Destinations by Travel Club Philippines

Ten ways to save money when travelling

Philippine Resorts — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:31 +0000

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Ten ways to save money when travelling

So you’ve done the math twenty times but you’re still a few hundred dollars short in the budget department. Here’s ten ways to save money – US$1,400 to be exact – while travelling. Just think how much more you could do, see and experience with that extra $1,400!

1) Don’t spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of hiking boots.

You won’t need them. Trekking in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam isn’t like trekking in Nepal or Peru. Most get by just fine with a good pair of sturdy sandals. Hiking boots are hot, they’ll start to smell really bad, you’ll be needing to take them off over and over again to visit temples and enter guesthouses, and they’re heavy.

Estimated saving over a month: US$285 (based on an average pair of quality boots going for US$300, with a sturdy set of leather sandles for around $15)

2) Don’t spend hundreds of dollars on malarials.

Unless you’re planning on sleeping naked in a swamp in remote areas along the Thai/Burma border, chances are you’ll not need to take malarials during your trip. If your family doctor starts writing out a script for months of malarials as soon as you say “Asia”, go and see a travel doctor for a second opinion. If the travel doctor says you still need them, then buy generic equivalents upon arrival in Asia – at a fraction of the cost of what you’ll pay at home. But remember, if you are visiting destinations on the main tourist trail in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, and are not planning on spending time in remote rural areas, you do not need to take malarials. Instead use repellent, dress sensibly at mosquito feasting times (light coloured clothing, with long sleeves and pants), and use a mosquito net.

Estimated saving over a month: US$135 (Based of $3 a Doxyxyline pill for fourty five days — a month and a week before and after.)

3) Don’t spend hundreds of dollars on brand new guidebooks.

As you’re reading this on Travelfish, you’ve already got the right idea. Regarding guidebooks, buy the book for the first country you’re heading to and buy/swap as you travel for the others. Not that we support piracy, but … pirated (photocopied or bound) versions of Lonely Planet guides are available throughout Vietnam and Cambodia – Yup that’s right, that US$20 guidebook to Laos you bought at Borders yesterday can be purchased on the street in Phnom Penh for $2. The regional guides (Southeast Asia on a Shoestring etc) are hardly worth using in our opinion and you’ll be FAR better served by the country-specific guidebook for each destination. Buy/Swap/Sell.

Estimated saving over a month: US$80 (based on purchase cost of four guidebooks at a cost of $100 Vs one real guidebook for $20, then swap or buy a fake one)

4) Invest in a digital camera.

Asia is a beautiful region and you’ll take photos — lots of them. If you’re shooting film or slide you’ll be looking at hundreds of dollars to process all your happy shots. A mid-range digital camera (say around US$300) will pay for itself in no time at all and if you buy the right one, you’ll get a video camera as a part of the package.

Estimated saving over a month: break even, but you’ve save money on your next trip.

5) Don’t buy a sleeping bag.

You won’t need it. If anything, get a sleep sheet or a couple of sarongs, but nearly all lodgings will have sheets and treks will have bedding organised. Plus sleeping bags are hot (you’re in the tropics remember) and they take up space that could be filled with trinkets.

Estimated saving over a month: $190 (based on a $200 sleeping bag Vs a $10 sleep sheet)

6) Travel second class

The train system in Morocco has “C class” — locals joke the C stands for Corpses, Crates and Cattle. Thankfully 2nd and 3rd class in Asia is nowhere near as bad. In virtually all cases, 2nd class is more than enough – and it’s generally about half the price.

Estimated saving over a month: US$50-100

7) Drink water not beer

Both beer and water are cheap in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The former makes you fat and drunk, the latter slim and hydrated. While beer is often super cheap — say US$1 for a big bottle, water is often cheaper. Drink alcohol in moderation and you’ll be surprised just how quickly the savings pile up – and that’s without even counting the greasy $5 American Breakfast you’ll find yourself craving the morning after the night before. If you don’t want to listen to us, listen to your Mum. Drink less booze and you’ll save more baht.

Estimated saving over a month: US$90 (Based on four beers a night vs one, at $1 a beer -doesn’t include the greasy breakfast.)

8.) Fan good air-con bad

You’re in the tropics so you know it is going to be hot, but the evenings are often surprisingly cool. If you’re on the beach, look for rooms with good window space to let in that fine sea breeze. In cities you want a room on a higher floor and preferably with a window. Oddly, often rooms on the upper floors are cheaper.??

Estimated saving over a month: US$300 (based on an average for of $10 for a fan room Vs $20 for an air-con one)

9) Money management

Check with your bank before leaving to find out just what charges they have for overseas withdraws from ATMs and for cash advances. The fees may curl your hair and make travellers cheques look a lot more sensible as bank fees on a month-long trip in Asia can easily mount into the hundreds of dollars. When your bank tells you they have a US$5 charge per foreign bank withdrawal, plus an extra 5% spread on the exchange rate, you know which way to run — either straight to a bank that doesn’t, or to the closest American Express office for some travellers cheques.

Estimated saving over a month: US$100 (based on personal experience of one month in Vietnam foolishly using a Commonwealth Bank of Australia credit card)

10) Food, food, food.

Most guesthouses will offer what they call an “American Breakfast”. This is normally two greasy eggs, a couple of plastic sausages, manufactured ham and a decorative tomato or cucumber. Don’t be surprised when it costs US$5. Skip the overpriced fatfest, walk out the door and plonk yourself down for some fried rice or noodle soup for a dollar.

Estimated saving over a month: US$120 (Based on $5 fatfest Vs $1 noodle soup)

Five more little tips

1) Buy your Travel Insurance through Travelfish.

?Buy your travel insurance with World Nomads through Travelfish and you’ll save 5% on the policy cost. (See the Member Centre for more information — Americans and Canadians not eligible sorry!)

2) Get your visas in Asia, not at home.

Visas for other Asian countries are almost always cheaper in other Asian countries than in the west. For example a visa for Vietnam costs A$70 in Sydney, Australia or US$30 in Cambodia.

3) Catch the bus, not a cab.

Where possible use public transport rather than taxis. Taxis remain very cheap, but the bus system, particularly in the larger cities in Thailand and Vietnam, is even cheaper. Bangkok, Saigon and Hanoi all have comprehensive and very affordable bus systems.

4) Get your travellers cheques in large denominations.

Exchange kiosks will often charge a flat fee per travellers cheque. So to change five US$20 travellers cheques may cost you $5 ($1 per cheque) while a single US$100 cheque will cost you just $1 to change. Don’t get travellers cheques in anything smaller than US$100.

5) Look into the Bangkok Airways Discovery Airpass.

If you’re planning on a few flights between Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, then the Discovery Airpass can be a steal. Note the Airpass CANNOT be purchased in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand or Vietnam – you must buy it in your home country.

Travelfish.org

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Beneath Jerusalem, an underground city takes shape

Philippine Resorts — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:46 +0000

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Beneath Jerusalem, an underground city takes shape

JERUSALEM – Underneath the crowded alleys and holy sites of old Jerusalem, hundreds of people are snaking at any given moment through tunnels, vaulted medieval chambers and Roman sewers in a rapidly expanding subterranean city invisible from the streets above.

At street level, the walled Old City is an energetic and fractious enclave with a physical landscape that is predominantly Islamic and a population that is mainly Arab.

Underground Jerusalem is different: Here the noise recedes, the fierce Middle Eastern sun disappears, and light comes from fluorescent bulbs. There is a smell of earth and mildew, and the geography recalls a Jewish city that existed 2,000 years ago.

Archaeological digs under the disputed Old City are a matter of immense sensitivity. For Israel, the tunnels are proof of the depth of Jewish roots here, and this has made the tunnels one of Jerusalem’s main tourist draws: The number of visitors, mostly Jews and Christians, has risen dramatically in recent years to more than a million visitors in 2010.

But many Palestinians, who reject Israel’s sovereignty in the city, see them as a threat to their own claims to Jerusalem. And some critics say they put an exaggerated focus on Jewish history.

A new underground link is opening within two months, and when it does, there will be more than a mile (two kilometers) of pathways beneath the city. Officials say at least one other major project is in the works. Soon, anyone so inclined will be able to spend much of their time in Jerusalem without seeing the sky.

On a recent morning, a man carrying surveying equipment walked across a two-millennia-old stone road, paused at the edge of a hole and disappeared underground.

In a multilevel maze of rooms and corridors beneath the Muslim Quarter, workers cleared rubble and installed steel safety braces to shore up crumbling 700-year-old Mamluk-era arches.

Above ground, a group of French tourists emerged from a dark passage they had entered an hour earlier in the Jewish Quarter and found themselves among Arab shops on the Via Dolorosa, the traditional route Jesus took to his crucifixion.

South of the Old City, visitors to Jerusalem can enter a tunnel chipped from the bedrock by a Judean king 2,500 years ago and walk through knee-deep water under the Arab neighborhood of Silwan.
Beginning this summer, a new passage will be open nearby: a sewer Jewish rebels are thought to have used to flee the Roman legions who destroyed the Jerusalem temple in 70 A.D.

The sewer leads uphill, passing beneath the Old City walls before expelling visitors into sunlight next to the rectangular enclosure where the temple once stood, now home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the gold-capped Dome of the Rock.

From there, it’s a short walk to a third passage, the Western Wall tunnel, which continues north from the Jewish holy site past stones cut by masons working for King Herod and an ancient water system. Visitors emerge near the entrance to an ancient quarry called Zedekiah’s Cave that descends under the Muslim Quarter.

The next major project, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority, will follow the course of one of the city’s main Roman-era streets underneath the prayer plaza at the Western Wall. This route, scheduled for completion in three years, will link up with the Western Wall tunnel.

The excavations and flood of visitors exist against a backdrop of acute distrust between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Muslims, who are suspicious of any government moves in the Old City and particularly around the Al-Aqsa compound, Islam’s third-holiest shrine. Jews know the compound as the Temple Mount, site of two destroyed temples and the center of the Jewish faith for three millennia.

Muslim fears have led to violence in the past: The 1996 opening of a new exit to the Western Wall tunnel sparked rumors among Palestinians that Israel meant to damage the mosques, and dozens were killed in the ensuing riots. In recent years, however, work has gone ahead without incident.

Mindful that the compound has the potential to trigger devastating conflict, Israel’s policy is to allow no excavations there. Digging under Temple Mount, the Israeli historian Gershom Gorenberg has written, “would be like trying to figure out how a hand grenade works by pulling the pin and peering inside.”

Despite the Israeli assurances, however, rumors persist that the excavations are undermining the physical stability of the Islamic holy sites.

“I believe the Israelis are tunneling under the mosques,” said Najeh Bkerat, an official of the Waqf, the Muslim religious body that runs the compound under Israel’s overall security control.

Samir Abu Leil, another Waqf official, said he had heard hammering that very morning underneath the Waqf’s offices, in a Mamluk-era building that sits just outside the holy compound and directly over the route of the Western Wall tunnel, and had filed a complaint with police.

The closest thing to an excavation on the mount, Israeli archaeologists point out, was done by the Waqf itself: In the 1990s, the Waqf opened a new entrance to a subterranean prayer space and dumped truckloads of rubble outside the Old City, drawing outrage from scholars who said priceless artifacts were being destroyed.

This month, an Israeli government watchdog released a report saying Waqf construction work in the compound in recent years had been done without supervision and had damaged antiquities. The issue is deemed so sensitive that the details of the report were kept classified.

Some Israeli critics of the tunnels point to what they call an exaggerated emphasis on a Jewish narrative.

“The tunnels all say: We were here 2,000 years ago, and now we’re back, and here’s proof,” said Yonathan Mizrachi, an Israeli archaeologist. “Living here means recognizing that other stories exist alongside ours.”

Yuval Baruch, the Antiquities Authority archaeologist in charge of Jerusalem, said his diggers are careful to preserve worthy finds from all of the city’s historical periods. “This city is of interest to at least half the people on Earth, and we will continue uncovering the past in the most professional way we can,” he said.

By MATTI FRIEDMAN, Associated Press

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QUIRKY ASIA: He gets paid to sleep on the job

Philippine Resorts — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:48 +0000

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QUIRKY ASIA: He gets paid to sleep on the job

Kuala Lumpur – He has the best excuse to sleep on the job.

Lee Jia, 27, earns 10,000 yuan (US$1,600) a month just to test the comfort level at hotel rooms.

Besides sleeping, he checks out the scent of the rooms, the cleanliness, the brand of toiletries and the type of TV programmes available.

Sin Chew Daily quoted Lee, a Chinese national, as saying that his job was more than just sleeping in hotel rooms and that it could get stressful at times.

His job, he said, required him to observe well his surroundings.

Lee, who loves travelling, said he would then write a review of the hotel and its facilities on his blog.

“You need to be highly focused and articulate to observe every detail in order to produce a comprehensive report,” he said.

By News Desk in Kuala Lumpur/ ANN

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35 Secrets Your Pilot Won’t Tell You

Philippine Resorts — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:42 +0000

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35 Secrets Your Pilot Won’t Tell You

What You Don’t Want to Know

“I’m constantly under pressure to carry less fuel than I’m comfortable with. Airlines are always looking at the bottom line, and you burn fuel carrying fuel. Sometimes if you carry just enough fuel and you hit thunderstorms or delays, then suddenly you’re running out of gas and you have to go to an alternate airport.” -Captain at a major airline

“Sometimes the airline won’t give us lunch breaks or even time to eat. We have to delay flights just so we can get food.” -First officer on a regional carrier

“We tell passengers what they need to know. We don’t tell them things that are going to scare the pants off them. So you’ll never hear me say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we just had an engine failure,’ even if that’s true.” -Jim Tilmon, retired American Airlines pilot, Phoenix

“The Department of Transportation has put such an emphasis on on-time performance that we pretty much aren’t allowed to delay a flight anymore, even if there are 20 people on a connecting flight that’s coming in just a little late.” -Commercial pilot, Charlotte, North Carolina

“The truth is, we’re exhausted. Our work rules allow us to be on duty 16 hours without a break. That’s many more hours than a truck driver. And unlike a truck driver, who can pull over at the next rest stop, we can’t pull over at the next cloud.” -Captain at a major airline

What We Want You to Know

“Some FAA rules don’t make sense to us either. Like the fact that when we’re at 39,000 feet going 400 miles an hour, in a plane that could hit turbulence at any minute, [flight attendants] can walk around and serve hot coffee and Chateaubriand. But when we’re on the ground on a flat piece of asphalt going five to ten miles an hour, they’ve got to be buckled in like they’re at NASCAR.” -Jack Stephan, US Airways captain based in Annapolis, Maryland, who has been flying since 1984

“The two worst airports for us: Reagan National in Washington, D.C., and John Wayne in Orange County, California. You’re flying by the seat of your pants trying to get in and out of those airports. John Wayne is especially bad because the rich folks who live near the airport don’t like jet noise, so they have this noise abatement procedure where you basically have to turn the plane into a ballistic missile as soon as you’’re airborne.” -Pilot, South Carolina

“At some airports with really short runways, you’re not going to have a smooth landing no matter how good we are: John Wayne Airport; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Chicago Midway; and Reagan National.” -Joe D’Eon, a pilot at a major airline who produces a podcast at flywithjoe.com

“I may be in uniform, but that doesn’t mean I’m the best person to ask for directions in the airport. We’re in so many airports that we usually have no idea.” -Pilot for a regional carrier, Charlotte, North Carolina

“This happens all the time: We’ll be in Pittsburgh going to Philly, and there will be a weather delay. The weather in Pittsburgh is beautiful. Then I’ll hear passengers saying, ‘You know, I just called my friend in Philly, and it’s beautiful there too,’ like there’s some kind of conspiracy or something. But in the airspace between Pittsburgh and Philly there’s a huge thunderstorm.” -Jack Stephan

“You may go to an airline website and buy a ticket, pull up to its desk at the curb, and get onto an airplane that has a similar name painted on it, but half the time, you’re really on a regional airline. The regionals aren’t held to the same safety standards as the majors: Their pilots aren’t required to have as much training and experience, and the public doesn’t know that.” -Captain at a major airline

“Most of the time, how you land is a good indicator of a pilot’s skill. So if you want to say something nice to a pilot as you’re getting off the plane, say ‘Nice landing.’ We do appreciate that.” -Joe D’Eon

“Cabin air is not as dirty as people think. A portion of the air is recirculated because that helps to reduce humidity. But it’s run through hospital-quality HEPA filters, and it’s actually cleaner than the air found in most public buildings.” -Patrick Smith, commercial pilot and author, askthepilot.com

“No, it’s not your imagination: Airlines really have adjusted their flight arrival times so they can have a better record of on-time arrivals. So they might say a flight takes two hours when it really takes an hour and 45 minutes.” -AirTran Airways captain, Atlanta

When to Worry

“It’s one thing if the pilot puts the seat belt sign on for the passengers. But if he tells the flight attendants to sit down, you’d better listen. That means there’s some serious turbulence ahead.” -John Greaves, airline accident lawyer and former airline captain, Los Angeles

“There’s no such thing as a water landing. It’s called crashing into the ocean.” -Pilot, South Carolina

“A plane flies into a massive updraft, which you can’t see on the radar at night, and it’s like hitting a giant speed bump at 500 miles an hour. It throws everything up in the air and then down very violently. That’s not the same as turbulence, which bounces everyone around for a while.” -John Nance, aviation safety analyst and retired airline captain, Seattle

“Is traveling with a baby in your lap safe? No. It’s extremely dangerous. If there’s any impact or deceleration, there’s a good chance you’re going to lose hold of your kid, and he becomes a projectile. But the government’s logic is that if we made you buy an expensive seat for your baby, you’d just drive, and you’re more likely to be injured driving than flying.” -Patrick Smith

When Not to Worry

“Pilots find it perplexing that so many people are afraid of turbulence. It’s all but impossible for turbulence to cause a crash. We avoid turbulence not because we’re afraid the wing is going to fall off but because it’s annoying.” -Patrick Smith

“People always ask, ‘What’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened to you?’ I tell them it was a van ride from the Los Angeles airport to the hotel, and I’m not kidding.” -Jack Stephan

“I’ve been struck by lightning twice. Most pilots have. Airplanes are built to take it. You hear a big boom and see a big flash and that’s it. You’re not going to fall out of the sky.” -Pilot for a regional carrier, Charlotte, North Carolina

We Don’t Get It

“Most of you wouldn’t consider going down the highway at 60 miles an hour without your seat belt fastened. But when we’re hurtling through the air at 500 miles an hour and we turn off the seat belt sign, half of you take your seat belts off. But if we hit a little air pocket, your head will be on the ceiling.” -Captain at a major airline

“If you’re going to recline your seat, for God’s sake, please check behind you first. You have no idea how many laptops are broken every year by boorish passengers who slam their seat back with total disregard to what’s going on behind them.” -John Nance

“There is no safest place to sit. In one accident, the people in the back are dead; in the next, it’s the people up front.” -John Nance

Advice for Nervous Fliers

“The smoothest place to sit is often over or near the wing. The bumpiest place to sit is in the back. A plane is like a seesaw. If you’re in the middle, you don’t move as much.” -Patrick Smith

“If you’re a nervous flier, book a morning flight. The heating of the ground later causes bumpier air, and it’s much more likely to thunderstorm in the afternoon.” -Jerry Johnson, pilot, Los Angeles

What Really Drives Us Crazy

“Please don’t complain to me about your lost bags or the rotten service or that the airline did this or that. My retirement was taken to help subsidize your $39 airfare.” -Pilot, South Carolina

“Here’s a news flash: We’re not sitting in the cockpit listening to the ball game. Sometimes we can ask the controllers to go to their break room to check the score. But when I fly to Pittsburgh on a Sunday afternoon, the passengers send the flight attendants up at least ten times to ask us the Steelers score.” -Commercial pilot, Charlotte, North Carolina

“I am so tired of hearing ‘Oh my God, you’re a girl pilot.’ When you see a black pilot, do you say ‘Oh my God, you’re a black pilot’?” -Pilot for a regional carrier

Those Silly Rules, Explained

“We don’t make you stow your laptop because we’re worried about electronic interference. It’s about having a projectile on your lap. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to get hit in the head by a MacBook going 200 miles per hour.” -Patrick Smith

“People don’t understand why they can’t use their cell phones. Well, what can happen is 12 people will decide to call someone just before landing, and I can get a false reading on my instruments saying that we are higher than we really are.” -Jim Tilmon

“We’re not trying to ruin your fun by making you take off your headphones. We just want you to be able to hear us if there’s an emergency.” -Patrick Smith

“We ask you to put up the window shade so the flight attendants can see outside in an emergency, to assess if one side is better for an evacuation. It also lets light into the cabin if it goes dark and helps passengers get oriented if the plane flips or rolls over.” -Patrick Smith

It’s Not All Glamour Up in the Air

“When you get on that airplane at 7 a.m., you want your pilot to be rested and ready. But the hotels they put us in now are so bad that there are many nights when I toss and turn. They’re in bad neighborhoods, they’re loud, they’ve got bedbugs, and there have been stabbings in the parking lot.” -Jack Stephan

“Those buddy passes they give us? I give them only to my enemies now. Sure, you can get a $1,000 airfare to Seattle for $100. But since you have to fly standby, it will take you three months to get back because you can’t get a seat.” -Pilot, South Carolina

Here’s a Little More Free Advice

“Cold on the airplane? Tell your flight attendant. We’re in a constant battle with them over the temperature. They’re moving all the time, up and down the aisles, so they are always calling and saying, ‘Turn up the air.’ But most passengers I know are freezing.” -Captain at a major carrier

“I always tell my kids to travel in sturdy shoes. If you have to evacuate and your flip-flops fall off, there you are standing on the hot tarmac or in the weeds in your bare feet.” -Joe D’Eon

“Most people get sick after traveling not because of what they breathe but because of what they touch. Always assume that the tray table and the button to push the seat back have not been wiped down, though we do wipe down the lavatory.” -Patrick Smith

“The general flow of air in any airplane is from front to back. So if you’re really concerned about breathing the freshest possible air or not getting too hot, sit as close to the front as you can. Planes are generally warmest in the back.” -Tech pilot at a regional airline, Texas

“I know pilots who spend a quarter million on their education and training, then that first year as a pilot, they qualify for food stamps.” -Furloughed first officer, Texas

Behind the Cockpit Door

“Do pilots sleep in there? Definitely. Sometimes it’s just a ten-minute catnap, but it happens.” -John Greaves

“People tend to think the airplane is just flying itself. Trust me, that’s not true. It can fly by itself sometimes. But you’ve always got your hands on the controls waiting for it to mess up. And it does mess up.” -Pilot, South Carolina

“One time I rode in the jump seat of a 747 freighter, which carries cargo, not passengers. As soon as the doors closed, the first officer went in back and put on a bathrobe and slippers. No kidding. He said, ‘I’ll be damned if I’m going to wear a tie for a bunch of boxes.’” -Tech pilot at a regional airline, Texas

“We don’t wear our hats in the cockpit, by the way. On TV and in the Far Side comic, you always see these pilots with their hats on, and they have their headsets on over the hat, and that always makes us laugh.” -Joe D’Eon

“Remember this before you complain about the cost of a ticket: Fares today are about the same as they were in the 1980s.” -Patrick Smith

A Parting Thought

“Here’s the truth about airline jobs: You don’t have as much time off as your neighbors think you have, you don’t make as much money as your relatives think you make, and you don’t have as many girlfriends as your wife thinks you have. Still, I can’t believe they pay me to do this.” -Commercial pilot, Charlotte, North Carolina

Three Things Pilots Will Never Say

“We’re heading into some thunderstorms.” What they’ll say instead: “It looks like there’s some weather [or "rough air” or "rain showers"] up ahead.”

“One of our engines just failed.” What they’ll say instead: “One of our engines is indicating improperly.” (Or more likely, they’ll say nothing, and you’ll never know the difference. Most planes fly fine with one engine down.)

Well, folks, the visibility out there is zero. What they’ll say instead: “There’s some fog in the Washington area.”

Airline Lingo

Blue juice: The water in the lavatory toilet. “There’s no blue juice in the lav.”

Crotch watch: The required check to make sure all passengers have their seat belts fastened. Also: “groin scan.”

Crumb crunchers: Kids. “We’ve got a lot of crumb crunchers on this flight.”

Deadheading: When an airline employee flies as a passenger for company business.

Gate lice: The people who gather around the gate right before boarding so they can be first on the plane. “Oh, the gate lice are thick today.”

George: Autopilot. “I’ll let George take over.”

Landing lips: Female passengers put on their “landing lips” when they use their lipstick just before landing.

Pax: Passengers.

Spinners: Passengers who get on late and don’t have a seat assignment, so they spin around looking for a seat.

Two-for-once special: The plane touches down on landing, bounces up, then touches down again.

Working the village: Working in coach.

by Reader’s Digest Magazine

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Moonlight Hiking

Philippine Resorts — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:40 +0000

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Moonlight Hiking

I started moonlight hiking when I was a teenager prowling the streets and fields of Michigan. I later found that if I timed my backpacking trips to coincide with a full moon, I could hike every night. The two primary motivations for doing this are the adventure and mystery of night hiking, as well as the practical advantages that it has.

Moonlight Hiking – A Unique Experience

It’s a great experience to hike away the hours of the night under a full moon. My first time doing this on a longer backpacking trip was on a five-day hike in the Sierra Nevadas. Every night I slept next to a lake, waking up when the cold bothered me. Then I easily hiked through the rest of the night by moonlight.

This meant getting up between two and four in the morning and hiking the rest of the night. I was moving during the coldest part of the night, so I was able to get away with a lighter sleeping bag on this trip. In fact, since there wasn’t a cloud in the sky during those five days, I just slept in the open, without a tent or tarp every night. Most afternoons I took a leisurely nap in the sun to catch up on sleep.

Hiking at night meant no other people on the trail. Crowded trails were not actually a problem where I was, but I would like to go moonlight hiking to avoid the crowds the next time I am in Yosemite National Park, or in the Smoky Mountains. Sometimes it is nice to have the trails and whole mountain valleys to yourself.

You can hike a lot of miles at night, without any problems of over-heating. When the sky is clear and the moon is full, or within three days of its fullest, the moonlight is more than bright enough for hiking in fairly open terrain. In thicker woods you may need a flashlight for assistance.

If you do try this, plan your trip with the full moon coming right in the middle of the time span (if you can). This is how you get the maximum use of the moonlight before, during and after the full moon. Also note the time that the moon rises. About an hour after moonrise you’ll have enough light to hike, unless it is overly cloudy (something else to check on).

When moonlight hiking on isolated beaches in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan I could clearly see animal tracks in the wet sand along the water’s edge. They included fresh bear tracks. Though black bears in this area are not usually dangerous, it keeps your senses tuned in when you know there are eyes in the woods watching you and none of them are human.

The lakes reflect the moon, owls swoop by almost without sound, and animals move in the bushes as you pass. The many shadows hide things, but you walk on by them, leaving these little mysteries unsolved. The trees and rocks take on a different, starker appearance than during the day. Moonlight hiking is a beautiful and unique experience.

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Ideas for your next cruise

Philippine Resorts — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:52 +0000

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Ideas for your next cruise

Have you thought about the destination for your next cruise?

Could it be the Caribbean which many cruise ships cruise around. Where will you visit? How about Belize, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grand Antigua, Cayman, South Carolina, Martinique, Barbados, St. Lucia, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, the Bahamas or Mexico. These are all destinations from cruises setting out from places such as Fort Lauderdale.

You could try a cruise in the Mediterranean calling at such destinations such as, Greece, Turkey, Italy, France, Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal and other Mediterranean countries. When visiting Gibraltar you must check out the “Rock” but look out for the Apes. These are known as the Barbary Apes and they want you to feed them. I have seen people being attacked by the apes in their search for food. It can be very scary if it is you being attacked but very funny if you are watching it. If it happens to you just let go of the food and the Apes will leave you alone. It’s the food they are after.

There are other places to cruise in Europe such as Norway, cruising up the coast and fiords visiting isolated communities in the deep-sea valleys on the west coast of Norway. The scenery is dramatic and by cruising above the artic circle you can experience the land of the midnight sun. This sun never sets in summertime but in wintertime it never rises. Because of this you need to make sure you only cruise this area in the summer. Just as much fun as Norway is Alaska where you can get just as dramatic scenery and it is just as much fun.

Some cruise ships in the US spend the winter months cruising the Caribbean and the summer months cruising the West coast of Alaska. These ships need to reposition themselves during the fall and springtime and do this through the Panama Canal. These cruises are highly recommended due to the unique experience of the Panama Canal. The US completed the canal in the early part of the last century although the canal was started by the French. The canal starts at the Gatun locks at the Atlantic side of Panama and travels to the Pacific side which lowers ships over 50 feet in the series of Miraflores Locks. The Panama Canal is one of the wonders of the engineering world.

Cruises do not just take place on the sea though and you could try cruising the rivers of the world. How about the great Mississippi river from New Orleans to Little Rock, St Louis or Pittsburg. Companies also run theme cruises covering themes such as the Civil War, Steamboat racing and special Fall cruises.

You could also try Europe and cruise on the river Rhine, Elbe, Danube, Seine or Rhone rivers to name just a few, or you could try your hand at captaining your own boat on the canal systems in France or the UK. Don’t forget further to the east of Europe there are many other countries offering river cruises. There are also rivers such as the Nile and Amazon as well. Whatever you choose to do, just enjoy yourselves.

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Hiking Adventures: Perfect for Family Trips or Romantic Getaways

Philippine Resorts — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:50 +0000

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Hiking Adventures: Perfect for Family Trips or Romantic Getaways

Are you interested in taking a trip? Whether you are looking to take a traditional trip with your family or go on a romantic getaway, have you ever thought about going on a hiking adventure? Hiking adventures are nice because they are great for just about everyone, as well as just about any occasion.

One of the many reasons why hiking is great for both romantic getaways and family trips is because hiking trials come in a number of different formats. In the United States, you will find hiking trails that are designed for beginners, hiking trails that are designed for experts, as well as those that are at the intermediate hiking level. This is great if you are planning on hiking with your children, as you should be able to find a number of hiking trails that would be easy for them to hike.

As for romantic getaways, one of the many reasons why hiking is perfect for a romantic getaway is because of the scenery. The scenery is one of the many reasons why hiking is such a popular activity. No matter what hiking trail you choose to hike, there is a good chance that you will come across a wide array of landscape. Many hiking trails are set next to rivers; therefore, there is a good chance that you will get to see some waterfalls. These waterfalls, as well as the other scenery types that you may come across are perfect for romantic getaways.

In keeping with romantic getaways, hiking adventures can last as short as a few hours or as long as a whole week. Many individuals who go hiking choose to stay onsite, often at an onsite campground. This is nice, as when you are camping you are one with nature. This setting is perfect for privacy, as well as romance. As for family vacations, camping overnight at a hiking park is also nice, as it adds another fun activity for you and your family to enjoy. If you are planning on hiking with your children, there is a good chance that they would find the camping part just as exciting as the hike itself.

Speaking of activities, when you go hiking, you will likely end up visiting a hiking park. Hiking parks are often home to a number of different hiking trails. In addition to being home to a number of hiking trails, as well as a campground, you will also likely find a number of other activities for you and your family or you and your romantic partner to participate in. For instance, it is not uncommon for a hiking park to have a playground or a swimming pool. This means that you and whoever else you are with may enjoy playing a few outdoor games or going for a swim. In today’s society, hiking isn’t just about hiking anymore.

As you can see, from being outlined above, hiking is the perfect way to spend your next family vacation or even your next romantic getaway. If you are interested in enjoying a hiking adventure, you may want to think about making your reservations in advance. While you may not necessarily need a reservation to just go hiking, you may need one if you are interested in camping out overnight. Making your reservations in advance will help to ensure that your next hiking and camping adventure is as memorable as possible.

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Discover Some Tricks To Getting Cheap Airfare

Philippine Resorts — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:47 +0000

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Discover Some Tricks To Getting Cheap Airfare

Anytime you are able to get the chance to save any money with your airfare tickets, you had better jump on them because a lot of folks unfortunately miss out on several of these because of not choosing the time out to search them. It’s the better part of being capable to travel truly because the benefits of saving money don’t simply stop at the airport, this will make it more relaxed for you to enjoy yourself when you do actually arrive at your destination.

Whenever you can find out how to get these cheap airfare ticket deals you will simply be surprised at how easy it actually is to purchase them. The internet offers numerous choices available to you, for these purposes. One matter to keep in mind is that you need to look at purchasing a return ticket. Several of the airline companies will offer you some discounts on your returning flights, and they’re just slightly different than the one way tickets would be. Whenever you know the precise date in which you should be coming back, then you should consider trying to purchase these tickets in good deal early. You should realizing that a few airfare ticket costs are substantially higher when they are in higher demand.

By discovering the correct websites to browse through, when you are researching on the internet for cheaper airfare ticket prices you are allowing yourself the ability of noticing some of the cheaper packaged discounted deals that are available to you, for your world traveling purposes. Be sure that you visit at any rate some of these discount ticket sites on the internet before you make your final pick, because if you spring into something too quick, you could find that you have for certain missed out on some better deal offers.

Bigger airline companies will have more pricey airfare tickets available to you since the tremendous amount of advertisements and marketing that comes in keeping them so fashionable. Attempt to avoid purchasing airfare tickets from several of these larger airline companies because you will be shocked by the expensive airfare costs. By selecting a smaller airline company, you will be seeing to it that you will get cheaper priced airfare tickets and at the same time be offered with all of their highest services.

If you are completely determined in getting some cheaper airfare tickets for your flying purposes, then all you have to do is maintain your choices open and always be really flexible on your flying schedules. Investigate all of your possibilities since you may notice that finding cheaper airfare tickets is easier done some of the times by just purchasing a packaged vacation deal or by deciding to purchase a last minute airfare ticket. A lot of folks don’t know of all of the savings that they could be enjoying because they have perhaps never checked out their options. It’s time to set out doing the researching essential in noticing cheaper, more affordable airfare tickets, because it is available to you, if you actually want it.

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Cruisers Rave About Princess Cruise Line’s Outdoor Movies

Philippine Resorts — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:00:45 +0000

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Cruisers Rave About Princess Cruise Line’s Outdoor Movies

Cruise lines are constantly geared toward providing a steady flow of shipboard entertainment for cruisers to enjoy. They want your time at sea to be just as exciting as the ports of call you’ll visit during your itinerary. While the standards (such as onboard casinos, Broadway-style shows and nightclubs) continue to have appeal, cruise lines are getting more and more innovative with their ideas. It was this type of what-would-the-passenger-want thinking that drove Princess Cruise Line to add “Movies Under the Stars.”

Unlike anything found aboard other cruise vessels, “Movies Under the Stars” is an impressive outdoor movie theater that Princess officials describe as a “Times Square-style, LED (light emitting diode) screen.” This is no ordinary TV, however.

With a monstrous 300-square-foot screen, featuring a 69,000-watt sound system, the “Movies Under the Stars” system is well equipped with enough lighting power to be seen clearly day or night.

Princess Cruise Line didn’t stop there. Strategically placed, this million-dollar entertainment system is located above the pool area for optimal viewing comparable to traditional movie theaters. Have you ever watched your favorite movie while floating in a pool or sunbathing? Now you can!

To make the experience fit the Princess Cruise Line style, ship officials decided to go overboard (so to speak). Passengers can make complimentary chaise lounge reservations for available features. At evening viewings, comfortable cushions and blankets are placed on the lounge chairs. Additionally, cocktail specials are available as well as free popcorn and other movie munchies. Would you rather do dinner theater? Poolside casual dining is also available.

With up to seven features playing throughout the day and evening, every member of your party will find something s/he enjoys. What’s in the lineup? Many family films including Spider Man 2 and Shrek 2. Concerts, sporting events – including NFL Monday Night Football – awards shows and other broadcast entertainment as well. One of the most popular events is Oscar® Under the Stars with the broadcast of the Academy Awards and a party.

“Movies Under the Stars” has been such a hit that Princess Cruise Line has retrofitted all its Grand Class ships with the giant screens.

“Movies Under the Stars” follows in the tradition of such other Princess Cruise Line innovations as Personal Choice Dining ®, the Cruise Personalizer® and the More Balconies® concept to make your shipboard experience all it can be.

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Digital Camera on Cruise Ship Vacation

Philippine Resorts — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:42 +0000

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Digital Camera on Cruise Ship Vacation

Today’s market is overwhelmed with tons of different models and new ones are being launched almost weekly. Top brands cover all aspects of digital photography as well as all types of users.

First choose the right camera and decide how many mega pixels (MP) resolution you want. Basic rule of thumb says that 2MP will give you film-quality photos up to 6×9 inches, 3MP up to 8×10, 4MP up to 11X14 inches and 5MP up to 14×17 inches. Of course, more mega pixels means more expensive camera so this choice depends on funds you have for this purchase.

Amount of mega pixels is not the only thing that determines quality of pictures, though it is the most significant. However there are many more features you need to consider when choosing a camera. Here are a few that are most important:

Choose a camera that has optical viewfinder beside the LCD screen. LCD screen has one drawback that is almost unusable under sunlight, and of course, cruise vacation means a lot of sunshine scenes. That’s why you should definitely need to have option of using optical viewfinder.

Image storage – this question depends on few sub-questions. How many pictures do you plan to make? How long your cruise is going to last? Do you have your computer (laptop) with you? Here you need to make a simple calculation before you go to cruise.

First check how many pictures you can store on your present card. Then multiply that with how many pictures you are about planning to make during cruise and you can approximately know how much memory you need. Example: your camera store 60 pictures on one 128MB card. Then you decide: “On my 7-days cruise I will make about 100 photos”. So simply get another 128MB card, which makes 256MB total capacity, and it should be enough for about 120 photos.

Tip: Always have more cards with smaller capacity rather than only one with big capacity. In this way if one card gets corrupted or damaged you will have your photos saved on the others.

Whole different situation is if you carry your laptop with you on cruise. If that’s the case you can transfer your photos on it on daily basis. Also, on almost every ship there is a photo shop available so you can use their service (either for transferring photos on some media or having them printed out), but keep in mind that they will charge for it. Price of this service varies from company to company and if you plan to use it, you better check prices before.

Batteries are also very delicate detail. Most of today’s modern cameras use rechargeable NiMH batteries. Murphy’s Law says that they will get dry out right at the moment you need them the most and there is no place near by where you can buy the new ones. This has been confirmed so many times that you should really follow general rule – always and absolutely always carry an extra pair of batteries with you (not to mention they should be charged night before).

Take some time and read manual and find out about settings. Learn how to use outdoor mode for shutting beach scenes and at evening dark mode for formal night. If you fail to manage these functions you will end up with pictures of poor quality.

Watch out for water – digital cameras are not waterproof, unless it is strictly specified. If you plan to have some photos during water sports activities it is good idea that instead of using your digital camera buy and use one cheap disposable waterproof camera that are usually available around.

Preserving moments for lifetime memories has never been more affordable and easier. Top brand manufacturers offer variety of choices and options to help you make the most of your cruise experience.

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