The World Health. Organization (W.H.O.) recommends that all travellers who visit any area of Egypt, should be vaccinated against.

1 DIPHTHERIA.

2 TETANUS.

3 MEASLES.

4 MUMPS.

5 RUBELLA.

6 POLIO.

7 HEPATITIS B.

The consequences of these diseases can be life threatening, and outbreaks do occur in the Middle East area.

So you have decided to visit Egypt this year. And because you do not want you or your family to fall ill on holiday. You have decided to get your vaccinations. But you do not know where to start. You want to know
WHY, WHERE, WHEN , HOW, and HOW MUCH will it all cost.

WHY. Because if you do not have a vaccination, you or one of your family could fall ill or even die.

WHERE. There are two different places you can get your jabs. One is a private medical centre that specialise in travel vaccinations. these specialist centres are very expensive. and unless you need your vaccination urgently or immediately,they should be avoided. because there are less expensive alternatives. Here is a price list of some of the vaccinations. from my nearest local private travel clinic.

Cholera (Dukoral, price for full course) ?59
Combined Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio ?31.50
Combined Hepatitis A + B ?65
Combined Hepatitis A + Typhoid ?84
Hepatitis A ?48.50
Hepatitis B ?40
Japanese Encephalitis ?47
Combined Junior Hepatitis A + B ?47
Junior Hepatitis B ?25.75
Meningitis ACWY ?55
Polio (inactivated) ?25
Rabies IM Route ?47
Tick Encephalitis ?63
Tick Encephalitis (Junior) ?63
Typhoid ?27.50
Yellow Fever ?53.50

Or you can book an appointment with your local G.P. Often he will delegate this task to a nurse.

Inform the doctor about the country that you wish to visit. The doctor then looks up what jabs you need, and then writes you out a prescription for the vaccinations you need.
Sometimes you will have to pick the medicine up yourself from the chemist, but some doctors will order them for you,and have them ready for you, when you arrive at the surgery. Then you just roll up your sleeve. Needle in. Hey presto, your done.
Afterwards my nurse gave me a small pocket booklet (which they recommend you keep with your passport) , which records what jabs you have had, the date you received them,and when you need your next jab or booster.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST, This all depends on your doctor. A friend of mine had all his travel jabs done for free.

I just had to pay the prescription charges. One charge for each vaccination, Although some vaccinations are combined.

WHEN. Give yourself plenty of time,four to six weeks at least,before your departure date. Do not leave it to the last minute to phone your doctor for an appointment. As your holiday jabs will be classed as none urgent.

Another fact to remember is that some smaller chemists may not stock every vaccination. And you will need to wait for all the prescriptions to arrive.

Once your chemist receives all of your vaccination shots. Collect them from the chemist. And dont forget to ask if they need to be stored in a fridge until your appointment.Then book your appointment.

    .

Alvin Starkman  M.A., LL.B.

First-time travelers to Oaxaca, as well as return visitors and snowbirds, can all help to improve the financial lot of many struggling residents, aside from simply visiting the city and spending. 

It’s a fact that tourism has indeed returned to the central valleys of the state of Oaxaca.  But as a result of the US economic crisis in 2008, so have many Oaxacans:   Oaxacan immigrants, documented and otherwise,  had previously been eking out a modest existence north of the border, often wiring money back to their motherland on a regular basis to help out parents, children and extended family members in need.  With fewer available jobs, the people flow has now been reversed.  Oaxacans are coming back to their native soil.  The economic implications are twofold: 

1)      There are now more Oaxacans vying for work which continues to be a scarce commodity.

2)      With fewer Oaxacans working in the US, less money is being sent home.  

Many hotel and B & B guests arrive with two suitcases … one filled with their clothes and toiletries, which fits snuggly inside a larger one.  The latter is used for the flight back home, to pack up purchases such as rugs and other textiles, black pottery and a variety of different ceramic pieces, alebrijes, and more traditional fine art. That larger suitcase need not be brought down empty.  Those who have already been sensitized to Oaxaca’s economic plight sometimes ask what they can bring to leave behind, filling their second piece of luggage with used clothing, pencils and pens, T – shirts and caps with logos of their local sports teams, and much more.  And then there are the travelers with young children who recognize that by the time the next summer arrives in their hometowns, the kids will have outgrown virtually everything they’ve brought down for them to wear.  Here in Oaxaca they find new homes for shoes, shorts, jeans, dresses and shirts.

Within less than an hour’s drive from downtown Oaxaca, townspeople in marginal communities subsist on tortillas, beans and rice, with meat and poultry reserved for only the most special of occasion.  Medical clinics and dental facilities are often stocked with inadequate equipment, instruments and supplies, and schools lack books.  Even the brightest students and those with the most drive and desire are denied the opportunity to complete their secondary education because the cost of transportation to attend high school in the larger centers is prohibitive relative to the means of their families.

Every visitor to the city of Oaxaca has the potential to make a significant contribution to the economic amelioration of residents of towns and villages in the central valleys, apart from buying handicrafts and art.

We all have much more clothing than we need.  Just look in your closet or in that chest of drawers in the basement.  You might even find your daughter’s old pair of eyeglasses from two prescriptions ago, useless to you but invaluable to a downtown optometrist with ties to villages with children whose parents have no money to buy glasses.  Dig out that gift from your mother-in-law — the sweater that’s far too gaudy, or the T – shirt she brought for you on her trip to Turkey three years ago, still in the plastic wrapper.  Do you really think that as you get older it’s realistic for you to actually start exercising as you did before, and that you’ll actually lose that paunch and fit into those size 32 jeans?  How long do you think it will take for those shirts with Saturday Night Fever collars to come back into style?  Here in Oaxaca they’ve never gone out of style.

The reluctance to personally distribute what you can no longer use is understandable.  Certainly filling up a couple of green garbage bags in the course of your annual spring cleaning and then taking them to the local clothing drop box is easier, and the anonymity which comes with it is somehow preferable.  It precludes any possibility of that feeling of discomfort that often results from directly confronting differences in economic status.  But for those Oaxacans in need, all contributions are welcomed and tremendously appreciated.

Bring whatever you can.  And if you’re not a packrat, there are other ways you can help:

1)      Ask your neighbors and relatives.  They’ll be happy to use the new-found closet space.

2)      If you’re a medical or dental professional, search the shelves in your storage cabinet for instruments that have become obsolete for your state-of-the-art practice.

3)      If you’re a manufacturer with over-runs, or wholesaler, jobber or retailer with stock that you just can’t move, consider packing up whatever will fit into that extra suitcase.

Not knowing what to do with it once you land in Oaxaca is certainly a legitimate, but not insurmountable concern.  Again, there are several options:

1)      The manager of your hotel or B & B might assist in distributing clothing to members of his cleaning staff who in all likelihood are of extremely modest means, or might suggest that some items be given to one of several local charities such as Estancia Fraternidad or Casa de La Mujer.

2)      If you plan to tour some of the craft villages, your tour guide or driver might be able to assist you, although residents of the more popular and consequently successful towns such as Teotitl?n del Valle and San Mart?n Tilcajete might not be the ones to whom your generosity should be directed.  Consider spending part of a day getting away from the more traditional tourist sights, perhaps venturing into the hills and tiny communities, the inhabitants of which are predominantly campesinos.  This affords an opportunity to see first hand the modest lifestyles of most Oaxacans and experience the “real” Mexico.  Your chauffeur should be happy to accommodate, and you can distribute goods as and to whom you wish.  

3)      Drop your donation by the Oaxaca Lending Library on Calle Pino Suarez.  Its volunteers are involved in a number of outreach projects.

4)      Contact me and I’d be honored to come by your accommodations, pick up whatever you have, and ensure that it goes to good use.

Regular visitors to the city and the numerous returning snowbirds are afforded an even better and easier opportunity to help.  Consider leaving your entire Oaxaca wardrobe and all your toiletries in Oaxaca, permanently.  Remember, you still have more than enough to wear at home, and already having bathroom items awaiting you upon your return to Oaxaca can be quite convenient, especially in light of airline restrictions regarding sprays and bottles.

Pack it all up in a few boxes, or better yet buy an inexpensive chest of drawers to store your belongings, like I did about a dozen years ago when I was a frequent visitor to the city.  Toss in a few bars of soap or pieces of cedar to keep it all fresh smelling.  Then impose upon one of your Oaxacan or expat friends to keep it for you in a closet, corner or storage room.  For your subsequent visits to the city all you’ll be bringing down will be two suitcases filled with treasures for those in need.  And remember, with all that Oaxaca has to offer shoppers, craft collectors and art aficionados, there’s never a risk that you’ll return north with empty luggage.

When we are on a tour, we usually desire that our groceries should be ordered, delivered and kept aside before we come home. This can be dealt with in various ways. However the most economical one is to offer a credit card number as well as budget to the concierge service to spend and grocery list to buy. However it is important to be practical with this budget as against the list. An expert concierge can easily do it for you. So you can save and enjoy the luxury of reaching the property to see it is stocked as per your wish.
If you love any activity like golfing, diving or fishing and intend to do it on your holiday, then ask a concierge to book a suitable excursion activity for you beforehand, so you can rest assured you can do it during your holidays. Actually, a concierge service can schedule any event beforehand. Make good use of this service. You will be surprised that a lot of it can be done either for free or at nominal cost.
A good concierge can understand their clients very well. They do have all the requisite information about local events like dates, times, tickets and availability. While information is priceless but is quite cheap.
Looking to go biking or seeing a local play? The concierge service can rent a bike or book tickets for you. They can deliver a newspaper or collect your clothes from laundry. All you need to do is simply ring them up. But the best part is the service does not cost much. But it will let you enjoy a carefree vacation.

Although it has been traditionally believed that private jet hire was the sole domain of the mega-rich and privileged, in recent years private air charter has become much more accessible to the average person for private shopping trips or for companies who wish to send groups of employees to overseas meetings and conferences.
With this growing trend to become an increasingly accessible form of national and international travel, it can be a much easier choice to make and you can hire a variety of jets and airplanes. For instance, for larger groups of travellers, it would make sense to hire a much larger aircraft to accommodate these greater numbers.
Many larger aircrafts can hold a minimum of 15 to 20 people and are appropriate for longer trips or for those corporate excursions which may involve returning heavier loads of stock or goods for resale or for the creation of new products. For smaller parties for example, a lighter aircraft may be most suitable; many of these smaller crafts can hold up to eight passengers and can be much cheaper and affordable than heavier planes, especially for shorter trips.
Other types of aircraft that can be hired by private parties are helicopters. Helicopters are ideal aircraft for the transportation of small groups to relatively short distances especially if a quick arrival is important. One advantage of using a helicopter is that the group travelling can enjoy full panoramic views of the landscape they are travelling through. This mode of transport can also make an instant impact on those awaiting the arrival of the party; this can instantly convey a professional and successful corporate image. With a range of private aircraft available for hire here at JetAir we can provide an individual or organisation with the aircraft requirements to specifically suit their individual needs.

Mounting fuel costs have made travel more expensive than it used to be. A few cost-saving measures can help you to have a great vacation – even on a limited budget.

Hydration Economics

If you have done any research, you know that you shouldn’t drink local water when you travel. However, bottled water can take a significant chunk out of your wallet. Stock up on water at a discount department store before you leave. If you travel frequently, you might want to invest in reusable water bottles. Fill them at home, and take as much store-bought water as you can as well – while remaining within baggage weight restrictions. Check airline restrictions on liquids if you will be travelling by air.

Local Currency Exchange

You will always get the best exchange rates if you use a credit card or ATM machine. Alternatively, you can exchange money in a bank. Local stores and money changers are not likely to give you a good exchange rate. Sometimes their charges are exorbitant. An added plus for credit card purchases is the neatly organized statement you will have when you get back home.

Never Fly with Overweight Luggage

Always – always – always – be aware of airline weight restrictions. Sometimes they are very limiting. You can check the internet for specific regulations. Use a good scale to weigh your baggage (then reweigh) before you leave for the airport. Overweight luggage can be very expensive.

The Best Time to Travel

Avoid travel on weekends or during peak tourism season. The definition of ‘peak season’ will vary by country and hemisphere. Accommodations and tickets will be more expensive when everyone else wants to travel. Look for off season deals and discounts. If you’re not sure when off season is, find a bed and breakfast in your destination city and look at their website. They will probably have a range of rates that changes according to season.

Food is Expensive

Save money on meals by staying at a bed and breakfast. Free breakfast fare can range from continental to a full, hot-cooked meal with a multi-choice menu. (Some inns also have packages that include lunch and supper.) Conserve further by picking up lunch supplies at a local grocery store. Inexpensive suppers are available at McDonalds (with branches in over 100 countries).

Kids have Big Appetites

If you have kids, try to find a hotel with a ‘kids stay and eat free’ program. Some bed and breakfasts have packages for kids. However, many do not allow young children.

Barter with the Airlines

Use the internet to research airfares. Find the best deals and make printouts. Purchase your tickets through the cheapest website, or contact the airline’s toll-free number. If they don’t offer a matching fare, ask them to meet or beat the internet price. You may have to fax a printout or two – but it will be well worth the savings.

Cash, Student, and Corporate Discount Rates

Be sure to carry student or corporate ID with you. You may be eligible for a discount. (10% to 15% discounts are common.) Present your ID or business card at check-in and ask for a rate reduction. Small inns and hotels may be willing to offer a discount if you pay via cash instead of credit card. Credit card processing fees for a small company may run around 5%.

You are in Control

Seize the opportunity, research your options, and have a great worry-free vacation!

©Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author’s note below (with active links) are included.

Holiday essentials

Travel kits & packs

Get set for summer with all your favourite products, from hair care to skin care our shop has you sorted. Many of these sets are airline friendly meaning that you can take them in your hand-luggage (particularly helpful if you have a layover). These great kits and sets also make fabulous summer gifts for someone special or as a little treat for you. Our fantastic range of travel kits are ideal to look fabulous.

Travel hairdryer and strengtheners

Hot and humid weather can play havoc with your hair so keep it sleek with these neat and stylish mini travel appliances. Our selection of products will be ideal to save space in your luggage. 

His & hers fragrances

A summer holiday isn’t the same without a trip to Duty Free to buy a new fragrance. Put your money away because we have products, for the man in your life and for you, both from the best on-line shop.

Salon in a suitcase

Wash that sea and sand right out of your hair and protect it from harmful UV rays. For a full range of products visit olgasshop.com where you will find everything you need.

Sun cream for the family

Stocking on sun cream can cost a small fortune when you need it for the whole family. But its something  you can afford to go  without when you’re intending to bask on the beach. Visit olgasshop.comfor a wide range of sun creams.

Skincare

Here’s everything you’ll need for great-looking skin from the tried and trusted skincare brand. All the products are effective, not too expensive and suit nearly everyone. Visit olgasshop shop to explore this range.

Your SOS skin kit

Want to smooth fine lines, say goodbye to eye bags, make veins disappear and get bigger-looking lips all in time for your holiday? You can with these products from our beauty range at olgasshop.com.

 Emergency shaving kit

Whether you’ve waxed or epilated there’s always one annoying hair (or a patch of them!) that reveals itself in the glare of the sun. Fix this with these wonderful products for closer shave from olgasshop.com.

Beachwear

Hit the beach in style wearing comfortable flip flops, bikinis, cover ups, while toting all you need for the day in the stylish beach bag. Just click on the banner in olgasshop.com.

A mini nail bar

Most of us paint our fingernails and toenails when we’re on holiday. So why not treat yourself to these hot summer colours at olgasshop.com.

Typically wilderness survival kits have first aid items, ways to make fire, a blade of some sort, and some water purification tablets. That’s the minimum in any case, and there are certainly other items in almost any kit that you buy. But of course not everyone is going into the same kind of terrain during the same seasons and engaging in the same activities. In other words, you might not find a kit that has just what you need in it. The solution? Build your own.To start with, you need a good nylon pouch or zippered bag to hold everything. You can start stocking it with the usual items. These should include matches, some other form of fire starter (lighter or magnesium stick), a signal reflector, whistle (also for signaling), water purification tablets, a compass, a knife, some cord, duct tape, paper, a pencil, needle and thread, safety pins, bandages, aspirin, gauze pads, sun block, antibiotic ointment, medical tape, tweezers, and moleskin.

Next, consider the types of environment you are normally going to be in. If you often hike in the desert, for example, a large garbage bag or piece of plastic might be a good idea. It can be used to make a solar still if you need water.

If you canoe to isolated locations far from civilization, fishing gear might be a good addition. A few rolls of line and a half-dozen hooks and split-shot sinkers will add only an ounce or so to the weight of the kit. This better prepares you to feed yourself should your other supplies get washed away.

If you do a lot of cold-weather backpacking you might include an emergency “survival blanket.” One of the metallic-plastic ones might weigh only a few ounces, yet work to warm you as well as keep the rain off of you.

If you hike in the mountains and are prone to twisted ankles or knee problems, add an ace bandage. If the metal hooks snag on things in your kit, you can leave them behind and just tuck the wrap into itself. I also sometimes carry an elastic knee-brace that weighs just a few ounces.

If you travel very far from roads or civilization in general, food can be a great addition as well. Find some granola bars or something else that has an expiration date a year away or more. That way you can leave the emergency food in your survival kit between trips, so you don’t forget it.

If you travel in cold wet places, add a good fire tinder that will light when wet. This could be cotton balls soaked with petroleum jelly, cardboard soaked in wax, or something similar. Alcohol-based gel hand sanitizer can help wet things burn as well (and can be used as a disinfectant).

Finally, consider making small survival kits for your pocket. Losing gear is not that uncommon, but you rarely lose the clothes you are wearing. This kind of kit should have aspirin, waterproof matches, a bandage, and a small amount of duct tape. You can add other items, but keep the whole thing small enough and light enough to comfortably carry in a pocket.

Mumbai – formerly Bombay – is a city that is built on a long, thin strip of island that lies just off the west coast of Maharashtra, western India. Mumbai is the business and financial centre of the country and has an eclectic mix of old and new, where glittering skyscrapers and designer boutiques intertwine with grand colonial structures and relics.
Usually people traveling to India from London (UK) book air ticket to there in hurry without enquiring about the discounted airline deals and cheap air fares. But the fact is that, if you take out some time and thoroughly inquire about the airlines to Indonesia, you can really get exciting deals on air ticket and get cheap ticket to Mumbai.

Several leading international airlines offer cheap flight to Indonesia from USA. Many airlines from UK operate daily flights for major cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad.

Sight Seeing: There are numerous attractions and market places that attract millions of travelers round the year like Marine Drive, Cowpat Beach, Airman Point, Crawford Market, Fort Bombay Stock Exchange, Gateway of India, Hanging Garden, Collabra, Prince of Wales Museum, Essel World, Film City, Haji Ali, Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Kalbadevi etc
India has always been an important destination for travelers, be it for business, tourism, spiritual or adventure. During the last 8-10 years there has been tremendous growth in tourism industry. There are ample numbers of accommodation from 5 star hotel chains to 3 star and the budget motels.
Most other sites make offers of low prices like myvacations, but they come up short. A flight from London to Mumbai is at $354 on Oman Air. The plane and airlines is top notch but the price is not necessarily cheap and there is a stopover in Muscat.

There are a number of occasions in our life when we think of moving in to the confines of a Jungle. We sometimes wish to move out of the drudgery of modern city life and see things in their natural forms. The honking of car horns makes us sick. The twitter of the birds are the only sounds that we want to hear.
Every that thing that we are holding back in our hearts can be experienced in reality by going on a Safari in South Africa. A Safari trip to South Africa allows us to unfold our lives and gives us the space, so that we can let our imaginations to go wild.
Riding around dirty trails is the most enjoyable experience that a human can ever get. We are in cloud nine when we rush past lush plantations, or when we are crammed among magnificent old trees, noisy birds, chattering flying foxes, and blooming colorful flowers.
Things can go from wild to the wildest at Kruger Park!
If you are dead serious about getting in to the thick of the Jungle then Kruger National Park can be the destination worth going for. Things can go from wild to the wildest here because this is a place that hoards an endless numbers of wildlife species. Kruger National Park is the largest  game reserves of South Africa and this vast terrain can be explored only when you are riding an open vehicle. Likewise, if you want to get closer to the wildlife then a guided nature walk can come in handy.
The main ‘drawing card’ of Kruger Park is the central region because majority of lion population is perched at this very portion of the park. Lions are not the only species that you’ll find here, but there are plentiful leopards, cheetahs and the hyena, that roam about dexterously in the central region of the park. The far north region of Kruger Park is a crowd puller because its the abode of some hard to find animal species like, the knocking sand frog, the stocky bush-pig, and the shy Sharpe’s Grysbok.
Game viewing on any of the game reserves of South Africa is an opportunity that cannot be missed at any costs.

If you’re on the lookout for a unusual vacation in one of the planet’s most beautiful countries, travel to Spain and rent Seville apartments. A apartment is largely a place designed for leisure. From gardens and terraces to private pools, a Spanish apartment is a great way to relax and see the country at your own pace.
you’ll be able to find a wide selection of apartments for sale or to rent in most regions of Spain. There are villas that offer access to clubs and beaches, as well as apartments in more remote areas of the country. Apartments with non-public pools are great options, particularly in areas near the beaches.
Each area of the country offers a marginally different experience. Catalonia features many distinct landscapes, from sandy beaches to the Pyrenees mountain range. For a different image of the country, find a villa in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Andalusia is the largest autonomous community in Spain, both in population and land mass. More than 2,000 years of age, Seville saw many changes throughout the centuries. It has been conquered by the Vandals, the Visigoths and the Moors, whose influence is felt in some of the city’s architecture. A villa in Andalusia, particularly near Seville, lets you enjoy the wealthy history and great weather of southern Spain.
Whatever community or province you opt to stay in, you have many choices when it comes to renting a residence. Besides villas with non-public pools, there are flats with absolutely stocked kitchens, charcoal griddles and gardens. These are superb for entertaining guests or family, and you can enjoy the nation’s beauty without leaving the backyard. Find an apartment that’s’s in your budget. Don’t think that a apartment in Seville is only something for the wealthy to enjoy. Many apartments are available the typical person can afford.
Many make Seville a destination that they must see due to the culture, food and sheer beauty. You can always find something to do, whether it be visiting the various sites or eating the local tapas, which many consider the best in the world.
Whatever facilities you’re attempting to find in apartment in Seville, be sure to take your time and bask in the great thing about the country. Whether you are looking at villas with private pools, stocked kitchens or glorious gardens, Seville provides you the vacation options you need. Travel to this corner of the globe and take in the view from your non-public apartment. You will be glad you did.
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