Travel Freak

From tomorrow 8 aircraft of the ATR-72 series aircraft dellacompagnia Cuban Airline Caribbeans farano the shuttle between Varadero, one of the most popular tourist destinations Cuban, and Punta Cana on the island of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic side, a good news for lovers of the seas Caribbean.

This ad is part of the strengthening of regional flights (where the region is that of the states and islands that insist on the Caribbean) by the Cuban, which end in June increased the frequency of flights to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, side poor on the island of Santo Domingo.

Santiago de Cuba is the second most populated city of the island is situated in the most eastern of the country at the foot of the Sierra Maestro. City passionate and full of life, is distinguished for being the home of music and because afrocubana hosts the most overwhelming carnival of the whole island, which this year will take place from 15 to 30 July and will be sponsored by tourist Cabanas, Travel agency specializing in trips to Cuba.

The main attraction of carnival is the parade of extras, formed by dancers and musicians who, to the beat of conga, dancing along with the crowd accorders between the city streets. Two weeks of festivals, performances, dances and songs animate the whole island, but Santiago de Cuba is not just Carnival.

Do not miss the House of Diego Velazquez (the founder of the city) the oldest house still existing across Cuba, where they hosted the Museo de Environment Historico Cubano. Note also the palace dell’Ayuntamiento (City Hall), the Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion and the Balcon de Velazquez, from where you can enjoy the pleasant view of the harbour.

On holiday in the homes of writers

An idea of original holiday for all lovers of books? Staying in the homes of our favorite writers. Yes, maybe there happen to take tea with Stephen King or playing quidditch with JK Rowling, but would you like to put the pleasure unique and unrepeatable to rent the house of John Keats or Robert Louis Stevenson?

This bell’articolo of The Observer presents a list of places open to the public where you can relive the atmosphere from which it drew inspiration our favorite novels. Why not take advantage: for the homeless in Kent where Charles Dickens lived during the long summer holidays, between 1937 and 1959, (and where seems to have written Nicholas Nickleby) spend from 83 to 207 pounds. Without considering that, from 19 to 22 June, you can participate in Broadstairs Dickens Festival 2008.

And what they say the room number 511 of the Ambos Mundos, in Havana, where Ernest Hemingway wrote “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” which he himself described as “a good place to write.” The list is long, from Berlin where Franz Kafka stayed that to Key West described by Tennessee Williams, up to the estate in Vermont where Rudyard Kipling spent his honeymoon (and learned to ski on skis from donatigli Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the inventor of Sherlock Holmes).

The first time I heard of “standby” by a friend traveler incallito I thought was referring to the usual history of the waiting list of airlines… Instead the traditional formula “standby” related to the agency Todo World.

It works like this: you choose a geographical area, between the Caribbean, Red Sea and Indian Ocean, the number of nights, usually between one or two weeks, if only flight or holiday complete and the price is scontatissimo the final destination because you are only communicated to a week after their departure. On the site call roulette: if you choose, for example, the Caribbean destinations are available Santo Domingo, Mexico, Cuba, Honduras and Jamaica… Both evil does not go for a roulette!

Obviously the higher the proximity to the high season, the better prices. Departures are from Malpensa, navigation on the site is not immediate but it is worth trying. The friend who first I spoke is an absolute enthusiast and part at least twice a year with this formula!