All the great places for vacation

Monday, October 27, 2008

Traveling to Mexico



Mexico is a chiefly Spanish speaking country that is about three times larger than Texas. It has a rapidly growing economy and a large tourist industry. Since it is right next to the United States it is ideal for close vacationing trips. There are many cities in Mexico that have become popular destinations for United States citizens. There are, of course, some problems that may arise or serious inconveniences you may encounter if you decide to take a vacation to Mexico.

There have been known to be outbursts of politically motivated violence from time to time within Mexico. These outbursts are usually confined to areas such as Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca. The United States Department of State recommends that United States citizens who find themselves traveling to or through the southern state of Chiapas to stay cautious at all times. There are sometimes armed rebels and civilian groups that are present throughout this state. There is also a deficiency of law enforcement in these areas or any sort of police protection. Along the southern border, the State Department warns of violent criminal gang activity, these groups are mostly aimed at illegal immigrants, however. The United States Embassy urges anyone who is traveling to these areas to please contact the Embassy for further security information before they travel.

American citizens are urged to remember that standards of security and safety may not be the same outside of our country. Not taking this into consideration may lead to automobile accidents and has led to other mishaps such as falls from balconies and drowning in the ocean. Traveling to Mexico may not be nearly as dangerous as some of the other countries you may choose to travel to, but it is always a good idea to remember to use common sense and a little more caution.

Crime in Mexico is always something to be warned about if you are planning a trip to this part of the world. Crime here in Mexico is often violent, especially in places like Mexico City, Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana, Acapulco, and Monterrey. A lot of this crime rate is due to the low apprehension and conviction rate. Basically, these people here are not afraid to commit these crimes due to rarely being caught or convicted. United States citizens are often targeted. If you are unfortunate enough to be the victim of a crime you are urged to report the incident to the nearest police headquarters along with the nearest United States Consular Office.

You are also urged while abroad to really check out products before you purchase them in Mexico. There are a lot of products that may be illegal under local law, in addition to hot or stolen items. However, if you exercise caution and good sense you should have an enjoyable trip outside of the United States. Be careful of foreigners trying to scam you while abroad! If you remember these things to watch out for you should have a decent, safe, and enjoyable trip to Mexico.

Monday, October 20, 2008

How to Plan Your Cruise Vacations



It's vacation time, and you have decided to spend it on a cruise. Good choice! In order to get the most out of it, you have to plan for success.

Think of the cruise ship like a floating hotel. You can sail through the waters and enjoy the beautiful wonders of nature. In addition, most cruise ships have swimming pools, theater areas, the finest dining establishments, casinos, fitness centers and even places to shop!

To get the best deal and have the most fun when planning cruise vacations, take some time in advance to plan to get the most out of it.

Decide who will accompany you on your cruise. Depending upon the number of people in your party, you may qualify for a discount. And naturally, your choices will be different if you plan on traveling alone, with your wife or with the family.

Also decide on how long you wish to take your cruise vacation for. Cruises can last anywhere from three nights up to two weeks. Depending upon your free time, what you want to see and your budget, figure out a plan for how long to take your vacation for.

Next, decide which destinations you would like to see. Would you like to go to something tropical, or somewhere cool? Naturally where you wish to go sightseeing will play a big part in which cruise vacations you decide to choose.

Also, the cruise ship itself is crucial. What activities do you want to be able to do on your vacation? Make sure the cruise ship you choose offers those activities. Familiarize yourself with the different options you have available to you, as far as the activities aboard the ship.

The information given above are some guidelines you should consider when planning your cruise vacations.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Shops in Germany



You cannot complete your trip to Europe without doing a little shopping. There are shops all over Germany where you will be able to find just about anything. Prices differ from elegant and expensive, to unique and affordable. These stores carry items you would never dream of encountering where you live. This is your chance to spoil yourself and bring back some wonderful souvenirs for yourself and perhaps your loved ones back home.

Many department stores carry perfumes and makeup but a lot of people choose to purchase these items at cosmetic stores, such as Pieper Pafmerie. These types of stores are specialty shops that only sell cosmetics and bottled scents. This is the ideal kind of shop you would want to go to if you are looking to buy genuine perfume. Some of these stores only sell European brands. If the item is for someone else, they can even gift wrap it for you free of charge. It is defiantly worth checking out.

There are three major department stores throughout Germany. These can be located in major cities. Kaufhof, Karstadt and Woolworth offer everything from clothing, electronics, food, and much more. Woolworth's is the discount store where you can find many deals. If you do not need the highest quality of items you will do fine at the store. These chains are somewhat similar to Wal Mart since they offer similar items and lower prices.

Munich city centre in the city of Munich is a shopping center that combines shops, art, and culture. Walking through the centre you will be able to see and buy the latest trends in clothing, footwear, accessories, electronics, just to name a few. This shopping center is in a class of its own and worth spending some time at.

Steiff Knopf im Ohr is a great to buy something for the little children in your life. They offer many different types of stuffed animals to choose from such as crocodiles to wild boars. They also have many bears to choose from. These make great souvenirs. You will be able to find these in stores throughout the country

Tips to remember when shopping in Germany are that they take Euros. Most of the stores are only open until 8:00 in the evening, so you will want to start your shopping day early. There are many sales and deals in Germany. You will find sale signs all over the place. These deals are usually legit and will save you a lot of money.

There are many shops to choose from wherever you will be in Germany. Some may be crowded. The key when it comes to shopping is to have a fun time. You will be able to find amazing and rare items to take home with you when your trip ends. You can buy a whole new wardrobe, purchase traditional German antiques, and add to your perfume collection with a few European brands. Don't forget to buy something for that special someone in your life.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Traveling in Acapulco, Mexico



Acapulco is one of the most major cities and sea ports in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. It lies on the Pacific coast almost two hundred miles form Mexico City. Acapulco is actually located in a deep bay and is an important port for cruising lines running from Panama, San Francisco, and California. Even though it is an incredibly popular tourist attraction it is only home to just over half of a million people. However, Acapulco is by far the largest city in this state, far bigger than the capital city Chilpancingo.

For many years now, Acapulco has been an extremely popular tourist resort. It is especially popular during spring break and is well known for its night life. It is also known to have the largest night clubs in Latin America and the widest variety. Acapulco finally gained enough of a crowd to start competing with Cancun as the most popular Mexican tourist attraction. Cancun of course is the East Coast's super tourist attraction. To help both of these hot spots out, air fare is becoming more and more affordable. So, if you are thinking about planning a trip to Acapulco, air travel is the way to go!

Acapulco is also another popular place for honeymooners. Especially honeymooners that find themselves on Pacific cruise ships. Since Acapulco is pleasant year round it attracts tourist from everywhere. Most of the tourists are Mexican, but there are ever growing numbers of Americans. All the growing tourism is enough to keep the bars and clubs going year round.

Cliff diving has become in the recent years a huge attraction for the younger crowds. Cliff diving is something that Cancun does not really offer and it has helped Acapulco gain some ground on Cancun. If you are into a great diving experience, Acapulco is the place to go to in Mexico. They have many areas of beautiful cliff sides for the choosing. Another great attraction here in Acapulco is the island of Roqueta, which is usually sailed to on glass bottom boats for the travelers viewing pleasure. With all the beautiful water surrounding the bay, glass bottom boats are a great addition to your plans especially if you have never had the pleasure of experiencing them. There are other tours and such you can sign up for while here on the west coast as well.

Just as on the east coat in Cancun there is an array of water sports here that are popular year round. If you are interested in beautiful beaches Acapulco is the vacationing destination meant for you. Whether you prefer water skiing, jet skiing, parasailing, or any of the other many water sports, a resort on the ocean is what you're looking for. The eco-tourism benefits of an area like this are always welcome. There is much to be seen and experience here in Acapulco. It is slowly surpassing Cancun in attendance during spring break, and may soon have more attendance the whole year round. Acapulco is more than worth experiencing!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Traveling to Colombia



Colombia is the second most populated country in South America. Colombia has a very diverse geological setting, from rivers and rainforest to mountains and rugged terrain. The tourist facilities in Colombia are varying in quality and safety in accordance to the price and their location. So when traveling to Colombia you must make sure you do a proper background check to the places you will be arriving at, your hotels, and your rental places for your own safety.

There are a few things U.S. citizens and all other non Colombian citizens must do before they are allowed to enter the country. One must, of course, be able to show a valid passport to enter and leave Colombia. U.S. passports that are issued from Colombia can take up to eight days for processing, and under certain circumstances, considerably longer than that. The easiest way to get around this, of course, is to obtain your passport before leaving the United States or the country in which you reside.

As it goes with many other countries, your stay in Colombia will be determined by a Colombian immigrations officer and will be stamped into your passport. You will be able to request extensions of time you are allowed to stay if need be from the Colombian Immigration Authority. This department is known as the DAS or Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad. If you are planning on staying longer than three months' time in Colombia you must register you VISA within fifteen days time of your arrival in Colombia, and this must be done at the Departmento Administrativo de Seguridad. If this is not done you may have to face some hefty fines while abroad. There is no tax upon your arrival in Colombia for entry, however, you must pay a tax of around sixty dollars upon your leaving Colombia. There are some airlines that will include a portion of this tax for you in with your tickets, so be sure to check with your airline before you leave to see if this will apply for you.

Try not to lose your passport while you are abroad or you will be forced to obtain a new one before you are allowed to leave. If your passport happens to be stolen while you are abroad, you will have to file a police report and of course wait for a new one to come in. You will not be allowed to exit the country unless you are able to show your passport, with no exceptions.

The Secretary of State has identified three Colombian groups that may pose a threat to travelers, The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia FARC, the National Liberation Army ELN, and United Self Defense Forces of Colombia AUC. These organizations are all recognized as foreign terrorist groups. These groups have been known to carry out bombings and other attacks around major urban areas, even with civilian targets. However, within the last four years these happenings have decreased. There have been fewer cases of kidnappings, bombings, and other violent crimes. There is still reason for the traveler abroad to very cautious when traveling to certain areas.