Is travel an aphrodisiac?

36 hours in Florence

When Roman soldiers founded Florence around 60 B.C., its original name was Florentia, meaning “may she flourish.” It may have taken some 1,500 years, but flourish she did — becoming home and inspiration to Dante, Michelangelo and a lot of other really, really talented people. That's a source of pride for a city that clings to its history. Wander around, and you get the sense that Florentines never got the memo that Italy's capital moved south 140 years ago. That may explain its enduring appeal to legions of tourists and art-history majors. But the city's reputation as a tourist trap in Renaissance clothing may be undeserved. Florence still has the ability to surprise, with modern art, specialty shops and trendy bars. And with a half-dozen breathtaking gardens overlooking it all, not only is the city flourishing, it's in full bloom.

Friday

3 p.m.
1) EAT YOUR DESSERT

Start on the right note. Head to Badiani (Viale dei Mille, 20r; 39-055-578-682), the best gelateria in a town full of gelaterias. What makes Badiani so popular is its Buontalenti — named for the Medici Renaissance architect Bernardo Buontalenti. According to local lore, the original recipe for Buontalenti gelato was mysteriously found among some old manuscripts by the owner of Badiani and has never been successfully copied. If the weather is nice, order a “piccolo” cup (you won't have room for more) for 2 euros (about $2.75 at $1.37 to the euro) and eat it outside with Florentines who have come to start the weekend early.

4 p.m.
2) NO TIME LIKE THE RECENT PAST

There are a gazillion museums in Florence, but only a handful postdate the Renaissance. Start your circuit with the modern sculptures at Museo Marino Marini (Piazza San Pancrazio; 39-055-219-432; www.museomarinomarini.it), a spacious and airy museum that features the work of only one Italian artist, known for his stylized equestrian statues. The museum is a Florentine anomaly: not only is the art from the 20th century, but there's also a good chance you'll have the whole place to yourself. Take full advantage. Open stairways, balconies and landings let you examine Marini's work from every angle.

6 p.m.
3) THE OTHER PIETÀ

No one packs a house like Michelangelo. To see the artist's Pietà in Rome, you could wrestle the crowd and try to glimpse the top of Mary's head. Or you could visit the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Piazza del Duomo, 9; 39-055-230-2885; www.operaduomo.firenze.it; 6 euros) and walk right up to the Pietà that Michelangelo carved just before his death. He never finished it (the woman on the left was completed by another artist). The museum, oddly empty and under the shadow of the duomo, also houses Donatello's masterpiece, Mary Magdalene, and the original baptistry door panels by Ghiberti.

9 p.m.
4) VERY HAPPY HOUR

Florentine wine bars know how to lure customers: free food. And we're not talking beer nuts. The aperitivi, as the bar food is known, may include cheese ravioli, seafood risotto, crisp artichoke salad, grilled vegetables and tomato bruschetta. For the price of a glass of vino rosso (about 5 to 8 euros), you can eat like a duke at the cavelike cantina of Fuori Porta (Via del Monte alle Croci, 10r; 39-055-234-2483; www.fuoriporta.it) or under the stars on the roof of Rifrullo (Via San Niccolò, 55r; 39-055-234-2621). For more action, you might head to La Dolce Vita (Piazza del Carmine; 39-055-284-595; www.dolcevitaflorence.com) and order a spritz (Aperol and prosecco) or a negroni (Campari, vermouth and gin). It's the favorite spot of locals who are serious about their eating, drinking and merrymaking.

Saturday

9 a.m.
5) THE SWEET SPOT

A short walk outside the center, just past the reach of the tourist swarms, is the city's best pasticceria, Dolci & Dolcezze (Piazza Cesare Beccaria, 8r; 39-055-234-5458). This tiny bakery has cases full of preciously wrapped chocolates, sweet berry tarts and everything in between. Order a frothy cappuccino and a freshly baked cornetto (croissant) at the bar while Florentine women scurry through, picking up torta di cioccolato for the evening. If you want eggs for breakfast, try London.

10 a.m.
6) FINDING RELIGION

The Museo de San Marco (Piazza San Marco, 1; 39-055-238-8608; 4 euros) makes a compelling case for living as a monk. It's a former Dominican convent from the 15th century and, today, the stone hallways are as quiet as, well, a monastery. Inside, you can see the frescoes of ”The Last Judgment” and “The Annunciation” by Fra Angelico, but the highlights are the rooms — each with a small window and a fresco painting by him from the 1400s. The frescoes depict biblical scenes meant to encourage religious contemplation by the monk who lived in the cell.

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How to travel without destroying the planet

Travelers hold a unique perspective on the global environment. They go to great lengths—literally—to climb to the snows of Kilimanjaro, snorkel around the marine life of the Great Barrier Reef , cruise to Antarctica , walk among giant redwoods or lounge on the exotic beaches of Southeast Asia .

So they are among the first to notice when things go awry. Not just awry in the sense of a thunderstorm that ruins a day’s excursion, but in the sense of a lengthening and strengthening hurricane season that threatens to destroy entire cities like New Orleans . Awry in the sense of a yearlong drought that increases the risk of wildfires, limiting chances to hike through large swaths of the western U.S. Awry in the sense of glaciers that are slowly melting away.

Whether you want to call it global warming, climate chaos or a trough between ice ages, there’s no longer any disagreement that something is out of whack. A February 2007 report by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned: “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising global average sea level.”

If you believe the great majority of the world’s scientists (including the more than 1,200 contributors to that U.N. report), human activity is almost assuredly playing a critical role. Specifically: Our use of fossil fuels to heat and cool our homes, propel our vehicles and power our appliances is releasing too much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, trapping heat near the Earth’s surface. The result is a slight but nonetheless noticeable increase in temperatures across the planet, which causes all kinds of havoc on land and water.

Climatologists have been ringing alarm bells about global warming for more than two decades. Finally, we may have come to a point when ordinary people stop talking about the weather and start doing something about it. An Inconvenient Truth , the Academy Award-winning movie version of the environmental slide show that Al Gore has presented in countless cities, can claim a large share of the credit. The documentary’s depiction of the damage already done by global warming brought home the issue in a vivid way that abstract projections about the future never could. For many of the approximately 3.6 million people who saw the film, the debate surrounding global warming was no longer “What if?” but “What do we do now?”

Since the movie’s release, more concrete evidence of global warming has continued to amass. In December 2006, the Indian island of Lohachara, once home to 10,000 people, sank below the rising water level in the Bay of Bengal. The low-lying South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu expects it might be next; it has signed an informal agreement to evacuate its entire population of 11,000 to New Zealand if sea levels continue to rise. Eight World Cup skiing events were canceled this year as a result of too little snow in the European Alps. Mount Kilimanjaro has lost 82 percent of the snow and ice that once covered its peaks.

Damage control

For the traveler, these changes create a sense of urgency: How to see some of the world’s marvels before they are lost to history. But that’s a two-edged sword. Travel itself is, objectively, antithetical to environmentalism. One trip to Great Smoky Mountain National Park confirms it—this American jewel has been cherished to near-death by crowds, strip-mall sprawl and automobile exhaust. If similar numbers of tourists were to suddenly decide they had to see the Great Barrier Reef before warming ocean temperatures kill all of its coral, it would merely accelerate the damage.

There’s no getting around it: Just moving about does harm to the environment. Cars use gas, planes use jet fuel (a shocking amount of it while on the ground), and ships pour tons of sludge into the ocean. Even the Transportation Security Administration is compounding the problem. Ever since Sept. 26, 2006, we’ve been required to keep our toiletries in landfill-clogging three-ounce bottles—and if that weren’t enough, bundle them all together in a zip-top bag, yet another disposable product made from petroleum.

It could even be argued that so-called ecotourism, which often involves driving jeeps into untamed areas and mucking about with the local flora and fauna, is more harmful to those environments than a bus tour that stays on the paved road. Free spirits often deride those who see the world through the window of a bus, but motor coach tourists usually honor the environmentalist’s creed by taking nothing but photos and leaving only a few Easy Spirit footprints. Though buses certainly release carbon emissions, and some bus tourists do litter, the overall impact to the environment is probably less than that of rugged mountaineers who trash the slopes of Mount Everest with their used oxygen bottles.

Even more ironic is the mounting concern that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is actually speeding the demise of the planet’s most venerable places by designating them World Heritage Destinations. World Heritage status carries with it no funding, but brings an onslaught of tourists that many of the 830 sites “of outstanding value to humanity” are unable to sustain, especially the ones in developing countries.

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Should you travel with a newborn?

Q. We are expecting a baby next month and would like to take a trip, likely by airplane, to visit family a few weeks after our baby is born. Can we travel with our newborn baby? Is it safe to let her fly on a plane? Janet, Dallas

A. While you 'can' travel and fly with a two-week-old baby, it doesn't mean that you should.

You will have to check with the specific airline that you are using. American Airlines, for example, says that they don't allow younger babies to fly, including 'newborn babies (within seven days of delivery) unless parent or guardian has a medical certificate indicating travel is authorized.' So a two-week-old would be allowed to fly.

Again, that doesn't mean that it is a good idea, though.

Most experts advise that you limit a newborn's and younger infant's exposure to large groups of people so that they don't get sick.

Traveling through an airport, on an airplane, and then visiting a lot of family would likely expose your child to viral illnesses and other infections, which is the main issue about safe travel with a baby. It's not so much the oxygen levels, the pressured cabin on the plane, or the effects of high altitude. Also, there is no proven risk between airplane travel and SIDS.

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How to get the best out of a Dubai holiday

Dubai is different to all other Arabic countries. It is a free and open place. More Westernised. There are plenty of things to enjoy in Dubai during holidays. Purpose of this article is to provide you valuable information and tips to get the maximum from Dubai holidays.

Tips
1. Visit Dubai during Nov-Apr period. The temperature is around 20C during this period and perfect for a holiday. Dubai is extremely hot during other months.
2. Avoid Ramadan period. Ramadan is the fasting month of the year for Muslim period. Dubai is dull and calm during this period. Usually Ramadan falls in October-November period depending on the appearance of the moon.
3. Buy liquor from the Dubai Airport on arrival. Liquor is only available in hotels and pubs in Dubai for visitors and it is expensive. The best option is to buy as much as possible from the duty-free shops at the airport.
4. Rent a car during your holiday. This is the best option for traveling around Dubai.
5. Have a budget for shopping and stick to it. Since it is a duty-free place, items (especially electronics and gold) are very cheap in Dubai. You will be tempted to shop till you drop.
6. Be bold and always ask for discounts when you go shopping.


wikiHow. Creative Commons License.

What is the Mile High Club?

The Mile High Club is not an official club. Originally a joke between flight attendants and pilots, the Mile High Club now refers to anyone who has had sexual intercourse in an airplane flying at least one mile high (5,280 feet).
Couples determined to achieve membership in the Mile High Club have been known to repair to the plane's lavatory, dive under seat blankets, and even rendezvous in an unattended galley during long flights.

Obviously, any couple intent on joining the Mile High Club should observe all safety precautions and crew instructions before soaring into ecstasy.

Couples who insist on privacy for their initiation in the Mile High Club may be able to hire an independent pilot of a small plane (where the cockpit is separate from the cabin) to fly them around mile-high for a short period for around a thousand dollars

Indian history as written by a schoolboy

Here’s some weekend fun.

The original inhabitants of ancient India were called Adidases, who lived in two cities called Hariappa and Mujhe-na-Daro. These cities had the best drain system in the world and so there was no brain drain from them Ancient India was full of myths which have been handed down from son to father. A myth is a female moth. A collection of myths is called mythology, which means stories with female caricatures. One myth says that people in olden times worshipped monkeys because they were our incestors.

In olden times there were two big families in India. One was called the Pandava and the other was called the Karova. They fought amongst themselves in a battle called Mahabharat, after which India came to be known as MeraBharat Mahan.

In midevil times India was ruled by the Slave Dienasty. So named because they all died a nasty death. Then came the Tughlaqs who shifted their capital from Delhi because of its pollution. They were followed by the Mowglis. The greatest Mowgli was Akbar because he extinguished himself on the battlefield of Panipat which is in Hurryana. But his son Jehangir was peace loving; he married one Hindu wife and kept 300 porcupines. Then came Shahajahan who had 14 sons.

Family planning had not been invented at that time. He also built the Taj Mahal hotel for his wife who now sleeps there. The king sent all his sons away to distant parts of India because they started quarrelling. Dara Seiko was sent to UP, Shaikh Bhakhtiyar was sent to J & K, while Orangezip came to Bombay to fight Shivaji. However,after that they changed its name to Mumbai because Shivaji's sena did not like it. They also do not like New Delhi, so they are calling it Door Darshan.

After the Mowglis came Vasco the Gama. He was an exploder who was circumcising India with a 100 foot clipper. Then came the British. They brought with them many inventions such as cricket, tramtarts and steamed railways. They were followed by the French who brought in French fries, pizzazz and laundry. But Robert Clive drove them out when he deafened Duplex who was out membered since the British had the queen on their side.

Eventually, the British came to overrule India because there was too much diversity in our unity. The British overruled India for a long period.They were great xpotents and impotents. They started expoting salt from India and impoting cloth. This was not liked by Mahatma Gandhi who wanted to produce his own salt.This was called the Swedish moment. During this moment, many people burnt their lion cloths in the street and refused to wear anything else. The British became very angry at this and stopped the production of Indian testiles.

In 1920, Mahatma Gandhi was married to one wife. Soon after he became the father of the nation. In 1942 he started the Quiet India moment, so named because the British were quietly lootoing our country. In 1947, India became free and its people became freely loving.

This increased our population. Its government became a limited mockery, which means people are allowed to take the law in their own hands with the help of the police. Our constipation is the best in the world because it says that no man can be hanged twice for the same crime. It also says you cannot be put in prison if you have not paid your taxis.

Another important thing about our constipation is that it can be changed. This is not possible with the British constipation because it is not written on paper. The Indian parlemint consists of two houses which are called lower and higher. This is because one Mr Honest Abe said that two houses divided against itself cannot withstand. So Pandit Nehru asked the British for freedom at midnight since the British were afraid of the dark. At midnight, on August 15, there was a tryst in parlemint in which many participated by wearing khaki and hosting the flag.

Recently in India, there have been a large number of scams and a plaque,it can be dangerous because many people died of this plaque in Surat. Scams are all over India. One of these was in Bihar where holy cows were not given anything to eat by their elected leader. The other scam was in Bofor which is a small town in Switzerland.In
this, a lot of Indian money was given to buy a gun which can shoot a coot.

Presently India has a coalishun government made up of many parties, left,right and centre. It has started to library the economy. This means that there is now no need for a licence as the economy will be driven by itself.

India is also trying to become an Asian tiger because its own tigers are being poached. Another important event this year was the Shark meeting at Malas Dive.
At this place, shark leaders agreed to share their poverty, pollution and
population.

The world's biggest airlines

Based on the Number of Passengers Who Flew on Them
Ever wondered about which airlines are the biggest? The following list names the largest airlines by the amount of passengers they flew. Some of the airlines in this list would rank differently if other factors such as revenue and distances flown were also considered.

* 1 American Airlines
* 2 Delta Airlines
* 3 Southwest Airlines
* 4 United Airlines
* 5 Air France-KLM result of a merge of these two airlines in 2004
* 6 Japan Airlines
* 7 Northwest Airlines
* 8Lufthansa
* 9 All Nippon Airways
* 10 US Airways
* 11 Continental Airlines
* 12 British Airways
* 13 Qantas
* 14 Iberia
* 15 easyjet
* 16 Korean Air
* 17 Ryanair
* 18 America West Airlines
* 19 Air Canada
* 20 Scandinavian Airlines

Check out how young people get their groove on in Japan.

17 days left to vote for Taj Mahal

Every one's heard of the Seven Wonders of the World but few have actually seen them.
Why? Well, it's mainly because only one out of the six 'Must See' destinations, the Pyramids at Giza in Egypt, is actually still standing.

So with the Seven Wonders of the World no longer actually giving wonder to the world, in 2000 it seemed the perfect time to start again and nominate Seven New Wonders.

Launched in 2000 by the New 7 Wonders Society, a Swiss group with the preservation of man-made heritage close to its heart, the hunt was on for the new seven wonders of the world.

With strict rules like all nominations having to be man-made, be in an "acceptable" state of preservation and to have been completed by 2000, 30 potential wonders are short listed and the Taj Mahal at Agra (India) is amongst them.

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, 2007 to New York's Statue of Liberty.

In fact the Taj Mahal is the only Indian landmark to have made it in to the short list.

With 21 new world wonder finalists battling it out for just seven places, the Taj Mahal is, up against some pretty heavy weight competition including the Great Wall of China, the Acropolis, The Inca City of Machu Picchu in Peru and of course the Pyramids.

But with the New 7 Wonders due to be announced live on television around the world on 7th July, 2007, you've still got a bit of time left to cast your vote.

http://www.votefortaj.com

Podcast: The Greek Islands

The Amateur Traveler talks to author Will Manus (This Way to Paradise - Dancing on the Tables, A Dog Called Leka) about the Greek Islands. Will and his wife stopped in Lindos on Rhodes on their honeymoon for 3 days annd ended up staying 35 years. Learn what captured their hearts, what to see in the Greek islands, when to go and how to get around.

How to eat street food without ruining your trip

In his new book, "Street Food: Exploring the World's Most Authentic Tastes," Tom Kime, a chef who has worked in top restaurants in London, Sydney and Malta, reveals how to make 89 favorite dishes that he has tasted during his many trips around the globe. While the book focuses on recipes, Kime learned quite a bit more while conducting research on the streets of Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and beyond. We asked him for tips on finding the most delicious food and avoiding an upset stomach, or worse.

Follow crowds

"A line of people is always a good indicator that the food is tasty and fresh -- it never sits idle for long. If a vendor on a busy street has no customers, there's probably a reason."

Ask the locals

"The best recommendations I got were from taxi drivers, policemen, shop owners and office workers. Locals are discerning: They only eat what they like and what doesn't make them sick."

Watch it cook

"Always request that your food be cooked fresh for you. A hot grill will usually eliminate any microscopic bugs that are present. And a plate of steaming noodles is safer than food left out for hours at a hotel buffet."

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Visiting the world's largest film studio

Situated on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Ramoji Film City is the world's largest film studio complex, offering a thrilling 3 hour tour to thousands of visitors daily. From an Arizona army base, to the Australian outback, a ride through Ancient Rome, to European cityscapes, as well as ancient ruins and modern residential locales found in India, the 2000 acre complex is an eye-catching journey around the world without ever leaving India.

In addition to the countless Bollywood productions constantly filming here, the variety of exterior and interior shooting options at lower costs is now attracting budget-conscious film productions from the US and UK as well. Some Western flicks that have been shot at Ramoji include Centipede, Panic, and Crocodile 2.

With 5-star and 3-star hotels onsite and plenty of international dining options on premesis, the complex is a great vacation destination for tourists looking to be swept into another world during their India travel experience. Check out a review of the Ramoji Film City Tour and prepare to see the world at the planet's largest film studio.

50 walks of a lifetime: Santa Fe

"Take a jaunt through the oldest capital city on the North American continent--Santa Fe, New Mexico. Formally founded in 1610, the city harbors hidden nooks and historic crannies. Visit the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, catch a performance at the Lensic, and see works by one of America's great artists at the Georgia O'Keefe Museum, all located in this town where the air is clean, the skies are huge, and the sunsets inspire awe."

How to bag a bargain

Shopping is one of the top things to do when on holiday, according to travel retailer Flight Centre and travellers love to be able to bring back something that will remind them of their holiday.

Flight Centre marketing manager Brent Novak points out that haggling for exotic goods or cheap knock-offs is still a great way to spend an afternoon.

In many countries, especially places in Asia and the Middle East it is expected that travellers haggle and learning some of the top tips of haggling will result in not only getting a good price but also fun interaction with the locals.

So here are a few tips from Flight Centre consultants to make any budding shopper a true bargain hunter:

1. Find out if bargaining is appropriate
Trying to bargain at Bloomingdales or Macy’s in New York would probably get you some pretty odd looks from staff, so it’s important to remember that not everywhere you shop overseas will want to haggle. To learn if a price is fixed, show some interest in an item, but say, “it's just too much money”. You put the merchant in a position to make the first offer and if he comes down even a fraction, haggle away.

2. Buy things unique to the destination
Find out what are the best items to buy in the country you are visiting whether this is something unique or just better value than at home. For instance you can pick up fantastic pashminas in Oman, electrical items in Hong Kong and diamonds and gold jewellery in South Africa much cheaper than the UK. And in many Asian countries you can get tailor made clothes made up within 24hours!

3. Learn what locals pay
Prices can vary drastically among vendors at the same market, and there is also usually a double price standard - one for locals and one for you. Ask an English-speaking local customer for the going rate to get a better indication.

4. Determine the merchant’s lowest price
Many tourists think that if they can cut a price tag by 50 percent, they are doing well. So some merchants just quadruple their prices and the tourist happily pays double the fair value. The best way to deal with price tags is to ignore them. Work the cost down to rock bottom, then walk away. The last price the vendor yells out as you turn the corner is often the best price you'll get. If the price is right, go back and buy.

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Five jobs that let you see the world

Finding a career that allows you to travel is not always an easy task, but if you're a college grad looking to make an adventure of your gap year, a professional looking for a change of pace or anyone looking for cultural exposure, a job abroad may be the right choice for you.

Not all jobs are translatable to international positions without a little extra learning or language proficiency -- and you will need to acquire working permits and other legal documentation -- but here are some jobs that can take you away if you're up for the move:

1. Teacher
It's not news that teachers aren't highly paid, but if you're an instructor in South Dakota, you're among the lowest-paid in the nation, with an average salary of $33,236, according to a 2003-04 survey by the American Federation of Teachers.

Try taking your skills abroad. Learning English is in high demand internationally, and Germany, Switzerland and South Korea are among the countries that pay the largest teacher salaries.

South Korea's median teacher salaries range between $25,000 and $60,000, and the country has a positive reputation for providing high income to educators. Salaries in Switzerland range from $65,000 to $80,000. An added perk to employment in Germany is that state employees are regarded as permanent workers, meaning that they are paid necessary social insurances.

Requirements: A four-year degree in education or a related field, teaching experience and a TESL/TEFL certificate. You will also need an international work visa and work permits, which can be obtained personally or through the school that employs you.

2. Chef
If you are an established chef, international hotels and restaurants may offer the opportunity to build on your career overseas while, in many cases, offering you room and board for a minimum costs. In the United States, the median annual income of a head chef/chef is $40,000, and $43,000 if you work as a chef for a hotel.

Kingsbrook USA Inc. is one company that works to place chefs in international regions. They reported England's hotel chef positions as offering £14000, or roughly $26,730 U.S. dollars per year for Chef deParties. Kingsbrook also reported between $32,458 and $38,186 per year for Sous Chefs and between $38,186 and $47,732 per year for Head Chef.

Requirements: An associate degree and at least three years of culinary experience. Letters of Reference, transcripts and health records and exams will also be required.

3. Massage therapist
Massage therapists in the United States make a median annual salary of $30,000. But take your expertise to the seas, and you could earn between $33,600 and $45,600, according to Cruise Job Line. In addition to changing stationary surroundings, working on cruise lines offers the opportunity to see new people and network beyond the limitations that can be created in a spa environment. The living accommodations may be small, but they save money on housing costs, and cruise lines usually offer full health coverage onboard the ship and within United States territory.

Requirements: You'll need a high school diploma or associate degree, and a certification in massage therapy. Requirements for accreditation vary by state. U.S. citizens pursuing massage therapy for cruise lines also need a passport that is valid for at least three months after the end of the contract. A physical examination, and in some cases, immunization may be required.

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30 surefire ways to make the most of your travel budget

Backpackers are, by definition, very frugal travelers. They use a number of strategies to save money along the road so that they can prolong their journey for as long as possible. Below is a list of 30 tips from the thriftiest of the thrifty (the backpacker population), regarding budget travel. Leave any additional budget travel tips you may have in the comments section so that we can add them to this list!

Please do not forget to be mindful of safety when using the following tips. Safe travel should always be your number one priority. It's not worth putting yourself at risk just to save a few dollars.

1. Talk to the local women: No matter where you are in the world, I guarantee the local women are the ones that really know how to manage the money. Ask them for advice: where to shop, what to cook, where the clean/cheap restaurants are, how to get around, where the deals are, etc. These women can give you more site-specific tips than a guidebook could ever dream of!
2. Research a site BEFORE you get there: Know where the cheap hostels are, how much food will cost, what the associated transportation costs will be, etc. You this information to come up with strategies to minimize costs.
3. Visit inexpensive destinations: This is an obvious point, but an often overlooked one. If you are traveling on a budget, do some research ahead of time and plan to visit the more inexpensive destinations. Try to minimize your time in big cities, limit the number of expensive, touristy, locations you visit, research the cheapest travel routes, etc.
4. Use your numbers: If you are with a small group of travelers, use that to your advantage. Bargain for group rates and discounts at hostels, with tour companies, buy food in bulk, etc. *Traveling with a group definitely has its downsides, but it WILL save you money. See 5 Tips for Traveling in Large Groups
5. If you don’t have numbers, hook up with other travelers: If you aren’t traveling with a group, try to form one. This way you can use your numbers as a bargaining chip. *Traveling with a group definitely has its downsides, but it WILL save you money. See 5 Tips for Traveling in Large Groups
6. Make friends with the locals: They can give you all sorts of advice about saving money, will often invite you over for meals, while also greatly enriching your overall travel experience.
7. Avoid booking tours, hostels, guides, etc. from abroad or on the internet: You will find more options and cheaper prices if you book these services locally.
8. Get out of the “tourist” areas: If you see tourists, rest assured that local business have raised their prices. Restaurants, hostels, gift stores, etc. are almost always cheaper in the non-touristy sectors of town.
9. Spend more time in one place: Instead of trying to cross destinations of your “must see” list as quickly as possible, relax and spend some more in just a few locations. You will save money on transportation, plus you can get a much more in-depth look at the region and its people.
10. Make transportation part of the fun: Don't just whizz from one destination to the next in a plane, train, or bus. Instead, rent a mountain bike, horse, or even trek from point A to point B. You will save a fortune on transportation costs, and find the actual journey a lot more enjoyable.
11. Explore: Get off the beaten track and explore the lesser known sites of the region you are traveling in. You will save a small fortune by not having to pay inflated tourist prices for the “must see” locations, plus you can find some real gems out there, that have not yet been exploited by millions of tourists.
12. Avoid hiring a guide: If you can safely avoid hiring a guide, do so. You will save money, and your trip will be much more of an adventure if you do not have someone holding your hand the whole way.
13. Use public transportation: First time travelers often fall into the trap of only using taxis or private transportation to get around. It’s easy, you tell the driver where you want to go, and they take you there. Unfortunately, they also usually charge you 10-20 times what the same trip would have cost using the local bus, subway, or train system.
14. Make friends with people who own cars: This tip was taken from taken from Brave New Traveler's Budget Travel Tips You'll Never Read in a Guidebook. A lot cheaper and less stressful than having to take taxis and buses everywhere.
15. Utilize night transportation: Take that 6 hour bus or train ride at night. This way you can sleep during the ride and save a night’s hostel fare.

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Salzburg, a city fit for a king

Have cyberfriend, will travel

'Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter," wrote Izaak Walton, author of The Compleat Angler, after what was presumably a very sociable fishing expedition.

Other well-known travellers would no doubt agree: Samuel Johnson and David Livingstone both famously enjoyed the benefits of companionship on the road.

Today, Britain has 15.4 million single travellers - up from 9.6 million a decade ago - and while some happily embark on trips by themselves, most still prefer the security, companionship and economy of travelling with someone else.

Until recently, if friends or family didn't share your interests, it meant signing up to a singles' holiday, joining an agency or cruise, or posting an advertisement in a newspaper or magazine such as The Spectator.

But as people began to book their holidays at the last minute, this process became outdated. Something quicker and more efficient was needed, and it was only a matter of time before the internet came to the rescue. Travel networking was born.

Social networking sites such as MySpace, which allow like-minded people to meet and chat over the web, have been big news for a couple of years. What's new is that travellers have joined the party.

In the past year, about 25 internet-based clubs have been set up with the sole aim of introducing holidaymakers to each other and helping them meet people local to an area they want to visit.

The advantage is that instead of being confined to a four-line advertisement or an agency's questionnaire, travellers have entire pages to themselves - a kind of cyber CV - on which to post photographs, list their favourite destinations, their likes and dislikes and describe the kind of companion they are looking for.

On some sites, such as MySpace's travel arm (www.myspace.com/roaminggnome), launched in April, you can even post your home videos. People simply contact those who share their interests and weed out the rest.

If you are a single traveller, the chances are there's something for you. High society? Asmallworld.net is an exclusive, invitation-only club whose members are rumoured to include Naomi Campbell, Paris Hilton and Quentin Tarantino. Pensioner? Retiredbackpackers.com hooks up adventurous oldies. If you're looking for love, Travelhotties.com cuts to the chase, matching people looking for romance, while Welcometraveller.com connects people with local hosts.

There's no need to worry about your street cred, either. "A few years ago there was a stigma attached to meeting someone on the web, but now it's normal to be looking for a travel companion online," says Tom Hall of Lonely Planet, whose Thorn Tree website was one of the first to connect travellers.

How much time you spend with your fellow traveller is up to you: you can search for someone to join you on a gap year, or for a local to meet for a drink and a dose of insider knowledge. You don't even have to meet. Many people just exchange tips by email.

There are, or course, risks associated with meeting people over the web. Information is rarely checked, and the person in the flesh can vary wildly from a persona that has been crafted over a keyboard. But for the most part, communication is friendly and horror stories tend to be more of the "we didn't get on" variety rather than anything sinister.

According to Christine Davies, a former producer of the BBC's Holiday programme who set up a travel-networking site, the Thelma and Louise Club, after searching for a companion herself, the chances of getting on with someone you meet in cyberspace are about 60 per cent.

"It's a spin of the roulette wheel, but when it works, it really works," she says.

Her company boasts dozens of success stories, including that of Chris Baker, a recently retired pharmaceuticals manager from Perth, Scotland, who went on a two-and-a-half week holiday to South Africa earlier this year with a woman she met on the site.

"I love travelling and have reasonable funds to do it in luxury, so I was looking for someone in a similar position,'' she said.

''Jill and I both had a burning desire to go to South Africa, so we did, and had a super time. We went diamond shopping, ate in lovely restaurants and went to wildlife reserves. We got on really well, with no cross words, and spent 90 per cent of the time together. We'd both be happy to travel together again."

Travelchums.com, one of America's biggest travel networking clubs, has had its share of successes too, and its first marriage. Its home page is crammed with endorsements from customers, including a pair who got on so well they wrote: "We are twins separated at birth." So, is travel networking really a land of limitless potential? What would happen if a thirtysomething like me tried to find a companion? Armed with my dream holiday itinerary, I log on to find out.

I choose Davies's Thelma and Louise Club, set up for women looking for companionship. Named after the 1991 film starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, it's aimed at adventurous women of all ages, although most members are between 40 and 65. Britons make up the majority, but Americans, Europeans and Asians are there too.

As well as connecting single travellers, the club, which is free to join, organises regular group holidays, from trekking in Nepal and cruises round the Caribbean to shopping excursions and city breaks. Road trips are on the itinerary, but the Grand Canyon, scene of Thelma and Louise's famous cliff exit, is not. "It would be tempting fate," says Christine.

I plug my details into the four-page questionnaire and upload my photograph. Application approved and profile page set up, I am free to start searching. They are a mixed bunch: intrepid backpackers seeking like-minded companions, young career women, housewives with busy husbands, and young-at-heart pensioners. Scrolling through them is like browsing through a mail-order catalogue, only instead of buying some CDs I'm shopping for a travel buddy.

To refine my search - the club has 4,000 members - I use the automatic matching service, which links people with similar requirements. It throws up 24 potential travel companions. I decide to poke six of them - not a literal poke, of course, but a virtual one, the cyber equivalent of a friendly hello. Of the three who reply, one can make the same dates as me.

Her login name is Flying Solo. She looks nice. From her profile page, I learn that she is a university educated, 31-year-old living in north London, a social drinker and non-smoker. She lists her hobbies as sightseeing, clubbing, food and outdoor sports.

New to the UK, she has written in her "further information" box: "Looking to meet interesting, fun, adventurous types." Ditto.

After exchanging a few emails, Flying Solo and I agree to meet in IRL - cyber speak for "in real life". It's awkward at first, and feels peculiarly seedy. Why am I meeting a strange woman in a Soho bar on a Friday night?

But I soon get over it. She is a high-profile entrepreneur, articulate, cultured and well-travelled. We talk about our holiday successes and disasters, our likes and dislikes. She has a self-confident air and our discussions are frank and open. "I think we are reading from the same page," she tells me at the end of the evening, and we agree to give travelling together a go.

Back home, a Google search reveals she was recently ranked one of the world's most powerful young businesswomen.

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33 travel safety tips

Traveling to unfamiliar destinations can bring to you the sort of troubles you do not want to experience while on the road namely: robbery, rape, or murder. Tourists often fall prey to perpetrators because they do not prepare properly before embarking on a trip. Let's examine some things you should do to prevent your travels from becoming a tragedy:

1. Never list your home address on the luggage tag. If on business, put the company's address on the tag; if visiting friends you can list their address. Use covered luggage tags as well.

2. Stay with your luggage until the luggage is checked. If you must put your bag down, keep one foot on the handle.

3. Carry important papers with you; NEVER check anything that you simply cannot afford to lose. Photocopy your passport, driver's license and credit cards.

4. Bring a small flashlight. You never know when you'll suddenly be "in the dark" and find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings. At night, keep your flashlight by your bed.

5. Make sure that your prescription medicines are filled properly and labeled accurately. In some countries certain prescription medicines are forbidden.

6. Never wear anything that projects affluence. No gold chains, expensive watches and rings, luggage, or other paraphernalia should be in easy view. Better yet: leave your jewelry at home.

7. If possible travel with only one or two credit cards.

8. Women particularly should never accept a drink from a stranger. Keep an eye on your drink at all times.

9. Vary your schedule; try not to come and go at the same time everyday.

10. Only stay in a hotel that uses cards to open room doors and make sure your room has a peephole and a deadbolt lock. Secure the chain and secure the door by pushing a rubber stop under it.

11. Stay in a room near a stairwell. Never take the elevator if a fire or smoke is detected. Always stay in a hotel where the doors enter the hallway and not directly from the outside.

12. Do not wear name tags in public.

13. Do not use unmarked taxi cabs.

14. Sit behind the driver so you can see him, but he cannot see you.

15. Pay the driver upon arriving at your destination and while you are still sitting in the vehicle.

16. If you must rent a car, rent only from a reputable company. Any operating problems that occur could signal sabotage.

17. Be aware of 'staged' car accidents meant to catch you off card.

18. Back into your parking spaces to facilitate a quick exit.

19. Park only in well lit and well traveled areas.

20. If your cell phone does not work outside of the country, consider renting one that does for the duration of your trip.

21. If detained for whatever reason by an official, ask for identification. If in doubt, tell them that you want to see his superior. Keep your emotions in check.

22. If traveling with children, bring along an updated photograph of each child in the event that you become separated from them.

23. Write your child's name and your hotel number on each card; include a close friend's or relative's contact information on the card. Give a card to each child which they will carry with them as long as you are away. Destroy once home.

24. Discuss with your family what they would do in event of an emergency while away from home, e.g. whom to call, how to contact emergency personnel, etc.

25. Do not discuss travel plans, your room number or any other personal information in public within earshot of strangers.

26. Bring along a basic first aid kit with bandages, iodine, mosquito repellant, sunscreen, alcohol packets, dramamine, pepto bismol, diarrhea medicine, etc.

27. Familiarize yourself with train and bus schedules before traveling. Have an alternate plan in place in the event your transportation plans change.

28. Do not flash your passport in public. Discreetly show important documents to officials only.

29. Consider purchasing portable alarms that emit a loud sound.

30. Watch for scams on the street. Children working with adults are notorious as pickpockets.

31. Never flash your money in public. Exchange funds with reputable and recognized exchangers only.

32. Have tips ready in advance for service personnel.

33. Consider renting an escort [security] service if traveling in areas where crime is high.

The key to safe traveling in any area is situational awareness. Distractions because of luggage, children, hotel personnel, strangers, etc. can put you at risk. Know your surroundings and stay in control of every situation.

Matt manages the Corporate Flight Attendant Community a comprehensive resource center for business flight attendants who travel throughout the world. You can visit the community at http://www.corporateflyer.net or http://www.cabinmanagers.com

Article Source:http://www.articletree.org/Travel_and_Leisure(19,627).aspx

20 percent do work, bring laptop on vacations

One in five people toted laptop computers on their most recent vacations, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released last week. Along with the 80 percent who said they brought along their cell phones, the survey shows going on vacation no longer means being out of the electronic loop.

Sizable numbers are interrupting their unwinding time to check in at the office and, even more so, to keep up with the social buzz.

About one in five said they did some work while vacationing, and about the same number checked office messages or called in to see how things were going, the poll showed. Twice as many checked their e-mail, while 50 percent kept up with other personal messages like voice mail.

The credit -- or culprit, depending on one's view -- is in part today's array of devices that can easily keep people digitally tethered to workplaces, friends and family. The electronic gear was most commonly brought along by younger people -- one in four below age 40 brought laptops, compared to 15 percent of those 50 to 64 and even less for older people.

Reasons vacationers performed work-related tasks include an expectation that they be available; a worry about missing important information; or in some cases the enjoyment of staying involved, according to analysts and some of those surveyed.

"I'm the final guy, so I make sure my customers are happy," said Don Schneider, 43, a plumbing contractor from Buena Park, California, who also runs an online business that supplies video equipment for plumbers.

Schneider says he limits his holiday check-ins to about a half-hour daily and tries to do it unobtrusively so he won't annoy family and friends, making calls from his hotel room or car.

Nineteen percent said they worked on their vacation even though they were technically off. Twenty percent said they checked work messages like voice mail, and another 15 percent said they called to check in.

"It's like a cloud hanging over my head until I get it done," Lee Ann Harrison, 37, a third-grade teacher from Halls, Tennessee, said of the work she did on a family trip to Southaven, Mississippi, for her young son's baseball team. She said she found herself grading papers "between games, somewhere in the shade."

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A bird's eye view of Sri Lanka

A 10 minute aerial trip over the paradise island of Sri Lanka.

Environmental tips for travelers

Whilst traveling in a foreign country, it is important to minimize your impact. Here are some tips and information that you should try and remember. We acknowledge that some of this advice may be more difficult to take on board whilst traveling than it would be to incorporate into your daily lives at home. However, even if you only put into practice three or four of our suggestions, be it whilst on the road or whilst at home, it will certainly contribute to reducing our impact on the planet.

Garbage

Most plastic bottles are not recyclable in Ecuador. Try to use glass bottles (returnable) for sodas etc. Aluminum cans are the next best option as they are at least recyclable.

To avoid buying more disposable bottles, carry a water bottle and always check if there is somewhere to fill it up at your hotel/ restaurant (most hotels and restaurants have purified water in large 20 litre bottles called botellones). These places also sell water in small bottles and so they might be reluctant to begin with as they think they are loosing a sale. Of course you will need to pay for the refill also. The concept of reducing garbage is new for Ecuadorians, so don’t be surprised if you have to explain it, but if more travelers request it, the more common place it will become.

If you have to buy bottles, buy the biggest you can and just refill from there, especially if you plan to be in the same place for a while.

Consider purifying your own water to avoid creating garbage.

Try to avoid excessive wrapping and plastic bags which are all to readily dished out for each small purchase. Tell the shop keeper why you give the bag back!

If you shop in a local market take your own bag or have them place everything in one large plastic bag instead of numerous small ones.

You can also reduce the amount of garbage you produce as a result of traveling by
- using a digital camera instead of using film (the process of developing film can produce a lot of waste unwanted photos are non recyclable and often end up in the trash).

Using biodegradable sanitary wear or even better, a plastic tampon which can be used time and time again (other reusable products are available e.g. reusable cotton pads, the keeper).

Use a re usable container for your soap so that you can use your own and avoid half using the small hotel soaps which come individually wrapped (if you use hotel soap, use one and take the remainder with you! It will just be thrown out).

Avoid using excessive cosmetic products e.g. hairspray, mousse, aftershave, perfume and if you must use them, try and find effective environmentally friendly alternatives e.g biodegradable shampoos, crystal deodorants which last longer etc (most containers for these products are non recyclable).

Avoid using disposable products e.g. plastic razors, single use contact lenses.

Try to use re chargeable batteries or eliminate use of batteries entirely e.g. use a wind up or solar torch or radio.

Where available use recycled paper for letters home, trip diaries, toilet paper, etc.

Buy in bulk if you are traveling in a large group- this reduces packaging.

Please remember to recycle whatever you can in the country you are traveling. However, some products that can not be recycled in the host country can be recycled in your home countries, so please take them home if possible.

Food and health

Avoid eating foods that you know are from endangered or threatened species (research these before you come to the country)…E,g, in Ecuador, lobsters are often caught undersized (tail should be longer than 8 cm).

Buy and eat locally grown and locally processed foods wherever possible, rather than food products shipped from long distances, which use more energy (fossil fuels for transport and generally more packaging).

Consider using alternative natural medical products for common travelers illnesses, e.g. grapefruit seed extract for diarrhea, etc. This maybe healthier for you as well as avoids leaving behind pharmaceuticals in the local water and soil (this is becoming a detectable problem in first world countries, thought to affect aquatic organisms like fish and frogs).

Nature, Flora and fauna

Avoid buying souvenirs of local fauna e.g. many stores sell cases of bright colored butterflies, spiders and insects. These are caught by the hundreds in the Amazon and the sales people will tell you that they are not caught but that they raise them … it is not true!

Avoid buying souvenirs that are made with endangered species or species that have to be killed to be made into a craft, support crafts made from renewable resources.

Dont collect insects, flora and fauna without a permit. Leave them for everyone to enjoy.

When walking, stay on the trails and close gates behind you.

Take your trash home. Better still, try to pack snacks that don’t have individual wrappers e.g bulk dried fruits and nuts, or fruit that comes in its own biodegradable wrapper. Or pack your lunch in a reusable box.

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Today, 5th June, is World Environment Day.

Wallpaper: Whales

The Gully, Off the Coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, 1997
Photograph by Flip Nicklin

"Symmetry in motion, two whales surface and exhale in union, emerging to the rarest of North Atlantic days—a clear sky and a glassy sea. Although small groups often maneuver in tight formation for a short time...research suggests that the social bonds of most bottlenose whales are as transient as a teenager's. A month from now these whales will be swimming in sync with new best friends."

Click the size you'd like to download:

800 x 600 pixels—best for smaller monitors

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Literary London

London. The city that inspired some of literature’s heaviest hitters is also the city that nurtured a large array of controversial writers. Those writers whose writings—or life!—caused scandal and revolution around the world. Walk in the footsteps of writers whose influence is still felt around the world today—Lenin, Marx, Wilde, and Burroughs to name a few.

Listen to the Rough Guides iToor, Subversive Scribes Literary London, and you’ll...

• Come face to face with a site that housed one of London’s worst pits of vice and despair.
• See John Lennon’s original hand-written lyrics
• Find out why the KGB were regulars at the British Museum
• Gaze at the very same landscape that inspired Douglas Adams to discover the meaning of life, the universe and everything.
• Get a good look at the house where communism was born.

Low-cost European carriers

In an era when one can fly from London to Rome for less than dinner for two at an osteria, it was only a matter of time until no-frills carriers started to dip their toes in the Pond—the Big one, that is. In recent years, a number of low-cost European carriers offering service to the United States have emerged. Indeed, the number of daily nonstop flights between the U.S. and Europe has grown by more than 20 percent in the last four years.

While some of the low-cost carriers (or LCCs in industry parlance) have been quietly serving popular European vacation spots, such as Florida, for some time, others are upstarts or former charter airlines looking for a piece of the competitive transatlantic action. "They are emulating the low-cost carrier model, using Internet distribution, low overhead, and a focus on efficiency," explains Craig Jenks, an airline industry consultant.

Eurofly, a former charter airline of Alitalia, launched service from New York's JFK to Bologna, Naples, Palermo, and Rome in June 2005, with round-trip flights starting at around $800. Last winter, the Scotland-based airline Flyglobespan introduced service from Belfast and Glasgow to Orlando (from $400 round-trip) and will fly from Liverpool to Newark starting this month. Air Plus Comet flies from New York to Madrid, with fares starting at $400 round-trip. The Germany-based Condor flies to Las Vegas, Orlando, Fairbanks, and Anchorage. A Las Vegas-Frankfurt round-trip is currently $428. The Netherlands-based Martinair flies to Miami and Orlando. Round-trip fares start at $696 for travel in May. And the Dusseldorf-based LTU is introducing service from German cities to Las Vegas in May.

These airlines aren't exactly Southwest with a continental accent. Legroom can be tight on these carriers, and don't count on VIP lounges and mileage programs, but there are no Southwest-style cattle calls, and food is available, albeit for a price, on some routes.

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