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Remember when Thailand was still a sleepy little country seldom visited by tourists? Those days are long gone as the word has spread that you can visit a beautiful place without having to spend a fortune. Thailand is no longer quite the cheap backpacking Mecca it used to be, but it is still a favorite destination for many travelers looking for sun, sand and perhaps debauchery.

Cheap flights to Thailand are somewhat easy to come by if you keep your eyes out and if you are willing to travel during the off-season and times other than holidays. The vast majority of people who fly to Thailand enter the country through Bangkok, the busy capital. Bangkok is an adventure unto itself with traffic, people and temptation everywhere. You will either love it or hate but you won’t be indifferent about it.

The center of the backpacking scene is further south on the party islands. These are places that are beautiful, but whose culture and atmosphere are more western than Asian. Hostels and other accommodations are cheap, and you will have no problem locating a party.

If you are looking for something a little more authentic, consider traveling to the northern part of Thailand. There are some excellent trekking and adventure trips in the north.

If you ever want to see a slice of heaven, pay a visit to Banff in the summer. The small Canadian resort town located about 70 miles from Calgary, Alberta is situated amongst some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The amazing Canadian Rockies tower high in the sky. The lush green forests extend for as far as the eye can see. The deep blue glacier fed lakes are like a mirror. The bustling streams fill the otherwise silent air with a melodic sound.

Banff is a place for those who love and appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature. It is within easy driving distance of Lake Louise, a body of water that has been captured by many a tourist’s camera. For my money, however, Moraine Lake is even more beautiful. It is right near Lake Louise but does not receive nearly the number of visitors. You can easily check both out in a single swoop.

If you do visit Banff, and really you must, a trip along the Icefield Parkways is required. Your jaw will hurt because it will drop with every twist and turn of the road. A pretty ride in this world you will not find.

Travelocity has some excellent deals on Banff vacation packages. I can’t recommend Banff enough.

Exclusive Travelocity offer: Save $75 on mountain vacations. Plus enjoy free nights at select hotels.

Everyone loves a top 10 list. Everyone also happens to have a list of places that they would like to visit. I know that my list is pages long. The cool cats at Travelocity have compiled a top 10 list of the most booked flight and hotel destinations on their site. Maybe your list jives with theirs? Or maybe not.

1. Las Vegas – Sin City has always been a fan favorite and since you can always get a deal there it is a popular one with budget travelers.

2. Montana – This one surprised me. I didn’t take the Travelocity crowd as being an outdoorsy one. Montana is a lovely state and as a former resident I can tell you that you will have your breath taken away each time you visit it.

3. Mexico – Sun. Cancun. No really surprise our next door neighbor is popular.

4. Caribbean – Same as Mexico only the rum tastes better.

5. New York City – Is there a better city in the world for a four-day weekend? I haven’t found one. The Big Apple is a great place to visit.

6. Florida – Another state I used to live in. People apparently like sunshine and/or wacky stories about alligators eating people.

7. California – More sunshine, more wackiness, plenty to see and do.

8. Hawaii – I’m surprised this wasn’t ranked higher. Who wouldn’t want to spend a few days in paradise?

9. Chicago – The Second City is anything but that. Probably would be ranked higher if the winters weren’t so bloody cold.

10. Europe – You mean to tell me that more people book trips to Chicago than to all of Europe? I don’t believe that, but then again I don’t work for Travelocity.

Top 10 Vacation Destinations!

You can’t go more than 100 yards in Greece without tripping over something historic. People have been walking around Greece for ages and they are always leaving behind stone ruins that will make you stub your toe if you run into them. Those stone ruins are a big reason why people visit the country, but even if you don’t enjoy looking at antiquities you will still have an excellent time in Greece.

It is a country that is rich in geography to go along with all the culture. The beaches are fabulous, the waters warm in the summer and the islands are simply enchanting. There are parts of the country that are brimming with tourists and will make you wonder why you ever left home, while there are parts of the country that are virtually unknown to outsiders. Such is the nature of Greece.

Because of its attractions and because it is a hit with tourists, you can usually find a decent deal on vacation packages. European Destinations currently has some tasty offerings on vacations ranging from 6 to 10 days in length. Just make sure to pack some sturdy shoes. It sure does hurt bumping into a 3,000-year-old ruin with open toed sandals.

Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras or Panama. Which one of these countries would you most like to visit? Belize is so close to the United States and it has an English speaking population. It has some lovely beaches and the snorkeling/diving opportunities are some of the best in the world. It has fascinating Mayan ruins.

Costa Rica has the scenery. The country has a higher percentage of land set aside as protected land than anywhere else in this world. It too has great beaches and water. Costa Rica doesn’t have an army so you don’t have to worry about them trying to draft you.

Honduras is the wildcard of the bunch. It is a poor nation that is rich in human warmth. It has some splendid mountains and a way of life that will soothe your harried soul. It probably gets less tourists than the other three.

Panama has the canal, of course. It also has Panama City, which is the most developed city in Central America. If you like heat and humidity you could do a lot worse than visiting Panama.

Tough choice, isn’t it? Perhaps you should factor in these excellent deals from Latin Destinations into your decision.

It is a scientific fact that all of us have a mother to thank for bringing us into this world. Unless, that is, you were born in a test tube. If that is the case, I’d like to meet you. For the rest of us, our very existence was predicated on someone having us in their womb for approximately nine months. That is a long time to carry an extra body around. I get exhausted just thinking about it.

After spawning us, the work is not done for mothers. They cook, they clean, they work, they teach and all the while they help us to become the people that we are today. Don’t you think it is about time you did something special for your mother? Forget a bunch of flowers or one of those silly Teddy Bears, show her your love by booking her on a vacation.

What mother wouldn’t want to have a nice weekend in Florida, Chicago, Hawaii and other fun destinations? CheapTickets has the hook up on Mother’s Day getaways. The prices are good and the idea of giving your mom a little rest and relaxation is something that we all should be able to embrace.

Different people travel to the Caribbean for different reasons. Some go to sit on the beach and to soak up the sun. Others go to throw on an oxygen tank and to see what those creatures are up to underneath the sea. Still others go to lap up the culture of the region. And others go to escape the long arm of the law. If you are one of those escaping the long arm of the law types this deal probably isn’t for you. If you are one of those people who legally want to go to the Caribbean, read on.

If you act fast – by fast I mean before March 31, 2007 – you can get $100 off of a Caribbean vacation package. All you need to do is whip out your MasterCard, book a flight and hotel trip for five days or longer through Travelocity, punch in the magic code Caribbean100 and you are on your way to a relaxing vacation away from the everyday hustle, bustle and bank robbing stress.

The offer is particularly attractive since it includes hotel options that range from simple to ritzy in places like Barbados, Bermuda, Puerto Rico and St. Lucia.

What Day Dreams are made of: Save $100 on Caribbean vacations

Back in the good old days if you had $50 to spend in Mexico you could live high on the hog for weeks. That isn’t the case as much nowadays. Mexico is not nearly as cheap of a travel destination as it used to be, especially if you are in one of the resort areas like Puerto Vallarta. Still, if you get away from the tourist traps and go out to a local market you could purchase some local items for $50 and come away with a handful of goods that will forever remind you of your vacation south of the border.

Vacation packages to Mexico remain a hot item even heading into the busy travel season. United Vacations are the ones offering you the $50 bonus and they are so generous that they will give you a bill with Grant’s face on it for every person in your party who signs up to come along for the ride. Heck, they’ll even throw you a fill bills if you decide to say adios to Mexico and hola to the Caribbean instead.

The offer is good throughout the year except for those busy holiday weeks in the winter.

The first year I lived in Washington, DC we had a ton of snow during the winter. The gloomy days were endless and the cold had even the heartiest of souls complaining. The one thing that everyone told me was that if you can survive the winter in DC (normally not that bad) there is a payoff in the form of spring. The spring months would bring pleasant temperatures without the humidity of the summer, they said, and the beautiful sights of cherry blossoms everywhere.

I have no fear of flying, I can sail on high seas for weeks and I have never seen a flea bag hotel I haven’t liked. The one thing that scares the snot out of me, however, is running out of gas while driving through the desert. The idea of being stranded by the side of the road in the blazing heat as my body slowly begins to shut down from lack of fluids and the buzzards above stalk their new prey is one that doesn’t sit well with my nervous system. As a rule, I simply stay away from deserts.

This is a pity, of course, because they do have their beauty if you are willing to overlook how frightening they are. The Mojave Desert, for instance, occupies over 22,000 square miles of land in California, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. That is 22,000 square miles of potential death in my mind, but for those who are a little braver it is 22,000 square miles of glory.

For those who love the desert or those who are passing through and could use some air conditioning and HBO, the Best Western Desert Villa Inn is the place to stay in the Mojave Desert. Located in Barstow, California, it is the gateway to all those cacti and scorpions and buzzards and….never mind. Have fun in the desert.