The Flammario Organization Blog

The popular image of safari, especially in the west, is inseparable from Kenya. Earlier in the last century, gifted writers such as Ernest Hemingway and Karen Blixen brought to life the vivid images and uplifting life experience that constitutes a Kenyan safari. It is at this time that leading celebrities of the day such as Teddy Roosevelt and Prince Edward traveled to Kenya on safari. And so the safari gained a certain snob appeal. The famous went because it was expected of them. And those on the make because the safari was part of the certification they needed on the way up. If you want to take a peek into the mood and character of the players at that time, read Hemingway’s intriguing short story “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”.

In our day however, a Kenya safari is accessible to many more people. Despite competition from other destinations, Kenya remains the heart of the African safari experience. The magnificence and diversity of the wildlife and landscape is unsurpassed. You are guaranteed to tick off the full roster of the big five -lion, buffalo, leopard, rhino and elephant. Other less well-known but essential and chartered members of the savannah ecosystem are also abundant. The landscape kaleidoscope rolls out the magnificent rift valley, the central highlands, the savannah grasslands, snow capped Mount Kenya and the desolate moonscape of the north. This is perhaps why the experts advise all those faithful lovers of wildlife and nature that at least once in their lifetime they must partake of a Kenyan safari.

Kenya has over 50 national parks and game reserves where wildlife is protected. But as you already suspect, on the average safari you cannot hope to cover all of them. It is therefore a good thing that you get very good value by visiting only a few of them. This is unless of course you have a lot of time and can afford to take off the beaten track. The most popular and from which those with limited time and budget need to pick from are- Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Aberdares, Samburu and Tsavo. Top in the off-the-beaten track category for either wildlife or back to nature activities are- Kakamega Forest, Marsabit, Meru, Mount Kenya, Mount Elgon and Shimba Hills.

Maasai Mara is the big one. This is where you must go even when all the time you can spare is two nights. This is mostly where all those wildlife videos on Kenya are filmed. The Mara, as the Maasai Mara Game Reserve is commonly known, is part of the ecosystem that includes the equally famous Serengeti of Tanzania. Covering 320 square kilometers, it is nested in the southwestern corner of the country. The Mara offers wildlife in such variety and abundance that it is difficult to believe. On a two-night visit, I saw lions, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, giraffe, wildebeests, zebras, buffalo, warthogs, hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, buffalo, leopard, nine kinds of antelopes and elephant. The birds are also in plenty -secretary birds, cranes, stork, vultures and ostriches.

It is in the Mara that perhaps the most spectacular event of the natural world takes place. I refer to the annual migration of millions of wildebeest and zebra from the Serengeti in search of water and pasture. The timing of the phenomena is conditional on the rains and occurs between June and August. The reverse journey is usually taken in October. With or without the migration the Mara has abundant numbers of resident animals and you are sure to have a good wildlife viewing experience whatever time of the year you visit. If you have sufficient funds, consider taking a balloon trip over the reserve. This popular and thoroughly memorable ride usually commences before dawn and includes a champagne breakfast. The Mara is 5 hours from Nairobi by road and 45 minutes by light aircraft.

Amboseli National Park sits on the lower slopes of mighty Kilimanjaro whose peak is across the border in Tanzania. It is quite an experience to see the Kilimanjaro hovering above the clouds in an early morning. As the keen photography enthusiast can already imagine, the mountain gives a dramatic backdrop for animal pictures. Amboseli is renowned for its huge elephant herds. You will also see buffalo, black rhino, zebra, wildebeest and other plain animals. Lions and other cats can be seen but are less plentiful here than in the Mara. The park is 3 hours from Nairobi by road and can be approached through Namanga, the border post between Kenya and Tanzania.

Lake Nakuru’s claim to fame is anchored on its flamingo’s and the over 400 species of birds found here. The lake itself is a soda lake on the floor of the rift valley. The sight of the at times millions of flamingos is quite spectacular. From a distance the lake appears ringed in pink. Lake Nakuru is also host to a sanctuary for the endangered black and white rhino. Lions, Rothschild’s giraffe, buffalo and baboons are all residents here. The park is the most accessible of Kenya’s bigger parks and is only two hours from Nairobi by road.

At the same distance from Nairobi as Lake Nakuru is the Aberdares National Park. The park has a diverse topography that includes waterfalls, rain forests and the rivers that supply water to Nairobi’s millions. The flora and fauna is quite unique and is not found elsewhere in the country, expect on Mount Kenya. Leopard, elephant, rhino and the rare bongo can all be found here. But dense vegetation and inclement weather makes it difficult to spot animals. You are however guaranteed to see some animals especially elephants and buffalos at the floodlit waterholes of the two famous tree hotels, The Ark and Treetops.

Students of the history of the British royal family will recall that it was at the Treetops in 1952, where the then Princess Elizabeth was staying on honeymoon when her father, King George VI, died. She descended from Treetops to assume the backbreaking role of presiding over the far-flung dominions and colonies of the empire. If you stay at the Treetops you are bound to meet with some of her fans.

Though not as famous as the Mara, Samburu National Park is another wildlife haven. Here you will spot lions, elephants, cheetahs and the elusive leopard. Some animals are unique to this northern park: Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, kudu and gerenuk. You will find the semiarid landscape quite dramatic. On your trip to Samburu, you may also want to take in the nearby Shaba and Buffalo Springs game reserves. In addition, this is the place to take a camel safari. Samburu is three hours from Nairobi by road.

Tsavo is so huge, all of 20,000 sq km, that it is administered as two units: Tsavo West and Tsavo East. This is the park that is closest to Mombasa at the coast. The park is three and a half hours away from Nairobi by road. You will find large herds of elephant, especially in Tsavo East. Tsavo West is filled with crocodiles, vervet monkeys, antelope, baboons, giraffes and hippos. It is in Tsavo that poachers were most successful in their bloody racket and this saw a dramatic fall in elephant population. The good guys have in recent years gained the upper hand and numbers are recovering.

But Kenyan authorities are still extremely wary of the future of the elephant in Tsavo. The country is very active in seeking a permanent ban on the international ivory trade. I wish at this point to declare to all that I am a great fan of the African elephant. I believe this to be the true king of the jungle and not that overrated pretender, the lion. You may recall from the movie “The Man-eaters of Tsavo” how cowardly lions disrupted the building of the railway in the Tsavo area by feeding on the workforce. Would true royalty be involved in such a disgraceful affair?

Kenya is a year round safari destination. The rains come around April- May and November-December. This does not however, much affect the travelers’ ability to get around. This is except for the heavily forested Aberdares. In the wet season the roads in the Aberdares are extremely slippery and the park is at times actually closed down. Generally the best time to go on safari is over the drier months when the grass is short and sighting animals is so much easier. But in areas such as the Mara, the animals are so plentiful that you are going to see lots of them regardless of the season. The peak tourist season falls around January to February and July to August. April to June is the low season and prices for accommodation in the lodges can be as much as 40% lower than in the high season.

Accommodation on safari varies from basic camping to luxury lodges and tented camps. Out there in the bush, you will be pleasantly surprised that all the trimmings of 5 star accommodations are available. But if you want to rough it out, you will find campsites in almost all the game reserves and national parks. Info on Kenya hotels, lodges & resorts accommodation options is available online.

It is generally recommended to take an escorted Kenya safari tour package that includes transport, park fees and accommodation. The reason for this is that the tour guides are usually well versed about the animals, where to find them and how to get there and have other such useful local knowledge. Have a look at some offers of various durations and budgets.

But if you have a lot of time and need more freedom as you get around, then hire a vehicle in either Nairobi or Mombasa. For Kenya car rental there is a choice between self-drive and chauffer driven vehicles. On safari, wear light cottons and linen. Warmer clothing is needed for the evenings and for your early morning game drive. Some rainwear is advisable between March and June and October and December.

You should bring along a decent pair of sunglasses. The glare you experience in bright tropical light is a new and uncomfortable experience for most. It is also a good idea to carry a pair of binoculars. They are very useful for spotting animals and will earn you the envy of your less knowledgeable traveling companions.

Copyright © Africa Point

About the Author

Andrew Muigai is editor of AfricaPoint Insider online newsletter. It is part of AfricaPoint.com- the Africa travel website that has helped thousands of travelers discover Africa. You can view more info on Kenya safari and tours at the website.

Mention the Canadian Rockies, and most people instantly think of Banff. As the main tourist destination in the Rockies, Banff is very much a commercial town geared to tourism. But for those who like their Rockies a little quieter, 250 kilometres north is paradise – the town of Jasper.

July and August are the peak times to visit Jasper, but if you don’t mind colder weather and like your lakes frozen, you can avoid some of the tourists by visiting in the few months either side. The weather can be haphazard, so allow a little flexibility in your plans.

Six kilometres south of Jasper is Whistler Mountain. If you visit early or late in the day, you will most likely hear the melodic sounds made by the whistling marmots living on the lower slopes of the mountain. Early birds can also get cheaper tickets on the Whistler Mountain gondola. The terminus is at 2,500m, with spectacular views south to the Columbia Icefields, and west to Mount Robson.

For those who prefer to look up at mountains, there are plenty of beautiful lakes close to town, all surrounded by snow topped peaks. Patricia and Pyramid Lakes, 8km north-west of town, are small and quiet. They have beaches just begging for picnickers to sit on them and admire the view after a tranquil lunch. Herds of elk and deer roam the area, and if you’re very lucky, you may spot a coyote or a black bear.

Maligne Lake is south of Jasper, and is the largest of the glacier fed lakes. A boathouse from the 1920s completes the storybook setting. There are a couple of excellent hikes in the area, taking full advantage of the beautiful scenery.

Nearby is Maligne Canyon, a narrow cleft through the rocks filled with roaring water during the spring thaw. It’s also home to a very active herd of big horn sheep, who can jump out of nowhere to startle tourists.

For those visitors who like more leisurely pursuits, it is possible to swim in Lakes Annette and Edith near town. Situated at around 1000m, they are popular during the summer months, although it’s still not advisable to take a lengthy swim in the icy waters.

After a few hard days of sightseeing, go for a leisurely drive about 40km towards Edmonton. At the sleepy little town of Pocahontas (she certainly got around!) take the turnoff to Miette Hot Springs. The renovated spas contain two pools, and are a welcome respite for tired bodies. On the way there you may be lucky enough to see mountain goats beside the road, although they’re more likely to be perched on a cliff high above you.

Another excellent drive is route 93A, which was the original road heading out of Jasper towards Banff. Now preserved as a scenic route, the road offers a number of interesting stops. Keep your eyes open, particularly during the quieter times early and late in the day, because wild life abounds here. Mother bears with their cubs have been seen chomping on berries right beside the road!

The aptly named “Meeting of the Waters” marks the place where two rivers join together. During the spring thaw this meeting can make for spectacular waterworks. Further along, it is worth taking the time to visit Moab Lake. A pleasant walk ends with the magnificently sited lake, mountains hovering in the background.

Skiers visiting in winter will certainly want to make the trip to Marmot Basin, a popular ski resort south of Jasper on 93A. In summer, however, it looks much the same as any other deserted ski field, except for the breathtaking scenery.

One of the final stops before the road rejoins the main highway is the Athabasca Falls. A raging torrent in spring, the fierce waters tumble and crash over hundreds of smoothed boulders. The adventurouss can explore further up the river, but wear shoes with a good grip.

When the time comes to leave Jasper, there are two major routes. Those who arrived by train can continue their journey either east to Edmonton and on across the Canadian plains, or west to Vancouver. This route takes you on one of the most spectacular train journeys in the world, with incredible scenery in every direction.

For those travelling by car, allow plenty of time to explore the 230km Icefields Parkway which connects Jasper to Banff, with a slight detour to Lake Louise. The road follows a valley through the Eastern Mountain Ranges, and offers spectacular scenery and plenty of wildlife. By the end of the day you’ll probably have a stiff neck from craning upwards to see the view.

The Sunwapta Falls are set in chunky terraces of rock, and it’s worth taking a short stroll to the viewing platform. Peyto Lake is a beautiful glacial lake, but should only be visited when the snow clears, otherwise the gentle uphill stroll can become a mammoth battle through waist high snow drifts.

Another beautiful stop is the Tangle Falls. Intrepid visitors can do some exploring here, rewarded by a close up look at the rushing waters. The best known stop, however, is Athabasca Glacier. This glacier has been steadily retreating for years, and there are date markers so you can see the gradual regression. It is possible to take a truck ride on the ice, or you can simply walk from the car park. Be warned – the weather can change very rapidly during your visit, so be prepared.

The Weeping Wall is particularly interesting after or during rain, with thousands of tiny waterfalls pouring down its rough faces. And for those nature lovers with a penchant for moose, try visiting Waterfowl Lake at either end of the day. It’s home to a number of these huge creatures.

The Icefields Parkway continues on to Lake Louise, the magnificent setting for scenes in the movie “The Bodyguard”. Finally the road reaches Banff, leaving the peace and quiet of the wilder Jasper behind for good.

Exploring the Canadian Rockies is a must for lovers of rugged, mountain scenery. For those who want to experience the Rockies and its wildlife as closely as possible to how it would have been centuries ago, Jasper is the perfect base. The Rockies are waiting for you.

About the Author

Travelling in Canada is a much loved past time for the author. Check out http://www.travelcanadainfozone.com or http://www.travelcanadainfozone.com/jasper/ for more information.

Getting and carrying off designer trousers is not vey easy. Though, thanks to super ready made designer fashion and higher disposable wages, the best part of us fashion lovers might well afford to get a gorgeous item of terrific high fashion clothing every now and then. Nevertheless, there are also certain issues associated with designer trousers that are also not there with your conventional mass produced clothing, with the very most principal ones being the design and the price of such skirts.

High fashion skirts costs much more than even the best brands available in the market; and the reason why they cost so much is because they not only offer fashionistas first-rate quality and awesome styles, but because they are exclusive. Even low cost ranges in high fashion dresses carry only limited editions, so there are extensively small chances that you will find your neighbor wearing the same great outfit that glamourous shoppers recently bought.

To select the best kind of designer dresses for yourself, keep a close eye to a number of things. If fashionable people are not a regular trendy designer clothes buyer, then chances are that low cost is a consideration with you. In such a case, it is even more vital that you select wonderful high fashion shorts that can often in fact give you back your money’s worth.

To do this, the first rule to do is to find terrific clothing that looks nice with your body shape and size. If folk don’t do this, then even the best designs will probably end up making fashionable people look unflattering. Follow the basic fashion rules of not getting loose fitting trousers that will make you look wide or stumpy and not obtaining stripy patterns and astonishingly dark colours if you are remarkably slim etcetera to buy garments that match your body shape, colouring and features. Find the very latest Marc Jacobs clothes at Matches.

The other vital thing to think about is if you want your tremendous designer pieces to last you are to acquire pieces or designs that are timeless in nature like black jeans.

When going on vocation, one of the toughest and tasks is to choose the right hotel to stay at. This is especially difficult if you do not know the area where you are going on vacation or if you go there during the busiest tourist season.

Planning vacations in advance is always recommendable, though do not invest too much effort. Booking a hotel beforehand is very important, otherwise, when you get there, you risk to be unable to find a place where to spend the nights, or there might be vacancies only in hotels, which are not best for you.

Going to the most expensive hotel is hardly mandatory, if you are looking for good service; but on the other hand, do not forget that there are reasons why cheap hotels are cheap. Your guide for hotel prices could be Motel 6. Since a room even in that hotel is about $40 on average, anything below its price is most likely too cheap.

Think about hygiene, when choosing a hotel. You will hardly find an absolutely sterile hotel room, but generally cheaper hotels are less well maintained than the expensive ones. As a rule, as with most of life, you get as much as you pay for.

Here are some more considerations about what to look for before deciding which hotel to book.

The most important consideration is how much money you can afford for a hotel room. If you cannot spend more than a hundred dollars per night, this might be too bad. Depending on the destination, where you are going to, less than a hundred dollars per night might prove totally insufficient to get a decent room.

Next, you need to consider which features are important to you. Do you want a continental or full service breakfast, for instance? One benefit of in-hotel breakfast is that it will make it easier in the morning if you don’t want to go out for breakfast, or don’t want to order room service.
Continental breakfast usually consists of something light and quick in the morning, while full service breakfast is a more complete meal. However, if you’re going to be getting up extremely early, perhaps you won’t have time even for the continental breakfast.

If you would like to have a pool in the hotel where you are going to stay, check in advance the location of the pool (outdoor, indoor) and if it will be open when you get there.
For instance, it is very unlikely that an outdoor pool will be open in winter. Also, even if the pool is open, check its working hours to make sure you will be able to go swimming in time that is convenient for you.

Next, do not forget about the location of the hotel. For example, if you plan to go to a Disney park, you won’t want to rely on rented cars to get to your destination. Rather, you will prefer to stay in a nearby hotel, or at least a hotel that is within a reasonable walking distance.

Once you think you’ve found the right hotel for your vacation, you should try to buy a package for your trip instead of buying the hotel and travel tickets separately.
Some companies will give discounts for vacation packages, and depending on where you’re going and what time of year it is, you could save hundreds of dollars.

FTI Hotel is a great site for all the information you would ever look for regarding hotels.
Chelsea Rosamund is the webmaster and has a vast knowledge of the hotel industry.
Visit <ahref=”http://www.ftihotel.com”>FTI Hotel and you will find articles, resources and a free newsletter.
About the Author

None

Hotel Room Horror Story
By David Leonhardt

Ever since I began working for that Florida vacation rentals website, I have been plagued by recurring nightmares. I am haunted at night by the spirits of hotel rooms past.

There was a time when I traveled quite a bit on business. Thankfully, I don’t hotels hop any more. But at night I float off to a hotel room far away in time…

The day’s work done, I phoned home to check up on the kids. It seems there was a shouting match going on in my absence. It sounded like Pandemonium was winning, but Total Bedlam was making some noise, too.

“Can you just quiet down a bit,” I said into the phone.

“YOU shut up,” I heard the man in the next room growl.

I chose to ignore him. “Come on guys. Can’t you just stop fighting for a minute?”

“I’ll show you what fighting means” I heard through the wall.

“Geeze. I can’t even here myself think,” I complained into the phone.

“Hey! I’ve had just about enough of you,” the guy on the other side of the wall screamed.

Suddenly I got very scared. I pictured a burly, six-foot-two weightlifter smashing his fist through the wall. I hung up the phone, wondering how thin the walls were.

Nothing happened. No fist. No smashed wall. No burly, six-foot-two weightlifter.

I decided to go downstairs for a stress-relief stroll. As I was closing my door, the man from the next room emerged.

Fortunately, he was no weightlifter.

I was about to ask him why he had shouted at me through the wall while I was trying to discipline my kids, when he called to me, “Hey you. I was on the phone with my wife. Why did you have to heckle me?”

All of a sudden, I knew how thin the walls were.

In fact, I discovered that hotel walls come in two thicknesses:

If you’re lucky, you get “Turn down the volume on your TV!” walls. If you are less fortunate, you get “Turn down the brightness on your TV!” walls.

Fortunately, hotel rooms are immaculately clean. It’s true. The sign says so. Just as long as you don’t look under the mattress to find a 1976 copy of Businessweek Magazine and theatre tickets to a 1982 showing of The Music Man.

I don’t know why hotels pretend to be so spotless. All that junk under the bed could be used as a marketing tool. “Stay at the Hilltop Hilton and join in our under-mattress-scavenger-hunt.”

If the hotels don’t catch on, sooner or later the motels will. They can turn anything into a sales pitch. Like, for example, “Color TV” (Ooooooohh.). And “Outdoor Pool” (I think the “outdoor” feature is a nice added touch, don’t you?) And how about “Free Parking” (which is really a way of saying, “You don’t have to park your car in your room.”).

What worries me most about hotels is what they keep in the drawers. Did you ever notice there is always a bible in the drawer? Why?

When you buy a car, there is no bible in the glove compartment, although the road is where you need prayers the most.

When you dig for the prize at the bottom of the Cracker Jack box, it’s never a bible.

Even in hospitals, where a prayer might be all you have left, there is no bible in the drawer.

Only in hotels and on death row do bibles come as standard equipment.

And why just the Bible? I have had plenty of spare time to search for Torahs and Korans in hotel rooms, and I have never found any. Do Jews and Muslims not stay in hotels? What do they know that I don’t?

Fortunately, I don’t have to stay in hotels anymore. I don’t have to endure shadow-puppet shows from the guy on the other side of the wall. I don’t have to keep from reading over his shoulder. I don’t have worry about what he ate for dinner.

And I don’t have to listen to his snoring. I can enjoy my own nightmares in peace.

About the Author

David Leonhardt publishes The Happy Guy humor column:
http://www.thehappyguy.com/positive-thinking-free-ezine.html
And A Daily Dose of Happiness:
http://www.thehappyguy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html
He also writes personal growth articles:
http://www.thehappyguy.com/self-actualization-articles.html
And sells liquid vitamins:
http://www.vitamin-supplements-store.net

Napa Wineries and Vineyards enjoy a long viticultural history that dates back to 1836. In this year, George Yount settled on the 12,000 acre Caymus Rancho near the modern day town of Yountville. General Vallejo granted Yount the land as part of Mexico’s secularization of Spain’s former holdings. Three years later, Yount planted the first grapes in the Napa Valley.

Colonel Joseph Ballinger Chiles was another earlier settler whom was granted land from General Vallejo in modern day Chiles Valley. In 1861, Charles Krug established the first St. Helena Winery. This was followed by the founding of Inglenook in 1879 by Captain Gustave Niebaum in Rutherford. These were booming years for Napa Valley Wineries. However, the coming decades would see two devastating setbacks.

The first occured during the 1880s and 1890s when Phylloxera ravaged vinyards throughout the Napa Valley. Phylloxera originated in Europe, and attacks the roots of vitis vinifera vines.

The pest was eventually combatted when it was discovered that vitis vinifera cuttings could be grafted onto Phylloxera resistant rootstocks. Unfortunately, an immense amount of damage had already been done to many of the best Napa Valley vineyards.

The second debilitating setback occured in 1919, when Prohibition became the law of the land in the United States. Most Napa Valley Wineries did not survive these two massive setbacks. A few weathered Phylloxera and then dealt with Prohibition through two major loopholes.

Sacramental wine was not banned under Prohibition, and some Napa Valley Wineries were able to stay afloat by producing wine for the Church. Located in the BV Winery weathered Prohibition using this tactic.

Male heads of household were also allowed to make fifty gallons of wine per year for private use under the Volstead Act. Some wineries and vineyard owners began selling grapes for home wine-making.

However, the vast majority of wineries went out of business, and many former vineyards were converted to other crops. Tragically, the exceptional terroir enjoyed by Napa Valley Wineries was not widely utilized during these years.

In the years immediately following the repeal of Prohibition, very little quality wine was produced in the Napa Valley. Although some Rutherford Wineries, most notably Inglenook, continued to make great wines, the vast majority of California wine was either very alcoholic, or undistinguished and cheap.

Thankfully, the embers of exellennce were not entirely extinguished. During this era, Andre Tchelistcheff made massive breakthroughs in the science of qaulity wines at BV Winery.

Originally from Russia, Tchelistcheff realized that unsanitary practices were adversely affecting wine production. He was extremely influential, and did much to increase interest in high quality wine from Napa Valley Wineries.

Tchelistcheff’s innovations helped to bring on a renaissance in high-quality wine making in the Napa Valley. In 1961, Joseph heitz opened the first Post-Prohibition Napa Valley Winery.

Five years later, Robert Mondavi split from his family at Charles Krug and started his own winery in Oakville. Many other Napa Valley Wineries were established in the following years with the philosophy of making high-quality wines.

The area increasingly became a tourist destination, and people from all over the world became interested in visiting the rising star of the California Wine Industry.

About the Author

Ben Bicais lives in the Napa Valley and is the webmaster of http://www.california-wine-tours-and-accessories.com

Personal coaching is a term that has become increasingly used over the last 9 years. The term performance coaching first became famous in the USA where, together with NLP aka Neuro Linguistic Programming, it became part of a new and improved tremendous wave of remarkably proactive therapy modalities. Easily Achieve offers coaching to help you Boost Confidence.

In many ways both Life Coaching and NLP are a reaction against certain factors of the Humanistic therapy movement, in particular Humanistic and Person Centred Counselling. A problem of the humanistic and person centred therapy approach is that it is highly reactive and not extremely proactive. Although this works fabulous with some people, with other folk long periods of impasse or low return for time and effort occur. Personal coaching and Neuro Linguistic Programming are both person-centred therapy in stance, spending effort on improving a person?s happiness rather than looking into the depths of childhood, as in traditional psychoanalysis. Their emphasis is, however, deliberately proactive and their to resolve your problems.

Lifestyle coaching is not about telling the coaching customer what to do. This is a common misconception. Some lifestyle coaches are relatively successful in their business careers and then make the change to performance coaching, assuming that they will merely be required to share their pearls of fabulous wise wisdom with the customer. Sharing pearls of wisdom is more like mentoring an apprentice in a specific environment. Lifestyle coaching is instead about life as a holistic view.

Are you planning your next family vacation? Are you want to discover an exotic, wonferful and tropical paradise? You have to go to Costa Rica.

Costa Rica offers plenty of pleasant choices like these, especially if you’re interested in nature and outdoor activities. That’s why so many people have chosen to go there: In the past decade, the number of visitors has quadrupled, and tourism has become a big part of the nation’s economy.

Costa Rica is practically synonymous with ecotourism — travel that incorporates education about the environment and promotes preservation of natural resources. The country has a large number of national parks and nature preserves that boast a rich array of birds, mammals, reptiles and rain-forest plants. The variety of birds, in particular, is astounding: Some 850 species are packed into a relatively small area. Approximately 25% of the country’s land has been set aside in protected areas, earning Costa Rica a reputation as an environmentally sensitive country and leader in ecological conservation.

The country has excellent conditions for a number of adventure sports, among them surfing, river rafting, hiking and scuba diving. Those who prefer a less strenuous vacation can view active volcanoes, take boat trips down jungle rivers and float through the treetops in the world’s first Rain Forest Aerial Tram.

On this Costa Rica Travel Guide you will find important information for your Costa Rica vacations: costa rica hotels, costa rica tours, costa rica travel areas and much more.

Andy Bezara. I came to Costa Rica in 1998 to study my MBA at INCAE. I love this country… It is very small, but it is a land of natural wonders. If you come with your family you will enjoy a magical experience. Visit www.mytraveltocostarica.com They can help us to organize your Costa Rica vacation.

andybezara@hotmail.com

What is the real secret to cheap international travel? It is the same as the secret to doing anything for less. Learn to be an opportunist. Opportunistic travelers get to travel more, see more and do more. Of course, you can ignore this advice if you have unlimited funds.

I went to Ecuador because it was cheap. Honestly, aren’t there many interesting places in this world? Why not choose one you can travel to inexpensively? The other places will be there in the future, and you may have an opportunity to go to those places cheaply at some point.

Cheap Countries

Ecuador is my favorite international destination. You can still get a decent meal for two dollars. U.S. dollars, by the way, since that’s conveniently the official currency of Ecuador now. From the beautiful snow-capped Andes mountains, to the Galapagos Islands, you’ll never run out of places to explore in Ecuador. Travel there is safe and inexpensive.

South America in general is inexpensive, and the most affordable countries are, in my opinion, the most beautiful. These are the countries along the Andes mountains; Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Argentina, thanks to it’s recent economic troubles, is once again a cheap place for travelers as well.

In Central America, it costs very little to travel and vacation in both Nicaragua and Guatemala. Nicaragua, in particular, has become more stable and safe for travelers in recent years. Costa Rica is a wonderful too, and though it is one of more expensive counties of Central America, that probably still leaves it cheaper than Europe.

In Asia, India is still low-cost, especially if you stay in the numerous hostels and boarding houses. Thailand and Indonesia are also very cheap. With all international destinations, the plane tickets will be your single biggest travel expense. This is especially true with the asian countries. Being there is cheap, but getting there may not be.

Cheap International Travel Tips

Wherever you go, there are things you can do to keep it cheap. Eat where locals eat, for example, instead of at the tourist restaurants. To keep it really cheap, eat fruit from street markets (wash it well) and packaged snacks from grocery stores.

Visit the free and cheap attractions first. It’s possible you’ll have so much fun that you’ll never get around to doing the expensive things. A higher price means better quality with travel bags, but not with travel experiences.

Busses are cheaper than taxis in any country, but be careful of crowded city busses, where pickpockets hang out. Walking is even cheaper, and it’s a great way to learn about a city. Just ask the locals where the dangerous parts are before you wander too far.

For cheap accommodations find out where local visitors from within the country stay. Negotiating room charges is common in some areas. In Banos, Ecuador, we negotiated our room rate down from $12 to $6 per night, by paying for several nights in advance. Consider hostels, if you don’t mind sharing a room. They’re much more common overseas.

Cheap international travel is often only as cheap as your plane tickets. Use the techniques outlined on our site to save big on tickets, or search the fares to several interesting countries. If one is $500 less than the others, consider going there. $500 can buy a few extra days, or an extra mini-vacation some other time.

About the Author

Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. To read their stories, tips and travel information, visit: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com

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