The person who first coined the phrase “flying the friendly skies” was obviously not traveling with young children. If at some point in the future you will be finding yourself on a cramped airplane with a rambunctious toddler (or two), first of all let me offer my condolences. As the mother of two boys and a veteran of the so-called friendly skies, I have been in your shoes more than once.
Yes, I know – you don’t need my sympathy, or my empathy, or my condolences. You need help! So, for what it is worth, here are my words of experience (errr, I mean wisdom) on how to survive your next trip:
Toddler Air Travel Tips #1: Do not use the white paper bag in the seat pocket in front of you as a paper airplane!
It does not matter that you spent a small fortune loading your carry-on luggage with goodies aimed at keeping your two-year old entertained for hours. There is an unwritten rule that dictates that your toddler will get bored within the first fifteen minutes of departure.
That white paper bag in the seat pocket in front of you will begin to beckon to you, with the promise that if you transform it into a paper airplane or an origami sculpture, that the tiny passenger sitting beside you will be well-behaved for the next two hours of your trip.
Stop – don’t do it! Trust me, as soon as you dismantle the bag, your toddler will upchuck everything he ate for breakfast. And guess where that spew of regurgitated food bits will be directed. Yes, that’s right – you will be the unwilling recipient! Your pants, your shoes, yes, even your brand new luggage, will be covered in the once-digested remains of his breakfast.
My advice – as soon as you board the plane, locate the paper bag and place it where you can grab it within a moment’s notice. And do not touch it again, unless you need it for its intended use.
Toodler Air Travel Tips #2: Do not let your toddler out of his seat when the fasten seat belt lights turns off.
I don’t have to tell you that toddlers have a difficult time sitting still for two minutes, let alone two hours. Their little legs were built for running, kicking and jumping.
With that in mind, prepare yourself for the fact that your toddler is going to whine, and squirm, and complain, and squirm some more. However, no matter how much he squirms and complains, do not unfasten his seat belt. If you do, be prepared to regret your decision. Why? Well, freed from the constraints of the seat belt, he will wrestle past you into the aisle, and then his inner instinct to run will take over. You can only imagine the rest of the fiasco that will take place.
My advice – do not unbuckle your child’s seat belt for any reason. Better yet, bring his car seat with you on the plane, and strap him in good!
Toddler Air Travel Tips #3: Never make eye contact with the other adult passengers.
Unfortunately, the majority of your co-passengers will not be sympathetic to your situation. There is something about flying, perhaps it’s the cramped conditions, the high altitude, or the recycled air, that makes them forget that they were once children, or had children, or that the world would end if it were not for children. To them, you are the enemy.
My advice – you should avoid making eye contact with the other adult passengers on the plane. Spare yourself the stares and glares, because what you do not know will not hurt you. You have enough on your plate, without adding a big side helping of guilt.
Finally, keep your expectations realistic. You will survive this journey. Perhaps, you will even have your own travel tips and words of wisdom to impart when it’s over!
August 31, 2009
Travel Tips for Parents of Toddlers
Cruise Vacation is a ‘sampler’ of Several Exotic Locations
To cruise or not to cruise – that’s a question many of our middle-age friends are asking. Most people think cruises are either a bunch of young people intent on 24/7 parties, or senior citizens enjoying their Golden years.
The truth is that most cruises fall somewhere in between, although there are cruise lines and destinations known to appeal to the very young or to the very old. We just came back from our second trip on Holland America Line – this time to the Western Caribbean – and we found both of those cruises to have a smattering of the young, a few more of the old, but a lot of people like us who were smack in the middle.
When friends ask us if they should try a cruise, we say by all means. We view cruising as a kind of sampler vacation – a week or 10 days in which you get to try several destinations and decide which ones you think you would enjoy visiting for an entire vacation period. The disadvantage for us is that we often feel like we would like to spend more time in a port when it’s time to leave.
But consider the advantages. With cruising, you never have to unpack your bags more than once, while the destinations change before your eyes. With most cruise lines, the meals are no-muss, no-fuss, always cooked and ready for you to eat when you’re hungry — and also when you’re not. Meals are usually covered in your fare, although alcoholic drinks are extra. Most onboard activities are covered and only shore excursions cost extra. Dining arrangements usually put you in situations where it’s easy to meet new friends.
Our most recent cruise was on the Veendam out of Tampa, Florida, visiting Cozumel, Mexico, Montego Bay, Jamaica and Grand Cayman Island. This seven-day itinerary was about the right combination of shore time — one day per destination – and cruising. The Veendam produces a program each day outlining the myriad of activities that are available for the passengers. The line-up is impressive – spa classes, yoga classes, culinary classes, shopping classes, art seminars, numerous games and recreational activities, live, high-quality entertainment in the theaters, pubs and restaurants — and even Catholic Mass.
Of special note to parents bringing children, Holland America Line makes Club Hal available to passengers who want to drop off their grade school-to-pre-teen kids. This was a hit with our seven-year-old who enjoyed the games and crafts but especially liked the idea of meeting new friends on board that were her own age. There is a separate meeting and program area for the teens.
On the Veendam, our “triple” stateroom gave us a couple of twin beds and a couch for our daughter to sleep on. With lots of closet and drawer space, the couple of hundred square feet didn’t seem particularly small. We didn’t have a veranda – or private outside balcony – but going with just a window saved us about $500 a week.
While a veranda is great to kick back in privacy, read a book and watch the ocean go by, we found an excellent substitute on the Veendam: Deck 6. This is the outdoor promenade deck which is lined with a single row of deck chairs perfect for watching the scenery. It’s also where we did our daily walking – four times around to walk a mile.
Days in port can be pre-planned by buying shore excursions such as boat trips, snorkeling trips and various sightseeing tours. We did do one snorkeling adventure – on the Nautilus “submarine” in Grand Cayman, which turned out to be an especially great way to see the abundant fish life in George Town Bay – but generally we preferred to not have any set schedule for our days in port. Our preference is to just walk the town on our own, taking taxis and local buses as necessary to see sights we has previously read about.
As you might expect, great beaches and warm-water swimming and snorkeling were plentiful in all three of these destinations. But each destination had its own flavor and attractions and we especially enjoyed such destinations as the Harbour Street Craft Market in Montego Bay – where we loved getting to know the local merchants and vendors – and Cozumel’s Chankanaab National Park, where there are beaches galore, giant iguanas run wild and even a pool where visitors can swim with dolphins. On Grand Cayman Island, we found the perfect snorkeling beach at Seven Mile Beach – ideal because the water was clear, the fish plentiful and the people sparse.
Back on the Veendam, the food was generally prepared to a high standard and we usually ate breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria-style Lido restaurant, and dinner in the Rotterdam dining room. There were three formal evenings – meaning everybody gets to dress up for dinner — with all other meals remaining casual. Interestingly, we overheard some older passengers complaining there was too much cafeteria dining, not enough formal – yet we probably would have preferred even fewer formal dinners. It’s hard to please all the people all the time.
With Holland America Line, there is a $10 charge each day that goes toward tipping your cabin attendant, waiters and others who have helped you during your stay on the ship. Frankly we were glad to pay it – the service was as good as any umpteen-star hotel we’ve visited, always cheerful and responsive. For decades, Holland America Line has been recruiting most of the ship’s workers from Indonesia and the Philippines – even to the point of establishing training facilities in those areas – and it seems to be a great marriage. Second and third generation workers are happy to follow in their parents’ footsteps and Holland America Line continues to score high with passengers in the category of service.
One thing our friends sometimes ask about is this whole thing about people getting sick while cruising. Indeed, with news stories cropping up from time to time about illness aboard cruise ships – including one very recent episode on a San Diego-based ship – it’s only natural that prospective passengers want to know if they’ll be safe on the high seas. Television, newspapers and the internet jump on the story and you can almost feel the air being squeezed out of the industry as cruise companies try to unring the bell of negative publicity.
On this most recent cruise, we spent some time with the captain and his executive staff talking about the precautions that Holland America Line employees (and indeed most cruise lines) take to prevent an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness. The captain and his staff explained that, once a virus breaks out, it’s quite difficult and time-consuming to purify an entire ship. And so Holland America Line for some time has been waging a pro-active battle – what they call a “Code Yellow” alert – that encourages passengers to wash their hands frequently and avoid physical contact with other passengers. The Veendam greeting, the captain said – only half joking – is to touch elbows, not shake hands.
Indeed, before we even stepped on board the Veendam, we had already been told to wash our hands using one of dozens of Purell dispensers placed all around the ship. Every time we went to eat, dispensers were at the ready. And we noticed railings on the ship were scrubbed and polished many times each day just to avoid transferring germs.
AT A GLANCE
WHERE: Holland America Line’s Veendam currently is cruising out of Tampa, Florida. This particular trip included destinations in the Western Caribbean.
WHAT: Cruising, whether the Caribbean, the Mexican Rivera or anywhere else in the world is getting even more popular with baby-boomers who enjoy the amenities and convenience.
WHEN: Any time of the year, depending on your destination. Cruise lines generally re-position ships to take advantage of increased passenger interest for certain destinations during certain seasons.
WHY: Cruising, in a word, is convenient. Today’s ships are so large there are plenty of activities to keep you busy. Cruising also is a way for you to sample several destinations in one short trip without having to pack and unpack bags at each stop..
HOW: For more information on Holland America Line cruises, phone 877-SAIL-HAL or visit www.hollandamerica.com.
Cary Ordway is a syndicated travel writer. His company publishes CaliforniaWeekend.com which focuses on California getaways, and NorthwestTravelAdvisor.com covering Washington travel, as well as getaways in Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia.
Top Caribbean Beach Destinations
The Caribbean is one of the most popular destinations for vacationers from around the world. From the many independent islands to the coasts of Mexico and Central America, there are a wide variety of choices for travelers to choose between when planning their beach vacations. Among the options, however, are some gems that you should consider when making your travel plans.
Beach Destination # 1: Barbados
Barbados was once an English colony but is now a thriving independent nation. Located in the southern Caribbean, nearby islands include Trinidad and Tobago as well as St. Lucia. Because of the upscale air the island exudes, Barbados is considered a prime choice for honeymooners. Travelers can find everything from simple motels to all-inclusive resorts to timeshare condos when they book travel to Barbados. With a dry and temperate climate, Barbados is also known for its white sand beaches and the abundance of water sports made possible by the terrific waves of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
Beach Destination # 2: The U.S. Virgin Islands
If you want to plan the ideal Caribbean beach vacation without even technically leaving the United States, then the U.S. Virgin Islands is the perfect destination. Three islands comprise the U.S. Virgin Islands. They are St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John. The smaller Water Island is also a part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. All part of the same territory, each island offers its own unique destinations and amenities. The U.S. Virgin islands are located just to the east of Puerto Rico.
St. Thomas is home to the famous Blackbeard’s Castle. Although it is unknown if the pirate known as Blackbeard ever visited St. Thomas, this tower was used as a vantage point to spot incoming ships and is now a part of a hotel on the island. St. John is a very wealthy island which benefits from restrictive development laws, making it a highly exclusive destination within the Caribbean. For the well heeled traveler, this is the perfect destination. St. Croix is the largest of the U.S. Virgin islands and is home to several environmentally protected areas including the beautiful Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge as well as the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge. Water Island was long used by the United States government for various testing programs. Although it is primarily a residential island, visitors may venture there for a more personalized U.S. Virgin Islands experience.
Beach Destination # 3: The Cayman Islands
Known as the most famous tax haven in the world, the Cayman Islands are also home to some of the most beautiful beaches and some of the most upscale accommodations within the Caribbean. One of the biggest draws is scuba diving, which is made possible by the impossibly clear waters that surround the island. A British Territory, the Cayman Islands include three islands: Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Many cruise ships choose the Cayman Islands as a port of call, most commonly going into Grand Cayman. Grand Cayman is also home to the famous Seven Mile Beach. Topped by coral sand and bounded by many upscale resorts, this is a must-visit part of the island. If you visit the Cayman Islands, make time to visit the two smaller islands instead of just Grand Cayman. There are many beautiful attractions throughout this destination.
Beach Destination # 4: The Bahamas
Easily the most well-known destination in the Caribbean, the Bahamas are visited by millions of tourists every year and are also visited by cruise ships on a regular basis. The Bahamas truly caters to the tourist trade, with events organized throughout the region’s popular travel season, which lasts from December to April. Yet thanks to its temperate climate, you can visit the Bahamas at nearly any time of the year, however, and experience great weather and a terrific atmosphere. Whether you are looking for a couples-only resort, an all-inclusive resort, or a family-friendly time share, the Bahamas has cost-effective options to suit any need. Several hundred islands comprise the Bahamas, but only several are inhabited and used as tourist destinations. The popular destinations that you may consider include Grand Bahama, New Providence, and Harbour Island. Be prepared for adventure in the Bahamas as the pace can be fast and the variety of opportunities endless.
Regardless of the beach destination you choose, you are sure to find vibrant nightlife, shopping, dining, entertainment, golf and water sports to suit your personal tastes. Sample the local and international flavors unique to the cultures of the Caribbean. Whether you are looking for an action-packed vacation or secluded lazy days on the beach, there is a Caribbean beach vacation waiting for you!
Mike Cole is a freelance writer who writes about vacation deals and the travel industry in general, often discussing specific aspects of the travel industry such as a travel agent.
Overnight Summer Camp – How To Choose The Best Weight Loss Camp For Your Child
Twenty-five years ago weight-loss camp campers were mostly teenage girls who were at least 100 pounds or more overweight. The menu usually consisted of food such as beef liver, fish and alfalfa sprouts and the only form of exercise was running and doing sit-ups. The ultimate goal at these overnight summer camps is to lose as much weight as possible in as little time as possible. They were often considered special needs camps. There are also many teen and adult weight loss camps.
Today things are a lot less extreme than they were in those days – approximately 39 percent of the campers are boys, the kids usually need to lose between 21 and 41 pounds, the menus offer a much broader range of food, and the exercise is a lot of fun, with activities that include fun sports like tennis and kayaking. The weight loss camps today emphasize very healthy lifestyles and long-lasting skills that the kids can take home with them and actually put into use.
To summarize, these so-called “fat camps” usually resemble regular overnight summer camps and just happen to specialize in teaching excellent decision-making techniques as they relates to food.
Now according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 16 percent or so of children from ages 6-19 are overweight or obese and this number that has tripled since 1981.
The number of overnight or sleepaway weight loss camps has remained about the same. There are about 16 to 20 of these camps out of 10,000 sleep away camps in the United States alone with some of these having offshoots in other locations. There are many other weight loss camps in other countries.
In most of the overnight summer camps the children will be between the ages of 7 and 12. This age group tends to be most successful because parents have more to say about the child’s eating and exercise habits. Usually bad eating habits are less instilled in the younger children.
All sleepaway fat loss camps work at building good habits, not just dealing out quick fixes. You will find these camps have classes on good nutrition, proper portion control, emotional eating, handling situations like pizza parties, birthday parties and ice cream parties.
You’ll find they teach by example. In the old days weight loss camps offered 1,250 to 1,350 calories each day. Today they’re more realistic, usually about 1,800 to 2,000 calories daily. On the menu along with healthier foods you’ll also find there are hamburgers, pita pizzas, baked potato chips and low-fat baked goods.
It’s long been a misconception that overnight weight loss camps don’t offer enough food and they overwork the kids. It’s actually the opposite. The right amount of food is served and they provide workouts for the kids at the right level. Campers never find they are hungry.
Changing the camper’s behavior is the key to sustaining weight loss. Many campers learn to cook, shop for groceries, order out at restaurants, and work with camp psychologists on managing stress, frustration tolerance, and identifying emotional eating.
Generally the campers want to be there. Years ago when their parents made them go they didn’t want to. Kids are happier that they’re making a change and develop confidence and independence as a result of the experience. They learn to make healthier choices also. Kids learn to feel better, breathe better, run faster and become more active as a result.
Some overnight weight loss camps can cost about $1,000 a week. Many of the camps offer scholarships and that’s worth exploring. Your health insurance may cover some of it because of the weight loss therapy. And some churches run free weight loss camps, but may be harder to find.
Choosing the right summer camp for your child may mean doing a lot of research and checking out reviews of weight loss camps. Talking to parents who have sent their kids to those camps would give you some idea as to the successful experience the child has had. Ask the director of the camp you’re considering if they will give you some names of previous campers’ parents so you can contact them. Cost may be a factor too. There is a wide range when it comes to cost and be sure to compare weight loss summer camp ratings online and offline. Check the public library for Consumer Reports magazine’s ratings.
Any overnight summer camp is great because it will force the child to have structured time in the summer and even traditional overnight camps focus on kid’s fitness and health, serve healthier food and encourage a lot of exercise. If you can’t find or afford a weight loss camp, you should choose a camp anyway even if it’s a special camp like arts or science that has some activity. The important thing is to keep overweight kids active in the summer.
For more information on choosing the best overnight summer camp or finding the best sleepaway or weight loss summer camp online and offline go to http://www.OvernightSummerCamp.biz a nurse’s website specializing in overnight summer camp tips, help, facts, free tuition resources, including information on overnight summer camp reviews
August 28, 2009
The Best Safari Travel Tips
The information about travel,safari,travel tips presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about travel,safari,travel tips or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.
Before stepping on that plane for a marvelous safari adventure, plan like there’s no tomorrow. You will thank your self for being precautious when faced with untoward incidents. Here are the important things you should consider when going on a safari travel:
1. Remember that it is one challenging endeavor.
Planning a safari can be one of the most exciting feats one can ever manage to make happen. It is not one of the generic travels, usual jetsetters indulge in. Though you are provided with a tour brochure and a tourist guide, it still is better to research on your own regarding the various itineraries.
2. Best spots for safari should be spotted. The most suggested parts of Africa to enjoy safari include East and Central Africa, Southern Africa and Indian Ocean Islands.
3. Prepare for the climate. It is a must to know the seasonal trends and how they will affect your travel. But also remember that the weather is fickle-minded so you can never really accurately predict the outcome of your travel if you will base it one the weather alone. If you are going to visit East and Central Africa, long rains start early in April to early June. Short rains abound during late November to December. Southern Africa has its rainy season from late November through mid-April for the safari areas. However, during that time, it will be summer in Southern Cape. When one prefers Indian and Ocean Islands he or she can expect the seasonal trend to be more like of that of Southern Africa. In these islands, summer rains last from November through April. Cyclones can also be experienced during those seasons. From May to October, the dry season occurs.
4. Choose your activities. Among others, safari traveling offers these fun-filled activities: a. gorilla trekking b. sailing c. birdwatching d. participatory camping e. self driving
5. Know what you can afford. When choosing a trip, budget constraints should never be overlooked. Decide on a price range that you can work on. To make your budgeting more effective consider the level of luxury of your safari travel, length of your trip, activities, accommodations preferences, meals and season. 6. Determine your travel style. Do you prefer your safari to be more luxurious, moderate or rustic? Will you let kids tag along? Are you traveling with a group or will you be one bold, independent traveler? Will you travel by air or road? What about your guide and your vehicle? Answering those questions will more or less improve your overview of your dream safari travel. Have fun!
This article’s coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.
Michael Hehn writes articles about various topics.
Find out what he has to say about travel at Travel
