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I booked it online
From mega-travel agencies to boutique sites, the Internet has exploded consumers' hotel-booking options. But what do the different sites really offer? And where are the hidden treasures?
By Judy Jacobs
[10/27/99]

Letter from Ladakh
The rugged inhabitants of this starkly beautiful, isolated land are now preparing for the latest invader: Winter.
By Steve Van Beek
[10/26/99]

Eating Iberia
A junket whore survives (and transcribes) the pleasures and punishments of anti-travel in Spain and Portugal.
By Douglas Cruickshank
[10/23/99]

Wanderlust
My boyfriend in jackboots
I'm Jewish; Peter wasn't. Our summer reunion in Germany took me places I didn't want to know.
By Lauren Fox
[10/22/99]

Travel Advisor
Sleeping in Seattle
Our travel expert directs readers to accommodation and fun in the rainy city, plus advice on trips to Manhattan and Apostle Island.
By Donald D. Groff
[10/21/99]

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Your best friend in picking a cruise is a travel agent experienced at booking cruises. Someone with a broad knowledge of the industry can listen to your requests and immediately zero in on suitable cruises. The Web site of the American Society of Travel Agents has a search engine that lets you filter for cruise specialists.

If you have a particular destination in mind, look for a specialized guide. At least half a dozen other publishers put out annual cruise guides; go to a big book store and check out the cruise section.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitors sanitation conditions on international cruise lines, and you can find the monthly report by looking at the "Summary of Sanitation Inspections of International Cruise Ships." (Look for the Green Sheet label.)

Right now I'm in Tonga, headed for Auckland, and hoping to stay someplace nice, pamper myself a bit after being in Nuku'alofa for three months. Any suggestions?

After months of living la vida loca in Nuku'alofa, I can see how you'd be ready for a breather in Auckland.

Check out the New Zealand Tourism Board site, whose accommodation section is one of the best you'll find on a national site anywhere. Among its easy-to-search links for Auckland is a "luxury lodges" section, including at least half a dozen in the greater Auckland area. One about 10 minutes from central Auckland is the Langtons, a spacious home set in large grounds with views of Manukau harbor. If the nightly rate of $185NZ (about $95) is a bit steep, check out Pacific for Less Inc., whose links include one for Flag Hotels, with a range of properties in Auckland.

If you'd like to be in the heart of Auckland and want a full range of comforts and diversions, consider the 344-room Sky City Hotel and Conference Centre, part of a complex with the Sky City Casino, Sky City Theatre, Sky City Restaurants and Sky Tower.

The main New Zealand site also has many other choices of hotels, spas, inns and B&Bs.
salon.com | Oct. 28, 1999

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