Car rentals in the tropics

Renting a car is easy. Of course, there will be rental booths at the airport, but there will likely be a rental car agency on site of many of the resorts and hotels. Or, they are just a phone call away and will come to you. There will be international rental agencies (Hertz, Avis, etc.) as well as locals ... one is not preferred over the other.

To rent a car, you need a temporary license. There is no test ... it is just a matter of paying the license fee. The agency will usually handle the licensing arrangements for you.

The rules of the road may require some adjustment (driving on the left side of the road for instance). Most of the roads are paved and are in fair condition. But, they are narrow and often have no shoulders. Sometimes there are stoplights but often roundabouts at intersections (yield to traffic from the right).

It costs more to rent a car in the tropics than in the US with daily rates ranging from around $50 to $90. For a week's rental, you will often receive one free day. Agencies usually offer a selection of compact cars as well as four-wheel drive or open-topped jeeps. The cars are generally in good condition with various options. Be sure to ask for air conditioning!

Car speedometers and road signs are in kilometers. The speed limit in urban areas is generally 40 km per hour. There are no right turns on red.

Sightseeing Tips

Sightseeing and exploring your destination will be highlights of your holiday. What is the best way to take in the sights?

There are essentially three ways to explore.

You can rent a car and be your own tour guide. The freedom and flexibility is the greatest advantage. You can hit a popular spot during off hours and avoid the crowds. The disadvantage will be driving in a foreign country with poor roads and poor maps ... depending on your location you may be driving on the wrong side of the road. If you are an experienced traveler and prefer to make your own adventure, this may be your best choice.

The opposite extreme is to participate in one of the dozens of tours available through your tour desk at your resort. You will be part of a group ... perhaps in an open truck for a jungle tour or a catamaran cruise along the coast. There are a variety of land and sea tours available. Land tours get you right up close and personal with the sights while sea tours offer the added attraction of being on the sea. Charter fishing, snorkeling, and whale and dolphin excursions are also possible. Plan on sitting down with the concierge or activities desk at your resort on your first day and sort through the tours and excursions available to you.

The middle alternative is to arrange for your own personal tour guide for a day. The local cab drivers usually fill this role. This will allow you the flexibility to go precisely where you want when you want and with the security of having a local deal with the roads. You will also avoid the crowds as your group will just be your travel companion(s).

All-Inclusive or European Plan?

All-inclusive or European Plan (room only)? This is always the first question faced by travelers (well, maybe destination choice is the first decision). It is a matter of personal preference and vacation style ... the ease and simplicity (and budgeting) of all inclusive or the freedom to dine when and where one pleases ... which to choose?

The all-inclusive concept is very popular. For one price, the guest pays for room, meals, drinks, and many activities. While this certainly helps with pre-holiday budgeting, there are misconceptions as well.

One misconception is that all-inclusive means less expensive. Not necessarily. Truly budget conscious travelers could spend a lot less dough by doing some of their own cooking and by making savvy restaurant decisions. Other things to think about when selecting an all-inclusive resort: Will it be the same buffet every day? How many restaurants to choose from? Any restrictions on menu selections or choice of restaurant? An advantage of the room-only, "European Plan" (EP) resorts is the freedom to choose an offsite restaurant.

Many consider the complimentary resort activities (entertainment, watersports, etc.) to be an important component of the all-inclusive concept, and they are. But these activities are often complimentary at many EP beachfront resorts as well. At all inclusive resorts tours, sunset cruises, scuba diving, etc usually require an extra payment. Be sure to find out exactly what is included in the base price and what is not!

For many, the simplicity of the all-inclusive resort will remain the best choice. It is still the best way to stay within your budget. Many holidays have been spoiled by unanticipated costs along the way. You need to decide which system best suits your vacation needs.

Now a word about particular destinations and how that may impact the all-inclusive vs EP consideration. Most destinations and even many resorts will allow you to choose which option you prefer. But, some destinations are strongly tilted in one direction or the other. For instance, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic are nearly 100% all-inclusive destinations. Turks and Caicos is nearly 100% European Plan. Barbados with a tourism infrastructure dating to the 1950's has incredible private restaurants and thus the 4-5 star resorts tend to be EP, but there are two local resort groups that offer very attractive all inclusive plans in their mostly three star properties (Almond Resorts and the Elegant Hotels Group).

We welcome any feedback. What is your preference and why?

Carnival Cruise Lines continue to grow

Already the largest cruise line in the world, Carnival has just announced the purchase of two new ships. The Carnival Dream and the Carnival Magic have been commissioned to be built by an Italian shipbuilder. These two ships will be the largest in the Carnival fleet, and will be ready for service in a couple of years.

Carnival already had two other ships under construction with the same shipbuilder. Carnival Freedom will make its debut in March, 2007 while Carnival Splendor is due for completion in the summer of 2008.

In other cruising news, the preliminary indication is that the 2007 winter cruising season (known as the "Wave") has fallen short of projections. Thus, cruise lines are offering special pricing in order to move occupancy levels higher.

Mexico news and notes

Los Cabos popularity grows!

Tourists visited Los Cabos at a record pace last year according to the Los Cabos Tourist Board. A total of 1.3 million visitors arrived at Los Cabos airport aboard a record 20,898 flights. For the whole year, the average occupancy rate at Los Cabos hotels was 70% even though a number of new hotels increased the number of available rooms. The average cost of a Los Cabos hotel room was $201 per night.

The Barcelo Premium La Jolla de Mismaloya Hotel in Puerto Vallarta is in the midst of a multimillion dollar phased upgrade. The most recent phase was a beach restoration project that added 50 feet of beachfront. This is a five star, all inclusive suite resort. All suites have private terraces overlooking Mismaloya Bay. The resort offers sixteen "presidential suites" which feature two bedrooms, a living room with adjacent dining area, two baths and the terrace is larger.

Mazatlan becomes the eighth Mexican destination serviced by Frontier Airlines. Thrice weekly service from Dallas Fort Worth begins June 7th aboard a spacious and comfortable Airbus A319.

Mexico attracting affluent travelers

Mexico tourism revenues were at record breaking levels last year even though numbers of travelers were down slightly owing to the effects of Hurricane Wilma. Rebuilt and refurbished resorts went upscale and attracted a more affluent clientele. According to the Mexico Tourism Board, the nation attracted 21.3 million international visitors last year which was 2.6% less than 2005. But total revenue reached a record $12.2 billion which was 3.2% more than 2005. Visitors spent an average of $710 per person in 2006.

Barbados Concorde Museum

The Concorde flies no more. The fleet originally consisted of fourteen supersonic jets placed in commercial aviation. The decision of the US government that prevented the Concorde from regular service to most US destinations because of the extreme noise of the jets probably doomed the concept from the beginning.

The high speed jets flew at twice the speed of sound or nearly three times faster than normal jets ... that was the attraction. But, the extreme noise generated was irritating. I sat at a Barbados west coast resort having a serene breakfast one day when a screeching Concorde on its final approach to BGI spoiled the moment.

Barbados has always been a premier destination for the rich and famous of the UK. Thus, the high speed transatlantic Concorde flights from London to Barbados were attractive to those who could afford the ticket. Now that the fleet is grounded, one of the Concorde jets has its permanent resting place in a $3.5 million museum at the Grantley Adams Airport in Barbados (BGI) which opened on April 16th.

Barbados was selected over 70 other international applicants. The museum includes a virtual flight school, a departure lounge, an observation deck, an inflight experience, a multimedia presentation and the aircraft itself. The museum will likely become a popular day trip for Barbados tourists.