Travel

There are many options open to holidaymakers who will be jetting off from Palma airport to arenal as they head off to more exotic, faraway locations. Some choose to take advantage of one of many airport parks and ride schemes, where they pay a fee to park their car for the duration of their trip and then take a shuttle bus to the departure terminal at London-Gatwick. This option sometimes includes a valeting service too and ensures the safety of the vehicle. It is also cheaper than waiting until the day of travel and parking in the long term car park.

Navigating National Express

However, a more viable option for some is taking the National Express coach service from a local departure point (located all throughout the UK) straight to the airport. This option alleviates the problem of parking the car at the airport and incurring fees for the parking privilege. Start off by visiting the National Express site here and then choosing your departure and arrival point by clicking on the “from” and then the “to” options.

Ticket Type

Once you have made your initial selections by choosing your departure and arrival points, you will need to choose the type of ticket you require, such as one-way (single), return, or open (return ticket for a future time).

Date of Travel

The date of travel is very important. National Express ticket prices fluctuate depending on the time of year and even the day of the week you choose to depart and return. Enter the date manually (day, month, year) or use the calendar as a guide to picking the relevant dates. Then choose whether you wish to leave in the morning (am) or later in the afternoon or evening (pm). Click on “find coach times and fares” to navigate to the next page.

Times and Fares

Once you reach the times and fares page, you will be able to pick the departure time that suits you. Remember that National Express coaches often pick up along the way, so factor this into your travel plans so that you arrive at London-Gatwick in good time to check-in and make it through airport security. Pick the time, number of passengers, and so forth until you have made all the relevant selections. The next page will tell you the fare and give you the option of adding a £1 insurance cover. Uncheck the box if you do not want insurance cover and then proceed to the next page, where you will be asked to enter your payment details and choose the best delivery option (e-ticket, post, etc).

Booking your airport coach seat with National Express takes away a lot of the worry of travel and ensures a smooth, comfortable ride to the airport.

Singapore is one of the most stunning cities in the whole of the Asian region. It’s also been called one of the friendliest cities in Asia as well. While you will get a taste of a multi-cultural Singaporean environment, you will also get to stay in one of the most modern and beautifully built cities anywhere in Asia. Singapore truly provides a wonderful location whereby you can travel in pure luxury or have a more budget friendly trip – whichever you prefer. The minute you step into the Changi Airport, you will realize that Singapore is like a picturesque wonderland. The people are very friendly and helpful and they care so much for the environment. Please keep in mind that there are some really expensive fines for littering and smoking in Singapore.

Once you get settled in Singapore, you will feel like everyone is in a good mood and everyone is smiling! This is probably because the people are so genuinely content and welcoming. Singapore is a cultural mix of many indigenous ethnicities including: people with Chinese, Malay and Indian backgrounds.

There are a lot of festivities to check out all year in this fabulous city. You will get to see Chinese dragons and colorful dancers that will make you feel like you are in a magical movie. Travel is cheap and easy via bus routes that are easy to learn. The people are there to help and use body and sign language if you need help getting around. Bus travel is a most sought after means of commuting since cabs can be quite expensive. But the buses are state of the art and clean vehicles and are very similar to their contemporary trains.

You will need a map to make sure you are on the right course since Singapore streets can be a little confusing for the tourist at first. If you don’t know where to begin you can take one of the complimentary travel books that will give you some insight into the sights and sounds of Sentosa Island and the rest of Singapore. The city also has numerous pet friendly hotels and hotels specifically suitable for families.

If you want to see a variety of different people settling down happily in one city then Singapore is definitely would be a good place to start. This is perhaps why the people are so friendly and forthcoming. They are so used to seeing people from different backgrounds; they feel it an honor to be gracious to someone new. This is evident in the fact that there are four official languages prevalent in Singapore with Malay being the national language and English being a working language.

If you are looking forward to starting up a business venture, then are numerous options to try out like [google_bot_show][/google_bot_show]Pilotoasia.com where you can get sound advice on what all things you would require and how to keep going by tackling the obstacles.

If you are looking for a friendly city with the most accommodating and helpful people you will surely love Singapore.

When it comes to camping there are few things worse than not getting a good night’s sleep. Waking up cranky with a sore back is a good way to ruin the rest of the day in the great outdoors. Here are ten things that you can do to get a better night’s sleep while camping.

The choice of sleeping bag is perhaps the most important step to getting good sleep on a camping trip. For summer camping the cheap sleeping bags are fine. A sleeping bag that is rated for 0 degrees will make for a miserable night when it is 60 degrees. In fact, I prefer to bring along a sheet and sleep on top of my sleeping bag covered with only a sheet. In this article, information about the tips is provided to watch the night sky while camping in the stargazed tents. The sleeping of the person will be easy and comfortable for the person. The cost of the bag will be less when the purchase of the camping tent will be done.

Another thing to consider is the material used in the sleeping bag. Cloth lined sleeping bags feel hotter to me so I use only them for early spring and late fall camping. Some may find them scratchy while others don’t like the ‘plastic’ feel of polyester against them.

Sleeping on a sleeping bag laid on the hard ground isn’t for the faint hearted camper. A sleeping pad is good, an air mattress better, and a cot is the best. If you are expecting hot nights while you are trying to sleep an air mattress or cot that gets you off of the ground can help you stay cool.

The camping atmosphere is filled with many allergens. If you have even slight allergies you need to be prepared with your preferred medication to enjoy your days and sleep at night.

Keep your tent door closed as much as possible. Try to sleep with creeping and flying creatures in your tent isn’t much fun!

If you have electric at your campsite bring a fan along. While that isn’t really ‘roughing it’ if you have electric you aren’t ‘roughing it’ too much to begin with. The fan can keep you cool and provide a pleasant noise to help you sleep.

Be sure to properly dispose of food in your camp site. A prowling raccoon, opossum, or skunk digging around outside the tent is not good for sleep either.

Bring a pillow. If you don’t have room for pillows, bring a pillow case and fill it with clothes.

Use sunscreen and / or bug repellant throughout the day so that you feel well when you go to bed. Sunburn relief medication is another necessity.

When at all possible camp where there is morning shade. There is nothing worse than falling asleep at 3 AM only to be awakened at 6:30 AM by the morning sun that has transformed your tent into a 100 degree sauna.

Be prepared to endure whatever comes while camping and enjoy your time in the outdoors. If all else fails you can catch up on your sleep when you get home!

There are no animal rights in the South African bushveld. No medical care for the sickly, no protection for the weak. Here, a faltering stumble quickly catches the eye of the hungry lioness. A bolt of amber fur streaks through the dry grass, aiming for the throat. Unlike her tame domestic counterpart, this cat does not toy with her prey. The kill is quick and the smell of fresh blood fills the air. Her cubs will have meat tonight.

The male with his shaggy mane gets first choice and the most succulent tidbits. The hunter mother and her cubs must wait. Male chauvinism rules.

From the safety of the open Land Rover, we watch. Once the lions have eaten their fill, the hyenas and the vultures will ensure that not a morsel is wasted. This if life before civilization. Killing is not a sport, it is a mechanism for survival.

The game rangers are wary. Their powerful spotlights illuminate the scene, but every so often they flicker discreetly through the shadows. The antelope have long since fled, so there is no chance now of blinding them and weakening their defences. I suddenly feel very vulnerable, with only the night air between me and invisible, hidden, predatory eyes. For a hungry wild cat, the jump from the ground (or the nearest tree) onto the open topped vehicle is a very short one.

The drive back to the lodge is slow. There is no road. The driver stops so we can take a better look at the wide-eyed bush babies staring at us from the trees.

And then, it’s back to reality. Electric lighting. A comfortable room with running water in the en-suite bathroom. Drinks and conversation in the bar. An elegant meal under a jet black sky studded with stars too numerous to count. The milky way spills across the heavens.

Is this the same kind of buck the lions were eating? I ‘ll have the salad tonight, thank you.

Perhaps later we’ll wander down to the “hide” with our wineglasses, close the door and watch through the window to see who comes to drink at the remains of the waterhole. Someone saw a leopard here just the other night. Perhaps tonight it will be a cheetah, a civet, an African wildcat.

At dawn, of course, it will be crowded. Kudu, springbok, gemsbok, eland – all will make their way to sip at the precious drops in the tiny, muddy pool.

By then, of course, we will be on the Land Rover again, perhaps in the company of elephants towering above us, perhaps backing cautiously away from a rhino on the rampage. The baboons may

be out in their numbers, or perhaps we’ll find a cheetah just lying in the road.

The giraffes nibble at the tender tops of the trees. The zebras gnaw at the unpalatable grasses which only they can tolerate. The air hums with insect life. The countryside is dry. Too dry. It makes the animals easier to see – good for me, not so good for the ever-watchful herds sniffing for the scent of predators upwind.

We’re back for breakfast before the sun rises too high in the sky. Then, like the animals beyond the boundary fences, we too retreat to the shade, hiding from the harsh sun. An icy beer, a cold pool and a lazy deckchair make for perfect relaxation.

I awaken to the sound of thunder rumbling through my soul. Thick, dark clouds fill the sky. Suddenly, lightning cleaves the horizon in two. Before I can grab my towel and rush inside, the first big drops fall heavily to the ground. A cheer erupts all around me. It is raining!

Rain here does not fall, it plummets in sheets. It looks like a solid wall of water out there. Tomorrow, there will be tender green shoots in the bushveld. The hippos will be able to wallow in the river, snorting their pleasure. Waterholes will reappear, and with them, new herds that wandered elsewhere in search of water, and life.

And I will return to the city, with its concrete and its exhaust fumes, its traffic, its crowds and its fast foods. At least, my body will. A small part of my soul will stay here, in the African wild, calling to me at night in my dreams.