Smart Travel

Do you long for deeper meaning, greater simplicity and a greater connection to the divine? Currently there is a quiet explosion occurring. The numbers of people searching for and wanting a richer spiritual experience are flocking to retreats in record numbers. More people are going to spiritual retreats than ever before. Retreat facilities and spiritual tours are in full swing and are booked weeks, even months in advance. Spiritual retreats are more popular than ever. People are looking for places to escape the pressures and anxieties of their busy everyday life. The retreat experience is seen as a temporary withdrawal from daily life, designed to empower the individual to fulfill his or her spiritual value within the circumstances of ordinary life. As the need for spirituality increases, the need to re-energize and reflect at retreat locations also increases. Medical doctors are even beginning to see the value in retreats and are starting to prescribe their benefits to their patients....

You want to go to travel and tourism college? Once you obtain the necessary travel and tourism degree, then what? Tracy Snelling, an account manager at Atlas Travel International, a travel agency in Milford, MA, never went the traditional route of going to travel and tourism college, but she can tell you a lot about the career in store for you. The award-winning innovative company in products and services, not only prides itself in their excellent company culture, but her ability to help her clients. So what does it take to be a travel and tourism pro? How Snelling's Travel and Tourism Career Began When Snelling was in college, she was drawn to work at a small agency in North Carolina part time. "I thought it would be nice to travel," she recalls. "Little did I know it really wasn't that much about traveling." But the job did have its benefits. In fact, Snelling's experience at Atlas Travel International landed her an accounting job. Sure, she was in the...

A bit of free time is hard to come by these days. In fact, with work, kids and countless other life pursuits to contend with, there's seemingly no time to relax and do "nothing"; let alone take time off for a holiday. Yet the need for such free time is always there and continues to grow with the stresses of everyday life. So what can you do to remedy this seemingly endless cycle? If you feel the need for a holiday but don't have much time to spare, then why not consider taking a short break? This inevitably means that you won't have the time to travel very far; but then again, you don't really need to visit faraway lands in order to relax and enjoy a change of scenery. If you live in the UK, a visit to Ireland is more than manageable in terms of both distance and cost. Many people are turning to ferry travel when it comes to travelling between the UK and Ireland - and why not? Ferries offer a comfortable and fast way to travel; in fact, with no hidden charges ...

In the National Lampoon Vacation movies anything that can go wrong to Chevy Chase does. The hotel isn't as described in the brochure, the car is too small and the amusement park is closed; the list could go on. With the introduction of the Internet into the average American home, planning vacations has become easier than ever. Incidentally, when vacationing we all have special circumstances, including children, pets, disabilities or medical requirements. And sometimes your destination makes all the difference. These are the answers to a few frequently asked travel questions, and tips to remember when traveling with special circumstances. Flying . Flying has become one of the most common forms of travel, but as airlines get bigger they need to accommodate a larger number of people and their demands. Flying With Children . Always inform the airline you are traveling with children when you by your tickets. Reservations for infants and children under 2 cannot be made on most online tra...

Modern air travel has certainly made the world a lot smaller and allows you to fit visits to many more countries into your busy schedule, whether you are traveling purely for pleasure or on business. However it is going to take the human body a little while yet to catch up and, in the meantim e, you will have to continue to battle with the problem of jet lag and to find ways of coping with it. In its simplest form jet lag occurs when you are traveling and the time recorded by your body's internal clock is out of balance with local time at your destination. For example, if you leave London at 9 pm and fly to Bangkok you will arrive approximately 13 hours later at 10 am London time the following morning. However, because you have flown across several time zones, local time at Bangkok airport is now 4 pm that same afternoon. Having traveled to your hotel, checked in and taken a shower your body will now tell you that it is time to eat. Now, your body clock thinks that it is time for l...

Flying in an air plane, with seat belt around your belly and air hostesses taking your order is no more just a dream for most now. With the kind of competition emerging in the civil aviation industry, the air fares have dropped down to the lowest levels ever. Sometimes passengers even wonder whether the airline is earning something from them or not with such low priced cheap air tickets. Crashing down of air ticket prices started when the private sector was let in to the civil aviation and the formalities related to the process were eased off. With this decision of the government many small sizes airlines have dwelled into the industry and have been making sound profits as low cost carriers. Since that very time there has been a radical change in the way people used to fly. Everybody knows how seriously these private firms take their business and how lethal is the sense of competition among them. Once a small scale private players reduces its air fare prices, the leaders in the busines...

Some people wait to plan for the last minute travel . Procrastinating in planning your travel does not work to your advantage. When planning a trip overseas, it pays off to be prepared because you are going into unfamiliar territory and there is so much you need to research unless you have been to that place before. Even that isn't a good idea. Booking a travel package beforehand helps to get a better travel deal and may not be the case if you wait until the last minute. Frantically searching for the last minute travel deals puts us in a position of desperation and we will possibly accept the first deal that comes to us. However, since the travel industry has taken the Internet by storm, there seems to be many possibilities of getting good prices when you book a last minute deal. In fact, some online travel agencies offer last minute deals because they know that there will be some people who wait until the last minute to book their flights. These deals have become v...

Whether you are going on a family vacation, a spring break vacation with college friends, or even your honeymoon, Hawaii is a great place to visit at any time of year. While Hawaii is a great travel destination, you may want to know a bit about this place before you land. The following are some important tips that can help you have a great time while you are in Hawaii. Tip #1 - No Touching a Nene - A Nene is the Hawaii state bird, and while they may look cute, they can be very defensive, especially if they have babies. These birds are also endangered species, so even if they look cute, touching or even approaching these birds are against the law. Be sure to keep this in mind when traveling to Hawaii or you may end up with a hefty fine. Tip #2 - Get the Flower Lei Greeting - One of the most exciting experiences to enjoy in Hawaii is the flower lei greeting, but some vacation packages may not have this greeting included. Before you make your final arrangements for your trip, make sure th...

Watching elephant herds and the spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro is the reason thousands of tourists visit the Amboseli National Park. The Amboseli National Park is 392 square kilometers in size of dramatically arid to semi arid sorroundings and is also the heartland of the Masai nomadic community. During the mostly dry seasons, the Amboseli National Park Vegetation is scarce and sometimes rare making spotting game easier than in the Masai Mara Game reserve. Walking the Amboseli National Park guarantees close encounters with numerous species of birds, large herds of wildebeests and zebra, elephant families, buffalos, giraffes, antelopes and baboons. The park also also holds numerous waterbirds among them flamingos. You will definately see lions, leopards, and cheetahs in the dense natural patches of thick cover. you could also catch a glimpse of the rare black rhino every now and then. The Amboseli National Park is not short of places to stay eat and while away your evenings, as ...

Thousands of Las Vegas travellers every year wonder how to get a cheap ticket to Las Vegas . Las Vegas isn't called the city of lost wages for nothing. This article will discuss how to get a cheap air ticket to Las Vegas . This is but one of a collection of articles I'm writing about cheap travel to Las Vegas. Be sure to look out for my other Las Vegas cheap travel tips. Keep reading to learn more tips about how to have a fun cheap trip to Las Vegas. The more time you can spend planning your cheap Las Vegas vacation will mean a cheap ticket to Las Vegas for you. The best way to get a cheap ticket to Las Vegas involves spending just a few minutes researching a cheap airfare to Las Vegas . If you are willing to spend just a few minutes scouring the web for a cheap ticket to Las Vegas then you will be rewarded with savings of hundreds of dollars on your Las Vegas vacation. Thankfully the Internet makes the task of find a cheap airfare to Las Vegas incredibly easy. Of course, the...

Many people hold in their dreams to become a world traveler, or to at least go on at least one trip to a foreign locale. The reason most people do not act on their desire to travel abroad is of course financial. There are ways to enjoy world travel on a budget, but you have to know where to look and where to lay your concern when searching for the right vacation destination and flight. Although in recent years there have been more students that request student loans and government grant so get through their college years, there is also a surge in the number of college aged students that take trips to foreign locations. These excursions occur partly because of a foreign studies program or missions trip that is offered by the school and often partially covered from the semester's tuition, but also because Americans, as a whole, are more apt to spend money that they do not have than they used to be. In order to break down how students and adult travelers can travel abroad on a budget,...

When it comes to luxury, romance and adventure there is no better holiday than a trip on the legendary Orient express. The train’s first journey was in 1883 and travelled from Paris to Romania. Now 114 years later the famous train is still going strong and vacations on the Orient Express are still as popular as ever. The original journey is no longer available but that is not to say holidaymakers aren’t spoilt for choice. The closest you can get to the trains maiden journey is the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express route. Travellers board the train at London’s Victoria Station and cross the channel for an overnight journey through France and into Switzerland. The luxurious train travels through the Swiss Mountains and the Austrian Alps before arriving at the beautiful city of Venice. However, you don’t have to leave the UK to experience the beauty of Orient Express. Holidaymakers can take the train to the magnificent home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire - Chatsworth House. After brunc...

Author: Shari Hearn Cave exploring has become a favorite adventure activity for many Americans. Whether you're taking a short, self-guided or guided tour of a commercial cave, or engaging in advanced spelunking of non-commercial caves, there's just something magical about entering a cave. The feel of the cave air, the smells, the quite, the utter darkness when the lamps are turned off. In caving you will discover the beauty of nature and marvel at rock formations and crystals that took thousands, and even millions, of years to shape and develop. Caves come in different shapes and sizes. There are caves that are horizontal, dry, hot, humid and sandy, while others are vertical, cold, flooded and muddy. There are even caves that are located under rivers and seas. Another great thing about visiting a cave is that you are able to step back in time a bit, as many caves have served as dwellings for early humans, offering shelter from the outside elements. Another interesting thing ab...

In 1965 Paul C. Fisher, president of Fisher Space Pen Co., sent his pen to Houston Space Center and NASA began testing it. Astronauts had been using pencils for note taking, but the graphite used in pencils could break off and float around the cabin. This lead could become lodged in electrical switches and jeopardize their personal safety as well as the mission. The pen was put through 18 months of rigorous testing subsequently approving it for use on a trial mission in outer space. By 1968 the Fisher Space Pen was issued to astronauts for all manned space flights. It is still in use today on all American and Russian flights. Many of us were first introduced to this pen on a Seinfeld episode, "The Pen." It has also been on The Tonight Show, when Carl Reiner presented the pen on-air to Johnny Carson. It's been featured on a segment of the Travel Channel's popular series "John Ratzenberger's Made in America." The Bullet pen has been part of the permanent c...

It was nonrandom that this volcanic island, located in the southern part of the Pacific ocean got such a name: those were the Dutchmen who landed here on the first day of the Easter week, in 1722. The Easter Island, or Rapa Nui how local people call it, was discovered by the Dutch seaman Jacob Roggeveen 280 years ago and is by right named the most secluded island on our planer – the closest neighbours live 2000 km away from here. To get to Chile or Tahiti, you will have to overpass almost 4000 km while the distance between the island and the Antarctic is 6000 km. It is no wonder that there are no fences or gates here, and the Chile patrol ship comes here only twice a year: if a criminal gets to this place, he’s got nowhere to run. This triangular-shaped island covers a 171 sq.meters area. There is not a single river or a stream here, the rain-water is accumulated in three small lakes that were formed in volcano craters. The Easter Island is located in subtropical area, so the “tourist ...

For less than the cost of staying at a good hotel in Bali you can now enjoy the luxury of a beautiful private Bali Villa with air-conditioned bedrooms and tropical bathrooms to dream about, spacious living and dining areas and spacious terraces, a lush tropical garden with your own private swimming pool, and well-trained butler to take care of everything around the clock. In addition to modern amenities, any villa you rent will reflect Balinese lifestyle throughout: floors and walls are made from local wood and natural stone, high roofs cover airy living and dining areas, and large garden bathrooms are full of flowers and plants. And you'll appreciate the comfort and informality you can only experience in a private home. Instead of staying in hotel rooms (bed, two chairs, dressing table, TV set and telephone, wardrobe, small bathroom), your family will enjoy this truly Balinese experience. And you have much more space, more informality, more privacy, and more personal service than...

In the modern age, travel is such a large part of people's everyday lives. In fact, given today’s fast-paced lifestyle, it's hard to imagine that not so long ago, the idea of going on vacation was a rare luxury rather than a growing necessity. And, as the travel industry across the world has boomed, so too have the number of different types of vacations people in America are taking. These days, holidays often revolve around a theme: skiing holidays in Lake Tahoe or Colorado are common, as are shopping holidays to some of America's most famous malls. But, if you really want a travel experience with a difference, why not take a food tour of the United States – you'll find a range of culinary delights available to tickle your taste-buds! Take a trip to the Deep South on a food travel excursion and you'll find a wealth of fine foods to sample and enjoy on your vacation. The culinary landscape of America's southern states has always formed a large part of the lifesty...

The island of Bali is literally a very beautiful island situated under the equator in Indonesian Archipelago, is one of the most interesting and ultimate tourist destination in Asia. Since the first decade of the 20th century visitors have given to it several nicknames "Island of Gods" - "Island of thousand Temples" – "The Last Paradise" – and also often called "Island of Artist". The spirit of creativity pervades everything in Balinese life, from the cultivation of the steeply-terraced rice field to the elaborate temple offerings of flowers and foods given to the gods at times of celebration. Dancing, playing the gamelan, painting and carving is as much a part of an ordinary day as working in the offices, in the fields or feeding livestock. In ancient times, the people of the Indonesian Archipelago followed the ways of animism and ancestor worship. By around A.D. 600 however, Indian ideas and beliefs began to spread throughout Southeast Asia. Bo...

Indonesia, a Country of thousands of beautiful and exotic Islands, that spark off your imagination with thoughts of fine sandy beaches, huge temple complexes, great diving and the giant dragons of Komodo. The islands of Indonesia are spread over a vast expanse of ocean and technically speaking is divided by two Continents. Some parts of the Country can be as different from each other as black is from white. The hustle and bustle of the modern capital Jakarta is like another planet when compared to the traditional Papuan tribes of the Baliem Valley. Jakarta - Not only is it the largest City in the Country, Jakarta is also the heartbeat. Indonesian's from all over the archipelago come to the City to try and find their fortune or just to survive. The face of the City is constantly changing due to the construction of new skyscrapers, shopping malls and hotels. Jakarta is mainly a business and political City and not really a tourist destination, but the older colonial parts of the Ci...

Richard Chapo Traveling is a great way to experience new places and meet people with a different view of things. That being said, there are some common sense steps you should take to make sure your trip goes okay. Traveling is one of those areas where euphoria can be so high you do things you would never imagine doing at home. In this case, I am talking about taking risks that can lead to disaster. I am not, in any way, suggesting you don't explore destinations and cultures, but keep in mind there is good and bad everywhere just as there is in your home town. To avoid problems, there are some basic guidelines you should follow: 1. Before jumping on that plane to exoticlandia, make sure you let someone know where you are going to be and for how long. This person should typically be a family member. Most people tell you to leave an itinerary, but I think this is a mistake. Unless you are on a tour, you will never stick to it. Instead, leave a list of countrie...