Travel Clever

Travel Clever in Ireland

b-travel — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:26:23 +0000

Travellers wanting to get close to the Irish way of life should spend a few days in an Irish village. The village of Ballycotton only 25 miles off Cork is the ideal place to get in touch with Irish traditions, festivals and crafts as annual festivals in the area attract thousands of visitors every year. Fota Wildlife park offers its visitors numerous wildlife attractions, the park is great for walks and exploring the beauties of nature.

Ballycotton has a selection of nice pubs and eateries and you will find them very useful especially if you stay at a self-catering cottage like Jack’s Cottage (prices start from £272 per week)

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Remarkable hotels for a royal holiday

b-travel — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:43:15 +0000

If you have some extra funds to spend for your holiday, why not try to use them to experience the life of a royalty? The following list contains former castles converted into hotels but they retain the grandeur and attract tourists.

Waterford Castle Hotel and Golf Club (Ireland) – built during the 16th century, the castle’s estate spans to more than 300 acres. Part of the area is dedicated to golf and it also offers the latest features for recreation.

Hvedholm Slot (Denmark) – this beautiful castle was built in 1570 but was extensively renovated to become a 5-star hotel. Its biggest attraction is the view of the beautiful lake. The castle is located in Funen which is a very picturesque part of the country.

Castle Alarcon (Spain) – if you want to stay in a castle with a renegade atmosphere, head on to Castle Alarcon. Located in the town with the same name, the structure is situation on a cliff that overlooks a river. The walls are not changed from the original construction but the interior is upgraded. The road leading to the castle is also impressive as it provides the eerie view of the medieval structure.
The Lake Palace Hotel (India) – also known as Taj Lake Palace, the structure was built in 1743 with more than 80 rooms. The hotel is practically an island as boats are required to take you to the hotel. Because of its royal background it is also a popular destination for current royalties from other countries.

Abandoned attractions in the USA

b-travel — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:00:18 +0000

Abandoned places often provide that mysterious atmosphere to their visitors. Still they offer something unique to tourists – a chance to take a look at the structure and even equipments when the place is still in operation. There will always be an abandoned place in any country worthy to be visited and America not exempted to that rule.
But what makes some abandoned places in America interesting their historical value and structural beauty. Visiting these places is also free because they are practically standing structure ignored by authorities.

The following are highly recommended places to visit in USA:
Office of Sun Microsystems (Palo Alto, CA) – Sun Microsystems is still one of the biggest internet-related companies in the world. But it has experienced some drastic changes during the dot-com bubble. The result is abandoned office spaces that still hold some supplies. Some of the lights are even working in some of their abandoned offices.

Monastery (Staten Island, NY) – Although it’s a private lot owned by a community college, the area was closed for decades without any development. The church still stands although not used. Part of the area is a school complex with a lot of graffiti.

Cemetery (Rochester, New York) – Abandoned? Yes. Destroyed? No. The Mt. Hope Cemetery in Rochester has a historical value to the country. It’s the first municipal cemetery since it was opened early 1800s. But the area was eventually abandoned even though well-known people are buried here. It’s a bit mysterious for some trekkers but it’s still beautiful because the structures still stand to this day.

Top Castles in the World You Should See

travel clever — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:00:33 +0000

Kasbah du Toubkal
Located in the highest peak in North Africa, this Moroccan castle is currently a private resort that offers elegance in the midst of vast wilderness. Accessible only by animal transport, the area is visited by tourists because of its remoteness with 5-star accommodation.

Burg Gutenfels
Located in the southwestern end of Germany, this magnificent castle overlooks the river Rhine in the edge of the cliff. The caste is not restored but well-kept which means tourists will see and stay in castle with its decorations intact. It’s a bit rusty, but the authenticity is unmistakable.

Chateau St. Philippe
Found in the Alps, the original structure was built in 1000s but it has undergone various changes until 1800s. It’s well known in the area because of its classic French castle atmosphere. The surroundings only confirms the beauty of the castle because of the French market. Shops that feature different type of cheese are also near the castle.

Xara Palace Hotel
Mdina is a well known fortified city in a beautiful island in Malta. Found in the remote area in the city is this beautiful palace hotel that provides a remarkable view of the area. It’s a favorite destination of European tourists who wanted to be secluded but would have world class services.

Ambley Castle
This castle used to be called home by Queen Elizabeth. It’s also one of the oldest hotel castles as it was built more than 1,000 years ago. Aside from the beautiful hotel, the palace is surrounded by a massive wall used to protect the palace from invasion.

Remarkable Hotels: Atelier sul Mare

b-travel — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:19:35 +0000

“Atelier on the Sea”, that is the English translation of the unique hotel in Castel di Tusa, a small resort in Sicily close to the town of Cefalù. As the owners define it, Atelier sul Mare is a hotel-museum of contemporary art where guests are able to live in a dream and fall asleep within a piece of art.

The idea at the bottom is for hotel rooms to be art works which only become complete with the presence of guests. Visitors, on the other hand, have the opportunity to live a once in a lifetime occasion where they are not mere guests nor simple observers of artwork but are given a genuine artistic living experience.

Among the 40 rooms of the art hotel, 20 of them have been conceived and designed by international artists who have all created unique results. Every area of the structure, including restaurant, hall and bar are art creations contributing to the esthetic feeling of a utopic space. The hotel nonetheless is highly organised, offering all the modern comforts, a warm and friendly welcome and not to forget a restaurant service with all the local fresh food specialities.

The place promises an unforgettable holiday experience, if anything else for the fascinating and rare beauty of the natural environment. It is easily accessible by car and trains both from Palermo and Messina stop in Castel di Tusa.

Visiting Naples: tips and warnings

travel clever — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 12:33:26 +0000

Because Naples is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy, visitors should not be put off by the city’s bad reputation for its crime level. Unfortunately, street crime is a reality in Naples which often concerns tourists and foreigners. This does not mean that it is a place to avoid, however tourists should become aware of the risks. So here is some advice for people planning a stop in Naples throughout their Italian holidays.

First of all, it is a good idea to study the city map before starting to wander around in order to identify where one should be more cautious. This is especially the case for places such as Piazza Garibaldi, the central square in front of the train station, where tourists are often accosted by illegal taxi drivers or other persuasive offers which is better to refuse right away.

Also, you will see that the town centre is structured in main streets surrounded by a dense network of small and narrow streets. The areas known as “Spanish Quarter” are especially known for theft and pick pocketing. Visitors should be careful in entering these neighbourhoods alone not display valuable objects such as cameras, mobile phones and watches. Be particularly careful as well in carrying bags with shoulder straps as snatchers are expert in ripping these off. A safe trick to carry around money and important documents is wearing a money belt.

Another daunting aspect tourists will immediately discover is the traffic in Naples. Car and scooter drivers are totally undisciplined and even experienced drivers will struggle a lot. On the other hand, the transport network and tourist circuits are overall good which is why the safest choice is probably that of going on a double decker bus of “City Sightseeing Italia” tour, which will take you around the most beautiful works of art and spectacular views of the Gulf of Naples.

Travellers’ rights: the EU top 12 recommendations

travel clever — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:42:03 +0000

Travellers getting ready to leave for their Christmas holidays destinations have all interests in knowing all about their rights and other regulations applying in cases of travel disruptions or other unforeseen circumstances.

For the sake of better information, we are here reporting and summarizing a very useful twelve point list of recommendations recently issued by the European Commission for travellers during the Christmas period.

1. When travelling by air, you are entitled to reimbursement or rerouting in case you are denied getting aboard, or there is a flight cancellation without any notice, or otherwise there has been more then 5 hours delay in your flight.

2. In case your flight has been cancelled or has more than three hours delay, you have right of assistance and may also be entitled to monetary compensation.

3. You are entitled to being reimbursed up to £1000 in the event you luggage has been lost or is damaged.

4. The final price of you ticket flight has to be clearly displayed when purchasing online.

5. Liquid allowance to be carried inside your hand luggage must not exceed one litre per person and have to be contained in 100 ml containers.

6. When travelling outside the European territory, be well informed about the safety of airlines you choose by consulting the black list of companies that have been banned by the EU.

7. Passengers with disability or reduced mobility have the right to be assisted at all stages of their travelling without any extra charge by informing the air carrier of such requirement at least 2 days in advance.

8. When travelling by cross border trains in the EU, passengers can ask to be reimbursed or rerouted in cases of cancelled trains or delays exceeding one hour.

9. When travelling by cross border train, passengers can claim up to £1000 for damages to their luggage as well as compensation in the event of accidents during their journeys.

10. When travelling by cross border train, the railway company has the duty to inform passengers the contact details to submit complaints.

11. Ensure prices and important information are made clear when purchasing travel packages.

12. If you are to travel by car, do not drive under the effects of drugs or alcohol!

Travelling Tips: How to avoid Jet Lag

b-travel — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:23:42 +0000

Travelling on long-haul distance flights which usually cross a number of time zones often has a common side effect: Jet Lag. This is usually a state of discomfort with symptoms such as insomnia, irritability and alteration of gastroenterological habits. It is especially annoying if you end up being jet lagged for as long as two days and may be the reason to spoil a long planned and deserved break.

Although, you can get jet lag travelling either from east to west, you are more likely to have symptoms when travelling in an easterly direction rather than westwards. This is because our body adapts better to an extension of daytime cycle, which occurs when travelling from one time zone to another, rather than the opposite.

So, how can we avoid jet lag symptoms? Here is a list of precautions and tips that can make the difference:

You can anticipate the change in the day-night cycle and adapt to the time you are going to be in after your journey by going either earlier or later to bed, depending on the direction of your trip.

Discomfort in the bowel activity is typically due to the air pressure in the plane cabin. So, make sure you do not overeat before travelling and try to avoid gassy foods.

It is better to sit on the aisle side during the flight so that you can stand up and walk along more frequently because it is very important to get your body as much exercised as possible.

Do not drink coffee or tea while flying. Other than giving you excessive nervousness, these drinks may cause dehydration and alter you body equilibrium. Instead, make sure you drink plenty of water.

Try to switch as quick as possible you eating habits to the local time, even though you might feel more like having breakfast instead of dinner.

Finally, as soon as you are on the plane, set your clock to the local time of your destination. This will also help your body getting accustomed to the change.

Remarkable Hotels: Exploranter

b-travel — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:00:11 +0000

If you are planning to take advantage of the south hemisphere’s summer season and, most essentially, are an adventurous type of person, here is an all-in-one travel and accommodation solution that sounds really exciting for those who have been always dreaming about exploring Latin America from top to bottom.

Exploranter is the only mobile hotel with an official registration. It is a 25-ton Scania truck that has been turned into an overland hotel on wheels and offers extremely flexible and adventurous tourism travel from Brazil to Argentina and Chile. As uncomfortable as it may sounds for such long trips, Exploranter is nonetheless fully equipped for these journeys with fully autonomous kitchen, three bathrooms, 28 beds and leather armchairs.

Exploranter is normally based in Sao Paulo, from where the journey begins. Different travel packages can be booked and prices will vary depending on destinations and itineraries. Most popular routes are those across impressive landscapes of Patagonia, Pantanal and Atacama. Trips can be scheduled from 1 week to as long as 22 days.

To make this travel experience even more unique is the human atmosphere that is created during the trip. Guests are often lonely travellers that gather onto the Exploranter to share with others an unforgettable experience from the adventurous as well as human perspective. In fact, the journeys can become even more exciting when further customised with themed private parties, horseback riding, trekking, off road rallies, rafting and many other extreme sporting activities.

Northern Lights in Iceland

b-travel — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:15:07 +0000

Experience the most breathtaking “show” that Iceland is proud of – the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis. It’s a natural phenomenon of lights that we should all experience and see first-hand at least once in our lifetime.

Aurora Borealis is a result of the thin air being electrically charged so it shines and make different colors of the spectrum. Aurora Borealis can only be seen from the North and South Pole. When you plan to visit Iceland for the show of lights, plan your vacation within the months of September to April to get clear visuals of the Northern lights at night. You’ll surely be mesmerised by the great view that not everyone get to see firsthand.

You’ll find different colors in the sky, the usual ones being green or white and sometimes you’ll also find pink, red or yellow.

For the best Northern Lights experience, you can stay in the very popular hotel – Hotel Ranga, well known for being in a perfect spot and many tourists book heir hotel accommodation here weeks before their planned vacation date just to get a spot. It’s really worth a vacation, you’ll surely want to come back to Iceland and experience it all over again.