Travel Around The World | Air Travel |Travel Agent

How to Find Cheaper Airfares and Fly For Less in 2008

2009-10-19T02:02:00.000-07:00

With oil prices at all time highs, airline travel is set to become more expensive in the future. Here are a few tips to help keep down your airfare costs:
1. Flexibility - Be flexible with your travel dates and try to book your airline ticket in advance to get the less expensive fares. Many online booking engines such as Orbitz and Travelocity have flexible date search tools which are very helpful in tracking down the lowest available airfare over a set period of time. Always select "lowest fare" when doing an airfare search online - choosing the "fully flexible" fare will bring up the highest full fare price.
2. Fly Mid-week - You should avoid peak business travel days like Monday and Friday and try to fly during mid-week. Add a Saturday night stay to reduce the fare further. Some agents also advise booking mid-week as that is when new airfares are added into the databases - giving you greater choice.
3. Departure Airports - Always experiment with nearby departure airport for your trip - this may sometimes throw out a much lower fare. Many online booking engines such as Orbitz will allow you to include prices from nearby airports in your airfare search.
4. To Hub or Not To Hub - Flying through a hub connection airport is often cheaper than flying non-stop - but weigh up whether any saving justifies the extra inconvenience.
5. Fly Red-Eye - Good deals can often be found booking overnight 'red-eye' flights.
6. Cover the GDS's - Check the price of your flight online with a number of major booking engines to ensure you cover all the GDS's (Global Distribution Systems) - these are the 4 primary mainframe databases which power the airfare market worldwide - Sabre, Worldspan, Galileo and Amadeus. Some online agents are biased towards a single GDS so you will want to cover all your bases by checking other agents. Then double check any prices found directly at the airline websites.
7. Aggregate - Use an online aggregator like Kayak to help you check airfares from multiple sources.
8. Consolidators - Phone your travel agent to see if they can beat your online quote. Also try using a specialist consolidator who will have access to many unpublished airfares not available elsewhere. Generally, using a consolidator is optimal when booking around 4 to 8 weeks in advance.
9. Special Offers - Take advantage of occasional special offer deals that come onto the market. Get on the mailing lists of your favored airlines. If you find an excellent airfare then book it immediately - it may not be there long! For example, airlines introducing the new Airbus A380 Super Jumbo like Singapore Airlines and Qantas have offered some very good initial deals.
10. Invest in Your Travel Knowledge - There are a few services and guides available which will get you up to speed with the airfare market. Knowing some insider tricks can really help, especially with business class and first class tickets which can sometimes be picked up for little more than economy prices.

Hawaii Diving - Maui Style

2009-04-03T02:00:00.000-07:00

Hawaii receives an enormous number of visitors each year. In addition to Hawaiian dive sites, which are some of the most popular in the world, Hawaii is famous for its excellent surfing conditions.
The Hawaii archipelago consists of 132 islands, although only seven are referred to when generally speaking of Hawaii. Diving in Hawaii is a year round event, as the waters are always warm.
Each island has its own personality and unique offerings. Add to this the tremendous backdrop of volcanoes, shipwrecks, traditional culture and different lava formations and you find that Hawaii is an excellent destination even when you aren't in the water.
Famous Hawaiian diving sites include Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, Kauai, Ni'ihau and Lanai. The dive sites offer something unique in that they contain volcanic residue and are fairly isolated, so that divers get to experience Mother Nature in all her splendor.
Of all the dive sites in Hawaii, Maui is probably the one most favored by divers. It's best to visit in the summer months as the dive site locations dotted around Hawaii are more accessible than during winter. Winter does, however, provide some benefits, for instance one can view whale sharks, and there are fewer tourists to deal with.
The vast majority of Maui's dive sites are located off the west coast and offer excellent diving for all levels of divers, from complete beginners to the super advanced.
Maui has lots to offer the diving enthusiast. One can find an abundance of marine life in the waters surrounding Maui, such as sea turtles, eagle rays and even some varieties of shark pop by from time to time.
Molokini Crater is Maui's premium diving location. It is home to an underwater volcano and is also near many other of the more popular diving locations. The underwater volcano provides divers with exquisite walls, textures and depth to explore.
Nearby diving locations include Lanai - a tourist hot spot that has two excellent dive site- Cathedrals and Fishrock. The lava formations to be found in Lanai are truly breathtaking and include archways, ridges, tunnels, and pinnacles that come together to provide amazing light formations and effects.
The Hawaiian Islands are a safe and exciting destination for avid divers. Hawaii continues to be one of the most attractive scuba diving locations in the world, as Hawaiian dive sites consistently make the top international dive site locations in various surveys and polls that are run. Everybody can't be wrong.

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Indian Travel Agents - How Would I Find a Reliable One?

2009-03-27T22:57:00.001-07:00

There are lot of people who search internet to find Travel Agents for India. I found couple of such websites through search engine and then randomly called to some of the agents. Unfortunately I came across lot of numbers that are not up to date, or invalid.
I asked my friends "If you were to search Indian Travel agents on internet, how would you you do?"
Most of them gave similar answers like:
search for "Indian Travel agent" or "Desi Travel Agent" using search engine.
give call to couple of agents local to your area.
There are two not so cool things about such an approach.
All the contacts found on internet have no guaranty of their service level [these includes trust factor, customer support].
We have got in to habit of talking to Desi agents who are local. Its quite possible that an India Travel Agent from NJ might give good price for SFO - Mumbai ticket and similarly some California based Travel agent for India might give best price for JFK - Mumbai Air ticket.
In old days we had paper tickets, so it was a lot more convenient to deal with local travel agents. May be visit him personally and pick up your ticket. However ever since E-Tickets have come in to practice it doesn't really matter if you buy Air tickets to India from travel agent that is hundreds of miles away ( if he is giving good price). These days there are websites that help you simplify the process, like DesiCow dot com for example.

Airline Luggage - When it Can Become a Problem - Helpful Tips

2009-03-17T01:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever experienced going to the airport and been told to leave some of your luggage there? Well, this is precisely because rules in airline luggage are becoming more and more strict nowadays. For example, there are certain rules today that limit your luggage's weight. Rules on carry on bags are also kinda tight. The bag doesn't just have to be tight and small but also must not contain a lot of liquids. It pays to know how to pack smartly your airline luggage before even going to the airport to avoid inconvenience.
Usually, airline luggage rules are not after the size of the package but on the weight. For instance, it is more acceptable to bring a large box filled with light weight materials than a small box that seems to carry the weight of the world. Some airports also require a maximum of three bags and in the worse case, you might even be told to take some of your things home and advised to sent them through mail otherwise.
Airline luggage rules also forbid some things. Deadly weapons, substances that are highly flammable and pets are clearly not allowed in airline luggage rules. For carry-on bags, however, pointed materials like knives are prohibited although less pointed ones such as nails, tweezers and scissors are allowed by some airline luggage rules. In some places also, packaging of liquids is illegal. And most often than not, we are not aware of the liquids that we are actually be bringing. These liquids may include lotion, alcohol, medicine, drinks and make ups. Even liquor and other alcoholic products are not allowed by some airlines.
So it is best to know how to pack your things and identifying which are the things you should and should not bring. It might also be an ease to contact first your airline and avail of their rules before packaging. All these arrangements could help you save avoid inconvenience and problems in travel. It could also save you your time and effort. Some of the things that are not urgent to bring or are not really important are might as well be left or be sent through mail otherwise. And if there are things that you wouldn't really need and use, then better if you leave them at home rather than breaking the airline luggage rules. Remember that time is gold and you don't want your journey to be interrupted just by your luggage. So pack smart and enjoy!

Travel, Why You Should Bite the Bullet and Go For It

2009-03-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

There is only one known cure for the travel bug, and that's getting out there and seeing the world with your own eyes. Whether you need a career break, you're looking for a great way to spread your wings before going off to uni or you just have a bad case of wanderlust-itis, it's much easier than you think to see the world. We know from personal experience that while that tingly feeling you get when you think about faraway places doesn't tend to go away, you may also be a little cautious about venturing out into the big, wide world. The fact is there has never been a better time to travel the world, so here are 5 very good reasons not to think twice.
1. Money matters This is the best time for years to be a traveller. The air industry has suffered more than most during the recent economic crisis. As more and more people stay at home, if you buck the trend you'll find an industry very grateful to see you! Travel hasn't been this affordable in years. Plus, with more people staying at home there will be a shorter queue for the luggage! For many people, flying around the skies now feels like stepping back in time, to before air travel became so hugely popular.
2. The places It may seem strange but the world really is getting smaller...and bigger! There has never been a better time to be a traveller because there have never been more places to visit. Countries like Vietnam and China in Asia, Nicaragua and Panama in Central America and Uganda and Ethiopia in Africa are opening up to the world for the first time. In the case of some it's time to emerge from a long and unstable political history while others are just realising the importance of the tourist industry to their economies. Whatever the reason, the there has never been more out there worth discovering.
3. Doing something different The growing shift away from meaningless tourism and towards a little more responsible travel opens up a huge array of possibilities. The rise of voluntourism has meant that there's a much wider choice when it comes to choosing a volunteer project abroad. Wildlife, conservation, community and teaching projects take you all over the world to meet the mountain gorillas of Uganda, teach children in rural Thailand or save the Amazon rain forest. We are living in a time where travelling responsibly is being taken very seriously and you no longer have to compromise your travel experience in order to make a positive difference. In fact, you can improve it.
4. The CV Landing a career is no mean feat and today there is more competition than ever before for that top job. Anything you can do to separate yourself from the other candidates will make a big difference. Travelling can be a great way to stand out from the crowd. Travelling breeds confidence and helps you trust your own instincts and it is precisely these challenges that make you stronger as a person and a prospective employee. Employers are well aware that determination in the face of difference, loneliness and new challenges is a talent worth employing.

Getting to Tenerife From The UK - 12 Tips For Adventure Travel

2009-03-12T03:14:00.000-07:00

Break the monotony! Have fun getting to Tenerife! Cross some of Europe's most beautiful areas as you travel! Let me help you with 12 secrets to make the best of your journey to Tenerife!
Take the Eurostar high-speed train from the UK, and be in Paris 2.5 hours later.
Stay there a couple of days or more, taking in haute couture and the magic of Disneyland.
On the TGV train from Gard de Lion (Paris), you will be in Avignon within two hours and forty minutes.
At the train station hire a car (best booked in advance).
Enjoy winter skiing in the stunning Pyrenees near Avignon.
Watch the Tour de France, the most exhilarating cycling race in the world in the same French region in July.
Discover the ancient Avignon town, with its historic sites and culinary treats.
Pass through the Basque Country on your way to the east coast of Spain, or take the inland road from Madrid.
Stay overnight at charming, little inns such as in the Catalan port Collioure, savoring French cuisine at dinner time.
Visit the Spanish towns you have dreamed about (doubtless including Barcelona, Madrid, Cordoba, Sevilla, Valencia, Granada, Malaga).
Remember the capital. Madrid has a great deal for all interests.
Book a flight to Tenerife from a major town in Spain.
Conclusion: A trip of this sort would take at least two weeks, and would suit especially those who have time for adventure. There are other ways of getting to Tenerife, of course, such as by ferry. You could then take your own car, with luggage and perhaps small pets.

Real Cheap Airline Tickets - Find Low Cost Airfare Ticket

2009-03-11T01:32:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a cheap airline ticket then you should always book early so that you can get the best deal. It is also important to know that the airlines are now having fare wars and this can benefit you because there are many cheap tickets that are available to you. When planning a trip one of the most expensive parts of the trip is getting there are how much you spend on your airfare can make a big impact on were you go. It is a known fact that the earlier you book your trip the better deal you will get on your airfare so make sure that you book at least 30 days in advance.
Also many people find that they can get a cheap ticket if you look during off peak times such as late at night or early in the morning. Many of the airlines are not busy during these times so they reduce the prices. It is best for you to look throughout the day to find a low cost airfare because the prices are always changing. Besides using the large travel companies such as Expedia you want to also look at the airlines website because in many cases they will have better deals they are offering only through there website.

How to Get Free Airline Travel

2009-03-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Traveling by plane is indeed the most comfortable way to reach a place. By taking a flight, people can easily reach his desired spot within a limited time. In the true sense, flight journey saves time and also offers comfort to the passengers.
Getting Free Air Tickets
Though the flight tickets are normally costly, in this competitive world, many of the airlines offer their tickets at the most competitive and reasonable rates. This is not all. Some of the airways also offer discounts on flight tickets. In present times, free air ticket offers are also provided to the people.
Budget-conscious people must keep track of all the airlines' special offers. So, that by making the most use of it, they can save on their travel expenses. Other than this, throughout the year, several airlines organize different types of games for people and those who win the game are given free air tickets.
Apart from this, for promotional and marketing purpose newly-launched airlines offer free tickets to the people. Often these tickets are for particular place at designated times. These types of offers are not given all the time, so you must not miss out this chance to enjoy your free ride.
Often, students with economic need are given tickets, free of cost. Most of the airlines provide these offers to the students on humanitarian ground. This type of social-welfare activity really worth appreciation.
By purchasing different vacation packages, one can expect to get free air tickets. Sometimes free flight tickets remain bundled with travel packages. Other than this, airlines can also provide offers, like- "Buy one and Get one free". This is really an interesting offer. If you are planning a trip with your spouse, you can go for this offer. There is no doubt in the fact that this will make you and your partner happy.

Is Flying For Everyone?

2009-03-06T02:53:00.000-08:00

As we at the beginning of a new year again a lot of people will want to do their private pilot license. Obviously there are many reasons for wanting to fly varying from achieving a long term goal, a life long dream, the start of a new career or maybe simply to be able to say:"I can fly". Whatever the reasons are I often get asked by a new student "do you think I'll be able to fly".
Maybe firstly we must ask ourselves what does it take from an individual in order to fly an airplane or helicopter for that matter? A certain amount of co-ordination comes to mind. In my opinion most people has what it takes although some has to practice and exercise this particular skill. Discipline I think plays an important roll as flying involves quite a bit of responsibility in some way or the other. My personal favorite is of course a person's attitude. The willingness to study, the way an individual handles criticism and the ability to handle stress but to name a few. These are just some qualities amongst hundreds.
I think every student should and can answer the question: "will I be able to fly?" for themselves. For some it might take longer than the minimum requirement but determination and will pull them through. Many a time students has told me that flying is not for them and I take my hat off to a person that can realize their own lack of ability or whatever reason they base their decision on. Your personal motive for wanting to fly plays a very important roll. So I personally think that it's not a simple black and white answer to be made by an instructor but rather a combined decision.
I think that in the beginning students base their abilities solely on the "stick and throttle" aspects of flying, rightly so because that's all they know but I often tell students that a good stick and throttle pilot is not necessarily the best pilot and that they must consider their other strengths as well when they make a decision whether to continue flying or not. In a lot of cases all it takes is a bit of a mindset change.
I personally think that almost any person can be taught to fly but I think the real question should be whether any person can be a safe pilot not necessarily the world's greatest pilot, and that's maybe where the instructor or flight school for that matter plays a very important role.

Pampalona, San Fermin - Bull Running Festival

2009-03-04T23:31:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for something to really get the adrenalin pumping, why not try out-running a bunch of 600 pound bulls. In mid July 95 during a surf trip around the European coastline I dropped into Pampalona to take part in the famous bull running festival, in which thousands of nutters (and myself) ran down a stretch of winding streets, being chased by about 10 angry bulls.
The event starts at 8:00am, every morning for a week, where if you are taking part you find yourself a spot within the crowd. The run starts in a stretch of old style Spanish street between two tall buildings, loaded with locals making the sign of cross on their foreheads down to the fearless participants below. As you can imagine, it's slightly unnerving and would be more so if the skin-full of red wine and cola, dancing & no sleep, hadn't numbed the nerves a tad. It's quite a sight to behold, if you can imagine a small version of the London Marathon, only with thousands of drunken Spaniards and tourists all dressed in white with red scarves. If you think it sounds like a death wish, it isn't, because you do get to protect yourself with a rolled up newspaper! Yes that will protect your butt cheeks from the impending doom of a bulls horn. Not!
Your position in the crowd determines your initial safety during the first part of the run. If you're right at the front you will most likely get into the arena before seeing a bull (as long as you stay on you feet). If you're at the back the bulls will definitely pass you. So for your first time its best to go near the front until you get the gist of what's going. We positioned are selves in the front 3rd.
The first gun is for everyone to start running. Running is a slight exaggeration as, if you do run, you will trip over the person in front of you. So you barely make a slow trot along with the rest of crowd. Then moments later the second gun sounds. The bulls are free and running, at full pelt I expect.
The course is 3/4 mile in total and goes from being totally surrounded by buildings with nowhere to escape, to open sections, which have been marked out by wooden barriers sunken into the ground. These are also pretty hard to escape over, as there are teams of spectators peering over and waiting to push the frantic and afraid back into the affray.
Chaos is about the best term to describe the run and that was without even seeing a bull on the course. You then run through the entrance to the arena, which is a concrete corridor about 50 feet long. This is the most dangerous spot and one you definitely don't want to get involved in a pile up here. Once through the entrance you run into the arena, a great way to see it for the first time and for the Life of Brian fans amongst you, a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to live out the gladiator scene for real. The bulls eventually appear, bringing you back to reality and run straight through the crowd into an enclosure at the back of the arena. Next "they" (the crazy perpetrators of the event who are obviously hell bent on killing or at least maiming the odd participant) let smaller, more energetic bulls out, one at-a-time, to cause some mayhem. These bulls have leather protectors on their horns to protect the crowd at least, meaning that if you do get charged you won't die, a slow and pain full death, but you might get thrown into the air a few feet and land on your head! The hard bit about this is that there are a thousand other people in the bull ring, which makes spotting the bulls very difficult. Suddenly the crowd in front of you parts to reveal a crazed bull running directly at you at full pelt, head down and closing fast. My natural instinct was to run and throw myself head first over the 6 foot high barrier. In a normal situation this would be seen as a reckless and dangerous stunt but considering the circumstances I felt it was a carefully considered life saving maneuver and one that meant I survived with everything but my pride intact!
Once everyone has got used to the smaller bulls, they let the, now rested, larger bulls out into the crowd, to shake things up-a-bit. This is obviously much more dangerous, as you can imagine, what could happen if one of these steps on your head. Luckily during our run there were no serious injuries (I think), but they do have severe injuries all the time, so don't take this past-time too lightly. The year that I ran an American chap aged 22 died and became one of the 15 death since 1924. In fact everyday they post pictures of that day's run for the participants to buy. Also all around the town there are pictures from the past, with some pretty sobering images of accidents that have happened. I suppose this is done to remind the runners that the worst thing that can happen is death! A pretty extreme sport all-in-all!
Tips for survival at the Pampalona - San Fermin
Try and familiarise yourself with the course before hand. Don't run before you have watched a run. Be aware that falling and being trampled by people is one of the main dangers. If you fall, stay down, cover your head & wait until an onlooker taps you on the shoulder. Its more dangerous to try and get up at this stage. Be aware that Callejon-Plaza de Toros and the end section of Cuesta de Santo Domingo are the most dangerous area. These spots have claimed a total of 12 lives over the years Stay tight to the corners as the bulls run wide. Don't be drunk and get some sleep. Even with this advice running the bulls at Pampalona can be extremely dangerous.

3 Ways to Create an Online Travel Income

2009-03-03T04:12:00.000-08:00

Imagine this: you wake up in the glamorous, exotic locations, or rustic location of your choice. A smile sneaks its way onto your face. You’re living your dream of traveling the world … and staying in luxury hotels, here’s the best part – you’re getting paid for it.

It is extremely difficult to write about this subject without sounding ‘hypey’ and ‘salesy,’ so let me just lay out the facts, and I’ll let you come up with your own conclusions:

Hundreds of billions of dollars change hands online every year.

• Thousands of one-man-business entrepreneurs are making a portion of this money.
• Internet technology has made business possible from anywhere in the world. All you need is a laptop or Internet café…
• With a little bit of training and know-how, creating a profitable business online that takes in a few thousand dollars per month takes about 30-90 days.
• There’s a growing underground community whose strategies have them making more money than their friends with ‘Jobs’ and they get to travel to wherever they like.

There are the facts. If you put it all together, there is no reason you can’t take an extremely small piece of the pie. In fact, if you made .00001% of the money being made online you’d be ridiculously rich!

So what are the methods to make this happen? There’s no selling your friends or timeshares or anything shady like that. These are completely legitimate, entrepreneurial ventures that don’t take any startup costs or a ton of training. There are MANY ways to make money online, but here are 3:

1) Sell digital information. If you’re an expert on a subject of any kind, you can quickly and easily create an digitally delivered product and then focus on selling the product online. This can be an ebook, mp3, video file, or even a simple password-protected website. The markup on these products is HUGE because they cost nothing to create or deliver, and they can be sold for $10 to $10,000+ dollars. Say you have a modest $20 download. If you sold a measly 3 products per day, you’re making $1,800 bucks a month. Sell a $50 dollar product (which takes no more work) at the same rate and you’re making $4,500 a month… for doing the work ONCE!

2) Sell stuff on Ebay. “Wait!” I can hear you objecting… “I don’t want to carry around old junk to sell while I travel!” By all means… DON’T! You can easily set up an inexpensive account with a fulfillment house and have them ship your auction sales for you. You can hire a high school kid or your little sister to ship stuff. Better yet, just sell digital products on Ebay and don’t ship anything!

3) Blogging. This is a great option for writers, photographers, and videographers who want to document their travel. You’re probably going to be at least journaling, taking pictures, or video… most likely a combination of all three. Well, did you ever consider making it into a blog that makes money? Setting up a blog to collect income from your advertisers (and visitors, if you choose) is easier than ever. Some bloggers are making $250,000+ per MONTH just for writing about their lives. Yes, you read that correctly. Per month. Not too shabby!

The real key to making money online is to take action and get started. Pick one of these methods, learn as much as you can from experts who have done it already, and then go travel the world!

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First Timers Advice Kit for Walt Disney

2008-05-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

When we talk about Travelling with family then one of the best destination in the US for kids is Walt Disney. Usually talking about the Travel Safety and Travel Safty Tips is on top of my discussion. But not today. As today in this post I'd be discussing about how to enjoy yourself and let your kids have a time of there life when you travel with your family to Walt Disney

So you've finally decided to head to Walt Disney World. With so much to see and do, it's important to come prepared. Here are some excellent tips to make your trip one that will be remembered for a lifetime.

• Plan ahead.

Decide ahead of time what your priorities are and make a plan of action.

• Get to the parks early!

It's amazing, particularly in busy season, how many of the popular rides you can knock off before half the "World" gets out of bed.

• Take the time to rest in the middle of the day.

Stay at one of the Magic Kingdom or Epcot resorts, allowing a return in the middle of the day for a nap or dip in the pool.

• Call exactly 180 days prior at 7 AM Orlando time

for priority seating if breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom is tops on your child's list. The only way you might get away with sleeping in and booking a bit later for this highly coveted character breakfast is if you are traveling in extremely slow season.

• Come prepared for an afternoon shower during the rainy summer months even if the sky looks perfectly clear in the morning. Rent a locker to store your raingear and circle back if skies start to look threatening. However, if you're caught unprepared, just about every store in the parks sells inexpensive rain ponchos.

• Use FASTPASS, Disney's free, nifty timesaving device. It's offered at all four theme parks and is a great way to save hours of waiting in line. Just insert your park pass in one of the machines located at each individual Fastpass attraction and receive a ticket printed with a designated one-hour window in which you may return and enter a special line with little or no waiting.

•Pre-arrange Advance Dining Reservations by calling 407-WDW-DINE. On arrival you'll receive the next table available for your party size, thus saving hours of frustration and waiting.

• Allow plenty of time to reach the theme parks each morning. It's easy to miss your breakfast reservations if you don't allocate enough time.

• Be spontaneous. If something catches your eye, even if it's not on your daily list of things to do, stop and explore. If not, you could miss something wonderful.

• Realize the limitations of your children.

If they're tired, take a break. If their feet hurt, get them a stroller (forget that they outgrew one years ago). If a ride scares them don't force the issue. Such precautions will make your day and the day of other park visitors a lot less stressful.

• Bring pagers,

2-way radios, or cell phones. If your party plans on splitting up, they are a perfect way to keep in touch.

• Wear broken-in

comfortable footwear. Better yet, bring two pairs and rotate them. Nothing is worse than blisters on your first day and then nursing them for the remainder of your vacation.

• Most importantly, slow down and enjoy the magic.

Resist the urge to see everything at breakneck speed. You can't possibly cover it all, so think of this as your first trip to Disney, not your last. There will be time to pick up all the things you missed on the next go-round.

Travel Paradise

2008-05-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

So you've done Walt Disney World and now you're ready to discover Universal Orlando. But where to start? Universal Orlando is a whopper of a destination composed of exceptional resorts, first-rate restaurants, and two theme parks offering a certain brand of high-speed intensity certain to please. Here are some of Universal's best experiences:

Best Deluxe Resort

For the height of luxury in a Mediterranean seaside setting head straight for this exclusive hotel designed to resemble Italy's idyllic seaside town of Portofino. The scenery is pure postcard with colorful fishing boats bobbing in the seductively curving bay, sun-bleached stucco buildings with shuttered windows and trompe l'oeil decorative facades, and a charming, waterside piazza loaded with appetizing restaurants. Guestrooms are large and luxurious with four-poster beds, luxe linens, down pillows, and a pile of other amenities that can't be beat.

Best Resort For the Utterly Cool

Hard Rock's motto is "love all, serve all" and serve they certainly do at the single coolest place in Florida to hang out in California hip style. It's a mix of pure luxury and star worship where an ultra slick marble lobby, a marvelous pool complex, and stylish guestrooms are interspersed with over one million dollars worth of rock and roll memorabilia and rock music blasting away in every public space; over 900 speakers are scattered throughout the property, all running seven days a week, 24 hours a day. But rest assured, from the moment you enter the hallways leading to your trendy guestroom, only beautiful silence is heard.
Best Resort Pool

Hard Rock's 12,000 foot zero-entry pool is almost too hip to handle. It comes with an underwater sound system and a 250-foot slide (the longest at any U.S. hotel), all surrounded by a sand beach and swaying palm trees. For the ultimate in luxury, rent a poolside cabana equipped with lounge chairs, TV, telephone, fax line, refrigerator, and ceiling fan. You can even order up your own private masseuse.

Best Resort Lounge

It depends. The hip crowd should head to Velvet, Hard Rock Hotel's so cool cocktail lounge offering a huge list of specialty martinis and premium cigars along with rock and roll, chic seating, and a great outdoor terrace with a view of the resort's pool. Those with a more sophisticated inclination will love Bar America at Portofino Bay Hotel where a pianist entertains a fashionable crowd feasting on Beluga caviar and fine wine in an elegant setting.

Best Attractions For Thrill Seekers

Universal Orlando is the perfect place for those who crave a rush of adrenaline. And the best park for thrills is Universal's newest, Islands of Adventure. Head first to the Incredible Hulk Coaster where you're launched from a near standstill to 40 mph in 2 seconds, then immediately into a zero-G dive roll looping through inversion after inversion and twice underground before coming to a halt.

Then take a ride on Dueling Dragons, the world's first inverted, dueling (there's two of them), near-miss coasters. At certain points during the ride you'll swear your dangling feet almost touch those of the opposite dragon as it goes roaring by.

Best Way to Spend an Evening Without the Kids

First check the children into one of the Universal resort's excellent child care centers. Then head to either Emerils at Citywalk, a classy spot reminiscent of the New Orleans warehouse district with intoxicating Creole/Cajun food or Tchuop Chop at Universal's Royal Pacific Resort, one of the most beautiful restaurants in Orlando serving innovative Asian/Polynesian fare. Afterward dance the night away at Universal's Citywalk. Buy a Party Pass for unlimited admission to all the nightclubs and enjoy!

Best Resort Restaurant

It's a toss up. Tchoup Chop at the Royal Pacific Resort for it's breathtakingly beautiful dining room and imaginative cuisine or Bice, Portofino Bay Hotel's stylish and sophisticated Italian restaurant perched above the piazza overlooking the bay.

Best Way to Spend an Afternoon Away From the Parks

Immerse yourself in luxury with one or two soothing spa treatments at Portofino Bay's Mandara Spa. Choose from a variety of massage, face, anti-aging, and body treatments including Indonesian four hands massage and Javanese Lulur. Follow this with an afternoon lazing beside one of the resort's three luxurious pools.

10 MUST FOR KIDS IN WALT DISNEY

2008-05-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you all know about Disney World's amazing theme parks, but are you familiar with the myriad of fascinating activities for children offered throughout Walt Disney World that are either complimentary or offered for a reasonable fee to Disney resort guests? Here are some of the best:

• Snag a Bass On a Kid's Fishing Excursion. 1-hour angling trips just for children are available from the resort marinas of Disney's Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge, and Yacht Club. For miles of shore fishing head over to Disney's Ft. Wilderness where cane poles and rods and reels may be rented at the Bike Barn in the Meadow Recreation Area. Call 407-WDW-PLAY for reservations.

• Enjoy the Old West. Hayrides depart each evening from Pioneer Hall at Fort Wilderness for a 45-minute trip. Very tame, cowboy-guided trail rides are also offered, or younger children can opt for a $2 pony ride at the Fort Wilderness Petting Farm. Make reservations in advance by calling 407-WDW-PLAY.

• Sing-Along in Front of the Campfire. Families gather round the campfire each evening at Ft. Wilderness for a sing-along, marshmallow roast, and a Disney animated movie. Complimentary to all Walt Disney World resort guests.

• Watch the Electrical Water Pageant Parade. Nightly on the Seven Seas Lagoon is a delightful 1000-foot string of illuminated barges featuring King Neptune and his court of whales, sea serpents, and other deep-sea creatures. The free show can be seen from the beaches of Disney's Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Contemporary, and Wilderness Lodge Resorts.

• Ride Up Front with the Monorail Driver. Simply ask the Cast Member on duty. They will be happy to oblige as long as the front car is empty.

• Take a Spin on a Watermouse Boat. Rent one of these two-seater mini-power boats and zip around one of Disney's lakes at 22 miles per hour. Kids absolutely love them! Available at the Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, the Yacht and Beach Club, Downtown Disney, and the Wilderness Lodge.

• Dive into One of Disney's Fabulous Themed Pools. You can't do much better than a dip in one of Disney's wonderful swimming pools. Children's favorites: the Volcano Pool at Disney's Polynesian Resort featuring a smoking volcano slide, underwater music, and sparkling waterfall, all with a superb view of the Seven Seas Lagoon; the Wilderness Lodge's boulder-lined pool featuring waterfalls, rocky overlooks, water slide, and a nearby geyser; the eye-popping Stormalong Bay, a mini-water park complex that meanders between the Yacht and Beach Club, offering three acres of winding, watery delight including sandy bottom pools, a giant "shipwreck" waterslide, a tidal whirlpool, bubbling hot tubs, a kiddie pool with its own slide next to the beach, and enough length to float lazily in inner tubes to your heart's delight.

• Search for Buried Treasure on a Pirate's Cruise. Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday children sail from the dock of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort on a 2-hour supervised trip to a deserted island. A similar Albatross Treasure Cruise departs from the Yacht Club Marina each Wednesday and Friday. Call 407-WDW-DINE for reservations.

• Attend a Children's Tea Party. A "Wonderland Tea Party" happens Mon-Fri at 1:30 P.M. in 1900 Park Fare at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort. Hosted by characters from Alice in Wonderland, the little ones play games, listen to stories, and drink apple "tea". $28. Strictly for children ages 3-10. Call 407-WDW-DINE for reservations.

• Take in a Character Meal. These extremely popular dining opportunities, offered at both the Disney theme parks and resort hotels, are a perfect way for your children to spend extra time with favorite Disney characters. Meals are offered in three ways depending on the restaurant: buffet-style, family-style, or pre-plated meals; regardless, it's essentially all-you-can-eat. Characters work the room, stopping at each table to interact with guests, pose for photos, and sign autographs. Book Advance Dining Reservation early, particularly for Cinderella's Royal Table, Epcot's Princess Breakfast in Norway, and Chef Mickey's by calling 407-WDW-DINE.

Travel Satey Tips

2008-04-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

Traveling to unfamiliar destinations can bring to you the sort of troubles you do not want to experience while on the road namely: robbery, rape, or murder. Tourists often fall prey to perpetrators because they do not prepare properly before embarking on a trip. Let's examine some things you should do to prevent your travels from becoming a tragedy:
1. Never list your home address on the luggage tag. If on business, put the company's address on the tag; if visiting friends you can list their address. Use covered luggage tags as well.
2. Stay with your luggage until the luggage is checked. If you must put your bag down, keep one foot on the handle.
3. Carry important papers with you; NEVER check anything that you simply cannot afford to lose. Photocopy your passport, driver's license and credit cards.
4. Bring a small flashlight. You never know when you'll suddenly be "in the dark" and find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings. At night, keep your flashlight by your bed.
5. Make sure that your prescription medicines are filled properly and labeled accurately. In some countries certain prescription medicines are forbidden.
6. Never wear anything that projects affluence. No gold chains, expensive watches and rings, luggage, or other paraphernalia should be in easy view. Better yet: leave your jewelry at home.
7. If possible travel with only one or two credit cards.
8. Women particularly should never accept a drink from a stranger. Keep an eye on your drink at all times.
9. Vary your schedule; try not to come and go at the same time everyday.
10. Only stay in a hotel that uses cards to open room doors and make sure your room has a peephole and a deadbolt lock. Secure the chain and secure the door by pushing a rubber stop under it.
11. Stay in a room near a stairwell. Never take the elevator if a fire or smoke is detected. Always stay in a hotel where the doors enter the hallway and not directly from the outside.
12. Do not wear name tags in public.
13. Do not use unmarked taxi cabs.
14. Sit behind the driver so you can see him, but he cannot see you.
15. Pay the driver upon arriving at your destination and while you are still sitting in the vehicle.
16. If you must rent a car, rent only from a reputable company. Any operating problems that occur could signal sabotage.
17. Be aware of 'staged' car accidents meant to catch you off card.
18. Back into your parking spaces to facilitate a quick exit.
19. Park only in well lit and well traveled areas.
20. If your cell phone does not work outside of the country, consider renting one that does for the duration of your trip.
21. If detained for whatever reason by an official, ask for identification. If in doubt, tell them that you want to see his superior. Keep your emotions in check.
22. If traveling with children, bring along an updated photograph of each child in the event that you become separated from them.
23. Write your child's name and your hotel number on each card; include a close friend's or relative's contact information on the card. Give a card to each child which they will carry with them as long as you are away. Destroy once home.
24. Discuss with your family what they would do in event of an emergency while away from home, e.g. whom to call, how to contact emergency personnel, etc.
25. Do not discuss travel plans, your room number or any other personal information in public within earshot of strangers.
26. Bring along a basic first aid kit with bandages, iodine, mosquito repellant, sunscreen, alcohol packets, dramamine, pepto bismol, diarrhea medicine, etc.
27. Familiarize yourself with train and bus schedules before traveling. Have an alternate plan in place in the event your transportation plans change.
28. Do not flash your passport in public. Discreetly show important documents to officials only.
29. Consider purchasing portable alarms that emit a loud sound.
30. Watch for scams on the street. Children working with adults are notorious as pickpockets.
31. Never flash your money in public. Exchange funds with reputable and recognized exchangers only.
32. Have tips ready in advance for service personnel.