
New York to Paris for $493 (r/t, incl. taxes/fees): Hello cheap euro. Could this sub-$500 deal, during high season no less, be a sign to come for the newly somewhat strong dollar? Who cares, just jump on it. Sale ends June 30.
L.A. to San Salvador for $468 (r/t): This one’s good through May 24. You know you’ve been just waiting for an excuse to go on that volcano-themed trip.
New York to Hawaii for $540 (r/t, incl. taxes/fees): Okay, this one kind of goes against my mantra, “Don’t travel anywhere that doesn’t require a passport.” But Hawaii for under $600 all the way from the East Coast? Hard to resist. Plus “Lost” is wrapping up. Maybe’s now a good time to start getting nostalgic?

Hostels for 30 cents: HostelBookers.com is celebrating their 6th birthday by offering up 10 beds per night for five straight days beginning April 26 for only 30 cents. So if you’re in either Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, Edinburgh, Florence, Krakow, Lisbon, Prague, Miami or New York City between May 31 and June 4, there’s no reason not to save a handful of cash with this deal.
Alaska Flights from $209 (one-way, w/o taxes/fees): You too can see Russia from your hotel! Frontier Airlines is firing up their new routes to Alaska for some bargain rates for travel through June 16, 2010. Travel near June 16 and get ready for 19 hours of daylight in Anchorage and 22 in Fairbanks. Better to keep your eyes on those wily Russians!
Los Angeles to San Salvador from $460 (R/T, with taxes/fees): Don’t think it’s just the Europeans that are the only ones that get to have all that volcano fun. El Salvador is chock full of them, perfect for romantic getaways! I don’t know, I think I heard once they were romantic? Although, now that I think about it, I think I heard “secluded beach,” not volcano.

Lonely Planet’s doling out accolades to these ten countries as being very topping, with El Salvador being the toppingist of them all. Okay, they don’t really elaborate as to what this list mean, other than being the “hottest countries for next year,” but I assume they mean destinations that are, or have been, under the radar and are just coming into their own as hot spots for travelers. Which usually means one thing: Get there now before they’re firmly on the tourist trail.
Rounding out the top five are Germany, Greece, Malaysia and Morocco. And at number 10, experiencing a little Obama bounce, the U.S.A., which given the likelihood of a an anemic dollar for the near-term future, will likely be at the top of the list for many visitors, especially those carrying the enviably strong euro.
So what’s missing here? I may sound like a broken record, but let’s give a shout out to Colombia, a country whose culture and diversity, not to mention accessibility, makes it a great “top” country in 2010. A few of my own honorable mentions: Panama (have you seen how cheap it is to fly there in the winter?), Ireland (see Panama), and Namibia (everyone I met in Africa who was visited the country raved about the outdoor adventures that can be had there).

How cool would it be to tell your friends back home how you spent your vacation volcano-hopping in El Salvador? Well, it’s not out of the question. With 22 volcanoes, crater lakes, and beaches to knock the breath out of your lungs (as well as really cheap flights from the U.S./Canada), it’s not long before the word’s out on El Salvador.
Over at the Guardian, one curious traveler heads out swimming in El Salvador’s largest lake, Ilopango (a crater lake formed by a massive eruption in 1880), then through the capital of San Salvador and south to El Sunzal, a beach some say has the best surfing in Central America (and is one of the region’s best kept secrets — until now, mwahahaha).
MALAYSIA
ISRAEL
TRAVEL FOOD
THAILAND
TEACHING ABROAD
COUCHSURFINGFind and Book your Hotel!