel
Luxury in the loveliest spot on Earth
Bora Bora is known as one of the most dazzlingly beautiful islands in the world, a place where once only the rich and famous went to play, but now where the rest of us can afford to go to watch them. The main island rises from the centre of an azure lagoon, surrounded by motus (smaller islets) inside a necklace of coral, white sand beaches and coconut palms. Le Meridien is on a motu of its own, reached by a 20-minute motorboat ride from the airport, wearing a lei of fresh flowers and a very wide grin…
— Sydney Morning Herald
8 Amazing African Safari Lodges You Haven't Heard Of Yet
Eight amazing properties beyond the rightly loved big brands (&Beyond, Singita, Wilderness)—each tailor-made for a certain type of traveler…
— Condé Nast Traveler
Other and Odd
Why caravanning is the perfect family holiday
To some it may sound like a holiday hell, to be cooped up together while travelling. And again while sleeping. But for my wife Debs and our two boys, Daniel (six) and Darley (four), it’s the opposite: tremendous fun, exciting and educational. It is – in a great way – the ultimate family bonding experience…
— Telegraph (London)
Women Who Brought Zika Fears Home With Them
In December, Ami Levy and her husband, Jason, left frigid Washington, D.C., for a two-week vacation in Argentina. Once there, they headed north to the Brazilian border for a couple of days, lured by Igauzu Falls. She recalls the excitement when their phones’ GPS indicated they finally were in Brazil, and the awe-inspiring walls of water, some more than 24 stories tall…
— New York Times
Today in History
The Ides of March
On this date in 44 B.C.E., members of the Roman Senate, including Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, and 60 other co-conspirators, stabbed to death Julius Ceasar…
— Travel Research Online
Travel Agent Diaries
White Sand Travel - group cruise learning curves
 It seems to be the month for cruises at my agency! Among them are two group cruises, as a matter of fact. My agency generally focuses on destination weddings and romantic honeymoons; but I decided to expand my business to include cruises, which seems to be a very popular aspect of travel for all age groups. Cruises are like resorts on sea; they’re exciting and relaxing. If you are a foodie, then you are in culinary heaven as the dining options are unlimited. While I thought there would be a lot of similarities between land vacations, there are some headaches and challenges as well…
— Travel Research Online
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Reading Between the Lines
You, Inc.: You've Heard It, So Use It
 "We assume that if we’ve heard something, we know it, and if we know it, we are acting upon it.”
You, Inc. by Harry Beckwith, page 180
I’ve heard this all before.
My dad use to challenge me when he came home from work asking me to “tell him something I learned in school that day that he did not already know.”…
— Travel Research Online
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60-Second Geography
Take A Stroll Through Brilliant Mykonos With Homeric Tours
by Elizabeth Cody
Tuesday March 15, 2016
One of the most stunning cruising destinations in the Mediterranean, Mykonos has enjoyed a thriving tourism industry for over five decades. The huge multitude of breathtaking beaches, romantic getaways, and fascinating nooks and crannies in the island's towns to explore have delighted visitors, from newcomers to long-time guests. Homeric Tours is your authority on this gorgeous Cycladic island and its warm and friendly people!
— Travel Research Online
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Outposts
Journey to Warm and Welcoming Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines
by Elizabeth Cody
Tuesday March 15, 2016
 The capital city of the proud nation of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa is filled with warm people who live in a unique culture briefly kissed by the influences of occupying European forces in the past century. The mark Italy left after they were driven from the country is still evident all around the city, especially in monuments, architecture, and cuisine. Ethiopian Airlines is your guide to this gorgeous African city filled with history and warmth!
— Travel Research Online
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