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Low Hotel Rates – The Answer For Budget-Conscious Travelers

Some people enjoy great vacations while others get pleasure from great discounts while on vacation. There are two things that you need to consider in planning you trip – your airfare and your hotel accommodations.

Low hotel rates can help you save money on your vacation. Nowadays, you can find a lot of travel websites that offer low hotel rates and all you need to do is to allocate more time in researching for these websites and find useful information about your preferred destination as well as hotels that offer travel packages and discounts.

Aside from researching about different airline deals and hotel accommodation discounts, you also need to consider the time of your vacation as well as your flexibility. These factors can greatly affect the overall cost of your desired vacation.

Remember that there are certain factors that can affect your vacation cost such as the day of your travel, the time of your flight, the period of your stay in the hotel and the car rental as well as the time you do your reservations. The most important thing you need to consider in making your hotel and airline reservation is determining when you must do the booking. Since hotel rates and airfares are always changing, it is best to identify the best time to do your flight and hotel reservations.

Numerous travel experts and travel agencies recommend booking your accommodations and flight schedules as early as possible. This is because of the fact that most airlines and hotel owners offer great rewards and discounts for travelers who arrange their vacations ahead of time.

Booking in advance can give you more time to relax because you know that you have arranged everything you need for your vacation. With this, you can concentrate on packing your things and saving some additional cash for extra activities and in case of emergencies.

There are some instances wherein some travelers can get great discounts by booking their flights and hotel accommodations at the last minute. Sometimes, a last minute call to the hotel or airline can give you discounts. However, remember that last-minute deals can be quite stressful and it is still recommended to book your reservations in advance in order to be secured.

Searching for hotels with low rates does not necessarily mean that you have to risk convenience and safety. There are low-rate hotels that still provide great services and facilities where you can enjoy your stay while on vacation. Begin your planning by determining your desired destination. It is recommended to search for travel guides that were made in the last six months about the location you want to visit. Pay attention on the different places near the location especially the tourist destinations and recommended hotels around the area. This way, you will be more familiar with the place, making your vacation more enjoyable. Make sure to select a reputable travel website in order to get appropriate information.

You can find countless travel websites online where you can get great hotel deals. With the huge number of these sites, it is important to do your research carefully and make sure to read and understand their terms and conditions before doing your reservation.…

7 Safety First Pointers When Traveling With Your Kids

There are lots of approaches to help make vacationing for you and your kids safer. Here are seven:

1. Always keep seatbelts or restraints at all times. Naughtiness can become one particular reason for your child getting hurt and cause one to another. Your child can easily move all he want provided that his seatbelt or restraint happen to be securely placed on their bodies. In addition, turbulence can happen without warning.

2. Keep your kid’s essentials inside your hand carry bag. You’ll be able to survive each and every ounce of tantrums once you keep in your bag a few valuable merchandise such as diapers, food as well as medications. If you have a baby, you could bring in a pair of bottles of milk.

3. Position your kid away from the aisle. It will be more appropriate to sit him between two adults. In case you do not enjoy being seated along the aisle, for your child’s sake, compromise. Children like exploring and reaching out things. They can get hurt unknowingly while their little arms and hands get bumped by walking people or by the serving trolley. You can also put him at one corner beside the windows.

4. Bring playthings. Always make sure these are not dangerous ones. Playthings can serve as perfect techniques to capture your kid’s interest and avoid him or her from doing unnecessary noises and things to do. Never carry playthings that could hurt, very easily break or is heavy. Electronic games can only be put to use while the plane is cruising.

5. Control your kid. It’s your duty to control your child’s behavior while inside the plane. The flight attendant is never in charge of the supervision of your kid. You do not pay them to be baby sitters. If you can, do not fall asleep throughout the flight. Children take this opportunity to wander around the airplane and ultimately go missing. You also have to be cautious when walking around the plane together with your child for he may touch hot cups of coffee or silverware.

6. Upon the implementation of oxygen masks, put yours first. Contrary to what a lot of fathers and mothers might believe, it is very much advisable to put an adult’s mask first well before their child. Why? For logical reasons. There will be a higher chance of protecting both your lives than just your child’s. If the grown-up puts the oxygen mask on their children first, it will require only couple of seconds for hypoxia to come over in which episodes of confusion or fainting will happen. A child, particularly smaller ones, will be of no help once you pass out. This is one particular excellent reason why you need to wear the mask first.

7. Always be prepared for the possibility of emergencies. Be familiar with the steps that could be right for your kid. First, inquire the flight attendant if they’ve got emergency kits which are tailored especially for kids. Next, be familiar with the pre-flight briefing. Lastly, if your child has a condition that could be an issue, notify the attendant.

In general, you need to plan in advance. Ask yourself what are the items that can help you and your child to be safe and sound through hours of being suspended on air. It is your main obligation to take good care of your kid by doing these safety first tips while traveling.…

The Hidden Gem of Colombia: Parque Tayrona and Its Turqouise Seas

If there is such thing as heaven on Earth then Parque Tayrona would qualify. Playa de Cabo San Juan in Parque Tayrona, Colombia sings and dances its beauty; with big boulder bluffs that loom over seas of playful turquoise waves. There are no cars, roads or hotels. Accommodations include camping, land hammocks, and hammocks in a hut overlooking the sea.

Travelers from all over the world can be found lounging on the shores of Cabo San Juan. The far shore is designated for swimming in the nude. You can get to Tayrona by paying $3.50 for a taxi from Santa Marta, but be prepared for a 2-hour hike down the mountain to the sea. You can also take a boat from Taganga for $22. The boat is manned by adventurous Colombianos who love to push it just a bit too far. After about a half-hour of getting some huge air on ginormous ocean swells, the boat motor seized and we had to take a little break from our way-faring fun. We, of course, eventually made it to our destination.

After securing ourselves some hammocks on hammock hut rock, Lulu and I practiced “hot” yoga and body-surfing over on the far beach. The waves are spectacular on that beach and it is least visited of them all. If you like the surf of the SoCal beaches, then you will love this shore – it has similar waves, but the water temperature is probably 10 degrees warmer. Later, we joined some French friends for dinner and an early snooze in our hammocks overlooking the sea. If you sleep at Playa San Juan, be sure to bring sweaters because the breeze is cold at night.

For a sunrise that will make you thank God that you are alive, open your eyes around 5 a.m. Other hammock dwellers will be up and rousing around at that time as well, so it won’t be very hard to wake up this early. In fact, the excitement of this spectacular site is so contagious that I am not sure how one could slumber through it. This is a definite #worthit moment.

As far as eating at Playa San Juan, I saved a lot of money by sticking with the handmade ham and cheese sandwiches. They can be purchased from the lady selling out of her cooler in front of the locker room. They’re one-of-a-kind yummy and only cost $1.50 a piece. The meals that are sold at the beach restaurant will run you upward of $10 a piece, and are meals of plain chicken or steak.…

Using a Travel Agent – Pros & Cons

The Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) recently reported that there are 9,386 travel agents operating in the US alone. That’s an awful lot! But what do they offer the consumer that the consumer cannot do on their own? Also, as the internet becomes an increasingly more powerful tool in the world of travel, and everything is at the touch of a finger, are the days of the modern day travel agent limited? Let’s take a look

The Pros

Local Knowledge: You can’t underestimate the power of local knowledge! For any HSBC customers, you might have heard that phrase before; however there is some truth in it. Good travel agents will know your travel destination like the back of their hand. They will know the intricacies of putting a successful tour together that works in your chosen destination. For example: when putting together a tour in Peru I consider how altitude will affect the client and the route of the tour, or how seasonal weather could affect cancellations of afternoon flights. These small details are hard to know, if you are travelling independently.

Special Rates on your Hotels: Your travel agent will have special rates on most hotels in your chosen destination. Hotels operate different pricing structures based on who you are, and they typically break them down into three categories: rack, corporate and travel agency rates. Rack rates are what independent travellers pay, and are the full rate. Travel agents have pre-agreed confidential tariffs with the hotel, and are often in excess of 40-50% discount, over rack rates. So think about it! If a travel agent makes a saving of $50 per night on a 10 days vacation, that represents a saving of $500. In many cases the saving is actually quite a lot more! Of course special rates also apply to tours, flights, transfers, food and transport.

Local Representation: In most cases you travel agent will have a local operator who you can call on should you need them. Perhaps assistance with changing your tour, complaining about something you are not happy with or perhaps assistance with translation in a medical emergency.

Convenience: Simply many people do not have the time to plan a complex vacation. Travel agents are there to offer a professional service, so that you don’t have to worry.

The Cons

Stability: Just like all areas of business, every now and then companies run out of cash, and travel agencies are no exception. Travel agents handle large amounts of your cash every day, and only careful management of your funds mean that travel agents keep their business afloat. Be sure that you travel agent is in good working order, before you hand over your hard earned cash.

Limited Flexibility: Only very good travel agents can customize a tour to meet your specific requirements. Many high street travel agents only have standard packages in their arsenal, and may try and persuade you to take something they want you to have, rather than what you want. Only true destination specialists can get you what you want.

Hidden Fees / Or Not Telling the Whole Truth: As a travel agent, for me, it is vitally important to be open and honest about the complete package that I am selling. For example: what flights are included, what are level of accommodations, what meals are included, what entrance fees are included, and the list goes on and on. Often, when a client says to me, “I like you, and I like the tour you have put together, but you know I can buy the same thing a lot cheaper from another agent..”, I ask them to send me the quotation for comparison. Often, it is clear that the cheaper quote has not included internal flights, or is not specifying which 4 star hotel the clients are staying in, or they consider meals as optional extras. Unfortunately, this is common practice for many travel agents who are trying to show rock bottom prices. Only once you have paid your deposit does the whole truth become clear. Read you quotation properly, understand it, and ask as many questions as you see fit.

There are many more pros and cons to consider when making your choice, but at the end of the day it is really up to the consumer to decide what suits them best.

Go with quality over price (within reason), make the agent work for you and make sure that they are in good financial standing. With these things in mind, you really shouldn’t have any worries!…