YOU MUST BE DREAMING
Camp on the island beaches of the Galapagos during ROW International’s adventure trips, 11-day excursions that offer five nights outdoors. The other six are spent in a hotel, while daytimes are passed sea kayaking, snorkeling and hiking around the tropical archipelago. By visiting the islands this way instead of a cruise ship, you have the opportunity to kayak alongside sea lions, get close to the famous tortoises, photograph hundreds of species of fish and birds and hike near iguanas and other native creatures. The tour includes visits to five islands – including Baltra, Isabela and San Cristóbal – and the camping follows a strictly enforced leave-no-trace policy. All trips leave from Quito, Ecuador, after a walking tour of the city. Each day involves kayaking, hiking, snorkeling and swimming, with lunches scheduled near sea lion encampments and optional swims with sharks offered. Cost is $2,690 to $2,890 per person, based on double occupancy, and includes tent and hotel accommodations, kayak and naturalist guides, some meals, kayaks and camping equipment, airport transfers, bottled water and guide gratuities. Airfare to Quito is not included, and internal flights between the islands costs about another $600 per person. Call 800-451-6034 or visit rowinternational.com.
traveltowellness.com
A travel writer and editor, Anne Dimon has found herself on many a spa assignment, which led her to create this site for like-minded travelers looking to add a healthy edge to their journeys. The site is an online magazine devoted to reviewing spas all over the world, as well as wellness resorts and hotels, with articles on related issues, such as healthy dining, yoga, golf, hiking or other fitness activities. The site makes it clear that the spas do not pay to be reviewed or included, and the writers make every effort to be impartial. Also offered are tips for spa-goers, especially first-timers unfamiliar with treatment options or how to find a spa that fits, along with themed articles such as girl getaways, the best spas for men and top spas and resorts in specific areas, such as Scottsdale, Ariz. You can sign up for monthly e-newsletters for new spa information, and the blog link lets visitors get up-to-the-minute reports on Dimon’s travels.
BOOK YOUR VACATION
It pumps 40 million gallons of water every minute and is one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in the country, as well as the site of several American American myths, a source of great electrical power and the place where Marilyn Monroe filmed one of her most famous movies. It is, of course, Niagara Falls, and it lures 15 million visitors each year. On July 5, PBS will broadcast “Niagara Falls: An Intimate Portrait,” and a book has been released as a companion ($24.95, Insiders’ Guide). Author John Grant is the executive producer of the PBS program, and along with co-author Ray Jones, he has assembled a nostalgic look at the place, complete with photographs from all eras, historical information, interesting facts, weird stories (including a bunch about folks who went over in a barrel, starting with Annie Edson Taylor, a 63-year-old schoolteacher who in 1901 was the first to survive) and sections on Monroe’s time at the falls and the many weddings and honeymoons that have taken place there. Not to mention the many suicides – believed to be more than 1,000 – and accidental deaths. Nonetheless, this is a mostly light-hearted look at a stunning destination.
REAL DEALS
The week’s best travel bargains around the globe, by land, sea and air.
Pay for three nights at Cheeca Lodge & Spa in Islamorada, Fla., and get a fourth night free. Check in Sunday or Monday by July 31; room rates start at $199 a night, plus $39 per night resort fee and 11.5 percent tax. Fourth night is rebated at checkout. Info: 866-591-7625, cheeca.com.
Esencia, a new luxury beachfront hotel in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, has a five-night “Family Fun in the Sun” package with discounts of more than 30 percent. Two adults and one child under age 12 pay $1,725 for a deal that includes a garden suite with plunge pool, daily breakfast and transfers. Deal is good through August. Info: 877-528-3490, hotelesencia.com.
Kids travel free on VIA Rail Canada this summer. Through Sept. 15, a passenger over age 18 purchasing a senior, student or adult ticket can take along a child age 2 to 11 on any VIA train systemwide.
Singles traveling on RiverBarge Excursions’ “Expanding Frontiers” cruise pay a reduced single supplement on the Nov. 5-10 itinerary from Louisville, Ky., to Nashville, Tenn., and the Nov. 10-17 cruise round trip from Nashville. Info: 1-888-GO-BARGE, riverbarge.com.
– The Washington Post
GEARING UP
It might seem as though nearly every hotel has a tennis court on the roof these days, but the fact is, sometimes you find yourself on the road with no way to practice that backhand. The Hit-a- Way Tennis Trainer is a convenient, easily packed trainer made of nylon, stretchy rubber and Velcro that attaches to a pole, tree or column and acts like a tetherball – simply hit the attached ball to make it wrap around, unwrap and bounce back to be hit again and again. It’s a great way to keep limber and practice while on a business trip or vacation, and a good gift for kids who are learning and don’t want to lose their edge while away from lessons. It also offers a good aerobic workout and improves hand-eye coordination, as the ball whips back at a pretty scary rate of speed. The kit comes with one replacement ball. The company also makes the Hit-a-Way Baseball and Hit-a-Way Softball (each $29.95), and a collapsible pole ($119.95) that at 55 pounds is definitely meant for home use. | $19.95, properformance.com
TRAVEL BY NUMBERS | Top 10 Airports
The top airports in the world for 2006, from Skytrax’s annual passenger survey.
1. Singapore Changi Airport
2. Hong Kong International Airport
3. Munich (Germany) Airport
4. Kansai (Japan) International Airport
5. Seoul Incheon Airport
6. KLIA-Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) Airport
7. Helsinki (Finland) Vantaa Airport
8. Zurich Airport
9. Dubai International Airport
10. Copenhagen Airport
– Chicago Tribune
GEOQUIZ
1. The mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, a national hero in Vietnam, can be visited in which city on the Red River?
2. What body of water connects the Gulf of Oman with the Persian Gulf?
3. One of the world’s most densely populated countries includes one of Asia’s busiest ports. Name this small island country at the edge of the South China Sea.
4. The Canadian province of Nova Scotia is mostly made up of a peninsula on the mainland and a large island. Name this island.
5. What city, the most populous in Namibia, lies on a plateau between the Namib and Kalahari deserts?
6. The Yalu River forms part of the border between China and which other country?
7. The United Nations recently opened a war crimes court in Freetown to try rebel military commanders in which African country?
8. Diego Garcia, a coral island administered by the United Kingdom, is the site of a U.S. naval facility. This island is in which ocean?
9. What river forms part of the border between Namibia and South Africa?
10. The two official languages of Djibouti are Arabic and which other language?
ANSWERS: 1. Hanoi 2. Strait of Hormuz 3. Singapore 4. Cape Breton Island 5. Windhoek 6. North Korea (Also acceptable: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) 7. Sierra Leone 8. Indian Ocean 9. Orange River 10. French
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
