Posted on
January 31, 2008 by
dorisch

People tell me that New York City is the city that never sleeps. Well, it's certainly no wonder with so many places and stuff that would please all the senses. There's the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Madison Square Garden and God knows what else. But the question is...where do you stay in New York City?Admittedly, the cost of living, especially rent expenses, is still rocketing sky high in New York City. If you know where to look, a lot of restaurants offer affordable yet tasty dishes so food's no problem. When it comes to shopping, don't think that New York City is just all about Macy's. Of course not! There are a lot of bazaars that are ongoing throughout New York City and all you need is an efficient guide to help you out. For tourist spots, you shouldn't believe either that everything in New York City comes with a ticket price. Nuh-uh! In fact, just walking in downtown New York is already a sight to behold.
So the only problem is, yes, where to stay?
Before I launch on a list of New York City hotels that could interest you, first, I have to warn you that what's termed as 'affordable' in New York City may not be 'affordable' in your vocabulary, unlike
hotels Las Vegas. So if you're cash strapped, better check first if you've got some friends living in New York City who'd lend you a room for a week or two as you go sight-seeing.
New York is a city of high rise towers and a number of those are hotels that you can take your pick of. These buildings range from the five star hotels to the funky ones to hotels with 'affordable' packages.
Four Season Hotel : if you've got kids, then you should consider staying in this kid-friendly hotel because guests under 18 can stay for free. The tallest hotel in New York City, it also provides its family guests with coloring books, a video lending library and welcome gifts for kids.
Soho Grand Hotel : if you're the type of traveler who canít bear to leave your behind, have no fear because there are several hotels in New York that can accommodate furry guests, just like the Soho Grand Hotel. Upon checkout, you'll even be given a goldfish to remember your New York holiday.
Affinia 50 Suites : this particular hotel has no difficulties in landing a Top 10 spot in any survey when it comes to being the best hotel in New York City. Previously known as the Plaza 50 Suites, this is a no-fuss-comfort-zone for travelers who want basic accommodations that would also be easy on the pockets. Large suites equipped with kitchenettes are also available if you so prefer.
Hilton Time Square : Never mind Paris Hilton and her notorious antics. At least her family still hasn't stopped in being one of the best when you're talking about hotel services. The Hilton Time Square is one of the poshest hotels in New York City, with a twenty-five-seater theater and even its own wax museum! And just because it's posh, don't assume that the staff would turn its nose up on noisy, bratty kids or dirty, scrambling house pets. Nuh-uh! The Hilton Time Square aims to please all forms of guests, human and non human, adult and kids.
So now, all you need to do is choose which hotel you're going to stay, pay the bill, enjoy the scenery and of course, tour New York City!
Category
USA, accommodation, hotel reviews
Posted on
January 27, 2008 by
dorisch

No lady of leisure who took a vacation in Hong Kong would leave the city without buying at least a pair of shoes. I spoke to so many lady friends of mine and everyone of them would end up with at least 2 or 3 pairs of shoes when they returned, leaving their hubbies puzzled and shaking heads - lol. I recalled coming home with 3 pairs when I was in Hong Kong years ago! Hong Kong is ultimately still a great place to shop and dine. And for those Camper fans out there, Camper shoes are the cheapest in Asia... check it out and you will soon know.
In the recent years, many boutique owners have started to import and buy lots of clothing from Hong Kong and resell them in profitable prices in their home countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, leading to many entrepreneurs overnight. According to some boutique owner friends of mine, the profit margin is too attractive. Some would make trips every week just to order and buy stock for their boutique.
Over the years, the
rental property investment opportunities in Hong Kong has escalated in positive outlook too. Well, I'm still hoping to visit Hong Kong this year. I always feel at home in this busy and much congested city and it's hard to explain why :) It's not called the Pearl of the Orient for nothing...
Category
asia, shopping, travel ideas
Posted on
January 27, 2008 by
dorisch
There are something special about the Yorkshire cities and for me, it's the scenery that can enchant any non-traveler - the green rolling hills, the colourful blooms in spring and summer and charming architecture of old buildings.
Making a trip to the UK is a sure thing for us once our little boy is old enough to walk miles by himself cos we anticipate that there is much sightseeing to do in every city we plan to visit. I heard about the relaxing lifestyle in York so this is one city not to be excluded on a UK trip. There are many
York Hotels to choose from at accommodation sites like Cheaper than hotel who also provides a good selection of hotels of various ratings for
Leeds Hotels,
Sheffield Hotels and more. And even if you are on a budget, you can find cheap
Nottingham hotels at the user-friendly site. Don't forget to use the star ratings as a guide too.
Category
UK, accommodation
Posted on
January 24, 2008 by
dorisch
It's been five years since we last visited Sydney, one of my favourite cities in Australia. I like it for its vibrant culture, colourful arts precinct, great shopping and temperate climate. I could still remember our Sydney harbour climb, it started to rain when we were up on the bridge and we were drenched after the climb. Nevertheless, it was an experience of a lifetime. We stayed for a couple of nights at
Four Points Sheraton Darling Harbour Sydney, an upscale hotel that offered great service, nice rooms and luxury comfort.

I'm hoping that we can return to Sydney this year with Clayton and if we get round to that, I would choose to stay in one of the
Darling Harbour hotels. From the recommendations at Cheaperthanhotels, I would love to check out
Star City Hotel since it is conveniently situated close to the buzzing entertainment and shopping area. Besides, it is a five star complex with a casino, restaurants and bars, entertainment venues, hotel & apartments, and banquets & conference centres.

If you are on a budget, the newly refurbished
Ibis Hotel is the only waterfront hotel that offers great value for its sheer location. All these hotels are situated in the heart of the city and public transport is easily available if you prefer not to drive. Having said that, you may want to check out some of the hotel apartments if you prefer rooms with more space.
Category
accommodation, australia, travel resources
Posted on
January 23, 2008 by
dorisch

I cannot resist a vacation destination that is near to lovely beaches and nature's best. Known to be one of the world's most family-friendly vacation destinations, Hilton Head Island offers unlimited opportunities for great vacations and holiday memories. One of the best ways to enjoy a memorable vacation with your loved ones is to check out Hilton Head rental homes and villas.
Whether you need a two bedroom villa, a seven bedroom house, or something in between, Destination Vacation has a great vacation rental property for you. Enjoy your stay on Hilton Head Island in luxury and comfort knowing that miles of sandy beaches, sparkling ocean water, relaxing pools, the finest restaurants, shopping and other amenities and activities are located nearby. A Hilton Head rental home is the perfect way to enjoy your getaway to our beautiful island - no other accommodations compare. If you need additional information about any of the rental properties, or to make reservations, check out the website and tap into the experience of their friendly and knowledgeable staff.
Category
USA, accommodation, family travel, vacation rentals
Posted on
January 23, 2008 by
dorisch
Are you interested in going on a camping trip in the near future? If you are, you will soon find that you have a number of different decisions to make. One of the many decisions that you will have to make, when looking to plan a camping trip, involves deciding what type of food, drinks, and snacks you would like to bring along with you, other than packing your
camping gear. If you would like assistance with doing so, you will want to continue reading on.
One of the many food items that you will want to think about bringing along with you on your next camping trip is that of meat. Meat is a popular camping food, as many campers like to cook outdoors and have a barbeque. When it comes to meat, you have a number of different options, including chicken, steak, hot dogs, hamburgers, and sausages. If you buy your meat ahead of time and freeze it, be sure to leave enough time for your meat to properly thaw before each of your meals. Also, be sure to keep your meat cold in a cooler filled with ice.
As nice as barbequed meats are, many campers like to have full meals. If that is the case with you and the rest of your camping party, you may want to think about buying a few bagged salads. Bagged salads are nice, as they are pre-made and they come in a number of different styles, including ones filled with other vegetables. What you will want to do though is make sure that your bagged salads are kept in a cooler and that each opened bag is sealed with a rubber band or a bag clip.
Condiments are just a few of other items that you will want to think about brining along with you on your next camping trip. Your condiments may include mayonnaise, salad dressing, relish, ketchup, and mustard. What you may want to think about doing is just buying each of these items new for your camping trip. As nice as many of those outdoor camping condiment containers are, they can be messy to fill and transport. With most condiment items, like ketchup and mustard, costing less than two dollars each, it may be more than worth it for you to just buy your condiments new.
Category
outdoor, travel tips
Posted on
January 18, 2008 by
dorisch
If you are traveling to Waikiki with your family, finding an accommodation that is child-friendly can be a breeze with so many options in the island. From five star hotel apartments to budget apartments, you are spoilt for choices in Waikiki. Do be prepared to pay more if you want to be near the beach or if you like a beachfront view.
I made it a point to book a beachfront room since we are visitors from afar. Besides the Hilton Hawaiian Village, we stayed one night at the Marriott Waikiki which was a great place for anyone who liked to be near the crowd. The lagoon in front of the hotel was nice for children and it was nice just to float in the shallow waters. The beachfront room we chose was very spacious with a comfortable bedding and a million dollar view. I like the luxurious bathroom area -
Grohe faucets, marble flooring and a nice bathtub. The balcony is a great place to watch those golden sunsets and a conducive area to sip your morning coffee.
So if you have a little budget to spend in your Waikiki vacation, check out these two hotels.
Category
accommodation, hawaii
Posted on
January 18, 2008 by
dorisch
It's been two weeks since we returned from the US and I'm glad that by now, we have overcome jet lag. Apparently, this is the second most popular sleep disorder and usually affects international flights and if it's domestic if they're going between time zones.
This is what you call knocking your body clock out of synch because when you're traveling across different time zones especially at the international level because that can throw you off an entire day if you're coming from the west going east from New York to London or Los Angeles to Tokyo or Sydney which can throw you off since you cross the international date line which is one day ahead and behind.
It seems as if women are more affected than men and according to medical reports its because the natural hormone estrogen and it's triggered when the body when accustomed to normal daytime and nighttime rhythms therefore you're upsetting the body's natural state of corresponding with a specific time of day and it can even interrupt eating patterns as well. It can take up to several days to even a full week to regain some normalcy on the time and place once you've had time to sleep yourself into adjustment mode. I could remember how tired I was that it took me few days to finish all my unpacking, putting away our
used cisco cables and shopping purchases.
The symptoms of jet lag vary by the individual person and symptoms can include or be a combination of dehydration which can trigger minor disorientation, and loss of appetite, headaches and sinus irritations, fatigue, grogginess, nausea and/or vomiting from an upset stomach, irritability, and mild depression. Jet lag is not linked to the length of a flight, but the transmerdian distance traveled.
Category
travel related
Posted on
January 17, 2008 by
dorisch

For those of us who want to make the most of last-minute travel online, there is not a shortage of information on the internet. This ‘hidden’ and somewhat unexplored, under-utilized sector of the travel industry and market lies in wait, just ready for you to unearth, discover and capitalize on.
There are also numerous well-known travel-sites that optimize and open the doors to these offerings. Here are but a few of them:
• Lastminute.com
• Ratestogo.com
• lastminutetravel.com
You can make the most of this market by becoming and being an informed, empowered and ‘smart’ traveler or global village roamer by optimizing what the market has to offer. There are lots to take advantage of for all your quick and spontaneous getaways and last-minute travel plans.
If you run an online search on last minute travel, you will in all probability get over 10 million hits, which is not surprising at all, given that we are a mobile, nomadic, traveling global population with lots to do, people to see, all around the globe. Modern technology, like the internet places these travel options within our easy reach and enables us to not just rely on travel brokers, intermediaries or booking, reservation agencies any more. This is no longer the ‘secret’ insider paradise. More and more people are taking a pro-active and hands-on approach in finding and finalizing their own travel plans. Moreover, they are doing so, saving money, booking directly with carriers and providers, and negotiating a better price, getting packages and discount travel deals, vacations, hotels, airfare, destination vacations. There are also however various niche specialists (like those mentioned above), trusted brands and go-betweens that capitalize and thrive in this market and that can easily get you top-notch travel deals, as experts to the Caribbean, Mexico and Florida and even Europe… AT THE LAST MINUTE!
Better still, you can even bid on the
cheap tickets from airfare wholesalers, travel agencies and airlines at cfares dot com. This is unique to the world of travel as you submit your bid via the cgent, requesting for the price you want to pay for an airfare. Use if for your family vacation or business travel and you will be surprised at how much you can save on your airfares. With free gold membership available to anyone who signs up, the platinum membership is needed to activate the cgent features. However, the platinum membership (worth $50) would be automatically yours when you purchase your ticket with cgent. The guarantee is that you will get to search and purchase your air ticket at the lowest, below- market prices and you will served by a dedicated and helpful team at cfares.com
With these resources available at your fingertips, there is no excuse not to travel in 2008... have you decided on your destination?
Category
auction, travel tips
Posted on
January 17, 2008 by
dorisch
First, it was Christmas then the New Year. In less than a month's time, it's the season to shop for
valentines day gifts. This is the time where retail shops will be decorated with Valentines day gift ideas and for those who can afford, a getaway vacation is the way to go to celebrate this romantic occasion. Maybe the newly couples or unmarried ones may opt for a vacation to spend this day but for some, it is just another ordinary day - nothing special.
What about you? Will you travel to celebrate Valentine's Day?
Category
travel related