Archive for Travel Stories
Compensation For Missing Rolling Duffle Bags
My rolling duffle bags were stolen yesterday at LAX airport when I boarded the plane to Seattle unsuspectingly. Not only my luggage of course but the entire carrier of the luggage that was supposed to baord the plane with us. Investigation revealed that the personel did not even register that the carrier went missing while loading the freight space in the lower half of the bird. Can you imagine not only my surprise but also the disbelieving faces around me at the conveyer belt in Seattle? We were gathered in that area waiting for our luggage to emerge from the depths of the building yet the carousel kept being empty and rotating for over 30 minutes before any of us caught on and realised that something was wrong.
Long story short, the Los Angeles Airport police is investigating the case and trying to retrieve the missing suit cases and rolling duffle bags. Most inconvenient though is to visit a city without having any of your personal belongings with you. No clothes to switch into, no sanitary items like your tooth brush, soap, shampoo or hair brush. I was expected to speak at a conference the next morning and had to look respectable. I very much doubt that experts and professors from all over the world would take me seriously if I showed up in a rumpled suit that I was wearing for 3 days straight.
It is the very first time that I got into a situation like this. The ironic part of me thought that this had Holywood movie material to it. The kind of situation a comedy might start out and that would end happily. Except, this kind of joy you probably will only ever find in a movie. I can tell you that the real life experience is a different and rather stressful one.
Of course, I am insured for this sort of thing. On the practical side though it is not like your insurence will be available right the minute you really need it and step in. In my case, buying a new suit and a few urgently needed supplies instantly in Seattle prior to my conference. This is money you will need to front and if you are lucky they will grant you a refund later and compensate for.
Apart from the inconvenience of the situation I love my rolling duffle bag! It was crafted for me personally in order to meet a few special requirements. The legs were enforced for extra heavy luggage and the handle was made so that I could fully integrate it on the underside. It had a numbers lock that made it practically unable to open apart from me. The outer shell was hard plastic and could take a lot of impact.
I only hope that our luggage will be found and I will get my military bag back, no matter if here in Seattle or when I will be back home in LA.
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Secrets Of Learning The Most Of London In Barely A Few Days Of Tour
London’s history is so rich and so vast, that the highest to the lowest level of history fan will be interested. While London acknowledge its first century Roman founding, it honors Boadicea with a statue near Parliament. Boadicea was the British queen who raised an army and fought back the Romans to London, where she burned the city. Those who find such violent female figures interesting will enjoy museums like Madame Tussauds, a very lifelike wax museum, and the London Dungeon, where the horrors and terrors of medieval London come to life, including a selection of Britain’s most infamous women throughout history. The Tower of London houses the crown jewels as well as tales of mysterious prisons for important prisoners. Fusing history and art, the National Portrait Gallery depicts portraits of Britain’s most famous people throughout the centuries. The British Museum has one of the largest and best archeological collections of worldwide artifacts, including the Rosetta stone and Lindow Man. Fortunately, while these museums give a good feel for London’s past, the visitor does not actually have to deal with the battles, plagues, and fires that London has survived.
And relishing the calm and beauty of today’s civilized London through cheap travel deal, the visitor can peacefully enjoy London’s aesthetic city center. A walk along Oxford Street brings out the consumer in all, while nearby Hyde Park still manages to provide the serenity of the countryside in a city setting. Except, of course, speaker’s corner, where people proclaim their message for the world to hear. Northeast of the park is Portobello Market, one of London’s many outdoor markets, selling the best in antiques. Between the parks and busy purchasing streets are quaint streets of times past, leading to unexpected surprises like central London’s Covent Gardens, where flower girls still sell beautiful bouquets. Seeing all this from a bird’s eye view gives a comprehensive overview of what lies below, and the London eye shows just that from the center of the center. A free option offering a bird’s eye view is Primrose Hill, a small park in the north of London perched on a hill, overlooking the rest of the city. Hunger is bound to strike at some (or many) points of such jam-packed days, and the city’s flavors will suit all tastes. From traditional English distant to such exotics as Indian restaurants, which are quickly assimilating and becoming typical London day, any array of food can be found in between. And what better time to plan the evening out than during mealtime, when feet are resting and stomachs are happy!
The day is done, the eve is planned, and as night approaches, day is just dawning for those that never sleep. A typical London night out will start at the pub with a group of friends, enjoying the local beers on tap and friendly conversations speckled with bursts of laughter. Of course, if it’s a football or rugby night, the atmosphere will be quite serious and concentrated till the winner is known. After whetting the whistle at the pub, many will go on to dance at one of London’s countless dance clubs. In traveling such an international city through best travel deal, dancing will include every type of dancing, like techno, trance, hip-hop, Latin, ethnic, and raves. After the drinks and dancing, some late night chow down will soothe the stomach in the countless late night or fast food restaurants lighting up London’s night streets.
Experiencing the most of London through a air travel deal in a few days is so enjoyable with London’s rich history, its delightful walks through its sophisticated and beautiful city center, and ever amazing transformation into a nightlong party. A world-class city aged 2000 years and still growing in popularity, London has aged better than a bottle of good wine. London never reached perfection, it continually recreates perfection for every generation that shares in its life, and that is why no one can ever forget this city.
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Uncover The Secrets Of Five General Techniques For Getting Luxury Discount Tour
The majority of people is not financially well off, but would like to be. Sometimes you can temporarily live like the “rich and famous” and enjoy the excitement of luxury travel.
So, as the saying goes, if you have champagne taste on a beer budget, let’s get going.
We’ll explore a few techniques on how you can enjoy luxury travel on a budget.
A laid out plan will be the most important aspect of obtaining cheap travel deal and accommodations without spending any more money than a lower rated resort. Travel in style with the following strategies.
Technique #1. Find Affinity And Loyalty Programs.
Capitalize on the flexibility and leverage you have in the competitive travel industry. Many companies want your business and offer lots of incentives to compete for your travel funds and to keep you as a customer.
For example, if you provide a service, you typically look out for your best customers and give extra perks to keep them coming back. These companies reward travelers who remain loyal to them with unadvertised specials and extras. This is the general idea behind frequent traveler programs and such.
Technique #2. Select The Right Travel Specialists To Work With.
As you’re researching destinations and comparing pricing online, note that all online travel companies aren’t equal. Lots of agencies have preferred status with suppliers who can in turn pass on these airline travel deal to you.
Again, this is just like we talked about earlier, only this time, the companies and suppliers are getting the best travel deal to pass on to you.
Technique #3. Turn Problems Into Opportunities.
Choose a few top-notch companies that you would like to use over and over again so that you can obtain loyalty bonuses and discounts. If they make an error, take advantage of the condition in a professional manner, but don’t take advantage of the occasion.
These companies desire to maintain consistent levels of quality and rely on their customers to provide constructive feedback and satisfaction/dissatisfaction. If a representative is not willing to work with you, ask around to realize someone who will.
Technique #4. Just Ask.
One of the easiest and simplest techniques you can do is to just ask. All they can say is no. Sometimes a special occasion may be enough to get you an unexpected surprise. Simply do it and don’t be afraid to ask.
You can simply ask for an upgraded vehicle, accommodation, or airline seat. It doesn hurt and youe no worse off than you were before you asked. In other words, you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
Technique #5. Timing Is Everything.
Keep this in mind that travel is at it’s the most expensive during holidays and other peak times of the year. However, if the time of year to travel is important to you, such as a special event you’ll be attending, traveling during major holidays or school vacations, and if you desire to get luxury travel for the best value you want, try to book as far in advance as possible.
Don’t forget the power of the internet. It can be one of your most effective tools in researching destinations, while getting luxury travel at bargain prices.
Have fun and happy travels!
Filed under: Travel Stories | deal, discount, luxury, tour, Travel|Comments off
UK Airlines: Cornwall, A Secret Location Yet To Be Explored
In the South west region of England is a peninsula district called Cornwall. Its proximity to both the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel renders this location an inviting holiday target. Hardly any UK airlines market the attributes that render this province a brilliant holiday destination – its coast.Cornwall boasts of various highly appealing beaches with numerous characteristics. If you are wishing for a calm sandy beaches that can provide you with a panorama of a cove, then stay at Porthpean This spot is also suitable for bathing It is also a excellent spot for sailing and windsurfing, if you are so inclined.
If you are hoping for a teeming seashore treat, then your vacation break ought to include Carlyon Bay. There is a elongated sand coastline lavish with a range of attractions that include sailboards, boats, and a massive bathing pool.
Par Sands is perfect for trips that include children. When the tide recedes, this beach can offer children up to half a mile of moist beach to have fun on. Par Sands offers an opportunity for the little ones and adults alike to gather ornamental shells, take part in beach games and scuttle around with animals without causing offence to other beach users who rather prefer to laze on dry sand Furthermore, within reach are entertainment areas that provide for the little ones and adults, similarly.
The Lantic Bay is a soft-wave sand beach with a picturesque cay in the background. There are paths all around for those engrossed in walking. Mounting the cliff can be very appealing given that it provides a unconfined view of adjoining attractions of Cornwall, reaching miles into the landscape. Moreover, if your love is for some privacy, then you have to visit Lantivet Bay. Here, the water is extraordinarily clean with a batch of low tide beaches.
Cornwall is easily reached by air through Newquay Cornwall Airport. This airport links the district to other UK metropolitan areas and also internationally Jet2, Air Southwest and Flybe operate from this airport. You can have a connecting flight from the main UK airports if you are coming from overseas. If you desire to travel by train from London, there are high speed and sleeper services from London There are train services direct from the Midlands as well. Travelling by road is less attractive as there can be long delays in the summer months in spite of many motorways that link Cornwall with other major cities. To avoid travel delays, the easiest time to travel by road to Cornwall is overnight or late in the evening.
Speak to your airline or travel agents and ask more about Cornwall. You would be glad you did. You could get a cut price ticket for notifying them of this mostly unfamiliar escape gem.
Author: Dr Nek
www.ukair-lines.com
Dr Nek is a behavioural scientist with special interest on the interaction between organisations and individual behaviour and lifestyle.
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Pros And Cons Of Traveling With Travel Agency And By Your Own
When you decide to go somewhere on vacations for European bus tours the first question you are faced with is how to organize your trip. At least, you need tickets and accommodation. However, if you are going abroad, the occasion becomes more complicated. You will need visa, foreign passport and a little bit of information about a country you are coming to. The citizens, living and traveling inside European Union borders are in better position. They are free to visit any EU country without any additional document and visas. But let’s imagine you have chosen a country where you need visa. Well, now it’s time to make some preparations for your trip. At first, whether you trust organizing your trip to a travel agency, or organize it by your own. If you choose the first variant:
Advantages
1) Convenience. You don’t have to besiege embassy and wait in long queues. You don’t need to worry about buying tickets and booking hotels.
2) Price. Sometimes travel agencies of cosmos travel tour have special agreements with hotels and the price becomes cheaper. The same thing can be said about airplne and train tickets.
3) Comfort in the country of destination, you are mostly provided with transfer to hotel and the representative of the agency can solve any of your problems.
4) Your vacation of music travel tours is organized. You have a choice of excursions; you’ll be shown the best shops and the most interesting attractions.
Disadvantages
1) Unfortunately, not all the agencies can be relied on, some of them disappear with the client’s money.
2) Some people don’t like to be limited – by excursions, by return tickets or by the necessity of staying in the hotel they’re chosen.
3) It’s not always cheap frequent the excursions, offered by the agency representatives are more expensive than in other places in the city.
If you choose the second variant, you should be prepared to some problems, but of course, this variant has its light sides too.
Advantages
1) You are free to select there and when to go. You are free to change you hotel of your return ticket.
2) You are most likely to see the places, not shown to usual tourists.
3) It’s a kind of challenge. Can imagine your holyday without risk and adrenaline? So, this variant is for you!
4) You can seek and realize a cheaper variant and not just accept what the agency offers.
Disadvantages
1) Once again- risk. You are not quite safe when traveling alone in the foreign country. Nowadays you are not quite safe anywhere, but still
2) It causes some problems in the stage of organization getting a visa can be a trouble. Interview, invitation and a lot of documents all this can be inevitable. So, prepare to waste some time and nerves.
Anyway, the selection is yours.
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Learn More About South African Safaris
Clients were picked up on Friday the 12th March at the Garden Court hotel Airport and transferred to the Kruger National Park. After changing our closed vehicle for one of our open safari vehicles, we left Nelspruit for the final leg of the journey. Upon arrival at the camp of Pretoriuskop, we checked in and gave guests chance to have something to eat prior to leaving on our first game drive at 15h30 that afternoon. We left camp after the guides briefing and was not long before we ran into our first rhino sighting, a female with her calf feeding right next to the road. Upon entry into the park, i had been told of a fire that was burning on both sides of the Napi road and had spread westwards to the Doispane road as well. We made our way in that direction, so as to see if we could pickup any animals that might be moving away ahead of the fire. The road was quite this afternoon and all that was seen on the drive was quite a few Impala, kudu, rhino and Zebra. Clients enjoyed the relaxing drive, and after a good dinner went to bed in order for them to be able to get up early in the morning to leave the camp for the drive.
Guests enjoyed tea and coffee and we left the camp at around05h30. We had not gone far before finding our first lions at the entrance to the Shitihave dam. They had been seen earlier walking up the road and had now gone to lie down in the grass next to the road. The sighting was not too good as a large number of the lions were very obscured from view while in the long grass. We moved off from the sighting and went down the boulders road finding seven rhino busy eating along the road. We continued on and went down the H3 in the direction of Kwagga Pan looking for a large herd of buffalo’s that had been there the day before. When passing the S112, I suddenly found nine wild dogs standing in the road in front of the vehicle. After a while, they decided to lie down in the shade of the vehicle and have a rest as there stomachs looked full as if they had eaten the night before and were not interested in leaving the area. We stayed at the sighting for about an hour, with clients getting some really good photos and also while i helped the other open safari vehicles in the park get down to the sighting before any of the wild dogs decided to leave and push off into the bush. After finishing at the wild dog sighting we took a drive down to Kwagga Pan to see the buffalos that were slowly starting to move away after having had their drink of water.
After watching this sighting, we made our way for the main camp of Skukuza for breakfast. After a hearty breakfast at the Selati Restaurant, we made our way down Ellof street on the river side to see what we could find. We managed to have good sightings of crocodile and hippos as well as sightings of little bee-eater birds found near to the road. We also managed to find an African Fish Eagle standing on the branch of a deaf tree. We decided to start making our way back in the direction of the camp, as guests were tired from the early morning start and wanted to res before leaving on another drive later in the afternoon. The afternoon safari saw us leaving camp and finding more rhinos as well as general game on the afternoon drive. Guests returned to camp saying that they had really enjoyed the day and were looking forward to having a good meal and a rest before leaving the camp the following morning destined for Skukuza, which would be our home for the next two nights.
The next morning after tea and coffee, we took our leave of Pretoriuskop and made our way down the Napi road, turning down the boulders road before coming upon our first sighting of rhinos lying next to the road. We stayed a while at this sighting as they were so close that you could hear then breathing and also sneezing while lying in the early morning sun alongside the road. We moved on and came across our first elephant sighting, something that had been scarce up until now, possibly due to the large area that had been burning for the last two days. We continued on down Napi having a rather quite drive by just getting quite a large number of Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala and Kudu.
After breakfast, we took a drive up to Jones Dam closer to the central section of the park, only to find it rather quite as there has been little rain in this area. We slowly made our way over the high water bridge and back to the camp of Skukuza. After checking in, clients went for some coffee and a good rest before leaving on the afternoon drive. Late afternoon, we left camp and made our way in the direction of the Doispane road after hearing on the radio that there had been two leopard seen in the area. It was wanting to start to rain, but we did not worry as the leopard was quite important as this been the only cat species that the guests had not seen in Africa on may previous visits. We went looking for them, but were unsuccessful in finding bith cats, as they had already moved off from where they were seen. We made our way back to camp for another good meal and some rest.
The next morning, being the final full day on safari, we left at 05h30 and made our way towards the picnic spot of Tshokwane, were we would have some breakfast. On route we came across some rhino, Giraffe, Impala, Kudu, Warthogs and Zebra. We also came across a corpse of a young lion cub, that had died during the night from what i could see was a serious bought of Bovine Tuberculosis that our lion prides suffer with and contract by eating contaminated buffalo meat. We felt very sorry for the little one and went onto breakfast very subdued. After having had breakfast and also relaying what we had found to the ranger in the area we continued onto the H10. We made our way up to the N’kumbe Lookout area, and after enjoying the view, we made our way down the H10 towards Lower Sabie. Just outside lower Sabie, I received a message on the radio of two leopards lying in trees near to one another near the camp of Skukuza.
Knowing how desperate the guests were to see one, we made our way in that direction, arriving about one hour later. We made our way to the two sightings locations, only to find that they had both got out of the trees and moved off. While I was on the second location, one of the other guides by the name of Markus told me of a leopard he had just found near to the transport dam. This leopard was in the same area as the one I found a week earlier with its impala kill in the tree. After discussing this with the guests, I took the watergat road which is a shortcut to the Napi road and only about three km’s from the leopard in the tree. After some quite fast driving, we came upon the sighting of this large male leopard lying sleeping in the tree. After looking at him for a while, I could tell that it was the same tom cat that i had found in the tree with his kill about a week before, only this time he was on the opposite side of the road. The guests were extremely happy with this find and were at the same time quite blown away by this cats beauty. After being there for quite a while and a number of photos were taken, we made our way back to camp in order for the guests to take a rest, before leaving on their night drive that was leaving at 17h00.
Guests went out on their night drive and found lions lying next to the road, hyenas, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, snake, chameleon, buffalos and elephant. Upon returning from their night drive, they enjoyed dinner and then it was off to bed for a good rest.
The final morning saw the clients sleeping in for a while, before enjoying a cup of tea and coffee and then going out on our final game drive. Good general game was viewed on the game drive as well as rhino and elephant. Guests then were taken to the camp of Pretoriuskop, were they enjoyed breakfast after which we left the park, changed our vehicle in Nelspruit and made our way back to Johannesburg.
Feedback from the clients was that they had a wonderful time, and will be returning with their children and their families next year. They have a number of grand children that they would like to treat and take on a safari in Africa. We look forward to welcoming them back next year upon their return.
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A Hike By The Bonnie Banks Of Loch Lomand In The Foothills Of The Highlands.
Loch Lomond in the Trossachs National Park is Britain’s largest freshwater lake and celebrated in the famous song.
The area offers many different kind of walks through remarkably beautiful and varied landscapes rich in flora and fauna.
The short breaks Loch Lomond day out has always been popular from the nearby cities, like Glasgow and Stirling. Balloch the main town is very easy to get to and is a centre for outdoor activities.
Cruising and sailing the Loch is a great day out for many folks and for others it is the walking that draws them.
Footpaths meander beside the loch, up the mountainsides, through forest parks and along rivers and streams with their waterfalls and rock pools.
There is also a scenic stretch of the West Highland Way that runs up the side of the loch.
From Rowardennan you can follow the long distance footpath north for seven and a half miles to Inversnaid. The track is a pleasant fairly easy walk through the lochside woods and at Inversnaid there’s a hotel for refreshments.
As you walk the ‘bonnie banks of Loch Lomond’ you will get glimpses of what is known as Scotland in miniature with its landscape of forests, lochs and hills. The trail continues on to Fort William highland holiday center , which is the end of the West Highland Way.
The good news is that you don’t have to walk back but can catch the boat from Inversnaid Pier to take you back to your starting point. Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park extends into the beautiful Trossachs where you’ll find wild glens, sparkling lochs and the pretty towns of Callander and Aberfoyle, which are useful bases for walkers to this area.
Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park encompasses the beautiful Trossachs area of wild glens, brooding lochs and the charming towns of Callander and Aberfoyle, which are ideal bases for walkers and hikers.
This is Rob Roy MacGregor country who is a folk hero a kind of Scottish Robin Hood. He became a legend in his own lifetime when a fictional biography Highland Rogue was published in the 1700’s by the author Daniel Defoe. The story was embellished, in the 19th century, in the novel Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott and then more recently it was made into a film.
You can imagine Rob Roy walking the paths around here and especially the path to the summit of Ben Lomond, Scotland’s most southerly Munro.
This Ben or mountain is one of the most popular in all of Scotland, because it is so accessible from the big conurbations. Known as the Glaswegian’s Munro, it is seen across Loch Lomond as people drive on up to Fort William.
On bank holidays and in good weather it can get very busy.
Over thirty thousand people make it to the top each year and are rewarded with wonderful views of Loch Lomond and its many islands. There is said to be hundred-mile view in all directions on a good day. To the West of Loch Lomond you can see the stunning steep Arrochar Alps (Ben Arthur, Ben Vane, Beinn Ime, Beinn Narnain, Ben Vorlich and Beinn Buidhe) and north to Ben Lui.
There is also the Campsie Fells in the south-east, with the Ochils beyond them running down to the Firth of Forth and the Pentland Hills. To the east is the “Highlands-in-miniature” of the Trossachs with the peaks around Ben Lawers farther away. To the north the 3,852ft Ben More overlooks Crianlarich and the Road to the Isles. And as already mentioned out to the west an array of mountains parting to reveal the Inner Hebrides and the upthrust Paps of Jura.
There are a number of ways up to the summit but the easiest is the “tourist path”. This is a broad well marked trail, that ascends the long and gently rising south ridge of the mountain. The walk to the summit at 3,192 feet normally takes about five to six hours for the average hiker.
The main path starts at Rowardennan car park and climbs through the woods into open ground. The final and steepest part of the climb zigzags up to a long fairly level track with steep slopes to the left and then you are at the top.
Just a wee stroll and you’ll be amazed at the views.
After your climb to the top of Ben Lomond you could go on to climbing Ben Nevis Mountain.
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A Short Holiday In Monterey City
My wife and I drove to Monterey along the Big Coast highway one USA, which is supposed to be one of, if not the most beautiful drives in the world.
I would dispute that personally as I have been on more scenic drives. Never the less, it is certainly a drive worth taking if you are in that neck of the woods.
We had been at Lake Tahoe to celebrate our son’s birthday and we had driven to Heavenly from San Francisco. So we decided to make it a round trip.
Driving south from Lake Tahoe towards San Louis Obisco and calling at the Pinnacles National Park on the way. After a day’s hiking at the Pinnacles we journeyed south and then turned north to take the Big Sur coastal highway one.
We had planned to call and see the Hearst mansion but when we realised the only way to do this was to book very strictly (or so it seemed to us) controlled tours with no room to vary it, we gave it a miss.
We looked to see what else there was on the way up and opted for a walk in the Pffiefer National Park. But when we got there the trails were closed due to fire hazard. So we walked over to the coast view where there was a spectacular waterfall , that was worth the stop off.
The drive was certainly very dramatic with the hills coming right down to a rugged and dramatic coastline.
All along the road there were viewing points at quite regular intervals and at one of these pull offs there was a seal sanctuary. There were lots of seals with their pups, which we watched for quite a while.
The drive itself is not very long but because the road is twisty you have to drive fairly slowly but then this allows you to take in the scenery.
Our destination for a short getaway was Monterey before driving back up the coast to San Francisco.
We really liked Monterey, it is a lovely bay and there is plenty to do.
While there we drove to Carmel, which is also a very pretty small town, and visited the famous Mission there. Carmel is great for wandering round and it has a fantastic beach.
Then we went on to Carmel Valley where we thought we might visit a winery. This was not to be, because all the wine tasting seemed to be in wine shops and galleries in the village.
I personally thought the village was a little run down considering the area but not everything can be a picture postcard, even in the USA.
However,it’s always good to have seen different places even if they don’t quite live up to expectations we have in our mind.
We were glad we had chosen to stay in Monterey as it is a great base for the whole area with a wide choise of accomodation and restaurants.
It was interesting to walk along Cannery Row made famous by John Steinbeck, and Fisherman’s Wharf was nice to wander around too.
We also did the famous sixteen-mile drive. You basically paid to drive along the sixteen miles of coastline where people had built expensive houses. It’s just one of those things you have to do. Here is were you view the iconic ‘Lone Pine’.
Also we celebrated my birthday at a restaurant called Latitudes,at Lovers’ Point, which we really enjoyed. The headwaiter sang ‘Happy Birthday’ or any other appropriate song depending on the occasion.
We visited in April, which was a lovely time of year there and the gardens around the bay were carpeted with colourful flowers. And the view at sunset from sunset point is worth taking in.
I think Monterey California would be a good place to live.
It certainly made for a great short break.
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Do You Want To Hike Mount Kinabalu – South East Asia
Mount Kinabalu National Park is the place to start if you want to climb this mountain on Borneo in South East Asia.
Mount Kinabalu at 13,435 feet (4095 meters) above sea level is situated in the East Malaysia state of Sabah on the island of Borneo.
It is the highest climbable mountain in South East Asia.
I went up the mountain in October 2009 and had a great time.
I will share with you my experiences and give you some pointers.
What to do and what not to do.
I quite like a bit of adventure, something different from relaxing on a sandy beach or by a hotel pool.
I’ve trekked in the Himalayas and in the jungles of Borneo so I really liked the idea of climbing one of the highest mountains in the South East Asia region.
In preparation you need to reserve your accommodation in Kinabalu National Park at Laban Rata, which is two thirds of the way up the mountain and you need to sleep there before you tackle the final one third.
After registering at the main park entrance, you will need to arrange for a guide to accompany you on the Trek up.
You then get a bus up to the entrance to the mountain. After an initial descent to cross a bridge by a waterfall.
Then the path becomes steep and remains steep until you get to the top.
Within the first hour we had a torrential downpour that made us very wet and the path very slippery.
There were handrails in some places but I would not call it a well-maintained path.
Some parts of the path are stepped but the steps are uneven and can be very high.
It is very hard on the knees.
Unless you are very sure footed you will need at least one walking stick, which is important for the ascent and descent.
Also be aware that the last third of the climb on the second day starts about 3am and the terrain is sheer smooth rock.
You have to pull yourself up by a rope, to get to the top; this is not for the totally unprepared.
Remember that acclimatisation is very important as you climb Mount Kinabalu you climb up quite quickly.
So you need to stop fairly frequently.
I would strongly suggest that you stay in the Park or in the near vicinity, the night before your climb.
The advantages are that you can start earlier and have a walk the day before your climb to adjust to the altitude.
Also you can enjoy the delights of the Malaysia countryside.
On the many Mount Kinabalu websites it shows happy people walking along a flat path in the sunshine and nowhere did it show just how steep it got. Only the bit at the very top was featured as steep.
I did speak to some fellow climbers on the way down and the general consensus was that the website made this climb look as though anyone could do it regardless of age or fitness or experience.
This is not really the case.
It is fairly tough not a pleasant walk but something that must be accomplished.
I would say that with enough correct preparation, most people could at least make it to Laban Rata rest house that in its self is satisfying.
Do not expect to always have views of the sunrise, at the top of Kinabalu because cloud or bad weather often prevent it.
You may not see a wonderful sunrise but at least you will have the satisfaction of getting to the top.
I would encourage anyone to have ago just … BE PREPARED!
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The Hotels I’ve Visited – The Good, The Bad, The Quirky
Being a family man and a salesman at the same time can be enormously challenging. My family comes first, but I can’t support them without travelling. My wife isn’t happy about it, but she wouldn’t be happy about being broke, either. She constantly says I should find a sales position in my field locally. To be honest, she has a point. It’s just that we’d be losing about $15,000 of income per year, and that’s not a situation we can currently afford. Well, enough about my problems (for now). What I’d like to go over are a few of the hotels I’ve been to around the country. To keep things simple, I have only included three of them: the best, the worst, and the quirkiest.
I’ll stick with the whole ‘save the best for last’ theme and begin with the worst. Unfortunately, I’m not going to be able to disclose the exact location of this hotel because my friend is a high up for this chain — Comfort Inn — and gets me discounts all the time. I realize I already gave up the name, but not the location. Without getting into further details, it makes a difference. All I’ll say is that it’s located outside a medium-sized city in the south.
Where should I begin with this Comfort Inn in the south? Should it be that the man behind the counter talked to his friend on his cell phone for fifteen minutes while I waited? Maybe it should be the television that only operates at extremely high or low volumes? How about the opened and used soap on the bathroom counter? The papers left in the drawer from the last visitor indicating the room was never fully clean. If that’s not bad enough, how does being able to feel hundreds of bedbugs crawl up and down your legs when you’re under the covers sound? Yes, I ended up sleeping above the covers (with all my clothes on). If that’s not enough, when I went to get fries at McDonalds across the street, I found police cars surrounding the place. There had been a robbery only a few minutes earlier. I retreated to the hotel, hoping I could go for a swim or workout to eliminate the stress. No pool. No gym. I spent the remainder of the evening listening to a man and woman argue and make some other unique sounds from the next room as I tried to sleep. Needless to say, I will never return to this particular hotel.
The quirkiest place I’ve ever stayed was the Red Lion Hotel in San Diego. It seemed like whoever designed the hotel suffered from multiple personality disorder. I could only imagine what was going through the architect’s head: Upscale. No, let’s go for value over here. Modern downstairs? Okay. Then let’s go country upstairs. Okay, it wasn’t that extreme, but you get the idea. One of the first things that stood out about the place was an upscale Asian-style restaurant being only a few feet from an American sports bar. The people in the Asian restaurant wanting to enjoy a quiet meal could hear the shouts from the sports bar. The second thing that stood out was that there were only balconies on rooms facing the highway and parking lot, but none on the rooms facing the pool. When I got to the pool, I noticed that you had to walk nearly 50 yards from the pool to the hot tub. Not so much fun when it’s barely above 70 degrees. Oh, and the gym was about the size of a large walk-in closet. All that said, I loved the place! There was just something charming and friendly about it. The food was terrific and so was the convenient location. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
The best hotel I’ve ever stayed it is actually a Homewood Suites. It was in Bethlehem, PA. I had just had a big argument with my wife and I was really annoyed. To make matters worse, it was snowing, so travelling wasn’t much fun. Well, from the second I walked into that place, things began to turn around for the better. I hit the pool and Jacuzzi area right away. It was far from the most extravagant place on Earth, but with no one else in there — something you can’t find at hotels in major cities — and the snow falling on the ground just outside the windows, it was truly serene. The location was very convenient. My business needs were minutes away and I made a mental note to come back with the family so we could go to Dorney Park. Seeing all the farms and beautiful country while driving from the airport was an added bonus.
Good hotels, bad hotels, quirky hotels – in the end, I love them all. Why? Because they offer different experiences. They’re also my homes away from home. I’m glad I got to write about them.
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