The new MegaBus is offering FREE ride on its New York City - Boston route until Tuesday, June 3.  I know the offer is only good for a few days, but you can still take advantage of the cheap fares the bus company offers regularly.  MegaBus offers at least one $1 seat in each of its buses.  Remaining seats are priced up to $14.  It’s still a good deal with the convenience of free wi-fi and ample legroom.

It is a new company, so I suggest not to expect much.  I will be reserving a ride next month and I’ll post a review, so stay tuned.

(source: Boston.com)

The Cayman Islands is a great tropical destination and have a lot to offer. It is well known especially for its Stingray City and great diving. Unfortunately, since this trip was intended as a diving vacation, we weren’t able to experience all else. I will definitely go back.

I will try to minimize this review by not including the details about the facilities/services/products that can be found in their websites. Click on the names to go to the websites. Included in this review are what I think about the services, tips, and info that are not mentioned or cannot be easily found online. For more details, click here for my travel log.

Diving is great in any of the islands. But a lot of divers prefer Little Cayman because of its proximity to the famous Bloody Bay Wall. And trust me, it was awesome diving. But if you want to be able to do more than diving or snorkeling, I would suggest staying in Grand Cayman.

As always, I recommend joining a forum for the destination (if any). Or at least visit the forum and read what the members say. A forum is where I get the best tips and recommendations. Click here for the forum I liked for Cayman Islands.

Inquire for prices through Cayman Activity Guide. They may offer cheaper rates.

US currency is widely accepted at US$1.25 - CI$1 ratio. Even taxis accept them, so no need to bring Cayman Dollars.

Go to CaymanGoodTaste.com for a list of restaurants and reviews in Grand Cayman. The site also has a good detailed map. I was able to grab a catalogue at our hotel for free.

Go through the brochures and magazines in your hotel. They’re free and very useful. Don’t forget to grab a map when you go around the area.

Book the flights early if you’re going to the sister islands (Cayman Brac and Little Cayman). There are not a lot of flights going to these islands with Cayman Airways. And they get booked. I had to re-book my international flight because I tried to book our flight to Little Cayman too late. Don’t worry, the airfare is pretty much the same all year round.

Remember that the baggage limit on the Cayman Airways flights to the sister islands is only 55lbs per person, unlike in international flights. Excess weight may incur additional charges and may arrive delayed.

If booking Little Cayman Beach Resort, I suggest getting the FAP (all meals included) package. There’s not a lot of places to go to in Little Cayman. Besides, I find the food in the resort very good.

Gratuities are 10%-15%.

Click here for full review and photos.

There are the existing buses: Greyhound/Peter Pan, Fung Wah, Lucky Star. The one-way fares are pretty much the same in the $15-$25 range. Now, there are new buses that entered the competition: BoltBus (a Greyhound operation) and MegaBus (a subsidiary of Coach USA).

Both bus companies will offer at least one seat per bus for only $1.  The remaining seats at MegaBus, will be priced no more than $14 each, while remaining seats at BoltBus will be priced no more than $25.   Both companies have $0.50 reservation fee.  Both will also offer free wireless internet onboard.  Sweet!  BoltBus did add a few more perks including electrical outlets in each seat and less rows resulting to larger legroom.

But be forewarned… there are complaints that some of the buses of BoltBus show up late or don’t show up at all.  Well, you usually get what you paid for.

Of course, those $1 seats are hard to catch. If you can book way in advance, the odds are better.  Mega Bus right now is offering free seats from NYC to Washington DC for travel beginning the weekend of May 30.

(source: Boston.com)

UPDATE:

07/16/08: Click here for a review of Megabus.