A blog for the traveler who wants both luxury and a good deal.
Read our most recent posts about journeys…
Easy hikes around Zermatt, Switzerland
When you mention hiking the Swiss Alps, it can make some people nervous. No fear. There are easy hikes around Zermatt, Switzerland that anyone in good walking condition can handle. As a bonus, they offer breath-taking views of the Matterhorn all the way. I will detail...
A Rome visit can be upscale on a budget
Rome sometimes gets a bad rap – dirty, expensive, unfriendly. We found it to be none of those things. Through careful planning a Rome visit can be upscale on a budget. We cover tips on transportation, hotels, tours, shopping, and restaurants. If you have the time and...
Disneyland or Universal Studios for one day?
Suppose your time in SoCal is limited, and the family can’t decide which theme park to visit. I will help you decide whether to go to Disneyland or Universal Studios for one day. To make the pricing comparable, we choose a Disneyland/California Adventure Park Hopper...
Visit Jackson Hole in October
Most information you read about Jackson Hole, Wyoming speaks to traveling there in the summer for pleasant weather or winter for skiing. I think the best idea might be to visit Jackson Hole in October, for pretty autumn colors, good prices, and above all, no crowds!...
8 mistakes we made on our first safari
Don’t get us wrong. We would do an African Safari again, but just a lot smarter as a result of learning from 8 mistakes we made on our first safari. On the positive side, we did many things right and now can share what we could have done much better, including both...
Visit Nairobi before and after a safari
So you have decided to take a safari in Kenya – a wise choice. Even smarter, spend several days to visit Nairobi both before and after your safari. The city has interesting attractions worthy of your time. It is the perfect antidote to those long, dusty drives trying...
Check out our latest travel tips and advice…
Why it pays to be loyal to a hotel chain
The hotel in Bangkok gave me a luxurious suite. In the morning I feasted on their sumptuous buffet breakfast. They granted me a 7:00pm checkout, since I was taking a late-night flight. All for free. It pays to be loyal to a hotel chain, in this case the former...
How to save on business class flights
I didn’t want to spend US$18,000 for two Swiss business class tickets, L.A. to Zurich roundtrip. Later, the airline let me bid on those same lie-flat bed seats. Voila! … There is an airline flying business from the U.S. to Asia – wonderful Korean service for half the...
Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Am I really 14 1/2 hours ahead of Los Angeles? Why am I now craving pizza in a land of delectable Thai food? Do I even care about the U.S. news anymore? These are just some of the reflections from a month on the road in Asia. And I spend a lot of months away from...
Why pay extra to fly nonstop?
We needed to sign the papers the next day on our new home in Princeton, New Jersey. So what were we doing holed up in a motel outside the Cleveland airport, where we would be trapped in a snowstorm for two days? I prepaid for a luxury hotel room in Chiang Mai,...
Why not take a staycation?
Staycations are harmonious with our philosophy of “Upscale Travel on a Budget.” Why? If you realize that the greatest extra expense incurred on a trip is transportation (airfare, rental car, etc.) and lodging (hotel, Airbnb), then on a staycation you have...
Why carry a drug store in a Ziploc bag?
Accidents happen. So do upset stomachs. And insect bites. And headaches. But what do you do when they happen in the middle of a jungle in Northern Thailand? At a remote section of the Great Wall of China? In a Cambodian pharmacy where they don’t speak English? You...
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