-- T. Lavigne, Mississauga
A: Information can be limited at some hotel websites. Try calling the property and speaking to the front desk or concierge. Major hotel chains often have toll-free reservation lines that will sometimes put you through to the property or call direct on their local line.
Another idea is to check social media sites, where travellers post comments and photos.
A new one is the Room77.com hotel database and search engine. Only about 3,000 hotels are currently listed but the site is working to build a worldwide index of every hotel room rated three-stars or better. There is a Room77.com app available through Apple, and it also provides a virtual look at the view outside your room window.
Q: Do you know of any companies that have packages to Egypt. Is it okay to travel there now?
-- B. Amato, Toronto
A: Tourists are slowly returning to Egypt.
In the summer Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, visited the country and said: "Throughout my visit it has been very clear that the Egyptian tourism sector is fully operational and ready to receive visitors."
While visitor numbers will certainly be off for 2011, nearly 100,000 Canadians travelled to Egypt in 2010, an increase of 8.8% from 2009, and industry publication TravelWeek reported, "Official estimates predict that nearly 11 million international tourists will visit Egypt in 2011."
For travel information, visit the Egypt Tourism Office at en.egypt.travel. In addition to the usual travel information, it has a multimedia section with video clips on popular tourist destinations like the Red Sea, the desert, The Nile, Cairo, Luxor and more.
The Egypt Tourist Authority lists over 500 holidays from Canada through companies such as Abercrombie & Kent, Adventures Abroad, APT, Canadian Travel Abroad, GM Tours, ElderTreks, Uniworld, Globus and more. A good travel agent will have more information on tours.
Q: I have enrolled in a cooking class but would also like to take a culinary vacation in Ontario. Do you know of any places that offer these?
-- O. Noor, Brampton
A: Ontario has plenty of places to expand your culinary knowledge:
-- In Nipissing Village, the vegetarian haven Piebird B&B has food-and-wellness packages with plenty of workshops. Choose from such themes as herbs for culinary and medicinal use; strawberry jam canning; vegetarian stew and homemade artisan bread; vegan baking, and more. This hideaway scores high marks for both relaxation and culinary delight. Contact 705-724-1144 or piebird.ca.
-- Norwood's Thirteen Moons has several rustic weekend retreats focusing on cooking. Upcoming themes are cooking with super foods (Nov. 6 and Mar. 6) and culinary transitions (Feb. 24-28). Package usually include two nights' accommodation in a shared room and meals. For more information and prices, contact 705-652-9329 or thirteenmoons.ca.
-- Collingwood has the Collingwood Cooking Academy, which has a great Bed and Breakfast day course for people interested in learning how to run their own B&B. Topics include finding the right property, how to market the business, and food. The package includes three hours of in class instruction, a one-night stay at Willow Trace B&B, and a hands-on two-hour lesson on cooking breakfast. Contact 705-445-9003 or collingwoodcookingacademy.com for details.
-- Niagara-on-the-Lake, known for its wines and culinary delights, will be cooking up a storm at the Wine Country Cooking School said to be "Canada's first winery cooking school." The school promotes hands-on learning with participants working in teams of two. A variety of packages for one, two and five-day culinary vacations are offered at participating properties including the Harbour House Hotel, the Shaw Club and the Riverbend Inn. Contact 905-468-8304 or winecountrycooking.com.
-- For more on culinary tourism in the province, visit Ontario Tourism at ontariotravel.net.
Send your travel questions to ilona@mycompass.ca
