If you are thinking upon visiting Goa, you should definitely be prepared. Even though Goa is a part of India (the smallest teritorial region and the fouth smallest in population reachin only 1,400,000 people), it is a completely different and somehow displaced from India. The biggest city is Vasco de Gama and only by considering the name, a person can realize why this indian state is different.

In the 16th century the Portugese merchants first landed on that west Indian coast and, led by the famous explorer and discoverer Vasco de Gama, the established a trade relationship with the locals. Later, the Portugese army invaded the territories of the modern-day Goa and for the next 450 years the Portugese rules over these lands. The territory was annexed by India in the second half of the 20th century thus putting an end on the Portugese political presence in the region.

The Latin influence in the area inevitably changed these lands. Goa is now famous for, no matter how strange it might sound at first, its amazing churches build by the foreign invaders when they started developing the state a subordinate area of Portugal.

Another significant part of the tourism sector in the area are tha remarkable and beautiful beaches on the west indian coast. In Goa, the sea resorts provide and excellent rate of servicing and great locations that would satisfy the expectations of every tourist. The person can choose whether to take advantage of the diverse Indian culture and food and to explore the new Asian world, or to stick to the already established trends in the European and American resorts that provide high quality services and food.

ShareThis

The only major problem I faced was the communication problem. The bus conductor could not understand my language and nor could I his. What I will remember the most is the hospitable and friendly nature of the people there. I got to taste a variety of dishes I tasted never before. The place is swanky and systematic. Moreover, you can never get tired of shopping there, so many shops and plazas.

For all those who are planning to visit this beautiful land in the near future, here are a few tips that you must keep in mind-

You must plan your trip well in advance otherwise it can lead to extravagant and unnecessary costs.

Make sure that you hire a guide to assist and direct you throughout the visit so that you do not miss out the important places of this magnificent city. Moreover he/she will help you bridge the communication gap.

Do not forget to carry the exact amount of change before stepping into the bus if you want to avoid getting into trouble.

There are many swanky hotels that can easily fit your budget. So do not worry about the accommodation at all, because the likelyhood is you will be able to afford something with luxury designer bedding on a small budget.

I would advise you to choose an all inclusive Singapore Tour Package that will take care of the entire trip.

If you keep these few points in mind, you will have a trip of a lifetime.

ShareThis

Venice is a city full of character, the streets, plazas and the canals are all beautiful and you can wander for hours and not get bored. Unfortunately for me and a few of my friends, that is exactly what we did and we ended up just a little bit lost. This might sound a bit silly, but for those of you who haven’t been to Venice, you won’t know that the streets are very narrow and the buildings are all very high. It is impossible to get your bearings by spotting a landmark when you are wandering the streets.

The city is also built like a maze and there are more than a couple of dead ends. You may think you are going in the right direction, but it is very hard to navigate, especially if you are wandering the city for the first time. To put in perspective just how lost we were, it took us four hours to get from the train station to the hostel when we first arrived. When we were leaving, it only took us 30 minutes to get from the hostel back to the train station, once we had spent some time in the city.

So, if you are after some advice; when you first get there, get a map, get some directions to your hostel or hotel and bring a compass! (Or wander off and lose yourself in this wonderful city.) One thing I have to say is this years ski chalet holidays are going to have a tough time competing on last years trip to Venice!

ShareThis

My recent trip to Phuket is all I can think about right now. To be honest, I wasn’t completely ecstatic about going to Thailand in the month of April when temperatures are soaring and humidity is at its peak. Yes, it’s an ideal setting for a tan but I didn’t intend on getting scorched! The first thing you need to keep in mind if you are planning to go to Phuket is a good sun screen lotion with a high SPF. This ensures that you only get a tan but no sun burns!

Bangkok airport seems to be quite the run of the mill as far as duty free is concerned. No specialties there (other than it actually looks quite a lot like a storage unit). There are a couple of local treats which tasted yummy and I purchased a few to gift to my friends back home. As soon as I reached Phuket, the humidity greeted me in full force and I thanked my good sense for the anti-frizz serum I was carrying that made my hair stay in place!

During my three day stay in Phuket I didn’t feel bored even for a moment. The Fantasea show in Kamala beach held every night is a delight to watch for all age groups. The Simon Cabaret show is even better. Looking at those gorgeous ladies perform I wondered how on earth could they actually be men! The Phee Phee Island tour is for water babies and I loved every second of it- travelling by ferry, swimming and snorkeling in the wild water was a breathtaking experience. The city tour wasn’t altogether very exciting since there wasn’t much to see apart from the gemstones gallery.

Not being a seafood lover I kind of avoided the local food and stuck to good old Burger King and McDonalds. However, the street sellers had exotic pancake crepes to offer which were filling as well as delicious. Phuket felt like a great short travel destination since the city has lots to offer but soon you’re left admiring just the beaches!

ShareThis

As my career as a freelance writer is on the up, I have come to realise an awesome fact. I can live anywhere in the world with this job. Sure I pay taxes to the British government, but I can travel around and as long as I have a laptop and an internet connection I can work. I can make money as I spend it and keep travelling around to where I like.

Where do I want to live though? That is a tough decision. I was thinking about making my way across Europe, which would mean starting in Portugal and moving across through Spain and France. The great thing about Europe is that it is so well connected. Within a few hours, anyone can be in a completely different country with a completely different culture. It is truly amazing. Also, England is accessible from mainland Europe as well, so family and friends are just a short flight away.

Portugal is a country I have never been to so it appeals to me greatly. Beautiful beaches and a fantastic climate, who wouldn’t want to go there? Italy is one of my favourite countries and Rome could very well be my favourite city. There is so much to see and the weather is also great. So Italy is very much at the top of my list of places to live for sure. Switzerland and its beautiful lakes is a big attraction as well, but the cost of living is rather high, which might put me off a bit. Croatia and Slovenia are two countries that I also love, and to live in Dubrovnik would be a dream come true. That city is amazing.

Other than Europe, Japan is really the only country I can see myself living in. Again, I have not been there so it is highly appealing. It looks like such a crazy and exciting place to go, especially Tokyo.

There are so many places to choose from and I love the fact that I have the luxury of choosing whichever place I want. It is going to be a tough decision where to start.

Speaking of Travel, attention you guys, I have a little bit of news about the ski resorts bookings for our long weekend trip. Next week is the deadline for the overall amount, please get it to me asap, I really need to sort out all of the costs if we are going to be able to maintain our booking.

ShareThis

Despite popular belief, Japan’s not actually an especially expensive destination to travel to—especially when compared with some places in Europe. While your money will definitely go further if you happen to choose a time when the exchange rate is good, if you’re careful with your money, you most likely won’t need to break into your savings account to finance your holiday.

Still, here are a few quick tips to save you some money if you do plan to travel to Japan. First, plan your travel during an off-peak time. Not only will you be able to score cheaper flights, but you’ll probably be able to get cheaper rates on hotels and other accommodation, too. If you are worried about accommodation prices—don’t be. The backpacker hostels I visited in Japan were not only cheap, but they were actually quite clean and pleasant, too. I would certainly recommend staying in one if you want to save a bit of cash.

Purchase a JR ticket before traveling to Japan. JR tickets let foreigners travel cheaply on the Japan Rail network—including the Shinkansen (bullet trains). If you plan to travel between cities, this can work out to save you quite a bit of money.

Food prices vary, but are generally quite affordable. If you’re on a strict budget, try picking up some onigiri at your local convenience store, and shopping late at night at the supermarkets beneath the train stations. You’ll find that all of the bento boxes are marked down late at night, meaning that you’ll get a cheap meal that’s not bad to boot. You can also silence that rumbly tummy by heading down to a market or any of the tourist shops—there are heaps of cheap snacks and freebies to fill yourself up on.

How does ski chalets online contest sound to everyone? You guys should really put your names forward, this would be such a cool way way to spend a bit of the winter!

ShareThis

Here in a western country, the mantra “watch what you eat” tends to refer to watching your weight and ensuring that you don’t scarf down too many BigMacs or packets of M&Ms. This is fair enough, I suppose, since unless you venture into a particularly dodgy restaurant or buy from a street vendor who may or may not be licensed, our food preparation rules and hygiene laws are pretty strict. Bear in mind, though, that this isn’t necessarily the case in developing countries. This isn’t to cast aspersions on them at all—many people in developing countries simply don’t have the resources to be able to prepare food in a hygienic manner. In addition, while there may be ample evidence that they’re washing their dishes and their salads, they may well be doing so in contaminated water. The thought and the intention is there, but the results perhaps aren’t quite what was intended. If you do visit a developing country, never drink the water—don’t even rinse your toothbrush using the water that comes out of the tap. Bottled water is usually inexpensive, so stock up on it, and use that for your drinking and toothbrushing needs. In addition, be very careful buying from street vendors. If you do buy any food off the side of the road, ensure that it’s hot. I can speak from experience here, having contracted serious food poisoning after eating a plan bun bought from a food vendor! Consider sanitizing your hands after handling money, too—money’s not known for being the most hygienic of things! Also, when in a restaurant, even a reasonably nice one, avoid ordering uncooked or cold foods such as salads. While these may have been rinsed, commonly the water used for doing so is polluted or unhygienic.

As for the news on the next trip that I will be writing about! The Chalet val thorens booking is sorted out, I am looking forward to our annual ski trip! I need part of the payment by this Friday.

ShareThis

Any adventurous travellers out there will know that there will inveriably be a time when you get stuck at an airport for far too long. It may be because you are waiting for a connecting flight, or perhaps your flight has been delayed and you are stuck at arrivals, or even perhaps have arrived too late at an airport to get any transport out. Having been in this situation many times before, I have compiled a list from personal experience (and a couple of stories from my friends) of things you should not do when stuck at an airport.

1. Be a smoker (and then start drinking)
You have booked in, had your final cigarette, gone through customs and had enough of browsing round Duty Free and so settled waiting for your flight to depart and then the announcement comes that your flight is delayed. For an indefinite amount of time. The smoking itch immediately kicks in. You try to distract yourself, first with the end of your book, another browse round Duty Free, but the flight is still not called. Eventually you decide to have a drink at the bar. The itch immediately grows. Another drink; the flight’s not called, and you start to feel indignant. Yet another drink, you team up with a fellow delayed smoker and start to complain about your human rights. Yet another drink and you and the fellow smoker decide the best idea is to ask someone if you can be allowed out for a cigarette. The airport security staff tell you that you theoretically can be, but you will need to find a flight operative to escort you out. The flight operatives are all hiding as they are fed up with the complaints about your delayed flight, so you have another drink. And another. A flight operative is spotted walking past, in a now slightly drunken stupor you follow the attendant and inform them that they are in breach of your human rights if they don’t let you out. They say they are understaffed so are not able and an argument ensues. Eventually a manager appears to say the flight is now ready to board, however you are too drunk to be allowed on.

2. Hook up with someone
Waiting at an airport, you get chatting to the rather attractive man sitting next to you. You both have a long time to kill before your connecting flight. He offers to buy you a drink. You go to the bar and have a few drinks between you. One thing leads to another and it seems a really good idea to climb up some scaffolding and attempt to have sex. You suddenly notice the security cameras directly above you. When you return to the ground, you are aware of all the security officers laughing at you.

3. Go to sleep in a bar
As the only place open in the airport is the bar you decide to have a quick drink whilst waiting for your connecting flight. You’ve had a long journey already and the alcohol makes you feel extremely drowsy. With not much to distract you, you eventually find yourself falling asleep and are woken up by an extremely angry airline operative informing you that your bags had to be taken off your flight due to you missing the final call.

In conclusion the best piece of advice I can offer, is its probably not the best idea to get drunk in airports. However, if anyone can give any advice for something else to fill the time, I would be happy for some advice!

As a sidebar I have booked the val thorens accommodation and am getting ready for my next trip. Looking forward to giving you all updates on it!

ShareThis

ShareThis