A signature feature of African travel is the concept of luxury wilderness and game lodges. This approach to touching the wild in Africa is usually not for the faint of pocket, but in exchange for this a high degree of exclusivity can be expected, coupled with the work of celebrated interior designers, and the attentions of accomplished hospitality professionals against a backdrop of one extensive private wildlife reserve or another. There are certain destinations that are better at this than others, but arguably the crème de la crème of luxury wilderness hospitality establishments anywhere on the continent are currently to be found along the Botswana/South Africa/Mozambique axis. (more…)

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I compared several providers’ offerings for Aruba vacations in May, testing departures from Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. All vacations include round-trip airfare and a five-night stay at an Aruba hotel. With the exception of the Liberty Travel deal, which only includes hotel taxes, packages include additional taxes and fees for airfare and hotel.

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© Katie@!Evidently 90% of UK online shoppers have experienced problems when making a purchase during the last year. I must admit I'm one of them. It's a mainly travel that I purchase online. Overall the majority of my transactions go fairly smoothly but it can still be pretty complicated and confusing. One of the biggest problems appears to be consumer making mistakes when typing passengers names during the purchase of airline tickets and the subsequent high fees charged by the airlines to rectify the error. What's your experience of booking travel online? Have you had any really bad experiences? What do you think could be done to make booking online travel simpler and easier? I'll be co hosting a live blog on the topic of online travel booking experience in conjunction with Darren of Travel Rants, this Thursday 3 April at 20:00 BST. So please join us if you'd like to take part in the discussion.
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1-800-FlyEurope is offering spring Europe sale fares starting at $399 round-trip. As an added bonus, a free one-day car rental is available with the purchase of round-trip airfare.

Before booking, compare 1-800-FlyEurope’s sale fares with those available from the airline itself to ensure you get the best deal. The car rental, while a nice perk if you’ll use it, is based on a minimum seven-day rental, which may not be appealing for every trip.

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The Cocobelle Resort in Ft. Lauderdale offers family-friendly accommodations two blocks from the beach. High-season rates are in effect until May 14, with guest rooms starting at $139 per night, after which the price drops to $79 for the summer and early fall. Children 14 and younger always stay free, and those over 14 require an extra $12.50 charge per day, but only in the high season.

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Albuquerque’s Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Cultural Center offers elegant accommodations appealing to both town and country travelers. The inn sits on 25 acres that feature formal flower and vegetable gardens, as well as a lavender farm. Rates range from $145 to $500 per night, depending on room class, and include daily breakfast, a New York Times delivered to your door each morning, and high-speed Internet access. Additionally, history, art, and architecture tours are available to guests at no extra charge. You can also add on a “Special Occasion” package featuring Champagne, rose petal turn-down service, breakfast in bed, and a late-checkout for an extra $75.

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Sacramento’s Delta King Hotel, a historic riverboat on the Sacramento River, offers a Weekend Package including two nights’ lodging, Champagne and two keepsake glasses, and a Sunday Champagne brunch for two. Advertised rates start at $389 per couple, but I was unable to find that rate for spring weekends. You may find the quoted price of $413, however, to be a good deal.

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Grammy-nominated recording artist Daughtry will be in Las Vegas next month to perform a live acoustic charity set at The Beatles Revolution Lounge at The Mirage on Sunday, April 13.

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The Omni Dallas Hotel at Park West has a Spring Fever Package including accommodations and breakfast for two at the hotel restaurant. Rates start at $139 per night.

Priced separately, rooms at the Omni start at $119, and the breakfast buffet costs $10 per person. With the package, you’ll be breaking even—so the package’s real value may lie in the convenience of booking everything with one phone call.

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Vegas is quickly becoming a haven for the best chefs in the world and never is that more apparent when looking at list of nominees for the 2008 James Beard Awards. The awards are like the Oscars of the culinary world and in this year’s list, Vegas is well represented.

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