Travel plan idea blog

Hotel prices on the rise

USA Today notes that more travelers this summer means more expenisve hotel rooms. They have some advice to save money including staying away from the city center. Rates should be cheaper the further you are from the sights.

Personally, I would much rather pay a little more for a hotel room in a nice part of downtown in whichever city I'm staying in. I don't like walking long distances to get to the sights, and I don't think taking taxis will be cheaper than just getting a more central hotel. The remaining option is public transportation. Buses take too long for me to figure out but I don't mind riding subways. Not every city has subways though...

Houston

Since I'll probably be visiting my sister in Houston this summer finding this information was a happy coincidence:

Visitors to Houston will want to pick up the Space City Savings Book, which includes a variety of discounts to attractions around the city.

The booklet includes coupons for half-off admission to the visitors center of NASA's Johnson Space Center; a two-for-one admission to the Museum of Fine Arts; discounts to Six Flags Astro World; and other deals for theater, ballet and symphony performances.

You can pick up the coupon booklet at the Houston Visitors Center, on the first floor of City Hall, 901 Bagby St. Or check out the Web site for Houston's convention and visitors bureau, at www.visithoustontexas.com, for "e-coupons" you can print out at home.

And while you're in Houston, don't miss the "Baseball as America" exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts through Aug. 14, or "The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy: The Exhibition," at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, through Aug. 28. The science museum will also host "Diana: A Celebration," a traveling exhibit that is a tribute to the late Princess Diana, beginning Oct. 21.

Princess Cruises Trouble

Here's a nasty story about Princess Cruises dumping some vacationer's luggage into the ocean and then not compensating them properly (and only compensating them after stalling for a few months). The Miami Heral travel trouble shooter says this is why you buy travel insurance; I say this is why you don't use Princess.

Sausages of Germany Part 2 – a travel plan for your appetite

If you haven't read the first part of our German suasage tour, you probably want to read that before reading this one. Here's part 2:

It’s time to make your way back to Berlin on the second half of your sausage tour of Germany. The return trip to Berlin has the same range of tastes for the average traveler.

Stop 5. Making your way back to Berlin from the Rheinland area, the Bavarian district of Munich is a must for your sausage tour. The sausage specialty of Munich is the “weibwurste”, or the white sausage. This is usually served with mustard, pretzels, and the usual beer (in this case, the Weizenbier or wheat bear is commonly chosen). Germans usually eat the weibwurste meal for second breakfast, and it is suggested that tourists do the same. After all, the weibwurste easily expires, so it’s best to follow tradition and eat it before noon. Keep in mind that it’s unlikely for you to find the weibwurste elsewhere, so be sure to have a taste of it in Munich while you can.

Munich also plays host to the annual Oktoberfest, which is held every September. If you are also a fan of beer, then it’s best to plan your trip to coincide with the Oktoberfest. But if you wish to avoid the drunken crowds of tourists, then you should definitely avoid to pass by Munich during the Oktoberfest.

Stop 6. Just like Munich, Nuremberg can be found in the Bavarian area of Germany. Nuremberg is said to have the best bratwurst in this area, called the Frankische or Franconian bratwurst. Unlike the Thuringer bratwurst, the ones found in Nuremberg are white and smaller. The Franconian bratwurst is roasted and served two in a bread roll with mustard.

Nuremberg is also famous for having the best gingerbread in Germany. Known as “lebkuchen”, it is traditionally served during Christmas. The Nuremberg gingerbread cookies of the highest quality are called “Elisenlebkuchen”. You should definitely try these as well. These gingerbread cookies are exported all over the world, and some are even made in the shape of “witch houses” like the one mentioned in the fairytale “Hansel and Gretel”.

Stop 7. If you have time for more sweets, then feel free to make a stop at Dresden to buy some of their stollen, a cinnamon flavored fruitcake. Dresden is said to make the best stollen, which is sold at the Striezelmarkt – Germany’s oldest recorded Christmas market.

It’s easy to take a train to Berlin from Dresden. If you wish to purchase sausages to take home with you, your best bet is to go to the KaDeWe Department Store in Berlin. It sells over 1,000 varieties of German cheeses and sausages, as well as hundreds of types of bread.

Be sure to arrive at the Berlin Tegel International Airport at least an hour and a half before your check-in time. Perhaps you should go on a vegetarian diet upon returning home – for health reasons, of course. While it’s good to get a taste of the best food a culture has to offer, it’s also important to know when you’ve had too much.

This concludes the second part of a “sausage tradition” travel plan of Germany. Guten Appetit!

Sausages of Germany – a travel plan for your appetite

As a vegetarian, you know I didn't write this German sausage tour. Here's a guest article by Celine Roque:

While most people travel to experience different sights and sounds, culinary fanatics tend to give special importance to the unique tastes offered by various countries. Germany’s fascinating cuisine makes it no exception to travelers led by curious taste buds. Having over 1,500 types of sausages, each city is sure to have at least one specialty. This travel plan will allow you to explore Germany’s famed “sausage tradition” while you go on your planned German sightseeing tour.

While you’re on your German tour, your travelling options include local flights, trains, and buses. Germany has a wide range of local flights available, but the train system is equally efficient and expansive. If you wish to take the more affordable route, it’s best to ride trains throughout your tour. As for the bus system, the availability of the buses depends on the season. Since several private companies own the nationwide buses, transferring buses tend to be confusing.

Stop 1. It’s a good way to start your German sausage tour in Berlin. Upon your arrival at the Tegel Airport, you can either take a bus or a taxi to your hotel. Buses going to the city of Berlin are stationed just outside the terminal – just be sure to grab a copy of the city transport map at the airport’s information center. You may also take a cab, which may cost 15 to 20 Euro. German cab drivers often expect to be tipped, and it’s polite to give them around 10% of the fare.

Berlin’s most popular sausage is the currywurst. Currywurst is a pork sausage served with a special curry-tomato (or curry and catsup) sauce. This type of sausage is considered “fast food” and is available in most sausage stalls. While you can canvass for stalls to buy currywurst from, it’s best to get it from the people who have been making it for 70 years – the Konopke Imbiss. It’s a small take-away restaurant at the U-Bahnhof Eberswalder Strasse. The best part about the Imbiss is that it is open late at night, which makes it easy to visit if your flight arrives in the evening and you’re ready to embark on your sausage tour. Most people say that currywurst is best served with fries and beer, and since Germany also produces top-quality beer, that makes for a delicious combination. Many people, including celebrities like Madonna and political figures like President George W. Bush, don’t leave Berlin without trying their famous currywurst.

Stop 2. Take a train to Erfurt in Thuringen. Here you will find the Thuringian Bratwurst, a sausage wrapped in the thin lining of pork bowels. The bratwurst is roasted, and often bought from stalls. The best place to buy the bratwurst is on the Domplatz at the Cathedral Square, although you may get it from restaurants as well. The color of the bratwurst ranges from red to gray. It is best served with sauerkraut or vegetable soup. Thuringen is also famous for its cakes and pastries, so be sure to try one for dessert. One of their popular cakes, the Matschekuchen, is served with fruits and nuts.

Stop 3. Frankfurt-am-main is the hometown of the famous frankfurter pork sausage. Also known as the Frankfurter Würstchen, this is said to be the origin of the common American hotdog (although there is a distinct difference in taste). Served with bread and mustard, it tastes best when accompanied by Apfelwein (a hard apple cider also known as ebbelwoi). The best Apfelwein comes from taverns in Sachsenhausen. It wouldn’t be hard to find Apfelwein, since its popularity in Frankfurt-am-main surpasses even wine or beer. If you are a fan of German literature, feel free to visit the Goethehaus – where German’s literary giant was born. It was said that he completed some of his greatest work in this old manor. To complete your Goethe experience, you may want to try eggs in Hessian green sauce. This is said to be Goethe’s favorite food. The Hessian green sauce is the most popular sauce in the Frankfurt-am-main and Hessen area, which makes it easy to find.

Stop 4. It’s a short trip from Frankfurt-am-main to Rheinland, Rheinland’s main sausage is the famous Blood Sausage or Blutwurst. The blutwurst could very well be the first sausage mentioned in history – since the process of making it was mentioned in Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. Commonly, the blutwurst is made from congealed pig or cow’s blood, as well as meat and fat for filler. However, the town of Eschweiler in Rheinland offers traditional fried blutwurst made out of horsemeat. Another horsemeat specialty in Eschweiler is sauerbraten, which contains sweetening agents like juniper cloves or apple syrup.

This concludes the first half of a “sausage tradition” tour of Germany.

Angkor Watt (general research and tour itinerary)

I've been doing some preliminary research for a trip to Angkor Watt in Cambodia. The one warning that everyone gives is to stick to the paths because the area is heavily mined. I think it was Lonely Planet that said to releive yourself on the road instead of stepping off the road and into who knows what.

Another intersting thing is that you should bring passport photos because the visitor pass you need yo purchase will be a picture ID. Also tourists are supposed to have guides. Some sources say this is not enforced but that guides are good to have anyway since the temples are so spread out.

I did a search for tours; some backpackers hire teenagers to drive them around on scooters, but I'm not sure that's my thing. Naturally the tours are a bit pricey, although one company (I'm guessing Cambodian) seems to have reasonable rates. For example, this tour seems reasonable at 327.00 with standard accommodations up to 724.00 for deluxe accommodations (based on 2 people):

Day 1: Arrival Siem Reap (B-X-X)
Arrival Siem Reap International Airport, welcome by warm our guide and vehicle private and transfer to check-in hotel, in the morning start to visit Angkor Thom: the center of Bayon with 200faces, Baphoun, Terrace of Leper King, Phimeanakas, and Terrace of Elephant, then visit the famous of the Angkor Watt and climb up to admire the sunset tour at the Phnom Bakheng. Overnight hotel.

Day 2: Siem Reap. (B-X-X)
In the morning, with guide professional and vehicle private to visit the Angkor-ian (9 century) of the group Rolous: Prasat Bakong, Preah Ko, and Lolei, come back to town, afternoon, visit small circuit: Takeo, Ta phrom, Chao saytevida, Thommanon, Banteay Kdei, etc…, overnight hotel.

Day 3: Siem Reap - Banteay Srey - Kbal Spean. (B-X-X)
Excursion with guide and air-con vehicle private 30km from siem Reap, visit Banteay Srei " Citadel of women ", dating back to the 10th century, built of pink granite and dedicated to Shiva. Continue to visit Kobal Spean " the river of one thousand lingas" and come back to visit to Banteay Samré temple and Prasat Kravan, overnight hotel.

Day 4: Siem Reap - Tonle Sap / Prek Toal (B-X-X)
Excursion with guide and air-con vehicle private to visit on the Tonle Sap Lake and discover floating village and fish-men (village Vietnamese) and floating village at the Prek Toal (October - February), change the boat around 2hours to visit in the Tonle Sap and visit Ibises, cormorants, pelicans and adjuncts "from January to June" and return to visit Siem Reap market and visit Bo pagoda,

Day 5: Siem Reap - Boeung Mealea - Phnom Kullen. (B-X-X)
Excursion to the Phnom Kullen (distance 40km from Siem Reap town) is every important of sacrifice for Cambodian people that situation on the top of the mountain, then continue to visit Beoung Mealea is the temple that surrounding by the forest and also very important as such as Angkor Watt,. Overnight hotel.

Day 6: Siem Reap - departure (B-X-X)
In the morning visit handicraft and then transfer to International Airport Siem Reap before 2hours the plan departure.

Hooters Air sued

I had never even heard of Hooters Air until a few minutes ago when I read this article about Hooters Air being sued for allegedly using a business plan without compensating the plan's creators. Frankly, I don't see any use for Hooters Air (I mean who cares if your flight attendant is wearing a Hooters T-Shirt?) so I don't mind if they get sued.

Medical tourism for Thailand and India

Here's an interesting article from New Zealand that says more people are traveling for medical care (medical tourism). It says that India and Thailand are likely to benefit from this trend. It can also be discussed on my health message board.

Travel ban lifted

The travel ban that sparked a number of comments here a few days ago has been lifted. It seems that the US government had a little chat with the Pakistani government.

Ms. Mai meanwhile was placed under house detention and told she could not travel abroad, apparently because officials believe her personal accounts of the ordeal could harm Pakistan's image.

Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca told Congressmen at a hearing Tuesday U.S. officials were dismayed over the treatment of Ms. Mai, and that the issue would be taken up immediately with Pakistani authorities.

At a news briefing Wednesday, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack confirmed that matter was raised with Pakistani officials in Islamabad and Washington, and that the travel ban had been lifted.

I think that this woman must ahve a very important story to tell and I'm glad that she'll be able to go wherever she wants to should she choose to tell it.

Where do you buy travel insurance?

A British article about Travel Insurance reveals that buying travel insurance through a travel agent means paying more than buying insurance direct from a company:

Produced together with the Centre of Economics and Business Research (CEBR), the report reveals that just under a third (30 per cent) of travellers are paying double the price they could find elsewhere.

While I see the attraction of buying direct to save money, most consumers simply don't know where to buy travel insurance. You need a reliable company but which companies are reliable. You need the right coverage, but which plan would that be? A good travel agent will know these things and unless shoppers are willing to take the time to really learn how travel insurance works, what they need, and who to get it from, buying insurance from the travel agent is going to remain common.

Ryanair PR

I think the average frequent flyer in Europe must really like Ryanair. Today the Deputy CEO criticized travel agents for adding up to 87% charges on flights available from the airline's website.

This is the kind of languae that travel agents must hate but that the average consumer must love. Ryanair’s Deputy CEO Michael Cawley claimed "unscrupulous travel agents" were "fleecing passengers by selling our flights at vastly inflated prices".

“Consumers are entitled to be told if a handling charge is being levied on their ticket but unfortunately many travel agents are not informing their customers and instead are ripping them off," said Mr Cawley.

Berlin for kids

Here's an interesting description of how to keep kids happy in Berlin. There seem to be quite a few options including the world's fastes elevator, an elevator that goes through an acquarium, a petting zoo, a castle with dungeons, a circus, double decker buses, and more. Perhaps the most interesting are the museums where kids can make paper, see the world's largest mounted dinosaur skeleton, or race through a 21 foot high maze.

Not allowed to travel

Mukhtar Mai, a Pakistani woman, who was gang raped in 2002 allegedly to punish her brother for a crime. After receiving an invitation to visit America from Amnesty International, she has been banned from traveling by the Pakistani government. The opposition claims that this is to try to prevent further tarnishing of Pakistan's image. Of course, if there is no legitimate reason for the travel ban, the government's image will suffer even more than it already has.

Travel Maldives

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The Maldives is one of the leading travel destinations in the world. Scattered across the equator in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the gem-like islands of the Maldives depict the rare vision of a tropical paradise. The
Maldives feature Palm fringed islands with sparkling white beaches turquoise lagoons. The clear warm waters and coral reefs teeming with abundant varieties of marine flora and fauna, continue to fascinate visitors, as The Maldives have
for thousands of years.

The crystal clear lagoons enclosed by coral reefs provides visitors with one of the most breathtaking underwater views in the world. Some people refer to the Maldives as one of the wonders of the world. Truly a natural wonder, the height of the islands rarely reaches
above two meters.

Sun and Sea Maldives has some information on the resorts that charecterize a Maldives vacation: Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru, Soneva Gili Resort & Six Senses Spa, Hilton Maldives, and Full Moon Maldives.

Meeting cousins in Eastern Europe

Here's an interesting account of some travelers going to Eastern Europe and meeting distant family in Slovakia. Their travel plan went something like this, but be sure to read it for yourself to get the personal experiences and follow the link for the photo album:

Paris (short stopover), Budapest, Bytca (via Bratislava) where they met the cousins, Rajecke Teplice, Auschwitz, Paszkowka, Krakow, and finally Vienna. I know I'm jealous!

Trip to Europe sweepstakes

If you go to http://fmpweb.switzerlandtourism.ch/etc/welcome.htm you can take a three question quiz for a chance to win a free trip to Europe. Don't be too scared; it's multiple choice.

Win a trip for two to experience Art and Architecture in Europe!

One lucky winner (and companion) will receive a 4-day trip to Europe to explore what Art and Architecture in Europe has to offer. Included are a roundtrip to Europe for two, with a three night stay in a four star hotel. Enjoy the rich history, the museums, architecture, shops, restaurants and the European atmosphere.

1. What is the capital of Germany?

2. How many languages are spoken in Switzerland?

3. In 2006, Holland will celebrate the birth year of Rembrandt. In what year was he born?

Ideas for touring Norway

CNN Travel tells us that a long tour in Norway will be rather pricey but that a lot can be seen in 7 days:

in a week or so, you could hit the highlights on a so-called triangle tour. Start in Oslo, the capital city of 500,000; take a stunning train ride to Bergen in fjord country, and then a high-speed ferry to the oil capital of Stavanger, before riding the southern rail link back to the capital.

Given a few more days for a side trip, take the famous Coastal Express -- a boat that's combination ferry, cruise ship and freight hauler -- on an overnight voyage from Bergen to Trondheim. Or take the ship farther north to the Lofoten Islands, where mountains seem to burst from the ocean above the Arctic Circle.

Stupid mistake

I know it's better to err on the side of caution, but the U.S. Transportation Security Administration ought to feel pretty stupid after forcing a Korean Air flight bound for San Francsico to land in Japan so that it could question a passenger on its no-fly list. What happened was that someone made a big mistake:

"The man was the person on the no-fly list but he should not have been on it," the official said, but he did not offer details as to why the man should not have been on the list.

Hard times for airlines

No wonder the airline industry is complaining about taxes if a 200.00 ticket in Amercia is taxed at 26%. Airlines are also complaining that low cost carriers get special treatment though I'm not sure what kind of special treatment.

I never realized that such a big chunk of ticket fares were tax. When my wife and I fly from Korea to New York I don't even want to think about how much tax we're paying.