It’s officially spring as of 11:06 p.m. Eastern Time today, a time for new beginnings and new travel destinations. With that in mind, here are some of my fave places from the last few years that would make for a nice spring visit. QUIET CARIBBEAN Bequia, pronounced Beckway, this is a fabulous, laid-back Caribbean island that’s part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It’s about a one-hour ferry ride from Kingstown, St. Vincent, and a pretty ride at that. The Bequia Beach Hotel is a superb place to rest your head. SINGAPORE SHINES This Asian city is a terrific destination, Read more
St. Petersburg
Several cruise lines have cancelled planned visits to Russian ports following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which operates Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, announced yesterday (Feb. 24) that it’s adjusting its itineraries and pulling out of Russia for 2022. Both Viking and Atlas Ocean Voyages also are adjusting their plans for Russia, while Royal Caribbean says it’s got a back up plan in place should it be needed. “The safety and security of our guests, crew and communities we visit is our top priority,” Norwegian Cruise Line said in an email Read more
It’s hard to predict what 2022 will look like for travellers, but here’s a look at some potentially hot destinations for the year ahead. AUSTRALIA There’s going to be tons of pent-up demand for trips Down Under if the world can get past Omicron, and avoid the next variant. In Queensland, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel will allow visitors to learn about conservation efforts and the local ecological system from indigenous guides. The Tasman, Marriott’s first Luxury Collection Property in Australia opened last week (Dec. 15) in Hobart. It’s the first big hotel in Read more
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA – A sleek and sexy rooftop bar with killer sunsets. Fabulously inventive food. And a cool, Jazz Age history that’s reflected all around the property. This sleepy Florida town, best known by Canadians as the spring training site for the Toronto Blue Jays spring training games, has been something of a sleepy, under-the-radar destination for years. But not any more. With the opening of The Fenway Hotel in town late last year, Dunedin is suddenly on Florida’s front burner. On a recent evening in January it was difficult to even find a place to stand at the rooftop Read more
It’s that time again. The Sochi Olympics have already begun, and the Opening Ceremony is Friday at 11 a.m. Eastern time. This is the first winter Olympics I’ve missed being at since Nagano. I was the Star’s Olympics assignment editor and on-site web person for all the Games from Sydney in 2000 up to Vancouver in 2010. Vancouver was a magical way to finish my Olympics career. I spent pretty much 15 to 16 hours a day at the Main Press Centre, organizing assignments and covering the odd press conference and writing sometimes eight or 10 stories a day for Read more
