Traveling in 2012

It's no secret that I LOVE to travel. And, over the last couple years I've gotten the Mr. pretty hooked too (Turks & Caicos and Italy will do that to a person!). We love to take one big trip a year, and then sprinkle in some smaller trips - San Diego, road trips, lying on the beach in Kauai, etc - in between.

2011 took us (sometimes together and sometimes separate) to many interesting places: Mexico and Chile (for work), Vancouver BC, Lake Chelan, St. Louis, San Diego (twice), Port Townsend, Kauai, and Italy. Phew!

Now I'm looking at a wide-open 2012 and wondering where we should go next. I love to have a big trip on the horizon so that we can start planning (and saving!) with plenty of time. But I'm not sure where! Luckily, I came across the New York Times' list of 45 Places to Go in 2012. Head over to their website for the full descriptions, but here's a list of all 45. I've commented on places I've already been (to make me feel accomplished!) and noted those that I'm dying to visit. Places I've visited are in italics, dream destinations are in bold.

1. Panama - yes please! Central America is my fave part of the world.
2. Helsinki, Finland
3. Myanmar - my brother got to visit, and I'm jealous!
4. London - check! One of my favorite cities.
5. Oakland, California - check!
6. Tokyo, Japan - check! Well, I've been to Japan, but not Tokyo.
7. Tanzania - big check! Going on a safari was a big dream, accomplished in 2003.
8. Chilean Patagonia
9. Lhasa, Tibet
10. Havana, Cuba - check! I'm eternally grateful to Semester at Sea for getting to visit Cuba.
11. Moscow
12. Glasgow
13. Puebla, Mexico
14. San Diego - major check. Lived there for 4 years.
15. Halong Bay, Vietnam - semi-check. Been to Vietnam, but not Halong Bay. I've heard it's beautiful.
16. Florence, Italy - check. Love.
17. St. Vincent
18. Moganshan, China
19. Birmingham, England
20. Space
21. Kerala, India - semi-check, again.
22. Paraty, Brazil - semi-check.
23. Koh Rong, Cambodia - I would love a trip to Cambodia. Southeast Asia is amazing.
24. Vienna
25. Chattanooga, Tennesee
26. Dakhla, Morocco - Oh, Morocco, you've been calling me for years.
27. Maldives - this is my rich-person fantasy.
28. Malacca, Malaysia
29. The Algarve, Portugal
30. Lake Tahoe - check
31. Wales
32. Antarctica
33. Uganda
34. Ukraine
35. Samana Peninsula, Dominican Republic - unspoiled beaches and sunny weather? Count me in.
36. Dubrovnik, Croatia - TOP of my list! Can I super-bold this?
37. Chiloe Island, Chile
38. Jordan
39. Crans-Montana, Switzerland
40. Montpellier, France
41. Nosara, Costa Rica - been to CR, not Nosara
42. South Korea
43. Lodz, Poland
44. Dalarna, Sweden
45. Portovenere, Italy

What locations are on the top of your list?

Follow-up: On Plane Tickets

A couple months ago I blogged about a new site I found, Yapta. Check out the original post here.

They send you weekly emails to let you know if any of the flights you've registered on their site have dropped in price. The Mr. and I are going to Kauai this fall, and I had registered our flight information and the price we paid on the site.

Last week, I got an email from Yapta saying the price had dropped. I logged on to the site, and it gave me a direct link to Alaska Airlines' website. In two short minutes, I had a $50 credit for my next flight on Alaska Airlines--the amount that the tickets had dropped! It's linked to my frequent flier account, so next time I go to buy a ticket, I'll apply the credit online.

The one caveat is that this process doesn't work on every airline, but I was surprised at how easy it was to get the credit! The best part? The tickets are now back up to the price we paid for them. It pays to be on top of things!

On plane tickets

Buying plane tickets is a special kind of hell. It's always a gamble. Should I buy tickets now at the current price? Or wait a few more weeks for a lower price, just to risk the flight I want being full? With gas prices as high as they are, and the summer travel season upon us, plane tickets are just not cheap. Period.
In the last month or so, I've bought three sets of tickets--Kauai, St. Louis, and San Diego. I feel like I got pretty good deals, but I'm never sure. 

Most handy travel websites track prices before you buy, and predict if the prices will go up or down. Only one website I've found tracks prices after you buy. Check out Yapta.com. Did you know that Alaska and Jet Blue offer refunds on ANY price drop after you buy your ticket? I had no idea, and I fly Alaska all the time (they must really not publicize this!). Also, AirTran and Virgin offer refunds for price drops over $75, and Hawaiian airlines offers refunds for drops over $100. A lot of other airlines will offer credits for future trips.

All you have to do is create a free Yapta account, and enter your flight dates, times, and numbers for upcoming trips. Enter how much you paid, and Yapta will automatically email you if the price drops enough for a refund! 

Yapta's website boasts that since May of 2007, they have saved their members over $250 million, and that the average annual savings per Yapta member is $334.16. 

I'm tracking all of my upcoming trips on Yapta, and I'll report back if I'm able to cash in. Currently, my flights now cost more than what I paid for them, which at the very least, makes me feel like I got a good deal!