Great Vacation Destinations For The Whole Family

family vacationChoosing a vacation destination with the whole family can be a bit tricky especially if you have young children coming with you. To help you search for the right place, here are our top picks:

Ghent, Belgium

Great for families with babies. Head to the Flemish city of Ghent and you will be enchanted by the largest car-free city centre in Belgium. Visit the Gravensteen Castle to have the kids sit on the King’s throne. While the park is not stroller friendly, but you can place it just at the entrance, and you will be directed to the castle’s stairs. Once done, see the rest of the city by riding a bootje (boat). You and your kids will love travelling along the canal while you admire the architecture of the city.

Florida Keys, U.S

This is a great location for families with small children and even teenagers. You and your family will be able to enjoy the golden sandy beaches and taste their local specialty like their crocodile dishes. You will be able to swim with dolphins and ride a glass-bottomed boat where you will be able to see sea creatures up close.

Toronto, Canada

While Toronto is popular for solo travellers, but this location is also great to enjoy with the whole family. There are a lot of places to enjoy such as the CN Tower and the Royal Ontario Museum. Then feed your mind by visiting the Natural History and the World Culture galleries. Then hit the street and enjoy their great food. Since Toronto is mostly diverse, you will be able to find different kinds of food that will surely blow your mind.

Budget Travel – How You Can Save Money On Your Travel

budget travelPlanning is key if you are looking to travel on a budget. The internet is a great place to look for budget hotels. There are many opportunities to find great hotel deals when you book online.

Consider the following budget travel tips:

– Set limit to your daily spending amount.

– Consider booking a stay in a hostel because it is cheaper than a hotel.

– Choose to travel in the off-season. Not many people travel during this time of year and the cost of accommodation are lower.

– Search for discounts. Ask travel agencies as they usually offer cheap packages.

– Plan how you are going to travel. Determine if you are going to use your own car or rent one. Renting a car can be more expensive. You may take a train or bus as other cheaper alternative.

– Consider paying for a flight only and managing your accommodation when you arrive at your destination. This way you avoid the middleman that makes the price higher. It is also a good idea to book your accommodation in advance instead of paying for an all-in package that can be more expensive.

– Inquire to your travel agent for discounted airfare deals.

– Don’t forget to get a travel insurance. It is can be really helpful in case you incur losses due to medical expenses or lost luggage etc.

When you reach your destination and you have no reservation, you can find hotel booking services at most plane terminals and train stations. Having a map can help you know where you are going around your location, and this can also help you save money because you can avoid taking the wrong transport.

Things Not To Do When Travelling

travel destinations collingwood parkWhile we mostly love to visit travel destinations, but there are some cases when we make mistakes when we travel. Here are some things you should avoid when travelling:

Avoid bank card with fees

No one wants to give our money to the bank but in most cases, it is unavoidable to pay the bank fee. When travelling though choose a bank that will not give you foreign transaction fees to avoid ATM fees and surcharges. Make sure to look for your options and ask your local banks regarding this.

Don’t just rely on US-based search engines

While we mostly rely on what is mostly common but popular search engines also have blind spots. Do not limit your search to only the large search engines because that will also reduce your chance of finding a better deal. If you are searching for cheap flights, do not just stick with the big sites and expand your horizons when searching. Once you do, you may find the flight you are just looking for.

Don’t forget to protect yourself

A lot of travellers even those season travellers ignore travel insurance because they think it is just an added expense. But keep in mind that travelling is all about the unknown. You never what could happen when you are on the road. You might lose a camera, have minor injury while scuba diving, or leave a country because of a natural disaster, these are all emergencies which could have helped you if you only had that travel insurance.

Travel insurance mostly protects you when you are abroad and should not be avoided at any cost. You are always doing a smart decision when you get one for yourself because it can protect you for medical and nonmedical situations.

How To Plan Your First Cruise Holiday

cruise vacation gold coastAre you looking to take a cruise on your next holiday vacation? A cruise vacation can be a fun-filled experience as you can enjoy the luxury services, shopping, gourmet meals all aboard a ship while sailing from different places. However, if you’re taking a cruise for the first time, then it’s always better to do some planning to make it a successful cruise experience. Here’s how you can plan your first cruise vacation.

Choose Your Destination

The first thing to do is to choose your destination. It is important to know if the destination you intend to visit is feasible for cruising. Additionally, choosing the route will help you set your budget. You may opt to fly into a certain place, enjoy your moment of stay, and then get aboard the cruise. This set up might save you some money on your travel. Finding cheap flights will save you some money which you can use for a cruise trip.

Contact a travel operator

If you do not have any idea about the route or what cruise to take, it is better to get in touch with a travel agent. They can answer your questions about travel cruise vacations and guide you in finding the best travel cruises within your budget.

Set a budget and stick with it

There are many means to spend money when travelling on a cruise. Do not be tempted to spend beyond your allotted money for the vacation. It may also help you save money by bringing most of your essentials with you instead of buying them on the ship. Stick to your travel budget and make sure you have all that you need with you when the time has come to embark to your destination.

Get a full medical checkup

To make sure that you are fit for a travel cruise, get a medical checkup done before travelling by sea. This will help you determine if you have higher chances of getting motion sickness or falling sick on board. Do a complete checkup done and take necessary medicines with you. In case you are currently suffering from any illnesses, take the prescribed medicines with you so that you don’t have to worry about it on board.

Solo Travelling – Should You Go On A Vacation By Yourself?

solo travelling ipswichHow many times have you heard some people say they need to go on a vacation although they have just been on one? Actually, travel is work. The French word for travel is actually work so it is really important to asses on whether you need to go on a vacation more than you need to travel.

If a relaxing travel is what you need, you will need to search accordingly and you may be one of those people who may need to go on vacation by themselves to be able to relax more.

Why should you go on a vacation by yourself?

There are a lot of advantages to going on a solo trip such as you will be able to relax and you will be able to explore on your own and not be limited by the plans of others.

However, going on a solo vacation also been stereotyped as a way of hook-up trips. There are even some single resorts that are providing an atmosphere that provides opportunities for casual sex.

But with the gaining popularity of the solo travel market, other resorts are providing real amenities for solo travellers while also being open to couples as well. This is the same for cruises and tours.

Single vacations or single holidays are becoming popular around the UK and all sectors of the travel industry are adapting to the need of the growing solo market by providing better activities for them and places where they can stay as solo travellers.

While some may still insist that naughty things can still happen for these type of travellers, but naughty is not the goal for their trips. While they can still find love along the way, but the goal for their trip is to simply enjoy a great vacation and not to be stressed out by travelling.

Swan Valley On Two Wheels

Swan Valley Bike Ride

Swan Valley is an area in Western Australia that is known for its fertile land, and the various businesses that sprung up in order to take advantage of the soil. There are wineries, from larger operations to smaller family-run enterprises. It’s also home to microbreweries, and farms that harvest strawberries, melons, grapes, olives and other produce. This is a beautiful region full of green foliage and growing things, and one of the best ways to take it all in is by bicycle.

The Swan Valley Heritage Cycle Trail

This cycle trail is designed to be accessible to people with varying levels of fitness, so that you don’t have to be an avid cyclist in order to enjoy the ride. The trail runs for around 10 kilometers, and there are no difficult uphills to worry about. This means that you’re fine whether you’re riding a road bike, mountain bike, hybrid, or some other type of bicycle. What makes the ride more interesting are the various sights and establishments you’ll come across along the route. You can stop at a fruit stand to buy something fresh to snack on. There are places where you can spread out a picnic blanket, for a full meal. Whether you’re into art galleries, wine tasting, coffee breaks, or chocolate, this trail has you covered. There are also signs along the way, that provide even more information and context regarding your surroundings.

Bikes and E-Bikes for Hire

Why not try something different & ditch the car once you arrive? You don’t need to have your own bicycle to enjoy the Heritage Cycle Trail. There are conveniently-located establishments that offer bikes-for-hire, including electric bikes. Tour companies will often deliver the bikes to your lodgings, and pick them up at the end of the day. You can also hire a guide to lead the way, and tell stories about the places you ride past. If you plan to buy a lot of things or food, there’s no need to worry. The bikes can come with panniers at the rear (They look like large saddle bags.), to allow you to carry your purchases, and the electric bikes will make bringing those purchases back rather easy.

The Swan Valley has much to offer to visitors and travelers. And if you choose to make your way around on a bicycle, that lets you further enjoy the area’s sun and fresh air, while remaining close to the neighborhoods and establishments you cycle by.