News that has caught Chris' eye in the Travel World

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel (25 October, 2017)

Here’s advance news from Lonely Planet's annual best-seller, Best in Travel, which ranks the hottest, must-visit countries, regions and cities for the year ahead. Drawing on the knowledge and passion of Lonely Planet's staff, authors, and online community, it presents a year's worth of inspiration to take travellers out of the ordinary and into the unforgettable in 2018. Published this week in a larger, hardback format, it’s a treat for travel geeks and global nomads like me!

Inside, you'll discover the Top Ten countries, regions and cities - Best value destinations - Best culture trips for families - Best new openings and experiences - Best new places to stay - Top destination races, from walks and marathons to cycles and swims - Top vegetarian destinations - Top small-ship expedition cruises - Best places for cross-generational family trips - Best private islands that everyone can use—and lots more!

So what are the top ten countries for 2018? They are an interesting mix of the expected and the unexpected. South Africa, China, Mauritius, Georgia, Malta, New Zealand and the Horn of Africa mini-state of Djibouti are all there. And the top three are Portugal, South Korea and Chile.

Earth, Wind and Fire…  (18 October, 2017)

The past few weeks have seen Mother Nature throw just about everything at a cluster of destinations favoured by Canadian vacationers. Earthquakes in Mexico, mighty storms in the Caribbean and US Gulf Coast…and now the horrific wild fires in Northern California’s renowned wine country. 

The wind-driven wildfires came as Napa and Sonoma counties were finishing highly anticipated harvests of wine grapes. This week would normally have found workers picking and processing the ripe grapes to make chardonnay and other wines. At least two wineries have been destroyed and many others badly damaged. About 12% of grapes grown in California are in Sonoma, Napa and surrounding counties, but they are the highest value grapes, leading to the highest value wines. So, if you were planning a trip to California’s wine country, make sure you check before you travel and plan your route around the worst effected zones.

Dominica needs our help (11 October, 2017)
 

Hurricane Maria struck Dominica almost a month ago. Dominica is a small island nation of 73,000 people in the Eastern Caribbean and should not be confused with the Dominican Republic, which shares the large island of Hispaniola with Haiti. The storm caused widespread devastation on Dominica. The island was ravaged and left in ruins, damaging or destroying the vast majority of all homes on the island. The damage to infrastructure will likely take several years to recover from. The island’s main hospitals are in ruins, schools are destroyed and the most vulnerable are without medication and proper supplies. While most media interest has focused on Puerto Rico – or has moved on entirely – it is important not to forget the plight of this valiant Caribbean island and its people.

We have not had the privilege of featuring Dominica on the Travel Show but I have personally visited this tropical paradise and loved the experience. It has only a small tourism profile and lacks an international airport supporting direct flights from Canada. However, knowledgeable travellers have recognized it as a haven for adventure travel, hiking, cultural events, festivals, diving, whale watching, canyoning and eco-travel.

Today, while search and rescue continues on Dominica, most of the population is cramped in shelters, with limited food and water. The neighbouring islands are sending aid, but Dominica will need much more to restore itself to the ‘Nature Isle of the Caribbean’ that it once was.

The country is in desperate need of help, specifically any of the following: Tarps – Toiletries - Flashlights/Batteries/Lanterns – Diapers and Sanitary Pads – Towels, Sheets and Pillows – Clothes, both Adult and Baby - Dried and Canned Milk -  and water purification tablets.

The supplies you may be able to provide can be picked up and will be shipped via the efforts being coordinated by the Commonwealth of Dominica Ontario Association office here in Toronto.

Cash Donations are of course also welcome and cheques payable to Dominica Emergency Fund can be mailed to:

The Commonwealth of Dominica Ontario Association
85 Ellesmere Road
P.O. Box 62518
Toronto, ON M1R 5G8.

For more information on how to help go to www.dominicaassociation.com