Travel Tips — Travelogue

Enjoy Your Vacation With Superb Accommodation

November 18, 2012 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

All of us enjoy a vacation, which is away from the maddening crowd. We all wish to enjoy some time at a slow paced manner. Having a relaxed vacation where time is leisure does not necessarily mean that you have to lie on a sun bed all the while. It could be a getaway to the mountain to cool off or try something new, like an adventure sport or a new game. It may be a new craft, something out of the normal. There are places all over the world, which give you an exceptional stay fulfilling your desires. Some offer hiking, some spas, and some golf courses. The main reason for a vacation is relaxing and enjoying. The most important detail that needs to be carefully looked at is your accommodation.

A holiday abroad at one of the exotic international locations is every man’s dream come true. When you spend on the tickets and hotels, you wish for a pleasurable time.

An accommodation can make your vacation successful or can completely destroy the fun. On vacations every family member has some different requirement. When you choose an accommodation it needs to take care of all members, their requirements and something for them to enjoy.

With the arrival of the internet, you have the option to explore the various international destinations and also research more about the various facilities provided at these accommodations. Discovering new boundaries, different culture and striking food is easy as hotels provide the information on websites. The various astounding hotel accommodations in an alluring way enhance the fun and adventure of the traveller.

Some of the superb accommodation in many hotels varies from cosy studio apartments right up to six bedroom luxury homes for the discerning guest who wants a really plush place to stay in. Many hotels have the facility of local companies offering a concierge service so that any guest who comes to stay can get local information easily and even have tickets bought or reservations made while he is off relaxing somewhere. Most of the hotels are nestled in surroundings that are serene and calm for the guests to have an enjoyable time. Many accommodations also provide facilities for the pets. There are care centres for the pets, so that they don’t feel neglected when you are enjoying the outdoors.

Most of these luxury properties have things like hot tubs, steam rooms, saunas, an in ground pool, massage rooms and anything else that a person may necessitate to relieve those tired muscles after being strained a little too much. The family also enjoy gathering around a real log fire or barbecue pit to while away the evening with tales of what they got up to that day. Many hotels provide these luxuries for providing a comfortable stay and a splendid vacation. If you are the one to enjoy nature at peace in the wilderness, there is also the option of log cabin style vacation homes. They ensure privacy and stunning nature views as well. Nestled in the natural surroundings you don’t have to stop your shopping you can enjoy the luxuries of dining, pools and spas and shops too.

Many accommodations are made in such a manner that they are close to places of sightseeing, which saves you lots of time in traveling to that place and you can enjoy the culture, festivals and historic monuments of that city or place.

With covered parking for vehicles, some with under floor heating too, even the car is taken care of in first class surroundings. The superb accommodations are great for family gatherings or for friends to meet up again.

It is advisable to plan and check your options before you settle for an accommodation. It is better to plan and arrange beforehand to make your vacation more pleasant. Not only will you enjoy the exceptional moments with your loved ones but also save money on these vacations. The online booking system allows you to handle your tickets and hotel bookings as per your convenience. It is an assured way of securing the hotel rooms and other reservations such as car etc. After booking your tickets all you need is to pack your bags. The world is an amazing place and there is so much to learn and know about the diverse culture, the food and the city.

To enjoy your vacation it is required to make yourself comfortable so that you can be on the move. A suitable accommodation for your family and their needs assure your stay to be a pleasurable and fun filled one. When all individual needs are taken care of the stay becomes enjoyable. There is so much to gauge the change in culture, lifestyle and food styles and the amazing facilities the hotels provide, so book yourself a hotel accommodation that multiplies yours and your family’s fun quotient.

Author Bio: Jason Phillips is the writer to this article. He is fond of travelling and always happy to share his experiences about travelling. In his last post he shared his visit at jerusalem hotels.

Filed Under: Featured, Guest Post, Travel Adventures, Travel Tips

Four Alternative European Destinations

October 30, 2012 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

Boasting culture and history galore, a visit to one of many European destinations is the ideal choice for a getaway. With direct flights readily available, visitors can wake up on arrival ready to explore the sights and sounds, taste the cuisine and experience what a city in Europe has to offer. Although Europe is spectacular throughout the year, Spring perhaps marks the perfect time to visit one (or more) of the cities as the cold winter has given way to pleasant spring temperatures with blue sky above and beautiful flowers in bloom below.

While automatic choices for European destinations invariably include Paris and London, Europe has much to offer beyond these two amazing cities. Here are just four of the alternative cities of culture waiting to be explored

1. Dublin, Ireland

A compact city, full of Irish charm, Dublin, Ireland makes for a special break where visitors can be engulfed by Celtic culture as they tour sights including historic buildings, impressive Georgian squares and the many small parks dotted in and around the center of the city. No visit to Dublin is complete without a trip to the Guinness Storehouse; a 1904 listed building which tells the story of this famous Irish drink. Even if you don't wish to sample it, the tour tells a great deal of the history of Ireland. Once the sightseeing is over, be sure to take a wander along the banks of the River Liffey. On St Patrick's Day it turns green!

2. Lisbon, Portugal

The capital of Portugal, Lisbon has long been regarded as a well kept secret but its allure has begun to seep out. A holiday here should be spent wandering the mosaic tiled shopping streets, taking in the inspiring architecture and sipping espresso while people-watching in some of the many grand squares. Perched above the city center is the Castelo de Sao Jorge, restored in the 1930s to its former glory and now offering picture perfect views across the city to the River Tagus and beyond.

3. Copenhagen, Denmark

Perhaps regarded as one of the most vibrant of Europe's Capitals, Copenhagen has much to offer whatever your interests. Meander through the cobbled streets that open up into squares surrounded by impressive architecture and appreciate the ornate churches and castles that can be found within the city. The most famous view of Copenhagen is undoubtedly that of the canal district and the row of colorful buildings lining the banks. While away an evening here enjoying dinner and listening to the popular street entertainment.

4. Prague, Czech Republic

Famous for its Gothic Cathedral and Castle, step back in time as you explore this beautiful city. Prague is every historic architecture lover’s dream with examples of every period from Romanesque onwards to be found throughout the city. Visit the Old Town area, which is seen as the heart of the city, and be sure to take in the Old Town Hall, perhaps the most striking building to be seen. Dating from 1338 it has expanded over the centuries and now is composed of a number of colorful Renaissance and Gothic properties. The building’s crowning glory is The Astronomical Clock, a beautiful timepiece that relates the movement of the universe through the signs of the zodiac.

Whichever of the European cities you decide to visit, you will be sure of a memorable experience.

About the author: Laura Costa is a keen writer, traveller and photographer – like most people she would like to do these far more often than she is able to

Filed Under: Europe, Featured, Guest Post, Travel Tips

The Skill of Creating Excellent Travelogues

August 31, 2012 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

Writing about your travels through the creation of a travelogue is not merely a way of recording your memories for future enjoyment, but is an excellent method of sharing information about a location with others. For this reason the best travelogues are full of rich and detailed descriptive information about a destination enabling the reader to conjure up images from the writing.

A number of useful tips to take into account when compiling a travelogue can help the creation of an accurate and engaging travelogue:

Make it more than just a recording of day-to-day events

Purely writing day by day entries of where you went, what you did, what you saw and what you ate makes for a dull travel report. Weave in description, interest and feelings to your travelogue writing and create a photographic description of the places you visit. A travelogue should create a picture in the minds of readers through the written words enabling the reader to visualise the place being described.

A travelogue is not limited to words

Take advantage of today's technology and do not limit your travelogue to words alone. The most effective and inviting travelogues are accompanied by photographs and writers-own simple illustrations to help evoke the magic of a destination in the readers' minds. Even local leaflets and brochures together with travel tickets (from budget airline flights, trains, buses and subways) can be collected and included perhaps through photographs. The travelogue should be telling a story about the whole journey so items you collect on the way will add substance to the words.

Provide information on how to get to the destination

A travelogue should not merely be about the destination itself: the journey there is just as important. Therefore provide information on the best ways to travel there including airline details, trains, or generally any details that you feel are important.

Engage with local people and provide some cultural background

A travelogue should provide first hand experience of a destination and for even more in-depth, colourful writing try engaging with the local people you encounter on your travels. Ask about legends associated with the location and any other information that only local people would know. Discover the stories behind the festivals and events you may encounter and write about this in your travelogue.

Write about some of the must-do attractions

Your travelogue should include descriptive writing about the destination's attractions including the must-do activities for any visitor. However do not limit yourself to the well-known attractions that can be found in any guide book. Explore the destination and discover some lesser known attractions that could include local markets and spots with particularly mesmerising views.

Tips and Advice

Wherever you go there is always something you wish you had known prior to travelling including useful travel tips, an attraction or even an important cultural do or don't. Make note of the things that you have learnt on your travels for the benefit of future visitors. Especially important (and interesting to the reader) are etiquette differences between countries. For example some places require the wearing of specific clothing or behaving in a certain way. Perhaps undertake some research and also explain why particular etiquette is required.

A travelogue should be an engaging and thought provoking log detailing your travels. Aim to describe the sights, sounds and feelings you encountered along the way.

Filed Under: Featured, Travel Adventures, Travel Tips

How to find cheap holidays

April 4, 2012 By phagemann Leave a Comment

Air passenger duty, the tax British citizens have to pay on every flight departing the UK, has just risen by 8%. This isn’t a huge jump in real terms, just £1 per short-haul flight per person, however, when you take into account that global hotel prices rose by 4% last year and inflation within the UK is tightening already tight family purse strings, you can say with great certainty that holidays are becoming more expensive. With so many predators trying to strike down the annual family holiday, families up and down the UK are becoming more desperate. There is no way they will give up their week on the beach, on the snow or in a foreign city – they didn’t in the height of the recession – but the pressure is on to find cheap holidays that don’t come up cheap in terms of quality.

If you are one of these cash strapped families looking for cheap holidays without any significant loss in quality, read on for tips on how to find just what you’re looking for.

Pick your destination wisely

Beachcomber Pete has a massive range of cheap holidays and, as the name suggests, its focus is on beach breaks. You can track down new beach locations using its destination search and find somewhere a little off the beaten track. By straying from the madding crowd you can find cheap holidays that pack in plenty of value. For example, try the north coast of Menorca rather than the south coast of Mallorca and try out the Cape Verde Islands rather than the Canaries.

Book at the last minute

If you have nerves of steel and aren’t too fussed about where you spend your holiday a last minute holiday is one of the best ways of getting a ‘cheap as chips’ summer break. You’ll need an accommodating employer to let you have time off at the drop of a hat, but you could come up trumps if you are prepared to wait. Even in the middle of the school holidays there is unsold stock that tour operators would rather shift at a heavily discounted rate than not at all. However, you may be unlikely and find that nothing comes up or that the discount is rather insignificant, but it’s always worth a try, plus it’s more of an adventure.

Filed Under: Featured, Travel Adventures, Travel Tips

While Traveling, Eat Out Of Your Comfort Zone

June 9, 2011 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

Guest Post by: Bridget Staroscik O’Reilly

When my friend came to visit from Scotland, she was here for 2 weeks and during that time I never saw her eat anything but pizza and chicken strips. I guess these were her comfort foods, and that makes sense for now and then, but that was all she ate the whole trip. The only American food she really ate, if it’s actually American food, was Nutterbutter cookies.

As a person who loves Nutterbutters, I can see their appeal. Still, I can’t help but think about all of the things that she missed out on. Some of my best travel memories have to do with food. When I traveled in Ireland I fell in love with the little mushroom and chicken pies they sell in the deli section of the grocery store there. Not to mention the cookies and candy. Ireland has the best candy.

One of my tastiest food experiences in Rome was Chinese take-out from a hole in the wall place near Vatican City that didn’t even have tables. I ordered chow mien which they called spaghetti and it was absolutely wonderful. I also discovered the Caprese sandwich or salad on that same trip which has remained a favorite.

That’s not to say everything you try will be great. I treated myself to a fancy restaurant in Rome after a particularly hard day and it was perhaps the worst food I’ve ever eaten. Not to mention the fact that it made me sick as a dog. I have to say though, even given what I know now, I would still go for it.

Food is so much a part of a place that if you stick with what you know you take the chance that you might miss out on what could become your new all time favorite thing. The first time I had chips (French fries of course) delivered to me in Ireland, they were soaked with vinegar. At the time I thought it sounded disgusting and only ate it so as not to offend the owner of the small shop, but they turned out to be delicious.

The people who own or cook at wherever it is you go have feelings too. Try to remember that, so that even if something isn’t what you expect, in Sorrento they put an unconscionable amount of mayo on my tomato and cheese sandwich, muster up a smile and a thank you. If you truly can’t eat something, make a polite excuse. I’ve already eaten always works. Or you could say that you’re only eating a little at each meal ‘so I can try more new things’.

Sure the food where you go won’t be like home, but isn’t that the whole point of traveling? How boring would life be if every place was exactly the same. It’s true that everyone needs some comfort food once in a while, and there’s no harm in that. Still would you want to miss out on getting a Kinder Sorpresa egg and finding a surprise inside? I think not.

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Guest Post by: Bridget Staroscik O’Reilly

Have you traveled to Rome? Visited other parts of Italy? Do you have any advice or recommendations for our readers?

Share your feedback in the comment section below

Filed Under: Bridget Staroscik O'Reilly, Featured, Travel Adventures, Travel Tips

Discovering Hawaii’s North Kohala

March 14, 2011 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

Guest Post by: HNLhulagirl

While the mega resorts are clustered near beaches of the South Kohala coastline where the dark lava flows and straw colored brush contrast with the gorgeous cerulean waters of the Pacific and the white sands of some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. As gorgeous as it all is, there is more to Kohala, Hawaii, lots more. Divided into two parts, South Kohala has the beautiful beaches, Hawaii’s North Kohala is untouched and scenic. Both have enormous historic importance.

A 4WD is not necessary, a convertible would certainly be nice, but a small SUV or compact car will do just fine. Allow an afternoon or a morning, no less than 3 hours from Waikoloa and 4.5 from Kailua-Kona to insure enough time to wander, picture take, soak up the fresh air and vistas. Combine it with a visit to Spencer Beach for a full day of Big Island fun.

Begin by taking the Queen Kaahumau Highway north, turn right at Kawaihae and head to Waimea then left onto Kohala Mountain Road to Kapaau then right and onward to the end of the road.

To return, head back to Kapaau and continue onward along Akoni Pule Highway to Kawaihae and south toward Queen Kaahumanu Highway. The drive is scenic and easy. Be on the lookout for wild goats and turkeys along the road. Views of the summit of Haleakala on Maui and whales along the coastline in the winter are abundant.

Here are some points of interest along the way:

Pololu Valley
End of Akoni Pule Highway
Niulii HI
Wonderful vistas, optional steep and strenuous hiking trail, small free parking lot.

Statue of King Kamehameha the Great
54-3900 Akoni Pule Highway
Kapa’au HI 96755
Quick stop for photos at this iconic statue. This statue is the original, copies are located on Oahu and in Hilo.

Bond Memorial Public Library
54-3903 Akoni Pule Highway
Kapa’au HI 96755
Located across the street from the statue, the books were moved to the new library down the street in late 2010, but the building still retains charm and interest.

Hawi
Located just 3 miles from Kapaau, this former plantation town is now a collection of galleries, boutiques and eateries. It’s a great place to have lunch, browse the shops and stretch.

Puukohola Heiau
The largest archeological site in Hawaii, this historic site was the war temple of King Kamehameha the Great. A visit is a wonderful experience in ancient Hawaiian culture and history. Not to be missed.

Spencer Beach
Located next door to the Puukohola Heiau, this beach is one of the more popular spots to swim and sun. Bring lots of sunscreen and water.

Filed Under: Featured, Hawaii, HNLhulagirl, Kohala, Oahu, Travel Adventures, Travel Tips

Jet Lag:Traveling and Time Zones

June 14, 2010 By phagemann Leave a Comment

Normally one associates Jet Lag with a loss of sleep from traveling across many time zones usually in a East to West or West to East direction in a short number of days. One of the things about being a pilot and Jet Lag is not only the traversing of many time zones but also working or being up on the back side of the clock.

This week has been a good example of Jet Lag from my view as a pilot. The week started out normal with my commute up to New York from Orlando. I had been given a 5 day trip to Sao Paulo Brazil; departure time was scheduled for 9:35pm Friday night from New York, with a 9 hour 50 min flight time and a 1 hour time difference we were to arrive in Sao Paulo at 8:30 Saturday morning. So this flight would be on what we call the back side of the clock, we would be flying all night. Since the flight is over 8 hours, according to FAA regulations we have to have three pilots, one Captain and two First Officers. With 9:50 minutes of flying time and the extra pilot we would get almost a 3 hour break during the flight. Am I confusing you yet?

FAA requires three pilots when the flight is over 8 hours, but it still only takes two pilots to fly the plane, thus giving the extra pilot a chance to take a break. So if you divide the 9:50 minutes into three and allow for a time when all there pilots are in the cockpit for takeoff and landing, required by the FAA, you can then break the rest periods into 3 equal time periods, this night it worked out to 2:55 minutes.

Ok , so on this particular flight , New York to Sao Paulo, we will be flying all night, we will get a almost 3 hour break, now I am lucky, on the Boeing 777 we have our choice of a rest seat in 1st Class or our choice of a bunk bed behind the Cockpit. Flight attendants have a bunk bed in a room between Business Class and Coach. Now with a choice to pick a place for my break, I chose the bunk. Now one of the problems for me is winding down enough to get some sleep, one of the problems we tend to find is when flying the plane your adrenaline goes up, your mind is doing a lot of thinking, so for me it is not easy to just fall asleep, usually when getting in the bunk it takes me about 20 to 30 minutes of reading a book to wind me down. So now we take 30 minutes away from the 2:55 minute break and I am down to a 2:25 nap. Ok, but again this turns out to be not a deep sleep, because being in charge of the plane your mind is working in the background thinking about the flight.

We arrive Saturday morning to rainy weather in Sao Paulo; we shot the landing approach to minimums thus really getting the adrenaline working overtime again. Arrive in Sao Paulo at 8:30am, long bus ride into the city and by the time we check in and get to the room it is almost 10 in the morning. Ok most travelers would think ok 8 hours in bed and I will be good to go. Problem with this thinking if I were to sleep 8 hours now, get up a 6pm, I would not be able to fall asleep until very late into Saturday night and maybe early Sunday morning. This will not work since we have an 8: am pickup Sunday morning to fly from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro’.

To be rested for Sundays flight, the best thing is to only take a 2 or 3 hour nap Saturday morning, force yourself up, get out and about have a nice dinner and then get to bed at decent hour like 9 or 10pm so you will get a good 8 hour sleep before the next day’s flight.

Sound good so far? Ok, a 2:30 rest break on the flight down, 2 to 3 hour nap Saturday morning you are still short 4 hours of sleep in the last 24 hours and the 2 naps were not quality sleep time. Sunday morning we do the trip over to Rio de Janeiro and back to Sao Paulo Sunday night. Sunday night we get a normal sleep, but Monday we do the trip in reverse to New York.

We leave Sao Paulo at 9:15 pm Monday night to arrive in New York at 6am. Arrive in New York at 6 am and catch a flight back to Orlando and in the house about 10:30am. Same scenario as Sao Paulo, if you sleep for 8 hours it will be early evening Monday when you get up with the consequences being unable to sleep Monday night. So once again you limit your sleep to a couple of hours.

It’s been 5 days of traveling in a North to South direction, only moving 1 time zone yet I lost in reality 2 good sleep days out of 5, a deficit on sleep. Usually you will make it up in the next day or so, but this week it would not happen.

Monday, the day I just got home from flying up from Sao Paulo via New York to Orlando (home), I get the call that I will be needed for the 11:30 pm trip to London on Tuesday night, tomorrow night. Ok , not so bad, who is going to turn down a trip to London.

Tuesday comes, after getting good nights sleep Monday night I head up to New York early so as I will be in position and try to get a nap in since I know it is going to be a sleepless night again. The 11:30pm to London gets delayed till 1am for delayed inbound aircraft. All said and done we end up leaving New York at 1:45am, which is now Wednesday morning. A 7 hour flight from New York to London at this time of the night gets us a 3 man crew. With 3 crew members the break works out to about 1:50 mins, again not enough time to relax and get quality sleep.

The big difference now on the Jet Lag comes that we are traveling west to east, changing 5 time zones. Leaving New York at 1:45 in the morning, it is within a hour to 1 1/2 hours that we could see the first signs of dawn on the horizon, it is going to be a long day or should I say a very short night.

Arriving in London at 1:45pm Wednesday, it is 3 o’clock before we get to the hotel. Same thing as before if we sleep 8 hours now we will be up all night, so again it is a short nap, force yourself up, have a nice dinner then get a full night’s sleep like the rest of the world to be ready to fly the return flight on Thursday back to New York.

Thursday comes, 6:30pm departure from London for a arrival in New York at 9:30pm, Now the Jet Lag in reverse, 5 time zones going from east to west. All said and done, 8 days on the road I figured I lost 4 good days of sleep, it took me about 2 full days to fully recover from the sleep loss and get back on a normal sleep schedule. Is it doable? Yes, is it worth it? Well 4 great cities in eight days, good company, if you know how to manage the Jet Lag it is worth it.

Filed Under: Featured, Travel Tips

TSA:Netbooks,IPads are in the Bag?

May 20, 2010 By phagemann 1 Comment

Last month I had a smile on my face as I headed to the airport, it is the simple things in life that can make one smile. This day it was knowing that I would need one less tray as I went through the x-ray machine, my netbook was going to stay in the bag.

How was this going to happen? well the TSA had just posted on their blog, yes they really have a blog, http://blog.tsa.gov/ the statement
“E-readers, Net Books and other small gadgets are becoming more and more popular for travelers to bring along in their carry-ons. (iPads, Kindles™, Neos, Nooks™, Sony® Readers™ etc.)” “Electronic items smaller than the standard sized laptop should not need to be removed from your bag or their cases. It’s that simple”.

One less tray, I figure a minute to open my bag pull out the netbook, zip the bag back up in the event they want to flip my bag so nothing will come out, then unzip it again when it comes out of xray place netbook back in and rezip. Wow, this done several hundred times a year, we are talking a savings of several hours, this was worth a smile.

All has gone well for the last month and half, when yesterday coming through Orlando International Airport it came to a stop. In the crew and airport worker line we are about 50 deep this day, my turn comes, same MO as the past month and half, and my bag gets stopped in the x-ray. The TSA lady looks at me and says “is your laptop in your bag” my answer was “no but my netbook is”. She then proceeds to tell me I should know better, all electronic devices need to come out of the bag and that I should know this. I ask, is this a one time thing or have the rules changed? No, this is how had has always been, I am informed.

I tell her about the statement on the TSA blog, next I have a supervisor telling me all electronics need to come out of the bag. Ok, I don’t want to be confrontational so I pull out my netbook and let them scan it. I step away from the screening area, pull out my Iphone, look up the TSA blog, find the statement. Head back over to the supervisor, show her their blog statement, now I am in uniform, you might not get the same results. Supervisor then calls a manager, I hear same story from the manager, then proceed to show them once again their statement. Manager claims they were not aware of this change. You would think they all get the same memo.

All was OK going through security in New York JFK Airport, the world was back in sync, thus my smile returned.

Filed Under: Featured, Travel Tips Tagged With: airport, security, travel, Travel Tips, TSA