Рубрика: Travel

Finding A Spring Break Package

Finding A Spring Break Package

Discovering the right spring break package first demands you to definitely figure out exactly where you desire to go. The whole southern half in the US is rife with spring break destinations, all providing variously priced package deals, so it behooves you to examine out as much as it is possible to before you make a decision a single way or another.
Some on the things you should look for in a spring break package are pretty obvious: Ensure that you obtain a beneficial selling price on a flight and a hotel. Be sure how the hotel (or villa, or house you are renting, or whatever) is truly situated close to wherever you need to be. You’d be amazed at how quite a few spring break package offers are on the market designed to prey upon vacationers who didn’t do their because of dilligence. If you’ve discovered a spring break package exactly where the price is too great to feel, then don’t feel it – possibilities are, the cost is the fact that reduced since there’s a thing fundamentally flawed with what’s being presented.
It’s also essential to understand that, whilst spring break isn’t specifically a once-in-a-lifetime event, it’s not the type of factor you desire to cheap out on. Don’t go with the cut-rate selling price to Daytona Seashore (which is deader than dead) when, for a grand far more, you can go to South Padre Island or Lake Havasu. Or in case your passport is up-to-date, to Cancun or Cabo or factors over and above.
Spring Break’s heyday was basically inside Fort Lauderdale, Florida area back again from the 1970s and 1980s. Each year the city would play host to additional than a quarter million students from close to america and Canada, and activities ranged from your ice luge for the after-hours emergency room visit to discover just what, exactly, that rash is.
Ultimately Fort Lauderdale cracked straight down on underage drinking and binge drinking in general, which puts very a damper about the normal spring break objectives. Quickly Daytona Seaside supplied a yearly spring break package that was unrivaled, and played host to MTV’s annual spring break celebrations inside early 1990s. Nonetheless, following a few years, some quite sad deaths and bad publicity, Daytona Seaside cracked down in significantly the same way Fort Lauderdale had previously.
There have been other locations willing and prepared to action in and fill the gap, though. Panama City Beach, Florida, is a single. For what ever explanation, they haven’t cracked down on the type of consuming and “sinful” activities their Florida neighbors did away with around the years, and being a end result it is the premier destination for spring breakers within the midwest, northeast, and most of the southern states.

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Ваш отзыв , 13 Mar 2010

Рубрика: Travel

Backpacker Tips: Avoid looking like a Tourist

Backpacker Tips: Avoid looking like a Tourist

  • Stereotypical tourist
  • What it means to backpack
  • Homework
  • Local currencies
  • Surroundings
  • Language
  • Clothing & accessories
  • Manner
  • Off season travel

Being a backpacker is not about having a holiday and succumbing to the lures of the in your face tourist traps that are ever present in most destinations in which you may wish to visit.

No, no, no backpacking is generally considered more about experiencing the real culture of a destination, the real people and the real way in which a visiting destination operate from day to day. Backpacking is for independent traveler, adventurer and explorer who wants to experience all of the ‘off the beaten track’ types of travel and destinations all on the smell of an oil rag.

On the other hand your stereotypical image of an annoying tourist is that of a group of snapshot taking outsiders who often seem to appear at every major landmark or tour stop off. You can easily pick out the tourist since they are the ones who are loud, sun burnt and are dragging along a bunch of screaming kids.

Well these are the images that pop into my mind when I think about tourists and I literally cringe at the thought of traveling in that manner. I think it would by now have become evident that I am pro-backpacker and anti-tourist. Not that tourists are bad people, everyone has their place in this world and on their travel route – however it is just not my cup of tea and I imagine not for many of the frequent readers of Backpacking Addictz.

So I have decided to write the blog article solely for the purpose of informing the newbie backpacker of how to avoid the traps of becoming just another annoying tourist.

Homework:

It is advisable and usually a given procedure for the diligent backpacker to do their homework and research on the destinations in which they intend to visit. A basic understanding of the local culture, customs and history of the particular destination will put you in good stead for not sticking out like a sore thumb or even worse offending some of the locals.

Local currencies:

Familiarize yourself with the local money and the exchange rate. It is highly advisable to be well aware of the exchange rate to avoid having to do lengthy and mind boggling calculations every time you want to make a simple transaction. This will hopefully prevent you from constantly asking some local trader “how much is that is pounds” or US dollars, or euros or whatever your home currency might be.

The local trader will probably not have any more of an idea than you do and if they do by some chance then you possibly open yourself up to being ripped off. The best thing to do is prior to leaving – work out the exchange rate and apply it to $10 or 10 of what ever your home currency is and then use this scale to gain a better understanding of how the cost of a transaction relates to your home currency.

For example if you are aware that $10 is 400BHT in Thailand then you would know that $25 is worth approximately 1000 BHT.

Surroundings:

Research and get familiar with your surroundings and orientation of the destination you are visiting. This will prevent you from looking lost and wandering aimlessly. It will also reduce the risk from you being targeted by local con artists and scammers.

My suggestion, and I have always made this a priority before I leave for a backpacking adventure, is to purchase a travel guide and map for the particular destination/s you plan to visit. Travel guides are an essential and valuable asset for every serious traveler or backpacker.

We consider travel guides so important that we are currently in the process of launching the highly anticipated Backpacking Addictz Travel eGuides. These perfect travel companions will be cheap, informative and easy to take with you anywhere you decide to go. They will be available for purchase very shortly once finishing touches have been finalized.

We are so excited about the launch of the Backpacking Addictz Travel eGuides have been written by the backpacker for the backpacker and will be the perfect tool for preparing your journey, familiarizing yourself with the culture, customs, eating and drinking venue and quality advice on how to enjoy the backpacking journey to its fullest extent.

By studying a guide and doing your homework prior to arriving to your intended countries you are less likely to be caught out looking like a silly tourist or worse being scammed by a local con artist.

If you need to ask for directions then try and do so discreetly. You can always pick the tourist who is the one standing in the middle of a large open area looking completely bewilded by the large map opened up before them whilst asking random locals for directions. Its not a good look and generally puts a tourist target smack bang on your forehead.

If you need to ask for directions you can discreetly do so by asking a local shop or business owner this is the preferred way to seek some directions or local advice as opposed to asking random passers by.

Language

It is definately worth becoming slightly au fait will some of the local languages. We you dont have to become a language professor in a particular language however it would be advisable to at learn learn a few of the basics. Even some common slang will help to show the locals that you know a thing or two about the area.

Pocket dictionaries are the most obvious choices for the hesitant language learner and you can either purchase a hard copy from your local book store or better yet there is a vast array of websites on the internet where you should be able to find enough information for free to get you by. Also, if you are up to date with the latest mobile phone trends such as the iPhone there are many applications in which you can download foreign dictionaries straight to your mobile phone.

Clothing and accessories

Try to blend in with the locals to some degree. I remember when I was travelling through Cambodia and took the time to head to Siem Reap to see the Angkor Wat there were plenty of big loud hawaiian t-shirt wearing tourists visiting and they seriously looked right out of place. At least try to fit in with the local trends or looks rather than trying to make a statement.

Souvenir clothing clearly says to any local that they are tourists, its like holding a picket sign up saying come rip me off i’m a tourist. By all means purchase the odd tourist clothing but save it for wear when you get back home.

Carrying huge big bags and bulky accessories around with you everywhere you go is certainly not advisable since you simply have more to lose, get stolen or damaged. Just take what you need and nothing unneccessary, you are best of leaving this stuff at the guesthouse or secured in the hostel with your big backpack. Especially in poorer countries you are best to keep expensive camera, mobile phones or iPods kept in your pocket or hidden from the publics view, these are expensive products and will quickly gain a thieves eye.

Manner

Always be polite and considerate and treat people the way you would like to be treated. Tried to avoid confrontations at all costs, remember you are in unchartered waters so to speak and always remember the saying “when in Rome”. Losing your cool and having an argument with someone is generally not only rude but it will get you nowhere especially if you speak a different language to the locals.

The Backpacker never travels in large groups rather they tend to either run solo or in pairs of sometimes 3?s or 4?s. The bigger the group you are in the more you are going to look like a tourist.

I prefer to run solo when backpacking as it allows you the complete freedom to not have to take other peoples issues into consideration. Perhaps a selfish attitude some might say but if you want to do something the way YOU want to do it then travelling on a solo mission I think is the best way. However, if you have a partner who is in the same mind set as you – this can also be a fantastic way to share all your experiences and travels with someone special.

Off season travel

Travelling during the off season certainly seems to have many more perks for the backpacker than travelling during the high season. First, you do not have to worry about as many painstaking tourists bumping into you left right and centre and secondly, you can generally get cheaper airfares and accommodation during these periods.

At the end of the day you need to travel the way you want to travel, everone is different and wants different things. However, if you are aiming to set youself aside from all the usual tourist traps and scams, and if you really want to enjoy your independent travels as a backpacker we strongly suggest that you take on board a number of the abovementioned issues.

Get out there and get amongst it!

 

Backpacking Addictz is a website set up by backpackers for the use of backpackers. On this site you will find a lot of very valuable information surrounding different destinations around the world and tips and advice on budget travel and backpacking. You will also find an enthusiastic and insightful backpacking blog which is regularly updated with new posts and article.

Backpacking Addictz Travel eGuides are a fantastic, cheap and easy way to get hold of a vast amount of backpacking information prior to setting off on your backpacking adventure.

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Ваш отзыв , 13 Mar 2010

Рубрика: Travel

Israel Travel – Money Saving

Israel Travel – Money Saving

people around the world traveling to israel in every single day, most of us want to save money on their travel, is it really possibly? first of all the answer is yes!

but then another question comes up, the question of HOW? well, the answer is easy: familiarity and right preparation! if you want to save money with your travel to Israel here is a few tips, but remember that the best tip is the answer above, knowledge is the power.

Israel is a great country for traveling in the middle east, it has a lot of tourist attractions and a lot of interesting nature resorts and places that are holy to the most main religions in the world, Israel is very unique and small, sometimes for a traveler a small country can be a big plus if you know what you are looking for, you can visit a lot of places in a short period of time and you can save time spent on the ways to get from a place to another, one of the benefits of traveling to israel is that you can make a cross israel tour with a bus, the bus transportation is easy to use and very cheap, also you can rent a car and enjoy more, sometime even more then fighting from place to another inside israel, Israel car rental is easy because a lot of the international car rental operates in israel and a quick search in the Internet will let you know what car you will need and how much it is going to cost you, you can also be smart if before renting the car you will get a map of israel for your travel and that’s how you can save time, its easy if you are planing your trip in the right way.

A flight to Israel can be found with a lot of airliners, but sometimes if you will look online in a few “around you country” airports you will find a cheap flight with no problem and sometime you can take the train from your home to some other airport and save money on the arrival to israel, if you do it in the time before you are there you will find the cheapest price out there!

another way is to save money with alternative ways of stay, you can browse the web and find people to host you, you can also check sometimes if its safe by other travelers recommendations, it is good if you will feel good with it, but you can also search for cheap hotels in a near by city, remember to get information about the transportation in there, Israel transportation information can help you to make the right calculation and then decide where is the right place for your stay, a hotel in the center of Jerusalem can be expensive but a hotel in the old city of Jerusalem can be a lot more cheaper, in eilat you can find hotels for 200$ but a room in a ceap hotel is available sometimes even for only 30$ per night, in a city like Eilat you will stay on the beach most of the time anyway so if you read about HOW the tourism in there is you can make the right choice with your expense, you can use this tips for anything with travel and save a lot of money, just remember to do your homework before you buy a flight ticket

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Ваш отзыв , 12 Mar 2010

Рубрика: Travel

Guide to Thai Cuisine

Guide to Thai Cuisine

Tourist restaurants will often serve up a spineless, tasteless version of what should be a full flavour feast, and without anyone to tell you the food is less than genuine; a visitor’s introduction to Thai food is often tainted by these ‘farang-ised’ Thai dishes. Once you have had enough of yet another overly sweet, messy slop of phad thai, it is time to explore the never-ending possibilities of Thai cuisine.
When asked what they like most about Thailand, visitors often answer ‘the food’. The creation of Siam servings is a masterful mix of salty, sweet, sour, spicy and bitter. The spice factor, often too much for most westerners, is used for medicinal purposes, combined with the use of market fresh vegetables and the choicest local herbs for bursting flavours and prevention of common ailments. The food is low in fat and high in fibre and most dishes, considering they taste so good, are surprisingly nutritious.
But it is not only the unique and pleasantly pungent tastes that visitors love, the cost of eating in Thailand is as satisfying as the pleasure experienced by the palate. One of Thailand’s major industries is agriculture. Grains, meats, vegetables and most importantly rice are all locally produced at minimal cost. The country also has rich waters filled with fresh and sea water creatures, which are shipped across the land, making seafood and fish dishes some of the most popular choices. Add to this the natural innovation and long standing techniques used by Thais in food preparation and there are few who visit who cannot be satisfied.
Passing through different regions of Thailand, you may notice that the dialect and sound of the language changes abruptly. When you think you have learned how to say sawdee kha in exactly the right tone, you move to another place and find that they have a completely different method of utterance. The same goes for the food. There are four main regions offering cuisine adventurers a unique experience.
Food in the northeast is influenced by neighbouring Laos. Dishes are highly seasoned and among the most popular specialities are larb, a spicy, seasoned salad made with pork or chicken; somtam, spicy papaya salad, and gai yang, barbequed chicken. All are served with glutinous rice, a northern favourite widely known as sticky rice, or khao neow.
Burmese influences have bearings on the dishes of the central northern regions. Northern cooks generally are less heavy handed with the chilli and the use of ginger, tamarind and turmeric is common. Khao soi, a curry with egg noodles and pickled cabbage, is only found in the north and should be number one on any visitor’s list of dishes to try. Tourists to the north should not miss the opportunity to dine at a traditional Khantoke dinner, combining the best of northern specialities and traditional performances in a reconstructed wooden palace.
Throughout the central plains of Thailand, the food combines mixes from all regions, and many Chinese-Thai fusions are common characteristics. The south is the place to get down to spicy treats. Chilli-filled soups and curries are common dishes and fresh seafood is abundant. Influences are also found in dishes taken from Indonesia, such as chicken kebabs with peanut sauce (gai sate), an international favourite, and rich curries such as kaeng masaman from Malaysia.
Eating in Thailand is very much a family affair. It is often thought of as odd to see someone eating alone and most Thais will wait to the point of starvation until they find a dining partner. A typical meal will include a soup, fried fish, spicy salad known as yam, a curry dish and a dip with vegetables. Each member of the party will be served a bowl of rice and can take a bite from the main dishes in the centre of the table. Meals are eaten with a spoon and fork, while chopsticks are generally only used for noodle soups or Chinese food.
Thai ‘fast food’ is known as such, not because of its enticing greasiness or fat content as with the western equivalent, but instead as a range of dishes that can be cooked up in a matter of minutes. These dishes such as phad thai, or fried noodles, khao phad, or fried rice, or phad khrapao, or fried basil with pork or chicken, are commonly ordered as a quick lunch, breakfast or evening meal, and often served with a fried egg plonked on top.
There are few countries that can offer such a range of fruits like Thailand. Its tropical climate and heavy rains in monsoon season mean that fruit is everywhere. The diversity of delicious fruity sweetness to be found is so vast and the cost so little, some health conscientious rebels decide to diet solely on fruit as an internal body cleansing exercise. From the vibrant pinks of the dragon fruit to the prickly looking shells of the rambutan, photo opportunities are an added bonus to the already particular delight of fruit shopping in Thailand.
Thai desserts, in general, use five base ingredients: coconut cream, coconut flesh, rice flour, palm sugar and eggs. Among the favourites are thong yip, a sweet egg yolk cup; foi thong, shredded, sweetened egg yolk, and tako, a jelly served with creamy coconut.
Those interested in more than just sampling the food fare on offer while travelling in Thailand will be pleased to know that in any mildly touristy area you are sure to find a local cooking school. Courses include trips to local markets, ingredient preparation, cooking and best of all, an eating party after all the hard work.
Top 10 Thai dishes among tourists
Tom yam goong: a spicy shrimp soup made with coconut milk, lemongrass, lime leaves, galangal and shallots.
Kaeng khio wan gai: green chicken curry made from green curry paste and coconut milk.
Phad thai: noodles fried with tofu, spring onions, bean sprouts and ground peanuts.
Phad khrapao: chicken, pork or prawns stir-fried with basil.
Kaeng phet pet yang: roast duck curry.
Tom kha gai: chicken in coconut soup with galangal and lemongrass.
Khao phad: boiled rice fried with meat, egg, onion, cilantro, garlic and tomatoes.
Moo/gai sate: pork/chicken kebabs served with peanut sauce.
Gai phad met mamuang: stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts.

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Ваш отзыв , 09 Mar 2010

Рубрика: Travel

A romantic weekend getaway amidst some scenic spots – now that’s ideal

10 famous tips to plan your romantic weekend getaway

A romantic weekend getaway amidst some scenic spots – now that’s ideal! We have a few tips for you to make that possible.

Do you feel like the spark in your relation is missing? It’s been a long time since you had spent quality time with your loved one? If you have answered yes to any one of them, a quick romantic weekend getaway can do the trick. Following are 10 famous tips to plan your romantic weekend getaway.

1. Consult your partner about time and destination for the romantic weekend getaway. Keep your partner’s desires in mind.

2. Surf the net and find nearby places which suits your budget, time and requirement. As it’s just for a day or two, a place which doesn’t require much time to reach would be a good option.

3. Do not clog you itinerary with too many things to do or too many places to go as you have to keep in mind that this will be a short vacation.

4. Decide on a faster mode of travel as this could save you much time. You can utilize this time for relaxation with your partner.

5.. Book accommodation, meals etc. before hand so you don’t have to waste time on these things after reaching to your destination.

6. If you are planning to drive to the destination, take a rest a day before as you could end up not doing anything during the weekend because of tiredness.

7. As it’s a romantic getaway try to take an accommodation that is soothing and calming. Try and make the ambiance as romantic as possible.

8. Avoid crowded places. Since the romantic getaway is specially meant for you and your loved one, a secluded place with scenic beauty would be ideal for you and your partner to enjoy quality time together.

9. If you are planning on trying your hands on outdoor activities, make sure you get proper gears for the same.

10. Give maximum time to your partner as there’s nothing as good as spending quality time together. You may also try some exotic things like an herbal massage, wine tasting etc. or just walk down the beach holding hands!

Follow this simple steps and make your romantic getaway, a moment to remember and live for.

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Ваш отзыв , 08 Mar 2010

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