Friday, October 29, 2010

Jaffa

The video series continues with a visit to the port city of Jaffa, which has been incorporated into Tel Aviv.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Dead Sea Video

Our friends at Performance Media Group have put together a series of videos about Israel that we'll post over the next few days. Here's video number one from the Dead Sea - yeah, we were there ourselves two years ago.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Faith-Based Travel

Globus was one of the first travel suppliers to offer tours specifically designed for faith-based travelers. We talked with Julie Petschler about their most popular tours and what's new for 2011.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Jungle Island

Ever wonder what happened to those bright pink flamingos that were part of the opening of “Miami Vice?” Those and many other exotic creatures can be found at Jungle Island, just a five-minute drive from Miami Beach or from the Port of Miami.

Not just a zoo, Jungle Island offers an interactive experience with the chance to touch, hold and feed many of the animals. Dozens of colorful birds, many of which are happy to repeat phrases for you, line the walkways. For 25 cents, you can get a handful of food and let them eat right out of your hand.

Strolling staffers carry pythons, lemurs and other animals. The display housing the 900-lb liger (cross between a lion and a tiger) was under construction so I didn’t get the chance to see one of the site’s main attractions, but I was very entertained by the high-flying and very loud white-handed gibbons.

Jungle Island offers three shows that both entertain and educate. Winged Wonders features many birds of the air, including an Andean Condor, the largest flying bird on earth. Tale of the Tiger highlights the world’s rarest cats. The show I saw featured lemurs, a giant turtle and South African penguins among others.

The kid-friendly attraction has a playground and a private beach with waterslides and swim zone.

Jungle Island offers a free shuttle to hotels in Miami Beach, making it a perfect excursion for beachgoers. Its close proximity to the port also makes it easy to visit either before or after a cruise.

Thursday, October 07, 2010

Downtown Miami to South Beach - 30 mins., $2

Want to save yourself the cost of a cab ride to Miami Beach or South Beach? Don’t be afraid to take advantage of Miami’s public transportation options.

From the Hyatt Regency, I made it to Miami Beach in about 30 minutes for just $2.

The first thing to take advantage of is the Metromover – an elevated rail service that serves downtown Miami from Omni to Brickell at no charge. I hopped on at the Knight Center and got off at the Omni Center, which is a transfer point for the bus and rail system.

At least three bus lines (C, M, S) go from Omni Center over the MacArthur Causeway to Miami Beach. The cost of a one-way fare is just $2. From hotel door to the bus stop one block from the sandy beach took just 30 minutes.

I went during the day. If you’re going for the South Beach nightlife, double-check the hours of operation.