Life without baggage…

With the constant changes and updates of airline baggage fees it can be hard to know when you will have to pay for your bags. It also makes it difficult to determine what actually is a good price when searching for an airline ticket. I looked beyond the base fare to provide insight on how to determine which airline is the better bargain for our sister site, EscapeTogether .com Click here to read the full article.

24 hours in Durban

I was in South Africa in July and had very little time to see and do everything there is in this wonderful country. I decided this trip to focus on the big cities so of course I would spend time in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Once the itinerary began to unfold, I realized it only left me 24 hours for Durban a city on the Eastern portion of the country closer to the Indian Ocean. Was it really worth it to go all that way for 24 hours? I decided to chance it since I was unsure when I would be able to return to South Africa and because it would help me know whether to visit the city again next visit. It was a great decision.

We chose a hotel close to North Beach and were able to walk down to the water shortly after our morning flight from Johannesburg. The flight was a little over an hour and very reasonable on South African Airways. I used my hotel points since we were there such a short time and to save. We stayed at the Hilton Durban, a nice hotel connected to the convention center. This is great because there is an ATM in the building next door, the staff is very friendly and you are just a few blocks from North Beach.

After spending several weeks in Johannesburg, during their winter months, the warmth of Durban was a very welcome change. The oceanfront is beautiful and you will find great cafes to sit and have a drink and food as you look out on the water. We took in the sites of surfers, swimmers and others enjoying the beach from our table at a local waterfront bar.

We then walked down the beach past more hotels and even a little park where a dance group was practicing. Our goal was to find a reasonable spa to have massages before our flight the next day. The Spa at Suncoast Hotel and Towers was amazing. The hotel is part of a larger entertainment complex with movies, casinos and restaurants. The spa with its large picture windows with views of the sea makes you feel as though you are having a seaside massage, allowing you to completely escape during your treatment.

For food, Durban is a seafood lovers dream. Also with the largest population of people of Indian descent outside India you are sure to find excellent Indian options. And let’s not forget that Kwazulu Natal ( the province where Durban is located) is the center of Zulu culture within South Africa. The choices for food throughout the city are abundant.

No trip to Durban would be complete without visiting Ushaka Marine World. Everyone ( and I mean everyone) suggested we visit it during our stay and it is the city’s main highlight. For dinner, we ate at the Cargo Hold. This restaurant has an open glass shark tank so you  feel as though you are eating underwater during your meal. It is a pricer meal option in Durban but worth the extra Rand. We had a wonderful bottle of white wine, shared a salad, lovely fish entrees and dessert for around $30 US per person. It is not to be missed.

Another great seafood choice is the New Cafe Fish Restaurant and Bar. Located in the Victoria Embankment next to yachts and the marina, you can enjoy an amazing lunch or dinner. We had lunch here before our flight and enjoyed our last bit of Kingklip ( a local fish) before heading back to the US. Great service and a great meal.

If you are headed to South Africa, do not forget to include Durban in your itinerary. It has a different feel than the other major cities with an emphasis on Zulu culture and the warmth of a beach city. I know I look forward to seeing more and spending more time there in the future.

Here is a brief video highlight of Durban

Spa- Suncoast Hotel and Towers

9th floor , The Towers
(031)314-7900
suncoastspa1@southernsun.com

The Cargo Hold Restaurant

Ushaka Marine World
1 Bell Street
http://www.ushakamarineworld.co.za/Dining-Out/dining-out.php

The New Cafe Fish

31 Yacht Mole
Victoria Embankment
(031) 305-5062

Who’s Your Daddy?

Cape Town is a wonderful city filled with beautiful scenery, amazing sites, and luxurious hotel accommodations. As in any metropolitan city, the accommodations selection is diverse with everything from low end hostels to five star hotels. I am a fan of finding unique, but still comfortable, places to stay that provide a different experience than I would get at home. Well the Grand Daddy Hotel has set the bar on “unique experience”.

Picture if you will several airstream silver trailers, each uniquely designed by a South African designer to reflect a different theme, placed together to create a cute little trailer community or neighborhood. Now place them on the roof of a boutique hotel and you have just created the trailer park at the Grand Daddy Hotel. It is a one of a kind experience that visitors to Cape Town should try for atleast one night, just like I did.

The trailer park has its own bar and you feel like you are in your own little world perched above Long Street. You can see the buildings around you and hear the traffic below as you sip on cocktails as the sun sets.

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Do you like Merengue?

This is the question the tall manager at a local shoe store asks as I try on a pair of wedges. “You must let me take you out to dance tonight. You will love it. I will come get you at 8 o’clock.”  Surprised by his forwardness, I giggle off his advance with my friends and ask him about the local nightlife in Santo Domingo.

Merengue, the national dance of the Dominican Republic is played in clubs and bars throughout the island. Young and old will grab a partner to swing and show their fancy foot work. Though Ruben, our friendly manager’s offer was tempting, we decided to venture on our own to find out what Santo Domingo had to offer.

After dinner at El Meson de la Cava, we hoped to find a fun place to dance outside of the colonial zone where we were staying. After driving to many different dance clubs that were closed or looked a little shady, we finally ended up at Copa which is connected to the Hotel Melia. As we entered the club through a side entrance of the huge hotel property, we looked around at the empty dance floor and few occupied tables and chairs and we quickly began to feel disappointed. It seemed as though we had not found a fun night spot. We found a few seats at a round high table and were quickly greeted by a very friendly server. We decided to suck it up and order drinks. The DJ was playing a great mix of music, the drinks were great, and overall the atmosphere was nice even if it was empty…silly girls. This soon changed! Read more

Sushi and Mojitos

Heading to Radio City music hall for a concert we wanted an inexpensive restaurant that would provide a relaxing environment at the end of a long workday. Located on 49th between 6th and 7th Avenues is a small Japanese restaurant that met the bill.

Iroha offers friendly service, fun cocktails and great customer service. It was a cold night and our group was seated at a table near the door. we were greeted with warm towels to wipe our hands shortly after sitting down a nice welcoming feature of our choice.

We decided to start with cocktails and the Shiso Mojito has made my Perfect Mojito list. It is made of Japanese shochu liquor, citrus rum, fresh shiso mint leaves and lime. It was refreshing and delicious. It was so great I had two! We also had a Peach Lemonade sour (peach juice, lemondae, and Japanese shochu liquor. It is not as good as the Mojito but still tasty.

The food was also great and we tried the Salmon steak box, Tebasaki Kawari Age (which are crispy chicken wings with garlic flavored soy sauce and sesame seeds) Udon white wheat noodle soup with mountain of vegetables and rolls from the sushi bar.

It was all great and we loved the experience. A great choice for a meal near Radio City or just a night out in NYC.

IROHA Restaurant

152 W. 49th Street
between 6th and 7th Avenues
New York, NY 10019
212-398-9049

Why I hate MIA

Traveling in the airport in this day and age is almost always a painful experience. You have to basically strip to get through security screening, die of thirst on the side of security because they make you throw out your water when you get to the line, and are forced to pay for the bags that you must check because of the liquid you can’t carry-on. In some cases airports recognize this and have gone out of their way to make sure they hire pleasant people, make the security experience organized and well-run and overall organize the airport to make it as painless as possible. And then there is MIA…Miami International Airport seems to be making money on running their airport in the worst possible ways. It seems like it was organized by individuals that obviously have never tried to travel since it is not intuitive at all. And it must be a requirement in their hiring policies to only take people on power trips who are completely powerless in the real world. I have had so many situations where miserable people try to make my travel and time at MIA miserable just because they have the power to.

So here are my suggestions how MIA can get it together and be off my worst airports in America List (which doesn’t exist currently but sounds like a great idea!)

1. Fix the International Arrivals nightmare of yellow dots, door and bag chaos and evil staff. Read more

Tags: airport issues, airport terminals, baggage issues, International Flights, Miami, Miami International airport, travel drama, TSA security problems

Bad years can’t start in Rio

February 1, 2009 by BlackTravels  
Filed under Blog, Destination Information, Featured, Featured Story, Travel Tales From...

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That is what I have now come to believe as I look out at the water and see the millions of smiling faces around me. Toasting on the beach in my all white, I am amazed at the level of joy that I feel and how happy everyone around me also is. They toss their flowers into the sea wishing for good luck in this new year and jump seven waves to get their seven wishes. We watch the fireworks and drink champagne as we wiggle our toes in the sand. Shouts of Feliz Ano Novo! Happy New Year!, are shared with friends and strangers alike. In the humid heat we dance along to the Samba in the middle of millions celebrating another year. This is Reveillon!  Read more

Tags: Brazil, Copacabana, Destination Information, Garota De Copacabana, Girs getaway, New Years Celebration, Rio de Janeiro

Another side to Rio’s New Year Celebration

February 1, 2009 by BlackTravels  
Filed under Blog, Destination Information, Travel Tales From...

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Black, White, Brown, all dance to the drum beats on the white sand offering gifts and praises for a blessed New Year. Since I am not fluent in the language I dance along in ignorance with those around me. Brown faces, White faces, Black faces. The African beat of the drum and the chanting rhythm of the voices provide a rhythmic melody to sway along. But this is not something special just for those who can clearly trace their lineage to the shores of Western Africa. As I walk out to the beach I see more diverse faces participating not as tourists, not as observers but as believers in the traditions of Candomble. Though the history of this celebration has African roots it is not a Black only celebration, in this case it is a Brazilian celebration. For when you are in Brazil it is this experience, a true integration of the cultures that continues to often surprise me.We see families sharing in the tradition, preparing for another year by sharing their offering to Yemanja together. An altar of white flowers and candles are placed in the sand as the family stands around. Eventually someone will walk to the water to send their offering into the waves. Instantly it is enveloped by the night waters rushing against the shore. Yemanja, one of the Orixas that are part of the Candomble, is the goddess of the sea and the mother of all creation. It is to her they are asking blessing for the approaching new year.

I am a tourist, staying in one of the many hotels on Copacabana, who happened upon this celebration on a early night stroll down the beach walkway. I see a white tent and people in matching shirts dancing and singing. Their shirts state that this is the 6th annual celebration for this particular organization to bring an Afro-Brazillian traditional celebration to Copacabana beach. Read more

Tags: Brazil, Candomble, Copacabana, Cultural Celebrations, Iemanja, New Years Celebration, Rio, Rio de Janeiro

In Dallas “W” stands for Wonderful

December 25, 2008 by BlackTravels  
Filed under Blog, Hotel Reviews, Restaurant Reviews

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If you are a fan of the W hotel chains then head to the Lone Star state for a night or two in one of their newest additions. W- Dallas Victory brings urban boutique style to downtown Dallas and is the newest hot spot to stay and play. With Ghostbar as the hotel bar you are sure to find great drinks and fun as a welcome addition to the Dallas nightlife scene.

One thing I will give the hotel is amazing marks on customer service. From the moment you drive up to the hotel you are treated well. From bellman to front desk staff, I received warm smiles and continual offers of assistance. When asking for a restaurant suggestion the concierge was knowledgeable friendly and right on point. His suggestion of Medina not only had excellent food but was a perfect fit for our group. The only snag in what would have been a perfect stay was waking up to no water pressure, which meant the shower wouldn’t work! After calling the front desk, they immediately indicated that someone was working on it and had the situation handled as soon as possible. It meant I had less time to enjoy the rainfall shower but did not sour my W experience. It is a perfect choice for those who want the best service and some of the best food and fun in the city. Read more

Tags: Bliss Spa, brunch ideas, Craft, Dallas, Hotel Reviews, W Hotel

Bliss Makes Spa Days Easy

December 25, 2008 by BlackTravels  
Filed under Blog, Spa Reviews

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I need to take better care of myself. And as the masseuse worked out the knots in my neck, I felt every last stressor of the month start to roll away. Vanessa tried her best to remove the worries of deadlines and bills but there is only so much you can do. I think we both decided I need to become a regular spa girl with more regular appointments. The great thing is that Bliss is a chain so I can have these same services in multiple cities around the country. This is perfect for the business traveler who finds it hard to keep regular appointments in their home cities. Located in many W hotels it is easy to add a massage, pedicure or facial to the end of a work trip. This is how I ended up relieving stress while in Dallas at the W - Victory. Typically I would say go for the full body massage but today since my tension headaches and jet lag were getting the best of me, I decided to go for the “Rubber Neck”. This upper body massage focuses on the shoulders and neck and is perfect for loosening it all up. It is perfect for the person who wants a specific massage and is looking to really ease out shoulder and neck pain. Be careful, this massage left me a little sore the next day but I think that was mostly because…did I mention I was tense? *smiling*. Read more

Tags: Dallas, massage, Reviews, spa day, spa packages, Spa Reviews, W Hotel

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