Enjoy Your Vacation on the Islands of Hawaii
Jun 18, 2012 19:18 - alisha | 2,508 views
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By far the best islands to visit have to be the islands of Hawaii. The Big Island is large enough to hold 11 of the world’s 13 climactic zones and has everything from sandy beaches to snowcapped mountains. You can enjoy waterfalls, rainforests and botanical gardens in Hilo, explore the calm and clear water off of Kona, or view Kilauea which is one of the world’s most active volcanoes in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
The island of Oahu has the largest population and is home to the state capital of Hawaii, Honolulu. Oahu is also home to one of the most famous areas in the state, Waikiki, which is known for its wild nightlife. If you are looking for calm and quiet, Molokai is the island for you. Roughly half of the people of Molokai are of native Hawaiian descent, which makes it the island most in stroke with its storied past. Maui is the second largest island and is full of variety. You can enjoy 42 miles of beaches, luxury resorts, and plenty of activities to keep you busy. Kauai is the oldest and northernmost island covered in lush tropical rain forests. It is one of the most romantic islands and is also a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Find the island that’s right for you and use the Priceline Coupon Codes to save money on your Hawaii vacation.
Hawaii’s beaches are its claim to celebrity. Some of the best known beaches include Waikiki Beach on the island of Oahu, Papohaku Beach Park on Molokai, and Maui’s 3-mile-long Kaanapali Beach. The black sand at Punaluu Beach Park on the Big Island draws in a lot of beach goers. New married couples in search of romance can venture to Lanai, which boasts a number of quiet beaches including Polihua or visit Hanalei Beach Park on Kauai, which is also an ideal location for watching a romantic sunset. There are a number of family-friendly beaches in Hawaii as well, including Lydgate Beach Park on Kauai and Spencer Beach Park on the Big Island.
Hawaii’s coastal areas offer many opportunities for water activities. Waikiki Beach’s conditions are great for surfing. Kahaluu Beach Park on the Big Island and Oahu’s Kailua Beach are excellent locations for snorkeling and scuba diving. Maui is a prime whale-watching destination, and able swimmers can dive with manta rays at night off the Big Island’s Kona beach. The rays are safe creatures that gather to the area after dark to feed on plankton illuminated by spotlights installed on the sea ground.
Hawaii’s major airport, Honolulu International Airport, is the point of entry for most visitors. There are a number of express flights from the U.S. mainland to Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, but travelers must transfer in Oahu if Lanai or Molokai is their final destination. Ferries bound for Lanai and Molokai depart daily from Maui, and while most of the islands offer shuttles, taxis or public transportation, the Hawaii Tourism Board recommends renting a car.
Visitors to Hawaii have hundreds of room options including all-inclusive luxury resorts and hotels now steps from the beach. For those visiting Oahu on a budget, the Waikiki Beachside Hostel is less than a block from the beach. Bed and breakfasts provide a more modified service and large groups can find comfort in furnished vacation rentals which are offered on all six islands.
Author Bio: Alisha is a contributor and writer for Fresh Coupon Codes. Save your money and use the Free Shipping Coupons site and discount deal to enjoy your vacation in Big Island, Hawaii.
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A Spiritual Adventure to El Camino de Santiago
Jun 14, 2012 06:18 - holly | 2,089 views
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Life in the western world can be pretty chaotic and stressful, especially if you live in a city and you only have the weekend to really relax and devote some time to your hobbies. It’s also true that when it comes to deciding where to go on holiday that there are so many things to take into consideration that many people just book a Europe cruise; it’s easy, fast and of course not stressful at all.
However, what if you need something a bit more adventurous and, let’s say, spiritual. You don’t have to be a religious person or be on the edge of a life crisis to choose to go on the “Camino de Santiago” (the route to Santiago). What this trip gives you is the space and time for your mind to concentrate on your immediate needs and wishes. Also, it gives you the chance to appreciate some of the things you have taken for granted in your life or to find positive inspiration about a possible life change.
Touching base: What you need to know about the “Camino”.
Throughout the centuries, many pilgrims around Europe have embarked upon a long foot march to reach Santiago de Compostela. This famous, spiritual, Catholic place is not only a UNESCO world heritage site, but also the reaching point of a route that people take moved by faith or by a restless need to challenge their spiritual and physical strength. Even though you can basically start the pilgrimage from your doorstep, the canonic routes start from France, Spain, Portugal and Germany – it depends on your trekking abilities and, of course, time. You can get a better idea of the different paths here: http://www.caminodesantiago.me.uk/camino-routes/
There are many hostels on the way to Santiago that have very cheap rates for pilgrims and they also offer a chance to socialize with other people, though most hostels switch off the lights at 9pm and a normal walking day starts at 7am.
The weather conditions can be pretty hard on the Pyrenees, however the most difficult part of the “Camino” is the loneliness, even when traveling with someone else. Don’t forget to make your backpack as light as you can because you’ll have to carry it for many kilometers. Most people can’t make it to the end on foot and decide to take buses or cars to get to Santiago. Either way, the city is a daily spiritual party and when you arrive you’ll feel like you’ve accomplished the biggest challenge of your life. Make sure to read these 45 FAQs on the link below, before planning you trip:
http://www.caminodesantiago.me/45-faqs-on-the-camino-de-santiago/
Happy walking everyone!
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Surviving the Death Road Bike Tour
Jun 12, 2012 12:54 - holly | 2,117 views
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Not far from La Paz, Bolivia there is a mountain; actually, there are lots of mountains all belonging to the Andean mountain range known as the Royal mountain range. One of these mountains is special; not special as in its tip is snow-covered and in its vicinity it snows, hails, freezes and basically looks like you imagine the dark side of the moon, but it is special because it is the starting point of the adventure of a lifetime, the Death Road. The Death Road is an adrenaline junkie’s uttermost kick and every parent’s nightmare located on Mount Illimani.
Lots of travel agencies have discovered Mount Illimani’s potential and offer a thrilling (at least until a few years back) and quite dangerous mountain-bike ride. The tour starts at the top of the mountain at 4.700m.a.s.l, where you have to wear your clothes in a very un-sexy but protective layer-style to prevent loosing a fingertip or nose to the bitter cold or the especially mean-spirited Jack Frost.
The temperature at the beginning of the tour is about 0-5 degrees Celsius which doesn’t sound too bad, but it is the head-wind, hail and snow whipping your face and any other exposed part of your body with the viciousness of a Roman executioner after a lost match in the arena that makes you curse your decision to take the trip. Before you can change your mind, quickly get off your bike, return to the comfort and warmth of your accommodation and book a relaxing trip on a Europe Cruise, the temperature changes with the same speed that you dash down-hill.
On the way down the hill you will go past little Death Road indigenous communities from which the kids will come running towards you as soon as they spot the first cyclist either to wish you well for the way, sell you provisions, or collect a small toll which mainly helps the communities’ development. The road changes from proper asphalt, to rubble and debris, to mud and at the very end to grass and will tightly grip your attention; at least if you want to make it to the end on your bike and without any injuries along the way that is.
After approximately 5 hours the destination will be reached by around one-third of the group (or at least that was the case when I participated) as the rest give up mid-way because they can’t handle the road-condition, the pace the group is chasing the light and fog down the hill, or simply their fear and adrenaline. If you can’t cut it don’t worry! The group is accompanied on a nearby road by a van that anyone who bails out can jump on.
The final destination is a little town called Yolosa which sits at about 1.200 m.a.s.l. Here the climate is tropical, (people kept peeling off their clothes as they descended) a delicious buffet is laid out, and a hot and seductively bubbling Jacuzzi awaits everyone who makes it to the end and properly savors the feeling of having (figuratively speaking) looked death in the eye and gotten away.
The road got its scary name due to it being the road with the highest death-toll worldwide; partly to be explained by the missing guard railings stopping cars and cyclists from slipping off the edge and falling to their deaths some 500 meters below, and partly due to the fact that the road is very narrow and snakes around the mountain. This constantly prevents everybody from seeing what’s ahead and demands that the frequent truck-drivers never stop – that is unless they want to slide back down the hill again with no breaks to save them on the slimy mud – Shocking, but true.
At the end of the day there is the option of returning to La Paz with the group or individually continuing on towards Coroico to spend the night at a hotel overlooking the lush rainforest and artfully painted curves of the road. Here you can relax and watch the last rays of the sun tickle the mist-covered mountains before disappearing to nothing.
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Get the Facts: Vacation Scams
Jun 10, 2012 12:20 - emilygreen | 2,018 views
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Here is the truth, today scammers get away with a lot of things and there isn’t a lot that people can do once they have been scammed. When it comes to vacations this is nothing new. Scammers have just found a way to con money and time out of people. Vacation scams are happening more often and in more ways, so what are the facts about vacation scams? Here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Vacation Choices are usually as good as they seem and rarely too good to be true. If it seems cheaper than it should be, do some research.
- Scammers like to impersonate travel agents and travel companies.
- When a scammer is pretending to be affiliated with travel they might ask for your social security number or banks accounts. This is a big red flag that says scammer.
- If you have to wire transfer money anywhere the chances that you are being scammed are almost 100%. Wire transfers can be transferred anywhere, even out of the country.
- Most people who lose money to travel scams do not recover the money, so be careful where you send your money.
- Travel companies make themselves available. They offer resources, references, and customer reviews on open source areas such as websites and community forums.
- Travel scams do not always offer the same kind of qualifications and if they offer references they will sound almost exactly like the agents themselves in the selling content.
- If you get it via email, it is almost guaranteed to be a scam! Emails are very unreliable and it is very easy for someone to send a link that robs you blind before you realize it’s a scam.
- Scammers target forum pages like Craigslist or Facebook to lure in victims.
- Authorities can not stop scammers and can not usually recover losses. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of ways that these people can be tracked, so it is important to look after yourself.
- Most victims could have avoided being scammed if they had simply taken the time to research the company, call the hotel, or look for customer reviews. These scams do not last long because people complain, so when in doubt, search and find out!
There are many ways to avoid being scammed and when you are on vacation it doesn’t mean you should let down your guard even for a second!
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Out Of Africa – Great Safari Tours in the USA
Jun 5, 2012 07:01 - ricky | 48 views
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Nowadays, you don’t have to travel out to the African wilderness to see beautiful creatures such as lions, elephants, buffalo and rhinos. The wonders of safari can be experienced in safari parks closer to home. Many tour operators now offer affordable holidays to safari parks in the US.
Unlike visiting a zoo, a safari park offers people the opportunity to experience a more realistic wildlife environment. Usually modelled on scaled versions of a natural habitat, safari parks allow animals to roam free within the confines of the perimeter fences.
Africa is arguably still the best place to go on safari holidays because the animals are in their indigenous environment. However, there are many good safari parks around the world that offer a similar experience. Below is a selection of some of the best safari parks in the US.
Everglades Safari Park, Florida
If you are interested in adventure tours, check out the Everglades Safari Park in Florida. This is one of the most popular attractions in the area. Visitors can take an air-boat tour around the Everglades and see the native wildlife such as American crocodiles and alligators. For those who are feeling brave, the park offers visitors the chance to hold a baby crocodile.
Safari West, California
This 400 acre safari park is located in the centre of California’s wine country. It is home to over 800 animals including zebra, antelope, buffalo, rhinos and giraffe. The park offers private adventure tours for up to 10 people, including a guide, wine and snacks. The tour involves a three-hour drive through the park on an authentic safari vehicle. Visitors to the park can also spend a night in a traditional African tent overlooking one of the lakes.
Wild Side, Ohio
Wild Side safari park is a must-see attraction for those eager to be up close to rhinos. The park is an authentic landscape where many grazing African animals are free to roam around. On the shuttled tours you can see giraffe, zebra, cheetah, wild dogs and, of course, rhino. The Wild Side safari park has a selection of safari-style lodges where visitors can spend the night on the park game viewing and experiencing the ‘next best thing’ to an African safari.
Disney’s Wildlife Kingdom, Florida
Some people would not consider Disney’s Wildlife Kingdom as a safari park; instead, they would describe it as an animal-themed park. However, this park contains over 250 species of animal and one of its areas is themed on Africa. Therefore, for an ‘African experience’, it is the ideal place to enjoy as a family. The Wild Trek Africa experience is a private tour that includes a guide and visits the crocodile and hippo enclosures. You can also travel on a traditional safari vehicle and see elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, lions and more.
Virginia Safari Park, Virginia
Home to over 1,000 animals from 6 different continents, this safari park is situated on 180 acres of land. The park has a safari drive-through zoo and a safari walk-through zoo. The drive-through safari is made up of 3 miles of road through the Shenandoah Valley. Here you will see llamas, camels, deer, bison, ostriches and zebras. The safari village walk-through area is a series of paths that visitors can leisurely stroll down and find goats, pot belly pigs, giraffes and baby llamas. Children will enjoy the opportunity to feed and pet these animals in this area of the park.
Safari parks are the perfect alternative to experiencing the real thing in Africa. They provide people of all ages and budgets with the next best thing: an African wildlife adventure in a realistic cage-free habitat.
AUTHOR BIO:
Claire Jones writes regularly on safari holidays for a range of travel websites and blogs. Claire has spent a number of years reviewing national and international safari parks. She has also visited the Masai Mara, one of Africa’s most iconic parks to experience ‘the real thing’ for herself.
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