Orbitz Blog

Articles for March, 2010

Where to stay, play on a family vacation in Kenya

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

 

family vacation

InterContinental Nairobi

By Carolyne Matseshe-Crawford

Growing up in the Chicago area as a Kenyan immigrant, we took a family vacation to Kenya almost every year. As a mother of three daughters, ranging from 4 to 15 years old, I continue that tradition — albeit not at the same frequency.

For anyone making this trek with their family, here are my best tips on where to stay and what to do:

Finding fantastic, centrally located hotels can be a challenge when traveling to any country. Upon arrival in Nairobi, we prefer to base ourselves out of the InterContinental Nairobi Hotel.  It is centrally located, has the best concierge services, and is well known by any family from more remote areas of Kenya who want to spend time with us. (more…)

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New flights to Paris, new Toronto terminal and more

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

flightsBy Joe Brancatelli

  • OpenSkies, the British Airways boutique carrier that offers all-business-class service between Newark and Paris/Orly, will add a second route on May 3. That’s when it will begin flights from Washington/Dulles Airport.
  • Air Jamaica is shrinking again. Effective in March, it has dropped flights to New York from Grenada; and to Jamaica from Orlando and Chicago.
  • Porter Airlines, which operates to Toronto’s close-in City Airport, has opened the first phase of its new terminal.
  • Continental Airlines fliers take note: Flights are moving to the North Terminal at Detroit/Metro and to Concourse B in Denver.
  • The Transportation Security Administration says it is now using portable devices to swab bags as it searches for explosives. The TSA units will allow agents to circulate around the airport randomly checking anything you happen to be carrying.

Related Orbitz resources:

Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2009 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.

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Traveling light on a family vacation to Guatemala

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Family vacationBy Joanna Wiebe

When he was 14 months old, in 1981, my son David took his first family vacation to Guatemala to visit his great-grandparents and see the sights.

With only a large red backpack, a hand-woven woolen Guatemalan bag, an aluminum-frame baby backpack and a cheap folding stroller, my husband and I took Dave all over Guatemala, on public buses, hitchhiking and walking.

Dave swam in the Pacific, hiked in the mountains, climbed the steps of Mayan ruins, and made friends everywhere. In our backpack we had two sleeping bags, a woven fiber mat which served as a clean area for Dave to play or sleep on, small Coleman stove, a set of nesting pots, six cloth diapers, all our clothes for hot and cool weather, and a little bag of miniature toys and books. (more…)

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Posted in Eco-Tourism, Family Travel, International Vacations, Photography | No Comments »

California vacation: Experience spring on the central coast

Monday, March 29th, 2010

 

California vacation

Moonstone Beach

By Lena Katz

This California vacation installment was originally slated “Valentine’s Candy” because it features some of the sweetest destinations in the state. But the weather was still a bit chilly back in February, whereas now, temps are back to the beautiful mid-70s … perfect for a sunset stroll or a morning searching for sea shells in the one-of-a-kind California towns spotlighted below.

Cambria actually is at its best in springtime, though summers are pretty darn beautiful too. This tiny coastal art colony is about 40 minutes west of Paso Robles wine country, and is one of the friendliest places for a California vacation for all sorts of reasons. First of all, there’s the food and wine. Organic, affordable gourmet is the Cambria way, not just in restaurants, but also in the stores. Newcomer Sweet Offerings offers artisan chocolate, while Cambria Wine Shop specializes in sweet wine including a “chocolate-infused” vintage. Cambria is right by two one-of-a-kind attractions: Hearst Castle and the Piedras Blancas elephant seal colony. It’s nestled in pine trees and fronted by Moonstone Beach. I think few beaches are as magical as this one, especially when it catches the sunlight and sparkles from a million angles. (more…)

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Europe vacation: Finding family fun in Paris

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

By Patrick O’Neil

Over Bastille Day in July, my wife and I took our girls – then ages 6 and 8 — on a 10-day Europe vacation to Paris. We chose to stay in the 17th arrondissement because it was comfortable and near the food markets on Rue Cler. We found the kids had many more entertainment and play options than expected. We had great times at Champ du Mars, Tuileries, L’Orangerie, and Luxembourg gardens. Here are some photos of our Europe vacation with the kids.

Europe vacation

Bastille Day fireworks near Champ du Mars

 

(more…)
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Family vacation: Tokyo with a toddler

Friday, March 26th, 2010

family vacationBy Frank Gruger

My wife and her best friend recently took our one-year-old daughter to Tokyo because they always wanted to see Tokyo, and because she loves Japanese toys and wants to instill that love in our daughter!

She was surprised to find that Tokyo was not nearly as expensive a family vacation spot as conventional wisdom would suggest. She avoided the central business districts and found a safe, clean Toyko hotel in the Shiodome district (she felt the more obvious Ginza and Shibuya districts were too crowded, noisy and dirty for a baby) at a rate that would be a steal in NYC and was on par with prices in any major U.S. city.

Taxis are expensive, so she did a lot of walking. With a one-year-old that meant bringing a stroller and a sling. Strollers will get you most places, but Sundays on the streets of Harajuku, or anywhere during rush hour, they’re not feasible. We think the sling is best for international travel with a baby. (more…)

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See who won a Disney vacation for best travel tip

Thursday, March 25th, 2010


  

Disney ©

Disney ©

@Stacey87 – You’re going to Disney World!

 @Stacey87 won a 7-night Disney vacation for submitting the best Disney travel tip in last week’s Orbitz Twitter giveaway.

The winning tip: “WDW isn’t just for kids! Adults can enjoy golfing, spa time, fine dining, water sports, shopping, and behind the scenes tours!”

That one sweet tweet earned @stacey87:

  • airfare for four
  • 7-night hotel stay in a Disney property
  • four 7-day Magic Your Way® theme park tickets with Park Hopper® AND Water Parks Fun & More options
  • $250 Disney gift certificate
  • admission to Cirque du Soleil® show for four
  • winner’s choice of spa treatment or round of golf

Apparently, this piece of news couldn’t have come at a better time. Yesterday @Stacey87 tweeted, “@Orbitz do my husband and I need a vaca. Especially to the happiest place on Earth : ) ” (more…)

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Mexico vacation: hot new hotels, cool cruises

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Mexico vacation

Hotel Encanto

By Lena Katz

It’s great to see Mexico rebounding after a rough 2009. Cancun leads the charge when it comes to Mexico vacation destinations, back to nearly full occupancy thanks to Spring Break and great promotions. But all over Mexico, tourism is up and new hotels are opening. Plus, cruise lines continue to frequent both coasts, adding new and even lengthier Mexico itineraries for 2010.

Acapulco welcomes Hotel Encanto, the boutique all-suite “design hotel” perched on a crest above Puerto Marques Bay. White-on-white, with colored, guest-controlled, ”special effects” lighting and sweeping clean lines, this is something totally new for Acapulco. Even though it has only 44 guest units, it boasts an organic spa, three restaurants and a pool.

In Riviera Maya, the latest arrival is Ocean Breeze, a Green Globe-certified boutique property located in the town of Playa del Carmen. While it only has 102 rooms, this pretty beachfront hotel has all the facilities of a full-scale resort including four restaurants and a snack bar. It’s not all inclusive, but a full meal plan is an option. Other perks include tennis courts and a 24-hour pool. This hotel is under the umbrella of Mexican-owned Grupo Vidanta, which also owns the Mayan Palace and Grand Mayan. (more…)

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Posted in All Inclusive Resorts, Beach Vacation, Cruise, Family Travel, International Vacations, Mexico Vacation, Romance, Travel News | No Comments »

Continental increases NY-London flights

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

continentalBy Joe Brancatelli

For decades, there have been too many seats between New York and London, thus making it the cheapest international route for advance-purchase travel. But airlines slashed the number of flights and the size of the aircraft they used on the so-called NyLon run in the aftermath of the 2008 collapse of financial markets in New York and London. The failure of the three all-business-class carriers on the route (Maxjet, Eos and Silverjet) has reduced the seat supply, too.

As financial markets have stabilized in recent months, however, something astonishing has happened: There are days when getting a seat to London for last-minute travel is a dicey proposition. So carriers are once again paying attention to the “underserved” NyLon market. First to move: Continental Airlines, which will increase its Newark capacity by as much as 25 percent this year. It launches its fourth daily Newark-London/Heathrow flight on March 27 and its fifth daily flight on October 28.

The carrier will use Boeing 757s on four of the flights and a Boeing 777 on the fifth. Continental adds that all of its flights to and from London will be outfitted with its new lie-flat seat beds by June 1.

Related Orbitz resources:

Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2009 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.

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Ask the Orbitz Vegas Blogger: Live Q&A Wednesday

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

If you’re planning a Las Vegas vacation and need the inside scoop on hotels, restaurants, shows and more, join us for a live Q&A on Wednesday with Orbitz Vegas Blogger Eric Gladstone.

When: 12:30p ET/9:30a PT
Where: orbitz.com/vegas
Why: No one else has the inside scoop like this guy. 

If it’s in Vegas, chances are Eric has seen it, eaten it, or experienced it, in one way or another.  Submit a question in advance to blog@orbitz.com.

Popular posts from Eric

Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas
Top comedy acts in Las Vegas
Top 10 Las Vegas buffets
Top 10 Las Vegas spas
Top 10 Las Vegas poker rooms

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