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danasukontarak · 6 years

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Dana’s Travel Diary: So Icy in Iceland

In the past few years, you’ve undoubtedly seen more of your Instagram timeline in Reykjavík, Iceland, splashing in ethereal turquoise lagoons or showing off shitty, blurry Northern Lights captures. That’s largely due to the relatively cheap, direct flights offered from cities like Baltimore and New York by the fairly new (and often lamented) Wow Airlines, headquartered in Reykjavík. Nothing’s free on a typically hours-delayed Wow flight, and you have a decent chance of arriving to your destination without your checked luggage. I paid $250 for a direct flight from Baltimore to Iceland, though, which is hard to beat. Add the $44.99 carry-on luggage charge and it was still $100 less than the next cheapest flight available. If you’re fine forgoing comfort for six hours (and don’t need to check a bag), this is an amazing deal.

It’s cheap getting to Iceland, but it’s by no means cheap staying there. I stayed at an Airbnb flat about 40 minutes outside of Keflavik airport, where the hot water smelled like rotting eggs (which we realized was not an uncommon occurrence there). My rental car was an Opel Corsa, and despite it being a low-quality compact car, cost 75 dollars to fill (which I had to do twice in 3.5 days). Stumbling through directions written in Icelandic, I used my debit card at the gas station and ended up with over $400 in temporary authorizations hanging out in my account. Later, a Twitter friend informed me that I should have used a credit card at the station instead.

I arrived on a Friday morning and had a day by myself before my friend Ayanna got there on her more comfortable and expensive Delta flight (with a free drink, in-flight movie and blanket -- but also with an annoying three-hour layover in New York). I booked a Golden Circle tour, which took me to the famous geysers and the Gullfoss waterfalls. I witnessed one of the world’s most active geysers, Strokkur, erupt twice within a few minutes, which was truly extraordinary and unlike anything I’d seen before. The advice from my tour guide: “Don’t look away, it’ll erupt as soon as you do.” People camp out around the outer borders of the geyser area with cameras ready to capture the explosion, sometimes waiting 10 or 20 minutes to see it. The Gullfoss waterfalls were breathtaking, but not even the most amazing waterfall I visited. The great outdoors in Iceland is so visually varied. It’s like four or five of the distant planets from Interstellar. Glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, black sand beaches, volcanoes and peculiar rock formations all join up to create a terrain that is at once wondrous and intimidating.

On Saturday, Ayanna and I went to the Seljalandsfoss waterfalls, which was recommended by my friend Marianna, who’d just left Iceland the day prior to my arrival. Her text: “You NEED to check out this waterfall in Seljalandsfoss. I won’t say anymore, and let you discover the magic yourself!” When we pulled up blasting Cardi B, we immediately saw the astounding height and ferocity of the first waterfall. As we walked along the path to the other waterfalls, we saw what Marianna was talking about. There was a hidden waterfall, which you could climb up towards with the assistance of an anchored chain to help you lift yourself atop the potentially icy rocks. After snagging this view from above, you are then able to walk down and over stepping stones through shallow water, to stand at the bottom of the waterfall, semi-enclosed in the cave-like structure. If you’ve never felt insignificant in the world and would like to, I highly recommend this Icelandic adventure.

From Seljalandsfoss, we headed 45 minutes away to the city of Vík, home of fabled black sand beaches. At Reynisfjara Beach, I felt like a martian. This was the first beautiful beach I’d ever been to where I didn’t want to run straight into the water. There were definitely no beach towels or bikinis in sight. Posted signs actually warn visitors about sneaker waves, or disproportionately large coastal waves that accompany smaller ones, without warning and with sometimes deadly consequences. A handful of tourists have died at this beach after being carried away by a wave that crept up on them. The rock formations at this beach are basalt sea stacks, which look like a bunch of concrete steak fries, arranged with wild yet careful abandon. The rocks on the black sand are perfectly round and smooth, or jet black and shiny. They reminded me of what masseuses use for hot stone therapy, and I took a few with me.

The next day, we headed out to the Blue Lagoon, certainly the biggest tourist attraction in Iceland. There are many options for natural hot springs, but this one is huge, beautiful, and worth every penny of our $99 “Comfort” level admission. Walking from the parking lot to the entrance of the spa compound was the coldest three minutes of my life. Once we entered, we received our towels and magnetic wristbands, which allowed us to purchase drinks at the lagoon bar (and provided a first free drink). From inside, we waded into the water, which was a surreal light blue and sporting the slight sexy scent of sulphur, and made our way outside through a half-submerged exit door. The average temperature of the water was about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and felt amazing on my body as my ears and hands froze. If you are coming to the lagoon, bring your own waterproof case (the bag kind, which you can get on Amazon for super cheap), because you will need one and won’t want to pay 2,900 Kronas ($29 USD) there. Although I had a Lifeproof case, I was still hesitant to dip my new iPhone X all the way in, hence my numb and frozen hands. The bar at the lagoon is pretty good, with selections of wine, beer, slushies, and fruit and veggie juice smoothies. I had two Proseccos, a strawberry sparkling wine and two green juices. Because I didn’t eat that morning and I suffer from AFR like many of my far east brethren and sistren, I was a goner by 1 PM. If you know me, you already know how that story ends. If you don’t know me, I’ll spare you the vomitrocious details.

That night at 9 PM, we were scheduled for a 5-hour Northern Lights tour, but I was dead. Ayanna went solo and was able to use long exposure on her professional camera to capture the itty-bittiest bit of green and pink swirling in the night sky, which she said was pitch black to her naked eye.

We left on Monday. Had I stayed a minute longer, I may have had to file for bankruptcy upon my return. Just kidding, but this is the only island I’ve ever been to without the utter cheapness of everything making you feel like foreign royalty. It makes sense, after talking to some friends, because Iceland has to import everything. Most likely, none of the ingredients on my $27 chicken kabob platter originated in Iceland.

This was an amazing trip for the gorgeous natural landscapes alone. Had I been ballsy enough to be more of a spendthrift, I would have indulged in the lamb, arctic char, gourmet hot dogs, seafood soups and more. For the short amount of time I spent in Iceland, it made a strong impact on my experiences as a traveler and world citizen. Getting out of your comfort zone by way of travel is one of the more enjoyable keys to personal growth -- and when you have views like the ones in Iceland, even frigid temperatures can’t stop your experience from shining.

#iceland #seljalandsfoss #waterfalls #travel #danastraveldiary #wowairlines #gullfoss #bluelagoon #bluelagooniceland #reykjavik #keflavik #travelblog #travelwriter #travelwriting #hotsprings #northernlights #blacksandbeach #reynijsfara

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dheerajkochhar · 4 years

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ITS LOCK ON for Indian Real Estate

LOCK – ON means 'Disambiguation' which refers to the removal of ambiguity by making something clear.

We never would’ve imagined a day when 1/3rd of world’s population would be in a lockdown. While the wrath of the lockdown has totally changed our lives, putting our work and finances in a jeopardy, our future will depend largely on how we utilize the time available today. The lockdown gives us ample of time to ponder upon key decisions taken and to be taken, explore avenues for reviving the finances, make mindful investments and rectify the unpreparedness with which we are facing today’s situation. Make a choice now, whether you want to repent over what went wrong or make lemonade out of the lemons life (or the virus) has thrown upon us. If you choose the latter, then this article is for you to read ahead.

This pandemic has rightly taught us that uncertainties come unexpectedly. How prepared are we to face an adverse situation again?

Businesses are adversely hit and job security has gone for a toss, leaving us in a catch 20 situation. Talking about investments, the FDs, Stocks, shares that we invested in are witnessing negative returns. Our priced possessions like jewelry and gold are locked up in banks and not helping us get through the situation. Fancy cars are stationed in parking lots, unused. The alternate investment options like SIPs, Mutual Funds too aren’t performing.

Remarkably, one thing that has stood between us and the disaster is HOME. A sense of safety and security that a home brings for a family is irreplaceable. It is a physical as well as an emotional comfort zone where one heals and recuperates through tough times. Man, right from the stone age has been wandering in search of a home (caves), to protect himself, establish a family, dwell in and flourish.

A critical question arising out of the Covid19 scenario is what will be the fate of home buying and Real Estate post the lockdown?

Studies and reports suggest that the real estate sector will decline; witnessing the worst hit till date and survival will be a challenge. However, as said by Benjamin Franklin, “Out of Adversity comes Opportunity”. The sector also flashes rays of positivity and you would be intrigued to know about the potential to INVEST in Real Estate, against all the current odds.

Real Estate will be the most reliable investment option, considering the conditions of banks, share market crash and capital depreciation or any other option that may appear to be safe initially.

Why will the Indian Real Estate sector grow faster than that of the world?

1. The world economy will go into recession this year with a predicted loss of trillions of dollars of global income due to the coronavirus pandemic, spelling serious trouble for developing countries, with the likely exception of India and China, according to a latest UN trade report.

2. The virus pushes U.S.-Chinese relationship towards fracture; the fallout from the global pandemic threatens the recent U.S.-Chinese trade deal and could undermine future global stability. This rift will lead India to gain interests of global investors and companies. These investments open doors for better infrastructure, leading to the opening of multiple employment opportunities. These factors directly balm the upward movement of real estate in India.

3. China lost its goodwill and trust from investors and the corporate world, owing to the (rumored) conspiracies in the way the country handled the spread of COVID 19 to the world. After China, India is the only country with the capacity to handle the magnitude of the Global scale, in terms of manpower, resources, transport systems, etc.

4. India so far, has augmented trust in handling corona and has bravely fought pandemics in the past too. Indian Real Estate gains appreciation form world economists for its perception as a Nation full of values and ethics, leading India with great avenues to become a Global Superpower.

5. NRI investment in real estate is bound to improve amidst Rupee fall.

While the above conditions make India a lucrative hotspot of real estate investments, below are few points to consider towards real estate buying:

Emotional Investment: In India, owning a home is a matter of pride and esteem. The sentiment runs around passing the home possession as a heritage from parents to the future generations. Interestingly, after our first name, ‘Home’ is second most used Word in the world every day. Ultimately, whatever be the circumstances people across the World will not stop investing in a home or buying real estate.

Statistics: The Indian Real estate growth trajectory, since the past few years was likely to emerge stronger and is projected to be USD 650 Bn by 2025 and USD 1,000 Bn by 2030. Residential, commercial and Retail are the three key asset classes, which have primarily been contributing to the sector’s growth. Real estate contributed nearly 6% to India’s GDP in 2017. As per the projected growth trends, the sector’s contribution is likely to rise to 13% of India’s GDP by 2025.

· Real Estate – Largest Employment Generator: After agriculture, Real estate is the largest employment generator in the country, creating tremendous opportunities for the skilled and unskilled workforce. India’s Real Estate employee base is estimated to be 67 Mn by 2022.

· High Tangible Asset Value: Real estate is not paper money, this is the asset you can hold tangibly which again increases its reliability and return on investment.

· Competitive Risk- Adjustment Returns : Based on July 2018 data from National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF), private market Commercial Real Estate returned an average of 9.85% over the past five years. This credible performance was achieved, together with low volatility relative to equities and bonds, for highly competitive risk-adjustment returns.

· Attractive and Stable Income Return (Specially in Commercial space): The rental yield from real estate is much higher than returns on any traditional sources of investment. Commercial investment can yield upto 12% ROI and lowest to 5% ROI (with capital appreciation) depending upon the construction stage and lease terms of the property.

· Inflation Hedging: The inflation hedging capability of real estate stems from the positive relationship between GDP growth and demand for real estate. As economies expand, the demand for real estate derives rents higher and this, in turn, translates into higher capital values.

· Long Term “Assured” Wealth Building Asset with “Predictable “ Returns and least Risk :- Real Estate helps you build wealth in long term due to dual advantage of Regular “Predictable” Returns (yield is higher than Dividend Returns) and an “Assured” Capital Appreciation in long term, don’t be scared of Corporate Scams, while they can affect the company’s stock price or your bank’s health, but it cannot junk out the value of real estate you own

· “Helps you Raise Money Quickly” - Hard Asset is the most preferred collateral for a Bank, to raise capital through a loan (LAP/LRD) your property is the best asset you could own!

· The Ever Rising FSI Benefit - “Wine and Real Estate improve with Age” - While as per accounting standards real estate is not a depreciating asset, in practical life too an older development can reap benefits of redevelopment wherein due to ever increasing FSI norms of MMR the incoming developer would not only offer rent for transit accommodation and corpus as hardship allowance, but also offer at least 25% to 30% enhanced Area (which is of great value as remember, 1 sq.ft of Real Estate in Central Mumbai is valued more than 10 gram of gold) !!

· Work from Home Culture: We are in the middle of the largest test of home-working in history and corporates are adopting, refining and testing policies, processes and infrastructure to make it work. We expect quarantine protocols to encourage work-from-home initiatives and for these practices to be adopted in new geographies as the contagion spreads. Large multinationals who recently, and publicly, announced the scaling back of home-working practices now indicate a desire to embrace widespread use of this practice until the outbreak passes. So commercial demands and co-working space or bigger house may increase.

· Student Housing: An unusual market development that is gradually emerging is student housing in India. Real estate consultancy firm, Anarock Property Consultants says that of the 37 million students pursuing higher education in India, more than 75% live away from home. Existing hostel facilities can accommodate only 18%-20% of this migrant student population. Developers in Mumbai & Pune have already ventured into this space that offers 7% returns.

· Co-living market size across India’s top 30 cities is expected to grow more than double by 2025 to $13.92 billion from current $ 6.67 billion. The demand for co-living in terms of beds is slated to grow to 5.7 million from 4.19 million, while the share of private beds is likely to rise from 15% to 30% of total demand in the co-living segment, showed a Cushman & Wakefield India report.

· REITs are a great investment avenue not only for institutional investors but also for retail investors, who find it difficult to invest in the commercial real estate, which has a better rent yielding than residential properties. Unlike other equity investments, REITs provide assured returns to the investors through a compulsory dividend distribution policy. REITs are mandated to distribute 90% of their net distributable income as dividend. There is also a further upside potential for the investors from periodic property valuations. India's first listed REIT, has gained 50% since listing in March 2019 as against a 10% gain in the Nifty Realty Index and 5% return of the benchmark Nifty 50.

· India’s improved rank on Ease of Doing Business and the courage to implement reforms such as DeMo, RERA, and IBC are indeed creditworthy. These are expected to yield fruitful results in the future and help establish Indian real estate as a preferred destination for global investors, occupiers, and homebuyers.

WHY REAL ESTATE DURING LOCKDOWN?

Probably most of the people interested in buying real estate would be holding their decision till the lock down opens due to speculations in the market or risk pertaining to economic conditions. Yet for any clever investor who is observing the current market will testify buying of real estate during lock down to be the smartest move. Here is why –

1. Reduction in Home loan rates: On 27 March 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced the repo rate by 75 basis points (bps). The reduction saw the repo rate reduce from 5.15% to 4.40%. New home loan rates start at 8% from 1 March 2020. So indeed this is good time to buy your home if the decision was just hiding behind the corner for some better rates or good units.

2. Low Demand – Value for Money: Real estate is facing deficit demand in the market which leads to generation of various attractive offers by Developers. To maintain the good books, builders are currently offering very low rates, lucrative payment plans and additional offers resulting in lowering the cost of property. End-user can expect to buy a property as low as the launch price during this lock down.

3. Reduction in Stamp Duty: The Maharashtra government on March 6 announced that it is reducing stamp duty on properties by 1% for Mumbai, MMRDA Region and Pune for a period of two years.

4. Passive Income: Various small investment options are being introduced in the market starting as low as 5 lacs in real estate that too with a rental income. This is again an opportunity to create a separate asset class in your portfolio and start a source of passive income.

5. Demand- Supply breakthrough: Due to low demand, discounted rates on good inventories are available. But once the economic condition will start settling, the bargain will reduce and demand will also start floating upwards. The rates will not be as low as they are now during lock down.

6. Segment Shift : Earlier Lower middle class people used to buy 10 to 12 Lakh property. Now middle class will buy those as an investor and rent it out to lower middle income group. Similarly shift will take place on affordable segment likewise. Middle income group will emerge as new investor community.

7. Strike the Iron when it is Hot: We all must have heard this at least once. But it’s time to implement the strategy to gain extensive returns on the investment. Not only the rates are strikingly low, the return on investment that are being offered by some Developers is as high as 15-18%.

Final Thoughts:

Your Money is SAFE IN Indian Real Estate

- Regulator like MahaRERA leading the cause of timely justice,

- High Court Judiciary being extremely proactive and pro-consumer / investor,

- NCLT giving prompt hearings and orders favoring customer and financial institution and lastly

- The Supreme Court judgment re-affirms the rights of the homebuyers as financial creditors under the bankruptcy code....

Simply put, it means that homebuyers share equal rights of recovery in the developer's assets which are liquidated as part of the bankruptcy process

The Bottom Line

Real Estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away, purchased with common sense, paid in full, and managed with reasonable care , IT IS ABOUT THE SAFEST INVESTMENT IN THE WORLD.

Real estate is a distinct asset class that is simple to understand and can enhance the risk and return profile of an investor’s portfolio. On its own, real estate offers competitive risk-adjusted returns, with less principal-agent conflict and attractive income streams. Though ill-liquidity can be a concern for some investors, there are ways to gain exposure to real estate yet reduce ill-liquidity and even bring it on-par with that of traditional asset classes. Real Estate investing even on a small scale, remains a tried and true means of building an individual’s cash flow and wealth.

“BUY Real Estate in areas where the Path EXISTS , AND Buy MORE Real Estate where there is no PATH, but YOU can Create Your OWN. Don’t WAIT to BUY Real Estate , BUY Real Estate and WAIT.

Thoughts Compiled By :

Dheeraj Kochhar

Capitor Ventures Pvt Ltd

Navi Mumbai

References :

Anarock Report March 2020, Varsha Rathore, Zricks.com, Pic Credits: Google stories and newspapers

#realestate #realestateafterlockdown #coronaimpactonrealestate #mumbaiproperties #capitorventures #stayinvested #buyrealestate #realestatebadhiyahai

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jimbarancarrental · 5 years

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Car Rental in Jimbaran

Just recently, starting in the last 2 years there has been many American visiting Bali for their holiday and rented a Bali car rental service for their land trip. Although the USA is not on the Top 10 Country who visiting Bali but no doubt some day they will be in the Top 10. Below is one of our conversation between Ms. Jennifer (who stay in Jimbaran) one of our car Bali renter when she requested a Bali car rental service from our company.

Dear Bima Sakti Representative,

My friends and I are interested in renting a car in Bali and will stay in Jimbaran bay area for the following days:

Date: Wednesday, December 20th to Monday December 25th.

Do you have a car available for rent for a totally of 6 days? We have a few more questions:

1. What is the cost per day to rent a Bali car?

2. Do you have Automatic Cars available for rent in Bali? - Unfortunately we are not comfortable with driving manual in a different country.

3. We are from Japan & have a Japanese Driver's License – do we need to obtain another license in order to drive in Bali?

4. Where are your pick-up and drop off locations? - What are the pick-up and return times? - Do we have to drop off the car at the same location as it was picked up?

We look forward to experiencing Bali with Bima Sakti.

I hope to hear from you shortly,

Kindest Regards,

Please note for the automatic gear car there is available in the Toyota Avanza, this is also also as a Car of The Month. So please find the rate and availability below.

TOYOTA AVANZA is available on the 20 - 25 December, Self Drive at USD 25 x 6 Days = USD 150 NET (No Hidden Charge!).

Dear, Thank you for your detailed information and quick reply – my sincerest apologies about my delayed response. We would like to proceed with renting the car through Bali Car Rental.

Car Detail: TOYOTA AVANZA

Rental Date: December 20th – 25th

Cost: USD $25 x 6 Days = USD $150 NET

Method of payment: VISA

Here are the following driver information:

Name: Michael Sangelo

Country: United States of America

We are in the process of applying for an international driver’s license, just in case.

Flight Details: Flight Number: FD 398

Date: Wednesday, December 20th.

Time arrival at Airport: 01:10am

We would like to pick up and return the car rental at the airport.

Question: By what time do we need to return the car on Monday, December 25th?

We look forward to hearing from you shortly, please let me know if you require any further information.

Kindest Regards,

Jennifer

Although the guest's (Ms. Jennifer) landing time on mid night time we are ok to still pick them up at the airport. Furthermore they will stay close to the airport which is in Jimbaran area.

Actually we are okay to pick up all the guest at any arrival time. It's free of charge. Some of the guest preferred to just receive the car rental in the morning at their hotel instead of receiving it at the airport.

This happened usually because of the guest had been picked up by their hotel, or they just like to order a taxi at the airport and transfer them to their hotel for check in Jimbaran.

#jimbaran car rental #jimbaran car hire #car hire jimbaran #rent a car in jimbaran #car rental in jimbaran #toyota avanza #jimbaran automatic car rental #bali car rental with driver #bali car hire #bali car rental airport

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theopenrhode · 5 years

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J'adore French Polynesia! Our honeymoon

Beautiful sunsets seen from a private overwater bungalow were the motivation to keep going during the slog of wedding planning. We plotted an insane honeymoon that ticked off many of our usual adventure travel requirements…multiple destinations, a plethora of activities with little rest, and a few splurges along the way.

Tahiti is a collection of islands in the South Pacific and the name can refer to the entire collection or just the solitary island. Following the advice of many savvy planners before us, we used Tahiti as a jumping off point and headed to many of the more remote and pristine islands to get that true South Pacific feel. Our trip included Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, and Tahaa all in a whirlwind 10 days. While Tahiti is an expensive locale, with some creative planning, you can still construct an affordable trip…AND get that all important overwater bungalow.

Use Those Air Miles!

First, a world about award travel. I was determined to use my miles to pay for the airfare portion of this trip. This, I concede, is a costly flight and being able to get there on miles surely saved a bundle. It does take a PhD in award travel to make this one happen though. As you may know, on American Airlines, you can generally only book award travel on their direct airline. As soon a trip involves partner airline, you must call to explore feasible dates. The problem is that Air Tahiti Nui does not offer a large number of award seats and you could conceivably be on the phone for days attempting to find a workable flight from the East Coast to LAX then Tahiti with award seats. Know that award seats usually open about 270 days in advance; be ready to book early. The other suggestion is use Expert Flyer which is a $5 per month subscription (or one month free after you sign up which is all you need for this endeavor) which lets you search Air Tahiti Nui’s airline for available award seats. Arm yourself with all your flight numbers before you call to reserve. And then in the word’s of Tahiti’s native language..Voila!

Tahiti

The flight from LAX to Tahiti is roughly 8 hours and will arrive early in the morning, so I’d advise having the hotel store your luggage and freshen up before you venture out on Day 1. (Also, grab 2 bottles each of duty free liquor if you choose as it is quite costly on the islands) Tahiti has a bustling downtown with a large open air market and many shops. It’s definitely has the city feel and not exactly what many people envision when they book to Tahiti…they are thinking along the lines of Bora Bora. Nevertheless, we rented a car to tour the main stops which was absolutely worthwhile. We visited Teahupoo a world famous surfing destination known for an enormous break that crashes directly over a reef…not a place for amateurs. We also made a stop at the Arahoho blowhole, a natural rock formation that channels a forceful incoming wave into a small rock tunnel creating a huge blowing spit of water. Our accommodation for the night was the Manava Inn and Suites which is a newer hotel with an amazing infinity pool just perfect for catching that first South Pacific sunset. We dined at the nearby Blue Banana which sits on the water and offers typical Polynesian fare heavy on seafood. The next day we hit up the open air market and grabbed some incredibly fresh smoothies before heading back the airport to head to Moorea.

Air Tahiti Multi Island Pass

Another quick point on airfare between islands. There is a ferry from Tahiti to Moorea that is pretty affordable and would be much cheaper than the plane. However, if you are planning to visit multiple islands, Air Tahiti offers a pass that lets you hop multiple islands for a fixed price. We chose the Bora Bora pass which included potential visits to Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea (from here you can ferry to Tahaa), and Maupiti. Their guidelines for these passes are that they must start or finish in Tahiti or Moorea, you must visit at least 2 islands, each island can only be visited once, and you have to book all of your flights at the time of booking the pass. We capitalized on this pass as it allowed us to visit more islands without tacking on a costly plane ticket each time.

Moorea

In Moorea, we definitely saved the most as we rented an airbnb and cooked most meals for the 3 days we stayed. Our airbnb was incredible and you can view it here. It overlooked the ocean and was constructed mainly out of wood which they imported from Asia with a vast deck with small whirlpool and free kayaks to use. As an added touch, the caretaker greeted us with leis and fresh pineapples and bananas. Check out our video tour of the property! We also rented a small car (the Twingo) which was just large enough for 2 people and 2 suitcases, but it was quite useful for getting around. I would recommend a car for Moorea…there is a lot to see and even if you are staying in a resort, get out and explore! The island is very navigable. Moorea has a main road that circles the entire Island and the drive can be made in about an hour and a half and the driving is the same side as the US which makes it simple. Places we stopped included a drive up to the Belvedere Lookout where you can overlook Opunohu and Cook’s bay separated by the mighty Mount Rotui, a snorkel at Motu Beach at Les Tipaniers Hotel, and a stop at the Moorea Juice Factory (lots of delicious samples!). We chose not to do any organized snorkeling tours here as we planned that later in the trip though it is rumored to be amazing on this island. The island also has a lot of hiking and we did a few short hikes to idyllic waterfalls. Mostly, we enjoyed our waterfront rental with incredible kayaking and snorkeling in front of our door. We also loved using the ample kitchen and having private dining for two (my husband is quite the chef! Me..not so much). Groceries could be pricey but if you capitalize on the items that the French are known for, you’ll find it isn’t so terrible. For example, bread and cheese are both delicious here and you can grab an entire baguette for about 1 USD. In fact, baguettes are so popular here that they have adorable baguette mailboxes where you can get fresh baguettes delivered daily! We definitely indulged in a good portion of cheese and bread! My final cuisine tip is to grab the local produce. We stopped at several roadside fruit stands and grabbed from the tree pineapple which was mouthwatering.

Bora Bora

The next island up on our mini Tahitian tour was the famous Bora Bora. There are some that say it’s overrated…but I really think it’s beloved for a reason. It is beautiful beyond words. I mean the island is literally shaped like a heart…can you beat that for a honeymoon? Flying in you can glimpse the iconic Mounts Otemanu and Pahia rising up in the middle of a turquoise lagoon surrounding by numerous small motus (small reef islands surrounding an atoll). A large number of the resorts are located on motus surrounding the main island. The Bora Bora airport is also located on a motu so everyone who arrives will need a boat transfer to get to the main island. Most accommodations will arrange this for you. However, it is simple if you are doing it unaided. Air Tahiti offers a free shuttle ferry that leaves the airport about 20 minutes after your flight arrives and transports you to Vaitape village, one of the main villages on the island. We used this on the return trip to the airport and it was easy. Arrive to Vaitape about 1.5 hours ahead of your flight and there is a luggage trolley to place your bags, the cost is free, and it will take about 30 minutes to the airport. We stayed at the Sofitel Bora Bora which offers both a mainland option and a private island option. We lucked out a bit here as we booked the mainland option in an overwater bungalow. However, the mainland resort was under construction during our stay and they moved us out of our overwater bungalow. We got ourselves an upgrade to the Sofitel Private Island so we could still have that iconic bungalow. They have a private boat transfer from the airport (at a cost) and as we arrived in Bora Bora on my birthday, we splurged and arrived to the resort in high style! The bungalow here was incredible with a huge bed on which they’d written Happy Birthday in flowers, a glass window in the floor to view the fish swimming below, and a large deck and swim platform. Their private island included the use of kayaks, a gorgeous deck to watch the sunset, and a free shuttle to the mainland. Take your kayak around their island and when you are about 180 degrees from the resort, get snorkeling…there is a hidden underwater message made of coral that says “I LOVE BORA BORA” that makes for quite the underwater photo. Their restaurant on the island was delicious but, as with most resort dining, pricey. Cocktails run about 20 USD each and meals around 30-50 USD. However, an ample breakfast buffet was included. While it is easy to stay in your gorgeous resort for your ENTIRE stay, get out and explore Bora Bora! We rented this adorable tiny car called a Twizzy which essentially felt like a go-cart (see pics) but got us around. If you’re feeling peckish, there are multiple “snack” stands on the beach offering basic Polynesian fare and sandwiches, salads, fries. We ate at Snack Matira on Matira Beach, a large white sand public beach with a beautiful turquoise lagoon. A must do is the obligatory visit to legendary Bloody Mary’s where scores of celebrities have eaten and their names are written on a large wooden board outside of the door. Here you’ll find casual tables atop a sand floor and roaming roosters throughout the restaurant. I’d advise going for lunch as it gets packed at dinner time. Finally, we did a one day swimming with sharks tour which I’d highly recommend. We used Shark Boy Bora Bora which was a half day tour of sharks and stingrays. They picked us up at the hotel and we had a small group that went just outside of the lagoon to swim with black tipped reef sharks (and one very large lemon shark and a moray eel!). On our way back, we stopped to feed the stingrays. The guides were super personable and everyone aboard had a great time…don’t forget lots of sunscreen and your waterproof camera!

Tahaa

Our final island stop was the flower shaped island of Tahaa where breezes carry the sweet vanilla aroma down from numerous vanilla farms that dot the island. We boarded a nighttime flight to Tahaa and arrived around 7 pm. This island was our honeymoon finale and our splurge luxury accomodation. Here we stayed at the impeccable Le Taha’a Private Island Resort and Spa which costs about 700 USD per night. This was definitely way above our usual travel budget but we wanted that final overwater bungalow honeymoon experience. Here though, I will add that I initially booked this many months ahead of time on Orbitz at the 700 rate but I always try to book refundable rates and as the date approaches recheck. I lucked out as about 2 weeks before, the rate reduced to around 500 or so per night so I cancelled my initial reservation and rebooked saving hundreds. I love Orbitz! The service at this Relais and Chateaux hotel was excellent. From the moment our bags hit the luggage carousel, a representative from the hotel had them in hand and whisked them and us to a spectacular teak boat that would transport us to the resort located on it’s own private motu. The boat ride is about 45 minutes and if we could, we’d have chosen an earlier flight from Bora Bora to make this trip in the daylight; however, the arrival was no less impressive with a cavernous open air lobby and fragrant flower crowns for our heads. The room was nothing short of incredible…a huge bed in the middle of a very spacious room adorned with a bed of flowers fashioned into a heart shape greeted us. There was also a glass topped chest at the foot of the bed that could be opened to view the fish. A huge soaking tub (with another small fish window) and large polynesian wooden doors separated the bathroom from the main room. A huge floor to ceiling glass slider gave us a dream worthy view of the turquoise waters surrounding the motu and a giant private deck with lounge chair completed the very impressive bungalow. You could also walk down the wooden steps from your deck directly into the water for a quick dip to cool off. I think this was the MOST spectacular room in which we have stayed. The rest of the resort packed no less of a punch. There is a large infinity pool with a pool bar, named Le Place, and two other on side restaurants, Le Vanille, the main restaurant which feels like you’re eating in a treehouse, and Ohiri, a reservations only dining space. Similar to other Tahiti resorts, the food here is very costly, heavily seafood based and cocktails cost about 20 USD. We did dine here a few times and it was very delicious; however, we much preferred room service where they would set up more basic fare (club sandwiches, burgers, pastas) on your private deck and the setup was pretty grand. The final tip is that you can take their free shuttle to the mainland and there is a basic pizza place, Ma’a Viti Pizza, located there to grab a quick bite. It is really the only place near the resort to dine that you can get to from the resort’s private motu and the food is inexpensive and it is a nice contrast from the pricey resort options. Of note, the resort frowns up bringing this back to their motu, so you can either eat it there or you’ll have to smuggle it in! Mostly we relaxed at the resort and enjoyed their Coral Garden teeming with thousands of fish located just steps from the bungalow located in the channel between the resort and the neighboring motu. It was really simple to don your suit and snorkel gear and hop in numerous times a day. Tip: Walk all the way up the garden to the very end were the current enters and then you can just float through the coral garden with the current and feel completely weightless while you watch beautiful fish pass by. Here we also saw an octopus and a lion fish! They also supply kayaks and paddleboards for free so you can get out and explore the crystal clear waters and watch rays pass under your board. We did one full day tour while in Tahaa which was quite a packed day including a tour to a rum distillery, a stop at Iaorana Pearl Farm, a vanilla farm, and a ride out to swim again with black tipped reef sharks. It was the utmost in convenience with a pick up and drop off right at Le Taha’a’s dock and a midday stop at a private motu for a Polynesian lunch. We did actually book this tour directly from the hotel, which we rarely do, as it was convenient to get the dockside pickup. We ended our honeymoon at Le Taha’a watching the sunsets on the western part of the motu which overlooks Bora Bora…not a bad way to end a honeymoon.

Champagne Splurge

Le Tahaa was our major splurge this trip. We NEVER spend this much per night on an accommodation, but Le Taha’a is glamorous. While costly, it still is a bargain compared to splurging on an overwater bungalow on say Bora Bora which can easily cost $1K per night or more. My advice would be to pick a place to splurge for just a few nights and use less expensive options like an airbnb on the other days.

Champagne 'Buzz'worthy

There is no better place in the world to purchase vanilla than on Tahaa…the Vanilla Island. Tahaa produces 80% of French Polynesia’s vanilla and a visit to a farm is an educational experience to learn this labor intensive process. We visited La Vallee de la Vanille which gave us an overview of the process and we purchased some vanilla to take home. Decadently fragrant and worth the cost!

Insider Tips

Take advantage of duty free liquor while at the airport. Liquor and cocktails are pricey in Tahiti and you can take 2 bottles of liquor AND 2 bottles of wine/champagne per person and they don’t count toward you luggage weight!Consider the Air Tahiti multi island pass if you plan on visiting more than one island. It can result in substantial savings.You’ll need more sunscreen than you think! and it is pricey out in Tahiti so make sure you pack enough for your stay. For those with longer hair, consider a spray detangler for your hair. I find this to be essential for snorkeling. It helps to smooth hair that may have been snagged by a snorkel mask or seaweed.You really need a waterproof camera for this trip - the wildlife is all under the water and you’ll want to capture the proof that you had a shark weaving it’s way toward you.One of the major costs of your Tahitian adventure is dining. Try to get off the resort if you can and you’ll find local food much more reasonable. Or, even better, use an airbnb for some of your stay and you can do some cooking. Eat like the French with baguettes and cheese and you’ll save quite a bit.Do spurge for the overwater bungalow for the quintessential experience but you won’t need it for every night of your stay…switch things up and use it for only part of your journey. Read the full article

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familydestinationsguide · 5 years

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The Grand at Moon Palace Reviews: Unbiased Look at the Cancun Resort

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Overview

Located along Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on the Riviera Maya, the Grand at Moon Palace offers a luxury all-inclusive escape for families. Located outside of the lively Hotel Zone, it’s about eight miles from Cancun International Airport (CUN).

With nightly entertainment, a full schedule of activities and lots of dining options, this Cancun beach resort will appeal to families with tots, teens and tweens. Grand guests can also use the amenities at the two Moon Palace sister properties located within the same complex (Sunrise and Nizuc).

The large resort atmosphere and vast array of amenities at the Grand may be overwhelming to some. There can be a lot of walking from section to section (and even from the lobby to the beach). If this doesn’t fly with your group, you’ll want to check out an alternative. Those who love a lively resort, poolside parties and lots of on-going activities, however, have come to the right place.

If you’re looking for the Grand at Moon Palace reviews for your family’s next vacation, keep reading to get all the details.

What We Love

Water park with slides, a wave pool and a lazy river for the whole family to enjoy

Excellent kids’ clubs with bumper cars, mirror mazes and mini golf

Nine pools with swim-up bars, lounge chairs and an adults-only pool

Access to three resort properties with pools, a spa, entertainment, restaurants and activities

What we Don’t Like

Beach is often disappointing and covered with seaweed

Large resort complex means you might have a long walk to get to certain areas

Location and Layout

Address: Chetumal Km. 36.5, Riviera Maya, 77500 Cancun Quintana Roo, Mexico Phone Number: (800) 817-1792 Website: The Grand at Moon Palace

Things to Consider Before Booking

Budget

Packages

Family Interests

Check-In Time

Budget

Between airfare, hotel, food and activities, budgeting a family vacation can appear to be a daunting task. One of the best ways to take control of the budget monster is with an all-inclusive package. When you have everything bundled together, it makes it much more manageable. You’ll probably find that it’s not that far out of the question. Consider booking your flight and hotel together for even more savings.

Packages

All-inclusive packages at The Grand include accommodations, food and beverages (including top shelf alcohol), activities, non-motorized watersports, entertainment, room service and taxes and gratuities. You can usually find a holiday package for the Grand at Moon Palace.

Adding in transfers to and from the airport helps to make things a bit more stress-free. There are on-going golf, kids-stay-free, honeymoon and anniversary packages as well as other cheap deals, so be sure to ask your travel agent.

With a stay of five to eight nights, you can get up to $1500 (USD) in resort credits. These credits can be used for “extras” like the spa, tours, the dolphin experience and golf. With more nights, there’s even more resort credit available. Even for just a three-night stay, you’ll get $500 (USD) in credits.

Family Interests

If your family is into pools, lively entertainment and outdoor activities, you’ve come to the right resort. You can also gather your crew and head out to the El Rey Mayan ruins or the Mayan Museum. Bicycle rental is available, and there’s a 27-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course nearby (about 10 minutes by golf cart).

For a really fun and unique experience, book a tour to Isla Mujeres where you can swim and snorkel the day away. Off-site activities are not included in all-inclusive package rates, but resort credits can sometimes be used. The resort concierge can help with tour reservations.

Check-In Time

Check-in time at The Grand hotel at Moon Palace is as soon as you arrive. Check-out is at noon, but late check-out is available.

Features & Benefits

Amenities

Family Activities

Kid Clubs

For Mom and Dad

Dining Options

Room Information

Wheelchair Accessibility

Amenities

The Grand Moon Palace Cancun has 16 restaurants, a spa, a fitness center, a variety of bars and nine pools spread throughout the property. The pools are smaller and spread out around the resort. This is a very effective way of preventing overcrowding. Grand section guests can use amenities at the adjoining Moon Palace property, which has 20 restaurants, bars, lounges and snack bars. Two pools include a kids’ pool with water features.

Family Activities

Between pools, water park and nightly entertainment, you won’t be at a loss for activities at The Grand. The hardest thing will be deciding what to do. There’s a full-size water park with slides, a lazy river and a wave pool. It’s worthwhile to note that there are age and height requirements for some of the slides. One has a minimum age of 12 and a height requirement of 62 inches. The other one has a minimum age of 10 and a height requirement of 47 inches.

The kids’ clubs have games, arts/crafts, arcade games, bumper cars, mini golf and more. In the evenings, enjoy music and magic shows in the resort theater.

The neighboring sister property, Moon Palace, has a Flowrider surf simulator that adventurous teens, tweens and even adults will love.There’s a swim-with-dolphins experience at Moon Palacee’s Nizuc section. Resort credit can be used for this.

Kid Clubs

Kids have got it going on at The Grand. The kid clubs have glow-in-the-dark mini golf, bumper cars, mirror mazes and more. There’s one for ages 4–7 and one for ages 8–17.

The Moon Palace property also has two kids’ clubs (one for ages 4-12 and one for ages 4 – 10). Wired Lounge, the teen club, has game stations, Wi-Fi, game tables, lounge chairs and a variety of parties and social activities.

For Mom and Dad

The Grand has an adults-only pool and restaurant. Book a relaxing spa treatment or mingle with a drink at several bars and lounges. There’s a nearby Jack Nicklaus golf course for you’re interested in practicing your swing. Don’t forget that you can also use the facilities at The Grand’s sister Moon Palace properties. They have a spa, fitness center and lounge areas as well.

The Grand has a library-inspired Speakeasy bar called, appropriately enough, The Library. From the outside, there’s a wall with books like a regular library. But it opens up to a bar. I’m all about secret hideouts, so I can see myself checking in here just for the cool factor.

Dining Options

Guests can choose from Mexican, Italian, Peruvian, Lebanese, a steakhouse and an International buffet, as well as many more cafes and snack bars, at The Grand and the adjoining Moon Palace.

Your sweet tooth will enjoy the 24-hour bakery and its selection of gelato, coffee, crepes and macarons. The French restaurant is adults-only.

The Grand really comes through with its kids’ menus. Each a la carte restaurant has its own kids’ menu (rather than the same chicken fingers and fries on every menu) with items in the same cuisine as the rest of the menu.

It’s advised to make reservations ahead of time, as the a la carte restaurants do fill up quickly.

Room Information

Rooms at the Grand have whirlpools, Wi-Fi, 24-hour room service and smart TVs. Choose from swim-up suites and garden view rooms with private balconies. The Family Deluxe Room has a room with a king-size bed and a connecting room with two double beds. There’s also an Xbox, kid-sized robes and a kid-friendly mini bar. This is a great choice for a family of four.

For a truly luxurious experience, consider the Grand Presidential Suite. It has one bedroom with a king-size bed and one bedroom with two double beds. There’s a furnished terrace and a separate dining and living area. It can accommodate up to six guests, which makes it a great choice for larger or multi-generational families traveling together.

Wheelchair Accessibility

The Grand resort has wheelchair accessibility. There’s an accessible pool in the resort’s sister property at Nizuc.

Customer Reviews

I’ve searched the Internet to find out what actual guests thought about The Grand at Moon Palace. They give high marks to the helpful staff, fun activities and great shows. Some of the shortcomings involved the large size of the resort and the lack of one main pool (there are several small pools). Check out what some of them had to say.

Alternatives

The Grand at Moon Palace vs Moon Palace

For lots of family-friendly activities and amenities with less of a “luxury” ambiance, Moon Palace makes a great alternative. It’s within the same complex as The Grand, but it may appeal to those with babies and toddlers as it’s more on the “lively” (or loud) side than The Grand.

The difference between Moon Palace and Grand Moon Palace is two-fold. The Grand is the more upscale property and has more restaurants, pools and upgraded amenities like a water park.

Guests at The Grand can use facilities across all three properties, but Moon Palace (which is divided into two sections called Sunrise and Nizuc) guests would have to buy a day pass to use The Grand facilities.

Excellent kid and teen clubs with bumper cars, glow-in-the-dark mini golf and more

Poolside activities and a Flowrider surf simulator

Optional swim-with-dolphins experience

See the newest deals at Moon Palace

Paradisus la Esmeralda vs The Grand at Moon Palace

If you enjoy a tropical setting among exotic flowers and mangroves, combined with access to cultural sites, you’ll want to check out the Paradisus la Esmeralda. It’s located further south of the Hotel Zone near Playa del Carmen. This puts it much closer to sites like Tulum and day trips to Cozumel. There are 22 restaurants and bars, a spa, a fitness center, two lagoon-style pools

Water park with five slides, giant water buckets and three swimming pools

Clubs and activities for tots, tweens and teens

Activities and entertainment such as Cuban cigar making, flower arranging, live bands and traditional Mexican dancing

See the newest deals at Paradisus la Esmeralda

Beach Palace vs The Grand at Moon Palace

The Beach Palace resort has three pools, four restaurants, a fitness center and a spa. Guests can also dine at some of the other Palace resorts, which is a nice option for foodies. It’s within close proximity to the shopping and nightlife of downtown Cancun.

Theater with nightly magic, music and aquatic shows

Kids and teen club with a pool and water slide

Adults-only pool and relaxing spa

See the newest deals at Beach Palace

Conclusion

The Grand at Moon Palace checks off all the right boxes for a family-friendly vacation with its dining, activity and entertainment choices. Between the water slides, wave pool, Flowrider, kid clubs and various pools, your whole crew will have something to do. With everything available right there, you wouldn’t even have to leave the property.

The Grand’s more isolated location makes it a safe retreat for travelers. You’ll most likely have the beach to yourself and a few other resort guests. There’s a gated entrance and a long driveway that leads to the resort. When returning from off-site tours, the resort staff checks wristbands.

If you’re more interested in lounging on a beautiful beach with soft white sand, you may want to keep looking. The beach at the Grand Moon Palace Cancun isn’t as welcoming as other areas, and guests have complained of it being covered in seaweed.

Travelers interested in shopping, nightclubs, casinos and entertainment in downtown Cancun probably won’t be happy here. The Grand is not really within walking distance of off-site shops or restaurants. There’s always the option of a shuttle bus or taxi.

For a luxury all-inclusive resort experience with nearby golf and on-site activities, amenities and numerous restaurants, you can’t go wrong with The Grand at Moon Palace.

See the newest deals at The Grand at Moon Palace

Read more at https://familydestinationsguide.com/the-grand-moon-palace/

#Family Travel #Family Vacations #Family Resorts

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travelonlinetips-blog · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://travelonlinetips.com/ryanair-strike-everything-you-need-to-know/

Ryanair strike: Everything you need to know

Who is planning to go on strike, and why?

UK-based pilots working for Ryanair and belonging to the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) appear exasperated about a wide range of concerns.

“Our claim includes many issues including pensions; loss-of-licence insurance; maternity benefits; allowances; and a fair, transparent, and consistent pay structure,” the union said.

We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.

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“We have made no progress with Ryanair management on any of those areas at all, seemingly because Ryanair management cannot understand how to go about working with us constructively, or how to negotiate.”

Balpa says 80 per cent of pilots voted in favour of strike action on a 72 per cent turnout. That means 56 per cent of union members voted for a stoppage.

Ryanair responded by saying the strike has the support of less than 30 per cent of its UK-based pilots, once non-members are taken into account.

“Balpa have no mandate to disrupt our customers holidays and flights, particularly at a time when UK pilots are facing job losses due to the Boeing Max delivery delays, and the threat of a no-deal Brexit on 31 October,” a spokesperson said.

Last week Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s chief executive, said the airline had 500 more pilots than it needs for the winter.

Ryanair claims that last year its UK pilots agreed a 20 per cent pay rise, taking some senior captains’ annual earnings up to £180,000.

It has asked the union to return to talks.

When will the Ryanair pilots’ strike take place?

The pilots have announced five days of disruption: on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 August, and on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 2-4 September. The strikes are planned for extremely busy days, especially for British families flying home to the UK from the Mediterranean

Brian Strutton, Balpa’s general secretary, said: “It is imperative that we resolve this dispute urgently to avoid strike action. No pilot wants to spoil the public’s travel plans but at the moment it seems we have no choice.”

How disruptive would a strike be?

More than two million passengers are expected to fly with Ryanair on those five strike days, but a large majority of them are not on aircraft planned to be flown by UK pilots.

The Independent estimates that around 350,000 travellers are booked to fly on British-crewed flights on those dates – with up to 50,000 seats still to be sold on those departures.

Because of the Ryanair business model it is unlikely that flights on any adjacent days, eg 24 August or 1 September, will be affected.

If a settlement is not found, experience of Ryanair pilots’ strikes over the past year suggests the impact is likely to be patchy, with around one-third to one-half of UK-crewed flights cancelled.

Note that many flights serving the UK will definitely not be affected, because they use crews based in France, Spain, Italy, etc, for flights to and from British airports.

The airline traditionally informs passengers on flights that are to set to be cancelled two or three days ahead.

I am flying on a strike day. Can I cancel now, get a full refund and make alternative arrangements?

No. The airline and union both say they do not want the strikes to go ahead. Even if they do, a significant number of Ryanair flights will operate. The only time the airline will offer a refund is once cancellations have been decided, two or three days ahead.

At this point cancelling for a refund would be unwise, because is absolves the airline of making alternative arrangements for your travel …

What are my rights if the flight is cancelled?

Under European air passengers’ rights rules, Ryanair must find you a flight as soon as possible – including on another airline if necessary. Unless it can put you on another Ryanair flight at a very similar time to a different carrier, it must pay for a new ticket.

Ryanair must also meet attendant expenses, such as transport from Stansted to Gatwick or Heathrow to take a flight on easyJet or British Airways respectively.

If you are obliged to stay overnight – as many UK families trying to return home may be – Ryanair must provide reasonable accommodation and pay for all your meals, along with transport to and from the airport.

If I lose a night in a hotel I have booked, or a day’s pay at work, who do I claim from: travel insurance, credit card or Ryanair?

Your travel insurance policy may cover so-called “consequential losses” for money wasted on hotels or car rental. Credit-card firms accept liability only for services that are not delivered; if the problem is that the hotel is in Spain but you are in Britain, cover does not apply. And it is unlikely the airline will pay.

For late arrival home, again your insurer may offer a small payment. You could pursue Ryanair for financial damage under the Montreal Convention, but for relatively small amounts it is probably not worth the trouble.

What about compensation?

The Civil Aviation Authority insists that Ryanair must pay compensation under European air passengers’ rights rules of €250 (£230) for cancelled flights of up to 1,500km, and €400 (£370) for longer trips.

But the airline says the strike is beyond its control and it need not pay.

If the strike goes ahead, no doubt a test case will settle which side is correct.

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captain32blog-blog · 5 years

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Top 9 apartment for rent with cheap price in Nha Trang Ciy, Vietnam

Nha Trang is a world class resort city and top destination for expatriation. Famous for its heavenly beaches, impressive hills and its living and vibrant environment, the city is particularly popular with foreign retirees.

Nhatrangcondo.com introduce to you 10 apartment for rent in Nha Trang with nice view, near the beach, full furniture, cheap price below:

1. Great studio apartment near the beach

-Studio condo has accommodations within a 3 minutes walk of 2/4 Square.

-With a private bathroom and have air conditioning, a flat-screen TV and a fridge, kitchen cabinet,microwave…The condo has a terrace, large balcony.

-The nearest airport is Cam Ranh International Airport, distance 37 km

-Nearby many restaurants, bars, clubs, spa, markets

-Free cleaning for once a week.Pets: are not allowed.Usable area : 50 sqmRental/month: 600$

2. Cozy studio in Center

-The mini apartment is located in the West of NhaTrang, overlooking the city.

-It takes 5 minutes to walk to the market, near Coopmart Supermarket, takes 7 mintues by mortobike to the beach.

-1 kilometer distance to the city.Internet access: complimentary wireless.Utilities will be caculated according to bill.Free cleaning for once a week. Pets: are not allowed. Usable area : 25m2-30m2 Facilities: Kitchenette, air conditioning, desk,flat-screen TV,priavte bathroom…Rental/month : $200-$250/month.

Link videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieoMSu3kv9s

3. Beautiful Studio in VCN Urban.

Description:

-The mini apartment is located in the West of NhaTrang, overlooking the city.

-It takes 5 minutes to walk to the market, near Coopmart Supermarket, takes 7 mintues by mortobike to the beach.

-1 kilometer distance to the city.Internet access: complimentary wireless.

Utilities will be caculated according to bill.

Free cleaning for once a week.

Pets: are not allowed.

Usable area : 25m2-30m2

Facilities: Kitchenette, air conditioning, desk,flat-screen TV,priavte bathroom…

Rental/month : $200-$250/month.

4. Nice studio city view in new Ariyana.

In the new Ariyana SmartCondotel we offer for rent a studio 50 sqm with balcony and great city views.The studio is on floor 20 and is fully furnished fridge, tv, and wifi. There are no 200 m as the crow flies to the beach.The Ariyana has a beautiful outdoor pool and a gym free for the tenants.

Monthly rent 750 USD plus utilities

5. 1BR apartment for rent in Maple

The apartment for rent locates at 04 Ton Dan, Nha Trang city. It is has a total area of 60 sq.m, with 01 bedroom and 01 bathroom.The owner has fully furnished the apartment with high quality furniture and modern equipment. Vincom Center Ba Trieu has a unique location right in the center of Hanoi. The complex has a full range of facilities, such as shopping mall, offices, movie theater, etc.

Our support Please see more on our poperties or contact our agents to make an appointment to directly go seeing the apartments. Service chargeManagement fee, electricity bill, water bill. Environment and facilities, Clean and quiet environment, 24/7 security, nearby many restaurants, bars, clubs, spa, markets …

Furniture and equipment, Air conditioners, television, sofa bed, toilet equipment, bed, bedding set, wardrobe, shoe cabinet, curtains.

Kitchen cabinet, fridge, microwave, multi rice cooker, dining table…

Rental/month : 650$

6. 2BR apartment in Muong Thanh 04 Tran Phu

The Muong Thanh 04 Tran Phu is located directly on the Cai River. In this building with 40 floors we offer:

– 2 BR apartment with 70 sqm on the 24th floor with river and sea views. Fully modern furnished.

– 2 BR with queen bed– 2 bathroomsLiving room with sofa and LED + cable TV.

Fully equipped kitchen with dining table. Washing machine and wifi24 hours security

7. 4-bedrooms house for rent in the West, in My Gia Urban.

Only 6 km to the beach and local market with shopping center also for all shopping needs.

Taking 15 minutes to walk to the beach and 5 minutes to the supermarket.

The house has 4 toilets, 1 living room, 1 kitchen and fully furnished.

Nearby many cheap restaurants with traditional vietnamese cuisine.

Price: $1000 / month. Long lease contract.

8. 4-bedrooms house for rent in the South.

Only 4 km to the beach and local market with shopping center also for all shopping needs.

Taking 15 minutes to walk to the beach and 5 minutes to the supermarket.

The house has 4 toilets, 1 living room, 1 kitchen and fully furnished.

Nearby many cheap restaurants with traditional vietnamese cuisine.

Price: $900 / month. Long lease contract.

9. An Vien villa for rent

Beautiful villa for rent is located at popular 24/7 secured villa area called An Vien on the south (5km to center) of the city nearby entrance of cable cars to island of famous tourist resort Vin pearl.

This An Vien area close to sea has been designed to have one day hundreds of luxury villas, lagoon, harbor for yachts, apartment complex with shopping center and restaurants.

It has 4 bedrooms fully furnished. Only takes a 5-minute walk to the beach.

This house has 4 bedrooms , 4 toilet, a living room, a kitchen with fully furnished

The price is 2000 $/month. Only long lease contract.

We are provider service rent house in Nha Trang city, you love travel, you like the beach, you like beautyful Nha Trang city. Why you don’t think you can rent houses for live in Nha Trang longtime with cheap price more than hotel. With full furniture for a houses, we sure you will be very comfortable to rent houses and live longtime in Nha Trang city Vietnam. With a houses, you may live here for rest longtime, for work,….we introduce to you this houses for rent with long contract:

For more infomation, please don’t hesitate to contact us: Ms. Amy Dang

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +84 905 212 602 (WhatsApp, Viber, Zalo).

Address: 80/4 Dong Nai Street, Nha Trang City, Vietnam

Website: www.nhatrangcondo.com

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sscheme-blog1 · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://travel.sscheme.com/experience-travel-da-lat-lam-dong-viet-nam.html

Experience Travel Da Lat, Lam Dong, Viet Nam

You will fall in love with Dalat from the first time you arrived by the land as peaceful as the breath, by the names that the land carried in you like the city of thousands of flowers, the land of love, the sad city. , dreamy city … How to go and experience the whole Da Lat.

With an altitude of 1500m above sea level, the cool and pleasant weather, “the city of thousands of flowers” is the most ideal resort for all tourists who want to book hotels in Dalat. . The interesting “no” of the beautiful city can be mentioned as: no traffic lights system, no police at the traffic junctions, no cyclo carrying tourists, no thing peace, not staying up late, no Lam Dong newspaper at the newsstands in Da Lat, …

What is the most ideal time when traveling to Dalat? Unlike other destinations, tourism is only seasonal, particularly Dalat, you can come all year round because each season has its own beauty. You can freely choose the best time for your trip to Dalat.

If you want to see cherry blossoms blooming around Xuan Huong Lake, from February to April when spring comes, is the best time to admire flowers. The purple phoenix flower branches on the streets at this time also began to show off blooming flowers to welcome the sun and wind in the gentle spring flavor.

In the sudden rainy and sunny day came and went very quickly, the beautiful scenery of Da Lat made visitors to utter astonished. When you go on a peaceful trip to Dalat with the “strange” weather, the summer days will increase your nostalgia. The raining rain in August will add to the attractiveness of waterfalls as it adds strength to rushing, white bubbles. Pren waterfall, Pongour waterfall, Dambri waterfall … sounded like a narcissistic night.

At the end of the year, if you travel to Da Lat in October, November and December, there are subtle clouds of clouds floating in the sky with blue color. October to December, the wild flowers reach themselves to welcome the beautiful sunshine shimmering under the new wind. The fragile mimosa flowers spread along the hills like a painting. And there are many other brilliant flowers such as white mustard fields, sunflower gardens, velvet pink gardens, weedy fields … Each season is Da Lat with its own colors always attract tourists.

Expenses for traveling in Dalat

Moving expenses

Starting from Ho Chi Minh City there are many ways to get to Dalat. Air tickets ranged from VND 1.6 million to VND 3 million for a return ticket, only 15 minutes from the flight. If you choose to ride a bus, tickets will range from 190,000 for Thanh Buoi, Phuong Trang cars and about 360,000 VND for high-end Limousine. If you want to try the strong feeling, you can invite the Phượt group by motorbike, in about 8 hours of driving and 120K of gas for car.

Cost of stay

On normal occasions you will have more accommodation options than Tet holidays. Because in these specials, the rooms in Da Lat are always burning and the team prices are very high compared to normal days. You can find most of the big brothers in the hotel industry in Dalat: Muong Thanh, Pullman, Intercontinal … and the prices for these 5-star hotels are from 100 USD / night. If you choose a high-class accommodation in the area around Xuan Huong Lake and near the Dalat market, the price fluctuates from 400 to 1 million VND for a room with a balcony overlooking the lake or a good view. For closed-door types only, the price ranges from 150,000 to 300,000 for a one-bed room type.

Food cost

The cost of dining activities in Dalat is not too expensive to consider in case this is a famous tourist city for a long time. With lunch, normal breakfast you only take about 20-30 thousand. In addition, you can enjoy famous dishes such as beef hotpot, vegetable hotpot, nieu rice, banh beo, base cake … With these items, if you go to a group of about 3-4 people, it only takes about a few dozen to 100 thousand / person.

Da Lat travel experience is self-sufficient in cost savings

Going to Dalat in the low season

The best travel experience in Da Lat is to avoid the flower festival season and the spring (December to March) with a better landscape. In addition, because this city is quite close to Saigon, the weekend is also a busy time. So if you want to rest and enjoy the quiet atmosphere, you should not go to Dalat on weekends and Tet holidays.

Choose a homestay

There is an interesting thing in this tourist city is the extremely shimmering homestays. Because this type is convenient, close to local life, these homestays are invested quite carefully so that you “live virtually successfully”. It can be included in high-class homestay such as: Lu Tan, Tre’s house … Or more popular: Being House, Yolo … The price for these homestays is more expensive than a budget hotel, but it guarantees you a great experience. with my family.

Rent Motorcycles

The city of Da Lat itself is not too large, you can walk around the city in less than 2 hours. However, to go to further locations such as Rose Grass Hill, lonely trees or tourist areas of Golden Springs, Love Valley, Cu Lan Village, … the best means of transportation is to rent a motorbike.

Depending on whether you rent a scooter or a car, the rental price of a motorbike is about VND 80-100,000 / day. Most hotels have car hire, so you don’t need to rent the space. However, because Dalat has hilly terrain, it is quite difficult to run, so if you are not used to driving, you should choose to take a taxi (also quite cheap compared to Saigon).

Booking entertainment activities and entertainment

Da Lat has a system of entertainment and entertainment services developed for many years. Therefore, you can completely search and reserve entertainment activities right before departure. From forest trekking tours or discovery journeys, places of entertainment in Dalat, … Booking also helps you avoid the situation of not finding tickets when you arrive and have a more convenient and fun trip sure

The experience cannot be missed when traveling to Dalat on its own

Truc Lam

Truc Lam monastery is located on Phung Hoang mountain, about 5km from Dalat city center. You can take the road here by taxi or motorbike. Alternatively, you can go to Robin Pass to take a cable car to Truc Lam Monastery and combine the city view with thousands of flowers from above. Located in the mountains, Truc Lam Monastery is like a world separate from the outer space. Coming to this place, you will have time to contemplate yourself in a poetic, peaceful natural setting.

Bao Dai Palace

There are a total of 3 Dinh Dai Dai in Da Lat. The place you are most often visited is Dinh 2 and Dinh 3. Recently, Bao Dai Palace 1 has been opened for visitors. From the gate and the inside of the house is about 100m, the gate is high and very surface with a paved road and flowers along. On the left of the palace there is a small square with a fountain and rows of chairs neatly arranged, today this area is used as a coffee shop but in the past it was for the king to hold a party to entertain guests.

Valleys love

5km north of Da Lat, the love valley is one of the places visited by tourists when they first came to Dalat. Because of the sweet name and beautiful scenery of this place.

Flower paths

Flowers are specialties of Da Lat, if you come here without visiting the flowers, flowers, flowers, peach blossoms, … it is really wasteful. Just spend a little time to learn, you are spoiled for walking between a real sea of flowers. These places are so beautiful that just by taking a phone call, it is already beautiful.

Dalat Railway Station

Built in 1932 is one of the remaining French architectural symbols in this city of flowers. If you look from the outside, you can see Da Lat Station with a 3-point architecture symbolizing Mount Labiang. The inside still holds rows of old wooden chairs stained with time. Although it is no longer active, there are always many “passengers” visiting to take photos. Today’s train cars are still in place for visitors to admire, there is a wagon decorated into a cafe for visitors who like to experience strange feelings.

Church of the Chicken

Con Ga Church is located in the center of the city, this place has a beautiful French architecture. The most unique feature of this church is the famous chicken on the roof of the church. In addition, sometimes there is a unique selling of wine and homemade things.

Linh Phuoc Pagoda

Linh Phuoc pagoda is also known as “Cha Kieu Pagoda”. The name is “Coc Chuong Pagoda” because it is touched outside by millions of unique broken cup pieces. Belonging to Trai Mat, nearly 8km from the city center, this place always attracts many Buddhist people from everywhere to worship. In the main hall the temple has a huge golden painted Buddha image.

Education college

Dalat Pedagogical College is one of the places still preserved beautiful French architecture. Because the school is still a place for students to study, it is only open to visitors around 4:30 pm. This is one of the best photography locations in Da Lat so should take advantage of coming soon because when the sun shoots, it will not be beautiful anymore.

Golden Valley

The valley of gold is quite beautiful in certain seasons, the pine trees in this place fall yellow clearly, the grass blooms with white flowers and the herds of horses and buffaloes are grazed. If you want to find a peaceful lunch break, you can go to this place.

Tuyen Lam Lake

Located in the top of the most popular attractions. Tuyen Lam Lake has a clear blue lake surface, beautiful view from above. But because of the location away from the city center, try to go early. Or if you have a lot of money and want to enjoy a peaceful night you can choose to stay in a villa in Binh An village on Tuyen Lam lake. The yellow villas with ancient French architecture, you will feel like a noble on vacation after a long time working.

Mount LangBiang

The majestic LangBiang Peak belongs to Don Duong town in the outskirts of Da Lat. LangBiang peak is the roof of Lam Vien plateau. Looking down from above, the landscape below is very majestic. Tickets for each turn of the Jeep are 50,000 VND / person. Don’t skip this place, because you’ll be sorry.

Dalat flower garden

Located right near Xuan Huong Lake, if you want to discover the splendor of Dalat grass without wanting to go far, this place is the most suitable. Another option is to go to the flower village where the local farmers’ gardens and strawberry gardens are located.

Cau Dat tea hill

Earth Hill Hill It will be a beautiful place to “live virtual”. You can admire the hills that are next to each other with green tea trees. Our self-sufficient Da Lat travel experience is coming here in the early morning to check in and take the best photos.

Indian Spirit Turtle Temple

The place to visit is quite new, but recently, many young people came to visit. Port scenes with Japanese architecture, wide yard with cloudy view, this place is named another “heaven gate”.

Ghost Forest Lu Quan

Away from the city center to nearly 20 km but you will be rewarded by this place. The road is beautiful, the view of the whole Lu Quan area is beautiful, the houses are free and the hostess is very lovely. Rooms are always clean and clean, in the evening you can bake food, in the morning watching dewy mist on the lake.

Pink grass hill – lonely tree

As one of the new destinations in Dalat for those who love dreaming but also like to explore. The scene of this place is particularly beautiful with pink grass buds stretching along with open space to the extreme. Besides, you can also visit lonely trees. This is called because this tree is alone in the middle of a vast void. It is possible to combine both places with motorbikes.

Unique cafe shops

It can be said that nowhere has many cafes, but every shop is as beautiful as Dalat. You can try the windmill system, Me Linh cafe, or the lakeside cafe, in the old villas. Especially, you can go to the cafe in the train station near the railway (not inside the station), this place can see the city in an ancient railway space.

Pass Omega

It is a road connecting Dalat – a city of thousands of flowers and Nha Trang – a sunny and windy coastal city. The road with high sections above 1500 meters and dozens of large and small cascades is a familiar street of many young people. If you depart from Da Lat at 5 am, you can enjoy the full view of the sun shining golden rays through the white mist.

However, note that this road has many thick fog sections and tight corners, if you do not hold the steering wheel, do not try.

Prenn Pass

Prenn Pass is the gateway to the city of thousands of flowers, you can easily admire the scenery on one side of the cliff, which is on one side is the valley with pine forest, the grass and flowers hidden in the car. This place is also particularly beautiful in the early morning. But at the same time this pass is also one of the dangerous roads with young or inexperienced drivers because of the small and extremely large roads of many passenger cars and big trucks.

Prenn Waterfall

Located near Prenn Pass area, this place used to be a favorite destination for many tourists. Today, although it is no longer comparable in scale, it is still the natural “welcome gate” of Da Lat and is visited by many tourists.

Cam ly waterfall

Used to be considered one of the most beautiful places to be missed when coming to Dalat. When the old water of this waterfall in and extremely pure. However, due to the dense tourism and lack of care to the landscape, this waterfall has lost its natural beauty.

Dalanta Waterfall

Dalanta Waterfall is one of the exclusive waterfalls for thrilling fun activities. With many rocky terrain and strong flow, visitors can come here to participate in activities of surpassing and swinging to conquer Dalanta. In particular, you can combine forest trekking with these activities and feel a whole new Dalat beside the graceful beauty of thousands of flowers.

Lat village

Is a quite unique ethnic lane of Lach ethnic group. Here you can immerse yourself in the ethnic space, enjoy the local food. And the most unique is discovering the local culture of peaceful and friendly ethnic people.

Cu Lan Village

Although it is an emerging tourist area a few years ago, Cu Lan Village still attracts many tourists. Partly because of the unique name, partly because of the pure natural scenery and full of entertainment activities. You can enjoy the performances of the ethnic people, or stroll around the open space of the mountain forest. Or you can take a trip to explore the tranquil lake surface on the baby rafts.

Da Lat was no longer encapsulated in the concept of a city of thousands of flowers. Nowadays, you can enjoy all kinds of entertainment. From exploring cultural village, trekking forest, swinging the waterfall to warm dinners in the middle of Dalat market to dispel the cold feeling of the highland. Certainly, no matter which form you choose, the city will still make you want to come back after every visit.

OUTSTANDING EATING LOCATIONS OF DA LAT TOURS :

Chicken pot é hotpot: Tao Ngo Restaurant at the beginning of 3/4 road (about 2km from Ho Xuan Huong Lake). A pot of oyster chicken hot pot for 200,000 VND has about half a piece of chopped chicken, a big plate of vermicelli noodles, a plate of oyster mushroom, a few bamboo shoots of a chess piece and, of course, cannot lack one plate of é leafy vegetables, it is worth it to try on.

Ba Toa beef hotpot: The second hotpot must taste in Dalat is the beef hotpot in Ba Toa area. Beef hotpot here is famous for thick, big, long pieces of beef. Not to mention in the pot also has tendons, tails, full bucket just saw the belly want to boil. Not to mention the price of hotpot is also very reasonable, a meat hot pot for 4 people to eat only about 250,000 VND is comfortable. Ba Toa area is full of hot pot shops, but the most typical is A Ba Toa and Thanh Tam. In addition, the beef hotpot of Three wooden bars at Hoang Dieu Street is also worth a visit.

Rice Ayun Ayun – Tam Nguyen: The shop is located on the road of Ankroet to Cu Thoi village, the owner is a J’rai ethnic couple. It is special because of the strict rules set by the owner. If you want to eat, you must call one day in advance and when you arrive, read the password as the last 3 digits of your phone to be seated. This shop has a check-in on Google Maps “Rice Lam Ayun” so people can find an easy way, located on Ankroet Road to Cu Lan village. You see My Tien strawberry garden on the right to go 20 meters more, the shop is on the left.

Wet chicken cake – 47 Tang Bat Ho

The unique combination between wet cake and chicken heart has prompted the curiosity of many tourists when coming to Dalat. After that, when everyone tasted it, everyone enjoyed the very strange and fascinating taste of the dish. It is the soft plastic taste of the cake and the aromatic and sweet taste of chicken. To enjoy, go to wet cake shop on Tang Bat Ho street, near Dalat market.

Baked rice paper – 180 Bui Thi Xuan

Just go along Bui Thi Xuan street until you see a small, warm shop, many people gather and your uncle grits meekly, you will come to the right place. A cross cake of 21,000 VND includes chicken eggs, a piece of cheese, spoon of liver pate, dried beef and mayonaise above. Newly baked cakes with aromatic flavor and flying smoke. Eastern restaurant, the way of serving here is the one that comes first, it will be served continuously until it is full.

Grilled Nem Bà Hùng – 254 Phan Đình Phùng

Made from grilled pork lean and then chop on a chopstick, grilled, served with a small roll of crispy fried rice, sour and herbs, grilled nem becomes one of the items not to be missed when traveling to Dalat . The main highlight is the sauce made from pureed liver, shrimp, meat and beans, forming a very special mixture. In addition to Mrs. Hung’s famous spring rolls, along Phan Dinh Phung street, there are also many delicious grilled nem shops.

Bun bo Cong – No. 1 Phu Dong Thien Vuong

Located at the intersection of 5 University, on the way to Lang Biang, bun Cong Cong is the famous breakfast address in Dalat. Vibrant vermicelli is only VND 35,000 but big and full of meat and pork. In the morning, Da Lat was still fuzzy, calling for a bowl of vermicelli and steaming with a hot cup of soybeans that you could load enough energy to prepare to climb Lang Biang peak.

Snail stuffed with meat – 33 Hai Ba Trung

This dish is very popular with Da Lat people, especially the bar of 33 Hai Ba Trung street. Snail meat is stuffed with lean pork, minced, add a few slices of lemongrass to deodorize, making you want to eat as soon as you see this fragrant snail. The owner said, this reason is especially thanks to the cup of sauce with the recipe of the first generation of the owner. Sometimes you have to wait 5-10 minutes before you have room. The price per piece is about 50,000 VND.

Spring rolls – 15 House Chung

A bowl of bread soup includes fried meat, fish balls, pork rolls and meat. Especially soup cake is made from milled rice in its own way so the fiber is still tough. This is one of the delicious dishes in the morning of the Da Lat people, because the dish is warm, very suitable with the chilly atmosphere of the region. Many goods on Xuan Chung street on the side of Con Ga church sell this dish, but Xuan An soup shop No. 15 Chung House is appreciated by many tourists as the most delicious and eating.

Hot soy milk – Da Lat night market

The drink is familiar to many people, but soymilk with hot hot air in Dalat’s cold air is a very different experience. Besides soy milk, you can change your taste with green bean milk, black beans or hot cocoa and a variety of pastries in hawker shops selling this in Dalat night market.

Cheese yogurt – 48 Khe Sanh

This is a dish that many young people “hunt” when coming to Da Lat, made like regular yogurt but cleverly adding cheese in raw materials. Fatty, flexible, sour cheese, sold at 48 Khe Sanh Street, for 7,000 VND per jar.

Chicken porridge, chicken soup – 10A Huyen Tran Cong Chua

The cold weather of Dalat made chicken porridge and chicken soup very expensive. After wandering to see the city at night, stop at the small restaurant, enjoy a bowl of diluted chicken porridge, put onions and pepper to add warm belly. The delicious restaurants should stop at Phan Boi Chau, Nguyen Cong Tru, Huyen Tran Cong Chua … for 25,000-30,000 VND per bowl, chicken salad with 40,000 VND per plate.

Homemade bread – Corner of Tran Nhat Duat – Hoang Dieu junction

Served with bread is a bowl of commercial bowl made of bone water in fat fat and the tiny meat, plus a little finely chopped green onions, but when eaten very bar, but does not stop. There are three common ways to enjoy it: tear off the bread into a bowl of commercial bowl, leave the whole piece of big bread dipping the broth or put the noodles in the middle of the bread. In addition to the shops near the school gate, the market gate, you can go to Tran Nhat Duat – Hoang Dieu junction to feel the right taste of the dish.

Dalat hotel

Dalat hotel is very diverse, depending on individual conditions you can easily choose a suitable hotel for yourself.

Terracotta Resort Dalat

Swiss Belresort Tuyen Lam

Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa

Sam Tuyen Lam Resort

Muong Thanh Dalat Hotel

Homestay Dalat

Below is a list of a brand new homestay series in Da Lat , please “save” to gradually move in 2017.

Home of Dreamers

Although the decor is not too fussy, the Home of Dreamer will attract you right from the first look thanks to the classic space is extremely peaceful. According to the comment of a tourist who used to be here, ” clean rooms, panoramic view,” so romantic “… Everywhere looks very good at technology … So there are even more dogs, oh my god! every time I go into homestay, I have to look at them for a while … “. The price of double rooms here ranges from 500-700,000 VND, dorm rooms cost 150,000 VND.

Photo: Home of Dreamers

Address: 2/35 Nam Ho – Da Lat. Phone: 096 537 7565. Email: [email protected]

Dalat80s. NhaMinh

His house has the architectural style of houses in the 80s, a little breath of European architecture combined with the features of the local ethnic people at that time. When guests enter the House I will not feel this is a café, or an unfamiliar hotel; instead there is a familiarly arranged house with a warm family atmosphere. Price of reference room: VND 130-450,000 depending on room type.

Address: Lot B9 KQH Ngô Quyền – Bạch Đằng. Phone: 0908942266

Dalat Lacasa Homestay II

With exquisite architecture, mixed with a bit of nostalgia and slightly stylish Morocco Dalat Lacasa Homestay II is also the place where you should “save” if you are planning to go to Da Lat. Due to the design of Moroccan style house, once you enter the homestay, you will see that white is used a lot for spaces such as furniture, stairs, hallways, balconies … At this homestay there are many types of rooms for you to choose depending on the number of riders and your needs. Room rates for reference: VND 300-450,000 depending on room type.

Address: 59 Thu Khoa Huan. Phone: 097 272 82 05

Wait for one person

Located at Khoi Nghia Bac Son Street, Ward 10, TP. Da Lat (near Dinh 2), 5 minutes from Ho Xuan Huong motorbike, Doi Mot Ngu – Cafe & Homestay is surrounded by a coffee garden located on a high hill, the view covers the vast valley. This lovely homestay has both dorm rooms and private rooms, with a rustic design with a country sound, gentle.

Address: Khoi Nghia Bac Son. Phone: 063 6557 587

Vanda Garden Hill

Located at 39 Trieu Viet Vuong, only 10 minutes away from the city center, it is very convenient to have a green vacation experience and enjoy the famous places of Da Lat. Vanda Garden Hill Dalat has many rooms for you to choose from: Big Owl Double Room, Little Owl Single Room, Large Single Room Full Moon … Especially, Vanda Garden Hill Da Lat also builds small triangular bungalows Super cute along the slope for couples. Room rates for reference: VND 250-450,000 depending on room type.

Address: 39 Trieu Viet Vuong. Phone 0633.970. 788 – 0977.494.888

The Wind – The Dalat Old-Home

Located at address 50 (old) Nguyen An Ninh, Nha Gio – The Dalat Old-Home is a place not too close to the center but enough for you to enjoy nature, trees, listening to birds singing in the morning. Wind House has all kinds of dorm rooms, single, double, family style of the 70s, 80s, extremely cozy and cute. Price of reference room: VND 110-700,000 depending on room type.

Wine Valley Homestay

Located 2 km from the center of Dalat, Wine Valley Homestay is a brand new accommodation, hunted by young people with an exclusive design room – strange by the Dalat wine barrels. Homestay was born from the idea of creating a space for guests to stay comfortable at home and exposed to the right things Da Lat. Here, though not big compared to other places, but also enough corners for you to freely take virtual photos. Price of reference room: VND 150-350,000 depending on room type.

Update ticket prices to visit Dalat in 2019

Palace 1: There are 2 types of tickets: 30,000 VND and 150,000 VND (Package tickets include photography services with horse-drawn carriages, horses, taking pictures of kings …)

Valley of love: 100,000 VND / adult – 40,000 VND / child. The above fare includes entrance ticket, enjoy the entire valley landscape by tram, excursions and discover natural beauty by Pedalo.

Cu Lan Village:

Sightseeing tickets: Adults: 40,000 VND / person. Children accompanied by adults less than 1m: free, over 1m charged adults.

Teambuiding tickets: Price: VND 90,000 / person. Time to use: 8:00 – 17:00 (using grass field, lake surface, stream, forest has been equipped with skill games). Note: only receive guests with a minimum number of 30 people.

Tickets for campfire space: Price 90,000 VND / person. Time to use: 17:00 – 21:00. Note: only receive guests with a minimum number of 30 people.

Other services:

Tour car terrain discover Cu Lan stream, cross forest, visit: VND 150,000 / person (minimum 4 people, maximum 5 people).

Dressing into ethnic people: VND 40,000 / set.

Fish stocking in streams to catch: VND 250,000 / kg (processed after the end of the game).

Fairy bath (bathing in the natural spring and bathing in clean water in natural forests): VND 30,000 / person.

Ma Rung Lu Quan: entrance tickets 10,000 VND / person. Free tickets for students, students and elderly people. The price of accommodation in wooden houses is about 100,000 VND / person / day. If you go with your family and want to live in a private space, you should rent the whole unit for 1 million / day for 6 people.

Langbiang: VND 30,000 / adult and VND 20,000 / child. Jeep tickets: 60,000 VND / person, 400,000 VND / 1 car.

Da Lat sculpture tunnel: 40,000 VND / adult and 20,000 VND children.

Dream Hill Tourist Area: VND 50,000 / adult and VND 30,000 / child.

Dalat flower garden: VND 30,000 / adult and VND 15,000 / child.

Roundtrip Truc Lam Cable Car: Round trip ticket for adults is VND 80,000.

Hang Nga (Crazy house) villa: 40,000 VND / adult and 20,000 VND for children.

Bao Dai Palace: 20,000 VND / person.

Bidoup – Nui Ba National Park: 40,000 VND / adult and 20,000 VND for children.

Golden Valley:

Entrance tickets: 40,000 VND / adult and 20,000 VND for children.

Duck on the lake: 60,000 VND / hour / boat.

Costume costume: 20,000 VND / set (Central Highlands) and 22,000 VND / set (India, Japan)

XQ shop: 20,000 VND / person (depending on the time, there are times when collecting tickets, sometimes for free).

Ho lament: 20,000 VND / person.

Zoodoo Zoo: 100,000 VND / adult, 50,000 VND / child under 1.2m and free for children under 90cm.

Dambri waterfall resort: VND 150,000 / adult, VND 100,000 / child. This price includes entrance tickets, lift tickets, Alpine Coaster tube skate tickets, all games at Dambri resort.

Camly waterfall: 20,000 VND / person.

Pongour Waterfall: VND 10,000.

#Đà Lạt

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alliance-recruitment-agency-blog · 6 years

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tamboradventure · 4 years

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How to Road Trip Around Oahu

Posted: 8/3/20 | August 3rd, 2020

I didn’t know much about Oahu before I visited. Everyone told me it was worth it for Pearl Harbor but to spend the rest of my time elsewhere in Hawaii. Maui and Kauai were where the action was, they said.

But Oahu was home to Honolulu’s international airport from which I was catching an onward flight to Taiwan. Since I had limited time, going to multiple islands wasn’t feasible.

Fortunately, after spending a full week on Oahu, I can say this: everyone was wrong.

Maybe they just let their preconceived notions get the better of them.

Or maybe they just didn’t give the place a chance.

But, whatever the reason, I’m here to tell you that Oahu has some magic to it. Sure, it’s quite developed, has terrible traffic, and huge crowds. And yeah, maybe it’s not as “raw” as the other islands (I assume that’s why people like them).

But there are plenty of spots in Oahu where you can live that Hawaiian dream

I spent a week round-tripping the island (which, given how small it is, turned out to be quite easy). My plan was simple: sit on a beach as long as I could, eat my body weight in poke (diced raw fish, pronounced “po-keh”), and hike.

Along the way, I also binged on shrimp, drank the best piña colada of my life, and took notes so you can do even better when you visit!

Driving Oahu: A Road-Trip Itinerary

First, a tip: if you’re driving around Oahu, go counterclockwise from Honolulu, since most of the food trucks you’ll want to stop at are on the ocean side of the highway as you go up the east coast. So going in that direction just makes it easier to pull off the road and try all the food trucks that line the highway (and there are a lot). There’s also more to do on the east side of Oahu, so it’s best to start there.

That said, I actually don’t think a traditional road trip is the best idea. Oahu is smaller than you think — you can drive end to end in under two hours — so everything listed below can really be done as a day trip from one base or another, which will save you packing and unpacking, as well moving from place to place too often (especially since the east and west coasts don’t have a lot of affordable accommodations).

Base yourself on the North Shore for a couple of days and then in Honolulu (in the south) for a couple of days (or vice versa).

Day 1: Honolulu to Kailua (28 miles)

Pick up your rental car, head out of Honolulu (you’ll be back later), and start off at Hunauma Bay in southeast Oahu. You can spend a few hours there snorkeling and relaxing on the beach before heading to the nearby Halona Blowhole Lookout for the view and Makapu‘u Point (Oahu’s easternmost point) for a short hike. There are also plenty of beaches, food trucks, short hikes, and viewpoints along the way to Kailua, where you’ll want to stay the night.

Where to Eat:

Teddy’s Bigger Burgers

Any of the food trucks on the way north

Buzz’s Steakhouse (for dinner)

Where to Stay: Airbnb is the best option, since there aren’t many hotels or hostels in Kailua. Book early though, as there isn’t a lot to choose from.

Day 2: Kailua to Haleiwa (50 miles)

Start your morning with the famous Lanikai Pillbox hike just south of Kailua, where you can get sweeping views of the ocean and the cities and beaches on this side of the island. The hike is short (it only takes about 20-30 minutes) but steep, so wear appropriate shoes.

If you have some time in the morning, Kailua and Lanikai beaches are both beautiful (they’re right next to each other and on the way from the pillbox hike). Not a lot of people, white sand, blue water. They’re heaven.

As you leave this area to head north, visit the Ho‘oamaluhia Botanical Garden (it’s free!), which is also home to a lake filled with tropical plants.

Afterward, drive up the east coast toward the North Shore. Along the way, you can stop at the Kualoa Ranch, where many movies have been filmed. If you do a tour, I suggest the 90-minute Hollywood Movie Sites Tour (which includes scenes from Jurassic Park!), as you don’t need much more time than that to see the ranch. (It’s expensive, though, so if you’re on a budget, I’d skip it.)

As you keep going north, you’ll find a ton of beaches and hikes (there are plenty of signs for everything). I really enjoyed the Hau’ula Loop Trail especially, which is about 10 miles north of Kualoa. It’s a really overgrown trail, so you’ll feel like you’re very much in the jungle (meaning you’ll also need to bring bug spray). And like most hikes here, there’s a scenic viewpoint!

Then drive around the northern tip of Oahu to Haleiwa, your base of operations while on the North Shore.

Where to Eat Along the Way:

Kalapawai Café and Deli

Fresh Catch Kaneohe

Shrimp Shack

Seven Brothers

Ken’s Fresh Fish

Fumi’s Shrimp

Where to Stay: Airbnb is again the best option, as there aren’t many hotels or hostels in Hal‘eiwa. Book early here too.

Days 3 & 4: North Shore (Base: Haleiwa)

This was my favorite part of Oahu. It was Hawaii the way you imagine it should be: a lot quieter, less touristy, and less developed. And it had that whole “hippie vibe” going for it. Everyone up here was much more laid back than down south.

You can learn to surf here (two-hour lessons begin at just $80 USD) or hike the Ka‘ena Point Trail (west of Haleiwa) and/or the ’Ehukai Pillbox (east of Haleiwa). The latter is pretty muddy, so bring appropriate shoes.

Haleiwa itself is a sleepy little tourist town with a bunch of restaurants, shops, and parks. There’s not much to do in the town itself than eat and window shop.

If you do just one hike, though, I definitely recommend the Ka‘ena Point Trail, which was one of the best experiences I had. It’s a scenic two-hour coastal walk to the northwestern tip of Oahu, where you will find a protected biological area with seals and native birds. At the tip, you can see all the way down the west side of the island — a magical view. Bring sunscreen and water, as the whole trail is exposed to the sun.

Where to Eat:

Ted’s Bakery

Sunrise Shack

Hale‘iwa Joe’s

Matsumoto Shave Ice

Ray’s Kiawe

Kono’s

Jenny’s Shrimp Truck

Giovanni’s Shrimp

Day 5: Dole Plantation, Oahu’s West Side, Honolulu (60 miles)

Head south (inland) and stop at the Dole Plantation. While it is super cheesy and touristy (I mean, so many useless souvenirs!), it does have a cool maze, and there’s a train ride through the farm that, while whitewashing a lot of bad things, was an interesting look at the importance of the pineapple to Oahu. For a general overview geared to your average tourist, it was surprisingly informative.

Afterward, continue south toward Honolulu and then head west on the H1 road to the west coast for some deserted local beaches, such as Ma’ili, Ewa, Makua, or Yokohama. Stop at Countryside Café for some incredible diner food. The portions are pretty large, so you can share them.

Then head back into Honolulu, as there’s not a lot of accommodation along the west coast. If you do want to stay longer, you’ll find some listings on Airbnb and Booking.com if you book far in advance. Otherwise, there are a few hotels in Kapolei if you don’t want to drive all the way to Honolulu.

Days 6 & 7: Honolulu

I actually liked Honolulu a lot (the main beach area of Waikiki is a tourist trap though.) While downtown is a bit bland, other neighborhoods are filled with awesome stores, breweries, bars, restaurants, and art galleries. Be sure to check out the “hip” Kaka‘ako part of town in particular.

Consider going on a hike on Diamond Head, a volcanic cone on the east side of town. It offers an incredible view of the city, though it’s one of the more popular trails in the area so if you aren’t there early enough to beat the crowds you’ll basically be walking in a slow-moving line up the mountain. If you are short on time, skip it.

Other Things to Do:

A free walking tour with Hawaii Free Tours (call ahead, since they only run when they have bookings).

Pearl Harbor – This is a must. It’s not even up for debate. You have to go.

Iolani Palace, the former royal residence of Hawaii’s monarchs.

Soak in the sun on Waikiki Beach or other nearby beaches, such as Ala Moana, which is popular with locals.

There’s also an Islamic art museum, which is supposed to be great, but I didn’t make it there.

Where to Eat:

The Pig and the Lady

Mei Sum Dim Sum

Shirokiya Japan Village Walk

Rainbow Drive-In

Leonard’s Bakey

Ono Seafood

Hula Dog

Where to Stay:

The Beach – This hostel is right on the beach, includes free breakfast, and has plenty of space to relax and meet other travelers.

Polynesian Hostel Beach Club Waikiki – The accommodation here is basic, but the staff are super friendly and helpful, and they organize lots of events.

Waikiki Beachside Hostel – A fun, social hostel that hosts live music. Breakfast is included too.

Additionally, head to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for the best piña colada of your life. It’s not cheap ($15 USD a pop), but it is sooo good! Every one of my friends who didn’t order one got it as their second drink. (Fun fact: My grandfather was stationed in Oahu during WWII and went back to Oahu often. The Royal Hawaiian was his favorite hotel. It’s pretty cool that it’s still there!)

Average costs

How much do things cost on Oahu? Here are some typical prices (in USD):

Airbnb – $100+/night for a one-bedroom or studio

Hotel – $175–250/night for a mid-range boutique hotel

Hostel dorm – $27

Car rental – as low as $20/day, plus insurance

Gas – $3–3.50/gallon

Poke bowl – $12–15

Takeout meal – $10–14

Sit-down meal at a fancy restaurant (with drinks) – $50+

Local lunch – $15

McDonalds – $6 for a value meal

Groceries – $75 for one person for a week

Beer (at a restaurant) – $8–10 ($2–3 at the Japanese Walk!)

Piña colada – $10-15

Coffee – $5

Surfboard rental – $25/day

Snorkel gear rental – $15/day

Scuba dive prices – $125

Budget Tips

Oahu is pretty expensive. Most everything has to be imported, so if it can’t be grown nearby or caught in the ocean, expect to pay a lot. But it’s not impossible to save money. Here are a few ways to cut your expenses:

Hike and enjoy the beaches. Nature is free!

Buy your own food from supermarkets so you can cook your own meals or have picnics. Sure, there are plenty of world-class restaurants here, but if you want to keep your food costs down, you should cook some meals. The poke at supermarkets is delicious anyway!

If you do eat out, hit the food trucks. Most cost around $10 USD for a meal — much cheaper than sit-down restaurants.

If you’re going to buy alcohol, do so at Japanese markets, where you can find beer for only $2–3 USD (compared to $8 USD at bars).

Skip ride-sharing websites like Getaround or Turo (where you rent cars from private owners). They are usually cheaper than the big rental companies, but on Oahu, hosts charge you an added fee for dropping the car at the airport. I found the traditional car rental companies to be much cheaper, with rates as low as $20 USD a day.

Get your gas at Hele stations. They were consistently the cheapest on the island.

***

While Oahu is often crowded and overly commercial, there were a lot of wonderful things to do and see. To me, the best parts were the food and the hiking — with so many hikes, you could spend weeks here. My favorite part of Oahu was the North Shore, so I recommend you spend a few days there at least. I certainly look forward to returning!

Book Your Trip to Hawaii: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. My favorite places to stay in Oahu are:

The Beach

Polynesian Hostel Beach Club Waikiki

Waikiki Beachside Hostel

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Medjet (for additional repatriation coverage)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!

Need an affordable RV for your road trip? RVshare lets you rent RVs from private individuals all around the country, saving you tons of money in the process. It’s like Airbnb for RVs.

Want more information on Hawaii? Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Hawaii for even more planning tips!

The post How to Road Trip Around Oahu appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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expatsecuador · 4 years

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The True Cost of Living in Cuenca, Ecuador

The cost of living in Cuenca, or Ecuador in general, is often cited as one of the core reasons why expats move here.

It was a consideration for Michelle and me too. In particular, the cost of schools in Cuenca is approx half of that in Quito. So, we decided to move from Quito to Cuenca when the youngest was entering school partly to help cut down on living costs. We both work remotely, so the lower wages in Cuenca were not an issue for us.

I’ve tried to be as transparent as possible with our costs of living to give you an idea of total living costs in Cuenca, Ecuador.

These costs are itemized into our monthly budget below:

Category Item Cost (Monthly) Home Rent $800 Home Internet (25Mb Up/Down) $30 Home Water

$10 Home Electricity $20 Home Security $22 Home Home phone $6 Home Gas $3 Home Maid (4 x monthly) $80 Home Gardener (1 x monthly) $30 Home Mobile Phone (x2) $20 Food Fruit & Vegetables (Mercados) $85 Food Groceries (SuperMaxi) $220 Health Heatlh Insurance $170 Car Gasoline (Small Car) $30 Car Car Maintanence $100 Kids School Fees (2 kids) $500 Kids Horse riding (2 kids) $100 Discretionary Cafes & Restaurants $150 Discretionary Yoga (2 adults) $60 Discretionary Clothes $100 Discretionary Streaming (Netflix & Spotify) $15 Total Monthly $2,552

We live a simple, middle-class life in Ecuador. We are fortunate to always have enough food on our table, a small car, rent a large house and have some help from a maid and gardener.

You can find some reports of expats living on less than $1,000 per month and this is certainly possible if you live a simple, frugal lifestyle away from the major cities of Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca.

You can also get a good basic feel for cost of living in Cuenca from sites like Numbeo where you can compare your current city with Cuenca (or other Ecuadorian cities). I like the granularity of Numbeo as it allows you to pry directly into the cost of basics like milk, bread and beer. Given Ecuador also uses the USD, if you’re comparing costs from the US, then it’s a very straight forward exercise.

Cuenca Home Costs

These form the most substantial component of our budget. We also have a considerable amount of discretionary spending here, so you can certainly cut down on a few of these things to cut costs.

Rent – $800/month

We rent a large house on the outskirts of Cuenca in the Challuabumba neighborhood. It’s a 15 min drive to Cuenca on the Autopista (main highway). We chose here because it’s a little warmer than Cuenca itself, close to our school of choice, and we can get a much bigger house (and yard) than we could get in Cuenca. We like the privacy available to us and there are enough local shops, including a supermarket, that we really don’t need to visit Cuenca if we don’t want to.

The biggest downside of living 15 mins away from Cuenca is that we found it necessary to purchase a car (and get an Ecuadorian driver’s licence). There are buses and taxis, but we found them too time-consuming and limiting. We also like to explore close by towns, villages and mountains on the weekends which is easier with a car.

Our house is a 2 level, 4 bedroom house with a large rear yard and good sized front yard. The previous tenant was an expat that clearly poured a lot of love into the garden, attracting many hummingbirds. We were the first to see the house as it was coming onto the rental market and we immediately said, “yes, we’ll take it!”

Our current landlords are amazing – which has really made a big difference to the overall enjoyment of the space. Everything gets fixed, even some improvements made. Our previous landlord was an absolute nightmare who never fixed anything, so we’re super grateful to have wonderful landords now.

A similar house in Cuenca itself would rent for $1K+, so we’re happy with the price we’re paying for the location.

You can find 4 bedroom homes for less than $800 per month, but you probably won’t get your entire wish list. A properly maintained and welcoming garden was important to us, so we were willing to pay a bit extra for this.

Some expats do purchase homes instead of renting. If you’re on the fence, check out our article on renting vs buying in Ecuador.

Internet – $31/month

You’ll likely have different internet options depending on where you live in Cuenca. Our experience is the speed you can get will largely depend on the port availability at the distribution hub. Ie There may not be any more fibre optic ports available at the closest hub, so you’ll need to choose a different plan, provider, wait until a port becomes available, or beg your internet technician to find an available port.

We pay $30.90 each month for a 25Mb down/ 5MB up plan from Etapa. Etapa is basically the default option as they are government-controlled and are also responsible for the infrastructure.

Other popular options in Cuenca include Puntonet (Celerity – fibre optic) and Netlife.

Take note of the contract terms. Many plans are 2-3 years, with penalties for leaving early. Our plan from Etapa allows us to take the connection with us if we move (within their Cuenca service region). But if not, then we’ll need to pay for the installation costs ($55) that we waived at the start of the contract. Some companies have higher termination costs such as paying out the rest of the plan + exit fee.

Water – $10/month

Water is cheap in Ecuador. The water in Cuenca is noted as having some of the best water quality in the world due, so you shouldn’t feel the need to get in bottled water or pay anything extra.

With 2 adults and 2 kids, we’re constantly using the shower and washing clothes. We consider $10/month for water to be a very good deal.

Electricity – $20/month

Our house has a lot of lights and we generally have at least 1 (normally 2) screens on during the day. We weren’t given a choice with the electricity provider.

The biggest issue I’ve found with electricity providers in Ecuador is they are ruthless when it comes to turning the power off for non-payment. If you are a day late, someone may come to your house & ask what is going on and request payment. Or, they may just cut off your power without warning.

Our power has been cut off in Cuenca and we’ve needed to go to the Electricity company to have it switched back on (the following working day).

Security – $22/month

This is largely for peace of mind. This covers the cost of the electric fence, alarm and monitoring from the security company. The company is generally very quick to respond to any alarm.

It pays to shop around for a security company. I’d definitely recommend asking your neighbors for their experience with their providers as a starting point.

The other form of security comes from our neighbors. We live in a welcoming community where every house belongs to the WhatsApp group created for discussing any practical issues like security.

As an example, last night our next-door neighbors’ alarm went off. They were out of town, so I got up to check it out and their security company was already there and talking to another neighbor. Our next-door neighbor was thankful to have all of their neighbors and the security company watching their back whilst they weren’t there. Other neighbors have done the exact same for us.

Home phone – $6/month

I’ll be honest, I don’t know why we have a home phone as we always use our mobile phones for calling locally or Skype for international calls.

Okay, I’ve just asked Michelle and we have the home phone only for the security system as it uses our landline to communicate with the alarm company.

Gas (Propane) – $3/month

Gas is ridiculously cheap in Ecuador. The price varies a little by city, but expect to pay around $3 per bottle delivered to your home. And, expect to be annoyed by the constant passing of gas trucks through your neighborhood, complete with speakers blaring a ‘gas truck’ song so you don’t miss them.

We generally only go through 1 (maybe 2) gas tanks each month. This powers our hot water, oven and even our clothes dryer. We don’t use a space heater.

You’ll need to pay for at least one, we recommend an additional as a spare, propane tank for about $45. The condition isn’t super important, just make sure it isn’t too rusty… Then you can participate in the home deliveries where they just swap tanks. Quick, easy and cheap. You should be able to sell the tank for a similar price ($45) upon leaving.

Maid (4 x monthly) – $80/month

Depending on how busy we are, we alternate between having a full-time maid/nanny and just having her come in 1 day per week for the ‘deeper’ cleans.

We’ve found it hard to find a quality, affordable nanny that is still happy to do a fair amount of cleaning. You may need to trial a few until you get a feel for their enthusiasm for the work offered.

If you’re providing any sort of on-going work, you may also be required to register this with IESS and also be aware of the full range of pay entitlements. This includes paying into the IESS system and the two additional monthly salaries each year (ie 13th & 14th months).

We also provide lunches and coffee for any worker in our house. I believe this is a fairly standard custom. Even if the worker has their lunch, the gesture has always been appreciated and it’s a nice way to get to know the workers a little more.

Gardener (1 x monthly) – $30/month

Whilst we enjoy doing a lot of gardening ourselves, we also pay for a gardener to come once a month to do the stuff we aren’t equipped for. In particular, we don’t have a lawn mower, edge trimmer or a decent hedge trimmer.

The amount we pay is for 2 gardeners for the entire day. They are very efficient and knowledgable. Their knowledge of how to grow certain things or control bugs has also been very valuable to us.

Again, on top of their payment, we also provide lunch and coffee.

Mobile Phone (x2) – $20/month

Michelle and I both use mobile phones.

I’ve just switched to Tuenti (a challenger low-cost brand) and pay $5 for 2GB data, 30 mins of calls & free Whatsapp. This plan lasts for 30 days. The biggest downside for me is that they use the Movistar network, which isn’t so great where we live (Claro has much better service).

I use a cheap Android phone which is not included in the pre-paid plan from Tuenti.

Michelle is on a $15 pre-paid plan from Claro that provides 15GB data, 200mins of calls & free Whatsapp. This also lasts one month. Michelle needs a better, more reliable plan than me as she uses her mobile a lot for work.

Michelle has also purchased her phone outright. Electronics like phones and computers can be expensive in Ecuador, so we recommend bringing these electronics with you.

The two main networks in Ecuador are Movistar and Claro. My experience is that Claro generally provides better coverage, but they are also difficult to deal with. Ie You can no longer just turn up at their service center to receive help, but need to make an appointment using their not-so-great app.

Getting out of post-paid plans without a significant exit fee has proven to be difficult for us. So, we’ve vowed to stick to pre-paid as we’re a little sick of being the games played by telco companies in Ecuador.

Home Subtotal – $1022/month

We find this a very reasonable cost for our lifestyle. However, there are some discretionary costs that can be minimized if we needed to. Take out the maid, gardener, security and home phone and you’ve cut down expenses by $138. Rent a slightly cheaper home or apartment at $600/month and you’ve saved another $200.

Combine both savings and we’d take our monthly home costs down to $684.

Cuenca monthly food costs

The main food choice you’re going to make in Cuenca is how much food you’ll buy at the local markets (mercados) vs the supermarkets such as Supermaxi. The more you can shift your purchases towards the mercados, the cheaper it will be.

Fruit and vegetables (mercados) – $85/month

Ecuador has cheap and plentiful fruit and vegetables. Our family of 4 finds it difficult to spend more than $20 on fruits and vegetables each week. And we mostly eat a plant-based diet. Check out this article for the types and costs of fruits and vegetables in Ecuador.

We are always sure to have a steady supply of starchy staples such as potatoes, green plantains (for bolones de verde) and choclos (corn). These form the basis of 3-4 meals each week.

We’ve included our coffee costs in the fruit and vegetable section as we generally buy these at the same time. We pay $4 per pound of quality roasted coffee beans. You can have them ground for the same price.

If you’re not aware, Ecuador has some very good quality coffee. But, coffee culture as we know it with fancy coffee roasters, cafes and hipster baristas are still in their infancy.

Groceries (Supermaxi) – $220/month

Supermaxi is the biggest and most renowned supermarket chain in Ecuador. They have 4 locations in Cuenca that are well scattered throughout.

The big advantages Supermaxi have over the mercados are quality control and variety. If you’re after some creature comfort foods from back home, your best bet is going to be Supermaxi. Note – these comfort foods will also increase your food bill. A lot.

We generally buy all of our cleaning, toiletries, dairy, bread and meat from Supermaxi. We’re making a conscious effort to ween ourselves away from Supermaxi by baking our own bread and making our own yoghurt etc, but the convenience of Supermaxi can be hard to break free from!

Supermaxi tip: Flash your cedula to a store assistant and ask where you can apply for a loyalty card. Most locations allow you to sign up on the spot and issue you with a loyalty card. This will open up more specials and shave a few dollars off your grocery bill.

You can certainly decrease your grocery bill by buying meat and dairy from the mercados, and many do. But we don’t really eat much of either, so it would probably cut down our bill to $180 or so.

Food Subtotal – $305/month

Ecuador has an in-built price incentive to purchase fresh, unprocessed food. This is opposite to many developed countries where the balance is skewed more towards processed food.

If you’re aware of this and able to take advantage by switching your diet and cooking towards fresh, unprocessed food, then Ecuador is perfect for you.

If your diet consists of processed food, high-quality meat, or you just need to eat certain brands, then your food bill is going to be considerably higher.

Your meat requirements are also worthwhile considering as Ecuador does not have a good reputation for producing high quality, cheap meat. You can find different meats, but there is no government assistance for farmers, so meat prices might be higher (and of lower quality) than you’re used to.

Vegan basics are covered with plentiful fruits, vegetables and grains. There’s some organic markets in Cuenca too and the prices are not much more than the regular markets. Supermaxi stocks some vegan-friendly food such as tofu, cheese and fake meats. But, if you need to take it up a notch and buy specialty items like nutritional yeast, then you’ll need to find a store like Nectar, bring it with you, or have it muled in.

Cuenca Health Insurance Costs

You have the option of private or public health insurance in Ecuador. But, many temporary residency visas require private health insurance. We also think you’re better off with private health insurance until you’ve properly explored the public health system.

The public health system is a lot cheaper, but the level of care is not as high as the private system.

Health Insurance (2 x adults) – $170/month

Our private health insurance with Salud allows us to visit our preferred hospital in-network. The main health insurance variables are yearly plan limits, deductibles, co-pays and network coverage.

We haven’t done a lot of research into other health insurance providers, so it’s quite possible that we’ll change providers over the next 6 months.

It’s worth pointing out the cost of medical treatment is considerably lower than many expats are used to (especially if you’re US based). The cost to see a doctor or even a specialist in Cuenca is generally less than $50. So, some expats choose to self-insure for these smaller costs, but still have public IESS insurance to cover any major surgeries, etc.

Car Costs in Cuenca

The decision to buy a car in Cuenca is not one that should be taken lightly. It involves a commitment and they are expensive. But, getting an Ecuadorian driver’s licence is relatively easy once you know how.

Gasoline (small car) – $30/month

Gasoline in Cuenca, and Ecuador, is super cheap. But, gasoline prices in Ecuador are a hot topic as the strike in 2019 that resulted in nation-wide chaos was partly caused by the President removing a long-held subsidy on gas and diesel prices.

The President eventually backed down, but was able to slide in a decree in 2020 that removes the subsidy, but limits the effect of any price movement to 5%.

The current price for gasoline is approx $1.75 for regular gasoline (ie Ecopais) and is $1.00 for diesel.

We have a 1.8L manual hatchback car and generally go through 1.5 tanks per month. It costs us $20 each time we fill up.

Car maintanence – $100/month

Maintaining a car in Ecuador is relatively cheap given that labor costs are so cheap. But, if you need to rely on imported parts than it will cost you considerably more. For this reason, Ecuadorian’s tend to like commonly available cars like Chevrolets.

Whilst I consider the roads in Ecuador to be good compared to other Latin American countries, they are not as good you’ll find in many developed nations. Potholes, speed bumps and other unexpected surprises caused by the weather (ie landslides and fog) can make driving difficult and cause a fair bit of wear and tear on the car. And, given Cuenca is in the Andes, you’re bound to be going up and down mountains a lot which also puts pressure on the engine.

Given the expected wear and tear on cars here, you’ll need to find a good, honest mechanic in Cuenca.

We’ve included the following in our $100/month car maintenance costs:

General repairs (ie suspension, brakes etc)

Tire replacement

Oil & other minor servicing

Car washing twice per month ($5 each time).

Car Subtotal – $130/month

This is an easy cost to remove if you decide to live in the city of Cuenca as many expats get by without a car. Taxis, buses and trams are cheap and you’d be doing well to spend more than $30-40 per month.

If we didn’t have a car, then I’d expect us to spend around $150/month on transport. The majority of this would be on taxis as it costs us about $8 each way to get into Cuenca.

Child Related Costs in Cuenca

I’ve already mentioned that the cheaper cost of schools in Cuenca was one of the reasons we moved here from Quito. On top of that, general activities like horse-riding and other after-school activities are cheaper here.

School Fees (2 kids) – $500

You can choose the private or public school system in Ecuador. We’ve noticed a very substantial difference in the quality of teaching offered through each system, with private schools generally outperforming public schools in every metric except for cost.

School fees for our school of choice in Cuenca are $250/month. Transport costs extra, but we don’t need it as we drive or walk the kids to school.

There are also yearly costs such as uniforms, books and in what is a weird custom to me, you’ll also need to buy (and label with your child’s name) a whole host of other materials that they’ll use throughout the year. I’m talking about stuff like educational toys down to colored paper. Basically, anything your child will use throughout the year, you are expected to buy at the start of the year.

These one-off costs are why the government mandates workers receive an extra payment in August – to help pay for these educational costs.

School fees vary a lot. You can find schools in Cuenca that cost $800/month down the $100 or so. Homeschooling is another option that is popular amongst expats.

Horse Riding (2 kids) – $100

This covers tuition and riding twice per week for each child. I realize horse riding is very specific, but most after-school activities are in a similar range, costing $30-50 per month.

Other activities include football (of course), bike riding, dancing, swimming and hiking.

Child Costs Subtotal – $600/month (2 kids)

If you’re looking to put your kids through private school, you will be looking to pay a similar amount for education in Cuenca. You’ll pay considerably more in Quito or Guayaquil.

Obviously you can save yourself some money if you removed the after-school activities and decided to go to a cheaper school. But, I would suggest you check out the various schools you’re considering before making any decision because the teaching methods and environments can vary a lot.

Discretionary Costs

Alright, time to spend some cash on the fun stuff!

Cafes & Restaurants – $150/month

We generally eat out 4 times per month for lunch and another 4-5 times for cafe style coffee and snacks. For 2 adults and 2 kids, lunch generally costs $20-$30 and the coffee/snacks around $10.

Michelle and I will also go for the occasional date night approx once per month where it’s just the two of us having dinner and drinks. This might cost $20 or $50 depending on how romantic we’re feeling lol.

Yoga (2 adults) – $60/month

There’s a decent selection of yoga studios in Cuenca, most of which offer drop-in classes for around $5. Better value are the monthly passes which we currently pay $30/month for. This gives us more than enough yoga every month.

Yoga not for you? No problem. Gyms and other activities also have monthly passes in a similar $30-$50/month bracket.

Clothes – $100/month

Whilst we generally wait until we holiday in another country to buy clothes, we still purchase some basics in Cuenca like shoes, jumpers etc. You are better off bringing clothes with you if possible – especially if you’re a larger ‘gringo’ size as your options here might be limited.

Streaming (Netflix & Spotify) – $15/month

Streaming costs are likely to be cheaper in Ecuador than in your home country. The combined cost of Netflix and Spotify for individual plans is $15.

I know numerous extended families in Ecuador that pay much less than this because they take advantage of the family plans which work out to be much cheaper.

With IPTV and a Firestick, you may find you have access to enough channels that you no longer need a Netflix subscription.

Discretionary Subtotal – $325/month

If strapped for cash, you can basically remove these discretionary costs.

An easy substitution if you like eating out, but prefer to be a little more frugal, is to stick to the lunch menu of the day or almuerzo. These are generally $3-$5 and consist of a soup, main, drink, and sometimes a dessert. The quality varies, but you should be able to find several staple restaurants in Cuenca that you’re happy with the price and quality.

You could also bring your yoga/gym costs down by working out at home. Michelle and I occasionally practice guided yoga with instructors on Youtube or Gaia. We value the community that comes from practicing in person at yoga studios, but we still enjoy practicing at home.

Total Costs – $2,552/month

Our total monthly costs come in at around $2.5K for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids). This total includes many items that I would consider luxuries that we could certainly go without if we wanted to save a little more.

I believe we could get our monthly costs down to $1,500 if we needed to. But, this would require a lifestyle change and moving to a cheaper house.

Lastly, to get money into Ecuador, we generally use a low-fee online service, as traditional bank transfers normally cost more and are more effort.

Do you live in Cuenca and happy to share your monthly costs? Feel free to let us know if the comments below. Or, perhaps you’re still deciding about Cuenca and are busily comparing prices between here and your home country. If this is you, let us know if the cost of living in Cuenca is high, low, or similar to what you’re paying now.

from Expats Ecuador https://expatsecuador.com/cost-of-living-cuenca/

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vietnamtour-blog · 4 years

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Glossary of Vietnam National Parks: The masterpieces of Mother Nature

Vietnam is a country full of natural masterpieces. It might be dedicated to God because of the diverse natural scenery and the most special species of animals and plants. In order to protect the unique resources, there are a lot of national parks that have established and been frequently operating to preserve and save thousands of extraordinary species. This blog post would like to show you a great glossary of National Park for those who love animals and natural discovery, enjoy the quiet and fresh ambiance.

1. Northern Vietnam

Cuc Phuong National Park

Source: landofsize.com

Cuc Phuong is the first and the largest national park in Vietnam which is located in 3 provinces: Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa. It has a 200 square kilometers rain forest, which is a home of approximately 2234 plant species and thousands of endangered animals. Cuc Phuong National Park is also a location of the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre & Turtle Conservation Centre. One of the most interesting seasons to visit this park is from at the end of April to the middle of May when the butterfly season has begun.

In other seasons, you can enjoy several outdoor activities as well, such as walking along the lush forest, watching the rare birds, riding through the jungle, discovering a lot of historic caves, greeny lakes, and preserved animals, etc. Do not forget to drop by Van Long Nature Reserve, where you can take a boat to sightsee the spectacular scenery and hundreds of underwater animals. Cuc Phuong National Park is not only a place to preserve exceptional species but also a spot to protect the cultural heritage of the Muong people. So that you will have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to admire the incredible biodiversity and the unique lifestyle of Vietnam ethnic groups. You can get there by car or rent a motorbike because it is quite near Hanoi.

Entrance ticket: 10,000 – 60,000 VND

Xuan Thuy National Park

Source: vietnamnet.vn

Xuan Thuy National Park is the first RAMSAR site in Vietnam, best known for its diverse wetland ecological system and as a migratory bird habitat. The best time to visit Xuan Thuy is from October to April, when abundant birds migrate here so that you can admire one of the most unique landscapes in Vietnam. The migratory birds make noise and amaze everyone who sees it. You can go there by car or bus from Giap Bat station to get to Nam Dinh, Vietnam. You also can have the local specialties in the central park with delicious dishes at reasonable prices.

Speedboat (small&big): 40 – 100 USD/trip

Local boat: 2 USD/trip

Bicycle rental: 3 USD/day

Cat Ba National Park

Daily life at Viet Hai Fishing Village. Photo: Internet

Cat Ba National Park belongs to the famous Cat Ba Island which is nearby Hai Phong City and it is the center of the UNESCO Archipelago Biosphere Reserve. This park consists of both forests and ocean, which means it has many different ecosystems: mangrove forests, limestone forests, and coral reef. For its abundant biodiversity and untouched beauty, the best way to experience this park is to trek. You can get through the tropical rain forest by 3 different routes that you should choose.

The most beautiful and exciting route is getting through Frog Pond to Viet Hai Village and climb up to Ngu Lam Peak, which is the best place to sightsee the whole park. It might be better for you to choose to drop by Frog Pond (Ao Ếch) that has the one and only riparian forest in the high mountain. There are various kinds of trees grown up strongly that make a mystery and unique scenery. You also can take a short visit to Viet Hai Fishing Village to discover the peaceful daily life of local people. Cat Ba National Park is good to visit all year round, yet if you want it quieter, definitely visit the park on weekdays.

Ba Be National Park

Explore the gorgeous scenery of the “Green Pearl” Ba Be National Park. Photo: jdtravelcouple

It is a unique destination that Mother Nature has given to Vietnam. Ba Be National Park’s name is meaningful because it is a complex of 3 beautiful lakes that are Pe Leng, Pe Lu, and Pe Lam and is located in Bac Kan Province. You can take a local boat along the lakes while admiring the beautiful mountains, outstandingly Pia Booc mountain that situates surrounding the lake, with fantastic caves and the peaceful local villages.

A special thing about the destination is that the lake lies in the center of the mountain and might be the highest lake due to sitting approximately 150 meters above sea level. This trip would make you full of pleasant feelings as well as completely relax in the fresh space. Ba Be National Park also has the rich of animals and lush forests that are being preserved and has been named in Vietnam’s Red Data Book. With the enormous biodiversity and picturesque landscape, Ba Be would be an attractive option for you.

Tam Dao National Park

This national park preserves hundreds of bears in Vietnam. Photo: National Geographic

In addition, there is a new national park located in Vinh Phuc Province, which is only 80km from Hanoi. You can get to Tam Dao National Park by motorcycle because it would be the nicest option to contemplate the magnificent scenery along the roads. Moreover, Tam Dao National Park is a suitable place for family trips. It owns a bear camping which would attract both you and your children. You can immerse yourself in the thick fog and the lush jungle here as well as relaxed with the fresh space.

2. Central Vietnam

Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park

Morning in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park. Photo: Internet

Phong Nha Ke Bang is known as a huge and valuable worldwide museum that preserves the complex structures of geology in Quang Binh, Vietnam. The history of this location is hard to determine as well because of the complicated formations of stalagmites and stalactites. The scientists believed this location has been established for over 400 million years, and it might be the oldest national park in the world in general and in Asia in particular.

If you are into exploring nature, Phong Nha Ke Bang is a good choice for you. With the huge system of famous caves would bring you to surprise. Some spectacular caves such as Heaven Cave, Dark Cave, Ruc Mon Cave, Phong Nha Cave, Tien Son Cave, and the most remarkable that amazed all the world and well-known the biggest cave on this planet is Son Doong. Furthermore, Phong Nha Ke Bang owns copious rare animals, but you have to go with a professor or experienced local guide so that it might be easier to run into these animals.

One more interesting activity is rowing a boat around the park or paddling along the underground rivers because it holds such fascinating scenery with many limestone pillars and vast space with the incredible caves, tropical forest, clean water as well as fresh air. This location is able to supply you with a lot of outdoor activities such as trekking, discovering, riding, swimming, etc.

The best time to visit Phong Nha Ke Bang is in summer (from June to August). The rest of the year, it will be cold (from December to February) or raining and therefore flooding (from August to December). With the magnificent landscape, numerous exclusive caves, special underground rivers, and the diversity of flora and fauna, Phong Nha Ke Bang will be worth your adventure.

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Pu Mat National Park

Kem Waterfall looks like a veil in the middle of the forest. Photo: zing.vn

If the 1,840-meter-high mountains, vast evergreen forests and incredible waterfall are enough to bring you to this national park, the abundance of flora and fauna. Pu Mat National Park belongs to the historic land of Vietnam which is Nghe An and is one of the first locations that found a rare animal called the Saola, which was completely unknown before 1992 and has been found living only in the Truong Son forest of Vietnam and Laos. It is also home to the largest herd of elephants in Vietnam.

This park acts as a principal nature reserve, with 2,400 flora species, 37 of which are listed in Vietnam’s Red Book and 20 in the World’s Red Book. You will have an opportunity to immerse yourself into a fresh nature when trekking in Khe Thoi primary forests, or to Kem waterfall, the most primeval waterfall in Vietnam. Your active holiday activities range from rowing, swimming, sightseeing to trekking or discovering the traditional lifestyle of the Thai or Dan Lai ethnic groups in their stilt houses and enjoying their local specialties. This in turn benefits the locals in the new initiatives of community-based tourism.

Furthermore, from this spot, you can easily reach Pu Luong, which is known as a new remarkable area in Vietnam. Pu Luong owns the magnificent scenery that has clean rivers with huge water wheels and the peaceful villages along the rivers. Pu Luong is also an amazing combination with the river and beautiful hills. It will be a time you have to be amazed at glorious rice paddy fields and immerse yourself into a fantastic landscape and friendly local people. You will have interesting experiences in Pu Luong as well as Pu Mat National Park.

Bach Ma National Park

Gorgeous Do Quyen Waterfall. Source: marnick

One more famous spot in ancient Hue that preserves Vietnam’s special animals and plants is Bach Ma National Park. The best time to visit is from December to April or June and July because you can combine the Bach Ma trip with Hue or Lang Co beach. Nowadays, Bach Ma is still wild and mysterious and attracts many tourists. Some interesting spots like Ngu Ho, which is locally known as 5 lakes gathered together, is also a symbol of the park. You can admire the amazing structures of nature.

Nearby Ngu Ho is Do Quyen Waterfall, one of the most fascinating waterfalls in Bach Ma. It is the best chance for you to relax and chill out with the murmur of the brook, the sounds of birds, and the deeply fresh air. Finally, you can get the whole view of Lang Co beach and Bach Ma National Park by climbing to Hai Vong Dai, which is a building like an observing towel. From this view, tourists also can see Canh Duong beach, Truoi Lake or Truc Lam Monastery.

3. Southern Vietnam

Cat Tien National Park

Source: Anders Blomqvist

Cat Tien National Park’s most impressive inhabitants are perhaps the plants. It is famous for its several 100-year-old or 500-year-old trees with the area boasting an incredible 1,610 botanical species and is one of the most remarkable national parks in Dong Nai in particular and Vietnam in general. When you travel to this place, you will be able to walk through the lush plant systems and learn more about the rare trees and valuable herbals. There are a lot of century-old trees that have big rounds and vast roots would amazed everyone who sees them.

One of the most not only interesting but also terrifying is Crocodile Lake. If you want to challenge yourself, you might try to sit on the boat in the middle of the lake where the crocodiles are swimming around you. In addition, the night safari is definitely an exciting and unique activity to observe nocturnal animals like sambar deer, porcupines, muntjac, and civets. One more special activity is meeting and exploring the lifestyle and farming practices of the Ma-Stieng ethnic. A trip to Cat Tien National Park would become your unforgettable experience.

Tram Chim National Park

Tram Chim National Park . Photo: Internet

From its name, people could understand why Tram Chim National Park might be one of the most famous locations preserving a lot of birds in Vietnam. There are a ton of exceptional birds living here. You can take a boat inside the center of the high tide region to discover the abundance of birds as well as strange plants. The park owns a plentiful lotus pond as well. In the lotus season, it is a perfect time to contemplate the gorgeous landscape with the fragrant flowers and relaxing pink shades. Besides, you should travel to Tram Chim from March to May when the high tide is happening so that you could try to taste the typical dishes and watch the additional activities from local people to learn more about the culture and daily basis in Dong Thap.

Phu Quoc National Park

Source: homeiswhereyourbagis

This area is the center of the abundance of biodiversity in Vietnam. The park is located in Phu Quoc Island, which is a place that has a perfect combination of sea, streams, and forests. You can trek through the lush green jungle and find some of the valuable and rare orchids as well as watch the strange wildlife animals. The must-go place is Nui Chua’s peak means the peak of God’s Mountain. On top of this mountain, also known as the roof of Phu Quoc, it is easy for you to adore the picturesque scenery totally.

Tra Su Cajuput Forest/Tra Su Bird Sanctuary

Tourists are attracted by the incredible green in Tra Su Cajuput Forest. Photo: M.T/baotintuc.vn

The landscape of Tra Su Cajuput Forest is typical for Southern Vietnam Nature, especially An Giang’s scenery. It carries enough characters of high tide or mangrove forests. The best time to travel to Tra Su is from September to November when it is getting lush and green along the river. And the best way to get a kick out of magnificent nature is by local boat. While rowing, you can relish the unique rivers and specific birds flying or sitting on the trees. We are sure that you will be amusing and amazed at this insane site.

4. Central Highland

Yok Don National Park

Dipterocarp forest in the summer. Source: medium.com

This is a special-use forest that is completely important in Dak Lak, Vietnam. It is also the one and only site to conserve the unique ”Khop” forest represented for all kinds of trees which are deciduous that makes this park globally important. Tourists could ride or trek through the jungle and uncover the endangered animals such as Indochinese Tiger, Leopard, Rhino, etc. But the most attractive part of the park is the places of ethnic minorities. There are a lot of groups here to make a rich cachet of the region like EDE, Tay, Muong, etc.

You can learn more about their civilization and society. Nothing is more interesting than going to the forest and looking for ethnic elephants with local guides or especially with local ethnic people. You will have a chance to approach closer and learn more about the elephants’ activities but without touching them. Furthermore, go sightseeing the vast nature of the Central Highland with many incredible waterfalls and streams. There is a Buddhist Waterfall in the woods that has fascinated many visitors every year.

Yok Don National Park is full of natural resources and abundant culture and it is where protecting endangered species not only in Vietnam but also in the whole world so that you have to pay attention to conserve this site.

Author: Thuy Linh

Source: https://blog.evivatour.com/glossary-of-vietnam-national-parks-the-masterpieces-of-mother-nature/

#National Parks #Nature

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topfygad · 5 years

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Swim in Jellyfish Lake in Palau, Micronesia

After I defined to my buddies a few pending journey to the Micronesian island area of Palau to swim in some factor known as Jellyfish Lake their faces had that 50 p.c quizzical and fifty p.c “you’re a loopy woman” look. The fast-fire of considerations adopted

Why? Aren’t you frightened? How a number of jellyfish are there in that lake? Will you may have on a wetsuit?

What touched me essentially the most is that the individuals closest to me actually thought I used to be brave sufficient to soar right into a lake surrounded by stinging jellyfish. Not a likelihood. The fact is that begging strangers to pee on my stinging wounds doesn’t audio like a bucket guidelines worthy journey data to me.

Palau’s Jellyfish Lake is definitely dwelling to hundreds and hundreds of jellyfish, deemed comparatively innocent because of the truth their sting is so light.

See, I’m taking part in with a complete deck of taking part in playing cards. Most of they time.

Whenever you arrive you’re greeted by the ideas that have to be abided by earlier than transferring into this lake Don’t hold the Jellyfish. Uh…Okay. Don’t kick the jellyfish. Was not scheduling on it. Don’t take away the jellyfish from the h2o. They most probably wouldn’t make nice souvenirs anyway.

We walked up a reasonably steep set of stairs, which I cursed the entire approach. These jellyfish significantly better be definitely worth the quarter sized blister forming on my important toe.

There’s a smaller dock to drop your footwear off and from this picket platform we noticed an individual solo Golden jellyfish.

Only a individual jellyfish? I used to be involved.

This didn’t seem almost something just like the images on the World-wide-web during which numerous plankton had been completely bordering you. Presumably I actually ought to purchase a replica of Photoshop, it could undoubtedly do wonders.

We’ve got been instructed to swim a few hundred toes out, in course of the sunlit waters. Seemingly, jellyfish just like the lightweight.

Nearly each foot I swam nearer in the direction of the sunshine the jellyfish inhabitants grew, proper up till I used to be completely surrounded.

And now I used to be anxious for a completely distinct clarification and the speedy-hearth ideas infested my mind.Are they really innocent?

What if there’s 1 that isn’t? It might completely come throughout me.

Are there medics shut by?

The initially 5 minutes within the h2o ended up spent panicked any time a jellyfish would brush up from a limb. Following that, a way of safety set in and I began inspecting every one among these interesting creatures.

Numerous numbers ended up inside visibility, each single course I appeared. And I couldn’t get loads of. Some had been tiny like a lemon, different individuals had been the dimension of softballs they usually felt clear like a dolphin. It was easy to be mesmerized by their lackadaisical actions.

I stayed within the water till my fingers appeared like shriveled grapes and my again was actually the colour of a crimson delectable apple. However, the data was price nearly each blister that was assured to be producing an total look tomorrow. Moreover, it was a tremendous addition to my record of the prime issues to do exactly earlier than you die.

. . . Examine it Off Your Bucket Guidelines . . .

Website/Specifics:

Palau is an unimaginable archipelago in Micronesia with greater than 200 magical limestone and volcanic islands, mendacity 800 miles southwest of Guam. It’s correctly recognized for its globe-course scuba diving and snorkeling web websites, moreover fairy-tale environment that choice from dense jungles to wonderful blue waters to pristine sandy seashores. Jellyfish Lake is discovered on Eil Malk, an uninhabited island off the coast of the principal city of Koror. It’s dwelling to a whole bunch of hundreds of stingless golden mastigias and translucent moon jellyfish that migrate from only one aspect of the lake to the opposite to stay to the route of the photo voltaic.

Acquiring to Jellyfish Lake:

Most excursions to Jellyfish Lake begin off from the purpose out of Koror that’s serviced by Palau Worldwide Airport (ROR). The first gateways to Palau are Guam, Manila (Philippines), Seoul (South Korea), Taipei (Taiwan) and Tokyo (Japan). Prevalent flights are on United Airways (www.united.com) from Honolulu to Guam to Koror or speedy from Manila. From the airport, the city center could be attained by car or taxi in about 20 minutes, moreover quite a few motels will provide shuttle help for about $20 USD each single approach. You might want to make preparations together with your picked lodge previous to your arrival. A an individual approach cheap for a taxi to Koror is someplace round $25. Maintain in head that taxis should not metered, so validate the worth beforehand.

Language(s):

Palau has two formal languages, Palauan and English. English is extensively spoken.

Forex:

US Greenback. You’ll come throughout a great deal of ATMs in Koror and large bank cards are acknowledged at most eating institutions, shops and motels.

Electrical energy:

Plug selection A/B plugs, 110v. The outlets are the precise as North America, so no adaptor is required if touring from the US.

When to Go:

Palau has a yearly typical temperature within the mid 80s with superior humidity, which helps make it pleasurable to cease by any time of the yr. However, getting that Palau is within the tropics, rainfall can come about at any time of the 12 months. The best time to go is all by way of the dryer months (November to April or February and March) when there’s a diminished chance of rain. In September, we skilled sporadic rain by way of the day that didn’t affect any pursuits and a single storm on a snorkeling tour that created uneven waters that prevented me from leaping in, however not the scuba divers I used to be with. The ingesting water temperature by way of the rock islands is often amongst 81-84, good tub water.

The right way to Cease by/Establishing:

Most h2o-primarily based mostly routines and exploration excursions, like Jellyfish Lake, go away from an important metropolis of Koror. For essentially the most part, journeys to Jellyfish Lake should not particular excursions in its place they’re bundled in both group dive journeys or snorkeling excursions of the Rock Islands. With Neco Marine (www.necomarine.com) Jellyfish Lake is built-in of their all-day Rock island snorkeling tour for $150, which might embody issues like all these locations as Clam Metropolis or Cemetery Reef. Sam’s Excursions (www.samstours.com) presents an analogous tour with added snorkeling stops at areas like Enormous Fall off and Milky Method for $125. Fish n’ Fins (www.fishnfins.com) has two tank dives with a stop on the lake for $210, or in case you’d need snorkeling the worth is $175. There’s additionally an choice to constitution your possess boat commencing at $1500 for a whole working day. Protect in thoughts that the $100 Koror State Jellyfish Lake permit is usually not offered within the quoted value, however ought to actually be envisioned.

Getting Throughout:

Getting all-around Koror could be carried out by rental auto, taxi or the night time BBI shuttle. Leasing a motorcar could be completed on the airport terminal, as very nicely as at a number of the resorts. Nonetheless, navigating your approach by motorcar could also be troublesome, as Koror doesn’t have road indicators or focused visitors alerts, in addition to it’s probably not required to have a motorcar. Taxis can effortlessly be used when getting one organized beforehand by the concierge or cafe host. Actually don’t depend on to have the ability to hail one when simply strolling collectively the road. The taxis should not metered fares are based in your trip spot. Taxi fares in Koror roughly vary from $6-8. Within the evenings, you can too purchase the BBI shuttle that completes a round-trip providers in an hour and stops at fairly a number of of the key areas on an important avenue of Koror ($7 for a an individual 7 days go). Examine together with your lodge during which to get tickets. Most dive facilities and lodges current shuttle supplier to and from their places all by way of dive/tour days.

Precisely the place to Stay:

Most excursions begin within the principal city of Koror, which is able to make it the perfect choice desire to your lodging when you’ll Palau. For the highest luxurious sensible expertise after getting within the h2o all day keep in an oceanfront area or overwater bungalow on the Palau Pacific Resort from $425), recognised as Micronesia’s most opulent trip resort. Slumber in a villa surrounded by the pure fantastic thing about a tropical paradise at Palau Plantation Resort from $180). For a extra inexpensive, no frills selection information an area at The Penthouse from $76) or DW Motel from $82).

The place to Eat:

For these sorts of an mysterious spot, the nation has an eclectic mixture of delicious eating locations with hefty Japanese, Korean, Filipino and American influences. Take pleasure in new fish tacos at a favourite in Palau, Kramers Café (1 Pirates Cove, Koror Metropolis). Eat with the locals at Emaimelei Restaurant (Lebuu St, Koror) the place the kitchen space churns out a mix of Filipino, American and regional delicacies, at a inexpensive value. If you would like your Japanese repair, head over to Tori Tori (Derbei, Ikelau Hamlet, Koror) for scrumptious sushi and sashimi. Elilai (https://ift.tt/333Jd3u) is a selected deal with, positioned atop a hillside with lagoon sights. Their new regional parts are made use of to make Pacific Rim delicacies with Japanese, Thai and Italian influences. At Taj (www.tajpalau.com) you’ll tempt your senses with the smells and tastes of the spices of India. For the adventurous bucket record eater cease by Mog Mog (www.mogmogpalau.com) to dine on bowl of the native delicacy, fruit bat soup, precisely the place the complete bat (wings, fur and head integrated) are cooked in a coconut broth. Not for folk who actually don’t desire their meals objects staring them within the confront!

Shut by Ought to-Dos:

Take care of your total physique within the limestone clay on the base on the Milky Method. The creamy mud positioned on the ground of the inlet is recognised for its therapeutic houses. Most 50 p.c and whole-working day excursions of the Rock Islands will make a stop under.

Head 40 minutes exterior the home of the Koror metropolis coronary heart to face beneath the 100-foot Ngardmau Falls. If in case you have a rental vehicle you possibly can navigate your approach in your particular person, usually Palau Impac (palau-impac.com) affords a seven-hour tour for $95.

Check out the thick jungles of Palau on an fascinating 4WD expertise. With Palau Off-Road Jungle Excursions (offroadjungletours.com/index.html from $160) you’ll be discovering usually inaccessible panorama waterfalls, WWII relics, abandoned villages and the plush rainforest.

Following you may have explored the Rock Islands by day, get a night kayak tour with Rock Island Excursions (palauritc.com/english $55). Within the dim you’ll be geared up to see the bioluminescent organisms happen alive. Their fluorescent glow alongside with the moon and twinkling stars will light up the serene waters.

Important Data and details:

You’ll require a Koror Situation Rock Island permit to scuba dive, kayak, snorkel and swim in Jellyfish Lake. The worth is $100 and is legit for 10 days. Your guideline will usually take therapy of getting these permits, however it isn’t concerned within the cost of the tour.

There’s a $50 for every explicit individual departure tax and inexperienced cost that may be compensated in funds instantly on the airport on departure. A visa just isn’t wanted for United States individuals being for fewer than 365 instances, whereas you’ll have to have a legit passport with at minimal 1 clean net web page.

Guarding Jellyfish Lake is extremely necessary, so be respectful when you are there don’t raise the jellyfish out of the h2o, enter the lake cleanse and freed from cost of sunscreen, don’t use the lake as a restroom and have on fins to sluggish your actions. Abide by the procedures of the lake with the intention to make sure that the jellyfish might be there for a very long time to reach.

Scuba diving just isn’t approved within the lake for the reason that bubbles could be trapped within the jellyfish’s bell.

Packing Ideas:

Palau is fairly informal, with a relaxed island sort shorts, tanks and tees prevail. Depart your stilettos and sparkly apparel at dwelling.

Don’t come to Jellyfish Lake (or Palau for that matter) with out an underwater digital camera, you’ll be let down at not changing into geared up to grab the underwater treasures. In case your digicam has video clip skills that’s even superior because the mesmerizing pulsating strikes of the jellyfish are fascinating.

Pack a rash guard as an added safety from the extremely sizzling solar.

A modest dry daypack is beneficial not just for the hike to Jellyfish Lake, but additionally the boat rides by way of the Rock Islands

Ship alongside cozy going for walks/h2o footwear which have some traction, it could get slippery on the path.

Pack gentle snacks for the excursions. Even though lunch is often integrated a granola bar or path mix can simplicity some hunger.

Helpful Web pages:

Pristine Paradise Palau

. . . Research Further . . .

Study the Micronesian Island of Palau by Sea

Get a Natural Mud Bathtub in Palau’s Milky Method

Micronesia & Palau Journey Guidebook

Disclosure: I used to be a visitor of the Palau Website guests Authority, however all opinions are my possess

from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/2r40b4L via https://ift.tt/2NIqXKN

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wikitopx · 5 years

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Good things come in small packages.

Western North Carolina has a little treasure, surrounded by mountains, that serves as the perfect destination to relax and enjoy nature. Bryson City has small town spirit, kind people, and a quiet downtown, but still, has an impressive range of activities to fill an itinerary for weeks. From hiking and mountain bike trails to fishing and water sports, it is an outdoor paradise, par excellence.

However, Bryson City’s history and identity provide attractions filled with culture, as well. Discover the best things to do for a magical trip into the heart of the Smoky Mountains and get ready to fall under the spell of this North Carolinian gem.

1. Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

Considered among the best train rides in the United States, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad provides amazing, scenic excursions through the natural beauty of the mountains, in Western North Carolina. The ride travels across tunnels, rivers, lakes, gorges, and valleys and can be taken in a diesel engine train and in a restored steam engine, as well.

They have different tours and excursions and it is recommended to book your tickets in advance, since it is a very popular attraction. You can purchase packages that include other activities, like rafting, or arrange a lunch menu. This is one of the best ways to experience North Carolina’s spectacular scenery, as well as its rich history.

2. Nantahala Outdoor Center

Are you ready for adventure? National Geographic Adventure has rated Nantahala Outdoor Center as One of the Best Outfitter’s on Earth, and you will surely love it, too. As the largest outdoor recreation company in the United States, they provide more than 120 different river and land-based activities, that can please everyone, from families to adrenaline junkies.

You can try whitewater rafting, take a world-class paddling lesson or go lake kayaking. If you are not into water sports, you can rent a mountain bike or visit their leadership institute, for wilderness medicine and river rescue training. Nantahala Outdoor Center provides guidance and gear, so you can have an unforgettable experience.

3. Smoky Mountain Gold & Ruby Mine

Located 20 minutes away from Bryson and a favorite among children, the Smoky Mountain Gold & Ruby Mine gives the chance to return home with some precious souvenirs from North Carolina. With free admission, you will choose from a variety of bags and buckets and look for emeralds, rubies, sapphires, amethysts, garnets, topaz, and more. Remember to visit their gem, gift, and rock shop: they have a nice selection of items to add to your findings.

4. Smoky Mountain Trains Museum

After your ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, you can visit the Smoky Mountain Trains Museum, a very nice way to continue your adventure on rails. It displays a collection of 7,000 Lionel™ engines cars and accessories that delight kids and adults, alike. Admission is free if you have train tickets, but it is also open to the general public, with a fee.

5. Swain County Heritage Museum

If you are interested in learning about the history of the area, you should head to the Swain County Heritage Museum. It is a place where the story of Swain County and its people is told through exhibits, photographs, and videos. The museum is located on the second floor of the 1908 historic courthouse, in downtown Bryson City, and the admission is free.

Make sure to stop by the information center and the bookstore, that are in the same building, for directions, maps, and additional information on the area.

6. Nantahala Brewing Company

Thirsty? The Nantahala Brewing Company is the perfect solution. This microbrewery produces award-winning, unfiltered ales and provides a friendly atmosphere in which to hang out after a day of sightseeing, yet, their most popular choice is their beer to go. They offer tours and tastings in their taproom on Fridays, a wonderful option where you can try up to eight different beers.

7. Cooper Creek Trout Farm

This is the perfect place to spend an afternoon or even the whole day. Cooper Creek Trout Farm raises 750,000 rainbow trout, annually and offers a public pond so that visitors can catch their own fish. They provide fishing equipment and picnic facilities, as well as guided tours. Their location includes access to hiking trails and waterfalls.

8. Deep Creek Recreation Area

One of the most beautiful areas in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Deep Creek is 5 minutes away from Bryson City. If offers lots of outdoor activities to enjoy, such as trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The most popular routes are the ones that pass by Indian Creek, Tom Branch and Juney Whank Falls, some of the loveliest sights in the park.

You can also spend the day fishing and there are plenty of stops perfect for a picnic. Another great activity available is tubing: access is free and tube rentals are about 5 USD a day, from companies on West Deep Creek Road.

9. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The border between Tennessee and North Carolina holds the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States. This stunning place is also the largest protected area in the Eastern United States, at 522,419 acres (211,415 hectares). From waterfalls, camping areas, shelters for backpackers, to black bears, reptiles, other animals and unique flora, the park has everything you need to guarantee you get the best out of North Carolina.

Before your visit, it’s a good idea download the Smokies Trip Planner, an official free guide, with lots of priceless information about the park, available on their website.

10. The Road to Nowhere

With so much to see in Bryson City, your visit won’t be complete without a trip to…nowhere. That’s right: this scenic mountain highway was started as an alternative route to replace an old road, buried under the waters of Fontana Lake, as a result of a dam, but was never finished. So now, Lakeside Drive, known to locals as the Road to Nowhere, serves as a lane that goes six miles (9.7 km) into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and ends at the mouth of a tunnel, offering stunning views of the mountain and lake.

You can drive to the park and leave your car in the parking area after Nolands Creek, from where you will have a short walk to the tunnel. It’s a destination with an interesting story and many beautiful views to offer.

Read also: Top 10 things to do in Minneapolis

From : https://wikitopx.com/travel/top-10-things-to-do-in-bryson-city-nc-704306.html

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