Travel observer

Travel in Italy - Free island guide of Ischia for families

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:11:10 +0000

For a short visit, a week-end, a city break, these free pocket guides are useful printable and downloadable tools available online.
Ischia has a population of nearly 58,000 people. In the Ischia Island guide students, families and backpackers can get a large selection of cheap or low cost accommodation with plenty of low cost solutions in cheap hostel Ischia, Bed and Breakfast, guesthouses, cheap hotel deals.
The roughly trapezoidal island lies 30 km from Naples and measures around 10 km east to west and 7 km north to south with a 34 km coastline and a surface area of 46.3 km˛.
Those who love travelling light, those with a sense for adventure, those who love flexibility in their trips, those who like meeting locals and travelling slow and low... those are Flashbooking happy travellers!
It is almost entirely mountainous, with the highest peak being volcanic Mount Epomeo at 788 meters: the volcano was active in Classical times.
The Island is renown for its open and friendly international people, art museums and Art Galleries, the sea, the movida and cheap lodgings, classic itineraries in a lot more to make a visit worth wise.
Ischia is also the name of the main comune of the island. Other comuni include Barano d'Ischia, Casamicciola Terme, Forio, Lacco Ameno and Serrara Fontana.
Flashbooking accommodation database is easily available online and comes completed with all relevant information about youth hostel create online courses hotel location and map, description, services, hostel contacts, customer ratings, six pictures and updated prices inclusive of taxes and services together with instant real availability.
With the monthly newsletter, Flashbooking puts at travellers, students, volunteers free disposal some useful pocket travel guides of major European cities: the Amsterdam City create online courses the London City guide, the Prague City guide, the Paris City guide, the Rome City guide, the Florence City guide, and the freshly issued Ischia island guide!! For the Ischia travel guide Flashbooking staff efforts concentrate on making it simple to read dividing the Ischia centre in different districts with their relevant amenities.
Having the reservation final price is also convenient as it does give the transparency our users pretend while booking. Having the final total amount of your booking means you do not have to worry about other extra surprises!
So mates, we are looking forward to finding you THE budget accommodation that meets your needs and pocket for your next trip! Last but not least, if you wish to help us, you can either give your personal ratings of some accommodations, online teacher courses bed and breakfast Ischia, youth hostels and budget small hotels where you stayed, or enlarging the hostel offer by reporting some new hostel contacts!

Travel books to plan your trips for 2009

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:23:10 +0000

Looking for some inspiration to plan your trips for the new year? Here are some books to guide you. And if you can’t afford to take the trip of your dreams in this economy, any one of these publications will give you the right to proclaim yourself an expert armchair traveler.
Travel + Leisure recently came out with the 2009 edition of its “100 Greatest Trips” ($34.95), with mini-guides to each destination, maps, resource listings and trips in 10 categories: adventure, arts and culture, beaches, cities, countryside, drives, family, food and wine, nightlife and shopping. Among the destinations profiled are Provincetown, Mass.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Santa Fe, N.M.; Portland, Ore.; Kauai, Hawaii; Oaxaca, Mexico; Liverpool, England; Sicily, Italy; Tunis, Tunisia; Kiev, Ukraine; Nagano, Japan; and Tasmania, Australia.
Rough Guides has put out “Ultimate Adventures: A Rough Guide to Adventure Travel” ($25) with sections on “Feats of A Lifetime,” like rafting the Upper Zambezi River in Africa and diving Australia’s Great Barrier Reef; “Family-Friendly Adventures” like wildlife-watching in Costa Rica and rock climbing in California’s Joshua Tree National Park; “Photo Ops,” such as those found walking across England from coast to coast; “Energy and Endurance,” with undertakings like hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim; and “Mental Toughness,” which includes an expedition to the North Pole.

Lassen Park Named Top Travel Destination for 2009

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:28:49 +0000

Cape Town, South Africa, Berlin, Germany and Istanbul,Turkey, these are just some of the top destinations for 2009.
Frommers.com, a travel website, has announced 12 places around the world to visit this year and among the list, the North State's very own, Lassen Volcanic Nation Park.
According to Frommers, "Lassen is one of the oldest -- Teddy Roosevelt dedicated two monuments in 1907 that ultimately became this park -- and least-visited parks in the system."
Lassen was also chosen because of the wide range of natural wonders the park offers visitors.
One of the main attractions is Lassen Peak, which erupted in 1915.
There are several lakes in the park but one of the most beautiful is Lake Helen.
You can also get an insight of the inner workings of planet Earth by taking a short hike to the Sulfur Pits located in Bumpass Hell.
When you're there remember magma is only 6 miles below you.
So as you plan your next trip to one of the 12 must see places in the world.
Maybe you'll pick Belfast, Northern Ireland or Saqqara, Eqypt or how about Waiheke Island in New Zealand, just don't forget Lassen Volcanic National Park.
The secret is out.
for more information on top destinations for 2009.
http://www.nps.gov/lavo/
, Lassen Park's website to plan your next trip to the park.

Kansas City: The Ultimate Teddy Graham Destination

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:22:33 +0000

First up, I gotta give some love to the cost: Going from LaGuardia to MCI directly on
was in the low 200's on a holiday, and, yes, I got
on the flight.
If you're into shopping, KC offers just as much as any other major city. (But there was nothing I couldn't find there that I couldn't also find in Dallas, my favorite shopping destination.)
could stand up to any in Big D, but my personal favorite was the upscale
. From Tiffany and Burberry to a North Face store and a Brooks Brothers, the outdoor shopping area was all I could've wanted--and the Christmas lights all around the area gave the whole place a bit of a magical feel at night. Magic in Kansas City? Guess so.
makes for a surprisingly kick-ass nightlife scene, making it
area for trendy restaurants and places to see and be seen. Gung-ho club-going types should report directly to
.
Overall there were lots of pleasant chains and pleasant people who smiled at one another for no reason--a big change from New York--and the downtown area is, without a doubt, on the upswing. Almost everything looks clean and new, and for an NYC dweller, a jaunt to Kansas City is a breath of fresh air in more ways than one. But would it be my first choice for a vacay? Probably not, and in terms of destinations to watch, I still don't get why
gave KC the distinction. Consider it a contender for the "Most Improved Player" or "Shiniest Midwest City" or "Most Pleasant Place to Spend Three Days" award. But stacked up against Vilnius, Peru and Vancouver, KC's the Teddy Graham of the bunch.

Ministry on the hunt for tourist destinations

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:39:33 +0000

Sigiriya group corr.
The Tourism Ministry is gathering information on villages that can be
developed as tourist destinations. This move will help potential
communities in rural Sri Lanka through the tourism industry, Ministry
sources said.
If a village is situated near a highway or a main road, depends on
conventional farming or cottage industries with a community trust in
participatory development and voluntarism, it will be considered to be
developed by the ministry as a tourist destination.
In such instance, anyone can inform the Tourism Ministry Secretary on
that particular place, he said.
An outline of the village with a map can be sent to the ministry
secretary by fax 011-2390796 or e-mail slmts@sltnet.lk.
Further information can be obtained from Deputy Director (planning)
Anura Ranasingha at the Ministry over 011-2438187.

Travel Leader's Top Domestic Destinations For 2009

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:03:00 +0000

This year’s Travel Leader survey is filled top dollar destinations, but each one also has some hidden budget minded gems. Below is the list with my comments about each destination as well as travel time and air options from Nashville.
10. Chicago
ma and disgraced Governor Blagojevich, Chicago makes its first entry to the top 10 domestic destinations this year. While it is famously expensive, I found a few budget minded gems when I visited several years ago. Navy Pier is more than just a tourist trap, it offers some of the best views of the city as well as a free world class stained glass display.
:7 hours by car. Southwest by air.
9. San Francisco
- Even more expensive than Chicago, San Francisco is difficult to do on a budget but there are some great cheap things to do. You can wander the streets of the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and be dazzled by the tea, jewelry, and shops. Or, you can walk across the Golden Gate Bridge for free and get the best views in the city. For more about San Francisco, check out the
.
8. Washington, D.C.
- You can get yourself in a lot of debt in D.C., paying top dollar for everything. Hmm, maybe that’s where the politicians get it from? You can also find some wonderful free gifts to the traveler. My favorite is the Smithsonian museum complex. Called America’s attic because of the wide variety of items housed in the many museums lining the National Mall between the Potomac River and the Capital, the Smithsonian houses pricesless artworks and historical artifacts and tells more stories than you can ever imagine-all for free! For more info about DC travel check out the
.
: 10 hours by car. Southwest by air
7. Anchorage, AK
- I’ve never been here before so I can’t offer any first hand experiences. But that’s the great thing about Examiner.com. We have a network of Examiners throughout the United States, including Anchorage. Check out the
for details on how to take a free train trip!
: It's not cheap!
6. Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ
- This bustling desert city is a golf oasis and gateway to the Desert Southwest. It is also a bustling tourist destination. I’ve only driven through here twice in thirty years. Luckily for you, there are a several
covering travel in and around Phoenix.
5. New York City, NY
- Ok, this is the third in a row that I haven’t visited. I can tell you it’s expensive and I can also tell you there are lots of Travel Examiners writing about all the great things.
.
Getting There on the Cheap: 14 hours by car. Southwest by air
4. Honolulu, HI
- I’m back on familiar turf. Yeah, all of Hawaii is expensive, from getting there to sleeping there, to eating there. You can’t go wrong with the wide sandy beaches, even in pricey Waikiki a beach is still free, or taking in the moving USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.
: There is no cheap way. Plus, it takes 2 days to get back!
3. Maui, HI
- I didn’t make it to Maui when I was in Hawaii but everyone says this is one of the most beautiful pieces of paradise in the United States. Check out
for the best in budget travel on this island.
See 4. Honolulu
2. Orlando, FL
- This is a classic budget travel destination because of an abundance of cheap hotel rooms because of all the land. But lets be honest, people go to Orlando to see the Mouse. Disney World is why people want to go to Orlando. My favorite Disney money saving site is
. Be sure to check it out before your next visit. Of course, don’t forget to check out the
, too.
: 10 hours by car. Southwest by air.
1. Las Vegas, NV
- An old school budget vacation, Vegas was once known as the home of the $1.00 buffets. In recent years it has gone through an upscale transformation. However, with the recent recession things have changed. An
I wrote a few days ago highlighted some of the recent deals.
: Southwest by air.
,
,

AAA releases tips and trends for 2009 travel

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:23:27 +0000

Sure, the economy is struggling and most Americans are cutting back on their discretionary spending. But it's not all doom and gloom for travelers in 2009. Even though the travel industry is impacted by the economic downturn, the good news is 2009 is the year of the great travel bargain. Your dream vacation may cost a lot less this year because of discounts, extras and upgrades. And some of the most popular travel destinations are seeing smaller crowds, which can make your visit a more enjoyable experience.
Now's the time to pull out the crystal ball and survey the travel landscape for the coming year. Doreen Loofburrow, Director of Travel for AAA Oregon/Idaho, has the top travel trends for 2009, and some practical tips for planning your vacations. Bon voyage!
This year more than ever, travelers are looking to get the best vacation they can afford. The travel industry has answered with several value-oriented vacations. Cruises are a popular option. Cruise lines are expanding their offerings and destinations, and lowering their prices. You can cruise for as little as $60 per day, and this includes your accommodations, food, and transportation to ports of call. European river cruising lets you escape the expensive hotel and food rates in Europe by traveling on a river ship. It not only offers an excellent value, but it's a more relaxing way to get from city to city. And new all-inclusive resorts are popping up at the hottest tourist destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean, and with food and beverages all included, there's no sticker shock when the final bill arrives.
Exploring the U.S. and Canada:
With airfares still fairly high, another popular trend is to vacation in North America instead of Europe or other far away destinations. Washington D.C. is once again a hot destination. (Wait until after the inauguration of Barrack Obama on January 20!) Plan your trip for sometime after January 21 and then explore this historic city. Weekend hotel rates are usually a great value, and the best part is most major attractions, including the Smithsonian Museums, are free. Vancouver B.C. is hosting the 2010 Olympic games and is busy getting ready. You can beat the crowds by traveling in 2009, and you'll want to visit Whistler, which will host many of the Olympic events. Another popular destination making many of the national вЂњhot listsвЂќ is our own Willamette Valley, Oregon featuring many wineries.
Many popular destinations will be вЂњhot spotsвЂќ in 2009 and youвЂ™ll hear people talking about them. Riviera Nayarit just north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is just one of these places. This new resort area features many new hotels, including several all-inclusive resorts. Plus there is something for everyone, whether you want to golf, shop, or soak up the sun. With the unfavorable exchange rate in Europe this past year, South America has proven to be a popular alternative destination. PeruвЂ™s Machu Picchu will remain hot, and it is still affordable. With the media focus on the Olympics in China in 2008, that country has seen an even greater number of travelers. Plus one of the hottest destinations is a Yangtze River Cruise which is not only a great value but also provides an easy way to see much of the country.
Planning a trip today can be confusing and time consuming. And the amount of time it might take you to plan your own trip can be overwhelming. A professional travel agent can save you time and money by arranging all aspects of your trip. Plus booking your air, hotel and car together as a package is typically the best way to save. ThatвЂ™s always important, because getting the most for your money is the one travel trend thatвЂ™s popular every year.

Proximity Hotel Featured on Cover of 2009 NC Travel Guide

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:28:05 +0000

Greensboro,
NC January 2009 For the first time in the states history, a
property is featured on the cover of the official 2009 North Carolina Travel
Guide. A photograph of the Proximity Hotel and Prints Works Bistro graces
the cover of the guide which has historically been noted for its natural
scenic beauty shots. The 2009 guide is featuring an urban setting and recognizing
The Greenest Hotel in America.
As
the first Platinum LEED certified hotel and restaurant property in America
as rated by the U. S. Green Building Council, the Proximity Hotel and Print
Works Bistro represent the emerging interest in urban and sustainable tourism
for the state. Since its opening one year ago, the hotel has been recognized
for its uniqueness in the hospitality industry world wide.
This
recognition by the N. C. Dept. of Commerce and the Division of Tourism
signifies the importance that Greensboro holds in the economic ranks of
the state. The impact of tourism in Guilford County was over $1 billion
in expenditures in 2008. Having a unique property in Greensboro on the
cover of the guide is such an honor, states Gail C. Murphy, Director of
Marketing at the Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The
2009 North Carolina Travel Guide is available for visitors and residents
at the official Visitor Center in Greensboro, located at 2200 Pinecroft
Road, Suite 200, across from Four Seasons Town Centre. It is also available
by calling 1-800-VISITNC.
The
Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is an independent, non-profit
governmental authority whose mission is to promote economic development
through travel and tourism.
The
Greensboro Visitor Information Center offers free guides and information
on area attractions, accommodations, restaurants, golf, and a wide variety
of activities and special events.
The
Visitor Information Center has moved to 2200 Pinecroft Road, Suite 200,
across from the Four Seasons Town Centre at exit 217 off I-40 at High Point
Road. Call 1-800-344-2282 or 336-274-2282 for information and directions.
On the Web visit
.

Have you been forced to take unpaid vacation?

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:49:57 +0000

Have you been forced to take unpaid vacation?
We’re reading about workers around the country who have been forced to take unpaid vacations as a cost-saving move in both private and public organizations.
Has that happened to you?
These moves amount to temporary layoffs that are certainly better than eliminating staff. But they also amount to pay cuts that some workers are ill-equipped to handle.
Slightly more than 1 in 10 unemployed workers are on temporary layoffs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But many of those include workers — such as those at auto manufacturers — who continue to get some kind of paycheck during the layoff. The statistics don’t tell us who’s paid and who’s not.
So, are forced, unpaid vacations better than the alternative, and therefore good? Or are they bad under any circumstance? Or does your answer depend on how long the forced vacation is? After all, a week without pay may be manageable, a month, not.
To reach Diane Stafford, call 816-234-4359 or send e-mail to
. Read her columns and “Your Job” blog at economy.kansascity.com.

BBC Worldwide names Matthew Goldberg head of Lonely Planet

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:14:56 +0000

Worldwide has appointed Matthew Goldberg, a senior executive at Dow Jones with responsibility for digital operations including WSJ.com, as chief executive of the Lonely Planet travel guides business.
Goldberg will report to Marcus Arthur, BBC Worldwide's managing director of global brands, the division that is also responsible for the Top Gear franchise.
He will be based in Melbourne, Australia, and replaces acting Lonely Planet chief executive Stephen Palmer.
Palmer, who has held the role for about five months following the departure of long-serving Lonely Planet chief executive Judy Slatyer, retains his previous role as chief executive for Lonely Planet's Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
At Dow Jones, Goldberg, who joins Lonely Planet in March, was senior vice president of digital strategy and operations. His responsibilities included leading business operations at the Wall Street Journal Digital Network, which includes websites WSJ.com, MarketWatch, Barrons.com and AllThings Digital.com, as well as complementary mobile and video operations. He previously worked at publisher Bertelsmann.
"Matt has extensive experience in print and digital media and is a perfect fit for a company like Lonely Planet both culturally and commercially," said Arthur.
"I've no doubt that Matt's expertise will not only help maintain Lonely Planet's core business in printed travel guides, but will also seek to optimise opportunities in alternative media markets as the business enters the next phase of its digital development," he added.
BBC Worldwide, the BBC's commercial arm, controversially bought a 75% stake in Lonely Planet, which sells around 6.5m travel guides each year, for a reported £75m in November 2007.
, which claimed the Lonely Planet deal was an example of BBC Worldwide expanding beyond its remit.
.
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