YOU MUST BE DREAMING
Dive or snorkel with whale sharks and encounter other creatures on a trip with Wild Planet Adventures and the Oceanic Society on remote Blackbird Caye in Belize that emphasizes both marine and inland wildlife. The tropical setting on the eastern side of Truneffe Atoll, a mecca for scientists and researchers who work at the Oceanic Society’s field station, gives travelers the chance to explore Half Moon Caye National Monument, Lighthouse Reef and the famous Blue Hole explored by Jacques Cousteau. All of the possible tours include time with a marine biologist guide, and the “Ultimate Wildlife Tour” includes viewing on remote rivers, lagoons and in jungles, as well as a trip to the Mayan ruins. Trip options include a seven-day whale shark snorkel ($2,390 per person), a seven-day whale shark dive ($2,590 per person), a five-day Blackbird Caye experience ($1,460), an eight-day Ultimate Wildlife trip ($1,790) and a 12-day Ultimate Wildlife trip, which is the eight-day with extensions that include jungle lodges, adding about another $300 per day. Call 800-990-4376 or visit wildplanetadventures.com.
BOOK YOUR VACATION
You see them on planes, their headphones plugged in before the audio has even begun, listening to the air traffic control information, their little fold-out map ready for take-off. They are the plane nerds, the people who don’t read People magazine or wonder if they can score two bags of peanuts during the flight. Instead, they have been waiting for the release of “Window Seat: Europe” ($14.95, Chronicle Books), page after page of aerial photographs that show what you will see when you look out the window over it, with an accompanying map depicting major flight paths and narrative on the landforms, waterways and other landscape features. Tips are included on how to spot such big-time attractions as the Eiffel Tower and the Autobahn, as well as how to pinpoint the lesser-known stuff like ruins and power plants.
The week’s best travel bargains around the globe, by land, sea and air.
Book a stay in Jamaica with Couples Resorts and receive discounts of up to 45 percent. For example, five nights at Couples Negril Jan. 8-13 in a deluxe ocean room is priced at $2,075 per couple (rack rate is $3,265 and early booking rate is $2,565). Also, show your passport at check-in proving that Jamaica was your first international stop and receive $200 in spa credits per room (five-night minimum stay required). Book by Nov. 14 for travel Jan. 1 through Feb. 9 and Feb. 27 through April 1. Info: 800-268-7537, couples.com.
Canaan Valley Resort, a West Virginia ski area, is celebrating its 35th anniversary Dec. 8-10 with $35-per-night hotel rooms, $35-per-day lift ticket/ski rental rates and 35-cent food items. Rooms usually start at $80 on weekdays and $86 on Fridays and Saturdays; lift ticket/
ski rental would cost about $47. Room taxes are an extra 9 percent. Info: 800-622-4121, canaanresort.com.
– The Washington Post
flightstats.com
The site says it “transforms flight information into travel intelligence,” and basically, this is another place to go to find out whether your flight or someone else’s will be on time, what its ontime performance has been and view other flight-related statistics. You can compare ontime records for flights you are thinking about booking and also compare fares. In addition, you can view the departure and arrival boards for most major airports around the world. Find real-time weather updates, security wait times, traffic conditions and other airport delays at any airport too, and log on to forums to chat with fellow passengers about anything travel-related. Register your e-mail to become part of the community, and you then can get any of the information sent you for upcoming trips.
TRAVEL BY NUMBERS | Top Mobil Rankings for Colorado Hotels and Restaurants
Mobil Travel Guide released its coveted four- and five-star rankings for 2007, choosing the finest restaurants and hotels in America. This year, six five-star ratings were given to Colorado hotels; for restaurants, Colorado saw five with a four-star ranking. For complete results, visit mobiltravelguide.com.
Mobil Five-Star Lodgings
The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs
The Little Nell, Aspen
Mobil Four-Star Lodgings
The Brown Palace Hotel, Denver
The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, Avon
The St. Regis Aspen, Aspen
Mobil Four-Star Restaurants
Flagstaff House Restaurant, Boulder
Mirabelle at Beaver Creek, Vail
Montagna, Aspen
Penrose Room, Colorado Springs
Restaurant Kevin Taylor, Denver
GEO QUIZ | Where are these places?
1. What present-day island country in the Gulf of Guinea is believed to have been uninhabited when it was discovered by the Portuguese in the 1400s?
2. The Jaffna Peninsula, a region inhabited primarily by Tamils, forms the northern tip of what island country?
3. Porto-Novo, located on the Gulf of Guinea, is the capital of which African country?
4. Although Sierra Leone’s name has Portuguese origins, what is the country’s official language?
5. Ancient rock carvings can be found in Saguia el Hamra, a region located in what disputed territory south of Morocco?
6. In the early 1990s, a separatist movement in the Caucasus region led to the creation of the Ingush Republic and which other republic to the east?
7. South Africa’s chief seaport is on Natal Bay, in an inlet of the Indian Ocean. Name this port city.
8. The Atherton Tableland, at the northern end of the Great Dividing Range, is known for its relatively high amount of rainfall. This tableland is located in which Australian state?
9. The Dogon, an ethnic group noted for its artwork and cliff dwellings, reside primarily on the Bandiagara Escarpment in which country that borders Burkina Faso?
10. Which principality, admitted to the United Nations in May 1993, is the smallest member with U.N. voting rights?
ANSWERS: 1. São Tomé and Príncipe 2. Sri Lanka 3. Benin 4. English 5. Western Sahara 6. Chechnya (Also acceptable: Chechen Republic) 7. Durban 8. Queensland 9. Mali 10. Monaco
