Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category
Going To The Caribbean? 10 Places You Have To See
On a trip to the Caribbean the thought of a sub tropical climate white sandy beaches and a great place to relax are the first thoughts that come to the mind. The Caribbean is studded with over 7000 islands islets forests and mountains and deciding which are the top 10 places to see can be quite difficult. Of course looking for beaches to relax on or places for scuba diving and snorkelling is easy as there are plenty of places for this in the Caribbean islands. But to really see Caribbean islands a visit to the sanctuaries plantations and towns is also required for getting a real feeling for the place.
Those who are looking for peace and quiet to unwind and to start their vacation with must first head to Virgin Gorda. It is empty laid back and not easy to get to but once there it is an ideally suited place to relax and unwind. St. John is also a good choice being one of the least populated and least developed of the islands. For an authentic Caribbean experience Nevis with its flat coast line rain forests and Mount Nevis and a rather small population would be the place to visit. Also there are no ugly high rises on this island. Most of the luxurious hotels and villas are situated on Anguilla with its lovely coastline and miles of beaches making it an ideal spot for a relaxing vacation by the sea.
No visit to the Caribbean would be complete without a visit to Bermuda. The place bustles with people and the atmosphere is always festive. If shopping is required then a hop to Harbour Island is in order. There are colourful cottages along the harbour and old palatial residences. This is one of the oldest settlements in the Bahamas and the feel of the past still remains in this town. Looking for adventure would require a trip to Saba where there is a dormant volcano that can be reached by a thin winding road. There is plenty of wild life to be seen in this beautifully preserved island.
The Dominican Republic is a choice of many vacationers that offers two different types of beaches. The Caribbean side boasts white sandy beaches and the gulf side does not. Cayman Islands have a beach called 7 Mile Beach and the beach just continues into the horizon. For duty free shoppers St Thomas offers stores loaded with electronics emeralds diamond and duty free liquor shops. It also has a stunning beach. Luxury hotels and casinos are in Aruba and also some of the friendliest people.
A trip to the Caribbean without visiting the rum capital of the world Jamaica would be considered incomplete. The people are relaxed and friendly and one can ride a bike around Jamaica.
There are so many islands and each boasts their own individuality that one is really hard placed to decide which the best are as each one of them is unique.
About the writer: For Luxury Holidays in Barbados try the Sandy Lane Hotel
Going There – Top 10 Tips When Leaving Your Departure Airport
This article examines the first part of your trip: leaving your departure airport.
1. Make sure that you have enough time at the airport before your plane leaves. Check with your airline how much time in advance you need to be at the airport especially if you travel with certain budget airlines which close their check in extremely early. If you travel in holiday periods it may take a lot longer to check in and pass through security. Also allow time for paying airport taxes and fees for overweight luggage or special luggage e.g. golf clubs surf boards if necessary.
2. If you are traveling from a cold country to a warm and do not have anyone to drive you to the airport it can be really annoying to have to lug around a warm jacket which you do not need in your destination. Instead put on several layers of clothing and remove them when you get to the airport.
3. If you plan on watching the movie and there are no individual monitors ask for a seat a few rows behind the screen to get a good view.
4. If you have a short time to catch your connecting flight ask for an aisle seat near the exit so that you can get off the plane quickly. Murphys law of course dictates that in this case your plane will be parked away from the gates and a bus will take you there and you will be stuck in the back of the bus and be the last one to leave the bus.
5. Go to the restroom before you board the plane delays happen and you do not want to be stuck on the tarmac for two hours with a full bladder yes another lesson learned the hard way.
6. If the plane is overbooked and you are in no hurry you may be able to get money food and accommodations in return for taking a later flight. If your flight gets cancelled call the airline directly to get rebooked to another flight instead of standing in line with all the other passengers at the understaffed desk.
7. If you want to pass check in quickly find out if there are any self service terminals where you step up to a computer and perform the check in yourself. You will then get your boarding pass and luggage tag printed from the machine. Attach the luggage tag to your backpack and drop it off at the bag drop point.
8. Avoid check in lines where there is a new employee trying to learn their job you can usually tell by the fact that there is another person standing next to them and pointing at the computer screen it can take a lot longer.
9. Sometimes there are several queues to check in counters but one queue is significantly longer because it is hard to see the second queue and everyone assumes that there is only one queue. Just join the second queue and save yourself some time.
10. In order to pass passport control quickly pick a line which seems to have people you do not think that the passport control will scrutinize. After a while you learn where you may risk hold ups because the border police want a closer inspection e.g. since they suspect that the person is not a tourist and intends to disappear in the country.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;The above article is based on information in the Backpackers toolbox. The Backpacker’s Toolbox contains checklists templates FAQs and practical advice and a few bad jokes to make your backpacking experience as smooth as possible.
Peter Siljerud is an experienced world traveller and coauthor of the Backpacker’s toolbox. He regularly contributes to Hello Backpacker practical advice for new and experienced backpackers for all trip stages:
Get inspired / Plan your trip / Advice on the road / Tips when back home
Get The Most From Your Stay At A Luxury Hotel
By knowing more than the average person about Luxury Hotel Hospitality you can experience all the secret benefits that these Hotels have to offer. This can include the cheapest rates free room upgrades free gifts and more!
First off is making your reservation. Your goal is to book the cheapest rate which will take advantage of your Employer’s rates AAA or other membership rates or get discounted Travel Agent Rates.
Contact the Hotel directly and get considered for a free room upgrade before you arrive at the Hotel by having them put your “special occasion” in the comments on your reservation.
CheckIn to the Hotel when the most rooms are available between 1pm and 4pm depending on the Hotel so it will be easier for the Hotel Clerk to get you into an upgraded room. If you check in when there are no rooms available you’re out of luck.
Your body language is critical when approaching the Hotel Clerk do not have that “hurry up and do this NOW” mentality. Treat the employee with respect. Get on the Clerk’s warm side so they WANT to make your stay special. One easy way to do this is to bring the Clerk a small box of chocolates. They will certainly send you a gift in return.
Examples of Hotel gifts are champagne wine chocolate covered strawberries fruit and cheese and more.
If you know how to sweet talk the Clerk they have the ability to give you the best available room in the Hotel for free! The best available rooms are usually given away for free to Elite Rewards members but these people tend to be rude.
The Clerk will feel good about giving the best room away to someone nice that they feel deserves it.
Keep in mind that if the Hotel is full upgrades are not possible!
You are in a Luxury Hotel and everything is expected to be in order. If something goes wrong you can be compensated for your inconvenience with free gifts or Rewards Bonus Points depending on the severity of the issue. Report your issue to the Manager on Duty.
The biggest secret in getting the most from your stay is to make the employees feel special. If you can do this they will treat you like VIP Royalty. You will become THEIR guest not just the Hotel Chain’s guest.
The Hotel Quality is nothing more than the quality of the employees hired to serve YOU. This is what makes happy returning customers.
About the writer: Gavin Kelling is the Employee at 4 Star Luxury Hotel in San Francisco’s Union Square. To get more information about Luxury Hotel visit www.luxuryhotelsecrets.com
