Affordable
08.26.09
This one's for the ladies only, guys. Sweet, recently launched by gay travel guru Shannon Wentworth, is a new tour operator for lesbians who care about the world they live in (which is most of you, right?). Wentworth teamed up with CarbonFund.org to figure out exactly how her trips could be carbon neutral (answer: by helping to reforest a large area along the Tensas River in Louisiana). Wentworth also plans to incorporate humanitarian projects into each of her trips.
Read More
08.25.09
Ready to ditch the humid summer heat of the East Coast? Hankering to go on a foodie tour of San Francisco’s North Bay or dine at some of the World’s Best Oyster Bars in the Bay Area or Seattle?
Good news, because West Coast airfares from New York City on Virgin America airlines (voted “Best Domestic Airline” in T+L’s 2009 World’s Best Awards) just dropped to $109 each way. Offers are good to these West Coast cities, and more:
*Las Vegas
*Los Angeles
*Orange County
*San Diego
*San Francisco
*Seattle
The $109 fare is available for travel on Monday-Thursday and Saturdays between Aug. 28-Nov.18, Dec. 2-16 and Jan. 6- Feb. 10 (Friday and Sunday flights cost an extra $25). Tickets are on sale through September 8, but book quickly as certain flights may sell out.
For more information or to book, visit Virgin America.
Lyndsey Matthews is an editorial intern at Travelandleisure.com
Photo courtesy of Lyndsey Matthews
08.21.09
Our photographers are so terrific. They often give us great ideas, because they are inveterate travelers themselves. Recently we sent a new contributor, Peter Frank Edwards, to Dallas to shoot a story for us. His partner, Sandy Lang, accompanied him. Not only did they produce a beautiful shoot, they also gave me a great tip on a cool affordable motel they found:
Read More
08.21.09
This summer, I've been on the lookout for exotic and far-flung experiences within the U.S. And I have another find for you, dear reader: the casual new Los Angeles restaurant Street, where chef Susan Feniger serves up dishes inspired by the food at casual stalls and markets around the globe. (You may know her cooking from LA restaurants Ciudad and Border Grill, but this is her first solo venture.)
Read More
08.18.09
In 2006, retired chemistry professor Dr. Dogan Sumengen and his wife opened up Hotel Ada in the heart of Sultanahmet, Istanbul’s old city. My fiancé Josh and I stayed there on our most recent trip. Even in June, the peak of the high season, room rates were very affordable (starting at $83 a night), and the hotel couldn’t have had a better location—a five minute walk to the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia, and a ten minute walk to Topkapi Palace.
Read More
08.07.09
My mission was simple: for my husband and me to get some desperately needed time out of New York City among trees, fresh air and wildlife, and open space for our active toddler boy to run, climb and explore. Also important: finding a reasonably priced place to stay for the weekend near Woodstock, NY, where our friends were getting married.
After much research into different inns and B&Bs (many of which do not allow children), we decided to stay at The Retreat at TreeGap, an eco- and family-friendly B&B about a mile outside town with a focus on organic food (and big breakfasts!) and sustainable living.
Read More
08.06.09
As T+L's resident tennis guru, I feel compelled to blog that now is a great time to get US Open tickets. It's a month away!
The only grand-slam tennis tournament to be played at night under the lights, (despite Wimbledon's fancy new roof), New York City's tennis event is filled with lots of amazing distractions during the day in a beautiful venue, but really gets going after dark—just like the city itself. Here, an unscientific list of reasons to get your tickets now, before they sell out:
10. Tickets to both day and evening sessions are affordable, starting at $48
9. Thanks to some new budget hotels, staying in New York is now affordable, too
8. This is world class tennis (look for a Federer-Nadal nail-biter in the final)
7. Daytime tickets are still available for sections 301-304 of Arthur Ashe Stadium. (These coveted seats are in the shade during the whole day session.)
6. One of the many perks for Amex cardholders is a free loan of a nifty hand-held "Vision" TV monitor that streams all the matches in play, with live commentary. It's awesome. (Disclosure: Travel + Leisure is owned by American Express.)
5. Hometown hero John McEnroe is in the house.
4. The
3. U.S.
2. Open
1. Cocktail!
Whitney Lawson is a photo editor at Travel + Leisure.
Photos courtesy of Whitney Lawson.
07.30.09
So many great Caribbean resorts are offering hard-to-believe values right now, but your first thought is often "Yeah, but the airfare'll be deadly." Ha! Jump on this and you can have a very affordable vacation indeed.
Air Jamaica is running an amazingly cheap but amazingly brief sale on airfare to Kingston. Book on or before August 4 (this Tuesday), for travel anytime between August 18—November 17, and you can fly roundtrip for prices that start at $128. Here are some sample roundtrip fares:
*Fort Lauderdate - Kingston: $128
*Orlando - Kingston: $168
*New York - Kingston: $188
*Chicago - Kingston: $188
For more information or to book, HURRY to Air Jamaica or call (800) 523-5585.
Ann Shields is an online senior editor at Travel + Leisure.
06.02.09
Looking for an exotic vacation that's also within reach? It’s likely you haven’t considered the United Arab Emirates, a country known to be the epitome of over-the-top luxury and conspicuous consumption. But with the debut of the country’s first low-cost airline, flydubai, (launching this week) and two new boutique hotels, there’s plenty of proof that the UAE—and Dubai in particular—are ready to welcome a new type of visitor: the budget traveler.
Read More
04.16.09
On a recent trip to St. Bart's, I spotted the owner of the Revlon empire, Ron Perelman, on his yacht in Gustavia Harbor, a Rockefeller or two shopping in the village of St. Jean, and Jon Bon Jovi having dinner at Eden Rock. Sure, they can afford the prices here—it's the winter getaway of the rich and famous, after all. But what about we normal, not-so-recession-proof folk?Here's my short list for how to do the island affordably:
STAY: The Hôtel Baie des Anges, on the northwest corner of the island, is on one of the prettiest beaches around—it also shares its sands with the tony Hotel Isle de France. The people watching here is great. The really good news?Rates here dropped significantly on Apr. 1 (from $415 to $230 for a double room). (Flamands; 590/27-63-61; doubles from $230)
EAT: The year-old beach-front shack O'Corail is run by a local sister/brother team. He's a fisherman. She runs the restaurant. They serve the freshest-caught fish, straight from his boat. (This is big for St. Barts: seasonality and eating local is just catching on here; neighboring Le Sereno hotel brags about its Madagascar prawns, to illustrate my point.) O'Corail does lunch all week and dinner only on weekends. At lunch, order a rum punch and the spiny lobster salad and watch the dozens of kite surfers fly across the Grand Cul de Sac. (Grand Cul de Sac; 590/29-33-27; lunch for two $60)
DO: Rent snorkle gear at Marine Service and head to Gouverneur Beach. It's secluded, with crystal blue water and the some of the best snorkling on the island: My boyfriend and I spotted French anglefish, sargeant majors, sea turtles, rays, and a nurse shark. (Quai du Yacht Club, Gustavia; 590/590-27-70-34; daily gear rentals, from $20)
Clark Mitchell is an associate editor at Travel + Leisure.
