9 Things to Know About Martinique

1. Martinique is located in the Caribbean's Lower Antilles, between Dominica and St. Lucia.

2. No point on the island is more than 12 kilometers from the shore.

3. Ooh-la-la, it's French. Officially, Martinique is an overseas department of France.

4. Ooh-la-la, that means the locals speak mostly French, although Creole is also commonly spoken here. However, English is on the upswing, as the tourism bureau is encouraging more locals to learn English. 

5. That's because Martinique is suddenly receiving an influx of tourists from the United States. Cruise visits have jumped in the past few years, and this winter, East Coasters will be discovering the island big time.

6. That's because Norwegian Air is now flying non-stop flights from New York (JFK), Boston and Washington (the latter via BWI Airport) to Fort-de-France. Winter fares start as low as $79 one-way. That includes airfare and taxes, but you will pay extra for things like checked bags and water. Still....

7. The Euro is the currency here. And with the Euro almost on par with the dollar, that means Martinique, beyond the airfare, will be a bargain this winter.

8. Napoleon's main squeeze, Josephine, was born in Martinique. Folks here have mixed feelings about her, as this headless statue insinuates.

9. Local produce includes breadfruit, cacao, bananas, mango, sweet potato,guava, and passion fruit. Oh, and rum, if we can count rum as produce.

For more information, and awe-inspiring video, check out my most recent Let's Talk Live television segment.

More posts to follow soon.

Nine Images...and a Radio Segment....Vietnam and Cambodia

Here's my recent Around the World Radio coverage of an AMAzing adventure on an AMAWaterways river cruise through Cambodia and Vietnam. Go to the May 28 show in the archives and play Track 4 for the entire segment.

Angkor Wat at dawn

The peaceful shot belies Cambodia's bloody past.

A Cambodian floating village



Everyday life on a Cambodian river

 

I was in Saigon, aka Ho Chi Minh City,
on the day of the 40th anniversary of
the reunification of Vietnam.

 

The next generation waves the red
flag, albeit without a lot of gusto.

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam is a UNESCO
World  Heritage Site.

Sunset Ha Long Bay

More pictures are on display in an archive of the live stream of the May 28 show. It's available at http://www.atw.tv/ivideos.jsp. Go about 37 minutes into the show to catch the ten-minute segment. The images don't always match up with what I am saying, but you'll get the picture.

The Top 9 Countdown Continues: Happy Sheep Year!

Given that this is The Year of the Sheep, it is somewhat fitting that my pun-filled homage to Idaho's Trailing of the Sheep Festival gets retold today. In fact, the Hemingwayesque tale is among the most popular yarns ever spun on this blog. In fact, as we count down the Top 9 Daily Suitcase posts to date, Idaho entries rank at numbers 6 and 5. Read up and you'll understand why the state should be famous for more than potatoes alone. 

6.  A Farewell to Yarns:  An ode to one of the country's top festivals.

5. Nine Things You Didn't Know About Idaho: Idaho doesn't get a whole lotta love from the rest of the country. Certainly, when most people think of the state, if they think of it at all, images of potato fields and a blue football field come to mind. But Idaho has so much more to offer, including shimmering lakes, spectacular mountains, and quirky museums. I write about the state frequently, but this particular post piqued the most interest.

Payette Lake in McCall

Sun Valley

Nine Things You Don't Know About Idaho

Idaho is one of my favorite states. In fact, when I choose to vacation, I vacation here. I am currently in Ketchum (or as spell check likes to call it, Ketchup), enjoying the fresh mountain air and cool summer temperatures.

I have been traveling throughout the state for the last 10 days with a little tater tot. To track the adventures of #SpudBuddy, follow me on Twitter @dailysuitcase (see image at bottom).

Now, for a bit of Idaho trivia--



1. Sun Valley is considered the first winter destination resort in the United States. It was built in the 1930s by railroad magnate W. Averill Harriman.

2. Sun Valley was the home of the world's first chairlift.  Lifts were installed on Dollar and Proctor Mountains in 1936.

3. The Hokey Pokey was invented in Sun Valley during the 1940s.

Elsewhere in Idaho...

4. Idaho is the only state with two time zones divided north and south. The state divides between Mountain and Pacific Time just north of Riggins.

5. Television was invented in Rigby, Idaho in the 1920s by local science prodigy and farm boy Philo Farnsworth.

6. Bruneau Dunes State Park is home to North America's tallest sand dune, at 470 feet.

Calling All Spuds...


7. Potatoes are not the top agricultural product in Idaho. Milk is.

8. Potatoes are the #1 crop, but are third in the agricultural product list after dairy and cattle.

9. And while we are on the topic, Idaho is the country’s #1 potato producer, serving up 29% of the U.S. total.

9 Top Tips for Saving Money on Summer Travel

For more money-saving tips on summer travel, tune in to WTOP Radio in Washington, DC today.

On the Road

1. Renting a car? Go off-airport. Airport fees and taxes can double the average daily price of your wheels.

2. Try bidding for a budget car on opaque "name your own price" websites. You may not know which brand you are getting until you pay, but one mid-size rental car or minivan is basically the same as another.

3. Forget the car and take local transportation. Most cities with train and bus systems have discounted visitor passes. To get around even more economically and environmentally-consciously, note that many cities offer bike share programs where you can rent a two-wheeler for 30 minutes, three hours or three days.

Lodging

4. Heading to a hotel? Watch for extra fees. Does your hotel charge for overnight parking, in-room wi-fi, or late check-out?

5. Heading to a resort? Watch out for the dreaded daily resort fee. These fees, which ostensibly are used to cover anything from the coffee in your room to the use of the gym to the morning newspaper, are sneaky ways for properties to advertise lower nightly rates while still billing more. Many properties charge up to $25 a day for the resort fee, which is nearly impossible to opt out of, even if you don’t plan to use the services included.

6. Does the resort have a free kids program?  During the summer, some resorts do offer complimentary kids programs, which can be a big cost-saver and a relief for harried parents looking for a few hours of we time on the golf course or at the spa.

In the Air

7. If you are flying with baggage, and you don’t want to pay the freight, there are two options.

   A. Fly an airline that doesn’t charge for the first checked bag, like Southwest or JetBlue.

   B. If you do fly the Uniteds, Americans or Deltas of this world, get an airline-branded credit card.

If you book on the airline website with its branded card, you will not only get a free checked bag for everyone on the reservation, but you also get to board earlier than most economy passengers. These credit cards can cost about $95 annually, but the first year is often free. If you end up saving more than $95 in baggage fees the first year, cough up the cash for a renewal for continued savings.

8. Find out which new airlines are coming to an airport near you. Oftentimes, carriers new to a market offer extra-low introductory fares.

Etc.

9. If you are flexible on where you want to go, look at sites like Groupon Getaways and Living Social for money-saving travel packages. Many tour operators offer these sites extra-low prices in order to drive traffic to their own websites. Also, Groupon and LivingSocial are good places to scout out dining and activity deals in cities to which you are traveling.

9 Holiday Travel Tips

Haven't made your holiday travel plans? Get crackin'. For those looking to avoid travel headaches this holiday season, here's a gift list of tips to use, whether you've been naughty or nice.

Jo'burg's Tambo Airport is
already ready for the holidays
.

1. Book off-peak. That means avoiding the day before the holiday, the Sunday after the holiday, etc. Christmas is mid-week this year, so that may spread out the traffic. Still, if you fly on the holiday itself, you will find smaller crowds at the airport, lighter loads on the plane, and better rates.

2. Send gifts ahead of time or order them on-line and have them sent directly to your holiday destination. If you tote gifts in your carry-on, don't bother wrapping them. If you do so, TSA will unwrap them for you.

3. Get organized to expedite getting through security. Watch what you wear--avoid clunky belt buckles, heavy-duty jewelry, or other items that might set off alarms. Have your plastic bag filled with liquids stuffed into an outside compartment of your carry-on. Have your laptop or tablet easily accessible.

4. Find an airline-branded credit card that allows you to check a bag for free if you purchase your ticket with self-same card. Some of those credit cards also provide holders the opportunity to jump ahead in the boarding line.

5. To save luggage space, wear your heaviest items on board. Layer that cozy cardigan over a bulky turtleneck and then complete the outfit with a chic winter coat and boots.

6. Check in ahead of time, either on-line or on a mobile device. Paying for your checked bag ahead of time will also save you a little time and a few bucks.

7. Going overseas? Check on advisories for dicey areas at travel.state.gov. But don't just check out the U.S. government site, as travel warnings can have an American political bent. Visit www.fco.gov.uk, the home of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office or www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/updates_mise-a-jour-eng.asp, the website of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada

8. Even if you are staying close to home, you still to prepare. If you are driving to your destination, get your car checked out ahead of time; leave plenty of time to get from Point A to Point B; and, if the kids are along, bring healthy snacks, bring plenty of entertainment, and make frequent stops.

9. And if you are looking for a totally carefree holiday travel experience, stay home and host visitors from far and wide.

9 Things to Know About Namibia

1. It's in southwestern Africa, bordering Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
2. English is the official language.

3. The Namib, at 55 million years old, is the most ancient desert on earth.
4. The Namib Desert has the highest dunes in the world.
5. Namibia has the oldest cave drawings in the world, dating back 28 million years. They are located in Apollo 11 ( FYI, the cave wasn't named Apollo 11 28,000,000 years ago).
6. Vegans, beware. Lots of oryx, ostrich, and other game on the menu.
7. There is no Namibian version of Monopoly. They play the South African version here.
8. If you love train travel, there's no better way to see the country than via The Desert Express. Eleven-day tours are available in the fall (spring here) by Lernidee. Smithsonian Journeys will have an excursion on the train next October. If 11 days is too long, you can experience the train on an overnight (plus side trips) between Windhoek and Swakopmund.
9. And yes, in answer to the question most frequently asked to me (other than "where is it?")...
it is safe here....except if you encounter a lion.

9 Things One Needs to Explore Before Exiting on an Exotic Excursion

Despite the fact that I have traveled to more than 50 countries on six continents (I am missing Antarctica), preparing for a trip to an unknown and faraway destination is still perplexing. As I plan for my trip to Namibia, I must ponder, among other things, logistics, medications, documentation, and fashion. Here's a list of 9 things I need to figure out before going to Africa...and things you should think about as well before taking off to distant lands.

www.cia.gov

1 Do I need a visa? Official media are supposed to have visas to enter Namibia, but your garden variety American tourist does not. Although I am going to Namibia to write about The Jewel of the Desert train, I am opting to go visa-less (please, Namibia's version of Mr. E. Snowden, don't tell on me). After all, as a travel writer, my mission is to have the same experience as regular travelers do. So, no visa for me, although I will be sure to bring my VISA card...and an ATM card to boot.

2. Do I need more pages in my passport? Apparently, the answer is yes. For some reason, Namibia requires everyone to have 4 to 6 blank passport pages. As I am on Year 9 of a ten-year passport, I only have one blank page left. Should I wing it? According to a colleague at Solimar International , a firm that does tourism consulting work in Namibia, the answer is a definite no. Said colleague spent the better part of the day in Windhoek Airport, while one of his co-workers had to zoom over to the local American Embassy for pages. Thankfully, I live in Washington, DC (how often do you hear someone say that these days?), very close to the National Passport Center. And thankfully, the NPC is not closed due to the shutdown. (LIVE BULLETIN from the NPC--it costs $142 to add passport pages versus $170 for a new passport. But given that I am not looking passport-picture-pretty today, I am opting to fork over the $142 and spend another $170 in a few months when I am sporting my TV Laura mien).

3. Do I need shots or malaria pills? Shots--no. Malaria pills? It's not clear. I hope that copious doses of mosquito spray will keep the buggers away while I am sleeping under the stars in Ethosha National Park.

en.wikipedia.org

4. What about money, honey? Apparently, the Namibian dollar is on par with the South African rand, and the latter is accepted everywhere in Namibia. As the Namibian dollar is not easily convertible on the world market, best to stock up on rand. That way, leftover money can be exchanged back into US dollars.


5. What do I wear? I am oft vexed regarding visitor vestments, particularly when I travel to the Middle East or Africa. When I went to Morocco in 2001 (geographically in Africa; culturally, it could be argued, the westernmost part of the Middle East), I had a two-fer on my hands. I was verklempt, as everything I owned was too tight, too short, or too colorful. I ended up purchasing a bunch of long, oversized schmatas.  The Moroccan men, unstereotypically, paid me no mind, but the women there didn't seem to appreciate my valiant efforts to mask my feminine wiles. Methinks hunting for safari clothing will be easier, but I still must find items that will cover me up (mainly to ward off  bugs and to protect against the scorching sun).

www.abercrombieandkent.co.uk

6. How do I allay the heat? As frequent readers will recall, during my most recent adventure, I swooned in the Forbidden City and had to spend the night in a Beijing ER. As a result, I am stocking up on electrolytes,, bringing a huge sombrero, and slathering on suntan lotion.

7. What unusual items do I need? This type of journey requires gear not usually included on my packing list. Bug spray; a flashlight; a water purifier; a beanbag (to serve as a camera stabilizer in jittery jalopies); and the aforementioned electrolyte tablets are some of the extras I will stow.

8. How am I going to survive the 18-hour flight? I am taking South African Airways from Washington, DC to Johannesburg--an 18-hour jaunt. I can't afford business class, so I can only hope my aisle seat in coach allows me to stretch my gams. I am also bringing along various travel accessories to road test. I'll let you know how they work.

9. How many days will it take me to get over jet lag? Fortunately, the time difference is, surprisingly, only 6 hours. Therefore, spending my first night in Africa at the Intercontinental Hotel at the Johannesburg Airport (smart move) and my second night at the Okapuka Ranch near Windhoek should mean, presumably, Dr. Livingstone, I will be well-rested when my official explorations begin.

9 Things to Know about Riding the Trans-Siberian

Cyrillic for Train Station 

For those of you who heard my segment this week on Around the World Radio (August 29 edition), here are nine more things to know about the train route that spans the breadth of Russia.

1. Most people think that there’s one train called the Trans-Siberian Express running along a lengthy railroad between Russia’s eastern port of Vladivostok and Moscow. But contrary to popular belief, there is no such train. The Trans-Siberian is actually made up of a network of domestic and international trains crisscrossing countries and borders. Yes, a Trans-Siberian journey can start in Vladivostok. But it can also start in Beijing or Ulan Bator. These itineraries, sometimes dubbed Trans-Mongolian routes, follow Trans-Siberian track once they hit Russian territory.

Lenin's Giant Head in Ulan-Ude

2. You can opt to rub shoulders with the locals on Russian train or you can travel in a private train. The latter is certainly the easier and more comfortable way to go. But it is also the more expensive option.

3. The Golden Eagle runs the classic 5,772-mile route between Vladivostok and Moscow. In 2014, The Golden Eagle 15-day trek across Siberia starts at $15,495 per person double occupancy in Silver Class to $29,995 for top-of-the-line Imperial Suites.  All compartments have bathrooms en suite.  

Tsar's Gold by Lake Baikal

4. The 15-day Zarengold or Tsar’s Gold, running between Beijing and Moscow, is less expensive, mainly because it provides a larger selection of compartment types. 2014 prices start at $9200 per person for a Classic compartment (which share toilet and shower facilities). For a compartment with private bath, prices start at $15,820 in Bolshoi and go up to $19,520 per person in Bolshoi Plus.

5. Don't forget to obtain a visa before you hit the road...or the track. Americans need visas for travel in both Russia and China.

6. I recommend traveling East to West. That way, you end up getting more sleep and more daylight along the way, as you go back in time across nine time zones.

I

It may look cold, but I'm quite comfortable in
Kazan wearing long shorts in May.

7. Load your iPad with lengthy tomes good books and epic movies. Good Russian reads include Travels in Siberia by Ian Frazier, The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn , and Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (although you may want to skip the ending, where Anna tosses herself under a train). Appropriate flicks include Dr. Zhivago and the lesser-known Transsiberian, starring Woody Harrelson. Cheers.

8. Most Trans-Siberian private trains run between May and early October. Be forewarned: Siberia can be surprisingly hot. Leave your parkas and your mukluks behind.

9. Tsar’s Gold trips can be booked directly through Lernidee at www.lernidee,com; through MIR at www.mircorp.com, or via Smithsonian Journeys www.smithsonianjourneys.org. More information on Vladivostok to Moscow trips can be found at www.goldeneagleluxurytrains.com.