Travel Tales from Asia

If you wish to enjoy a holiday away from the crowds, you should escape to Desroches Island, which is a secluded luxury island that is ideal for de-stressing and escaping the pressures of daily life. Many couples and families head to this beautiful island that has a ring-shaped coral reef around it. If you step out onto the verandah, you can behold a variety of birds, plenty of sea life and tropical lush foliage.

Desroches Island Resort has nearly 26 luxury villas and 20 junior sites that guarantee privacy even when the resort is occupied with people. You reach the beach within a few minutes and you can avail of the bicycles provided by the resort to explore the beautiful island. Each room contains king size beds or two single beds with large bathrooms. The rooms are also fitted with outdoor showers, beautiful verandas and tasteful private lounges that overlook the sea, or garden. You can get butler service or use the culinary kitchen and dining room that are provided in the villas. An infinity pool is also provided.

For those who prefer the upscale dining experience, two restaurants are available, which offer three meals every day. You can order local beers, spirits, house wine and soft drinks or you can get a picnic basket full of snacks, if you so desire. Whether you sit in the restaurant, beach restaurant or enjoy the al fresco on the private veranda, you can order fresh and local cuisine that serves dishes that are produced on the island.

Activities by way of leisure pursuits include matches played on the floodlit tennis court, guided snorkeling tours to view angelfish, as well as sea turtles from up close, or just exploring the shorefront. Take a bicycle and picnic basket and enjoy relaxing on the beaches, or in the jungles, where you can enjoy the beauty of nature.

You can enlist for diving courses at PADI, or NAUI in Desroches, so that you can avail of any of the 14 classified diving sites. The other sports activities offered are sea kayaking and wind-surfing. Sports enthusiasts, who prefer fly-fishing and big game fishing can make arrangements for boats, as well as get their supplies of tackle from the Island Resort.

The island ensures that they closely monitor the population of fish and maintain organic farming. They take care to preserve the native species, which are rare or endangered by making sure that there is no impact with human activities. They try to involve the guests in awareness programs of conservation so that the sea life, wild birds and fauna of this unique island is preserved.

If you are only interested in relaxing in Four Seasons Seychelles then you can book yourself a massage the Coconut Spa or relax by the poolside with a book and a refreshing drink. The Desroches Island Resort has been planned with conservation in mind of the natural features of the island to ensure proper sustenance.

Once you become a senior citizen, you should relax and enjoy the fruits of your hard labor by doing things that you always dreamed of doing. Traveling has become a popular option as it is easy to move from one place to another today. You may be silver haired but that does not mean you have to retire from living your life. You may not feel your age but being older comes with additional risk factors. It is possible for senior travelers to be more susceptible to illness or accidents when traveling. It is therefore advisable to ensure that you take out seniors travel insurance. Special insurance policies for seniors over 65 are available that will allow you to travel anywhere without worrying about your age.

Check out the various insurance policies that are available and chose one that protects your interests without exceeding your budget. A wide range of features are covered at various prices. You could opt for a single trip or check out offers for senior travelers that cover multi trips. Make sure you carefully examine all polices that are available for domestic as well as overseas travel.

Scrutinize the travel insurance for seniors that cover medical expenses when you shop around. Make sure that you cover any pre-existing condition before you travel. There is no point in procuring an insurance policy that will not cover your expenses if required. Look for the benefits that cover medical evacuation. This is essential for international travel. The other factor that you need to check is that your expenses are borne if you have to be brought back home from abroad.

The Internet offers great facilities online for seniors who wish to take travel insurance. It is the best way to source out all the possibilities and then opt for the right one. However, if you are not able to do this, make sure you get a reputed insurance broker. However, when you scour online, you will be able to make comparative notes and check out the various options of policy quotes offered. This option is quicker and you are able to discover which options cover maximum benefits that will assist you when you take that trip.

Pricing depends on various factors such as coverage geographically, if you are using a single or multi trip option and so on. Travel insurance for seniors is reasonably prices and affordable today even if you take the comprehensive options. Make a careful study when you look at all the options offered. Check out all possibilities as it is worth the effort. Be satisfied when you take out the right one and enjoy a carefree vacation or travel where you can spend your leisure time peacefully.

There is so much to do when you visit Australia which is home to big cities, beaches, deserts and mountains. You can choose from any of the ten top things to do in Australia that is listed below.

Visit the Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge as this is something every traveler to Australia must do. Some tourists enjoy climbing up the Bridge and book well in advance while other may opt to enjoy a night at the opera on terra firma.

Enjoy a scenic drive down the Great Ocean Road which starts from Torquay and runs for 243 km to Warrnambool in Victoria which is the southern state. You are bound to spot a few koalas hanging from trees and enjoy stunning sights such as the rock formation of the Twelve Apostles. The Outback may be difficult to reach from any of the major cities but if you can make a trip to Ayers Rock you will enjoy the journey on the dusty roads that take you to Alice Springs.

Make it a point to include the West Coast of Australia as you will be spellbound by the spectacular scenery. Enjoy snorkeling and discovering reef sharks, manta rays, turtles and perhaps a whale shark if you are lucky when you travel half way down the coast to Exmouth.

Skydiving is very popular for backpackers as it is something most tourists enjoy trying. Feel the adrenalin rush as you jump out of a plane from thousands of feet in the air. There is nothing as thrilling, especially as you get a great bird’s eye view of the stunning landscape.

Accommodation is easy to find in Australia. There are many luxury hotels and various eco retreats where you can find great big beds to rest at night. Melbourne and Sydney abound in five-star hotels though if you look around you will find some great chic eco hotels at affordable prices.

Tourists flock to Sydney to enjoy the large ocean pools that are filled with sea water. These types of pools are found in the far end of Coogee beaches and Bondi, Sydney where you can soak lazily in these pools and watch the water flowing in with the current.

Do not miss the Great Barrier Reef which is the largest in the world and spectacular, whether you see it from above, or below. This reef that spreads for over 2,600 km abounds in diverse marine life that will amaze you and make your trip there worth your while.

Try to include Darwin, which is the capital of the Northern Territories, in your itinerary and visit the Kakadu National Park that lies about 200 kms to the south. You will enjoy a wide spectacle of flora and fauna, including rivers, waterfalls and aboriginal rock art.

Tourists can learn to surf and enjoy a great time soaking up the sun on the beaches. Include this exciting sport as one of the top things to do in Australia. Surfing is a popular pastime with Australians and you can join the other tourists and locals in the sparkling crystal waters.

When looking for budget travel insurance it is often necessary to get online in order to find the best deal. For example Endsleigh can offer you every kind of cover for every kind of trip.

Are you planning on a vacation for your family? Head over to eBookers to get the best travel prices possible. Apart from the amount of money that you can save in your flights, the website also has other great features that make it one of the best sites to book your tickets through.

First of all, you need a place to stay. The eBookers lets you select the hotel of your choice from 95,000 different hotels around the world. You can even go through the reviews written by visitors to the site in various different languages.

The site has comprehensive filters to search for the specific type of hotel or location that you are interested in. The site returns location maps based on your search criteria with current prices of the hotels in the region. You do not have to pay extra fees for booking the hotel through the site. There is no charge for modifying or cancelling your booking either.

eBookers offers fantastic deals at unbelievable prices. You get to enjoy discounted rates from time to time. The site conducts flash sales periodically. It also offers promotional discount codes that you can use to get huge discounts on your bookings.

Using the site, you can choose to travel in any one of 250 different airlines. You can also choose some of the world’s best car rentals by using the site’s features. You can get amazing savings when you book multiple travel components all at once. You can save up to 40% using this wonderful feature. You can also save by making your travel and hotel bookings together as a package.

With eBookers, you can stay confident that your money is in safe hands. The site is a member of IATA and ATOL. If any one component of your booking involving a flight element is cancelled, you will get a full refund of your money. All the packages are protected and bonded by the CAA.

The site is secured by Verisign, a reputed online accreditation authority. When you see a price, that is exactly what you would end up paying. All the fee and taxes are included in the total that you see. You will not have any surprises down the way. eBookers have more than 10 years’ experience and are leaders in this field. They are also an Orbitz Worldwide travel brand member.

eBookers is the very first sight to offer a combination of hotel, flight and car bookings together in Europe. You can even access the site using your mobile phone. So, you can make your bookings on the go, wherever you are. There is a separate iPad App known as the eBookers Explorer to allow iPad owners to get the most out of the site.

You can have a live chat with customer service and sales executive online. So, book your flights, hotels and car rentals at the eBookers site.

When you are on holiday you want to take away as much hassle away from your trip as you can. What you don’t want to be doing is worrying about what is happening back home, and you especially do not want to have to worry about what is happening to your car whilst you are away. This is why many people choose to use a secure airport parking service which means that their car is kept in a secure and reliable environment whilst they are off enjoying themselves in sunnier climbs.

Airport parking services know how important it is to their customers to know that their cars are kept well looked after when they are away and this is why many airport parking services now go out of their way to make sure that your vehicle is in safe hands when you are travelling.

However, there are things that you can look out for when you are booking your airport parking service to make sure that your car is a safe as possible. When you book make sure that you look for a car park that has 24 hour CCTV surveillance and is manned by security staff 24 hours a day. Flood lights and a gated secure car park are also good things to look out for.

Many car park services offer pretty slick operations now and you can be sure that most will offer you a professional and efficient service to make sure that you are not hassled about your car at the start or at the end of your holiday.

You don’t have to go away for a long period of time to use a car park service at an airport, you can choose from short stays, mid length stays or long term stays. When you contact your car park service they will advise you on which service is best for you (all depending on how long you expect to be away for).

All of the major airports up and down the UK will offer a wide range of airport parking services and often many are run by independent companies who are all after your business, so if you shop around you will be sure to find some very good deals. One of the best things that you can do is to go online and search for airport parking near to the airport that you are flying from. A good site that you can use is www.parkbcp.co.uk which offers a comprehensive range of car parks that are all brought together in one place so that you can search out the best deal for you. You will be able to find Gatwick Parking, Heathrow Parking and Manchester Airport Parking all in one place at www.parkbcp.co.uk and at heavily discounted rates.

It doesn’t really matter if you are living abroad for an extended stay or you’re trotting the globe looking for some adventure, you always need some protection that comes with travel insurance policies. Provided that you select a right insurance coverage, you can free your mind from worries of what you will do if your trip doesn’t proceed the way you have perceived. Luckily, you can find a variety of insurance packages, but when it is about an extended stay in another country, you will be better off taking out backpacker’s travel insurance.

It is always a great idea to opt for such insurance because it comes with several benefits. For instance:

• This is one fine way of getting extended coverage for a period of 18 months or even more.
• When you pick this particular insurance, you get yourself covered for all medical expenses as well as cancellation, interruption or delay of travel schedules.
• You may want to consider getting such an insurance plan if you are an exchange student because this also helps you get repayment for your student loan.
• Since there are several insurance providers, it is possible to find such backpacker’s travel insurance policies that charge you nothing as additional fees for several sports and activities, such as white water rafting, jet skiing, bungee jumping and more.
• Provided that you do some research, you can also get coverage for winter sports equipment.

Do You Really Need Backpacker’s Travel Insurance Policies?

Although the benefits of purchasing such policies are many, some people still doubt whether they should choose it or not. However, it is a fact that these policies are in your best interest because you never know when you need some medical attention while on a backpacking trip. Another reason why you should seriously think of buying this coverage is that it doesn’t cost you a lot. Compared to other types of travel insurance, this one is quite cheap and you can have it even if you are on a tight budget.

Picking the Best Backpacker’s Travel Insurance Policies:

If you understand the important of such coverage and are on the lookout for the best deal, you should consider shopping around. It is possible to find some deals too tempting to leave, but you should be willing to make a comparison using a comparison site. Just make sure the site you choose offers insurance plans from a number of carriers. Some sites are affiliated with a few carriers and they often keep you from finding the best deal. You need to keep this in mind and compare insurance policies not only for their overall cost but also for the benefits they offer. Not only do you need to know what a policy covers, but you also need to know what is not covered under a plan. So, keep all these points in mind and be ready to conduct some research to be able to pick the best backpacker’s travel insurance.

The activity level of an airport can be measured in one of 2 ways, by aircraft operations or passenger traffic. Aircraft operations are defined by the FFA by a takeoff or landing, and passenger traffic is simply defined as the number of total passengers. A single passenger is described as someone who arrives in, departs from, or transfers through the airport on a given day. The top three busiest airports listed below are based on passenger traffic. It is paramount that airports as busy as these three offer more than just a mode of transportation. In order to satisfy that many impatient travelers these airports must also offer easy access to concessions, an easy way to commute between gates, and much more.

1) Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is located at 6000 North Terminal Parkway in Atlanta Georgia. This is the largest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic with 89,331,622 passengers during the entire 2010 year. It is on pace to maintain this status with 6,348,118 passengers for just the month of January 2011. The airport is 4,700 acres in size and has five runways. It offers an automated underground people mover in order to help travelers maneuver through the 199 gates. It connects all concourses within the terminal and consists of nine, four-car trains that operate on a 3.5 mile track. Also, while you’re there waiting for your flight there are plenty of concessions to keep your mind occupied. The airport contains 263 total outlets. 114 of those are food and beverage outlets, 90 are retail and convenience outlets, 3 duty free stores, and 56 service outlets, which consist of postal service, a banking center, a lottery outlet, a shoe shine parlor, ATMs, and spas. The concessions spaces cover roughly 230,000 square feet of the airport.

2) Beijing Capital International Airport
The Beijing Capital International airport has quickly grown over the past decade to be the world’s second largest airport with 73,891,801 passengers during 2010. As of the end of January 2011 it is maintain its status as the 2nd busiest airport in the world. It is located about 20 miles northeast of Beijing’s city center. The airport is owned and operated by a state controlled company, the Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited. It is also the main hub for Air China which is the flag carrier of the People’s Republic of China. The airport contains 3 terminals:

• Terminal 1 – Currently houses the domestic routes of Hainan Airlines and its subsidiaries.
• Terminal 2 – Serves China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, SkyTeam members and other domestic and international flights.
• Terminal 3 – Serves Air China, Star Alliance, OneWorld Members, and some domestic and international flights that do not operate from the other 2 terminals. Also the newest of the 3 terminals.

The airport also houses a food service area that is commonly called the “global kitchen.” The name derives from the 72 stores that offer a wide variety of food. The dishes vary from formal entrées, fast food joints, Chinese food, Western style cuisine, baked goods, ice cream, and more. In addition to the “global kitchen,” there is also a 12,600 square meter retail area, a 10,600 duty-free store area, and a 7,000 square meter convenience area.

3) O’Hare International Airport
In 2010, the O’Hare International Airport was the world’s third largest airport in terms of passenger traffic with 66,665,390 passengers. However, as of the end of January 2011 it has dropped to #5. In order to maintain its status as the world’s third busiest airport it must exceed passenger traffic of both the London Heathrow Airport and the Tokyo International Airport for the remaining months of 2011.

The O’Hare International Airport is located in the northwestern corner of Chicago Illinois. It serves as the primary hub for United Airlines. The airport was voted the “Best Airport in North America” for 10 years by two separate sources: Readers of the U.S. Edition of Business Traveler Magazine (1998–2003) and Global Traveler Magazine (2004–2007). It contains 5 terminals; however, only 4 of the 5 are operational. Terminal 4 was taken out of operation in 1993 and now serves as the airport’s facility for CTA buses, hotel shuttles, and other transportation. The airport also contains multiple shops and activities for long layovers, including, the Chicago History Museum Gift Shop, the BackRub Hub, a full service medical clinic, and an interfaith chapel just to name a few.

Erica Gustafson is a freelance writer and consultant for Expedia. She writes about her travel experiences as well as other travel related posts sparked from her journeys.

A holiday with the whole family is one of life’s little joys but we all know kids need entertaining. If possible you want their every minute to be filled while you’re away; after all it’s your holiday too. Keep them busy and you just might get some quiet time on the beach to lay back, enjoy the sun and get lost in a good book. So how do you achieve the holiday holy grail of happily entertained children? Games are the answer and below are a few of the best. The kids will love them and so might the inside of you.

1. The Bat and Ball – It’s a classic and for good reason. No complicated rules to explain and you can play it anywhere – although knee-deep in the sea is the most fun. All you need is a bat and ball set that you can buy from pretty much any shop near a beach and it’s game on. It’s great fun and you could even argue it teaches the kids teamwork since you have to work together to keep the ball up.

2. Hide and Seek – Most definitely invented by a parent on holiday this genius game not only gets the kids out of your way for a while but they try their hardest to make as little noise as possible – perfect for any parent wanting to enjoy some poolside peace and quiet. You don’t need any equipment but you might want to set boundaries for how far they can go, you don’t want them crossing national borders or anything like that, we all know how competitive kids can be!

3. Cards – Not a game per se but a whole world of games perfect for a calm evening sitting byb the sea, sun burn glowing in the light of the Mosquito coil. With a deck of cards you get and endless supply of games that are as simple as snap, or as elaborate as bridge so they can suit kids of any age and adults can play too. Perfect for some quality time together. Get some practice in before you fly by playing at a Heathrow airport hotel and you’ll be the holiday champion.

4. Wave riding – Whether they try and catch a wave and ride it onto the beach or just spend a few hours jumping them like hurdles, kids love waves, in fact everybody loves waves. The best thing about games involving waves is not even that grown-up kids love them too, it’s that playing in waves is really tiring so you’re guaranteed to have worn out the kids by the time they’re finished.

5. I-spy -– Another game that can be played anywhere by anyone, and that’s what makes it great. You can play I-spy at home and it’s great fun, but throw in the all-new and amazing surroundings of a holiday and you’ve got a real winner. Just think about what you can spy at the beach, the possibilities are endless.

They say that the best time of the year to visit Asia is during the autumn or the winter. Why? Well, autumn marks the end of the monsoon season and the weather is much dryer. Temperatures are lower and more pleasant for sightseeing. The only catch is that autumn is the start of the high season so you will probably have more difficulties finding cheap flights to Asia. As winter arrives, the tourists flock to some of the most popular destinations in Asia, such as Thailand, India, China and Japan. This is because the temperatures are low and just perfect for sightseeing.

Spring is also a popular time to visit destinations such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, the Philippines, Bali and some areas of China. However, other areas may be experiencing intense heat and humidity which makes sightseeing rather unpleasant. I would not advise visiting Asia during the summer because this is when the temperatures are at their highest and the monsoon season is in full swing.

So it would appear that although the best time of the year to visit Asia is during the autumn or the winter, this is when airline tickets are most expensive, because it is the high season. I personally would recommend organising to go during the spring, the start of the low season, as this is when you are likely to get cheap flights, as well as cheap accommodation and there will be fewer tourists. The weather should be okay too.

This is a general overview. If you want to find out what the weather is like in a particular Asian country, you should do further research on the internet. By doing this you will know exactly where to go or avoid during the spring and summer.

Tips for finding flights to Asia

To find flights, I would recommend spending quite a bit of time doing various searches online until you find the best deal. Try searching different dates, days and months (if you are flexible about travelling of course) until you find the right deal. Some of the airlines you should consider booking with are British Airways, Thai Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Tanzania situated in central east Africa is a country that can offer so much. It is the land with such dramatic and diverse landscapes encompassing famous and romantic places including Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and The Serengeti. The Serengeti National Park is packed full of magnificent scenes of natural beauty and absolute wonders of the earth. The wildlife the country offers is truly astounding and the historical importance is amazing.
Tanzania has the oldest known inhabited areas on earth that date back 2 million years. It was also believed to have supported pre-historic hunter gatherer tribes. There is evidence of such people in specialist areas within Tanzania. In addition, the tourist industries surrounding Tanzania holidays are forward thinking and innovative. They are known to support many poverty alleviation and environmental protective schemes, using local resources wherever possible and providing fair pay rates to their employees. Tanzania adventure holidays can be a unique and unforgettable experience.

The word safari is said to mean ‘travel’ in the Swahili language and there’s certainly much exotic travelling to do on safari in Tanzania. One can travel to many exotic and scenic locations that are teaming with native wildlife.
Lake Manyara is one such exotic place. It is a massive alkaline lake that supports flocks of pink flamingos, en route there are herds of elephants and tree climbing big cats to be spotted. On the vast Serengeti plains herds of zebra, wildebeest and gazelle gracefully graze along with giraffe, buffalo and warthog. There’s also a chance to view the natural predators of these grazing animals in action, big cats such as lions, cheetah and leopards roam around the plains, sniffing the air for potential prey. The Ngorangoro Crater is an enormous crater left by a collapsed volcano. It is 16 miles in diameter and is covered on its sides by lush, dense forest. In its crater is natural grassland, wetland and a lake, ideal for supporting further magnificent African wildlife. Tanzania adventure holidays provide superb wildlife adventures.

The Olduvai Gorge is the area where the ancient archaeology can be found.
Also known as the ‘Cradle of mankind’, the gorge is said to hold the secrets of man’s early evolutionary heritage. Fossils have been found here that date back 2 million years. For those that want to immerse themselves in the culture of the people on Tanzania holidays, the experienced guides know of friendly local villages spread across the Rift valley escarpments that welcome tourists and can actively involve them in village activities. These activities can vary from traditional brick making in wood fired kilns to milking goats or jewellery making.

Accommodation on a big game safari in Tanzania can be varied but always safe and comfortable. There are bush campsites, (often with swimming pools), which allows the appreciation of the countryside and wildlife and are always fully staffed to provide excellent catering arrangements. There is also the opportunity of experiencing luxury camping involving thatched tented accommodation complete with en suite facilities and gourmet meals.
Comfortable lodges are another possibility while enjoying Tanzania holidays.
Tanzania adventure holidays offer lots of choice, there is something for everyone.