Friday, 3 December 2010

Cutting The Cost Of Your Trip To Pattaya

Pattaya is a popular tourist destination in Eastern Thailand. 150 km south of Bangkok, it is a popular destination for those travelling from the capital too. Although a renowned party spot, with plenty of bars and nightclubs, in recent years efforts have been made to create a more family-friendly atmosphere.

When planning a holiday to Pattaya, it is your flight costs that will make up the bulk of your travel expenses. As it entails a long haul flight, your plane travel will never be incredibly cheap but there are good deals available throughout the year, especially if you use comparison sites to search for special offers.

Airfare rates vary from day-to-day, so if you keep an open travel schedule and are wiling to fly out a day or so before or after your ideal travel date, then you could pick up a far cheaper flight. Use comparison sites with flexible date search options to spot which days the cheapest flights land on.

Look out for package deals to Pattaya, which can offer great value. You pay for your accommodation, flights and transfers in one, and sometimes car hire and day trips are included in the package price too. These are great for saving money on family trips, and if you keep an eye out for last minute package deals you can often find incredible bargains too.

During the high season, holidays to Pattaya are in high demand and as a result flights and accommodation during this period are at their highest. If you can avoid travelling in high season, you can make big savings. The year round warm weather in Pattaya means you can have an enjoyable holiday here at any time of year, and travelling outwith high season means you avoid the often-stifling high temperatures too.

When it comes to your Pattaya holiday costs, the main expense really is your airfare. Once you land you will find everything else here incredibly affordable, from accommodation to clothing, food to entertainment. The abundance of street markets make things even cheaper too, and you can pick up bargains on food, crafts, clothing and more here.

Instead of opting for hotel accommodation, renting an apartment for the duration of your stay can be far cheaper. Renting an apartment for a month can often be far cheaper than hotel costs for a week, so have a look online for self-catering apartments and you can make big savings.

Our guide to cutting the cost of your holiday to Pattaya was written by Lenita Carpinello, an experienced travel guide. They recommend checking the Octopus Travel website for the latest Pattaya hotels and accommodation deals all year round.

Tag : leisure,travel,pattaya hotel

Sunday, 28 November 2010

Cheap Italian Souvenirs

If you're going to Italy for a vacation, one of the things that you're planning to do would be to shop for Italian souvenirs. After all, you would want to take home a piece of Italy with you as a reminder for a wonderful vacation that you've had in the country. However, with your shoestring budget, you're worried that you may not be able to buy the things that you want during the trip.

The good news is, there are lots of cheap souvenirs available in Italy that will not cause for you to break the bank. In Venice, Limoncello bottles, sparkling wines, peach puree cocktails, and colorful bracelets as souvenirs. Prices for these souvenirs range from $9 to $20 apiece.

In Florence, there are lots of purses, wallets, and scarves that you can buy as a souvenir. However, if you want something cheaper, you can buy the Small Tacky David, available in most Florence markets. This would only cost you $4.50.

If you are also going to Rome, you would want to check out Coliseum statuettes, Catholic calendars, and keychains that bear the face of the pope. Now, if you want something less expensive, you might want to check out the wooden bead bracelets that feature popes, Catholic saints, and the Virgin Mary. Each bracelet only costs $6. You may also get the terracotta cross for $12 or the mini desk calendar of Pope Benedict XVI for $1.50. If you want to buy something edible, try the Castroni Funghi Rositi or the Oscar '78 Pesto alla Genovese, which are both less than $20.

Monday, 22 November 2010

10 Key Ingredients Of A Holiday

Are you planning on booking a holiday soon? If so, here are 10 things you'll have to consider.

1. Destination - Deciding what part of the world you want to go on holiday will be your first challenge. You may have a country, city or island in mind, even if you've not decided on a resort.

2. Flights - You'll also need to make sure you can fly there from the airports in your region, so check out flights and flight times before you make a decision.

3. Resort - Now it's a case of choosing which resort you're going to go for. This decision could be based on proximity from your destination's airport, family-friendliness, cleanliness, how lively it is, the beaches, etc.

4. Accommodation - Now it's a case of finding the right hotel, apartment or bed and breakfast house. You may want somewhere close to the beach or resort amenities, somewhere ideal for a couple, or somewhere that has entertainment for children.

5. Board basis - You'll also need to decide whether you want room only, self catering, B&B, half board or all-inclusive, so think about the type of holiday you want and what fits into your budget.

6. Transfers or Hire Car - When you land on holiday, you will need to find a way of getting from the airport to your accommodation. If you're not hiring a car, then booking transfers with your package holiday may be needed.

7. Hotel Parking - At the other end, your departure airport, you may want to leave your car for the duration of your trip, so it's there upon your return.

8. Taxis - Alternatively, you may prefer to have a taxi take you to and from the airport. If so, booking a reliable taxi firm that's willing to do both journeys will be helpful.

9. Clothes - Depending on the type of holiday you want and what the weather is doing in the place where you're heading, you may need to add a few new clothing items to your suitcase.

10. Currency - Lastly, before you depart, you'll need to make sure you have some money exchanged into the relevant currency and possibly some traveller's cheques.

Monday, 15 November 2010

Santa Monica You're Not That Far

Santa Monica was once a town in itself. It was built as a seaside retreat for Los Angeles residents way back at the turn of the last century. Now however, it has been gobbled up by the ever-growing city limits of LA. However, it still maintains a character of its own, that is much more appealing than its big sister up the coast.

This chic, city-by-the-sea is less try hard than LA. It doesn't have to puff up is feathers to get people's attention; it's natural appeal does it automatically. This is probably why property prices here are some of the highest in the entire world.

So what should you get up to in Santa Monica? The beach is the first port of call. It is long, wide and sandy. The surf is great and the water is surprisingly clean. You simply must rent roller blades and cruise along 'The Strand' to Venice beach. But be warned, you may feel a bit self-conscious as everyone else will be honed, toned and golden. This is where the beautiful people live.

The Ferris wheel and wooden planks of support are just a couple of the instantly recognizable elements on the Santa Monica pier, which houses a fun old-fashioned amusement park. It also has some great restaurants and bars, where you can get hold of some excellent local produce and enjoy it while watching the nightly street dance on the pier from 7.30pm.

The town of Santa Monica doesn't let the States down in terms of its reputation as a great place to go shopping, and the widely-renowned Third Street Mall hosts stores supplying both tourists and locals with all sorts of things, from high fashion to practical surfer gear.

If you are into art, as many of the local residents of Santa Monica are, head over to Bergamot Station Arts Centre. There's over thirty private galleries in this part of the world, not to mention the wonderful (and free) Santa Monica Museum of Art.

It's not just indoors that you'll find art here, though, as the town is famous for hosting little bits and pieces, from sculptures to murals, all over the place. Santa Monica has art installations everywhere, whether it's a finely-crafted piece of sculpture or one of the publicly-recognised spaces for mural painting.

Saturday, 6 November 2010

Shopping and Transport In Lagos

The city main airport named Murtala Muhammad International Airport entertains the flights to Lagos from national as well as international destinations. The airport is owned and administered by Nigerian Airports Company Limited. Thousands of passengers pass through the terminals of the airport each year, apart from that there are several projects under consideration to raise the passengers figure by growing the airport infrastructure and facilities. Lagos being a main air transportation center in Nigeria has a number of direct flights to various international destinations executing from its international airport. Furthermore, many international branded airlines like Nigerian International Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa, Emirates, British Airways, Kenya Airways, Arik Air, Alitalia, Ethiopian Airlines, Afriqiyah Airways operate from this airport to run several flights to Lagos from all over the globe.

There are several markets all around Lagos for buying paintings, sculptures, day to day commodities, vegetables market, fish market, departmental stores and many more. Several markets are also situated besides the coast. The shoppers will find mass of stalls and mini shops which sell all types of artisan goods, decorative from all over the Nigeria. You will also locate several wood figures, masquerades, beads, brass arts, leather accessories, fabrics; barrels along with African musical instruments crafted by local skilled artists. Thousands of tourists traveling to Nigeria book their cheap flights to Lagos

Furthermore you may also move to the Alaba market on the western side of the city which is well recognized for both foods and spices buying. Foodstuffs and household items is the specialty of these markets and several other items like fashion accessories like beads, spas, footwear, handbags, and cosmetic products are also easily available and lots of buyers buy several products of their need especially those who travel to Nigeria by their cheap flights to Lagos.

Even if it's not enough, you may head to Palms shopping center which is a huge shopping compound with abundant stores, shopping sheds, antique stalls, chops bars, restaurants and so on. Additionally, there are many fine sites for arts and culture shopping with several stalls selling arts and crafts works. The visitors, who spend their holiday in Lagos by cheap flight to Lagos frequently stop at the big shopping complex to shop many of the famous and well known items for which the city is famous.

Saturday, 5 June 2010

Paris With A View

The Paris underground system resembles London’s ‘fine’ service and provides transport that can show you the sights of romance in a rush. But why miss the charming bits in-between for the crazy, crammed rush of underground transport, when you can see all the same places on a hop on hop off bus with a more pleasant view as you travel and without the ruckus of asking directions with only what you remember from your high school French class. After all, we don’t arrive at a holiday destination to slip back into our home discomforts. The Parisian streets offer a tranquil sense of culture that London often fast forwards in its constant state of rush and with the audio commentary of the Paris hop on hop off bus Paris hop on hop off bus you won't miss a minute of anything and wont be caught in the wave of commuters, far under the ground that carpets the splendor of the city.

Paris proves to be the classier version of our beloved London. In Paris, Oxford Street transforms into the upscale Champs Elysees, Big Ben becomes the spectacular Eiffel Tower and St. Paul’s Cathedral turns into the mystical Cathedral of Notre Dame. All of which, and more, Paris’s hop on hop off bus tours can take you to, with a one or two day tour plan and all of which you can book before you leave London, leaving you with peace of mind while you travel.

The sights and sounds of Paris should not be missed by underground transport around the city. Apart from missing the atmosphere you would be missing a culture that the tour bus would not let you miss. Paris offers pleasantness wherever you go. You are more likely to breath in the scent of freshly baked bread and hear a poetic native tongue, compared to the polluting fumes of London and aggressive tone that strangers often take to one another. The Paris public transport service does not compare to the comfort and surety of a hop on hop off Paris bus tour for the real French experience.

By: M Rippy

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Sunday, 4 October 2009

Koh Samui Spa - The Ultimate Relaxation

Koh Samui has always attracted people looking for a place to unwind and relax. Even before spas came into existence, several new age centers were already established. In Thailand there are alternative venues which offer opportunities for meditation, but still the demand for sophisticated luxurious spa resorts are increasing day by day. However, this is the perfect place where you can explore all kinds of de-stressing body treatments, traditional massage, and Asian beauty secrets.

Spa treatments have become the ideal option to unwind and get rejuvenated. With the ever increasing work pressure and hectic schedules, people are now going on holidays for spa treatments. Koh Samui spa resorts that promise its guests a wide range of therapies and beauty treatments. You can pamper yourself with everything ranging from traditional Thai massage to different kinds of exotic treatments and massages with special scrubs and oils that are imported from many places across the globe.

Experience the spas of Koh Samui

While planning your holiday in Thailand, you can ask your travel agent to help you in getting the best spa holiday packages. All such packages generally include health management, detoxification of the body, rejuvenation, fasting and weight-loss programs. The spa resorts offer excellent massage services in a green and calm setting.

You will find that these resorts are affordable and the experience is worth the price that you pay for it. A majority of the spa resorts in Koh Samui are wooden, Thai-style houses at the water's edge, where you can pamper yourself with great massage treatments. Some of the spas are even equipped with salt floatation tanks for ensuring client satisfaction. The holistic spa approach consists of:

herbal steam massage
body masque
Ayurvedic aroma therapy
classic Thai massage
foot massage
aroma oil massage
facial massage
Jacuzzi

With so many options at hand, you'll certainly find yourself spoilt for choices. While on holiday, you can also indulge yourself in such exquisite pampering. There are various comprehensive one-day packages available and these combine massotherapy, hydrotherapy, aromatic skincare, beauty treatment, and body treatment. Apart from this, Koh Samui modern spas combine tradition and modern techniques like steam compresses, herbal remedies, and natural ingredients, thereby ensuring complete unmatched comfort and relaxation.

Therefore if you are looking for a great spa holiday, then Koh Samui is the place to be. After a relaxing spa holiday, you will feel refreshed and more energetic when you get back to work.

Koh Samui Spa Resort- Karma Spa offers Thai therapies and wellness experiences that are luxurious, organic and authentic. Karma Spa is bountiful with incredible healing experiences.

Tag : travel,koh samui,travel holiday,spa,thailand

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathleen_Chester

Wednesday, 9 September 2009

Group Ski Holidays

Booking a group ski holiday can be a thankless and stressful task. However, by following a few simple steps, the job can become a lot easier.

The main reason why booking a group ski holidays can be difficult comes down to the dynamics of the group in question. It is very rare to find a large group of skiers who are all at the same level, who all have the same wants, who all have the same budget, or even who all get on with one another! The bigger the group, the more likely it will be pulling in different directions. This leaves the organiser in a difficult position trying to meet the wide and varied demands of lots of different people. Rather than being thanked for organising the ski holiday, the poor person who volunteered often finds themselves being criticised for not booking a certain ski resort, or a certain type of ski accommodation.

So how do you overcome such problems?

Firstly, throw the discussion back to the members of the group. Find out if anyone has any suggestions about where to go, the type of accommodation required, and any special requests people may have. If people don't put forward ideas at this early stage, you can remind them of this if they become critical of your work at a later date.

Secondly, find out everyone's budget. Usually, you have to tailor the holiday to the lowest budget. However, if one person's budget is significantly less than everyone else's, it might be wise to be diplomatic and suggest they can't afford to come on this particular holiday.

Thirdly, it is always useful to Google "Group Ski Holidays", because there are a lot of companies out there which are geared up to organising big groups of people, and this can ease the pressure on the organiser. Also, a lot of these companies offer incentives to group leaders such as free lift passes, so all of your hard work won't go unrewarded.

Finally, it is really important to get definite decisions out of the group. This is a lot trickier in practice than it sounds. Very often some people don't want to commit for a variety of reasons, and the whole group can end up losing out on a holiday just because one or two people can't make up their minds. You really have to be quite strict at this stage. Once you've found something suitable, email everyone and say this is what you've found, it ticks all the boxes, does anyone have any objections? If there are no objections, put a reserve on the accommodation for the maximum number of people in the group. Then tell everyone they have 24 hours to confirm and pay a deposit, otherwise their booking isn't guaranteed.

The best sort of ski accommodation for big groups is ski hotel or chalet hotel style accommodation. This is because you can make a reservation for a certain number of people, and then if others want to join the group at a later date, they can do so subject to rooms being available.

Ski holidays are meant to be fun, and don't forget to remind all the members of your group how much work you put in organising the holiday when they are going to the bar!

Tag : travel,leisure,leisure online