Many people are looking at price when searching for a discount travel agency, however, there are some other things you need to watch out for that can save you time, money and headaches when using a travel agency to plan your trip.
1) Check to see if the agency is a member of ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents). Agencies who are members must follow strict rules of conduct. If you should have a problem with your agency, it will be easier for you to file a complaint.
2) Make sure their offer isn’t too good to be true. The travel industry is very competitive and some agencies will promise you the moon. Make sure they can deliver what they promise before signing up.
3) The agency should disclose their full contact information. You should easily be able to find their name, address, phone number and email address. Call the phone number and see if a real person answers. If their contact information isn’t readily available, you should take your business elsewhere.
4) Some discount agencies will promise you low rates to get your business, then hit you with hidden fees. Since you are budgeting for your trip, you don’t want to be hit with a larger bill than you planned on. Be sure to get all agency rates and fees on paper to avoid surprises.
5) Respectable travel agencies will bend over backwards to make sure you are well taken care of, especially if you have medical needs while traveling. An agency out for a quick buck will not provide you with great customer service, so ask questions about how they will accommodate your special requests before signing.
6) A good travel agency will be there to help you during and after your trip to make sure everything is going smoothly. If you have a problem during your trip, the agency will be available to assist you. Fly by night services will disappear after you’ve handed over your money. Check out the agency’s reputation before you commit to a deal.
7) A good travel agency will have access to all kinds of information about the city and/or country you are visiting. They are one of the best insider travel tip resources around whether you need a business travel tip, family travel tip, an air travel tip, or a travel packing tip.
Monday 23 March 2009
Friday 13 March 2009
Traveling With Teenagers - the Right Way
Traveling with a teenager doesn't always have to end in tears. It can be a positive time for the whole family, filled with laughter and excitement. Follow the practical tips in this guide, and you'll turn your vacation with your teen into a positive bonding experience.
Traveling with teenagers can be a positive adventure. Contrary to common belief that traveling with a teenager is stressful, trips with teens when spent with a lot of laughter and enlightening or inspiring conversation can be really rewarding. Travel with a teenager does not have to mean long periods of silence punctuated by the echo of the headphones slowly making your teenager hearing impaired. However, the expectation and accompanying attitude that you pack is most likely what your teenager will deliver in return.
Teenagers are known to be highly self-absorbed individuals who are pulling away from their families in any way they know because they want nothing but for them to turn into a full fledged grown up enjoying full fledged rights and responsibilities. This is only partly true. Travel with an adolescent is a valuable chance for you and your teen to break away from the usual routine in life, everyday expectations, responsibilities, and endeavors. Growing up is a difficult thing for teens thus a little break from the usual life they have is proven to be rewarding for both of you.
Do not Push, Stay Calm, Curb Forced Humor
Do not try to be funny. Yes, every teenager relates well to a little sarcastic humor, but do not try to be their friend and crack yourself up with some low down jumblespeak that you believe your adolescent will appreciate. Be yourself. Be a parent. Let them slowly open up during the course of the trip. If you are ramming your good time down their throat then chances are that you will be spending your good time alone or watching them try rather diligently to spoil it. If you relax and just bring up interesting points along the way, whether it is about the trip or life in general, and really listen to their responses during that four second break in between CD tracks, you will create solid ground from which to move forward as the trip does.
Teenagers know that parents tend to believe that they are generally irresponsible individuals. They know that you are praying that they are not having sex, doing drugs, drinking, or downloading horrifying material off the internet while simultaneously suspecting that they are when your back is turned. Expect your teen to push a few buttons and rattle your chains once you have stepped into their zone or broke through their sound barrier even for awhile. The more you take their behavior in stride the less they will push and the greater the chance for a real connection to occur.
Understand Music is Essential
For any teenager traveling with one or two parents in a car for any period of time there is an absolute need for them to zone off into their world and crank their music just a little louder than you want it. Most teenagers process life procedures and daily encounters this way, thus allowing them to do things their way can help pave a smoother way of connecting with them especially when the track is over.
Ask, Tell, and Listen
Ask your teenage real life questions. If you value their opinion, genuinely, you and your kid can have some pretty unique and in depth conversations that lead to a better understanding and more committed method of communication. It is important to respond to your teens with a notion that you do not have to agree with them all the time just to show you love them; rather, make them feel that they have the right to speak openly and you will listen and, most importantly, they have the capacity to think what is right. You and your teenager are going to be trapped together for the duration of your trip. You can either bring along a great attitude and connect with each other or you can forget your great attitude at home and pretend that there is not a boat load of stress and tension marring your trip. When trapped with an adolescent, parental attitude is the key to success.
Traveling with teenagers can be a positive adventure. Contrary to common belief that traveling with a teenager is stressful, trips with teens when spent with a lot of laughter and enlightening or inspiring conversation can be really rewarding. Travel with a teenager does not have to mean long periods of silence punctuated by the echo of the headphones slowly making your teenager hearing impaired. However, the expectation and accompanying attitude that you pack is most likely what your teenager will deliver in return.
Teenagers are known to be highly self-absorbed individuals who are pulling away from their families in any way they know because they want nothing but for them to turn into a full fledged grown up enjoying full fledged rights and responsibilities. This is only partly true. Travel with an adolescent is a valuable chance for you and your teen to break away from the usual routine in life, everyday expectations, responsibilities, and endeavors. Growing up is a difficult thing for teens thus a little break from the usual life they have is proven to be rewarding for both of you.
Do not Push, Stay Calm, Curb Forced Humor
Do not try to be funny. Yes, every teenager relates well to a little sarcastic humor, but do not try to be their friend and crack yourself up with some low down jumblespeak that you believe your adolescent will appreciate. Be yourself. Be a parent. Let them slowly open up during the course of the trip. If you are ramming your good time down their throat then chances are that you will be spending your good time alone or watching them try rather diligently to spoil it. If you relax and just bring up interesting points along the way, whether it is about the trip or life in general, and really listen to their responses during that four second break in between CD tracks, you will create solid ground from which to move forward as the trip does.
Teenagers know that parents tend to believe that they are generally irresponsible individuals. They know that you are praying that they are not having sex, doing drugs, drinking, or downloading horrifying material off the internet while simultaneously suspecting that they are when your back is turned. Expect your teen to push a few buttons and rattle your chains once you have stepped into their zone or broke through their sound barrier even for awhile. The more you take their behavior in stride the less they will push and the greater the chance for a real connection to occur.
Understand Music is Essential
For any teenager traveling with one or two parents in a car for any period of time there is an absolute need for them to zone off into their world and crank their music just a little louder than you want it. Most teenagers process life procedures and daily encounters this way, thus allowing them to do things their way can help pave a smoother way of connecting with them especially when the track is over.
Ask, Tell, and Listen
Ask your teenage real life questions. If you value their opinion, genuinely, you and your kid can have some pretty unique and in depth conversations that lead to a better understanding and more committed method of communication. It is important to respond to your teens with a notion that you do not have to agree with them all the time just to show you love them; rather, make them feel that they have the right to speak openly and you will listen and, most importantly, they have the capacity to think what is right. You and your teenager are going to be trapped together for the duration of your trip. You can either bring along a great attitude and connect with each other or you can forget your great attitude at home and pretend that there is not a boat load of stress and tension marring your trip. When trapped with an adolescent, parental attitude is the key to success.
Saturday 7 March 2009
The Top 7 Money-Saving Tips When Using an Air Travel Finder
An air travel finder can be the best tool you ever use, and with these top 7 money-saving tips you will get the best deals possible on you air travel:
1. Make your reservation as early as possible. At least 14 days in advance, but aim for at least 21 days in advance. After this time, the air tickets can easily more than double in price.
2. Be flexible with your travel time. Changing the day or the time of day can drastically reduce the price of your air travel. The best day to fly on is Wednesday, which is also the best day to book the flight on. The cheapest time to fly is early morning or late evening.
3. Fly during the off-season. Prices are a direct result of supply and demand. As demand goes down, prices go down as well, benefiting flyers.
4. Shop all the airlines. This is the most possible using a couple of key air travel finder companies that I recommend on my site. Being able to check all the airlines at the same time can get you the best deal.
5. A stopover instead of a direct flight can result in huge savings.
6. Membership in some clubs like AAA can get you discounts. With air travel prices at an all-time low this isn't as influential on the price as it is shopping between the airlines themselves. You get much better deals using an air travel finder to check prices of the different airlines against each other.
7. Look into air travel packages. Purchasing your air travel, hotel, and rental car through the same place usually gives a huge discount. Using a bigger air travel finder will allow you to do all of this on the same website. I have recommendations for this on my site as well.
The prices on air travel tickets are a direct result of competition, inventory, and demand. Competition is the airlines competing with each other. Inventory is how many seats are left open on a given flight. Demand is how many people are looking for air travel tickets. By choosing the least-crowded flights that are the least in demand, you get the lowest price. It's really that simple.
As you can see, there are many ways to get better prices. If you use a major air travel finder and choose the best days and times to fly, you can often get unbelievable deals and save a hefty amount of money in the process.
1. Make your reservation as early as possible. At least 14 days in advance, but aim for at least 21 days in advance. After this time, the air tickets can easily more than double in price.
2. Be flexible with your travel time. Changing the day or the time of day can drastically reduce the price of your air travel. The best day to fly on is Wednesday, which is also the best day to book the flight on. The cheapest time to fly is early morning or late evening.
3. Fly during the off-season. Prices are a direct result of supply and demand. As demand goes down, prices go down as well, benefiting flyers.
4. Shop all the airlines. This is the most possible using a couple of key air travel finder companies that I recommend on my site. Being able to check all the airlines at the same time can get you the best deal.
5. A stopover instead of a direct flight can result in huge savings.
6. Membership in some clubs like AAA can get you discounts. With air travel prices at an all-time low this isn't as influential on the price as it is shopping between the airlines themselves. You get much better deals using an air travel finder to check prices of the different airlines against each other.
7. Look into air travel packages. Purchasing your air travel, hotel, and rental car through the same place usually gives a huge discount. Using a bigger air travel finder will allow you to do all of this on the same website. I have recommendations for this on my site as well.
The prices on air travel tickets are a direct result of competition, inventory, and demand. Competition is the airlines competing with each other. Inventory is how many seats are left open on a given flight. Demand is how many people are looking for air travel tickets. By choosing the least-crowded flights that are the least in demand, you get the lowest price. It's really that simple.
As you can see, there are many ways to get better prices. If you use a major air travel finder and choose the best days and times to fly, you can often get unbelievable deals and save a hefty amount of money in the process.
Wednesday 4 March 2009
Travel Insurance Put at Risk by Lone Travellers
A rapidly increasing number of Britons is putting their travel insurance at risk by booking different parts of their trip separately, a new study carried out by Marks & Spencer (M&S) Money has recently revealed.
According to the research, an increase in internet availability and usage is responsible for the new numbers: an entire half of British holiday makers book their travels independently instead of using a travel agent. But the drawback of shunning the traditional package holidays is that travel insurance policies may not cover all aspects of an individually booked trip, says M&S.
Commenting on the popularity of self-booked holidays, M&S Money revealed, perhaps unsurprisingly due to the recent surge in internet use, that as many as 78% of people with internet access use it to research holiday costs and destinations. According to the study, the most popular reason for a trip abroad is now to see family and friends, rendering the package holiday obsolete.
The research revealed that 29% of Brits now book every element of a holiday separately, meaning that no one company holds overall responsibility: the flight, hotel, and activities are all individually and separately organised. Consequently, travel insurance becomes less reliable. In the past, a travel agent would have been responsible for the entire holiday and, if a flight was cancelled or delayed causing a traveller to miss a later flight, the travel agent would organise alternative travel. However, taking control of booking means taking control of cancellations and delays and can result in extra costs – travel insurance does not properly cover a DIY holiday in the same way it would do a package deal.
According to M&S Money, 35% of UK travellers encountered a cancelled or delayed departure during their last trip, 21 per cent of whom were travelling independently and were not covered by insurance. These statistics highlight the importance of adequate travel insurance for solo holiday makers.
The recent chaos at Heathrow's Terminal Five is an example of how travel plans can unexpectedly change. When at the opening day of Heathrow’s new £4.3 bn terminal was blighted by countless cancelled flights, baggage delays and a temporary suspension in check-in, many travellers’ insurance deals did not cover the situation.
Following this unfortunate episode, some insurers have downright stopped offering cover for lost luggage or delayed flights to travellers going through Terminal 5 at Heathrow.
“We cannot insure for events that have already happened," explained a spokeswoman for Direct Line, one of the insurance firms that have taken this stance. She then added: "Insurance only covers events that the customer is not aware of at the time of purchase. People calling up on our travel insurance quote line were told this specifically.”
In response to this gap in the market, M&S Money has decided to introduce an insurance policy specifically for holiday makers who book it themselves.
"As independent travel has grown we have identified changes in how customers travel and book holidays. This has changed what they need from travel insurance." said Brendan Cook, chief executive of M&S Money.
M&S’s innovation seems to stand alone however, in a sea of insurance companies which are not answering to the current needs of modern travellers. A possible affecting factor may be the recent increase in budget holiday use. Budget flight companies offering unbelievably cheap deals are notorious for ‘giving you what you payed for.’ In other words, they often loose baggage, delay and even cancel flights. This has caused an upsurge in travel insurance claims which the insurance companies have found difficult to follow.
According to the research, an increase in internet availability and usage is responsible for the new numbers: an entire half of British holiday makers book their travels independently instead of using a travel agent. But the drawback of shunning the traditional package holidays is that travel insurance policies may not cover all aspects of an individually booked trip, says M&S.
Commenting on the popularity of self-booked holidays, M&S Money revealed, perhaps unsurprisingly due to the recent surge in internet use, that as many as 78% of people with internet access use it to research holiday costs and destinations. According to the study, the most popular reason for a trip abroad is now to see family and friends, rendering the package holiday obsolete.
The research revealed that 29% of Brits now book every element of a holiday separately, meaning that no one company holds overall responsibility: the flight, hotel, and activities are all individually and separately organised. Consequently, travel insurance becomes less reliable. In the past, a travel agent would have been responsible for the entire holiday and, if a flight was cancelled or delayed causing a traveller to miss a later flight, the travel agent would organise alternative travel. However, taking control of booking means taking control of cancellations and delays and can result in extra costs – travel insurance does not properly cover a DIY holiday in the same way it would do a package deal.
According to M&S Money, 35% of UK travellers encountered a cancelled or delayed departure during their last trip, 21 per cent of whom were travelling independently and were not covered by insurance. These statistics highlight the importance of adequate travel insurance for solo holiday makers.
The recent chaos at Heathrow's Terminal Five is an example of how travel plans can unexpectedly change. When at the opening day of Heathrow’s new £4.3 bn terminal was blighted by countless cancelled flights, baggage delays and a temporary suspension in check-in, many travellers’ insurance deals did not cover the situation.
Following this unfortunate episode, some insurers have downright stopped offering cover for lost luggage or delayed flights to travellers going through Terminal 5 at Heathrow.
“We cannot insure for events that have already happened," explained a spokeswoman for Direct Line, one of the insurance firms that have taken this stance. She then added: "Insurance only covers events that the customer is not aware of at the time of purchase. People calling up on our travel insurance quote line were told this specifically.”
In response to this gap in the market, M&S Money has decided to introduce an insurance policy specifically for holiday makers who book it themselves.
"As independent travel has grown we have identified changes in how customers travel and book holidays. This has changed what they need from travel insurance." said Brendan Cook, chief executive of M&S Money.
M&S’s innovation seems to stand alone however, in a sea of insurance companies which are not answering to the current needs of modern travellers. A possible affecting factor may be the recent increase in budget holiday use. Budget flight companies offering unbelievably cheap deals are notorious for ‘giving you what you payed for.’ In other words, they often loose baggage, delay and even cancel flights. This has caused an upsurge in travel insurance claims which the insurance companies have found difficult to follow.
Sunday 1 March 2009
Langkawi: Heaven of Ecotourism and Travel Adventure
Langkawi situated just off the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia comprises a group of 104 tropical islands during the low tides and 99 Island during the high tides. The main island Langkawi, is 47. 848 Hectare followed by Pulau Dayang Bunting and Pulau Tuba while some of the others appear to be mere dots in the emerald green ocean when viewed from the air.
In Langkawi a nature adventure had a true-blue naturalist as their guide. The guide’s name is Irshad Mobarak. Dubbed the Jungle-wallah (Jungle-fellow) of Langkawi ( http://www.junglewallah.com ), he is perfect for the job as he possesses vast knowledge about Langkawi’s wildlife, gleaned from years of trekking and observation of its jungles, mangroves and wildlife.
Some people think the beauty of Langkawi lies in its pristine beaches. Others like the duty-free shopping. But Irshad and his team of naturalists at Natural History Tours ( http://www.wildlangkawi.com ) reckon that the edge Langkawi has over places like Bali and Phuket is its jungle and wildlife.
As such Irshad and his team have been actively involved in preserving Langkawi’s natural environment. His social-responsible company provides real ecotourism experiences such as nature walks, birdwatching, jungle-trekking and mangrove tours in kayaks or motorized boats without the “gimmicks” activities involve.
His pet peeve is the eagle-feeding sessions at the mangrove swamps of the Kilim River. While it is quite a sight to see dozens of white-bellied sea eagles and brahminy kites circling in the sky and swooping down on their food, Irshad feels it’s bad for the birds.
“What you’re doing is habituating the eagles to take food from humans when they usually feed on fish. Now they are given chicken guts, and these are from farm-bred chickens fed with antibiotics and hormones, making it unhealthy. It may affect their bone development and the integrity of the shells of their eggs.” Irshad said contaminated feed could kill a lot of birds, as each feeding attracts between 50 to 100 birds.
Not only is Irshad fully acquainted with information on the wildlife in Langkawi, he is also great at handling children. His “young explorer club” is a hit for student’s summer program in Malaysia and tourists traveling with their children. “The trick is not to bore them to death. You can be much more informative with adults, but with children, you need to make it more experiential. They need to touch and smell and conduct experiments.”
Irshad, who’s especially love birds, said Langkawi has recorded 190 species of birds, including brown winged kingfisher, black hooded oriole and mountain hawk eagle. The mountain hawk eagle which can be identified by its very pronounced crest with two feathers can only be found in Langkawi and Irshad has recorded 3 different individual here.
The relatively small and cut-off habitat of an island like Langkawi allows for many of its flora and fauna to evolve into unique species over thousands of years. But it also possessed a danger of Habitat-fragmentations. One of Irshad ongoing project is planting figs trees closer to the road so the canopy on either side of the road will meet and become close enough for animals to cross over. “This is one way to counter the negative effects of habitat fragmentations and we hope to see the results in 10 years,” Irshad said. Visitor can also get involve in this program by purchasing trees and plant it during their visit to Langkawi ( http://www.treesfornature.com )
Who is the Jungle-Wallah of Langkawi?
In the 80s, the Negri Sembilan-born Irshad was a decathlete and rugby player employed by a major bank institution. He worked for five years with the bank in Kuala Lumpur, only to discover the corporate world was simply not his cup of tea.
The turning point in his life came during a vacation in Tioman Island between 1981 and 1982. He realized that what he really wanted was to be closer to nature.
“So I quit my job, traveled and bummed around for a couple of years,” said Irshad, and then he found Langkawi. The island’s beauty and mystique inspired him to embark on his own study of its ecosystems.
“I saw the potential for nature-related work. I got a job as recreation manager at Datai and at the same time was involved in conservation work,” he said. Soon, a new position was created for him, that of a Resident-naturalist. And today, after 19 years, he is so well-versed in the subject, he is considered an expert. He has trained many individual who is now employed by other hotels as their own Resident-naturalist and some of them work as independent nature guides.
Irshad considered himself very lucky because his work, his hobby and his passion are all fused into one. He also believes that taking care of the natural environment is an integral part of being a steward of the Earth. He is recently won DiGi Amazing Malaysians Award 2007, an award for Malaysians who were nominated by the public for their passion and dedication in heritage conservation.
In Langkawi a nature adventure had a true-blue naturalist as their guide. The guide’s name is Irshad Mobarak. Dubbed the Jungle-wallah (Jungle-fellow) of Langkawi ( http://www.junglewallah.com ), he is perfect for the job as he possesses vast knowledge about Langkawi’s wildlife, gleaned from years of trekking and observation of its jungles, mangroves and wildlife.
Some people think the beauty of Langkawi lies in its pristine beaches. Others like the duty-free shopping. But Irshad and his team of naturalists at Natural History Tours ( http://www.wildlangkawi.com ) reckon that the edge Langkawi has over places like Bali and Phuket is its jungle and wildlife.
As such Irshad and his team have been actively involved in preserving Langkawi’s natural environment. His social-responsible company provides real ecotourism experiences such as nature walks, birdwatching, jungle-trekking and mangrove tours in kayaks or motorized boats without the “gimmicks” activities involve.
His pet peeve is the eagle-feeding sessions at the mangrove swamps of the Kilim River. While it is quite a sight to see dozens of white-bellied sea eagles and brahminy kites circling in the sky and swooping down on their food, Irshad feels it’s bad for the birds.
“What you’re doing is habituating the eagles to take food from humans when they usually feed on fish. Now they are given chicken guts, and these are from farm-bred chickens fed with antibiotics and hormones, making it unhealthy. It may affect their bone development and the integrity of the shells of their eggs.” Irshad said contaminated feed could kill a lot of birds, as each feeding attracts between 50 to 100 birds.
Not only is Irshad fully acquainted with information on the wildlife in Langkawi, he is also great at handling children. His “young explorer club” is a hit for student’s summer program in Malaysia and tourists traveling with their children. “The trick is not to bore them to death. You can be much more informative with adults, but with children, you need to make it more experiential. They need to touch and smell and conduct experiments.”
Irshad, who’s especially love birds, said Langkawi has recorded 190 species of birds, including brown winged kingfisher, black hooded oriole and mountain hawk eagle. The mountain hawk eagle which can be identified by its very pronounced crest with two feathers can only be found in Langkawi and Irshad has recorded 3 different individual here.
The relatively small and cut-off habitat of an island like Langkawi allows for many of its flora and fauna to evolve into unique species over thousands of years. But it also possessed a danger of Habitat-fragmentations. One of Irshad ongoing project is planting figs trees closer to the road so the canopy on either side of the road will meet and become close enough for animals to cross over. “This is one way to counter the negative effects of habitat fragmentations and we hope to see the results in 10 years,” Irshad said. Visitor can also get involve in this program by purchasing trees and plant it during their visit to Langkawi ( http://www.treesfornature.com )
Who is the Jungle-Wallah of Langkawi?
In the 80s, the Negri Sembilan-born Irshad was a decathlete and rugby player employed by a major bank institution. He worked for five years with the bank in Kuala Lumpur, only to discover the corporate world was simply not his cup of tea.
The turning point in his life came during a vacation in Tioman Island between 1981 and 1982. He realized that what he really wanted was to be closer to nature.
“So I quit my job, traveled and bummed around for a couple of years,” said Irshad, and then he found Langkawi. The island’s beauty and mystique inspired him to embark on his own study of its ecosystems.
“I saw the potential for nature-related work. I got a job as recreation manager at Datai and at the same time was involved in conservation work,” he said. Soon, a new position was created for him, that of a Resident-naturalist. And today, after 19 years, he is so well-versed in the subject, he is considered an expert. He has trained many individual who is now employed by other hotels as their own Resident-naturalist and some of them work as independent nature guides.
Irshad considered himself very lucky because his work, his hobby and his passion are all fused into one. He also believes that taking care of the natural environment is an integral part of being a steward of the Earth. He is recently won DiGi Amazing Malaysians Award 2007, an award for Malaysians who were nominated by the public for their passion and dedication in heritage conservation.
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