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- How to Save $50 on a Fall Escape with Expedia
- Travel Tips: 10 Ways to get Through an Airport Delay without losing it
- 8 Night festivals you shouldn’t miss
| How to Save $50 on a Fall Escape with Expedia Posted: 12 Oct 2010 06:03 AM PDT Expedia just released a new coupon code available for a limited time only! From October 12th through October 16th, this single-use coupon is valid for a discount of $50 off of a new booking on Expedia.com of a vacation package that includes a stay at an Expedia Special Rate hotel of three or more consecutive nights and at least one non-refundable round-trip air ticket. The cost of the booking must be at least $500 before taxes and fees. On the vacation package billing and delivery page you will see the link ‘I have a coupon’. Once you click on the link, enter EXPEDIAOCT50 and receive $50 off their purchase! Travel can occur between October 18th and December 15th but must be completed by December 31st, 2010. This is a special, limited time offer, so take advantage to drive extra sales! Please see below for the link and coupon code!
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| Travel Tips: 10 Ways to get Through an Airport Delay without losing it Posted: 11 Oct 2010 10:30 PM PDT
If you find the prospect of spending the next 24 hours in the airport lounge unappealing, that's alright because it is. However, that doesn't mean that you'll have to brave the long wait and camp out there. All you really have to do is to plan ahead of time. Before you head out to the airport, look at this checklist first. In any possibility that your flight will be delayed, you can at least cushion the inconvenience. Weather forecast Are you the type of person who never once trusted the weatherman? While predictions days ahead of time may be precise, weather forecasts a few hours before your flight are most likely right on the money. Turn on the TV and watch the news the night before your flight. Perhaps you can find out where your plane is coming from (just type the plane code on the airline's online tracker and you can get the information). Look at the weather there and the weather in the location you're coming from. Next, check the weather in your destination. Even if it's bright and shiny in your hometown, flights can still be delayed if there's a tropical storm troubling the waters and the skies of the country you're going to. If everything is bright and peachy, nothing but engine troubles can stop you from making that flight. Still, just to be on the safe side, look at the other tips we have below because you might need them. Hotel Reservation If the airline you're booked in has a notorious reputation for delayed flights, you might want to think about reserving a room at a hotel nearby. There are a lot in most airports, especially with flight attendants looking for bed spaces to rest while they take their own flights. These hotels can cost a lot, what with the high demand for them. Still, all you have to do is to cancel your booking if your flight takes off as planned. Some airports have internet access so you can actually book or cancel a room through your laptop. Of course, if you're traveling through a small airport (where flight delays are actually more likely to happen), there might not be any internet access. You can still book or cancel a reservation with the nearest hotel through your mobile phone (which hopefully has a signal in that spot). Just save all the important numbers in your phonebook. Speed dial No matter how many times you've experienced flight delays, the tendency for most is to panic. As a result, they forget where they've saved the hotel's number, forget what to do in the first place, and just be frustrated for at least 30 minutes and do nothing productive at the airport's lounge. A good anti-anxiety plan is to just save the most important numbers (hotel, family, friends) in our mobile phone's speed dial program. If you think you're not going to remember all of the numbers you've assigned, edit the names of the numbers you're supposed to call in case of flight delays. Use numbers, and instead of saving the hotel number with the name of the hotel alone, put the number "1" before it so it will appear first in your phonebook. Put the number "2" and so on to your other important contacts so they'll appear as a list on top of your phonebook. With everything so organized even before the delay happens (if it does happen), you're least likely to suffer from an anxiety attack. Other options Even if you prefer one airline over the other (whether it's because of the price or because of their aircrafts), it's still good to know your other options. Look at the flights from other airlines and see if there are any which match your own flight schedule. If you're in a hurry to get to your destination, you will need to purchase another ticker from another airline. Tentative reservations come in very handy when you're trying to transfer your tickets. Look at this scenario: if there's even a single delayed flight in an airline, calling up the airline hotline would be futile. You'll be competing against 800 other passengers who are trying to book for other flights. However, if you've planned things ahead of time, all you have to do is to walk to the other counter and have your plane tickets swapped. There might be a small cost to this privilege but at least you're not stranded in the airport. Go online There is a limited number of call center operators who can assist you just in case there has been a delay in your flights. The best way for you to keep yourself in the loop is to check the airline's website religiously. A day before your flight, check the website for alerts of flight cancelations. Some sites even allow you to bookmark a particular aircraft so you know if it'll make it to your airport. Some airlines even go as far as to give you suggestions in case your assigned aircraft is in trouble. It might scare the techie-challenged traveler, but it's very convenient for others who are very uncomfortable about sudden changes in travel plans. Call ahead of time If you're lucky, you'd be talking to an airline that's transparent about its operations. Most likely, though, call centers would cover up the glitches of the system—engine troubles, included. This means that if you do call, you'll probably not know about a flight cancelation until a few hours before the supposed take off time. Still, this is the only tactic you have left if you don't have access to the internet. Bring your entertainment systems The last thing you want is to be bored out of your wits because your flight is going to be a few hours delayed. With little delays like this one, it's impractical for you to reserve a hotel room just to watch a film for three hours. What you can do is to anticipate shorter delays like this one. Bring a book, magazines, a portable gaming device, extra battery packs for your gadgets, a media player, or a laptop. It's actually very easy to watch two hours go by in an airport if you have a laptop and internet access, but just in case you're taking off from a smaller, more primitive portal, bringing these boredom killers help a lot. Bring food Food at the airport can cost up to double or triple its regular price. You might actually have to pay for donut that's the price of gold. To conquer your hunger while waiting for that flight, pack sandwiches, salads, or pasta in your hand carry. Airport personnel won't stop you from bringing in food as long as they're in plain sight. Don't wrap sandwiches in suspicious looking aluminum foil because you don't want your lunch confiscated. For big airports, look at the amenities Those who are lucky enough to be taking off from the biggest airports in the world would have convenient and actually pleasant alternatives to kill time. If your flight is delayed for six hours, it's too short a time for you to be checking into a hotel and too long a time for you to kill by reading a book. However, a spa treatment would be a superb way to cut the waiting time into half. Look for spas in big airports and find out what the rates are. Like the food, airport spas tend to be pricier, but if you're trying to dodge the boredom, the price might just be worth it. Some may even have a shower room which will have you looking and feeling fresher despite the flight delay. For small airports, look for sanctuary Small airports usually look more like warehouses than real airports. On the first floor, you'll have lines and lines of chairs. The limited space might just mean you'll have to fight for a chair just in case any of the flights get cancelled. Of course, these tiny airports are always likely to have haven spots. Look for a small café that's preferably facing the landing pad. This way, you can sip your cappuccino and nibble at your cake while waiting, at a prime spot, for your airplane to land. These small airport cafes also have speakers which announce the arrival of the planes so you won't have to worry about missing your flight because you're not at the lounge. Some people avoid airport cafes like the plague because the food's price is hefty. That may be true for big airports, but for small ones, coffee and food price isn't so bad at all.
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| 8 Night festivals you shouldn’t miss Posted: 11 Oct 2010 10:10 PM PDT Festivals are the time of year where people from all walks of life mingle, have fun, and basically just have a good time in celebration of something special. Whether it's to celebrate the last night of the year or to welcome the opening of a new season, there's no lack of jovial spirit once you immerse yourself in the festival mood. Different countries all around the world have festivals of their own to commemorate special occasion. Traditions and customs may vary depending on each country, but usually, the affair is filled with lots of music particularly loud singing and energetic dancing, a surplus of delicious food, and fireworks. You may be familiar with popular festivals in your hometown or abroad, but have you ever attended a festival held at night? Just imagine hundreds of people partying the night away under a blanket of stars. Sounds pretty interesting, right? If the closest you've ever been to joining a nocturnal festival is when you go trick or treating during Halloween, you might want to mark your calendars and check out a couple of events that we've recommended below. Not only would this be a great time to plan your next vacation or romantic getaway, it's also a terrific way of learning about the culture and traditions of a foreign town by participating in one of their customs. What are you waiting for? Pack your gear, buy your plane ticket, and for once in your life, be thankful for jetlag! WHAT: LANTERN FESTIVAL WHERE: CHINA China has one of the oldest civilizations in the world and therefore it is no surprise that they have numerous festivals celebrating various occasions, people, and even objects like the humble Chinese lantern. This event is held after the Chinese New Year, approximately on the 15th night of the new year's first month. All across the country, lanterns are lit; from small villages to bigger towns, the entire place is illuminated in the warm glow of lanterns. What makes this especially interesting for tourists is that the lanterns we're talking about don't just include the basic red ones; modern lanterns now come in various shapes and sizes, all of which are cleverly designed. Some lanterns come in the shape of fiery dragons, delicate butterflies, and beautiful birds. Each one has a riddle posted on it, and a prize is given to the person who manages to solve the puzzle. WHAT: NEW YEAR'S EVE WHERE: RIO DE JANEIRO in BRAZIL If you're getting tired of the New Year countdown in your hometown and want to try something a little bit different next year, you can always book yourselves early for a flight to Rio de Janeiro and welcome in another year with a light and music. Year after year, around two million people make their way to Brazil's Copacabana Beach on the last night of the year to watch the colorful fireworks light up the otherwise dark and desolate sky. Aside from the booming fireworks, loud music is played which we all know is the cue for anyone in Brazil to swing their hips and start dancing the samba. It's tradition for the locals here to dress themselves in white and present an offering to the Sea Goddess known as Iemanja just before the clock strikes midnight. The crowds gather at the shore and cast out a number of things such as perfume, rice and flowers that are placed in small paper boats that drift out into the vast sea. The entire setting is made even more beautiful because of the many candles that are lit and set adrift as well. WHAT: TET WHERE: VIETNAM Celebrating New Year's Eve is a special time for renewal in Vietnam. In the hours approaching midnight, the Vietnamese people are busy sweeping their houses clean and putting up colorful decorations as if to bid goodbye to the problems that have beset them the previous year and welcoming the new one with hope and optimism. If you often find yourself making new year's resolutions and have trouble sticking to them, maybe it would be wise to spend the last night of the year in Vietnam and celebrate Tet. Here, families gather together to celebrate this special occasion. Everyone makes it a point to forget the troubles that have been bothering them for the past year and face another year with a clean slate. At home, families pray together always keeping their ancestors in mind; and outside, the celebration is highlighted by brilliant fireworks that light up the sky. WHAT: NOCHE DE BRUJAS WHERE: VERACRUZ, MEXICO If you get a real kick out of Halloween, chances are you'll have a great time merrymaking with the witches at the Noche de Brujas festival in Veracruz, Mexico. When translated, Noche de Brujas means Night of the Witches, and it focuses on anything and everything magical. This is the one night of the year where all of Veracruz's wizards, healers, witches and fortune tellers gather for a little bit of magic and lots of fun and entertainment. Travelers who are interested in checking out this truly unique event won't be disappointed with the intriguing things that are in store for them here. Here, you can even be "hands on" and try some stuff that you've definitely never done before such as casting a simple spell, or even bestowing a mild curse. Otherwise, you can learn how to mix some herbs as remedy for certain illnesses. WHAT: SUMMER SOLSTICE WHERE: GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND Every year, a crowd of hundreds of people belonging to the Druid community gather at the Glastonbury Tor and celebrate summer solstice or the longest day of the year. Participants gather in one circle to perform certain rituals: children toss petals, other sprinkle some holy water and at the end, fire is used to bless the service. This event is always held at the Glastonbury Hill, whose legend dates back to thousands of years, to the Arthurian times. WHAT: CHICHIBU YOMATSURI WHERE: CHICHIBU CITY in JAPAN There are a number of festivals in Japan that are celebrated at night. However, the Chichibu Yomatsuri is particularly unique to Chichibu City. This event is meant to honor the six gods that are known as the protectors of the city. Every year, the locals build six elaborately decorated floats that are paraded in the city streets; each one is meant to represent a god. The floats are decorated with intricate carvings, lanterns, and even tapestries. It doesn't take much to notice that their parade differs from lots of parades we're used to watching at home and on TV. Instead of having motors and running on wheels, these heavy floats are actually hauled by hundreds of devotees all chanting and making their way to the city hall. For spectators, a number of stalls are set up where you can buy some rice wine locally known as sake. If watching the devotees pull the float makes you hungry, you can buy some snacks from food stalls as well. Of course, no Japanese festival is complete without colorful fireworks shooting up into the sky. WHAT: LAYLATUL BARA'AH WHERE: PAKISTAN In Pakistan, there is one night in the entire year that is dedicated to seeking forgiveness. It is locally known as Laylatul Bara'ah, otherwise known as the Night of Salvation, and is celebrated during the Islamic calendar's eight month or the Sha'aban. This festival takes its root in religious practices, where faithful Islamic followers are encouraged to take a while and reflect on their actions. Everyone is asked to seek pardon for any wrongdoings they remember having done in the past. Mosques everywhere are filled with people offering prayers; it isn't uncommon for people to spend the night inside a mosques. This is also the time of year when cemeteries in Pakistan are filled with people offering prayers for their loved ones. Contrary to the common practice during festivals, participants fast during this time. This festival may be a bit solemn compared to the others on our list, but it surely does not lack for spiritual input. WHAT: SAN JUAN WHERE: SPAIN The Festival of San Juan that commemorates the start of the summer season is a relatively popular event in Spain that is celebrated with light and music. In the afternoon, people start working by building bonfires that will be lit later on in the evening and kept burning up until the wee hours of the morning the next day. Music is played and meant to fill the city streets to keep the atmosphere lively. If you're feeling burdened by certain troubles and are willing to perform a risky act in the hopes of magically solving them, tradition says jumping over any bonfire for three consecutive times should do the trick. Incoming search terms:• Glastonbury festival
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