Paolo's air deals: Taiwan & Italy





Taipei Airfare

$500

Return from Toronto

Air Taxes: $338

Travel Period:
Aug 30 - Oct 31, 2012
Ticketing until: Sep 13, 2011

OR

Turin (Italy) Airfare

$751

Return from Toronto

Airline: Luftansa

Air Taxes: $478.41

Travel Period:

Sep 1, 2011 - Mar 1, 2012

Ticketing until: Aug 31, 2011

Call: 1.866.929.6688

Good Boy Paolo!

Will Irene leave Aruba before I arrive?



The Tierra del Sol is Aruba's only
golf course and it looks like a beauty.

 Just my luck - I'm heading to Aruba and a hurricane is bearing down on the Caribbean.

Hey, last March I arrived in Arizona in a snowstorm.

By the time I get to Aruba, they tell me Hurricane Irene will have blown through the area and the island will be blanketed in warm sunshine the rest of my stay.

I'm actually joining a group of U.S. and Canadian journalists for a golf tournament which will be played on the island's only golf course, which is part of the Tierra de Sol resort, one of the best properties in the Caribbean, I'm told.

I'll be sending daily reports from Aruba - after my golf and scuba diving and wine tasting and ...

Wow, after looking at my itinerary, maybe I won't have time to write.

Only kidding!

I'll be in touch and let's hope a lady named Irene leaves Aruba before I arrive.

Hurricane Irene forces cruise lines to alter schedules for a dozen ships

Satellite view shows Hurricane Irene.

Hurricane Irene is playing havoc with cruise shipping.

The first hurricane of 2011 is steadily increasing strength and heading for the U.S. East Coast – maybe even Miami.

The hurricane has forced Carnival and Royal Caribbean to alter itineraries for 12 of their ships because Irene is bearing down on popular cruise ports like the Grand Turks.

MSNBC reported this morning these changes to cruise itinerates:

- Carnival Pride, which left Baltimore on Sunday for a week-long Bahamas and Florida cruise, will sail a revised route. The ship will now visit Port Canaveral (Tuesday, instead of Wednesday) and Freeport (Wednesday), after which the line will determine the remainder of the itinerary based on Irene's projected path.

- Carnival Triumph, which sailed from New Orleans on Saturday for a week-long Bahamas and Florida cruise, is swapping its Bahamas calls for visits to Western Caribbean ports. The new route includes stops in Key West (Tuesday, as planned), Cozumel (Wednesday) and Progreso (Thursday).

- Carnival Destiny, which departed Miami on Monday for a five-night cruise to Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Nassau, will instead visit Key West (Tuesday), Cozumel (Wednesday) and Costa Maya (Thursday).

- Carnival Conquest, which left Galveston on Sunday for a week-long Bahamas and Florida cruise, will now sail a Western Caribbean itinerary. The new route calls for visits to Costa Maya (Wednesday), Cozumel (Thursday) and Progreso (Friday).

- Carnival Victory had to cancel Monday's call at St. Thomas and is proceeding to Barbados for its scheduled call on Wednesday. Spokesman Vance Gulliksen said the line is still evaluating the remainder of the itinerary. Victory is on a seven-night cruise from San Juan.

- Carnival Liberty, in the midst of a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise from Miami, is stopping at Grand Turk Monday instead of spending the day at sea as originally planned. The line is evaluating the remainder of the itinerary.

- Carnival Miracle, which embarked from New York Thursday on an eight-night Eastern Caribbean cruise, is sailing an altered itinerary. Instead of visiting San Juan, St. Thomas and Grand Turk, the ship is now calling on Grand Turk (Monday) and Half Moon Cay (Tuesday).

- Royal Caribbean has reversed the itinerary for Oasis of the Seas, which left Fort Lauderdale on Saturday for a week-long Western Caribbean cruise. The ship is now visiting Cozumel on Monday; spending Tuesday at sea; calling on Falmouth, Jamaica on Wednesday; and visiting Labadee, the line's private peninsula in Haiti, on Thursday. Oasis will spend Friday at sea before returning to Fort Lauderdale on Saturday as scheduled.

- Freedom of the Seas, which left Sunday from Port Canaveral on a week-long Western Caribbean cruise, is sailing a reversed itinerary. The ship is now calling on Cozumel (Tuesday), Grand Cayman (Wednesday), Falmouth, Jamaica (Thursday) and Labadee (Friday).

- Oasis' sister ship, Allure of the Seas, is visiting all the ports originally scheduled on its week-long Caribbean cruise, but in a slightly different order. The ship will visit Nassau, Bahamas on Saturday (August 27) instead of Monday (August 22). Visits to St. Thomas (Wednesday) and St. Maarten (Thursday) will take place as planned.

- Royal Caribbean has scrambled the order for Serenade of the Seas' seven-night Southern Caribbean cruise, which left from San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sunday. The ship is now visiting Aruba (Tuesday), Curacao (Wednesday), St. Kitts (Friday) and St. Thomas (Saturday).

Paolo's air deal today: Rome

My dog Paolo has found a great air deal to Rome!

Rome Airfare

$576

Return from Montreal

Airline: Lufthansa

Travel Period:

Aug 23 -Oct 22, 2011

Ticketing Until: Aug 23, 2011

Air Tax: $475.72
Call: 1.800.667.395
Good Boy Paolo!

Paolo's Deals: Beirut & Hong Kong

Paolo digs up great air deals every day.

Hong Kong Airfare

$550

Return from Toronto

Air Taxes: $381

Travel Period:

Aug 23 - Dec 8, 2011

Ticketing until: August 23, 2011

OR

Beirut Airfare

$754

Return from Toronto

Airline: Etihad Airways

Air Taxes: $387.64

Travel Period:

Aug 23 - Oct 22, 2011

Ticketing until: Oct. 20, 2011

Call: 1.800.667.395

Good Boy Paolo!

Today's TraveLife Air Deals

Singapore Airfare
$400 
 return from Vancouver
*Approx. Air Taxes $699
Travel Period: Aug 22 - Oct 31, 2011    
 Ticketing until:  August 23, 2011


or
Casablanca, 
Morocco Airfare 
$536 
return from Montreal
*Approx. Air Taxes $298.36
Travel Period: Aug 19 - Nov 12, 2011   
Ticketing until:  October 30, 2011
Airline: Royal Air Maroc


Call: 1.800.667.395

My blog now tops 8,000 page views



Back in March when a friend challenged me to start this blog, I wondered if anyone would care about what I have to tell them.

Well, six months later, over 8,000 of you have let me know that you like coming along with me on my world travels and like the comments, tips, deals and advice in pass along to you via this format.

Over 8,100 are now viewing this blog on a daily basis and I thank you for your support and encouragement.

I'm not in Charlie Sheen's 10 million-plus viewer blog territory yet, but hey, I'm only drinking wine, not taking hard drugs!

Some of my blogs have generated some real passionate responses from you - the one in which I criticized Kate Middleton's wedding dress certainly prompted a lot of comments and I must say, most of you agreed with me that the royal wedding dress did not live up to its pre-ceremony hype.

And one of the most read blogs was the one I posted from Beijing on the biggest Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in the world which is located in China's capital.

There are many more posts coming your way and I'll be sharing my travels with you on upcoming trips to St. Lucia and Taiwan which will occur in the next few weeks.

I'm humbled by your support and I thank you once again.

Summer the best time to visit Floirida

This is the scene that greeted me this morning
as the sun came up over the 18th hole
at Fairmont's Turnbury Isle golf course.

Since arriving in Miami a few days ago, I've been fortunate enough to:

- Stay in two of Florida's best hotels - the magnificent Mandarin Oriental in Miami and the Fairmont Turnberry Isle in Aventura near Ft-Lauderdale;

 - Eat at two of the finest hotel restaurants I've ever experienced - Azul at Mandarin Oriental (the best meal I've ever eaten in Florida, by the way) and Bourbon Steak at the Fairmont;

- Be pampered in two world-class spas that I now rank among the best I've ever enjoyed - the state-of-the-art Mandarin Oriental facility and Fairmont's Willow Stream Spa (the Turnberry Isle branch may be the chain's best in my humble opinion).

- Play one of the best golf courses in Florida, if not the entire United States - the Fairmont Turnberry Isle's Miller Course, which was originally designed by the famed Robert Trent Jones Sr. and retouched recently by PGA Hall of Famer Raymond Floyd.

Pretty impressive huh. But the best part about my stay here is that I've been living the high life on a shoestring budget.

Everything in Florida in summer is reduced, starting with room rates and then they toss in incentives like free golf on the Miller course for free (normally a $225 value in high season - you just have to pay a $40 cart fee); 90-minute $99 spa treatments at the gorgeous Willow Stream facility (treatments there normally start around $199) - Mandarin Oriental's great spa is also offering reduced summer rates right now; and then they offer gourmet meals at top end restaurants like Azul and Bourbon Steak under the Miami Spice promotion where three-course meals cost just $35 (lunches at these high-end eateries cost just $22).

The free golf promotion at the Fairmont runs through Sept. 30 and the $99 spa treatments will be offered until August 31 - so hop on a summer discounted flight to Florida and take advantage of these wonderful deals at both properties!

Oh, the temperature today will reach 40C in Ft. Lauderdale and all I can see from my Turnberry Isle balcony is blue skies. The pool water is refreshingly cool and the kids are having a blast.

Summer is indeed the best time to visit Florida.

Wish you were here!

I'll be featuring stories on both the Mandarin Oriental Miami and Fairmont's Turnberry Isle Resort in upcoming issues of TraveLife magazine and online at http://www.travelife.ca/, so stay tuned!

Shot lots of birdies - on film - during my Turnbury Isle round in Florida

The 18th hole on Turnbury Isle's Miller Course is delightful.

A walk through Miami's Little Havana gives visitors an insight into Cuban life

Miami's famed Maximo Gomez Park is also known as Domino Park.



It was early morning when I arrived at Domino Park
but already every table was filled with players.



Cuban exiles still keep their roots to the old country.

Walls in Little Havana trace the Cuban history in America.

The Cuban sandwich - the bread is made with lard - is still a local favourite.

Colourtful ceramic tiles adorn walls in Little Havana.

You can't start your day in Little Havana
without having a Cuban coffe, for just $1.

Florida offers great seafood dining

The seafood is always fresh in Florida.

I'm heading off to Florida tomorrow on assignment in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale and just as I was wondering where I would be eating, my good friend and Florida's excellent Canadian representative Henny Groenendijk sent out a press release that highlights all the great seafood places to eat in the Sunshine State.

You can eat your way through the state from north to south starting in Pensacola - one of my favourite places in Florida - at the Fish House, a place that reels in tourists with Chef Jim Shirley’s Grits a Ya Ya. Locally-ground grits, smoked gouda from Baldwin County’s Sweet Home Farms, Ocheesee dairy cream, house-smoked bacon and Gulf shrimp are served up here. NOTE: The Pensacola Seafood Festival is held from Sept. 23 – Sept. 25 this year and showcases seafood dishes from local chefs.

Other places in the state where foodies like me can pig out on the best seafood in the world:


 - In Rosemary Beach in Northwest Florida, Restaurant Paradis menu focuses on coastal cuisine that matches the season, like snapper in the summer. Chefs Mark Eichin and Shaun O’Brien use locally-grown ingredients to create the Paradis Crab Cake, a pan-seared jumbo lump crab cake over creamed Silver Queen corn. Nov. 4 – 6, Visit South Walton hosts Taste of the Beach.

- The Jacksonville dining scene blends elegance and Southern comfort. Chef Ted Peters combines European, Caribbean and Latin American flavors for Azurea, the AAA Four-Diamond Award winner at One Ocean Resort Hotel & Spa. Jacksonville’s Eat Up Downtown is Aug. 15 – Aug. 28, 2011 and participating restaurants feature three-course meals for $25 U.S.

- Orlando, famous for theme parks, is also a destination with a noteworthy culinary community, pastries in particular. Orlando boasts two award-winning pastry chefs. Laurent Branlard of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is the only person to win the World Pastry Team Championship twice. Rosen Shingle Creek’s David Ramirez, well-known for his dark chocolate truffles, will be among the celebrity chefs in attendance at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival from Sept. 30 – Nov. 13, 2011.

- Chef Erin Van Zandt Guggino combines Latin and Asian flavors to create the menu Kon Tiki at the Tahitian in Tampa. In Clearwater Beach, Rusty’s Bistro’s Chef John Harris specializes in creating “Floribbean” cuisine, a combination of Floridian and Caribbean flavours. Aug. 19 – Sept. 2 is Dine Tampa Bay Restaurant Week. Participating restaurants feature three-course meals for $25, $35 or $45.

- Anna Maria Island has beautiful beaches, and according to Zagat, one of the “Top Restaurants in America.” One of the most popular dishes at Chef Sean Murphy’s Beach Bistro is the “Two Rim” Grilled Jumbo Shrimp.

- At Longboat Key’s Euphemia Haye Restaurant, Chef Raymond Arpke’s Roasted Duckling is filled with bread stuffing and served with a seasonal fruit sauce.

- Sea Salt, Chef Fabrizio Aielli’s restaurant in the Third Street South Old Naples historic district, uses seasonal ingredients, organic and local produce, wild caught seafood and naturally-raised poultry and meat.

- In Palm Beach, The Omphoy Ocean Resort’s Chef Michelle Bernstein focuses on fresh seafood, with most dishes reflecting a clean Mediterranean flavour. Her signature cuisine integrates the finest seafood available and quality cuts of meat, paired with crisp greens. At Flavor Palm Beach, which runs the month of September, participating restaurants offer three-course lunches for $20 and three-course dinners for $30.

- Greater Fort Lauderdale is home to the 2010 King of American Seafood, Chef Dean Max. His menu at 3030 Ocean features stone crab ravioli and Mediterranean-style fish soup. Dine Out Lauderdale, Oct. 1 – Nov. 10, 2011 features 35 of the area’s top restaurants offering a three-course menu for US$35.

- Chef E. Michael Reidt uses fresh seafood from the coast and seasonal ingredients to create a tropical fusion menu at Area 31. Miami Spice takes place now until Sept. 30, 2011 where participating restaurants feature three-course lunch menus for $22 and three-course dinner menus for $35.

One seafood restaurant in Miami I always enjoy in Oceanaire in the Brickell area of town.

The Sunshine State’s website www.VISIT FLORIDA.com is a rich resource for information about Florida’s fine dining and award-winning chefs. Further, from now until Sept. 2, Florida chefs are sharing recipes on VISIT FLORIDA’s official Facebook page.

New stories posted on travelife.ca

The Panama Canal is a symbol of pride for Panamanians.

My goodness, it's been a busy travel period for me.

Arizona one week. Dallas the next. Then on to Malaysia and Panama.

Along the way, though, I came across some wonderful stories that I'm now able to share with you at www.travelife.ca

Just posted this morning are stories on:

- Panama's legendary canal, which connects two oceans and is the greatest contributor to Panama's economy. But the canal is more than just a waterway - it's a symbol of pride to the proud Panamanian people who proved to the world they can run the world's most important canal better than anyone else.

- Arizona's great golf courses, many of which are bunched together in Scottsdale, the desert retreat that is home to one of the greatest courses in the world - TPC Scottsdale, where normally staid golf fans turn into college football rowdies when PGA stars arrive at one hole.

- Malaysia's treasured island known as Langkawi, where the local mangrove is the lifeblood of this island of mountains and myths. A trip through the mangrove brought me up close to monkeys, snakes, the world's largest crabs and giant eagles. It's a Garden of Eden experience that ranks among my best travel thrills ever!

- Dallas' famed Sixth Floor Museum, formerly known as the city's infamous Book Depository Building from where Lee Harvey Oswald fired the fatal shots that killed president John F. Kennedy and ended one of the most promising political periods in American history. Looking through the Sixth Floor window from where the shots were fired was for me like looking back on my boyhood memories.

It's great sharing these stories with you - I hope you enjoy!

Paolo's air deals today: Venice

Paolo digs up some great air deals!

Venice Airfare

$756

Return From Toronto

Airline: Alitalia

Air Taxes: $457.75

Travel Period:

Aug. 11- Nov. 10, 2011
Ticketing until: Aug. 16, 2011
Call: 1.866.929.6688

Good boy Paolo!

British tourism is now under seige

The biggest victim of the rioting that has gripped London the past few days appears to be British tourism.

Thouands of people have canceled their holidays in the British capital in the last 48 hours and the long-term effects of this public disorder may actually cause some people to change their plans of attending next summer's London Olympics.

The riots could not have come at a worse time for British Tourism, which just a few weeks ago launched their "one year out from the 2012 London Summer Olympics campaign" and boasted that London is one of the "safest" places to travel.

As British Prime Minister David Cameron calls out more police to deal with the growing disturbances, British tourism officials are fanning out around the world to reassure people that London will have everything under control by the time the first athletes start arriving next July. To make matters worse, overnight the riots spread to other British cities and now there is fear the government may have to call out troops to deal with the disturbances.

The image of Britain as a safe tourist destination may take longer than a year to repair.

Mary Rance, CEO of UKInbound, was quoted today as saying:  "The riots of the past few days, particularly in London, are most unfortunate for the global image of the U.K. – and not just ahead of the Olympics but for the country's short term and long term inbound tourism industry.

"With scenes of looting, violence and lawlessness flashing across TV screens across the globe it is absolutely vital that the government and its agencies, as well as the U.K. tourism industry, work hard to put things in context."

With unemployment rising in the U.K. and the government introducing harsh economic measures to deal with the country's growing debt problems, the situation may only get worse over the next while. That's not good for British tourism in the short or long term.

Cunard's Queen gets passing marks

Good news for anyone planning to book a cruise on Cunard's Queen Mary 2 - she's clean as a whistle again and has passed her sanitation test with flying colours after failing to make the grade earlier this year.

In a July 27 inspection done under the renowned Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vessel Sanitation Program, the Queen got a score of 92 - 86 is considered a passing score.

Just six weeks ago, Cunard's flag ship vessel made world headlines when it was rated 84 by the Centers for Disease Control, which found  human hair in the ice machine, dirty water in the pools and chemicals stored near napkins.

"The company has corrected all issues highlighted by the original inspection, and has subsequently successfully addressed the small number of issues raised by the re-inspection," said Cunard in a statement. The full CDC report, which lists infractions, is not yet live on the government Web site.

Failing grades for ships, particular the larger mega-vessels trawling the seas, are exceedingly rare. In May, Norwegian Epic came close, scoring a lowly 89, while Carnival Glory squeaked by with an 87 after a January inspection.

Amsterdan airport offers hookers



A few months ago I wrote a blog rating Amsterdam's Schipol Airport as my favourite in Europe - and that was before they decided to set up a "Red Light District" right on the premises.

Now I'm really "hooked: on Schipol.

The old airline phrase "would you like coffee, tea or me, sir?" certainly takes on a whole new meaning now that Amsterdam police have confirmed a report in the Irish Times which said the Dutch airport, one of the busiest in Europe and by far the best, has set up a brothel so passengers don't have to dash downtown, where it's legal.

Police say they don't intend to take action against the airport red light district which is apparently being manned by foreign prostitutes using cheap flights to commute to the Netherlands from other parts of Europe to do business. Using the term "Business Class" at Schipol may have to be reexamined.

And, if you're paging someone at Schipol, don;t tell them to meet you under the red light.

Paolo's Air Deal Today: Brussels



Paolo digs up some great air deals!

 Brussels Airfare

$665

Return from Toronto

Airline: Jet Airways

Air Taxes: $430.75 (approx.)

Travel Period:

Aug. 10 - Oct. 10, 2011

Ticketing until:
Aug. 31, 2011

Call: 1.866.929.6688

Good Boy Paolo!