Raw Video: Ash Cloud Disrupts Air Travel
An ash cloud from Iceland’s spewing volcano has halted air traffic across parts of Europe, grounding planes on a scale unseen in years, as authorities stopped all flights over Britain, Ireland and the Nordic countries. (April 15)
Duration : 0:1:9
Vietnam Travel and Tourism
Lying on the eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula, Vietnam is a strip of land shaped like the letter S. China borders it to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, the East Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the east and south.
Video brought to you by Travelindex TV, the destination travel channel at http://www.travelindex.com/videos/
Useful Links:
http://www.travelindex.com
http://www.destinationvietnam.org
http://www.bestdestination.com
http://www.destinationchannel.com
http://www.tourismfoundation.org
Duration : 0:8:52
Has anyone rented Jeeps from American car rentals in Aruba?
They have an internet special going on right now and the price is alot cheaper than the rest of the rental agaencies, just wanted to see if anyone has any experiences good or bad with American Car Rentals.
I followed the link but I don’t see this company on there, looking for experiences good or bad with this particular company in Aruba.
sigh……so no one has ever rented an automobile from this company?
We rented a Jeep from them as a last minute idea once we were there. It was more like Rent-a-Wreck but it did at least get us around (noisily).
Can You Really Enjoy World Travel On A Mini Budget
Many people hold in their dreams to become a world traveler, or to at least go on at least one trip to a foreign locale. The reason most people do not act on their desire to travel abroad is of course financial. There are ways to enjoy world travel on a budget, but you have to know where to look and where to lay your concern when searching for the right vacation destination and flight.
Although in recent years there have been more students that request student loans and government grant so get through their college years, there is also a surge in the number of college aged students that take trips to foreign locations. These excursions occur partly because of a foreign studies program or missions trip that is offered by the school and often partially covered from the semester’s tuition, but also because Americans, as a whole, are more apt to spend money that they do not have than they used to be.
In order to break down how students and adult travelers can travel abroad on a budget, we have to first separate the travel costs into categories. If you break down the trip into three categories and search for bargains in those three categories separately, you will be likely to find a good deal on each. The first category would be travel. The main portion of this category will likely be the trip to and from your destination, but you can also include transportation while on your vacation in this heading as well. For example, if you are traveling through Europe, you may be more likely to need several flights while on your vacation, whereas a trip to the Bahamas or Cancun would require only local travel.
Begin researching flight costs. You should do this at no less than three locations. Those three would be a travel agent, the internet (sites like Priceline and Travelocity), and the airlines themselves. At separate times, you may get the best price at any of these locations. If you think the first place you find a price for a flight is a great price, keep looking, you can always come back and get it in a few hours, after you have checked around. Also, if you are planning several smaller flights while on your vacation, there are great deals for short flights throughout Europe. These can also be researched on the internet or through your travel agent. If you are planning to rent a car, check with local companies in your home country to see if they can recommend a rental place in your destination, but also check with the locals once you have arrived and see where they recommend. Many times, the locals know better than anyone where to find a good deal.
Searching for a hotel can be done in much the same way as searching for your transportation needs. You should always check at least three separate places before committing. Know also that hotels in other countries are likely not the same as hotels in your own backyard. Many hotels may have community showers, while others will have private baths in each room or suite. Make a list of questions to be answered before booking any hotel. Once you have decided that the hotel you have selected is satisfactory in both appearance and price, then you should book the hotel to insure a room is available for you and your travel companion.
Finally, we come to entertainment money, or spending money as some would call it. You will inevitably want to spend money on your vacation, whether it be for meals or souvenirs for grandma. In all money spending situations, use your common sense. In foreign countries, it could be difficult to remember the exchange rate and know what you are spending on certain items, so an electronic exchange calculator is a great tool for your outings.
If you keep these suggestions in mind, you can enjoy world travel on a budget and still have a great time!
Nancy Arlington
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/can-you-really-enjoy-world-travel-on-a-mini-budget-130335.html
Hello From Montreal – Part 8 – Mexican Delights At La Iguana And A Peak At The Montreal Jazz Festival
June 30, 2006
The Plateau area is one of the trendiest areas of Montreal, so I decided to explore it a little further after my discoveries of Old Montreal. From my hotel I hopped into the subway at Place d’Armes and took the blue train north to Sherbrooke. I enjoyed a wonderful stroll through the St-Denis neighbourhood, considered by many to be the most typical of Montreal’s neighbourhoods. Hundreds of street cafés, restaurants and funky boutiques line the street.
The streets in the area are characterized by duplexes or triplexes that have the typical Montreal exterior staircases in the front, many of which are used as comfortable places of rest and relaxation by the local residents. Many of the houses also feature small balconies on the upper floors, most of which are accompanied by small bistro tables and chairs for the outdoor enjoyment of the apartment residents.
The rooflines of in this neighbourhood are also very unusual: dormers and fake mansards add interest to the architectural mix.
The atmosphere is very relaxed, artsy and bohemian. I continued my walk west on a small street call rue Roy and came across a Mexican restaurant called “La Iguana” that also has a small outdoor sitting area. Every since my earlier trip to Mexico this year I have developed a taste for authentic Mexican food and La Iguana with its Mexican flair pulled me in.
I sat down at a comfortable table in the corner with a perfect view of the restaurant and the street outside. Unfortunately, the sky was clouding over and shortly after another tropical thunderstorm was unleashed on the city, the third one today.
To find out more about this restaurant I asked the owner, Fred Saunders, who jointly owns the restaurant with his wife Julie Chiasson, to join me for a bit. Over a mojito he started to tell me about La Iguana and how it all came about. Fred and Julie have travelled numerous times to Mexico together and fallen in love with the country and its flavours. Fred mentioned that they have visited many places on the coast, including Acapulco, Ixtapa, Playa del Carmen as well as Cozumel. Fred and Julie both enjoy scuba diving and have been enjoying underwater adventures in Mexico for the last four years.
They started dreaming of creating their own Mexican restaurant and finally three years ago, they opened “La Iguana”. Fred mentioned that it is open seven days a week for dinner and also opens Friday for lunch. Every Thursday to Saturday they feature live Cuban music that entertains the crowd with hot Latin rhythms. Fred mentioned that La Iguana also provides a catering service and a musician rental service for two to 21 musicians, a new service which they started a couple of months ago.
Fred further explained that the restaurant receives many guests from various hotels and tourism establishments. Just a week earlier, La Iguana hosted the British racing team which was in town for the Montreal Grand Prix. Fred mentioned that they referred to their experience at La Iguana as the “best Mexican food they have ever had”.
La Iguana is actually quite a small restaurant. It seats 64 people in total, including the tables on the sidewalk and the enclosed terrace which is also heated in the winter. Fred indicated that there are many nights when he has to turn away 50 to 60 people since he simply does not have the capacity to accommodate all the guests. For this reason he and Julie came up with the idea of opening another “La Iguana”. The second location will be downtown, and even beyond that Fred and Julie’s dreams extend to opening more locations, later on even in Ontario and different parts of Canada. Their dreams are to open a chain of “La Iguana” restaurants that will bring their concept of Mexican food to Canadians from coast to coast.
Big plans are in store for the new edition of La Iguana which is scheduled to open next spring in downtown Montreal. The new restaurant will be more spacious and feature a grill, allowing guests to order a whole fish hot off the grill. In addition it will also house a museum with authentic artifacts that will be provided by the Mexican Embassy. In addition, the new location will showcase live iguanas and live parrots to create an authentic Mexican atmosphere.
Talking about the history of La Iguana, Fred shared with me that right from the start the restaurant got good reviews. Their interesting dishes and plentiful portions might have something to do with it. Fred indicated that their fajitas and burritos are extremely popular. Ceviche, an authentic Mexican dish with seafood marinated in lime juice and coriander has also become a favourite. La Iguana’s Camarones Acapulco consist of a half a pound of giant shrimps in garlic butter with orange zest and flambéed with Grand Marnier. This signature dish is a crowd pleaser and looks like a sun with yellow rays.
Fred describes the cuisine at La Iguana as upscale Mexican and adds that the wine list is extensive with bottles ranging in price anywhere from $28 to $800. In addition, he and Julie have gone on research trips to Mexico and come back with 35 different types of Tequila that are all privately imported, another unique feature of La Iguana.
Well, with all this talk of tasty delicacies I was getting hungry and I wanted a chance to sample some of La Iguana’s food first-hand. I decided to order the La Iguana Special: a large platter featuring stuffed jalapeños, guacamole, potato skins, cheese quesadilla, chicken wings, nopales (cactus) and flautas (egg rolls), served with sour cream and a spicy sauce. This dish gave me a great overview of La Iguana’s cuisine and I savoured the tastes of Mexico. Then Fred surprised me with Shrimps Acapulco, one of La Iguana’s signature dishes featuring huge shrimp in a Grand Marnier sauce. My appetite was more than satiated but I just had to try La Iguana’s fried icecream for dessert which was a sinful and delicious way to cap off a very satisfying meal.
After some relaxing and listening to the live Cuban music I thanked Fred and headed out into the warm summer night. I walked down Boulevard St. Laurent, or “The Main”, Montreal’s principal north-south connection that divides the city into an eastern (mostly francophone) and western (mostly Anglophone) part. The many restaurants were filled with people and street life was animated. I walked through the pedestrian area on Prince Arthur Street, another popular restaurant area, to head south to Sherbrooke Street, one of Montreal’s main east-west thoroughfares. From there I made it to St. Catharines Street, the headquarters of Montreal’s famous Jazz Festival.
Montreal’s Jazz Festival is in its 27th year and over the course of two weeks from June 28 to July 9, 2006 more than 400 concerts will have been held, the vast majority of them free. B.B. King’s 80th Birthday Event was held on June 28. It is the largest jazz festival in the world and a true signature event for the city, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors. The festival is centered around Place des Arts and the Complexe Desjardins and with my packed schedule over these next few days tonight was my only chance to get a sneak peak at Montreal’s Jazz Festival. The crowds in front of the main stage and on St. Catharines were filling the streets as far as the eye could see and the audience were swaying to the rhythms of Afrodizz, Montreal’s best Afrobeat group, in front of a huge audience at the Scène General Motors .
What started 27 years ago as the dream of jazz aficionado Alain Simard has become the world’s biggest jazz festival that has featured stars like Ray Charles, Chick Corea, John Lee Hooker, Dave Brubeck, Muddy Waters, Dizzy Gillespie, B.B. King, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Chuck Mangione, Tony Bennett, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, George Benson, Holly Cole, Al Jareau and hundreds more. This years lineup included a tribute to Paul Simon, appearances by Dave Brubeck, Brad Mehldau, Etta James and The Neville Brothers. More than 2000 musicians will be coming to town to excite the crowds.
With African rhythms swirling through my head I strolled back slowly to my hotel, reflecting on Montreal’s superb qualifications as one of the world’s major festival cities. I needed to catch enough rest for my early morning bicycle tour of Montreal.
For the entire article including photos please visit
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/montreal_laiguana_jazzfestival.htm
Susanne Pacher
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/hello-from-montreal-part-8-mexican-delights-at-la-iguana-and-a-peak-at-the-montreal-jazz-festival-93293.html
Grand Sunset Princess Resort
http://bookit.com/mexico/cancun/hotels/grand-sunset-princess-resort-all-inclusive/
Grand Oasis Caribbean Resort – All Inclusive, Cancun Overview:
Conveniently located at the north entrance to Cancuns hotel zone, the all-inclusive Grand Oasis Caribbean Beach Resort sits within walking distance of shopping, bars and restaurants. Guests staying at this resort may enjoy the additional services and facilities of the adjacent sister property, Oasis Palm Beach. This new resort opened January 2009!
Duration : 0:3:19
Sacramento Limo Service Rentals
Have you ever wondered if you would be able to afford to hire a limousine just for a short tour of Sacramento, California? Well, you need not be worried any longer, just dial the limousine rental number and book a limousine at an affordable price. Now you can charter a limousine for your tour in Sacramento too. A Limo around Sacramento will exceed your expectations in every way & to make the visit most memorable. The service is available at reasonable prices and everything depends on the budget pre-set by you, for transportation.
A limousine or limo car service is a chauffeured vehicle-for-hire service. The traditional use of a chauffeur-driven limousine is for wealthy people, to drive them around town. However, today many people hire a limousine from a limousine service for a short duration, such as to drive them to a special event or on a special evening out.
Limousines in Sacramento will make your tours within California memorable and luxurious. The guarantee is that by booking a limousine, you and your friends can travel in style. All you need to do is to give the limousine driver the address you would like to go to and he does the rest. The venues and time limit, if pre-set, make it easier for you to put together a memorable evening.
If you are visiting Sacramento for the first time and you are thinking of places to visit as well as things to do in Sacramento, then the best and the most affordable thing to do is to ride the Sacramento River Train. The ride on the Sacramento River Train will provide you with a visual treat. The train offers panoramic visuals. The food and entertainment appeals to people of all ages. The River Train also has individual themes such as Murder Mystery Dinner, Saturday Great Train Robbers or Sunday Champagne Brunches.
The Friday or Saturday rides on the Sacramento rented limousines offer an entertaining trip with a great combination of scenery, food, entertainment and service. The smallest package a limousine rental offers is a 28-mile trip. This trip around Sacramento city lasts for about 4 to 5 hours. Even before the departure, you can enjoy some relaxing moments with the music of your choice.
While you and your friends watch the countryside roll by through the large windows, the chauffeur offers to take you to one of the most famous classic restaurants. After you have had your sumptuous meal, you can return to the limo once again to enjoy a drink or two while listening to music. The limo ride is definitely a wonderful alternative to the usual trips or the regular movie outing. It is also an enjoyable way to experience the history and beauty of the California Central Valley.
As you and your friends are being chauffeured home, you will also have time to talk about the unique evening. All this and more makes booking the limousine for touring definitely worthwhile. The sight of onlookers is something you will cherish forever, especially the envy in their eyes.
Kris Koonar
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/sacramento-limo-service-rentals-119148.html
Travel Guide – Stockholm, Sweden
http://www.WatchMojo.com presents… A look at the city of Stockholm and what to check out if visiting!
Duration : 0:1:23
Life as a airline passengerHelp With Finding Hotels In Benidorm Spain
You’ll have no trouble finding hotels in Benidorm Spain, as it has more hotel rooms than any other area in the country. It has more skyscrapers than anywhere in the world, with the exception of New York.
Over the years, the city grew from a sleepy fishing village to a tourist mecca. Benidorm is the one of the most popular resort areas in Spain, with over 1000 restaurants and 30 nightclubs. The area is very popular among English travelers, and this is reflected in the types of entertainment available, as there are many English-style pubs in the area.
Benidorm Accommodations
Whether you’re interested in Benidorm hotels or apartment rentals, you’re sure to find lodging that fits your needs. If you’re on a budget, or you’re springing for a luxury vacation, there are accommodations in this area that will suit you.
You might want to stay in a hotel with the most gracious of amenities and the most panoramic views. Or you might be looking to spend the least amount of money. You might want to be in the thick of the action, or you may want to be on the outskirts of the city, where it’s a little less busy. You might prefer modern features over quaint rooms.
Your first stop should be the internet. Here you’ll be able to compare prices and conditions of hotels, and find out before you get there whether or not you’ll be happy staying there. You’ll see pictures of the hotels, and some sites even post reviews by former guests. This is a great way to get an accurate, unbiased opinion of the location. Be sure to compare the hidden details, such as check in and check out times, cancellation policy and additional charges. You may find that what you thought was a great deal may turn out to be not so great once all of the additional information is evaluated.
Hotel Amenities in Spain
Think about the amenities that are important for you to have. Depending on how you’re traveling and with whom you’re traveling (spouse, single friends or children), your needs will be different. Consider children’s activities if they’re accompanying you on your vacation.
Another thing to consider is the location of your hotel to the main attractions that you’re interested in visiting. If you’re a golfer, it may make sense to stay at a property with a golf course, or to purchase a golf package when you book your trip. If you’re a sun worshipper, you may want to be in close proximity to the beaches in Benidorm.
Careful consideration of all the options will help ensure a relaxing vacation.
Rob Carlton
http://www.articlesbase.com/hotels-articles/help-with-finding-hotels-in-benidorm-spain-85913.html