Trip Reviews - IndependentTraveler.com

Dubai

If you ever get the chance to go to Dubai, do it! It is an amazing city, built up over the last 30 years or so into an awe-inspiring city at the edge of the desert on the Persian Gulf, or, as they say in Dubai, the Arabian Gulf. Everything in...

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Madiera beach John's Pass Florida

Between Clearwater and Ft Meyers beach there is Madiera. One of the friendliest beach areas on the Gulf. On the gulf side the condos rent pricey but across the street there are fine little motels at half the rates. Its a bustling area with...

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French Side for Genuine Caribbean Atmosphere

We are pretty experienced Caribbean travelers and usually stay away from destinations with high influx of many cruise ship arrivals, such as St. Maarten. Though, we gave it a try and selected St. Martin, the French part of the small island with two...

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Captivating Costa Rica

My friend and I spent two weeks traveling through Costa Rica in February, 2013. We had diligently planned our trip so that it would take us to various parts of the country....and we were so glad we did. After talking to another friend who has...

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The Many Splendours of South Africa

It was a family trip to the Southern hemisphere, and South Africa was our destination. We started at Johannesburg, affectionately called Joberg by the locals. Not the best place to start since our guide Garth - a white South African termed the city...

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beautiful view in Italy

We had a fabulous 10 days in Italy. We rented a car and spent our first day in Rome. We toured the city for our first day going to famous sites including the Vatican, ruins and colloseum. The town is fabulous with all of its history. We then...

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My Week as a Marine Biologist

Tortugueros Las Playitas Sea Turtle Project Todos Santos, Baja, Mexico Dec 4-11, 2012 Sea turtles have inhabited the Earth for 65 million years - they even swam with the dinosaurs! Sadly, many turtle species are now endangered. The Pacific...

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Not Sleepless in Seattle

Our annual girls' trip this year was to Seattle, WA for a weekend. None of us had ever been there before. We stayed at a hotel near the airport (Embassy Suites) that provided shuttle service. To get downtown we took the shuttle to the Light Rail...

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Roma in Spring

Flights- I traveled on Iberia from Los Angeles. Although they are an American Airline parner and my flight was code shared with American Airlines, I do not recommend Iberia because planes need update. On my long leg from Los Angeles to Madrid, the...

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Pirates of Penzance (Cornwall, England)

Last Spring, Penzance, an ancient seaside market town and popular tourist destination which lies on the southwestern corner of England, stole a little piece of my heart. Take heart, fair days will shine; Take any...

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Hawaii 2013 - Cruise and 3 days in San Diego pre-cruise/land excursions included

HAWAII 2013 Trip Report We are three women from Boston, who traveled on a 15 day cruise from San Diego to Hawaii on the Celebrity Century in early April, 2013. We booked the cruise a year ago at an unbelievable price and we are delighted to say...

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Very Beautiful and Interesting Excursion

My husband and I did the Western Heritage Tour as one of our excursions on our cruise to Freeport. Dwaine was our tour guide and he was the best. We got off our ship the Carnival Fantasy in Freeport and was directed to where we were suppose to be...

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Fantastic Cruise to Australia/New Zealand

We were very excited about this cruise, first time to Australia/New Zealand, and first time on a Celebrity ship (Solstice). Check in at the airport went smoothly, took about ½ hour with our bags going straight to Sydney. Our plane was delayed...

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Paris Money Saving Ideas

Paris is the dream trip of a lifetime, and I thought I would never be able to afford to keep up with my friends, who had a lot more financial leeway than I did. But by the time I got to Paris I'd already impressed them elsewhere with my ability to...

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Miami Nice & Vice

We spent two nights/1 day in Miami, Florida, prior to a cruise we took. We found the Nice, but also a little Vice about our stay. The first Nice was drivinig to Miami itself. The trip on 1-95 though Ft Lauderdale was smooth, with lots of places for...

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NCL Cruise from Feb 23 - March 2 and Waikiki Feb 19—March 7

NCL Cruise from Feb 23 - March 2 and Waikiki Feb 19—March 7 Pre cruise we spent four days at the Marriott Waikiki. We flew from Halifax via Montreal, Newark and then Honolulu. In Montreal there was a last minute change when our UA Washington...

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From Guilin to Yangshuo, The Li River Cruise - China

October 4, 2012: Video: http://youtu.be/OOhkMASv5XY Today we enjoyed a half-day excursion cruising the Li River, with its dramatic limestone peaks and serene scenes of rural Chinese life that is so different from the city life. The Li River is...

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Sedona Girls trip

February 2013 Sedona, Arizona I flew off to Sedona with my friend to attend a seminal on "breaking inner blocks" with a popular hypnotherapist. We expected nothing less than life changing insights and personal transformation, at least for one of...

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Pinching My Pennies in Italy

There are some painless steps that will help buffer the high cost of traveling to, and in, beautiful Italy for you, as they have for me. To begin with, of course, off-season Italy promises the biggest cuts in airfare, the beauty of popping up at...

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Beijing - Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace

Our guide who is going to be with us for the rest of our tour, Bob, 45 years old, well educated Chinese citizen, mentioned that he was expelled from the country for 9 years. He completed his master degree in the university of Toronto where he...

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My Coronado Is Haunted

“You see that too, right?” Lacey held her wine glass at half-mast, staring at the steps leading from the Hotel Del Coronado to the Pacific Ocean. We were outdoors at Babcock & Story, the Del’s sports bar, ordering every appetizer on the...

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America's Byways: Missouri

Its largest land mass is sandwiched between east-west routes I-70 in the north, and I-44 in the south; both are accessible from I-55. I-61, I-65, and I-71 divide it north to south. This is where some of its more interesting hidden nuggets are found....

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Australia the 3rd Time Around

This was my third home exchange trip down under based entirely on home exchanges. The other two trips included NZ. This one did not. No offense, NZ, but this is just the way it worked out. In 9 1/2 weeks down under I paid for exactly 5 nights in...

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Exploring Illinois

Illinois is a contradiction in terms. The Illinois River, the largest and longest river, divides the state in two between Alton near St. Louis and the Des Plaines River near Chicago. Interstate routes carry traffic though some six hundred miles of...

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America's Byways~ Louisiana Part 2

After we visited the American Rose Garden Center we checked into our room and then went to the casinos. I didn't particularly care for Harrods, or the Isle of Capri but I came to life at the Horseshoe and we stayed way too late. The next morning...

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America's Byways - Louisiana Part 1

My mate wanted to go Las Vegas to gamble. I said I wanted to find out how well we like gambling. That year we went to Shreveport and gambled at the Harrah's, Isle of Capri and the Horseshoe. I much prefer the later to the former as it is where we...

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America's Byways ~ Illinois

From Lake Michigan, to the confluence of the Missouri and Ohio Rivers at Cairo, to the Mississippi River there is plenty to do and see in the Land of Lincoln. Historical districts, architecture, museums, lookout tower, Zoo and wild animal park, and...

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Roma, Roma, Roma

Roma, Roma, Roma This is an account of our pre-cruise visit in Roma, we had 3 days there before we got on the ship and I had plans to conquer the city! After a grueling 20 hours of cars, trams, and airplanes we finally made it to Roma, it was...

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Christmas & New Years Cruise South America Style

12/22/12--Valparaiso & Santiago, Chile on the Star Princess We pulled in Valparaiso very early in the morning, around 4am. We had hired Christian, the van man over a year ago and were looking to get an early start. Our agenda included Santiago, a...

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America's Byways

If you do not like leisurely driving or small towns this is not for you. I much prefer large bodies of water, less traveled routes, foliage, clean parks, and no need to hurry. Byways offer rolling hills, scenic landscapes, and the opportunity to...

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Superb Experience with Eddie Recio

Superb Experience with Eddie Recio Personal Evaluation of Overseas Adventure Travel -- Costa Rica: National Parks and Tropical Forests & Pre-Trip to Corcovado National Park As 19 time travelers with OAT (solely), we feel we need to respond on-line...

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Montreal Money Saving Tips

To begin with, travel during the shoulder seasons. Early spring and late fall are quieter times for Montreal, meaning that hotels drop their rates, and lots of things become cheaper. Instead of leaving it to a professional, scouring the internet for...

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Trip to Italy & Cruise to Greek Islands

Trip to Italy and Greek Isles - September, 2012 Tuesday/Wednesday Sept. 4 & 5 – It was the trip of a lifetime; my first journey to Europe! And we were spending an entire month! My sweetheart and I planned for months. Finally the big day arrived....

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The annual Honolulu trip

We lived in Hawaii for 15 years. Moved to Florida in 2000. Go back to Honolulu every year. Love the weather, love the beaches, love the restaurants. We only stay 5 nights in Honolulu and then we are off to the Big Island to visit with our...

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Beach Trip for One Playas, Ecuador

What do I do next? Relax on the beach, go for a boat ride, tour a farm or go sightseeing in nearby towns. For just 2 days there was so much to see and do. The Spanish-styled Hotel Romanos had a gym, Karaoke, swimming pool, almost directly on the...

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Back to the 70's --Hotel Kundalini

This beach town was a trip down memory lane...surfers, "hippie-style" clothes and people of all ages not worried about the time of day or tomorrow's work. Many people carry tents or sleeping bags and camp out on the beach at night. A...

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Two Months in Italy - Venice

This is a multi-part trip report of my two months in Italy. This first report is on Venice. Look for the links at the end of the report to see my adventures in other cities. I am in Venice. The sun almost came out today! When I arrived Saturday...

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Florence

Ciao, If you seem to be getting a hint of garlic with this, you probably are not wrong. It was supper! I found a trattoria near the central market and near where I had eaten before and read a menu I liked. First I had Fettunta, grilled bread...

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Bologna

Bologna to me means mortadella, my favorite cold cut. At home I figure it can only be a special treat; here, which is its home, I’ll indulge all I want. Mortadella sandwich last night and this noon. Tonight I am going to try to find a...

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Sorrento

Train ride from Bologna was fine except over an hour late getting to Naples. Actually half an hour late or more getting to Bologna--nasty weather in the north and train was from Turin. My favorite driving company, Sorrento Limo in the person of the...

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