Offbeat Travel Experiences

Click Here for an Offbeat Travel Experience ...
By By ANN CARRNS

A NEW generation of travel-sharing Web sites matches travelers with knowledgeable locals for offbeat, authentic and mostly very economical experiences — across the globe or across town. Witness, for example, Kieren Wuest, a business analyst from Sydney, Australia, who was in San Francisco not long ago for work. On his one morning off, Mr. Wuest, an amateur photographer, was looking for something slightly grittier than . . . . 

Universal Orlando building a new hotel: Universal Orlando will build a new, 1,800-room Cabana Bay Beach hotel - Orlando Sentinel: "Universal Orlando, which has experienced record-breaking attendance growth since opening the Wizarding World of Harry Potter two years ago, announced Monday that it and longtime partner Loews Hotels & Resorts will build a new on-property hotel to accommodate the crowds. Scheduled to open in 2014, Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort would be the largest of Universal's four on-site hotels, with 1,800 rooms. Half of those rooms will be "family suites" — lower-end suites with room for as many as six people."

78 eco-tourism sites off-limits to mining under Aquino EO
Inquirer.net (blog)
The Department of Tourism (DoT) has identified the 78 eco-tourism sites that has been declared as off-limits to mining under President Aquino's newly released executive order.

Inquirer.net (blog)

Taiwan island votes yes for first casino resort
Reuters
Residents in favour of a casino resort say it would boost infrastructure and help develop islands'tourism industry. Matsu is one of the smallest of ... It is also not clear how easy it would be for Chinese citizens to get visas to travel to the ...

Many travelers to boost vacation spending in 2012
Los Angeles Times
Of travelers surveyed around the world, 70% plan to spend at least as much onvacation travel in 2012 as they did last year. In China, 58% plan to spend more.

Los Angeles Times

Heathrow passport control queues unacceptable, says BAA
The Guardian
Vaz's claims of fresh delays triggered a row with the Home Office and BAA, which insisted that the passport desks were properly staffed and the longest queue was less than an hour. Official BAA figures put the longest wait for non-EU passport holders ...

The Guardian

Travel by Ancestry: A vacation takes on a new dimension when you add a ...
Sacramento Bee
By following the paths of ancestors, your family vacation this summer can become a journey of exploration and a fun way to connect to the past.

The Frugal Traveler: How to enjoy adaptive travel experiences
Sacramento Bee
The need for alternative equipment or accessible accommodations should by no means prevent travelers with disabilities from enjoying fulfilling vacation experiences. With thorough research and the selection of the proper venues, affordable adaptive ...

Heathrow opens special passport lanes for 'low-risk' travellers
Telegraph.co.uk
Heathrow opens special passport lanes for 'low-risk' travellers. Heathrow is opening new passport lanes for “low-risk” tourists such as Americans and Australians, in a final attempt to cut queues before the Olympics influx. London 2012 Olympics: chaos ...

Telegraph.co.uk

Announcing Tauck's Australia Travel Tips: The Top Five Things to do “Down ...
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
Some of the greatest allures of Australia are the vast, varied and unspoiled landscapes. However, that variety naturally means there's a lot of distance between sites and places of interest, which in turn adds up to considerable expenses. Tauck's ...

God as a Travel Companion
Huffington Post
Spirituality can easily be combined with travel. A growing trend in travel, right up there with adventure travel and weight-loss travel, is religious travel. Maybe those leaving the churches and synagogues, too, are packing ... In Costa Rica, the ...

Resort developer urges Taiwan to pass gambling bill
Focus Taiwan News Channel
Taipei, July 9 (CNA) The head of a resort developer urged Taiwan's government and Legislature on Monday to pass a gambling bill that will enable it to build a casino resort on the outlying island of Matsu.

Many boosting vacation spending
Sacramento Bee
Of the 5000 travelers surveyed around the world, 70 percent said they plan to spend the same or more on vacation travel in 2012 than last year, according to a report commissioned by Wyndham Hotel Group, the world's largest hotel company. In countries ...

Kayak travel site trying to raise $87.5M in IPO next week
Boston Herald
Online travel search engine Kayak Software Corp. is looking to raise as much as $87.5 million through an initial public offering of 3.5 million shares of stock, according to a SEC regulatory filing today. The Norwalk, Conn.-based company, which has a ...

Universal Orlando Resort Announces A New Family Suite Resort
LaughingPlace.com
Universal Parks & Resorts and Loews Hotels & Resorts will build a new hotel development at Universal Orlando that will add high-quality, high-value options for families wanting an affordable on-site experience. Universal's Cabana Bay BeachResort will ...

LaughingPlace.com

Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Resort Announces Sonorita Grooves; Features ...
Sacramento Bee
The music-filled pool and beach parties will take place throughout August and further commemorate the all-inclusive resort company's 25th anniversary. Marco will play four DJ sets, including two sunset parties on August 2nd and 9th and two night-time ...

Vacation Pay Day: State Doled Out $256M Since 2007 For Unused Time
WGRZ-TV
Americans Travel To Cuba Despite Travel Ban. It's been 50-years now since the United States has restricted travel to Cuba . ... The state dished out $256 million over the past five years in unused vacation and sick time to about 35800 retiring workers ...

WGRZ-TV

Cape Cod Travel Tips From A Luxury Hotel Concierge
Forbes
... Forbes Travel Guide has insider travel tips to make your vacation better—we spoke to Cape Cod native June Herold, a 10-season concierge at the Forbes TravelGuide Four-Star Wequassett Resort and Golf Club. Find out her recommendations on what to ...

Forbes

Airport crisis will damage Britain, Branson warns
msnbc.com
We adore all the beautiful travel photos from our readers this week, from lighted towers to mirror-calm waters to Pompeii ruins. Need to get away? Put it on layaway · America's best all-inclusive resorts · 5 ways to keep kids busy at the airport ...

Universal Orlando to build 1800-room hotel
Orlando Sentinel
"Our new hotel will give guests an affordable, incredibly themed on-site hotel experience unlike anything else at our resort," Tom Williams, chairman and chief executive officer, Universal Parks & Resorts, said in a prepared statement "Our new family ...

Summer Travel Trends And Destinations (INFOGRAPHIC)
Huffington Post (blog)
After several years of stay-cations and home-improvement "vacations" that were no vacation at all, my family and I took a real, honest-to-goodness vacation this summer. On a plane, to a beach, no computer. A real vacation -- and I'm convinced that real ...

Fury as half of Heathrow passport control desks are SHUT just weeks before the ...
Daily Mail
At the time, ministers said they would draft in more than 550 volunteers to help stem the chaos during the Olympics, but they will receive just four days training on how to operate passport controls. Mr Vaz said: 'I was appalled by the length of queues ...

Daily Mail

International Council of Tourism Partners - eTurboNews
St.Ange said: “ICTP fills a vital gap in the global travel and tourism framework, with its membership for destinations and its engagement of people directly. In the end, tourism is about people – the benefits it brings in terms of jobs and improved ...

Travel Clichés: They Go With The Territory | Gadling.com
By Sean McLachlan
A Traveler In The Foreign Service: No Passport? ... Bad travel writing is filled to the brim with cliches.... So, fellow travel writers, I beg you on bended knee, when you put pen to paper and are stuck for the right word, don't fall back on cliches.
Gadling

Tripl Launches Social Travel Site with $300k from High Peaks and ...
By Erin Griffith
There is no shortage of very new travel sites, tools and social networks. It feels like every week a new one launches, raises money, or pivots. There's Tripit, Wander, Wanderfly, Gogobot, Triposo, Gtrot, and probably ten others that will email me ...
PandoDaily

Jordan has high hopes for summer tourism | Tourism and Hospitality ...
But officials from the country's tourism board believe there is room for even more tourists. Abdul Razaq Arabiat, a senior official at the Jordan Tourism Board, believes changes in the region carry with them new opportunities. "The current ...
ExcitingAds! AME Info Latest News

Tips to Avoid 6 Common Travel Scams | Care2 Healthy Living
By Samantha, selected from DivineCaroline
Travel scams vary widely, from pickpockets to legal resort charges, shady cabbies to too-good-to-be-true vacation packages. Here's what to be aware of:
Care2 Healthy Living

Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort - Loyalty Traveler
By Ric Garrido
... the Anaheim Resort is one of two Sheraton brand hotels in Anaheim. Sheraton Park is a 14 floor, 490-room hotel adjacent to the Anaheim Convention Center and across Harbor Blvd. from the primary Disney Resort “Toy Story” parking lot for visitors. ... Ric Garrido, writer and content owner of Loyalty Traveler, shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests. You can follow Loyalty Traveler on Twitter and Facebook and RSS feed.
Loyalty Traveler

Keller @ Large: Pros And Cons Of Summer Vacation « CBS Boston
By miketoole
Last week wasn't so bad either, and having the week off gave me a chance to reflect on some of the pros and cons of summer vacation, Massachusetts-style.
CBS Boston

Travel Tip: Hit an outdoor clambake at The Place in Connecticut ...
Fodor's | Travel Intelligence · Register | Login · Destinations ... Travel Tip: Hit an outdoor clambake at The Place in Connecticut. Posted by Deanna Cioppa on ...
www.fodors.com/news/story_5732.html

UPTOWN Magazine » How Did Blacks Travel During Segregation?
UPTOWN_negro_motorist_green_book Courtesy of The Root. In 1936 a Harlem postal worker and activist named Victor H. Green decided to develop a guide ...
uptownmagazine.com/.../how-did-blacks-travel-during-segreg...

Travel spending by airports board faulted - Washington Business ...
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which has been criticized for lavish...
www.bizjournals.com/.../travel-spending-by-airports-board.ht...

Qatari Diar inks deal for Oman tourism projects - Travel & Hospitality ...
The second project will include a five-star luxury resort hotel and spa as well as residential villas and... Macedonia, Qatar sign deals on investment, tourism ...
www.arabianbusiness.com/qatari-diar-inks-deal-for-oman-tour...

Switzerland travel - FlyerTalk Forums
Hi! I'm going to Switzerland this September for 4 days. I just want to get some advice on what is the best and affordable way to travel within.
www.flyertalk.com/forum/.../1364631-switzerland-travel.html

Universal Orlando Resort Media Site
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT ANNOUNCES A NEW SPECTACULARLY THEMED ...Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort will offer two distinct experiences ... is only one place wherevacation becomes adventure: Universal Orlando Resort. ... with a supremely comfortable, uniquely local and vibrant travel experience.
media.universalorlando.com/PressRelease/detail.aspx?id=1351

Socialite dumps US passport and most taxes too(Denise Rich)
By dumping her U.S. passport, Rich likely will save tens of millions of dollars or more in U.S. taxes... Does that mean that BJ will have to travel offshore to say hi?
www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2904424/posts

Socialite Denise Rich dumps US passport
Reuters
(Reuters) - Denise Rich, the wealthy socialite and former wife of pardoned billionaire trader Marc Rich, has given up her U.S. citizenship - and, with it, much of her U.S. tax bill. Rich, 68, a Grammy-nominated songwriter and glossy figure in ... 

Follow @LaIslaPlaya