Europeans, especially Germans, Dutch, Scandinavians and the British tend to think of the Canary Islands as a winter sun resort. Of these, the British are probably the most likely to holiday in the Canaries during the summer.
In actual fact it makes little difference when you visit from the point of view of what weather to expect. The islands experience a fairly constant springtime climate all the year round. However, my Canary Island travel tip is to always bear in mind that all of the islands are cloudier and wetter on their north coasts or in their more northerly regions. This is where the moisture bearing trade winds make their initial contact with a land mass as they blow across the Atlantic ocean, often quite forcibly.
The best guarantee of constant sunshine and warm, dry weather is found on the south coasts of every island where even mid winter days provide plenty of sunbathing and swimming opportunities. It is also important to realise that fairly strong winds are prevalent all the year round, making what would otherwise be a sizzling African sun feel much less intense than otherwise would be the case.
One November in Gran Canaria, I experienced a dramatic variation of weather conditions. The Yahoo weather forecast predicted heavy showers, thunderstorms and lower than average temperatures for the following five days period. Official weather forecasts for Gran Canaria are based on Las Palmas, the island’s capital which right on the northern tip of the island. When I arrived, the airport area which is a few miles south of Las Palmas was certainly experiencing some gloomy weather, although it wasn’t actually raining there. Looking northwards, the sky suggested that it was indeed raining over Las Palmas itself. The wind felt chilly and I shivered in my tee shirt and shorts as I walked to the airport car park, where my hire car was waiting.
My destination was Maspalomos, on the south coast of Gran Canaria and less than 40 miles from Las Palmas. Here the weather was sunny, dry and warm, making me want to dive into the pool as soon as I had checked into my accommodation. For the full length of my ten day stay this weather pattern continued. Cooler, cloudy weather, producing several heavy showers and a chilly wind prevailed in the north, whilst I enjoyed warm, sunny days and balmy evenings in Maspalomas.
A not so positive experience occurred a couple of years later on the island of Lanzarote. It was the last week of March and we were taking a one week vacation at a Charco de Palo. This remote and very beautiful, naturist resort is situated on the east coast of Lanzarote, only ten or so miles from the northern tip of the island. The weather remained dry for the whole week, even though rain clouds frequently swirled around us in the incessantly strong wind. This meant that every time some cloud blocked the sun, we were immediately chilled to an uncomfortable level. The locals told us that they were unused to such a strong wind chill and they demonstrated this by wrapping themselves up in thick pullovers or even fleeces. Despite this, it was actually warm enough for us to sunbathe whenever the clouds kept out of the way of the sun’s rays. It was the evenings that were really chilly. Without the sun, the wind blew from the north between force five and force seven, leaving us no option but to eat dinner inside every night.
Although a constant cold, northerly wind of this strength is an unusual phenomenon in the Canary islands, February and March are often more likely to experience cooler weather than December or January. When this happens, exposed areas on or near to the northern coasts are best avoided. Throughout most of our wind blasted week in Charco De Palo, the southern Lanzarote resort of Playa Blanca was enjoying much calmer and sunnier conditions. Despite this we loved Charco De Palo and will return there one day, keeping in mind our own travel tip and going later in the year.
Archive for the Category »Travel Tips «
It is hard to imagine a more exciting, magical, and eagerly anticipated vacation than a Disney theme park adventure.
And because the prospect of the trip is so exciting, the planning process can be half the fun. Here is how to get started planning the trip of a lifetime, for a lot less than you might think.
Order Your Free Disney DVD
One of the first things you will want to do is take advantage of the free Disney Parks Vacation Planning DVD. This official Disney DVD takes you on a complete tour of both resorts. Go inside the parks and get an overview of the Disney complexes in both Florida and Southern California. Preview the water and roller coaster rides and get tips on where to go and what to do. The DVD also features planning guides, information on affordable places to stay, things to do, and upcoming special events. You can order it on the official Disney Parks website. (Simply do a Google search for “Free Disney Vacation Planning DVD.”)
Hotel Deals
The second thing on your list will be to find the best Disneyland and Disneyworld hotel deals.
Keep in mind that you will pay lower prices on both lodging and park tickets if you book your trip during the off season, which runs from October through April.
Disney resorts have a number of on site hotels, which bring lots of advantages, including discounted ticket prices and, of course, convenience. But the experience of staying in a resort hotel comes with a price: as much as triple the cost of other hotels.
If cost is the foremost consideration in planning your Disney vacation, begin an online search for hotels near the resort instead. Many of these neighboring hotels offer comfortable, clean lodging and may provide a complimentary shuttle service to the resort.
Accommodations range from value priced to deluxe, with amenities to match. Make a list of the features that are most important to you and refer to them when deciding on a hotel. If you do not mind parking your car and walking instead of using the valet, or if you do not mind limited room service, then you do not need to pay more for a deluxe hotel stay.
The distances to and from the park can differ, so be sure to ask about the location of the hotel in relation to the park, as well as whether the hotel offers complimentary transportation, such as shuttle bus or monorail service. There are lots of choices and you can find many different package deals depending on your budget and preferences. The Internet has made it so easy to compare Disney area hotels (and their amenities) at a glance.
Saving on Meals
Disney does not allow you to bring food into the park. But you can save money by having breakfast before entering the park and eating dinner after you leave. Lunch prices tend to be quite a bit lower than dinner prices at the restaurants inside the park, so you can experience the magic of a meal in the park for less.
You will be permitted to bring in bottled water, which is much less expensive than buying sodas and bottled water inside the park.
More Disney Travel Tips
1. Some hotels and travel agents offer discounts to nurses, teachers and government workers, as well as AAA, AARP and Entertainment Book members.
2. Make sure to purchase your tickets before you get to the park, so you do not have to stand in line when you get there.
3. Read your tickets and passes and make sure you understand what you are paying for. Remember, too, that some rides have certain height requirements for children.
4. Walking the parks may be fine for the adults, but you may want to either bring your own stroller or rent one for your child.
5. If you have a child who is too small for a particular ride, take advantage of the Disney “Baby Swap” option. All you need to do is tell the attendant. When you reach the front of the line, one parent will be able to ride while the other parent holds the child. When the ride is over, you switch. That way, neither parent has to sit out.
6. The weather can be unpredictable so do not be caught off guard. Make sure to bring an umbrella, ponchos and some cool weather clothing. Plan ahead for rainy days by having a list of indoor activities you want to do in the area, as well, just in case of an extended downpour.
Though a Disney vacation may seem overwhelming during the planning stage, rest assured that a little bit of planning now will make for a more relaxed, memorable (even magical) vacation that you and your children will remember for a long time to come.
The romance of the world s most popular building still astonishes in its power and beauty .In addition to the Taj Mahal ,Agra houses the great monuments of the red fort and the I ‘ Timad – ud-Daulah, but to experience beauty and have to endure the less attractive sights of one of India s least prepossessing towns .Like Delhi, agra stands on the right bank of the river Yamuna .The polluted conditions of the river is a reminder of defect that agra today is one the Uttar Pradesh s largest and most industrialized Cities .Numerous crafts and service industries have flourished ,associated with the large tourist traffic- hotels and transport ,carpets ,pietra dura work in marble , zari embroidery and leather – but there are also many small –scale engineering industries visitors are subjected to a barrage of high power selling .Despite it all ,they experience still unmissable .you can avoid some of the hussle by staying at Bharatpur or Fatehpur Sikhri and visit Agra for the day.
India is still the largest movie producer of the world, producing an average of 1000 movies a year. Since 1931, when the talkies were introduced, India has produced more than 67,000 films in more than 30 languages. Today Bollywood – the Hindi cinema counterpart of Hollywood – is no longer catering to a limited audience, it has gathered a large worldwide audience, especially among the NRI’s through its international quality along with the blending of east and west. Bollywood has come a long way since 1896 when soundless movies made its advent into India with the Lumber Brothers. “Raja Harishchandra” in 1913 made by the legendary Dadasaheb Phalke heralded the birth of the Indian film industry. Today popularly known as Bollywood certain rules remain unchanged in Bollywood – the Hindi cinema equivalent of Hollywood. Actors still break into a song though the venue is a discotheque. As of today songs are played at weddings, festivals, nightclubs, cutting across the numerous ethnicities and lifestyles of Indians, as well as the Indian diaspora spread across the globe. Demonstrating that westernization need not affect the Indian identity.
Travel Tips
Traveling has always been one of the most fun-filled, exciting, entertaining and most of the time informative activity that you can totally enjoy by yourself or with your friends & family. With the help on the internet we can easily find travel agents online that can assist we in getting affordable discount Hotel Booking, India Tours Package and India Holidays or any other budget travel promos and travel packages that their online India Travel agency offers.
It doesn’t matter if we already have pre-arranged travel deals or just last minute travel arrangements because there are a lot of best travel online travel portal to choose from that can accommodate we needs. As travel agents, we should also need to make preparations yourself and not purely rely on our travel agent. These are some important travel tips for you to take into account to experience a hassle free travel and vacation tour.
As much as possible, plan your trip early. If you’re traveling during holidays, it is best to look for online travel deals from internet at least a couple of months before the beginning season. This way you can even have a chance to book under discount travel package promos which travel agencies usually offer in advance.
Next good tip is to maximize your tour budget. Make a complete list of your proposed budget in advance and try to follow your tour budget list at least up to the degree that you can. Make food your number priority followed by your lodging necessities. Take also into consideration the age bracket of your group. If you’re going to travel with our children, their needs and safety should be on the top list of priorities.
Other of the travel tips you need to take into account is to familiarize yourself with your travel destinations. If you still don’t have a place in mind you can choose from the top ten travel places online. If you and your company want to have a beach get-away then you might want to check websites about the popular and wonderful South Miami Beach or the magnificent coast of Acapulco. If your budget and time permits it, you can even try checking out the wonders of Asian beaches like the renowned Boracay in the Philippines. Ultimately, wherever you plan to go, you must have an overview of the place and its surroundings to avoid difficulties and disturbances.
next important tip, and a very sound advice, is to take care of your belongings. You read this tip, see the sign at every subconsciously know that this is significant, however, with all the fuss there is during travel Tour plus the excitement you feel, there will be moments that your belongings will slip into your mind. And this moment of yours becomes the shining time for thieves to take advantage and stole your possessions.
And aside from your budget travel tour list, make one checklist that enumerates everything you need to do and to accomplish before, during and after your vacation. You may be teased by your family and friends as having an obsessive-compulsive disorder but shrugged it off. Remember, being prepared is a lot better that being sorry.