Travelling Information

Travel to Pattaya, Thailand

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:26:00 -0700

How to Travel Around Pattaya During Your Holiday

Information on Travel Around Pattaya by Nam

For visitors to Pattaya transport can be a bit difficult until you understand what to use and how much you should be paying. Our vacation homes are only 1400m to Walking Street making them the only holiday villa's in Pattaya as close to the action as the Hotels are. The usual method of Transport used locally in Pattaya are motorcycle taxis, these are cheap and in abundance. Wherever you are in Pattaya you will see groups of men and women sitting on motorcycles with a colored waistcoat or jacket on, these are your motorcycle taxi drivers and they will take you anywhere you want to go around the city center for somewhere between 30 and 80 Baht depending how far you are going and what time of day or night it is.

We have a motorcycle taxi stand only 50m from our vacation homes or if you prefer not to walk at all they will be happy to come and pick you up from the front gate of your vacation home. Many of them speak some English and you should tell them where you want to go and agree on a price before you get on the motorcycle. Make sure you wear a helmet as the Police will stop you and fine you if you don't have a helmet on. The Motorcycle driver will always have a spare helmet for you to borrow so put it on and avoid the fine and reduce the chance of serious injury if you do get involved in an accident.

Songtaew or Baht Bus is another great way to get about. These are converted Pick-p trucks with bench seating in the back with a covered top. We also have a Songtaew parked 50m away from the holiday villas and again they will come to the gate of your vacation home and pick you up if you would prefer. They drive around Pattaya stopping to pick passengers up as soon as you stick your hand out. The only problem with this form of transport is that they have a route and if you are going somewhere off that route you have to find an empty one and wave him down and agree on a price for where you want to go usually somewhere between 100 - 200 Baht but it means if there are a few of you it is as cheap as getting a motorbike.

If however you are going on the route they are following you can just sit and when you are near to where you want dropping off you press the bell in the back attached to the roof struts and the driver will stop for you to get off. When you get off go to the Passenger window which will be open and give the driver 10 Baht. Trips outside of the city center cost more but if it is on their route it is still not expensive. However the Songtaew parked near our vacation homes has no fixed route and is used to providing transport for guests at our luxury villa's making transport easy with no chance of being overcharged for the service.

Public Taxi's (Yellow) have started to appear in Pattaya finally where you can jump in and travel with the air-conditioning on to where ever you want to go. These are usually parked outside the big shopping malls but they do not use the meters so again you must agree on a price before getting in or allow our staff at your holiday home to arrange the booking and price for you.

Self Drive Car Hire is widely available in Pattaya on production of your Passport although you should legally possess either a Thai driving license or an International License. The prices vary from 800 - 3,000 Baht per Day depending on the Vehicle you hire and the Insurance that's included. Some of the hire companies are very honest and reliable, where as some will try all sorts of tricks to retain your deposit, so be aware of what damages are on the car to start with and what time you have to return it. Make sure any existing damages to the vehicle are recorded on your Rental Receipt. The best way is obviously to use our own villa rental car hire service which will ensure you have first class insurance and not be taken advantage of by some unscrupulous rental company.

Motorbike hire is not for the faint hearted in Pattaya as the standard of driving in Pattaya is not very good. Many cars cut corners, go through red lights, park illegally and overtake where it is not safe to do so. If you are renting a motorbike always wear a motorcycle helmet even though they are usually of a very poor standard it might just save your life. We also have a motorcycle rental service at your vacation home which at least ensures the motorbike you hire will be in a safe condition to ride. You will have to learn to ride with eyes in the back of your head or you may end up in hospital with an expensive bill or even worse.

Travel to Lake Toba; North Sumatera - Indonesia

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 5 Apr 2012 21:54:00 -0700

Wonderful Lake Toba

Lake Toba is the largest volcanic lake in the world where super volcanic eruption occurred there 75,000 years ago and lake Toba is the largest lake in Indonesia. Lake toba offer the best wonderful scene with Batak Toba local culture will welcome you friendly.

HORAS, when you arrive in Toba land, you will hear this word, this word is a warm greeting for visitor who visit Toba land. Danau Toba (like Toba) Danau it's mean lake, Indonesian say lake with danau. Lake Toba has a legend story. if you want to hear the legend story you can ask to your guide when you travel to Lake Toba North Sumatera. Lake Toba is one of Tourism icon of North Sumatra.

Getting there

If you want to visit Lake toba this is the travel routes;

By plane you can choose destination Medan (MES) Polonia International Airport, there is available direct flight from Malaysia and Singapore using Airlines AirAsia or Garuda Indonesia. Also you can choose direct fllifgt from Jakarta or Surabaya.

After you arrive in Medan you can find the tour best accommodation to Lake Toba by Bus. The distance medan and Lake Toba is around 170 KM, traveled time around four to five hour.

Google Map Lake Toba

Interesting Places

Ambarita

Ambarita is an ancient Batak tribal village on Samosir Island, in Lake Toba. It is located an hour's walk northwest from Tuk Tuk or about 20 minutes by boat. I visited it together with a small group of AsiaExplorers members.

What makes Ambarita interesting, from an anthropological standpoint, is that during ancient times the Toba Batak people of Ambarita practised a form of carnibalism. What remains today is the cluster of stone chairs where the village elders held council. Whenever an enemy was captured, the elders would invite the rulers of neighbouring villages to a conference, to determine the fate of the victim. The victim is held in behind bars under one of the houses.

Parapat

Gateway to Danau Toba, Parapat is a great place to stock up on supplies and enjoy the semblance of an urban existence before plunging into the rugged countryside. This is a necessary stepping stone to some of Indonesia's most interesting backcountry.

Parapat may not have a distinct tourism flavor, but it is well stocked with shops and hotels. Given its status as a secondary transport hub, it's also well connected to the rest of the region.

Simanindo

Simanindo is a small Toba Batak village on the northern part of Lake Toba, about 16 km from Ambarita. Tourists come here to view the restored house of the Toba Batak king. This house has since been turned into a museum. In front of the museum is a row of ancient Toba Batak tombs of the ancient Simanindo kings. Just as in Pematang Purba, the Batak kings of Simanindo are Christians. Hence there are Christian motifs in the design of their tombs.

Tomok

A traditional village with beautiful houses and ancient tombs. Tomok is gateway to Samosir and one of the main landing-points on the island. Rows of stalls sell an array of handicraft, traditional ulos cloth and Batak musical instruments. The 200-year-old stone sarcophagus of King Sidabutar built in the shape of a ship is its most famous sight. He was the Batak King that introduced Christianity to the Batak people. It is located a short walk away from the lake. Tomok is also known for the Sigale-gale dance.

Tuk Tuk

Samosir Island is accessible by ferry from Ajibata or Parapat. One of the main inhabited areas on the island, Tuktuk has been described as Samosir's answer to Bali's Kuta Beach. Tuk Tuk is the main tourist center on Samosir Island. It is a pleasant place for walking around, shopping and admiring the views over Lake Toba. This popular destination offers scenic views at very low prices. People come here to relax, enjoy the sceneries, eat well and cool down from tougher travelling in other areas. Culture is available on certain days and in other nearby villages anyway. Western tunes have replaced the harmonic popular songs of the well-singing Bataks.

Events

Pesta Danau Toba (Lake Toba Party) is one of the annual event that hold by local regency of Danau toba, and its a ansional event where all culture of Batak Toba, like Dances, art, Musics, Modern Music collaborated with traditional music of Batak Toba with traditional instrument and all about tourism will perform in this event. This event will be scheduled at end of of each year. This event will be attend by Batak people around the world, they will return to your home to hold this event. Even from Antartika they must attend thi event, if they have budget. Its event look like a traditional customs party.

Hotel

For Hotel accomodation you can seacrh in Hotel Combine for booking, you can save 75% for your hotel.

After you visiting the Lake Toba don't forget to tell you family, friend about the wonderful volcanic lake created by God.

I hope information on Travel to Lake Toba North Sumatera Inonesia will helpful for you.

Enjoy your vacation in Lake Toba!

Travel to India

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 2 Apr 2012 00:48:00 -0700

Travel to India: Enjoy soulful moments

By Jenny Franklin
India is a land of vast diversity and it offers a plethora of scenic hotspots to the discerning visitor. A visitor can gain many soulful moments once he visits India. It is fact that when you tour to India, you can find amazing hotspots across the length and breadth of the country. India has a variety of sightseeing attractions that you can decide upon to travel based on your choice, requirements, comforts and budget.

These include captivating cool beaches, mesmerizing hill stations, picturesque valleys, magnificent historical monuments, soulful pilgrimage centers, serene backwaters, golden deserts and exciting wildlife. There are many attractive India tour packages that you can make selection from once you travel to India. The best part is that India tours can be customized for you. You can also get it at discounted prices.

It doesn't matter whether you are keen to spend a couple of days, one week or a month traveling around hotspots, the important thing is that all India tour packages have been designed in such a way that you can get to see the captivating beauty of your chosen destination at your own pace. There are many India tour packages such as the Golden Triangle tour, Rajasthan tour, Kerala Tour, Kashmir and Ladhak tour, North-East tour, Karnataka tour, Tamil Nadu Tour, Beach tour, Medical tour, etc that you can avail at unbelievable prices.

An interesting and perhaps one of the exciting ways to explore colorful India is through its luxury trains. India is famous across the world for its luxury trains. India tour packages are customized and designed in such a way that you can cover many mesmerizing destinations while traveling in these trains. Popular luxury train such as Palace on Wheels covers royal cities of Rajasthan such as Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur and Agra of Uttar Pradesh. Ranked amongst top 10 luxury trains of world, Palace on Wheels offers extraordinary royal luxuries at competitive prices.

Other famous luxury trains are the Fairy Queen, the Royal Orient, Deccan Odyssey and the Golden Chariot. Another interesting thing that tempts people to travel to India is the Backwaters of Kerala. The popular Backwater Tour Package of Kerala is a gem of India Tours. Kerala has a large network of lagoons and scenic lakes lying parallel to Malabar Coast. This network includes 1500 km worth of serene canals linked with each other and fed by 38 picturesque rivers.

Living in a houseboat set adrift on these enthralling backwaters is truly a memorable experience and this is the reason why hundreds of tourists throng to Kerala daily. Once you are in beautiful Kerala, you can rejuvenate your soul with the soothing Ayurveda. There are many health resorts that offer various Ayurveda treatments at affordable prices. Spirituality and mysticism are two blissful things which most of the tourists want to have in their tour menu.

If you are one such tourist and want to have a big share of this food, tour to India's most popular pilgrim spots such as Varanasi, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Amritsar, Haridwar, Ujjain, Puri, Mathura, Vrindavan, Khajuraho and many more. In these places, your mind will surely find peace.

Remember, when you travel to India, make sure to visit these temples along with other attractive destinations. You can avail various India tour packages from a reliable India travel agency or India travel agent. You can also log on to any popular India tourism site to book your preferred India tour package. To end with it can be said that India is a beautiful country where you can find tranquility at each and every place. Come, travel to India and immerse your soul in the delightful things that are uniquely Indian.

Find another information on Travel to France

Travel To Capetown

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:24:00 -0700

Famous places of Capetown

Exclusive Travel Information by Majeed Waheed

Cape Town is the capital city of South Africa and is said to be its mother city. South Africa was given a flag ovation due to a number of beautiful beaches in it. Cape Town is the most beautiful city in the world due to the realistic places in here. There are number of styled building that reflects the beauty of past and present. The well known suburbs in cape town are Bantry bay, Durban Ville, Platte Kloof, Campus bay, Claremont green point, sunset beach, Hout bay, Vnil worth, Sea point, New land, Simons Town, Bloubergstrand, Kalk bay, milnerton, Fish Hoek, Sunset beach, Takai, Table view, Constantia, Guglethu, Bishopw court, Khayalitisha, Central Bellvile of Capetown, Langa, Strand, Gardens bay and others.

Contania valley is rich in beauty and culture and is famous for the place where South Africans wine is made. A flower market in Aderley. Street is very famous because to keep the previous tradition alive of the city people trade in flower by selling and buying them.

The biggest and famous University of South Africa is also in Cape Town, and is known as Cape Town University. Many people the studied in this university are well known in different fields like Bernard is a famous heart plant surgeon and is also given three noble prizes, Prof. Aslam Maclead Cornack, Sir Aaron king, JA Coetzee is a famous writer. The oldest place of cape town is green market and the Hout bay port is the famous and busy port of the city. Kirstenbosch garden is the world's beautiful garden and is famous for its variety. The whole area that is covered by the garden is five hundred and twenty eight hectares and the area where cultivation takes place is nearly thirty six hectares. There are lots of restaurants built in this garden. From the month of December to march many events and special functions are organized here specifically on Saturdays and Sundays.

Table Mountain is one of the famous places of cape town. Viewers can have a good look at the beauty of this city by taking a ride on the cable cars. It takes only ten minutes to take the view through these cable cars.

Travel Tips to Lombok Indonesia

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:16:00 -0700

Lombok is a capital of West Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Lombok is the Indonesian name for chili pepper, and you'll find the spicy little island only 70km from Bali, Lombok is neighboring Bali and shares some cultural heritage. The word lombok means "chili pepper" in Bahasa Indonesia however the local cuisine isn't quite as spicy as you might expect. For the map you can see Google map.

The simple pleasure of sunshine, white sandy beaches in quieter settings, unique culture, and eco tours makes Lombok a perfect destination for honeymoon, scuba diving, climbing mountain, snorkeling, sunbathing along the beach, adventure and families holidays.

Getting There

By Plane; you can choose available online booking air flight local like Garuda Indonesia, LionAir, Merpati Air, WingsAir and SilkAir. See the flight to/from Lombok

Denpasar (Ngurah Rai AirPort) to Lombok (Lombok International Airport) travel time approximately 25 – 30 Minutes

Surabaya (Juanda Airport) to Lombok (Lombok International Airport) travel time approximately 1 Hour

Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta Airport) to Lombok (Lombok International Airport) travel time approximately 2 Hours

Singapore (Changi Airport) to Lombok (Lombok International Airport) travel time approximately 2,5 Hours

Getting there by plane is the fastest way to reach Lombok.

By Boat: traveling to Lombok from Bali also available by bout, fast boat and public ferry, I don’t tell you more about this, because I never using bout from Bali to Lombok, maybe you can search another information on getting Lombok by boat, how the cost, how long time to reach Lombok. You can find them on Google. :)

Climate

Tropical climate with warm and humid weather all year round. Temperature range from 21 Celsius to 32 Celsius. Wet season starts from November to May and dry season start from May-October. Wet season refers to the wind, not to the rain. However even in the wet monsoon season the rain tends to be short-lived and localized. This has the effect that depending on the region. The peak of the tourist season, though, is May-August.

Hotel

Many hotels, Villa, resorts and inn are available from lower price until expensive price from $ 6 until $209, if you want to book hotel in Lombok, my suggestion is book online at hotel combine, you can book affordable hotel in Lombok.

Interesting Places

Gili Islands

If Bali called “Paradise Island”, Lombok is called “The Hidden Paradise”. Lombok offer many interesting place to be visited. Here the place that must visit when you are in Lombok;

Sengigi Island, This is the popular destination for tourist both local and international the place is located at west coast of Lombok island

Gili Islands, in Sasak language a mother language of Lombok Gili means Small Island, like Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, Gili Air, Gili Nanggu. These islands is the best place for snorkeling, Gili Trawangan is awarded Second place of 10 Most Popular Beach Destinations in Indonesia after Nusa Dua Bali.

Kuta beach Lombok, not only Bali has name Kuta beach, Lombok also has name for the beach, this beach offer the best wave of the sea for surfing, if you are a surfer you can choose this site to visit.

Sendang Gile Water fall, If you like climbing mountain, Sendang Gile is the first route to climb Mount Rinjani, where located in Rinjani national park. Trekking Mt. Rinjani there is available pakckage for climbing. Mount Rinjani and the Sendang Gile Waterfall is one of the choices besides beach.

If you are in Lombok Island don’t forget visit Komodo Island. Komodo National Park is located in the center of the Indonesian archipelago, between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores, to get there see the Komodo National park, Komodo island is become New7Wonders of Nature

And much more site seeing to visit.

I hope this information on Travel Tips to Lombok Indonesia helpful for you, visit Lombok you will find the hidden paradise! Enjoy Traveling.

Travel Tips to Shanghai

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:33:00 -0700

Shanghai Travel Guide

By Rose

Shanghai Hu for short, is a renowned international metropolis drawing more and more attention from all over the world. Situated on the estuary of Yangtze River, Shanghai serves as the most influential economic, financial, international trade, cultural, science and technology center in East China. Also it is a popular tourist destination, visitors can sense the pulsating development of modern China.

Transportation
Shanghai serves as an important air, railway, highway and water transportation hub in eastern China. The frequent international and domestic flights, trains and buses make tourists' travel to Shanghai a breeze. The urban transportation of Shanghai is also quite satisfactory. And despite the traffic jam that do happen occasionally, the convenient taxis, city buses, subway trains etc. can take you to any corner of the city.

Dining
Shanghai's restaurants are among the finest in China, offering quality food and superior service. A wide variety of foods can be found in the city and today Shanghai offers a plethora of culinary delights focusing on the traditions of Beijing, Sichuan, Hunan, Guangzhou and of course the local Benbang dishes. If visitors are homesick for Western food, this is also available in the downtown area.

Shopping
Known as the 'Oriental Paris', Shanghai is a shopper's paradise. There are various bustling commercial streets and shopping centers waiting for the shopaholic. One of the musts for tourists is the Nanjing Road. Huaihai Road intrigues those with modern and fashionable tastes, while North Sichuan Road meets the demands of ordinary folk. In addition, Xujiahui Shopping Center, Yuyuan Shopping City, and Jiali Sleepless City are thriving and popular destinations for those who are seeking to buy something special as a memento of their visit.

Nightlife
Shanghai is a fascinating city for night owls. The Bund is an absolute must for visitors. The rippling Huangpu River, characteristic buildings on the west bank, and extraordinarily futuristic skyscrapers on the east bank all become more enchanting adorned in sparkling colored lights at night. A night cruise on the Huangpu River is highly recommended. For art lovers, Shanghai Grand Theater, Oriental Art Center and many other performance venues will delight a visitor's taste for nightlife. For those seeking relaxation, the ideal choice should be Hengshan Road and Xin Tian Di which are thronged with a variety of nightclubs, discos, bars, coffee houses and teashops.

Travel Tips To South Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 05:35:00 -0700

Safety In South Africa – Travel Tips For A Safe Trip

By Groshan Fabiola

South Africa has developed a bit of a negative safety reputation in the past number of years. However, just following a few simple tips and guidelines will ensure that you have a safe and happy trip to South Africa with nothing at all to worry about.

General

1. A good travel tip for any country you visit is to keep a copy of the first few pages of your passport, airplane tickets and visas separately from the originals.

2. Try not to leave your valuables at your accommodation when you leave for the day, or use a safe if your establishment provides one.

3. Safety within cities and at airports

4. Avoid, if possible, walking alone in quieter areas in the cities. Avoid walking at night – rather just use a car or a taxi to get from place to place.

5. Try to keep your valuables tucked away safely and if you are carrying a bag ensure that it is secured to your body.

6. Avoid wearing flashy jewellery that will attract attention when out in public.

7. Keep any money that you are carrying out of sight and close to your body. Safety when driving As a visitor to a foreign country, driving your own vehicle is an opportunity to experience the local offerings at your own pace. However, the rules of the road are often different, adjusting to local driving conditions can be difficult and getting an international driving permit is an annoyance.

A number of companies in South Africa rent vehicles with well-trained, experienced drivers. These drivers have their own public driver permit and are available to drive you wherever you would like to go. If this is an option for you, getting a driver is a much safer, stress-free option.

If you do, however, choose to drive yourself, the following important points should be kept in mind: 1. If you are driving yourself around the cities, keep your bags and valuables in the boot (trunk) if you can. Try to avoid leaving objects lying on the front seat.

2. Keep your doors locked when driving.

3. Be aware of your surroundings when approaching an intersection or stopping at a traffic light. Watch for anybody suspicious hanging around the sides of the road. If someone approaches your car, drive away.

4. Avoid stopping on the side of the road where possible.

5. When you leave your car, always ensure all windows are tightly shut and all doors are locked. Even if you are just stopping for a few minutes.

6. Avoid leaving valuables in your car where possible.

7. Obey the rules of the road (obviously).

8. When driving in the countryside, be aware of people and animals crossing the road – it tends to happen suddenly, so stay alert.

9. Avoid driving at night in the country as roads are often potholed and it is harder to be aware of animals crossing. Following these simple precautions and using a fair helping of common sense will ensure that you stay well out of trouble on your trip. Check out our need-to-know section for other useful tips about South Africa. Safe and happy travels!

Travel Tips to Roma

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 07:46:00 -0700

Rome Travel Guide:Top Tourist Attractions In Rome

By Suman Ahliya

Rome is the best tourist destination in Italy with lot of best attractions. In Roma you can find some ancient memorials, Renaissance and medieval constructions and fountains, and big museums. The capital of contemporary Italy is Rome and features several good cafes and restaurants, fine nightlife, and lively squares and streets. Even though it is the big city, the historic center is somewhat small. This Rome travel guide provides complete travel information tips and advice.
Location of Rome:
It is located in the Central Italy on the west, shortly from the seashore. Civitavecchia is the main port of Modern Rome, where the cruise liners docks to travel to the Italian capital.

How to reach Rome? The good way to reach Rome is by train. Stazione Termini is the main station which is very near to Rome's historic center. There are also many remote stations. You can also reach Termini by coach. The main international airport of Rome is Fiumicino and visitants from US frequently get here. From the airport take a train to reach Rome because you should avoid driving into Rome.
Rome's public transport:
Rome has the far-reaching metro system and coach therefore you could go almost anyplace easily on the public transport. If you going to move in crowded metro autos aware of pickpockets. If you plan to use public transport then there is some fine transport map of Rome which is worth purchasing. Search for them in newspaper stands, travel guide, tourist offices or souvenir stores. If you decide to take a cab in Roma, ask for the charges before you enter to avoid being overcharged.

Rome's weather condition:
Rome could be hot sometimes particularly in summer but it always has a Mediterranean climate. Romans usually have a word, ottobrata, for such sunny, bright, days in Rome. The best time to visit Rome is Apr and May, or Late Sept through Oct.

Travel And Tour Tips To China

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:46:00 -0700

By Heldi Yudiyatna

China is a big country with an area of about 9,596,960 sq km. China is only partly open to the world from 1980 onwards and has become a communist country for decades. Although there are a lot of progress in the travel industry and infrastructure of China, there are still areas that need to be repaired before it can match the level that most tourist needs.

However, most of the fun remain that it is different from the whole world. China will have to host the Olympics in Year 2008. facilities and infrastructure has been and continues to increase rapidly.

China's rich culture and history. We can visit the Great Wall of China in Beijing, sip tea in Xiamen, dance with ethnic tribes in Yunnan, visit the 19th century European buildings in Qingdao - there's so much to do and visit in China!

You are interested in visiting China, Here are some travel tips to make your travel in China easier:

Entry Visa

China require visas from most countries. Apply at the Chinese consulate or through your travel agent before making a trip to China.

Climate

Very diverse; tropical in the south to subarctic in the north. Be prepared with the right seasonal clothing.

Foreign exchange

The unit of currency is known as Renmembi (RMB) or Yuan. China Yuan get some local country before you travel. While in China, exchange foreign currency for local currency at banks or at hotels. Banks tend to give slightly better rates than hotels. Note that some banks to close the afternoon nap of 12-2.

Payment Facilities

Most better class hotels and shopping centers to take Credit Card or Travelers checks. Small hotels and shops accept only cash. Once out of the big cities, credit cards and ATM cards tend to be almost impossible to use. Cash is king in China is still a business and trade.

Common counterfeit notes in China. Check carefully before accepting the change, especially if it consists mostly 100RMB notes. You can feel the texture difference where counterfeit notes is concerned.

Understanding English

Most civil servants, customs officials, police, hotel staff and men in the street do not speak English or at least a handful of English.

Most of the boards and notices will carry both English and Chinese. However, aware that some translations can be so notorious that one can hardly understand what the original Chinese intention.

Do not expect hotels or shops to understand English. Only a very large hotels will have staff that will understand English.

Most young children can understand basic English if you speak slowly.

Social Security

China is a safe country in general. But wait tight your wallet especially in crowded, popular tourist sites in tourist cities such as Beijing and Xian.

This resort town also has a lot of brokers in the streets touting tourist from currency exchange to jewelleries to female companionships. Avoid at all costs!

Domestic Travel

Buses, trains, ferries and domestic flights well enough developed. Avoid crowds at the station and book your tickets through the hotel tour desk or the nearest travel agent. Prices tend to be competitive and tickets will be delivered to the hotel room. Again, avoid ticket touts who approach you on the street.

Local buses are cheap (U.S. $ 0.10 or YS $ 0.20), and you may want to try. Taxis are convenient and available at all hours. Different rates starting from each city and can be as cheap as U.S. $ 0.70 in Weihai and U.S. $ 1.50 in Shenzhen.

Avoid travel in China during peak holiday seasons or book tickets well in advance.

Local Hotels

There is a good choice of hotels in China ranging from one star to the most luxurious 6 stars. Most of the time, rooms are clean and safe and in my opinion, cheap does not mean bad.

There are many websites selling China hotel rooms on the internet. You also can check the trip counters are available in most train, bus stations and airports.

Book ahead if traveling in peak season. You Can book Hotel Here at Hotel Combine
Peak Tourist Seasons

Chinese New Year: Date varies but generally late January or early February.

May Day: the first two weeks of May

Chinese National Day: Middle two weeks of October

Avoid traveling during this period. Book rooms and travel modes way early if need to travel. Believe me, the crowds during this time period will be scary. What do you expect when the entire Chinese nation of 8 billion people on holidays, too!

Chinese Food

Local food is amazing. Try as much Chinese food as your wallet or stomach can afford. Restaurants are available everywhere and open to late hours. Most restaurants will have menus that include photos of various dishes. Better yet, just point at the next table to the foods you are experiencing, especially if it looks delicious!

However, avoid street side stalls and drinking directly from the tap if you have a soft belly.

Telecommunications

Phone coverage in China is good in most locations. Global auto-roaming in China is not a problem.

Internet

There are cyber-cafes everywhere in China, especially in tourist areas. Most young people patronised playing online games but you still can check your Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail. Access may be a bit slow for an international website.

You will need to show your passport as China has strict regulations on Internet Cyber Cafes.

Toilet facilities

One of the worst experience many has with China is a horrible toilet facilities. The things that have improved very much but still be a good idea to empty the stomach or bladder at every opportunity in the hotel, restaurant or department store. Public toilets and toilets in small shops can be a danger nose!

* Useful China travel tips *

Try to get the English-speaking tour guide at every opportunity you can. China has a rich history and culture and beautiful and without a guide, somehow, the sense and meaning of most tour sites can be lost.

* Sneaky tip: Hang around a group of English-speaking guide if you can not afford one!

Always ask for a receipt from a taxi driver so that you can complain if you have been cheated or for tracking purposes if you have left the camera on the back of the cab.

Try to take namecard for every hotel you stay at as this card will have a Chinese address and map location of your hotel. This is useful if you need to seek help to find your way back as the English version or pronunciation of a hotel or a street name may be very different from the Chinese version.

After a tiring day, check the foot reflexology or TuiNa china china (Chinese massage). Good for the body after a hard day and very cheap to boot. Simply look out for shop signs that shows two feet! They're everywhere.

Friends with China whenever you can. They are happy to meet foreigners and will make a good tour guide. Just buy a small gift as a token of appreciation.

Travel Medical Insurance - What are the Medical Benefits

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 06:34:00 -0700

Best Summary about Travel Medical Insurance by Ken Vandiver

The Medical Benefits of a good travel medical insurance policy are probably the main reason in-the-know travelers buy it. Your travel medical insurance policy will have hospital room and board, intensive care, extensive medical expenses, outpatient medical, local ambulance, prescription drugs, emergency room accident and more. It will have all of the elements of the health insurance you have at home plus many benefits designed specifically for travelers.

The hospital room and board benefit should pay up to the policy maximum for the average semi-private room rate.
Your Intensive Care will be paid up to the policy maximum.
Your Medical Expenses will also be paid up to the policy maximum.
Outpatient Medical expenses will also be paid up to the policy maximum.
If you use a Local Ambulance it will be paid up to the policy maximum.
Your Prescription drugs will be paid  up to the policy maximum.
If you go to the Emergency Room due to an accident it will be paid  up to the policy maximum.
If you go to the Emergency Room (not due to an accident) and are admitted as an in-patient it will be paid  up to the policy maximum. If, however, you go to the Emergency Room and are not admitted as an in-patient then there will be a $250 deductible and the remainder will be paid  up to the policy maximum.
There is a Dental benefit which will pay  up to the policy maximum for emergency dental treatment when there is an injury due to an accident, it will also pay up to $100 for necessary treatment when there is Sudden Dental Pain.

Notice that you keep seeing "up to the policy maximum". Just exactly what does that mean? Well, each travel medical insurance policy has a maximum amount that the insurance company will pay out during the policy period. So "up to the policy maximum" simply means that the company will pay until the policy maximum has been reached. That is why it is important for you to select the policy maximum that you feel comfortable with. I usually opt for the $500,000 policy maximum as I feel that it is sufficient to cover whatever may happen. But that's just me, you might feel comfortable with a lesser maximum or a high maximum. Most good travel medical insurance plans give you the option of selecting a maximum of from $50,000 to $2,000,000 or more.

Given all of the Medical Benefits I've mentioned here you can see why a good Travel Medical Insurance policy is an essential for anyone traveling overseas whether it be for a business trip or a vacation. So remember, don't leave home without a good travel medical insurance policy.

Online Travel Information

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 05:20:00 -0800

Internet has become a marvelous source for getting information on any and every thing. Travel is no different. Today, if someone wants to plan their holidays, they just have to sit in front of computer comfortably for few minutes and the entire job is done. Not only the travel information is easily available, but holiday packages and tickets for either airplane or train can be booked. All you need to do is to decide the destination where you want to travel and then search their ways and routes online. You can also have the idea of the number of places to go at the place where you are going such as temples, monuments, buildings, museums etc.

On watching the pictures of the famous places where you are planning to go, it becomes easier to understand the location scenario through their glimpse. You can also thing of hiring a travel agent from a reputed travel agency online, so that you might not miss any spot of the destination. But this should be taken care that a travel agent or guide must be hired from some reputed organization so that they don’t mislead you, if you have no idea about the place where you are planning to go.

Searching online for the traveling information is safe because it gives you the correct idea of the location and people out there. They tell you specialties of places and give you the reason to visit that place. For further travel assistance, you can also search for a travel packages, which will take care of everything such as flight and hotel booking, sight seeing, schedule planning etc They can also take care of the food and all, depending on the package. Hence, giving you a feeling of security and tension-free mind, you can just pack your bags and get ready for a beautiful holiday.

Tips to Find Cheap Travel Insurance

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 8 Mar 2012 01:09:00 -0800

Summary about cheap travel insurance By Gibson Alex

The excitement of traveling abroad might be so awesome to you that you might not have enough time to study the options offered by your travel insurance company. Hence it is necessary to plan and research everything much in advance, especially if you are pursuing to get cheap travel insurance.

Travel coverage fitting your budget

There are many factors which need to be tapped before you purchase travel coverage. Your travel agent will be keen on selling you a vacation coverage which is cheap and fitting your budget. But, find out if it covers whatever you consider of utmost importance.

Try to research over the Internet all the predominant diseases and other ailments which affect the tourist, visiting your present vacation destination. See if your travel insurance covers this aspect.

Purchase only what you feel is right for you

What is the point of purchasing a coverage which is cheap but ineffective while travelling? Also, when you try to get an insurance which you think is perfect for you; it might turn out to be the most complicated coverage you have ever come across.

Your travel agent or the travel company might sell you what is beneficial for them and you might end up buying something which you do not need. So be smart and look out for a cheap travel insurance which covers everything you need while vacationing abroad.

Here are a few situations which might be of great importance while deciding on travel coverage:

- Cancellation

You can get a refund for your travel expenses if your coverage has this main aspect. Due to unforeseen circumstances just before you leave, you may have to cancel your much awaited trip. And what could be more satisfactory to you than getting a refund?

- Natural Catastrophe

If your visiting destination has an unsuitable climatic condition you may have to cancel your trip and maybe keep it aside for a later date. In such an unavoidable condition your insurance might cover all your expenses.

- Medical Coverage

Whether you are a young or old person you need to know the importance of medical emergencies.

- Other Important Coverages

Also check for details like delayed flights, missing baggage, emergency expenses and hijack allowances.

The only thing needed apart from the tips given above is that you need to book your insurance much in advance. This will give you plenty of time to locate a cheap travel insurance which covers most of the things you need on your trip abroad.

Travel Insurance Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 6 Mar 2012 02:53:00 -0800

Summary about travel insurance tips by Gerry Patton

Considering that Canada has the best health care system in the world, a lot of Canadians fail to consider the problem with future illnesses. Financial hardship as well as real emotional and psychological stress is some of the things that you may need to deal with if you experience sudden illnesses or injury even in the United States. It is necessary to purchase enough comprehensive global health insurance before leaving Canada in order to be protected from these according to a lot of mature travelers.

What is important for the readers knows when health insurance is enough and where they should purchase insurance. In the case of people traveling to the U.S.or Europe, what are available include a comprehensive package at a reasonable cost but the manager of Winnipeg's major bank said that this is not meant to replace total health coverage.

When it comes to the older card members, getting another insurance package to supplement these benefits is necessary. It is important to consider getting travel health insurance of at least $1 million as mentioned by two major insurance companies that scale their packages due to the fact that not only are there more claims from long stays but also more claims from people over 60. Although one company managed to extend its maximum coverage to those between 60 and 65, they had to stop there due to costs.

In terms of finding an insurance health plan, travelers can get some assistance if they need some. Your best bet will be an insurance agent when it comes to a comprehensive overview but for information on the larger companies, talk to a travel agent. Apart from age, either you are below 60 or over 61, the length of stay is also considered by one major insurance company for its rates. Considering a single traveler under 60, coverage for a 10 day trip would amount to about $9.10 while a person over 61 will pay around $17.

A 30 day trip will result to a policy amounting $23.50 for someone under 60 and $67 for someone older. Respectively costing $95 and $220 is coverage for a 48 day trip. The longer you are gone the higher the cost. $540 in total or about $270 per person is the expense that will be incurred for a comprehensive health insurance package by a couple over 60 who plans to be away for two months and it will rise to $1,350 if they decide to extend it to four months.

Taking a Winnipeg couple into consideration, they made the rates of long term health insurance work for them. Two 60 day coverage plans are what they purchase instead of 120 day health packages for the four months they spend in the southern states every year. From this famous insurance company come other options that are less expensive. The offerings from another company come with substantially lower rates even if their scales are based on age. When a couple is over 65, a sixty day coverage will cost $330. In terms of some insurance policies, these may come with a disclaimer saying that you will not be covered by the contract for any medical condition which commenced prior to the effective date of the policy.

Taking effect after those from various credit card plans expire are policies from several companies. Getting insurance for the entire duration of the trip is something advised by several companies. Age is not an issue for other plans and there are times when these are less expensive than others. In some occasions, coverage is not provided for trips lasting over 60 days. There will be expenses from health insurance especially when you travel and in this case one company can provide you with a money saving tip that can help. Keep in mind that the travel health premium can be included in medical expenses not to mention your tax credit calculation for income tax purposes.

Health Travel Insurance

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 4 Mar 2012 04:39:00 -0800

Health travel insurance is inevitable for those who have to travel abroad often. During these journeys there may be unforeseen health problems to anybody. The medical care expenses chargeable by various foreign countries are unaffordable. Hence, if the travelers have purchased travel insurance policies in advance they need not worry about the medical expenses prevailing in other nations. Certain governments insist the possession of medical insurance policies for traveling in their country. The hospitals in those localities won't provide medical care if the patient doesn't have any travel health insurance. At such places qualitative medical treatments are easily available to travelers if they have health travel insurance. Generally the coverage offered by these policies is emergency medical attention especially during accidents, inevitable operations, usage of wheel chairs and other walking aids, arrangement to repatriate patients and the cost of lifesaving medicines.

Travel health insurance is available for both short term and long term trips. The minimum coverage offering to short journeys is five days where as the maximum coverage offering to long journeys is twelve months. Some travel health policies offer prolonged coverage options in special cases. In the multi travel health insurance policies wide range of protections are offered to customers round the year. Such policies are also profitable for travelers who visit abroad frequently. Apart from immediate medical care attentions the travel insurance policies also provide coverage to individual luggage, the process of bringing back children to home land during emergencies, reunion of members in a travel group, unpredictable interruptions in journeys, injuries and minor accidents which may happen during entertainment and sporting events.

At present numerous insurance firms have launched different types of travel health policies. These are for coping up with the requirements of various travelers. To secure the apt policy the customers are advised to go through the rules and conditions mentioned against each policy. Customers can also contact policy agents and policy promoting firms for purchasing the policies. These people are committed to assist the policy holders for contacting insurance firms if required. The premiums of health travel insurance schemes are affordable comparing to the health care expenses existing in various foreign countries. In this way health travel insurance policies minimize the liabilities of overseas travelers to a considerable extent.

In travel health insurance policies there are facilities to modify the existing coverage. Since the coverage of long term policies can be renewed, those options are really beneficial to the policy holders. The process of modifying coverage features can be done even after the commencement of the travel packages. This enables them to avoid purchasing another policy which can suit their current travel plans and existing environments of the proposed visiting countries. The premium values of these policies are determined with respect to the age of the policy holder, type of coverage required and duration of the journey. Since all types of unforeseen matters are covered, health travel insurance policy is really a faithful companion to overseas travelers.

What is Travel Insurance?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 3 Mar 2012 02:25:00 -0800

Travel insurance is a short term or temporary insurance that, depending on the terms of the plan you choose, can provide coverage for the medical and financial expenses due to sickness, accident, loss or damage of luggage during traveling. Travel insurance serves a varied clients such as students, businessmen, leisure travelers, adventure travelers and many others. There are three important types of travel insurance. They are:

1. Accident or health travel insurance:
This travel insurance typically provides coverage for any accident or illness that you might sustain during the period of travel. It generally covers expenses related to hospitalization, intensive care, surgery and outpatient treatment.

2. Trip Cancellation travel insurance

There are situations wherein the person misses his flight due to bad health or needs to cancel his flight. This travel insurance typically ensures that your money is refunded to you.

3. Medical evacuation travel insurance:
It might happen that the hospital in which you are admitted is not able to treat you properly. In such cases, medical evacuation becomes necessary to remove the patient safely and quickly to his own country. As medical evacuation is very expensive, this travel insurance can provide a great financial help to the patient and his family.

Getting an international travel insurance plan is important but, you should choose a travel insurance plan as per your travel needs. You should read the travel insurance plan carefully to ensure that it covers you and the activities you will do on your holiday.

These days, you can find various travel insurance companies that offer travel insurance plans designed to meet different requirements and budget. If you want to save your time and get the best travel insurance plan, you can look for the travel insurance quotes available online. You can simply visit the websites of travel insurance companies, check the terms of the plans they offer and fill in their application form to get travel insurance quotes within a few minutes. Whatever method you adopt to use, making sure you have the appropriate travel insurance plans for yourself, is the best possible way to help in having a trouble-free and memorable traveling experience.

Travel tips to Indonesia

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:52:00 -0800

Bali Island

Indonesia is the country of more than ten thousand islands or the largest archipelago in the world, a huge chain of more than 135,000 islands. Indonesia has five big Islands there are Sumatera, Kalimantan, Java, Sulawesi and Papua. So where is the destination that will you visit to Indonesia? Here some tips;

Entry Airport

Visas are required, Visa free entry is for maximum of 60 days and is not extendable. Entry and departure must be through the airports of Polonia (Medan), Simpang Tiga (Pekanbaru), Hang Nadim (Batam), Tabing (Padang), Soekarno-Hatta (Jakarta), Husein Sastranegara (Bandung), Juanda (Surabaya), Adisumarmo (Solo), Ngurah Rai (Denpasar), Eltari (Kupang), Supadio (Pontianak), Sepingan (Balikpapan), Sam Ratulangi (Manado), Pattimura (Ambon), Hasanuddin (Makassar), Selaparang (Mataram), and Frans Kaisiepo (Biak), and the seaports of Belawan (Medan), Batu Ampar and Sekupang (Batam), Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Tanjung Mas (Semarang), Tanjung Perak (Surabaya), Benoa and Padangbai (Bali), Bitung (North Sulawesi), Ambon (Maluku), and Tanjung Pinang (Bintan). There is only one land gateway, Entikong in West Kalimantan. Some Airlines are available to fly from one city to another city, like AirAsia, Garuda Indonesia, LionAir, Citilink, Batavia Airlines etc.
Make sure your and destination is correct if you want to visit one of island or city, in order to get cheap fare or transportation.

Culture

If want to go to another country, like Europe, or America, we have to know tradition and local culture, because Asian culture is deferent especially Southeast Asia and we have to adapt to local culture in order to get respect from local people. Indonesian culture is mix culture strongly influenced by a multitude of religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Islam, all strong in the major trading cities. The result is a complex cultural mixture very different from the original indigenous cultures. Be aware with Indonesian regions still preserve uniquely indigenous culture. Indigenous ethnic groups Mentawai, Asmat, Dani, Dayak, Toraja and many others are still practicing their ethnic rituals, customs and wearing traditional clothes. Polite and friendly is must. Language and religion the sole official language here is Indonesian, known as Bahasa Indonesia. It is based on a dialect of Malay. And Islam is the largest Moslem country in the world.

Accommodations

Indonesia Cuisine

Expensive and Cheap hotel and also inn is available in some cities in Indonesia, start from $15 until $700 per night or you can book online at hotel combine that provide the best hotel over the world. Prepare your cash in IDR, Indonesia Rupiah beside you bring Debit and credit card to make easier to make transaction with local people. Transportations are also available from taxi, minibus, travel bus, and rickshaw. About food, Indonesia is heaven for food lovers, don’t spend your money to try another food, you must try Indonesian cuisine that has variety of taste combination spicy, sweet, hot and sour. Like Nasi padang west Sumatra cuisine, or Javanese cuisine Central of Java, the typical dishes are Nasi Gudeg , made of young jack-fruit and boiled eggs stewed in coconut milk with a mixture of spices, so the taste is sweet; Sate Madura , a chicken satay from Madura (an island in East Java), Bakso Obama's favorite food or Sulawesi cuisine like Ayam Bakar Rica (grilled chicken) is usually very spicy. Its must you eat to make unforgettable moment in Indonesia to make good story for your friend or family in your country.

Site Seeing

The first thing to check out Bali Island, beautiful scene nature and beach, Toba Lake in North Sumatera, Bunaken and Toraja in Sulawesi, Beautiful nature in Raja Ampat Papua. Borobudur in Central Java, Monas Tower in Jakarta, Museum of Jakarta, Tsunami Museum in Aceh and much more historical site and great heritage that make you fall in love to Indonesia.

I hope this information tips will help you in having a great time in Indonesia, If you know Indonesian well you will fall in love with. Have a nice trip!

Read Also Indonesia Destination for making complete your journey, or planning honeymoon to Bali

Travel Tips to Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 7 Sep 2010 05:55:00 -0700

About the country
The Federal republic of Germany is the most influential country of Europe. It has witnessed the most controversial facts of history like Nazism, Holy Roman Empire and the building and demolition of the Berlin wall. With many magnificent castles it has wealth of art and culture. German is the widely spoken language in German, but outsiders can find many English speaking locals especially in the common tourist destinations.

Weather

The weather here is very unpredictable as there is a possibility of rain almost all months, so carry clothes accordingly. April and May are the months of spring which brings in full bloom of fruits and flowers. Months from May to September have very fine weather with sunny skies and offers the best time for traveling and site-seeing. People who have a passion for sports like swimming, hiking, and cycling can have the best time here during these months. Winter sports can be enjoyed at the resorts in the months from November to early March. The temperatures are below freezing and the days are too short (comprise of only six to eight months) in winter.

Local Customs
Locals greet each other by handshaking and saying Guten Tag. To say goodbye, people use Auf Wiedersehen. Guests are expected to bring uncovered and odd number of flowers, especially roses, when visiting someone’s home. The guests are welcomed with either food or refreshments. At the table, hosts say ‘Guten Appetit’ to which the guests should reply with ‘Ebenfalls’. Smoking should be better avoided in public areas. Locals dress informally but certain occasions like opera, theatre, certain restaurants and social functions call for formal wear.

Electricity
220 V, 50 Hz
Moving Around
The best way to get around is to buy the Welcome cards or the city passes which allows the customer to access unlimited bus facility in many cities of Germany. It also gives special offer on certain tourist attractions. For flexibility one can rent-a-car or go for chauffer driven cars. Along with the rent, VAT of 16% is payable. Car insurance should be available before hand in case of any accident. The speed limit within the cities is mostly 50kph and 100kph on the highways.

Nine stars
The nine stars of Southwest Germany comprise of Baden-Baden, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Heilbronn, Mannheim, Pforzheim Stuttgart, and Ulm. They are considered to be some of the beautiful cities of Europe. Each of the cities play a vital role in the culture of Germany. Baden-Baden has few of the finest resorts and also has Europe’s second largest opera and concert hall. Freiburg is known as the historic city center and is famous for cobblestone mosiacs, open streams and ancient alleys. Heidelberg has world famous castles and Germany’s oldest university. Karlsruhe has the famous museum Center for Art and Media. Look out for various amusements along the Nectar river of Heilbronn. Pforzheim is the capital for watches and jewelry. Stuttgart is famous for theatres and opera. Ulm is the birth place of Albert Einstein and is also house to the world’s tallest hurch spire.

Travel
The national airline that serves Germany is Lufthansa. Bwelin-Tegel airport is situated at 8 km away from the city and it takes about 20 minutes to reach there. There is a provision of duty free shops, banks, post office, eateries, conference hall, and car hire and tourism information for the passengers.
Another busy airport is the Frankfurt airport which is located at 13km away from the city. Buses take about 20 minutes to get there. Taxis are available at any time. The Intercity railway network at the airport also provides international services to Hungary, Switzerland and Austria. The facilities provided here are duty free shops, left luggage, restaurants, banks, conference halls, post office, car hire and tourism information. No departure tax is levied on the passengers.

Those wishing to travel by sea can avail the ferry connections to Finland, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Latvia, and Norway.
Eurostar provides railway service to and from Belgium, France and the UK. Booking can be made by telephone. The Inter-Rail offers unlimited second class train travel within 29 European countries. The Eurailpass offers unlimited first class train travel within 17 European countries.
EuroCity and InterCity trains have a restaurant on board, providing food and drinks. InterCity Express target the business class and provides services such as fully equipped office, conference compartments, etc. Tourist over 17 years of age can carry alcohol and tobacco with them within permissible limits.

Travel Tips to Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 5 Sep 2010 05:50:00 -0700

About the county
Italy, the birthplace of pasta and pizza provides a wide range of choices for artwork lovers to experience. A temperate climate exists here with very hot summers and not so cold winters. The weather is the best in spring and autumn with pleasant temperatures and scenic views. At that time of the year, the place isn’t crowded much and things can be enjoyed in leisure. Incase of emergency call 112. For fire call 115 and for ambulance call 118.

Culture
Italian is widely spoken and is the official language. English isn’t very familiar to the locals. Family ties are of utmost importance here and hence social courtesies mean a lot to the locals. There is a great impact of the Roman Catholic Church on the culture here. There is a high content of chlorine in tap waters, so bottled water is recommended for staying fit during the trip. Since Italian is spoken on a wide scale, it is highly recommended to learn few common Italian phrases which can be of great use. Social gatherings call for formal wear, but one can dress in casuals otherwise. At some religious places, sleeveless shirt and shorts are frowned upon. So they are better avoided. Purses and wallets should be well guarded and in case of any theft, police should be informed about the incident.

Site Seeing
The first thing to check out is the leaning tower of Pisa, where Olympics originated. At places like museums and art galleries, photography, especially flash photography is restricted. Check out the ticket counter for more information. Italy should be majorly discovered on foot for a thorough viewing of all the beautiful buildings and monuments. Coaches and trains are a good option to get to a tourist spot.

Shopping
Shops here are open from 9am to 8pm, closed for lunch. Quality of goods is great although the prices are very less. Items like crystals, lacework, leather good, and jewelry can be bought at the stores. Remember to hold on to the receipt. Tipping of 10% is customary along with the service tax levied on the bill. Italy is famous for top designers of the world, so do buy clothes and accessories to update your wardrobe. Cruises have formal gatherings in the evening, so ensure to buy a cocktail dress or some formal wear, though casuals can be worn at other times.

Electricity
The voltage used is 220 volts and 50 Hz frequency.

Getting there
Alitalia is the national airline of Italy. Many other flights connect to Italy from USA, Canada and Australia and there is big competition to attract passengers giving a wide range of offers to travelers. Rome airport is located 26 km away from the city and it takes 45 minutes to get there from the airport. Trains connect directly to Termini Station from where one can take taxi to get to their destination. Duty free shops, bank, car hire and restaurants are the other services provided at this airport. Milan has another famous airport here, which is at a distance of 45km away from the city.
Brindisi, Ancona, Naples and Venice are the major seaports of Italy. Italian State Railways connects many European cities. But, Eurostar provides the fastest train service.
If choosing to drive, don’t forget to carry international driving license and international insurance certificate. Roads connect Italy to France, Austria and Switzerland. Many coach services are provided from the neighboring countries.
Duty Free Items
1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco
2. 2liter of wine and 1liter of spirits (over 22 per cent) or 2liter of fortified or sparkling wine
3. 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette; 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract (if over 15 years of age)
4. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract
5. Gifts not exceeding €89.96 (if entering from an EU country), €175 (if entering from a non-EU country).

Travel Tips to Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 3 Sep 2010 05:45:00 -0700

About The Country
Spain is famous world wide for its flamenco dancers and bullfights. The architecture reflects the Moroccan style. Cave paintings, renaissance cathedrals, Moorish palaces prove the diversity of the country. Spring, fall and early summer are very pleasant here, though summers are hot.

Culture
Spanish is the regional language of Spain. English is also widely spoken here. Over the period of time, Spanish people have become modern in order to gel with the changing times and are no longer conservative. But that hasn’t changed the values, traditions, manners and customs of the locals. People here have two surnames; the first surname can be used to refer to the person. To greet someone, a handshake will do the job. Take a small gift along when visiting someone’s house. Save the flowers for special occasions. Dinner is generally taken very late in the night. People wear casuals most of the time. Men are expected to wear jackets at some restaurants. Swimsuits should be confined to the pools and beaches. Recently a ban has been applied on smoking in public places.

Shopping
Shops open quite early in the morning and stay open late in the evening. In the afternoon, they are closed for lunch or siesta. Porcelain and leather goods are famous and they will be good gifts for friends and family members back home. Bills are to be paid along with the service charges, so tipping is a matter of gratitude.
Electricity
Voltage is 220 volts and frequency is 50 Hz

Getting There
IBERIA is the national airline of Spain. Many other low-cost airlines offer services in the country. There are nearly thirty international airports in Spain, out of which Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Malaga are famous.
Madrid located at 13km away from the city has a good bus service every fifteen minutes. Underground service also works to transport passengers to their destinations. Other facilities offered at this airport are duty free shops, bank, restaurant, tourism information, and hotel reservations.
Barcelona is very close to the city, situated at a distance of 3 km only. Buses are available every 15 minutes and trains are available every 20 minutes. Taxis are available throughout the day. Duty free shops, restaurants, bank, car hire and tourism information are available here.

There is a good network of roads connecting Spain north to south. Toll booths are installed in some parts of the country. Carrying few Euros will help smooth sailing at the toll booths. If driving one’s private car, it would be better if the travel insurance covers medical costs too. Carrying a medical kit can prove to be of some help.

Duty Free Items
1. 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos 50 cigars or 250g tobacco (300 cigarettes, 150 cigarillos, 70 cigars and 400g of tobacco for EU nationals)
2. 1litre of spirits if exceeding 22 per cent volume or 2 litres of alcoholic beverage not exceeding 22 per cent volume and 2 litres of wine (1.5 litre exceeding 22 per cent and 3 litres of up to 22 per cent and 5 litres of wine for EU nationals)
3. 250ml eau de toilette and 50g of perfume
4. 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract (1000g of coffee and 4000g of coffee extract for EU nationals)
5. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract
6. Gifts up to the value of approximately €37.26.
You Might also like Travel tips to Holland, the travel information free for you

Travel Tips to Holland

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 1 Sep 2010 05:42:00 -0700

About the Country

The summers are cool here but the winters are severe with some chances of snowfall. Rainfall can be expected in any month of the year. Dutch is the official language here. English, French and German are the other languages that are spoken, out of which English is widely spoken. Incase of emergency call 112.

Culture
Handshake is the commonly practiced form of greeting. Although tipping is not mandatory, but it’s better to pay rounds figure in restaurants and taxis. A humble gift should be taken to the host’s house always when invited for a meal. Informal clothes are worn on a daily basis, but people are expected to turn up in formals at social functions and smart restaurants.

Shopping
Pottery of Delft, Makkum and Workum is a must buy. Silverware from Schoonhoven, crystals from Leerdam and diamonds from Amsterdam are highly recommended.
Site Seeing
Apenheul Primate Park is a place to visit which is a home to more than thirty species of mammals. It remains closed during the winter. De Hoge Veluwe is the oldest and largest park of Holland. Bicycles can be used to explore the 5,500 hectares of the park. Paleis Het Loo is a magnificent Palace surrounded by gardens and remains open year round except on public holidays.

Electricity
230 V and 50 Hz
Travel
The national airline that operates in Holland is KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines. It connects to almost all the major cities of Europe, North America and Asia. Amsterdam Airport is the hub for many international and local flights. It is located at 15 km away from the city and it takes 20 minutes to reach there by train. The Airline, KLM, provides bus service every 15-30 minutes which takes passengers to some of the famous hotels of the city. Public buses can be availed too, to reach destination. Trains connect to Amsterdam’s Central Station and Zuid Station. Taxis take tourists to almost any location. The Airport features duty free shops, banks, showers, business center, baby rooms, and car hire.
Rotterdam airport and Eindhoven airport are 8km away from the city. Trains and buses operate every 15 minutes to transport passengers to their hotels. Facilities such as duty free shops, eateries, car rental, and internet can be availed at these airports. No departure tax is implemented on passengers at any of these airports.
The main sea ports are Hook of Holland, Vlissingen and Rotteradm. Stena Line, P&O ferries and DFDS seaways provide ferry service to get to Holland.

If traveling by railway, Eurostar provides the best service and connects to all the major cities of Europe. It provides high grade services. Good offers are provided on regular basis and to utilize them they should be monitored from time to time. Unused tickets are easily refunded. The Inter-Rail pass can be bought to avail the unlimited second class train travel within 29 European countries.

Top class road network connects Holland to majority of cities in Europe. They are well maintained and signs are posted every where for safe driving. 120kph is the speed limit while driving on highways. Many car dealing agents exist if opting for car-rental. Some of them are Avis, Europcar and Budget.
Cycling is also a major means of transportation in Holland and is part and parcel of daily life. Tourists can hire cycles from the airport or other service providers with some money-deposit.

Duty Free Items
1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco
2. 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette
3. 1liter of liquor or 2liter of sparkling wine or liquor wines and 2liter of non-sparkling wine
4. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract
5. 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract

Exploring the Three Capitals of South Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:51:00 -0700

South Africa is a unique destination as unlike any other country in the world it has three separate capital cities. Pretoria acts as the executive capital, Bloemfontein the judicial and Cape Town the legislative capital. But what can these three unique capitals offer tourists on their South Africa holidays?

Pretoria

The Jacaranda City is the beautiful nickname given to South Africa's executive capital of Pretoria. Here beautiful purple blossomed trees line the pavements and buildings of historical significance can be found on every corner. Although the capital isn't as well-visited as its sister capital of Cape Town, the peaceful city is still popular with tourists after a spot of respite on their South Africa holidays. Despite Pretoria's sleepy reputation, plenty can be found to do here. The Cullinan Diamond Mine is located just a short drive away and it was here that the largest diamond in the world was once found; the Cullinan. The mine is now bigger than the Australian area of Kimberley and still accounts for 25% of the world's gem quality diamonds. You can take a public tour of the mine on an hourly basis, or if you're really after a spot of luxury on your South Africa holidays then why not visit the nearby jewellery store and pick yourself out a diamond to rival the Cullinan? Adventure junkies are well catered for on their holidays with South Africa's largest sky-diving club based here, or why not visit the nearby Premier Game Reserve, which is home to some very unique white rhinoceroses?

Bloemfontein

If Pretoria is known as the city of Jacarandas due to the large number of purple blossoms that deck the street, then it's easy to guess why the judicial capital of Bloemfontein is known as the city of the roses. The capital even takes its name from an amalgamation of the Dutch words for fountain and flowers. Although this peaceful and slow-paced city is not often visited by tourists on their holidays to South Africa, this doesn't mean that there isn't plenty to see and do in this beautiful but largely residential destination. The Botanical Gardens are definitely worth a visit and they claim to house more than 100 different species of birds and 54 separate species of reptiles. If cold-blooded creatures aren't really your thing then instead you can visit a larger range of animals at the Bloemfontein Zoo, where the first liger - lion and tiger cross was born.

Cape Town

Cape Town is famously known as 'The Mother City', a nickname from the 1930's when the capital was considered to be the only metropolis in South Africa. The word 'metropolis' is a joining of the Greek words for 'mother' and 'city'. Nowadays, the country has more than one metropolis but it is the legislative capital of Cape Town that is the most popular with tourists on their South Africa holidays. This is because Cape Town offers so much for visitors to see and do. You simply can't leave South Africa without taking a cable car ride up to the infamous Table Mountain and viewing the breathtaking scenery surrounding Table Bay. Another of Cape Town's highlights is the Victoria and Albert Waterfront, which is now the most visited destination amongst tourists on their South Africa holidays. The beautiful Victorian-styled area features a number of incredible seafood restaurants, designer clothing shops and stunning boutique hotels which are perfect for guests looking for accommodation for their luxury holidays.
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Travel to Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 7 Aug 2010 16:53:00 -0700

Bali is an Indonesian island. The small island like paradise is called Bali. White-sand beaches, world-class surf, coral reefs, spas galore, artistic place, rich of unique culture you can find them in Bali. Getting there only by Air and by sea. If traveling by air, your point of entry and exit is the Ngurah Rai international airport of Denpasar (code: DPS).

Many international airlines have daily flights to and from Bali. The airport is also well connected to the rest of Indonesia by the country's half-dozen domestic carriers. If connecting between domestic and international flights, note that the connection will involve getting from one terminal to another, which requires a short 10 to 15 minute walk. Traveling by sea The main sea route is by ferry from the eastern tip of Java. Ferries leave Ketapang on Java every 15 to 30 minutes, 24 hours a day.

Interesting Places

Kute Beach, Sanur Beach, Nusa Dua, Bali Museum, Art Center, and Badung Traditional Market you can find them in Regions of Denpasar.
Ubud Village, Ubud Market, Painting Museum, Goa Gajah Temple you can fin them at region of Gianyar.
Tanah Lot Temple, Subak Museum, Taman Ayun Temple, Bedugul Lake, Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, Botanical Garden, Jatiluwih Rice Terrace, Batukaru Temple, Hot Sping Water, Sangeh Mongkey Forest , Alas Kedaton Mongkey Forest these palece is in region of Tabanan. and much more the most interesting places that you never visit before,

Visit Bali feel the true. Enjoy Travelling !!

Travel To France

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 1 Aug 2010 09:29:00 -0700

The city

The crowd is attracted to sparkling ski slopes of the Alps, sunlit vineyards and sun-baked beaches of this beautiful country. France is a country which draws more tourists than any other country. It is easy to see why this is the case given France’s great reputation for fine wines, good food, high fashion and relaxed lifestyle. But while France is undoubtedly a place to eat and drink till your heart is content, there's much more to this fascinating country than only cutting-edge cuisines. Spring is the best time to be here, and those interested in winter sports can drop at the Alps and Pyrenees with some polar gear. The summers are very hot and winters are moderate. An all-weather coat and pair of comfortable shoes are a must. Women, especially, should carry cocktail dresses as some of the restaurants ask for it. When visiting any religious site, refrain from wearing sleeveless shirt and shorts, as they are disliked at such places.

Culture

English is widely spoken here, although French is the official language. Handshaking is customary greeting and women should be kissed on both cheeks and should be addressed as Monsieur or Madame. French people are popularly known for their like for stylish sportswear and of course perfumes. Nudism is allowed on some beaches only. Social functions, fine restaurants, and clubs call for more formal dressing. When at a formal dinner, wait till the host gestures to start the dinner. Smoking is banned in public places.

Site Seeing

Paris, the city of love, is a massive city with many attractions in reachable distance thanks to thehighly efficient public transport system. It boasts of more than 80 museums and 200 arts galleries. A trip to Disney land and the magnificent Eiffel tower will make the trip worthwhile. The attractive tourists spots are the Arc de triomphe which spans over the tomb of unknown soldier, the forbidding gothic architecture of the Notre Dame cathedral, the picturesque Sacre Coeur, to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Moulin Rouge and boat tours along the Seine. Get the Carte Musees-Monuments pass, which gives access to 70 monuments and museums.

Shopping

Although service tax is included in the bill, a humble tip won’t cost much. An extra dollar can be given as tip to the waiter. A tip of $2 can be left for the bus drivers.

Electricity

220-volt, 50-cycle AC current.

Getting There

The national airline that operates here is Air France. Many low-cost airlines, too, provide services from UK. Paris-Charles de Gaulle also known as Roissy-Charles de Gaulle is the major airport of France, which is 23km away from the city. Coaches, taxis, limousines services are provided at the airport. The railway facility provided by the airport, claims to reach all the terminals within eight minutes. These trains run 24 hours. The other airports that offer flight services are Paris-Orly, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Toulouse.

Ferry and cruise trips can be made from ports such as Atlantic, North Sea, Mediterranean, and Havre.

Duty Free Items

1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco
2. 1liter of spirits over 22 per cent or 2liter of alcoholic beverage up to 22 per cent
3. 2liter of wine
4. 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette
5. 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract
6. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract

Food and agricultural products should be avoided.

What we do when flight Delayed

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:06:00 -0700

Sometimes flight cenceled can be happened when rush traffic, natural disater, crash, or unstable climete. So what will we do if its happend and we have present at the airport or when in transit flight to another flight, this is my tips when we in flight delayed

1. If we bring laptop, notebook its time to open laptop n try to open internet where the airport available hotspot wifi free, meet friend at social network, or read a lot of information on websites these will decrease your fatigue and the bored. Trust me!

2. Reading book or magazine, if we feel bored when the flight delayed its good to read magazine newspapers, reading its fun to spending time, besides decrease our stress and bored during travelling, we can enrich our knowledge, bring magazine or favorite book during travelling ist must!

3. Spa or massage, to be relax during traveling and spending time when flight delay is massage at the airport spa. Usually the Spa available at the international airport. I’m sure you absolutely like this tips.

4. Shopping, when the flight delayed shopping is the best choice, looking for local souvenir and the local fashion.
Hopely this tips useful for you. Enjoy your trip!

Five Reason I love Travelling

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:37:00 -0700

Travelling around the world is very exiting, moreever we have ability to travel from one country to another country. I love travelling, so when I travel to one place or one country that I visit I have reason to love that place, So I want to conlude the some reason why I love travelling.

The fisrt reason is Food, Each country has different cuisine, and different taste. Its very enjoy to visit some restorant, traditional market to taste several food from different country, For example India, they have a culture to not eat meat, and tend to eat vegetable or vegetarian, or if we visit to Indonesia they have several traditional food like satay, ketoprak etc. This the first reason.

The second is Culture, The most interesting to travel to one place is because of thier culture, The culture of Europe is very different with Asia or Africa, From the musical instrument, traditional celebration, and about their language. its uniqe for me, and will enrich our knowledge about the people and the environtment of the place we visit. Culture is the second for me!

The Next is History, every place and the name of place have each histories about their places, and the place has a history that happend hundreds or thousands years ago, its has aown satidfaction to learn their history, there are some places that you have to visit if you travel to one country, the meuseum, and the building that has history its will give us more information about the history about the places, for example if we go to Egypt, there is alot of history about their land and the trace of thousands years ago is still available to be seen.

The last is The scene and the people, if we visit to the best place like beach, ocean, mountain, forest or romantic places. its very relaxing to enjoy the best scene that available in the world, several countries have the beutiful scenes that must to be visited, like Bali, (Indonesia) Pataya (Thailand) Everest (Himalaya highlands) at Nepal and much more! This is the reason why I love travelling, How about you??

Travelling Information

Travel to Pattaya, Thailand

How to Travel Around Pattaya During Your Holiday

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Travel to India

Travel to India: Enjoy soulful moments

Travel To Capetown

Famous places of Capetown

Travel Tips to Lombok Indonesia

Travel Tips to Shanghai

Shanghai Travel Guide

Travel Tips To South Africa

Safety In South Africa – Travel Tips For A Safe Trip

By Groshan Fabiola

Travel Tips to Roma

Rome Travel Guide:Top Tourist Attractions In Rome

By Suman Ahliya

Rome's weather condition: Rome could be hot sometimes particularly in summer but it always has a Mediterranean climate. Romans usually have a word, ottobrata, for such sunny, bright, days in Rome. The best time to visit Rome is Apr and May, or Late Sept through Oct.

Read also Travel Tips to Italy or European Country

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Online Travel Information

Tips to Find Cheap Travel Insurance

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Health Travel Insurance

What is Travel Insurance?

Travel tips to Indonesia

Travel Tips to Germany

Travel Tips to Italy

Travel Tips to Spain

Travel Tips to Holland

Exploring the Three Capitals of South Africa

Travel to Bali

Travel To France

What we do when flight Delayed

Five Reason I love Travelling

Rome's weather condition:
Rome could be hot sometimes particularly in summer but it always has a Mediterranean climate. Romans usually have a word, ottobrata, for such sunny, bright, days in Rome. The best time to visit Rome is Apr and May, or Late Sept through Oct.