Archive for May, 2008
It’s summer time again and the masses are flying away for two weeks of sun, sea, sand and good times. Actually, this summer, we’re even enjoying holidays on the UK’s own beaches and waterways with temperatures reaching 36 degrees in places. We all look for different things from a holiday; some look for sheer relaxation, others live for two weeks of partying hard and sleeping it off the next day, and then there are those that appreciate culture and like to get off the beaten track. Whatever type of holidaymaker you are there is one thing that nobody likes - unnecessary stress! Who wants to feel like they need a holiday to recover from their holiday!? The great news is that holiday stress can be avoided; you just need to set aside some time in advance to make preparations. There are now some fantastic websites that can help by providing advice on a number of potentially stressful areas; from packing effectively to advice on food, drink and transport in your chosen location. Just search for “holiday tips” in your search engine of choice, adding your destination to the “key words” if you’re looking for specifically local advice. Don’t you just love the online world? For those parents out there, fear not. Going away with your family does not have to be difficult. Some simple research and planning will ensure you are prepared for an enjoyable, safe and stress free family holiday. Your children will look back fondly on the holiday and hope to do something similar when it’s their turn to raise a family. The Mothercare website has a great section on summer travel which covers many essential areas. Useful topics include feeding on the move, baby and kids summer clothing tips, sun safety for babies and toddlers and travelling when pregnant. For anyone who hasn’t decided on their ideal holiday destination, or needs a comprehensive guide, there are many online sites that can provide help, however an easy to carry guide in book form is usually the best option. Currently one of the best is the Dorling Kindersley’s series of Eyewitness Travel Guides. The DK travel guides are well illustrated and comprehensively cover all the general areas you would expect from food and drink, to entertainment, weather, cultural information and lots more. What a productive way to kill some time on the plane! Wherever you decide to go just remember, a little time spent planning in advance will lead to a lot of relaxation and happy times in your chosen destination. Happy holidays! About the author:
Is there any pleasant sight than seeing a just-awakened baby after a good sound sleep? With the correct choice of the baby cot and a vigilant eye, can’t we ensure our babies to have a safe and sound sleep? Of course, yes, why not. When babies are put to sleep, into a cradle or a cot or in a crib, you feel relaxed, and try to make optimum use of that time doing some work or relaxing. In this situation, you should be extremely careful so that accidents related to baby cots are avoided. Never let the baby out of your sight. Often cribs are usually the first piece of nursery furniture parents shop for. These versatile baby beds come in traditional Jenny Lind designs or more modern styles. Some of them can be converted to toddler beds for added value. Designer cribs are available in a wide range of designs. You can even find round cribs instead of traditional rectangular cribs. However, don’t forget to take a look at bassinets, cots, cradles, and Moses baskets, as well. These smaller beds are perfect for newborn infants, since parents can easily move them from room to room. Choosing a good baby cot We have the liberty of choosing the baby cots as per our choice and safety of our baby, since wide ranges of Baby cots are available nowadays. Tags: baby cot travel, baby cots, baby cribs, baby travel cots, travel baby crib
The last few trips we have organised have been quite an eye opener for us as we have avoided holiday packages and gone in search of somewhat more customised experiences. All this came about as a result of travelling on a package tour to Nepal and India some five years ago. There was nothing wrong with the tour mind, except that it was expensive and the person we thought was our guide turned out to have little knowledge of either country and was there primarily to shepherd us and carry our passports for us. On our package, travel arrangements were dealt with by local operators who clearly knew their business and had designed the itinerary, booked the accommodation and transport, recruited English speaking guides, (real ones) and done all the other work necessary. Our package seller in New Zealand had simply located the local operator and, presumably, worked with them to design the tour and add their mark-up. Oh and of course recruited (and paid for) a New Zealander to ride herd. Now if, like us, you feel able to carry your own passport, the package tour adds little or no value and substantial cost. Worse yet is that you travel at the pace of the party and can neither dwell on the interesting parts nor skip the boring bits such as visits to carpet/jewellery/craft ‘factories’ that are thinly disguised sales pitches. For some, the up side of package tours is that you will meet and get to know quite a few new people from your own country, some of whom you’ll love and others you can’t abide. Our experience is that being independent involves you, of necessity, with the locals and as an added bonus enables you to adjust your visits to places you want to see and at times when there are few or even no other people about. We designed our trip to Africa to be completely independent with our own driver and guide as required. This enabled us to see ancient monuments such as Abu Simbel alone and found us camping in remote parts of Tanzania with just the locals for company. Much of the time there were no other native English speakers in the vicinity and so you find out that many of the locals have excellent English skills, good enough for us to communicate with them anyway. If you’ve ever been in a tour party and seen a couple moving through with their own guide and wondered how they arranged it and if it was terribly expensive, now you know. My career has been in computers and communications industry since I starting work in 1970. During this time I have worked for many large companies both in New Zealand and overseas. In recent times I have worked as a freelance consultant I have lived in New Zealand for the past 30 years Tag: travel tours holidays
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