October TraveLife magazine available!

Imagine, it's already October and another 12 months is about to come to an end and I'm another year older!

That's the bad news - the good news is that another issue of TraveLife magazine will be distributed this weekend in the Toronto Star (Oct. 22), my former employer and Canada's largest newspaper.

TraveLife magazine can be accessed online right NOW at http://www.travelife.ca/ and our team of excellent writers have been busy filing stories from exotic places around the world.

In the October/December issue of TraveLife magazine, you'll find stories on:

British Columbia's Sunshine Coast: Brian Brown and Laurel Rowbotham sail away on a 10-day cruise along B.C.'s breathtakingly beautiful waterways and tell us about their experience of fishing for crabs and shrimps and coming face-to-face with bald eagles and starfish.

Japan's Kyoto: George Millar tells us about his experience at a temple in that ancient Japanese city.

Israel's Eilat: TraveLife's photo editor Casey Nolin takes some back roads to get to Israel's "fun capital."

San Francisco: Karen Asp and her husband patrol the streets of San Francisco in some unusual vehicles.

India's Little Tibet: Our adventurous writer Amy Chung goes out of her way to find excitement in India.

Guam's food culture: Cynthia Dial attends a food festival on Guam and comes away with an appetite for more of this treasured island.

Bora Bora: Mark Dimitroff discovers the inner beauty of this South Pacific treasure with the help of an island icon.

China: Chloe Tse has the second part of her amazing journey to China, the land of her ancestors.

And it's been a busy time between editions for me - I've taken exciting trips to Panama, Taiwan, Malaysia and Miami and share my experiences in the October issue of TraveLife magazine.

So look for a copy of TraveLife magazine in the Toronto Star Saturday (Oct. 22) or go online and read it on your iPad or smart phone.

Hotels offer perks for good reviews

I’ve used this blog in the past to express my concerns about websites like TripAdvisor that post glowing reviews of hotels, knowing full well that the positive comments are usually submitted by the hotel itself or its staff.


Now comes word out of Great Britain that the government’s Office of Fair Trading is investigating allegations that hotels are offering incentives to guests in exchange for glowing online reviews of the property.

One of the properties alleged to be offering guests perks for good reviews is the Cove Cornwall in Lamorna, which reportedly encourages guests to become “brand champions” by posting “honest but positive” reviews on online review sites, including TripAdvisor, Michelin and the Good Food Guide.

Reviews of The Cove on TripAdvisor are, indeed, mostly positive. Of 87 reviews, 57 rated the hotel excellent, the highest of five categories.

Hotel management denies the allegations of bribing guests and trying to manipulate reviews. “In no way are we paying people to put positive reviews on TripAdvisor,” owner Lee Magner told the Mail Online. “We are merely rewarding their loyalty.”

TripAdvisor spokesman Kevin Carter told msnbc.com, “Property owners are welcome to encourage their guests to submit user reviews … but it is strictly against our guidelines for businesses to offer incentives, discounts, upgrades or special treatment on current or future stays in exchange for reviews.”

It comes as no surprise to me that this is happening and here’s the scary part – it’s only going to get worse folks.

So who should you trust? How about sites that are run by credible journalists like my own travelife.ca, which employs professionals to rank and rate hotels.

New stories posted at travelife.ca

The Polar Star cruise offers great views of Newfoundland.

The editors at TraveLife have been busy finding stories for your enjoyment.

This week, four of our finest contributors sent us their recent travel experiences and we're now sharing them with our readers at http://www.travelife.ca/

One of the stories was contributed by Brian Brown and Laurel Rowbotham, two excellent Toronto-based writers who have become TraveLife's cruise experts. Brian and Laurel are renowned for finding great cruise deals at rock bottom prices and their latest story deals with their trip around Newfoundland and Labrador aboard the Polar Star, a fine Canadian vessel that offers discounted trips around Canada's youngest province in the shoulder season. Brian and Laurel write about the delightful people they met at stops along the voyage and the amazing scenery they saw from the deck of the Polar Star.

Another of our newest stories was contributed by TraveLife regular Cynthia Dial, a California-based writer and author of many travel books who recently attended a food festival on the South Pacific island of Guam. The American island, which saw its share of horror during World War II, is now an oasis of calm where people go to surf in the choppy waters and enjoy some great island delicacies.

Jane Holt, a Montreal-based writer, tells TraveLife readers about the House she happened upon while touring the Kowloon side of Hong Kong recently. However, as Jane points out in her entertaining story, Hullett House is no ordinary House. The charming colonial structure named after English scholar Richmond William Hullett that opened in 1881, was once the most important “house” in the former British colony because it was home to the famed Hong Kong Royal Marine Police. From its lofty perch on Canton Road atop Tsim Sha Tsui, the highest point on the Kowloon side – very near where the famed Star Ferry boats still dock - Hullett House afforded the Marine Police uninterrupted views of Hong Kong’s bustling harbour. It's now been brought back to life and its original brilliance.

Karen Asp, a writer based in Indianapolis, takes TraveLife readers on a joy ride around San Francisco on bikes and Go Carts she and her family rented during a recent visit to America's most beautiful city. The bikes and street legal Go Carts can be rented rather cheaply but offer up a lot of fun for travellers hoping to save a little money on a vacation in the City by the Bay.

So go to http://www.travelife.ca/ and read some great stories.

Smart Phone Contest winner named

TraveLife’s “Win a Smart Phone Contest” is over and it generated a lot of excitement.

And the winner is – drum roll please –Sandy Spalvieri of Alliston, Ont.

Congratulations Sandy – seen here on a recent trip to China with her husband – and thanks to all those who entered our “Win a Smart Phone Contest”.

In all, we received almost 3,000 entries.

We know TraveLife readers like contests like this so stay tuned for more coming shortly – prizes will include trips and retail merchandise so tell your friends to sign up to become a subscriber to TraveLife online now!