I came across this fantastic and hilarious article via a link from the Daily Boomerang, a very good daily blog about this crazy life and travelling Down Under. Under the pressures of my day job, I have recently been travelling in and around the Singleton NSW area. The Daily Boomerang called me out as having a possible alternative motive! The nerve! (he he he) (more…)

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A hotel's star rating can be provided by the government or an organization. Hotels are graded with one-star to five-star hotels, with five-star being the most superior in price and quality. Or so, the hotel claims. The star rating of a hotel could mean different things in different countries. It's not at all descriptive nor can you rely on it to be consistent when it comes to its equivalent standard or price. Even an international hotel chain's star rating is not guaranteed to be reliable. So it still is best to check out tripadvisor for reviews and the hotel's website for photos before you book a room. Want an overview of how hotels are rated in different countries? Check out About.com's Hotel Star Rating System for links to more information. Five-star hotels are usually the most luxurious you could find. Until, that is, Dubai built the Burj al Arab. Burj al Arab is the only 7-star hotel in the whole world. Well, it is a self-awarded distinction but, to date, no one in the hotel industry has ever dared challenge this bold claim. If you read the kind of service and luxury it offers, you would probably give them more stars yourself. So… how many stars do you usually look for?
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A visit to Petite Cote will take you south east of the capital of Senegal which is Dakar, and if it is pleasurable beach fun that brings you here or just for the chance to see the excellent fishing villages, your time here is bound to be filled with sun filled excitement. There is also a sea that is known for its calmness right here at Petite Cote which is also protected from high winds thanks to the Cap –Vert Peninsula.

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I have followed my very own advice. I will be taking advantage of the weak dollar and spend my hard-earned Euros for a quick trip back to the USA. I have booked my flight and will spend 2 weeks in Boston and New York in November. I will be posting pictures and more travel tips about those two destinations when I return.How about you? Do you still need some convincing? Perhaps these could help sway you:Images of the USA posted at Flickr.Virgin Atlantic's unbelievably low fares from London to several US destinations.See America Check out Expedia and see what Inspiroscope tells you. Want to travel in style without paying an arm and a leg? Perhaps EOS, Maxjet or Silverjet can help. Browse through About.com's Travel page for the specifics on some US destinations. Well? What do you say?
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Yes, it's a relatively new term which they thought of to identify a new breed of backpackers. Usually when you say that you are going to go backpacking, people have the impression that you have plans of going into the woods, going camping, building a bonfire and well, basically, you would be roughing it. Or, they would have visions of you vagabonding around Europe with your huge backpack, staying in crappy hostels, hitchhiking and walking a lot because half the time, you are trying to stretch that euro a bit more. If you do any of the above, you'd definitely fit the backpacker stereotype. BUT then, there is another group… Backpackers who are somehow similar and yet, different. These are the flashpackers. Flashpacking is the backpacking for the rich. They stay in better hotels, have better food, carry their laptops, Blackberrys, mobile phones and/or iPods around with them. BUT they are in disguise… they look like backpackers. I am sure you could imagine which part of our society makes up the flashpacking crowd Curious about the details of flashpacking? Well, you can check out Passing Through India by Lee for ideas on how different flashpacking is from backpacking. (more…)

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