Welcome guest bloggers, Manali and Terry, as they take us on a trip to the beach!

Island life is tough! Decisions, decisions, decisions! Do we splash in the warm, bright blue ocean, stroll on the sparkling white sand or snorkel amongst the vibrant sea life? All of these are a must on the gorgeous island of Culebra, located approximately 17 miles east of Puerto Rico mainland. Although only 7 miles by 5 miles, this little island is not only bursting with energy and activities, it epitomizes the charm and relaxed lifestyle for which Puerto Rico is so well known.

On a backpacker’s budget and having only read a few things about the area, we decided to reserve a beach campsite rather than stay in the resort villas on the beach.  After flying into the international airport in San Juan and an hour long ride of sheer terror in our maniacally driven local Publico minivan, situated next to one woman holding a TV in her lap and another clasping a sack of potatoes and a rooster, we arrived in Fajardo, the port city. Consistent with island life protocol, the ferry departure was 2 hours late, leaving us slightly annoyed but thankful. Upon arrival in Culebra, although dark with most shops and eateries closed, we managed to find a ride to our campground, hoisted the tent and passed out not knowing what to expect when we woke up the next morning.

When the sun came up around 6am, one word came to mind. Wow. Our spot was a stone’s throw from Flamenco Beach; voted on of the Top 10 most exotic beaches in the world. The scenery was nothing short of breathtaking and for $10 per tent a night we were in budget heaven!

Following a morning dip in the radiant blue waters, we found a quaint bakery and were off to explore! We highly recommend renting a jeep or scooter to drive around town. Jerry’s Jeeps is a great deal and Jerry himself will provide you with a personalized map to point out the ‘not to miss’ spots on the island. With twenty minutes behind the wheel, we were experts and felt like locals; we could get very used to this!

During our 5 day stay, we found exotic coral reefs in pristine bays, watched a soccer game at the neighborhood street-side bar and spent lazy afternoons under the shade of a coconut palm. The highlight of our trip was waking up at 3am to watch a nest of about 80 tiny sea turtle hatchlings scurrying towards the surf, hopeful to pursue starring roles in a future Disney movie. This was island nature at its finest!

Rather than take the crowded choppy ferry ride back to the port, we decided to splurge a little on the small 4-person propeller plane back to San Juan. Nervous? Yes, extremely. Even more so when we found out that our pilot was 20 years old! Nonetheless, he did a fabulous job flying us a short 30 minute ride over the most spectacular and breathtaking views as we waved a tearful goodbye to island life.

Manali and Terry are adventurous newlyweds who are embarking on a journey of a lifetime. They chronicle their one year around the world journey as they begin their life together and transition from corporate cube dwellers to backpacking beach bums.

You can follow them on twitter @manaliandterry and check out their blog at www.manaliandterry.com

Some of the stories making travel news today!

No-frills airline coming to the United States? According to CNN, a RyanAir imitator wants to sell you a plane ticket for $9!

Need a getaway for a few hours with your special someone? Japan’s “love hotels” may be the key! (also from CNN)

MSNBC’s travel blogger, Chris Elliott, tells you how to use social media and networking to improve your travel experience! (And it is true- CheapOair is one of the travel companies using Twitter and Facebook to improve our customer service offerings!)

The Washington Post offers tips on how to tip in Italy.

And the Fresno Bee talks about who is traveling and where for the Fourth of July.

What do you get when you combine popular woman’s magazine, Woman’s World, and CheapOair?

Another $500 travel gift certificate giveaway!

Want a vacation, but don’t have the money? Plane tickets, hotels, rental cars, and more- it can get expensive fast. But everyone deserves a vacation, and that is why we have partnered with the popular magazine Woman’s World to give away two $500 gift certificates!
The contest begins 12:01 am ET on July 7, 2009 and ends at 11:59 pm ET August 22, 2009.

Contest is open to all US and Canada residents, male or female, 18 years or older!

CheapOair and Woman’s World $500 Travel Giveaway

Welcome guest bloggers, Dave and Deb, Canada’s Adventure Couple, for a first hand look at traveling around Bali and Lombok.

Many people will travel to Bali for one thing and one thing only. The waves. Die-hard surfers spend their lives traveling the world in search of the perfect wave and Bali is one of the greatest surfing destinations on earth.

When my husband Dave and I decided to go to Bali, it was for fun and sun, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hop on a board and try our hand at riding the famous swells of Kuta Beach.

Kuta Beach is not a place you go to for peace and relaxation. But if you want to learn to surf, it is the perfect spot to settle in for newbie wave-riders.

A good central location to stay is just off of Poppies Gang I or II. There is an abundance of hotels and guesthouses to suit any budget and you are close to the beach, markets and eateries.

Choosing a place with a pool is a good idea as you can be hassled quite a bit laying on the beach. Touts will constantly offer manicures, braids, umbrellas and souvenirs. You are better off to be in the water and surfing.

The best way to find and instructor is to walk along the beach and peruse the rainbow of surfboards lined up. Local entrepreneurs set up shop with a handful of boards waiting for tourists to rent. It is far cheaper to hire an instructor privately on the beach than to join a group at the top end hotels. Our teacher Ronald promised to stay with us and teach us until we could stand up and stay up on our own.

The easy sloping sandy break allows you to tumble and crash without fear of serious injury. We spent the entire morning on the water, fighting the surf and swimming through the swells. It was far more tiring than I expected but Ronald was by our side holding the board, watching for the right wave and then giving us a push as we paddled to gain momentum.

Dave's Beginner Tumble

After swallowing litres of water, getting bonked in the head with the boards and tumbling off dozens of times, we were finally standing up and catching our first waves. The experience was exhilarating and I can see how people live to surf. We surfed for a couple more days until we were waterlogged and sun burnt until it was time to move on.

After the hustle and bustle of Kuta Beach, an escape to the Gili Islands in Lombok is a welcome change. This little visited spot consists of three Islands. Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan. Take a ferry from Sanur, Bali to Lombok and a minivan will take you to the dock where will catch a boat to the islands.

Gili Sunset

We visited Gili Air with the intention of spending a day or two and moving on. But loved it so much that a total of 11 days were spent chilling out and eating seafood. There are no motorized vehicles allowed, beachfront bungalows are reasonable and you can walk around the entire island in an hour. If you want to get away from it all, this is the place to be.

Gili Air has excellent snorkeling right off of the beach. Rent your gear for the day, hop in the water and drift along with the current checking out the marine life. You have it for the day, so stop for lunch, lay in the sun and then go snorkeling again. It is that easy.

Boat tours are offered as well and you can book a snorkeling trip to see the sea turtles and have lunch at one of the other islands. When it comes time for dinner, there are several restaurants to choose from offering fresh catches of the day.

If you want to check out the other islands, take the Island Hopper. This daily shuttle takes people from one island to another. Gili Trawangan is the biggest of all the islands and has the most visitors. If you are in need for a party, this is the island to head to. If you want to see even less people, Gili Meno is the place to go. It is the middle island and the quietest of the Gili Islands.

Whatever your desire, Bali and Lombok has it all. Beautiful beaches and countryside, sand, surf, mountains and volcanoes. It is an island paradise that should not be missed.

Bio
Dave and Deb are an adventure travel couple from Canada. They have traveled to over 35 countries where they have taken on extreme adventures from Cycling from Cairo to Cape Town and Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Follow their adventures at The Planet D as they paddle, hike, climb, scuba dive and trek their way around the globe

Have you ever wondered where you come from? Do you want to trace your family tree back to your roots and visit your native country? Do you want to walk along an ancient road and wonder if your own ancestors once walked along the same path? If these questions sound familiar, we want to hear from you. Can you please take just one minute to answer the questions in this quick survey? Only 5 short questions!

Whether you traveling abroad for business or leisure, knowing the local etiquette is crucial for every traveler. Getting to know local people and their customs is one of the greatest benefits of travel.

People greet one another with a firm handshake and a look in the eye, but in Japan, this would be considered very rude and obtrusive. Instead, professionals bow to one another. However if you visit Russia, shaking hands is accepted, but you must never shake hands across a threshold or else you run the risk of having a serious argument

Necessary personal space changes with each different culture. However, when you visiting Middle Eastern and Arab countries you would be surprised by the close physical contact between men. It is considered a sign of kinship and does not imply any sexual suggestion.

Introductions around the world vary and range from a handshake to a hug. In the Mediterranean, for instance, family, friends and even strangers customarily exchange kisses on the cheek. The Maori community of New Zealand continues with their traditional form of greeting called “hongi” where people are supposed to rub noses while meeting each other.

Well if you thought only the cuisine across the seas change you are probably in for surprise. Left hand eating is not regarded as correct in many countries especially Middle East, South Asia and even parts of Africa. In India the “Prasad,” or gift, is received only with the right hand. The left hand is reserved for sanitary purposes and should not be used while eating or taking gifts. Even Muslims prefer right hand eating. As per Islam the Satan or devil uses his left hand to eat and drink.

The royal family is held in very high regards in countries like Thailand. At the beginning of a movie a short reel is shown about the life of king and patrons are expected to pay their respect to it. Failure to do so can result in criminal charges under “lese majeste”or injury to the sovereignty. Visitors to Thailand are advised not to deface money or even lick stamps—both bear images of the King.

In Bali, touching someone on the head is taboo, as it is regarded by Hindus as the abode of the soul and is therefore sacred.

Knowing the local rules and customs is not only a way to bond with the locals but also a good way to avoid potential embarrassment.

We take you on a ride to explore the different celebrity owned restaurants. All unique in their own way ensure that you get a sneak peek into the life of various celebrities and also you get an opportunity to meet the celebrity in real.
So get a travel deal to these wonderful restaurants.

Dressing Room: A Homegrown Restaurant, Westport, Connecticut

In late 2006, chef, cookbook author and food policy activist Michel Nischan  teamed up with like-minded actor and philanthropist Paul Newman to open Dressing Room – A Homegrown Restaurant, in Westport, Connecticut, reflecting their mutual commitment to neighborly hospitality, local, natural and organic ingredients and regional American heirloom food. The restaurant celebrates American heirloom recipes, support local and regional farmers, fishers and producers, by cooking food that recaptures the pure and simple tastes of natural and organic ingredients.

Ago Restaurant, Los Angeles, California, South Beach Miami, FL, Las Vegas, NV, and New York, NY

Ago Restaurant was conceived by Robert De Niro, Ridley Scott and Harvey Weinstein who joined forces with celebrated chef Agostino Sciandri to help back the Ago Restaurant. It was named after the chef and partner Sciandri. Satiating the palate is an amazing range of Italian dishes ranging from pasta, seafood and steaks to exquisitely prepared chicken. Do not miss the Fritto Miso Mare – a mixed fried fish and Polio alla Toscana – A Tuscan style chicken cooked in herbs.

Blowfish Sushi, Los Angeles

Blowfish provides an exciting and unconventional environment that is hip, unique and inviting. The restaurant’s modern Tokyo design features innovative architectural and design elements. Blowfish Sushi owner, Ritsuo Tsuchida brought his San Jose and San Francisco eatery to the LA crowd, with Julian Lennon as a silent investor. It’s an eclectic sushi bar that serves both modern and traditional sushi, sashimi as well salads, appetizers and special desserts.

Madre’s, Pasadena, California

Conceptualized by Jennifer Lopez this famed restaurant is very quaint and charming. Located in Pasadena, just outside Los Angeles, Madre’s provides a getaway from the typical, hectic Hollywood scene. The atmosphere offers an “old world” meets shabby chic elegance complete with musicians serenading you tableside with their cello and guitars. Madre’s has aptly been described by J Lo as “a family restaurant with a little bit of sexiness to it.”

Welcome guest bloggers, J. Clair and J. Justine from Simply Wanderlust.

J. Claire and J. Justine are twentysomething best friends who met in Philadelphia, became friends in Puerto Rico and have been traveling ever since. Simply Wanderlust is a collection of their stories of and thoughts on travel. You can follow them on Twitter @simplywndrlust

While tanning on a dock we were sharing with pelicans, who came to devour the innards of fish being gutting, a fisherman invited us to his fish fry. We couldn’t help but wonder how this became our reality…

Oh yes, one of us (J. Claire) had decided after four cans of Mountain Dew that it was time to book a trip. So, in true extremist fashion, we booked two – Tokyo and Belize. The flight left approximately two weeks from that moment, but we knew nothing about Belize. An island off the coast, Ambergris Caye, seemed pretty, albeit unpronounceable. We booked a hotel that we found from the most basic of google searches: “Belize, Ambergris, beach, hotel.” It looked decent. It was on the beach. That was all we needed. Barely (read: not) planning a trip in advance can lead to a number of things – good, bad and ugly, but it definitely opens the flood gates to surprises. We have (meaning, J. Justine has) since renewed the commitment to researching and planning.

Surprise #1: The flight is long, but not long enough to get a full night’s rest.

This place is not easy to get to…at least not on our then student budget. We were in Philadelphia. Our flight was in New York. At 6:30a. Around 10p, we decided it would be a good idea to stay up all night before the flight. Six hours later, it started to become a not-so-good idea as we sat in LaGuardia trying to get comfortable enough on an Au Bon Pain table to doze off for a few moments. Seven hours afterwards, it became a horrible idea, as we rode in a unmarked cab through dusty Belize City, only to hop on a water taxi and bounce (read: slam) uncomfortably along on top of the Caribbean Sea. What the ride lacked in comfort, it made up in beauty – the water was a beautiful crystal clear blue.

Our hotel, Aqua Marina Suites, was simple, clean, but nothing too luxurious. For the price, it would do just fine. What would not do was the approximate 8 feet deep plot of beach (hotel steps to water break) covered by palm trees, making it almost impossible to tan effectively. J. Claire thus introduced the island to the idea of “dock tanning” on a chair she dragged from the poolside to the only place with unobstructed sunlight. We made ourselves right at home. This brings us to about where we started: Our invitation to the fish fry by the men on the beach attracting the pelicans, who were harmless. As were the stingrays that swam below the dock, in the same area we jumped into at times to cool off. We declined the fishermen’s invitation, explaining that we were going to bike ride to the lagoon to see the crocodile being fed. It was apparently THE thing to do on the island.

Surprise #2: Everyone is a small business owner – from the man renting bicycles out of his garage to the crocodile feeders.

On the way to the lagoon, we realized that while you may never forget how to ride a bike, you should perhaps practice before riding on a busy, unpaved road. Luckily, the busy road was only filled with golf carts, which take the place of cars on the island. We just knew this excursion would be an experience. But what else would you expect of an island where almost no one wore shoes and everyone drove golf carts?

What we definitely were not expecting was a boy about our age dangling a raw, whole chicken in front of the crocodile, who would rise up out of the lagoon, arch his back, and open his mouth wide to receive the chicken, as though he had been trained to do so. There were no safety precautions. At first, we were a little taken aback, but we soon joined in the crowd’s delight whenever the crocodile pulled himself almost completely out of the water, emphatic applause when the boy kissed the crocodile, and heavy tipping, as it was his only method of compensation.

Surprise #3: There’s always a party.

We made our way back for dinner. The day had been lazy and it was almost time to begin the evening, which were often busier than the days. For an island that took so much so lightly, they were very serious about their social schedule. Every night there was a specific place to which literally everyone on the island flocked. But first, dinner. Ambergris has a few great restaurants serving typical, inexpensive local fare of rice and beans and fish along with freebies – rum punch and ceviche. The food stalls serving burritos and rice for $1 were a tempting option. We knew a few who weren’t strong enough to resist the temptation.

Their stomachs also weren’t strong enough to digest the food. Thus, we stuck to the restaurants – this time we tried out Jambel Jerk, the Jamaican restaurant. After eating, we danced to live music at Fido’s, talking to (three day) old friends and meeting new ones, including the snorkel shop owner and a private tour guide offering all day sailing/fishing trips for $100.

Afterwards, we kicked off our shoes and walked home barefoot along the dirt road, singing Ambergris Caye’s theme song: Madonna’s La Isla Bonita.

Another successful day in Belize.

Aloha to Obama’s Oahu

First Lady Michelle Obama was once said, “You can’t really understand Barack until you understand Hawaii.” So we are making that effort to understand Obama, the forty-fourth President of the United States, by following in his footsteps.

The Hanauma Bay Nature Park

This “Curved” bay was declared a protected marine life conservation area and underwater park in 1967. This is perhaps the best protected cove if you are new to scuba diving or snorkeling with a diverse population of marine life and a large, rich coral reef. This fabulously beautiful beach with a calm inner reef and tame tropical fish was on the Obama “must visit” list during their summer 2008 stay on Oahu.  He and the family enjoyed snorkeling the calm inner reef.

Nu’uanu Pali State Wayside

Nu’uanu Pali State Wayside is a lookout above the tunnels where visitors are treated to a panoramic view of the Oahu’s windward side with sweeping views of Kaneohe, Kaneohe Bay and Kailua. It is also well-known for strong trade winds that blow through the pass. This famous viewpoint found its place on the Obama list of places to visit from their summer 2008 vacation to Oahu.  The views of Oahu’s windward side and the spectacular Pali are absolutely breathtaking.

Valley of the Temples Memorial Park

It’s a memorial park located on the Windward side of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It is a vast area of lush, rolling green hills at the foot of the Koolau Mountains, overlooking the sleepy town of Kaneohe. Thousands of Buddhist, Christian and Shinto residents of Hawaii are buried in this memorial park. The Obama family visited the Byodo-In Temple, which sits up against the steep, beautiful pali of the Koolau Mountains.

Sandy Beach

Sandy Beach is on the South Shore of Oahu in Hawaii. It is known for its shore break and for its body-boarding and bodysurfing. The area is also known for its strong current and dangerous shore break. Barack Obama grew up going to this beach, body-surfing here as a teenager.  In fact, Obama body-surfed here in the summer of 2008 while on vacation.  However, it is considered a very advanced surfing spot, best left alone except for experienced locals like Obama.

So grab some cheap flights to Hawaii and get to know the local born son of Hawaii, Barack Obama, better.

Please welcome back guest blogger, Flying With Fish!

“What seat do I want?”

What airline passenger has not thought that singular thought to themselves while booking a flight? Selecting your seat on a flight is important, especially on a long flight. As a passenger you want comfort, maybe you prefer an aisle for access or a window for a view, but you should also know if you have restricted leg room, selected a row with no window, are assigned a seat with limited recline and many other variables that go into selecting ‘the right seat.’

As a frequent flyer I often fly the same airlines, same routes, same aircraft so I know exactly what seats I want. In general I am a window person, my preference is the A-side window as I tend to lean left while sitting up and sleeping and frankly it is embarrassing to find myself slumped over on someone’s shoulder in the middle of a flight. Knowing my sleeping habits, while crammed into a 17-inch (43cm) wide seat helps me pick my seats. When flying unknown airlines or aircraft with seating configurations I am unfamiliar with I don’t rely on the airline’s seating chart to make my decision. Rather than trust the airline I turn to two resources within my iPhone.

When I have access to the internet my first stop for airline seat research is Seat Guru. Seat Guru is well-known and well-respected as a very accurate resource for more than 85 global airlines. Seat Guru’s aircraft charts provide users with detailed seating charts for approximately 500 aircraft configurations. Seat Guru’s seating guide is accessible on the iPhone, or any other mobile device at http://mobile.seatguru.com.

A great flight tracking iPhone App that integrates Seat Guru’s detailed seating charts is ‘Flight Update.’ When users search flight information within ‘Flight Update’ they can check seating configurations for specific aircraft, as well as other detailed flight data. Like accessing Seat Guru directly, ‘Flight Update’ can only provide seating information when there is access to the internet.

For those times when you do not have access to the internet, such as when you’re sitting on the plane, or traveling internationally and do not want to incur international roaming fees, CXI Gaming’s ‘Airline Seat Guide’ is an excellent resource. ‘Airline Seat Guide’ provides users with access to detailed seating charts for more then 50 global airlines and over 300 aircraft configurations. The advantage to using “Airline Seat Guide” over Seat Guru Mobile (or Flight Update with Seat Guru) is that its content can be accessed anywhere at any time, without the need to have internet access.

Both Seat Guru and Airline Seat Guide offer users colour coded designations to indicate good seats, bad seats, standard seats, ‘iffy’ seats, seats with mixed reviews, seats with power ports, emergency exit seat, etc etc etc. There are numerous other tid-bits of information that I find invaluable such as seat width and pitch, location of lavatories, seats with video-boxes under them, location of overhead video monitors, type of in-seat power (AC, DC, emPower).

Any traveller headed out on a trip travelling anywhere should know the seats they are selecting. Not all seats are created equal and using Seat Guru and Airline Seat Expert can mean the difference between tolerating your seat for a few hours or detesting your seat for a few hours.

For more information travelling smarter and with less stress feel free to visit Flying With Fish at www.flyingwithfish.com

Happy Flying!

Steven Frischling

Founder The Travel Strategist & Flying With Fish

Web: www.thetravelstrategist.com

Blog: www.flyingwithfish.com

Twit: www.twitter.com/flyingwithfish