© Terry Wha


Manchester is one of the most busiest, most crowded airports in the Britian. So I guess it was inevitable that the new body scanners would get introduced there.

Manchester and Heathrow have already gotten the new body scanner. At Manchester the scanners is in terminal 2 now. Manchester plans to introduce additional scanners in Terminal 1 and 3 by the end of this month.

I'm not sure walking through a body scanner bothers me much at the age of 50. But a lot of people seem to think it's a step over the edge, in terms of privacy. It's not like I'm walking around an airport hotels in the buff. But evidently lots of people feel that they may as well be doing that. I don't think holiday insurance covers the stress involved here.

It's really pretty simple. You can walk through the scanner and one or two people who have already had to look at a thousand other naked people that day get some idea of what you might look like in the raw, and then we all get a safe flight. Or you can get rid of the scanners and some guy will manage to get on board wiht dynamite in his underpants and blow a hole in the plane at 35 thousand feet.

Take your pick. In the meantime, at least you can minimize some of the trauma of going to the airport by booking
Manchester airport parking ahead of time online.

© mocvdleung


USA Today had an article recently on Singapore first casino - on Sentosa Island.

Resorts World Sentosa, built by Malaysia's Genting Bhd for 6.6 billion Singapore dollars ($5 billion), opened 1,340 rooms in four hotels, including a Hard Rock hotel and a property designed by architect Michael Graves. Its 7,300-seat ballroom, one of Asia's largest, will host its first event at the end of this month.

Singapore has relaxed considerably since I lived there in the 1990's. I can't imagine a casino back them. But now Singapore wants to become Macau, I guess.

Sentosa Island is a little known Singapore secret. It has beautiful beach, a sea park, a dolphin lagoon, a variety of accommodations, a historic fort, a number of rides, and plenty of good dinning experiences.

© nanpalmero


St. Lucia is one of the most beautiful little pieces of the Caribbean.

The island is small: 15 miles east to west, 27 miles north to south. The 200,000 residents possess and enchanting blend of British and French cultural influences.

Lush inland rain forests make St. Lucia one of the greenest corners of the Caribbean. Tourism is a large part of the economy. There's a special focus on weddings and honeymoons.

The island is an independent country, part of the Lesser Antilles. You can fly direct from New York. Resorts abound. One of the newest, Jade Mountain, overlooks a UNESCO World Heritage site on the island (some volcanic formations called the Pitons) and has open air suites. Sitting here watching it snow in my yard, I could use a few days there at the moment...

© Holidayextras


There's something special about getting back to your own personal space after a few days of travel. You've been living in borrowed or rented seats and beds - on the plane, in Airport hotels, and in restaurants you're not very familiar with. After three or four days of business meetings, your plane's wheels hit the tarmac ad you're well and truly ready for the feel of something familiar.

Gatwick airport parking is not that hard to negotiate. If you did a little research before your trip, you probably know the lot fairly well and you can get back to your car without much trouble.

I personally love the feel of being in my own private space. Turn the radio up. Adjust the seat a little. For the first time in maybe a couple of days I start to feel relaxed. I can let my guard down and forget about things like Holiday insurance or meetings with clients.

It's a nice feeling...

© Sandy Austin


New Zealand offers so much, and the LA Times recently pointed out one of the country's most overlooked attractions - the 50 or so islands in and around Hauraki Gulf, off the Auckland coast.

Many of the islands can be reached for the reasonable price of a ferry ride from Auckland. The sand and surf offer all the normal attractions. Many of the islands are wild, uninhabited. Or there's places like Waiheke, whihc, according to the author, is "known for its wineries, galleries and gourmet cafes, (it) is a million miles removed from the untamed beauty of Great Barrier. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, especially the tasting rooms offering Cabernet Sauvignon."

If you make it to Auckland, don't miss these islands.