Preparing for a Long-Haul Journey

long haulI always put a lot of thought into packing and preparing for a long-haul flight. By planning to spend hours on an aircraft or even at an airport, you can make the journey much more comfortable. I have learned from experience.

One of the things I couldn’t survive without is my pull along mini suitcase which I can take on as hand luggage. Most airlines allow passengers to carry on baggage measuring 55cm x 40cm x 20cm. You should, however, check with the airline you are travelling with. Here are some of the essentials I pack in my hand luggage:-

Toothpaste and toothbrush: If I were going to a desert island and could only take one thing, this would be it. If you are spending hours in an airport or on board a flight, just going to brush your teeth after eating can make you feel better. Remember to take a mini toothpaste (maximum capacity of 100 millilitres).

Face wash, towel and moisturizer: It is a great feeling to wash your face during stopovers.

Earplugs, sleeping mask, socks and fleece: Flights can be uncomfortable and with over 200 people on board, there will be noise, babies crying and passengers talking – that is why I take earplugs. On most flights I get cold because of the air conditioning so I always take a pair of socks and a fleece. However, on every Iberia aircraft I have travelled on I melt with the heat so it is also a good idea to wear layers so you can strip down if necessary. Finally, the sleeping mask just in case the person beside me has the light on.

Extra change of clothes: I always take an extra change of clothes just in case my suitcase goes missing. If you are travelling from winter to summer or vice versa, perhaps you could take something suitable to change into at the airport when you arrive.

Oh and don’t forget to wear flight socks or you won’t be able to fit your feet in your shoes after the journey.

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Things to See in Tokyo

TOKYOSo you’ve decided to go to Japan for the holidays and you only have two weeks off. There are so many things to see in Japan that it would be very unrealistic to try to list them all in such a tiny article. But there are some things in Japan which every tourist there should see at least once. A lot of these things are located in Tokyo. Here then are a few tourist destinations which you should try and fit into your schedule somehow – you won’t regret seeing them!

Sightseeing around Tokyo

There are hundreds of places you can see in Tokyo. You should at least spend a couple of days exploring the downtown area and checking out the local restaurants, tourist attractions and other facilities.

For the excitable tourist, there’s always Toshimaen/Hyro Polis. This is in the center of Tokyo and is a world famous amusement park and water park.

The Japanese love any sort of display of science and nature and Shinagawa Aquarium is a testament to this curiosity. With over 100 species of fish and a 22 meter tunnel under the aquarium, you can see the sea life from below. The renowned Ueno Zoo is over a hundred years old and even has two giant pandas, some king penguins and a host of other animals.

Consider taking part of a day trip up to climb the Tokyo Tower, which was modeled after the Eiffel Tower. The tower is a 333 meter high landmark and is the world’s tallest self-supporting iron tower. It’s a great place to check out the city from and try and find where you’ve walked.

When you’re tired from legging it all day on the busy streets of Tokyo, consider relaxing in one of the city’s favorite tea bars, where you can get hundreds of different kinds of tea.

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My Trip to Beautiful Costa Rica

arenalCosta Rica is a truly beautiful destination and discovering this tiny Central American country was a truly relaxing experience. It is a little taste of paradise, and its hotels and sites are all built around ensuring its visitors that they all have a truly magical experience. My eight day vacation was perfect for sinking into my time in Costa Rica and not sweating the details. My excursions and adventures took me door-to-door and the hotels I stayed at provided me with all the amenities I could wish for.

I flew into Costa Rica where I was greeted by my VIP greeter who was waiting to assist me with my luggage and get me on my way to La Fortuna. When I arrived at Arenal Springs Ecoresort, I officially switched into vacation mode. I had a relaxing evening sipping cocktails on my hotel room terrace while enjoying the beautiful views of the tropical gardens and the Arenal volcano.

On my first official day of my vacation, I took hike up to the Arenal volcano. The massive volcano dominates every view from anywhere in the region but in order to see it in all its glory I took a short hike through the rainforest during the late afternoon up to the observation clearing. It was an amazing up and close view of this natural wonder and made for a wonderful experience. After I’d taken in the volcano, it was off to the Baldi Hot Springs to enjoy the geo-thermally heated waters mineral waters. I could still hear the volcano rumbling in the background as I relaxed in the warm waters. The hot springs came complete with a swim-up bar and dinner buffet to enhance the experience.

Day two and three of my trip were spent on the water. First up was white water rafting on the Rio Balsa, where professional guides took me and my group through class II and class III rapids. The fun and exciting adventure ended up with us in some tranquil river pools in an isolated rainforest river canyon where we enjoyed our lunch. During the afternoon, I spent my time lazing by the pool and working on my tan. The next day it was back to the water for a jungle riverboat ride through the wilds of the Rio Frio and the seasonal Lago Cano Negro. This wetland refuge included some of the best wildlife viewing in all of Costa Rica, including aquatic birds, monkeys, sloths, caiman, turtles, and bull sharks.

One day four of my trip I switched hotels, moving to the beach of Playa Panama in Guanacaste, where I lazily hung out on the beach and went for a swim in the ocean. Day five included a snorkeling adventure above a vibrant coral reef. I saw thousands of colorful tropical fish along Costa Rica’s pacific coast, as well as a large sea turtle. My second last day consisted of zip-line activity through the tropical dry forest canopy. It was fun zipping through the tree tops next to monkeys, birds, and other wildlife.

My last day in Costa Rica was a lazy one, spent on the beach enjoying the paradise of my surroundings. Costa Rica is a beautiful and relaxing destination that still allows for some adventures and definitely fun activities. I loved my time in Costa Rica, and was sad to have to go home.

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INDIA: A TRAVELING VENTURE

taj-mahalWhen people talk about planning a tour to Asia, then it is basically concentrated on one country and that is of INDIA. In fact, India constitutes almost all the cultural and traditional values of Asia. Though there are other fine countries as well, but India is quite distinct on account of its decentness, its lovable behavior and the traveling destination. Moreover, India is quite a cheap travel destination as well. If we just look the present survey, then most of the people consider India as the best traveling destination in Asia than any thing else. So you must also count on it.

No matter in which part of the world, you are situated, you can easily reach India from several traveling medium. There are so many of them that you will never feel like that the ways are exhausted. As already stated, the travel cost in India is quite less, so it might be a profitable venture for you as well.

Ok, so we will now discuss about some of the fine and attractive tourist spot which India has for us. Basically, the cultural values of India are so immense and so distinct in different parts of the country that you might feel that it has been made after the constituent of more than 20 small countries. The rich traditional values which the people of India always carry with them selves always make them different from the ordinary people. You must try to inculcate some of these values as well.

TAJ MAHAL, the unique piece, define India as one of the biggest architectural destination. For your kind of information, I must state here that Taj Mahal is among one of the “Best New Seven Wonders of the World”. It is situated in Agra, two hours drive from the national capital of India, New Delhi. You will also get a chance to see “Red Fort” another historical monument out there. If you are quite a religious personality, then there are again lots of options available to you in India. It is almost filled with temples and other religious spiritual places. So just hang around there or search it on the net and then it will be a revolting experience for you. Just go ahead and taste the unique flavor of India.

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