Allegiant Air, a low-cost carrier in the US, has a history of questionable safety policies and frequent safety incidents, yet the FAA has not taken any action and the carrier maintains an ok 5-out-of 7 safety rating. Yet the Tampa Bay Times published did in-depth research of air safety incidents in the US and came […]
On my recent trip “Bali on a Budget” I was looking for an affordable hotel under $50/night in Ubud that is a reflection of the town: a small, independent guest house near the center of town, with typical Bali decor, friendly service and modern amenities. Based on online and a site inspection, I picked the
On my “Bali on a Budget” trip I visited Ubud and Lovina Beach and to stay on budget, I wanted to take the bus to get there! Perama Tours runs a number of scheduled bus routes criss-crossing the island to many of the places visitors might want to go. Read my review to see if
I love good coffee and breakfast is my favorite meal – fortunately, Manila seems to agree with that and has lots of coffee shops. In addition to all the big chains, you also find a number of great independent stores, like Single Origin, or mini-chains with a few outlets, like Wildflour Cafe & Bakery. Wildflour
The US Department of State just ordered the departure of family members of employees at the consulate in Istanbul and updated their general travel warning to reflect that. While I consider the US and UK travel warnings as very conservative in general, this is a significant new piece of information to consider if you have
As part of my “Bali on a budget” trip, I visited Lovina Beach on the North Shore of Bali to get away from the crowds of Southern Bali and explore the quieter side of Bali. I was looking for a hotel close to the beach for under $50/night and found Hotel Melamun from online reviews – and it is
The Philippines’ Spanish, Chinese and Filipino roots all have influenced its cuisine – and 50 years of American influence have left the locals with a love of burgers that gives you a better choice than anywhere else outside the US! One of my favorite places to eat in Manila and to still my occasional cravings for
On my last night in Faro, I went to dinner at Santo Antonio’s, a restaurant that came highly recommended by the front desk agent at the Best Western Dom Bernardo hotel I stayed at. And he had recommended it with so much passion that I was looking forward to trying it out.
Last week, I reviewed the Experience you can expect at Best Western hotels and I mentioned that Best Western was working hard to move their brands into the midscale and upscale segments and has kicked out more than 1,200 properties that do not meet their brand standards. They have also embarked on a redesign of
For my stay in Faro on Portugal’s Algarve coast as part of my Iberian Explorer Trip, I selected the Best Western Dom Bernardo hotel. I want to explore Best Western, their rewards program and promotions this year (together with Choice and Wyndham) and this was one of the few options on the Iberian peninsula. Like
Best Western is one of the largest hotel companies in the world with over 4,100 properties and one of the oldest, having started in 1946. It is a privately held company that allows the individual properties to stay independent, charges some of the lowest brand membership fees in the industry and some of the least
China was the country with the most international departures world wide at over 84 Million, making Chinese travelers an ever-growing presence, especially in Asia. Now, that the Philippine government under President Duterte is making a “pivot” towards China, what will that mean for travel to the Philippines? The Department of Tourism is looking to grow