Your Best New Zealand Motorhome Guide

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The best way to appreciate the beautiful countryside of New Zealand is by motorhome. Motorhomes for hire in New Zealand come in a variety of sizes and both diesel or petrol engines. Take into consideration your overall fuel cost when choosing which is right for your adventure.
Keep in mind, the roads in New Zealand twist and have many sharp curves. You will not be able to drive the motorhome as fast as a car. The motorhome is a truck. You will need a wider turning radius and more time to stop. For you, this motorhome new zealand adventure is all about the journey. There is no need for you to be in a hurry.

Choose your campgrounds before you motorhome hire new zealand. Plan the trip around towns and attractions. You should be able to drive the motorhome most any place you could take a car. You may need two parking spaces at restaurants or the local supermarket. Keep in mind the height of the motor home when maneuvering in and out of parking areas.

Full service campgrounds offer, locations for dumping the toilet tank, communal showers, power outlets, water and drains. There are free campsites. These offer no amenities and the motorhome must be fully self contained and have it’s own power supply.
If you are planning to use free campsites, you need a motorhome with a refrigerator, stove, toilet and shower. A hot shower–or lack of one–makes a tremendous difference in whether or not your New Zealand motorhome adventure is enjoyable or just tolerable.
Most New Zealand motorhomes rental depots have locations near airports. If you are traveling by car, check in advance to assure you are allowed to leave your car at the location you picked up your motorhome. Companies have numerous locations and one way trips are also an option.
Carry with you only the basic necessities you need for your trip. The fewer items you have with you; the fewer you are tasked to keep up with. Plan in advance to secure any valuables.
The best way to insure a enjoyable trip is to plan ahead and speak with the company you plan to hire your motorhome from in New Zealand about your itinerary.

Choosing holiday accommodation? Choose holiday cottages

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Holidaying in sunny climates and beautiful places has to be top of any hard working person in the UK, with the British weather as dramatic as ever this 2011, September has seen record temperatures scorch the UK in blistering hot sunshine and heat. Whilst this mini Indian summer sweeps through the British Isle, we at LiveLifeVacations.com though it wise to bring you some of our top paces to visit and stay in Cumbria’s Lake District. Naturally in and around the Lakes there are plenty of choices for accommodation, hotels and bed and breakfasts line the commercial and tourist routes in and around Cumbria, but if you are looking for something different and something a little more unique, consider Wetheral Cottages terrific range of Luxurious yet sensibly priced cottages in the Lake District. Staying in a holiday cottage has many advantages of hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation in the area, take a week like the one ending this month of September, where temperatures around Lake Windermere have been reaching as high as 29 degrees, if you have rented a cottage, you have the peacefulness and serenity of the to enjoy and retire to upon a cool summers evening, kicking back with some beers and a BBQ in your own space and time.

Such cottages with outside space often carry a premium during the peak season in The Lakes, however there are many an end of season bargain to be had on line, simply point your web browser to the official Wetheral Lake District Holiday Cottages website and pick from the great range of cottages available, follow on to the on-line booking form and then place your name on a week in one of the finest and most luxurious holiday cottages in the valley of Great Salkeld, be sure you book early now and reserve your families place in one of the many, perfect and historical Lake District Cottages which feature on the landscape of this fabulous UK holiday area.

With so much to do and see in the Lake District and surrounding area, no trip would be complete without visiting Lake Windermere its self; here you can go boating and sailing, fishing and swimming, hiking and walking, mountain biking and even skiing in the winter months. There is just so much to do and see in the Lakes and surrounding areas, to try and fit it all in and tell you all about it would take a very long time, below we have included some pictures so you can judge the peacefulness and beauty of the area for yourself. Visit The Lake District and come to Cumbria for a fabulous weekend break!

Family Travel Tips and Check List

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A family vacation can be exciting and fun. Being prepared early will make things easy especially if your family is traveling to a foreign country. You should check foreign entry requirements, travel warnings as well as health warnings including vaccination requirements.

Home Check List:

* Someone has to be arranged to feed the pets, water the plants, and bring up the mail.
* If there are no pets, arrange your mail to be held at the post office and stop newspaper delivery.
* Leave your contact information and itinerary with someone that wouldn’t mind checking on your property while you’re away.
* Use automatic timers for lights and radio or TV.
* Lock all windows, doors including basements and garages
* Pay bills via phone or internet.
* Remove foods that may spoil from refrigerator.

Check your airline’s luggage restrictions and limits :

* Put identification on the outside and inside as well as locks on all luggage.
* Check FAA regulations for list of what you can’t carry on-board and with TSA web site for estimated security checkpoint wait times at airports.

Carry-on check List:

* Tickets, ID, passport, itinerary, traveler’s checks, money, maps, keys, medical insurance cards.
* Camera, film, video, extra batteries, Cell phone and charger.
* Jewelry, medications, and other important or high value items.
* an emergency outfit just in case your luggage is delayed (optional).

Family Packing Check List:

* a change of clothes for the kids, ( if you are travelling with them)in case of a spill on the plane!
* Kids can bring their own backpack of toys and books, Snacks, Sunglasses.
* Kids can have difficulty during plane pressurization, bring lollipops or Gum and let them have them prior to taking off.
* Wet wipes.
* If traveling with a baby: diapers, wipes, prepared bottles, bib, towel.
* Sunscreen & Lip balm, soap,lotion deodrant and hair products – shampoo & conditioner, brush, & comb, dryer, & accessories and Mom’s make-up.
* Nails – clipper, file, polish & remover
* Teeth – toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
* Razors & shaving cream
* Q-tips
* Bug repellant
* Eyeglass case / contact lens case and solution
* Clothes such as Underwear, Socks, Pajamas,Pants & shorts, Shirts & Sweaters, Skirts & Dresses, Belts & Shoes – walking, beach, and dress-up &Swimsuits.
* Other things are Travel Alarm Clock, Sewing kit &Laundry detergent

Having your hobby and traveling

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Travel professionals have found that travelers did not have the time to spend on their past times or hobbies, or to do something they loved, because of not having the time to do so.

The travel consultants found a way to combine the excitement of a vacation, with the familiarity of doing something the customers love.

After consulting their customers the travel professionals found what they really want in a vacation. The customers just didn’t want to see the Galapagos Islands, instead they wanted to participate in and learn about the Galapagos Islands. And some didn’t want to eat Italian food; they wanted to cook Italian food.

Starting from year 1960 the travel industry began arranging theme tours, vacations, and cruises, in an effort to excite regular travelers and give them something more. Since then the industry began developing many themes based upon customer’s favorite hobbies and their wildest dreams; ie., take an exciting Murder Mystery Cruises and actually participate in the whodunit, or take art and wine classes taught by industry professionals while in Sonoma.

There are many programs developed especially for customers. And pre-existing programs are offered by resorts or cruise companies, ie. Regent Seven Seas Cruise Line offers programs that are so popular and are developed as permanent “Enrichment Programs”. These feature programs in photography, performing arts, antiques, history and archaeology, and the Cordon Bleu Culinary School.

Other than for adults, Children’s programs in film, sewing and art have also been developed. Kids can play out their most exciting and happiest childhood fantasies. Regent offers adult and children’s program in environment and marine life program with renowned environmentalist, oceanographer and educator Jean-Michel Cousteau.

So if you want to spend time working on both your hobbies and traveling, choose theme travel when you book your next holiday. You can really have whatever it is to your hearts desire in a vacation. !

Island of Hydra Greece

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The Greek island of Hydra one of premier tourist destination in the world was discovered by the artists in 1950′s and 60′s, while today it has a reputation for being an artist’s haven.

You will discover one fantastic thing about the island, that is any kind of motor vehicle is prohibited in the island of Hydra and if you need to get somewhere, you may do so on the back of a donkey.

You come across friendly natives on this beautiful island of natural wonders. The visitors can choose a variety of great places to stay including quaint villas and modern hotels. If you explore the charming village of Hydra Town you will be thrilled to see its stone alleyways and gorgeous mansions.

If you decide to spend some time on the beach, you will find that the majority of beaches on the island are made from pebbles. You will see fishing ports where you can do boating excursions and windsurfing at the center located on the Mandraki beach.

Not only are there great places to visit and stay in the island of Hydra, there are lots of fun and exciting things too for you to see and do. The white-hot nightlife is one of the major attractions and it’s just another reason why so many tourists choose to spend their vacation in Hydra.

There are many bars and clubs that feature delicious cocktails including blaring-loud music, if you love to dance. The nightlife here is often compared to that of Mykonos. You can pick one of the many taverns in the island for you to relax with a drink or listen to great live music while you taste some great Greek cuisine.

Hydra is also known to be a food lovers’ paradise. Two of the most popular restaurants in Hydra Town are the Vigla Restaurant and Ydronetta Restaurant. While you dine on authentic Greek food and fine wine at these restaurants, you may indulge in some relaxing people-watching.

So, choose island of Hydra to spend your next vacation and take home with you memories that will last a lifetime!

Seville in Spain

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The fourth largest city in Spain, Seville is a beautiful place filled with culture and fine architecture. You may find lots of things to do when you spend your vacation in Seville. You will find museums, shops, restaurants and landmarks all within convenient walking or biking distance from each other. Seville has a warm subtropical climate where it is famous for its orange trees. Visitors can easily pluck orange fruits from these trees.

One of the major tourist attractions in Seville is the Plaza de Espana located in the beautiful Parque Maria Luisa. This is spectacularly designed and was first constructed in 1929. The plaza features a canal where you can take a relaxing boat ride.

Another great attraction in Seville is the cultural centre, Espacio Cultural Puerta Triana, where visitors can immerse themselves in culture and even watch films on a giant curved screen.
Isla Magica is an amusement park in Seville, where it features exciting rides, live entertainment and fun activities for kids as well as for you.

In Seville, you find a variety of fantastic restaurants featuring delicious Spanish cuisine and many others according to your tastes. And if you are interested in shopping, there are a wide variety of shops, boutiques and even open air markets that offer everything that you may want to purchase.

You will find most cafes, restaurants, and shops close for an afternoon siesta – a break where everything grinds to a halt and residents take a rest, but you will find Spanish businesses stay open rather late, because of this reason.

For something active and for sport lovers, Seville features fine golfing, hiking, biking, watersports and even state of the art fitness centers.

Once Seville’s fantastic nightclubs open up, that is when the sun goes down, you can dance all night with the locals or enjoy some great live music at one of the many quaint pubs and tapas bars.

Be sure to check out this fun and fabulous city when you think of spending your next vacation in Spain.

Wild life and the environment

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You can become a responsible tourist if you may follow the below mentioned practical tips. These will help you to find ethical tour operators, shop responsibly and will also help you to protect endangered species while you enjoy your tour.

Before you go:

* Be ensured with your tour operator whether you are booked for staying in locally owned accommodation that benefits local families.
* After finishing your tour, pass the brochures on to a friend or recycle them, as well as the packaging of new clothes and toiletries.
* Check with your tour operator’s tourism policy and also ensure whether your hotel operates sustainably.
* Try to book excursions that contribute to the local economy and protect indigenous cultures and wildlife.
* If you are travelling to an impoverished country, take gifts which will benefit the local community, ie. stationery for a school.

When it comes to conserving natural resources, carbon offsetting to minimise the impact of air travel is a widely discussed subject. Organisations like Climate Care and Carbon Neutral can help you with information about carbon offsetting. The amount of carbon burnt fuelling your flight can do more damage to the environment. You may consider other methods of transport, ie. trains, ferries or coaches for relatively short journeys.

Shop responsibly: Do not bargain when buying local produce that will help their economy; Remember, products made from endangered species are illegal, if you try to bring them back into the UK.

Use natural resources sparingly: Conserve water, wood and fuel as well as the resources in your hotel by turning off (or down) heating, air conditioning, lights and the TV when not required.

Do not drop litter: use biodegradable products, re-use bottles, plastic bags and other containers and take used batteries home.

You may also re-use towels and bed linen rather than having them replaced daily.

If you may use the public transport, hire a bike or walk around you can meet the local people and will get to know the place better.

Environment & wildlife:

Try to preserve the environment by not picking up flowers, collect pebbles or sea shells. Also do not disturb the habitats on your excursions. Keep away from activities that exploit wild animals as it may encourage animal cruelty, ie. Swimming with dolphins, watching dancing bear performances. Also refrain from having your photo taken with lion and tiger cubs, monkeys or snakes.

Financial protection for holidays

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Your travel provider could go bankrupt when you are abroad and you may get stranded without a refund of the full cost of your holiday. Remember, there are several associations that could support you in such situation. If you book your holiday through a reputable travel company, they will give you security by holding:

* an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL)
* membership with an approved body such as ABTA; the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust (ABTOT); the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO); Bonded Coach Holidays (BCH); or the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO)
* an insurance policy
* consumer pre-payments in a trust account, ie. a Travel Trust Association account.


Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL):

A protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This is the only scheme for flights and air holidays, sold by tour operators in UK. All licensed firms have to lodge bonds with CAA while it gives refunds and arranges for travellers to finish their holidays and fly home.

When you book with an ATOL holder, you will be protected by this scheme. But, you will not be ATOL protected, if you only buy a scheduled flight and receive a ticket within 24 hours of payment or if you book direct with an airline.

ABTA – The Travel Association:

Represents 5,500 travel agencies and 900 tour operations, throughout the British Isles. It is important to have the correct documentation when you make your booking in order to take full advantage of the financial protection under any scheme or the ABTA Code of conduct.

AITO – Association of Independent Tour Operators:

This has around 140 independent specialist tour operators in the UK. They ensure that its members operate are protected either through its own government approved bonding scheme (AITO Trust) or other schemes such as ATOL or ABTA.

Therefore, in the event of an AITO tour operator failing, any money paid in advance to the member for a holiday (including accommodation only ) will be refunded you or you may complete the holiday. Your holiday with AITO tour operators will give you 100% financial protection.

Travel Insurance

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You should seriously think of taking out a travel insurance cover because an emergency abroad can be extremely expensive and in case you need to be returned to the UK. You should also remember that British Embassy or High Commission will not pay you for any medical costs in an emergency. A good travel insurance policy should cover:

* An injury or sudden illness abroad
* 24 hour emergency service and assistance
* Personal liability cover
* Lost and stolen possessions cover.
* Cancellation and curtailment cover.
* Extra cover for activities, ie. jet skiing.

It may also have:

* personal accident cover
* legal expenses cover
* financial protection cover (if your airline goes bankrupt before or during your trip).

You can also get an extended cover, if not, you may look out for a specialist policy. Remember to check the conditions and exclusions therein; whether you are covered for drink or drug-related incidents. Also, ensure that your policy includes terrorism. You should take reasonable care of your possessions or your policy will not cover you.

When buying travel insurance:

* A good price and the right product is important.
* Do not buy cheaper policies because they usually have less cover.
* An annual multi-trip insurance cover will save your time and money if you make several trips a year.

Eat & Drink safely for you

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You could suffer from an upset stomach or diarrhoea because of something you have eaten or drunk. Even Cholera, typhoid and hepatitis A can be contracted from contaminated food and water you have consumed.

In order to avoid this type of illnesses, you should

* Wash your hands after going to the toilet, before handling food and before eating.
* If you have any doubts about the quality of the water you drink, use bottled water. Check whether the seals are unbroken.
* Boil water or filter it using a water ‘purifier’ as this is more effective than sterilisation tablets
* Eat fresh or thoroughly cooked food.

Also,

Make sure the ice used in drinks and used to keep food cool, is made from treated or chlorinated water.

Avoid, uncooked fruit and vegetables, unless you can peel them yourself.

See whether the food is exposed to flies.

Avoid ice cream from unreliable sources, ie. kiosks or mobile traders.

The dairy products such as milk, cheese should be pasteurised and must be properly refrigerated.

Undercooked or raw seafood or shellfish must be avoided.

Avoid excessive intake of alcohol.

If you are travelling outside the EU, check what food you can, and cannot bring back to the UK, using the food checker. Even for your personal use, there are limits on bringing back food items such as fish, shellfish, honey, poultry, eggs and certain types of fruit and vegetables.

You should remember that it is not worth bringing such illegal food items back into the UK. You may risk long immigration delays or such items may be seized and destroyed. You may also face possible prosecution.

These rules are laid down in order to reduce the risk of animal diseases and plant pests entering the country and then threatening the public health, livestock, agriculture and horticultural industries and the environment.