Tag: cash

Safe Travel- 10 Tips for Increasing Your Security While Backpacking

Safe Travel- 10 Tips for Increasing Your Security While Backpacking

Unfortunately you can run into problems while backpacking. Do not get paranoid – it will ruin your trip, but do have a healthy respect for things that can happen. Certain places are higher risk and warrant extra attention such as around ATMs, money changers, bus and train stations, crowded streets and markets. Adapt to the country you visit, some countries are high risk and other are low risk.

Check your guidebook and with the locals to see what the scam of the day is and which areas are best avoided (varies during day and night).

  1. If you carry around a hand bag in high risk environments (e.g. markets) keep the bag in front of you and keep one hand on top of the zipper. Do not let it hang on your back.

  2. Spread your money into several places (e.g. your daypack, backpack, wallet and money belt) so that you do not lose all at the same time. Hide some emergency cash under the sole of your shoe, in your sock or elsewhere.

  3. Do not keep valuables easily accessible in your day pack and then hang it on your back. Bag slashers use razors to cut your bag and steal your valuables without you noticing. You will not feel it. Put something of little value in the outer compartment so that they get hold of that if they get hold of anything.

  4. Be careful with your valuables and important documents (passport, tickets, and traveler?s cheques), use a money belt or leg pouch. You can get belts with secret pockets on the inside where you can store cash or you can get a separate pocket for money which you can put on the inside of your pants. The idea behind a money belt is to keep it on you – not in the daypack which you carry on your back. If it is too sweaty you may be better off leaving the valuables in your hotel than carrying them in your backpack.

  5. If you walk with your backpack and have to stop, move a little from side to side so that it will be more difficult for anyone to get to your bag without you noticing.

  6. Staff in supermarkets and stores may try to short change you i.e. they give you back less change than you are supposed to get and will play all innocent when you point this out. Count it to make sure you get all the money you are supposed to get.

  7. Avoid flashing expensive jewellery, money and watches around.

  8. Do not give money to beggars. If you want to help give to charity instead. If you still want to give money do not flash your big wallet. Instead keep some small change in your pocket to hand over.

  9. Use small locks to lock your backpack and daypack. Combination locks are easier to handle than key locks since you do not have to bother with the keys. A disadvantage with combination locks is that they can get worn out rather quickly and suddenly they will stop working, usually when your backpack is tied to something and you are in a hurry to catch a bus 🙂 Once the locks start giving you trouble throw them away and get new ones. If you find yourself with the combination lock not responding, dial it to your set combination and try changing the first digit one step up and one step down (e.g. your combination is 1234, change it to 0234 and 2234), if that does not work do the same with the next digit (i.e. 1134, then 1334) until you have tried them all.

  10. Keep the lock on your daypack when you go on day tours. If you have to leave the bags behind e.g. in order to do snorkelling or to go deep into a grotto this prevents curious hands from going through your bags while you are busy elsewhere.

Personal Experience – The Hoi An Hang-up

When I was in Hoi An in Vietnam I had locked my backpack to the bed with a combination lock. When it was time to leave the lock would not unlock no matter how much I tried. Finally we had to use a hammer to smash the lock. It took quite a surprising lot of beating before it gave in. Buying quality sometimes has its drawbacks 🙂

Happy travels!

Unaccompanied Minor Fees on Planes Rising

Unaccompanied Minor Fees on Planes Rising

The following are tips you should follow prior to purchasing tickets to have your children fly as unaccompanied minors:

  • Check for airline updates and additional fees, which often vary widely and can change on short notice. It is best to call the airline dircectly when determining the fees you will be responsible for.
  • Some airlines waive the unaccompanied minor fee for children who have achieved frequent flier status. It is less likely that a child has enough miles to capitalize on this perk.
  • Some airlines do not allow unaccompanied minors to fly after 9 p.m., on the last flight of the days, or if bad weather may result in flight delays.
  • Several carriers will give children snacks, while others will not charge checked bag fees for minors, and a few airlines charges only a single fee for two or more children traveling on the same flight.
  • Some airlines charge unaccompanied minor fees only for children age 5 to 11.  Others charge this fee for teens as old as 15.
  • Thoroughly read the airlines rules and have the required phone numbers and identification information ready when you arrive at the airport.
  • Make paper copies of everything, including the airline’s posted unaccompanied minor policy.  This is particularly important since the advice of reservation agents at the airport sometimes conflicts with an airline’s posted rules.
  • Give your child snacks, cash, a charged cell phone, emergency phone numbers and activities to keep them occupied.  Tell your child what should be done in the event something goes wrong.

www.cheapfares.com

Sydney Tips for the Solo Traveler

Sydney Tips for the Solo Traveler

For those traveling solo, here are a few tips to help you make the most of the experience: With luck, the hardest part of the journey will be figuring out how to avoid posing awkwardly whilst a stranger snaps a photo with only you in it.

Where to Stay:

Most Sydney hostels organize well-attended social events such as BBQs and pool tournaments for their residents. Go along! Treat it like the first day of school and introduce yourself. You will find one introduction leads to five more and a ready-made group of friends.

The big hostels, including Wake Up! and Sydney Backpackers have great locations and reputations to match, but are probably better suited to those traveling with a companion. Slightly smaller hostels just outside the center like Glebe Point YHA, Glebe Village Backpackers, and Sydney Beach House YHA are perhaps better tailored to the needs of the solo traveler.

How to get around:

Sydney is practically a synonym for accessibility. Buy a Sydney transport pass ($165) and you’ll get seven days of unlimited access to buses, trains, and ferries. The pass will pay for itself within the first few days, and extensions to areas outside the pass’s zone can be bought separately.

For those with time on their hands, the most enjoyable way to see the real Sydney is, of course, to walk. Put a map in your back pocket and see where your legs take you, you’ll almost certainly discover more about the city than a guidebook could ever teach you.

How to Fill your Time:

The Big Sights: During the day you can take in big attractions like the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and Darling Harbour in a day or two. After that you can always head for the Sydney Aquarium and Taronga Zoo. Both detours are wonderful experiences but can eat up the cash a little.

Natural Attractions: The Blue Mountains are incredible and truly not to be missed. Major sites such as the Three Sisters, the Giant Staircase, the Jenolan Caves and numerous cliff walks are not too far from the city, and can be touched upon in a day.

If you don’t want to swap your sandals for hiking boots, the ‘Blue Mountain Trolley Tours’ provides a hop on hop off bus-route to the major sites. Easy optional walks on well-maintained nature paths provide alternate routes and beautiful scenery between stops. The more adventurous can enjoy guided bush walks, hikes, and activities from abseiling to horseback riding.

Beaches: Both Manly Beach and Bondi Beach are just a short journey from the city. Generally, Manly is a more appealing option than the better known Bondi. Both are surrounded by lively neighborhoods, and have several excellent hostels in which to spend the night if you want to sit on the sand and watch the sun setting on the ocean.

Shopping: Those looking for a bargain should visit Paddy’s Markets or Glebe Markets (Saturdays only). The much-visited Rocks Market, whilst quaint, is a bit on the pricey side.

Those not too strapped for cash will feel at home in the shops in the Queen Victoria Building and the nearby Strand Arcade. If your finances are tighter, the shops of Piccadilly can be richer bargain hunting grounds.

Nightlife: Sydney’s packed with enticing options when it comes to things to do after dark. Kings Cross contains a host of enjoyably sleazy clubs and bars, whilst each neighborhood comes equipped with its own sources of entertainment. Whichever Sydney hostel you choose, the staff will almost certainly have a range of recommendations for popular nearby bars and restaurants. If you’re lucky, they may even give you a list of happy hours, too!

Alicante Tops European Holiday Destination Choice

Alicante Tops European Holiday Destination Choice

Alicante is the second largest city in the Valencian region of Spain, perfectly located on the South Eastern Mediterranean coast. The population of almost 500,000 makes Alicante a bit more than just a seaside resort and offers a combination of modern day living standards, excellent roads and public transport, a variety of entertainment, a mild winter, guaranteed sunshine in the Summer and eating out is a real pleasure.

Alicante is one of the fastest growing cities in Spain, especially in the building sector which under current economic conditions has left an abundance of bargain properties for sale. I am sure they will sell due to the area of Alicante having so much to offer to anybody looking for a new adventure in a land where it hardly ever rains and where you will never have to feel cold again. Language and communication may present problems, but that just helps to give a new incentive in life, but even without any knowledge of Spanish you can still get by.

Things to see and do around Alicante include a visit to the Santa Barbara castle, a round of golf on several par 72 surrounding golf courses. For children and the more adventurous you have Water sports, the Terra Mitica theme park and several safari parks so you will have plenty of reasons to go out and about and make the most of the day in glorious sunshine. Talking of sunshine, don’t forget the long sandy beaches where you can either lie out and fry, or have a refreshing drink in the shade of one of the beach side bars.

There are several 5 star hotels in Alicante as well as many very reasonable 3 star hotels, or you might just fancy staying in the Holiday Inn, in the Playa San Juan. Otherwise if you would rather land at the Alicante airport, get picked up by an English speaking taxi driver and then driven with care to a luxury villa in the Alicante golf urbanisation, just 25 minutes away. If hire care is required, it can either be organised online or at the Alicante airport on arrival. The tram is just a 2 minute walk from the villa, so you are well connected to Alicante and also Terra Mitica which is just before Benidorm.

Alicante really is a Golfers paradise as you can virtually play golf every day of the year, and beach lovers can expect to enjoy at least 330 sunny days a year. The nightlife is also complete in variety including a brand new casino found in the harbour area of Alicante. Something else also very popular with the locals in Bingo, funnily enough but there are no “2 Fat Ladies” in Alicante, so you need to brush up on the Spanish numbers before having a go, as there really are some very big cash prizes.