5 Romantic Travel Resolutions
A new year always means a chance for a new start. You and yours can begin this new year by making some travel resolutions together, regardless of your time and budget restraints. Put aside those old travel habits and make some new ones! Let this be the year that your travel plans focus on fun, fantasy, and festivities!
(1) We're going to plan a real vacation. No, it doesn't have to be an around the world cruise or first class getaway (but if you can afford it, what are you waiting for?) It does have to be an honest-to-goodness vacation, though. No cell phones, no laptops. Mark the dates on the calendar and keep it just like you'd keep any business appointment. The business of romantic travel, though, is a fun one and an activity that the two of you can plan for months.
(2) We're going to involve each other in the trip planning. All too often, one partner gets the job for planning a trip...and that task quickly becomes a bore. Plan your trips together! Anticipation is half the fun. Visit a travel agent. Collect brochures. Buy a guidebook. Rent a video about your destination. Search the internet for information.
(3) We're going to do something we've never done. Here you can be as mild -- or as wild -- as you dare. Go whitewater rafting. Rent a houseboat. Take a hot air balloon ride. Spend the night in a local bed and breakfast. Learn to scuba dive. Dance the whole night away under the stars. The choice is yours.
(4) We're going to take one mini-vacation every month. Whether it's for the night or just for the night out, plan one tiny slice of a vacation every single month. The only rule: you must pretend you're on vacation. Book a night at a local bed and breakfast. Call your local hotel and find out their non-peak nights (in business-oriented cities, it's usually Friday and Saturday) then plan a short romantic getaway.
(5) We're going to go to at least one festival. Special events take place at just about every community around the world. Whatever your interests -- from square dancing to sandcastle building -- you'll find a festival celebrating with a day or two of fun and food. If you don't have the time or budget to go far, contact area chamber of commerce or tourism offices within a day's drive of your home for their calendar of events. If you can, extend your trip into a long weekend. If you've got the time and resources, check out some of the major fun festivals: Carnival, Mardi Gras, Rio's Carnivale. Don't forget your costume!
Husband and wife team Paris Permenter and John Bigley edit the award-winning Lovetripper.com (www.lovetripper.com), a romantic travel magazine and resource featuring honeymoons, destination weddings, and romantic getaways worldwide.
editors@lovetripper.com Written by: Paris Permenter & John Bigley
Eating Well on a Travel Budget
When you're traveling it can be difficult to find good food at reasonable prices especially if you happen to be staying in a big city that has an established food and restaurant culture. When you're faced with a budget, you want to try and maximize your enjoyment per buck. If you want to eat well and sample the local cuisine for a budget price, you'll need to do a little research to find that perfect restaurant that offers a balance between quality and price.
First, check with your hotel or hostel and inquire whether breakfast is included in your stay. In Europe many hotels provide breakfast. If you're hotel does provide breakfast, don't skip it in favor for paying for food elsewhere. Some of my most memorable meals were hostel breakfasts that were nothing more that a roll, butter, jam and some coffee with milk. Hotel and hostel breakfasts are also a great way to get to know other guests.
One option for budget eating is to eat at a chain restaurant that you a familiar with, such as McDonald's, Burger King or Kentucky Fried Chicken. You can find a McDonald's about anywhere world-wide. I made my way through Rome using a free McDonald's map that in addition to indicating all the tourist attractions had a mark for every McDonald's in Rome. However, if you want to become familiar with the culture of the country you are visiting, eating at a fast food restaurant is not a good option.
Another option is to buy groceries and make your own food. If you don't have a fridge or hot plate in your hotel room, this option may not be very feasible. Still, you can buy items that don't need to be heated and make a meal out of those. When I was in Florence, a loaf of bread, parma ham and cheese coupled with a Chianti made a very nice picnic that I enjoyed thoroughly. Make sure you try to sample items from the local cuisine.
Eating one or two meals a day from a street vendor or take-out restaurant may also be a good way to still eat great, but save some money. In Paris, I got great ham and cheese sandwiches from a street vendor for lunch. They were delicious, kept me going and didn't break the budget. When I was at a conference in Washington D.C., I discovered a little convenience store that made fresh egg and cheese sandwiches on toast to order. They sold them for only $2.00 and I ate there every morning.
In Rome, I discovered a little take-out pizza shop around the corner from the Pantheon. The restaurant made pizzas on huge rectangular sheet pans and put them in a deli case with a clear glass window. You could order by pointing to the kind you wanted, motioning for how big you wanted your piece (they charge by weight), and asking for it to be heated. Then you happily take your piece of pizza over to the square, sit on the steps and enjoy.
Being friendly with other guests in the hotel, the concierge and the locals, is another great way to discover good food that won't break the budget. Ask a local if they know any good restaurants that aren't too expensive. They should be able to come up with a few good options for you. Make sure you indicate that you want to sample some local cooking. I've even known friends that have gotten themselves invited over to dinner (not that this should be your objective).
Another good way to find inexpensive restaurants is to always be looking for a good place to eat. If you're out visiting a tourist site, stop by a few restaurants and read their menus (usually posted in the window). Even if you are not hungry, you may decide to come back later. I've had better luck with this technique when I'm in an area of the city that is not your standard tourist destination.
Eating in a sit-down full service restaurant is the most expensive dining option, so if you are really on a budget, you may want to limit the number of full service meals you eat. Also, in some countries eating at the counter is less expensive that sitting at a table. By listening to recommendations and doing a little research, you can avoid the expensive restaurants that cater to tourists.
If you're on a budget, you can still eat great during your travels, you just need to be aware of all your food options. Ask around with locals for recommendations. Make sure you know the price before you eat. Most important of all, try new things. Stretch your boundaries and try something that you would never eat at home. After all isn't the reason you travel is to discover something different.
About the Author
Jed Clark is a travel writer, photographer and long-time San Francisco resident. For more travel tips and information about San Francisco destinations, attractions and neighborhoods, visit Zurdo Go - a destination guide to San Francisco.
Written by: Jed Clark |
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Five Affordable World Travel Destinations
Locations That Offer More But Cost Less
So you want to travel the world but you have a tight budget?
Are you tired of reading about everyone else’s exotic adventures and
ready to have some of your own? Have you always wanted to take an international vacation but thought you couldn’t afford it? There are numerous travel destinations across the world that are both exciting and affordable.
Five of them are described here to give you ideas and get you started
planning your own getaway.
There are two ways to approach affordable vacations to distant destinations.
Either you will save money getting there or the savings will occur once
you arrive at your selected spot. If you want the trip there to be affordable, many travel consolidators recommend choosing well-known destinations that are served by numerous airlines and receive millions of travelers each year. The competition for customers usually drives costs down for everything from lodging to tour packages. Airfares between major hubs tend to be more affordable and there are often plenty of discounts and last minute travel deals.
London
In Europe, London is a top pick for affordable vacation destinations, for these
exact reasons. Not only do you have more flights to choose from, they are cheaper than if you flew to a more remote location. On average, staying in
London may be a bit more expensive than other European destinations, but the seemingly endless choices in hotels, restaurants, transportation, tours, and
other travel essentials gives travels opportunities to mold their vacation to
fit their budgets. And you can use London as your home base to set out on day trips to other more exotic locations or buy a Eurorail pass and see those more remote countries without the expense of flying there.
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
This theory also works well for traveling in the Caribbean.
Belize is an appealing destination, with wonderful Caribbean beaches and
a lush tropic setting, but since it has only recently emerged as a popular
travel destination, it is more expensive than Cancun, Jamaica or other
well-traveled locations along the Mayan Riviera.
With fewer flights, getting there is more expensive, and there are few
moderate lodging options. Development of larger luxury resorts have begun to boom, but the only real alternative for those on a budget is staying in local facilities that may be hard to locate from home and may be more rustic than most travelers are willing to try.
Although there are many options for affordable vacations in the Caribbean, an excellent pick is Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Accessible via flights to Cancun, which are often some of the cheapest in the region, Playa is just a half hour away. It is filled with a multitude of lodging choices, from expansive luxury resorts on the ocean to quaint but clean hotels downtown.
From Playa, travelers can branch out and visit Tulum and other locations
on the Mayan Riviera or take the ferry across to the island of Cozumel where
snorkeling is prime and the attractions are many.
For Asian destinations, travelers often do better to focus on saving money once they get to their destination. Depending on your country of origin, getting to just about any spot in Asia is going to be a sizable chunk of your travel budget. The difference will come from the cost of lodging, food, entertainment and other travel expenditures once you arrive. By choosing destinations where you get the most for your money, you can save a great deal on your international vacation.
A drink or dinner in Tokyo will cost you many times more than what it
would in Saigon. The key here is to go where your dollars buy you more and where the local cost of living is low.
Tioman Island
An affordable yet exotic choice for Asia is Malaysia and specifically Tioman
Island, knows as the mythical 'Bali Hai' from the film 'South Pacific.’
Tioman Island is located at the southern end of the east coast of
Malaysia on the South China Sea. Its sandy beaches, bordered by lush jungles and stunning mountains make it a relaxing yet intriguing destination, ideal for sun lovers, snorkelers and divers. The island also has many villages for exploring and shopping.
English is widely spoken and the rates are amazingly affordable, with a two night lodging package for a suite at a lovely oceanside resort averaging around 100 U.S. dollars. Typically visitors reach the island via the speed ferry from the mainland. Although the trip can take over two hours, it is enjoyable and provides opportunities for dolphin watching along the way.
Buenos Aires
South America also has many destinations that are affordable because of the savings once you arrive. Locales like Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the areas top destination, are coming down in price but are still more expensive than cities such as Buenos Aires in Argentina, where the rates are lower and the U.S. dollar goes further.
A huge metropolis that is more European than South American, the city has much to offer including cultural events, thriving nightlife, shopping, local sports, and a host of tours and excursions. La Boca, with its street performers, shops, and unique architecture is a big tourist draw. The large number of
choices for lodging, restaurants, and activities provides opportunities for
budget travel and savings. Airfare to the city is relatively reasonable for an
international destination, with discount fares from the U.S. averaging around
$500 round trip. Buenos Aires might not be one of the most exotic or inspiring destinations in South America, but it is a city that everyone should see at least once, and with some of the most affordable rates and fares around, it makes the list as a top South American destination.
Las Vegas
The list would not be complete without a North American destination, and the champ of all affordable locales is Las Vegas. It too is a city that should be seen at least once, and many world travelers return again and again for the gaming, art, shows and people watching that just can’t be found anywhere else. Close enough to other top U.S. attractions like the Grand Canyon, Vegas provides other options for those who have had their fill of casinos.
The city has long been known for its cheap vacation packages with hotels and resorts that offer discount rates for rooms, meals and entertainment in hopes of attracting people to their gaming tables. Airfare rates into Vegas are some of the most reasonable in the United States, no matter the origination destination. And with more than 100,000 hotel rooms to choose from, there is sure to be a lodging choice that fits your budget.
The world provides hundreds of affordable travel destinations. With all the options available, there is no excuse to put off that life-long desire to travel to exotic places at the far ends of the earth. Destinations can be researched on the Internet or your travel consolidator can make recommendations and help with locating cheap international airfare and lodging rates that fit your budget. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and explore the world.
About
the Author
C.J. Gustafson is a freelance writer and photographer who travels extensively for work and family vacations. A cheapskate by nature and necessity, she is always on the lookout for bargain travel deals and affordable vacation destinations.  |
