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More Fun & Less Expensive Travels – Go To Your Travel Destination Now!

16 Mar 2010 - noxa

Traveling can be a wonderful eye-opener to the world around us. Most people refrain from traveling due to lack of funds. But that should not be a barrier to traveling. With cheap travels, you can travel to many destinations.

Firstly, any traveler would worry about accommodation. Well, there are lots of cheap accommodations. If you are a single traveler, hostels can provide clean and safe accommodations. You may even meet and mingle with people from across the globe.
Most hostels in major U.S. cities range from only $20 to $30 a night.

In Europe, Asia, Africa and South America, hostel accommodations are even cheaper. You can even get accommodation for $5 a night or less. Always check the Internet and see what is available in your travel destination. Many hostels even provide online booking, so you can arrive with your lodging already taken care of.

For couples, a cheap or budget hotel can be a great choice. There are many such hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts, located at all your preferred travel destinations. Always remember this travel tip: many of them are on the Internet and can be booked online before you leave home.

Another great travel tip is to use the public transportation system. Most travel destinations in Europe and in the United States and Canada have excellent, fast, reliable and cheap public transportation systems. Public transportation frees you from the hassles of parking the car, keeping it gassed up and learning your way around.

Another important cheap travel tip is to travel light. Trekking around Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia or the Americas does not require a lot of luggage. Take a couple of sturdy and versatile outfits, a good pair of walking shoes and leave the rest at home.

There are a number of strategies to score the best deals on airfare – credit cards to rack up frequent flier miles, using discount airlines, traveling in the off or shoulder season. The strategy that is best for you depends on your individual needs, and on the location you choose.

Also remember to always keep your cash safe and secure. Most seasoned travelers use a hidden money belt to carry passports, plane tickets and the majority of their cash. Using an in room safe is also a good idea. It is best to use credit cards for major purchases and keep a small amount of cash on-hand for incidental purchases.

Cheap travels is possible. You can even travel to the other side of the world on a cheap travel trip and still be able to enjoy your vacation. It is all about taking the time to do some research, focus on your priorities and getting value for money.

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Travel Destination Ignorance

02 Mar 2010 - noxa

Madeira cake from France and Tenerife in Bulgaria

The other day, I was sitting at my favourite restaurant when I overheard a conversation that went something like this:
First Person: “I think I am going to have a slice of Madeira cake”
Her Friend: “That’s a good idea, I ll join you. Not that Ive got a clue why they call it Madeira cake, have you?”
First Person: “I think its named after some place in France.”

I am not sure why that sort of ignorance about places makes me feel so frustrated. After all, why should everyone be as fascinated by travel and far away places as I am? Whatever the reason, I just could not help myself interrupting the two women as soon as they had ordered their cake to inform them that Madeira is a Portuguese island about four hundred miles off of the north African coast in the Atlantic ocean. I added that it makes a fabulous holiday destination but did bother to tell them that it is actually not one island but an archipelago and actually an autonomous region of Portugal.

Just as well – their expressions told me that I had already said more than they were interested in knowing.

This attitude of having little or no interest in travel destinations is actually very common and it is not confined to people who are generally under educated. Frequent examples can be seen on television quiz shows when contestants who are obviously well educated stumble on simple questions like;
Which of the following is not a Caribbean island (A) Jamaica (B)Cuba (C) Majorca (D) Barbados

Even more incredible are the people you sometimes overhear in a travel agent, booking holidays to resorts without having any interest as their location as long as its warm and sunny with cheap booze available.

Travel destination ignorance is not just a British thing. An air stewardess once told me a story about an American couple visiting their parents country of origin, Bulgaria, one February.

They had used a travel agent in New York to plan their journey and book the two flights that were involved. The first flight took them to London where they boarded the ongoing flight to complete their journey. When this flight landed at Reina Sofia airport the couple looked a little flustered and hesitated at the top of the flight steps, turning to the stewardess to ask why everywhere looked so sub tropical and sunny, and adding that their parents had always told them that Bulgaria was cold in February. At first, the stewardess was at a loss to think of anything that could possibly explain how someone trying to get to Bulgaria in Eastern Europe could end up on a flight to Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Then she realized that the name of Bulgarias capital city is Sofia. She asked the couple whether they thought they had boarded a flight to Sofia, Bulgaria. The answer was yes and it turned out that their travel agent had probably just typed Sofia Flights into her computer and accepted the results that the query gave without questioning any further!
Best travel tips and holiday destination information

Travel destination ignorance rubs me up the wrong way because I am so passionate about travel and that is also the reason that I started up a website dedicated to providing information, articles and travel tips, about holiday or vacation destinations worldwide. As well as wanting to help people to make the right decisions when planning their vacations, I hope the travel articles will fire peoples imaginations so that they can enjoy dreaming about places they have never been to, even if they never get around to visiting them.

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Spain As A Shopping Travel Destination

15 Feb 2010 - noxa

It may not be on the top of your list when you think of shopping travel destinations, but Madrid has the best of Spain to offer in its shops. If you are looking for upscale chic shopping experiences, there are a number of exclusive shops available in the city. If more organic shopping is your style, there are flea market atmospheres or a number of quaint antique shops available for perusing.

The main shopping area in Madrid is the Gran Via. This street is full of shops that seemingly never close. Even when the night life kicks up, there is still shopping to be done in this area in many of the stalls around the Plaza Mayor. A word of caution, make sure you know how to bargain. Some of these booths are just looking to make a buck off those in the tourism market and are selling the same tourist junk you can buy at any airport kiosk. Look around, and look for a good deal.

If you love the idea of shopping in the open air visit El Rastro, the massive outdoor flea market in Madrid. In addition to the same touristy things you expect to find everywhere, there are treasures to be found including jewelry, old books, clothes and antiques that need new homes. If you are in the area on a Sunday there is also a coin and stamp fair nearby.

Check out the La Latina Metro Stop. This is located between the Ronda De Toledo and the Plaza de Cascorro and Ronda de Toledo. You will know you are there when you see the massive Eloy Gonzalo statue in the center of Cascorro Square.

This place is packed on the weekends, as it is a travel destination, but while the crowds are big, so are the deals to be had! There are many, many shopping opportunities. There is also some shopping potential during the week, but not nearly as lively an experience as on the weekend.

Want the latest in style and fashion? Then you want the Alcalá area. You will be able to roam from boutique to boutique filled with dresses, shoes, and all the latest accessories. If you are using the metro as your transport, get off at the Sol or Sevilla.

Another fancy shopping destination is Calle Serrano. This street is full of the finest in shopping including art, gifts and a variety of designer clothing items. You can find a precious gift for yourself, and don’t forget to get something for those back at home that were not lucky enough to be vacationing in Madrid.

The high fashion shopping in Madrid is not just for women. Both genders of the tourism market are appreciated where fashion is concerned. The Calle Princessa, which can be accessed by the Argüelles and Ventura Rodríguez metro stops, is lined with a number of men’s boutiques selling suits, accessories and shoes for the classiest of men.

For a quaint shopping experience, try the Calle Preciados. It is a shopping area that is only accessible by walking. To get there, take the Metro to Sol.

Finally get a real feel of Spain at the Mercado de San Miguel. This was once just a fish market, but now it offers a wide variety of foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and other delectable items to experience.

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Why is Thailand Such a Popular Travel Destination?

16 Jan 2010 - noxa

Thailand, or the “Land of Smiles”, as it is also called, is one of the most popular tourist destinations. When you ask someone what are his top travel destinations, Thailand will often be the answer. What makes Thailand such a popular tourist destination? We will see that there are quite a few contributing factors that make Thailand such a popular country.

First of all, Thailand isn’t called the “Land of Smiles” for nothing; there is a good reason why it has that name. Thailand has the reputation of being a country that is extremely hospitable for tourists. Thais are such nice people, always smiling and trying to help whenever they can. They are genuinely interested and have at heart that everyone who visit’s Thailand enjoys their stay. Even though this is a very good reason to visit Thailand, there are a few more that make’s it a must for any tourist.

Another reason would be the rich culture and history of the country. When you visit Thailand, you will be amazed at the number of great temples that you can find a bit everywhere. While in Bangkok, everyone should stop by the Grand palace and the temple of the Emerald Buddha. After that, whether you go up North towards Chiang Mai or down south towards Phuket, you will find many temples and a rich culture that is truly unique. Ayutthaya is such a grand sight to behold and is an UNESCO world heritage site. But there are not only nice temples and ruins to visit in Thailand, the natural beauty of the country is one of its greatest assets.

Beautiful beaches in the South, mountains and rainforest to the North, there is really something for everyone in Thailand. Phuket is one of the top destinations in South East Asia and for good reasons. The beaches are superb, the weather is great, what can you ask more? In Thailand there are more beautiful beaches than you can possibly hope to visit during your trip, so you should choose carefully. Koh Phi Phi is one of the most popular and became famous after the movie The Beach. There are hundred of tourists that visit Koh Phi Phi every day. But the North also has its charm, although a different kind of charm. If you want to do some jungle trek, you will be very happy by going around Chiang Mai. It is a very fulfilling experience to do a jungle trek in the mountains around Chiang Mai and to visit some small villages.

Shopping is another reason why so many people go to Thailand. Bangkok is quickly becoming a shopper’s paradise. There are huge shopping malls being built around the city and the prices are very good. You can find many bargains if you look around and can also find the top brands in the bigger shopping malls such as Siam Paragon and Central World. If you stop by Bangkok, you should definitely go to the Chatuchak weekend market, the biggest open market in the world. There are over 15,000 stalls and each day hundred of thousands of people go to the market.

Thai food is another reason why people want to go to Thailand. Everyone knows about Thai food, it is very popular and gaining in popularity in Europe and North America. In Thailand, Thai food is much better than what you will find anywhere else and there are restaurants everywhere. There is so much choice of food that when arriving in Thailand you won’t know where to eat. Thai cuisine is very diverse, as there are specialties form the North of Thailand and also form the South. You should definitely try a Pad Thai when you arrive in Thailand, you will fall in love with that meal.

Finally, the last reason is the price. Aside from the air ticket, staying in Thailand is very cheap. You can find nice hotels for about 30$ US and if you eat in smaller restaurants it will cost you around 2$. Activities are also very cheap, as is travel. Staying in Thailand won’t cost you as much as the air ticket if you want to stay on a budget. You could easily spend a lot of money if you stay in the top hotels, as there are prices for everyone, but you can also easily spend very little each day.

So with all these nice factors that make Thailand truly unique, it is no wonder that it is such a popular destination. Everyone should visit Thailand at least once in their life. All of these factors individually could be enough to visit this wonderful country, but when you add them all together, you get a destination that you won’t want to leave.

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