Save Big on Your Summer Vacation: Six Destinations to Book Right - TopicsExpress

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Save Big on Your Summer Vacation: Six Destinations to Book Right Now During Shoulder/Low Season Shoulder season: when crowds are at a minimum and you’ll be rewarded with better service, lower prices, and ultimately more relaxation (and isn’t that what you want from a vacation?) Imagine your trip without traffic, taxi queues or any sort of wait for a dinner reservation. Ahhhhh. Now we’re talking. CheapAir has put together a few value destinations for inspiration that you can visit right now, when typical summer vacations are at a premium. Just how much can be saved on both domestic and international travel? If you take a more intrepid approach to your holiday, the possibilities are endless. But it’s a Dry Heat – Phoenix/Scottsdale The resorts of the Valley of the Sun are world-renowned for a reason. Best-in-class golf, luxurious spas and white glove service come standard at some of the toniest and most romantic getaway spots in the southwest. Good luck finding anything coming close to a deal from October to April, when most of snowbound America is willing to pay a premium for the relief of the temperate climes of the Sonoran Desert. But it’s a rather poorly kept secret among staycation savvy locals that summer hotel rates are downright shocking. It can be tough to find a no frills motel room for less than $150 during the high season, but you can splash out like a jetsetter in August, when the Arizona heat and monsoon season keep the snowbirds away. Take for example, the comparison in rates for three of the most popular and luxurious resort properties in the Phoenix/Scottsdale metropolitan area below. If you’re someone who likes the heat, Phoenix is a no brainer. But even if you’re not – there are some amazing experiences to be had in Arizona. Put on your adventure hat and go on a night tour with Stellar Tours. The outfit will take you on a night vision tour of the desert where you can hunt scorpions, snakes and all sorts of wildlife after the sun goes down. Scottsdale also boasts top notch restaurants for foodies and a happening nightlife for scenesters. With off-season competition being fierce, you can often find smokin’ happy hours and a smorgasbord of dining establishments tricked out with al fresco dining, complete with overhead misters for your comfort and refreshment. A quick search on Cheapair for a two-night romantic getaway from August 25th to the 27th will cost $116/night* at the Royal Palms (compared to $399 for a similar stay in November), $119/night at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed and granddaddy of all Phoenix resorts the Arizona Biltmore (compare to $349 in March 2015 – all dates in November are already sold out), or $119 for a stay at the Boulders in Carefree (compare to $349 in November). Airfares to Phoenix in August are relatively low coming in at around $350/per person from New York (JFK), $150/pp from Los Angeles (LAX) and just over $200/per person round trip from Chicago (ORD). Don’t-Miss Savings: Hotels at a full 70% off high season rates Low Cost NOLO – New Orleans Okay, okay. Whose travel bucket list doesn’t have Mardi Gras in N’awlins in a position of prominence? But bear with us. New Orleans’ famed hospitality exists year round and for our money—if you avoid the crush of college students and debauchery of Bourbon Street in January—you’ll save money and be able to enjoy the relaxing pace of this lovely little town without all of the bead-tossing hype. Some of the world’s finest chefs and musicians call The Big Easy home. Visitors to New Orleans in the low season are rewarded with down home graciousness, lower airfare, more attentive service and hotel discounts/extras with your booking. Airfare from major U.S. gateways in August and September are averaging $200 round trip from New York (JFK), $340 from Los Angeles (LAX) and $165 from Chicago (ORD). That’s about 20% off published rates at the same time in high season. You’ll get deeper discounts on hotels. Budget travelers can do New Orleans for as little as $50/night at some properties. The more moderate Four Points Sheraton French Quarter comes in at a thrifty $140/night. You might also want to go big or go home in New Orleans. If that’s the idea, may we recommend the grand, historic (and rumored haunted!) Hotel Monteleone in the heart o’ the French Quarter. Your stay will set you back a little over $300 in August or September. The same room in January or February will easily cost you double, darlin’. Don’t Miss Savings: Up to 20% off airfare and 50% hotels in high season Colorado Many travelers immediately conjure up visions of snow bunnies, snowboarding and après ski delights when they think Colorado mountain destinations. We’d like you to reevaluate that line of thinking. There are deals and steals to be had for your vacationing pleasure in the late summer, if you just know where to look. Hiking, biking and rafting opportunities abound. The aspens start to change color in mid-September, making this one of the most breathtaking times to photograph Colorado vistas. When you get tired of wondering at all of the natural beauty, kick back with a beer in a brew pub or a more upscale establishment – the scene can be cozy (there are only around 50 dining establishments give or take in Telluride, for example), but options abound from the rustic to the more refined. Airfares into Colorado mountain towns have always been expensive, especially during ski season. Let’s take a look at the most budget-friendly gateway to mountain paradise, Denver. Vail, Telluride and Aspen will set you back a bit more, but if you have the extra cash to spend on flights there are deals to be had in the resort department. Flying in August or September into Denver from Los Angeles (LAX) and Chicago (ORD) will save you about 20% and 50% off high season fares respectively at $150 round trip, and New York is showing a 50% off at $207 on average. August and September hotel rates are about $200 on average in Denver for most major chains (Radisson, Hyatt, Hilton, etc.) which might not seem spectacular, but if you’re a bit flexible on dates there are some even better deals out there. If you’re looking at Telluride or Vail, the snow resorts lure people shy of the heftier airfares by deeply discounting high season accommodation rates. The Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas near Vail in Beaver Creek is offering rooms from $205/night in September, a full 60% off ski season nightly rates. Don’t-Miss Savings: Both airfare and hotels offer major savings! With discounts from 25 to as much as 50% off on airfare from major U.S. gateways for August and September and luxury hotels up to 60% off, Colorado is a destination worth a summer second look! Expanding Horizons on a Budget in Vietnam Still seen as too off the grid for some North American travelers, Vietnam’s brisk, competent and fully evolved tourism infrastructure has been merrily humming along now for well over a decade. If it’s seemed a little too remote or mysterious in the past, now might be just the time for you to visit. Vietnam is poised to become a major tourism player in southeast Asia, but at the moment bargains are still available. Vietnam is a country in which sharp delineations between high and low season don’t really exist. The country’s variable topography means that while it may be perfect, balmy weather in one area, the others may be dealing with rain and/or extreme heat. August is still considered high season in Vietnam, with more foreign and domestic tourists taking beach holidays, but September is the best time to take advantage of thinning crowds on transport and at major sights around the country. Whether you choose the surprisingly capitalistic feel of Ho Chi Minh City to the south as your port of entry or the more conservative Hanoi in the north, Vietnam is a study in contrasts and a feast for the senses. Once you’re on the ground, the country is most easily traveled by train or hired car. Airfare to Vietnam in September is easily 30 to 40% off high season published airfares. From Los Angeles (LAX) round trip airfare is averaging $840 in September with Chicago (ORD) and New York (JFK) both coming in at $1000. Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City are very reasonable, and the rest of the country offers even better discounts for travelers in September. 4-star hotels in Ho Chi Minh City can be had for $38/night while even a 5-star such as the Hotel Nikko comes in at a bargain price of $155/night. Don’t Miss Savings: All of it. Airfare, hotels, ground transport and land tours in Vietnam are a good value in high season. In the shoulder season, the deals are simply out of this world! Bank on Belize Here’s the truth about beautiful, tropical Belize. There’s a dry season and rainy season. Tourists come during the dry season. The deals are all to be found in the wet season. Since we’re all about good value, we’re here to tell you that Belize in the rainy season is nothing to shake a stick at. Similar to Hawaii’s climate in the summer, rain showers are usually short and intermittent during the day, and do not hamper most people’s vacations. It is hurricane season in September and October, so the weather certainly can occasionally cause more significant problems. Overall, the effects are isolated to the more remote parts of southern Belize, where there are much fewer tourists. Airfare from major U.S. gateways into Belize City is very reasonable in September. Fares average about 30% off published high season rates. From Los Angeles in September you can book roundtrip airfare for about $550, from Chicago the rates average about $799 and from New York (LGA) you’ll pay about $650 round trip. Hotels and resorts all over Belize offer extremely discounted rates starting at around $75, depending on which part of the country you’d like to visit and what activities are the focus of your trip. Popular tourist areas include San Ignacio, Caye Caulker and Palcencia. Don’t-Miss Savings: Up to 30% off airfares, deep discounts on hotels and tour operators. Chilling Out in Laidback Goa, India If you’re a more seasoned international traveler who enjoys a top-notch beachy destination, and you’re looking to avoid the crowds, you could do a lot worse than Goa. Sure going in the off-season means you might get some afternoon showers, but a rainstorm in Goa is a beautiful thing. Historically known for its hedonistic nightlife, in recent years the destination taken a turn for the more sedate and relaxing even when high season is in full swing, so plan for a much more laid back trip in the off-season. Goa is also a fabulous introduction to India if you’re unsure if you can handle the sensory overload of India’s Northern provinces. Off-season runs roughly from late Spring to September, but by traveling at the tail end of this period you’ll avoid the suffocating heat. The biggest drawback is the potential for some rain showers, but repeat visitors know that it’s a worthwhile tradeoff to get the tour discounts and hotel rates. You can also expect better service and vendors more willing to haggle to get your tourist dollars. Airfare is moderate to Goa in August and September with major gateways returning average roundtrip rates starting at $1500 from Los Angeles (LAX), or $1000 out of New York (JFK) or Chicago (ORD). But your savings for accommodation is the real jackpot here. North Goa beach resorts on CheapAir are running 50% off high season rates so you can stay at the Grand Hyatt Goa for less than $100/night on average and for around $60 for the popular 4-star Amarante Beach Resort. Even the crown jewel of India’s leisure industry, The Taj Collection of hotels, is selling rooms at 20% off the rack rate – $200/night in August and September. Don’t-Miss Savings: Up to 50% off hotel rates This is truly just a start. Think beyond the same ole, same ole and try something a little more “same same but different” as the saying goes in southeast Asia. You might be pleasantly surprised! *All accommodation prices based on double occupancy #flight

Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 07:22:08 +0000

Save Big on Your Summer Vacation: Six Destinations to Book Right - TopicsExpress

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