Photo: dn lpnsk

Galapagos Cruises has the itinerary to make anyone’s vacation a once-in-a-lifetime affair. Twice-daily excursions are an option for those who want to go bird-watching, or swimming with dolphins, and even wading with the giant tortoises. All tours are provided by naturalists who are all trained and certified members of the Galapagos National Park Service.

The cruise also offers the best underwater and land activities such as scuba diving on its pristine blue waters of different varieties of fishes and exploring volcanoes that formed the island.  Even the remotest part of the island can be explored to give vacationeers a chance to discover new sites for themselves. When it comes to accommodations, visitors can enjoy 5-star treatement that is like no other.

Safety and comfort are its number one consideration, so people can expect all the modern conveniences on all the cruises. Aside from providing bi-lingual Ecuadorian staff, the cruise also offers the best cuisine there is to show the island’s hospitality to its guests.

Photo: tony stanley

Where is this destination? Perhaps you’ve been dying to take the Indian Pacific train across Australia? Or maybe you prefer the Ghan? Maybe you’ve wanted to do Great Ocean Road tours for years? Or you’ve recently seen a photo of the Great Barrier Reef and have decided to take the plunge?

No matter where your destination is and whatever you reasons or motivations are, there are 5 key people you should consult with before travelling. These people will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to plan and enjoy a successful trip. Whether it is for business or pleasure, your travel plans will be enriched by the contribution, support and advice of these key people.

1. Travel Agent

There has been much hype about the demise of travel agents as many people now book their trips themselves online. But travel agents really are invaluable to you and your holiday. They are experienced professionals who are dedicated to helping you organise your dream trip. They know the ins & outs of travelling, and also often have access to specials and deals.

So go in to your local travel agent for a quick chat. Go prepared with the dates and destinations you have in mind so that the travel agent knows exactly what you want. They should be able to put together a quick quote or at least provide an estimation of how much your trip will cost. This quote will also usually take into account things like visas and travel insurance costs that you may not have considered.

They will also be able to provide suggestions as to what to do on your holiday, and may provide some ideas that you haven’t even thought of. For example, if you’re were thinking of doing a Great Ocean Road tour, your travel agent might be able to recommend doing it as part of the Melbourne tours available. That way you can get the most out of your trip in Victoria.

Travel agents are a great resource. They are there to help you, so use them!

2. Doctor

Visit your local doctor to find out what vaccinations are recommended for when and where you’re travelling. If travelling internationally and visiting multiple areas, this can be costly.

3. Friends/Family

Talk to friends, family, co-workers or even the customer service assistant serving you at the supermarket. Find out where they have been, what they thought of it, or where they would like to go and what they would do there. You’ll be surprised what a wealth of information they are. Take into account their ideas and recommendations. Absorb their advice and also learn from their mistakes.

4. The Internet

There is a plethora of websites dedicated to providing travel advice and tips. To find credible information, you’ll have to find trusted websites. These trusted websites usually include government sites (such as the Australian Government’s SmartTraveller) and forums. However, when browsing online forums, be vary of what you read. By all means, take their opinions into account, but check the information they provide before trusting it.

5. Yourself

No one can tell you where you want to go, whom you want to go with, when you want to go and why you want to go. Take the advice of the travel agent, your doctor, friends/family and the online community, but also trust yourself. Trust your judgement and listen to your gut feeling. After all, you know what you want your trip to be about, so after taking into account the advice of these people, go for it.

Be sure to consult these 5 people before travelling.  After taking into account their advice, make the most of the opportunity to travel and enjoy it!

Then there are the people who, when they get out on their boats in the middle of the ocean or on a lake, really want to catch something. Maybe they are gourmands who love catching, cooking, and especially eating the freshest possible fish. Maybe they’re just competitive and enjoy seeing who in their group will catch the most fish. These are the people who can’t imagine going on a fishing trip without fish finders.

In case you are new to all this, fish finders use the principle of sonar to locate where, and at what depth, the fish in a given body of water are actually congregating, using a transducer to send out the sound waves that will indicate just who’s where. They were derived from fathometers, which are devices used in navigation to help seafarers safely determine the correct depth of water.

There is a bit of an art to determining which objects are actual sea creatures and which might be vegetation or other inanimate items. Nevertheless, all types of recreational fishers are using them more and more. Obviously, fish finders are also incredibly useful to professional fishers, as well. If you’re going to catch fish, you’ve got to know where they are!

Some cruises offer you even more, in terms of different activities you can take part in – either on board or at destinations along the way.

And when you book a cruise you have far more options to take a decent amount of luggage than if you go anywhere by plane. You and your baggage will be travelling together all times, so there’s no need to pack too strategically.

Of course, you don’t want to bring anything that you’re not going to use, but the thing is that you can bring extras that you might have otherwise left at home. For instance, many of the cruise ships you see advertised on TV have climbing walls, so if that’s your thing you’re an enthusiast you can bring your own rock climbing equipment along, rather than using the standard issue supplied by the cruise company. Obviously you’re unlikely to bring ropes etc, but you might prefer to use your own climbing shoes than a rental pair.

There may be opportunities to take part in other sports activities while on your cruise – snorkeling enthusiasts will be more comfortable using their own kit, for example. If you’re going to be visiting anywhere like the Acropolis on your way around, then you might even want to pack your Scarpa walking boots.

Make sure you read up all about the cruise you’ve booked before you leave home – and you’ll be sure of bringing the right stuff with you.

Many first-time cruisers angst over what clothes they’ll need to bring with them. Probably the best advice is to take what you’d normally pack for a holiday, but of course, you don’t need to bother about the luggage weight restrictions you’d have if you were flying.

You’ll also need to pack plenty of changes of clothes for evening wear – eating dinner is a big part of a cruise holiday –and you might want to pack something that’s suitable for dancing in, too. The traditional image of eating at the Captain’s table is probably a bit out of date. You will have a choice of different restaurants on board – all with their own unique ambiance and dress code. Find out which one you feel most comfortable in and stick with it – or be a chameleon and try out all the different choices and dress accordingly.

If you want to get pampered, there’ll be plenty of opportunity as any cruise ship worth its salt will have a beauty salon and hairdressers, as well as a place to get a massage. Book yourself into the beauty salon for a facelift and make up tips.

Before you go on your holiday look out for any product samples of different beauty products, so you can take an array of products to use on your holiday, rather than lugging full size bottles around on your trip. You’ll find lots of money off coupons for different moisturisers, shampoos and suncreams in beauty magazines or online, so make sure you build up a good stock before you sail away.

Photo: gnuckx

With the rising costs involving a trip, a lot of travelers would love to cut on their expenses as much as possible specially, when it comes to holiday destinations as they tend to increase with each passing season. The price of the hotel, therefore, can play a huge part in deciding the total budget.

Once you finalized your itinerary, you can now check on every hotel in the city to find the one that offers discount travel. You can also look for a hotel that offers good service and charges minimally with good food quality. Using hotel price comparison websites can save you a lot of time than making phone calls on your local travel agents. Aside from hotel prices, you can also have options for car hire and flight booking within your fingertips.

It will also provide you with good quality search because they are made of a large number of websites and all you have to do is enter your city and travel date. You can get results by popularity, consumer rating, price, star rating and location. The internet is the best place to look for information if you are looking for last minute hotel discounts. Most hotels post their discounts on their websites especially during off-season or if they still have room accommodations.

You can also find site for complete travel packages from booking your flight to car rental and hotel. Comparing prices in different sites will surprise you especially on the high variations of prices. You will find that doing so would save you a lot of money while you enjoy your holiday more.

1. You can feel like a castaway

Well, we do hope you don’t want to be literally a castaway—even though the 2000 film Cast Away was filmed in Fiji. Fiji abounds with private resort islands that focus on small crowds and high value (often no more than 30 guests at once). What could be better than a private beach with a champagne picnic?

2. You won’t get your stuff stolen

Although we can’t deny that there’s crime everywhere, Fiji is definitely among the safest tropical destinations (compared to, say, Mexico). The locals are friendly and welcoming and in general don’t try to take advantage of unknowing tourists. There’s always the odd crime here and there and we still suggest you keep your valuables in a safe, but there are definitely less problems than at other destinations.

3. You can try diving and snorkeling

Most of Fiji’s beaches are around shallow, warm lagoons that are perfect for snorkeling, especially if you’re a beginner. Children (and adults) will definitely enjoy seeing all the tropical fish and plants in a low-risk environment. Of course, it’s better to take a few lessons or have a guide around, but after a few times you can do it on your own, especially if you stay in the tide pools.

As for diving, Fiji is surrounded by beautiful coral reefs that are perfect for underwater explorers and photographers. There are many diving schools and you can get your diving certificate in a few days.

4. You won’t get better seafood and fish anywhere else

Fiji Islanders know how to cook fish and seafood. After all, being surrounded by the ocean, it’s logical that it would be part of their diet. So let yourself be treated to the excellent kokodo, made of fresh fish (usually mahi-mahi) marinated in coconut milk and lime juice with onions and tomatoes, or enjoy fresh shrimp, lobster or crab at a seaside restaurant.

5. You’ll find hundreds of beaches, everywhere

The most natural beaches are up in the Yasawa islands, but you’ll never be far from beaches of white sand and shallow and calm turquoise waters. The beaches on the main island of Viti Levu are a bit busier, but you don’t have to go far (just a few islands away) to find a secluded, private beach for an afternoon getaway.

There are as many reasons to, say, visit Malaysia hotels rather than Fiji, but we know that we’ve convinced you to take a trip to the beautiful South Pacific instead. Pack up your swimming suit, what are you waiting for?