Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Apr 30

It seems very difficult to believe that there isn’t just on set of rating available for everything – I mean it’s either 1* and a bit basic, 5* and it’s everything you ever hoped for with bows on top, or it’s 3* and somewhere in-between.

Why all these travel companies have to invent their own scale and play it off against other companies can only mean disappointment for some people.  Some even use the ratings used by the country itself, which will never be useful to us because most of the countries we visit will be ‘developing’ so won’t have some of the things that we would be used to.

I once booked a vacation that was offered as a 3* through a high street tour operators brochure – this rating has never caused me any problems before. It’s clean, accommodation is nice and you don’t have to dress up for dinner! However, what I didn’t find out until I got there was that the high street tour operators only rated it as a 2*, but were selling it on the higher star using their ‘sister companies’ to advertise it in their brochure.

The 2* meant that not only were the beds made of concrete (as were the cupboards and shelves) but the ‘buffet restaurant’ was more like a school canteen. Some of the rooms didn’t even have a window! The TV only showed 2 channels, and one wasn’t English speaking!

The rep did very little about this apart from offer us an official complaints form, or offer us another hotel if we paid them nearly a quarter again of our original vacation cost!

Another vacation a few years later, was booked for a 4* island and I couldn’t believe the price, so I checked everything I could and sure enough, it was ours if we wanted it. The only thing I didn’t check (as I have never heard of this ever happening before) was whether our room was actually 4*, because on arrival it clearly wasn’t! The rep happily confirmed that ‘ yes, the majority or rooms were 4*, but that ours wasn’t’ and that was that. How can they sell it as a certain star, and then not give you that upon arrival!

I book my vacations as they are a great price for what they say they are – but if they aren’t even that, then I would have paid a different price to make sure they were! I once had a rep tell me that ‘what did I expect for the price I paid’!

I expected the one I saw in the brochure, but at a cheaper price! If it meant I got a worse vacation I wouldn’t have booked it. It’s like seeing great boots for half price, then getting a pair with a broken heel instead – ‘well, what do you expect for that price?’!

I now always take the pages of the brochure with me on vacation to make sure everything they offer is at the hotel, but unfortunately when you are there, sometimes you are just stuck with it.

I think this is totally unfair; many people only get 2/4 weeks off for the whole year for their time off, and they can be misled by the only thing they have to rely on – the tour operators brochure description!

All of the above vacation ‘problems’ I had were with the same company, so they will never get my money again! One time could be my mistake or a disgruntled employee, but 3 times must be their fault, their low professional standards! The pain of it is that they are not always that much cheaper than the larger more reliable operators like Kuoni (which I can only say great things about).

Motto: Never reward bad customer service.

There are plenty more companies out there waiting for the chance to impress you, give them a chance! And when you find one you like – stick with them, even if it means paying a bit more. It’s worth it if it’s your only vacation this year…..

posted by Travel Cat on Apr 28

Yep, it’s true – 3 months in and look at how much we have covered!

All the categories are starting to fill up with vacation info and tips, readers are making comments and sending in their Reader Postcards and I am having just the best time.

After a fantastic month in Costa Rica I am hoping to start introducing my photo’s to new vacation posts (which are a bit behind due to having too much fun while out there!!).

There are plenty more tips to come your way as well as facts about some of the most amazing places on earth, as well as locations closer to home. Add to this some alternative holidays and volunteer placements and you won’t get bored!

Hope you are enjoying it so far, and as always, any comments are welcome.

Cat

posted by Travel Cat on Apr 21

If you have never been on a Vacation Package, it can be very difficult to gauge whether it is going to be for you. The lure of free food and drink for your entire stay sounds great – as does the beachfront location, the available water-sports and the hotel entertainment, but what does it all mean?

So here is a quick guide to what you should expect and what to watch out for…..

The Flight- You will usually travel on a charter flight which means that it will be full to the brim with other people, probably all going to the same or neighbouring resort as you – some of these people will even be staying at your hotel. These flights come with optional hot meals, but will sell snack foods and drinks regularly through the flight as well as duty free goods and sometimes novelty gifts and raffle tickets, etc. You should also have in-flight entertainment including free headphones, with several movies to choose from, music channels and comedy and cartoon offerings. You also get a blanket and pillow with overnight flights and maybe even an eye mask and toothbrush set!

Arrival – When you arrive at your destination airport, clear customs and leave the airport, all the representatives from the tour companies should be outside, holding up ID cards. Find your rep and they will check you off, and tell you which one of the huge number of waiting coaches to get on. When your coach is full, it heads off to your hotel and possibly a few others on the way. You will normally get a rep or other guide on your coach who gives you an information pack, and describes journey times and any important information for check-in, etc. They will also tell you what time your welcome meeting is the following day.

Check In- In the reception you will be given a welcome drink and a room number and sent on your way with a map. At many all inclusive resorts, and sometimes others, you will be required to wear a brightly coloured non removable wristband for that hotel. This allows the staff to know that everything you eat or drink is free, and to tell you apart from those who have to pay. You head off from here and get your first look around on the way to your room, and at some point after that a concierge will bring your bags and expect a tip!

Your Hotel – Now you are there and settled in you need to find your way either to the main restaurant or the bar depending on your order of importance (!) It’s also an opportunity to read all the relevant information about your safety as well as fire (and hurricane) procedures. Also to find out whether your room is not to close or too far away from the important things to you. If you are not too active do you need a room closer to the reception and restaurants? Do you like your sleep, so want to be further from the thumping disco? Closer to the beach? Now is the time to change rooms, as you haven’t even unpacked!

Your Room- Will be vaguely as stated in your brochure, usually containing local decor and bright colours! Your chambermaid will clean it every morning for you, changing the towels if necessary, and replenishing water and mini bar as appropriate. They will sometimes leave you flowers or make swans out of your new towels, which will be wearing your hat or sunglasses if they are to hand……. Don’t leave the doors open at night though, unless you want to be eaten alive by mosquitoes that are attracted in by your lights!! You may have a resident gecko in your room (which is good, as they eat insects), as well as ants or beetles if you leave food around…… The room are not airtight!

Welcome Meeting- These are not compulsory, but they do offer an insight into the local area, buses, taxi’s, hotel amenities, etc. They also tell you the history of the country you are visiting and will offer you a vast array of trips you can go on while you are there, usually including a boat trip, a fishing trip, a culture tour, a capital city tour, a local village tour and a national food or drink plantation (banana/sugar/cinnamon/etc). These vary from $40 to £300 depending on what you want to do.

Restaurants and Bars – Order what you want from the bar – it’s free (well, not including the really expensive stuff, or things that have to be imported). You can chat to your bartender and he or she will help you to work your way through the cocktails and spirits on offer during your stay! Fresh fruit juice, tea and coffee are usually available as are ice creams in some locations.

The restaurants vary in hotels, but basically all inclusive offers a buffet style meal 3 times a day. like 7-10am, 1-3pm and 7-10pm. Some resorts have more than one restaurant so find out what meals they offer as it may only be lunch or dinner. There are usually speciality restaurants that you can eat in free but you have to book a table and the number of visits you have may be limited. If the hotel also offers half board or bed and breakfast, you may find other restaurants there that you have to pay for even though you are all inclusive.

Some hotels offer 24 hour all inclusive deals which sound great, but sometimes the only food on offer through the night are ham rolls or cheese toasties! Some hotels do offer great hot 24hr food, but the brochures do not normally specify which ones they are!

Hotel Rep – This person would have hosted the welcome meeting and will also be available to you during your stay, but they may rep for several hotels so your access to them may be limited or over the phone initially. They are always available for any questions or complaints you have in the hotel, although some hotels off their own customer service representative, or the reception staff may help. If you want to make a formal complaint though, you must go through your rep.

Entertainment – This usually involves young members of staff making a lot of noise around the hotel. They try to get you to dance, play volleyball, come to their evening shows, enter raffles, and play sports. It can get a bit annoying if you want to relax around the pool, but you can normally get away from them at the beach! They also run the kids clubs during the day if available.

The entertainment or animation team also put on loud evening shows for you, sometimes by the main bar and sometimes in a theatre area away from the main hotel, usually basic dancing and panto-like shows from 9-11pm – so make sure your room is far enough away from these if you do not intend to go!! Some hotels even offer a late night disco until 2am……

Sport equipment varies, so always check what exactly is free (sometimes its only your first go, or the first hour, etc) and how to book it. It’s always different in every hotel, so make sure you ask as early as possible once you are there otherwise you could miss out. Check for the safety of things offered as well, as standards vary. Most hotels also offer a small library where guests can borrow, swap or leave their books for others.

Tips?- All the staff will know when you are leaving and they will all be that bit nicer to you as a result. But if you have had a great service, or service above what you expected, and you wish to tip for it, then check with your rep what is expected and how best to do it, or for multiple persons – ie – the whole bar was great, who do you give the money to?

Check-Out – Depending on your flight time, you may have to leave the resort before breakfast, or you could have to sit about with your cases for several hours after check out time, waiting for your coach – not too good if you are wearing your jeans and coat!! Some people sunbathe up to the last minute, and others get private taxis to the airport early to get the best seats on the plane and avoid the long queues when all the coaches descend on the airport at the same time!

Think it’s for you now?

posted by Travel Cat on Apr 16

Mini Road Trip 2007.

Well, it wasn’t quite across the whole of America, but we certainly had some fun on the way!

Me and a friend had just finished college and decided to head off for a week driving to all the places within easy reach that we fancied seeing. We packed our bags, got the road map and set off one evening with the intention of avoiding the worst traffic.

Our vehicle of choice was a clean but very old British car – a Ford Fiesta, already having several thousand miles on the clock before we even set off! With Elvis on the stereo, we trundled across town and up the highway, heading for our first stop – which was as far as we could get before it got too late to find somewhere to stay!

We failed of course, and spent the night in the car! We were in a side street in a busy city, reclined in our front seats eating burger and fries before falling asleep!

We woke up in daylight, in a stinking car and in need of a freshen up ourselves! Pulling into a city car park, we went into a shopping mall – they usually have the best restrooms – and we got cleaned up and changed into fresh clothes, then stopped in a local restaurant for a cooked breakfast!

The town itself was a bit boring, but it meant that we would be driving through the best countryside in the day light today, so we soon headed off again, singing ‘Viva Las Vegas’ with The King! We made sure that we got to our next destination in time to find a place to stay and have a look around too this time!

After a great day in the sunshine, stopping for lunch when it took our fancy, we found a great building in the centre of a small town with its own parking, perfect! After checking in, we were free to look around the town at the sights, even taking a short drive to a local beach. We returned in time for a great meal there, then simply headed upstairs to bed.

We continued on like this for the week – booking places on arrival rather than in advance. It just gives you that extra flexibility to get one town further if somewhere or something is not as exciting as you thought it would be!! Some of the nights we weren’t so lucky with the accommodation in terms of location (or bedroom decor!), but on the whole we did OK with availability and that’s all that mattered to us.

We managed to cram in hiring a boat, some fishing, some shopping, some sight-seeing, some cheese tasting (?) and even some horse-back riding. We certainly didn’t hold back – if we saw something worth stopping for – we stopped!

We had no problems with the car, but a few problems with the driver!! Well, apart from endless Elvis – who was great to start with, but really getting on my nerves now – we had her singing, which again was OK to start with…..

Sandra Nettles

posted by Travel Cat on Apr 9

Now that you’ve booked your vacation, you can relax and start counting down the days, but there is still something to consider: How are you getting to the airport? Of course depending on your departure and return times you may find your options limited, so make sure you plan in advance for the safest, quickest and best option available for you.

As you would expect, there are a variety of options available, so here are the main ones summed up to give you an idea of whats on offer:

A friend – The old classic of ‘can you get a friend or neighbour to drop you off and pick you up for free’ or in exchange for you doing the same for them. Sounds ok on paper, but make sure that your flight times are not so ridiculous that you are asking too much, for example if you land at 6am (out by 7am) how early are you expecting them to get up? If you leave or get back in rush hour, will they be late? What if your return flight is delayed – can they still collect you? All very friendship stretching possibilities……

A taxi – Most companies offer a set rate for a single or return journey to your specific airport. They will arrive on time – as they do this for a living – and they will have checked any delays or problems with the return flights before leaving to collect you. They will usually park in the airport and greet you at the arrivals gate with a card displaying your name. All very simple.

A limo – These will do everything a taxi does, but more professionally, with a better vehicle (usually airconditioned) and for a higher price tag, of course.

A train – These will take you right into the terminal and run very frequently throught the day, including early morning and late night (when most long haul flights are active). You will have to get to the nearest station to your home though, and may well have to change trains depending on your location. They have plenty of room on board for your luggage and offer a faster service as they are not affected by road traffic. You may not be able to get a return ticket though, as you will not be back for some time, so check their policies on returns over 14 days.

A coach – Many national coach companies offer airport runs from several locations on each route. As with trains, you will need to first travel to their pickup point, but these tend to run less frequently in the early hours. You may also need to travel to a larger town or city to get these at your required time. Coaches are inevitably affected by road traffic so you could experience delays either way. Coaches usually do offer a return of as long as you want because they specifically do the airport runs, so know this is what people expect.

Your own car – Better than a friend in terms of trustworthyness as it is you who does the driving! However parking at the airport for a week or two can be very expensive. There are however a variety of parking facilities outside of the airport which can be cheaper yet just as accessable, known as long term airport carparks.

These are normally just outside of the airport itself, or as far away as a 20 minutes drive, but this is nothing to worry about. All these car parks offer a free coach transfer direct to your terminal, and can be more than half the price of parking on-site. You do not have to book these in advance, but they will be a lot cheaper if you do. Basically these firms take the keys to your car and give you a token in return. They park your car in a secure environment for the whole time you are gone, then have it ready for you to collect when you return.

There are several options with these facilities most expensive first:

Airport Drop Off: You drive your car to the airport and leave it with a driver who takes your car away. The driver is waiting with your name board when you return and you take your car straight from there.

Hotel & Drop Off: You stay in a local (and often luxury) hotel overnight. The following morning you drop your car off at the long term car park then get a courtesy coach to the airport terminal. On your return you catch the free coach back and collect your car.

CarPark Drop Off: You drive your car to the car park yourself on the day of your flight and catch the courtesy coach to the terminal. On return you catch the coach back and collect your car.

Additionally, you could find yourself a hotel to stay in overnight, then leave your car in their car park, getting a transfer to the terminal arranged by them. This option is not usually much cheaper than the Hotel & Drop Off, and your car will not be secure the whole time, it will just be sitting in a space in that hotels car park rather than tucked away safely in a fenced environment with camera security the whole time.

Whichever you choose, always make sure that no one else has access to your packed luggage at any time as this could pose a security risk. Make sure you keep all your important documents with you at all times and that they are easy to access.