My first real vacation – a cruise to the Caribbean visiting the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. Dedicated to my best friend and travel-partner Janine! MUSIC: Joe Hisaishi – Sekai Noyakusoku
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Archive for July 28, 2010
Caribbean Cruise Vacation
Saba travel video, Dutch West Indies
‘Saba – The Unspoiled Queen’ promotional film from the Saba Tourist Bureau See our Definitive Caribbean guide – www.definitivecaribbean.com “Saba is a small and extremely quiet and mountainous island, not that well known and quite hard to access (mainly via St Maarten), English and Dutch speaking. Real island charm with extremely pretty houses and gracious islanders. No beaches to speak of but good natural life onshore with hiking and excellent scuba diving. A handful of small and charming, very low key hotels, most with island character, some less expensive guest houses, and some private villas. Just a few restaurants and bars. Ideal for independent travellers interested in the traditional Caribbean. …”
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China Vacations Travel Guide – Mount Huang (Huang Shan)
This article is about the China vacations and you can find some useful information in it if you are planning your China vacations now.
1. How to get in?
There are 2 ways to get in: (1). From the south of Mount Huang. (2). From the east of Mount Huang.
(1). You will see a lot of scenery spots if you visit Mount Huang this way. The major attractions are: Ciguangge, Banshan Temple, Yupinfeng, Tiandufeng, Lianhuafeng, Tianhai Hotel, Guangmingding, Feilaishi, Xihai Hotel, Paiyunting, Xihai Valley, Danxiafeng, Beihai Hotel, Lion feng, Shixin feng, Baieling, Yungu Temple. This trip is not an easy one.
(2). This route is easier than the first one. You will not see many scenery spots when climbing the Mount Huang but some scenery spots will be available when you get down. They are Fenghuangyuan, Jiulongpu, Feicuigu. I like the Feicuigu. It is also called Valentine Valley(Qingrengu).
Generally, if you wanna see the sunrise in Mount Huang, you will need to stay in a hotel of Mount Huang. In this case, the first route will be a good choice for you.
If you don’t wanna see the sunrise here, the second route will be better for you.( You can find more info about China vacations and Lhasa travel at Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM )
2. Hotels in Mount Huang:
The hotels in Mount Huang is not bad (about 500 rmb for a two beds room, 140 rmb for a bed in a five beds room). If you wanna see the sunrise in Mount Huang, the Tianhai Hotel is a very good choice for you. It is very close to the Guangmingding(about 10 minutes’ walk). If you wanna see the Yunhai (cloud sea), the Beihai Hotel or Shilin Hotel will be good for you. They are about 20 minutes’ walk from Beihai(the place to see the Yunhai).
There is a small town named Tangkou. It is near the Mount Huang and you can choose a hotel here if you don’t wanna stay in the hotels of Mount Huang. The hotels in Tangkou are much cheaper than the ones in Mount Huang (only 150 rmb for a 2 beds room).
3. Eat in Mount Huang:
You can find lots of delicious local food here(Choujie fish, Maofeng fish, Mount Huang Yijue, Shicai, Sunganshaorou, Chou Tofu). I will recommend a restuarant named Huizhoumeishi. It is in the Tangkou town. The food are delicious and their services are not bad. (tel: 3388276, 13955958064, the last name of the restaurant owner is Jiang). I once had a lunch in this place and we get 30% off and the cost is about 20 rmb for a person ( pretty cheap, 
). If you wanna eat in the restuarants in Mount Huang, it is much more expensive. A bottle of water will cost you 15 rmb. By the way, you can try some local food in the farmers’ home. It is not expensive. I recommend this one: Guoliang Hu, tel: 0559-5154189.
4. Some tips for your Mount Huang travel:
The ticket price of the Mount Huang (main gate) is 131 rmb(including the insurance). The one way ropeway costs 65 rmb for a person( you can get a 50% off if you have a student ID). For the scenery spots in Mount Huang: Fenghuangyuan costs 30 rmb. Jiulong waterfall costs 30 rmb. Feicuigu costs 42 rmb. Xidi costs 55 rmb.
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China vacations travel guide – Shenzhen travel info
This article is about the China vacations and Shenzhen travel. You can find some useful information in it if you are planning your Shenzhen travel now.
Shenzhen is a city of sub-provincial administrative status in southern China’s Guangdong province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. Owing to China’s economic liberalization under the policies of reformist leader Deng Xiaoping, the area became China’s first – and ultimately most successful – Special Economic Zone. The best time to visit Shenzhen is October – March (next year).
Eat in Shenzhen:
There are all kinds of restaurants in Shenzhen and the price is not high. The sea food here is very cheap comparing with other big Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai, etc. If you are a student, you can find the delicious Guilin ground rice all over Shenzhen and it is only about 5 – 7 rmb. The Mcdonald’s and KFC are also very easy to find here in Shenzhen. For the big Chinese restaurants, you can try the special price dishes first. Sometimes you can get very good deals in these places (Young pigeon for 8 rmb, 1 kilogramme of shrimp for 16 rmb) .
Hotels in Shenzhen:
If you have some friends working in the big companies of Shenzhen, you can ask them to book the hotels for you. Usually, the employees of these big Shenzhen companies can get very good deals for you (comparing with what you can get online). The hostel is another good option for you. I recommend the Zdwe Hostel of Shenzhen. It is located in: 16 Tonggulu Street, 5th floor of Zhonghelou building, Nanshan District, Shenzhen. The cost is very low here (only 20 rmb for one person). Here is the phone number: 0136 – 0253 – 5943.
Taxi and bus services in Shenzhen:
The taxi service is a little bit expensive in Shenzhen. The city bus is another good option for your Shenzhen travel. You can call the number – 160, if you don’t know which bus can take you to your destination. The buses in Shenzhen are all self-service ticketing buses and you will need to prepare some coins for them. The services of these buses are not bad and you can ask the bus driver to tell you when and where to get off. ( From Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM, you can get more info about the China vacations, Lhasa travel and Beijing flights. )
The scenic spots of Shenzhen:
(1). Dameisha and Xiaomeisha Beaches:
Dameisha and Xiaomeisha beaches are located at Dapeng Bay. Dubbed “Hawaii of the East,” the beaches are popular recreational areas during holidays.
(2). Overseas Chinese Town:
Located in the western part of Shenzhen, Overseas Chinese Town embraces the theme parks of Window of the world, Splendid China, China Folk Culture Villages and Happy Valley. The parks feature a wide variety of replicas of natural scenery and historical architecture, reflecting the essence of traditional Chinese and international culture. The area serves as a model for the city in urban planning, construction and horticulture.
(3). Shennan Thoroughfare:
Running through downtown Shenzhen and extending 17.2km, Shennan Thoroughfare is one of the busiest streets in Shenzhen. Many landmark buildings are along this street. It is also a representation of Shenzhen‘s night scenery.
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About the author:Shane Lee.More flights,airfares info at:Flights from Phoenix to JFK.And:Cheap flights Chicago to Las Vegas .And:Direct flight RDU to BWI.
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China Vacations Travel Guide – Lijiang Travel
This article is about the China vacations and you can find some useful information in it if you are planning your China vacations now.
Lijiang is a famous place for the travellers from all over the world. Both the Chinese and foreign travellers love this small town. Many foreign travellers even stay here for serveral years and open a bar or something. What they want is to enjoy the peaceful life of this ancient Chinese town.
I have been to Lijiang once and I still hope that I can visit it for a second time. Lots of people have the same feeling too. Here I will introduce you some of my experience of the Lijiang travel.
Lijiang is a small town in Yunnan, China. The town has a 800 year history from as early as the late Song Dynasty. It is built where the Jade River divides into three and its streams form the canals and waterways which flow along the old town streets. This place is very specail and you will never get to know the real Lijiang if your plan for Lijiang is only 1 or 2 days. Lijiang is a place for the travellers to stay and enjoy the simple life here. I met a girl from Chengdu on my way to Lijiang and she told me that she stayed here in Lijiang for 30 or 40 days every time she visited this place. I will recommend that you stay here for at least 5 days and this will make your Lijiang travel more interesting.( more info about China vacations at Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM )
How to get in? You can fly to Lijiang from many big cities in China. Another choice is to fly to Kunming first. Kuming is also a famous tourism city. It is called the “Spring City” because of its good climate. You can get fresh flowers at very good deals(3 rmb for a dozen of roses). There are many tourists’ bus heading to Dali from Kuming. You can take the bus at 10 pm and it will arrive at Dali on 6 am next day. Dali is an old Chinese town and has lots of interesting things to see(Traditional chinese dance, wax painting, etc). The bus from Dali to Lijiang starts at 5 pm every day.
The hotels in Lijiang: It is not wise to choose a regular hotel for your Lijiang travel and you will lose all the fun here if you stay in a hotel. Lijiang is a very unique place in the whole world and you can only feel this kind of unique attraction when you live in it(in the old inns of Lijiang). Nobody knows the number of inns in Lijiang. All the inns here are very specail. (cost 20-150 rmb a night) The names of the inns are also very interesting. They are like “longmen inn”, “Yeyuxuan inn”,”Bulage innt”, etc(names from the old Chinese novels). I will recommend the “Yulong inn” here. The owner of this inn is very nice and the price is reasonable. (tel: 0888-5125630, cell phone:13988825550)
Eat in Lijiang: You can find lots of good snacks in Lijiang like “Lijiang baba”, “Jidouliangfen”,”Jiantudou”,”Jizhimixian”. They are the favourites of the young girls. For the males, you can try the “Heishanyangtourou”, it is a very delicious local food and you will never find something like this in other places! (Tips: do not eat in the restaurants near Sifang Street. They are too expensive and food there are not the real Lijiang food.)
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Cervia Hotels
High up on the boot of the Italian peninsula sits the city of Cervia, Italy. The city has ancient roots; it was originally established 609 A.D. It was razed and rebuilt more than once. In ancient and medieval times Cervia was known for its salt. In fact the name probably derives from the Italian word to describe salt mounds. These days the city is known as a beautiful Adriatic resort. Miles and miles of beaches, great restaurants, stunning views and friendly people make this a destination.
If you decide to visit Cervia, here are a few things to remember. Hotels in Cervia are plentiful. There are over 250 beachfront hotels. All Cervia hotels, especially the beachfront hotels are going to be convenient and easy for families. That’s not to say that there’s no romance to be had at a hotel in Cervia! In fact, the resort town is a great destination for a honeymoon. Many of the smaller hotels offer great honeymoon packages. Make sure to check on that before you book.
Many of the hotels have spas as those workout rooms and conference centers. If you do just a little bit of shopping around you can probably find a nice beachfront hotel for just over $100 a night in the off-season. This is a great spot for cheap holidays that are anything but cheap! There are many travel advisory websites that will offer up reviews so that you know you’re getting a good hotel. Cervia is also known for its windsurfing, tennis and golf. So depending on the kind of vacation you want to have, the hotel room could be the least of your concerns.
Cervia is a lovely city to explore. The cathedral is a fine example late medieval architecture. The Museum of Salt and St. Michael’s Tower are also popular tourist attractions. Whatever you decide to do during your stay you can be assured to have friendly faces and lots of sunshine. And don’t forget that Venice is just about 100 kilometers north so it’s an easy day trip. The drive along the Adriatic coast is not to be missed.
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Is Vacation Travel To Mexico Safe
With all the recent bad press regarding drug traffic related gang crimes in Mexico, one has to wonder if that Mexico vacation is still safe.
Peter Diaz, President of VoyageMonkey.com Online Travel, compares travel to Mexico with any travel within the United States. Simply stated, “We all generally don’t take vacations to bad parts of Oakland California or South Central Los Angeles, yet we regularly hear about drug related crimes, gang violence and murders taking place right here in our own backyards.” Yet we don’t question if travel in the United States is safe.
The facts are that travel to such popular Mexican destinations as Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun and other tourist spots in Mexico is generally safe. Most of the Mexican crimes in the press have been in the border towns and some of the larger cities. Victims are generally other gang members and authorities. Statistically this is not unusual when compared to the United States. The press has capitalized on these stories, as is expected. The event becomes a story and every news network puts their own spin on it, for days, or weeks, or months.
Several years ago a young woman named Natalee Holloway was murdered in Aruba and the press capitalized on it. Diaz says “Aruba is one on the safest places to travel to in the Caribbean. I would not think twice about vacationing in Aruba.” The Natalee Holloway story was rare to Aruba, but travel to Aruba was affected. The Natalle Holloway story still receives some press.
Another recent story involved a young girl on a cruise ship that was sexually assaulted. Unfortunately, the young girl was allowed to wander the ship alone, unsupervised, in this floating city of 3,000 people. Something parents generally don’t allow back at home. The event turned into stories about how United States laws don’t protect cruise ship passenger and how cruise lines will not properly investigate and report crimes. The cruise industry was attacked by the press and the safety of all cruise ships was questioned. Travelers were asking if cruise ships were safe.
These stories should remind us as travelers that we should always be alert and stay out of risks way at home and abroad. When traveling anywhere, using good common sense will keep you safe. Always keep your children in your sight. Stay in resort hotels and keep to the tourist areas. Don’t walk alone at night (take a cab), don’t accept rides with questionable transportation, and always keep the alcohol consumption down and stay away from illegal drugs. Going out drinking and clubbing at night always carries some risks. Leave the Rolex watch and the flashy bling bling at home.
Mexico has some great travel destinations, excellent beaches, and the dollar is strong against the peso. Travel to Mexico is down so the deals are really good. We say, take that Mexico vacation and enjoy yourself. Any of the destinations that have been developed as resort areas will be safe. The local economies rely on the tourist dollar and drug trafficking is not a huge business in these areas. Local law enforcement is making sure these areas stay safe for tourists. If you’re still not sure, stay at home, lock your doors and just watch the travel channel.
VoyageMonkey.Com Online Travel Booking – Offers discount online travel deals, cheap cruises, low-cost flight and hotel package deals, and vacation specials.
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Cheap Vacation Travel Packages versus Independent Budget Travel
When traveling on a budget, one of the most often asked questions is whether it is best to travel independently, reserving your own airfare, hotel stay and sightseeing reservations, or choose a package tour where everything is set up for you in advance.
Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this question. It is largely dependent on the location you have selected and dates of travel. For instance, travel to European destinations are often less costly to book on your own, especially when the airlines are running specials of European airfares in the off-season.
On the other hand, travel to many exotic locations, like Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Thailand, and India, are often much less expensive when booked through a vacation package company or travel agent. That is because these tour operators often have special deals with the national airlines of these companies, and with very nice resort hotels, to provide considerable discounts in exchange for a steady flow of business.
For instance, with a little bit of shopping, you can book a vacation package from New York to Egypt for a grand total of $1,100, including airfare, an excellent hotel, daily breakfast, airport transfers, and daily sightseeing tours, including guided tours of the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. This is far less than you would have paid if you had booked this trip independently.
Similar deals exist for other locations, notably India, China, and Taiwan. So be sure to check on the availability of these package deals when shopping for a budget travel deal.
Of course, some great deals can be had on your own as well, and this is often a great way to go, especially if you are a solo traveler. Solo travelers often have difficulty getting those great deals on package deals, since the required single supplement can often ruin the deal.
It is also important to find out exactly what is, and what is not included, in any package you are considering. Many package deals have optional excursions built in, and these extras can add considerable cost. Be sure to ask for a detailed daily itinerary to determine if you will be left on your own if you fail to take these optional. Also ask for a detailed list of these optional excursions, including full descriptions and prices, and then carefully compare the total price to what you could find on your own.
If you are traveling on your own, be sure to start shopping early, especially if you are traveling by air. The important thing to remember is that airlines allocate only so many seats for those advertised low fares, and if you fail to act quickly, you may be out of luck. It is important to book the airfare, and the hotel, as early as possible to ensure the lowest possible prices.
Ultimately, the decision of whether to choose a vacation package deal or independent travel is up to each individual traveler. It is important to carefully compare package prices with those for independent travel to the same location. It is also important to consider your own personal travel style. Some people are more comfortable with a packaged tour, particularly to an unfamiliar location, while others relish the freedom from schedules that independent travel provides.
For more information about budget travel and cheap vacation packages, visit Budget Travel and Cheap Vacation Package
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3 Things to Do with Kids in Tenerife
Congratulations! You’ve finally made the time to book some cheap flights to Tenerife and before long your family will be headed to the gorgeous Canary Islands. Now that you’ve got visions of sandy beaches and warm waters in your dreams, you’ll want to take a few moments to plan a couple of activities that will keep the kids entertained. Here are some to consider.
Lounging on the Beaches of Tenerife
There aren’t too many children who don’t appreciate a day spent on the beach, playing in the sand and shriveling their fingers and toes in the water. The beaches at Tenerife are unlike any you’ll visit in any other country. Many have dedicated kids clubs, similar to the kids clubs you’d find on a cruise line or in a hotel. Drop the kids off and feel comfortable knowing they’re being supervised as they play. They may even make a friend or two.
Slipping and Sliding at Siam Park Water Kingdom
If time spent on the beach is getting to be a bit much (or not entertaining enough), you may want to head on over to Siam Park Water Kingdom. Considered by many to be one of the best water parks in Europe, you’ll enjoy sliding down the park’s fun slides or simply floating in one of several pools. There are several yummy ice cream huts where you can get a cool treat, too. Just make sure you bring plenty of sun screen – and reapply it regularly!
Climbing Mount Teide
Ok. The good news is that you don’t actually have to climb Mount Teide. Mount Teide, the highest point in Spain, is actually the volcano responsible for the formation of the island of Tenerife. While the gorgeous panoramic views at the top may not entertain your children, the cable car ride up and back certainly will.
Tenerife has a reputation as a beach-getaway, but that doesn’t mean your time spent there won’t be memorable for the entire family. Spend as much time exploring the island as you do on the beaches. You’ll always be able to find something spectacular to occupy your time – guaranteed!
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Category: Travel /
China Vacations Travel Guide – Huangguoshu Waterfall
This article is about the China vacations and you can find some useful information in it if you are planning your China vacations now.
Huangguoshu Waterfall, also known as Yellow Fruit Tree Waterfall, is the largest waterfall in China and Asia, located on the Baihe River in Anshun, Guizhou Province. It is 77.8 m (255 ft) high and 101 m (330 ft) wide. The main waterfall is 67 m (220 ft) high and 83.3 m (273 ft) wide. The Water-Curtain Cave named “Shuiliandong” in Chinese is a 134 m (440 ft) long naturally formed cave located in the back of the waterfall. It allows visitors to not only view, but also hear and touch the waterfall. The Huangguoshu Waterfall is one of few waterfalls that can be viewed from above, below, front, back, left and right in the world.
The Huangguoshu Waterfall is a very famous place in China. It attracts thousands of travellers here every day. This waterfall is located in Anshun, Guizhou province. It is 150 kilometers away from the downtown of Guiyang(captital of Guizhou province) and 45 kilometers away from Anshun. You can fly to Guiyang first, then take a bus to the Huangguoshu Waterfall. It is about 2 hours’ ride and the cost is 40 rmb for the bus. Before 1991, the trip from Guiyang to Huangguoshu Waterfall cost 4 hours. Now the Gui-Huang high way connecting Guiyang to Huangguoshu Waterfall has shortened it to 2 hours. (more information about the China vacations and Beijing flights at Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM)
About Anshun:
There are 15 city bus lines in Anshun and the taxi service is very cheap here. Anshun has more than 500 taxicabs and the cost is about 1 rmb per kilometer. Here is the phone number for the tourists’ complain( for the taxi service): 0853-3297777.
Eat:
The Huangguoshu Waterfall is in the Guizhou province and the food here is called the “Qiancai”. The Guizhou people like all kinds of spicy food and this is the most important feature of this “Qiancai”.
Hotels in Huangguoshu Waterfall area:
There are all kinds of hotels in Huangguoshu town. They are near the the Huangguoshu waterfall. An interesting thing here is that you can bargain with the managers of the hotels and you can get a very good deal if you are good at bargaining. The condition of the hotels in the Huangguoshu town is not very good but is still acceptable. The most notable hotel here is the Huangguoshu Hotel(cost 480 rmb for one night, tel: 0853-3592110, 0853-3592154). If you are looking for some hotels more comfortable, you can choose the hotels in the Anshu city. They are in better conditions and I will recommend the Shenqifuyun Hotel and Guizhouyanan Hotel. The Shenqifuyun Hotel is only 100 meters away from the Anshun railway station and the price is about 300 rmb(phone number: 0853-3291888). The other one, Guizhouyanan Hotel is in the downtown of Anshun city and here is the phone number: 0853-3296888. If you wanna more options, you can call the number of the Huangguoshu Hotel Booking Services at: 0853-3596537.
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About the author: Shane Lee. More flights and airfares info at: Direct flight RDU to BWI. And: Flights from Cincinnati to Las Vegas , and: Airfares RDU Boston.
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Vacation rentals best choice for some
Vacation rentals best choice for some
A busy schedule is all that is needed to justify a little rest and relaxation. Add in a tight budget and you have the perfect recipe for a vacation rental. If you do not mind foregoing the mint on the pillow experience for more reasonable and less cushy
Read more on The Scranton Times-Tribune
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Travel will increase this Fourth of July
Travel will increase this Fourth of July
Almost a million Virginians will travel for Independence day weekend Nearly 900,000 Virginians will take to the roads this holiday weekend as the nation celebrates independence, the American Automobile Association predicts.
Read more on Daily Press
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