If chocolate and a cheap stuffed animal won't cut it for your valentine this year, try whisking your baby away to Puerto Rico for a last-minute Valentine's Day vacation.
Travelzoo is offering a deal where you'll get four nights at a hotel and round-trip airfare for $399. But you have to jump on this, since the sale ends today at midnight, EST.]]>
Update 9:10am, January 13: We have added a gallery of TwitPics of the devastation after the jump, including shots of the remains of the Presidential Palace.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near Haiti's capital city of Port-au-Prince today. Details are just beginning to emerge but there is no doubt this is a catastrophic event. There are reports that a hospital has collapsed and the damage is just now beginning to be assessed. The quake could be felt as far away as Cuba and is said to have lasted for over a minute.
Many news outlets are reporting that a tsunami warning has been issued, however the Tsunami Warning Center page appears to show that a Caribbean sea watch was actually recently cancelled. There is no indication that a tsunami has been generated and data suggests there is no threat of one, according to the USGS. ]]>
We never thought we'd utter these words, but we really wish had an ex like Simon Cowell. Apparently, the American Idol judge andX-Factor producer has asked his ex-girlfriends Sinitta, Jackie St. Clair and Terri Seymour to join him on a private yacht in the Caribbean for Christmas. Terri hasn't confirmed whether or not she's going, but Sinetta can't wait. She recently told The Mirror, "I'm going to join [Simon] in Antigua. The best thing is that he has his own chef as he can't cook." Sounds good to us.
It won't be as much fun as it sounds for Simon though. His mother will be along for the trip so that may put a damper on any male fantasies he was having, plus he's still in negotiations with ITV, the UK company that produces The X-Factor over his salary. He's reportedly looking for £2million an episode to continue doing the show. A source explained to The Mirror, "Cowell wants to forget about the show for a few weeks but it's much on his mind. As much as it irritates everyone, he will be glued to his BlackBerry to check what ITV are offering."
If you want to invite an ex on a private Caribbean yacht vacation this Christmas, BVI Family Yacht Charters has crewed sail boats and yachts available year round. The inclusive trips start at $6,900 for a one bedroom (plus 10% during the holidays).
Related Stories:
· How Many Of Your Ex-Boyfriends Do THIS? [Perez Hilton]
· Simon Cowell hires Xmas yacht in Caribbean with mum and ex-girlfriends [Monsters and Critics]
· Celeb Travel Coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Bitten and Bound] ]]>
Want to ring in the New Year by helping the world without sacrificing the necessary creature comforts? Puntacana Resort & Club in the Dominican Republic recently announced the launch of their first voluntourism package which allows guests to participate in the island’s annual bird count with Dr. André Dhondt from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
Guests staying at Tortuga Bay and The Puntacana Hotel between Dec. 28 and Jan. 2 will be invited to partake in the yearly census of more than 25 indigenous bird species native to the Dominican Republic. The annual count is crucial to monitoring and protecting the health of the island's birds. Hotel guests will also have the opportunity to join Dr. Dhondt for lectures and tours of the resort grounds, including exclusive access to the resort’s beautiful Ecological Reserve. ]]>
We're still adding to our list of the world's most dangerous airports. Know a stomach dropping, palm sweat inducing airport we should check out? Send it along.
Thanks to a reader tip, we zoomed our Google Maps eyes down on the tiny Cane Field Airport (DCF) on Dominica, an island in the Caribbean between Guadeloupe and Martinique. Because of the mountainous terrain of the island, the runway was constructed directly alongside the beach. That might sound picturesque, but with crosswinds threatening to dump you in the drink, in addition to a steep approach, it gets to be quite harrowing.
Now, Cane Field is one of two airports on this small island, the other being Melville Hall. However Cane Field is the smaller of the two, mainly used for island hopping, private jets, and the like. With a runway only 3,100' long, it's easy to see why. You will catch the occasional American Airlines or LIAT planes landing at the nearby Melville Hall, but it's Cane Field that holds the most suspense for incoming flights.
Now add to this the fact that both airports on Dominica have no lights for nighttime flights, and the stakes are upped. Better hope that you're not landing on the island on an usually dark and stormy day!
Related Stories:
· Melville Hall Airport [Wikipedia]
· World's Most Dangerous Airports: Saint Barthélemy [Jaunted]
· World's Most Dangerous Airports [Jaunted]
[Photo: Google Maps]]]>
Apparently the D-Jeet didn't listen to our warnings about one of the World's Most Dangerous Airports, that of the Caribbean island St. Barths, since he and girlfriend Minka Kelly are busy celebrating the Yankees' World Series win with a little swimming on the island beloved by the rich and famous.
According to the NY Post, Derek Jeter and Kelly were spotted arriving to Saint Barthélemy over the weekend, and then they promptly holed up in a beach house, so now news on what exclusive hotel. We wonder how white Jeter's knuckles got during the heart-stopping landing, one that takes the plane almost right onto the beach before you've even got your swimsuit on.
Truthfully though, we much prefer St. Barths over New York nightclub 1OAK for a World Series celebration; maybe next time Jeter will invite us along so that we can comfort him during the scary final approach.
Related Stories:
· Jeter Having A Beach Ball [NY Post]
· Derek Jeter Lays One Down in St. Barths [TMZ]
· The Yankees Just Won The World Series, And This Is Where They Went [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel stories [Jaunted]
[Photo: Fame Pictures/NY Post] ]]>
We're still adding to our list of the world's most dangerous airports. Know a stomach dropping, palm sweat inducing airport we should check out? Send it along.
The French island of Saint Barthélemy in the Caribbean might be the winter playground of the rich and famous, but unless you arrive via private yacht or boat charter, all the gobs of money in the world can't save you from enduring the white-knuckled landing on the short airstrip at St. Barth's Gustaf III/St. Jean Airport (SBH).
The concrete runway begins at the base of slight hill, and goes for only 2,100 feet before landing right on St. Jean's beach and the harbor of the island's second largest town. Sunbathers can totally lie out right next to the sand strip at the end of the runway, this it's a hugely popular plane spotting destination for those who enjoy small, prop planes. You see, because of the itty-bitty airport and runway size, major flights must land at the neighboring island of St. Maarten, where they have a big, modern airport. From there, the Barths-bound folks either jump aboard a ferry or hop a WINAIR, Air Caraïbes, and St-Barth Commuter flight in planes usually holding twenty or less passengers.
An airplane crashes, after the jump.]]>
