Direct Holidays

In earlier times we booked our holidays at a travel agents. Here we would choose which country that we would visit, the traveling date based on the availability of flights and how much we could afford to spend on our holidays. These days the internet lets us book our holidays by direct holidays services thus taking a lot of the fuss out of travel. Direct holidays is another way of saying internet travel services or even online holiday operators. The internet takes the place of an office bound travel agent.

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Have credit card will travel

Credit card or cash? When it comes to travelling, it may be better to use a credit card,

Travel safe with credit cards

WHEN travelling, it’s often better to carry credit cards instead of cash. This way, if the cards are stolen, you can call and cancel your cards. With stolen cash, you’ll not be able to get it back and will then be stranded without money. Before you leave on your trip, especially to a foreign land, call your credit card company or bank to tell them about your trip and that you’ll be using your card there. Make sure you have ample credit balance. You may also want to inquire about getting a higher credit limit in case of contingencies. Planning ahead will save you a lot of hassle and headaches should you be caught in a situation that requires extra cash when travelling overseas. It may be a good idea to carry more than one credit card.

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Travelling light and easy

Gone are the days when you can afford to bring lots of bags when you travel. These days, it’s smarter to travel light

Why pay more for excess baggage when all you need is to learn how to pack light

THESE days, it’s smart to travel light. You can save money as you wouldn’t have to pay for excess baggage. We often see travellers arguing with airline counter staff as they are not willing to pay for the excess weight of suitcases and hand luggage which can cost more than the ticket (if you’re flying low-cost). To cope with rising costs, many airlines have resorted to charging more for excess baggage. To avoid this, bring only what is absolutely necessary for the trip, be it for a seaside vacation, a city holiday, adventure trip, honeymoon or even a business meeting.

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Driving a dream holiday

Instead of joining a tour group, self-drive holidays can be more fun and leisurely as you can do everything at your own pace. But it’s important that you do your homework first,

Self-drive holidays allow you to stop and spend as much time anywhere you like

MANY travellers today prefer to move around at their own pace, a luxury not offered when you sign up with a tour group. So you may prefer to self-drive instead. But before you run out and hire a car, do plan where you want to go and what you want to see. Read up on destinations in travel books and through the Internet, you can have a look at packages offered by tour operators. Make sure you have reservations for accommodation in places you are visiting. Keep a folder with all the contact information, confirmation numbers and dates of arrival and departure for each stay.
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Practise good hygiene

With good hygiene practices, you can avoid getting a viral or bacterial infection when on holiday overseas. LAVIINIA DHANAGUNAN looks at simple steps travellers can observe to avoid getting the bug

Washing hands thoroughly can help stop germs from spreading

IT’S amazing how many people these days don’t have good hygiene habits. Walk around in the towns and cities and you often find dried spit and rubbish on sidewalks. And if you’re really unlucky, the person near you will suddenly exhale loud enough to burst your ear drum. You might even get some of that sneeze on you. Quick, get a tissue and wipe it off. You never know if that’s a freak sneeze or something more sinister.

Here are some good hygiene practices to observe, especially if you’re on holiday:

Wash Your Hands Clean your hands with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Lather well and count slowly to 10 before you wash it off with water. Or you could start singing (quietly) “Happy Birthday” to yourself from the moment you squeeze the soap from the dispenser. If you haven’t done this, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth because that’s how germs spread. If you have it, an alcohol-based hand cleaner is also quite effective.
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Sandals for jungle trekking

If you don’t like how sneakers make your feet feel damp and constricted, try wearing sandals the next time you go for a hike in the jungle. And don’t worry if you have to cross a river,

IF I could have it my way, I’d choose strappy sandals to go jungle and river trekking. Their simple, elastic outsoles are light and flexible while the crossed straps provide good ventilation especially in a hot, humid condition. They are also easy to put on and take off – no laces and you don’t even have to wear socks. In fact, when it comes to river crossing, I just walk in and out of the water without worrying about getting my shoes wet. Of course they will be wet but sandals dry much faster than sneakers.

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Backpack the easy way

Don’t buy a backpack just because you like how it looks or its colour. There’s more to it than that.

HAVE you ever set out to buy a backpack only to return home empty-handed? Yes, buying a backpack can be a headache. There are so many aspects involved and it can get pretty technical too. In the shops, the variety of designs, sizes, brands, models and colours doesn’t make it any easier. How do we know what will be suitable for our needs?

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