NEALTOWEY

Archive for July, 2010

No other region of the world move toward the fame of Europe as a travel destination. Even for its residents, the educational density and variety of this continent offers virtually infinite opportunities for exploration and discovery.

In the last decades, as the division between Eastern and Western Europe has disintegrate, the entire continent has experienced a period of enormous, unprecedented change.

Today Europe is a more exciting travel destination than ever before.

Featured European vacation destinations:

Belgium

Belgium’s history has always been linked to both gainful and educational replace, and much of its character is due to its responsibility as the great gathering position of western Europe. Nowadays, its capital city of Brussels is one of the world’s great cosmopolitan cities, home to both the European Union and NATO, as well as a wealth of international trade and finance companies. As a result of its international outlook, Belgium has long been a country for connoisseurs, a small nation plentiful in excellence.

Denmark

A thousand years before, Denmark’s peninsular site at the compassion of four European regions made it an perfect bottom for seafaring Vikings. Nowadays, the situation that once complete Denmark a ideal point of exit make it a charming place to reach your destination: it is an intriguing junction of civilization, history, and trade.

Iceland



People who stay Iceland are frequently hit by its utopian nature. This is a country that seems to have mastered living. There is no contamination, crime is almost non-existent, and the people here are the best-lived people on Earth. Additional to the sociological achievements is a landscape brimming with natural wonders: Europe’s largest glacier and waterfall, countless volcanoes, geysers, and hot springs.

Northern Ireland



Northern Ireland is one of Europe’s most exhilarating travel destinations, a stunningly beautiful land filled with poetry, myth, and history. Come along as we explore the six counties of Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone and visit the city of Belfast and the towns of Derry and Armagh. Northern Ireland also has two of the world’s top-rated golf courses, beautiful hikes, outstanding bird watching, almost legendary angling, and excellent resources for investigating ancestral heritage. want to read more about European vacation & Europe travel then you can log on to http://www.europeanvacation2.com

With the economy on the mend, our brief period of cheap airfare is coming to an end. Plane ticket prices are up 22% over last year, and hotels all over the world are following suit. All in all, the travel industry is on track to recapture it’s pre-recession costs in short order. However, even with that being the case, there are still many great options for travelers hoping to save a few bucks this summer without sacrificing quality or excitement. Here are just a few of the top cheap travel destinations for this summer.

1. Las Vegas: When it comes to finding affordable travel destinations, it always helps to go with the old tried-and-true classics. Vegas knows how to show people a good time, and they specialize in providing unique experiences for people at all price levels. If you’re looking to travel cheap, you may not be able to afford the most luxurious accommodations in Vegas, but even the least expensive hotels on the strip are still great. Plus, the nicer hotels will still be feeling the economic pinch for a while, so take advantage now.

2. The Dominican Republic: For North Americans, it’s truly amazing how many great and exotic travel destinations are practically right at our doorstep. Just a short plane right from the southern U.S., the Dominican Republic is an up-and-coming travel destination that offers endless beautiful beaches, plenty of untrammeled wilderness, and a growing number of resort areas offering high-quality, modern accommodations.

3. Orlando, Florida: Disney World isn’t for everyone, but for anyone with kids who enjoy the Disney juggernaut, Orlando provides enough entertainment to keep everyone busy for days and days. Hotel rates in Orlando are still down from where they were a few years ago, so families can still get some great deals that are not likely to last forever. The best part about the ever-changing attractions of Disney World is that, as the years go by, they seem to get better and better. There is obviously plenty for kids to do, but the resort has also made great strides toward catering equally to adults.

4. Cruises: If you want a low-cost luxury travel experience, why not make your destination a floating one? If you travel with one of the respected large cruise lines, you’ll get an incredible vacation for as low as $100 per day. Most cruises are all-inclusive, so you get entertainment, meals, and lodging all in one. Plus, cruises give you the opportunity to explore some of the world’s most beautiful and exotic ports.

5. Europe: Many people don’t realize that Europe has been having its own economic crisis, and that travel costs to and around Europe are a good deal lower than they were a few years ago. Even to places like Paris, London, and Rome, airfares are incredibly low. For travelers who want to see multiple destinations in Europe, it’s a good idea to find the cheapest flight to a major European city, and to use that city as a jumping-point for the rest of the continent’s cultural riches.

If you want to have a smooth business trip, let me tell you exactly what you need to understand about business travel. And after reading through this article, you will travel lighter, faster and leaner. We’ll cover packing, dressing and your flight and a few specifics to get you to your desired destination. When you get to your location, you are going to feel better and more comfortable as a result of understanding these guidelines.

PACKING
Packing is the first tip. It is not a last minute task and is vital. On my initial business trip to NYC, I packed too much stuff. This had been only a 3 day trip. But I had much more junk than I needed. So you want to keep the quantity of things to some bare minimum. Take a look at TravellersPoint.com, then in the search box type “packing”. Below “destinations” click on the “Packing Tips” link. It’s got a lot of tricks for travel packing. You wont regret it. Also try to pack just your necessities. Do not go overboard and pack three times too much stuff for redundancy. Its pointless.

DRESSING
Dressing properly for your business journey is the next tip we should go over. The growing trend here is concerning security. You are likely to be requested to remove about anything you possess. Don’t wear a belt. Try wearing slip on shoes. Look, you are going on a business trip, so unless you have to be at an important meeting quickly upon your arrival, keep the stress low, and always keep things simple. Likewise, you might want to keep the layers down to a minimum. Once again, you will be asked to remove about everything it is possible to imagine.

ONLINE TIPS
Your flight may be the last item we will handle. As for reserving, attempt to book the flight the day before you need to be at your destination. Its possible that you might get a few deals, as the air carriers may be striving to fill vacant seats. One web site that might help you with additional suggestions is http://www.BusinessTravel.About.Com. Click the TRIP PLANNING tab, and then Airline Basics Link. You will get tips about what to do as you are flying to your location.

Business Travel can be great fun. And also the more you plan your trip out, the simpler it’s going to become. Just remember about packing, your dress fashion, and lastly your flight and just how to prepare for it.

The Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites, the first hotel to be built on Hopi tribal land in 50 years, was the inspiration of the Elders of the Upper Village of Moenkopi. It was their vision that their village should be a place of welcome and gathering for visitors to Hopi tribal land.

That vision will become reality in February 2010 with the opening of the Legacy Inn. The village is the western gateway to Hopi tribal lands and is located adjacent to the Navajo community of Tuba City, a well traveled route between the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley.

Travelers have been less acquainted with the tourism opportunities in the Hopi villages on First, Second, and Third Mesas. The hotel, through their Experience Hopi website, connects visitors with authorized tour guides who provide private guided tours to the villages including Oraibi, Sipaulovi, and Walpi as well as Dawa Park – a site with over 10,000 rock art petroglyphs. The Hopi Villages are among the longest continuously inhabited places in North America, dating back to 950 A.D.

The Legacy Inn features 100 guestrooms, including 16 uniquely designed suites, a salt water swimming pool, conference center and outdoor performance plaza. The Upper Village of Moenkopi has an architecturally striking Travel Center across the street from the hotel at the junction of US Highway 160 and State Route 264. The Travel Center is named after TUUVI, the first leader of the Village of Moenkopi. The Travel Center offers a gas station, a complete convenience store, tax-free cigarettes, food for travelers on-the-go, and stores that feature authentic Native American handmade merchandise.

When travelers visit the TUUVI stores in the Village of Moenkopi, they will not only find the high quality Native American arts, crafts, and jewelry, but will find themselves immersed in the traditional culture of the Hopi tribe. The store owners and employees enjoy sharing information about the artists, the history, and the culture of the Hopi. Each store is owned and operated by Native Americans and has its own unique story. The owners are all passionate and experienced with the hand-made Native American arts that they sell. Most of the featured crafts have been purchased from local artists or have even been created by the owner and their families.

Experience the warm hospitality of the Hopi people – visit Hopi Villages, meet artists in their home workshops, enjoy unique Hopi food, and meet some of the friendliest people in the world – the Hopi people. Information about The Legacy Inn and Hopi tourism activities can be found at http://www.ExperienceHopi.com.

This is by no means an exhaustive list but certainly is useful in helping you achieve your objective. Here are 8 tips which apply to pretty much all travel destinations:

1. How is the place rated by other writers?

Never take one person’s work for anything that is subjective. Scan through a few reviews and you’ll get an accurate picture of your holiday destination.

2. Does the electricity voltage match yours at home?

Today, you have more electronic gadgets than ever before. Make sue it will work where you are going or else you’ll carry extra weight with you. Worse still, you may damage your devices.

Also pretty much every country I have visited, has a different electrical plug and socket standard. Buy one a universal electrical adapter kit and read the fine print to make sure it covers your travel destination. Alternatively, buy only the one adapter suitable for your destination which will be cheaper.

3. How far is your hotel from the airport?

Be careful here. There are many exotic places that are really far from the airport. It sounds silly but you can suffer a lot of discomfort if you are not prepared.

Imagine after a long journey of several hours in the air, you then spend another 2 or 3 hours on a coach to your hotel. Now imagine it is hot and humid and your coach is not air conditioned! Children will particularly suffer.

You will then need a day to recover from your journey. This scenario happens so often you wouldn’t believe it. Why do you think some of those hotels are so cheap!

When checking distance, also check the traffic too and find out the journey “time” and not just the travel distance. Back in the year 2000 I traveled to Dubai. A great place in itself and I stayed in a 5 start hotel that was only 20 – 25 minutes from the airport in spite of heavy traffic. Now, seven years later, that same journey can take anything up to one or even one and half hours. Be prepared.

4. Is public transport efficient or will you need to hire a car?

How are you going to get around? Far too many travel locations have poor public transport and at the same time very expensive and difficult private transport, be it taxis or hired cars.

I was in Istanbul back in 1997 … I enjoyed the city, the weather and so much more but getting around in taxis was not easy nor cheap. And note that Istanbul wasn’t a particularly expensive place but the demand for taxis was high

Also the language barrier meant that inevitably there were times that I paid more for a short journey that I expected. But that was OK because I had done my research including about transport and knew what to expect. I needed a day to recover from my very long journey. After that I haggled (bargained) with the taxi drivers as well as others “before” accepting their service and everything worked out just fine.

5. Try to work out an estimation of the budget that you’ll need, so that you avoid any shocks and embarrassment once you get there.

This one is obvious and yet many of us over spend while on holiday. I always work out what I need and then add plenty of extra to the total estimate. It works very well. I come back with plenty of spare cash rather than end up in distress in an unfamiliar place.

6. Are there plenty of restaurants nearby or will you have to dine at your hotel for the duration of your stay?

Big, big point: Think of the effect on variety, cost, etc, if you only have a limited choice within one hotel or one complex. Bear in mind that the laws of supply and demand apply here too. If your stay is not all inclusive, then expect to pay a huge price or suffer low quality or even both. The local outlets of course know if you are a “captive” customer and their prices will be adjusted “up” accordingly.

Back in 2001 I enjoyed a Latin dance holiday to Cuba. I absolutely loved it. The people, the music, the dancing, all wonderful. But if you know anything about Cuba then you know that food variety and quality is an issue.

I won’t go into the politics or economics of it all. The point is that I spent a portion of my time in an all inclusive resort outside Havana. I experienced first hand the quality issues and lack variety that can happen as a captive customer. Such situations aren’t suitable for children at all and barely acceptable for adults. This can happen any place you are a captive customer.

7. Is your hotel or resort able to provide a doctor in case of an emergency?

Don’t wait to find out the answer when you really need a doctor. It is a fact of life that we or a traveling companion will need medical attention at one time or other in our travels. The difference between being prepared and not is huge.

My best friend and business partner traveled to a newly built Greek resort. While taking a mid-evening stroll around the poorly lit pool area, his wife stepped into “hole”. It was one of these holes around most swimming pools where workmen access pumps, pipes and wiring etc that service the pool. They had left the cover loose and it just flipped when it was stepped on.

Long story short, the local hospital would “not” send out an ambulance! Something to do with not having an arrangement with the hotel because the hotel was outside their region. The hotel knew this but my friend and other hotel guests didn’t until the accident.

8. Do you know anyone else who has been there and how did they find it?

Personal experiences are so valuable and worth knowing. Make it a part of your conversation with friends before you travel to your destination. Find out if they or anyone they know has been to that region.

Knowing the answers to the above can make all the difference. A little homework will save you so much precious time once you get there. When you get there, you’ll be able to do as much or as little as you desire. Happy traveling, where ever your travel destination.

Thailand is the best place to spend family vacations. The country has plenty of beautiful and attractive places which parents and their children will definitely love. There are top ten best places in Thailand where most families from around the world love to visit. Here is the list of the ten most recommended vacation destinations in Thailand:

1.?? ?Pattaya, Thailand – located along the Thailand Gulf. It is the most popular ocean site resort in the Southeast Asia. Pattaya has 300 affordable hotels to choose from, which are perfect for vacationing families of any size. There are also a number of markets and shopping malls. Lots of affordable restaurants are also found in Pattaya serving the delicious Thai delicacies.

2.?? ?Phuket – the most popular tourist destination in the country with its beautiful white sand beach coasts. Phuket is also known as the “pearl of the South”. Here, one can find the best variety of restaurants offering the best of Thai cuisines.

3.?? ?Koh Samui – perfect to spend family summer vacations. Koh Samui has a large number of beach hotels where one can enjoy the amazing beauty of the white sand beaches along the coastlines. Resorts offer good budget accommodations which will surely please families.

4.?? ?Chiand Mai popular tourist destination mostly because of the best shopping experience it offers. Here, one can buy a lot with just a dollar. Tourists often swarm the market of Chiang Mai that opens from 5pm and opens until midnight daily. The night marketplace has many products that will surely suit and satisfy everyone. Goods such as clothes, baggage, souvenir items, shoes and a lot more can be found here. There are also clubs in several places which offers very affordable prices. This is definitely a place for any family vacation.

5.?? ?Koh Chang Thailand – is a marine national park which attracted thousands of visitors worldwide. The island has a nick name of “the last untouched paradise in the Southeast Asia”, because much of its place are not yet been discovered by modern explorations and haven’t been built in with establishments and infrastructures. Here, one can fully appreciate the pure gifts of nature. Koh Chang has everything nature has to offer. Perfect getaway place for families who wants to have a quiet and peaceful vacation. Families can rent natively designed bungalows where they can feel at ease and comfortable all throughout their stay.

6.?? ?Krabi, Thailand – an island territory of Thailand that has fine-looking coastline and offshore islands. This location was used in the movie “The Beach” starring Leonardo di Caprio. These beaches are truly pictures perfect panoramas, together with the coconut palm trees and the blue waters of the ocean. Krabi has been a favorite place for vacationers coming from different countries.

7.?? ?Hua Hin – a place which combines pleasure and beach holidays and also a place for several sports. Golf has been the most famous sport here wherein visitors can play under the shade of the coconut trees.

8.?? ?Chiang Rai – a located in the mountainous regions of Thailand, which are said to have retained much Thailand’s culture. Popular attractions here include the White Temple, which is the only handcrafted temple in Thailand with striking botanical gardens. Visitors love to visit here and take a look at the Buddha statues built in Buddhist temples which truly spectacular.

9.?? ?Cha-am Thailand – located 160 kilometers south of Bangkok, about two hours drive via car.? Cha-am beach resort is known as the longest white sand beach in Thailand. It is also a place for golfing which many of vacationers enjoy to play. Perfect for vacationing families.

10.?? ?Bangkok – the main attractions in Bangkok are the magnificent temples and shrines along the city. These religious buildings were made with artistic architecture design which are truly captivating to the eyes.

The world is full of amazing and awe-inspiring sights and sounds. To squeeze all of Mother Nature’s extravagance into the top ten great summer travel destinations for families is a daunting task. Summer brings everything outdoors; the furniture, toys, children and every kind of outdoor activity one can imagine. However, one of the best ways to enjoy one’s summer vacation is to pack up ones family and go discover the world. Now, you may be wondering, isn’t that what the rich do? Well, today you can find cheap flights to almost anywhere, and once you arrive you can rest assured there are one or two reasonably good cheap hotels to stay in. That said; spoil your family with a vacation to one of the following great summer travel destinations for families:

Costa Rica
This beautiful south Caribbean tropical paradise is located in Central America and bounded by the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea to one side and Nicaragua and Panama on the other. Amazing white beaches and tropical flora and fauna adorn this country making it the perfect tropical paradise to visit. What’s more, many budget airlines that fly to Costa Rica offer discount airfare rates especially when advance bookings are made.

The Hamptons
Located conveniently on the east end of Long Island, NY, this historical summer getaway is great for domestic tourism. Accessible via domestic couriers that offer cheap airline tickets to locals, enjoy the long stretches of beach, sprawling vineyards and magnanimous estates. In addition, experience the unique historical seaside villages that dot the Hampton coastline and make for a great family travel vacation.

Madagascar
This prehistoric island off the Southeastern coast of Africa has some fantastic and extraordinary creatures and plant life. Perfect for a summer vacation eco tour, this country has all sorts of great flora and fauna to keep everyone excited. Popularized by the Hollywood movie, Madagascar, this destination will definitely live up to your expectations. Hospitable locals, exuberant landscapes and cheap hotels all go towards making this a perfect summer vacation destination.

Abu Dhabi, UAE
Tipped ‘the richest city in the world’ (Fortune and CNN) this rapidly growing capital of the United Arab Emirates is fast becoming one of the premier destinations for summer vacationers. Multicultural and super urbanization features characterize this area. As the Emirati begins to diversify the economy of the area, tourism has become a key building block for the developing economy. With cheap flights from the numerous carriers plying the Middle East, experiencing this new city f the world has never been easier.

Cyprus
Located in the Eastern Mediterranean sea, Cyprus is a great summer vacation destination for all. With an excellent economy to match the excellent Mediterranean climate, Cyprus has a booming tourism sector and great packages for the interested traveler. The Mediterranean climate provides warm to hot weather all year round and the azure waters surrounding the island are a great way to kick back and relax.

Australia
This continent ‘down under’ has a great adventure awaiting the intrepid traveler. Arrive in style in either Sydney or Melbourne and embark on an Aussie adventure in this expansive country. Camel hikes, dune bashing, or seaside holidays are all on the itinerary. Once in the country, get some cheap airline tickets form one of the budget airlines in the country and hop from one area of the country to the next, you’ll have a whole continent to explore to your heart’s content.

Kenya
Home of the safari, travel to the renowned Maasia Mara or recline on the white sand beaches enjoy that perfect summer vacation. Hospitable locals, a vibrant, cosmopolitan capital and numerous options available to access, a summer vacation to Kenya would be a different experience altogether.

Scandinavia
Well, you may be wondering, Scandinavia is not a country; exactly the point. Take a summer vacation to one of the Scandinavian countries and simple hop onto a bus, train or cheap flight and in no time, you are in the next Scandinavian country. Offering great summer travel destinations for families, the kids will get a lesson in European geography as well as have a great time.

Tuscany, Italy
Home to the true Italian Renaissance; walk in the neighborhood of great artistic leaders such as Dante, Botticelli, Leonardo De Vinci, and Galileo Galilei amongst others. Breathtaking landscapes add to the rich artistic legacy to create a holiday vacation like no other.

China
Two billion people call this country home and so there must be something to it. In deed there is; from the Great Wall of China to the Yangtze River, China has such diverse landscapes it will leave you wondering if you were in one country or ten. The top vacation destination in Asia, China offers eco-cultural tours like no other.

The increased use of computers and e-commerce are changing business operations. This is mainly true within the travel industry. The travel industry encompasses several different businesses. These include travel agencies and franchises, online travel agent franchises and cruise franchises.

In the cruise travel market, cruise lines are launching expansion ventures to new places. This makes it very difficult to operate numerous centers simultaneously. Cruise travel business opportunities are comprised of a variety of concepts that prove to be feasible and profitable business opportunities for many. Advertisements are placed in newspapers, the yellow pages and on the Internet. They include vending offerings, home-based opportunities, cruise franchises and other travel business services.

It is very profitable to be a cruise travel agent. People can earn money by working from home or from their present place of business. Many home-based travel agents offer the same perks and benefits as store- front travel agencies. There are a number of companies who offer training seminars on cruise ships and vacation resorts all over the world, at reasonable costs. It is also possible for people to obtain training online. The companies provide comprehensive programs with the know-how, training and the tools that are required by a potential agent to succeed in the industry. Parent cruise companies offer first hand training, to uphold an already established business pattern and maintain uniformity in various smaller centers.

Cruise travel business opportunities offer the means to earn without managing any stock or personal selling. They do not involve learning complicated technical information and require a small upfront investment. Regardless of whether individuals are looking for a way to increase their income on a part-time basis, or hoping for a full-time business opportunity, cruise travel helps individuals to build an independent business under the guidance of the parent cruise travel group.

You already know the primary benefit of cruise speaking, that you get to cruise free. But there are myriad other benefits to cruise speaking some of which may not be at first obvious to you. In this series of articles we explore each major benefit of getting approved to cruise free.

Your Traveling Companion Cruises Free

I love the fact that as an approved cruise ship speaker not only do you get to cruise free but you get to bring along a traveling companion who likewise cruises for free.

Now here’s the kicker: your traveling companion has absolutely no work responsibilities at all. For them, it is an entirely free cruise – no strings attached.

In addition, the cruise lines do not care who your traveling companion is. It could be a spouse or significant other, friend or family member. For example, on different cruises I have taken my lovely wife, my mother, my grandfather, my wife’s aunt and one of my sons.

It’s great to have all this time together (which in my normal day-to-day life does not happen) because we get to really reestablish bonds and enjoy each others company. There is no doubt that this time has made my relationships with these people better, richer, deeper and stronger after the cruise and it’s a side benefit that I did not know I’d get.

Additionally, you can, if appropriate, trade with your traveling companion passage on the cruise for some other expense. Like you provide the cruise in exchange for your traveling companion buying all the shore excursions or round trip air fare neither of which is usually included in the quid pro qou with the cruise lines.

I can tell you one thing for sure: when you have become approved as an enrichment presenter with the ability to cruise free you instantly become the most popular person in your family and among your group of friends. And for good reason how many other people can provide world-class luxury vacations for free?

Are you an avid business traveler fed up with hotels and the sale cold world of corporate package deals? Traveling the world and doing business globally can be exciting but being away from home for that long can be truly demanding. Although hotels have come a long way to cater for business travel, it still has that hotel feel and whether you are in Tokyo or New York – it all looks and feels the same. Recently corporate apartments and long stay hotels became a real good alternative and it really does offer a lot more.

There are a number of reasons why corporate apartments are such a good option. Lets look at the 3 most compelling reasons and why you need to look into a corporate apartment on your next business trip.

1. Price
Hotel costs can really add up quickly and the fact that its not tax deductible means that its a financial burden on your business. The more luxury you want the more expensive it gets. Corporate apartments on the other hand are much cheaper and you truly get more bang for your buck.

2. Comfort
When you travel a lot, space is the biggest issue. Spending long hours on a crammed plane and then stepping into a crammed hotel room can take its toll. Corporate apartments are “real” apartments that offer a lot more space. It really is a home away from home.

3. Location
While most hotels are very well located in central business areas, corporate apartments are usually just as well located. Often its in much livelier areas where there are urban neighborhoods. Hotels are usually in “cold and lifeless” parts of cities where nothing happens after the 9 to 5 is over. Urban neighborhoods on the other hand are lively and filled with people and a great vibe which can make your stay all the more pleasant.