Holiday

I sure do like to travel. In my life plan, the most important elements to my existence are are family, health, happiness and travel. Fortunately for me I have been able to combine all of these elements in one big happy life package.

Here are five humerous but useful travel tips that I picked up over the last 2 decades from traveling around the globe. From the ruins of Machu Picchu to the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, as well as 40 of the 50 states, here are just a few of my long list of travel nuggets for local travel in the beautiful united states. I have accumulated these particular ones over the last 5 years, and best of all they don’t cost a dime!

1. The Versatile Hotel Coffee Packets: While traveling in the Midwest, I almost suffocated in my economy rental car that smelled of dog and body odor. Out of desperation, I placed the coffee filter pack from my hotel on the dashboard hoping to act as perfume. To my surprise, not only did the car adopt the cozy aroma of ground coffee, the filter bags actually seemed to absorb the odors in about a day.

December 4th, 2008 | Tags: Travel | Category: Travel | | Leave a comment

The now dormant volcano of La Gomera is a great place for spectacular scenery and invigorating walks. Holidays in La Gomera, the second smallest of the Canary Islands, offer something different from the usual holiday tourist traps.

History of La Gomera

For such a small island, La Gomera has a big history! Famed for being the last stop Christopher Columbus made before sailing the Atlantic, the house Columbus stayed in can still be visited! The island is also well known for the unique “Silbo”. This is a whistling language used by Gomerans to communicate with ease across the steep valleys. The whistling language can still be heard today and has recently been entered into the Gomeran school curriculum.

Things to Do in La Gomera

La Gomera’s main selling point is the Garajonay National Park. Masses of rain-forest like trees, hills blanketed in heather and mountains covered in clouds - this is Garajonay National Park! The highest parts of the park are continuously covered by rolling mists and wispy clouds making the whole view seem like a poster for Lord of the Rings! Garajonay has clearly marked routes and paths that you can walk, jog or cycle along and the log-cabin restaurant at the dry lake bed of Laguna Grande has some of the best food on the island!

Beaches of La Gomera

December 4th, 2008 | Tags: Canaries, Canary Islands, Cheap Holiday, la gomera, Sunmaster, Travel | Category: Travel | | Leave a comment

Author: Jackie Mansfield

photo credit: nonameplayer

Florida was inhabited by people 12,000 years ago and most of the animals of the world lived here. Some of them have become extinct now e.g. The saber-tooth tiger, giant armadillo, camel and of course the mastodon.

The natives, before the arrival of Europeans, in Florida used to eat nuts, plants, small animals and shellfish. They cultivated agriculture and traded with people of the South Eastern US and increased their social organizations. It is reflected in large temples that they built and village complexes.

The Spanish came here in 1513 and a Spanish explorer named Ponce de Leon named the area la Florida in honor of Pascua Florida, the feast of the flowers - Spain’s Easter time Celebrations.

The French followed, making the Spaniards flee and the French made the first permanent settlement in Florida. Spaniards returned with more forces and burned all the things that related to the French. In1763 British gained control of Florida from the Spanish, leaving the state with just a few settlements.

When the British evacuated Florida many people came pouring in, especially the slaves who escaped from various places to come here as they knew that there was no enslavement there. Many came because of favorable Spanish terms for land grabs. The Floridians that settled here became more ‘American’ than ‘Spanish.’

Finally the US took control of the territory in 1821. On 3rd March, 1845 Florida became the 27th state of the US. William D. Mosley was elected the first Governor. Its population also grew tremendously.

December 4th, 2008 | Tags: heathrow taxi, london transfers airports | Category: Travel | | Leave a comment

Author: Nitin Mehta

photo credit: PriyadarshiC

At a time when the whole world is concerned about setting off carbon footprints, ecotourism is all that makes sense. Even a maximum number of travellers is looking for travel management companies who have adapted an eco-frindly approach and practice responsible travel. Over the last few years, India has gained much prominence when it comes to contributing towards ecotourism. Major ecotourism zones in India include wildlife parks, bio-reserves, sanctuaries, Himalayan forests, hill stations, zoological gardens and botanical gardens among others. During your eco tours to India, you will see and experience a lot in terms of vegetations as well as wildlife. Indian ecotourism is today attracting hordes of keen travellers for all across the world. It is a pure joy to become a really responsible traveller.

December 4th, 2008 | Tags: Ecotourism in India, Ecotourism Tour to India, India Ecotourism | Category: Travel | | Leave a comment

So, you’re finally going on a long vacation! There are some things you should do before you go; planning ahead will ensure a safe and memorable trip. Some questions you should ask yourself are: how far are you going to drive every night, how are you going to keep the kids occupied, does your destination hotel accept pets, is the car ready, etc. Now that you’re thinking ahead, here are five important tips for a long vacation.

First, have your vehicle checked. Ask your mechanic for an oil change, tire rotate & balance and a mechanical inspection. The mechanic should check: oil & filter, transmission fluid, antifreeze, CV joints (on 4×4’s), spare tire, wrench and jack. Check your owner’s manual for any information you may need as to tire pressure, how to change a headlight etc.

Second tip, do you have an emergency kit? Some things that should be in it are: jumper cables, a can of tire inflator, flashlight (with good working batteries of course!), gloves, a simple tool kit with screwdrivers, pliers, sockets & driver, spare headlight, fuses & windshield wipers, can of motor oil and some extra antifreeze. If you will be traveling in the winter you should also have a large empty metal coffee can with a candle, chocolate or power bar, tea or coffee bags, and matches (in a zip-lock baggie) in it and a space-age blanket, wool socks and non-clumping kitty litter for traction.

December 4th, 2008 | Tags: Travel | Category: Travel | | Leave a comment

Wouldn’t it be nice to travel all over the world? How would you like to see the great pyramids in Egypt and even get the chance to explore pharaoh tombs? Don’t you just want to see the lushness of the Amazon River and get in touch with nature? Have you ever traveled along the Great Wall and let yourself in on a first-hand experience of the culturally-rich Chinese lifestyle?

Yes, traveling is one of the best perks in life. Nothing beats a vacation which involves international travel. But of course, we all know how international flights can be too expensive and painful on the pocket. Even if they say that nowadays everything comes with a price, we still find it difficult to shell out something just so we could travel across countries.

Still, there’s no need for you to worry. There are cheap international airline tickets which you can avail nowadays and they do fit any type of budget real well. So even if you cannot afford to really be all luxurious about the travel process, cheap international airline tickets are here to enable you to experience the world for a much lesser cost. Here are some tips you can use to help you find these great deals.

December 4th, 2008 | Tags: Travel | Category: Travel | | Leave a comment

photo credit: thejbird

My husband and our 10 month old daughter and I just returned from a wonderful one week cruise in the Caribbean on the Crown Princess cruise ship. We wondered how difficult it would be to cruise with a young baby - it turned out that it was actually quite easy. Sure there are some things that we would do differently, but for the most part we did a lot of things very, very well. We are now planning our next cruise.

I thought it would be beneficial to other travellers planning a cruise with a young baby to read about our typical day on a cruise ship.

Princess Cruise Line was wonderful to us. They provided us with a very sturdy, clean and safe playpen for our daughter to sleep in. We positioned the playpen out of the way in the small hallway in our cabin near to the cabin’s washroom. Our daughter sleeps very well - her normally waking time is 7 am. When she woke up during the vacation we would give her a quick change of clothes and then the three of us (baby, dad and me) would snuggle in our bed for a while waking up and playing.

After changing her out of her wet diaper and into some dry clothes my husband would put our daughter into her stroller and he would go for a 30 minute walk on the promenade deck of the cruise ship. While they were gone I would have a shower and organize our cabin and pack the diaper bag for the day. When they returned my husband would have his shower and get ready for the morning.

December 4th, 2008 | Tags: baby, cruise, Cruising, family, Holiday, parenting, vacation | Category: Cruising | | Leave a comment

photo credit: wwarby

The country of Tanzania has many great attractions that can be included in any travel plans for the visitors of Tanzania. Some of the activities that one can indulge in include climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, go on a deep sea diving, scuba, and visit archeological sites like Olduvai Gorge among other activities.

With so many attractions to talk about, and for the sake of keeping it short, we are going to look at the major attractions found in Northern Tanzania. The national parks found in this region include Lake Manyara, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti and Mt Kilimanjaro.

1. Tarangire National Park

The highest numbers of elephant in Tanzania are found in Tarangire National Park. Tarangire is a popular place to stop for those that are gong on safari in the Northern circuit. The park is located a few hrs drive from the town of Arusha and some of the animals found here include gazelles, zebras, elephants and giraffes.

2. The Amazing Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara Park is made up of grasslands, swamps and woodlands. The lake is home to thousands of flamingoes as well as home to lots of bird species. These birds include herons, storks and ostriches. We also have species of ibis and the rare pygmy goose. Lake Manyara is an alkaline lake and the park is also home to the tree climbing lions, warthogs, hippos and buffaloes.

December 3rd, 2008 | Tags: Africa, safari, Tanzania, tanzania safari, Tanzania travel, tanzania vacation, tour, Travel | Category: Travel | | Leave a comment

Vacationing on the Jersey Shore? Want to save money? Or just hide-away with that loved one for a week or more? ShoreRentals.com has the answer!

Not only is this convenient, but quite often renting by owner can save money for the vacationer. Property owners, eager to rent out their beach property, are pricing competitively.

At ShoreRentals.com, owners can compare their rental units to other similar rentals in the same location. Listings include detailed pictures and descriptions of the rental. The savvy owner understands that to price their property attractively will help them stand out among the competition.

Where? At ShoreRentals.com. How? Because we rent properties that are carefully screened and viewed prior to posting them on our web site. Private owners take better care of their properties and you end up with cleaner units, and better weekly, monthly or seasonal rates, because they manage them themselves. This puts more money in your pocket!

To further maximize financial savings, owners who do not have their property rented out during a certain period will often negotiate their price in order to fill vacancies. Conveniently advertised on ShoreRentals.com’s homepage are “Last Minute Owner Specials” offering vacationer’s further savings. Another ideal time to visit the shore is during off-season as there is less tourist demand and prices are lower. On each property webpage potential travelers can check the availability calendar and easily contact the owner to discuss possible discounts.

December 3rd, 2008 | Tags: shore rentals, Vacation Rentals | Category: Vacation Rentals | | Leave a comment