Archive for February, 2007

It’s Gettin’ Hot in Herre

Friday, February 23rd, 2007
Apparently Mother Nature was too busy getting down with Nelly to watch the Today Show the day Punxsutawney Phil predicted a short winter. (Frankly, after five minutes of riveting rodent coverage, we think she might have been on to something.) In fact, she seemed to give the uppity groundhog the finger by dumping record-breaking snow in the days following Phil’s scientific prediction. Escape her wrath by visiting one of these warm-weather getaways.
 
Jamaica flights | hotels | cruises | forums
If the cold is Jamaican you crazy, head to the island for a little tropical therapy. Dive in the warm waters off Doctor’s Cave Beach or swim with the dolphins at Dolphin Cove. Play a couple rounds of golf, go horseback riding, and take a warm dip at Dunn’s River Falls to see some spectacular waterfalls. You can also go hiking at the popular Blue Mountain Peak where you’ll see plenty of lush vegetations, flowers, animals, and, if you’re lucky, the elusive Rastafarian. Get Up, Stand Up and Jammin’ over to the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston. Peace, mon.
 
Rio flights | hotels | cruises | forums
Find out what the girl from Ipanema is all about at Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema Beach. Sit in the warm sand and text all your snowbound friends that you’re sipping umbrella drinks and getting a tan in your itsy-bitsy-Brazilian bikini. Take a hike through the tropical Tijuca National Park and check out the waterfalls, vegetation, and amazing views. Go surfing at Prainha Beach or do a little shopping around Boticario Square. You’ll come back with a Brazilian beat, tan and maybe a fancy wax.
 
Antigua flights | hotels | cruises | forums
Take a page out of Britney’s book and let your hair down in Antigua. With one beach for every day of the year (so the Antiguans boast), you’ll want to spend a little more time than just 24 hours. No mega resorts or glitzy casinos here, rather Antigua is a destination for those looking to rehab with a little R&R on a spectacular beach or to reconnect with a loved one at one of the intimate inns that dot the Southern beaches. For a secluded beach, head out to Johnson’s Point on the southwestern tip. Bring your snorkel and head out into the Caribbean Sea to meet schools of rainbow-hued tropical fish.
 
Death Valley flights | hotels | forums
Get the ultimate revenge against cold winter weather and head to Death Valley, California. There are plenty of superlatives to describe this destination–it’s low (drops to almost 300 feet below sea level), hot (warmest spot in the Western Hemisphere) and dry (less than two inches of rainfall a year). See the Mojave Desert, Mosaic Canyon, Dante’s Ridge, and Keane Wonder Mine Trail. For an adventurous hike, try Fall Canyon or Red Wall Canyon. When you need to cool down, take a tour of Scotty’s Castle or Amargosa Opera House.Get the Fare Buzz for these sunny destinations from your home airport.
 
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  • Jamaica
    Save 70% off Jamaica Hotels
  • Rio
    Students Fly to Rio! $548
  • Antigua
    Save up to $500 on Flight + Hotel Deals to Antigua

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Off to shave our heads,

Steve and Paul, Kayak.com co-founders
Did you know Kayak has gone global?
Kayak.com recently launched its first European site www.kayak.co.uk. In addition to providing real-time flight pricing and itineraries from 404 travel sites including the UK websites for leading European carriers British Airways, Air France and bmi, we’ve also partnered with low cost carriers easyJet, Ryanair, Air Berlin, along with online travel agencies such as ebookers and wegolo. Most importantly, www.kayak.co.uk links to our partners’ UK websites and not the American versions found with our U.S.- based service.Coming Spring 2007: Kayak launches in France and Germany; Next stop India, then the world!

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New Features! Yay!

Thursday, February 15th, 2007

Some web sites release new features on holidays and have clever blog posts that talk about their new features in a cleverly contextual way. Here at good old kayak.com, we don’t quite have that holiday synchronization technology yet, but we have our best nerds brilliant computer scientists researching it as we speak.

In the meantime, a quick check of Wikipedia shows that today is Fat Thursday, which sounds like a pretty stylin’ day for some new features. Kayakians, gorge yourself silly on these tasty morsels:

Blog! Yes, we have a blog now! (Yeah, we know, welcome to 2003.) This should be a much more exciting, efficient and (dare I say it) fun-tastic (HA! I said it!) way to keep you apprised of all thing things Kayak: new features, newsletters, company events, etc. Well, all the things except those about actual kayaks. You know, the boats.

Layover filtering! You asked for it! We made it! You can instantly hide flights that have you spending hours strolling ORD.

More searching! It’s Fat Thursday, baby! 3 more Accor chains (Novotel, Ibis, Mercure); Travelfusion (UK);

It’s all purty! Don’t tell me you didn’t notice our sweet rounded corners!

Sitemap! Yep, got one. Welcome to 1994!

Pin flights across searches! If you know what that means, you are a hard core Kayak user. We love you, too.

Details, details. Number of seats available on most flights shown in details area (US).

Speed! Our speed guru, Borne (his actual name) did some major tweaking, shaving seconds off of our quarter-mile time. Something about CSS compression and a Nitrous kit.

We’re working on big stuff, really huge, in the coming months. Hook your feed reader to this space, and keep apace.

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To ski or not to ski, we have the answer

Thursday, February 15th, 2007
Do you dream of being the first skier down a black diamond run covered in fresh powder but find yourself stuck with a significant other who fantasizes about being the first sun bather on the beach to snag that coveted cabana by the bar? If this sounds familiar, then you are in a mixed marriage and no time is more taxing than winter. You’re ready to suit up and hit the slopes while your sunflower is ready to strip down and hit the beach. Thankfully, ski resorts now offer activities for the non-skiing partners, children, and parents generous enough to accompany their snow bunnies. Here are a few resorts that offer more activities for your beach bum than sipping hot chocolate with a book.
 
Vail flights | hotels | forums
Consistently ranked the country’s most popular ski resort by skiers and ski magazines Vail, Colorado is America’s largest and most famous ski mountain. With 193 conventional trails to choose from, Vail offers a run for everyone. While many runs pander to intermediates, experts can brave the world famous Back Bowls. Vail doesn’t snub snowboarders but rather segregates…I mean…accommodates, the floppy hat set on four terrain parks. For the non-skier, Vail Village offers a number of high-end shops and boutiques hawking everything from fine art to pricey jewelry and gourmet cookware to Christmas ornaments (According to “Building a Ski Village for Dummies” every ski village must have at least one Christmas store). Vail is not for bargain hunters, so when the money runs out visit the Colorado Ski Museum-Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame located at the Vail Transportation Center.Favorite run name: Rasputin’s Revenge
 
Squaw Valley flights | hotels | forums
As if Californians don’t have enough places to play in their great state, Lake Tahoe offers one more escape for the rich, famous and liberal. You and your non-skier can compromise with a late March trip to Squaw Valley so your warm-weather friend can enjoy the High Camp Swimming Lagoon & Spa. This mountaintop oasis features an enormous heated swimming pool with islands, fountains and waterfalls, and a party-Jacuzzi welcoming 25+ people. Skip the slopes one day for a spin on the Olympic-size ice skating rink with breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe, and then walk over to the Papoose Discovery Center for snow tubing or sledding. Don’t worry skiers, Squaw Valley offers thousands of acres of open bowl skiing. Rather than traditional ski trails, lifts are rated beginner, intermediate and advanced based on the type of terrain that they access. With 33 lifts to choose from, there is enough variety to keep every skier and snowboarder happy.Scariest run: Palisades Plunge
 
Smugglers’ Notch flights | hotels | forums
Families with small children will want to check out Smugglers’ Notch in Vermont, voted the number one family ski resort for eight years in a row by Ski Magazine. Smugglers’ Notch provides not only bunny slopes, children’s ski lessons, and day care, but also a separate activity center for older (and crankier) teenagers. Non-skiing family members can choose from endless outdoor activities such as snowmobiling, dog sledding and air boarding and indoor endeavors such as spa treatments, art workshops and yoga. Of course, there is one kind of ice even your warm blooded friends will appreciate. Vermont is home to Ben & Jerry’s, so spend the day learning about ice cream production. Who are we kidding, speed through the tour and get to the free ice cream at the end.Run that best describes our skiing style: Timberrr
 
Whistler Blackcomb flights | hotels | forums
In British Columbia, the Whistler Blackcomb Resort has the largest ski-able area in North America (about 8,000 acres) and its well-known mountains will host many of the ski events for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Sign up for the Fresh Tracks Breakfast which offers early birds a mountain-sized breakfast buffet and early loading privileges. As soon as Whistler Patrol gives the okay on avalanche clearance, you’re free to hit the open runs on the upper half of the mountain. For non-skiers, the immense resort offers spas, an eight-screen theater, a public library, and a historical and wildlife museum. Take the resort’s day trip to Vancouver (about 80 miles) which includes eagle watching, Shannon Falls, Stanley Park, Chinatown, Granville Island, and free time in the city.Run most likely to find a PETA demonstration: Catskinner
 
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From our mixed marriage to yours,Steve (beach bum) and Paul (skier), Kayak.com co-founders
Did you know?
All this talk of skiing got you in the mood? We thought so, that’s why we are sending one lucky Kayaker and a friend on a three-night ski trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, courtesy of Spring Creek Ranch and Condé Nast Traveler. DETAILS

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Chocoholics Rejoice in these Cocoations

Thursday, February 8th, 2007
It’s not fair. You’ve almost lost all that holiday weight and here comes Valentine’s Day to tempt the palate (and waistline) with boxes of chocolate. Six weeks of the South Beach Diet and you’re torn apart by one Russell Stover (OK, three). Never fear, Kayak.com recommends four ways to enjoy chocolate without the calories.
 
Brussels flights | hotels | forums
Belgium is the chocolate capital of the world, producing 172,000 tons of chocolate per year with more than 2,000 chocolate shops throughout the country (kudos to the Belgians whose population is not 100% obese). We recommend a trip to Brussels, home to the Godiva family. Godiva’s history began more than 75 years ago when master chocolatier Joseph Draps founded a chocolate company named in honor of Lady Godiva (We would retell her story but after last week’s newsletter, decided to play it safe. Ask Google). While in Brussels, visit the Musee du Ca Cao et du Chocolat where you will learn about the origins of chocolate (thank you Aztecs) and chocolate production. The museum was created by the Draps family and no doubt includes one or two marketing messages for Godiva. Brilliant! Perhaps we should open the Kayak.com Museum of Online Travel.
 
Hershey flights | hotels | forums
While Europe celebrates their chocolate history with austere museums and elegant boutiques, here in the U.S. we build a big ole tacky resort complete with theme park, golf courses and a spa. Welcome to HERSHEY’S Chocolate World in Hershey, Pennsylvania (population: 12,771 people and 1.5 billion chocolate Kisses). The HERSHEY’S Factory Works Experience offers a taste of a real chocolate processing line. Watch your favorite candy bar dance and sing at HERSHEY’S Really Big 3D Show (feels a little like an acid trip) or empty your stomach faster than an Olsen twin while riding one of the 60 rides at HERSEYPARK. Adults can relax AND enjoy chocolate without a single calorie at The Spa. The Chocolate Fondue Wrap left us feeling silky soft while the Cocoa Massage worked out our issues with carpal tunnel.
 
New York flights | hotels | forums
While Brussels is the capital of chocolate, New York is home to Mr. Chocolate. No, not Johnny Depp but Modern Day Willy Wonka Jacques Torres. One of the most highly decorated pastry chefs, Jacques is dedicated to sharing his art of chocolate making. Pay a visit to his Manhattan shop, where visitors can watch beans turn into bite size pieces of heaven from a work space completely enveloped in glass. Since we’re not far from the city, we personally sacrificed our time for you and taste tested his offerings. We can recommend Taittinger Champagne Truffles; pistachio-marzipan bonbons; and the “wicked” hot chocolate, made with a touch of ancho and chipotle chilis. We also recommend having plenty of Pepto on hand.
 
Oaxaca flights | hotels | forums
No discussion of chocolate is complete without mentioning a trip to Mexico where it all began. The origins of chocolate, which is derived from the Theobroma cacao tree, can be traced back at least 4000 years. The Aztecs believed the beans were of divine origin (’Theobroma’ means ‘food of the gods’) and used the tree’s beans as currency - 100 beans would buy a slave, 12 beans the services of a courtesan and 10 beans a rabbit. In Mexico, you won’t find bonbons or truffles but sipping chocolate. Go to one of the markets in Oaxaca and order your drinking chocolate ground to taste. Customize your drink by specifying the weight of beans, sugar, and flavorings - cinnamon, almonds, etc. Into the grinder goes the ingredients and out of the chute oozes something looking a lot like tar but smelling and tasting like heaven.
 
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Dieting until Cadbury egg season,Steve and Paul, Kayak.com co-founders
Did you know?
Kayak recently launched a cruise search engine, and we’re celebrating the launch by giving away a free Royal Caribbean cruise for two to one lucky Kayaker. Like all great parties, the celebration must come to an end, and our proverbial clock is ticking toward midnight (or Feb 14, when this sweepstakes ends). Enter now, and you could have a killer Valentine’s Day present.

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Get Inlaid on Your Next Vacation

Thursday, February 1st, 2007
Think you can’t afford a 45 carat diamond for yourself or your honey this Valentine’s Day? Think again. Kayak.com makes it possible through the gift of travel. So, throw away that Zales’ catalog and put a little bling in your next vacation with a trip to one of these gems of a destination. And, don’t forget to pack the 4 Cs for your Valentine’s vacation: clothes, credit card, camera and C batteries for your Rabbit.
 
Perth flights | hotels | forums
Sure, Australia is known for their crocs but who knew about their rocks? The Argyle Diamond Mine in Western Australia is the world’s largest supplier of diamonds, currently producing around 25% of the annual global diamond output or about 30 million carats each year. The mine specializes in colored diamonds including the extremely rare and valuable pink diamonds (such as the one Ben gave Jen Part 1). Tours include the processing plant for a demonstration on extraction, pre-cutting and polishing stages and the Diamond Viewing Room where rough and polished diamonds are displayed.
 
Bangkok flights | hotels | forums
Saw “Blood Diamond” and already know more about gem mining than you care to? Then skip the educational mine tour and hit Bangkok’s sprawling Gems & Jewelry Fair. Thailand is a major world gem trading center with more than 1,000 exhibitors selling precious and semi-precious gems and crystals for wholesale prices. When buying from local jewelers, look for the Jewel Fest Club logo to ensure ethical practices. We’d hate for you to purchase an emerald ring only to discover it’s made of semi-precious Heineken bottle.
 
New York flights | hotels | forums
No time for a trip to Asia? How about breakfast at Tiffany’s? While you can’t mine for gems in New York City (breaking into Park Avenue apartments aside), you can purchase gems (both legal and not-so-legal) at any price. Spend top dollar and shop among the rich and famous at high-end Fifth Avenue retailers Tiffany & Co and Harry Winston. Not a bazillionaire? Real people can find a sweet deal–sometimes better than wholesale–by visiting the dealers in the Diamond District on 47th Street. Of course, for the city’s lowest prices, be on the lookout for those guys offering bargain base basement prices from under a trench coat but beware of the trench coat offering only a look at the family jewels.
 
Washington flights | hotels | forums
If you’re a US citizen, you already own one of the largest diamonds in the world. In 1958, jeweler Harry Winston donated the Hope Diamond, the world’s largest and most perfect blue diamond (it weighs 45.52 carats) to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History so it belongs to the people of the United States. Unlike J Lo at the Oscars, you can’t borrow this piece for the night but you can view your co-op gem (and 3,500 others) at the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals. And for you bargain hunters, the Smithsonian is free to all visitors.
 
Deals:
  • Perth
    Stay at Perth’s 3-star Acacia from $97/night
  • Washington
    4-star hotels in Washington DC start at $69 on Hotwire
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Diamonds are a girl’s best friend but our worst nightmare,Steve and Paul, Kayak.com co-founders
Did you know?
Can’t find a price that fits your budget? Kayak will track fares for a city pair and alert you via email when the fare meets or beats your desired price. In fact, we are the only travel search engine to offer Fare Alerts. To track a fare, click on the “Fare Alert” link on the top right corner of the results page. Specify travel month, max price, currency and frequency of notification emails. Kayak will only send you an email when the fare meets or beats your specified price.

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