Mexico – 13.25 Mexican pesos to the dollar
Who isn’t looking for a little respite from the cold weather this winter? For U.S. earners looking to stay close to home, head south where you can find a room at even an upscale, exquisitely designed boutique hotel like Playa del Carmen’s Basico for less than $200.
Playa del Carmen is a worthy destination far away from the parties of Cancun, but still buzzing. If you desire more solitude, a beachfront room at the Maya Tulum resort is less than $150. There’s also a full calendar of mind-body events, including a five-night, all-inclusive program that provides an ocean-view room, spa sessions, twice-daily yoga classes and all meals for less than $1,000.
Poland – 2.99 Polish zlotych to the dollar
Spend this holiday in beautiful and historic Poland. The country offers much of what neighboring Germany offers, but at a fraction of the price and a small portion of the crowds. In addition to housing several theaters and museums, the Palace of Culture and Science also boasts one of Warsaw‘s top attractions: a viewing station from the 30th floor.
Krakow, meanwhile, is building a reputation as the Polish Prague, with a growing community of young, artistic expats who enjoy cheap living (think $2 beers and a plateful of pierogies at Warsaw‘s Pierogarnia for about $5.50) and its historic Old City, which unlike Warsaw escaped the worst of the war’s destruction.
Travel to the birthplaces of golden retrievers, Boston terriers, and five other popular breeds. It’s not as hard as you may think to travel with your precious pooch on your next vacation. To keep it within the country your only real concern is finding a hotel that will accept your four-legged friend. Search more than 25,000 hotels at Pets Welcome to find the perfect play to stay.
Here are seven vacation ideas you — and your pooch — can dig.
Boston terrier
Origin: Boston, Mass
Cocker Spaniel
Origin: Rollinsford, N.H.
Bichon Frise
Origin: Mediterranean Coast/France
Golden Retriever
Origin: Tomich, Scotland
Yorkshire terrier
Origin: Northern England
Dachshund
Origin: Germany
Shiba Inu
Origin: Japan
In our final installment of language immersion, you can learn Chinese in China.
The Global Exchange Center offers a traditional Mandarin language program in Beijing that combines class instruction, post-class tutoring and conversation. Students looking for something a little less conventional can elect to stay with a host family in one of a dozen smaller Chinese cities throughout the country. There they will live, learn and travel as a family, enjoying at least one major excursion per week. All the teachers are formally trained and the host families are thoroughly vetted.
Where better to learn Russian than in the enchanting city of St. Petersburg? Students of the Derzhavin Institute begin by taking entrance exams that help instructors place them in skill-appropriate classes. Both long- and short-term programs are available, and all immersion students are given an intensely Russian experience. Guests stay in the homes of families while speaking only Russian. Free time is spent exploring the city’s rich cultural offerings with excursions to area restaurants, museums and theaters.
Students of Languages Abroad can choose between five exciting German cities as the site of their immersive language education. All courses combine oral comprehension, writing, reading and speaking with ample opportunity to explore the sights and attractions of the host city. The truly ambitious can enroll in an intensive three-month, three-city program that allows travelers to experience more of the country while picking up regional variations in culture and dialect.
Want to make pasta along with learning to speak Italian? Cactus Languages offers a number of courses throughout the country that combine foreign-language instruction with cultural enlightenment. In Verona, music fans will learn the correct pronunciation and intonation of operatic lyrics. Mornings of language classes in Florence are followed by afternoons if Italian cooking classes. Choose a program in Sicily if the idea of learning Italian in the heart of an ancient city sounds irresistible.
For students seeking to experience French language and culture firsthand, the Language Exchange offers immersion programs in both Provence and the French-speaking island of Martinique. Caribbean-bound students can look forward to poolside classes, delicious French cuisine and exciting nightlife. Choose the south of France locale to combine language instruction with trips to local wineries, olive groves and art galleries. Fireside dinners will cap off day with some joie de vivre.
Don Quijote operates schools in numerous cities throughout Spain, plus others in 10 Latin American countries. The program’s intensive courses range from one week to a full academic year and features small class sizes and immersive environments. Lessons including reading and analysis of newspaper articles, Spanish telephone conversations and watching Spanish-language films. Classroom time is combined with cultural activities such as salsa lessons or guided city tours. Available accommodations include private homes, student housing or deluxe hotels.
Channel your inner Scorsese by attending a weeklong filmmaking workshop at Maine Media Workshops in Rockport. Students can take classes in directing, editing and documentary filmmaking, all of which are taught by experienced filmmakers. Meals are offered in a group setting, providing plenty or opportunity for informal discussions with peers and faculty. The workshop’s wrap party features a Maine lobster feast and screenings of students’ best efforts.
