A Favorite From Inishmore

Dramatic Irish eye candy from Inishmore, Aran Islands.

Win A Trip For Two To The Virgin Islands

Click here to enter and be the lucky winner who will receive a trip for two to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Spend 4 nights/5 days relaxing in the natural beauty of St. John.

Rocco Forte Luxury Summer European Deals & Steals

Here's an uber luxe travel deal & steal...up to 1/3 off when you stay 3 nights or more at The Rocco Forte Collection. Click here to check availability at 12 luxe properties during the European Summer Escape. Remember to say, slightly north of worth...avenue sent you.
slightly north of worth...avenue deals & steals travel has your favorite destinations - and some you may not have known about - at great prices. What are you waiting for. Pack your bag, grab your passport and let's go!

Free Mobile Apps From Trip Advisor

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And COMING SOON...TripAdvisor for Android
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This app is a great travel companion. Use it along with slightly north of worth...avenue travel deals & steals.

Italian Beaches Minus Heat,High Prices And Crowds

Sorrento

Capri, where Jackie O. wore capris on the beach and brought them to the states in 1959.

Amalfi
May is a great month for the Italian beaches minus the summer heat, high prices and throngs of tourists. Bellisimo! And don't miss slightly north of worth...avenue deals & steals travel for luxe travel deals.

Enter Here To Win 5 Nights In Bali

Count me in! Grab that passport and pack your bag...make sure you enter to win a trip to Bali! You can find this and other fab destinations at slightly north of worth...avenue deals & steals travel.

Enter To Win 5 Free Nights In Turks & Caicos + Shopping Spree

Be sure to enter the luxe Table Hotel sweepstakes for 5 nights in the Turks & Caicos plus a $2000 shopping spree at Kate Spade. Booyah!

Check out all the luxe travel discounts at slightly north of worth...avenue travel deals & steals.

Don't Miss Trip Advisor's Worldwide Dirtiest Hotels List

Dirtiest Hotels - United States
(based on TripAdvisor traveler reviews)
1. Heritage Marina Hotel, San Francisco, California
2. Days Inn Eureka/Six Flags, Eureka, Missouri
3. Tropicana Resort Hotel, Virginia Beach, Virginia
4. Super 8 Virginia Beach/At the Ocean, Virginia Beach, Virginia
5. Quality Inn, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
6. New York Inn, New York City, New York
7. Parisian Hotel & Suites, Miami Beach, Florida
8. Capistrano Seaside Inn, Capistrano Beach, California
9. Desert Lodge, Palm Springs, California
10. Continental Oceanfront Hotel South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida

Dirtiest Hotels - Europe
(based on TripAdvisor traveler reviews)
1. Grosvenor Hotel, Blackpool, United Kingdom
2. Villaggio Club Porto Ainu, Budoni, Italy
3. Park Hotel, London, United Kingdom
4. Boston Court Hotel, London, United Kingdom
5. Cromwell Crown, London, United Kingdom
6. Dam Hotel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
7. Corbigoe Hotel, London, United Kingdom
8. Earls Court Gardens Hotel, London, United Kingdom
9. Blair Victoria & Tudor Inn Hotel, London, United Kingdom
10. Minster Hotel, York, United Kingdom

Dirtiest Hotels - Asia
(based on TripAdvisor traveler reviews)
1. Phi Phi Don Chukit Resort, Ko Phi Phi Don, Thailand
2. Raj Residency, Chennai (Madras), India
3. Goldkist Beach Resort, Singapore, Singapore
4. Mahkota Hotel Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia
5. Centaur Hotel, IGI Airport, New Delhi, India
6. Tatami Hampton Hotel, Hong Kong, China
7. Pearl of the Pacific Boracay Resort & Spa, Boracay, Philippines
8. First Hotel Bankok, Bangkok, Thailand
9. Seri Costa Hotel-Resort, Melaka, Malaysia
10. Royal Peacock Hotel, Singapore, Singapore

You Can Find Me Hanging Out In The Fancy Airline Loo!

In today's ever competitive travel world, Oman Air has unveiled an aircraft loo that could be claimed one of the poshest in the business.
It's reported that the toilet for the First Class cabin on the airline's brand new A330-300 features a bidet. Ok, that's nifty.
But get this, the WC – located behind the cockpit and accessible to the pilot and First Class passengers only - has luxury flooring that has been designed to imitate a sandy beach. Who came up with that gimmick? I guess with Emirates having onboard showers, well...gotta think of something that sets you apart. Personally, though, if I want the beach under my feet, I'll go to the beach!

And, in keeping with the airline's Omani roots, the toilet features Amouage-branded amenities such as hand wash, hand lotion and cologne.
Oman Air has seven A330 aircraft on order at a cost of around $100-150 million each, three of which (A330-300s) boast the brand new First Class cabin and product.
The First Class Suite features a 82-inch long, fully-flat bed within a pitch of 85.5 inches, a seat width of 25.5 inches and in-seat gadgets such as an eight-point massage system, a 23-inch in-flight entertainment monitor with wireless handset and various USB, Ethernet and power plugs.
The brand new three-class A330-300s will operate European routes, starting with Paris and London in December.
Starting in January, guests in all cabins on board all of the new A330 series aircraft will be able to use their mobile phones and have access to wifi. Sounds like a sweet ride!

Tablet Hotel/Virgin Enter To Win

The Emerald Isle's Beauty

Nobu, Gordon Ramsay, Tuscany,Sardinia and Cape Town Oh My

In the food world...this month, Gordon Ramsay will be opening a new restaurant at Castel Monastero in the breathtaking Ombrone Valley of Tuscany. The uber luxe hotel's 1000 year old walls were once home to Siena's noble Chigi Saracini family. Check out the hotel's special offers.

Also opening this month, his new restaurant at Forte Village, Sardinia.

Take advantage of the intro specials at the uber luxe One and Only Cape Town in the center of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. With the only Nobu and Gordon Ramsay restaurant on the continent, pay for three nights and get a complimentary night - this includes daily breakfast at "maze" by Gordon Ramsay.

Insider tip - dine like a rock star by reserving private dining at the Chef's Table.

For this and many other uber luxe travel offerings, go to slightly north of worth...avenue deals and steals travel.

The Clarence Guinness Package-Ready For U2!

The Clarence Guinness Package...celebrates the 250 year anniversary of Guinness and The Clarence is offering a Special Summer deal valid from June – September 2009.
Rate includes:

• Overnight accommodation for 2 persons sharing


• 2 tickets for The Guinness Storehouse tour


• Complimentary Pint of Guinness in The Storehouse Gravity bar
  

Combine this with a tour of Ireland and the upcoming U2 concerts...you have the best summer ever. Booyah!

BTW, the Guinness at the Storehouse Gravity bar is the BEST Guinness the world!

Penninsula Summer Offers

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."-- St. Augustine.

Now until 15 September 2009, uber luxe Penninsula Hotels is offering Summer Splendour specials with the following benefits:

• Special room rates

• Daily breakfast for two

• US$ 100 hotel credit

• A gift certificate for a complimentary night's stay at any Peninsula Hotel
You have some great destinations to choose from including, the famous Hong Kong Penninsula (with a fleet of Rolls Royces at your disposal), Manila, Beijing, Tokyo, Bangkok, Beverly Hills, Chicago and New York.

And the Penninsula Paris will debut in 2012, where else, along the Champs Elysees just off the Arc de Triomphe. Mon dieu!

Where's The Common Sense?

You have to be kidding me. Just when you think you've seen everything, think again...

"APPENZELL, Switzerland (AP) - Voters in the heart of the Swiss Alps on Sunday passed legislation banning naked hiking after dozens of mostly German nudists started rambling through their picturesque region. The reactions of the population have shown that such appearances over a large area are perceived as thoroughly disturbing and irritating," the government said in a statement."

"Disturbing and irritating"...duh, I should say so. Not to mention being a major affront to my senses. And that is stated much more politically correct than what I'm really thinking - plain and simple - we don't want to see the junk in your trunk!

OMG, thank goodness for the Swiss voters with some common sense. Aside from the fact that most people are not a pretty sight, even when fully clothed and stationary, I certainly don't want to see them hiking naked. And it goes without saying that it wouldn't be good looking, buff folks doing this or, for that matter, anyone with half a brain.

When I hike in the beauty of the Alps it is to see mother nature's natural wonders and I don't mean jiggling fat globules with friction rash. Yuck! That's the last thing I want to have to worry about on a narrow and dangerous Alpine trail. Oh, the absolute horror!

Let me just worry about normal hiking issues, like getting attacked by a mountain goat, falling off a cliff or running out of protein bars.

Is everyone an attention whore nowadays? Where have brain cells and common sense gone? It's just one more thing to worry about in this crazy world.

Worst Types Of Travelers According To Frommers. Classic!

Every day I receive a multitude of travel emails and I just have to share this gem from, Frommer's. With travel season about to get into full gear, it seems particularly appropriate. I love to travel but loving my fellow travelers...not so much. As my dear mother so eloquently put it, "You can't buy class. No matter how much money you have, it's something you are born with!" How true.

So, please, all you tacky, ignorant, rude, stupid people...don't embarrass the rest of us and make our trips miserable. There is nothing worse than witless, uneducated travelers always saying , "It's better at home; it's not done like this at home, blah, blah, blah." I have been subjected to these types, complain, complain, complain about everything, from the fish/shrimp having the heads on, to the coffee/beer being too strong and so unlike their usual swill at home. Duh, you aren't home and the whole point of traveling is to broaden your horizons with other cultures. Note to self...read and educate yourself about your destination and always be respectful of the traditions of your host country. Otherwise, do us all a favor, stay home!

By Christopher ElliottTribune Media ServicesApril 16, 2009
"Are tourists destroying tourism?
The ones Bob Menconi saw on the lido deck of the Celebrity Solstice were -- one heaping plateful at a time.
At the megaship's all-you-can-eat buffet lunch, they piled slices of pizza, grilled fish, and coconut flan on their trays like it was their last meal. "I was amazed," says Menconi, who owns a framing business in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. "It was to the point where it was falling off the side. It was the dumbest thing."
Dumb on more than one level, actually.
It's not just that the passengers had as many shots at the buffet line as they wanted. It's that the morsels going overboard collectively represented a titanic waste of resources, which must have been more than a little embarrassing for a cruise line that prides itself on its environmental record. Not only did these passengers leave their manners and common sense on shore; they were also selfish gluttons.
What is it with travelers today?
Rachel Harrison recently overheard a guest at a Tampa, Fla., hotel order a veggie burger "medium rare."
Michael Dillon saw one airline passenger drop her bags off at a check-in kiosk and walk away. "She thought someone would pick them up for her," he remembers.
Michelle Bell heard a passenger ask why it was necessary to stay on the ship in Antarctica. "Couldn't they just get a hotel?" she wanted to know.
You can't make this stuff up. But are these tourists sinking an entire industry? The correct answer is: they are -- and they aren't.
No, not all travelers. Most of us still pack our sound judgment and good manners when we go on vacation. And most of us will continue to do so, especially after reading this column.
But there are a few annoying exceptions, and they're hurting travel in ways you probably don't know. Here are five types of travelers who fit that category:
1. The Stupid Tourist
With the possible exception of a Caribbean all-inclusive resort, you won't find a more impressive collection of brain donors than on a cruise. Never mind the buffet line. Once these passengers set sail, they belly up to the bar, get blitzed, and act like ... well, drunken sailors. Some of them jump overboard, too. Our friends at the Website Cruisejunkie keep a list of cruise and ferry passengers who fell off a ship. Since 1995, there have been more than 100 documented cases. How many of them involved passengers having one drink too many and then doing their best Kate Winslet impersonation? Like you have to ask.
2. The Rude Visitor
I live in Orlando, which has more than its fair share of discourteous tourists. These vacationers cut in line, drive like teenagers and the words "please" and "thank you" aren't in their vocabulary. When I lived in the Florida Keys, the locals had a saying: "If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?" But one city has figured out a better way of punishing the unmannered masses. Bars and restaurants in Venice have three price lists: one for locals, the other for visitors, and a third for rude tourists. So if you're Italian, a croissant and a cappuccino might cost €3.50, but if you order in English, and are impolite, you have to pay seven.
3. The Obnoxious American
Let me be clear on this point: I'm an American, and I love my country. My countrymen? Not necessarily. I've spent nearly half my life overseas, and I've seen some of my fellow citizens behaving so boorishly that I cringed when someone asked where I was from. ("Me? Uh, I'm Canadian.") Obnoxious Americans are loud, demanding, arrogant and insensitive to local culture. I was relieved to learn we aren't the worst. A recent survey found that the French, Indian, and Chinese tourists ranked even more obnoxious than us, while Japanese were considered the best tourists.
4. The Absent-Minded Vacationer
These are the ones who get left behind at the gate because they didn't know they needed a passport for an international trip. They don't call to confirm their flight and miss it because it was rescheduled. They don't pay attention to where they parked their car at Disney World and then wander around the property after dark, hoping to stumble upon their rental. I'll be the first to admit that I've forgotten where I parked or didn't call to confirm my flight. And I think there's something about being on the road -- you're out of your element -- that turns you into a little bit of a ditz. The problem is when you try to blame everyone but yourself. I've seen tourists accuse their travel agents or cruise line of ruining their vacation because they weren't told about a visa requirement. But securing the proper paperwork is solely your responsibility.
5. The Time Traveler
They call flight attendants "stewardesses" and ask what's on the in-flight menu. The answer, unless they're sitting in first class, is a glare -- and peanuts. Time travelers are either unaware that the airline industry was carelessly deregulated in 1978, or they're in denial. These passengers don't make themselves look bad as much as they point out how far we've fallen since then. Only the most rabid airline apologist would argue that flying is a better experience today than it was three decades ago. Time travelers are a constant reminder of the sad decline of America's airlines. But if you're an optimist, they also help us see what air travel could one day become again.
So how are these tourists damaging travel? When an inebriated tourist trashes your cabin on a spring break cruise, you can put a price on it. But when that passenger goes ashore in a foreign port and makes all Americans look like xenophobic elitists, it costs us in ways that are difficult to quantify, but no less real.
People who make unreasonable demands on the system raise the cost of travel for everyone, because we'll be paying for the army of lawyers the travel company must hire to defend itself from frivolous claims.
And passengers who live in the past? They interfere with an airline's ability to make money in the future, because they raise our expectations, and hopes, for a better travel industry. How dare they!"
Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic.

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Rocco Forte Newest Offering

Always a snow favorite, Rocco Forte Collection's newest creation, The Augustine in Prague, is taking bookings for 14 May onwards. Created from a set of seven buildings, including the 13th century St Thomas's Monastery, The Augustine's beautiful historic features have been restored and crafted into the hotel's design. It is located conveniently in the picturesque Malá Strana district, with 101-bedrooms, including 16 suites, The Augustine boasts magnificent views of Prague Castle, St Thomas's Church and monastery courtyard. Always innovative and luxurious, this Rocco Forte property offers a serene spa and hamam, cutting edge gym, the choice of two original bars and The Monastery restaurant.

Even better, check out their 3 for 2 specials!

Polo a la Frozen St Moritz Lake

Make plans, 29 January to 1 February 2009 for The Cartier World Cup on Snow on frozen Lake St. Moritz. It is the world’s most prestigious polo tournament and will certainly give you the opportunity to see top-class polo. Every year about 22,000 visitors are fascinated by this elegant, fast and uniquely beautiful and aesthetic game. Look out for teams representing Cartier, Brioni, Maybach and Julius Bär, to many events and the anniversary gala!

Until next time...

Where Is uber boudica?

We are definitely "slightlynorthofworth...avenue" and it is breathtaking! The phone and internet have been a bit touch and go but sometimes being out of touch is a good thing.

Flying over the Matterhorn, with the sun rising, is a sight that will forever be imprinted in my brain. It was so spectacular that it didn't look real.

A far cry from celebrating the holidays in 80+ degree weather, Santa's sleigh is sure to find us in these beautiful mountains, although, our ultimate destination is St. Moritz for the holidays.

Some of our latest eye candy...

Matterhorn/Zermatt

Klosters/Davos which is also home to the World Economic Forum.

Megeve

Couvchevel/Le Praz

Until next time...

Party Like The Irish For The New Year!

I can't deny it...I absolutely love Ireland and look for any excuse to visit. Here are some reasons...

U2's Bono and the Edge's hotel endeavor, The Clarence, has some fabulous holiday and winter specials.

The 2 night New Year's Eve package includes:
a full Irish breakfast
VAT
5 course New Year's Eve dinner for 2
a glass of champagne with dinner
live music for New Year's Eve partying

Mr. snow and I are there if U2 is the entertainment!

The Clarence Shop and Rock package, part of the the Dublin Winter Retreat Series, is available until 28 February 2009.

Included are:

a full Irish breakfast

a Clarence Cosmo upon arrival

complimentary newspaper

Dublin is a great city to visit and strolling (and shopping) along Grafton Street during the holiday will put you in the spirit.

A "must visit" is Lillie's Bordello night club, Dublin's most renowned club. It is very luxurious, stylish and private. To gain membership you must have references from two existing members plus fork over some cash. We were fortunate, after the U2 concert in 2005, to be able to enjoy the club's exclusivity since I had contacted them prior to our trip. BTW, it is also a hangout of some members of another uber boudica fav music group, The Corrs. Tell them slightly north of worth...avenue sent you. It is an experience you will remember!
Until next time...