How do Trinidadians feel about visiting Tobago?

Here are some of the stories I found:-

http://www.thetobagonews.com/index.pl/article?id=11356595

and this different one as well ——–

Posted on: 4:23 am, January 09, 2009
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This letter was published in Tobago News today:

THE Editor: The ever-increasing news of robberies and violent assaults in Tobago have been matched 100 times over by painful reports on websites for potential Tobago visitors. Tobago is rapidly becoming a “no go” destination for all but the wealthy few who are happy being locked up in exclusive resorts with little or no contact with the richness and spirit of Tobago life and culture.

I have been a regular visitor to the island for fifteen years, taking my precious two weeks vacation primarily in Charlotteville at the charming residences of Pat Nicholson. I have roamed all over the island, met hundreds of residents, watched children grow into adulthood and made some dear friends over the years. On my last visit in August and September, my longest so far, I became one more statistic in the growing list of victims of crime. Thieves broke into my rental apartment while I slept and stole my computer and camera equipment as well as cash and a number of other items. Happily I was not assaulted. The amount of money I paid for these things would be more than enough to buy a new boat and outboard motor for a fisherman; support a local soccer team for a few years or send a child to university. This was grand larceny but it never made the news.

Crime has always been with us, everywhere but there is a new kind of criminality that has infected life all over the world and it has finally spread to Tobago. Hard drug crime.

The sale and use of cocaine, heroin and amphetamines have become obvious everywhere in Tobago.

On the beach that borders the road to the high school in Speyside the pushers boldly await their young clients and spent hypodermics are easy to find.

Unlike common marijuana these drugs are costly, highly addictive and very profitable. As a result of this trade the island is awash in drug money but the trade is also producing buyers who are incapable of working but need more and more money to pay for their addiction. As the spiral of addiction and crime increases the addicts become more ruthless and violent.

It is easier to rob tourists than your mother or father.

But this will not last. Tourism will evaporate and the island’s residents will become the new targets, the new source of fast money.

(By some reports this has already begun.) That’s what happens everywhere else in the world where people ignore the reality of the hard drug trade and it is coming down the road to your home in Tobago. You can bet on it.

In my case the general response of both police and residents was this: “of course, you have insurance”. There was great sympathy for me in the village but in the end the crime was not solved and I think it never will be. I tried hard not to have my love of Tobago stolen from me along with my possessions and the residents of the village did their best to help me. I am back in Canada but, sadly, I can no longer carry the island in my heart. It is a great loss. If you, the people of Tobago, let the drug dealers steal the island from your hearts where will you go?

Robert Bowers

(retired professor, University of Toronto

photographer and sculptor)

Vacation homes generally offer all the conveniences of your own home (or more!) while you’re on vacation. Fully equipped kitchens, living rooms, and dining rooms enable you to vacation without sacrificing anything. It’s often the most economical choice as well when you have a multiple people staying in the same place. With more space, amenities, and privacy, it’s no wonder that families are the fastest growing portion of the vacation rental market. The only downside is that most vacation rentals do not offer the concierge or maid services offered by hotels and resorts. An increasingly popular trend has been the addition of vacation rental managers or vacation rental agents. These companies contract with property owners to manage their properties and can manage thousands of vacation properties within a region or globally as well. Due to this conversion, now more than ever, you will find that vacation home rentals can offer luxury services once exclusive to hotels and resorts.

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I’m having a salad with chicken and a gin and tonic for lunch. These people at the meeting annoy me so much!

I was in NY early this morning but I had to fly down here for the meeting.

Then later today, I fly out to LA for vacation. Then after thats all done, I go home back to Montreal. I live in Canada. Born in Paris and raised in Canada.

Its so hot here. Where are you? Whats new? What are you upto?

Vail, Colorado is one of the most widely visited ski village throughout the United States. Located at the base of the beautiful Vail Mountain, this quaint, little town offers many homes and condos to rent for seasonal guests. With just under 5,000 year-round residents here, you can be assured that privacy and relaxation will be your welcome companions. Vail Mountain is the second biggest skiing mountain in the United States and Canada, making this an ideal spot for winter sports enthusiasts of all types to vacation.

The landscape around the city of Aspen is, as its name implies, covered with beautiful aspen trees that create an atmosphere of serenity and leisure. With plenty of homes and condos to rent for very reasonable prices, it’s no wonder Aspen is quickly becoming a beloved spot for many skiers. There are also several different resorts to choose from for vacation rental options. This town of just over 6,000 residents is surrounded on three sides by the slopes of Red Mountain, Smuggler Mountain, and its namesake, Aspen Mountain.

Beaver Creek is an attractive, old-fashioned town with nearly 2,000 acres of skiable land on World Cup Mountain. In fact, the town once played host to the World Ski Championships. Beaver Creek offers many vacation rental options, including condominiums, villas, and even homes that have as many as five bedrooms with sleeping accommodations for ten or more people.

The final ski town, Breckenridge, offers a variety of winter activities that can easily and flexibly satisfy a family of five or a honeymoon couple. With homes, condominiums, and spacious townhouses for rent, you won’t have any trouble finding the perfect destination for your dream vacation in the Rocky Mountains. The Breckenridge Blue Sky Resort is also a great option for couples or families that need a space with one to four bedrooms.

Despite all of the amazing rental options available in any one of these four vacation spots in Colorado, renting a home or condominium for your vacation is much more affordable than you may think. Rental homes and condominiums are very comparable in price to hotels in the area that offer far less amenities, so it won’t likely be difficult for you to find the perfect, luxurious vacation rental at a fair price.

Best Maine Vacations

The best Maine vacation would be a combination of the right season, a comfortable stay and an all-inclusive package, Visit here http://mainewhitewater-rafting.blogspot.com

combining the accommodation and other attractions.

Tourists can plan their vacations by choosing from the number of hotels, motels, bed and breakfast, and vacation rental services for staying in Maine. Any of the four seasons, can be chosen for the vacation according to the guests’ preference. Most of these accommodation services, offer discounted rates and special packages that can be availed of, to make the trip economical. Apart from the accommodation facilities they also offer, other recreational activities such as, hiking or biking on trails, fishing, volleyball, and golfing. The major amenities of these hotels and other rental services include, fully equipped kitchen, refrigerator, washing machines, canoe, barbeques, docks, laundry services, babysitting, and allowance of pets in some selected pets.

The tourists can also enjoy their stay in the cozy lakeside cottages, to experience the exceptional scenic beauty and wildlife of Maine. These cottages also have the provisions of various recreational activities on the lake. Each cottage has a unique wildlife theme of its own combined with, the comforts of handmade quilts and a homely atmosphere. This can definitely be a different experience, than spending the vacation in a regular hotel, especially for those who love nature and adventure. Some of these cottages are even pet friendly.

Fall in Maine is considered to be the most beautiful of all the seasons, and hence vacations can be planned around this time of the year. The peak season for the fall foliage is between late September and the middle of October. It would be wise to reserve the accommodations well in advance, as most of them are usually full almost all through the year. Payment can be made through various options offered by these rental services.

Famous for its countryside look and exotic scenic beauty, Maine can also be an ideal place to plan weddings, romantic getaways, family retreats and conferences. For fun-lovers, it would be the perfect place for snowmobiling, skiing, hunting, rafting, boating, camping or just relaxing. Short trips to Canada and places around Maine, Augusta and Bangor can also be planned to make the vacation complete.Visit here http://mainewhitewater-rafting.blogspot.com

You may already be a veteran Holiday rental owner or brand new to the industry, either way taking another look at where your business is today is essential to its future success. So how do you make your B&B or vacation rental stand out from the masses? You need a competitive edge and in the hospitality field it is all in the tiny details.

Your first impression whether it by via a drive by, photo or website will make or break that much needed reservation.  In today’s market most reservations come from web bookings, so make sure your site is easy to find your way around, has all the essential info a guest may need to know, rates, location, beds, pet friendly, supplies and equipment, area info and lots of high definition pics showcasing your holiday rental.  Don’t forget to list any special features and tourism info and positive customer comments.  Listing your website on one of the many vacation rental directories is probably a good idea, try to find something niched to your specific market. Are you close to the beachfromt?  Look for a site specializing in this field; it will target a browsers search so that they may find you fast.  One I am quite fond of is www.beach-rooms.com, it is a new and up and coming website, the membership if free for the first year and it could pay dividends down the road.  Whatever website you choose, keep track of how many of your bookings come from the website to see if it is worth your cash in the long run.

I am assuming if you already run a B&B or vacation property that you understand there are certain basic needs that guests are looking for, extreme cleanliness, (you can never be too clean) tidiness, (don’t clutter the space with nick knacks) a nice light filled room, up to date furnishing and bed linens, a high quality bed and of course a warm welcome.  In high traffic tourist areas, this may be all that is required of you, but is it enough for repeat business and great word of mouth, which quite frankly is the marketing jackpot?

Like I said it is all in the details, so make the guests stay memorable, make them feel special and watch your guests grow.   Monetary Budgets vary so the decision is your own as to what you think is worth the cost or will be valued most by your clients.

Lets start with the bedroom, when was the last time you laid down on a guests bed? Do not underestimate the power of a comfortable bed, 2 nights in your establishment equates to 16 hours of use.  I bet everyone can remember at least one experience in a bed that did not pass the grade.  Try your beds out, think about replacing any old, to hard, saggy or stained mattresses, if this is out of the budget for now, consider a nice mattress pad instead.

The pillows should be the best you can afford, mix them up some soft some harder to please every guests taste. The same for the linens, the higher the thread count the more luxurious they feel, but beware the higher the count the more ironing they need.

Fresh cut flowers show a level of personal care, attention and elegance that is so often passed over yet so appreciated, whether they be a centre piece or a few stems on matching bedside tables.  Ditch the dusty houseplants and bring some color, fragrance and life to the environment.

Bringing some form of unity to your business adds a touch of professionalism and shows you take it seriously, consider creating an logo or illustration that depicts what your property is hoping to portray, use this illustration on business cards, website, the sign in front of the property, stationary, it can even be stitched or ironed onto pillow cases and towels.  It is a way of branding your business and creating a special connection.

Handcrafted or specialty soaps also really add the personal touch, buy a block from your local market or storekeeper, cut it into smaller pieces to lessen waste and save money.  A nice idea is to wrap the soap in parchment paper or material and tie with a ribbon or wax seal with your property logo or name and present as a gift, remember all in the details.

Chocolates, a bottle of wine, slippers to take home, a fruit basket, soap, a sprig of lavender, shells from the local beach, discount tickets to a local attraction, the choices are only limited to your imagination but a speciall gift can and will make your guests feel wonderfull, make them smile and create a sense of wellbeing towards their stay.

If you are supplying breakfast especially if you are a B&B property take extra care with the meal, throw out old ideas of what is everyday boring and get inspired.  Turn breakfast into an experience, for you this may mean local organic fare, breakfast courses or simple food presented with a sense of style.

Extra Steps

I will be the first to confess that some of the extra steps outlined below are not overly realistic but they can be done and if nothing else they may give you a few inspirations.

One of my favorite B&B experiences was coming home after a day of sightseeing to my room, the fireplace had been lit and a thermos of hot chocolate and a plate of baked cookies was waiting for me, pure decadence and a very nice touch.

Or the time in Canada when I stayed in a little cabin for two, the owners had enclosed the deck and placed a claw foot tub outside.  An Outdoor shower or hot tub would also be just effective.

A chandelier above the bed, up to date magazines and a selection of bestsellers, a fluffy throw draped across the bottom of the bed or over a cozy rocking chair, built in speakers in all rooms including the bathroom, power shower with massaging heads, a sauna, a flat screen TV in the bathroom to watch from the tub, a sauna, wireless internet, spa services, I could go on and on…

Get networking with your local Spa to offer in house treatments or team up with local artisans, potters or wineries to offer themed weekend packages.

Hopefully if you have read this far you are gaining some new ideas that could be of value to you.  My aim is to help your business stand out from the pack.  The more pleasurable you make the over all sensation the higher your odds of repeat business and great references. Best of luck to you.

Montreal, is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec and the second-largest city in Canada. It is geographically as close to the European coast as to Vancouver, and in look and feel it combines some of the finest aspects of the two continents.

Paris being the first, Montreal is the second-largest French-speaking metropolis where city’s three and a half million people are of French extraction, the other third being a cosmopolitan mishmash of les autres – including British, Eastern Europeans, Chinese, Italians, Greeks, Jews, South Americans and West Indians. This can be noted as Canada’s most vibrant place with bars and clubs, a global variety of eateries and matched by a calendar of festivals. With such things mentioned, the result is Montreal being a truly multidimensional city.

With such things in place, there is no doubt that this is also a hub for tourists to spend their time in the city which has signs of civic pride and prosperity. For the visitors, accommodation in Montreal has never been a problem. With the continuous flow of visitors, there are quite a few arrangements for rental apartments made by the companies there so as to get them the best accommodations. The rental services includes a wide range of accommodations from luxury rentals, furnished homes to rent, Luxury Vacation Rentals, temporary apartment rentals to vacation apartments in Montreal.

Some offer prestigious accommodations, serviced housing, penthouses and short term rentals for the visitors.

These apartments are luxurious and offer a sense of comfortability that comprises various amenities such as bed linen & towels, washing machine, iron & ironing board, air-conditioning, oven, fridge-freezer and a lot more. They are located in the local neighborhoods and are easily accessible to the local supermarkets to help you fulfill your immediate requirements. Visitors have the flexibility to choose their accommodation with the amenities as per their need and experience the friendly staff that are always dedicated to their service.

The rentals offered are usually 25% cheaper than hotel rooms of equivalent standard.

The amount charged by a hotel are high as they include the maintenance and running of services such as in-house bars and restaurants and a high wages bill due to the volume of staff required to run the hotel. The amount so incurred by the hotel is to be recovered to make a profit, which is done in form of the accommodation bill charged from the customers. Furnished Apartment Rental have a low cost in marketing as the guests tend to stay for a longer period of time wherein a hotel customer stays for a few nights after which they need to resell the room. A factor related to eating expenses is also considerable as in an apartment you have a kitchen that can be used to cook your own food or get some from the local supermarket, but in a hotel there is a restaurant where the charges are again high.

With all this in view, a rental apartment for a visitor in Montreal would be the best accommodation in terms of comfort and financial perspective.

For further information visit http://montrealstays.com/

When planning your vacation to Mexico, there are loads of travel options to consider. Choices regarding destination specific things to do and modes of travel once you arrive should always come second to considering where you’ll rest once the day is done.

When driving in Mexico and sizing up Mexico vacation rentals, make sure to purchase daily, monthly or annual Mexican Insurance. Obtaining Mexican Auto Insurance Online is very important because car insurance bought in the US and Canada excludes the Republic of Mexico for auto insurance liability purposes. Compare Mexico car insurance rates and the financial strength of the Insurer for the best deal. Buying Mexican insurance can be such a challenging undertaking especially if you do not take the right approach. While there are quite a number of ways to go about it, most travelers may find it difficult to establish what method best suits their needs.

The proper way to make buying Mexico Auto insurance a simple process is to pick the right approach. For the best, most reliable deals go for Mexican insurance online, and get a specialist, not a generalist. The best on demand sites create and let you print your policy instantly. If an agent offers to sell US or Canadian auto insurance as well as Mexican insurance, he or she is not a  specialist.

Studio, efficiency, condo villa, what do all of these terms mean? Travelers interested in taking a long-term Mexican vacation will most likely look for a property that charges by the week or by the month. Guided by a condo broker, locating the villa of your choice should be an easy task, however, it is important to know what type of lodging you want for your travel party.

Vacationers traveling to Mexico by themselves or with another adult may be interested in a money-saving studio unit. These are open floor plan rooms with a pull-out couch or bed. Containing basic cooking items, most will have a small refrigerator, sink and possible microwave. Similar to a studio, an efficiency unit will most likely have an upgraded kitchen containing a compact range and oven, and a dishwasher. Since both studios and efficiencies are very small, coming in around 400 sq. ft. or less, most will have a boxed air conditioning unit, as opposed to central air conditioning.

Villas, vacation villas and grand villas all are similar to an apartment and are the perfect Mexican getaways for small and extended families. A villa is very similar to a one bedroom apartment, whereas a grand villa is similar to a two bedroom apartment. Able to sleep anywhere from four to eight people, villas have a pull-out couch in the living room, a king bed in the master bedroom and two full size beds or a bunk bed in the second bedroom. Square footage will vary and units are sometimes configured in a two-story, town home floor plan.

Another advantage to the advertising that is offered on this site is in relation to the different ways in which you can advertise. Several free services can be used as part of the listing process about your rental. Part of the free advertising includes five pictures that you can put next to your rental or home listing. You will also be offered a page that includes keywords within a customized article. These will be posted in relation to the property that you are advertising, allowing for more traffic flow to come to your particular listing.

When you go to this site to post your listing, you can also list a few other things in order to attract the right person to your vacation rental or holiday home. Pricing details for the area always helps to attract the right person. You can also provide a calendar stating when the property will be available. Arrange Your Vacation also provides a link to your own home page, allowing visitors to see other rentals you have available, as well as allowing them to know more about you as a person.

ArrangeYourVacation.com has organized and divided the listings of properties in several different ways. By doing this, it allows the customer to find exactly the type of rental for which they are looking. It will also allow you to find the desired type of person for your property. Destination areas, places that have special features, family and pet friendly properties, and new listings are all divided into certain sections. If you have a preference towards who you want to allow in your vacation rental or holiday home, then you can categorize it on this site as well. By placing your ad in a certain category, you will know that you are bringing the preferred renters to your property.

Arrange Your Vacation is only offering free advertising for your vacation rental and holiday homes for a limited time. By advertising here, you will be able to find great renters to stay on your property as well as allow more traffic flow to your personal site in order to see what offerings you have for your different properties. Now is the time to take advantage of the free advertising that this site have available for vacation rentals and holiday homes.