Travel Blog

Traveling to fun and exciting destinations can be so rewarding, and saving money on travel accommodations is even better! If you’ve never considered the idea of a timeshare rental from a timeshare owner, it’s time to take a look at why timeshare rentals beat hotels.

Not everyone wants to be a timeshare owner, but the great thing is that you can rent a timeshare from an owner and really save on your next vacation. Plus, there are so many other benefits to vacationing in a timeshare, besides saving up to half the price of a hotel.

Instead of trying to fit everyone into one hotel room, or paying for two adjoining rooms to get more space for your family, staying in a timeshare can give you all the comforts of home for less than you would pay for the same room in a hotel. Here’s a comparison of why you’ll want to stay in a timeshare rental on your next vacation:

What Hotels Offer:

• A single room with one bathroom

If you travel with children, you know how challenging it is to all be in one room, even if the room has two beds. Everyone has to go to sleep at the same time and when the kids go to bed earlier than you, it leaves no relaxation time for the parents.

How a Timeshare is Different:

• Choose from a studio, one, two, or three bedrooms
• Enjoy a living room area (which often includes a sleeper sofa to fit more guests)
• Eat meals together in the full dining room
• Cook in your unit with a complete kitchen which includes a full-size stove, refrigerator, oven and microwave plus a dishwasher and all the utensils, pots and pans are stocked.
• Pack less clothes and check less baggage by using the washer and dryer available either in the unit or at the resort
• One or two full bathrooms (some larger units even have three!)

Perfect for families who want to watch a movie on the in-room DVD player in the living room after they’ve put their kids to bed in the separate bedrooms. You no longer need to cut your evening short when it’s the kids bed time.

How You Get Even More:

• With your full kitchen, you can prepare your own meals saving on dining out costs.
• Many timeshare resorts offer children’s activities, kids clubs, game rooms and even movie nights, so there is plenty to do at the resort itself included in the cost of your rental.
• Timeshare resorts are often attached to hotels, so, you can enjoy all their amenities such as pools, spas, and gyms and theme parks, beaches, mountains and golf courses are typically close by.
• Because owners are offering the unit for rent, they can set the price. This gives you a chance to negotiate from the price they’ve listed on the rental site, saving even more.

There are so many benefits to renting a timeshare and the best place to rent one is RedWeek.com. You can become a guest of the site for free to browse the 5,000 resorts available for rent and if you find one you like, a nominal $14.99 fee is required to become a member and be able to contact the timeshare owner directly to rent the unit.

Enjoy your vacation this year and save money with timeshare rental.

It’s the 40th year of celebrating Earth Day for our planet!  April 22 is the official day of Earth Day all around the globe, and I thought it would make a great post to help increase awareness for a good cause.  Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 to inspire awareness for the planet’s environmental issues, and to help promote a greener and cleaner earth.  Earth Day tries to increase awareness for such topics as climate change, conservation, biodiversity, environmental education, clean energy, recycling, waste reduction, sustainable development, and anything and everything which helps promote a greener economy.

I really believe each and every one of us should do our part in trying to take care of the world we live on.  As the world’s population keeps growing it is only in our best interest, as the human race, to keep the planet we live on a healthy planet.  Do your part this Earth Day by spreading the word and taking part in local Earth Day activities in the local community where you live!

Tags: april 22, earth day, earth day 2010, earth day april 22

If you like the great outdoors and would like to try something new check out this information on a beginner’s guide to ski holidays.  A skiing holiday can be one the entire family will enjoy and have memories to cherish for years to come.  Learning to ski is probably the most important aspect of this new venture but simply enjoying your surroundings and the atmosphere of most ski lodges, your winter getaway can be one of phenomenal enjoyment.

Many who are about to hit the slopes for the first time experience bouts of nervousness and fear.  Don’t let this unsettling feeling hinder your holiday plans.  The best way to learn any new skill properly is to undergo some training by a professional in the field.  This can apply to skiing too.  Signing up for beginner ski instructions is a great way to start.  There are a lot of adjustments to make as you experience this for the first time. Make the best of it and have fun.  I remember the first time putting on ski boots which keep your legs bent to a small degree.  I thought it was the strangest sensation not being able to stand up straight. Laugh a lot as you learn these new techniques.  Even when you fall laugh with your ski buddies and enjoy these beginning experiences.  The learning curb can in some regards be the most memorable moments that you will laugh about many years down the road.

A skiing winter excursion will help you refresh and renew your mind in a way only the great outdoors can.  When you first arrive at your holiday ski resort you may be overcome by the large ski slopes.  Do not fear.  Your ski instructor will help you learn the basics on what is referred to as the bunny slopes.  These are small hills with a very low grade which will take the panic out of beginning and build great confidence in your mind toward your new sporting adventure.  Amidst your learning make sure you take the time to get a hot chocolate and enjoy the ambiance setting around the fireplace at your ski lodge resort.

Your ski holidays can include so much more than just skiing.  Make sure to take extra time in seeking out just the right location for your holiday.  While at the resort of your choice make sure to take in the local happenings surrounding your great winter adventure.  After hitting the slopes you may like to take a break and enjoy a little time for souvenir shopping to help remember your momentous ski holiday.

When you finally get the courage to ride the ski lift to the top you will experience yet another natural high in the process.  This whole process is great for overcoming many of our fears.  You have to start by sliding off the ski lift chair and keeping your balance as you reach the snow covered mountain top.  The ski lift does not completely stop so you will need to hone up on your timing skills to get off at precisely the right time.

You no doubt will have many different slopes to choose from when you do finally graduate past the bunny slopes.  Pick the recommended easiest one to begin.  My first experience in doing this found that as a beginner even the so called easy slope looked quite challenging when you are on top of it for the first time looking down.  Again though, don’t let your fears get the best of you.  Make up your mind to have fun.  I found that instead of simply going straight down , as you might think you need to, skiing from one side of the slope to the other in a sort of zigzag pattern all the way down will help you to cut your speed considerably and enjoy ride.

Once you start you will be hooked! It is the most fun you will experience.  At least that’s my opinion.  When you get to the bottom you can hardly wait to get back up again.  Indeed a ski holiday is a very enjoyable way to plan a family holiday or even enjoy some holiday time for yourself.  Who knows what long lasting friends or relationships you may make on your new ski holiday venture.

Tags: family ski holiday, ski, ski adventure, ski excursion, ski guide, ski holiday, ski holiday guide, ski holidays, ski trip, ski vacation, skiing, skiing adventure, skiing excursion, skiing guide, skiing trip, skiing vacation, winter skiing

Every blogger probably knows about the recent Wordpress exploit which was pretty big news.  Well, because I didn’t upgrade my Wordpress installation right away Traveling Project actually fell victim to the exploit.  How did I know?

When I went to the “Users” section of the Admin Panel I noticed that it said there were two administrators for the blog.  When I checked the list it only showed my administrator account designated as an “admin”.  This was one of the symptoms of the exploit so I knew the blog had been hit.

To fix the exploit I went into the MySQL database for Traveling Project and checked the “Users” table in the database.  I compared the list of users in the table to the list of users in the Admin Panel and deleted the only user not showing in the Admin Panel.  When I refreshed the Admin Panel it changed from showing two admin users to only one admin user, so I knew that user was the culprit and the issue was fixed.  I then updated my Wordpress installation to the latest version and changed my admin password just in case.  Luckily there wasn’t any other damage or changes done to Traveling Project.  I still have to go through the old posts and rest of the blog to double check everything though.

So for anyone running Wordpress this is just a friendly reminder to update your installations to the latest version!

Tags: wordpress bug, wordpress exploit

Barbados is fortunate to be bordered by over 60 of the most incredible beaches in the Caribbean.  The beaches in Barbados feature coral sand, crystal clear turquoise waters, white to pink colored sand, and are usually never overcrowded. There are a variety of beaches to choose from because of the different coastlines that border the island. The West and South Coast of the island face the peaceful Caribbean Sea and are known for the most famous beaches in Barbados which attract many tourists.  The North and East Coasts are more dangerous because they face the forceful Atlantic Ocean.  Swimming is usually discouraged at these beaches  because of the rugged and powerful waves.

Warm, calm, and crystal clear waters describe the beaches in the West Coast where the Sandy Lane Hotel is located.  These clean, white sandy beaches are considered peaceful because of their mostly small waves which allow visitors to enjoy a variety of activities.  Visitors can participate in swimming, snorkeling, sailing, diving, and other water sports; and on land, visitors can play volleyball and paddle tennis, have a picnic, take a walk, and sunbath. Pedal boats and glass bottoms boats are also available for tourists.

The South Coast, also known as the Fun Coast, is a little more active than the West Coast. The white sandy beaches have clear water with mostly medium-sized waves. The following activities can be enjoyed in the South Coast: swimming, windsurfing, body surfing, kite boarding, scuba diving, snorkeling, and parasailing.  Visitors can also walk along the beach, play volleyball and paddle ball, and enjoy rides in a pedal boat, kayak, and glass bottom boat. The South Coast beaches also feature an ocean trampoline and slide and a mountain climbing iceberg.

Barbados’ East Coast beaches are recognized for their seascape, landscape, and breathtaking views. Many photographers and nature lovers take pleasure in these beaches that are full of tranquility. The locations are great for surfing, but swimming is not recommended because of the large waves and strong currents.

On the North Coast of Barbados there are not many beaches, but the coast is known for enormous waves, attractive scenery, and hidden coves.  Surfing is popular here, but swimming is not recommended.  Surfers in both the North and East Coast have to be careful because of the unpredictable currents and rocky bottom of the ocean floor.  Visitors tend to go sightseeing, hiking, picnicking, or on tours on the North Coast of Barbados.

Tags: barbados beach, barbados beaches

After doing some brainstorming I decided to have a new feature on the blog called “Featured Fridays” which I think is a really cool idea.  Every Friday from this point on will be reserved for featuring and focusing on one specific travel destination anywhere in the world and blogging about it.  This isn’t going to be some lame feature post where I feature a country or location in general like Italy or Spain and talk about mundane facts about the location.  I’m going to get to the nitty gritty and actually feature specific locations that are interesting to readers like the Great Wall of China or the Giza pyramid.  I’ll try to feature some not-so well-known destinations with interesting facts and pictures that most readers have never even heard about.

Also, maybe down the road for “Featured Fridays” I’ll also have a featured blogger write about the featured travel destinations for those of you who are getting tired of my writing style! *wink *wink!  Having “Featured Fridays” will get some regular and consistent content on Traveling Project and help it grow into a more interesting source for readers who are into traveling.

Tags: featured fridays

Time flies!  I didn’t realize that last month, in April, it was this blog’s one year anniversary.  To be more specific April 19, 2008 was the official start of the blog when I registered the domain name;  although my first post was made the following day on April 20, 2008.  I don’t remember, but I guess it took me a whole day to setup the domain, get Wordpress installed and configured, and all the other neat stuff that goes with bringing up a travel blog.

Reflecting back on my first year I would have to say it was a success with many bumps in the road.  The goal of this blog when I first brought it online was to generate income to help me travel more by posting about my travel experiences and general topics about travel.  Well, one year later I have to say that the blog did generate a modest amount of income for it’s first year;  in fact you’d probably be surprised if I went back and calculated the total income it generated the first year. Although it did generate income, it still wasn’t enough to cover all my travel plans for the whole year to be honest. Something I know will take time as the blog grows.

I do expect the blog to become even more successful this year and for many years to follow with a little more discipline on my end.  Some of the features I planned for the blog on a regular basis sort of died down for no apparent reason other than I got a bit lazy at times.  One example was the monthly income reports and updating the “Project Income” page for my readers to follow how much this blog made.  After the first few months I realized the blog wasn’t generating a steady amount of income to really keep this section updated, and once the blog did start generating income I never really got back to updating it.

So for this next year, I made a promise to myself to fine tune the blog, and to keep up with more frequent updates than in the past. I’m going to think about new ways to keep this blog interesting and let you guys know in a few days!

I’ve got to know many of the blog’s readers through comments or through emails; and by the growing amount of responses/comments I get as time goes by I know the blog is getting more popular with each passing moment. This makes me excited for what the future holds and for the people/friends I will meet on this project’s journey; so if your reading this blog please say “hi” by posting a comment and wish the blog a Happy First Anniversary! Don’t be a stranger.

Tags: anniversary