When visiting the Basque country (an area of Northern Spain and Southern France)….sound like a local by saying “kaixo” instead of “hello”.  Listen below:

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When visiting the entrancing city of Marrakech you are faced with the decision to stay in either a hotel or riad (former mansion turned into a B&B)…if you are looking to relax your stay away poolside with a cocktail in hand, I would go the hotel route…but if you are longing to experience the real Marrakech, definitely stay in a riad.

Once that decision is made then you are faced with the painstaking task of picking which riad you want out of the hundreds Marrakesh has to offer.  Luckily you have me to guide you to the perfect one…Amirat al Jamal.

Set right in the heart of the medina (oldest part of the city), next to the cities most famous landmark, the bustling plaza Jemma el Fna, Amriat Al Jamal is found down a nondescript alleyway.  At first you will be cursing me and wondering why I took you down this dirt floored alley full of stray cats…but don’t judge this alley by its grunge…this area is actually home to some of the cities most stylish residents like Richard Branson.  At the end of the rustic (to put it nicely) alley you will happen upon the riad’s door and once inside you will be in a completely different world, one that is decadent yet authentically Moroccan.

The riad’s Californian owner, Peggy Ward Engh, and her adopted Berber family, instantly make you feel at home with a greeting of mint tea. After being memorized by the beautiful courtyard, more magic waits in Amirat’s five unique guestrooms, each decorated in a different style and full of antiques. 

Once you are ready to venture out of your newly found palace-home, Peggy helps you organize your day and gives expert advice on how to navigate the streets of the medina…and best of all she reveals the secrets to expert Moroccan-style bargaining. Peggy and her staff can also arrange amazing day trips…and if you have the time, they can even organize spending the night with a Berber tribe who live in the Sahara.

At the end of a long day of haggling with vendors, Amirat is the perfect place to relax as the riad has an actual pool in the center courtyard…not one of these bathtub-sized “dipping pools” that most riads have.  There are also two terraces on the roof to rest in…and make sure to have dinner one night on the roof; the view of the Koutoubia Mosque’s Minaret is breathtaking. 

Although Amirat offers super luxurious accommodations, the rooms are in the “affordable luxury” category with prices starting at $200. For more information visit amirataljamal.com

For all you football lovers out there….check out Expedia’s 2009 NFL Pro Bowl packages www.expedia.com/ProBowl ….for as low as $1,546 You Get::

·         Roundtrip air and four nights hotel in Honolulu, HI

·         2009 NFL Blue Club Level ticket to the Pro Bowl

·         Entrance to the official NFL Pro Bowl Tailgate Party and NFL VIP Saturday Night Party

·         VIP Ohana Day Pass to meet and greet NFL players

·         Game day transportation and 2009 Official Pro Bowl Gift Bag

Although I love jeans and wear them practically every day….sometimes I have to make the hard decision to leave my beloved blue friends behind.

If I am traveling for a long time  or on a trip that involves washing clothes while away….that’s usually when Mr. Denim gets ix-nay-ed.  The reason being that denim takes too long to dry, it’s heavy and bulky.

Sorry my dear jeans…I hope this tip does not end our long love affair…

This tune comes from South African singer Khethi….the tune is called “Lady Tupandvi”

Ever listened to a tune that you couldn’t get out of your head?  Well the geniuses at Earworms found that music acts as a catalyst for the memorization of words and anchors new vocabulary deep in your long-term memory. Earworms took this theory and applied it to languages, partnering with Berlitz they developed a series of language learning CDs that have useful phrases set to the rhythm of catchy tunes.

When I first heard the concept I instantly thought of nursery rhymes and instantly decided that as an adult I could not partake in such a silly experiment …but once I heard one of these language “songs” I was swept into the rhythmically enticing world that is Earworms.  The tunes are modern and hip, and the way the phrases are spoken with a hint of melody makes them stick in your head just as if it were the newest pop song on the radio.

Within an hour I was counting to ten, ordering tea and asking where the nearest train station is…all in Japanese.

The best part of this method is that Earworms encourages you not to study and concentrate…the best way to soak in the language via the music method is to sit back and relax to the melodies you hear.

For $25 you get a CD and booklet that includes over 200+ essential words and phrases…they are available at Amazon.com…or can be download at iTunes for $10.

I love the cozy comfort that small boutique hotels offer…but sometimes making the choice to go boutique means leaving behind chain hotel comforts like: a full restaurant, bar, room service, gym etc. So when I stumbled upon a boutique hotel that offered all these comforts at a moderate price…I knew I found a gem.

The gem in question is The Crescent Hotel, a sleek refuge smack in the middle of a designer jungle known as Beverly Hills.  Set only a few blocks from Rodeo drive, the hotel was originally built in the early days of Hollywood as a pied-a-terre for silent film stars. The building has been re-vamped and now houses 35 contemporary, fully-appointed guest rooms, as well as a sleek indoor-outdoor lounge and al-fresco dining courtesy of the their gourmet American restaurant, Boé.

Although rooms start at only $175 (which is cheap for ritzy BH), you receive five star amenities like room service, pre-loaded iPods and a gourmet snack bar in each room, fine Italian linens, and access to the super posh Sports Club LA (for only $25). 

If you are passing through but don’t need a place to stay, the bar is still worth a stop…with it’s eclectic mix of “garden & herb” cocktails, which includes concoctions such as the  ”victoria’s secret garden”…a mix of St. Germain elderflower liquor, fresh garden flowers, and Hangar One citrus vodka.  For more info on this hidden treasure…crescentbh.com

If you are lucky enough to have the month of January available to travel, check out Intrepid’s “Trail of the Dragon” 29 day tour from Bangkok to Hong Kong…..Intrepid is now offering 20% off the tour that departs on January 11, 2009.  Click here for more info….

Be sure to bring at least two pashminas.  They are practical, great for layering, gives you a pop of color and style, and they weigh nothing rolling up tight in your bag.  You always want to pack a pashmina along with other essentials in your carry-on incase your bag is lost.  The pashmina  will keep you warm on the plane and instantly dress up your look when you step off the plane.

This tip was provided by image & design consultant Valerie Burns

Ourexplorer.com is another Travel 2.0 website, which uses the internet to make our ever-shrinking world smaller. The website matches local expert tour guides with eager-to-learn tourists…the concept is so refreshingly simple that it is surprising that no one has thought of it before.

The twist is that anyone can sign-up as a tour guide and name their price…so many of the guides are passionate natives eager to share their local culture, rather than tired-out professional tour companies lacking a personal touch. The downside of this system is that it is definitely buyer-beware, as all you have to make your decision is the guides  profile and previous customer reviews.