Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Nov 2

Take care when playing in water – either home or abroad!

There are some nasty things you can get from infected water, from dysentery to cholera, internal parasites and bacterial infections and on to more serious diseases like Typhoid, Leptospirosis and Hepatitis.

So, why would you take the risk by swimming in unknown waters without having checked out the risks first?

Different countries have different risks – so make sure you research your location if it is a adventure vacation you are after.  I mean everyone has heard of the ‘fish that swims towards urine’ and ‘the worm that burrows into your leg’ in travel horror stories – but do you know that you can still catch fatal infections at home too?

So lets looks at how to make your trip safer in the first place, or to spot problems early on after coming into contact with something terrible! 

Before You Go:
Obviously check with your governments guidelines before you even book your trip – this way you can see the obvious risks of a location before you spend a penny.

I mean do you want to book a trip to Country A with 5 known endemic water-borne diseases – or Country B with just 1?  I know it’s not all that simple, but you can certainly avoid things like malaria and Yellow fever this way.

Then after choosing a destination, make sure you know the area you are traveling to as well as you can – check information and guidebooks that you trust on the specific area you are heading too; like the cleanest rivers, wet season stats and difficulty ratings for what you are planning.

Once you are onsite, you need to make sure that your equipment is safe and that you feel confident on the day.  Skin damage (cuts and scrapes) and swallowing water are the 2 biggest risk factors when in the water – so by making sure the conditions are right and your boat/paddles/harnesses/etc isn’t faulty, you will greatly reduce your chances of falling in the water or cutting yourself on rocks or gravel.

When There:
Obviously if you do have a cut or open wound – no matter how small – make sure that you cover it completely with a water-proof plaster.  This is a perfect site for bacteria or parasites to enter your body through – although some can burrow through your normal skin too!

So, on leaving the river make sure that you rinse yourself off thoroughly with clean water – and don’t sit around wet from a river fall as you are leaving yourself open to risks.

Obviously different rivers – and parts of rivers – have different risks, but you should know the difference on site.  For example, white water is ‘fresher’ and fast-moving so will be likely to hold less of a risk than a slow-moving body of water.  Rivers downstream of rural settlements may contain human waste or have a higher number or ‘local’ parasites, and downstream of cities and factories could contain just about anything!

Stagnant water is the worst – especially in the season where endemic parasites are at the worst.  The lifecycle of many will be tied to the weather – and by going outside of that time you are less likely to come in contact with them!

After The Event:
You should be at a low risk anyway having prepared so well in advance, but by knowing the symptoms of water-borne infections and diseases could mean the difference between life and death!

Looking out for ‘flu-like’ symptoms or loose stools might seem a bit foolish – but if you have been exposed to river-water in the past few weeks – you might want to get it checked out!  Other signs include rashes, headaches, vomiting, confusion, muscle aches  and weight loss – but these are more likely to be noted.

There are risks abroad even if you don’t take to the water – but play it safe and you should come home in one piece!

posted by Travel Cat on Oct 10

Paying for parking can really make a difference to a day out if you don’t plan ahead, but sometimes paying up is just the easiest thing to do!

When you need to get a particular place, or you have a family – parking as close to your destination as possible can make all the difference when planning a day out.  Otherwise, you know there will be tears!

So lets have a look at the options available to you – so you can plan your day out in advance for the best set-up for you!

Included Parking:
Many Theme Parks have parking included in the price for visitors – and these are the best ones for a simple family day out.

Yes, you are still ‘paying’ for the carpark in the sense that you ticket price will have taken this into account – but you can turn up at Theme Park A in the car – with all your family and accoutrement’s – with no worry about having the right change, queueing at a booth behind someone who hasn’t got the right change, or feeling really annoyed at the extra cost added on to your day!

However, sometimes the benefit outweigh the cost as many larger car parks include transfer buses, refreshments and quite importantly; security features!

Nearby Parking:
If the place you are visiting doesn’t include it’s own parking – then you have a choice or 2 to consider before setting out on your journey.

1) Park in their car park anyway for ease of entry – and pay whatever they ask.
2) Park offsite at the next cheapest place – but close enough to walk there.
3) Park at the closest free/cheap carpark – and pay for public transport.

It is worth considering each one not only on price – but also on ease of getting to your destination.

I would imagine if you had elderly relatives or very young children with your party – or lots of things to bring along with you like prams, lunches, extra clothes, nappies, toys, scooters, etc – then the 10 minutes walk across a freeway and past some stores might not sound too appealing – and don’t forget that there is the walk back to the car afterwards when you are all tired to consider as well!

Public Transport:
This is the perfect option for couples, or families with older children, as you have less to fuss about, and can usually arrive right on site without too much effort.  And some events offer discounted entry for those arriving by train, bus or bike!

However, the cost of this ‘easy’ option can sometimes be far more than paying for the car park anyway.  I mean each person is charged for getting on the bus – but you only pay 1 fee for the car park.  Yes, you will be crammed in with another 1000 cars and maybe have to queue up to get in and out – but you can bring more stuff with you if you want – and come back to the car to get lunch or different clothing if the weather changes.

Coming by train or bus means you have to wear all your clothes and carry all your food – something that will not appeal too much to larger families for sure!

Eco Friendly Or Just Easy!
Unfortunately, the answer to that is not as easy as you might think!

Yes, of course everyone driving to a theme park in the middle of nowhere can’t be that good for the environment – but if you only get a few days off in the year where all the family can get together – then do you want to waste it walking miles to save money, while carrying a huge amount of ‘stuff’ to make the day fun!

I mean, on your only weekend off with the folks, do you want to carry your raincoat around all day (incase it rains) along with a huge rucksack or holdall filled with food and drink as well as all the extras and take 3 times as long to get there by public transport?

I didn’t think so!  But I suppose that the more people you take with you in each car as well as making your own lunch and bringing extra stuff – the more eco friendly you become!  You won’t be driving with empty seats; buying take-out over-packaged food or buying over-priced and individually wrapped novelty rain macs or medicines and band-aids!

posted by Travel Cat on Oct 1

We only get a limited vacation time – so don’t waste it getting lost!

When you are planning a weekend get-a-way or a short road trip – make sure you know where you are going in advance otherwise you could end up eating in to your vacation time sitting in traffic or lost somewhere down a country lane or in a town with nothing to see!

All the while you are lost – your vacation time is ticking away – and if you only had an hour to see that historic landmark, amazing canyon or dinosaur sculpture, you could now be wiping that off your ‘to do’ lost while you wait for that tractor to pull over, or while you sit in a layby planning an alternative route to get back to where you were in the first place!

A Wrong Turning:
If you take something as simple as a wrong turning off a major road – you could be in for at least a 30 minute diversion.

Basically – for ease of driving and for safety – many freeway junctions flow right off into the next freeway.  They don’t have round-a-bouts or junctions in place where you could turn around.  Therefore you might need to follow this new road for a few kilometers before you get to another junction to head back to where you started.

And you need to hope that this next junction doesn’t lead straight onto another freeway – otherwise you miss that landmark you had planned!

Low On Fuel:
By allowing yourself to get low on fuel – you are just asking for trouble.  Gas stations aren’t always shown on maps – and sometimes you need to go look for 1.

Needless to say, you will end up wasting time and fuel looking for more fuel – and could end up driving through residential areas in the hope of spotting a big store with gas station attached. 

This all adds up into stopping and starting – speed restrictions and other time wasters: no doubt after fuelling up you all decide to stop at the store for a bathroom stop and for some food.  Adding on more and more time while you take it in turns to go in rather than leave the car unattended with all your belongings in it!

Now you can’t go see that amazing canyon either!

Road Block:
If you haven’t looked at a map before you leave – or haven’t checked for ongoing roadworks – then you could be about to hit trouble!

Not knowing alternate routes – or a general idea of the towns you are passing through, then a road closure can really mess up your journey.

Rather than just guess which way to go though – it will save you a whole bunch of time if you pull over as soon as you can (which may be some time if all the other 1000 cars on the same road as you are funneling off at the same junction) and check your map.

Don’t get tricked into following the general gist of all the other traffic as their destination may well be the opposite way from yours – and so you could follow them home instead of arriving at your hotel!

There goes your visit to the dinosaur sculpture too!

The Solution:
Plan ahead – and even sort of plan for diversions along the way.  Check ahead for major problems and save yourself not only a whole lot of time, but also a whole lot of stress!

posted by Travel Cat on Sep 21

Why does travelling in or out of the UK seem like such a chore that needs loads of planning?

I always watch hit movies and think; ‘they only have to travel south in their own country and they end up in Florida or California’ – but catching the train under the Channel sort of seems different.  It seems further away – when infact it is quicker for us to hop to Paris or Rome as it is for them to cross the whole of the US from coast to coast!

I don’t know why a holiday to Scotland from London seems like ‘local’ travel, when mainland Europe is only just over an hour away – Scotland can take 6-10 hours to get to depending on location – yet historic Bruges or feisty Paris could be just a short hop!

Your Next Local Vacation:
So why not drag yourself to the St Pancras Europe Platform – and choose a city break with a difference this time.

I think airport travel has put a lot of people off leaving the country – even for a short while – as we have to queue for check-in and security this and that; shoes off, shoes on, laptop in, laptop out……

However, book yourself onto the train passing through Ashford International - and it is a breeze.  You barely even notice that you are passing through a border check point!  It is all set up for busy business travellers and express holiday-makers – with laptops points and all sorts of other top class services.

There are no tiny seats, raffle ticket sales and clunky duty free trolleys on these trains, no sick bags, popped ears or £2 plastic earphones to wear either.  Just quality, spacious seating, endless carriage space and great big picture windows!

It’s Like Any Other Day:
Because the trains that travel between the UK and France as on the same network as all the other trains – you can seamlessly transfer from the train you hop on near your home to the one that takes you intercontinental!

You don’t have to arrive over 2 hours before and wander aimlessly around a departure lounge staring at endless shelves of huge perfumes and giant chocolate bars with your family and a packed lunch for ages before heading off – you simply get off your own train and walk straight onto another one.  Simple.

The main transport hubs for these trains, St Pancras, Ashford and Ebbsfleet International cater for all types of travel as well – so whether you get there by coach, bus, train, car or even plane – you can check in without a hitch and you are on your way.  It could even be your ‘green alternative’ for the year; no need to fly short-haul anymore!

You also don’t have to worry about your family either, as you can walk your kids around if they get restless, and there are larger seats anyway and tables to cater for even the most fidgety of kids (or grown-ups!).  There will be no sore ears for the babies – and no life-vests under the seats either – altogether a better mode of transport for the family!

And if you need any specific requirements – just go to one of their websites (like: stpancras-international.co.uk) for more information and some contact numbers to get things started.

posted by Travel Cat on Sep 10

It has started raining here in the UK – so it must be the end of Summer!

We still have some great articles though – as it’s still warm and sunny almost everywhere else in the world I suppose!

Lets open up with a nice one that is great at any time of year – but especially when you don’t really want to go outside: so take a peak at Erin Lenderts 50+ Beautiful & Inspiring Books that Teachers Should Read This Summer to kick off!

If you still have the summer parties or birthdays/Halloween to consider, then maybe take some advice from Debra Jacobson who has strung together some great tips on How To Be Frugal: Saving on Child Entertainment.  And if saving money is your thing, then you may also find MoneyedUp’s article on Things to do on Vacation for Cheap if you have a trip already booked.

Then there are these 4 great articles about real trips that you have been on with your kids – as always with some great shots along the way! 

First up is Pamela with her interesting take on a trip to a Disney theme park with California Adventure, followed by Charla Pearen’s article with a ‘more pictures than words’ theme in High Park Home Daycare: Taking a Toddler to Paris.

And then One Family offers a short story on a day out hiking at a tourist spot in One Family’s Blog: Hiking in Oahu – A Trip Report and ending with a regular poster here with a though provoking article on overseas ‘petting’ zoo’s: A Tiger Petting Zoo « Travels with a Nine Year Old from Theodora.

See you in October!