Archive for July, 2009

posted by Travel Cat on Jul 18

Are you all ready for the longest Total Solar Eclipse this century?

On July 22nd this year - i.e. this Wednesday - there will be an amazing eclipse of over 6 minutes across Asia.  Are you there?

Apparently it will begin in India then move through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and central China before heading out over the sea.

The partial eclipse will be visible over a much wider populated area across the continent as well as Oceania, but China will be the only country to see the full total eclipse.

There is also a lot of excitement over the length of the total eclipse with quotes of over 6 and a half minutes of ‘no sun’ at it’s greatest point when over the Pacific Ocean!. 

Apparently the next eclipse to be longer is not until the 22nd century!  Not one that we will be seeing I fear!

I’m not going to be there unfortunately - but if any readers are going - please write in and let us know where you were for this momentous natural phenomenon!

posted by Travel Cat on Jul 10

Welcome to another fantastic fact-packed Traveling with Kids Blog Carnival!

We start with some great family stories from recent vacations - firstly with Amy @ The Q Family photo story about Thailand in A Day at The Ancient City.  Then we have a story so great that Vichuda thought that words were no enough and so filled their post Krabi Thailand - with just pictures…

There are also some great pictures with Amy @ The Q Family, who discuss the little known world of 10 Fun Aquariums for Family Sleepover - amazing!  I never thought you could do that…….

Tim Tinkel then whisks us away to the wilderness with his family travels in Virginia with his post Families Again. Along the same lines, Jessica Nagel describes her delight at the best baby jogger she has been using with Baby Jogger + Coronado = Euphoria.

James Bishop then offers us some brief advice about choosing the right tent for families if camping is something you are considering, with his article on Choosing The Right Tent.

And the final 2 are ‘on the road’ stories, with advice for getting somewhere without having to entertain the kids yourself the whole time. To start, Fiona Leonard discussed the art of Matching Children’s Books to Holiday Destinations, and gp goes on to discuss the bare essentials before you head off anywhere in A Road Warrior’s Guide to Taking it on the Road « Musings from Montana.

Hope you enjoy them all.

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posted by Travel Cat on Jul 6

Grab your bags and head off to the ocean next week!

It really could be that simple if you are looking to book a last minute cruise from near your home town.  There is a great website that allows you to search for those short-notice cruises from all the main cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises that you don’t often find in the same place.

Rather than searching website after website to find a cruise that leaves from your preferred port - you can just select your port and go from there.  I don’t think there is a better way to choose.

I mean, I wouldn’t normally want to specify an actual date - I just want to see what’s out there and what’s the best value.

What Sort Of Deals Do They Offer?
Well, I looked at some last minute cruise deals leaving from 4 popular ports and saw what they had leaving in the next few weeks - and you will be surprised at the deals I found - bearing in mind that they include your meals:

  • A 3-Night Cruise from Miami to the Islands of the Bahamas - from just £209! that works out at less than $70 a day!  You could just nip away for the weekend!
  • A 4-Night Cruise from New York to the amazing coastline of St Johns, Canada - from just $459.
  • A 7-Night cruise in a suite from Los Angeles down the coast or Baja to Puerta Vallata - from just $1329 - that’s just $190 per night for a very special vacation.

Or an 8-Night cruise from Southampton, England in a balcony cabin all the way up to the amazing fjords of Norway from just $1299 - that’s only $160 a night.

Most of these prices are much less than a few nights in a romantic hotel - but with the meals and all day entertainment!  And a much better view!

Who Are They?
Well, Direct Line Cruises are based in New York and have been trading for nearly 15 years and currently book for thousands of passengers each year.  They have destinations all over the world and work with some of the best known cruise liners:

Royal Caribbean for example, has over 21 cruise ships in it’s fleet - offering some of the largest and most inclusive liners on the oceans today.  Climbing walls, pool, cabaret and stores are all on-board and their reputation is well earned.

Celebrity Cruises offers you the experience of being rich and famous - but without the big prices!  They offer an unrivaled first-class service and guarantee that there is at least 1 staff member for every 2 guests!

And the well known Norwegian Cruise Line is included in their service.  These liners offer the freedom of flexibility.  You choose your meal times for whenever you want to eat - and there are no formal dress codes for their events and restaurants. 

And, if you book online - they even throw in some freebies - including complimentary wine, onboard credits and even travel insurance. 

Have yourself a look and see if you can hop off for a few days of luxury or adventure!