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Points To Consider Before Going On A South African Safari

August 31st, 2010 No comments

Since the 2010 World Cup, many people have added South Africa as a vacation destination. The wildlife in South Africa is a big attraction, and there are many national parks and private game farms that afford visitors the opportunity to see South Africa’s ‘Big Five’ in their natural habitat. There are, however, several things that you should consider before going.

Site of Soccer 2010 World Cup
Image by DanieVDM via Flickr

Budget

Although the exchange rate is generally in the international visitor’s favor, there are a variety of options available that can make your vacation more affordable. There are luxurious game lodges that offer elegant accommodation and five star service, generally on private game farms with organized game drives. These are for the people who want a nice place and have money to spare.

The national parks usually offer self-catering cottages and camping facilities, with stores and food available.

Hotels are usually going to be affordable and you can take day trips to the park. You may have to hire a car, but you will have more freedom to see around South Africa. South Africa has many well equipped camping sites.

The Season You Go

South Africa, being in the southern hemisphere, has its seasons reversed. The best game viewing time is in winter – June to September – where temperatures may reach 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit depending on which part of the country you are visiting.

The animals are in the midst of a dry season at this time and will be out at the watering holes. Vegetation isn’t super dense at this time, so you can see them more clearly.

Safety

The crime statistics in South Africa may deter some visitors, an alert tourist will have no problems. Being alert about what’s happening around you is crucial. In smaller towns, you really only need to look out for petty theft. Cameras, mobile phones, wallets and purses are popular items that may be snatched if left unattended in restaurants or shops. Lock cars up and lock all valuables in trunks.

The animals that you are going to look at are wild. Any rules that you are given, follow. An animal can get spooked from the smallest things.

Check and see if the area is prone to diseases like malaria. Whether you are visiting a malaria zone or not, take insect repellent and use it liberally, especially in the evenings and at night. You must wear sunscreen, too.

A South African safari will offer you views of wild animals you will never see outside of a zoo. The “Big Five” are lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and Cape buffalo, and are supplemented by other animals like antelope and giraffe. With beautiful landscapes, lovely beaches and many other attractions, make sure you don’t make your South African safari too short, as you will want some time to see what this diverse country has to offer.

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Yoga Retreat Experience In Chiangmai,Thailand

August 29th, 2010 No comments
Rice Paddy
Image by /\ltus via Flickr

It took eternity to get back home from work due to the traffic. The intoxicating air and the noise pollution exhausted me. The speed of the city shifted me out of balance which I aimed to regain by going on a vacation.

It has been 6 years since I started practicing yoga. When I have free time, I also give classes. For me,to maximize the benefit of the practice,the ambiance is one of the first element to consider. I believed there must be a perfect place for me to deepen meditation , do yoga, enjoy fresh organic dishes and clean air.

Whatever we are determined to find,we often do. While I was taking a break for lunch, I spent some time one Facebook. A friend of mine posted some pictures from her trip. The photo of her practicing yoga amoung the valleys caught my attention. I found out she has been on a yoga retreat at the Spa Resort Chaingmai. That lead me to browse on the resort

It did not take me long to make the decision to sign up for the yoga retreat and book a flight for my weekend retreat. First of all,the yoga retreat program looked amazing. Not only the yoga practice but it also included the use of all the neat facilities 2 swimming pools, the Bamboo Spa, Thai Herbal Steam, Far Sauna and the best the Radiance Restaurant with amazing Vegetarian, Vegan and Raw food, even Raw food classes.

In less than an hour, I landed in beautiful Chiangmai, leaving Bangkok behind. There was still some time until sunset. I changed into comfortable shoes and started to take a walk to the village near by the resort. There were countless rice paddies in the valley of green mountains. It was abolutely a charming place.

During this short retreat, I also enjoyed spending my afternoons relaxing by the pool as well as getting pampered with Thai massage, taking a steam or Sauna and enjoying the fantastic food. The Yoga Classes are taught by two lovely Thai instructors with years of experience, they were great.

I am absolutely impressed of the result of the retreat. The physical and emotional transformation that happened within is far beyond expectation. It won’t be long until I return there. I’m thinking of taking a Training course.

You’ll Love all the wonderful retreats available, some scheduled by renowned Yoga teachers from around the world our Retreats if it’s just a Healthy Good Time you want have a look at The Spa Resorts

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Winged Safaris Amid The Desert Sands

August 27th, 2010 No comments
Complex dune: Dune 7 in the Namib desert, one ...
Image via Wikipedia

The afternoons are by far the best time of day in Namibia. Sipping a cold drink as the sun sits low within the African sky, bleeding the harsh desert shades into soft pastels. As the still, evening air cools in the heat of the day, the sky becomes awash with an boundless sprinkle of stars.

Perhaps not as popular as some of its African neighbors, Namibia is really a jewel for those who are in search of wildlife and wilderness.

Occupied since the dawn of time, the community individuals, plants and animals have come a long way, adapting in remarkable and unique ways to their, often, tough environment. The distinctive culture, spectacular landscapes and exquisite silences of Namibia supply a welcome change from the frantic pace of modern life.

Big parts from the country are so distant and untouched, you will often feel like you’re the first individual to discover these magical places and you will never be missing room to look around at your own pace.

Gliding along a absolute blue, cloudless sky over the crisscross jigsaw from the cracked desert floor – a fly-in safari offers unequaled access to this parched and lonely land that belies the rich array of flora and fauna that calls it home.

Back on very dry land within the heart of Kaokoland, one from the final surviving wilderness areas in Southern Africa, following the rare desert dwelling elephant, black rhino and giraffe will take you exploring the tough landscape amid stunning mountain scenery. Silent, huge and for the most part empty, Kaokoland is truly the back of beyond.

Along Kaokoland’s northern border the perennially flowing waters of the Kunene River run past richly colored rock walls within the shade of wild fig trees, baobabs and waving makalani palms. A touch of white water rafting and canoeing offers some welcome respite from the harsh desert climes, and might bestow a glimpse of some of Namibia’s impressive birdlife, as an African fish eagle and a tiny Malachite Kingfisher hunt along the banks side by side.

A short, comfortable flight west will soon have you skimming low over the desolate, unworldly sands of the Skeleton Coast, dotted with a maritime graveyard of landlocked carcasses of ships whose surviving sailors came ashore to die in the pitiless wastes from the Namib Desert. Eerily cold sea breezes blow across hot desert sands that are frequently shrouded by fog.

A winged safari vehicle is the only method to get close to among the inhospitable sand dunes, canyons and mountain ranges of the Skeleton Coast Park, which offers a unique view of diverse and ever-changing geological formations and the refuges of black rhino and desert-adapted elephant.

A variety of local lodges provide the chance to explore and also the possibility of spotting a cackle of hyenas as you scramble over this bleak landscape on a quad-bike, or get stopped in your tracks by lonely-looking flock of ostriches wandering the desert amid the shimmering sands.

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If you want more information on Landforms, don’t read just rehashed articles online to avoid getting ripped off. Go here: Major Landforms

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Information On Hiring A Luxury / Executive Coach

August 27th, 2010 No comments

No matter what the economy is doing, people still get married, throw parties and organize trips. Executive coach hire adds class to any occasion, whether a private celebration or a corporate event and people really appreciate it. In fact, the cost difference between luxury coach hire compared to standard is not huge. When you look at what you get for the money, it adds up to much more than just a smoother ride and the convenience of an onboard toilet.

What makes the prospect of traveling by coach unappealing for some people is having to sit bored and hot on a small seat with not enough leg room. That is fair enough, as no-one would find such an experience anything more than unappealing. That is far from the experience provided with luxury / executive coach hire though. The seats are big and soft for starters, and you get enough leg room to be able to stretch your legs right out. You can even sit around a table if you prefer, maybe for a chat or maybe to play cards or something. As for the heat, that will not be an issue as you can rest assured that not only will there be air con but also that it will be in full working order.

In most cases, the guests will not know each other and luxury coach hire is a great way to get them talking to each other early on. In the confined space of the vehicle, with excitement and anticipation in the air, people often get to know each other very quickly. It is also an extremely useful way to make sure that people arrive at the event at the same time. The problems involved with everyone arranging their own transport, getting lost or being unable to find a parking space, are solved.

Booking one of these first class coaches is really simple, as many executive coach hire and luxury coach hire companies now have their own websites. A quick search on Google will bring up plenty of options. On the websites you can see pictures of the coaches, check on availability, ask questions and make bookings. If you prefer, you can still phone them up too though.

If you are still not convinced, visit a luxury / executive coach hire website now and you will soon be persuaded!

Read On : Executive Coach Hire

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Categories: Travel Tags: , , , ,

How To: Organise A Stag Party

August 25th, 2010 No comments

When it’s time to tie the knot and take the dive, you way as well go out on a high! A stag party is the last chance for a man to enjoy his freedom and more importantly enjoy the company of their friends before they are destined for cuddly nights in and ‘couples evenings’.

Many people traditionally would go to a big city in the UK but with cheap travel and accommodation, many are now opting for somewhere further afield. Eastern Europe and the Med are popular destinations but some people are even going as far as Thailand or Las Vegas. But if you are planning one consider the circle of friends you mix with and whether they can all afford what you have planned, the last thing you want is to exclude your best man because he doesn’t work as an investment banker like the rest of you.

The key to success is in the planning; you can’t just wing it and hope for the best, you don’t want to waste something that doesn’t come along very often. Your planning should begin way in advance and if you have a wedding date make sure there is a period of recovery time before the big day, enough time for tattoos to be removed and eyebrows to grow back.

With your destination and date sorted, think about a theme, something that can bring you all together in looking like complete idiots. You will also discover it much easier to find all your friends in an underground Krakow club if everyone is wearing fluorescent pink man-kinis. If you can’t think of a theme good enough then consider charity shop roulette, each person can spend 10 in a charity shop on a full outfit that they may or may not wear, then put each outfit in a black bin bag and hand them out at random, you MUST wear what you are given. This way everyone ends up wit ha horrendous outfit that they had no choice in buying, the outcome will be hilarious.

If you do go abroad, go for a long weekend to make the most of it, rather than just sitting around recovering during the day time, it is worth planning some activities to make the weekend memorable. Paintballing is usually a popular choice or try contacting some local sports teams and organising a friendly game, many parties will organise a fancy dress match against some locals where nothing is taken seriously.

One thing that is key to remember when going on a stag do is that most of the attendees other halves will probably have issue with them going and probably won’t be greeting them with open arms on their return, so try and make the whole debauchery seem a lot ‘tamer’ than it is, make everyone agree that ‘what goes on the stag do, stays on the stag do’, if there is need for a cover story make sure everyone is clear of what it is. Bringing home a gift for your loved one is also a good idea as it might make them forget about the pictures of you with strippers all over facebook!

If you are planning a stag party for the groom, make sure there are a few novelty gifts and unique gifts waiting for him along the way to make things interesting.

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