Five Tips to Secure A Kid-Friendly Travel Rental

For middle-class starting families, booking any mainstream kid-friendly hotel is financially unattainable. But the good news is, there are alternative accommodations that provide the basic features a family needs while on vacation. These are cheaper and much better in terms of personality.

Finding a Vacation Rental

Many people these days rent out private homes when the owners themselves are on holiday. Holiday home swapping is becoming very popular in places like the UK and U.S., where each family takes on the other’s home. So, if you fancy holidaying in the UK, check out the web for Brits who wish to holiday where you are.

Others own a second property which they let throughout the year. These are great alternatives to complexes or hotels. It is far cheaper and lets your family experience an authentic vibe by being inside a local’s house.

Private Lets can be Anywhere

Private letting is becoming so popular that wherever you want to go, somewhere there will be private accommodation available. The big tourist areas in any country will have private vacation rentals. Apartments and condos are available in the tourist centers, towns and cities. Houses and cottages are available for those wishing to get away from it all in the countryside, or wide open spaces. With airbnb, it’s so much easier to find all these rental properties.

Check for Child-Friendly Features

Those advertising private holiday lets on the internet usually include plenty of photos. Photos will usually include outside property snaps and pictures of each room. If you are in doubt, provide the children’s ages and ask related things that might be causes of worry, such as nearby ponds and rivers, or busy roads outside of the rental.

Babies and Toddlers

If your family has babies or small toddlers, make sure the required equipment is available, like cribs for babes or high chairs for toddlers. A few favorite toys can be taken with you, as well as baby alarms and intercoms.

Points to Watch

The great majority of private landlords are honest and trustworthy. Unfortunately, there are always some people who are just in it for the money. If you’ve never dealt with the agent or person offering you the private accommodation before, do not pay the full cost of your holiday stay before even arriving at the place. Forward a deposit, with the balance on arrival. That should be perfectly acceptable. If the homeowner is adamant, better look elsewhere.

Finally, if you like the idea of buying a property to let out, you can select and buy a condo for sale on Zipmatch in minutes. With the large amount of available real estate in the Philippines and other countries, you can choose your favorite place to have your very own holiday property with the family.

 

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Top-Rated Attractions in New York City

New York, popularly known as new York City or the City of New York to emphasize its distinction from the New York State, is the city with the highest population in the United States. The city is home to lots of attractions for its visitors. Here are the top-rated tourist attractions in New York City.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, popularly referred to as Met, houses more than two million works of art. Its collections include American decorative arts, photographs, musical instruments, costumes, arms, armor, Egyptian art, and many more. Also, another part of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts is the Cloisters, and it is situated in the northern Manhattan. It specifically deals with architecture and art from medieval Europe.

Rockefeller Center

The Rockefeller Center is a vast entertainment and shopping complex at the center of Manhattan, and it hosts the NBC-TV and radio, and other media houses. The Rockefeller Center has an outdoor skating rink that is popular during winter. At Christmas time, an enormous tree stands in front of this building. This place hosts restaurants, an observation deck, and shops. At the center is the 70-storey RCA Building, which is a towering and slender structure that provides views of mid-town Manhattan. If you want to see the city’s skyline, go to the top of the Rock Observation Deck. This deck is set on three floors: the 67th, 69th, and 70th floors. It has indoor and outdoor viewing areas that are open to the public 24/7.

Fifth Avenue

The Fifth Avenue has built a reputation as New York’s premier shopping district over time. Many great designers have stores along this renowned avenue. The Bergdorf-Goodman, Cartier, Tiffany, the Saks Fifth Avenue, and the famous Apple Fifth Avenue and many others can be found in this posh street. You can also enjoy a walk here even if you are not a shopper.

Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge, built in 1883, was the first bridge to be made of steel in the whole world. The bridge lies across the East River from Manhattan. This bridge is an American landmark that has been an inspiration to generations of painters, poets, and songwriters. It is in 1855 that John Roebling bore the idea of the bridge and worked out all its details including its double granite towers and suspended steel cables. Unfortunately for Roebling, a ferry crushed his foot in June 1869 while he was determining the site of the Brooklyn tower. He died of tetanus three weeks later before he had broken the ground. It was Roebling’s son Washington who picked up the reins and completed his father’s grand plan.

Times Square

Formerly known as Longacre Square, the Times Square was named after the New York Times tower in 1904. The newspaper first posted headlines along its moving sign in 1928. Located in the center of the Theater District, the Times Square began to decay during the Depression when most theaters shut down. The city improved the area by inviting corporations such as Disney to occupy the area. Currently, the Times Square is much safer during the day or night, and it is bustling with restaurants, theaters, and shopping galore and mammoth billboards.

New York City is a beautiful place to visit, and it houses a plethora of fun places to visit and things to indulge in. It also offers lots of accommodations in areas surrounding the city. Websites such as Mohonk Mountain House facebook page and others can give visitors great ideas on where to stay when visiting New York City and its environs.

 

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Your Own Cabin In The Woods

John Muir had it right; so did the seven dwarfs. A cabin in the woods, delightfully tucked away amid tall trees, woodland critters, and the soothing sounds of nature, seems like a bit of heaven. It is a wonderful escape from pollution, the stress of city traffic, and the everyday noises of modern civilization. It is a marvelous place to refuel the mental tank and rejuvenate the spirit.

A Different Perspective

A cabin rental is also the ideal opportunity to share some quiet, special time with a sweetheart or spouse. There, a couple can cuddle and coo as well as explore. Surrounded by the forest, secluded with their thoughts, a couple can truly explore each other and themselves. Walking in nature's living room gives one a perspective that is impossible to gain in a city environment.

A Wondrous Family Experience

A cabin in the woods is also an inspiring place for families. Children get a chance to experience the enchanting beauty and intrinsic spirituality of the forest. There can be no better learning experience than eager, curious children exploring the wonders of the woodlands. Families can bond there, unhindered by the external influences of a high tech society bent on capturing their attention 24/7. Instead, they are blissfully captivated by the natural sounds of the wind rustling through the trees and the chatter of woodland creatures. '

Amenities Abound

There are many websites that offer cabins in the woods. Sites like Beavers Bend Log Cabins, which features Beavers Bend cabin lodging vacations, offer log cabin settings for couples, families and large groups. Online, one can find log cabin vacations located coast to coast. Many of them feature a number of amenities and options, including hot tubs, fishing and large group dining. One thing they all offer is peaceful surroundings.

In fact, many professionals use log cabin rentals to clear their head and get a fresh look at a new project. Writers and artists, in particular, enjoy the solitude that a cabin in the woods provides. There, they can focus on their creativity, undisturbed by outside distractions.

A cabin rental is not only a wonderful way to escape; it's also a great place to catch up with yourself. Sit on a porch; listen to nature all around you; watch the sun set or rise; it is a true spiritual uplift.

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Mix Rustic and Urban in This Canadian Getaway

If Canada is on your vision board for an eventual visit, you have a few different options to put on your radar that are worthy of checking out for your next vacation. The country boasts multiple LGBTQ-friendly travel destinations that are off the beaten path and worth considering for both short getaways and lengthier bouts of travel. One of these is British Columbia’s Salt Spring Island, known for its creative atmosphere and mash-up of rustic and urban. 

Located in the Strait of Georgia, Salt Spring is the largest of the Southern Gulf Islands. While this area offers plenty of secluded spots such as quiet and picturesque beaches where you can take a break from the hubbub of civilization, it also offers art museums and other activities, and is a short distance from Victoria via a ferry ride. The atmosphere is LGBTQ-friendly in part due to the active group Gay and Lesbians of Salt Spring Island, or GLOSSI, which is helpful in promoting businesses that are gay-friendly and owned. 

Nature lovers will enjoy the hikes through the forest where fairy doors adorn trees and rocks along the trek up Mount Erskine. Accommodations include a slew of charming bed and breakfasts dotted throughout the town such as The Hastings House Country House Hotel, a Sussex-style structure set on a sizeable waterfront estate. Learn more about Salt Spring Island along with other LGBT-friendly travel destinations by clicking on the following infographic. 



 

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Ultimate Tips How to Travel Cheap

If you don‘t sleep on a bag of money, but you want to see the world, today I am going to give you some ultimate tips how to travel everywhere and keep yourself in a budget and even save some money. These tips are easy to follow and they are going to give you an instant chance to book your dream plane tickets at a much smaller cost. So let me begin and let’s learn how to see the world within these few easy tips!

Follow Travel Professionals

There are some people, who actually travel for a living! So you can try to follow their journeys and also learn how to travel cheaper and easier. There are many special blogs that have articles about these adventures and also easy ways how to catch extremely cheap plane tickets and hotel reservations. Usually, these blogs tend to search for these cheap tickets and share it too. So just follow these traveling experts and you can travel much cheaper as well!

Use Coupons

It sounds weird, but booking hotels and tickets with the help of coupons is as possible as shopping for groceries or clothing! There are special coupons for many hotels that let you enjoy a much cheaper stay in high-class hotels all around the globe. All you need to do is to find these coupons somewhere, right? So you can search for it at hotel’s website, or at special coupon’s website. For instance, at ChameleonJohn. Just by simply looking through for some hotels or airlines you will be gifted with many coupons to use and reduce any price tag within a few seconds.

Do Couchsurfing 
One of the most ultimate ways to travel really cheap and reduce all your expenses is to use a service of Couchsurfing platform. Along with it, you won’t need to pay hundreds of dollars for a poor quality hotel room – you will get a cozy bed at almost zero cost! Couchsurfing is great because with it everyone can experience much more too. You can even find new friends in a country you are visiting and make your whole traveling experience perfect up to the notch!

Travel off-Season

If you really want to see that country, but you don’t care about the timing, then travel in it off the season. For instance, for travel to the Caribbean, save money by booking during hurricane season in the fall (but also consider buying travel insurance and closely follow the weather before you trip, and you should be fine). This is how you can still see all the beauty of the region and save tons of money. Also, traveling off-season means that you won’t need to deal with huge masses of tourists everywhere and enjoy better customer service too.

Volunteer

You can also use volunteering as a way to travel and experience the most of a country in a short period of time. By volunteering, you might be gifted with a privilege of free accommodation, food and transportation in a country. So all you need to do is to find a cheap plane ticket and you are all set. Also, in this way you can learn about social problems and help local people as much as you can. It will definitely improve your whole traveling experience to perfection and make you never forget about that time.

 

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Travel the World on a Limited Budget

Have you had more than enough of the limited scenery and sights that your home town has to offer you? You don't necessarily want to say "Sayonara" to your old alma mater, but you're certainly willing to explore other parts of the world. If you're coming up on your yearly vacation, you should be planning a trip to some new part of the world that your eyes have never seen before. It's the best way to keep you motivated on your work as you move ever closer to your desired goal.

Pick a Spot, Any Spot

Where do you want to go? Thanks to the rapid advancement of technology in the last few decades, you can pretty much just pick a spot, any spot. You can pick a favorite place that has always been high on your list of desired destinations. Or you can simply pick a name that sounds good, than research it on the Internet to see what the place actually looks like. No matter how you get your inspiration, once you've got it, it's time to put in the leg work that will make your vacation dream come alive.

Picking Your Ideal Vacation Destination

Are you ready to choose your ideal vacation destination? Perhaps a location "South of the Border" is what you crave. If so, you can make use of the magical powers of the Internet to help you get there. You can simply log on to your favorite travel reservation site, click a few buttons, and voila! Your reservation is made, and you can begin planning out all of the activities you wish to engage in once you arrive safely at your destination.

A wealth of information concerning hotel reservations and airline fares will be laid out directly in front of your eyes. It has been well and truly said that, "With the Internet, all things are possible", and nothing proves it quite like the brave new world of travel that has been placed at our fingertips. This is truly a great age to be alive.

Hipmunk's Handy Travel Guide Will Get You Up To Speed

For example, if the sunny beaches of tropical Southern Mexico are what you desire to experience this year on your vacation, you'll need Hipmunk's handy FAQ guide to staying in Cancun. This is an indispensable resource that is guaranteed to make your stay in hot Cancun a memorable one. Whether you're an aficionado of the night club scene, or just an old soft touch who craves nothing more than a relaxing day at the beach, Hipmunk can set you straight when it comes to finding all of the best sites in Cancun and beyond.

Hipmunk: Your Ultimate Travel Reservation Authority

Hipmunk is a website that has been specifically designed and engineered to play the part of your one stop travel authority. From your hotel reservations to your airline fare, as well as all points in between, Hipmunk is the travel site that allows you to pick your spot and name your price. Never before in all the history of mankind has there been a website that is quicker to navigate and more fun to use. No matter where your journey may take you, you can rely on Hipmunk to help get you safely there.

This article was contributed by Fiona Moriarty of Hipmunk.

 

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Visiting Cannes, French Riviera

According to B who has stayed in a cosy French hotel in Cannes a few years back when he was there for work, most of the hotels in Cannes are tiny and costly. So when we visited Cannes city in the beautiful French Riviera back in October 2013, the first thing we did upon arrival was to find ‘his hotel’ so he could show me the cosy but costly hotel he stayed in.

Waiting for the train

Heading to Cannes, France

 

Apparently ‘his hotel’ was still around and of course, evidence of me seeing the hotel in person was done via a snapshot! Too bad I couldn’t go inside to take more photos but I pretty much got the idea just by looking at the hotel from the outside.

Hotels in Cannes

B and his hotel!

Mariuca in Cannes

 

The last cosy but costly hotel I can recall staying in was the Hotel in London during our European Escapade 2010. Although tiny, it was still a wonderful snug hotel with friendly staff, good service and an excellent location as well, which played more importance than our need for a spacious room when we made our booking. 

If you’re planning to visit Europe any time soon, say Paris in France for example; worry no more about costly hotels in Europe! Whether it’s a 3-star hotel in France or a 4-star hotel in France, you are bound to find suitable accommodation at extremely reasonable rates, when vacationing in Europe. And when I say reasonable, I mean less than €100 for a 4-star hotel!

When and if I finally get to set foot in the city of romance Paris, I’d definitely be looking at these great deals too. Great hotel deals are always around online. You just have to look for them starting with the 3-star and 4-star stylish and charming QUALYS-HOTEL collection I mentioned earlier. 

By the way, our day out in Cannes was a hot and humid affair. I got tricked by the weather forecast and arrived in Cannes in sweater and jeans. Although it did get cooler later in the day, I told B that if we get to visit Cannes again during the same wet month of October, I’m just going to confidently wear something skimpy LOL!

Exploring Cannes

Cinema Cannes

B in Cannes

Am I doing it right?

Lovely Cannes souvenir store where I got myself a snow-globe

Al fresco dining in Cannes

Shopping & Dining at Rue Meynadier

Hanging out with Pinocchio

 

I’m leaving you with a few more photos of our Cannes visit. Next, I’ll probably blog about my romantic lovey-dovey lunch with B at Le Caveau 30 French seafood restaurant in Cannes. Until my next post, Merry Christmas to those celebrating and Happy holidays to the rest!

Yeah .. 'What about YOU?'

Cannes Carousel

Heading to the beach

Tourists in Train

Fun in the sun

Artist at work

A different kind of artist at work!

 

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