November 20, 2008
Not only do you have a four-day weekend coming up, your family and friends do, too. Take advantage of the effortlessly coordinated vacation days and steal away, if only for a few hours. Here are six suggestions from IgoUgo members.
The City Break: New York
New York City is an obvious holiday destination for a reason: nowhere else will you find such tremendous energy or such a large tree. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off the season, and rickhowe and family helped kick off the parade as balloon handlers. If you’re up for leading a “sort of spastic chicken dance” as millions of people shout, “Chicken LITTLE Chicken LITTLE,” you may want to find out more.
The Charming Throwback: Charlottesville, VA
Charlottesville’s collegiate commitment to tradition shows itself in the annual Blessing of the Hounds on Thanksgiving morning. Local expert tachi puts the event in her Charlottesville top 10 and recommends getting there early to watch a “ceremony rich in history” that is “taken quite seriously.” She says, “If you are in the area for Thanksgiving, this is a must-do.”
The Island Escape: St. Maarten
New Englander nancybruce5 and her husband love “watching St. Maarten prepare for Christmas” so much that they own a timeshare there for the weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas. They recommend Lee’s Roadside Grill for a Thanksgiving dinner of mahi-mahi, snapper, tuna, and lobsters prepared on an “outdoor fire grill.” There’s entertainment, too, though they say that “it was funny listening to a steel band do Christmas carols.”
The Shopping Trip: Hershey, PA
Fall and winter are favorite seasons for Hershey weekends, from leaf peeping to holiday-light peeping. The Christmas in Hershey program, celebrating its 25th year, has already begun, and Laura Z recommends the Hershey Sweet Lights drive portion for “miles and miles of displays.” But the real draws on Thanksgiving are the Midnight Madness sales at the Outlets at Hershey, which can even net you a free Christmas tree.
The Ski Preview: Lake Tahoe, CA
Thanksgiving is the traditional opening day for Lake Tahoe ski resorts, though some slopes open before or after, depending on the weather. Shari Lynne found Turkey Day a great time to go, saying, “This was a nice weekend to kick off the holiday season! Holiday cheer was in the decor, music, and (lots of) snow!” You can also have as much holiday food as PRINSEWING did by renting a condo and preparing your Thanksgiving meal there.
The Family Reunion: Hayward, WI
Thanks to his entire family bunking at Spider Lake Lodge, SFPhotocraft describes Thanksgiving 2004 as the “Thanksgiving that felt like a Hallmark card come to life.” Drivable from Minneapolis or Chicago but “a world away,” the Spider Lake area is full of picture-perfect Midwest cabins. Make sure to stop at Tremblay’s Sweet Shop to stock up on post-turkey treats; MCJ graduate “highly recommends it for your sweet tooth.”
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November 19, 2008
In the Best of IgoUgo page’s first week, superb stories and photos from MilwVon’s Canadian polar bear adventure ice-stormed the rankings. Here are some of the companies she and other members hot on the bears’ trails recommend using for a memorable trip to the tundra of Churchill, Manitoba.
Churchill Nature Tours
“The BEST tour company in Churchill,” proclaims MilwVon’s review of Churchill Nature Tours, and, after reading her two journals about her experience with them, we have to agree they would be hard to beat. Besides tundra-buggy excursions (with flush toilets!) and helicopter rides, the tour company organized everything from accommodations and meals to a meeting with local Inuits in a caribou-skin tent.
Great White Bear Tours
MilwVon also sings the praises of Great White Bear Tours for their top-notch tundra vehicles and service. The company takes care not to fill their buggies to capacity, allowing every passenger to snag a window seat and extra space. Plus, in addition to the repeatedly heralded flush toilets, their buggies feature large viewing decks and hot beverages. In these pleasant conditions, MilwVon says, she “had two very successful bear-viewing days, with 16 on the first day and six the second,” and “the quality of the experience was outstanding in spite of or perhaps because of the driving blizzard storm.”
Tundra Buggy Adventure
Offering several different types of bear outings, another buggy option is the Tundra Buggy Adventure from Frontiers North Adventures, recommended by travelwhiz1799. “Honestly, it was one of the best tours I have ever had in my life!” she says. “The tour guide was awesome, full of tons of interesting facts and able to get us within safe viewing distance of many beautiful animals-not just polar bears, but even arctic foxes, ptarmigan, hares, and reindeer.”
Hudson Bay Helicopters
A helicopter tour to see polar bears from a different vantage point was one of the activities included in MilwVon’s Churchill Nature Tours package, and Hudson Bay Helicopters delivered with sightings of seven or eight bears in one hour, including a “large polar bear eating on a caribou carcass” as “blood-stained snow showed the trail from the kill site in a small patch of willows.” A striking, if not unusual, Hudson Bay sight: amandabeth saw a similar scene involving an arctic fox on her Manitoba trip.
For those of you looking to book a trip north, we should also note that we have it on good authority that Natural Habitat Adventures provides a wonderful polar bear experience and education as well. And, of course, you can get even more ideas for your trip from IgoUgo travelers right here.
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November 14, 2008
We’re all here for the same reason: a deep love of travel. However, as seasoned travelers, we know that nothing can foul things up like delays. So in a recent IgoUgo poll, members spoke out about layovers and how-and where-to best pass the time. This week’s top blog post had the answers.
Nowhere is free from delays, though if you’re going to get stuck, it is better when the locale is at least new and interesting, much like this week’s newcomer to our list of top destinations, Mendoza, Argentina.
Likewise, a layover had better have food for the weary, and often hungry, traveler. For the third week in a row, restaurant reviews continued to be our most viewed page type.
The most popular photo this week came from our 2008 U GO! Awards voting page, and may be one pedestrian’s idea of how to beat air-travel delays.
Finally, from layover to turnover, last week’s election apparently remains on everyone’s mind, judging by the week’s most viewed attraction.
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November 12, 2008
When we asked you how you pass your time during layovers, we knew we’d get some entertaining answers. We didn’t predict, though, that they’d involve arrests and some antics for which you should have been arrested. Of course, there were plenty of good, lawful ideas, too. So here is what to do and what not to do on layovers, according to IgoUgo travelers who have tried everything.
Pampering Yourself
What to Do
Find a spa and follow the advice of the traveler who “had a massage in the Bangkok airport” and called it, with self-congratulations, a “great idea.” Another traveler “got leg massages and took a shower at Singapore Changi,” and yet another “had a wicked-long auto-chair massage at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, replete with much ooooohing and ahhhhing.” And a layover at Narita Airport near Tokyo yielded someone a “shower, shave, etc., for $5/half-hour” along with a side of “free Internet at Yahoo Internet Cafe.”
What Not to Do
If you skip the spa and freshen up in the restroom, make sure all embarrassing objects are turned off and carefully stowed. One traveler responded, “I had one of those talking ‘That was easy’ buttons from an office-supply place go off in the restroom. It was in my carry-on luggage in an outside pocket, and I was trying to get out of one of the small stalls, and I must have hit the wall. All of the sudden it went off and said, ‘That was easy,’ and everyone in the bathroom busted out laughing.” After your rest stop, grab a bite, but steer away from coffee and junk food; one layover resulted in an IgoUgo member “breaking the self-serve coffee machine in the Toronto airport” and “water running everywhere,” and many travelers express regret over “eating junk food” and “eating lots more junk food.” Also avoid the tactics of the ladies who “sponge-bathed in the restroom,” “took a spit bath in the ladies-room sink,” and “clipped finger- and toenails.” Even if it feels like your airline is ignoring you, you are still visible to other travelers.
Staying Active
What to Do
Stretch your plane legs inside of or near the airport. One traveler “went swimming in the rooftop pool of the Singapore airport.” Another “surfed at a local beach.” Several “ran the halls to get some much-needed exercise” or “took the time to stretch and do yoga.” One yogi even claims her poses are enhanced by the hectic surroundings, saying that “being anonymous in an airport is quite peaceful to me.” You might even seek a partner in crime, as one respondent says he has “exercised with other travelers.”
What Not to Do
On the other hand, you might be better off on your own. We can’t endorse the random activity of travelers who said, as one put it, that they “just met someone and after 10 minutes of conversation decided to spend the time ‘pleasantly’ together.” And we think most travelers can hatch an activity plan that’s more exciting than “counting the number of steps it takes to walk from one end of Terminal A to the end of Terminal C in the DFW airport.”
Getting Some Rest
What to Do
Get creative and get beyond the gate area before you conk out. One poll respondent “hung out in the children’s play area because there were no kids around and it was the most tranquil place around the terminal.” A second person “slept in the children’s rec area overnight in O’Hare Chicago.” And several said they have “slept in the USO after it was closed”-one atop a pool table.
What Not to Do
If you’re still not convinced, here are three reasons not to drift off in that gate area, from the stories of three embarrassed travelers:
“Fell asleep at the gate and snored so loudly that a security guard woke me to tell me I was disturbing everyone else at the gate.”
“Fell asleep at a gate only to be woken up by a stranger to tell me everyone had moved to the new gate 32 gates away.”
“Fell asleep while trying to listen to a lady tell me her whole life story. When I woke up she was still talking and assumed I had missed nothing.”
Finding Leisure Pursuits
What to Do
If you have enough time, venture outside the airport. One beer lover “left the airport to visit a microbrewery” and says, “it was the best layover ever!” Another lucky guy “took the train into the city, had a great dinner, came back, and got upgraded for waiting!” In Honduras, one traveler
“rented a car and drove into the countryside for five hours,” and in another story, someone opted to “ride the city bus all over town.” Those more pressed for time said they have “gone to the airport museum” and “gone to the airport casino-and WON!” For the more adventurous, there’s always “playing in the fountain of an airport,” an answer given by more than one playful person. And for the less spontaneous? Consider this story: “Once, I actually read the fine print under ‘rules of carriage’ on the back of the ticket.” If you feel like beginning or ending your trip with even more sightseeing, several travelers report having ridden trams around entire airports-”repeatedly.”
What Not to Do
Layovers can be frustrating under the best of circumstances, so join us in pitying those travelers who said they “got arrested.” Others engaged in activities for which they could have ended up in handcuffs, including those who “streaked” and “tried to walk onto other flights without a boarding pass.” (Two different people, although we’re assuming the streaker didn’t have a boarding pass in his pocket, either.) And you’ll want to avoid busying yourself by dwelling on your own problems, which didn’t work out well for those who “wept out of sheer fatigue and frustration for the better part of an hour,” “had an anxiety attack,” and “drank too much.” (One drinker had so many glasses of Guinness in Dublin’s airport that he almost passed right by the father-in-law he was to meet.) On the other hand, a drink or two can be a good way to pass the time: one traveler “had an outdoor pint at the après-opera pub while pretending to have just been blown away by the performance [he] didn’t see-apparently it went swimmingly.”
Making New Friends
What to Do
Most travelers seem to enjoy the random connections made on layovers (with people, not flights). One IgoUgo member who “spent the day with a stranger when stranded due to weather” says that the new friend “made a lousy situation much brighter,” even though the member missed his brother’s wedding due to the delay. More than one respondent rented a car with people they’d just met to reach their final destinations. Another “became a spokesperson for the travelers affected,” and someone “played Truth or Dare with a stranger.” Poker between passengers is popular, as is getting to know the people with whom you are traveling. “Chatted to my boss for five hours,” said one traveler. “Never really spoke before that and we got to know each other very well!” A romantic “met an Israeli soldier in Tel Aviv”-one who kept her company all night long, bought her coffee, and traded paperbacks with her. (That will be our little secret from the traveler who said the strangest thing he’s done in an airport was “pay full price for a paperback book.”) Another idea is to use the time to reconnect with old friends. Several people have squeezed in meals with local friends or called relatives for impromptu reunions. And one person “retrieved a traveling pet from cargo so he could be walked.” A good friend, indeed.
What Not to Do
Travelers who reported trying these things at airports can attest to their absurdity: calling an ex after a breakup; going skinny-dipping with other travelers; singing carols with strangers; speaking with a fake accent; assuming a false identity; and participating in photo shoots while in costume and character. Another thing someone did not enjoy was “overhearing a horse trainer explain how a horse gives birth.” Some rabble-rousers take advantage of new friends, which seems like a bad idea when one of them could end up in the seat next to you on the plane. One “told an annoying fellow traveler that I paid half of what he had paid and that I was not being delayed because the airline was giving me VIP treatment.” Another says: “I gave legal advice; I have no legal background. Found out later it saved the person thousands of dollars. I was assuming a false identity at the time.” And finally, no matter how long you’ve been chatting with your gate-mates, don’t leave your stuff with them. One traveler says, “In San Diego last year, I was sitting next to a young woman with a toddler and we’d chatted briefly. Then she asked me to watch her stuff while she went to change the baby’s diaper. I knew this was a no-no in today’s security-conscious airport world, but said okay. Then I was immediately paranoid. Was there a bomb in her carry-on or shopping bag? She seemed to be gone for a long time. I moved farther away from her stuff and watched nervously for her return. I was preparing for the explosion-or to call security-when she finally got back. I won’t do that again.” We should note that we believe we found the alleged “mom” from this story when someone wrote that the strangest thing she’d done in an airport was “ask strangers to watch [her] stuff.”
One final piece of airport advice that we could not recommend-indeed, couldn’t even categorize-comes from a traveler who prefaces her response with the fact that she’s done “nothing strange” in an airport. She goes on to say, “I do go to the airport sometimes even when I am not flying anywhere, for shopping (especially at Christmas, our airport shops can be very quiet), eating, and people-watching (especially at London Heathrow when living nearby).” Really? Nothing strange?
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November 12, 2008
In our most recent poll, 73 percent of you said you’re spending more time than ever in airports, chasing connections or killing time. But layovers don’t have to drag down your trip. You told us your favorite international cities to explore during a layover, so here’s how-and where-to take control and embrace the layover trend. For a few hours in these hubs, you’ll be turning down direct flights any chance you get.
Three ways to book an (intentional!) international layover
1. When shopping at an online travel agency, don’t automatically choose the route with the shortest travel time: keep scrolling! One recent search turned up a cheaper ticket if you stopped in Paris for nine hours rather than two hours. Plenty of time for some brie and baguettes, sans l’aeroport.
2. Perform a test search online to find out where layovers for your route most commonly occur, and then plug that city into a multi-stop search rather than a round-trip search. For example, if you see that a New York-Nairobi flight requires a layover in London, search for a New York-London-Nairobi-New York ticket for more time in London-sometimes for less money. The same trick works for domestic trips.
3. For an extended (or even overnight) diversion, look for airlines offering free stopovers. Icelandair often offers a Reykjavik stopover as part of a US-Europe ticket, and Air New Zealand commonly allows stopovers in Australia at no extra charge.
Your top 10 cities for layovers-and what to do when crunched for time
1. London
Airport-city transport: Heathrow has three London Underground stations for service to London in under an hour. Gatwick has a 30-minute non-stop train to London’s Victoria Station.
With a morning, see: British Museum
With a day, see: Tower of London
Find more London layover tips
2. Amsterdam
Airport-city transport: Schiphol’s train station, located below the airport, connects to Amsterdam with a 15-minute train ride. For your return journey, the airport is even accessible by rented bicycle on a trip that takes about an hour.
With a morning, see: Anne Frank Museum
With a day, see: Canal Tour
Find more Amsterdam layover tips
3. Singapore
Airport-city transport: From Changi International Airport, it’s 27 minutes to Singapore on the MRT train. The airport also offers 2-hour sightseeing tours of Singapore-”colonial” or “cultural”-leaving from three terminals.
With a morning, see: Chinatown
With a day, see: Singapore Zoo
Find more Singapore layover tips
4. Paris
Airport-city transport: The RER regional train links Charles de Gaulle to central Paris, an easy 35-minute trip.
With a morning, see: Nôtre-Dame
With a day, see: Eiffel Tower
Find more Paris layover tips
5. Frankfurt
Airport-city transport: S-Bahn streetcars leave from Frankfurt Airport’s Terminal 1 for a 10- to 15-minute ride to the central city. Alternately, a city bus leaves for Frankfurt every 30 minutes.
With a morning, see: Römerberg
With a day, see: Museumsufer
Find more Frankfurt layover tips
6. Zurich
Airport-city transport: Six trains an hour run from Zurich Airport to the center city, a 10-minute ride.
With a morning, see: Churches of Zurich
With a day, see: Uetliberg
Find more Zurich layover tips
7. San Juan
Airport-city transport: There are two bus stops at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport; alternately, a taxi ride to Old San Juan takes about 15 minutes. Several tour companies offer hours-long tours with pick-up and drop-off at the airport.
With a morning, see: El Morro
With a day, see: El Yunque
Find more San Juan layover tips
8. Rome
Airport-city transport: A Leonardo Express train makes the 35-minute trip from Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport to Rome’s Termini Station every 30 minutes.
With a morning, see: Colosseum
With a day, see: St. Peter’s Square
Find more Rome layover tips
9. Madrid
Airport-city transport: Madrid Barajas Airport has subway stops in Terminals 2 and 4; it takes about 15 minutes to reach central Madrid.
With a morning, see: Plaza Mayor
With a day, see: Museo del Prado
Find more Madrid layover tips
10. Hong Kong
Airport-city transport: The Airport Express train leaves every 12 minutes for the 24-minute ride to central Hong Kong.
With a morning, see: Victoria Peak
With a day, see: Kowloon via the Star Ferry
Find more Hong Kong layover tips
Poll respondents also told tales of taking in mariachi on a Mexico City layover, beaches in Waikiki, the Mall of America in Minneapolis, and a complimentary buffet in Dubai-proving the potential value of a layover no matter where in the world you connect.
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November 11, 2008
One of travel’s great truths is that no matter how many places you go, there will always be more to see. So although our location list tops 8,000 destinations, members introduce new spots often. Check out some of the newest additions here for hidden locales and fresh trip ideas. We know we’ve never met a new destination we didn’t like.
Lamy, New Mexico
At the end of the rainbow, SeenThat was the first member to find-and photograph-a New Mexico railroad town with a restored saloon and dining car where “a chocolate brownie can be a tricky affair.”
Paisley, Scotland
Founded in 1163 (by Drever’s count), Paisley Abbey and its “forgotten town” finally get their due with an IgoUgo home and an excellent journal from the resident historian himself.
Celje, Slovenia
Newcastle, England, native fizzytom is writing about a city she regularly visits that is “midway between Maribor and Ljubljana” and is “as close to the heart of the country as you can get.”
Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Another midway stop, this time in New Zealand, Lake Tekapo sits “right in the pathway from Christchurch to Queenstown” but “has a lot to offer the traveler in love with scenery.” In her introduction to the area, an enthusiastic Red Mezz includes information on where to stay and what to eat.
Ito, Japan
With two weeks in Japan, Virginian wasa girl discovered Ito, where she found that “staying at a Buddhist temple is not your typical hotel experience”-but it is one she recommends.
Lyndonville, Vermont
DLSMOMOF2 loves Lyndonville’s Wildflower Inn so much that she’s already returned three times-and, luckily, finally decided to share her secret love.
Montalcino, Italy
Travelenthusiast not only recommends this “wonderful locale” in Tuscany, but also a “beautiful B&B” and a stand-out taverna to enhance your stay.
Thanedhar, India
“Thanedhar’s an obscure town, though famous in its own way,” begins phileasfogg-and the adventuresome Delhi resident would, of course, know better than anyone. We think you’ll find her introduction to the apple capital of India very sweet, indeed.
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November 8, 2008
As the world becomes more environmentally and fiscally conscious, train travel continues to become more popular as a greener mode of travel-though we already saw it coming last summer. Regardless, we just hope that you keep traveling and that all your great content comes rolling in.
Jumping the rails this week, the popularity of a train station review showed that perhaps gas prices are still driving people from driving.
Likewise, on the blog, alternate forms of transportation proved to be popular, despite all the training required.
Vietnam makes its first appearance as a top destination. If you look below at the monthly stats, you can see it was helped in small part by Ho Chi Minh City. Coincidentally, HCMC was a featured journal destination in the first Picks of the Week email in November. And sharing top honors with Southeast Asia as a popular destination was the urban rail hub of the Midwest, Chicago.
Moving from train couplings to a couple with a train, this week’s top photo was inspired by a celebration on the first day of this month.
And without further ado, here are top contributors and destinations from last month.
Member who submitted the most journals: akakd
Member who submitted the most reviews: For the second month running, golden101 churns out reviews like a steam engine.
Member who submitted the most photos: SeenThat
Destination with the most new journals: Ho Chi Minh City
Destination with the most new reviews: Hawaii (Big Island)
Destination with the most new photos: Buenos Aires
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November 7, 2008
Three cheers for travel? One-up that old count by rewarding your favorite IgoUgo journals, photos, experiences, and reviews with Cheers-and then Cheer some more. Keep going, because the content receiving the most nods (the Cheer-leaders?) lands on a brand-new page that you create.
We’re furthering IgoUgo’s tradition of recognizing top content (with events like the 2008 U GO! Awards-vote now!) and handing over spotlighting the Best of IgoUgo to you. Join our travel community in creating this new page by awarding Cheers-with the click of your mouse-to the content you find most useful; your participation will make this the place to find the best journals, photos, experiences, and reviews arriving at IgoUgo. Visit every day to see what the community is recommending right now! (The new tab in our top navigation area gives you an easy in.)
And choosing what to feature as the Best of IgoUgo isn’t the only mark the community makes on our newest addition; the page is also a gateway to community highlights in the IgoUgo Hall of Fame and U GO! Awards, and on the Message Boards and IgoUgo Travel Blog. You’ll also find a list of our topmost prolific members.
So, discover a useful review while researching your next trip? A traveler in your Friends Network writes an inspiring new journal? A creative photo in an IgoUgo newsletter catches your eye? Three Cheers! We could go on and on, and we hope you do.
Have fun, and please let us know what you think of your new role in choosing the Best of IgoUgo.
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November 7, 2008
We’ve tallied your nominations and opened voting for the 2008 U GO! Awards. It’s time for you to choose the winners!
Perusing this year’s nominees is the ultimate in virtual travel: you chose journals and photos covering 19 countries, one transatlantic crossing, and one continent without any countries at all. Nominated members themselves hail from 13 different nations.
Visit the 2008 U GO! Awards now to see whom you’ve honored this year and to make your selections before voting ends November 19. As always, please email any questions to igougo.editors@igougo.com. We look forward to announcing the winners soon!
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Travel Destinations.
