‘travel’ Category

Getting Insurance When Traveling Abroad

November 8th, 2011 Tushar Mathur

Visitor medical insurance has become an essential part of the global economy today. Now-a-days, the frequency of the people traveling abroad is on an increase. If anyone is traveling within his/her own country, they need not apply for a separate policy to cover them as they are being covered under the domestic medical services. Such a facility is available under the international travel health insurance scheme.

Visitor medical insurance policy for a travel to USA guarantees that you are safe in the destination land and away from your country. Visitors travel insurance is designed to avert financially incapacitating situations in the event of a medical emergency or some such unforeseen event while traveling overseas. Thus, for all people who wish to plan a trip to USA, visitor health insurance is strongly recommended.

These visitor health insurance schemes are designed for visitors, international students, tourists, business people as well as skilled workers. The motive behind these visitor insurance policies is to make sure that a visitor is underwritten against any possible accidents that he/she may have to face while traveling in USA.

The insurance companies provide these benefits so as to offer maximum coverage to buyers. For example, there are policies available for students having students visa for USA, which also cover them if they visit some other country during the validity of the policy. These policies must be purchased only after you have relevant travel documents with you. There are lot of insurance companies which provide such visitors insurance policies which make a stay of a visitor in USA more comfortable and secure.

The American health care industry is known to be the best in the world. However the costs for medical care in America are equally high and therefore an ordinary person may not be able to bear them. Paying medical bills for such medical care may leave a person bankrupt in a single day. One of the things that can help in such a situation is a having a visitors medical insurance policy.

If you are not insured by any policy, a medical treatment may turn out to be expensive. Without medical coverage designed for emergency reasons, you would end up paying a lot of money out of your own pocket. The bills in a good hospital in USA can reach to thousands of dollars per day. Residents of USA usually have adequate medical coverage under their regional health plans.

In order that you are able to avail the visitors health insurance, you need to meet a predetermined criteria.

Click to continue reading

Posted in travel Comments Off

Budget Friendly Holiday Travels

November 8th, 2011 Tushar Mathur

With the holidays coming up, many people are planning trips to visit friends and family. If you find yourself among the masses that will be traveling this season, you can get great deals with just a bit of planning and research. By researching deals now, you can be sure to get the discounts that will make your vacation more than affordable.

Air Travel

While many people know that the holidays bring with them higher prices for air travel, many don’t realize just how high prices can climb. Between Halloween and Christmas, ticket prices for domestic travel can climb, on average, $5 every week.  If you know where you’ll be heading this holiday season, purchasing your plane ticket(s) now will get you the best rate possible. Fly in and out of smaller, local airports rather than larger, international airports and you’ll often net an even better price on your tickets.

Travel Websites

Sites like Travelocity, Pricegrabber and Hipmunk can help you secure the best ticket prices available at any current time. Google Flight Search is the newest travel site that allows you to search for deals among several carriers from one site. Finding the best deal on tickets is incredibly easy using sites such as these.

Car Rental

Renting a car is a popular way to get around your destination once you arrive, but it can be expensive. Book your rental through a site like Budget or Enterprise rather than at the airport’s rental counter. You’ll get a better deal and may even find that the car rental company is willing to pick you up from the airport. Skip the company’s insurance coverage and add rental car insurance to your own policy; another great way to save money. If needed go for a  car insurance renewal to add rental car insurance to your own policy. Return the car with a full tank of gas to avoid fuel surcharges at the end of your trip.

Accommodations

While booking a hotel room is still the most popular means of finding a place to stay during your trip, consider renting an apartment or house-sitting instead. Renting an apartment is often a very cheap way to spend a vacation! Not only will renting an apartment save you money on accommodations, but it can save you money on eating as well. Having your own kitchen will save you from having to eat three meals a day on the go. Check out Wimdu and Roomarama if you are traveling overseas and search for the city you are traveling to, followed by ‘apartments’ if you are staying in the US.

Click to continue reading

Posted in travel Comments Off

Five Best Supermoto Bikes for Travelling the World!

November 3rd, 2011 Tushar Mathur

 

Supermotos are basically off-road bikes with road tyres. Actually, it goes a little deeper than that, but for the layman, it’s quite true. They are about as paired-down and raw as you can get from a motorbike and although some can have panniers fitted to it, they are basically just a bike for fun and not really for long rides. Short gears also hamper motorway journeys. But, for all-out adrenaline at lower speeds than superbikes, there is little else on the road that can deliver the fun-factor of a supermoto. Also the motorcycle insurance is pretty reasonable so in no particular order, here are the top five that are for sale right now:

 

 

 

 

1 – Ducati Hypermotard – Hitting the shops, the ‘Duke’ looks quite different to other ‘motos’ but is devastating in it’s deliver. With a thumping single-cylinder engine, a roomy riding position and comfy seat, it’s certainly unique. It comes with a superb-handling chassis and is more practical (ish) than a 1098, for example, and has that Italian charm.

 

2 – KTM 690SM – Launched at the same time as the Ducati, the KTM looks a little bland and has ‘safe’ styling. What it does give is a tremendous engine and chassis. KTM are the brand to beat in professional supermoto races and transfering that experience and knowledge to the road bikes, they are not only fast, comfortable and easy to ride, there’s a fluidity that other bikes can’t match; it’s a difficult one to beat.

 

3 – BMW HP2 Megamoto – Ludicrously expensive, enormous and quite ugly, you’d think the ‘Beemer’ shouldn’t be here, but it’s super-powerful, agile like a cheetah and has a fun-factor flowing through its frame that cannot be matched. It’s shame, due to the price, you’ll probably never see one on the roads but if price is secondary to the ultimate riding experience, then the HP2 should be on your short-list. Remember, with rare or expensive bikes the motorcycle insurance will also be a lot higher.

 

4 – Aprilia Dorsoduro – More of a touring supermoto than a racer, the throbbing Aprilia is both sexy, fun and powerful. It’s easy to ride and has a stunning engine that throws you down the road like an elastic band. It’s the real underdog in this group of super-cool supermotos.

Click to continue reading

Posted in travel Comments Off

Egypt

October 31st, 2011 Tushar Mathur
Anyone who claims that the country – 97% of the territory, which constitute the desert, attracting large groups of tourists simply unrealistic, he never was in Egypt! Egypt – the pearl of the world culture will charm you and your touch unimaginable contrast entertainment. Holidays to Egypt include touring the most ancient pyramids, which hide the great secrets of the pharaohs. Fascinates silhouettes “magic triangle”, dilapidated temple complexes Valley of the Kings and noisy bazaars in the eastern neighborhood with comfortable and inexpensive hotels – palaces, amazing sandy beaches and picturesque deserts beckon tourists from all over the world. Cradle of civilization – Egypt, affects their ability to grow in step with the times, delivering guests to the country estate unforgettable pleasures. Travelers fall in love in fabled beautiful coral reefs of the Red Sea, inviting them to commit diving in Egypt, or to try windsurfing in Egypt and the Libyan Desert attracts huge fans jeep safari in Egypt. Relax in Egypt, specifically in Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada, Dahab, Safaga, Cairo, Alexandria and other cities “of the country pyramids, its exotic charm and you will remember for life.

The capital: Cairo

The largest city: Cairo

Population: 2007 estimate – 80,335,036
1996 census – 59,312,914

Holidays: 1 January – New Year, January 7 – Christmas (Old Calendar), April 25 – Sinai Liberation Day, May 1 – Labor Day, July 23 – Revolution Day, October 6 – Armed Forces Day, Sham El Nessim (Spring festival), Islamic New Year, Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday, Ramadan Feast, Sacrifice Feast

Geography: Egypt is country in north-eastern Africa and the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt borders Libya to the west, Sudan to the south and the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east. The northern coast borders the Mediterranean Sea; the eastern coast borders the Red Sea.

Climate: Temperatures average between 27 °C and 32 °C in summer, and up to 43 °C on the Red Sea coast. Temperatures average between 13 °C and 21 °C in winter. Egypt does not receive much rainfall except in the winter months. The Khamaseen is a wind that blows from the south in Egypt in spring, bringing sand and dust, and sometimes raises the temperature in the desert to more than 38 °C.

Time zone: EET (UTC+2)
Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)

Official language: Arabic
Spoken Language: Egyptian Arabic

The currency: Egyptian pound


English-Egyptian Phrasebook

Hello Salam Alaikom
Goodbye Ma’ El Salama
Sorry Asif
Thank you Shukran
Yes Aiwa
No La
Good night Tesbah Ala Khir


My name is … Ana esmi…
What is your name? Esmak eih?
Where can I change money? Fen el sirafa?
Help me please. Mumkin tesaedni.
How much does it cost? Bekam di?

Click to continue reading

Posted in travel, Vacation Comments Off

Planning for Travel in a Bad Economy

October 31st, 2011 Tushar Mathur

Google Images

Vacations and holidays are possible whether or not you are living on a small budget due to the bad economy. There are strategies to save cash to put in your holiday fund and then find a destination. The most effective way to save for a holiday is to chop costs like skipping the cafe in the mornings or not dining out before you make a journey. You can have a garage sale to earn income for your holiday. A giant sale could give you enough money to pay for the whole trip. Look online at the travel internet sites for bargains. If you are pleased to select your destination based mostly on price, it is possible to get deep deductions by waiting till last minute. One of the least expensive holidays could be a cruise because everything is paid for in one price after you get to the ship. This can help to save you big money in food and other immaterial costs.

If you’ve got an explicit destination to mind, get a visitor’s guide beforehand which will list many accommodations and traveler attractions and supply vouchers. You can frequently get 2-4-1 offers that are useful to families. You can find travel info at hostels if you’re prepared to wait till you get to your destination to plan your activities. There could be leaflets or flyers in the lobby with reductions that are not always publicized.

Check with the concierge, and weeks beforehand. Be certain to check in the local papers’ sites to see what kinds of free holidays or similar events are happening. Another way of finding free or inexpensive holiday ideas is by stopping at a visitor’s center to get vacation brochures for visitors. They can regularly tell you about obscure places that cost little or are free.

Most of them don’t pay for advertising; they are not as well known. Should you be looking for more cost-effective accommodations, a visitor’s guide will also list cottages, cabins, and camp sites where you can stay for a small slice of the cost of a hotel.

You may plan your Bargain Holiday around visiting family or mates who live in another town or state. They are going to know all the inexpensive places to eat and visit and can provide you with an individual tour.

One of the least expensive methods to holiday is camping in your own state which can cost little if you bring your own food and supplies. It can be relaxing without having to spend very much cash. You’ll be able to find state parks in the visitor’s guide that permit camping and hiking.

Click to continue reading

Posted in travel Comments Off

The Adventure, Joy And Excitement Of Exploring China

October 27th, 2011 Tushar Mathur

China tours take people to places in China which can reveal the true soul of the country. China is a mystery to many, but escorted tours can lift the veil and reveal the beauty of this ancient land and its culture, its history, its landscape and its people. There are so many surprising things to see and do in China it will make your holiday there more exciting than you ever imagined. China has much to share. If you open your mind and your eyes you can discover a great and beautiful land. The story of China’s civilization began in the Yellow River Valley. China tours can take you to the Yellow River Valley. When you go there as part of escorted tours you can learn the legends and other intimate details of the founding and rise of this great civilization.

China has sub-tropical forest, tall rugged mountain ranges, vast deserts, raging rivers, placid lakes and over 14,500 kilometres of coastline with some of Asia’s best beaches. China tours can help you to see many of the country’s most popular natural landforms. You can visit the Gobi and Taklimakan deserts in the north, Lake Ayding in the Turpan Depression, the subtropical forests in the south, the Himalaya, Karakorum, Pamir and Tian Shan mountains, follow the course of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers and visit some of the spectacular beaches along China’s coast.

There are also many sites which reveal the depth and richness of Chinese culture. The Forbidden City, also called the Palace Museum, is located in Beijing and is the world largest surviving palace complex. It was the imperial seat for 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Today it consists of 980 buildings covering 720,000 square kilometres. Potala Palace in Lhasa is the heart of Tibetan Buddhism. It was the home of the Dalai Lama. This simple structure sits atop the 3,700 meters tall Marpo Ri Hill. It’s simple but imposing white walls protect a red interior palace filled with exquisite frescoes and priceless works of art.

The Bund in Shanghai was the seat of power for Chinese businessmen in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is an excellent destination reflecting China’s rich architectural history. There are Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque buildings and many fine examples of modern architecture. The HBSC building is the epitome of the Bund’s architectural legacy. It is a ‘must see’.

Hong Kong is a true microcosm of China. It is both ancient and ultra-modern. It is a bustling business centre and a repository for Chinese history.

Click to continue reading

Posted in travel Comments Off

Travel to Austria

October 15th, 2011 Tushar Mathur

Austria is a vibrant country and is one of the famous destinations in the eyes of the tourists from all parts of the globe. Austria is a landlocked alpine country in Central Europe bordered by Switzerland to the west, Germany and Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east and Slovenia and Italy to the south. It is also called as the winter sports capital of Europe. It is one of the world’s leading skiing regions and it is also noted for its historical buildings, outstanding museums and galleries, and awe-inspiring mountain scenery.

Let us know this tantalizing country.

1.Weather
Summers are warm and pleasant with cool nights while the winters are sunny, with reliable and frequent snowfalls. In short there is a changing weather throughout the year.

2.Culture
Austria is a rich cultural and traditional country and can be greatly seen in the architectural buildings and artistic activities. This place is famous for the birthplace of the famous personalities in the world history such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven etc.

3.Attractions

  • There are various museums such as Natural History Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the Museumsquartier.
  • Do see the Ferris Wheel in the Prater amusement park. Other places worth visiting are St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Chapel of the Hofburg, the Parliament and the Votive Church.
  • Graz city is the famous city to explore on foot. Other attractions are Landesmuseum Johanneum, surrounding the Alte Galerie’s gothic paintings, the Neue Galerie in the Herbenstrein Palace, the Cathedral and the Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II.
  • You can also enjoy skiing on the tallest snow covered mountain of Grossglockner in Carinthia. Also experience Hohe Tauern National Park is one of the large peaceful mountain environments in Europe for trekking; and the glaciers of the Silvretta mountain ranges drop noticeably to Lake Constance with its abundant vegetation.
  • Never miss to go to a well-preserved medieval city of Retz, which possesses subterranean wine-cellars, medieval city walls, windmills and a Dominican church. You can also explore Austria’s most mountainous province, with forests, pastures, valleys, mountain lakes, alpine villages, churches and castles.
  • The overwhelming and magical sight of the Eisriesenwelt in Werfen has ice caves with great ice sculptures all the year round.
  • Also go to the last protected area of European rainforest in the Donau-Auen National Park which is a floodplain area of wilderness that cultivates a diversity of plants and animals.
  • You can enjoy the Lederhosen Festival in Windischgarsten, Salzburg festival provides a varied music concerts.

Click to continue reading

Posted in travel, Vacation Comments Off

The Greatest Explorers

August 24th, 2011 Tushar Mathur

What made ordinary men strike out to find fabled continents, lost lands and to explore hitherto uncharted seas and rivers?

There’s no doubt that some were motivated by commercial possibilities or political ideologies; but that is not the only answer.

There’s no doubt that, in a few extraordinary individuals, that burning human desire to ask questions and, more importantly, to have them answered was responsible for extraordinary expeditions which encountered terrible privations, violent indigenous peoples, disease and disaster.

But those expeditions also contributed enormously to human knowledge and to man’s growing awareness of the planet and his place on it.

Here are five great explorers who changed the way in which the world was perceived and understood.

 

 

Ferdinand Magellan:  One of the great sea-going explorers of the age, Magellan was born in Portugal in about 1480 although it was the King of Spain who was to finance his great project to find a westward route to the Spice Islands (modern day Indonesia.

Magellan set out with five ships and more than 260 men in 1519; almost exactly three years later, the expedition returned home with one solitary vessel crewed by just 22 men – and Magellan was not among them.

He had been killed 18 months previously in a battle between rival groups of natives in the Philippines so he was never to see the importance and scientific significance of his vision.

But his expedition was seen to be of epic proportions. He had discovered the straits (which bear his name to this day) which allowed his ships to pass from the Atlantic into the Pacific Ocean. The journey across the world’s largest ocean saw his men suffer extraordinary privations before they reached the Marianas Islands and the Philippines where Magellan was killed.

But the expedition went on, visiting Burma and the Moluccas before crossing the Indian Ocean, rounding the Cape of Good Hope and finally heading for home.

What Magellan’s expedition had achieved, in an astonishing piece of navigation, was the first circumnavigation of the globe. The journey proved once and for all that the world was round. It also contributed hugely to man’s knowledge of the proportions of land and water as well as establishing that the Americas were new continents and not part of Asia.

Magellan’s name lives on, too, far above the seas he explored in the Magellanic Clouds. These clusters of galaxies – some of our nearest deep space neighbours – were not known to Europeans as they are only visible in the Southern Hemisphere. They were noted and documented by Antonio Pigafetta who accompanied the Magellan expedition.

Click to continue reading

Posted in travel Comments Off

Picking a Dream Destination and Going There on a Budget

June 1st, 2011 Tushar Mathur

In today’s economy, it’s important to have some type of escape from the worries of everyday life, but getting to that point of escape can sometimes be a daunting task in itself. Whether it’s a family outing or an all out vacation, things seem to be a bit difficult to flesh out, but with a little bit of planning, and a bit of good old fashioned internet scouting, you could find yourself on a sunny, sandy beach in no time, and for a lot less money than you expected.

First, figure out where you’d like to go. Don’t write off a dream destination because of a budget or time constraints; it’s your vacation, and the idea of a vacation is to get away from the norms of everyday life, so what better way to do that than to go all out? Maybe you prefer a tropical locale like one of the many Caribbean Islands, or you could choose to visit a place with a lot of history like Italy, Spain, or another European country. Whichever place you decide to go, make it worth your while; justify your decision based off of the desire to go alone and you’ll be guaranteed to have an amazing time.

Planning a vacation at the last minute or anytime around a world or national holiday could prove to be a huge mistake so be sure to plan ahead. Planning during a high-travel time causes you to run into all types of obstacles like higher pricing, availability of flights, hotels, and other travel accommodations.

Once you’ve given yourself adequate time to get everything set, you’ve got to know where to go to find the best deals. There are many websites and resources available through travel agents that can make sure you’re getting the best price on hotels and flights, and sometimes you can find entire travel packages that fit your budget. These travel packages include flight costs, hotels, dining, and visits to some of the top tourist destinations in your chosen vacation spot. Selecting a travel package ensures you get a deal on everything you do as well as making sure you don’t spend a large sum of money just to lay out in the sun or check out historical buildings from your hotel room, no matter how beautiful the view is.

So, with your travel plans set into motion, you’ve got to be sure to pack everything necessary to not only enjoy yourself, but to make sure you don’t end up spending outlandish amounts of money on everyday necessities just because you’re a tourist.

Click to continue reading

Posted in Destinations, travel Comments Off

Delicious foods to eat on an Indian holiday

May 11th, 2011 Tushar Mathur

Due to the extensive use of various spices, herbs, different types of exotic fruits and vegetables are grown in India, Indian cuisine is often characterised as vegetarian. What you will learn on your India holidays, even if you are not the biggest fan of “rabbit food”, is that a wide range of dishes and cooking techniques that each family of the Indian cuisine consists of can make the “rabbit food” deliciously tasteful, and you will find it is not really ‘rabbit food’ at all!

Hindu beliefs and cultures have played a major role in the evolution of the Indian cuisine that your palate will enjoy once you decide to go on holidays to India. Large-scale cultural interactions with Britain and Mongols, that turned it into a blend of unique and various cuisines, have contributed to making your Indian holidays the most tasteful holidays for you and your tastebuds!

Indian food consists of a number of different regional cuisines, which all have the basic similarities and one of those is – they will definitely spice up your India holidays.

Before you go on your exciting holiday to India, you more than likely want to know that most Indian dishes consist of rice, whole wheat flour also known as atta, and a variety of vegetables and pulses. Coconut and fish are also widely used in eastern and southern Indian dishes.

Some of the most popular dishes you simply must try on your India holidays are Prawn Masala, Mutton Curry, Aloo Dum, Chicken Vindaloo, Milk Appam, Karanji, Garam Masala, Stuffed Egg, Tamarind Rice and Gulab Jamun. There are also side dishes, like chutney – preserves and achars – pickle, to complete the India holidays of your taste buds. When you book holidays to India make sure to remember to treat yourself with one of the delicious milk based sweets once you get there.

Besides the main dishes there ares a large number of snacks that will keep you refreshed and are healthy while sightseeing, so it is important to come familiar with them before departing on your holidays to India. Some of the most popular ones are samosas, pakodas, vadas and chillas.

When it comes to drinks, do not bother to pack tea and coffee before leaving for your holiday to India, since they are both very popular over there. You may also enjoy nimbu pani – lemonade, lassi and coconut milk.

Meals are traditionally eaten while sitting on the floor, but with the modernisation of India, this common practice has diminished to a great extent.

Click to continue reading

Posted in Food, travel Comments Off
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »