Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Nov 30

When you take a vacation – where can your pets go and stay?

There are many options for your vacation when you have pets – no matter how large or small they are – but you need to decide what gives you peace of mind while you are away.

The pet that you have doesn’t really matter – as there are services for all sorts these days – but there are 2 main considerations: They stay at home – or they go away.

Whether it’s a pony or a polecat, a pig or a poodle – someone needs to feed it and clean it out while you are away.  And you need to decide who can do that for you and whether you can afford it!

Kennelling a dog can cost well over the cost or your cheap vacation if you aren’t careful – and transporting your horse to another stable can take and extra day of 2 off your holiday in the first place!

At Home:
Leaving your pets at your own home is a great idea as it allows the least amount of distress to the animal and means that everything is where you left it.  Your pets still has it’s own bed and sofa to sit on, it won’t have to change anything about it’s life.

And on top of this – your home will not be left empty while you are away, there will always or nearly always be someone visiting your home for the duration of your trip, turning the lights on and off, checking everything is ok and dealing with your mail and calls.

The downside of course, is that someone can have a look through all your personal stuff if they wanted – but then we have all been babysitters at some point but we never did any harm!  Obviously by using a close friend or recommended professional should limit any chance of such a problem.

Away:
There are sort of 3 types of away, a personal one, a professional one and the basic one – all have their merits (and their costs to consider) but it depends on the service you are looking for for your pet – and to some extent the type of pet.

A personal service would be where your pet goes to live in someone else’s home instead of yours.  They may have other pets and/or children – but your pet will be guaranteed all the benifits that your home offers – except in a different location.  And caged pets probably won’t even notice the difference!

A professional service may well suit large and small pets alike in the sense that you leave your pet with trained and or experienced staff, maybe a working stable, farm or veterinary practice – particularly suitable if your pet has a injury or illness that needs that extra attention.

And thirdly, the basic service – a kennels or equivalent.  Your dog, cat, bird or furry pet is sent to a specific unit for the duration of your trip.  Yes, it will get food and water as well as veterinary attention when necessary – but it will be left in this environment for the duration of your vacation (howeer, dogs might get nice walks).  And sometimes this isn’t even cheaper than some of the other options but you know your pet will be safe!

Have a great vacation – but don’t forget about your pets!

posted by Travel Cat on Nov 20

Do you want to enjoy your vacations that little bit more than usual?  Then invest in your destination….

When you choose a pension group or a savings account for your money – why not check where it is going before you put your money into it – I mean why invest in mining in the Arctic if you want to make sure the rainforest is still there so you can take a vacation in it?

Why invest in banks in distant countries rather than new resorts in Dubai or Fiji?  Think about what you are funding and you could get yourself a much better vacation for your money – twice!

You are normally only thinking about your financial return when you invest – but what if the return was a bit less in the $$ department but rewarded you with great new resorts to vacation in!

The money you would spend on a ski trip or jungle adventure would seem all the more personal and better value for money if you had helped to develop it yourself.

Investments:
It’s not just about the money now with investments – people are expecting to know what they are funding with their hard-earned savings; I mean that money doesn’t just sit in a vault at your bank getting bigger - it is sent off around the world to generate a profit which in turn becomes your interest.

So what if your savings are growing into great new hotels and ski slopes rather than buying tomatoes or making coats?  It’s all still money in the bank isn’t it? 

Many people are finding out if their money is funding ethical projects – so why not trace yours and see if you can make your holidays all the better for it!

Your money is invested in all sorts of ways that you might not be aware of – as it’s not kept in 1 lump.  Your funds are spent or invested in whatever projects or companies that your bank or financial company decides on.  You often don’t have any say in the matter.  So why not start telling your bank what you want out of your savings by shopping around.

A bank certainly won’t be a very good one if all it’s customers head off to other banks for better value for money – and the only way they can win you back is to offer what you want: either the investments you are after, or a higher interest rate and returns for you.  So either way – it’s a win-win situation for you!

However, if you like wildlife instead of culture on your vacation: then look out for timber investments or water-purification projects to keep the wildlife alive and a rich biodiversity – rather than strip mining companies and biofuel farms which both strip your habitats bare and kill off the local mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and insects!

Think what you would like to see or do in the next 5-10 years (or the length of your investment) and pay towards it.  Not only will your money be building that new mountain spa – but you get that money back, plus more on top to spend at that resort…….

Protect what you love!

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!