OVERRATED TRAVEL SPOTS, EMILY MATHIEU IN S. AFRICA, DEAL OF DAY

The Times of London online publication, www.timesonline.co.uk, has a story posted about the most over-rated travel spots around the world. They've been getting a fair bit of attention for it, too.

It apparently came about because of a new book called The Road Less Travelled, which has an intro by my favourite travel author, Bill Bryson. Before we get to some of the great comments Times readers have offered, here's a look at their list of five over-rated destinations and their suggested alternatives:

 

1. Stonehenge: "You can't touch it, you can't walk inside, you can't wander about its space and you have to pay an entrance fee to see it." Recommended alternative: Avebury, which the Times says is "larger and has a much more accessible stone circle."

 

2. Petra, Jordan: "The tourism village that has grown up around Petra now threatens to outsize the city itself." Recommended alternative: Lalibela in Ethiopia. "(They) challenge Jordan's Petra in number, artistic accomplishment and, above all, atmosphere."

 

3. The Colosseum: "The entire building is a traffic roundabout." Alternative: The Roman theatre in Pula, Croatia.

 

4. Machu Picchu: "You're well above 100 pounds (about $180 Cdn.) before you've even set foot in Machu Picchu...that is if you fall within the number of people allowed in daily." Alternative: Bolivia's Isla del Sol.

 

5. Angkor, Cambodia: "There's no escaping the crowds here." Alternative: "Equally spectacular but far less touristy Borobudur, Indonesia."

 

Interesting stuff. And some really interesting reaction from readers, too.

 

"I lived less than 10 miles from Avebury for most of my life," wrote Drew Whitehead. "I'd say the experience is 10 times better and more intimate than Stonehenge."

 

Robin from Loxley wrote: "Lol - 'want pretentious stories to tell people about your travels when at dinner parties - pick THESE destinations!' (we presume he means the alternatives). Seriously, I've been to 4/5 of these places and they ARE worth going to. We live in a crowded world, get over it!

 

"The road less travelled is fine for people who are paid to write travel books," wrote Nick Millar. "Unfortunately I need to earn a living, pay my council tax and then take a holiday to places I find interesting. White water rafting the Grand Canyon was the greatest experience of my life. Visiting Angkor, Petra and Machu Picchu are all up there in my top-ten. However, give Ayres Rock or Uluru a miss and see the black stump 200 yards off the track 60 miles west of Rabbit Flats somewhere in the Northern Territory of Australia. This amazing sight I found when I went for a pee when our truck broke down. Truly amazing, a burnt out stump. I wonder if it features in the Road Less Travelled..."

 

That's hilarious.

 

A friend in the travel biz here in Toronto tells me he'd nominate the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen as over-rated.

 

"I know Hans Christian Andersen is a national treaure but for the scores of tour buses I just don't get the fascination with a rather boring, small sculpture," he said. "I would love to have those few hours back."

 

Any suggestions? Especially for Canada? Let me know at jbyers@thestar.ca

 

Thanks.

 

 

BABOONS AND WHALES AND SHARKS, OH MY

 

Star reporter Emily Mathieu continues her search for great white sharks in South Africa. Not having a lot of luck getting any to rattle her cage, and I mean that literally, but she's having a good time and writing some great travelogues from the road.

 

Today she's got a nice photo of Simonstown and some funny anecdotes about her search for sharks.

 

Check her out: www.thestar.com/travel.

 

RECOVERY ON THE WAY, PART 47

 

You know when we'll be out of the recovery phase of the economic downturn? When we stop writing stories about whether we're out of the economic downturn. Therefore, by default, we're not out of it. Because I'm clearly writing about it.

 

Okay, that aside, the latest piece I saw came from travel agent central, where they reported that a "recent analysis by Piper Jaffray and Citibank" showed that while "the U.S. hotel industry posted a sharp dip in revenue per available room, the industry’s occupancy and average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) seems to have stabilized over the summer."

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

Los Olivos, California - Fess Parker Wine Country Inn
Celebrate California Wine Month in Central California's Santa Ynez Valley at this luxury inn with the "Taste Los Olivos Package," starting at $595 U.S. (Sunday through Thursday, almost a 40% discount, not including taxes). Package includes: Local wine tasting for two at eight locations in Los Olivos and at the Fess Parker Winery located on the Foxen Wine Trail; Dinner for two with California wine at Petros Los Olivos located inside the Fess Parker Inn; Lunch for two with California wine at Patrick's Side Street Café; and Deluxe accommodations for two nights at the Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn. Package costs $995 for Friday and Saturday bookings ($1,300 value plus taxes). www.fessparker.com.

I happened to stop in while on holidays in the area a couple years ago. We went to the winery, which is where they shot the scene in Sideways where Miles dumps a big vat of red wine down the front of his shirt. I didn't expect great wine but Fess Parker makes some great whites and some wonderfully rich syrahs. The Frontier Red is occasionally seen in Ontario and it's pretty good. But the reserve syrah is rich and powerful and smoky and wonderful, as is a lot of the syrah in these parts.

The sauvignon blancs in the Santa Ynez Valley are also quite snappy.

When my wife and I went to the winery, we chatted with the guy and found it was Fess Parker's birthday. Fess Parker, for those who may not recall, played Davy Crockett on TV in the old days. They said it was his 80th birthday and that he'd be singing at the hotel.

Who could resist? We went in and it was like an old-time, homey, middle American delight. He sang a song to his wife, who used to be a dancer in Hollywood. She also managed to get up and sing. Their great grandaughter, I think, sang God Bless America. There was a group of barber shop quartet singers, women, from Bakersfield, and they looked like something off the set of the Lawrence Welk Show. Cheryl Ladd also sang a tune, and it was a hoot and three-quarters.

We also had dinner at the Hitching Post II, made famous in the Sideways film. It's got fabulous wine and awesome steaks for a ridiculously low price. And Los Olivos, the town, is a frontier-style delight with high-end wineries and boutiques alongside saddle shops and down-home grocery stores.

A dynamite place for a visit.

Don't forget your coonskin cap.