Vacations & Travel Products

Coming soon, my reviews on San Andres Island (Columbia) & Costa Rica.

PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC my vacation review.

MAYAN RIVIERA, MEXICO my vacation review.

http://www.debbiescaribbeanresortreviews.com Debbie's Caribbean Resort Reviews from actual tourists. These reviews are placed in the order they were received, not the date order of the vacations. Some have links to pictures. Central America & less well known vacation spots are often covered.

http://www.tripadvisor.com Trip Advisor has lots of hotel reviews from actual tourists, although it doesn't seem to cover Central America or some of the less well known vacation spots. These reviews are ordered by date for vacation which can help you see the most recent ones easily.

http://www.tripcentral.ca Trip Central is a logically laid out web site that I found very helpful, by a Hamilton Ontario Canada travel agent. It was a much better site & a bit less expensive than most of these so called last minute sell off sites (though better prices are available elsewhere), plus it gives total prices (including taxes & departure fees) so you aren't fooled into thinking the price is cheaper than it really is.

http://www.selloffvacations.com SellOffVacations.com is another Canadian travel agent with a useful web site & pretty good prices too, but it can be a bit confusing. Click on "Discount packages" if that is what you want, then choose the destination airport. Initial prices don't include taxes, but after you click on more information it will tell you the total price.

CONSUMER MINI DV CAMCORDERS

MASKS & SNORKELS tested & compared.

WATERPROOF STILL CAMERAS

INSULATED MUGS: If you're going on an all inclusive vacation, many folks recommend bringing a large insulated mug for your drinks. The tiny disposable cups they give you at the bar don't keep your drink cold for long on a hot beach & soon require a return to the bar (wait in line) for a refill. Canadians can pick up an extra large insulated mug at Tim Horton's donuts for $4.69 which includes a coffee.

KODAK HIGH DEFINITION FILM: Kodak is marketing a new film they call HD for High Definition. The claim is that it has noticeably less grain than other films with the same ASA rating & that it is clearer or more sharp. Judging by the TV & other advertising, I had high expectations, but I was disappointed with this film. When scanning the negative of the Kodak HD film using a professional Nikon 4000 DPI scanner & comparing it with Fuji Superia film, I could see little difference in grain levels on much of the picture including light blue sky. Only on medium dark blue sky did I see an improvement in grain. I also didn't see any different in edge transition sharpness, which would indicate that this film is not higher definition, just slightly reduce grain in some colors. I believe Kodak's claim are somewhat misleading when they say "Clearer, more vibrant pictures." "Clearest pictures from any 400 ASA speed film." "Excellent sharpness and fine grain." May 24/2004

HEPATITIS A & B: A pharmaceutical company has been running television ads aimed at Canadians (age 18 & up) going abroad on vacation. What they recommend is that you protect yourself from Hepatitis A & B infections by getting a series of Twinrex vaccinations. The second shot is administered 1 month after the first shot & the third booster shot is 6 months after the first shot. Supposedly this protects adults from Hepatitis A & B for the rest of your life. The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) does not cover the cost of the prescription, though your doctor might not charge you extra to administer the 3 shots (mine didn't charge). Wal-Mart pharmacy charges $149.23 if you pick up all three vials of Twinrex at the same time (must be kept in your refrigerator until needed), or they'll charge you $166.26 total if you pick the vials up at 3 separate times. You can also go to your local public health travel clinic (in our area Middlesex London Health Unit) for $255. total (3 X $65. per shot, plus $30. admin fee for the first visit & $15. each for 2nd & 3rd visit), which would save you the extra trip to the doctor for the prescription & having to keep the prescription in the refrigerator, but you often have to book an appointment a couple weeks ahead & you'll pay over $100. more. I also located a private travel clinic (The London Travel Clinic) that charged $264.53 total ($40. administration fee + $10. to give the 1st shot & $25. for 2nd & 3rd visit = $100., plus $164.53 for the 3 Twinrex prescriptions if you purchased them at the same time at the pharmacy in the doctors building). Hepatitis is a disease characterized by inflammation of and injury to the liver. Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) is a highly contagious disease & the main one you need to be concerned about when going out of the country, but it is rarely fatal. It is also called infectious hepatitis. Hepatitis A is extremely common in less developed countries (like the Caribbean). Outbreaks often occur due to unsanitary conditions, such as contamination of food or the water supply. One third of Americans have evidence of past HAV infection. Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is the best-known form of viral hepatitis. It can be severe and often develops into chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. HBV is spread by close personal or sexual contact with an infected person, or by exposure to infected blood. Hepatitis B is not spread through food or water or by casual contact. It once was commonly transmitted through transfusions of contaminated blood, but that is seldom a problem in developed countries because they screen for this virus. 5% of the North American population will get infected by HBV sometime in their lifetime. November 29/2003

SUN TANNING BOOTHS: While there is much evidence that over use or inappropriate use of sun tan booths can cause skin cancer & eye damage, it is my opinion that common sense, small exposure use of a sun tan booth before heading south in the winter can prevent sun burns & reduce skin cancer. My wife & I get a tan booth for 1/2 or 1/4 a dose (5 - 10 minutes) every other day for at least two weeks before heading south on vacation. What this does is stimulate the body's melanin to rise up to the surface. Melanin is the body's natural sun protector, but it takes two days for it to rise to the surface & at least a couple weeks to get a good protection base of melanin that will start to protect you. We are not interested in looking tanned when we go on vacation, but we are interested in gently pre tanning to minimize the chance of getting a sun burn while on vacation in the middle of winter. It really works, try it. Make sure you keep your eyes tightly closed & wear UV eye protection, as Ultra Violet can cause cataracts. Read the exposure charts for the tanning booth you are using (usually posted on the machine) & don't exceed the recommendation or you will get sun burned. Purchase a tanning package that allows you to use exactly the number of minutes recommended & avoid those packages that force you to tan in 10 or 20 minute blocks when you might only need 3 or 5 minutes at first.

POLARIZED SUN GLASSES: I'm a really big fan of polarized sun glasses for vacations & for driving because they are the only type of sun glass that actually cuts the glare off of shinny surfaces on a sunny day. Not only does this make it easier & safer to see, but the glare reduction also enhances the saturation of colors, which makes viewing more pleasurable. Photographers often use a polarized filter over their lens to achieve more saturated colors. Polarized sun glasses aren't expensive & can be purchased in the eyewear or sporting goods section of department stores. Fishermen often wear polarized sun glasses because it cuts the reflection off water on a sunny day, so they can more easily see under the water. Most polarized sun glasses are made from plastic instead of glass, so they are easily scratched if you set them face down on the dashboard.

READ THE FINE PRINT: When you book an all-inclusive or cruise vacation, reading the fine print can save you some grief. For example most charter packages are 100% non-refundable & you can't have a substitute person go in your place, which is a good reason to buy your tickets at the last possible date, or have trip cancellation & trip interruption insurance (some credit cards cover this). Some airlines resell your seat to stand-by travelers, without a refund to you if you don't check in 30 - 60 minutes before the flight (this is mentioned in the fine print). Make sure you have all the correct documentation & vaccinations so you can get into the country you're going to, otherwise you won't get a refund. Don't just read the fine print from the travel agent literature, also read the hotel & airline web site to see if they reveal any conflicting information in the fine details. Your travel agent's wholesaler brochure (i.e. Sunquest) might tell you the hotel is a 5 star, when other wholesalers rate it as a 4 or 4 1/2 star. The brochure might show a picture of a large room with two double or queen size beds & the fine print might reveal a much smaller room with single beds. Unmet expectations are the biggest source of disappointment, so make sure you know what to expect by reading the fine print.

FUJIFILM SUPERIA: Recently I switched film brands to the Fuji SUPERIA X-TRA 35mm negative film for prints (400 ASA) & I am quite impressed by it. Not only am I more impressed with the accuracy of the colour, but when using the professional Nikon negative/slide 4000 DPI scanner, I discovered why this film is so good. The Fuji Superia film has really good gamma & gamut linearity between the red, green & blue channels (very accurate colors), which is something I haven't noticed on any other print & slide films. I would highly recommend this consumer film. Fuji Superia is widely available & is very inexpensive when purchased in packages of several films at stores like Wal-Mart ($15.47 CDN for 6 rolls of 24 exposures). It comes in 100 & 200 ASA (IOS) versions called Superia, as well as 400 & 800 ASA (IOS) versions called Superia X-TRA which is a faster higher speed film. If you take mostly outdoor pictures in bright light or have a powerful flash, buy the 100 or 200 ASA version (I now use the 200 ASA version) as it will have less grain (good for very big enlargements) & it will survive security X-ray machines a little better than the 400 & 800 ASA films. It's also available in a premium 100 ASA version called Superia Reala for portraits & more serious photographers, but I'm told this version should be refrigerated. Regular Fuji film & Black's film (which is made by Fuji) does not use the 4 layer color technology that is used in the Fuji SUPERIA film, so make sure it says SUPERIA on the packaging. November 10/2002

BUXTON SUITCASES: In January 2003 I purchased a large 27" upright Buxton suitcase (model C0165 S2) that also came with a small 15" shoulder tote bag. It was on a store opening special at Wal-Mart for $39.96 CDN. Recently I took the suitcase on it's first trip & I discovered after the flight that the vinyl plastic interior edging & facing was smashed in dozens of pieces. At first I blamed Skyservice Airlines for their brutal treatment of my luggage (& they were brutal with it), but then I discover that the vinyl plastic interior was as fragile as eggshells. I did check a more expensive model of Buxton suitcase & the vinyl plastic interior edging & facing was not brittle in that model. Be sure to twist & tweak your suitcase components for durability before buying, especially if it's on sale, it might be a bad batch that they are trying to sell rather than dump in the garbage. June 18/2003

WASHINGTON D.C.: Washington D.C. has got to be one of the most tourist unfriendly places I have ever been. In August & September 2002 my wife & I spent several days vacationing in Washington D.C. & discovered it definitely isn't easy to get around (very bad signage), isn't friendly, isn't reasonably priced & the outer subway system has no parking left on weekdays after about 7:30 am. There are a lot of tourist attractions in Washington, but very little thought is put into making it a pleasant visit for tourists. Since September 11/2001, the White House has been closed for public tours because of terrorism threats, so instead, they have a building a few blocks away with photographs of what you would have seen in the White House & they have some dishes. No terrorism value here, yet they still insist on X-raying your cameras. We found that Washington had gone crazy about security, wanting to X-Ray cameras in most public vacation spots (i.e. Smithsonian Museums). High speed film could easily get fogged if a vacationer allowed it to pass through several X-ray machines. Once we got out of Washington D.C. & headed towards Maryland, people got a lot more civilized, sensible & friendly.

ROYAL AIRLINES.

By Doug Hembruff.