Although there are times when you just need the do-nothing-but-veg vacation, travel can be infinitely more interesting when we make deeper connections with our destinations. Context Travel, who by their own words are a group of “architects, historians, and art historians who organize walking seminars for intellectually curious travelers,” helps people to make those deeper connections and come away from their vacations with a richer sense of place. (more…)

The best luxury travel is that which you didn’t pay for.

We’re sure that doesn’t happen too often and when it does, it usually has a price (sycophantic vendor/sales rep? annoying great-aunt? you get the drift). But over at Travel Sweeps, a blog published by veteran travel writer Barbara Benham, we’ve happily come across a treasure trove of sweepstakes, all nicely compiled by Benham, that could get you on your way to Jamaica/Spain/the Keys without having to suffer the presence of an annoying but deep-pocketed host.

Benham’s picks aren’t necessarily child-inclusive, but more often than not the destinations and hotels tend towards the top of the line, and we always say, win the prize and then pay for the kids to come along with airfare and any necessary upgrades if you like; you’ll still net a great trip at an amazingly fair price. Benham combs sites like Luxury Link, mags such as Marie Claire and any number of travel sites/tourist boards and what-have-you, so that you don’t have to, and provides links to online entries. Really – could it get any easier?

Still not convinced? Too bad for you. We’re off to enter a contest sponsored by Piperlime. Grand prize? A 5-night stay at the all-suite Regent Palms Resort (right) in Turks & Caicos. We’d pay to go there – but if Piperlime is paying, that’s even better.

And thank God for that. While we will someday make the required pilgrimage to see the mouse, we won’t be posting about it here unless the lodging satisfies the luxury requirement of this blog. However, whenever that day arrives – and trust us, exciting though Disney may be we are dreading the lines and the overtired kid drama – it would be great to have a guide that points us to the non-Disney offering Orlando’s got in store… (more…)