Belize: Top 5 Insider Travel Tips
TRUE BLUE: Diving the Blue Hole, Belize (Nathan Borchelt)
This guest post comes courtesy of Joshua Berman, author of the recently updated Moon Belize travel guidebook.
- 1. If you find yourself on a tight budget after the plane fare to Belize blew most of your wad, choose a budget accommodation from the Toucan Trail, an association of small, often family-run hotels in Belize that charge less than $60 per night. Despite Belize's reputation for being an expensive Central America destination, there are over 100 of these budget options, located throughout the country. Saving money on your hotel every night means you can devote more cash to tours, activities, and restaurants.
- 2. Go on a cave trip in Cayo. The jungle-draped pyramids of Xunantunich and Caracol archeological sites are the most obvious above-ground attractions in Belize's western highlands, also known as the Cayo District. But to get a peek at Xibalba—the Maya underworld—grab a headlamp and sign up for a trip to one of the area's numerous caves. Each is different—some caves, like Barton Creek, you float through in canoes; others, like Actun Tunichil Muknal, force you to hike, swim, crawl, and climb to reach its treasures. Most caving companies are based next door to each other on Burns Avenue in San Ignacio, the area's main town.
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October 28, 2009
Getting Out There With Afar Magazine
Traveling home from a conference in Québec last week, I picked up a copy of the premier edition of Afar, the newest travel magazine to grace an already crowded category on airport newsstands. An hour later after a thoroughly absorbing in-flight read, I can report that I was impressed. The magazine is "for readers who are curious about everything the planet and its people have to offer," according to founder and editorial director Greg Sullivan. In this day and age, when magazines seek to impress with the most luxurious travel experiences imaginable or cater to a budget-minded, close-to-home crowd, Afar bites off the essence of experiential travel with an honest, open, and upbeat appraisal of the world we explore. A bimonthly publication to start, each issue of Afar will be organized under the typical See, Connect, and Go sections; its first edition profiled everything from Japan's costume-play fetish to a local's guide to East London to the world's best treetop lodging. As someone who reads a pile of travel magazines each month for work, I'm happy to say that this is one travel magazine that will open your eyes, mind, and heart—not just your wallet!
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October 20, 2009
Hotel Spotlight: Lapa Rios, Costa Rica
Lapa Rios has become a prototype of the successful eco-lodge, set under the verdant canopy of the Costa Rican rainforest and on a lip of land dropping dramatically into the country’s Pacific-side Golfo Dulce. The owners, Minnesota natives John and Karen Lewis, built the retreat in 1993 as a way to save hundreds of acres of rainforest from development. And by all accounts they’ve succeeded beyond even their initial ambitious dreams, crafting a tranquil retreat that comprises 16 thatch-roofed bungalows as well as a sustainable business that serves local community and conservation needs, including a lodge-funded school.
For more of the world's top resorts and lodges, visit Away.com's new guide!
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October 14, 2009
Travel Q&A: Away.com Readers Need Your Help!
Here are Away.com, we receive dozens of questions each day from readers looking for help planning their travel. Can you help? Here are five recent submissions that we need help answering. If you have advice, we'd welcome your input!
Q: We're driving to Mount Rushmore in May 2010. What's the weather like at that time and does anyone know of any good local hotels? Answer this question
Q: We are planning a trip to the Boston area, including a couple of days in Martha's Vineyard. What's the weather like in early November? Also, any must-see towns and attractions between Boston and M.V.? Answer this question
Q: Is there anywhere to snorkel off the beach in Puerto Vallarta? I'm a relative newcomer to snorkeling so need somewhere safe and shallow in which to practice. Answer this question
Q: Can anyone recommend some kid-friendly attractions in the Mount Washington area of New Hampshire? Answer this question
Q: I'm planning a solo road trip from Tennessee to Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Does anyone know of cheap hostels and good/safe camping? Answer this question
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October 13, 2009
Hotel Spotlight: La Casa Que Canta, Mexico
La Casa Que Canta and Zihuatenejo Bay, Mexico (courtesy, La Casa Que Canta)
Perched on the rocks overlooking Zihuatanejo Bay along Mexico's southwestern Pacific coastline, La Casa Que Canta—literally, the House That Sings—is one of the region's most intimate luxury resorts. Here, a small community of guests is sequestered away in 25 earth-toned, rustic suites that celebrate Mexican folk art through décor distinctive to each. Eleven of the rooms also feature private pools. Pamper yourself in the full-service Clarins spa before a spectacular sunset dinner on the terrace restaurant overlooking the Bay. Need more action with your vacation? Zihuatenejo is one of the country's top sportfishing destinations and is particularly prized for its sailfishing. Twenty minutes away, Ixtapa offers two world-class golf courses: the Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed Campo de Golf Ixtapa and the Robert von Hagge-designed Marina Ixtapa Golf Club. The hotel staff also happily recommends snorkeling and scuba tours.
Browse more of the world's top places to stay in Away.com's new Best Resorts & Lodges Guide!
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September 09, 2009
Beach Bytes: Celebrate Oyster Season
Shucking oysters (courtesy, Arcata Bay Oyster Festival)
The arrival of Labor Day and September in the United States heralds thoughts of fall, whether or not the summer temps have cooled. And though summer is known for its bounty of fruits and vegetables, fall brings its own flavors as well, with crops and seafood that arrive with the cooler temperatures.
Fall means oyster season. Though harvesting usually occurs during months that end in "r," weather and water temperatures determine the actual open and close of harvesting season for each state. Along most of the East Coast it begins mid-September. The mighty mollusk lives on the seabed in shallow coastal waters, which rapidly change in temperature and salinity in fall. There are more than 200 appellations of oysters in North America, with subtle changes in flavor determined by its growing environment in Atlantic or Pacific waters.
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September 02, 2009
Beach Bytes: The Outer Banks Marathon
Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills (courtesy, North Carolina Tourism)
The Outer Banks Marathon is a great event during Veteran’s Day weekend that's not just for runners. The weather and scenery in these North Carolina barrier islands is beautiful in November, and the weekend promises fun for the whole family, even if you plan to do more cheering than running. The marathon itself traces a circuit through some of the area's main attractions: The course begins in Kitty Hawk, providing views of Albemarle Sound; passes through the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, the Nags Head Woods Maritime Forest, and some of the tallest sand dunes on the East Coast in Jockey’s Ridge State Park; crosses the scenic Washington-Baum Bridge; and ends on Roanoke Island, near where the first English colonists landed in 1587. Other races during this weekend include a half marathon, an 8K, and a leisurely Fun Run for kids and families. If you like art, you'll want to check out the Outer Banks Marathon Race EXPO, which will showcase work from local artists, along with music, games, and other entertainment. Whether you are running or not, you can join in the tradition of loading up on carbs at the Pasta Party the night before the big race. And be sure to check out the festivities at Marathon Village in Manteo, where the Pirate Jamboree will get started at 8 a.m. on race day. Enjoy food and beer for purchase (free for runners), and live music and games.
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August 26, 2009
Beach Bytes: Slow Down on Edisto Island
Quiet Edisto Island, only an hour from Charleston, is a secret ripe for discovery by beach lovers in any season. This hidden slice of South Carolina coast is situated among sand, marsh, and forest, with a little bit of old Southern tradition and a growing touch of modern, upscale tastes.
The ACE Basin, created by the confluence of the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto rivers, is one of the largest preserved estuarine environments in the United States. Boat tours from Edisto offer natural displays of sealife, birds, and forests unlike anything else. The Edisto Beach State Park features a stunning palmetto-lined beach, plus miles of hiking and biking trails with camping and cabin options. For park details, check the South Carolina parks website.
Edisto Beach is only two miles long, where the usual crowds of summer vacationers are still a rarity. It’s a popular family destination for South Carolinans who plan reunions, weddings, girlfriend getaways, or fishing trips. Many visitors who discover Edisto decide to stay to escape a busy city or cold climate, and a few native South Carolinans remain to open up family businesses.
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August 20, 2009
Guide to the World's Best Resorts & Lodges
Cayo Espanto, a private luxury all-inclusive in Belize (courtesy, Cayo Espanto)
For the past 12 months, I have been neck-deep in one of the toughest assignments a travel editor can expect: Scouring the globe for the world's best destination resorts and lodges. I know, it's a hard job gazing at images of unspoiled, faraway places (like the one above), but I wasn't alone for my journey. We assigned a crack squad of travel writers with clips in publications including National Geographic Adventure, Travel+Leisure, and Lonely Planet to track down the cream of the crop, including their selections for the best family resorts, beach resorts, national park lodges, all-inclusive resorts, and six other distinct travel categories. One year later, with my list of must-visit places in a state of morbid obesity, we're excited to announce the launch of Away.com's new Resorts & Lodges Guide, featuring 200 of the world's ultimate destination-resort experiences. If you're looking for inspiration about where to stay next, this is the place to start.
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August 19, 2009
Beach Bytes: Lighthouse Lovers Invited to Maine
Portland Head Lighthouse on Cape Elizabeth, Maine (Tony Sweet/Digital Vision/Getty)
Lighthouse lovers, make your travel plans to head up to the Maine coast now. September 12 will be the first Open Lighthouse Day, giving the public access to more than 50 sites participating in the event. Maine boasts more coastal lighthouses than anywhere in the country, and the New England state is proud of the history and legends surrounding many of these structures and their keepers.
Most were built in the 1800s when safe navigation along the dangerous rocky coastline was dependent on the light and foghorn signals from these lighthouses. Modern sailors can barely imagine trying to get ashore through storms and treacherous waters without GPS or sophisticated technological warning systems.
Today the structures and their grounds vary widely, ranging from beautifully designed and well-maintained masterpieces to unusual, unattractive, or even damaged sites. They are tall, short, octagonal, cylindrical, yet all were important to Maine’s maritime history. Many of the lighthouses and grounds are open regularly, and have visitor centers, gift shops, research facilities, or museums, while others are privately owned or leased to private residents and unavailable to the public.
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