October 29, 2005
Traveller's Checklist (Thanks to the Government of Canada)
Doing these essential things before you leave Canada will help ensure a safe trip.
PDF Version Traveller's Checklist
Country Travel Report for your destination country
Itinerary and budget
Health and travel insurance
Passport: check expiry date, make copies
Entry visas and departure tax
Documentation for children (consent letter) Yes No
Vaccinations, medication, prescriptions, medical certificate, supplies, extra pair of glasses
International driver's licence (if needed)
Flight preparation
Registration with a Canadian government office abroad (on-line)
Dual citizenship: is it an issue?
Money: local currency, traveller's cheques, etc.
Bringing back goods: receipts for purchases, special arrangements for food, animals, plants, etc.
Don't forget to pack the booklet Bon Voyage But... in your luggage. It is an invaluable source of contact information and advice.
Tel.: 1 800 267-6788 (in Canada and the USA) or (613) 944-6788E-mail: voyage@international.gc.ca
Country Travel Report for your destination country
Do your research. Before you leave, learn about the country you plan to visit. Consult the Country Travel Report. These reports are continuously updated and contain the latest information on security and safety issues.
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL OUTSIDE CANADA
Check out this site for useful information about many things, including warnings about hurricanes and such.
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/pubs/consular_services-en.asp
or READ 'Bon Voyage But..' at
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/pubs/bon_voyage_but-en.asp
The Canadian Government is not a Travel Agency
Enough already!! I am getting tired of reading about the "poor Canadian Tourists" stranded in Mexico or Florida or some other resort area in the Caribbean, who think the Canadian government is responsible for rescuing them.
When you choose to 'fly into the eye of a hurricane' you might expect to get a little collateral damage. The people who are yelling the loudest presumably knew it was, and still is, hurricane season in the Caribbean Region, in most cases did not register with the local Canadian authorities, and surely read the part in "Bon voyage But.." that states what you, as a tourist can expect from the Canadian government.
If you are old enough to fly then you are old enough to look after yourself. Don't expect the rest of us to foot the bill for your foolishness.
October 27, 2005
These boots were made for walkingFeeling intrepid? Then strap on your adventure gear and sample the best treks across six continents with Andrew Bain. more
REAL, LIVE NORWEGIAN HISTORY
A reel trip back in time
Norwegian Journey - Part Two When Norway's King Harald V and Queen Sonja were making a cross-country trek a few years back, they asked Sigurd Ellingsen if they could stop his village home for coffee and cake and bring a few dignitaries along.
[Full Story]
Coasting along the high seas
Norwegian Journey - Part One Working ships give tourists a glimpse of far more than just the rugged coastline, with locals and visitors sharing dinner and stories along the way, writes Susan Pigg in kicking off a series on travel along Norway's coast.
[Full Story]
October 24, 2005
It looks as though the Carribean and Florida are catching a small break. Tropical Storm Alpha is being sucked into Wilma as Wilma moves over the Atlantic.
October 23, 2005
Barcelona: one of my favourite citiesA day well spent
Bypassing the tapas bars, Rachel Browne explores the city with credit card in hand. more
( from the Sydney Morning Herald )
This is the most recent image, today, from the NOAA GOES satellite. Notice Wilma on the left, approaching Florida from the Yucatan and NW Cuba. On the right is the record-breaking tropical storm Alpha which breaks a record for the greatest number of tropical storms in a year, set in 1933. What is amazing, and scary for those who would travel to the Carribean region, including Florida, is that the hurricane/tropical storm season doesn't end for more than another month- ie the end of November. So if you are thinking of booking one of those cheap off-season resort packages you better give it some serious thought. If you like adventure, and can look upon spending part of your holiday in a hurricane shelter as fun, book on!!!
October 22, 2005
If you recognize these as paintballs then you know what this post is about. Today the Lions Club of Glencoe and District sponsored a day at the London Paintball Park -www.londonpaintball.com
Anumber of weekend warriors braved the rather cool temperatures to participate in their favourite activity at the park just south of Melbourne , Onatrio. the temperature was about 6 degrees C. and the wind was brisk. Great conditions!
Some participant have all their own gear, very expensive gear. This paintball warrior has body armour, camoflage suit, and extra canisters of C02."Its more expensive than hockey" stated one paintballer.
The Glencoe District Lions Club was represented by a small group of observers, of this, our first ventrue into paintball. Who called this meeting anyway?
'War is hell' -even at a paintball park on a cool day, where a paintball can raise a rather large bump, or even draw blood.
Iceland's a hot spot for nightclub crawling
Oct. 22, 2005. 01:00 AMREYKJAVIK—Jan Kari Hilmarsson has a lot of friends in Reykjavik. And, for a fee, you can be one of them. Jan Kari operates an innovative business called, descriptively, "Your Nightlife Friend in Reykjavik." [Full Story]
Oh, those long, long nights.....( Cancun north -hurricane Wilma )
Hey Wilma, where's Barney? Those Canadians who have chosen to take advantage of the low-cost holidays to the Caribbean are getting a little more for their money than they bargained for when bookings were made. Canadians trapped in the area are getting to experience a major hurricane, 'close-up and personal'.
This NOAA photo shows Wilma moving towards the Yucatan Peninsula, on its way to? It is cutting a very wide swath through the Caribbean.
October 16, 2005
Looking for something a little different? Read this account from the LATIMES.Understudy to the Riviera
By Susan Spano
Montenegro may lack polish, but its setting and prices make a trip to the Balkans worth it.
October 15, 2005
Choices widen at winter destinationsAsk Canadians where they're going for a winter break and the vast majority will name Mexico, Cuba or the Dominican Republic. Ask sun-seekers in other countries and you'll get the same response.( from the London FreePress)
Hurricanes and other issues may have blown some of the shine of the southern U.S. for many people in Canada and elsewhere.
Panama carving niche with Canadians
Some tourism promoters spout more bull than facts. But the guy addressing a room full of visiting Canadian travel agents wasn't exaggerating when he declared that Panama "is more than a canal." (From Doug English, Travel editor of the London FreePress)
CHRISTMAS IN PARIS
Hotel Lutetia from $322
The deal: Sure, it gets dark early there in December – but how dark can things be in the City of Light? December’s a great time to take advantage of low transatlantic air fares, and whether you want to do some pre-holiday shopping or even spend Christmas in Paris, the four-star Hotel Lutetia has a special to suit your needs. Called the “Winter Sparkles” package, it’s available for stays from December 1 through January 8, and it offers savings of more than 40 percent off the hotel’s rack rates for that period. The two-night package starts at 540 euros – or about $322 a night – for a room, full buffet breakfast each day, a welcome gift in your room and cocktails for two at the hotel’s bar. They’ll also give you a map of the Left Bank – the Lutetia bills itself as “the only fully deluxe Grand Hotel on the Left Bank” – and if you buy dinner for two at the Lutetia’s Brasserie, they’ll throw in a half-bottle of champagne. The rate also includes VAT. For stays from December 27 to January 2, rates are slightly higher – about $691 for the two-night package.
The dollars: From $322 a night.
For booking information, terms and conditions, click here
Best of Paris
The ultimate guide to the capital of French style. (Travel and Leisure )
This is not my view of Paris, but then I don't have an American Express Card.
What does this list say about the readers of American Express' magazine, TRAVELAND LEISURE?
How can Paris be totally ignored? Perhaps "Freedom Fry" poisoning?
WORLD'S TOP CITIES
Sydney and Bali the world's top city and island once again this year—for the eighth and fourth time, respectively. Several destinations have their best World's Best performance ever, including Prague; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Hobart, Tasmania; and Easter Island, Chile. And kudos to our sole first-time winner: Harbour Island, in the Bahamas.
Top 10 Overall
Rank
Last Year
Name
2005Score
1
1
Sydney
88.30
2
4
Bangkok
87.08
3
2
Rome
86.26
4
3
Florence
86.20
5
n/a
Chiang Mai, Thailand
84.93
6
6
New York
84.82
7
8
Istanbul
84.78
8
5
Cape Town
84.51
9
7
Oaxaca, Mexico
84.41
10
n/a
San Francisco
N/A
Category winner five times or more* "N/A" means that the property was not among the top-ranked in this category last year.
Click each destination's name to access Travel + Leisure's archives of articles.
`Secret' island of shipwrecks
Oct. 15, 2005. 01:00 AM
HOPE TOWN, BAHAMAS—As our tiny ferry slipped past the candy cane lighthouse, some toy yachts and a row of crayon-coloured homes, a lovely young bride turned to her new husband and said: "Geez, honey, it looks like we're sailing into a fairytale." [Full Story]
October 13, 2005
101 Places Not to VisitDull, dangerous or just plain ugly
Author Adam Russ turns his caustic wit to some famous places, Clara Iaccarino writes. more
( from the Sydney Morning Herald )
Perfect Places for Low cost Long stay
Kingdom of Tonga a land of many stories
Oct. 13, 2005. 01:00 AM
TONGA In the heart of the Pacific Ocean, just to the south of the equator, and just to the west of the international dateline, lies Tonga, the last remaining Polynesian kingdom. [Full Story]
October 10, 2005
RUSSIA PERHAPS?Nicholas and Alexandra sights
Rushing through Russia
(The Detroit FreePress )
Ancient forest escapes loggers
Oct. 10, 2005. 08:47 AM
It is a dollop of land in a pristine bay, the curve of a comma with a tail of sand. This tiny chunk of rock and trees in the Bay of Fundy may be the last stand of original coastal Acadian forest in all of New Brunswick. Kelly Toughill explains. [Full Story]
Don't Go Where The Guns Of Florida Blow!
You can be a victim. Don't sneeze, keep your hands in sight, no threatening gestures or words, or looks. Shoot firsts, discuss mistakes later! Don't knock on the wrong door for a bullet awaits the unwary.
Snowbirds get gun law alert
Oct. 10, 2005. 08:40 AM
Canada could become the next frontier in a battle that pits Florida's sunshine and beaches against what some call its burgeoning Wild West mentality and love of the gun. Tim Harper explains. [Full Story] ( From the Toronto Star )
October 08, 2005
VISITING CHICAGODestination dining
Theatrical treasures you can't find on Broadway
Star-struck by SonicVision
A dozen visual gems you probably won't find listed in a travel guide
New on the scene
more tourism stories
Good Travel Health Advice From LATIMES
Pay attention to ills that may be lurking at your destination
Kathleen Doheny
Whether you stay in the U.S. or go abroad, risk hay fever or dengue fever, an ounce of prevention can help.
We aren't who we like to think we are
Oct. 8, 2005. 08:40 AM
Don't believe that the only time Canadians get really obstreperous is when someone dares suggest we're just like Americans. It turns out we are just like Americans! A new study shows there's very little difference in our personalities. Bill Taylor reports. [Full Story]
We Think We are, Therefore We Are!!!!
October 05, 2005
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