21 free travel templates

Here's a an extremely useful list of 21 travel and travel-related templates. All for free from Microsoft Office.

You can download the template of your choice by clicking on the blue, highlighted links.

Business trip itinerary

Business trip itinerary with meeting details

Business trip budget

Business trip planner

Complaint about treatment of unaccompanied child

Complaint about damaged luggage

Complaint about lost luggage

Complaint about poor hotel service

Convention exhibit invitation

Cruise vacation slide show

Digital camera travel checklist

Mileage log

Multi-country tour itinerary

Personal data form for trip

Travel checklist for plane trip

Travel expense report with mileage due

Travel photo log

Travel activity for kids: Paper dolls (girl, set 1)

Travel activity for kids: Paper dolls (boy, set 1)

Trip planning to do list

Wilderness trip itinerary

Saving the Great Wall from being loved to death

The Great Wall is not just crumbling. It is disappearing. Roughly half of the estimated 4,000 miles of the wall built during the Ming Dynasty no longer exists, according to a recent report.

It is also regularly being abused. Recently, a company was fined about $50,000 for building a road through a section of the Ming-era wall in Inner Mongolia. Last year, the police broke up a huge dance party of Chinese ravers atop the wall a few hours’ drive outside Beijing.

The Chinese government is now alarmed enough that the first national regulations to protect the wall go into effect on Dec. 1. Anyone who defaces the wall with graffiti, removes bricks or organizes events atop sections not open to tourists would face stiff fines and possible criminal penalties.

The wall’s most inescapable problem is the burden caused by its growing popularity. Nationally, an estimated 13 million tourists visited the wall last year, more than double the six million of a decade ago, according to the Great Wall Society, a nonprofit group of wall enthusiasts.


Slideshow: Explore the Great Wall

Signs that you're a Mumbaikar

1. You say "town" and expect everyone to know that this means "south of Churchgate.”

2 You speak in a dialect of Hindi called 'Bambaiya Hindi', which only Bombayites can understand.

3. Your door has more than three locks.

4. Rs 500 worth of groceries fit in one paper bag.

5. Train timings (9.27, 10.49 etc) are really important events of life.

6. You spend more time each month traveling than you spend at home.

7. You call an 8' x 10' clustered room a hall.

8. You're paying Rs 10,000 rent for a one-room flat, the size of walk-in closet
and you think it's a "steal".

9. You have the following sets of friend: school friends, college
friends, neighborhood friends, office friends and yes, train friends, a
species unique only in Mumbai.

10. Cabbies and bus conductors think you are from Mars if you call the
roads by their Indian name, they are more familiar with Warden Road,
Pedder Road and Altamount Road .

11. Stock market quotes are the only other thing besides cricket which
you follow passionately.

12. The first thing that you read in the Times of India is the " Bombay Times" supplement.

13. You take fashion seriously. You're suspicious of strangers who are actually nice to you.

14. Hookers, beggars and the homeless are invisible.

15. You compare Mumbai’s Nariman Point to New York's Manhattan instead of any other
city in India.

16. The most frequently used part of your car is the horn.

17. You insist on calling CST as VT, and Sahar and Santacruz airports instead of Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport .

18. You consider eye contact an act of overt aggression.

19. Your idea of personal space is no one actually standing on your
toes.

20. Being truly alone makes you nervous.

21. You love wading through knee deep mucky water in the monsoons, and actually call it ''romantic”.

22. Only in Mumbai, you would get "Chinese Dosa" and "Jain Chicken".

23. You’re still confused whether it’s “Mumbai” or “Bombay”.

Walking tour of Puebla, Mexico

This walking tour takes you around Puebla's exceptional historical center. Wandering through Puebla's streets you will be astounded by the number of lovely colonial buildings with charming detail and colorful tiles, and be surprised by glimpses into elegant courtyards.

Puebla's Zocalo has existed since the founding of the city in 1531 but was mainly used as a marketplace until the 1700s. Throughout history it has been a meeting place and social center of the city. This tree-lined square is surrounded by a selection of shops and restaurants.

The Palacio Municipal, Puebla's town hall, is located on the Zocalo's north side and was completed in 1906. The building is an example of the Franco-Spanish Renaissance style typical of public architecture in Mexico during the rule of Porfirio Diaz.

Next stop on the walking tour: Puebla's Cathedral.

Photo Mosaic: Alappuzha, Kerala

Alappuzha, Kerala.

Mecca pilgrimage is an act of faith

• 
  About 2 million Muslims from more than 70 countries journey to the holy city of Mecca each year to make the spiritual pilgrimage known as the Hajj.
  
  The pilgrimage is one of five Pillars of Islam that form the framework of Islamic life.
  
  All Muslims who are physically and financially able are expected to perform the Hajj at least once.
  
  The Hajj begins on the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah (month for Hajj), the 12th month of the Islamic year, and lasts for as long as six days.
  
  
• Video: The many faces of the Hajj
• Video: The economics of the Hajj
• Video: After a lifetime, Mecca at last
• Video: At the Hajj
• Video: Rituals of the Hajj
• Video: A day of prayer at Mount Arafat
  
  
  Read more
  

How to sleep in an airport

The connection was missed and the airport hotel is full. There's no time to search for a bed in town--your new flight leaves in four hours.

Maybe you're out of money. The credit card is maxed and your own bed at home is still one more night away.

Two very different problems that might end with the same solution: a night's sleep inside the airport.

Perhaps you've been in either or both of these situations--but have you ever actually planned on an overnight at the airport?

Budget travelers will do some fairly strange things to save money. For some, a comfy bed and room service are easy sacrifices. Averaging in a few free nights as you add up lodging costs at least makes your budget more comfortable.

Whether thrust upon you or planned, the airport overnight can go more smoothly when you're armed with some knowledge of the pitfalls and tips from the experts.

There are Web sites devoted to revealing Priceline bids, helping you pack efficiently, and yes, even to helping you sleep at the airport.

Canadian traveler Donna McSherry opens her Web site with these words: "Many airports are actually better than local lodging. And to top it off - it's free!"

Read more and see where to find them.

Podcast: Traveling first class in India

A hilarious audio skit on a man traveling first class to Madras (Chennai), India.

10 travel lessons to be learned from Borat

Borat Sagdiyev, the misguided character from the movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan can teach us all about what should and should not be done as a traveler to a foreign country.

While his hyperbolic mistakes are almost always extremely offensive, and you may not be quite so blatantly ignorant of or completely oblivious to local norms, cultural bumbles are about to happen. You can prevent many errors by abiding by these lessons learned from Borat's mistakes.



1) You might sound hilarious . . . or offensive . . . even when you don’t mean to.

Borat innocently tries to imitate American jokes, and fails miserably, sounding absurd instead. If you don’t have a great handle on the language, avoid trying to sound sophisticated and stick to the basics. In addition, keep in mind that your sense of humor and that of the locals may vary so much that you’ll just end up embarrassing yourself.

2) Listen when locals try to tell you about their culture.

More than once, Borat blanks out, disregards, or misunderstands when (possibly) well-meaning Americans attempt to school him on American ways, perceptions, and beliefs. If the locals try to give you advice, take it both into consideration and with a grain of salt. And if you don't get it, be as polite as you can.

3) Don’t draw unnecessary attention to yourself.

Borat, whether through singing a false Kazakh national anthem to a "patriotic" rodeo audience, or by running naked through the halls of a hotel, draws unnecessary, negative attention to himself. Invariably, it ends in disaster. Wherever you travel, be discreet. You are less likely to be arrested if you don’t stand out from a crowd.

Read more.

Podcast: The Laughing Falcon

The Laughing Falcon is an unmistakable singer, producing one of the most memorable sounds of Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica. Their calls, which can carry on for up to five minutes at a time, carry for hundreds of meters through the dry forest.

Calls usually begin with some quiet chortling, and then build slowly as repeated singlets or doublets: "gua-co... gua-co... gua-co". (Costa Ricans call the Laughing Falcon "Guaco".) These long bouts of mesmerizing laughter are usually sung as solos. However, pairs of falcons will often sing together to produce laughing duets

Memory Lane: Bombay Police

Bombay Policeman, circa 1922

French village for sale

This small Provencal village was built on the ruins of a Roman settlement. There are 5 buildings in total, each one having its own pet name - "La Cantinette", Le Pavillon "Nid d'Amour", "Le Rocher", "La Grotte" and "La Cuisine d'ete".

Don't be fooled into thinking that this place is large - it's not. But it is complete and private. The next village is only just down the road, so there is life nearby.

An overview: In total there is about 150 m2 of living space and land of 5,000 m2. You'll enjoy sitting under the tea trees in the summer - being on the border of the Drome Provencale, sunshine is something that you'll have to get used to.

Click here to buy this quaint French village for only 257,525 Euros.

Contest to name new seven wonders of the world

A global competition to name the new seven wonders of the world is attracting widespread interest, with more than 20 million people voting so far, organizers say.

Candidates for the new list have been narrowed down to 21, including the Taj Mahal, Stonehenge, the Acropolis and the Great Wall of China. The public can vote until July 6, 2007, by Internet or phone. The seven winners will be announced July 7 in Lisbon, Portugal, reports Yahoo Travel News.

The "New 7 Wonders of the World" campaign was begun in 1999 by Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber, with almost 200 nominations coming in from around the world.

Weber's Switzerland-based foundation aims to promote cultural diversity by supporting, preserving and restoring monuments. It relies on private donations and revenue from selling broadcasting rights.

Nominations were whittled down by public votes to 77 last year. Then a panel of architectural experts, chaired by former UNESCO chief Federico Mayor, shortened the list to 21. Interest has grown as Weber and his 10-member team visit the 21 sites. Their final visit will be March 6 to New York's Statue of Liberty.

In addition to the Taj Mahal, Stonehenge, the Acropolis, the Great Wall and the Pyramids, the candidates are the Statue of Liberty; Eiffel Tower; Peru's Machu Picchu; Turkey's Haghia Sophia; the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral; the Colosseum; Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle; Spain's Alhambra; Japan's Kiyomizu Temple; the Sydney Opera House; Cambodia's Angkor; Timbuktu; Petra, Jordan; Brazil's Statue of Christ Redeemer; Easter Island; and Chichen Itza, Mexico.

To vote, go to http://www.new7wonders.com or call (011) 372-541-11738 or (011) 423-663-900299. (International phone rates apply.)

How to travel without staying in a hotel

Jim Stone, a 29-year-old from west Texas, has been traveling nonstop since March of 2004.
Sometimes in a pickup truck and other times on a motorcycle, he's trekked through much of the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. But he's slept in a hotel just one night over that stretch of nearly 1,000.

That's because Stone is part of a growing network of people online who've gone a step beyond hotels, hostels and even apartment swapping in their travel planning: They sleep on each others' couches.

A number of Web sites have sprung up to help pair travelers searching for a place to crash and hosts with a spare couch. Sites like hospitalityclub.org, couchsurfing.com, globalfreeloaders.com and place2stay.net are often free, serving only as middlemen and offering tips on how to find successful matches.

The sites aren't moneymakers. They're largely the creations of 20-somethings bitten with wanderlust and the hope to help bridge together people from different cultures.

Read more.

Video: Bond, shaken and stirred

James Bond is back. Charles Starmer-Smith sees the world through the eyes of 007.




Click here to see the video: GoldenEye bungee-jump.

Free download: Schmap Virtual Guidebook

Jetting off to Paris, but don't want to be unfurling cumbersome travel maps on the Champs Elysées? Maybe it's time to ditch your old-fangled maps for a handy new schmap.

This innovative, free travel software, downloadable from schmap.com, lets travelers of both the armchair and globe-trotting variety build their own custom destination guides to any of more than 150 cities in the U.S., Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

You can dynamically explore a city, island or region. Play virtual tours of recommended hot spots. Find restaurants, clubs, bistros and bars to suit your taste. And bookmark as you browse to plan your trip.

Hopefully they will be adding Asian destinations soon.

Robobike

He's a scrappy guy, weighing in at just 11 lbs. and standing only 20 in. tall, but Murata Boy does something that no other robot can: ride a bike.

Thanks to gyro sensors in his body and a camera in his head, not only can he keep himself upright, but he can also peer ahead to make sure he rides in a straight line.

An ultrasonic sensor in his chest keeps him from plowing into walls, and wireless technology allows him to communicate with a PC for navigating complex routes.

And if the road gets bumpy, a shock sensor detects the vibration so that he can stabilize his body and stay on the seat.

Read more about Time magazine's fascinating Best Inventions 2006.

Row over Italian toilet artwork

A toilet which flushes to the sound of Italy's national anthem has been impounded by police in northern Italy, sparking great patriotic debate, reports BBC Rome.

The offending loo was the creation of two artists and was on display at the Bolzano Museum of Modern Art.

Prosecutors say the Fratelli d'Italia anthem is a national emblem which should be protected and should never be open to ridicule.

5-star holidays for 3-star prices

It’s a strange fact, but true: while we tend to associate bargains and cut-price offers with the cheap-and-cheerful end of the travel market, some of the best deals are aimed at luxury travelers. From upgrades at boutique hotels and better seats on aircraft, to big savings on five-star hotels and smart villas, there are plenty of incentives and discounts for high-end travelers.

Why? Competition. There are so many operators, resorts and airlines fighting for the same market that even the most lavish establishments are now prepared to lower themselves to do a deal. Here is Nick Trend's 10-point strategy for getting the best prices at the best places.

1. BOOK EARLY - OR LATE

2. TIME TRAVEL CAREFULLY

3. COMPARE COUNTRIES

4. LOOK TWICE AT PRICING

5. SEEK OUT PERKS…

6. ... AND FREE NIGHTS

7. SHARE THE EXPERIENCE

8. FLY IN LUXURY – CHEAPLY

9. UPGRADE SELECTIVELY

10. MAKE YOUR LIFE EASY

Yes, even when travelling in style there are bargains to be had.

How Debbie quit smoking after a holiday in India

Trips to India can be life-changing, but you probably would not expect a visit to India's Silicon Valley to yield much in the way of enlightenment. Spare parts for a knackered old computer, yes, but a cure for a hard core Western-style addiction to tobacco? Surely not. Anyway, is it really possible to dedicate yourself to quiet contemplation when your room is a few telegraph poles away from the call-centre capital of the world?

Yet indeed my life has changed. Exactly how it happened I still don't know. I do know that in the space of just five days, without the aid of patches, gum, DVDs, hypnotherapy or acupuncture - or indeed the intention to do so - I have kicked the habit, for good.

The place of my redemption, an upmarket ashram-style retreat called Shreyas, is in the state of Karnataka, smack in the middle of India's triangular southern tip, probably the most painless entry point to the subcontinent.

Silk and sandalwood made Karnataka rich, but today the 6.5 million people of its capital are reaping the rewards of new technology. Bangalore, roughly translated as 'city of beans', should be renamed city of chips - as in 'micro', rather than 'supersize'.

Read more and find out how Debbie Lawson quit smoking after a holiday in Bangalore.

Meet your perfect travel match online

Some travellers prefer to go it alone, but others, like the above, are making use of a growing number of online portals through which they can seek out like-minded travel companions.

The demand is so great that Lonely Planet's online travel forum, The Thorn Tree, has now launched a dedicated section for users looking to find a travel buddy.

"A few years ago there was a slight stigma about meeting someone on the web, but now that people are networking and making friends through the likes of Myspace, it's normal to be looking for a travel companion online," says Tom Hall of Lonely Planet.

"I think it's mainly younger travellers on their first trip who want a bit of added security and company - but also as you get older many people just want to be with someone with the same interests and no big hangups. And some people just want to cut the cost."

Read more.

The point where the horses turn back but not the brave

The peaks of Huashan Mountain from above are said to resemble the petals of a huge plant, with the middle peak as the corolla, hence comes the mountain's name, Hua Shan, the "flower mountain". It's located to the south of Huayin city, 120 kilometers east of Xian, in China's Shaanxi province, at an elevation of 2,200 meters above sea level.


Of the five peaks it is the southern peak (2,100 meters) that is the largest, closely followed by those in the east and west. The ascent provides not only natural scenery, but also a number of man-made constructions that, for better or worse, are now a part of the mountain's tourist culture.

The Northern Peak is the first one you will have to confront for an assault on the mountain. Although the smallest of the peaks here, it still provides a great challenge to climbers due to its devilish precipitousness.

An old Chinese saying goes like this: "There is only one pathway in Huashan since ancient times." The 12 km pathway leads from the foot of the mountain to the south starts at the Jade Fountain Temple (Yu Quan Yuan).

It doesn't become precipitous until Qing Ke Ping, where there is a huge rock engraved with Chinese characters meaning “the point where the horses turn back”.

It warns that the challenges ahead and those who are not well prepared both mentally and physically should retreat.

Continuing the climb, one will be confronted with the Thousand-foot Precipice (Qian Chi Zhuang). It is a steep stone staircase, excavated on the cliff, rising vertically about 370 steps up to the North Peak.

It's the first, but a great test of one’s determination when the climbers proceed upwards supported only by iron chains on the flanks.

Following the Thousand-food Precipice, the pathway winds through rugged places such as the Hundred-food Valley (Bai Chi Xia), the Immortals' Bridge (Xian Ren Qiao), the God's Palm (Xian Zhang), and the Ear Touching Cliff (Ca Er Yan) where the path is so narrow that people have to pass with their ears touching the cliff.

Truly one of the most terrifying routes for the adventure tourist.

The Huanshan Mountain is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

How to set up a home spa

If you’re as busy and stressed as most of us, you may not take time out for self care very often. However, personal pampering has many stress relieving benefits, and should be incorporated as part of a low stress lifestyle.

If you don’t have the budget for a high end spa, you can create a relaxing home spa experience for yourself. The following are some basic elements to include in creating a home spa experience that will melt away stress and leave you feeling pampered and relaxed.

Here's How:

Privacy: Perhaps the most important part of the home spa experience is being sure you have some uninterrupted time for just you. If you have to hop out of the tub to circumvent a catastrophe with your toddler or answer a string of calls, you may end up feeling even more tense! So make arrangements for some uninterrupted solitude, let the phone go to voice mail, and prepare to indulge.

Music: If you can arrange to have music in your bathroom, you’ll be glad you did. The right soothing melodies can help melt away the stress, make you feel more removed from reality, and, if you live with others, drown out the household sounds that may remind you of everything else going on, taking your attention away from the here and now of your home spa experience.

Read more.

The Universal Packing List Online Tool

The Universal Packing List is a simple online tool that asks for specific details about your upcoming trip, including date, temperatures, types of accommodations, number of kids and activities in which you may engage.

Based on your responses, it will generate a packing list as brief or extensive as you need. It will even email it to you. And best of all, it's free.

So ahead and try The Universal Packing List Online Tool.

How to tip if you are a luxury traveler

Luxury hotels are crowded these days. And we aren't referring to sky-high occupancy rates or lobbies full of guests. We're talking about the explosion of hotel service people, each one more specialized than the next.

Where once travelers were looked after by a simple roster of bellhops, concierges and chambermaids, now there are pool attendants and ski concierges, personal shoppers and fitness coaches, not to mention butlers galore. Personal butlers, bath butlers, technology butlers, romance butlers, fireplace butlers and tanning butlers. Louis XIV never had it so good.

For the most part, there is no additional charge for these new services--all are included in the hotel room rates. But they certainly make the fine art of tipping more difficult to master.

Read more.

Slideshow: Tips on tipping

Richard Branson shares his travel tips

Virgin Atlantic founder Richard Branson lets Business Traveller in on the five things that make his life easier when he is on the road. They are:

1. Breitling watch
2. Take time for a haircut
3. Grab a massage when you can
4. Swim and spa
5. Carry a notepad at all times

Though it may seem silly, we like the idea of a notepad. As Mr Branson says, "I think if you're going to run a really personal airline, it's those little details that matter and therefore the notebook is an essential part of my traveling day."

Read more.

Cannot afford space travel? Fly your name to Mars

Affordable space travel may be far off, but Earth-dwellers can send their names to Mars for free under a program by the Planetary Society, a space advocacy program.

The Planetary Society is sending a DVD carrying Earthlings' names, space-inspired literature and messages from prominent space exploration advocates to Mars on board NASA's Phoenix Mission, a project headed by the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.

To submit your name and message, go to the The Planetary Society’s website. But hurry, the last day is Feb 1, 2007.

How to make any public toilet clean

When nature beckons guys for #2 or if you're a girl, and you're in a public place, you need to know how to take care of business in a sanitary fashion. Here’s how you go about making a public toilet clean:

1. Put the lid down.

2. Taking a wad of toilet paper, clean the seat so that it's as clean as it can get.

3. Throwing the wad in the bowl, flush so you can have a fresh bowl to use.

4. Taking long pieces of toilet paper cover the right and left side of the lid vertically.

5. Taking smaller pieces, place strands of toilet paper and cover the lid horizontally.

6. Use single pieces of toilet paper, cover any patches left uncovered.

7. Sit down and do your business on your newly sanitized toilet.


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