Gadling

Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee: 2012's other major British event

Alex Robertson Textor — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Caribbean

In London, signs of the coming Olympics are everywhere. Barclays Cycle Hire docking stations have begun to expand into East London toward key Olympics sites, billboards urge drivers to begin to think about how they'll deal with increased traffic, and the Prime Minister is busy warning unions that the prospect of a strike during the Olympics would be "unacceptable and unpatriotic."

Meanwhile, outside of London, a number of cities have banded together as Heritage Cities in part to lure those tourists brought to London by the Olympics away from the capital.

But the Olympics are not the only event drawing visitors to the UK this year. 2012 is also the year of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, the 60th anniversary of her coronation as Queen. The Diamond Jubilee will reach its peak during what is being called the Diamond Jubilee central weekend, from June 2 through 5. The weekend will be characterized by some serious pomp and circumstance. Events will include a 1000-boat pageant on the Thames on June 3, a BBC Concert at Buckingham Palace on June 4, and a special Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral followed by a carriage procession on June 5.

In addition to this peak period, there are a number of other events planned in the lead-up to the weekend and beyond.

For example, members of the Royal Family are traveling around the UK, the UK's Crown Dependencies, the UK's Overseas Territories, and Commonwealth to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Currently, Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex and his wife the Countess of Wessex are on a two-week commemorative Caribbean visit, taking in St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, and Antigua and Barbuda. Locals and tourists alike in the region might just run across Edward and Sophie through March 7.

The Queen and Prince Philip's travel schedule begins March 8 in Leicester and finishes off on what looks like a very busy July 25, taking in Cowes, the Isle of Wight, New Forest, and Hampshire.

There is an official website for taking stock of Diamond Jubilee events. There's also a handy Google map allowing visitors to see where various members of the Royal Family will be celebrating the Queen's reign throughout the year. (Spoiler alert: Harry got Jamaica.) Visitors can play with an interactive timeline of the last 60 years and also send a message to the Queen. And there's the crucial bit of information that Andrew Lloyd Webber is co-authoring a Diamond Jubilee song.

[Image: Flickr | quinn.anya]

Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee: 2012's other major British event originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Malibu Rum contest launches search for traveling radio correspondent

Laurel Miller — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Business, Festivals and Events, Food and Drink, Blogs, North America, Barbados, United States, Nightlife, News, Caribbean

Tune in, Radio Maliboom Boom.

Malibu, the coconutty rum that's like summer in a bottle, is looking for one outgoing, creative, beach-bum-lifestyle-loving man or woman for their nationwide radio correspondent search.

The chosen one will travel across the country attending concerts, reporting from the road, interviewing celebrities, and "celebrating the season of the sun."

The Correspondent position was developed to find the emcee for the Station Invasion Concert Tour--a 10-city musical series--which will "bring the spirit of the Caribbean from coast to coast."

As the Radio Maliboom Boom Correspondent, you'll introduce the tour and musical acts, do video and blog posts, Facebook updates, and tweets. You'll also represent Malibu by conducting and participating in video, radio, and media interviews across the nation.

Applications are being accepted online through May 15, 2011. You must be 25 and over, fill out an application, and submit a video "reel" that creatively showcases why you should be chosen, incorporating three key messages about Malibu (the rum, not the city). Three finalists will attend training in Malibu's homeland of Barbados from June 20-23. The summer stipend for the Correspondent will be $15,000-and all the dancing (and, presumably, rum, sunscreen, and hair of the dog) you can handle. Cheers to summer!

Malibu Rum contest launches search for traveling radio correspondent originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Caribbean Tsunami test hopes to save lives

Chris Owen — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Asia, North America, Angola, Japan, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, United States, Caribbean, Travel Security

It was planned long before the earthquake-turned-tsunami event in Japan to test the readiness of 33 Caribbean countries in the region's first full-scale tsunami warning exercise. On Wednesday, March 23, a fictitious earthquake of 7.6 magnitude occurred off the coast of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Bulletins were issued by the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Island and by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii for the rest of the area and the test was underway.

The Caribbean tsunami test, named Caribe Wave 11 did not involve communities but aimed to test the effectiveness of alert, monitoring and warning systems among all the emergency management organizations throughout the region. The test was designed to determine whether Caribbean countries are ready to respond in the event of a dangerous tsunami. Results will be reported in April.

"The earthquake and tsunami that have devastated Japan have shown how essential alert systems are," said Irina Bokova, UNESCO's director general.

Continue reading Caribbean Tsunami test hopes to save lives

Caribbean Tsunami test hopes to save lives originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photo of the Day - Surfing in Barbados

Jeremy Kressmann — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Surfing, Barbados, Photo of the Day, Caribbean

The movements and rhythm of surfing have their own unique poetry. The energetic ebb and flow of the waves merges with the acrobatic twists and cuts of the rider as he makes his way across the water's surface. Today's photo, by Flickr user Enjoy Patrick Responsibly on the Caribbean island of Barbados, is full of that energy. I love how the photo catches the surfer frozen at the crest of the wave, a spray of foam erupting in his wake.

Taken any great photos during your travels? Why not share them with us by adding them to the Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day - Surfing in Barbados originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photo of the day - Barbados beach

Alex Robertson Textor — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Barbados, Photo of the Day, Caribbean

Sometimes--perhaps especially when it's cold and gray outside, like it is today in London--all you really want is a beach. This one, snapped by Flickr user TarikB in Barbados, is particularly compelling. The sand, the setting sun, the bent palm trees, and most of all the ocean are incredibly inviting. Barbados for a late winter jaunt? Who's in?

Got a favorite tropical beach image that you'd like to share? Upload it to Gadling's Flickr group pool. If we like it we just might feature it as a future Photo of the Day.

Photo of the day - Barbados beach originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photo of the day - Speedy ride in Barbados

Meg Nesterov — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Photos, Barbados, Photo of the Day, Caribbean

Today's Photo of the Day is called "Speedy", taken in Bridgetown, Barbados by Flickr user EagleClaw. I can only assume he means the name to be ironic, as this is the most laid-back driver I've seen in awhile, and it looks to be anything but a speedy ride. Perhaps I'm too used to the mean streets of New York and Istanbul, where taxi drivers can and will mow you down if you aren't careful when you cross the street. However, looking at this photo instantly relaxes me; even without seeing a beach or water, I'm suddenly on island time.

Have any photos of ultra-relaxed (or homicidal) taxi drivers from around the world? Add them to the Gadling Flickr pool and we may use it for a future Photo of the Day.

Photo of the day - Speedy ride in Barbados originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take another look at these ten top cruise ports

Chris Owen — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: North America, United Kingdom, Barbados, Jamaica, Mexico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, United States, Cruises, Caribbean

If you travel by cruise ship, there's not a lot of choice in the matter. Cruise lines have a variety of islands to visit but the choices are limited with many itineraries virtually the same from ship to ship. Still, you are not required to get in line and go along with the crowd. Consider the cruise ship no more than the way you got there when thinking of what to do ashore. Planning as though you took a flight, not a cruise ship, puts things in a way better perspective. Think of yourself as a traveler who came by sea. No, really. Think that way and even ports you may have been to several times will have a fresh, new look and feel.

If you travel by air, flying can get you to islands not serviced regularly by cruise lines or maybe islands you might have sampled on a cruise and said "I think I could come back and do this again, without the ship". If you have ever been on a cruise you probably said that at one time or another.

Sure, a cruise vacation is often a best value for travel. Good, glad to hear it. Now let's take that a step further and get more out of your cruise by thinking a bit differently about common cruise ports visited by most every cruise line. Let's look at ten top Caribbean islands and cruise ports.

Continue reading Take another look at these ten top cruise ports

Take another look at these ten top cruise ports originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Travel guides for cruisers

Chris Owen — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, North America, Barbados, Canada, United States, Travel Deals, Gadling Gear Review, Cruises, Caribbean, Travel Security

Sure, you could go to the library and do some research, check out a bookstore for the latest printed guides, but why? Everything you need is right here, literally at your fingertips. Let's take a look at some of the online resources available to help plan our cruise vacations.

A good first stop is the cruise line websites themselves. There, you'll find a bunch of good information about the ships, the cruise line and shore excursions they offer. To get more in-depth information about different ports and locations though, you need more than that.

Right here at Gadling we have a bunch of great people that travel the world, reporting on pretty much every aspect of travel on a regular basis. Travel gear and other topics that can totally be applied to cruise vacations are here too like airline information for that flight to the port, hotels for pre or post-cruise stays and restaurants in cities you might not be familiar with.

I like the easy-to-read blog format of this information with a bit of a personal twist to it way better than the dry, catalog-type you might get out of books.

Online travel guides like AOL TravelGuides are good too along with videos that give a clear picture of what you might see when your ship pulls into port. Actually, both Gadling and AOL Travel Guides cover many cities that are destinations for land-based vacations and ports of call for cruises. If your ship stops in Barcelona, you may not need a hotel but learning about the area adds great depth to your cruise experience and knowing what to watch out for, from an experienced land traveler who has been there, is good stuff.

Videos are another online resource that can be really good to consider. AOL has a bunch of them that really give you a good idea of what to expect.

Continue reading Travel guides for cruisers

Travel guides for cruisers originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top 5 easy cruise tips: from you

Chris Owen — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, North America, Barbados, Canada, United States, Caribbean

Submitted in the last month or so by readers who have "been there, done that" on a cruise vacation, these tips ring loud and clear as good advice. Regardless of where your ship is sailing to, from Alaska to Barbados, these tips are good ones to follow

"Get there early"
Arrive early in case you are able to get on board and begin becoming familiar with the ship. One of the keys to enjoying cruises is making the most of every moment. Be that spending most of your time doing nothing or attempting to do everything there is to do (you can't) on the ship, getting on board early is a good idea.

"Luggage is important"
Keep in mind that you may have a long haul from parking to ship, so be sure large luggage is on wheels and keep carry-on's as light as possible. Unlike a land hotel, your luggage will be delivered outsidee your stateroom in the hallway by your cabin. Be sure your luggage is locked and keep valuables in your carry-on bag.

"Get the right size cabin"
The cabins are small. Don't try to cram too many people in one cabin. It is true that the third and fourth guest in a cabin are discounted and there is a reason for that; sharing a cabin with three others is hard to do. Also, if you are a big or tall person, the twin, sofa or pullman bed might not work for you, let alone the bunk beds.

"Use the safe"
Before determining if you want to take valuables along, check to see if the ship has safes in each stateroom. Usually, safes are equipped to hold jewelry, wallets and other small valuables. Best bet? Leave the diamond tiara at home unless you're just too excited about the Royal Wedding and have to play it out in real life.

"Carefully consider dining"
Most ships offer more than just two dinner seatings each night, one early and one late. The relatively new "open seating" option is a good choice for those who don't want to be locked in to a specific time. With Early seating being around 6PM and late around 8PM, one of those might not work for you. Open Seating allows guests to dine when they want and with whom they want.

Do you have tips to pass along? Things you do on a cruise that are set in stone must-do's for you?

Flickr photo by Dennis from Atlanta

Top 5 easy cruise tips: from you originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cruise line scams: Shore Excursions

Chris Owen — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, North America, South America, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, Guyana, Budget Travel, Internet Tools, Cruises, Central America, Caribbean

Going ashore can be one of the best parts of a cruise and one of the reasons many travelers choose a cruise vacation in the first place. From the comfort of your floating hotel, you can see multiple destinations but only have to unpack once. Cruise lines offer a wide variety of excursions at each port of call and encourage passengers to join. Some are over-priced but carry an implied level of safety that might not be entirely accurate.

The potential scam-like claim here is "Oh, you don't want to go out on your own on a shore excursion. If they're late getting you back, the ship will leave without you"

Yes, they could do that. Will they? Probably not. How likely is that to happen? Not likely at all.

Often, the same companies and people that do shore excursions for the cruise lines also do them independently. Still, the cruise lines say they do investigate and follow up on excursion providers to see how they are doing, holding them to high standards.

Alternatives to ship-sponsored excursions. Shoretrips.com, is a third-party service that provides excursions world-wide. Owners Julie and Barry from Milwaukee, Wisconsin travel to each of the destinations and insure that their tours are safe and interesting. Often, Shoretrips.com excursions are less expensive and less crowded too. Booking more than 200,000 people a year, they have yet to leave someone behind.

Let's talk price. A pretty easy-to-compare excursion in Cozumel, Mexico, Swimming with the Dolphins is $129 for adults or children on Carnival Cruise Lines. Shoretrips.com has that dolphin swim for $79 for adults and $77 for children. That's about 40% less than the cruise line. Prices vary among lines too. Royal Caribbean has that dolphin swim for $99. Their price is better than Carnival but not as good as Shoretrips.com.

Another option is to go with someone recommended by a trusted friend or a travel blogger you've come to know. Reliable independent operators know what they are competing with on the cruise line excursion offerings and almost always offer a better value. That might come in the form of a lower price or a similar price with a better experience.

Get good information. A good source for reliable travel information about specific ports of call is AOL travel guides. Good discussion and very current, personal information can be found at CruiseCritic.com. Your good travel agent/expert should have recommendations also.

I'm really not trying to talk you out of the ship-sponsored shore excursions. They're good. Nothing wrong with them. But there are alternatives that are just as safe (or not) as third-party vendors.

Cruise lines have their share of problems with excursions.

Continue reading Cruise line scams: Shore Excursions

Cruise line scams: Shore Excursions originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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5 tips for people who really don't want to go on a cruise

Chris Owen — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: North America, Morocco, United Kingdom, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, New Zealand, Cruises, Central America, Caribbean

Maybe hiking, biking, backpacking or pretty much any other minimizing endeavor is more what you have in mind for traveling but someone is dragging you along on a cruise. There's just no way you're getting out of it. Is there hope for you? Yes. A little. Not much. But some.

Pace yourself- Food will always be available 24 hours a day on board. You might not be used to that with your triathlon training and all so do some stomach stretching exercises prior to boarding. You will need the extra room. Stop pouting that there are no granola bars or energy drinks. There are. On cruises they are called "shots" and you find them at the bars. You'll enjoy the walk to get them and recent studies suggest those extra steps will help prevent diabetes.

No barfing- You are concerned about the possibility of becoming sea sick because the little path on your normal mountain hike doesn't really move around much. Think of it like that and yeah, you probably will be. Prepare for shooting the rapids in Colorado with somebody who doesn't know what they're doing and you'll be fine. It could be worse. You could have been invited along for a taping of Paris Hilton's new reality show.

Know where you are going- Take time before the cruise to check out a travel guide on the places you will visit. Duh. Just because you don't have any say in where the ship goes doesn't mean you can't meet fun and find interesting people. You probably won't find any of them on the ship but maybe when you go ashore.

Careful with spending- The food is included in the price of your cruise but that's about it. Beverages, both alcoholic and sodas are not included. Want a sip of water? You'll pay $23.54 for that. This is why people smuggle booze on the ship. They do have beds so leave your sleeping bag at home with your tent. Bring your flashlight though, cruise passenger are fascinated by shiny things.

Relax. That may seem like a silly tip but you would be surprised how many people try to pack so much into every day that they need a vacation after they get back from their cruise to recuperate. Know this as a fact: There are way too many things to do and you can not possibly do them all. To be more accurate, there are too many things to do that you will think are stupid so bring a telescope and memorize the sky. Maybe you can find a 14th sign of the zodiac.

Flickr photo by Robbie Howell

5 tips for people who really don't want to go on a cruise originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Concorde supersonic jet to find new home in London

Meg Nesterov — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, France, United Kingdom, Barbados, Airlines, News

Seven years after the final Concorde flight, one of the 11 remaining supersonic passenger jets may find a new home on London's South Bank, next to the London Eye. RHWL Architects, whose past projects include the British Airways headquarters and the Four Seasons Canary Wharf, are rumored to have planned a $35 million dollar double-decker display with a river boat landing underneath the plane.

The current Alpha Bravo aircraft is housed at Heathrow Airport by British Airways and not viewable by the public. Travelers can currently see a jet at the Concorde Experience in Barbados, the only Caribbean destination on the former supersonic route, as well as at these museums and airports. Earlier this year, a team of engineers began an examination of a French plane in hopes of bringing the Concorde back to the skies.

Travelers - would you pay to see the Concorde? Or better yet, fly the Concorde?

[Photo credit: Flickr user Beechwood Photography]

Concorde supersonic jet to find new home in London originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barbados within reach: American Airlines adds nonstop flights from DFW

McLean Robbins — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Barbados, Airlines, Caribbean

Texas residents will have even easier access to the sun, sand and fun this summer with the addition of new non-stop flights to Barbados courtesy of American Airlines. This new nonstop, three times per week service from the airline's Dallas- Fort Worth (DFW) hub begins Dec. 16. Currently the airline provides daily nonstop service from New York-JFK and Miami International Airports.

The flights will run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

"These new flights will provide our customers from the Central and Western regions of the U.S. easier and more convenient access to Barbados," said said David M. Rice, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Tourism Authority.

Currently available for purchase, the flight will be operated with Boeing 757 aircraft with 22 seats in Business Class and 166 in the Coach cabin. December coach fares begin at $314.

Photo courtesy of Barbados.org

Barbados within reach: American Airlines adds nonstop flights from DFW originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Labor Day travel: Barbados

Meg Nesterov — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Barbados, Travel Deals, Caribbean

If you're still thinking about how to spend Labor Day, how about saying goodbye to summer with one last beach trip? You know not much happens in the office during the last week of summer, so why not make Labor Day a little longer? The island of Barbados offers a good-value promotion starting September 1st, a perfect excuse to recharge on a Caribbean beach before fall sets in. Previously called Best of Barbados, the Fall for Barbados deal includes airfare and hotel for a week with free breakfast daily, one free car rental day when you book three days or more, and up to $300 airfare credit per booking. They also throw in a 25% discount card on restaurants and some deals on activities. Prices around Labor Day start at $1,100 per person for 5 nights in an all-inclusive or $650 per person for 7 nights at a standard hotel (I calculated from New York, other cities might be higher or lower).

Continue reading Labor Day travel: Barbados

Labor Day travel: Barbados originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Must-see in Barbados: The rum-filled abbey

Annie Scott — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Food and Drink, Barbados

St. Nicholas Abbey isn't just a rum producer and rum connoisseur destination, it is a stunningly beautiful property with a rich history.

The residence you see above was built in 1658, making it the oldest house on Barbados. Not surprisingly, it was never intended to be an abbey, but functioned for hundreds of years as a sugar plantation. A visit to the abbey means traipsing through a Georgian-style drawing room with antique Wedgewood tea sets and Sailors' Valentines, looking at fascinating furnishings like a 1936 "Gentleman's Chair" and a genuine Crapper (really!), a conversation with some talkative parrots and a cockatiel, a rum punch-fueled museum tour, a peek into the distillery and a viewing of a historical film so that you don't miss any details. The brick walkways you'll see are from Scotland. The Scottish sailors would use bricks to balance their ships, and when they got to Barbados, exchange them for rum. I would say all this makes St. Nicholas Abbey one of the most comprehensive attractions in Barbados, and a definite must-see.

You'll want to request a rum tasting, as St. Nicholas Abbey is one of the finest rums on the island. The rum comes in heavy, sandblasted glass bottles, and if you buy one, you can bring it back to be refilled at half price. Alternatively, you can get a bottle engraved with "[Your Name]'s Private Collection" (or whatever you want) as a souvenir, or for your sorry friends who couldn't join you.

I highly recommend St. Nicholas Abbey as a place to visit, drink and, if your schedule permits, get married -- seriously, one look at the yard out front and the courtyard in the back and you'll wish you'd had your wedding there. This is 350 years of history, exquisitely preserved and celebrated. And they make great drinks to boot.

Gallery: St. Nicholas Abbey

My trip to Barbados was sponsored by Tommy Bahama Rum, but the ideas and opinions expressed in this article are 100% my own.

Must-see in Barbados: The rum-filled abbey originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rum shops - Drink on island time in Barbados

Annie Scott — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Food and Drink, Barbados

Barbados is a island of immense natural beauty, sugar cane fields and rum shops (and two zonkeys, where the mother is a zebra and the father is a donkey, but that's neither here nor there).

While you might have a tough time locating a Starbucks in Barbados, you'll have no trouble finding a rum shop. Generally, if you walk along the coast line, you'll run into one, as many are set up seaside for that fabulous ocean view. Additionally, you may notice your closest dining establishment is a "restaurant and rum shop," the nearby salon is a "hairdresser and rum shop" and the local mortician's place is a "funeral parlor and rum shop." It's like that in Barbados.

Barbados has about 12,000 rum shops and 12,000 churches. "When someone dies, you'll see people in one or the other," joked my guide. I had the pleasure of visiting a couple of rum shops on my recent trip to Barbados, and the experience is a worth a try -- don't let your hotel tell you their bar is a "rum shop;" go to a real one where you'll see, and get a chance to talk to, real Barbadians.

Gallery: Barbados Rum Shops

Continue reading Rum shops - Drink on island time in Barbados

Rum shops - Drink on island time in Barbados originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photo of the Day (3.21.2010)

Jeremy Kressmann — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Barbados, Caribbean

It's amazing something as boring as a run on the beach could look so beautiful. Flickr user NigelDurrant captured this masterful shot of a few runners in Barbados. I love the sense of movement, the symmetry and long pencil-thin shadows stretched in the sand. Wonderful.

Have any great photos you'd like to submit for Gadling's Photo of the Day? Submit your best shots here.

Photo of the Day (3.21.2010) originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seven Endangered Species You Can Still See in the Wild

Kraig Becker — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Africa, Asia, North America, South Africa, Tanzania, China, India, Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean

There is no doubt that we are fascinated with wildlife. We love to watch diverse and interesting animals, preferably in their natural habitats, and we're often willing to travel to remote places, sometimes at great expense, to see them. If you enjoy the kind of travel that allows for these kinds of animal encounters, they you'll want to check out BootsnAll's list of the Seven Endangered Species You Can Find Outside a Zoo.

The article not only lists the creatures, it also gives us the best locations to go and see them for ourselves, including some brief insights into what to expect out of the journey. For instance, if you want to see polar bears in the wild, you can expect a long flight, or 40-hour train ride, to Churchill, Canada, on the famed Hudson Bay, where every October and November, the bears gather, waiting for the bay to freeze so they can continue on northward. The other creatures, and locations that can be found, include: sea turtles in Barbados, tigers in India, rhinos in Tanzania, elephants in South Africa, pandas in China, and gray whales in Mexico.

As the article points out, in the era of ecotourism, these trips to see these rare animals can be a force for good. Conservation efforts can receive funding from our visits and an increased awareness about the plight of the animals helps to prevent poaching and protect natural habitats as well. Just be sure to travel with a reputable guide service and make sure you pack out everything you pack in.

So did they leave anything off the list? I was a bit surprised to not see the mountain gorillas that we wrote about last week, on there. They'd certainly make my top list. What's on yours?

Seven Endangered Species You Can Still See in the Wild originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cockpit Chronicles: The airline industry's newest business model: Desperate Housewives.

Kent Wien — Mon, 05 May 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Barbados, Dominican Republic, Airlines, Transportation, The Cockpit Chronicles

There are some advantages to flying a reserve schedule every now and then. I prefer the variety and the thought that just maybe I'll get called out to cover a New York trip to Zurich or Brussels. It's rare, but it has happened before.

For April, I didn't fly anywhere I hadn't flown before, and they managed to use me on almost every one of my available days. Having just arrived home from the Miami and San Francisco trip, crew scheduling already needed me for another early morning departure. This time they had me fly down to Miami and deadhead home on the same day.

It was hardly worthy of a full Cockpit Chronicles. I rode home in the coach cabin and slept most of the way. Fortunately, we're required to have at least one day off every 7 days, and crew scheduling decided I could use one.

This meant that I'd have a small stretch of three days in a row before my month would be over. There's always the chance that a three-day trip could pop up if someone called in sick, but I was pretty sure I'd have the last few days off.

My wife gets nervous when I tell her that there's little chance they could use me. Don't worry, I'll be home to take you and the kids to the airport for your trip to Germany, I'm sure! I figured I'd flown too many hours to be legal for another three-day trip. I should have listened to my wife. She knew I'd get the call.

Gallery: Cockpit Chronicles: Punta Cana

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Cockpit Chronicles: The airline industry's newest business model: Desperate Housewives. originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 05 May 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Independence days and elephants

Jamie Rhein — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Festivals and Events, Angola, Mauritania, Cambodia, East Timor, Russian Federation, Albania, France, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, Barbados, Dominica, United States, Colombia, Suriname

I've whipped out my International Calendar to see what might be left to tell about November before it slips away from Eastern Standard Time in a few hours. What I see is a whole lot of independence days and a slew of other politically geared occasions.

Nov. 1--Antigua-Barbuda gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1980.
Nov. 3--Dominica gained independence from the UK in 1978. Panama gained Independence from Colombia in 1903 and Micronesia gained independence from the U.S. in 1980.
Nov. 9--Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953.
Nov. 11--Poland gained independence in 1918; Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
Nov. 18--Latvia gained independence from Russia in 1918; Morocco from France in 1956.
Nov. 25--Suriname gained independence
Nov. 28--Mauritania gained Independence from France in 1968 and Albania gained Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, Panama gained independence from Spain in 1821 and East Timor gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
Nov. 30-Barbados gained independence from the U.K. in 1966

Other than these, Tonga has had Constitution Day (Nov. 4); Russia, Revolution Day (Nov. 7); Brazil, Republic Day (Nov. 15); and Vanuatu has had National Unity Day, (Nov. 29)

My favorite happening of the bunch of events that occurred this month, though, is the Surin Elephant Round-Up in Thailand.

Independence days and elephants originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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