A new report on travel preferences for residents of Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa names Perth as the world’s top city, and Portugal as the most attractive country. Meanwhile, a new American Express business travel study names New Jersey, western Michigan, North Carolina, Honolulu and Sacramento, California as top emerging markets for biz travellers. This year’s Amex Trendex report reveals a surprising shift towards less traditional destinations that are becoming increasingly attractive to corporate travelers. For the first time, Amex identified five trending U.S. destinations based on commercial customer spending: Princeton, New Jersey; Durham, North Carolina; Southwest Read more
Cape Town
South Africa is known around the world for its animal safaris, which are spectacular, but the country offers a great deal more, all within a relatively compact area. Combine that with an exchange rate that’s quite favorable to Americans and Canadians, and you’ve got a destination that’s both remarkable and quite affordable. It’s a country that boasts one of the world’s most beautiful cities; amazing animal experiences, a stunning coastline with fabulous beaches and tiny penguins, and also some of the world’s tastiest and most beautiful wine regions. Here’s a look at three areas where you can enjoy the best Read more
A little bit of this and a little bit of that today. SAFEST EUROPEAN CITIES A story at InsiderMonkey.com lists the safest cities in the world, which is an important topic any time but seemingly more so now given global events. Using data from the Global Peace Index, they assigned cities with a safety score. In this, the lower the number the more safe the city is deemed to be. Here’s the top 25 in descending order 25. Vilnius, Lithuania, 1.671 24. Rome, 1.662 23. Bucharest, 1.649 23. Madrid, 1.649 21. Sofia, 1.643 20. Warsaw, 1.634 19. Stockholm, 1.625 (very Read more
I love lists. Partly because, as someone told me in high school, I sometimes like to argue just for the sake of it. I’d like to think I’ve mellowed since my school days, but I still shake my head at some of the travel lists that get passed around. This time I’m questioning, albeit only a little, a list of the world’s most beautiful cities from the folks at Flight Network. The study was based on input from top travel writers, bloggers and travel agents around the globe, they said. (I believe they may have asked me to participate, but Read more
A fabulous waterfront hotel. One of the world’s great cities. And amazing nature close at hand, including tiny, adorable penguins. Cape Town is one of the world’s most amazing cities; a place that truly does offer something for travellers of every style and every age. I recently spent three nights and days in the area, thanks to the folks at Goway Travel, and was overwhelmed by the variety of experiences and the vibrancy of the city. I was able to bed down for three nights at the posh Victoria and Alfred Hotel, which is located on the bustling V and Read more
