The Traveling Eye with Bonnie DeShong and Ja'Vonne Harley every Sunday from 4-5pm central time on The Talk of Chicago 1690 WVON or online @ www.wvon.com
This weeks show was exploring Travel Websites, what they are the differences and the ones we like.
In case you missed it. Here is a list of those websites.
FlyerTalk.com
Founded in 1998 by a frustrated frequent flier, FlyerTalk.com allows users to exchange information on how to get the most out of their frequent flier miles, credit card points and hotel points. There are separate discussion forums for every major commercial airline, and the site features a live chat for last-minute queries.
Concierge.com
The online offshoot of Condé Nast Traveler, Concierge.com has all of the magazine’s content available on the Web, as well as unique travel articles and tips. You can search by destination, hotel or activity; the magazine’s famous lists (The Gold List, Hot List Hotels and Top Spas) are available for online perusal as well.
Breezenet.com
Some of the best domestic car-rental discounts on the Internet are available here. The site compiles pricing info from car-rental companies at major U.S. airports and links to special rates on other sites (like a recent Priceline.com sale for a $12-per-day rental car). Because it works with airport locations, Breezenet.com is most useful if you’re traveling via plane and want a car waiting for you when you land.
HotelChatter.com
This Web site is an uncensored compendium of hotel reviews from all over the world: The good, the bad and the disgusting get equal weight. Click on "Hotel Hell" for horror stories (avoid the Pembridge Palace Hotel in London, which has bed bugs, it says), "Hotel Heaven" (try the peach tea at the French Quarter Inn in Charleston, S.C.) and "Celebrity Scoops" for places your favorite stars have been spotted. Tips, news and deals are available as well. The one hitch is that it’s difficult to find information on a specific hotel.
MyTripJournal.com
Personal travel blogs have overtaken mass e-mails as the tool of choice for staying in touch with family and friends while on the road--and thank goodness. I like MyTripJournal.com for its colorful and easy-to-use features and the customizable world map. Even if you aren’t currently traveling, browsing the site allows you to experience someone else’s vacation vicariously.
Kayak.com
Unlike many of the major travel Web sites, Kayak.com includes flight listings from budget air carriers like Jet Blue and Spirit Airlines. It also has user-friendly features, like remembering your home airport, letting you search more than one airport simultaneously (for arrivals and departures) and a movable grid that lets you eliminate flights whose time specifications don’t match your itinerary.
Priceline.com
Priceline.com revolutionized the way consumers bought travel, allowing them to name their own prices for everything from hotels to flights to rental cars. Today, with the abundance of airline travel sites, most online travel veterans use Priceline.com for one thing: hotels. Try bidding $99 for a four-star hotel in pretty much any American city, and users say you’ll often end up staying in one of the city’s very nicest hotels. If $99 is too steep, bid $50 or $30--even these low prices may be accepted at top hotels, according to our sources.
SeatGuru.com
Listing more than 30 commercial airlines, SeatGuru.com provides seating maps and a helpful color-coded quality key (green is a good seat, yellow means be aware, and you don’t want red). Once you select your airline and aircraft, you’ll be able to see just where each seat falls on the floor plan, as well as which in-flight amenities (including video, AC power and Internet access) are available. The site is most useful when booking a ticket on an air carrier’s site.
Lastminute.com
Lastminute.com's niche is the last-minute weekend getaway: Bookings can be made up to three hours before departure. The site works with partner hotels, airlines and car-rental companies to garner deals on last-minute inventory or services that would otherwise go unsold, compiling packages in site-specific categories like "Under $250," "Romance," or "Vegas/Casino." Packages are available in flight/hotel, flight/car and hotel/car combinations, but users must use every component of the package.
TravelZoo.com
If you can be flexible with your dates and even destination, TravelZoo.com is more effective at offering cheap fares than any other Web site we’ve encountered. Examples include $88 round-trip tickets to the Caribbean--though be warned that very often they're only available on undesirable travel days, like Monday, and the deals can sell out quickly. Airfare, car rental, lodging and cruise specials are displayed right up front on the home page. There’s limited search capability (by destination only), so be prepared to be spontaneous!
Tripadvisor.com compiles reviews of North American and European destinations from guidebooks and other travel publications.
Luxurylink.com as its name suggests, auctions high-end hotel stays and packages at discounted prices—mostly off-season.
Hotels.com and Quikbook.com are consolidators that buy rooms in bulk—mostly in North America and Western Europe—and resell them on-line. Hotels.com is somewhat simpler to use, with bookings completed in a matter of minutes, but frustratingly, it doesn't provide the phone numbers of the properties if you need additional information. Quikbook does; it also carries ratings based on staff visits, doesn't require prepayment, doesn't charge for changes, and is easier on the eyes.
Advantage-Intl.com is my company’s web site where you can find and book group travel offered as well as our major supplies like Superclubs and our newest feature General Travel Services, which is a booking engine for discounted air, hotel and car rental.
Monday, April 7, 2008
April 7, 2008
Hello Fellow World Travelers,
I'm back from Singapore and Bali. We had a wonderful trip.
The last time I blogged I was still in Singapore. On March 30 we flew to Bali, Indonesia. Bali's airport was not as big, effiencient or clean as Singapores Airport. We arrived in the evening and it was quite busy. Most of us got our visa's in the US prior to our departure. A few got their visa's on arrival at the airport in Bali. While it is less expensive to get your visa on arrival $25 vs $40, the time saved is worth it. Those of us who already had our visa went right through and there was no line at immigration. Those who had to get their visa on arrival had to go to a separate line and it was very long.
Our hotel the Nusa Dua Beach Resort and Spa was a short 20 minute ride from the airport. Upon arrival it was magical. Since it was evening and the lobby is an open air lobby it was dark and romantically lit. We passed by the resorts Temple Entrance and it felt like we were entering a mystical temple. As soon as we stepped out of our vehicles the lights went out. The resort immediately lit candles and began to check us in via candle light. It was so beautiful. The outage was short lived and the lights were back on in about 15 minutes.
The next morning we went on our full day tour of the island. We started with the Barong & Kris Dance and show. The play had 4 acts and represented the fight between good and evil spirits. Barong, a mythilogical animal, represents a good spirit and the Rangda, a mythilogical monster represents an evil spirit. We continued northbound and visited Temples, villages and rice fields along the way. When we reached the Mt. Batur Volcano we stopped for lunch overlooking the Volcano. Our Tour Guide, Sam advised us when we arrived to immediately take our photos and view the volcano because shortly we would not be able to see it because of the fog. He was right! One funny thing was when one of the guests ordered an orange juice. It took quite some time and we thought that the waited had forgotten about it. We then commented "where is he getting orange juice" then the waiter returned with the orange juice and explained that IT TOOK SO LONG BECAUSE WE HAD TO PICK THE ORANGES AND SQUEEZE THEM. Wow, how fresh. Lunch was delicious I might add.
Of course our tour route included shopping stops. We visited a place where they made the Batiks, hand dyed fabric. They even gave each of us a hand painted symbol on a garment we were wearing. My white capri jeans now have a floral design on them. Another unique item at the Batik factory were the Batik covered masks. We also, visited wood carvers and an art warehouse.
You know how you see products in stores in the US that often say made in Indonesia? We saw a lot of the shops that produce the products that are sold to overseas retailers. We passed shop after shop of wood carvings, lawn furniture and ornaments, eclectic art work, etc.
It was a full and wonderful day.
The rest of the time in Bali was free time. some went White Water Rafting, others went shoping while others relaxed and enjoyed the many facilities of the resort (the beach, the pool, the spa and the shopping)
A special thanks to the Nusa Dua Beach Resort and Spa for facilitating our broadcast back to WVON for our Sunday Show.
Wish you were there. Maybe next time.
Ja'Vonne
I'm back from Singapore and Bali. We had a wonderful trip.
The last time I blogged I was still in Singapore. On March 30 we flew to Bali, Indonesia. Bali's airport was not as big, effiencient or clean as Singapores Airport. We arrived in the evening and it was quite busy. Most of us got our visa's in the US prior to our departure. A few got their visa's on arrival at the airport in Bali. While it is less expensive to get your visa on arrival $25 vs $40, the time saved is worth it. Those of us who already had our visa went right through and there was no line at immigration. Those who had to get their visa on arrival had to go to a separate line and it was very long.
Our hotel the Nusa Dua Beach Resort and Spa was a short 20 minute ride from the airport. Upon arrival it was magical. Since it was evening and the lobby is an open air lobby it was dark and romantically lit. We passed by the resorts Temple Entrance and it felt like we were entering a mystical temple. As soon as we stepped out of our vehicles the lights went out. The resort immediately lit candles and began to check us in via candle light. It was so beautiful. The outage was short lived and the lights were back on in about 15 minutes.
The next morning we went on our full day tour of the island. We started with the Barong & Kris Dance and show. The play had 4 acts and represented the fight between good and evil spirits. Barong, a mythilogical animal, represents a good spirit and the Rangda, a mythilogical monster represents an evil spirit. We continued northbound and visited Temples, villages and rice fields along the way. When we reached the Mt. Batur Volcano we stopped for lunch overlooking the Volcano. Our Tour Guide, Sam advised us when we arrived to immediately take our photos and view the volcano because shortly we would not be able to see it because of the fog. He was right! One funny thing was when one of the guests ordered an orange juice. It took quite some time and we thought that the waited had forgotten about it. We then commented "where is he getting orange juice" then the waiter returned with the orange juice and explained that IT TOOK SO LONG BECAUSE WE HAD TO PICK THE ORANGES AND SQUEEZE THEM. Wow, how fresh. Lunch was delicious I might add.
Of course our tour route included shopping stops. We visited a place where they made the Batiks, hand dyed fabric. They even gave each of us a hand painted symbol on a garment we were wearing. My white capri jeans now have a floral design on them. Another unique item at the Batik factory were the Batik covered masks. We also, visited wood carvers and an art warehouse.
You know how you see products in stores in the US that often say made in Indonesia? We saw a lot of the shops that produce the products that are sold to overseas retailers. We passed shop after shop of wood carvings, lawn furniture and ornaments, eclectic art work, etc.
It was a full and wonderful day.
The rest of the time in Bali was free time. some went White Water Rafting, others went shoping while others relaxed and enjoyed the many facilities of the resort (the beach, the pool, the spa and the shopping)
A special thanks to the Nusa Dua Beach Resort and Spa for facilitating our broadcast back to WVON for our Sunday Show.
Wish you were there. Maybe next time.
Ja'Vonne
Thursday, March 27, 2008
March 28, 2008
Today is March 28th and we have just arrived in Singapore. Our flight left Los Angeles @ 9:00pm Pacific time on March 26th and we arrived Singapore @ 6am local time in Singapore on March 28th. The flight was 17 hours long from Los Angeles and was non-stop. Since we crossed the dateline and Singapore is 13 hours ahead of Chicago, we arrived 2 days after we departed. We flew on Singapore Air, which has won the award for best airline several times. I must say that they lived up to the expectations. This particular flight is their Executive Economy flight, which means less seats and more room in economy. There are only 2 cabins on the plane Business Class and Executive Economy. Normally on long haul flights the seat configuration in Economy is 3-5-3 or 2-4-2. On this flight the economy configuration was 2-3-2.
The airport is enormous and very clean! Our arrival was so efficient and hassle free.
The hotel Marina Mandarin is a 25 minute drive from the airport and it is a beautiful hotel. It is the only Leading Hotels of the World hotel in Singapore.
We have a free day to get rested from the long flight and this evening we will get together for Singapores famous cocktail, The Singapore Sling.
I think I'll go to the fitness center to get the blood circulation going.
It is now 12:30am. we have just returned from dinner. We went t the Fishermans Village at the East Coast Seafood Centre. This is an area on the coast that s lined with seafood restaurants. It is very casual dining. One of the specialties is Chile Crab. This is a huge Sri Lankan or Snow Crab smothered in a hot chile sauce. The other speciality is shrimp or as they call it prawns. The prawns were also with a spicey or garlicky sauce. We ate to our hearts content.
The chairman of the board called the first meeting with a round of drinks in the hotel lobby bar.
Signing off for now. Check out the blog tomorrow for another update and tune in to WVON Sunday @ 4pm for a live update about the trip.
Ja'Vonne
The airport is enormous and very clean! Our arrival was so efficient and hassle free.
The hotel Marina Mandarin is a 25 minute drive from the airport and it is a beautiful hotel. It is the only Leading Hotels of the World hotel in Singapore.
We have a free day to get rested from the long flight and this evening we will get together for Singapores famous cocktail, The Singapore Sling.
I think I'll go to the fitness center to get the blood circulation going.
It is now 12:30am. we have just returned from dinner. We went t the Fishermans Village at the East Coast Seafood Centre. This is an area on the coast that s lined with seafood restaurants. It is very casual dining. One of the specialties is Chile Crab. This is a huge Sri Lankan or Snow Crab smothered in a hot chile sauce. The other speciality is shrimp or as they call it prawns. The prawns were also with a spicey or garlicky sauce. We ate to our hearts content.
The chairman of the board called the first meeting with a round of drinks in the hotel lobby bar.
Signing off for now. Check out the blog tomorrow for another update and tune in to WVON Sunday @ 4pm for a live update about the trip.
Ja'Vonne
March 30, 2008
Hello Fellow World Travelers,
Listen to The Traveling Eye this Sunday from 4-5pm Central as we will journey to Southeast Asia (Singapore and Bali, Indonesia), on The Talk of Chicago 1690 WVON or listen on line http://www.wvon.com/.
Ja'Vonne will be in Southeast Asia and call in live from Bali, the second stop of the tour.
If you have any questions and/or comments call us to be part of the discussion. 773-591-1690.
Listen to The Traveling Eye this Sunday from 4-5pm Central as we will journey to Southeast Asia (Singapore and Bali, Indonesia), on The Talk of Chicago 1690 WVON or listen on line http://www.wvon.com/.
Ja'Vonne will be in Southeast Asia and call in live from Bali, the second stop of the tour.
If you have any questions and/or comments call us to be part of the discussion. 773-591-1690.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
March 23, 2008
Hello Fellow World Travelers,
The Traveling Eye with Bonnie DeShong and Ja'Vonne Harley is live every Sunday from 4-5 PM Central time on the Talk of Chicago 1690 WVON and on line @ www.wvon.com/
This Sunday, March 23rd, The Traveling Eye will have a round table discussion with frequent travelers from different demographics (a married couple, a single male traveler, a female traveler and a family traveler). We will address the differences for each traveler and they will share their experiences and tips with you.
Want to join in on the discussion or ask a question? Call us @ 773-591-1690 during the show. You can send us your questions ahead of time to thetravelingeye@aol.com.
The Traveling Eye with Bonnie DeShong and Ja'Vonne Harley is live every Sunday from 4-5 PM Central time on the Talk of Chicago 1690 WVON and on line @ www.wvon.com/
This Sunday, March 23rd, The Traveling Eye will have a round table discussion with frequent travelers from different demographics (a married couple, a single male traveler, a female traveler and a family traveler). We will address the differences for each traveler and they will share their experiences and tips with you.
Want to join in on the discussion or ask a question? Call us @ 773-591-1690 during the show. You can send us your questions ahead of time to thetravelingeye@aol.com.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
March 16, 2008
Hello Fellow World Travelers,
The Traveling Eye with Bonnie DeShong and Ja'Vonne Harley is live every Sunday from 4-5 PM Central time on the Talk of Chicago 1690 WVON and on line @ www.wvon.com This Sunday, March 16, 2008, Ja'Vonne is back in the studio after being in Southern Africa with a group of 100 travelers for the past two weeks.
This week we will address TRAVEL FEARS! There are people who will not travel because of various fears and/or phobias. We will discuss and explore everything from the fear of flying to germ phobias.
Think you are alone, think again and tune in to get your questions answered or share your experience with an expert.
Psychologist, Dr. Melissa Perrin and Psychiatrist Dr. Brett Plyler will be in the studio with us to discuss fears and phobias in travel and some of the solutions that may help us overcome them.
Tune in to the Traveling Eye, Sunday from 4 to 5 PM with Bonnie and Ja'Vonne . If you would like to call and comment or have a question, the number is 773 591-1690 or you can email us at thetravelingeye@aol.com. Visit our blog at thetravelingeye.blogspot.com and read about past shows and Ja'Vonne's travels to Southern Africa
Please feel free to pass this on to family and friends!
The Traveling Eye with Bonnie DeShong and Ja'Vonne Harley is live every Sunday from 4-5 PM Central time on the Talk of Chicago 1690 WVON and on line @ www.wvon.com This Sunday, March 16, 2008, Ja'Vonne is back in the studio after being in Southern Africa with a group of 100 travelers for the past two weeks.
This week we will address TRAVEL FEARS! There are people who will not travel because of various fears and/or phobias. We will discuss and explore everything from the fear of flying to germ phobias.
Think you are alone, think again and tune in to get your questions answered or share your experience with an expert.
Psychologist, Dr. Melissa Perrin and Psychiatrist Dr. Brett Plyler will be in the studio with us to discuss fears and phobias in travel and some of the solutions that may help us overcome them.
Tune in to the Traveling Eye, Sunday from 4 to 5 PM with Bonnie and Ja'Vonne . If you would like to call and comment or have a question, the number is 773 591-1690 or you can email us at thetravelingeye@aol.com. Visit our blog at thetravelingeye.blogspot.com and read about past shows and Ja'Vonne's travels to Southern Africa
Please feel free to pass this on to family and friends!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
March 9 Southern Africa
Hello fellow world travelers,
I am in southern Africa with 100 passengers. We started our journey in Johannesburg, South Africa. In Johannesburg we learned of the culture and the Apartheid era and movement against Apartheid. We visited Soweto, an acronym for south western townships. this was the place that black South Africans were forced to live. Today all South Africans can live anywhere of their choosing but many choose to stay in Soweto. We visited Winnie and Nelson Mandelas house, the Hector Peiterson Memorial, the Apartheid Museum and we had lunch at Wandi's. Wandi's is a Sowetan Soul Food Restaurant in the heart of Soweto.
Also, during our visit we donated food to the Motswaledi Informal Settlement. We selected 100 families most in need and we handed out food parcels. We then stopped by one of the grade schools and donated school supplies. Thanks to Pam Nelson & levy Home Entertainment for their donation of 4 cases of books and 1 case of copy paper. A special thank you to Cherly Burton for her donation of a computer for the school.
We then proceeded over the river and through the woods to Botswana. We arrived at the Zambian Airport and transfered by ground to the Zambian Border and then across the river to the Botswana border. By Landrovers we transfer to our lodge, the Chobe Safari Lodge. Our accommodations were rustic but far from roughing it. We did 2 land safaris and 2 boat safaris. On these safaris we saw lots of elephants, giraffe, lion, kudu, impala, hippos, baboons and other wildlife. We continued our journey to Zimbabwe and visited Victoria Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world. The falls were specatular and yes we got very wet. The adventurous of the group went bungee jumping.
We finished our time with a Namibian Village Walk. we learned about the culture of the village.
Now we are in Durban, South Africa, our last stop. Our first day we went to the Valley of 1000 hills, and as the name suggest, we saw rolling green hills and beautiful landscape. we also went to a crocodile farm.
Today we went to Shakaland. This is the movie set where Shaka Zulu the movie was filmed. It is now a living museum. We learned about Zulu culture and the different tribes of the Zulu nation and of course the story of the famous warrior Shaka Zulu. We participated in the dances. What a time.
Tune in the 1690 WVON or online http://www.wvon.com/ to listen to the discussion of our trip.
I am in southern Africa with 100 passengers. We started our journey in Johannesburg, South Africa. In Johannesburg we learned of the culture and the Apartheid era and movement against Apartheid. We visited Soweto, an acronym for south western townships. this was the place that black South Africans were forced to live. Today all South Africans can live anywhere of their choosing but many choose to stay in Soweto. We visited Winnie and Nelson Mandelas house, the Hector Peiterson Memorial, the Apartheid Museum and we had lunch at Wandi's. Wandi's is a Sowetan Soul Food Restaurant in the heart of Soweto.
Also, during our visit we donated food to the Motswaledi Informal Settlement. We selected 100 families most in need and we handed out food parcels. We then stopped by one of the grade schools and donated school supplies. Thanks to Pam Nelson & levy Home Entertainment for their donation of 4 cases of books and 1 case of copy paper. A special thank you to Cherly Burton for her donation of a computer for the school.
We then proceeded over the river and through the woods to Botswana. We arrived at the Zambian Airport and transfered by ground to the Zambian Border and then across the river to the Botswana border. By Landrovers we transfer to our lodge, the Chobe Safari Lodge. Our accommodations were rustic but far from roughing it. We did 2 land safaris and 2 boat safaris. On these safaris we saw lots of elephants, giraffe, lion, kudu, impala, hippos, baboons and other wildlife. We continued our journey to Zimbabwe and visited Victoria Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world. The falls were specatular and yes we got very wet. The adventurous of the group went bungee jumping.
We finished our time with a Namibian Village Walk. we learned about the culture of the village.
Now we are in Durban, South Africa, our last stop. Our first day we went to the Valley of 1000 hills, and as the name suggest, we saw rolling green hills and beautiful landscape. we also went to a crocodile farm.
Today we went to Shakaland. This is the movie set where Shaka Zulu the movie was filmed. It is now a living museum. We learned about Zulu culture and the different tribes of the Zulu nation and of course the story of the famous warrior Shaka Zulu. We participated in the dances. What a time.
Tune in the 1690 WVON or online http://www.wvon.com/ to listen to the discussion of our trip.
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