Travel Blog

Having roughly the same size as the United States, the world’s biggest population and as many neighboring states as Russia, there’s no doubt that China is one of the must-visit vacation destinations in the world. Situated in East Asia, China includes the mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Highlights of Traveling to China

The rest of the world already knows that China is a superpower when it comes to global economics, being as huge a country as they are. But what about when it comes to the tourism industry? It was during 2008 that China took center stage in the global scene when they hosted the Olympics. Prior to this, it was only the more adventurous travelers who have taken the long route to China – but this worldwide attention has put them back on the tourism map – with good reason.

China has an epic landscape where you can feel so small against the backdrop of the empty panoramas in Tibet. Or, you can lose yourself in the busy streets of Shanghai, marvel at the beauty of the volcanic dishes in Sichuan or simply immerse yourself in the local culture by sampling authentic Chinese cuisine in Qingdao.

The sheer diversity of the landscape, the interesting ancient culture, the silence at the Tibetan monasteries, being the curator of the world’s oldest continuous civilization – all these are the reasons why you should pay China a visit – and stay long enough to really discover more about its essence as a country.

Top Traveling Tips to China

Now that you already have an idea about the highlights of travelling to China, how can you make the most out of your visit – knowing that you can’t squeeze in touring the entire country in a one-week trip? Take a look at the following tips:

1. Travel through China via typical travel tours or go rogue and explore more of the country on your own.
Depending on whether you booked your Chinese adventure via travel agencies or if you planned your travel itinerary online by yourself, you can take any of these options.  The first one is to go on a package travel tour which takes you to the most popular tourist spots in the area. Or, you can go rogue and simply use a map or a guidebook to take you to some off-the-beaten-path destinations in China.

2. Get used to the noise.
When you have the world’s biggest population, it’s no wonder why people have to shout just to be heard over the din of noises. The noise is something that you will get used to, especially once you go hunting for bargains in night markets.

3. Learn a bit about the Chinese language.
It is only in the big hotels that you are bound to find staff who speaks English. So before leaving your hotel, make sure to get a card which indicates the place that you’re staying in Chinese characters – so you can be taken to the right place in case you get lost wandering through the city streets.

4. Don’t forget to have a tour of the main ancient sites.
You will definitely not be lacking in places to visit in China – but there are a few highlights to some of the ancient sites including sacred mountains, sites of Buddhist art, pilgrimage sites and the Great Wall of China.

5. Other tips to remember.
Have fun bargaining for great wares in some of China’s best markets. For female travelers, you are most likely to attract attention if you’re Caucasian but the busy city streets are relatively safe. If you want to have a tour of offbeat destinations, check out the domestic flights.

With ancient traditions, a magnificent landscape, a mouth watering local cuisine and a great many places to visit, there’s really no reason why you should say no to exploring China, one of the world’s biggest and best travel destinations.

Check out Travelsphere for more information on China holidays!

Tags: China holiday, China travel, China travel tips, Great Wall of China, Qingdao China, Shanghai China travel, Tibet travel, Tibetan monasteries

Since the first chartered flight touched down in the 1950s, Mallorca quickly became inescapably entangled with the sun, sea and sand destinations of the world and it’s not hard to see why. Everything seems to be aimed at the beaches – the hotels, the bars, the restaurants.  In addition, everything seems to have been designed as to induce the most minimal efforts possible on behalf of the tourists. “This hotel is just a 50 meters walk from the beach!” the glossy brochures tell you. “That bar is just a stone’s throw from the sea” another says!

It’s not for me to pass judgement on how people choose to spend their holidays – as far as I’m concerned, if they are happy, that’s all that matters – but personally I was left in want of a little more. Plus, I was there in winter, and while the climate was mild and the sea just about swimmable, the temperatures weren’t exactly up to beach holiday standard.

So it was with some trepidation I booked myself on to a scuba diving excursion. From my base in Palma de Mallorca, the capital, I traveled to the north of the island – the most rugged part and as such the best for marine life – and found myself at Pollença Bay, a thin crescent of yellow sand back-dropped with brown mountains. As my guide handed me a wetsuit, he informed me the water temperature was sitting at a ‘refreshing 14 °C’. Refreshing… I could think of other ways to describe it – ‘frightfully cold’ springs to mind – but fortunately such things became insignificant the moment I submerged myself in the turquoise sea.

By the time the first ten minutes was up I had come mask to face with a stunning variety of fish, including rainbow wrasse, gobies, cardinals and damsels. And then there were the crabs, lobsters and all the other things that didn’t float. I actually began to feel quite peckish, but I don’t think that was the idea of the experience. The highlight was an enormous octopus that my guide coaxed from its hiding spot. At first glance, it appeared to be just another rock under a ledge. But when my guide tickled it lightly with the tip of his finger, the monstrous thing unfolded into a wriggling mass of tentacles and beady eyes, like Medusa herself had been disturbed.

Admittedly, diving in Mallorca is probably better suited to the summer months, but nevertheless it gave a tantalizing glimpse into a country that offers so much more than sunbeds and beach bars.

For more great info on Mallorca please visit Mallorca My Destination.

Tags: diving in Mallorca, Mallorca diving, Mallorca holiday, Mallorca scuba diving, Mallorca travel, Palma de Mallorca, Pollenca Bay

Unlike back in the days when people who are looking forward to spending a holiday needed to spend an equally large amount of money to make travel arrangements, it’s much easier and cheaper to book for vacation packages now. When you go online, you can go comparison shopping to get the lowest flight and accommodation rates;  you can create a personalized travel itinerary;  get discounted rates on restaurants – and pretty much do everything that a travel agent can do for you.

Following is a review of one website which allows you to take advantage of the best rates when making travel arrangements – TravelRepublic.co.uk.

Company Overview: Travel Republic

Travel Republic is a company based in Surrey, England. This award-winning UK company is solely focused on helping online users arrange their holidays, short breaks and other leisure or business-related travel arrangements.

To learn more about the company, here’s a list of a few quick facts about Travel Republic:
- They are a full member of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).
- They are the nation’s favorite online ABTA travel agency, with more than one million passengers annually booking their travel packages with the site.
- They are the highest ranking “online only” travel agent which works independent of tour operators.

All in all, the commitment that Travel Republic has is to give customers the best value for their money;  provide them with a wealth of choices; and offer gold standard customer service.

Website Features

Now, how exactly does booking your holiday packages work when you do it through Travel Republic? The minute that you visit their site, you will see tabs for the following:
-    Flights
-    Hotels & Apartments
-    Tailor-made Holidays
-    Short Breaks
-    Transfers
-    Holiday Extras, Parking & More
-    Manage Your Booking
-    Information

One of the highlights of the site is the “Manage Your Booking” tab where you can act as your very own travel agent. As soon as you log in, you can gain access to all the information that you need regarding the holiday itinerary that you booked through Travel Republic.

Naturally, the first thing that you need to consider when planning a vacation is where you would like to go. Through Travel Republic, you can book cheap flights to selected holiday destinations like Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Egypt, Greece or some other exotic part of the world. If luxury accommodations are important to you, you simply need to click on the “Hotels & Apartments” portion of the website and get great deals on excellent hotels and apartments worldwide.

The “Tailor Made Holidays” feature lets you stay in charge of choosing flight dates and times, your accommodations and exactly how long you would like your vacation to last. Summing it all up, the individual tabs on the official site of Travel Republic are easy to use and allows you to go comparison shopping for the best deals on flights and accommodations when planning your vacation.

Travel Republic’s Lowest Price Guarantee

As far as the rates are concerned, Travel Republic offers the “Lowest Price Guarantee” where you are assured of the absolute lowest prices available, each and every time you book. In fact, there’s even a part of the website where you will be given the refund difference if you find that your hotel or flight bookings are available at lower prices somewhere on the Internet.

Conclusion: Is TravelRepublic.co.uk Worth Visiting?

All in all, TravelRepublic.co.uk is an easily navigable, well-designed site. Online users are given the opportunity to act as their very own travel agents, being in charge of choosing the best rates for flights, accommodations, cars-for-hire, and all the other travel essentials needed. Depending on your destination, there are several flights only, flights-and-accommodations or overall travel products and packages that you can take advantage of.

More importantly, the lowest price guarantee that Travel Republic offers lets you know that you are getting the best value for your money. Whether you are planning an extended vacation or a short break at your dream destination, you should definitely check out TravelRepublic.co.uk before calling a local travel agent in your area. You just might be surprised at how easy and convenient it is to book your travel arrangements by yourself – online.

Visit the site today – TravelRepublic.co.uk!

Tags: Travel Republic, travel site review, travel website review, TravelRepublic

Do you always look forward to a well-earned vacation which you always take by the end of the year? After working so hard for several months, nothing beats the feeling of getting away from it all in an exotic or tropical destination in a different country.  However, if you are the budget-conscious type of traveler, you might only end up staying in a nice bed-and-breakfast inn; a three or four-star hotel; or even a resort to bunking in a shabby cottage at a cheap resort.

Although this is part of the fun of traveling, there’s absolutely no reason why you should not enjoy luxurious accommodations. But what about your budget? There are actually a number of things that you can do in order for you to enjoy a luxurious vacation on the location of your choice, but without having to spend an arm and a leg for it!

What You Need to Know when Planning a Luxurious but Budget-Friendly Holiday

Basically, enjoying a luxurious holiday on a budget all boils down to planning and researching. Take a look at the following tips on how you can get the best bang for your buck:

1.    Keep your traveling dates flexible.
Based on the country where you wish to fly to, which months are considered peak for vacationers? Typically, July to August are the most popular dates for a holiday.  If you want to enjoy luxurious accommodations while still having the opportunity to explore a place, you can travel during the off-season months from June to September.  You can even enjoy less crowded beaches minus the scorching heat associated with those peak months.

2.    Book in advance.
Be it for flights, accommodations or tours, booking your vacation packages way in advance is one of the best ways to save money.

3.    Conspire with friends or family members who will take the vacation with you.
Taking advantage of group tour packages is also a great way to get the best value for your money when planning a holiday.  Instead of staying at a room in a five-star hotel, you can look for a luxury villa or apartment instead where you can cook your own meals or come and go as you please.

4.    Depending on the city where you will spend your vacation in, select a specific location where there’s a lot of competition between hotel owners or tour packages.
If you’re planning to explore a city which is a popular destination for tourists, choose an area where there is a lot of competition between hotels and restaurants. You might be surprised at how big a discount they are willing to grant just so that they can get your business. The same thing holds true for guided tours, wine tasting tours, food establishments, etc.

5.    Go online.
Finally, the Internet is a powerful tool if all you want is to get the best value for your money while enjoying a luxury vacation at the same time. Do your research online, book in advance and be flexible with your traveling dates.

Follow these few simple and easy hints and you can plan your budget holidays without having to pay an arm and a leg for it.

Tags: budget holiday, holiday on a budget, tips for saving on travel

At first, entering the United Arab Emirates zone was slightly unnerving. I started to envisage that security would be the one thing to dampen my experience in one of the most commanding and pioneering countries in the world.  My airport experience was enough to send me into social isolation for the rest of my stay.  Never again will I pretend to sport a toy gun (harmless as it was) to a friend, in front of security, to provide light entertainment after a long journey. Subtlety was never my strong point!

However, at that point, I never guessed that another word beginning with ‘S’ would prove to be the more dominant factor in transforming my holiday in Dubai. Bustling around the busy streets of this global phenomenon, the seemingly intense airport staff I had previously been faced with had morphed into invigorated and excited crowds of multicultural locals and tourists. I questioned what was driving such fervour?

My answer was provided by a group of British global trotters, who were busily preparing their day, whilst enjoying a typical camel dish breakfast. Though the cafe had all the grim elegance of an Arabesque greasy spoon, you can’t beat it for authentic local eats. Anxiously overhearing their conversation, I learnt of the tourist attraction extravaganza of the year, the Dubai shopping festival.

Lasting for a month, every year, since 1996, it was clear from my surroundings that people were mesmerized by what was on offer. Now, I’m a girl’s girl and not surprisingly, I’m still here in the heat of the action (literally), after extending my visit for an extra couple of weeks before the event ends on 20th February. Returning home to the average high street shop is not an option!

Termed as the shopping capital of the Middle East, Dubai boasts some of the biggest and best shopping centres of the world. The city skyline is sprinkled with malls big enough to hold the entire wardrobe of Lady Gaga. Reef Mall, Dragon Mart and Burjaman have all been transformed into works of art. These are just three out of a long list. It could take a year to get around the lot!

This is when the less label conscious can be pleasantly surprised!

Apart from the obvious, the attraction can get you hooked onto various sports, games and water activities that provide added entertainment. An activity which has become somewhat of a daily routine for me is going to watch the spectacular bands and dance troupes in Dubai Creek Park. You can also check out the DSF Desert Camp, which brings attractions like quad bikes, camel rides, and horse rides to entice visitors.

At night, Dubai explodes into a rainbow of colour and beauty, where you can enjoy lively parades and street performances. Tonight I found myself in Al Diyafa Street, where the stunning lights, that decorate the streets, enhanced the vision that was to transform everyone’s evening meal. Not that I’m complaining about the Arabic cuisine, after taking quite a likening to their Maqluba. You may think you’ve missed out, but these events are set to remain until 20th February.

Whether you’re a shopaholic, a music buff, dance critic or food proficient, this vision would be just up your street…or should I say ‘high’ street. Thus, making Dubai a must on my calendar for 2012!

For more information and insight into Dubai take a look at dubai.mydestinationinfo.com

Written by Hannah Copues

Tags: Burjaman, Dragon Mart, DSF Desert Camp, Dubai, Dubai Creek Park, Dubai shopping, Dubai travel experience, Middle East, Reef Mall, UAE, United Arab Emirates

So you’ve shopped around for holiday deals, found a great price to a great destination, and now the day has arrived.  You are so excited as you check in at the airport……4 hours before you need to leave.  Hmmm, that leaves a little bit of time to kill!

This guide to keeping yourself entertained at the airport is wholly based upon you not having children, as if you do you will have very little time for any of this!  It is mainly for couples or older families.  Some of the ideas are obvious, some are definitely not!

• Breakfast: As most people go for early flights to maximise their holiday time, it is likely you have arrived at the airport in the morning, so you could go for breakfast in one of the cafés overlooking the terminal, and watch the craziness of people rushing around
• Shopping: Every large airport terminal has a large amount of shops where you can stock up on holiday supplies, sweets, books, even clothes and technology.  A lot is “duty free” too so is a bit cheaper.  Just don’t go too crazy on the way TO your holiday, but do on the way back!
• Bar – It is usually quite early, however the bars at airports are actually open all day, so if you are a nervous flier or just want to have a beer when you are waiting it is actually possible to do so!
• Arcade games – Sometimes the realm of kids, but really who doesn’t enjoy a quick game on the arcade?  It is a great way of passing the time and you can have some fun too!
• Games consoles – This one is mainly for if you are on your own, unless your traveling companion is sleeping or shopping but you could sit there with your Nintendo DS or Sony PSP and while away some time on your games.
• Reading – Newspapers are always a good way of passing the time, finding out what is going on in the real world as you are about to leave it for a couple of weeks!
• Internet (cyber cafe) – You could check your emails/Facebook/Twitter etc at one of the cyber cafes at the airport, but be careful not to be tempted into checking work email – you are on holiday now!
• Go for a run along the travelators – not recommended from a health and safety point of view, and not really a serious suggestion as security wont like it, but who hasn’t looked at an empty moving walkway and not thought about running the wrong way down it just to see if you can make it?!
• Chat – You could get speaking to others in the departure lounge, and make some friends for the holiday?
• Sleep – or you could also go for the energy saving, sensible option of just getting your head down at the airport and catching up on some sleep…however you would be missing out on the giddy excitement of the airport fun, and running the risk of oversleeping and missing your flight!

Tags: airport, airport entertainment, airport fun, things to do at the airport

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.