And now my Jimmy Awards for Best International Travel Experiences in 2024. I didn’t do a lot of overseas travel, but I did manage trips to Istanbul and Singapore, and our MSC cruise on the World Europe took us to Italy, Malta, Spain and France. Thank you to everyone who helped along the way, both in big and small ways. Best Tour: We had a superb tour of Palermo, Sicily with a local guide on our MSC World Europa visit. We admired the beautiful cathedral, nibbled on cannoli the size of a football, and briefly toured a furiously noisy local Read more
Asia
The Canadian dollar is taking another beating today, and was down below 70 cents at one point. It’s a devastating problem for people who bring in U.S. goods, and it definitely hurts Canadians who want to take trips to the States or to other countries with a strong currency. Luckily, there are ways to offset the low Canadian dollar. CHOOSE YOUR VACATION SPOTS We’re getting crushed by Uncle Sam greenbacks, but so are many other parts of the world. One secret is to find places where the Canadian dollars goes a long way. For example, a hundred Canadian loonies (one Read more
Air Canada today announced it will begin non-stop flights between Vancouver and Manila next April. It’s great news for people looking for vacations in southeast Asia, and for the Filipino diaspora in Canada and friends and family. The announcement was made during the Government of Canada’s Team Canada Trade Mission currently in the Philippines, celebrating 75 years of Canada-Philippines diplomatic relations. This new service to Manila is Air Canada’s third South-East Asia destination launched in the last two years. “We are thrilled to add Manila to our global network with new, year-round, non-stop service from Vancouver, Air Canada’s Pacific gateway Read more
As travellers get ready for the holiday season, Hilton has released the most searched destinations by Canadians for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Warm weather locales continue to be a popular travel destination for the holidays, but those looking for an urban getaway are searching for stays in Las Vegas and New York City. Here’s a look at the destinations Canadians are looking at the most: Hawaii Whether looking to relax before 2025 or have a week filled with adventure – or both – Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort offers plenty of activities for the whole Read more
Travelzoo has a nice sale on Air New Zealand flights from Canada to New Zealand and to Australia. Until today (Dec. 3, 2024) at midnight, take advantage of reduced Air New Zealand fares from Vancouver. Nonstop roundtrip flights to Auckland are $1395 CAD. The sale also lets you fly to other cities in New Zealand from $99. You’ll have 18 destinations to choose from, including Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. Travel on select dates from April–October. Air New Zealand is the only carrier offering nonstop service during this period. Travelzoo said the price saves over $600 compared to what they usually see Read more
