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Great Vacation Destinations in the United States
Sep 5th
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There are plenty of great vacation destinations in the United States, you can literally take your pick. From the east coast to the west, from the Rocky mountains to hawaii, now has never been a better time to take a vacation in the unites states. With the current state of the tourism industry in the US, you can find cheap deals and great bargains on travel all over the country. Lets take a look at some of the top vacation destinations in the United states.
Las Vegas, Nevada, otherwise known as “sin city”, has been around since the early 1920’s and has been providing fun and excitement for millions of people around the world. Looking for a place to gamble, take your kids to the zoo, then spend a relaxing night with your wife or husband overlooking the strip, then Las Vegas is the place to go. Its almost like spending a day in New York City, minus the commuting hassles, cold weather, and prices to match. If your looking for a ton of fun, regardless of how old you are or where your from, Vegas is a great vacation destination in the United States.
If you prefer to not be stuck in the desert, how about trying a beach on the Hawaiian island of Maui. From some of the worlds finest golf courses, to some of the most beautiful beaches you will ever see, Maui is one of the best destinations in the US, if not the world. You can go snorkeling, hike or bike down a mountain, or just relax on a beach with a frozen cocktail. And with airline fees cheaper than ever, you can find cheap vacation packages to Hawaii easier than ever before.
If your more into an action packed city type atmosphere you can always try New Orleans, Louisiana. In the spring and fall season, its practically always a Mardi gras session, where you can walk up and down bourbon street without a care in the world. While it may not be a great place for families, New Orleans can have plenty to do for couples. From lively jazz bars to unique dining up and down the river, New Orleans is a great vacation destination in the United States.
If your looking for other great vacation spots, and more importantly cheap vacation spots, 2havefun is your source for the best travel and vacation deals in the United States.
Practical Bali Travel Tips When Arriving at Nugurah Rai Airport
Sep 4th
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If you have just arrived at the Nugurah Rai Airport then here are some Bali travel tips that might come in handy. Especially if there is nobody from your hotel waiting for you at the arrivals hall. Because then there is only one option left for you: the airport taxi.
Unlike other airports throughout Indonesia, you won’t be approached or followed by dozens of taxi drivers asking you if you need a taxi. Instead at Nugurah Rai Airport all the taxi drivers are waiting for their customers at a taxi booth, indicated by a big blue sign.
Behind the counter you can see a list of all the major Bali travel destinations with the exact price behind it. After you tell the person where you want to go (hotel name, street name or village) you have to pay immediately.
And that’s that, so no need to pay the driver anymore later on.
I did hear, though from other travelers that when you are at the taxi counter you should know your exact destination and in which village your hotel is located.
It seems that the people at the taxi counter sometimes want to confuse you on where your hotel exactly is. Some village boarders are not very clear, especially in Kuta area.
So if you for instance say that you want to go to a specific hotel in Legian, the taxi drivers will claim that that it is located in Seminyak. This village is a bit further away so in the end you pay more then necessary. But from my own experience the taxi drivers are ok. Do make sure though, that the taxi driver actually drops you off in front of your hotel. One time our taxi driver did not want to make a detour through Kuta because everything is one-way traffic.
So he said that we could just get out as our hotel was just 1 minute walk away. But I guess he got minutes confused with kilometers. The prices of the airport taxi are of course a tiny bit more expensive than a regular taxi which cruises around town. But these regular taxis are not allowed to pick up any customers from the airport; they are only allowed to drop them off.
So you have no other choice then to go for the official airport taxi.
Make sure you keep this Bali travel tip in mind when you set foot on the beautiful tropical island after a 12 hour long haul flight. If somebody approaches you with a ‘better price’, decline it immediately.
I understand that it sounds tempting to go for a cheaper taxi ride, but usually at the end you pay more than expected and you’ll have a bad start of your holiday…
And let’s face it, if you are coming from Australia, Europe or the United States then a 1 hour drive for about USD 8 isn’t what I call expensive.
The airport taxi prices for the major tourist destinations are in Indonesian Rupiah:
Kuta: 40.000
Kuta Center: 45.000
Seminyak: 55.000
Sanur and Nusa Dua: 85.000
For hotels further away in Nusa Dua: 95.000
Ubud: 175.000
Candidasa: 300.000
Denpasar (depending on which area): 60.000 – 80.000
If you planning to use the taxi to go to other Bali travel destinations or if you plan head back to the airport then I highly recommend the Blue Bird taxi-company. Indonesians throughout Indonesia even prefer to hop in a Blue Bird, so you should too.
There are other taxi companies as well but their reputation isn’t that good as Blue Bird’s. Their drivers are very polite and always on time when you have ordered a taxi by telephone. That is a good thing to know if you have to catch your plane home at 6am, right?
The Decent Gran Hotel Bali ( Benidorm )
Sep 3rd
Filmed from the glass lifts at the side of the Hotel
Bangkok to Bali Overland, Part One Into the Bowels of Bangkok
Sep 2nd
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The mission was to travel over a big chunk of Asia from Bangkok to Bali overland, the reason to do it overland is that I was going to go scuba diving and was bringing all of my own dive equipment. Time wasn’t a factor but I wanted to do it as inexpensive as possible.
The trip from Bangkok started at my hotel on Suhkumvitt. I was going to cheat and take a taxi but when I asked how long it would take they said depended how bad the traffic jam was! Not an encouraging thing to hear, so I took the sky train for 15 baht to the new subway system and then for 26 baht, I took that to the end of the line at Hua Lampong, which is the main train station for Bangkok.
The sky train was uneventful but getting into the subway system was quite frankly a pain in the ass, the first thing that I ran into was a security guy and he wanted to check my bags, fair enough, but please point at which bag you want to search! It seemed like he wanted me to empty all 3 of the bags onto the table which had me none to happy, which I was very willing to share with him, so he looked in one little pocket that I pointed at and he said go ahead.
Then, after I got everything back on my back and headed in the right direction, I hit the cones and trapped my bags as I was going down the escalator which caused me to get all twisted up, I shared with the guard a few of favorite combinations of words that I developed under the tutelage of a salty sea captain and descended into bowels of Bangkok. I went to the machine to get the tickets, no problem; I am walking to go through the turnstile that is very tight.
Now on the sky train the security people open up the big gate, scan your ticket and no drama, but the subway people are trying to make some point that is lost on me as only staff can go through the big gate. They will not let you hand your stuff over first, again why is completely beyond me, so I managed after only two tries to get through with my 3 bags.
Now I must share that two days before I bought a new bag in Cambodia and of course the thing is falling apart, and I am dragging it instead of rolling like it is suppose to do. For me reason number 587 for leaving – Cambodia shoddy goods (sic).
Bali Travel Doc Part 01
Sep 1st
Bali is an Indonesian island located at the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country’s 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island. With a population recorded as 3151000 in 2005, the island is home to the vast majority of Indonesia’s small Hindu minority. 93.18% of Bali’s population adheres to Balinese Hinduism, while most of the remainder follows Islam. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music. bbtv broadbandtv powerdocs bali hindu indonesian world nature vacation travel tour tourism history ancient discovery destination religion diverse landmark social culture civilization building structure background adventure
Bali Coffee – Not Too Much For Everybody, Just a Classic Clean Cup of Coffee
Sep 1st
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Celebrated for its exotic musical and visual culture, Bali Island also produces a small quantity of an interesting coffee called Bali Coffee or Kintamani Coffee. It is conventionally wet-processed like estate Java Coffee and similarly delicate. However, this coffee is considerably more complex than most Java coffees. It is described as: softly and sweet, with unusual and rather striking aromatics.
Sumatra of course is the best-known origin from this part of the world, and most coffee lovers most likely have taken personal positions on the typically musty-earthy, mildly fermented richness of traditional Sumatra. Sumatra is not the only island producing coffee in the Malay Archipelagalo, however. Bali coffee or Kopi Bali is indeed new to the U.S. It was formerly sold exclusively to the Japanese market. Perhaps the uncertain economic situation in Asia, is maybe the only reason why we can enjoy this classic cup of joe in the United States. The Bali coffee is brighter in the cup than other wet-processed Indonesian coffees, and fruited with persimmon sweetness. It has a definite Indonesian coffee characteristic. It is a classic clean cup with great body and mildness!
When coffee is fresh, it gives off CO2 for several days. This wonderful, incredibly aromatic gas would explode a bag that was tightly sealed, but the one-way valve allows the coffee to release gas without allowing in any damaging oxygen (oxygen oxidizes coffee, making it stale). The heavier CO2 forces the air in the bag out the valve and leaves the coffee bathed in freshness-preserving CO2. After you brew your first pot, you will realize why freshness matters.
Bali Travel Information
Sep 1st
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Bali is just one of 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia and is definitely the most popular island target for holiday makers. All around the world, Bali is recognized as a paradise island with sun drenched beaches, white sand, excellent surf spots, fishing towns, and much more. When you travel to Bali you are not only going to stay in some of the most plush Bali accommodation that is on par with any other spot on earth, but you’ll find small towns that have not changed in centuries and it will be as though you stepped back in time.
Balinese people are extremely friendly and will always return a smile and attempt to make you feel as cozy as possible by providing wonderful services when you stay with them. Some places do not allow tipping, but you will always wish to even in the most costly restaurants because of the attention and service you’ll receive. The currency that is used in Bali is the IDR (Indonesian Rupiah) and coming from a developed country your money will go a long way.
Manners and respect are vital to the Balinese, so it is important to learn a couple of their customs. Although they are accepting of the westerners ways you will always find that people will be much friendlier if you try to observe there customs, even if you don’t get it right, they ‘ll appreciate your effort.
Some of the most significant ones that will cause offense are; never touch or pat someone on the head, including children as it is considered awfully rude. Taking your shoes off before entering someone’s house is a sign of respect. Pointing with your hand is okay, but never point with your foot. When visiting a temple, don’t hang any clothing on the temple walls, Balinese people take their religion seriously, always sit lower than holy objects and honored guests at marriages or ceremonies. When doing your washing hang your underwear on the lowest rung and if going for a walk don’t walk under a washing line so that underwear is above your head.
Getting to Bali is reasonably straightforward from any country and flights leave daily, though a stopover could be required from some places. There are no Bali visa requirements if you hold a passport of one of the Indonesian countries and most other nationals can get a visa simply. VOA (visas on arrival) are available at the airport when you land and cost between $10 and $25 depending how long you are staying, a $25 visa will give you 30days. Never overstay your visa as the Indonesian countries are very stern when it comes to this.
Before you decide to go to Bali, always be sure to check with your doctor for any shots that you may need. The reason that Bali is a beautiful country is that it is tropical and with the superb foliage and marine life comes some nasty little bugs. You’ll be quite safe if you get all your jags before you leave. One thing that you should not do is drink the tap water, and some people advise not to clean your pearly whites with it either. Bottled water is inexpensive and widely available so use it. If you don’t you could end up with a thing by the name of Bali Belly and you do not need or want this.
Taking a few cares and following some simple advice will make sure that your vacation is a problem free one and that you can enjoy all that Bali has to offer which is a lot. Given that a holiday is generally short it is important to head this advise as a bad case of some tropical infirmity could devastate your holiday and see you lying in bed for the whole duration.