Myanmar is stuck in a different era. Isolated from the outside world and with little infrastructure the country remains underdeveloped. This was my second visit and the purpose of the trip was to look at ‘all things new’…

Arriving late at night in Yangon I stayed briefly at the Savoy Hotel, a wonderful old colonial building with teak floors and Kipling memorabilia. The following morning I flew to Kyaingtong near the border with Thailand. This small town has a central lake and holds a buffalo market twice a week. It is the staging post for the 30km drive to the former colonial hill station of Loimwe. The road is now a track but during British times it had stone tram lines on which the cars ran. Anyone wanting a driving license and making it from Kyaingtong to Loimwe was granted one, an early test. Loimwe is in a shallow dip in the hills, pleasantly cool in summer. Surrounding the small hills are the colonial houses that the British stayed in. The hospital, the post office and a number of residences remain. There is also a Sikh temple here with a Sanskrit stone marker by the front door. Sadly it is in a terrible state.

In the far north of the country lies Putao. You are nearer to Bhutan here than you are to Mandalay; an isolated location and one that has only recently opened up to foreigners. The town is located in a long narrow valley surrounded on three sides by snow covered mountains and thick forest. On my first morning I met three lorry drivers who had just com from Mytchina, half way between Mandalay and Putao. They had just arrived with three six-wheel lorries and it had taken them 29 days to cover the 220 miles. Luckily I had flown in.

Putao is well worth the journey not least for the ten room Malika Lodge, which is fabulous. It is located at the base of the foothills on a bend of a river with impressive views of both the river and the mountains. Activities include gentle rafting, light or serious trekking (it is possible to trek for the day, stay away for several nights or do more serious treks of up to 2 weeks), biking or riding elephants.

Inle Lake was as magical as ever. Travelling by boat from the town of Nyang Shwe along a narrow waterway, the lake opens up to form a mirror in front of you. Crystal clear water with green weed a few inches from the surface is a haven for fish. The people rely on the lake. They create floating gardens held in place by bamboo poles on which they grow vegetables (beans, tomatoes, cucumbers), they fish using nets and large wicker baskets and live in floating villages, some which produce silk and cloth made from local lotus plants.

My final night in Yangon was spent at the Governor’s Residence, another fine old colonial building with a garden and veranda dining. A wonderful way to end a wonderful trip in an amazing country.

           Opting to drive long distance rather than flying.  Sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it? That’s what one Corporate America mom, Shannon Craig,  decided was a better decision for her trip to Lake Havasu, Arizona from Costa Mesa, California.  She chose Drive4Me Personal Chauffeur Service.
           Shannon was headed to Lake Havasu for the weekend.  Before she could go, she needed to drop off her daughter to a family member 40 miles away from her home and also had a deadline to meet for a project she was working on.  Just looking at flights was already a nightmare: sky-high last-minute fares that did not match her schedule in the slightest, and to top it off no direct flights from surrounding airports (whether from Orange County, Los Angeles, or even San Diego).
            But she found a simple solution to her troubles.  After a quick search on the internet, she was able to find Drive4Me Personal Chauffeur Service who would be able to drive her in the comfort of her own vehicle to her desired destination.  For a nominal rate of $30 per hour (beyond half the rate of a town car/sedan service), Shannon was able to make a last minute reservation the day before she needed to be in Arizona.   Drive4Me Personal Chauffeur is fully insured and certified, and all personal drivers undergo thorough background investigations, motor vehicle record audits and drug testing so Shannon was able to book with confidence.
            Shannon’s personal driver arrived at her residence early, as all Drive4Me chauffeurs do, in case she was ready to begin her trip before the scheduled time.  From Costa Mesa, she was able to take her daughter to her relative’s home for the weekend in Riverside without having to take hold of the steering wheel at all.  To make things even more convenient, Riverside was just a quick pit stop on their way to Lake Havasu. 
En route to her destination, Shannon worked diligently to meet her project deadline.  She was able to listen to her favorite music while the chauffeur took care of driving.  Her personal chauffeur was there to ensure that her trip was comfortable and stopped whenever she requested for coffee, restroom breaks, or just to stretch and to refresh herself. 
The total drive time was approximately 6 hours long.  Compare that to airline fares she researched, which would have taken the same amount of time considering a layover in Phoenix, Arizona from Orange County Airport before landing in Lake Havasu.  And avoiding the airlines, she did not have to deal with airport parking or unprofessional taxi drivers and the possibility of a delayed flight.  Had she taken a flight, Shannon would have had to constantly start and stop her work during arrivals, departures, layovers, et al. She even saved some money by hiring a chauffeur service!
           Once Shannon was dropped off in Lake Havasu, she required for her vehicle to be dropped off at point of origination (Costa Mesa, CA).  Her personal chauffeur took a short break before heading on the trip back.  The personal driver kept in contact with her at various points during his trip back.  When Shannon’s vehicle was returned to her residence, a final follow-up call was made to her so that she could enjoy the rest of her weekend without worry.
           Convenience: not having to deal with and fret over the troubles of modern day flying; traveling in the comfort of your own vehicle; making sure your family is taken care of; being able to spend a time with your girlfriends; and most of all, for this professional mom, being able to enjoy a leisure weekend without stressing over a deadline because Drive4Me Chauffeur Service was able to provide you with the most productive driving time you’ve ever had.

Whether you are traveling for leisure or for business, you will need a reliable luggage bag that will protect your clothes, and hopefully, also prevent them from wrinkling. Your luggage bag’s main function is to transport your belongings from one destination to another. Obviously, there are some challenges involved. Luggage do get knocked around quite a bit during travel, and in the process, poor quality luggage may get damaged.
Fortunately, modern day luggage bags, known as hard-side luggage, are made from very tough resins. The hard outer covering is stain and chemical resistant, and do not crack even when handled in a rough manner. The insides of hard-side luggage is padded with soft materials. So whatever is happening on the outside of the luggage bag doesn’t really affect what is inside the bag. Here are some suggestions on how you can prevent your suits and dresses from wrinkling when you pack them all in the luggage bags.
Organize your clothing.
First, organize your clothing and group them according to various categories. You can group them as different types of clothing – pants, suits, T-shirts, etc. This will make your packing easier later on.
Fold them properly.
Fold your clothes in a way that allows the clothes to stack nicely on top of one another. You may want to fold them in a similar fashion so that the size of each piece of clothing is about the same as all the others. When you put them in a stack, the stack of clothes should look uniform, with all the clothes having the same size in the same stack.
The order of packing.
Once you have organized your clothes into stacks, you can start packing. Start from the biggest stack of clothes first. There are two reasons you want to do this. First, the bigger stacks can act as your base, and it makes the packing easier. Secondly, when you have the biggest stacks below and the smaller stacks on top, you find that you save space. Without much space, clothes have little chance of shuffling around even when the luggage bags are being thrown around (which is not uncommon in airports). This will help prevent clothes from wrinkling.
Packing wrinkle free clothes.
Finally, remember that even if you have superb packing skills, it’s always going to be a challenge to keep all your clothes completely wrinkle free. In the fashion world today, there are tons of wrinkle free garments available for sale. Such clothing look fashionable, and they are very comfortable to wear. They don’t wrinkle easily, and slight wrinkles can be easily smoothed out just by hanging the clothes up without any ironing.
Hard-side luggage comes in a variety of colors, and various trendy designs. For sure, you would be able to find something that will not only help protect your belongings, but make you look great! They are ideal for International traveling, as the luggage bags will be exposed to the handling of different airports personnel. Only tough luggage bags can withstand such vigorous testing.

For your trekking or backpacking adventure, choosing the right equipment such as your backpack is very important as your backpack is an essential component for your trip. There are many factors which determine how to choose the right backpack for you. You want to feel confident that you have made the right choice so follow these steps to help you find your perfect backpack.

It is essential that you choose a backpack that is a perfect fit for you. Try different ones on and don’t just buy the first one you see or the cheapest. Be sure to put supplies and equipment in the backpack to simulate how you will use it whilst on your trip. Check you are happy with it under load.

Check the number of pockets and its storage management capabilities. You need to have a good idea what you will take on your trip and be sure you can fit it all in. Don’t buy a backpack only for your next trip. Think about what you may want to achieve in the future in terms of a more adventurous trip – buy a future proof backpack that can accommodate your needs and requirements for both now and in the future.

Know the weight of your typical backpacking load and if you normally don’t mind carrying a heavier load then you may want to consider getting a light weight backpack.

As all backpacks are sized for the torso, make sure you know your measurement before you test out the packs. Go for the larger size if you fall between two different sizes.

Try on the backpack – you should observe that the hip belt should fall at your hips. Make sure the lumber pad is on your lumber region.

The shoulder harness should not get in the way when you try on a pack and you should be able to move your arms around freely.

Once you are happy that all straps are in their correct positions as well as fitting comfortably with the weight inside, be sure you have a full range of movement and can move freely. You should be able to squat and still feel comfortable.

It’s important that the backpack is not only comfortable when it is on you but it must feel comfortable when taking it off too. Practice taking the pack on and off.

If you have checked all of the points and are satisfied then you are virtually there when it comes to choosing the best backpack for you.

Discover more about the wonders that created the Motorshow Bologna

There are many exciting events that are worth taking part of during your stay in lively Bologna. If you plan on spending the onset of the winter holidays in Bologna, you can complete your vacation with a visit to the Motorshow Bologna and to the museums that showcase the automobile masterpieces of Italy.

The Motorshow Bologna is an international auto show held in Bologna in December of every year. The Motorshow Bologna is held at the Bologna Fiere and is considered as the most important event of the Italian automobile industry. All new and updated automobiles and motorcycles of Italian make will take center stage at the show.

If you can spend your holiday weekend in Bologna in time for the show, you will experience a full five-day event that showcases and celebrates Bologna’s significant role in the luxury car and motorcycle market.

Bologna is the home of several luxury cars and motorcycles, which reflects even more the city’s lavish and extraordinary lifestyle. Famous luxury vehicle brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Ducati can all be traced back to Bologna. So if you get a chance to visit the city, you should take time to explore its luxuriant side by paying a visit to the museums that flaunt these remarkable vehicles. There you will see the automobiles that commanded the kind of attention the Motorshow Bologna affords. Car enthusiast or not, you will certainly find your visits memorable.

If you are planning your Bologna vacation and would like to add these museums to your itinerary, be sure to find a hotel that gives you the relaxing vacation you need as well as good access to these top destinations. One such hotel is the Relais Valfiore, which is strategically located in a slightly out-of-the-way area just outside downtown Bologna to give guests the peace and respite they long for without taking them too far away from the center of the action.

Despite its seemingly secluded ambience and surrounding parks, the Relais Valfiore is, in fact, only 12 kilometers away from the city center where the Bologna Fiere or Bologna Fair is located. But before you will fully appreciate the modern offers of the Motorshow Bologna, you should explore the foundations of the city’s luxury automobile industry. And just nearby lies the three museums you must visit in order to do this. These are the Ducati Museum, the Lamborghini Museum, and the Ferrari Museum or Galleria Ferrari.

From Relais Valfiore, you can set out to visit the Ducati Museum first, which is located in Via Cavalieri Ducati in Bologna. The large 1,000 sq/m Ducati Museum is nestled within the Ducati factory headquarters. It was opened only in 1998 during the first World Ducati Week, but it tells of the history of the Ducati company, from its conception in 1926, and showcases Ducati’s past products. You will find antique Ducati motorcycles and the billboards that hailed them during their heydays.

To fully appreciate the museum, you can join guided tours by obtaining advanced reservations. The museum is open daily except on Sundays and holidays. But if you wish to join a tour, you can choose from the 11 am or the 4 pm schedule. You can also explore the museum at leisure since visits are entirely free.

Next, you can make your way to the Lamborghini Museum, which is located in the area that connects Bologna with neighboring city Modena. It lies at about 21 miles from Bologna and can be easily driven to. The museum was established in 2001 and aims to celebrate one of the most expensive Italian cars in the world.

You can freely visit the museum and spend hours gazing admirably at its extensive collection of Lamborghini luxury vehicles that fill up two levels of the museum, with the second level showcasing the even more impressive race cars of Lamborghini’s 80s days as well as some its concept cars. You even get a glimpse of the company’s factory floor, so you can get an inkling of just how these masterpieces are carefully made.

And to complete your unique museum-hopping, head over to Ferrari Museum or Galleria Ferrari. The museum is situated in Maranello, a town just outside Modena and located around 34 miles from Bologna. Although the museum is part of Ferrari’s headquarters, it has its own building separate from the Ferrari factory. Of the three museums in your itinerary, the Ferrari Museum is the oldest, dating back to 1990. The museum spans an amazing 2,500 sq/m and is divided into four sections, namely the Formula One collection, the special exhibits, the technological innovation exhibit, and the photo exhibits.

The Formula One collection displays the extraordinary race cars that have played a monumental role in making Ferrari the most famous automobile maker in the world. One of the most remarkable cars is the first Ferrari 125 S that was built in 1947 and won a race in the same year. And to give you a glimpse of what F1 racing is all about, you can check out the Fiorano test track next to the museum where you might even see a Ferrari racing past.

Once you’ve completed your visits to the three museums showcasing Bologna’s automobile industry, you can drive leisurely back to your peaceful and relaxing room at the Relais Valfiore. Now you’re ready to fully appreciate the wonder that wraps around the major event that is the Motorshow Bologna.

No matter how much clubbers enjoy a particular place to party in, there becomes a point where a stale sort of boredom sets in as much as we try and dismiss it.  We yearn for something that little bit different in order to induce some fresh excitement in our clubbing experiences.  Variety, after all, is the spice of life!  Clubbing venues nearly always feel better the first time you visit them, but you quickly run out of new places to go to.
Many would agree that the Balearic Islands of Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca offer the best clubbing holiday experiences around.  The general trend seems to see clubbers testing the water by travelling to Majorca first to try out the bars and clubs of Magaluf.  It’s a great introduction into the Balearic Island clubbing scene, as clubbers get to party in famous night spots like BCM.  The natural progression from there is to move onto the white isle of Ibiza, where clubbing is at its absolute finest.  Days can be spent partying on Bora Bora beach in Playa d’en Bossa, before heading back to enjoy the sunset on the relaxing sunset strip in San Antonio.  Once the sun sets the serious partying begins as clubbers descend on the island’s super clubs which are spread across western Ibiza, with the likes of Pacha, Space, Privilege and Amnesia (classed as some of the biggest and best clubs in the world!) staying open until sunrise.  After a few hours sleep it’s time to do it all over again!  This stays fun and novel for one, two or maybe even three holidays, but eventually most veteran clubbers feel the need to experience something a bit different, quirky and perhaps a little more refined…
This is hopefully where holidays in Menorca can come to the rescue and offer you something that you might not yet have considered.  Located in the resort of Cala’n Porter, there is a magnificent club called the ‘Cova d’en Xoroi’ which is actually set dramatically into the side of the cliff face and has spectacular views out to sea.  This well kept secret opens in the morning and plays ambient chill out music which is great for relaxing to.  You can then enjoy a cocktail as you watch the sun go down later in the day, before you let your hair down afterwards as the pace picks up when night falls.  There are numerous areas to explore and you will be able to listen to some top dj’s who get to utilise state of the art sound and light equipment.  It is truly a unique, chic and contemporary setting, perfect for enjoying on a short jaunt to the island.  So hopefully this will be a new club for you to add onto your clubbing map and in a place that most people will have overlooked in favour of Majorca and Ibiza.

All cars or vans in this industry must post a sign visible in front and rear of the vehicle a sign with the letters SP (that is Servicio P?blico or public service). These vehicles comply with the latest directives and laws both in Spain and EU, regarding safety, insurance, comfort, and accountability.

Without entering into a lengthy moral sermon about why not use illegal cars, there are two important things for a traveller:

1.-“SP” cars or vans have unlimited insurance coverage in case of accident, others don’t.

2.-Since this type of piracy is increasing so are the police inspections at the airport, port or popular tourist attractions. If caught, the driver is not only fined but that transfer ends right there, so you will have to abandon the vehicle and you will have to continue your transfer or tour on your own means, together with your luggage if any, and forget about your money if you have paid anything up front.

So, how can such false cars be detected? Some advice:

By law, any vehicle carrying out this type of service in Spain, car rental with driver  (transfers, city tours, etc) must have the” Hoja de Ruta” (like a Manifest, with flight number, number of passengers, name of principal passenger, pick up point, drop off point, drivers name and company name, who contracted the service, etc.).This is a contract between you and the driver, filled out in official form. This contract goes to Court. If a driver doesn’t have it, they could still be legal, but sloppy and at the risk of  a hefty fine.

If you have contracted a transfer before your arrival, and meet up with your driver at the airport terminal, you are greeted and then walked off to the public toll parking lot, you can start suspecting. An “SP” vehicle has a reserved, free parking area at the airport. An “SP” vehicle may possibly park in the public parking area but not for free, probably as a courtesy to the passenger if it is raining, for example, but check if the “SP” plates are visible when you reach the car, and if still in doubt, ask for the “hoja de ruta”.

And the litmus test is asking for the “libro de reclamaciones” or complaint forms which are presented in a book form. This book must have the car’s license plate on the front cover, all SP vehicles,  hotels, restaurants, Tapas bars, hospitals, clinics, public offices, or anybody else who is selling a product or service to the final consumer, etc. must have it. Keep this in mind if you are ever upset with any type of service you receive.

It doesn’t happen often, fortunately, but if there is a traffic accident, and someone is injured and you are ridding in an illegal vehicle, it all depends on what your personal life and health insurance back in home says about this.

With the unfavourable EURO exchange rate for many currencies now, there is great pressure to bring down prices, and like everything else in life, there is limit.  Many travel agencies are innocent victims of this as they also have no way to control what vehicle is carrying out their services in some foreign country and after having their request for hire passing through three or four hands before reaching the driver, and you.

Always try to hire a car directly with the local drivers, many available over the internet. Ask for proof that they are legal, shy away from portals that sell you cars worldwide unless you know them well – after all, do they know who they are subcontracting?

Want family holidays that are sure to build precious memories of your time together? Want something a little more active than the average beach holiday that are popular among those seeking Greek island holidays? Then look no further. Cheap holiday deals to Neos Marmaras give you the perfect opportunity to get a little physical while enjoying the beautiful waters that bring people to the islands in the first place. In other words, you really can have the best of both worlds with package holidays to Neos Marmaras. Find out for yourself just how thrilling a little time on the water can be.

Neos Marmaras is famous for its beaches. For this reason it is often thought of as little more than a beach holiday. There is more to this resort than meets the eye though as long as you plan your family holidays during the normal holiday season which lasts from May through October when everything is open and operational waiting for your business.

Some of the great activities you can enjoy just beyond the beach while taking Greek island holidays to Neos Marmaras are fishing and sailing. There are few adventures to enjoy while on holiday to the islands than learning to sail. Be sure to check out sailing schools in the area. This may be a little expensive but is well worth the effort and quite doable when you consider the money you’ll save by booking cheap holiday deals to Neos Marmaras instead of paying full price. Learn to sail the high seas and create a few grand adventures of your own. You’ll definitely have something great to talk about in years to come and have a lot of fun in the process.

Fishing is another way to enjoy the water a little ways away from the beach. Check out charter services that allow you to enjoy the best and biggest fish these waters have to offer. It’s a great way to commune with nature, enjoy these beautiful waters, and test out the strength of your sun screen. Be sure to bring plenty and be prepared to record these fabulous fish stories for the world to see. In other words bring a waterproof camera of some sort along.

Cheap holiday deals to Neos Marmaras are a great way to get away from it all and have the beaches and the other water adventures available to you. Whether your package holidays include golf, tennis, or a day of surfing be sure that your family holidays get you off the beach for a little while. Greek island holidays have so much more to offer than a mere day at the beach.