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In the last post, we highlighted few tips on family vacation planning. Here is one more to add if you are in the process of planning a family vacation.

It is important that you choose a family-friendly destination. As you are considering different vacation spots, keep in mind that different members of the family have different interests and needs. Try to find a place that have something for everyone, even if they are not 100% entertained around the clock.

If you have smaller children, there are great resorts that offer kids programs that will keep your children entertained for an hour or all day. Most ClubMed properties offer this service. Similarly, resorts that have activities geared towards older children or teenagers can be fun if your children fall into those age brackets. Traveling to a place with theme parks will spell enormous fun for the kids.

If traveling to Florida, you may want to consider condos in Destin FL so that the family members have some flexibility with kitchen facilities. Last but not least, does your family have a common interest? If you like hiking, skiing, or snorkeling, consider a destination where you can participate together in those activities.

If you have previously planned for a family vacation, you would agree with me that this is not an easy task. As we all may know, family vacations are a great way to bond with the family and accumulate many memorable experiences. To ensure that your family vacation is smooth and stress free, the secret lies in good planning.

1) Plan your family vacation early. This can be a fun and exciting process, as you talk about possible destinations, travel options, and activities when you arrive. You can visit travel websites and gather information or speak to your travel agents to get more information too. Planning in advance will give you a better opportunity to find better deals by doing some advanced booking.

2) Communicate regularly with your family members who are going for the trip. Stay calm and take it easy. Don’t turn this into a family fight or the vacation will be heading to a bad start. Find out the opinions and feedback of your family members so that you can avoid planning any activities that will invite argument.

3) Planning a family vacation should be something everyone can be involved in. Not only will that be more enjoyable for them, but they will be less apt to blame you if things go wrong on the vacation, since they are invited to be part of the planning process.

Sometimes family members can argue for the simplest of things in a vacation so you may want to establish a common understanding amongst all members. For instance, someone on diet pills may not be agreeable to a feasting vacation and someone who is not the outdoor sort may not be enthusiastic with a vacation that is too adventurous. It is always good to explore your travel options so that everyone can enjoy the vacation.

National parks and family vacations just seem to go hand in hand. In fact, most people over the age of 35 have at least one fond childhood memory of a national park family vacation. Today, many parents long to recreate that magical childhood vacation experience with their own children; but at the same time they worry about appropriate access.

Visiting National Parks is educational for the children and is a great opportunity for family to bond. Sometimes, I like to take a break from my .home gyms and do an excursion to the parks.

Access varies from park to park, so advance planning is a must; however, generally speaking most national parks are a great choice for accessible and affordable family fun. Over in Yosemite National Park, the newest access upgrade was unveiled in April 2005 — the culmination of the massive ten-year $13.5 million Yosemite Falls Restoration Project. Designed by the same landscape architect who worked on the FDR Memorial in Washington DC, the project includes a new 3/4-mile paved trail to the bridge at lower Yosemite Falls. The gentle grade allows for wheelchair-access and the wide trail has many pull outs, resting spots and benches along the way. Indeed, for the first time there is barrier-free access to the base of Yosemite Falls.

No matter which national park you choose to visit, advance research is a must. The best place to start is on the National Park Service website (which is NPS dot gov). Some parks have access information listed, while others only have contact phone numbers. Sometimes you just have to pick up the phone and talk directly with a park employee to find out about access

I’ve been checking for cheap airfares and best accommodation deals for Hong Kong. A few friends are heading for this shopping city end of the year and I’m hoping that I can bring my son to Hong Kong Disneyland too.

Hong Kong is one of the greatest shopping centers of the world. Due to its status as a free port, tourists traveling to China and Hong Kong can find the best deals anywhere in the world. Hong Kong hosts a lot of different items from all over the world. For me, Nathan Road in Kowloon is a popular Hong Kong shopping street that is known for its various boutiques that are popular to night shoppers. In The Nathan Road, your most valuable asset is your money and your ability to haggle. If you win, you can find the greatest deals. But if you lose, you will find yourself with overpriced pieces. In this street, the haggling is part of the shopping experience that is hard to replace.

What I missed last year was the Stanley Market, which is also known for the excitement and local charm. Home to the best Chinese artworks and souvenirs, you can find lots of Mao items that you can take home. This experience is literally a drive to the jungle. If haggling is the unique experience in Nathan, then the journey is the featured experience here.

Best to the best accommodation deals in Hong Kong, you can search hotels and compare prices first before making any reservation. For me, I’m hoping to find a nice hotel with good exercise equipment so that I can work out to shed those pounds during our vacation.

After two days in a japanese ryokan, we are finally in Osaka city. Our second day was spent in Nara and Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori. Osaka is a great city that is easy to get around and navigate compared to Tokyo. Apart from teenagers who wear funny t shirts and funky stuff, you can expect to see the trendy and well dressed Japanese packing the streets in the city.

We stayed at the Swissotel Nankai Namba which is well situated near the malls and above the Namba train station. It took a little while before we got familiar with the train lines and surroundings. We have two more nights before moving back to Tokyo and then to HOng Kong.

I won’t be able to post our trip in details since I have a preschooler to entertain at this hour. In brief, I am enjoy winter in Japan and I am thankful to God for this trip.

Did I tell you that I’m in tokyo? This is our third day in tokyo and my, this place is  amazing! We walked so much and sat in the train so much but I think I’m getting better each time!

First of all, I must tell you that if you are planning to come to tokyo and you are not planning to join any tour – do your research properly. Tokyo is not a difficult place to get around but it isn’t as easy as some other countries like europe and australia or even singapore. The main barrier is the language and you really need to do your travel research to ensure a smooth and happy vacation!

If possible, get a good and light luggage as you will be planning transferring from train to train, subway to subway. Within each train line, there are many steps to climb in some stations so a light luggage can make things easier.

Since this is only our third day, I will be posting more when I find time. For now, I gotta go to bed as we are taking an early train to Hakone tomorrow… I can’t wait to visit Hakone Ginyu – it better be good!

It’s been a very busy week for me, as I prepare for our family vacation to Tokyo, Hong Kong and Macau. This looks like a ‘busy trip’ for us – full itinerary, that’s what I mean.

Whenever we go on family vacations, hubby and myself tend to choose walking more than taxis, unless it’s a place like Australia where we need to drive more than walk. But when you travel to places like Tokyo, HOng Kong and especially macau, they say – be ready to walk! I believe this is great for those who are fighting weight loss issues since they wouldn’t need to take any fat burners during their trip – lol!

I am now deciding which shoes to bring along so that I can walk for great distances without getting sore feet and leg cramps. Looking for good walking shoes for your next walking itinerary, check out the FREE SHIPPING at TheWalkingCompany.com with $100 purchase.

As the holidays draw near, parents are planning family vacations for their children. This is also a good time where families gather and spend quality time with each other. As for family vacation choices, no children will resist Disney vacations or vacations with theme parks and such. Shopping will entice most ladies and as for the men in the house, a game of golf or gourmet dining would be their faves.

Believe it or not, I’m still confirming on my hotel accommodation choice for Hong Kong. Since Hong Kong is made up of two islands, I need to decide if our family should reside in Kowloon or Hong Kong Island. It can hard to decide! ON one hand, I’m enticed by the harbour. On the other, I would like a taste of different islands and area. Guess I need to do hotel comparison and search again… and all these got to be done in less than a month’s time!

During these turbulent economic times, people are more careful with their finances and spending in every area of their lives. It seems that this holiday season will see more domestic travel as people shop for best buy in air tickets, room accommodations, hotels, car rentals and vacation packages.

For those who have a bigger family, you need to budget well in your family vacation to avoid blowing the vacation budget. Choosing a hotel accommodation under a budget is possible with careful research and planning. Even for our upcoming family vacation, I’ve been spending lots of time choosing a value for money one that is within our budget. Most people know that accommodation in Japan and Hong Kong can be expensive if you are not careful. The good thing about using a hotel comparison search tool is that I can view in one glance the hotel accommodations with the lowest rates. With that, I can be certain that I am getting the best hotel prices for my travel destination.

Plan well this holiday season as for your family vacation.

Image via Wikipedia

For those who like to stay in spacious apartment hotels in Hong Kong, take a look at the Lanson Place. Situated in a strategic location in the heart of causeway bay, this spacious apartment hotel looks handsome with a touch of colonial charm. With close proximity to the malls and shopping stores in Causeway Bay, this is a great apartment hotel to base yourself for both business and leisure, especially great for parents who like more room for their children. I can almost say that it is a family friendly hotel in Hong Kong!

Close to Hong Kong’s famous nightlife, this hotel is still able to offer you a truly peaceful retreat and it is great for family travel to Hong Kong too. Built in 2005, it is approximately 43 km from Hong Kong International Airport. It is also conveniently situated within just 3 minutes walking distance from the Causeway Bay MTR Station, close to Victoria Park and 2 blocks away from Times Square Shopping Centre and designer shops. The rooms range in size from 380 square feet to 1,900 square feet. They offer the latest provisions for home comfort and convenience, including kitchenettes, flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi internet access throughout the entire hotel. Only thing is, there is no treadmill for those who need to keep their heart rate pumping!

With such attractive facilities and features, I’m all tempted to check out the best accommodation rates at the Lanson Place.