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Going on vacations is relaxing and great for the soul, BUT it can be hard on the wallet. Here are some easy travel tips to make sure that you still have the vacation of your dream while on a budget.

1. Stay in a condo/villa instead of a hotel. Not only is the rate much cheaper, but you can also save money by cooking at the condo in place of eating out every meal. You can also do your laundry and not have to pack as much clothes. Since you will have a larger accommodation you can invite another couple to split the cost. You will save even more!

2. Plan a trip off season. The recommended off-season times are early January or August to October (also known as hurricane season). The rates are significantly cheaper “off season”.

3. Pack a medicine bag. Pack Tylenol, Midol, Benadryl, Tums, Pepto-Bismol, etc. Anything that you might need for any dire situation. Drugstores charge a lot more because they know you need to buy them.

4. Fly Jet blue. They always have cheap travel deals to the Caribbean.

5. If possible, purchase an all inclusive package. That way you pay one set fee, you do not have to worry about food & drink expenses.

6. Buy the native drinks for a fairly low cost, instead of buying other libations. For example, if you are in Dominican Republic, buy Brugal. If you are in Puerto Rico, buy Bacardi rum, when in Barbados buy their rum.

7. Try to eliminate ATM visits. Avoid expensive ATM surcharges! Try to bring enough cash, or purchase travelers checks.

8. Bring your own snacks. While you are out on your adventures you will get hungry along the way. Bringing your own snacks will cut down on extra spending.

By: Tiffany Sandy

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The recent Kenya elections have led to huge fallout in the country and beyond. When it was announced that President Mwai Kibaki had won the election by just 230,000 votes (out of 10,000,000 constituents) widespread political fury spread across the country – and violence broke out. Subsequently, all travel to the country was advised against, and a lot of people needed to claim on their global travel insurance, which was confusing given the unusual circumstances. I shall get to that later, but first a little background to the events surrounding the Kenya election.

So far there have been 600 deaths and some 250,000 people (more than the alleged ‘majority’ of Kibaki) fleeing their homes. The reason for this is the continued allegations of vote rigging, and the evidence for it has really begun to pile up, with plenty of strong claims emerging, including the head of the Kenya election commission admitting that one constituency had the surprising and unlikely turn out of 115%! Elsewhere, results were announced differently nationally to their announcement locally, and the results were delayed for 24 hours at a time when Kibaki’s Kenya election rival, Raila Odinga, was leading in the polls. It’s no surprise that suspicion was rife, and equally unsurprising that the suspicion has led to unrest, which has broken out into the violence that has since engulfed the nation.

One area this has affected the most is Kenya’s previously buzzing tourism industry, and is one that is easily the country’s biggest source of foreign income, totalling an estimated £500,000,000 per year. At the start of a year, Kenya could generally expect to be welcoming hundreds of tourists a day – the recent fall out reduced the numbers down to a brave few who had decided to ignore the inevitable warnings from the foreign office about travelling to the country, which was then placed in the ‘civil unrest’ list of places not to visit. Subsequently, the Federation of Tour Operators cancelled all holidays to Kenya, and a lot of people previously booked to visit the fascinating country were left with no option but to cancel, and hurriedly check the small print of their worldwide travel insurance policies!

Well, now the foreign office’s advice has been lifted, and you can begin travelling to Kenya again (though the FCO still advises against travel to Western and Nyanza provinces, the Rift Valley province between Narok and Kitale, the central business district, Kibera, Mathere and Eastleigh areas of Nairobi, Uhura Park and Mombasa Town.) But what if something like this happens elsewhere? What steps should you take if you find sudden and unexpected political fallout affects a previously peaceful country you were due to travel to? While I can’t speak for all global travel insurance providers, this is the line we took with Kenya, and I suspect a similar policy has been adopted by our rivals for their Kenya travel insurance policies:

If you are travelling with a tour operator, they should provide you with a refund or an alternative holiday itinerary in a safer region. If you are travelling independently, then you should be able to easily obtain a refund from your airline, and possibly from your accommodation provider. If for some reason, either of these courses of action fail, and you have a policy with us, then we would offer reimbursement for unused travel and accommodation, under the terms of a Kenya travel insurance policy.

Obviously, I cannot be certain this is the approach other worldwide travel insurance providers will be taking, but I’d imagine the vast majority will be offering something very similar to those unable to travel due to the fallout following Kenya’s election, and this advice should apply in times of future disturbance throughout the world. If in any doubt, you should contact your provider as soon as possible and work out the exact terms of your travel insurance.

By: Patrick Chong

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A short break to the UK, whether it is in a Welsh cottage, a lighthouse in Portsmouth or a luxury hotel in London, you and your family will find it rewarding all through-out the year. The UK is steeped in historical sites, tradition and culture, each area having its own beautiful and diverse surroundings.

A self catering holiday to Cornwall is a perfect way to introduce yourself to the beautiful rugged fishing port of Penzance; its stunning beaches and spectacular views. This amazing picturesque Cornish coastline attracting holiday makers, painters and many others through-out the year. Cornwall is an ideal walking destination, where you can discover the busy harbour, dramatic cliff side views and inland lush valleys. Walking holidays in the UK are a great example of how the beautiful varying landscapes of the United Kingdom can be enjoyed by both young and old.

For families looking to find a suitable holiday within the UK, there are many holiday parks offering a wide choice of accommodation and activities including entertainment, swimming pools, restaurants and bars. These parks offer an excellent choice of both countryside and seaside locations. The accommodation can come in the form of a static caravan, self catering lodgings, or special holiday homes for the family. You will find many cheap package deals throughout the year which cater for the needs of families with young children.

Your cheap holiday to the UK you will incomplete without a trip to one of the most exciting, vibrant and multi cultural cities in the world – London. The best time to visit London is during the crisp, clear days in August to October. During this time you will be able enjoy the sights of London without the cold winter rain or the humidity of the summer made worse by heavy traffic. London Has bounces back from the atrocities of 7 July 2005, and Londoners have much to look forward to. As hosts of the 2012 Olympic Games, London has opened its arms to a future of tourism and investment.

A cheap holiday to the UK is unique in every aspect, from the Scottish highlands, the Cornish coastline, to the cultural centre of London. Depending on what type of holiday you are interested in, you will find your holiday in the UK to be a memorable experience.

By: Zaheer Fazal

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So you want to leave the homeland for a while, see the sights, take the pictures, or perhaps, do some business. You’ve packed the swimming trunks, the extra layers, the hiking boots, the sun screen, but the question remains: is your medical insurance traveling with you? What happens if you get to Brazil like you always wanted to, and then, in a freak spilled mojito accident, you break your ankle? What if the escargot from that charming Parisian restaurant reacts badly with your American digestive system, and you are suddenly in the throes of the worst food poisoning you’ve experienced in your life? It is no small matter; according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one half of US travelers heading to another country will experience some sort of health problem while abroad.

Ever since the Michael Moore film, “Sicko,” came out, we all know that many other countries (well, specifically France, Canada, and Cuba) provide affordable, sometimes free, healthcare to their citizens, but how does it work for us, Americans, abroad? Well, the truth is, unless you make special preparations, the outlook is not good. According to World Wide Medical.Com website, “most US insurance companies, HMOs, PPOs or Medicare [plans] do not provide adequate medical insurance.” There may be exceptions, and you should look into the fine print of your plan, but every major US health insurance providers suggests getting some form of traveler’s insurance. Unfortunately, there is no foreign country that provides free health care for travelers.

Travel insurance plans provide three types of coverage: for medical care when abroad, the cost of emergency medical evacuation, and reimbursement for sudden trip cancellations and lost luggage.

Should you require medical attention while abroad, most insurance companies provide support in the form of emergency hotlines. They will advise you on the best hospitals in the area, as well as the ins and outs of the local systems. It is strongly advised that, if possible, you consult your provider before seeking medical attention in a foreign land. Also, insurance providers warn that most third world countries’ hospital systems require payment upfront for services rendered. This fee would be reimbursed by the plan.

The most pressing concern is the case of an emergency medical evacuation from a foreign country back to the US. Evacuations are necessary when a very serious medical condition arises, and the traveler/patient must be transported back to the care of his/her primary care physician or a home-based expert. This can cost upwards of $10,000 as it is a coordinated effort between several hospitals and at least one airline. Most travel insurance plans provide the option for specific coverage for this contingency.

Another aspect to consider when travelling abroad, is the cost of sudden cancellations, or changes in travel plans as a result of medical or other emergencies. In an era when airline companies are logging record numbers of lost luggage, this aspect of travelers insurance provides reimbursement for the purchase of clothes and other necessities. In this sense, you could come out a winner: imagine an ‘emergency’ shopping trip at the fabulous designer stores of Milan.

So, whether you are planning a road trip to Canada, or a fourteen day hike in Machu Pichu, pack some warm socks, swim trunks, and your new friend, Mr. Traveler’s Insurance.

By: Jennifer E. Blackie

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Some of these tips apply to every destination but since Las Vegas is such a unique and highly popular destination, a primer on what to expect there makes for a great article. These are steps you can take to streamline your visit which should make it all the more enjoyable.

Getting a good air fare is primary. Because Las Vegas is so popular, usually booking at the last minute will cost you much more than booking in advance. However, booking TOO far in advance might cause you to get trapped by the airlines desire to get higher rates until they find they need to lower fares. Traveling on a Saturday is usually less congested in Las Vegas and most fares are lower on weekends or when they require a Saturday stayover, but the offset is that hotels in Las Vegas are usually priced MUCH higher on weekends and particularly Saturday nights than on any other nights. One way around this is to just stay at a motel far off the Strip for Saturday night and avoid the Strip crowds completely that night. Rates for the luxury properties in Las Vegas are presently offered at a huge discount and hotels normally charging $200-$400 per night might be as low as $79-$129.00. Many offer a 3rd or 4th night free on regular rates and if regular rate is $150, this is akin to getting it for $100 per night.

Be careful of Third Party ‘package’ deals. They can save you some money sometimes but generally they offer lower rated, less popular properties and flight times that would alarm a night owl. Like 6:00 am or 11:30 pm. If you are a frequent visitor to Las Vegas, you should be a member of hotels reward programs or at the least, sign up for Players Club type programs at casinos. Their promotions can often save you money for these as well.

Lastly, look into online discount coupons and promotions and show tickets reserved in advance. This may be your only way to score a hot ticket other than dealing with scalpers and you should be aware that the fraud rate for tickets is fairly high in places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City. So you definitely do not want to buy tickets from a guy “at the fountain” who is giving you 30% off.

If you are generally not a big gambler and have all day to explore the town, you might consider a day tour. In summer, you can only spend so much time at the pool in the hot sun and walking the Strip is usually going to have you back in your room exhausted within a couple of hours. Look for Strip shuttles to downtown if you like more pedestrian gambling. For dining, even if alcohol is free at casinos, restaurants are usually expensive so what you save on one hand comes out of your other pocket eventually. Buffets are usually recommended for budget travelers but many of the better buffets are as costly as restaurants. You should check out delis in hotels for hot dogs and pizza (for the kids of course) and for less expensive but filling pastas and sandwiches.

These travel tips should save you money and stretch your vacation dollar just a little bit further.

By: David C. Reynolds

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First up is the new Taylor Made Rossa Imosa 8 putter with ASGI+ insert. This putter is one of the best I have ever used and I say that with confidence. It has a really classic blade type of design, and has a charcoal – black finish – very easy on the eyes. The ASGI+ (Anti Skid Groove Insert) System is as innovative as it comes with putters.

The design is meant to reduce skidding off the putter face, leading to a better speed and line. What’s that mean. More made putts! How does it do this? The ASGI+ insert has 14 independent and unique grooves that are designed to drive the ball forward and reduce backspin, effectively increasing the true rolling of the ball. I have tested this against three other popular putters, two made by Ping and one made by Odyssey, two putting giants if you’ve kept up through the years. I can say from personal experience that the Taylor Made Rossa Imosa 8 is by far the best of the three at not only keeping the ball on line, but also being forgiving if you happen to mis hit a putt.

At $110, this would be a steal to add to your bag.

Next up are the Taylor Made r7 TP irons. The 2007 Golf Digest Hot List Editor’s Choice, these clubs are aimed at single digit handicappers desiring a high performing club with a mix of characteristics between a blade and a cavity back iron.

Taylor Made does a great job at mixing these two highly sought after characteristics. The tour configured sole design glides across the grass, avoiding harmful digging into the turf. This leads to straighter shots and less tension on the hands and wrists, and joints in general.

The impact is pristine with these clubs, with sweet spot contact sending an incredibly solid feel to your hands. If you’ve ever played an iron with a less than solid feel, you know how valuable pure contact is. Off center hits seem to keep their distance relatively well for a club aimed at this skill level. You may lose 5-8 yards depending on the severity of the mis hit, but again, for a club that has a blade type design, that is incredible. The workability of blade is still there. I was able to hit fades and draws very easily on cue with these clubs. At $799, you’ll find these to be cheaper than any other set in it’s category; no question the best value out right now for the low handicapper.

Taylor Made is quickly becoming not only a driver company, but an iron company, a wedge company, a ball company, and in all just an awesome golf company in general.

These r7 TPs had Project X Rifle shafts in them so we’re going to check those out as well. The ball gets up quickly with these shafts and flattens out at the apex. There’s a nice mid trajectory throughout the ball flight. Even though the ball gets up fast, these shafts have an overall lower trajectory than most I’ve hit. Sometimes with a cheaper shaft, you’ll get a ballooning effect, but I noticed no ballooning at all on these, even when trying to hit high fades.

The smooth non-tapered design claims more energy to the ball. I have to say I really didn’t see any increase in distance compared to any other shaft, but I did notice a good difference in spin control. The ball flight has a green holding ability like no other. In my opinion, this is one of the most advanced iron shafts ever conceived. They’ve got a higher price tag than most you’ll run across, but it’s well worth the cost for the performance difference you’ll notice.

I always say, if you’re going to make the investment to buy new clubs, you may as well save up and spend your money on something that is going to benefit you the most, and last you a long time. Don’t cheap on out shafts. They can make or break a club head.

That’s all for now. I hope to demo the new Burner driver and a few other new iron sets. I would love to get my hands on a Burner driver equipped with a Grafalloy Epic shaft. What a combo that would be!

By: Cody Wheeler

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For those of you going to the Yellowstone Park area, you might be interested in taking a small detour to the town of Powell, Wyoming during your trip. Follow the highway from Yellowstone’s East gate to Cody. You will travel about 22 miles East from Cody to Powell then turn North onto the small town’s main street. Go through the town and follow the road up to the “bench” area North of town.

The bench is strewn with colorful pieces of agatized wood and Indian artifacts. In areas
you will be able to walk amongst actual Indian TP rings left by our native ancestors, and
at one point on the Western edge you can look down upon an ancient arrow made of rock
pointing West. The purpose of the arrow has as of yet been undiscovered. In some of the
Northern areas of the bench, you can still view pictoglyphs also left by early natives.

The bench area is open field, so you will want to be sure to take clothing to protect you in
hot summer suns as temperatures can soar to over 100 degrees. While under snow at
some points of the winter months, usually December and January, the area is searchable
most of the year and especially enjoyable in early spring.

By: Taylor

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If you are going to be travelling abroad, whether it is for business, a holiday or a visit to see friends or relatives, you may well be heading to a country which uses a different currency. If you are anything like me, and have a rather slow mind when it comes to math and the conversion of money from one currency to another, you may be interested in equipping yourself with a money converter. This will make you life a lot easier both before you travel and whilst you are away. It could also save you a lot of money. It is no good looking back and realising that you have been duped on account of your not understanding the currency… it is too late at that point.

There are many types of money converter available and these will often cover you for a variety of circumstances. The internet has a whole choice when it comes to currency converters and these can make the job very easy. These are good for working out how much you will be paying for things and how much money to allow for spending money whilst you are away. However, you could do with something a little easier to carry around with you than a computer when you go shopping.

You can now get money converter gadgets which are about the same size as a credit card and will convert all currencies quite easily. They are handy to keep in your pocket or wallet and will mean that you will be able to check how much you are spending on shopping and meals out or taxi fares. Currency converters such as these are not too expensive now and you can usually get hold of them either on the internet or in shops that specialise in travel goods. You may find them in some general stores and you will almost certainly come across them in the departure lounge at the airport.

If you want to do without technology and gadgets, it is perfectly possible to make a handy money converter yourself just by writing down some of the more common amounts and their converted equivalent. For example, if you are going to Europe, you could just write down 1, 2, 5 and 10 euros converted into dollars and vice versa. If you were to have this written on a piece of paper or card you would always be able to see a rough conversion of the figure that you want. A simple chart such as this could be invaluable if you just kept it in your purse or wallet and could save you being taken advantage of by unscrupulous taxi drivers for example. It may be easier than getting a calculator style converter out.

Whichever money converter you use, make sure that you have a clear idea of what the conversion rate is and how much you are paying for goods and services whilst you are abroad. It is very easy to become confused regarding exchange rates and it is always worth taking the time and trouble to establish the cost of your purchases before handing over the money.

By: Robert Grazian

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As the saying goes necessity is the mother of invention. Harley Pasternak, a personal trainer, was challenged to create a brief yet incredibly effective workout for actors while training them during the short breaks in between shots while on the movie sets. In addition he needed to create healthy meals in a matter of minutes using simple ingredients. The result? Harley’s clients were eating 5 times per day, exercising in short bursts and transforming their silhouette. An extrapolation of the same regime is available online as it has been shown that people lose weight more predictably when participating in online weight loss programs rather than doing it alone.

The 5-factor diet is very simple to follow. The number 5 is very crucial here!

5 weeks: The plan is designed for a total duration of 5 weeks. In fact the plan is so simple and effective that it can be transformed into a whole new lifestyle.

5 meals per day: It has been proven conclusively that people gain weight when they tend to snack between meals. The 5-factor diet takes care of exactly this problem. By eating 5 small meals per day one can say goodbye to the cravings and the resulting snacking. Each meal contains 300 calories and on top of that two snacks of 200 calories are allowed.

5 ingredient meals: Each of the meal is made up of only 5 ingredients and takes 5 minutes to prepare. The meals are low in fat and low in calories. Each person gets hundreds of simple recipes to plan his or her meals.

5 minute workouts: Exercising at a stretch can be a pain literally for many of us. The 5-factor diet plan hits the nail right on the head by breaking down the amount of time spent on exercises. The workouts are designed to last 5 minutes and are meant to be undertaken 5 times per day. Working out more often for shorter periods is far more effective than spending hours at the gym.

5 cheat days in 5 weeks: Imagine being imprisoned in a diet prison with loads of restrictions! More than 90% of the people attempting to lose weight will eventually give up if a strict diet plan is enforced upon them. The 5 factor diet allows for one cheat day per week where the person is allowed to eat his or her favorite foods. Controlled cheating can actually help many people reach their goals and helps people maintain the regime without getting disillusioned.

By: Rajgopal Venkataraman

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I’m planning to go on holiday to America (Orlando), and was wondering how old you have to be to hire a car? My boyfriend is 20 and has been driving for two and a half years, would he be able to?

Anyone who knows from experience, your advise would be greatly appreciated! Also, we live in the UK, I’m not sure if that makes any difference, though…!

Thanks!

By: Moop

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