Edward Carter's TRAVELS http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/ en-us 2010-08-30T06:31:46+00:00 Meet John Roberts—Director of Elephants http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000128.php August 30, 2010......Anyone who has visited Thailand will be familiar with the Kingdom’s reverence for its elephants. Once the country’s esteemed logging workforce, these three-ton beauties remain sacredly associated with royalty, and to this day take pride of place in parade festivities. Yet despite the strong bond between Thai people and their nation’s most genteel species, there are still a worrying number of elephants forced to meander the city streets to make their mahout a miserly living by begging from tourists. Thailand ecarter 2010-08-30T06:31:46+00:00 An Anthology - What is "Travels" all about? http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000125.php Letters from Abroad, but since some people weren’t sure whether Abroad was one word or two ;-), I changed the title of the advertising-free, twenty-two-page, subscription-only monthly to Edward Carter’s Travels©. It continued in hardcopy form until it was launched on the Internet, August 31, 1995. As such, it is one of the oldest, independent, travel reference sites, and has become virtually mandatory reading for travellers and travel and hospitality professionals around the world. The excerpts in this anthology introduce you to some of my ]]> Edward Carter ecarter 2010-05-11T07:06:31+00:00 Kona Village, Hawaii http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000127.php Parents' Week at Camp. Even for those of you looking for a terrific spot to take the family, just remember that when the kids are here, they rule the roost, the schedule, and the atmosphere.]]> USA ecarter 2010-01-11T07:59:19+00:00 JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000039.php JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa on my favorite island in Thailand. ]]> Asia ecarter 2010-01-01T14:16:36+00:00 An Appealing Article http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000079.php If you feel you receive some value from my work creating and maintaining this site, or would like to help support the site's ongoing presence, please reciprocate. No one other than you sponsors this site. Any donation would be much appreciated and will help to keep the site online and growing. An Appealing Article ecarter 2009-12-23T12:20:21+00:00 A Great Rest in Hua Hin http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000126.php Dateline: December 22, 2009, Hua Hin on the Gulf of Thailand: Hua Hin was originally a small fishing village. With the advent of a railway line from Bangkok and the construction of The Railway Hotel in 1923 (today's Sofitel Central Hua Hin), the town became a popular retreat for the Thai Royal Family, Bangkok's high society, and affluent foreigners. Thailand ecarter 2009-12-22T06:58:07+00:00 Tokyo and Kyoto—the letters are the same, but that’s all. http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000122.php November 19, 2009: There really is nothing inscrutable about the Japanese, they just do everything with more care than almost anyone else and there is nothing inscrutable about why—it makes them proud, deservedly. Everyone can understand that; remember German cameras, English motorcycles, and American cars? Everyone cared at one time or another, it's just that the Japanese care more today. Asia ecarter 2009-11-17T10:53:27+00:00 Macau http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000115.php November 9, 2009. What a curious spot is Macau. A once-Portuguese, grain-of-sand-sized colony nestled almost unnoticed in the rough oyster of China that edges the South China Sea, Macau is the mecca of all gamblers and a watering hole for many idiosyncratic characters who ride the jet streams of the world. Asia ecarter 2009-11-09T05:24:11+00:00 Celebrating Loy Krathong http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000114.php Dateline: Bangkok, November 2, 2009. Ever feel like packing up your troubles and sending them off on a slow boat to nowhere and starting life afresh? Well a few million people did just that last night and I was part of the milling throng. Bangkok Diary ecarter 2009-11-03T08:35:04+00:00 Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000113.php Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort. Dateline: October 28, 2009, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Dear Uncle Ted, I spent the last 10 days at Anantara’s beautiful new Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort in the Liwa desert near Abu Dhabi, and I have so many details to share with you that it’s hard to say everything in one email… Middle East ecarter 2009-10-29T13:51:56+00:00 Dubai—A letter from Andrea Vaucher. http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000112.php Dear Uncle Ted, In the past month I’ve been traveling non-stop, from the Dubai desert to Palm Desert; from Napa, where I toured the first winery in the US – and maybe the world – that will hold a gold LEED certification, to a gem of a boutique hotel south of the border that has me retooling my opinion that Puerto Vallarta has been destroyed and is not worth visiting despite how easy it is to get to from LA. But first: Dubai. Middle East ecarter 2009-10-26T11:27:39+00:00 Anantara Scoops Six Awards this Summer http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000110.php Bangkok, September 2009: The smart travelers are rediscovering why Thailand has always been the favorite tropical destination in the world. Friends of mine who manage resorts and hotels tell me their occupancy is 100% some days and will come in at 80% for this month! Like the economies of the world, Thailand is bouncing back better than ever. Come experience all that this lovely place has to offer and be cosseted by the most caring people in the world. Thailand ecarter 2009-09-22T10:27:02+00:00 Happy Holidays from Bangkok! http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000108.php Bangkok, December 20, 2008. ...Downstairs the ballrooms were bursting with wedding receptions, and at that very moment as I stood to look across the long garden pool, the new Prime Minister arrived—self-driving his old BMW. Now that’s a change! He moved up the stairs and into each party in turn—no entourage, no body guards, just open-faced honesty! Thailand ecarter 2008-12-21T11:37:52+00:00 Lucas Pioneer Lodge http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000124.php Dateline: Agness, Oregon, Nearly every week I broadcast on American talk-radio stations while en route around the U.S.A. A couple of weeks ago, my first trip around Oregon’s was the subject when a man called in to suggest I visit... USA ecarter 2008-12-14T06:35:36+00:00 Steamboat Inn http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com/archives/000123.php Dateline: Steamboat (the inn is the whole town), Oregon From many points of view, Steamboat Inn is just about perfect: a virgin wilderness location, wonderfully comfortable accommodations, enchanting hosts, cheery staff, and absolutely delicious food. For more than seventy years,... USA ecarter 2008-12-14T06:16:34+00:00