Hurricane Irene made everyone a bit nervous, but the experts know which islands are statistically less likely to have a major hurricane strike within 100 miles.
The Atlantic hurricane season -- which lasts from June 1 until Nov. 30 -- coincides with when some Caribbean resorts drop rates by 20 to 40 percent or try to entice you with free nights, according to Hotels.com. But before you book that too-good-to-be-true deal, remember that a fast-moving tropical storm or hurricane could literally rain out your vacation.
How can you pick wisely? "Any place within about 7 degrees latitude of the equator is almost always safe from hurricanes," says Kerry Emanuel, a professor of atmospheric science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Or if you want a tropical vacation with beachfront hotels but minus the iffy weather, look to these safer (and more affordable) bets instead.
Some interesting hurricane stats include:
Aruba: 4% chance of a hurricane hitting within 100 miles (v. 51% in the Bahamas)
St. Maarten: 5% chance
Other options: Contadora Island, Pearl Islands, Panama
"Panama is hardly ever directly hit by the core of a hurricane since it's so close to the equator," says Dr. Rick Knabb, tropical program manager for The Weather Channel.
Read the the full story in the October issue of Money magazine.
Other options that didn't make it into the final piece:
Mahé Island, Seychelles
Mahé Island, about 4 degrees south of the equator in the Indian Ocean, is part of an archipelago of 115 tropical islands that "aren’t affected by hurricanes, and they’re not that hard to reach from the U.S. as they are serviced by nonstop flights from London," Emanuel says. You also don’t need a royal budget to vacation here: Seven nights in early November at the four-star Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort & Casino come to $1,394 with taxes. Compared to $6,104 for a week in Anguilla at the famed Cap Juluca resort, spending a week here swimming in the calm seas more than compensates for the higher airfares. And in November, the average highs reach 86 degrees -- four degrees warmer than in Anguilla.
São Miguel, the Azores
The Azores, a group of nine Portuguese-speaking islands, "are occasionally hit by weak hurricanes, but strong ones are rare or nonexistent there," says Emanuel. On the largest island of São Miguel, the average November high of 66 degrees is ideal for hiking and exploring the island’s lake-filled calderas; locals even swim year-round at the dozen black-sand beaches. You'll also save on lodging at four-star waterfront hotels; seven nights in a sea-view room at the Caloura Hotel Resort is $842 for two people.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
3 Affordable Wine Destinations: Willamette Valley, Finger Lakes, Mendoza
In the September issue of Money magazine, I talked to some wine experts to find out where you can enjoy the fall harvest season for less. (Napa Valley and Bordeaux, France, are naturally great destinations but not everyone can afford an expensive getaway right now.)
Seek out these three wine destinations instead, where the vintner could be pouring you a flight at the tasting room and you could save nearly 40 percent per night at a comparable B&B or hotel.
Fun Fact: Karl Storchmann, managing editor of the Journal of Wine Economics and an economics professor at NYU, averaged the five most affordable 2008/2009 vintages that scored 88 Wine Spectator points -- and found that Oregon's Willamette Valley wines cost 20 percent less than those from Napa Valley.
Photo Caption: The Damiani tasting room -- in a converted house -- overlooks Seneca Lake in New York's Finger Lakes region. Photo by Amy Chen
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