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The Best Bang for Your Buck Destinations in 2017

This is the time of year that many publications like The New York Times and Travel & Leisure come out with their top travel destinations in the upcoming year. Lonely Planet has just published their top value picks in 2017 and we really like their choices. Having just returned from South Africa, we know first hand its affordability thanks to the currency exchange, currently 14 rand to the dollar. So if Namibia is linked to the rand, this is the ideal time to go on safari and visit Cape Town afterwards. Porto and nearby Lisbon are becoming more and more popular thanks to affordable airfare from the States. Nepal desperately needs your business to help rebuild their country. The interior of Belize is just as impressive as the beaches and reefs. We deal with a great ground operator in Morocco who can easily package together hotels, guides, activities, and transfers around the country. Lastly, we’ve been singing the praises of Mackinac Island and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for decades, ever since we attended the University of Michigan. It’s one of the finest family retreats in the country. Have a look and tell us what you think.

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Food for Thought, Lake Geneva Region Dining

The Vaud or Lake Geneva Region of Switzerland is known for its fine dining, arguably the best in Switzerland. After all, this is the French-speaking side of the country and home to the Lavaux and La Côte wine regions. We had many memorable dishes last week. In the heart of the Lavaux region in the village of Epesses, I loved dining al fresco at Auberge du Vigneron on wild mushroom risotto. The view of the surrounding vineyards and Lake Geneva below was memorable. In Lausanne, the multicultural offerings at Eat Me included a spicy tuna sashimi and a tasty “Sultan of the Street” lamb loin. The Greek salad at National was like an abstract painting, each of the core ingredients like cucumbers and olives separated on the plate. The local blue trout at Café L’Union in the charming village of Bursins did arrive blue on the plate, and was served with the local deep-fried cheese puff they call the Malakoff. 

 
Talking about cheese, we couldn’t leave Switzerland without trying the fondue. We chose well, walking into the casual restaurant, Les Trois Sifflets, in Vevey. When the creamy concoction was served at each table, the Swiss National Anthem blared from the speakers and the chef’s daughter came out with a large Swiss flag, followed by a guy carrying an oversized pepper shaker. The fondue was the best I’ve ever had, but that shouldn’t be a surprise since we were in Switzerland. The town of Gruyere is just up the road. 
 
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Adventures in Ecuador: Feeling Blissful in Floreana

Some 200,000 people arrive on the shores of the Galapagos Islands each year and now close to half of those visitors choose a land-based tour instead of the typical cruise. The advantage of staying on the islands over taking a cruise is that you’re not traveling everywhere with a large group of people and you’re meeting locals, many of whom have spent their entire lives on the islands. The disadvantage is that you have to stomach high-speed motorboat rides between islands and you won’t be able to see every wildlife encounter, like albatross congregating on a remote rock. 
 
Whether you choose a cruise or a land-based tour, a trip to the Galapagos is magical. On the boat ride over to Floreana, dolphins were jumping in the wake. Sea lions were snoozing at the dock upon arrival. Our lodging for the next two nights was the Floreana Lava Lodge, simple wooden cabins on the beach with the sound of pounding waves to lull you to sleep. The owners, a brother and sister team of Claudio and Aura, were two of 12 siblings that were brought up on the island. Their father and mother moved to Floreana in 1939 and today there are only 150 full-time residents on the quiet isle. 
 
The following day was my favorite of the entire Ecuador trip. Claudio and our guide Carlos drove us high into the hills to see giant tortoises, many over 100 years old. We walked through caves that housed early German settlers, picked juicy oranges from a tree, took a short hike to an overlook with exquisite views of the island, and then had a glorious lunch of grilled beef and chicken with a delicious chimichurri sauce, salads, and fresh fruit juice at the former estate of Claudio and Aura’s parents. We felt privileged to see where their father was buried on the grounds under the 12 fruit trees he planted for the birth of each of his children. 
In the afternoon, we snorkeled by ourselves with huge sea turtles. Afterwards, a sea lion swam up to our beach, rolled in the sand in front of us and went to sleep. When the night sky grew dark, we could see all the glittering stars of the southern hemisphere, including the Southern Cross. That’s what I call a special day. 
 
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Top 5 Travel Days of 2015, Hiking and Horseback Riding in the Colorado Rockies

In mid-October, I caught up with Dan Austin, owner of Austin Adventures, and his daughter, Kasey, as they were designing a new itinerary that took in all the mountain splendor and adventure found on the outskirts of Colorado Springs. Their primary focus was to introduce guests to “The Broadmoor Wilderness Experience,” two historic sporting camps high up in the mountains that have been recently renovated by the legendary Broadmoor resort. Standing 9100 feet atop Cheyenne Mountain is the former private retreat of Broadmoor founder, Spencer Penrose, and, as of last summer, home to a mountain lodge called Cloud Camp. In 1923, Penrose acquired a bucolic slice of heaven, ringed by 11,000-foot peaks, which this summer has been transformed into The Ranch of Emerald Valley.

 
One glorious day on this trip, I rose with the sun at Cloud Camp and walked up to the two-story Fire Tower Suite, built with the honeymooner in mind, replete with hot tub and bedroom with 360-degree views. No one was staying in the suite so I grabbed a rocking chair on the deck and watched Pikes Peak bathe in the morning light. After breakfast, Dan and Kasey led us on the 5.5-mile McNeil Trail descending into a forest of ponderosa pine, spruce, fir, and birch trees. Past midpoint, we connect with an old stage road that went straight to The Ranch at Emerald Valley.
 
At lunch, the GM at Emerald Valley mentioned to me that the mayor of Colorado Springs spent a week here with his wife after retiring and did very little but read books on their cabin front porch. Indeed, it’s hard to tear yourself away from the vista of pasture, trout ponds, and towering peaks. Only a 30-minute drive outside of Colorado Springs, you feel lost in the Western wilderness. That afternoon, we took full advantage of the majestic scenery to take a horseback ride on a ridge close to the jagged peak of Mount Vigel. Then I soaked my weary body into a cedar-lined hot tub while snacking on a favorite dessert at the ranch, peach-filled donut holes. This is what I call a dream day. 
 
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Ogunquit’s Genuine Lazy River

Last week, I spent a couple nights on the southern Maine coastal town of Ogunquit, only a 90-minute drive from Boston. The town is known for its Cliff Walk and long expanse of beach, but one of the highlights of our trip was floating on the Ogunquit River. Several hours before low tide, crowds start to make their way down to the river, boogie boards, tubes, and rafts in tow. The strong current of the river carries people into the Atlantic on the town’s natural version of a lazy river. We didn’t have any beach toys, so my wife and I simply floated on our backs. The water was cool, yet warmer than the Maine ocean waters. We held hands and laughed as we floated swiftly around the bend of the beach, watching the clouds float above us. It was over far too quickly and I heartily concurred with 6 year-old boy next to me who shouted “Again!” when his ride was over.

This week, I’m going to focus on some of my favorite ways to get wild and wet in North America.
 

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Six Nights in Beijing Including Air from America and 4-Star Lodging, $799

Now and then I get deals that come across my desk that are absurdly low. If I didn’t have the responsibility of being a father of a 15 and 13 year-old, I’d probably be on the next flight. China Spree is offering an 8-day trip to Beijing this winter that costs a mere $799, including nonstop flight on Air China from San Fran, 6 nights lodging at the Huabin International, six breakfast buffets, three lunches, and three guided tours of the city. The price increases to $849 if you’re flying out of LAX, $1129 if you’re flying out of JFK. Add another 100 bucks if you want to split your time between Beijing and Shanghai. Add another $500 for additional meals, transport, and government taxes and you’re spending a total of $1300 to see the Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the alleys and courtyard houses of Old Beijing. That’s less than the amount one pays to spend a week at a hotel in Dominican Republic in winter, including flight.
 

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Destinations to Visit in 2015—Any Country in the Eurozone

Last week, the euro dipped below $1.25 against the dollar. Economists say the exchange rate could be as low as $1.10 over the next year. This is due to a stimulus package the European Central Bank is on the verge of providing to support the economy. Stimulus packages tend to weigh heavily on a currency. Anyway, I’m a travel advisor, not an economist. Take my advice, that dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris might finally feel affordable next summer. 

 

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