TopDawg Travel

Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category

Elizabeth Rose tells us all about an evening in Santa Fe at a new favorite restaurant:

The weather is turning colder yet in climately mild Santa Fe, New Mexico you can still stroll the streets in the evening, do a bit of window shopping and, when you get chilled, stop in for a world-class meal at a downtown restaurant.  Housed in an ideal corner location on 229 Galisteo Street at West Alameda, Tomme offers both indoor and outdoor dining. But it was chilly that night and I enjoyed the warmth and minimalist decor of the new Tomme. Awaiting my friends, I had a lovely glass of Malbec at their sleek bar and enjoyed the scenery through the immense windows.  Read more….

Imagine strolling hand-in-hand along a sandy crescent beach, dotted with palms, against a backdrop of whitewashed cottages at Half Moon on Jamaica’s northern coast.  With 400 acres featuring beautifully landscaped gardens, the charming white washed cottages set along two miles of private white sand beach create the perfect environment for a Valentine’s Day celebration for 2011.  Half Moon has been setting the pace for a luxury vacation in the Caribbean for over 50 years.  If you are thinking of a destination wedding, vow renewal, honeymoon or romantic getaway, you will be walking in the footsteps of some very famous people from over the past 50+ years.

Read more about this lovely resort and location

Key words at the Fern Tree Spa® – wellness, bliss, relaxation, rejuvenation. The Fern Tree Spa® is 68,000 square feet of an indoor/outdoor sanctuary which is inspired by the surrounding lush landscape and led by a modern day shaman or Elder. You will find your mind and your body being rejuvenated and refreshed while relaxing and releasing the worries of the everyday world. This luxurious spa houses a relaxation lounge, a yoga pavilion, sauna and steam rooms as well as a meditation labyrinth.

Read more about the Fern Tree Spa at Half Moon

Recently I received a pre-release copy of Fred Plotkin’s latest edition of Italy For The Gourmet Traveler.  This is the fifth edition that is updated for 2010.  I have read major portions of this book even though I have never been to Italy.  I will say this is one of the most in-depth, comprehensive and enlightening guides I have ever seen for travel through any country. I was stunned by the magnitude of information the author has placed at my fingertips.  I would take this book to Italy and use it to plan my itinerary for the country.  I do think it would take a year to eat my way through Italy if I did it the way this book lines it out, maybe even longer.  His passion and expertise is clearly evident in this book.

This book contains more than 1,000 listings for all kinds of places to eat – restaurants, trattorias, food fairs, festivals, bakeries, coffee and wine bars, bookstores, gourmet shops, markets, vineyards, farms, wineries, olive oil producers, cooking schools and so much more.  In addition there are 42 recipes, 2 from each area, that give the traveler the chance to savor their experience any time they want when they arrive back home.  And even though I can not immediately head for Italy, I am going to be experimenting with a taste of Italy with several of these 42 recipes! After reading this book, the only thing that could possibly make this book better would be to have it in Kindle format.  WIth that,  I would be able to take it to Italy, and as I go to many of the locations reviewed in this guide, make my own notes and have a travelogue of my culinary vacation that would make other people green with envy.  What a marvelous resource for the traveler!  (Kyle Books – read my lips!  I want this in Kindle version!)

If you are thinking of going to Italy soon, call TopDawg Travel to book your itinerary. You will receive a copy of this book to take with you when you purchase your travel to Italy through TopDawg Travel.

Read a more in depth review about this book here.

Leave the guidebook behind and allow the experienced staff at Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel (formerly ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel) to coordinate an itinerary that encompasses the best of Oahu’s accommodations, meals, transportation and attractions. The hotel’s new Discover Oahu Package is specifically designed to take the stress out of planning an adventure-filled vacation for two while offering great value and experiences for your Hawaii vacation.Leave the guidebook behind and allow the experienced staff at Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel (formerly ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel) to coordinate an itinerary that encompasses the best of Oahu’s accommodations, meals, transportation and attractions. The hotel’s new Discover Oahu Package is specifically designed to take the stress out of planning an adventure-filled vacation for two while offering great value and experiences for your Hawaii vacation…..read more