Travel trips, tips and tricks
ROBIN ROBINSON Scottsdale is known for its excellent restaurant scene but on a recent press visit, our host suggests something a little different – dinner in the desert. So, about 4 o’clock on a warm afternoon, me and about eight colleagues pile into two shiny black SUVs for a trek in the Sonoran Desert to […]
ROBIN ROBINSON There is no disputing that Canadians LOVE Cuba. Some 1.3 million of us visit the Caribbean island each year. We make up a whopping 40% of Cuba’s foreign visitors. When the deep freeze sets in, we flee to the all-inclusive resorts and sparkling white sand beaches along Cuba’s coastline. In the past, if […]
PAT LEE Cycling is the new golf in Prince Edward Island, or so some have said. Although this might spark a lively debate, the sentiment does speak to the rise in popularity of exploring the postcard-perfect Maritime island on two wheels. And it makes perfect sense with its jewel of the Confederation Trail – part […]
ROBIN ROBINSON ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Disembarking the Viking Star in St. Petersburg, I heard three words that made me do a double-take: “Welcome to Russia.” This was not my first time in Russia and – based on my first visit – the warm welcome at the port was unexpected. About 14 years ago, I […]
PAT LEE What is it about islands? Is it the feeling of seclusion thanks to separation from the mainland or the serenity that comes from being able to see water from many vantage points? Whatever it is, islands tend to have a special vibe, especially if said island is in the Caribbean, only reachable by […]
PAT LEE Chef Jose Andres is tired, but dutifully answering writers’questions about his new restaurant, Fish, at the upscale luxury resort The Cove at Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. But it’s not surprising he’s a little fatigued given that within the last few days the avid diver and fisherman had been out on […]
PAT LEE What if I told you there was a magical land with emerald blue waters, beautiful crescent shaped beaches at the base of majestic volcanic mountains – and chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. So much chocolate, in fact, that you can check into a resort nestled in a cocoa plantation, have a spa […]
PAT LEE The business class lounge for Turkish Airlines at Ataturk Airport is nothing like I’ve ever seen. From a golf simulator, to a theatre, to the Turkish version of pizza pulled out of huge ovens or madeto-order Turkish ravioli, you could spend a good amount of time in the huge, two-level lounge. And while […]
ROBIN ROBINSON Within minutes of landing at Honolulu’s international airport, me and my colleagues are tucking into plates of steaming lau lau – pork handwrapped in taro leaves and slow cooked – at the nearby Highway Inn restaurant. A parade of savoury dishes follows – tangy poi (a Hawaiian staple made from taro root), ahi […]
PAT LEE We’re bouncing along a dusty, rutted path, giddy with excitement at the prospect of seeing wild elephants in Sri Lanka. It’s an opportunity that, while not unexpected, came earlier than planned as our guide got word that “The Gathering” was taking place the next day at nearby Kaudulla National Park. Did we want […]