WHEN CHOCOLATES SIMPLY AREN'T ENOUGH

Getting besieged by hotels all over the world offering Valentine's Day deals. A little overwhelming, and how do they all have my email address, anyway? Do they think Toronto Star readers care about the latest Comfort Inn in Fresno, California?

Anyway, there are lots of deals out there for you and your sweetie, of whatever style that might be. Plenty of places offer up roses and rose petal baths, as well as Champagne and truffles and all that. What got MY attention was a story that the Affinia Hotel chain was offering "naughty and nice" packages in the Big Apple, Chicago and Washington D.C. so guests can play out their "friskiest fantasies." Included is an "Agent Provocatuer Strip Poker Set," which could result in some hot times and melted chocolates you would think.

ST. MORITZ ON SALE

Badrutt's Palce Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland, is offering a 40 per cent reduction on regular ski package rates. Of course, the bad news is you have to stay in a dump like St. Moritz. Note to chamber of commerce: Just Kidding. I love Switzerland and Swiss people and have many friends over there, including a great couple I met in Hawaii (sorry to brag) last week. He's a funny guy - Marco Rima - and he's a famous Swiss comedian and an actor who's making a hockey movie, so that makes him an honorary Canadian. He's promising to take me out to play golf in Switzerland some time, so that would be kinda fun. Don't associate golf with Switzerland, somehow. He warned me that they don't take kindly to shirts being out of place or any other sort of rules being broken. Which isn't surprising. I like the Swiss but a friend in Lausanne used to regale me with stories about being taken to task for trying to use the laundry facilities in her apartment building on ... wait for it ... something other than her prescribed day of the week and time. My goodness, people dousing their clothes with soap at all hours, it just can't be allowed.

EVEN BETTER THAN AIR CANADA MUFFINS

Boy, this hurts. Got a note a minute ago saying that a top chef from Italy, Luisa Valazza will create menus for First and Business Class passengers on Lufthansa’s long-haul flights. This is what the PR agency wrote: "Passengers travelling in First Class will have a choice of starters including select medium rare saddle of veal with Piedmont style parsley oil and vegetable jelly, followed by a main course of fried turbot in red wine sauce with Romanesco broccoli and Venus rice, or hazelnut-crusted tenderloin of beef served with balsamic sauce, mushrooms and creamy polenta. In Business Class, the innovative Italian chef will treat passengers to an appetizing menu consisting of salmon confit with carrot orange sauce and Venus rice, followed, for instance, by roasted poulard in savoury malted jus with carrots and mashed potatoes and, to conclude the meal, Amaretti chocolate flan."

And you thought it was great to get those little snack packs of apple slices from Air Canada and United, didn't you?

SHOOTING LISBON

Here's another good promotion, from the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz in Lisbon, Portugal. Seems they're offering to let guests jump into a motorcycle sidecar so they can "zoom along 14th century cobblestong streets" and "take in Moorish, castles, monuments, monasteries and all the alleyways and lookouts too tight for cars."

Sounds almost as much fun as driving a Chevy Impala around Yonge and Sheppard, doesn't it?

When you spot the perfect picture, the professional photographer who's accompanying you on your zippy ride (presumably he or she is the driver, not sitting in the sidecar with you getting friendly) will hop out and show you how to get the most from your camera; kinda like Star photographer Richard Lautens does in his monthly reports on the star.com/travel.

Except he doesn't ride around on motorcycles in Portugal. At least not this week.

 

OLYMPIC REALITY

Interesting study by Canadian Press-Harris Decima finds, not surprisingly, that folks out in British Columbia aren't quite as excited about what the Olympics of 2010 might bring to Canada as the rest of us are.

The study found that 72 per cent of Canadians as a whole feel the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler will have more benefits than drawbacks for Canada. Among B.C. residents, however, just 52 per cent felt that way. A solid 39 per cent of provincial residents felt there will be more drawbacks for Canadians than benefits.

It might seem a funny finding to the casual observer. After all, British Columbia will get almost all the benefits such as new arenas, the widened Sea-to-Sky Highway and a rapid transit link to the airport.

Harris-Decima senior vice president Jeff Walker said it was "surprising to see the region of Canada which is hosting the event showing the highest level of pessimism about the Olympics and its impact overall."

It's not the least bit surprising if you've covered these things as long as some of us. Because this is the way the Olympics works.

Think about it - for months now, B.C. residents have been hit with stories about taxpayers perhaps having to pay a billion dollars for the athletes village. And now there's talk that the security budget, which yours truly said six years ago was a joke at $175 million, might now reach $1 billion.

We get the odd scrap of news about the goings-on in BC, but the folks out there get a daily dose of it in the newspapers and on TV and on the radio. So it's only natural that they're more skeptical about the advantages the Games will bring come February, 2010.

This is the way it always is for host cities. There's the initial euphoria of winning the Olympics, followed by the thought of "holy crap, what have we got ourselves into?" There's years and years of money being spent but not a lot to show for it. Then, in most cases, the Games begin and everyone has the party of their lives and they love every minute of it. When it's all finished, residents almost always agree they had their time of their lives.

ONTARIO - GOOD AND BAD

Trip Advisor, which features travel reviews from ordinary citizens, has come out with its 2009 Travelers' Choice Awards. There was good news and bad news for local travel folks.

On the plus side, the award for best for families in Canada was the Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara, with the Carriage Ridge Resort in Barrie coming third and the Comfort Inn Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls in fourth. The Albert at Bay Suite Hotel in Ottawa was sixth and the Residence Inn Toronto Downtown/Entertainment District was seventh, with the Country Inn and Suites Niagara Falls right after that and then Fern Resort in Orillia in ninth spot. Carriage Ridge was named second best bargain in Canada (Elizabeth Lake Lodge in Cranbrook, B.C. was tops) and Carriage Ridge was the 98th best bargain in the world. The Country Inn and Suites Niagara Falls was rated ninth best bargain in Canada.

The news wasn't so good for Ontario on the luxury side of the ledger. No places in Ontario made the top ten list of Canadian luxury properties (rated best was Auberge Saint-Antoine in Quebec City).

Finally on the Canadian front, the Residence Inn Toronto Downtown/Entertainment District came out best in Toronto as part of the top 25 world cities. The Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris was first, followed by the Inn New York City and the Soho Hotel in London. Toronto was 25th on the list and trip advisor put the Residence Inn as the top spot in the city.

Ritz-Carlton came out as best hotel chain, followed by Four Seasons and then Iberostar.

Finally, the top-rated luxury hotel in the world was Aria in Prague. Star readers may recall we featured the music-themed hotel as one of our Great Hotels of the World late last year.

OLYMPIC REALITY

Interesting study by Canadian Press-Harris Decima finds, not surprisingly, that folks out in British Columbia aren't quite as excited about what the Olympics of 2010 might bring to Canada as the rest of us are.

The study found that 72 per cent of Canadians as a whole feel the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler will have more benefits than drawbacks for Canada. Among B.C. residents, however, just 52 per cent felt that way. A solid 39 per cent of provincial residents felt there will be more drawbacks for Canadians than benefits.

It might seem a funny finding to some. After all, British Columbia will get almost all the benefits. But this is the way the Olympics traditionally work. Think about it - for months now, B.C. residents have been hit with stories about taxpayers perhaps having to pay a billion dollars for the athletes village. And now there's talk that the security budget, which yours truly said six years ago was a joke at $175 million, might now reach $1 billion.

We get the odd scrap of news about the goings-on in BC, but the folks out there get a daily dose of it in the newspapers and on TV and on the radio. So it's only natural that they're more skeptical about the advantages the Games will bring come February, 2010.

This is the way it always is for host cities. There's the initial euphoria of winning the Olympics, followed by the thought of "holy crap, what have we got ourselves into?" There's years and years of money being spent but not a lot to show for it. Then, in most cases, the Games begin and everyone has the party of their lives and they love every minute of it. When it's all finished, residents almost always agree they had their time of their lives.

ONTARIO - GOOD AND BAD

Trip Advisor, which features travel reviews from ordinary citizens, has come out with its 2009 Travelers' Choice Awards. There was good news and bad news for local travel folks.

On the plus side, the award for best for families in Canada was the Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara, with the Carriage Ridge Resort in Barrie coming third and the Comfort Inn Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls in fourth. The Albert at Bay Suite Hotel in Ottawa was sixth and the Residence Inn Toronto Downtown/Entertainment District was seventh, with the Country Inn and Suites Niagara Falls right after that and then Fern Resort in Orillia in ninth spot. Carriage Ridge was named second best bargain in Canada (Elizabeth Lake Lodge in Cranbrook, B.C. was tops) and Carriage Ridge was the 98th best bargain in the world. The Country Inn and Suites Niagara Falls was rated ninth best bargain in Canada.

The news wasn't so good for Ontario on the luxury side of the ledger. No places in Ontario made the top ten list of Canadian luxury properties (rated best was Auberge Saint-Antoine in Quebec City).

Finally on the Canadian front, the Residence Inn Toronto Downtown/Entertainment District came out best in Toronto as part of the top 25 world cities. The Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris was first, followed by the Inn New York City and the Soho Hotel in London. Toronto was 25th on the list and trip advisor put the Residence Inn as the top spot in the city.

Ritz-Carlton came out as best hotel chain, followed by Four Seasons and then Iberostar.

Finally, the top-rated luxury hotel in the world was Aria in Prague. Star readers may recall we featured the music-themed hotel as one of our Great Hotels of the World late last year.

FLY THE FRIENDLY SKIES

Star colleague Richard Ouzounian had an interesting experience with booking a flight to L.A. Seems he went online on Monday to buy a ticket for early February and his only Air Canada option was a Tango Plus ticket at $930.13, all taxes in. He went on United's website and found a flight ON THE SAME PLANE but as a United codeshare flight for $396.97, all taxes included.

So, what's up with that? Richard finally tracked some folks down and they 'fessed up. It turns out both Air Canada and United have a certain amount of lower-priced seats to sell. By the time Richard went to book his, the cheap seats on Air Canada were gone but not so for United. So he saved $500.

Later in the day, he went back on-line and found the United ticket he had bought for less than $400 was now selling for $900. By this morning, he said tickets were $1,100 on both airlines.

It's all about timing, and checking Air Canada partners. For example, if you're flying to Europe you might want to check a Lufthansa flight.

TOURISM BOOST

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada is giving the Tories two thumbs up over Tuesday's budget. TIAC says the budget has more than $800 million in "key funding initiatives."

"The governments new investments in Canada's tourism sector ... will provide stimulus to the industry in these challenging economic times and will help address several longstanding competitiveness issues facing our industry," according to TIAC president and CEO Randy Williams.

Among the federal initiatives are $100 million over two years for "marquee festivals and events," $407 million for rail service improvements between Toronto and Montreal (gee, maybe tourists can someday go for lunch in Montreal and be back in Toronto for dinner, after all), $24 million for cruise ship tourism and $150 million for national parks. No mention of help for specific provinces, but no doubt folks in Newfoundland (see photo) would like a little help to lure folks to the Rock this summer.

Oh, the Tories also are giving $40 million over two yeras to the Canadian Tourism Commission.

EURO BLOG

Auto Europe has launched a new travel blog at http://blog.autoeurope.com/.

They also have expanded their presence on social networking sites, including Twitter, MySpace and Facebook.

Users can search the blog’s current news or archives for a wealth of information including featured destination information, tour and holiday suggestions, recommended travel accessories, travel tips and more.

FLY THE FRIENDLY SKIES

tar colleague Richard Ouzounian had an interesting experience with booking a flight to L.A. Seems he went online on Monday to buy a ticket for early February and his only Air Canada option was a Tango ticket at $930.13, all taxes in. He went on United's website and found a flight ON THE SAME PLANE but as a United codeshare flight for $396.97, all taxes included.

So, what's up with that? Richard finally tracked some folks down and they 'fessed up. It turns out both Air Canada and United have a certain amount of lower-priced seats to sell. By the time Richard went to book his, the cheap seats on Air Canada were gone but not so for United. So he saved $500.

Later in the day, he went back on-line and found the United ticket he had bought for less than $400 was now selling for $900. By this morning, he said tickets were $1,100 on both airlines.

It's all about timing, and checking Air Canada partners. For example, if you're flying to Europe you might want to check a Lufthansa flight.

TOURISM BOOST

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada is giving the Tories two thumbs up over Tuesday's budget. TIAC says the budget has more than $800 million in "key funding initiatives."

"The governments new investments in Canada's tourism sector ... will provide stimulus to the industry in these challenging economic times and will help address several longstanding competitiveness issues facing our industry," according to TIAC president and CEO Randy Williams.

Among the federal initiatives are $100 million over two years for "marquee festivals and events," $407 million for rail service improvements between Toronto and Montreal (gee, maybe tourists can someday go for lunch in Montreal and be back in Toronto for dinner, after all), $24 million for cruise ship tourism and $150 million for national parks. No mention of help for specific provinces, but no doubt folks in Newfoundland (see photo) would like a little help to lure folks to the Rock this summer.

Oh, the Tories also are giving $40 million over two yeras to the Canadian Tourism Commission.

EURO BLOG

Auto Europe has launched a new travel blog at http://blog.autoeurope.com/.

They also have expanded their presence on social networking sites, including Twitter, MySpace and Facebook.

Users can search the blog’s current news or archives for a wealth of information including featured destination information, tour and holiday suggestions, recommended travel accessories, travel tips and more.

MAI TAI'S AT THE PINK PALACE

HONOLULU - Managed the last day in Hawaii to get in a little surfing and paddleboarding (think standup surfing with a giant kayak paddle) without being too embarrassed. Spent a great night at the Royal Hawaiian hotel (sorry, they prefer Royal Hawaiian A Luxury Collection Resort, which is still somewhat under construction but in beautiful shape and almost ready to re-embrace the world in its lovely, pink walls on the shores of Waikiki Beach. A true classic that dates back to the romantic days of Hawaiian travel (it opened in 1927).

And even if there's still some work to be done at the hotel, the marvellous Mai Tai bar is open and ready for business. It's where John and Cindy McCain first shared a drink together, only a couple miles from where U.S. President Barack Obama was born. There's great service at the bar, located just a few feet from the gentle waves of Waikiki Beach.

For the record, here is mixologist Joseph Gottesman's recipe for his royal mai tai, which is a half-ton better than a lot of places that simply dish out some cheap rum and a squirt of sweet fruit juice:

1 oz, Ro Matusalem rum, 1/2 oz. Cointreau, 1/2 oz. cherry/vanilla puree, 1/2 oz. Amaretto, 1 oz. Fresh pineapple juice, 1 oz. fresh-squeezed orange juice and 1 oz. Coruba dark rum.

Apparently the original Mai Tai from way back when simply had rum, orgeat (an almond syrup) and dark rum, without the fresh juices. Just thought you'd like to know.

 

HONESTY IN THE AIR

Flying on a United flight into Chicago and the captain comes on and apologizes for the empty seats in the front of the plane. United allows people to spend an extra $77 U.S. or so if they want "economy plus" or some sort of special seat with extra legroom, and apparently they weren't all sold out. The captain, I think, came on the intercom and told folks please not to try to move into the empty seats.

Fair enough, but he was actually pretty good about it, apologizing for the way things have turned in the flight business these days and joking that at least passengers weren't being charged for the air they breathe.

Not yet, but give the airlines time.

NO SPIDER VACUUM

A huge disappointment to look in the United SkyMall magazine and not find one of those giant vacuum tubes for sale that allow folks to get rid of spiders that rest in corners of the ceiling, just waiting to pounce on innocent victims. I always got a charge out of that particular ad in previous airline magazines, so perhaps one can still buy one for the arachnophobiac who has everything.

Despite the lack of electronic spider suckers, there's still no shortage of great gadgets for sale in the airline magazines. I like the "non-UV wand" that kills E. Coli and salmonella on food with just a wave, not to mention certain death for dust mites, lice and fleas. Plus  the motion sickness relief band, the portable stairs to help your pet climb onto your furniture and the lifelike sculpture of Bigfoot, not to mention the motorized, inflatable pool lounger, complete with drink holders for the floating Homer Simpson in all of us. The mini-doughnut machine certainly has to be popular with Canadians, and who could live without a dispenser that gives out paper towels with a wave of your hand (helps prevent the spread of germs!).

HAWAII MAGIC

LANAI, HAWAII - Some tourist destinations advertise they have places where you can swim with dolphins. Here, the dolphins swim with you.

After a round of golf at The Challenge at Manele, a poorly named but wonderful layout on the Hawaiian island of Lanai (pronounced Lan-ay-ee), yours truly had a chance to take in a few minutes at Hulopoe Bay near the Four Seasons at Manele Bay. I'd seen a few spinner dolphins in the bay when I get to the beach, and they were fun to watch. They love to play by launching themselves in the air and doings rapid-fire spins or even backflips.

What I didn't know until I saw others out in the bay is that they love showing off for humans. It's awesome to watch them do their stunts and tricks from up close, and it's even more awe-inspiring to don a mask and snorkel and let them dance and swim around you in a group of 25 or 30. Truly one of the most amazing experiences of a lifetime.

CRIME WAVE

The Lanai Police Department gave out three speeding tickets in October, according to the Lanai Today newspaper. Apparently, folks got the message as that dropped to zero in November.

And you thought the Maytag repairman was lonely.

CAN CON

A stop for lunch at the Blue Ginger Cafe in Lanai City (a town of a couple thousand folks) reveals a great plate of Chicken Katsu (deep-fried, battered chicken that's sliced into small sections and doused with a sweet sauce) that weighs about a pound, including rice and salad, for ten bucks. The cafe also has a small section of magazines and books to read. Prominently displayed the other day was a copy of Alice Munro's novel, The View from Castle Rock.

Those crazy Hawaiians

KAPALUA, Maui, Hawaii - There are signs all over the island of Maui warning folks they can get a $92 dollar (real money) ticket for failing to wear a seat belt. But then a visitor in a car with a resident notices a bunch of kids riding in the back of a pickup truck on the highway, their black hair blowing in the breeze and big smiles on their faces.

What's up with that, he asks.

"Yeah, I know," the resident replies. "You can ride in the back of a pickup truck if you're over 13. And there are obviously no seat belts back there."

Go figure.

By the way, the group spotted on Tuesday were at the exact spot on the highway where British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell got pulled over a few years ago after allegedly weaving his car about on the way back to the Napili Kai Beach Resort (it was built by a Canadian from Vancouver and there's still a Canadian flag flying from the flagpole in front of the restaurant) from a nice dinner elsewhere on the island. Just thought you'd like to know.

STICK TO THE RUM

The Napili Kai restaurant and bar has one of the best views in the world. It's right on Napili beach, which has been rated one of the top in the world for its 300-yard, curving length, sheltered areas at either end and body surfing (usually in winter) in the middle. You often can see whales and there are great views of the islands of Lanai and Molokai, with dynamite sunsets. Anyway, it's a great place but DO NOT ORDER A MARGARITA.

California does margaritas. Florida does margaritas. And Mexico, of course. But this stuff tasted like pre-mixed stuff out of a can. Ugh. The bartender was happy to replace it with a mai tai, which was much better.

The research a travel writer has to do; I tell ya.

 

 

OBAMA IN HAWAII

NAPILI, Maui, Hawaii - Choosing between breakfast and the presidential inauguration is a no-brainer.

The restaurant at my hotel doesn't have a TV. How is this possible in America? Don't five-star Michelin restaurants have television sets in this country?

So, instead of watching the Obama inauguration over bacon and eggs, I'm watching him on the TV in my room. I walked out to check the restaurant situation and could hear the sounds of Aretha Franklin singing My Country Tis of Thee (she was great) wafting out of the rooms of other guests. It's cloudy and slighty cool this morning (well, cool for Hawaii) but there's still nobody on Napili Beach, which is unusual.

I keep hoping Obama will step it up a bit, but it looks like he's deliberately keeping his speech low-key. Okay, a nice ending. Good job.

WHAT A VIEW

Ed LIndsey, a Maui activist who pushes in every direction imaginable and is a delightful tour guide, took me intot the West Maui mountains on Monday to show me how he and others are working to rid the mountains - where possible - of invasive plant species that destroy the environment and replace them with native species.

The views of Haleakala crater were stunning, and you could see the splash of whales in the distance and small boats dancing on the Pacific looking for views of the giants.

When it was over, he gave me a brief glimpse of an overlook over the Olawalu valley and Puu Kukui, the mountain top that's said to be the second wettest place on earth but was mostly clear and dry on Saturday.

Lindsey also is working to keep ancient archaeological sites intact and to keep Hawaii's oceans as clean and pure as possible. A wonderful man who should be given sainthood in this incredible state.

PROTESTS IN PARADISE

HONOLULU, Hawaii - Big protest here on Saturday, featuring thousands of Hawaiians worried about native Hawaiian rights.

January 17 was the anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom in 1893, and protestors took to the streets of Waikiki to protect self-determination for native Hawaiians. It seems the state government wants to sell some former monarchy lands for affordable housing.

But native Hawaiians are resisting, and the state Supreme Court has said the sales can't go ahead until native Hawaiian land claims are settled. The state wants the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the state court ruling.

One protestor said it's rare to see so many different Hawaiian groups come together for something like Saturday's march, which probably bewildered tourists looking for a tan on a sunny, beautiful day following a stormy Friday.

"We need to take this abroad," Kaliko Baker told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. "Together with all the keiki (children) out here. It's awesome. We're perpetuating our culture."

UKELELE MAGIC

Many thanks to Gordon Mark, Alvin Oshima and Brian Benevente for giving me a tour of the KoAloha ukelele factory in Honolulu on Saturday. They even put on an impromptu concert to show off the instrument's versatility, and it was something special.

More on that later in the print version of the Star's Travel section. And maybe some video if the good people at the Star can put with my video-making abilities, or lack of same.

++++

Got back to my room after the ukelele tour and a brief drive around the western corner of Oahu (including a quick snap of American President-to-be Barack Obama's favourite playground/bodysurfing spot, Sandy Beach), and the maid was just coming in to clean up. I told her to go ahead while I admired the view of Waikiki and got some stuff put away.

She noticed a small, three dollar tip on the edge of the bed (my wife pointed out to me recently that if you leave money on the desk the cleaning staff might think you left it by mistake but if you put it on the bed it's clear it's for them, and it's only one of the reasons she's so smart) and thanked me profusely.

I didn't think it was so much for a large room but she was so appreciative.

"You're welcome," I said, "Thank you for a good job."

"No," she said, "thank you."

"It's okay," I replied.

"No," she answered. "We appreciate having visitors like you come to Hawaii. It's why I have a job."

COOL RUNNINGS

Anyone see where the canals have frozen over in Holland? Also in the Netherlands, we're told. Anyway, it hasn't happened for more than a decade, and the Dutch (there's a good Seinfeld episode that goes over all this, by the way) have taken to it like ducks to a (frozen) pond.

The cold spell that has Europeans shivering probably isn't so welcome in Rome or Paris, where a cousin of mine almost shivered to death in January. But it's great news for the ski industry and for skate sales in Holland.

F-F-F-FREEZING

Would SOMEONE TURN DOWN THE AIR CONDITIONING in this state? I didn't come to Hawaii to freeze. I want to wear shorts in the airport and a golf shirt and not freeze my butt off. But I'm trying to type here and my fingers actually are cold and stiff.

I mention this out loud and an older guy nods his head.

"I"m from Minnesota," he said, "and I've never been this cold."

It's the tropics, folks, let in some fresh air and turn down the AC. You'll help your
tourist industry and save some bucks; not to mention help the climate change problem. Honestly. Do this right away.