FAMILY TRAVEL INFORMATION

Great Family Vacation with Dolphins

2:48 PM life hacker

A vacation is a time to take break from the hectic schedule and stress out, soaking yourself in comfort and activities to rejuvenate yourself.
One of the best ways to beat the stress is swimming and when you have dolphins as companion you know you are in for loads of fun.
We have carefully selected some the best locations which give you the opportunity to do so.

Dolphin Plus, Key Largo

Dolphin Plus is committed to the conservation and protection of marine mammals worldwide. Dolphins Plus offers a variety of daily Dolphin Swims and a Sea Lion Swim to individuals of all ages. Unlike many other dolphin facilities that limit a swim with dolphins program to a shallow water encounter, they provide a unique opportunity to enter dolphin’s homes for a true swimming with dolphins experience. You can participate in a variety of one-on-one dolphin encounters or sea-lion interactions, under the guidance of highly trained staff.

Discovery Cove, Florida

Discovery Cove is part of the SeaWorld group of properties. The highlight of a visit to Discovery Cove is the opportunity to swim with a bottlenose dolphin during a 30-minute interactive adventure. Accompanied by a trainer, groups of six to eight guests wade into shallow water and become acquainted with their dolphin through hugs, kisses and rubdowns. Then you can enjoy the exciting dorsal fin tow ride back to shore.
To visit thee unique aquatic theme park you need to schedule your visit in advance as they only allow entry to 1000 visitors per day.

Dolphin Discovery Cayman, Grand Cayman

Located directly across from Botswain’s Beach Turtle Farm in the West Bay area of Grand Cayman, Dolphin Discovery Cayman is 10km from George Town.
It offers three programs for participants: The Royal Dolphin Swim, Dolphin Swim Adventure, and Dolphin Lover’s Swim. All participants can experience the “dolphin song” in which these gentle mammals serenade their audience with their unique clicking noises. As well, there is plenty of opportunity for free time with the dolphins where participants can swim at their own leisure in each of the swim programs.

So pack your bags and get the travel deal to experience a vacation truly up, close and personal with nature.

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A bumper crop of travel deals blooms in summer’s hea

2:30 PM life hacker

By Jayne Clark - USA Today

The economy may be in a dog-days-of-summer slump, but many travelers are getting a break this season, thanks to a refreshing flurry of deals that cut across the travel spectrum.

Discounts more numerous and more dramatic than last year are popping up from Orlando to Hawaii, on airfares and on vacation packages. And many industry watchers expect them to continue into August.

Big U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago and San Francisco, are awash in hotel discounts that Travelzoo’s Gabe Saglie calls “unprecedented. A year or two ago, if I said you could get a hotel in midtown Manhattan for under $200, people would have laughed at me,” says the discount travel Web site’s senior editor.

Local tourism offices have been more proactive this summer in devising package deals and offering free events, notes Anne Banas of SmarterTravel.com. In Orlando, for example, the Bundles of Free Smiles Deals (www.orlandoinfo.com/smile) has been extended through Aug. 15. The site lists 140 offers ranging from free hotel nights to buy-one, get-one-free admissions.

In areas that typically discount in summer, such as Phoenix and Las Vegas, hotel rates are “dropping with a thud,” says Saglie. For instance, Travelzoo.com lists a $38-$49 midweek rate at the chichi new M Resort in Sin City. (Book by July 24 for stays through August.) In Phoenix, the Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa has summer rates starting at $79.

Domestic airfares are down 10 percent to 15 percent from several summers ago, says Rick Seaney of FareCompare.com. However, despite a notable Southwest Airlines-sparked fare war last week, followed by more price cuts this week, “it’s sort of hit or miss right now.” But trans-oceanic fares, which typically run about $1,000 in summer, have been going for about half that this year, he adds. Best bets now are to Ireland, Spain, Germany and Switzerland, with rates in the $600 to $700 range for August.

Deeply discounted travel packages to the Caribbean and Mexico also are abundant. Demand for Hawaii is down, causing hotel rates to drop 15 percent to 30 percent on Oahu and Maui and up to 40 percent on the Big Island, says Jack Richards, head of Pleasant Holidays. Plus, fuel surcharges have been suspended, making flights more affordable. Sample deal from Pleasant Holidays: three nights in Oahu for two, including airfare from San Francisco, for $810, plus taxes.

Even usually hard-to-get bookings are offering incentives. At Lake Powell on the Utah-Arizona border, late-summer houseboat rentals are still available and the Gas Is On Us promotion gives a $50 to $100 daily gas credit with rentals through 2009.

In the vacation home rental arena, a survey of owners who post rentals on HomeAway showed 66 percent planned to offer a special of some sort, ranging from discounts on rent, to suspending minimum-stay requirements. “The economy has created new flexibility in the way they market their homes,” says Eileen Buesing of HomeAway.

As always, flexibility is the key to snagging a great deal.

“I think travelers are much more impulse-driven,” Travelzoo’s Saglie says. “The idea of investing in a vacation six months down the road when you don’t know how you’ll being doing financially isn’t appealing.”

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Affordable Caribbean Travel

1:53 PM life hacker

Travel Deals like these are very affordable

The Caribbean islands are the most popular vacation destinations in the world. Here you have the best of all worlds, from beautiful beaches, sailing, snorkeling and scuba, surfing, great food, casinos and a range of nature activities. Accommodations ? With all the great caribbean travel deals and all inclusive packages, you can get affordable accommodations to very luxurious and all inclusive resorts and rental villas.

Every island offers a wide diversity and culture. You can hop over to the Bahamas, Jamaica, St Lucia or Barbados for a relaxed and exciting holiday vacation. Not only are the islands spectacular for touring, they also offer the finest cuisine of the Caribbean and other areas of the world.

Even if your budget is tight, you can still have a caribbean vacation that comes with romance in mind and luxury hotel amenities, such as 24-hour room service, designer bed linens and a concierge who will book dinner, concert, or theater reservation, even with a discount Caribbean travel plan. All you really need to know is where you can find the best discounted deals, specials, and packages.

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Relax at an Island of the Caribbean

6:58 AM life hacker

The average person goes through the same routine 5 out of the 7 days of the week. Their weekends may be different than their weekdays, but they are still probably a weekly routine. One of the best things to do to get rid of this old and boring habit is to take a vacation so an island of the Caribbean.

By doing this, you are breaking the habit of doing the same things every single day of your life. You will be able to relax and get away from all the worries of work or school. You will be able to enjoy and do what you like to do the most and come back refreshed instead of bored.

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Best Way of Travel in Europe

6:40 AM life hacker

It’s true that the rail system is a great way to see Europe. The train is the best way to get around Europe. Trains are spacious, go everywhere, and leave on the hour to most European destinations. When you take into account the time it takes to get out to many European airports, you’ll often find the train quicker than flying.

The Only way to Travel in Europe

Although the train is an easy way to travel, there are some things you need to know:

Many trains require a supplement, above the regular ticket price. Be aware that some express trains in some countries may require a seat reservation. Fast trains usually are more expensive–you’ll be charged a supplement. Italian trains are notorious for charging supplements whenever they feel like it. I was once charged a €5.20 supplement on a €1.50 half-hour trip from Padua to Venice.

Many European trains split in two parts half-way through the journey with the two halves ending up in different destinations. Each carriage should carry a sign indicating the stops en-route with the destination station clearly marked. Make sure you get on the right carriage and be careful when you go for a walk.

Consider taking longer trips on an overnight train. You can often buy a couchette or bunk on a train from the conductor (check when you purchase your ticket). You’ll save a hotel and a day of travel.

It’s worth paying the extra money to make a reservation on Italian trains, which are often booked full. It’s not unusual to have to stand for three hours or so on the busier routes.

n general, trains in the southern part of Europe are cheaper than trains in the north. Slower trains are also cheaper than those slick, fast ones. Also, ask about special passes that might be available in the country in which you’re traveling.

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Bullet Trains Stealing Passengers Away from Airlines in Spain

6:32 AM life hacker

High speed bullet trains are eclipsing airplanes as the preferred method of intercity travel in Spain. Traditionally, air travel was the way to traverse the long distances (typically 300 miles apart) between cities in the large country. Barcelona and Madrid are 410 miles apart, which previously helped create the busiest air travel route in the world. But in February of 2008 the new 220 mph train system linked up the two cities, and ridership has boomed. With a faster travel time, less delays and a lighter ecological footprint, more people are getting on board the train system.

Wired reports:

Airlines carried 72 percent of the 4.8 million long-distance travelers who opted to go by rail or air in 2007. That fell to 60 percent last year, and Joseph Valls, a professor at the ESADE business school in Barcelona told The Guardian “The numbers will be equal in two years.”

Trains also have seen a boost from the unusually severe weather Spain has endured recently. Heavy snow forced the closing of Madrid’s Barajas Airport last weekend, stranding more than 45,000 people. Adding to the industry’s woes, Iberia airline has endured a labor dispute that’s canceled more than 500 flights and delayed 5,000 others. No wonder travelers are heading for the trains instead of the planes.

Beyond convenience, there is a strong environmental argument for the high-speed AVE trains, which are a more energy-efficient way to get around. Alberto Garcia of the Spanish Railways Foundation estimates AVE trains use 19 percent less energy than conventional trains and generate one-sixth the carbon emissions of a plane.