I got news of a remarkable study the other day from Resonance Consultancy, which did a report on 121 U.S. cities and ranked them according to their “experiential quality.” It strikes me as a bit of an inexact science, but the idea behind the study is a very good one that involved analyzing consumer comments on various websites to determine not just actual numbers of who goes where but the level of engagement and happiness people feel when they go to a destination. In a press release they sent, Resonance officials said industry folks know about visitor county,, spending and Read more
Kauai
The other day I talked about my favourite Canadian destinations and travel bits for 2014. Here are some thoughts (okay, a LOT of thoughts) about the U.S. and a couple Caribbean and European spots I visited during the year. Most surprising U.S. destination: Apalachicola, Florida. A super-relaxed, fun town in a quiet section of the Florida panhandle with just the right mix of old-time charm and trendy, new shops. A very good brewpub, too. Most wonderful host: The delightful Anthony Hunte of Hunte’s Gardens in Barbados. A lovely man, great conversationalist and incredible gardener. His garden is always the highlight Read more
Kauai’s Hanapepe is a quiet, wonderful town with a western flair and a laid-back, artsy atmosphere. Click here for my full story from the Toronto Star in November, 2014.
The Hanalei Valley on north Kauai is a lush, tropical spot where they still grow taro and live close to the land. The north coast of the island of Kauai features gorgeous mountains and fabulous gardens. Try a hike along the coast to a lonely beach that will have you uttering words like “paradise” over and over. Princeville Golf Course is a spectacular layout near the town of Hanalei on the north part of Kauai. Tahiti Nui is a fun bar in Hanalei town, where part of the movie “The Descendants” was filmed. I did NOT spot George Clooney when Read more
Jim Byers photo The third hole at the Princeville Makai course on Kauai. Golfing magic. KAUAI, HAWAII – I have a new favourite golf course. I had a chance to play Princeville’s Makai course on the heavenly north shore of this Hawaiian island the other day. And fell in love. I’ve played some great resort courses in the Caribbean and around the U.S., and a few courses in the British Isles you wouldn’t call a resort course necessarily, but this one is probably the best. The sister course, called the Prince course, gets higher ratings from the golf geeks. It Read more
