Going Up Down Under

[trip style = luxe, beach, sun, urban, sightseeing, glamping, cruise]

Australia is... - a country I've never tasted or experienced - a place I'm going April 19 - a destination I know I'll love and am already conspiring to return - the trip I've been dying to take for years - #2 on my bucket list

As I prepare to fly 15.5 hours from Vancouver to the land of Oz, I've been a busy bee trip styling like a mad woman in preparation for my trip. The irony is, I'll be going up while Down Under---or making my way North in a land that sits down and under the equator.

Having put so much work into planning this trip, I wanted to share some tips and opportunities you may want to explore when you decide to throw a few shrimps on the barbie in Australia.

Getting There From Vancouver, Air Canada is the only airline to fly direct, with Air New Zealand code-sharing the same flight. One- or multi-segment flights, usually connecting through San Francisco or LA, cost about $300 less. I checked prices out of Seattle to see if there was a significant savings, but there wasn't, so YVR is your best bet. Flights from Vancouver to Sydney cost $700 - $2500, with a realistic range between $1000 - $1600.

Choosing What To Do When you only have a short time on the ground---in my case 2 weeks, which I think is pretty typical for a cross-ocean visitor---it's best to choose your trip style first, and where you want to go, second. Australia looks small on a map, but to put it in perspective, a flight from Sydney to Cairns is like flying from Vancouver to Regina, or Vancouver to San Diego. With this in mind, trying to do too much on the ground can feel un-vacation-like, so we've opted to immerse ourselves in part of the East Coast: Sydney - Whitsundays - Great Barrier Reef - Hamilton Island - Sydney. Though I feel like I'm not even scratching the surface, I look forward to returning many times over to do the rest of Oz.

My Itinerary {& Tips} We've decided to divide our trip into 3 major parts.

Sydney {trip style = urban + sightseeing + luxe} STAY We decided on the Sofitel Sydney but I would not recommend it based on my experience. Here are some other hotels for your consideration: - The Establishment {luxe boutique} - The Taj Blue Hotel {waterfront} - Shangri-la {harbour views + free wifi, I also stayed here, highly recommended} - Park Hyatt Sydney {undertaking biggest reno in its history, re-opening November 2011} - The Westin Sydney - The Blues Point Hotel {budget hotel option just outside the city, with a bar featured in design blogs serving $3 champaign on Friday nights} *Note that most upscale 4- and 5-stars in Sydney range from $175-500/night.

HOW TO BOOK The best resources we found for booking Sydney hotels are: - booking.com - lastminute.com.au - hotels direct

Island Time in the Great Barrier Reef {trip style = luxe + glamping} STAY We decided to stay at: - Heron Island {family-friendly, all-inclusive located on one of the world's best dive sites} - Wilson Island {close to Heron, a tiny "shipwrecked in style" island with only 6 tents} - qualia {ultra-luxe retreat on Hamilton island} Other luxe options: Lizard Island, Hayman Island*, Bedarra* & full list of GBR islands + prices ranges here... *Resorts re-opening in summer due to damange from cyclone yasi **Note, staying on islands in the Whitsundays or near the Great Barrier Reef can be expensive. Budget $150-$2000/night. For budget conscious options, companies like Virgin Blue offer great flight and stay packages near Airlie Beach from $600 for three nights.

HOW TO BOOK - Resorts direct

Cruising the Whitsundays [trip style = cruise] BOAT There are hundreds of ships sailing in the blue-sequened waters surrounding the Whitsunday Islands. Most leave from Airlie Beach and last 1- to 5-nights. Some boats are 30-person tall ships and others are small catamarans. We were looking for a boat catering to an active crowd, with a small number of guest rooms and a deck where we could relax. We found On Ice, a 46ft catamaran with room for 8 guests and 2 crew.

HOW TO BOOK Booking a Whitsunday cruise is really confusing, but here's a good place to start.

[photo by dbearth]

Travel Treats :: November

Everyone loves a travel treat! Sounds fabulous, but what it is? A travel treat is a great buy you can't pass up, and over the next few months we'll be introducing more travel treats, published on the first Wednesday of every month. Yours is waiting! Whistler, BC [trip style = active & adventure] Take advantage of Whistler's La Nina (ie - a ton of snow) weather to ski by day and apres by night. One of my fave destinations at Whistler, the Chateau, caters to all ages in style. Details/Cost: Book by November 15th to save 40% on 4-night /3-day package and 3-day lift ticket. Starting from $499 per person per stay. Available on arrivals from November 26 - December 21, 2010. Book online or via phone 1.800.WHISTLER (1.800.944.7853). Alternatively, join the Fairmont President's Club (free) to access the once-monthly Fairmont deals that happen to feature rates at the Chateau from $109/night for stays during November and December. See you on the slopes! *See my review of the Fairmont Chateau Whistler here.

Sunshine Coast, BC [trip style = glamping] One of the closest and most luxurious glamping options near Vancouver, BC is just a ferry away! From now until March 31st 2011, The Rock Water is offering a great weekend storm-watching package for their tenthouses. Hit the spa apres the inclement weather to soothe your senses. Cost: $649 plus taxes includes breakfast, spa credits and other goodies. *Plus, check out this fall travel treat: from now until Dec. 22, pay $109/night for an ocean view room or one bedroom cabin. Includes Breakfast. Once you get there, if you absolutely 'must' stay in a tenthouse, you can upgrade for about $100/night.

Seattle, WA [trip style = urban] I experienced the Westin Bellevue last month with my husband and dog @nachoking. We booked our weekend getaway using the Westin's shopping package. This package is the essence of a travel treat, here's why: it's a nice hotel, beside amazing shopping and your $199/night weekend rate + free parking is really only $100/night because you get a $100 gift certificate (per night) to any of the shopping or restaurants in the area. If you just want the gift certificate as cash, buy an appetizer or coffe at one of the restaurants or coffee shops and get the difference back! *See my review of the Westin Bellevue here.

PS - don't forget about last week's launch of the groupon-like travel site Trip Alertz. If you want some tropical therapy this winter, check out the Bahamas' free companion airfare (book by Dec 1, travel by June 30th).

{Stay tuned for more travel treats the first Wednesday of Every Month.}

[photos by rock water, fairmont chateau whistler, westin bellevue]

Africa Month :: Glamping

[trip style = glamping + safari]

{Editor's Note :: Every Friday this month, I'm featuring a different element of my trip to the Masai Mara. Last week: Getting There. Next week: Safari Time!}

The Baboon That Couldn't My face-off with a baboon only made my stay in a villa-like canvas tent more authentic...

As I was hurriedly getting ready to leave for the afternoon safari drive, I left the front zipper of my tent open. This is not a huge deal seeing as the grounds were safe and mostly secure, but that particular day a baboon decided it wanted to live in the lap of luxury too. I don't blame him (at least I think it was a 'he'), glamping is an experience.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw him fast approaching the opening in the front of my tent, and in a feat gymnastic prowess I don't normally posses, I launched myself toward the zipper and lowered it in one fell swoop. With my heart pumping and knees bruised, the baboon and I stared each other down through the tent's heavy mesh windows.

I'm not sure what would have occurred if the baboon and I had shared the canvas quarters, but I'm glad the encounter was not intimate.

Glamping In The Masai Mara {After cleaning our faces and hands with the cool towels and sipping fresh mango juice, we checked into our glamping experience by way of the lodge, pictured above.}

{Loved the lodge's rustic-meets-high-end African decor.}

{A close-up of the artwork lining the wall in the last picture.}

{Walking past the lodge's pool to get to our tent.}

{My kind of tenting!}

{View to river below from our tent's deck.}

{Neighbors lurking below our tent. I wasn't aware that hippos are funny animals, but they are hilarious. They create a symphony of grunting, snorting and whistling noises to the point where you'd burst out laughing. At night the noise didn't stop. Ear plugs came in handy once you'd had enough comic relief...}

{The sitting area inside.}

{Apparently I was really excited about glamping. The bathroom and dressing area are through the hanging beads on either side of the bed.}

{The tent's bathroom and dressing quarters.}

{About to go into dinner in the lodge.}

[images by @tripstyler & @nate_fri]

Travel Trends :: Yurts & Canvas Tents

[trip style = camping + glamping]

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Ever considered forgoing a hotel stay to indulge in the understated comfort of a yurt, tee pee or canvas tent? Alternative lodging is making a comeback, not only evidenced by the ultra-hip Ace Hotel Palm Springs using yurts for some of their spa treatments, but according to Oregon State Parks, yurts are "a quickly-growing national phenomenon." Not sure if it's because the recession caused people to think twice about how much they spend on travel, or if it allows people to get away from it all with a little more comfort than nylon tenting; either way, alternative camping-like lodging is where it's at.

Low-End Pampering yourself in a permanent-esque shelter at provincial, state or private campgrounds provides a happy medium between fumbling with tent poles and staying in a hotel. What's great about this type of accommodation is you can partake year-round: most yurts---even those at campgrounds---have heating. Two years ago my husband and I had our first yurt experience in mid-November when we went surfing with friends in Oregon. At first I was scared that the cold weather and chilly waters of the Pacific would never allow my body temperature to reach normalcy, but within minutes of getting back to our yurt, we were warm and toasty thanks to its heating system. > Renting yurts and canvas tents at campgrounds ranges from $35 in low season to $89 in high season.

High-End Don't be fooled, luxe camping isn't always cheaper. Some hotels offer this type of accommodation at a premium for people who want an authentic rustic experience in the wild, like at the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, which is glamping at its best. Speaking of glamping, at this time last year I was about to fly to Africa to stay in a luxury canvas tent at the Fairmont Masai Mara (see my hotel review here). My experience there was the most glamorous camping I've ever encountered: a gorgeous off-white canvas tent avec mesh windows and an attached front deck overlooking the hippos in the Mara river. Our tent sat on a concrete platform covered with browny/copper-toned rustic tiles, accompanied by a cozy 4-post bed, brown leather directors chairs, shower, bathroom and area to get ready.  Heaven. > Prices for high-end camping vary; however, luxe camping can be much more expensive than staying in a hotel.

Resources If you don't want to go as far as Africa to glamp, here are a few local options: - Whistler, BC ~ yurts + cabins at Riverside campground - Interior, BC ~ canvas tents at Kumsheen's campground - BC Parks' Yurts ~ Mostly in BC's Interior - Oregon ~ State Park cabins + yurts - Washington ~ State Park cabins + yurts

Tips for Staying in Yurts or Canvas Tents - most yurts are outfitted for year-round stays, especially those on the temperate West Coast - bring earplugs---the rain can get loud at night - yurts usually sleep 4, canvas tents 2-4 - often pets are not allowed

[images by diamondmountain, dave and @tripstyler]

Travel Trappings :: Camping

[trip style = camping]

I have friends who are serious and talented campers, and I'm not sure how this is possible, but even their dog is good at camping! They make camping into a five-star eco experience with fresh-caught gourmet meals, custom-made camping accouterments and a reno'd camper.  All in all, they make it look easy. But for those of us who aren't as handy in the wilderness, here are a few over-the-top, yet fabulous camping aids to bring your next call of the wild experince from 1 to 3-stars without having to give up and go the nearest motel!

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Travel Trappings for Camping Coleman Blender Smoothie at sunrise anyone? Margaritas at midnight? Who knew that you could turn a night at the campsite into Margaritaville? This rechargeable and portable blender makes 48 ounces of your favourite frozen concoctions in approx 30 seconds. Your site will be the talk of the town.  Just don't forget the tequila, but that may cause you to forget quiet hours.  Find it for $65usd.

Inflate-a-Potty I'm not gonna lie, I really want this. It would make camping so much better! This inflatable, adult-size potty is a lifesaver in so many ways, but namely when you don't want to deliriously get up in the middle of the night, stumble over tent poles and pee on yourself (by accident). Using the inflatable commode in your tent is so much better than stumbling to the campsite washroom at 2am! What's even better is the description on the website: "take the clean, safe potty anywhere, fit it into your pocket, tote bag, backpack, purse, glove or boat compartment, etc..." It would be too easy to comment on this statement. Find it for $22usd.

Camp Chef Camping Outdoor Oven This 'little gem' is for when you're camping, but don't really want to be, so you bring everything but the kitchen sink. Owners of this 3,500 BTU, propane-powered oven, would say campfires are for sissies as they prepare their chocolate soufflés. In addition, it sports two 5,300 BTU matchless igniter range burners for boiling...whatever you boil in the wild. Find it for $175usd.

Enjoy the long weekend---whether you're staying in town or hittin' the road! Safe Travels.

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