Sherman's Travel

I’m getting married in less than three weeks [hold for applause]. It’s a destination wedding, which probably merits its own blog post at some point. However, since wedding planning has rendered me unable to put together a string of coherent thoughts, it’s best if I focus on the honeymoon in this post since, well, that’s way less stressful.

Selecting a honeymoon destination requires looking at the trip from several different angles. As you begin to discuss where to decompress after months spent selecting tablecloths and entrée choices, you want to make sure you reach the decision that makes both of you happy. Ultimately, there are only three types of honeymoons. Once you pick which is right for you, the decisions get a lot easier. Read more

I wish I were the type of traveler who could lounge by the beach or pool for seven days and love every minute of it. However, I need a bit of excitement on my vacations or I get bored. When I heard about a zip-line experience in Maui, I was excited to try it for the first time. Even before I left on my trip, I had visions of that zip-lining pig with a pinwheel in the Geico commercial yelling “Mauiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!”

The Skyline Eco-Adventures rendezvous spot was within walking distance of my hotel, the Westin Maui, which is offering great rates through June. Somehow I was the first one there, which never happens. I naturally didn’t read the release I signed, despite being a former attorney. I was also weighed on the spot, because if you aren’t heavy enough you won’t get enough speed to make it all the way across the zip-line. (Don’t worry, their scale is at least 10 pounds light because there is no way I lost weight after eating so much on my trip.) Read more

With the weather heating up on the East Coast, it is tempting to play hooky and catch some much-needed rays after the grey – albeit mild – winter. And with springtime savings in abundance, you have a great excuse to take a little time off from work. Like this hot deal: At the Ilikai Hotel & Suites in Honolulu, Hawaii, stay for at least three nights and pay only $50 for the first night. The deal, called the “Hawaii Five-O” deal, comes from the television show by the same name: The opening shot was filmed in the hotel’s penthouse balcony. In April, rates start at $149/night for a Mountain View room and $169/night for an Ocean View room. Guests also receive 50 percent off daily valet parking.

This three-and-a-half star boutique hotel is in a prime location for sightseeing: the Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu Zoo, Waikiki Aquarium, USS Arizona Memorial, and Diamond Head State Monument, as well as Waikiki Beach. The Hawaii Five-O special is available for stays through December 31, 2012. To book this package, visit the hotel’s website. If the Ilikai doesn’t suite your taste or budget, check out the other Wakiki hotels who are also doing the Hawaii Five-O package.

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on hotels, flights, vacation packages, and more travel deals.

Hawaii is the ultimate seasonal paradox. Crowds flock there when the weather is bad… everywhere else. The weather on the islands, however, stays blissfully consistent year-round, so if you can manage a trip in the spring or autumn, you’ll likely face fewer people, and better prices.

A great hotel option this spring, especially for first-time travelers to the island, is the Westin Maui , which I recently had the opportunity to visit. Even though it’s situated on the island’s resort-dotted Ka’anapali peninsula, it’s a soothing break from the area’s tourist bustle, and allows easy- access to the rest of the island. With a lobby that opens up into an outdoor tropical garden – complete with waterfalls and squawking macaws – and a beautiful, ocean-facing pool area, the resort feels connected to the sweeping coast just beyond.

The best part? This property is offering some of the sweetest rates of the season right now, with rooms starting at $269/night through June. This is a nice deal, considering that other 4-star properties on this lovely strip of coast regularly cost $400 per night.

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The important thing to remember about manta rays – 3,000-pound creatures with wingspans reaching up to 22 feet – is that they’re born with their wings wrapped around their bodies, like manta-ray burritos. Want a little more? They gobble up to 300 pounds of plankton daily, by executing octuple backflips with their three-foot-wide mouths agape. The males also have “clampers” which have to be 1.5 inches long for them to be able to mate.

These are just a few bits of trivia you can pick up on your next Big Island visit by staying at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa (bonus factoid: Keauhou Bay is where Kamehameha III, Hawaii’s longest reigning monarch, was born in 1813). For that and more, you only need to stop by the Manta Ray Bar & Grill (soon to transform into Rays at the Bay) on any given night, when the hotel directs its broad beams at the water starting at 7pm, and a dozen or more of the creatures come to feed. You can observe or listen to the Sheraton’s docent from its broad deck – an experience which combines nicely with pupus or a Mai Tai, or with an upward glance at the stars.

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Romance is revving up all over the place during the month of February, from sun-kissed beaches to sophisticated big cities. Here are 25 deals and packages – from Fort Lauderdale to Fiji, Maine to Madrid, and St. Kitts to Sedona – that you can still book to make this Valentine’s Day the most memorable ever:

IN THE U.S. & CANADA
The Grand Del Mar: Unplug and relax with the “Disconnect Package” at the luxurious The Grand Del Mar near San Diego (shown above at left) and you’ll get one night’s accommodations (with the room TV unplugged and upgrade upon booking if available), berry-infused champagne cocktail upon arrival, choice of a 60-minute couples massage, or a 2-hour horseback ride for two, breakfast in bed for two, and late checkout, from $795/night. Read more

JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines have announced a partnership that’s primed to make travel to the Aloha State easier than ever before, particularly for East Coast travelers. The newly inked arrangement will allow for seamless daily connections between flights out of New York City (via JetBlue’s JFK hub) and into Honolulu (on Hawaiian Airlines), allowing customers to book single tickets that combine travel on the two carriers.

The new partnership will be featured on Hawaiian Airlines’ soon-to-launch flights (on June 5, precisely) between New York City and Honolulu (where continuing connections are additionally available to Kauai, Maui, or Hawaii Island), on what will be the only nonstop offering on that particular itinerary (advertised rates start at $431 each way). Or, customers can book travel immediately via Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where JetBlue operates, and Hawaiian Airlines currently offers multiple daily departures to Hawaii (rates start at $339 each way). Plus, the airlines have agreed to allow for reciprocal frequent flyer benefits between the two carriers. Read more

This whiskered mug (shown at right) was my last hurrah on Kauai before it was time to board a plane bound for covert Nextpedition destination #2.

Considering that I’m obsessed with any adorable wild creature – let alone one that waddles from the surf onto the beach before my very feet – this, I decided, was going to be a tough surprise act to follow.

When the plane’s wheels rolled down the runway in Honolulu, I have to admit that I still wasn’t entirely convinced that the second leg of my mystery trip could possibly live up to the past four days.

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If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to spend more quality time with the person you love, then I suggest you enjoy that togetherness someplace amazing! And what’s better or more romantic than a stunning, sun-kissed island? There’s something innately sexy and bond-inspiring about the sea – floating together in gentle turquoise surf, walking hand-in-hand at sunset, enjoying the day’s fresh catch paired with a rum cocktail or a fine wine. So as the new year begins, here are my top 10 picks for the most amazing islands to escape to together in 2012. Read more

Hawaii is a sublimely romantic destination any time of year, but when the holidays are over and the chill of January and February sets in here in the lower 48, our 50th state starts looking extra appealing. This winter, those warm temperatures and balmy breezes can be yours at a savings, thanks to several free-night resort promotions. Here’s a selection of what’s being offered – but be sure to book early for the best savings and availability. Read more