Great wine tasting around the world part I: New Zealand, California, even India

I’m not a wine snob. But I have a decent knowledge of the stuff and I know what I like. Luckily, wine and travel go together like a cork and a bottle. With that in mind, here’s a purely personal look at some favourite spots for sipping around the globe.

1. New Zealand. An awesome food scene to go with remarkable wines in a country that feels like Canada but looks like California, Switzerland, Scotland and, at times, Tahiti mixed together. Marlborough is famous for crisp Sauvignon Blancs, and they make gorgeous reds up in Hawkes Bay. Central Otago makes probably the best, most consistent and full-bodied Pinot Noir in the world; with great fruit. There are something like 178 wineries in Central Otago alone these days, which is pretty crazy. I didn’t like Pinot much until I visited NZ a few years ago and now it’s my favourite summer wine. Chard Farm has a fun tasting room and an interesting drive along a steep canyon, while Rippon, near the town of Wanaka, has killer lake and mountain views (see photo above). This is a country with great seafood (yes, and also a bit of fresh lamb), spectacular scenery and marvellous people make this my favourite wine destination on the planet.

2. Ontario. The food and wine scenes both are incredible. Try Ravine Vineyards, especially if

you can sit out on the patio. Great reds with plenty of body. Excellent Rieslings abound in Niagara and it's a hugely versatile food wine that goes great with pork and also with curry and Chinese/Thai dishes. And don't forget our world-class ice wine. Looking for something different in Ontario? Check out
the growing wine scene in Prince Edward County, about 90 minutes east of Toronto.

3. India. Okay, the wine’s not exactly incredible just yet, but there are some tasty varieties being made
in the north of India and the food has always been a world-beater.  A truly exotic, off-the-beaten-path
destination for wine.

4. California. Napa and Sonoma are great, but nothing beats a Santa Maria-style grilled steak and a bottle of Paso Robles Syrah. The Paso Robles area is growing increasingly diverse and sophisticated by the day, and they do marvellous things with Rhone blends. Santa Barbara (see photo at left of the lovely and fun Alma Rosa winery a few miles out of town) is a great area for Pinot Noir, as any fan of the movie Sideways will attest. If you're in the East Bay area of San Francisco, check
out some of the great spots in the Livermore Valley, an underrated wine area with good prices and lots of great wines, especially Cabs and Chardonnay. Try Tamas or, for more of a touristy experience, Wente Bros.

5. Nova Scotia. The wine I’ve had isn’t amazing, but they grow some pretty good stuff in up around
Wolfville; lighter-style reds and some nice whites. Luckett’s was the best of the bunch I tried this summer. Excellent food can be found at several Wolfville restaurants, including Tempest and, they say, Le Caveau at Grand Pre Vineyards.

MORE TO COME WEDNESDAY OR LATER THIS WEEK

THIS AND THAT

How about that Horizon Air attendant in the U.S. who apparently stole a guy's iPad? Isn't it bad enough they rob us blind with pillow fees and baggage fees? ... Interesting to see WestJet adding British Airways as a codeshare partner. It should help WestJet attract more business into Toronto, with connections to London. And vice versa for Brits coming to Canada, I'd think ... Mitt Romney is getting a lot of abuse for talking about how the windows can't open on airplane to help put out a fire. Regardless of the science, wouldn't it be cool if you stick your head out the window. I mean, aside from the lack of oxygen and the wind factor of a plane going 400 mph it'd be pretty cool to make like an Irish setter and take a look without having to peer through scratchy windows. I know it's a silly comment to make but the guy's gotta be whipped from a brutally long campaign. I had lunch with Romney and his assistant when I was covering Salt Lake's Olympic organizing commitee. And The Star's Rick Westhead and I had a Chinese dinner with him at a hotel in Moscow in 2001 during the run-up to the International Olympic Committee's vote on the site of the 2008 Summer Games. He's a very bright guy, but I'm still more of an Obama fan ...

Some of my fave beaches of the world: Maui, California, St. Lucia, Italy, Sydney

I haven’t been to a lot of cool places in the world; South America among them. But I’m up around 40 countries around the globe, and I’ve certainly never missed a chance to find a good beach. So here’s one traveling man’s opinion on the best stretches of sand on the planet. I’ve strived for a geographical balance and for beaches that have something different about them; not simply scenic beauty.

BONDI, SYDNEY: It’s a very pretty stretch of sand, for sure. Lots of beautiful bodies and beach volleyball and good surfing. Nearby shops and hotels and restaurants make it fun. But I think what I like most are the great walks you can make on the cliffs that line both ends. There are rock pools and salt-water-loving plants cascading over the rocks and glorious waves and lovely views all around. You can walk to a number of other great beaches, including Bronte, and they do a fabulous art walk every spring (their spring, not ours) called Sculpture by the Sea, with fun installations up and down the path.

CALADESI ISLAND, FLORIDA: You can walk from Clearwater Beach north to Caladesi at low tide. I like taking the small boats that run you over from Honeymoon Island, just north of downtown Dunedin. There’s a fun nature walk that explains how to look for animal tracks and tells you how even an elevation change of a few feet can mean the difference between a mangrove swamp and patches of tall pines. The beach goes on for miles, with great shell-seeking and plenty of space to let your mind wander.

CHESTERMAN BEACH, TOFINO, B.C.: Another stretch that goes on forever. Chesterman has good surfing, fabulously shaped chunks of driftwood, and lots of long walks along a beach lined with evergreens (see photo at right). A great spot for a beach bonfire. Whale watching is available from boats in town, and there’s also some fun restaurants. Better yet: the north end of the beach is fronted by the Wickaninnish Inn, one of the best hotels in Canada if not the world.

PORTHDINLLAEN, WALES: I don’t actually know if this is the proper name for the beach, but it’s the name of the village, anyway. It’s not miles long, but this little beauty sits at the bottom of a large cliff, on top of which is the stunningly beautiful if slighty tricked up Nefyn and District Golf Club. Lovely walks can be made both along the beach and up on the golf course, with great views of the Irish Sea. Best yet, the Ty Coch Inn sits just steps from the beach and is considered one of the top pubs in Wales.

TULUM, MEXICO: Not only is the water a most excellent shade of aquamarine, there are large cliffs backing the beach, good-sized waves for bouncing around in and pretty rock formations to gaze at. Oh, yeah, it’s also located at the base of ancient ruins, including one of the most photographed archaeological sites in the country.

CAPITOLA, CALIFORNIA: This is a beautiful beach with crumbling, golden cliffs on both ends, a wharf you can walk out on, a protected lagoon for kids to splash about in and, best of all, a fun and funky town with surf shops, beach clothes and more. Stop in at Margaritaville for a cold one (skip the food) and a great view of the painted homes for rent on one side of the beach, or grab a seaside table at Zelda’s or Il Pirata if the weather’s nice. I once called this the best California seaside town the Beach Boys never sang about, and I stand by that today. A word of warning: the water in northern California is COLD even in summer. The Beach Boys never told us that, either. Great views from the hills above town, as you can see.

HAC SA BEACH, MACAU: It’s kind of a dirty grey to be honest. And it’s not that impressive compared to, say, Waikiki or Ipanema. But it’s a great respite from the buzz and drone of busy life in Macau and Hong Kong. There’s a lovely Westin resort with a golf course at one end. You’ll also find a fabulous, casual seaside eatery called Fernando’s. The end opposite the Westin has a lovely walk you can take along the cliffs to charming Coloane Village, where you’ll want to grab a coffee or tea and some famous Lord Stow’s custard tarts.

SUGAR BEACH, ST. LUCIA: This might be the closest the Caribbean gets to feeling like the South Pacific. Sugar Beach is nestled between the two giant, green-clad mountains called The Pitons and is backed by the luscious Jalousie Plantation, which come November will be re-branded Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort. There’s world-class snorkeling on the reef just steps from the beach and top-notch sunsets.

NAPILI, MAUI: I’ve never found a beach yet that can match this for both visual beauty, ease of access and entertainment options. It’s a perfect crescent of golden sand on the northwest shore of Maui (see photo at right), just a few yards from the famous Kapalua golf resort and maybe 15 minutes from Lahaina. There’s great body surfing in the middle and excellent snorkeling on the calm bits at either end. The Sea House at the Napili Kai Beach Resort (one of the top hotels in Hawaii in my book) has fabulous breakfasts and dinners and a great happy hour, with killer views from seats that are maybe a meter or two from the beach. Unbelievable sunsets and great views of the islands of Lanai and Molokai.

PONZA, ITALY: Chiaia Di Luna is a more spectacular beach, backed by enormous, chalky cliffs. But it wasn’t open to the public when I was there. Instead, I loved the small beach just outside of town called Cala del Frantone, reached by a short, $5 ferry ride.You can sun yourself on the sand or walk along the rocks at one end for more privacy and good swimming. There’s also a lovely café with great salads and entrees and a real sense of Italian life. Casual and fun and not even remotely pretentious. You can get to Ponza on a boat ride of as little as 70 minutes from the mainland town of Anzio, itself less than an hour from Rome by train.

Got a beef or a comment? Send me a note at travel@thestar.ca. You also can follow me on Twitter @jimbyerstravel.

Canadians want Mexico, Florida! Also Hong Kong and Sunwing USA news ...

Really interesting study from Bank of Montreal this week shows that more than one-half of Canadians are planning a fall vacation, and almost three in ten of those folks intend to leave the country.

The BMO study says 54 per cent of Canadians plan to travel this fall and that 29 per cent of those will do so outside of Canada. It's a growing trend that may be good for the airlines but not so much for Canada's tourism industry. The study found that since January 2012, outbound travel from Canada has jumped 5.2 per cent; reaching almost 16 milliion overnight trips. Travel to the U.S. in June jumped 8.9 per cent, thanks in part, I suspect, to the strong Canadian dollar and the new, much-improved higher duty-free limits at the border.

So, where are we headed? The study found Florida is, to no surprise, our top American destination. Sixteen per cent of respondents in the poll, conducted by Leger Marketing, said they were headed to the Sunshine State this fall. Just behind, at 15 per cent, was New York state, followed by Nevada (Viva Las Vegas!) ar 14, and then Illinois (Chicago, no doubt), California and Massachusetts (mostly Boston, I assume) at five per cent each.

Probably no surprise, although I did read a story online in the Central Valley (California) Business Times that suggested officials were shocked and appalled that Illinois and Massachusetts were tied with their beloved state. They're forgetting, of course, the dominance of Toronto in the Canadian marketplace and the distance we sadly have to go to for a trip to California. I mean, San Francisco and LA and San Diego are great, but air fares these days are $600 ON SALE from Toronto, while we can get to New York, Boston or Chicago for maybe half that. Or we can drive and buy cheaper U.S. gas and bring back oodles of new stuff in the back seat thanks to the duty-free changes.

I later got a breakdown that shows where Ontario folks want to travel. It's not radically different, but there are some interesting findings. The number one destination for the U.S. for Ontario folks was Florida, way up at 24 per cent. That's much higher than for Canadians as a whole (16). Next was New York at 14, then Nevada (10), Illinois (8), Pennsylvania (6), South Carolina and Michigan at 5 and California at 4.

For destinations outside the U.S. and Canada, Ontarians favoured Mexico (12), then Cuba and the Caribbean Islands at 10, unspecified Europe or East Europe (8), France (6), the Dominican Republic (5), England, Italy and Holland at 4 each and China and Australia at 3. Among the destinations getting a 2 per cent notice were Turkey, Germany, Hong Kong, Thailand and Costa Rica. Spain only got 1 per cent, as did Japan, Indonesia and The Bahamas.

As for international destinations, Mexico took the grand prize with a whopping 18 per cent support. Next was France, which obviously has a ton to offer for foodies, wine fans, history and culture afficionados and just about everybody else, at 10 per cent. Next was Cuba at 8 per cent, tied with unspecified European countries. The Caribbean in general was at 7 per cent.

Those numbers surprise me a bit, although it's certainly good for Mexico. I would've thought the attraction of cheap spots in the Dominican Republic, plus other faves such as Barbados, St. Lucia and the Bahamas, would put the Caribbean (I know, I know, the Bahamas technically aren't in the Caribbean) a touch higher. And where's the UK in this study? They just spent all that money on the Olympics and more Canadians want to go to France? Ai-yai-yai.

While we're travelling more, it looks like we're more focussed on value. Asked about their travel plans prior to summer, 35 per cent of Canadians said they'd spend less than $1,000 on their holiday. Asked about plans for this fall, a full 42 per cent said thyey'd be spending less than $1,000.

On a more ominous note, the study found that Canada's international travel account deficit - payments by Canadian travellers abroad vs. receipts from foreign travellers in Canada - reached $16.25 billion at the end of 2011. Which is not so good.

"If the growing trend in outbound travel continues, it will certainly put pressure on Canada's domestic tourism industry," said Robert Kavcic, Economist, BMO Capital Markets.

SUNWING ADDS USA COLLECTION

Speaking of increased travel to the U.S. by Canadians, Sunwing recently announced an expansion of its USA program with the debut of its new "USA Collection" brochure.

Sunwing continues to offer flights, hotels and vacation packages to spots like Florida and Vegas (see above). What's new this year are "USA City Escapes" to places like Boston, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Oahu and Maui in Hawaii.

"With the increasing demand for flights, hotels and vacation packages in the USA, we are certain our new 'USA Collection' brochure will be well received by travellers," said Reg Mendes, vice president, USA and Cruise Division at Sunwing.

All Sunwing flights are on Sunwing AIrlines, with free 20 kg of checcked baggage, hot towel service and a choice of hotel meals with wine or a hot snack, soft drink and free in-flight entertainment. They also have Elite Plus for $40, with extra leg room, advance seat selection, a 30 kg bag allowance and more.

For more information, visit www.sunwing.ca.

HONG KONG GOES WILD IN THE FALL

Tons going on in Hong Kong this fall, with festivals galore. Tourism officials say the season gets underway with the Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival – one of the world’s great celebrations marking the ancient Chinese Harvest Festival, due to take place Sept. 27 to Oct. 2. Hong Kong puts a modern twist on the celebrations, with traditional lanterns merging with the city’s trademark neon beneath which fiery dragons dance through the busy streets and a full moon shines down on the revelers.

This year, the Lee Kum Lee Lantern Wonderland, located in Victoria Park, will once again be at the heart of the celebrations. This year’s award-winning lantern bears the name “Golden Moon”. It is a dome-shaped sculpture of light, 21 metres in diameter and 18 metres in height. It will be situated in a vast pool, surrounded by dozens of floating Chinese lanterns, with a pathway link allowing spectactors to walk inside the structure.  The interior will be filled with even more lanterns, suspended to illuminate the scene with constantly varying brightness. “Golden Moon” was designed by two architects: Kristof Crolla from Belgium and Adam Fingrut from Canada.

In Tai Hang (once a small village, now part of the city on Causeway Bay) the Festival is celebrated over three days with a fire dragon dance consisting of hundred of performers, tens of thousands of sticks of incense and a 67-metre dragon that will "wend its way through the crowded city streets in a spectacle of fire and fury."

Food always takes the limelight through the fall, and this year will be extra-special due to the 10^th staging of The Best of the Best Culinary Awards, co-organized by the HKTB and The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Ltd. This event showcases the cooking talent of local Chinese chefs and in the years since its inception has grown into Hong Kong’s largest culinary event. Ten finalists from September’s preliminary competition will be competing for the awards in the final competitions to be held on 4 and 5 October. The winning restaurants and their dishes are a great guide to the best in Chinese cuisine in Hong Kong.

When October arrives, thoughts turn towards Halloween as parties are planned and costumes created. Hong Kong is the perfect place to mark this occasion as this is a region with thousands of years of folklore populated with ghosts, ghouls and demons. Disneyland, Madame Tussauds, Discovery Harbour, the Avenue of Stars and spooky Ocean Park will all be getting into the mood. After that comes Hong Kong’s Wine & Dine Festival, due to take place Nov. 1-4. In fact, this festival will extend throughout the Hong Kong Wine & Dine month of November with street carnivals, the Festival of Restaurants and wine-and-dine promotions. The city’s top restaurants will share their finest offerings, while for those still in a party mood, the Lan Kwai Fong Carnival (Nov. 17-18) will bring together not only  and beer stalls but also arts and crafts, dancers and musicians and other live performers from around the world. And for visitors who miss those dates, a World of Food and Music festival will take place Nov. 24 and 25 in beach-side Stanley.

For more information, visit www.discoverhongkong.com/ca.

 

 

 

 

Diseases, drunk flight attendants and rude bosses ... maybe we stay home?

Yesterday I was touting travel to lots of great places in the world for "shoulder season."

I take it all back.

Why? Because perusing (or even reading) this morning's headlines makes me think we should all stay home, at least for a while. Folks seem to be getting sick all over the place, flight attendants are showing up dead drunk and the head of RyanAir in Britain is accusing passengers of being idiots for not printing their boarding passes in advance. More on that at the bottom of this posting, including some hilarious quotes from RyanAir chief Michael O'Leary from over the years.

Travelmole.com reports that "British holidaymakers who visited the US over the summer are being contacted by the Health Protection Agency following the outbreak of a deadly virus in Yosemite National Park (in California, see photo) which has killed two people and infected six.

The agency said it was not aware of any cases of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) - which is carried by rodents - in Britons who had been there on holiday. But it sounds a little scary.

In case you missed it, three folks who visited a downtown Chicago Marriott hotel died of Legionnaires' disease, city officials announced the other day.

The Chicago Department of Public Health released test results that showed that the primary source of the outbreak at the Marriott, located at 151 W. Adams St., was likely the spa and a decorative fountain in the main lobby. Samples taken from the fountain, the men's and women's locker rooms, and the spa's whirlpool all tested positive for the same type of Legionella bacteria found in the sick patients.

Marriott said it has removed the fountain and also closed parts of its luxury spa. The hotel said it is working with a water safety consulting company to install cleaner water systems and, according to Dr. Kathleen Ritger, medical director of communicable disease at the Chicago Department of Public Health, the hotel is now safe.

It's a little better in the air, but not much. Travelmole reports an air stewardess who was drunk on a UK-bound flight from Dubai has been fired "after she was found to be eight times over the drink flying limit."

The 24-year-old (no doubt a freshman at a Canadian university?) as arrested when her Emirates plane touched down in Birmingham after fellow cabin crew members raised the alarm over her behaviour.

Yeah, I guess so.

Folks in airline management don't appear to be a whole lot better. Michael O'Leary, the oft-quoted, often silly chief of RyanAir, has been quoted as calling passengers "idiots" if they fail to print their boarding passes in advance.

According to the Mirror in London, his launch-code attack "came after mother-of-two Suzy McLeod complained about being hit with $370 worth of fees when she arrived for a return flight home without printed boarding cards."

Ryanair users are supposed to print their boarding passes up to two weeks in advance. McLeod said she was at a rural villa in Spain without internet access for 15 days and couldn't print the passes. So she was hit with the (in my opinion, inordinately high and ridiculous) fees for printing out boarding passes for her family.

She launched a Facebook complaint that got the attention of thousands of folks. Including, apparently, O'Leary.

O’Leary (see photo) was taking no prisoners Monday, issuing a statement that said “Mother pays £200 for being an idiot and failing to comply with her agreement at the time of booking.”

He went on: “We think Mrs McLeod should pay 60 euros for being so stupid."

“She wasn’t able to print her boarding card because, as you know, there are no internet cafes in Alicante, no hotels where they could print them out for you, and you couldn’t get to a fax machine so some friend at home can print them and fax them to you.

“She then comes home and gets on Twitter, God help us all, and somehow we are going to change our policies. No we’re not.

“She wrote to me last week asking for compensation and a gesture of goodwill.

“To which we have replied, politely but firmly, thank you Mrs McLeod but it was your f***-up and if you screw up, you compensate us and you send us a gesture of goodwill.”

Asked if Mrs McLeod was its only passenger to behave in this way, Mr O’Leary replied: “No, there are 0.02% of passengers who are equally stupid.

"We say quite politely to those passengers, bu**er off.”

Unbelievable, eh?

The Telegraph listed a few of O'Leary's top quotes. Here are a few:

O'Leary on his idea of charging folks to use washrooms on board his planes: "One thing we have looked at is maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door so that people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in the future. If someone wanted to pay £5 to go to the toilet I would carry them myself. I would wipe their bums for a fiver."

On overweight passengers: "Nobody wants to sit beside a really fat ****** on board. We have been frankly astonished at the number of customers who don't only want to tax fat people but torture them."

On environmentalists: “We want to annoy the ******* whenever we can. The best thing you can do with environmentalists is shoot them. These headbangers want to make air travel the preserve of the rich. They are luddites marching us back to the 18th century. If preserving the environment means stopping poor people flying so the rich can fly, then screw it.”

On turbulence: "If drink sales are falling off we get the pilots to engineer a bit of turbulence. That usually spikes up the drink sales."

On travel agents: "Screw the travel agents. Take the ******* out and shoot them. They are a waste of bloody time. What have they done for passengers over the years?"

On ordering aircraft from Boeing: “The message to Boeing today is: ‘You keep building them, we’ll keep buying them’, and together both of us will kick the crap out of Airbus in Europe. We love Boeing. **** the French.”

On not ordering more aircraft from Boeing: “Boeing had their chance. Eventually you lose interest, dealing with a bunch of idiots who can’t make a decision. They are a bunch of numpties out in Seattle.”

Personally, I'd love it if one of our top Canadian airline officials were half this colourful. Then again, we here in Toronto have Rob Ford so we can't be greedy.

September "Shoulder Season" a perfect time to check out these world spots ...

We had a story in the paper on Saturday from Pauline Frommer, talking about the joys of "shoulder season." It's the time of year that started about, oh, eight hours ago here in Toronto; those days right after Labour Day when the kids are back in school and the crowds of tourists suddenly diminish.

Think about it; a huge pool of potential tourists has suddenly been pulled off the market. If you have kids aged four to 18, chances are you're at home this week. If you ARE a kid of that age, or you're in college or university, chances are you're in school. So that means maybe half the potential tourism population of our fair city is unavailable for an overseas sojourn, at least in the middle of the week.

So the crowds will be down at the Uffizi in Florence and outside the Opera House in Sydney. The good tee times will be easier to get at the golf course in Banff or beautiful Kananaskis. Weather also is a factor in making September a great travel month. It's cooling down in northern Europe and in the Canadian Rockies, but it's still not winter coat time. In the Canadian Maritimes, it's still warm enough for the beach. And if you're a swimmer, the water should still be relatively warm in Muskoka or Lake Huron; as long as the nights don't get too chilly.

With all that in mind, here's a list of a few personal favourite spots around the world that would be ideal this month:

San Francisco: Most years (not all, but most) September is the finest month of all in this city by the bay. The fog tends to have disappeared by now and rain is extremely rare. It's a great time to take a driving tour through Golden Gate Park and across the bridge to Marin County, where you'll get killer views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Check out fun shops in the Haight-Ashbury area or cool bars in the Mission District or Hayes Valley. Head up to Alamo Square (at left) to see the "painted ladies." Try a ferry boat ride to Sausalito for fine bridge views and glimpses of Alcatraz. You can expect temperatures in the low 20's, but it's usually much much warmer than that in places like the Napa Valley. The magical Monterey Peninsula is only about two hours from San Francisco International. Check out my personaly favourite beach town of Capitola and also don't miss Pacific Grove, with its fine Victorian B and B's and old-fashioned main street. Passionfish serves great seafood.

Eastern Canada: Newfoundland is a personal favourite, with some of the nicest people on the planet. St. John's has a growingly sophisticated food scene, and with the kids gone back to school it should be easier to get a chair at the more popular pubs on George St. Looking for something a little closer to home? Halifax has a wonderful waterfront with great markets, shops and restaurants. The downtown has cool architecture and great food at places like Press Gang. And more than a few nice bars, including Economy Shoe Shop on lively Argyle St.

Slovenia: I like to call this "The Tiny, Perfect Country." It's wedged between Italy, Croatia, Austria and Hungary and has wonderful elements of all of those places. The coastline city of Piran has marvellous seaside promenades and cafes and red-tiled roofs along the Adriatic, plus Italian and Croatian food. The mountains near the Austrian border are gloriously ragged and sharp, with marvellous drives and killer views. The city of Ljubljana (at right) feels a bit like a miniature Salzburg, with a small castle on a hill and a pretty river that's also lined with smart cafes. There's tons of history and, again, really good food. The interior has good wine growing areas, remarkable caves and rolling countryside with spas and fine hotels and restaurants. Oh, and don't forget Lake Bled, with its magical views of churches and castles and an emerald-green lake and mountains and romantic boats and its wonderfully rich creme pastries. A mighty impressive package.

New York: It can be unbearable in the heat of summer. But the heat starts to dissipate a little about now, and the teeming hordes from Ohio and Ontario have mostly gone away. Take a harbour cruise. Meander over the Brooklyn Bridge to check out fine, emerging neighbourhoods. Check out the fashionable and trendy Lower East Side for cutting edge food and drinks. Walk the expanded High Line Park. Take a walk in Central Park or take in a show. There's a million things to do in the Big Apple and it's a great time to go.

British Columbia: Again, fine weather this time of year; mostly cool and dry. Victoria and Vancouver shine in late summer, as does Tofino and pretty much all of Vancouver Island. It's also a great time to check out the Okanagan region. Osoyoos is warm and dry this time of year, with fabulous wineries nestled into dusty country filled with cactus and rocky outcroppings that feel more like Arizona than Canada. Further north, near Kelowna, Mission Hills winery (at left) has a wonderful Marc Chagall tapestry and a fabulous restaurant with beautiful views over the vineyards and down to Okanagan Lake. Wonderful golf opportunites abound, and there are fine hotels along the lake in Kelowna and terrific restaurants in town and at the wineries. 

The Greek Islands: It should be starting to cool down a touch, and with the crowds gone you'll have a lot more breathing room than in July or August. I love Paros, with its old-fashioned, white buildings and simple, blue doors and pink or red flowers. Rent a moped and zip around the island for some marvellous views, pull up a chair at a seaside cafe and watch the sun go down. Or try one of the many beaches, some fairly rocky but others reasonably smooth. Beautiful water for swimming. Also popular are Naxos and of course Mykonos and Santorini. If you're in Athens and only have a day or two, try a quick trip to Hydra, where they don't allow cars and there are marvellous cafes and walking trails along the Mediterranean.

Down Under: It's almost spring in the southern hemisphere, which makes it a fine time to head down that way. I don't know South America, but I'll vouch for Australia and New Zealand for sure. The weather will still be a little cool in Melbourne and maybe Sydney, but the northern parts of Australia and New Zealand will be starting to shake off the cool temperatures quite soon. The Bay of Islands region of New Zealand (see photo at right, taken from the fabulous Kauri Cliffs golf club and resort) is breathtakingly beautiful; with small islands nestled into green-blue waters and a real tropical feel. In Brisbane, Australia, you can expect average high temperatures in the low to mid 20's this time of year; just perfect for the beach or city exploring. I haven't seen a lot of Queensland but had a fabulous time on Dunk Island following the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Even if the weather's a tad cool, it's still hard to beat Sydney for its combination of beaches, food, iconic architecture and shopping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IKEA hotels in Europe ... Toronto #4 in livability ... T.O. Shangri-LA opens soon

Big news days out there in the travel world, folks.

First item du jour is a note from over the pond that IKEA is building, wait for it, a chain of budget hotels. Isn't it enough they've filled the rooms of the world with Billy bookcases? (I must own four or five of the damned things, and I could probably melt down all the Allen keys I have and make a tank for the Canadian military). Isn't it enough they're developing property near the Olympic stadium in London, where they want to build houses - and no doubt fill them with IKEA furniture?

No, it's not enough. And, actually, I say good for them. For a lot of North American folks, it's expensive to get a place to stay in Europe. So the trend towards more budget-oriented motels and small hotels in Europe (similar to what we have here in terms of Comfort Inn's and such) is probably welcome.

The story I saw in the Daily Mail of London said the IKEA folks want to create "budget design" properties (isn't that an oxymoron?) with a "boutique feel" at affordable prices. They apparently aim to announce a hotel soon for Germany and are looking at perhaps 100 hotels in all on the continent. The UK, Holland and Poland were mentioned in the Daily Mail story.

They won't be called IKEA hotels though, which I don't quite understand. It's a hugely recognized brand, why not capitalize on it?

There's a big trend toward this type of thing already in Europe. Motel One has 39 hotels in Germany, the Daily Mail said, and they're looking at Edinburgh. There's also the Chic and Basic brand in Barcelona and Madrid.

Anyway, for now I see no word of any properties in Canada or the U.S. But I suspect it's only a matter of time before we can stop along I-75 in Cincinnati and rest up at a hotel filled with Vittsjo shelving units and Nordli bed frames and Micke desks. I wonder if we'll get Swedish meatballs from room service, or  lingonberries. Or those cheap hot dogs.

And will we have to assemble the beds and dressers ourselves? I can just see it - each guest is given an Allen key and some of those horrible instruction pamphlets and sent upstairs with a big box. Wouldn't that be a great way to get a discount?

MELBOURNE MOST LIVEABLE CITY ON THE PLANET

A study by The Economist Intelligence Unit ranks Melbourne as the most liveable city on the planet. Second was Vienna, Austria, followed by Vancouver. Toronto was just a smidge behind those smug westerners, finishing just off the podium in the number four spot. Calgary (HA!) was fifth.

Rounding out the top ten were Adelaide, Sydney, Helsinki, Perth Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. That makes a pretty tremendous showing for the Aussies and Canucks, doncha know.

Oh, Montreal was 16, lest I forget. But that was it for Canadian cities in the ranking, as they apparently only stuck to the big boys.

Notice, ahem, the absence of any U.S. cities from the top ten. Interesting. The top American city in the survey might be a bit of a surprise: Honolulu at #26. I actually quite like Honolulu; there's great weather and beaches but also tremendous culture and fabulous food.

Other notable U.S. cities were Washington D.c. at #34, Chicago at 36, Los Angeles at 43, San Francisco at 52 (behind LA? OMG)  and New York at 56. Jon Copestake the survey editor comments: "The tiny increment between the top ten cities shows just how tight the ranking can be. Canadian cities, like Australia, benefit from good infrastructure and low crime rates. For big US cities a high score for cultural activities can come at the expense of higher congestion and crime rates." 

Elsewhere in the world, the impact of the Arab Spring and fallout from the Eurozone crisis is still being felt. Many cities in the Middle East and North Africa have seen downward revisions to their scores thanks to civil unrest.

Every city is assigned a rating of relative comfort for over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability; healthcare; culture and environment; education; and infrastructure. Each factor in a city is rated as acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable or intolerable. For qualitative indicators, a rating is awarded based on the judgment of in-house analysts and in-city contributors.

Want to know what cities to avoid? Worst on the list was Dhaka, Bangladesh. Just ahead, at 139, was Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. And in the 138th spot was Lagos, Nigeria.

SHANGRI-LA TORONTO TWO WEEKS AWAY

It's a tad confusing, but it sounds like the Shangri-La hotel in downtown Toronto will unofficially open Aug. 31. It won't be fully open by that date, as apparently the TIFF movie folks will be using it for the most part for the first couple weeks.

Still, that's the unofficial date. And it sounds like they'll be in full operation for the general public by Sept. 17.

There will be plenty of Asian touches of course. But the developer is a big music fan so I'm told there's a handcrafted Italian piano in the lobby. The piano also apparently has the words to Joni Mitchell's "Old Man" under the lid.

There will be a branch of the legendary restaurant Momofuku, but it's run separately and not really a Shangri-La property. The main restaurant for the hotel proper is called Bosk, where they will offer up everything from John Dory to New Zealand lamb (the executive chef was born in New Zealand but grew up in Japan) and other items with an Asian flavour. They say the dim sum that will be served in the lobby is to die for, and they'll have afternoon tea and a tea library with 68 varieties.

As with many projects these days, such as the Trump, it's part condo and part hotel. the lower 17 floors are for the hotel, with 202 rooms and suites at Adelaide and University. They'll have a Hammam spa with Parisian influences, plus a 20-meter pool with a chandelier over the top and an outdoor place on the fifth floor that looks up University Ave.

Service will be the key to the hotel getting the five-star rating it craves. An official told me staff under a very extensive training program and that service is based on the theme of "hospitality from the heart."

It's supposed to be "gracious and unobtrusive" service with a substantial "humility" factor.

It's certainly going to be fun to see how they do, what with the TRUMP Tower just down the road, the Ritz-Carlton around the corner (the only Toronto property right now with a five-diamond rating from the Canadian Automobile Association) and the new Four Seasons Yorkville opening up in October.

Most popular hotels for cheating on your spouse; sick but interesting

I don't condone the site in any way. But I gotta admit I find it interesting to look at some reports by Huffington Post of late on what hotels are most popular with folks who use the Ashley Madison infidelity (cheat on your spouse) social media network.

The site surveyed more than 3,200 members who live or travel to Toronto and asked them to name their most popular hotels for their affairs.

"Our research reveals that while these hotels may not be where they would stay on a typical business or family trip, to fulfill on the perfect affair they tend to choose something more exotic, trendy and even romantic," said Noel Biderman, CEO of Ashley Madison (which is based in Toronto? Really?).

Biderman said hotels obviously don't market themselves for cheaters but they certainly know it's a part of their business. In fact, he estimates perhaps 10 per cent of a hotel's revenue comes from infidelity.

Anyway, on to the hotels. The survey found that the most popular spot in Toronto was the Sheraton Centre. Makes sense, really. It's large. It's right downtown on Queen across from City Hall and near the Eaton Centre and close to offices and such. Nice rooms, but not over the top. Oh, one of the bars (see photo) is called Traders. Sorry, but how perfect is that?

Second was the Fairmont Royal York. Also a nice spot; very classy and historic. Then came the Hazelton Yorkville (very impressive to the girlfriend or boyfriend), the Westin Harbour Castle and the Hilton Garden Inn Airport.

Ashley Madison did a similar report for New York and L.A. In the Big Apple, the most popular booking spots for hooking up were the W Hotel on Lexington, the Holiday Inn on 57th St. (hey big spender, what's up with that?), the Marriott Marquis (more like it), the Gansevoort in the, um, meatpacking district and the Waldorf Astoria (much more like it, folks).

In L.A. the top five were the W in Hollywood, The Beverly Wilshire, The Beverly Hills Hotel, the Comfort Inn in North Hollywood and the Holiday Inn in Santa Monica at the beach. That's not so bad but a Comfort Inn? Really? North Hollywood ain't exactly the romance capital of southern California, although it IS close to downtown with good access to both the Hollywood Freeway and the Ventura Freeway.

Very silly stuff, of course. But interesting.

TORONTO HOTEL NEWS

Couple things to mention in Hogtown today. The folks at Trump Toronto - sorry, the Trump International Hotel and Tower Toronto - have announced the "highly anticipated expansion of Quartz Crystal Spa," located on the 31st and 32nd floors.

Spa patrons now have a natural salt infinity lap pool and an infinity edge whirlpool (never seen one of those) overlooking the downtown, plus a fully equipped fitness and movement studio and a sauna.

Over in Mississauga, the Towne Place Suites has been given a $17 million renovation/transformation. The hotel offers a full kitchen, free breakfast, a pool and more.

PORTER EXPANSION

Porter Airlines is adding a fourth weekday roundtrip between Sault Ste. Marie and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. The new flights begin Oct. 1.

“Sault Ste. Marie is an example of a city that needed competition,” said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. “We’ve been able to encourage more people to fly based on offering choice, lower fares and direct access to downtown Toronto. Our new schedule matches this interest.”

Porter began serving Sault Ste. Marie in 2011, with two daily flights.

MISSY LOVES PICTOU

Nice of American swimmer Missy Franklin to call out Pictou, Nova Scotia as her favourite spot on the lord's great, green earth. Franklin, whose mother is from Halifax and dad from Ontario, has spent a lot of time in Pictou, a small town on the north shore of the province.

Franklin just loves the place and, of course, folks in Pictou are thrilled with the coverage. They're hoping to get the Olympic medallist to visit again soon but apparently the 17-year-old has to go back to high school in Colorado first.

 

 

Brand USA has a new, fresh face charged with increasing tourism down south

Interesting that there's a new sheriff in town for Brand USA, the group trying to boost tourism down south.

It was revealed this week that Jim Evans, the former chief executive for Brand USA, is stepping down. Taking his place will be the top tourism official for California, which has been putting out some pretty good ads (I like the one with Rob Lowe and Betty White) and seemingly knows a thing or two about travel and tourists.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Caroline Beteta, president and chief executive of Visit California, the nonprofit group dedicated to marketing the Golden State, was named interim chief executive of Brand USA, which is in charge of a $150-million media campaign. The times said Betea will continue in her Visit California job.

I've written extensively in this space and in the Star about Brand USA, an international campaign launched in L.A. last month that features singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash and a catchy anthem called "Land of Dreams."

The U.S. Travel Assn. initiated the campaign with the support of several large tourism groups and travel businesses. The campaign will be financed by a $14 fee charged to each international visitor who registers for a visa to enter the U.S., plus donations from private businesses such as hotels and theme parks.

Until recently, the U.S. (to the amazement of many in the industry) had no overall group to try to bring tourists to American soil. Instead, it was left to states or cities to make the effort.

"Brand USA began as just an idea a little more than a year ago, and I have been fully committed to its long-term viability and success, and remain committed to those goals today," Beteta said in a statement.

Prior to her current position with Visit California, Beteta served as vice president of a Washington, D.C., public affairs firm.

While Visit California launched innumerable award-winning campaigns during her tenure, it is probably best known for its television broadcast advertising, which features many of the Golden State's A-list celebrities such as Betty White, the Jonas Brothers, Kim Kardashian, former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former first lady Maria Shriver, Rob Lowe, Jay Leno, David Beckham, Wolfgang Puck, Clint Eastwood, Jeff Gordon and Jack Nicholson, among others.

WEST JET REWARDS IMPROVEMENTS

WestJet today announced a new agreement with American Airlines that will allow WestJet Rewards members to earn WestJet dollars on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines and its affiliates, American Eagle and AmericanConnection. The agreement provides WestJet Rewards members with the ability to accumulate WestJet dollars faster, especially those guests flying within American's extensive worldwide network of destinations.

WestJet Rewards members earn WestJet dollars on flights and vacation packages with WestJet and WestJet Vacations.  WestJet dollars can then be used like cash and can be used on any date, to any of WestJet's 76 destinations, with no blackout periods, and can even be applied to seat-sale fares. Members also have the flexibility to use their WestJet dollars to either pay in full, or partially pay for their bookings online or through our WestJet Sales Super Centre. Full details of the program can be found at westjet.com/rewards.

Starting today, WestJet Rewards members will also earn WestJet dollars on any flight in American Airline's global network, including North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and the Pacific. Members can book flights directly with American Airlines or through their preferred travel agent and earn WestJet dollars when they add their WestJet Rewards identification number to the booking.

"This frequent flyer partnership, a first for WestJet, represents the continued evolution of WestJet Rewards," said Marshall Wilmot, WestJet Vice-President, Product and Distribution. "We're pleased to offer a rewards program that's easy, transparent and meets the needs of our guests. We're confident our members will enjoy earning WestJet dollars even faster as they fly with WestJet and on American and throughout its extensive worldwide network."

"Our expanded cooperation with WestJet offers even more opportunities for our AAdvantage members to earn miles on flights to more destinations," said Suzanne Rubin, President, AAdvantage Loyalty Program. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with WestJet and ensuring that our frequent fliers have valuable mileage earning - and eventually redemption - options wherever their travels take them."

The two airlines will continue to expand the relationship further, including the ability for WestJet Rewards members to redeem WestJet dollars on American Airlines flights. A date for redemption for American Airlines flights has not been determined.

 

 

 

Outlet malls and great beaches in northern California/Monterey Bay

SAN FRANCISCO - I’m not much for shopping. But get me to a U.S. outlet mall and I can get into it pretty quickly.

I’m not sure how good the deals are compared to the everyday sort of bargains that U.S. stores put out, but it’s great having so many different stores in one giant area if you want load up on a variety of things.

California may not have the reputation of Florida or New York State or New England for outlet centers, but I find the deals pretty amazing at the Premium Outlets in Vacaville, northeast of San Francisco towards Sacramento and at Gilroy, a half hour south of San Jose.

This time I opted for Gilroy as I wanted to spend some time at the beach in Capitola, close to my family’s cabin in the Santa Cruz mountains. There’s J. Crew and Banana Republic and The Gap and Ralph Lauren and DKNY and lots more, so there’s no shortage of places to buy nice men’s shorts for $30 or shirts for $15 or colourful boxers for $5. That’s especially good if you can find Hawaiian-themed boxers with hula girls or pineapples; the preferred option for men of taste around the world.

From Gilroy, you can take a fine drive through wine and farm country to Watsonville, driving past orchards and farms selling garlic, cherries, strawberries, avocado, peaches and so much more. Watsonville is home to Driscoll’s, which seems to have a world monopoly on winter strawberries and raspberries.

The drive from Gilroy to Watsonville takes you along Highway 152 over Hecker Pass, a winding but not difficult road that goes through forests of pine and eucalyptus trees, ultimately revealing a lovely view out over Monterey Bay.

Capitola is a great, little beach town that’s just east of Santa Cruz, on the north shore of Monterey Bay. There’s a fun shopping district with surf stores and funky clothing shops and some good restaurants along the water.

Sadly, Margaritaville – a Mexican place I’ve always liked – has slid rapidly downhill. Fish tacos were fishy and not at all interesting, and the chicken burrito was cafeteria Tex Mex, I thought. I wouldn’t advise it for food or a drink, as the $9.50 margarita I got was only adequate and quite small – especially by American standards. Better to just order a beer and watch the folks on the beach or gaze on the brightly coloured rental homes along the beach and the small lagoon where a nearby creek empties out.

You can also try the small upstairs patio at Stockton Bridge Café or sit out at Il Pirata or Mr. Toots' Coffeehouse several other places on the water. The beach is about a half-mile long and there’s a great wharf with a restaurant out on the end, and there are wonderful views of the chalky, golden cliffs topped with palm trees and homes with lovely gardens.

I once called Capitola the best California town the Beach Boys never sang about. And I still feel that way…

Getting back to bargains for a minute, I had breakfast with my cousins and family at a place called Dino’s in Castro Valley, in the East Bay, on Sunday. I think they’re trying to establish themselves as a breakfast spot. Either that, or they’re insane, as the breakfast special is two eggs, two sausage links, two strips of bacon and two large pancakes for, wait for it, $2.95.

Yep. Unbelieveable. Okay, the sausages tasted like those microwave types. But even if you don’t eat those, it’s tough to beat eggs, bacon and pancakes for three bucks….

 

Another tragedy in Thailand ... Travel news up and down California

More bad news for Thailand tourism. An Australian travel agent has been killed in Phuket, a popular holiday/beach destination in the southeast Asian nation.

Michelle Smith, 60, a travel agent from Western Australia, was killed during an attempted purse snatching on the island. PerthNow in Australia reports that "Mrs Smith had been walking with a friend, a 42-year-old woman,  near their hotel complex in Kata Noi Bay, on Phuket's west coast, about 10.30pm last night when they were attacked by two men who approached on the bike.

The men had circled the pair several times before attempting to steal their handbags and lashing out with a knife when they couldn't grab them.

The second woman suffered a slash wound to her arm and was taken to hospital in Phuket, but was allowed to leave early today after receiving stitches."

Travelmole and other services report there has been a spate of bag snatching by youths on motorcycles on the island and that women walking on isolated streets are particularly vulnerable.

A young German visitor had her thumb cut off in a similar savage incident in Krabi Town, a province nearby, earlier this year

Just a few days ago, two young women from Quebec were found dead in their hotel room on the Thai island of Phi Phi, apparently victims of poisoning. Travelmole reports six tourists have drowned on Phuket beaches in the space of one month and a day, which is a ridiculously high number and makes me think there's something seriously wrong at play.

CALIFORNIA DREAMING ... ON SUCH A SUMMER'S DAY!

Hey, I'm flying out to San Francisco tomorrow for a family gathering. And I'm looking forward to cooler weather.

Yeah, it's not everyday we here in Toronto want to flee to the Golden State for lower temperatures. But even a heat lover like me is getting knocked out by the high temps and humidity in the Big Smoke the last few days.

As luck would have it, the California tourism folks stepped into the Southern Ontario oven on Tuesday for a soiree at The Courthouse on Adelaide. I also had the chance to chat with tourism folks from Santa Monica, San Diego and Sacramento, as well as Sonoma and the Livermore Valley wine area, which doesn't get enough credit and, yeah, I'm a little biased cuz I grew up not far from there.

San Diego I don't know so well, but they tell me there are more craft breweries - some 40 of them - than almost any city in the U.S. I also was told the La Jolla Playhouse has sent a number of shows to Broadway or London, including Hands on a Hardbody, Peter and the Starcatcher and Jersey Boys.

"The stereoype is conservative folks and the beach," said tourism official Candice Eley. "And the zoo and Sea World. But there's a great food and art scene, and the city has really embraced being a border city."

The pictures she showed me look more like urban San Francisco than "traditional" San Diego. Little Italy (see photo) apparently has become quite the diverse neighbourhood, and looks like it's worth checking out.

Up the road in Santa Monica, Kelly Nagle tells me the LEED certified Shore Hotel is open for biz and that the Fairmont is bringing in a new lounge, The Bungalow, which promises a "Beach Boys/Doors/Led Zeppelin" vibe, whatever that might mean.

The city has a new bike centre where you can rent bikes and also drop off your bags and rent lockers and have a shower. They have bike itineraries for folks who want to check out the beach or the local food scene or arts and culture or even spa/wellness programs.

The Expo Line, which will connect downtown Santa Monica to downtown LA via public transit, is a few years away. But the eastern Santa Monica station should open next year in the Bergamot area of town, which Nagle tells me is filled with art galleries and other fun stuff.

We here in Toronto don't hear a lot about Sacramento, the state capital, but there's a lot to like. The sidewalk cafes go on forever, and there's incredibly inventive food and a great coffee culture in town. There are some 200 wineries within an hour or so of the city, including the burgeoning Lodi area (good, old-vine Zinfandel) and the lovely Amador County wine region, which is up in the lower foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains and has a ton of fun, quirky towns as well as great wine and a casual atmosphere.

I like the Livermore valley quite a bit. The town of Pleasanton is cute a button and also has fabulous cafes and shops and is home to the Alameda County Fair this time of year. Great wineries and golf courses abound, as well. Livermore used to be more of a cowboy town but has become increasingly trendy and boasts such fabulous wineries as Wente, Concannon and Steven Kent.