Wanderlust

10 Remarkable and Amazing Resorts

nospam@example.com (eric) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:59:32 -0800

If you like to travel but you're bored with those same old hotel rooms, how about staying in a castle, or in a hotel made of ice, or maybe under water? There are all sorts of places around the world where you can stay somewhere completely unique and different. You can make your hotel stay part of your adventure and vacation memories instead of just a place to crash at the end of a long day. Here are ten of the coolest and most unique places to get some shuteye during your travels.

1. Amberley Castle

If you want to stay the night in a castle once owned by Queen Elizabeth and attacked by Cromwell, you might want to book a room at Amberley Castle. It's nearly 1000 years old and from the outside it looks it. The portcullis is still raised and lowered each day and the outer wall is 60 feet thick, so trespassers aren't much of a worry. When you get inside, though, you'll find tennis courts, Jacuzzi bathrooms, and 18-hole putting courses. It looks new and modern, and you'll have all the conveniences you could want.

2. Kasbah du Toubkal

Photo from yn0001

For those who absolutely aren't kidding when they say they want to get away from it all, they should check out the Kasbah du Toubkal, which is at the foot of the highest peak in North Africa, the Jbel Toubkal. You can't even get to this Moroccan fortress by car. Typically, people get there on donkeys, so don't wear your best traveling clothes for the ride in. Once you arrive, though, the hotel is pricey and fancy and everything that you wouldn't expect for being so far away from everywhere else.

3. Chateau de Saint-Loup

If you want a castle with a real-life moat, you'll want to look into the Chateau de Saint-Loup. The moat didn't save thirteenth-century kings, but it might discourage modern-day solicitors. Up to 250 people can stay there for a wedding or other private function, and the rooms are medieval in style with stained-glass windows and four-poster beds.

4. Castle on the Hudson

Maybe you're dreaming of going to Europe and staying in a castle but you just can't afford to leave the good old U.S. of A. We're too young to have real castles, but you can find a fake one, only about thirty minutes from Manhattan, at the Castle on the Hudson. There's nothing like looking out your turret window and seeing…New York City! The dining table was brought from Europe and dates from the reign of Louis XIV. Everything else is new but looks old, and when you can't go far for your castle vacation it's certainly better than nothing.

5. Karosta Prison

Most of us would pay to stay out of prison, but bribes are illegal, so there isn't much we can do with that. For some people, though, paying to spend the night in a jail is their idea of fun – a jail hotel, that is. Masochistic individuals visiting Latvia can pay to stay at a former KGB jail complex, Karosta Prison in Liepaja, Latvia, where they get not only a room for the night but also emotional torture and humiliation.

6. Charles Street Jail

Another jail hotel that's less painful and easier for most people to get to is in Boston, Massachusetts. The infamous Charles Street Jail fell into disrepair in the mid-1900s and was eventually condemned about a decade before it actually shut its doors in the 1990s. Now it's been totally redone and is open as a four-star luxury hotel, The Liberty Hotel Boston. The people who used to stay there are probably just a little bit jealous.

7. Propeller Island Hotel

Ever wanted to be a vampire, just for a little while? After all, you get to stay out all night and fly around as a bat. Who doesn't want to do that, right? Well you might not get to be a vampire, but you can sleep like one at the Propeller Island hotel. They have an attic room where you can spend the night in your very own coffin. What fun!

8. Das Park Pipe Hotel

How about staying in a pipe in the park? If you're in Germany near the Danube river, you can pay whatever you like to stay in Das Park Pipe Hotel. You’ll get to stay in a large, round, storm-drain looking concrete pipe section with a tiny window. It has a bed, a light and a beautiful view of the park. We're wondering where the bathroom is, though.

9. Poseidon Mystery Island

In the South Pacific, there's the Poseidon Mystery Island. It's being designed by a man who makes luxury submarines, and it's going to be submerged in 40 feet of water next to a private island. Staying underwater might seem a bit creepy, but just think of the views! All those fish, and sharks…maybe we'll stay on dry land.

10. Jules' Undersea Lodge

Last but not least, you can stay in the Jules' Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida. Diving access is the only way to get there, but once you're in you'll have hot showers, TV, music, food, drinks, and plenty of fresh air, as well as amazing views of aquatic life. It's not cheap, though, so bring your wallet along with your diving gear.

There you have it. Why stay at a standard, boring hotel when you can stay at one of these amazing places?

Photo of the Day: Torres del Paine

nospam@example.com (eric) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:17:27 -0700

From Kramerdude's Torres del Paine - Day 1: Into the Park and Lago Grey to Refugio Paine Grande travel blog, Torres del Paine, Argentina.

19 Easy Tips to Save Money While Traveling

nospam@example.com (eric) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:06:37 -0700

With the global economy hitting recession, tighter credit, and soaring energy prices, now, more than ever, it pays off to find creative ways to save money while traveling. These money saving tips come from both research and personal experience. Try them out, and you might find that you have enough money to take your dream trip after all:

Never pay full price for a hotel.
Instead of booking online, try calling the hotel directly. Ask to speak with a manager and ask if they have any reduced rates or unlisted specials available. This works especially well if you are requesting a room for the current or next night. Chances are, if they have a lot of rooms still available, they aren’t going to let that inventory go unsold, and might cut you a deal.
Travel locally.
Instead of jetting around to the other side of the world, try seeing what is available locally. Often, unexplored gems and weekend getaways are only a short car ride away. Check local newspapers and see if there are any local festivals, events, or activities planned for your area. You don’t have to be in a different country to experience something completely new.
Stay in a hostel.
You also don’t have to be a 20 year old starving college student to stay in a hostel. Some hostels are remarkably nice, and might be 10-20 times cheaper than staying in a similar hotel. If you can find a few travel buddies you won’t even have to share your room with strangers. Lots of hostels offer plenty of rooms for 2-4 people, still at a fraction of the cost of a hotel. If you travel during non-summer months, you are also less likely to run into crowds of students.
Cook your own food.
Eating out consumes a large part of your travel budget. Instead of eating out for every meal, try cooking your own meals. Take advantage of small, local grocery stores and markets and stock up on food that takes little preparation. Think fruit, nuts, snacks, bread and sandwiches. If you want to get fancier, most hostels have a kitchen area, stocked with utensils and pots and pans, that make cooking a simple breakfast easy, and some hotel rooms have kitchenettes. Reward yourself for your frugality by spending money on a nice dinner now and then. After all, sampling the local cuisine is an important part of any travel experience.
Take advantage of exchange rates.
If you’re American, instead of traveling to Europe or the United Kingdom, where your dollar isn’t going to go as far, travel to South East Asia or South America, where you can achieve a comparable lifestyle for a fraction of the cost. Take advantage of the exchange rates to find a destination more suitable to your budget, even if that means delaying your “dream trip” for another time. You’ll probably have just as much fun exploring these other destinations anyway.
Travel at off-peak times.
A red-eye flight is going to be cheaper than one that leaves at a more convenient time. Different days of the week also are cheaper than others. If you are flexible with your dates, try different combinations. Summer travel is generally much more expensive than other time periods.
Scour for travel deals.
Most big travel sites offer a travel deals newsletter of some sort. Other sites, like ShermansTravel, specialize in travel deals. Make sure to check out these sites before booking your trip. You might be able to find a last-minute deal that can significantly cut your costs. If you are wary about giving out your email address, often you don’t have to subscribe to any newsletters to browse and take advantage of the deals online.
Check for free entry days.
If you know there is a sight, museum, or attraction that you want to see, research it and try to find out if there is a day when entry is free. Most museums are free to the public for at least one day out of the month. Scheduling your trip around these days is a quick and easy way to immediately save money.
Make friends with the locals.
If you’re a social person, most locals are happy to show you around their towns. They’ll know the best value places to eat, the fastest and cheapest ways to travel, and will extend their hospitality (by buying you dinner, drinks, or acting as unofficial tour guide) for free. In return, it’s good to purchase a few souvenirs from home to give out as gifts (think postcards and trinkets that represent your hometown). If you have a good attitude, and are respectful of the culture, then this is something that is much easier to do than it sounds.
Compare rates online.
Take advantage of websites that compare rates from multiple sources. Try Kayak or Farecast for flights, or (shameless plug) TravBuddy for hotels. Compare multiple sites and meta-search engines, as most of them pull inventory from different suppliers, and rates are likely to vary. With that said, keep in mind the tip below.

Continue reading "19 Easy Tips to Save Money While Traveling"

Airline Fees at a Glance

nospam@example.com (david) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:03:20 -0700

Fees are everywhere now, from checking in a bag to paying for a drink. While some fees are avoidable like packing for one bag instead of two, some are not. At 30,000 ft your dietary options are subject to the airlines. It's not a snack, it's a snackbox and it'll cost you $5! Here's a list of fees broken down by airlines.

Travel Channel Looking for New Show Participants

nospam@example.com (eric) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:31:31 -0700

Become famous and get an all expense paid cruise to Europe! This is an opportunity that I am sure will interest many TravBuddies:

Travel Channel is seeking multi-generation family AND three girlfriends to take a wonderful European cruise with Royal Caribbean! Attractive and vibrant families/friends should apply if interested in being filmed while taking an all expense paid trip to various exciting ports in Europe including Barcelona, Madrid, Cannes, Livorno, Naples, Rome and Venice. Three generations are a must- grandparent(s), parents and children of middle and high school age are preferable. For the girlfriends scenario, the three must genuinely be friends, preferably between ages 35-45. The trip takes place from October 15 – October 27th 2008. All participants must be available for the entire voyage. Interested parties should write to cruisecasting@banyan.com and attach photos of all members of your family/friend group along with a short description of why you should be selected.

So, if you're a girl, message two of your female TravBuddy friends that you know in real life and maybe you'll have a shot at winning. Linking to your travel blogs and photos as part of your application process can't hurt either

Good luck! We have lots of active, social, awesome members here on TravBuddy so it would be great if someone could represent the community on TV!

Top 5 Deadly Activities for Thrill-Seeking Tourists

nospam@example.com (eric) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:16:00 -0700

Some people like to travel to get away from the stresses and worries of everyday life. Others like to explore different cultures and ideas. Finally, there are the risk takers who push the limits of their existence in the quest for the best thrill, or, at the very least, a posthumous Darwin award. Please note that none of these activities are endorsed by TravBuddy, and that our dear, valued readers should participate in them at their own risk.

5. Great White Shark Cage Diving

Getting into the water with one of nature's most efficient and deadly predators hardly sounds like my idea of a good time. Tourists are taken out to sea on a boat, fish and blood are thrown into water, and then the fun begins. Accompanied by the music to the soundtrack of Jaws, divers are lowered into a steel cage from the boat to get a glimpse of the "men in grey suits."

Run for your life! Source

Shark diving is becoming increasingly popular in South Africa and Australia, places which already have a higher incidence of fatal shark attacks. Adding to the excitement is the fact that there have been stories of boats that are so dangerously overloaded with people that the risk of being crowded off while the feeding frenzy is going on below only increases.

There are arguments that shark diving and chumming the water with fish parts are causing more and more Great Whites to associate humans with food. Although there are no proven links yet, I don't think it takes a genius to figure out that it's probably true. If pigeons can figure this out when they swarm unsuspecting humans on park benches, I'm pretty sure one of the world's most efficient killing machines can draw the same conclusion. As a surfer, I tend to agree with these assessments, and would rather not aggravate Great Whites in their home turf.

Still not convinced of the danger? Then check out this video of a Great White nearly taking off a diver's head while he's inside the cage.

4. Eating Fugu in Japan

Fugu (the Japanese word for pufferfish), contains a poison that paralyzes the muscles while the victim remains fully conscious. Conscious until he dies of asphyxiation 4-6 hours later. Generally, however, Fugu is quite safe to eat. Chefs typically undergo years of training and need special licenses from the government. The death toll has decreased from 176 in 1958, to relatively rare incidents in modern times. Most deaths now result from unsuspecting fishermen or untrained cooks eating non-properly prepared meat.

Floating ball of poison Source

Still, you have to wonder at the logic of deriving pleasure out of eating something that could potentially cause a horrifying death. Apparently, some chefs leave enough poison on the fish so that it causes a numbing sensation of the tongue and lips. Apparently, this is also supposed to be fun and delicious. Consider this: After World War II, some homeless people were killed after scrounging around in the trash cans outside of Fugu restaurants and eating the leftover Fugu. The government had to regulate disposal of Fugu by saying that it needed to be double bagged, stored in special Fugu waste containers, and destroyed at special Fugu waste facilities. Sounds a lot like disposing of radioactive waste.

And who can forget the Simpson's episode where Homer eats a plate of deadly Fugu?

Continue reading "Top 5 Deadly Activities for Thrill-Seeking Tourists"

Space -- The Final Frontier?

nospam@example.com (eric) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:09:56 -0700

Virgin Galactic, a space tourism "airline" conceived by eccentric billionaire Richard Branson, unveils its new design, SpaceShipTwo today. SpaceShipOne, the first version of the spacecraft, won the X-Prize in 2004 and was the first privately funded human space flight. Fortunately, the designs of the space ships are more creative than their names:

SpaceShipOne in action. Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Spaceship_One_in_flight_1.jpg

SpaceShipTwo. Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Spaceshiptwo_final.jpg

The first 500 seats on flights are being sold for $200,000 a piece, which begs the question: If you had $200,000, would you rather spend it on 15 minutes of weightlessness in outer space, or traveling around the world for years? Another thing to factor in would be risk - private spaceflight is still on the bleeding edge of technology, and accidents are bound to happen; Almost exactly a year ago, an explosion occurred during a test of the engine rocket systems for SpaceShipTwo, killing three people.

Personally, I'd rather spend the money visiting more earthly destinations. Although space would be an incredible experience, it seems like it will only be a destination for the super rich for quite some time.

Weekend Reading

nospam@example.com (eric) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Here is a list of interesting news and travel related websites to peruse this weekend:

Onebag:
www.onebag.com - The ultimate guide to packing light. If you find that you are always lugging around too many suitcases and bags on your trip, this is the site for you. Covers everything from what kind of luggage bag you should get, key items to pack, and how exactly to pack everything in. Going to go out on a limb here and say that this is probably the most thorough guide to travel packing available in the history of mankind.

America's Best Bathroom:
http://www.bestrestroom.com/vote.php - Can't wait until November's presidential election and want to get your voting skills in shape? Vote for America's Best Restroom. While clearly a PR stunt to promote Cintas restroom cleaning services, there are some really interesting and novel looking restrooms here. It's too bad the photos aren't bigger, but my favorite is probably Brio Restaurant's heaven and hell theme.

Afghanistan: 40 years later
http://www.pbase.com/qleap/image/83230527 - Stunning photo comparing Paghman Gardens in 1967 to 2007. Hard to believe that it is the same place. Even if the original photo is highly glamorized, it's hard to ignore the shocking lack of trees and plant life in the latter photo.

Unexplored Gems: Punta Banco, Costa Rica

nospam@example.com (eric) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:31:00 -0700

When people think up the dream beach vacation, they often conjure up images of unspoiled, pristine stretches of sand free from other people. But too often, they all end up crowding the same destinations, which often get developed and lose the charm that originally made them such enticing places. If you're looking to avoid the masses at Waikiki or Cancun, and don't mind doing a little bit more work, refuges from throngs of bikini clad, beer drinking mobs still exist, and Punta Banco is a prime example of this.

Indigenous people still live near town and walk to the market in Punta Banco to get supplies. The coastal route they come along is only accessible at low tide.

Punta Banco provides few traditional amenities. There are no restaurants here, but you might be able to get a cooked meal at the "bar" or a place behind the church during certain hours (i.e. if the cook is home). There is one hostel with spartan rooms, and a few extremely basic rooms available above the bar for $5 a night. Pavones, a more developed town about an hour away by walking, has slightly more accommodations and more dining options. But, given the gorgeous natural scenery here, you probably wont be spending much time in your room anyway.

Continue reading "Unexplored Gems: Punta Banco, Costa Rica"

Why do USA Airlines Suck?

nospam@example.com (eric) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Let me preface this by first saying that I am a proud American. But the quality of service on nearly any USA airline is worse than contemptible. In a nation that prides itself on customer service, with entire classes devoted to this topic in the nation's best business schools, you'd think that at least one company in this multi-billion dollar industry would get it. True, airlines are losing tons of money right now, but last I checked, if your company is losing tons of money the last thing you want to do is alienate existing customers.

Here is an example. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently released statistics ranking the major airlines in terms of on-time reliability. Here is the list of the top 10:

US Airways
Alaska
Delta
Southwest
AirTran
JetBlue
Continental
Northwest
United
American

Let's look at the top performer, US Airways, for New York's La Guardia Airport. Remember, in terms of reliability, this is the best our proud nation has to offer. Only 79% of flights arrived on time in May. American Airline flights only arrived on time 58% of the time. Compare this to any other industry. What if Google was only operational 79% of the time? Or what if your doctor only prescribed you the correct medication 58% of the time? What if your best employee only showed up to work on time 79% of the time?

Continue reading "Why do USA Airlines Suck?"

Death of the Great Outdoors?

nospam@example.com (eric) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:30:00 -0700

A recent article in The Economist indicates that attendance at national parks in the USA is declining, even as populations near national parks increase.

Attendance at Yosemite has dropped 9 out of the last 13 years. Photo: trustdios

National parks have been a popular topic on TravBuddy, with a few trips and blogs dedicated to exploring their natural wonders:

Waltjake's 2006 National Park tour
X_Drive's National Park Trip

Interestingly enough, the article doesn't take the easy way out and blame video games and television as the major reason for the decline in visitors.

Continue reading "Death of the Great Outdoors?"

Top 5 Most Alien Landscapes - On Earth

nospam@example.com (eric) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:44:27 -0700

Over the years of running TravBuddy, we've come across numerous photos that are so stunning, yet alien looking, that it's hard to believe that they were taken on this planet! From ghostly icebergs to vibrant plains, this list aims to show that you don't need to be a millionaire flying on Virgin Galactic to explore otherworldly realms.

5. Antarctic Sound

Photo: portia

Antarctica conjures up colorless images of vast white icebergs, but there is a surprising amount of color in this least visited of landscapes. The icebergs form truly remarkable shapes, standing out among a dark, windswept sea, conjuring up images of a watery, alien planet. The seemingly boneless lifeforms here also remind one of cuter versions of Jabba the Hut:

Photo: fabricciocartone

4. Salar Uyuni, Boliva

Salar Uyuni, Bolivia - the largest salt plain in the world, at over 4,000 square miles. The flat white expanse of land is so alien looking that the human eye finds it difficult to process the perspective correctly, leading to some pretty entertaining photos:

Photo: monicaflory

Photo: worldxplorer

Continue reading "Top 5 Most Alien Landscapes - On Earth"

Welcome to the Wanderlust Travel Blog!

nospam@example.com (eric) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:23:00 -0700

Welcome to the first post of the Wanderlust Travel Blog! Our goal with this new blog will be to highlight interesting travel news and information. In addition, we want to use this blog to highlight some of the more interesting, entertaining, or useful information posted by the TravBuddy community.

We hope that this blog will serve as an inspiration for your travels. If you have any suggestions, story tips, or ideas, please let us know at wanderlust AT travbuddy dot com.