You have a lot of lodging and hotels in Hawaii to choose from. Your first option is the Hale Lani Bed & Breakfast. It is located in Kapaa on Kauai. This B&B has been honored as “one of Hawaii’s 50 Best B&B’s” by Frommer’s Travel Magazine. The features that this B&B offers to its guests include private entrance, private patios, Queen sized beds, private baths, a full kitchen, tropical toiletries, an island breakfast, tropical flowers, a home entertainment center, wireless internet access and access to sports equipment. The Hale Lani offers guest a variety of packages including: Whale Watch and fishing Expedition, Romantic Holiday, Friend and Family Gathering and Leave Your Cares Behind Getaway.

If you are looking for lodging and hotels in Hawaii that offer a secluded tropical atmosphere then you may want to consider Kaui Country Inn. This B&B is located in Kapaa, Hawaii. Some of the special services offered at the Kauai Country Inn include Water sports equipment, kayak rentals, DVD movie rentals and motorcycle rentals. The innkeepers are also available to help you plan the perfect Hawaiian vacation.

If you are looking for affordable lodging and hotels in Hawaii then you may want to consider the Poipu Plantation Bed & Breakfast. Here you can find rooms for under $100 per night. The innkeepers of this special tropical B&B can help you to plan activities, make local travel arrangements and they can also recommend great local sites to see. Some of the amenities offered at this B&B include: hot tub, barbeque, breakfast, housekeeping services, laundry room and a free telephone.

If you are looking for lodging and hotels in Hawaii on the Garden Island of Kauai, then you may want to consider Green Acres Cottages. This B&B is located on the north side of Kauai between Kilauea and Anahola. Each cottage is freestanding which offers guests privacy. This B&B is situated within minutes of amazing vacation activities like rock climbing, snorkeling, live theater, hiking trails, swimming, diving and fine dining.

Posted on October 24th, 2007 by John
Filed under: Vacation Tips | No Comments »

We’ve all had tons of fun playing I Spy or taking part in a camping scavenger hunt. There are plenty of board games that are ideal for playing by the campfire and a deck of cards is a must have on any camping trip. But what about some fun camping games just for adults?

Traditional camping sports, like horseshoes, volleyball, and shuffleboard are always fun, but here are a few creative camping games for adults and older teens that are sure to bring lots of enjoyment, as well as a few laughs. Coleman paintball gear is also a fun choice for adult outdoor entertainment.

Mr. B’s Shave
Give everyone a balloon and a marker. Blow up the balloons and instruct everyone to draw Mr. B a face. Apply shaving cream to each balloon and give everyone a plastic knife for their razor. The first person to shave Mr. B without popping him is winner.

Where’s the Grapes?
First, be sure you have plenty of table space for each participant. Put 5 grapes on a plate and heap whipped cream over the top until the grapes are hidden. Place a plate in front of each participant, have them put their hands behind their backs, and see who can uncover and eat their grapes first. Be prepared with lots of napkins for this adult camping game.

Popping Crazy
Before the game, write a selection of crazy actions on strips of paper, like “cluck like a chicken,” “do the twist,” or “imagine your Elvis and perform a song”. Put each action inside a separate balloon and blow them up. All participants should sit, facing one another, in a large circle. Play some upbeat music and start passing the balloons from person to person around the circle. After a few minutes, stop the music. Each time the music stops, everyone should put the balloon they are holding in their chair and sit on it with all their weight for about 5 seconds. Wait for those who popped their balloon to perform their crazy action, then start the music back and continue.

Things That Go Bump in the Night
This camping game for adults is so much fun that you may want to invite your neighboring campers to join in! You need at least 4 people, but the game is more fun the more people involved. You will need a flashlight and should play at night with all your camping lanterns off. Designate one person as the curator and another as the visitor, everyone else is a statue. Statues can move through the dark, but must be completely quiet. The curator should have the flashlight and he and the visitor will walk around trying to catch the statues moving. If a statue is seen moving, heard bumping into something, or talks he becomes a visitor as well and joins the curator in eliminating other statues.

Balloon Lift
This is another camping game for adults that promises hilarious fun! Divide everyone into teams of two and place a balloon on the ground in front of each pair. The object of the game is to pick the balloon up, then pop it between the two people, but without using any hands! The first team to pop their balloon wins. Teams that use their hands are eliminated.

Posted on October 23rd, 2007 by John
Filed under: Camping, Vacation Tips | No Comments »

The August selection for the The Most Beautiful Hotels in the World is the Sofitel Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan, Egypt. The setting for Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile, this historic colonial hotel is possibly the best hotel in all of Egypt. It is and experience, combined with artifact hunting and tomb visiting that should be on the list of every luxury adventure traveler’s list.

The Old Cataract Experience

Imagine this scenario: Enter the large high-ceiling lobby and note the blend of Victorian elegance and eastern arabesques. Keep straight on until you reach the terrace. Gaze out at the Egyptian sailing boats called feluccas gliding over the waters of the Nile on either side of Elephantine Island. Feel the warm breeze as you sit down and notice the long-robed porters quietly scuffing down the wide halls. Survey this confluence of the past and the present, of East and West and as the waiter hands you your icy martini or cold lemonade, and contemplate the peacefulness and tranquility of it all. This is the Old Cataract Hotel, welcoming guests to its calming interiors since 1899 and unanimously considered one of the finest hotels in all of Egypt.

Perched atop a granite outcrop at the Nile river’s edge in Aswan, Egypt, the hotel takes its name from the rivers First Cataract (rapids). The large spacious guest rooms feature antiques, fine Egyptian linens, high ceilings, and most have achingly beautiful Nile views.

The grand restaurant, 1902, one of several at the hotel, was inaugurated for the opening of the first Aswan dam, with Winston Churchill, assorted royalty and dignitaries in attendance. French Continental cuisine is served in a grand colorful Moorish interior. There is also a freshwater swimming pool with terraces overlooking the Nile. The languorous beauty of the Nile will capture you at the Old Cataract, an experience not to be missed.

Luxury experiences for the adventurous from your base at the Old Cataract:

• Take a taxi to the nearby island of Philae. You can bargain for a boat to motor you over to see this fantastic isle which is filled with temples that were moved there to be preserved when the Aswan Dam was created.

• Take a 2-hour plane ride to visit the tremendous Abu Simbel — gigantic seated figures presiding over a small temple that can be entered.

• Go for a cruise on one of the feluccas, the graceful sail boats that course across the Nile.

Sofitel Old Cataract Hotel

Location: Abtal El Tahrir Street, Aswan, Egypt; arrival is more likely by train or coach; airport one half hour by taxi.

Luxury style: Adventurers who love the whiffs of the Old Cataract’s colonial past; dreamers who want nothing more than to watch feluccas drift lazily across the Nile; historians who wish to walk in the shoes of Howard Carter; Agatha Christie fans who wish to glimpse shadows of “Death on the Nile”; actually just about everyone who has had the thought that they would like to see the tombs of the ancient pharaohs as one of their lifetime list accomplishments.

What we’ve heard: If there was to be a contest for most beguiling spot in the world to while away the hours, the terrace at the Old Cataract hotel would surely be a contender.

Posted on October 22nd, 2007 by John
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It is very easy to quickly run up a large hotel room bill with all the extra, not quite hidden, charges. Perceived convenience comes at a premium in the hotel industry, but below we have assembled some tips to help you avoid a nasty surprise at checkout.

Don’t use the phone.
Most people know by now that hotels charge an arm and a leg for even the shortest of local calls. A lot of people think they can get around this by bringing along a calling card. Forget about it. You will be charged for every second your room phone is off the hook, unless you are calling within the hotel. The biggest mistake you can make with the hotel phone is to take up those credit card direct dial offers that you often find by the bedside table. Avoid these at all costs! Not only will you be charged by the hotel per minute for the supposed “toll free” call, weeks later you will find out that those calls can cost up to five US Dollars a minute.

Don’t use the minibar.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that you can swipe a drink form the minibar and replace it with a store bought one before they check the stock. Hotels have cottoned onto this long ago and often stock the bar with cans and bottles that are not available in local stores, so you end up paying $5 for that cola, which is smaller than a store bought can anyway.
If you want to store your own items in the minibar, providing the minibar isn’t the type where charges are levied automatically if things are removed, you should remove all of the pre-stocked items, put them on a nearby cabinet, making it clear that you haven’t consumed anything, and then put your own stuff in there.

Take advantage of lounges.
Many hotels nowadays offer exclusive “concierge” or private floors which, for a relatively small price, you can be upgraded to one of these floors and have access to the lounge where you can imbibe free evening cocktails as well as a free breakfast and in many cases, free tea and coffee around the clock. An example of this kind of lounge is the Grand Club at Hyatt hotels. You can ask for an upgrade or a reduced price to one of these rooms at check-in.

Join hotel loyalty programs.
Innovative hotel loyalty programs like the Starwood Preferred Guest program allow members to redeem points for not just free rooms and room upgrades, but also for things like free breakfast, or unlimited local calls, or sports club access and many other things. Considering that if you have a co-branded credit card that earns points for every dollar you spend in your day to day shopping, you could conceivably get all these extras for free. With all loyalty programs free to join, it is certainly worth looking into.

Other services that will quickly add to your bill are things like laundry, parking and asking the concierge to book or suggest anything for you. You can be almost certain that any shows or tours that the hotel recommends will have the hotel’s kickback included in the price.

Posted on October 21st, 2007 by John
Filed under: Vacation Tips | No Comments »

To save money on hotels, you can start with the internet. Be careful relying solely on travel web sites, however. The ones that find the cheapest plane tickets work pretty well, but you’ll never find the cheapest hotel rooms online. Of course, you probably don’t want the cheapest room, but you do want to know what your options are, right?

It seems that the web sites which locate cheap hotels for you only work with those that have a decent marketing budget. Or perhaps they assume for you what kind of room you want, and so exclude the ones that they don’t think are appropriate. This is speculation on my part, but what is not speculative is the fact that I have often found cheaper rooms than the ones listed on these web sites. How? By doing the following.

1. Start with sites like cheaptickets.com, but don’t stop there. This just gives you an idea of what is available - and sometimes you will find a great deal.

2. Find a online phone book for the town you are traveling to. Look up hotels and motels in that, and call them directly.

3. When traveling by car, take the hotel coupon-books available at gas stations, rest areas and visitor’s centers. These will often save you $10 or $20 at hotels you might have stayed at anyhow.

4. Ask for AAA and other discounts that you may qualify for. I saved $15 recently just by showing my business card to get the corporate rate. There are sometimes senior discounts as well.

5. Negotiate. This won’t always work in the United States, but we occasionally have an owner drop the price when we start to walk away. Also, we have paid cash for several days in advance to get a discount. This negotiating tactic has worked for my wife and I from Ecuador to Montana and California.

6. Plan ahead and call ahead. When making a multi-day trip by car, you have some flexibility in where you stop for the night. Check hotels in various towns online before you leave. Sometimes the rooms in the next town will be $30 less just because there are more hotels. Why not drive the extra forty minutes today (or tomorrow) to get the cheap hotel rooms?

Posted on October 20th, 2007 by John
Filed under: Vacation Tips | 2 Comments »

I highly recommend that backpackers work from a camping list as they plan their gear purchases and pack for their trip. There are two reasons for this. The first and most obvious reason is that if you forget something important, you can’t hop in the car and run to the nearest Wal-Mart to buy a replacement like you can when you’re car camping (I currently own 3 propane bottles due to this phenomenon). The second and less obvious reason is that it helps you limit what you bring, which is very important when you’re carrying everything on your back.

Below I’ll show you my list. Granted, I’m not a thru-hiker, nor have I done 4-season backpacking, but I have done a couple 11-day treks and many shorter trips, and this is what works for me:

Shelter

Most backpackers use tents of some type. I have a Coleman Cobra small two-man tent that I use when the weather is really cold (I had dreams of being chased by a Polar Bear jumping from iceburg to iceburg one night when I tried sleeping in my hammock on night then the temperature was hovering around zero). I’ve found, however, that when the terrain, the rules, and the conditions allow, I prefer using a hammock. I bring the tarp for shelter over my hammock, and it has served at quick shelter for a group of nine during an intense sudden storm that came up while we were on the trail. Obviously, if you’re going to be camping in very rocky terrain, you’ll want a free-standing tent. If you’re going to be hiking in heavy snows, you’ll want a four-season tent. Here’s my shelter:

• Kelty Noah’s Tarp 12 (I considered a 9′ tarp, but to me the 9oz difference was worth it for storm protection. It’s very roomy for one person. I’ve also shared my tarp on occasion. There are lots of tie-outs, so I have plenty of options for set-up.)
• 40″x96″ polycryo groundcloth (very light and folds very small)

Sleeping

Ultralight fanatics would never be caught dead with anything but the absolute lightest down sleeping bags. More power to them. All of my bags are synthetic. I live in an extremely rainy area, and synthetic bags still provide loft and warmth when wet. Due to one unfortunate incident on a Scout trip, I spent a cold night in a bag after wringing it out and other than being a little clammy, was fine. Down, on the other hand, loses all loft when it’s wet. Granted, there are lots of ways to keep your bag dry, but I’d rather prepare for the worst, so I suffer with a few extra ounces and a slightly bulkier bag.

• Homemade hammock (I can’t always use it, but it’s nice when I can)
• 3/4 length Thermarest Guidelite (I can use this on the ground or in the hammock for bottom insulation if needed. I also use it for a “chair” on occasion.)
• Sleeping Bag (I have several and bring the one that’s suited to the weather)
• Sleepwear (ranges from underwear in warm weather to silk long underwear plus wool socks and a beanie in cold weather)

Pack

Some people prefer external frame packs, some prefer internal frame packs. Here are the key differences: an external frame pack is cooler on you back and you have options on how you attach gear to the outside of the pack, but it tends to ride a little further from your back than an internal; internal frame packs ride very close to your back which really reduces load swaying, but they’re hotter on your back and there are fewer options on how to carry your gear. I prefer internal frame packs, simply because I haven’t found an external frame that doesn’t hit the back of my head as I look up. I have a couple of packs, but my current pack is very light, since this is a good place to really trim the pounds.

• Gossamer Gear G5 Hyperlight pack (I wouldn’t recommend this if you are hard on gear, but I’ve found it to be fine for me.)
• Rain Cover

Water

I’ve heard of groups running out of water on the trail. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen to me or a group I’m hiking with.

• Depending on the water supply in the area I’m hiking in, I will bring two Nalgenes, a four-liter Platypus water bag, and if needed, two empty one-liter club soda bottles. Note that if you’re in bear country and your water bottles have ever held anything other than water (club soda is just carbonated water), they should go into the bear bag at night. The food smell permeates the plastic.
• Aquamira Water Treatment

Cooking/Eating

There are lots of options for lightweight high-tech stoves that are available today. I made the alcohol stove after reading an article online, and since it’s pretty cool and tends to be a conversation starter (not to mention being very, very lightweight), it’s what I use. Obviously if you’re going into an area where you have to rely on available fuels, stick with one of the more common white gas stove or even a dual fuel stove that can also use unleaded gas.

• Homemade soda can stove + windscreen
• Small bottle of methanol for fuel
• Aluminum pot (grease pot)
• Titanium mug
• Lexan spork (gotta have a spork)

Safety

Skimp on your tent, and you get wet. Skimp on your sleeping bag, and you’ll be cold. Skimp on your safety equipment, and you could die.

• Survival Kit (always in my pocket)
• First Aid Kit
• Lighter, “waterproof” matches, and a magnesium firestarter (there have been many cold, wet, windy nights where the magnesium turned frustration into fire)
• Headlamp
• Two Pulsar LED lights (one is always clipped to the outside of my pack)
• Topo map
• Compass (I don’t need no stinkin’ GPS - I will bring one, however, if there are any GeoCaches on the route I’m taking)

Accessories

Some people bring less, some bring more. I’ve found through experience that these are the items I use, and also those that I regret if I don’t have.

• Trekking Poles (they REALLY help when you’re loaded down with water in rugged terrain and they can be used to pitch the tarp on the ground)
• Journal + pen + 2 golf pencils (I lost my pen and my backup pencil once. The pencils are very light.)
• Bear Bag Cord
• Several homemade stuff sacks
• Camera (I’ve been bringing a small digital with lithium batteries. The lithium batteries last a LONG time.)
• Sunscreen
• Bug Repellant
• Bandanna
• Toilet Paper in a freezer ziplock
• Plastic trowel (sometimes the ground is just too hard to kick a hole with your boot)
• Crocs for camp shoes
• Bottle of Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap
• Lightweight wide-brimmed hat
• Lip Balm
• Baking soda (for toothpaste)
• Compact toothbrush
• Small bottle of hand sanitizer
• Sunglasses with neck cord
• Watch
• Rain Jacket and Pants
• Trash Bag(s) (I normally bring two in case one gets punctured. I also compact my trash very well, so small bags work fine for me.)
• Duct Tape - a couple of yards wrapped around one of the Nalgenes is enough for me.
• Multi-tool (the pliers double as a pot lifter)

Food

Please keep your food and trash completely separate from the rest of your pack items. Gallon Ziplocks will work OK for this. You don’t want your pack or gear to smell like food. Bears have excellent noses!

• Two hot meals a day - oatmeal for breakfasts and variety for dinners
• Cold trail-type food for lunches/snacks. (Make sure you plan for plenty of calories or you’re really start feeling it in the middle of your trek.)

Clothing

I’m not going to list all of the clothing I bring, because it changes significantly season-to-season. However, I think it’s important to list the clothing items I pack (i.e. duplicate items):

• One extra wicking t-shirt
• Two extra wicking underwear
• Two extra pairs of Smartwool socks (I know I wasn’t going to get into clothing specifics, but I have to mention these. I’ve found the Smartwool Trekker socks to be the best for backpacking. I bring three total pairs so that I always (hopefully) have a dry pair to change into.)

Optional Items to Consider

You may think of other items you want to bring, but please remember that an ounce on your back is a pound on your feet!

• Sock liners (I hate them, but some people love them. With Smartwool socks, I have no need.)
• Gaiters (I’ve never used them, but I’m sure they help keep your socks dry in foul weather. They’re on my “should try” list.)
• Extra Ziplock/trash bags
• Feminine Products (Backpacking can make your cycle go wacko, so be prepared)
• Reading Glasses, if needed (how else are you going to read your map?)
• A Sharpie marker
• Extra glasses, especially for contact lens wearers; extra contacts; contact solution
• Deodorant (not recommended in bear country - you really don’t want to smell interesting to bears)

If you use the above camping list as a guideline as you prepare for your next backpacking trip, you can insure that you bring what you need without carrying a lot of stuff you’ll never use.

Posted on October 19th, 2007 by John
Filed under: Camping, Vacation Tips | 1 Comment »

Northern Spain and Galicia offer an exceptional variety of visitor accommodation. In this area you will find places to suit all types of budgets and even the most particular visitor is bound to find something to satisfy their particular needs.

In this article we are going to take a look at the Casa Grande de Soutullo.

The Casa Grande can be found at Soutullo de Abaixo - Coles - OURENSE

As of the time of the writing of this article the contact telephone number for The Casa Grande is +34 988 205 611 and the fax number is +34 988 205 694. If you wish to contact them via email their email address is soutullo@pazosdegalicia.com and they can be found on the internet at unknown.

At the time of the writing of this article, the manager to contact for information would be unknown and The Casa Grande has the following number of rooms: 8.

Casa Grande de Soutullo, a small charming Hotel in an 18th Century building, is situated within 5 minutes ( 6 Km ) from the old town of Ourense along one of the important Jacobean Pilgrim ways to Santiago, near Oseira monastery where the writer Graham Green used to rest every summer. It is set in a medieval village, surrounded by a 20 sq kilometre country estate and conserves many original architectural elements from its noble past.

Like all Pazos, there is a fair amount of history surrounding the building and in this case it is the following. Less than an hour from the Rias Baixas beaches and the historic city of Santiago de Compostela Soutullo Manor House is not only the natural gateway to Galicia from the A52 motorway but also a starting point for visiting the “Ribeira Sacra” on its two sides: the terraced vineyards of the Lugo bank and the monumental artistic bank of Ourense, full of outstanding ancient monasteries.

With regards to the actual facilities that the Pazo has to offer they are as follows: 8 double rooms.

All usual mealtimes are observed at this Pazo and they are, Guest lounge, Breakfast room, Sun loggia, Interior patio.

As well as the individual room facilities, this Pazo has the following shared amenities and facilities: Buffet Breakfast, no dining room.

Outside you can find the following amenities for guests: 20 sq kilometre country estate crossed by a stream, Swimming pool, Tennis court, Gardens with vegetable allotment, Granary barns and stone cross.

The immediate geographic location for this Pazo is as follows: Relaxing in front of the fire-place and enjoying a cup of tea “on the house”, we will give you all the information you need to sample the scenic, monumental-historical and gastronomic routes of the region.

With regards to the scenic location for the Pazo, it is extremely well located. After a buffet breakfast, you may visit the Ribeira Sacra and its monasteries, or in one day take a trip to a celtic settlement, a Roman barracks, a visigothic church, a mozarabic chapel and a medieval tower. You may like to walk through ancient Allariz, the jewish quarter of Ribadavia or the old part of Ourense town. Ideally round off the day having supper in one of the taverns or restaurants close to the house..

If the above are not enough for either you or your family then you will find within close proximity the following facilities; Catamaran trip through the Ribeira Sacra gorge, Golf, Horse-riding, Canoeing, Walking tours..

All in all, not one to be missed.

Posted on October 18th, 2007 by John
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Accommodation costs will be among the most expensive items on your London trip budget. It also means that by selecting wisely your sleeping place in London, you can save a lot of money that you can spend on something else, like seeing a West End show or doing some more of elegant London shopping.

Staying at a hostel will make sense especially if your plans will involve spending only limited time at the hotel (e.g. during the night only). So instead of booking a room at a luxury hotel with fabulous facilities that you will never use, you can rather book a place at one of the popular London hostels.

How do they differ from the hotels? Well, they are much cheaper, but also offer much less… Most of the hotels have sex-segregated dormitories (starting at about L10 pp or L50-65 pw). Those are their traditional types of rooms, but modern hostels also offer doubles, triples and quads at a bit higher rates. Mixed dorms are also becoming very popular. The baths are usually communal, but there may be some private baths too (more expensive, of course). Some of the typical rules are that you must use a sleep sheet (included in the price) and there is a curfew (e.g., 11 PM), but the London hostels do not have curfew.

In most cases, London hostels are conveniently located near the tube stations or bus stops, so it is very easy to get to the city’s biggest attractions.

There are many independent hostels providing good-quality service, but some of the best hostels are those that belong to Hostelling International (HI) - http://www.hihostels.com. It is is the brand name of more than 90 Youth Hostel Associations in over 80 countries, operating 4,000+ hostels. HI offers single-sex, dorm-style beds, and, at many hostels, “couples” rooms and family accommodations. Membership in HI is open to travelers of all ages and allows you to stay in HI-affiliated hostels at member rates. Members have priority if the hostel is full and are eligible for discounts around the world covering everything from reduced price coach tickets, to special deals in shops and entertainment venues.

You can buy a full HI card right away, or buy it one “Welcome stamp” at a time, one for each night you stay in a hostel. When you have collected six stamps, you have a full card - and can start claiming member prices and specially negotiated HI Member Discounts.

To double-check your accommodation plans, telephone the hostel in advance - certain hostels close during off-season months. HI hostels have a daytime bedroom lockouts (usually 10-4), check-in times between 8 AM-11 AM and 5 PM-9PM, and checkout by 10:30 AM. All hostels have basic kitchen facilities for the guests to prepare the meals, but some also serve their own meals. Space is provided to store both refrigerated and dry foods. Hostels have TV lounges, game rooms, laundry room and lockers. Free high speed Internet access can be found at most of the hostels.

Here are some of the most popular HI hostels in London: - YHA Earl’s Court - conveniently located only 4 stations from Victoria Station by the tube. Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, The Natural History Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Science Museum and the Royal Albert Hall are all within walking distance. 38 Bolton Gardens, London SW5 0AQ; ph.: 207-373-7083

- YHA St. Paul’s - set in the former choir school of St Paul’s Cathedral, the hostel retains many original features such as an oak paneled chapel (now a meeting room), and the headmaster’s study (now a lounge with views of St Paul’s). Easy walking access to many of central London’s sights, like the Tate Modern gallery and Shakespeare’s Globe theatre. 36 Carter Lane, London EC4V 5AB; ph.: 207-236-4965.

And here are two of the most popular independent London hostels:

- Wake Up! London - in Paddington, a West London neighborhood near Hyde Park. Very lively place, reasonably clean and good rates. 1 Queens Gardens, Paddington, London W2 3BB, ph.: 207-262- 4471.

- Generator Hostel - great for meeting new people. With 854 beds, it’s London’s largest hostel. Great central location in Russell Square Zone 1; prices from as little as £10 in winter and £12.50 in summer. Famous Generator bar with Happy Hour £1 a pint 6 PM-9 PM. 37 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SE; ph.: 207-388-7666.

Posted on October 17th, 2007 by John
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France is Europe’s most popular camping destination and offers a wide variety of camping holidays.

There are absolutely thousands of camping sites all over France, in fact over 11,000!

They all offer different service and facilities and you will find that these camp sites are rated in a similar way to that of hotels, so the more stars a site has, the better it will be, although more expensive.

Apart from the typical camping sites available, you can also find places to pitch such as camping on farms, but lots of these do not have a wide range of facilities available, but please be aware that it is only in authorised locations that you are able to camp and not in places such as woods.

Apart from the touring sites where you can pitch your own tent, caravan, RV or mobile, there are many self catering holiday campsites that offer camping tents, mobile homes chalets already on site with all facilities.

It is at these types of camping site that you can normally find facilities that include swimming pools, shops, clubs, bars, entertainment, playgrounds, etc.

They are ideal camp sites for a family camping holiday and some even offer other activities such as tennis, fishing, French boules, cycles for hire, and even games rooms with pool, snooker, etc. And all this can make for an ideal self-catering holiday at very little expense.

When touring with your caravan or motor home, you will find that there are many camp sites who welcome touring holiday makers and not only do they have electric hook up points, but also waste disposal points and some do cater for the disabled as well.

France can therefore offer you freedom and flexibility, whether you choose to stay in one place for the duration of your holiday, or indeed if you wish to hop from camping site to camp site, it can offer you everything from excitement and family holiday fun by the coast, through to staying in the grounds of chateaux in rolling countryside.

So for a self-catering holiday where you have no restrictions, France is the best choice for good value and a memorable holiday for all the family.

Get paid to take a vacation.

Posted on October 15th, 2007 by John
Filed under: Camping, Vacation Tips | No Comments »

Actually our history is filled with examples of soldiers camping out during the American Revolution and people who move their whole campsites with them from place to place. But in today’s world, camping is more of a recreational past time enjoyed by families and individuals alike. Camping is a great way to enjoy the great outdoors, plus it is also an economical way to take family vacations. Where else do you get to enjoy nature at its best? Campers do everything from swimming, bird watching, rafting, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, skiing, rock climbing, relaxing and a host of other activities to numerous to mention. I think the most important aspect of camping is that it enables people to escape from the everyday stress of life in general.

Of the many different types of camping, two of them come to mind immediately. Driving to a camp site and setting up camp near your car or recreational vehicle. This is called car camping and is especially a favorite pastime for families with children and senior citizens. Car camping sites will usually include an area for a tent, a fire pit, and restrooms. One thing you don’t want to do and that is to use your vehicle’s headlights to illuminate your camping site at night. This is a good way to get a dead battery and to annoy fellow campers in the surrounding areas. If you are looking for remote or solitary locations, then this is not your type of camping.

Secondly, we have campers that enjoy hiking to their wilderness camp site carrying all of their essential supplies such as a tent, sleeping bag, clothing, and food in a backpack. I would say that backpacking would definitely be for folks who are in good physical condition because you might just end up walking several miles. You may find that you have to cross small streams, and climb steep paths to reach a quiet and secluded campsite. The reward for backpacking to find that special camp site way out there can be beautiful views of surrounding mountains, wilderness and wildlife.

Now that we have talked about two different types of camping, how about some ideas on getting ready for that camping trip. Have you made up a list of items you want to bring? Spend some time on this so that you will not forget your important items like what kind of meals you may want to prepare. Have you made a list of your food items? Make sure all of your camping equipment is in working order. There is nothing as frustrating as setting up your campsite only to find a lantern that is not working or all of your tent components are not there. Be sure to bring plenty of clothing, layering your clothing is not a bad idea, always be prepared for unexpected changes in the weather.

So, let’s sum this up. If you have a weekend coming up with nothing planned, why not pack up your vehicle and head for the great outdoors. Unwind by sitting around the campfire at night, looking up at natures very own light show, going to sleep and waking up to the sounds and smells of nature. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

Posted on October 14th, 2007 by John
Filed under: Camping, Vacation Tips | 1 Comment »