Travel Information

Archive for the ‘Ground Travel’ Category

Are you someone who is often struck with wanderlust? Your electronic appliances will sure feature in your list of essentials. If you want to carry your laptop, cell phone, and electric shaver, but don’t want to increase your luggage with various adapters, invest in the Universal Grounded Travel Plug Adapters for Australia, China and New Zealand. This multipurpose plug adapter from LiteFuzeVoltageConverters.com has a universal receptacle that can hold plugs from different countries. So, instead of packing various plug adaptors to suit every country you travel to, you can carry a single plug adapter for all your appliances. Whether you travel to Australia, China, or New Zealand, you don’t have to worry about plugging your electronics and appliances into the electrical receptacles of these countries, as you can use this multipurpose adaptor plug.

These international plug adapters have an output of Type1 and can be used in many countries like Australia, China, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tokelau (the Union Islands,) and Uruguay. These 250 V grounded plug adapters feature internal metal interfaces to provide better conductivity. The plastic encasing and fuse protection provide additional safety. These standardized New Zealand plug adapters are CE approved and RoHS compliant. These plug adapters have been patented in 36 countries.

These Australia plug adaptors are designed to change the plug type, so if your electric device is not compatible with the country’s voltage, then it is preferable to get a proper voltage convertor along with the plug adaptor. These New Zealand Plug Adapters have made it very easy and convenient to use electronic appliances even while travelling. Small and compact, these international plug adapters can easily fit into your travel pouch.

VISA REQUIREMENTS & OTHER DOCUMENTS

A visa is not required for U.S. and Canadian, Australian or European citizens in most cases. However for the rest of the world, if you are not sure, check on your nearest Ecuadorian Embassy or consulate if you need a visa. For all cases, you must carry a passport that is valid for at least the next six months for a stay of up to 90 days during a 12-month period. Your driver license, in case you wish to rent a car (only on major cities) are accepted as long as your visa last

CURRENCY

The US Dollar is our national currency. All credit cards are accepted in major shopping malls and handicrafts stores all over Ecuador. You can use your credit card to withdraw money from ATM machines located everywhere in major cities, all international credit cards are compatible. The most common credit card is Dinners Club followed by Visa, MasterCard, American Express and some others. Travel checks are accepted with some restrictions. [removed][removed]

TAXES & TIPING

The governmental tax is 12% (IVA) and applies on most cases for goods that visitors buy. An extra 10% applies for services at restaurants. By law, the 12% IVA tax is included on all prices for the public. A tip on a restaurant must be no lower than 10% of the total (Applicable when 10% service charge is not considered on the bill). For guides, US$ 10 to US$ 20 per day is expected. Drivers are tipped with US$ 5 – US$ 7 per day. Taxi drivers are not commonly tipped. It is a good idea to have lots of change as most business’s and taxi drivers cannot change a or bill. (Dixie)

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A bad economy usually winds up affecting every sector of the business community. People still need to buy food but the supermarkets are affected because people are buying less food and spending less money each week on groceries. Another segment of the business community that stands to see some difficult times with the current economic crisis is the travel industry. The travel industry can sometimes be taken for granted but an understanding of how travel can be hit by difficult economic times can also get us to understand the wide reaching effects of an economic crisis. Read the rest of this entry »

Travel Asia: Festivities and Fun

Are you planning to travel to Asia within the next year, and are looking for some fun festivities to attend? Well, look no further – we’ve researched some of the more incredible Asian festivals for you to check out during your travels.

Travel Asia: Pulilan Carabao Festival

You’ll probably never see a water buffalo adorned quite like this! If you travel to Pulilan in the second week of May, you’ll witness the homage to the patron saint of farmers, San Isidro Labrador. Families take their prized water buffalos, scrape away the dirt, shave them, anoint them in oils, and then parade them around the city square dressed as kings. The priests of the Asian city then kneel and ask the buffalos to bless them, promising health and good wishes for the upcoming year to all, including visiting travelers.

Travel Asia: Parade of the God of Medicine

On the 15th day of the third lunar month, the city of Taiwan is taken over by this world-renowned Asian festivity – a must for travelers in the area because of its spectacular parade. At the nucleus of the 160 temple celebration are Pao Sheng in Taipei and the Temple of Ching Tzu in Hseuhchia. Spearheaded by a group called the Centipedes, worshippers attending the city-wide parade throw themselves on the ground to be stepped upon, as a symbolic exorcising of their demons.

Travel Asia: Yasothon Rocket Festival

In the middle of May, things get very noisy for Asian travelers to the Phaya Thaen Park in Thailand. Historically, the festival started as an offering to the gods of the sky, exploding beautiful rockets to encourage rainfall for rice crop growth. Nowadays, event has become something more of a sport, with competitions to see whose rocket can fly the farthest, and whose explodes the most.

Travel Asia: Asakusa Samba

Toyko’s version of the Rio Carnaval happens every August, in the Asakusa district. Travelers to Asia and natives alike are amazed by the colorful sequined costumes and feathers of the dancing Samba girls, along with their full bands marching down the street alongside them.

Travel Asia: The Festival of the Hungry Ghosts

Hong Kong hosts this unusual yearly event, held on the 14th day of the seventh moon (sometime in August, during a full moon). Legend says that the gates of Hades were opened on this day, and the dead who cannot rest were left to run the streets mischievously. The Yue Lan Festival, as it is known in Chinese, has natives of the city putting up odd paper monuments all over the streets, which are then ceremoniously burned on the last day.

Travel Asia: The Monkey God Festival

The Monkey God first appeared in Chinese literature during the Ming Dynasty in the book, “Pilgrims to the West”. Since then, this deity has been celebrated during the month of September at Kowloon’s Sau Mau Ping Temple, by recreating a bizarre attempted execution by other the other gods – which includes such things as a ladder of knives, and charcoal set on fire. Travelers to this strange Asian celebration need not be concerned, though – the Monkey God lived, and so do the participants in this celebration.

Kenya Tanzania Uganda Tour operators & Travel Agents

Selecting a tour agent or safari operator in Kenya Uganda Tanzania out of the many is very difficult let alone where to travel and which travel package is budget friendly luckily you can profit from specialized information of previous Africa safari travelers and the feedback they have given. By using the procedure below you can select the best safari company and tour agency for your travel needs in East Africa.

The knowledge by travelers through African safari trip reports, safari articles, forums, blogs as well as Kenya tourism board, Tanzania safari board, Uganda safari association helps narrow the vast number of Africa safari companies and travel agents to a list of dependable tour operators in Africa.

Selecting A Trustworthy Safari Company and Tour Operator

Thinking of a Kenya Tanzania Uganda Zanzibar Safari, these guiding principles should assist travelers judge a genuine travel agent or con travel

Travelers should know that the Tour operator and travel agent have different roles in planning an African safari; however both have an influence in the success of your planning your safari in Africa.

If you have chosen a safari itinerary from a travel agent that you have dealt with and trust, always ask the travel agent who the safari ground handler operator is for the tour. This is because most travel agencies in Africa don’t operate safari vehicles of their own and only sell tickets.

Both the safari operator and travel agent should have a good reputation, come highly recommended and have driver guides with fine character

Ask the travel agent or tour operator for details of one or two of their previous travelers and ask the travelers directly what are their thoughts of the said tour operator or travel agents.

Do their recommendations march up? Safari association membership isn’t a fool-proof gauge of finding top safari companies us most tour and safari association membership is based on annual subscription as opposed to merits.

What are their payment policies? Genuine Safari companies operate on a 30% deposit and balance on arrival. Genuine Africa travel agents and tour operators should be open with their cancellation policy. Travel agents and the safari operators should be superb, not only during the email correspondences and planning stages of your safari, but also during the tour

Do the tour operators or travel agents members of staff come highly qualified? Do they run an actual office with a physical address? As it is with the increase in tourism, there are many tour operators who only have a website with no offices and only operate from cyber cafes

Well maintained safari vehicles are important as well is the number of travelers reserved per vehicle. Ideally each passenger should have a window seat and a normal safari vehicle is licensed to carry between seven to eight. Emergency equipment should be kept on the vehicle, for example a fire extinguisher and spare wheels

Set Sail with a Cruise Travel Agency

When you decide it is time for a cruise, your best bet is to book it through a travel agency that has extensive experience in creating and booking travel packages for different types of cruises. Choosing to use a cruise travel agency has a number of advantages over trying to make the arrangements yourself.

Even if you spend days checking out online cruise offers and phoning different cruise lines, the bottom line is that the cruise travel agency can cover a lot more ground in much less time, ultimately making the planning process a lot easier. Within a matter of minutes, they can ask a few basic questions and access a number of options for your cruise experience. They can tell you what cruises are leaving from what ports, which ports are visited, and how long each cruise would last. Trying to find the same information on your own would take at least hours, if not days, to manage.

There is also an excellent chance that the travel agency will have information on cruises that you have never even heard of before. While you may have been thinking in terms of an ocean cruise of some type, the agency may be aware of cruises that make the most of a trip up and down a coastline, stopping at interesting ports along the way. There is a good chance a travel agency would be familiar with what is sometimes called boutique cruises. Boutique cruises are cruises that are tailored to a specific market, such as retirees, young singles, or faith based cruises. From this perspective, the agency can help broaden your possibilities for this exciting experience.

You are most likely going to be working with travel budget for your cruise vacation. The agent can take your maximum figure into consideration, along with the dates you have in mind for the cruise, and come up with practical suggestions that meet both criteria. Because travel agencies that specialize in cruise vacations are more likely to know how to claim the best deals, you have a much better chance of getting more amenities for the money you can afford to spend.

Travel agencies that routinely book cruises are also much more likely to be able to provide details on what types of shipboard amenities and amusements will be available. This also saves you a great deal of time, since you can compare the merits of more than one cruise line for your trip. The agency can provide information on the activities, on board shopping and entertainment options, and other key elements of life on board with ease. Since you can consider the options side by side, making a decision on which line to use will be a snap.

Even the most seasoned of travelers sometimes forget some details. This can create problems during the cruise. For example, you may have forgotten that you need a passport in order to leave the ship and do some shopping at a particular port of call. There may also be matters such as making sure you carry other specific types of identification, observe any restrictions on the items you can take along on the ship, and many other matters that may not occur to you until it is too late. A seasoned travel agent will know immediately what you need and what you can or cannot do in connection with a given cruise itinerary, and advise you in advance.

Unfortunately, there is still the possibility of something unanticipated happening on the cruise, such as a sudden illness or an emergency at home that requires you to cut the trip short. Making all your plans through the travel agency can be very advantageous in situations of this type. The agency can simply access your plans, cancel any remaining legs of the trip you will not be able to take, and process alternative plans to get you wherever you need to go, whether it is the nearest healthcare facility or a quick flight home. Since time is often precious in these types of situations, having a travel agency to handle all the details for you will get you where you need to go a lot faster.

Finding the right travel agency for your cruise may take a little time on the front end. If there are several agencies in your city or town, find out which ones are very familiar with cruise options. Visit each one and see how well you get along with the agents, and which ones exhibit the most interest in helping you plan the ideal cruise vacation. It should not take too long to settle on the right agency and begin making plans for your dream vacation.

Trailer Travel RVs You Should Learn More

What exactly is a trailer travel RV?

Sometimes trailer travel motor homes are called towable units or campers. They are called towables because they are towed behind an appropriate sized vehicle. There are trailer travel RVs that come used or new, in various prices, and in different makes and models. Keep reading to find out more on trailer travel units. It could be just the camper you need to get on the road.

What is the size of a trailer travel?

Trailer travel RVs will vary in length. Some are 10 feet long, while others are 35 feet long. These towables weigh less than other RV units, but they need to be pulled by a proper sized vehicle, such as a truck or SUV.

If you think that you will be towing a large sized trailer travel trailer, then make sure the towing vehicle is appropriately fitted. You will want a load distributing hitch that helps to lessen the sway of the travel trailer recreational vehicle. Some trailer travel units are built near to the ground, which will help you feel more balanced while driving.

Do travel trailers have sleeping areas?

Most small sized travel trailer motor homes can sleep one couple comfortably. The larger towables can sleep closer to six people. The floor plans of the RVs will vary, and there is the option to upgrade with slide outs for additional space. You could also have the option to convert a dinette space into a sleeping space.

Describe the common costs of a travel trailer towable

You can purchase a new or used camper RV between ,000 and ,000 (plus). The cost will increase with added amenities and upgrades. Spend time looking at used travel trailers as well as newer models. You may find a gently used top of the line towable unit for an affordable price.

There are lower priced travel trailers that have simple interiors and little to no amenities. They are built with minimal insulation and aluminum framing. The low-cost unit may or may not have a shower. There will be the basic appliances, and the interior details will be made with a lower quality of materials, such as artificial laminated wood.

Some mid-priced towable campers come with aluminum framing and fiberglass insulation. You will find higher quality materials and hardware as the pricing increases. Do not forget that you can always upgrade depending on your budget and how luxurious of a lifestyle you want to live while on the road.

Getting Ahead of the Curve with a Travel and Tourism Diploma

What is a travel and tourism diploma? It’s a pretty loose term covering a whole range of tourism studies, which tend to be targeted towards particular segments of the industry as well as its more generalised aspects. In this sense it resembles the classic university or college course, giving candidates grounding, both in basic travel and tourism theory and a good footing in an area of special expertise.

The idea is to prepare future travel and tourism employees by making them thoroughly conversant with the ideas behind the business. A travel and tourism diploma, then, will fit prospective job candidates for their chosen career, in the first instance, by weeding out the people who don’t really want to do it. The first parts of tourism studies courses (which can be done selectively online at sites like Online Travel Training, an industry funded travel job agency) give candidates an overview of the basic philosophies connecting all trade in the industry: customer service, hospitality and entertainment. Once these pre-requisite skills have been learned the candidate is ready to start turning his or her attention to the specific areas of the travel and tourism industry in which he or she is thinking of working.

A good example here is airlines. The Online Travel Training site, for example, runs travel and tourism diploma courses for most of the major airlines and air alliances. Each course is designed to let candidates in on the broader practices of all airlines (including ticketing, reservations and special meals requirements) as well as the individual habits of the airline sponsoring the course. This kind of directed tourism studies is ideal both for prospective employee and potential employer. The employee learns a great deal of information about the company they think they might like to work for – which gives them a better idea of whether or not they really do want to work for them – and the employer gets a guarantee, by “weeding out” the less enthusiastic through the course, that the candidates it finally receives for interview will genuinely be looking for a career with them.

The travel and tourism diploma, then, in all its guises, protects both sides of the industry (employer and employee) from wasting time and money. As such, it’s a reasonably unique initiative. Tourism studies, done through directed modules like the airline courses discussed above are a kind of compromise between university type courses (where a person may never work out whether he or she is doing something they really want to do) and blind on the job training. Effectively, these studies deliver on the job training before a job is ever given – the perfect way to ensure that one’s candidates start their work at a high level of competence and to discourage those predisposed to slack from ever entering the industry.

Good news for genuine candidates, then. A travel and tourism diploma will guarantee marks for enthusiasm and dedication in any interview. Taking tourism studies off one’s own bat is the ideal way to prove to a prospective employer that one is serious about the job: and in the competitive world of the hospitality and travel trade, that’s a big help up.

Breaking Ground in Costa Rica with the Adult Lifestyle

The first ever complete 7 night takeover by a large group of adult lifestyle couples was realized for the first time ever in Costa Rica. For many years, couples have vacationed in different Pacific coast and Caribbean Island locations, but now the gates are open for a new and tropical paradise known as the true Garden of Eden. Costa Rica has always been a perfect and safe location for travelers and now it’s officially the ideal destination for the adult lifestyle couples. After years of having the same choices for travel, now there’s a new and exciting location. The Desire Group of Costa Rica has facilitated the opportunity for the adult lifestyle groups  to enjoy their vacation at several of their resorts. This particular adult lifestyle group stayed at the Copacabana Desire Hotel in Jaco Beach (Playa Jaco) located on the central Pacific coast. Jaco is one of the premiere tourist towns of Costa Rica offering an assortment of adrenaline tours, beaches, Island tours, sport fishing, surfing, National Parks, exotic birds, flowers, reptiles and amphibians. There are also many souvenir shops, restaurants serving International and local cuisine, night clubs, discos, exotic dance clubs, casinos and bars.

Copacabana Desire Hotel is an adult only beachfront resort located on Playa Jaco, in the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, in the province of Puntarenas and caters to the adult lifestyle and nudists. Here you can enjoy the open minded adult ambiance, fun and excitement under the stars and on the beach. The Copacabana Desire Hotel is known as Jaco Beach’s beachfront premier party central offering Jet Ski and ATV rentals, Volcano and waterfall tours; see the monkeys, scarlet macaws and much more. It is the only resort in Jaco known for it’s nightly entertainment. Walk the beach at sunset and watch the spectacular sun set as you are overlooking the Pacific Ocean and while having a cocktail under the stars. Relax and enjoy our professional Coconut Palms Spa. Delight yourself with the Copacabana’s Ocean Waves bar & restaurant serving International, plus Latin American cuisine every day. Watch sporting events on the big screen daily and take advantage of two swimming pools, one designed for nudists, outdoor Jacuzzis, poolside beds at both swimming pools and swim up full liquor bar at the pool. Bring your fantasies to life and stay in one of the fully equipped Jacuzzi suites. Only one hour from San Jose and the pleasures of Jaco Beach in the Province of Puntarenas await your adult fantasies. Visit the resort at copacabanadesirehotel.com.

How To Easily Find Ways To Ailine Holiday Traveling Revealed

Now let me ask you this,are people coming back to you after having their dream holiday traveling cruise and telling you about the great travel experience they had to how little they really spent?are you wondering how on earth they got the last minute deals so easy that you can not get?It is not as difficult to get the cheap holiday ailine travel as you might think,just a little planning and preparation with good relevant information will do.Now where on earth can you get the information?Go online,period.Yes I can hear you say can I not get good traveling deals from street off line traveling agents?yes you can but the best place for you getting  the cheapest great holiday prices is through online travel agents.Do you know that surfing online travel agents save you a lot of things than going off line from one travel agent office to another or rather making calls here and there?it saves lots of overheads as a customers and even the agents itself.Now let me compare surfing deals online to off line to you and I believe yourself will come to agree with me.

First,there is a very simple comparison among online sites  compare with high street agencies.In this busy period who has that time going everywhere  and asking of prices from different agencies,never when internet is right before to do the same task.

Very much better prices is available through online travel agents as they tend to offer much lower prices.

There is a straight forward booking platform for everyone going online  to book traveling deals without much fuss .Thus you do not need a ticket ,only confirmation number and photo ID to board.

Now you have been told some truths about cheap holiday airline traveling,how do you then know which sites are good from the bad? Check out for this criteria if presence ,then you are on a safe ground

• Registered with a recognized professional association
• Independence
• Display registered office address and no internet contact details
• Offer a secure payment system

Spending a little of your time finding the good deals on ailine travels,you will literally join thousands of people enjoying the great good deals on cheap holiday airline travels out there for you.
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