Posted July 13th, 2008
by travel guides
Finding cheap hotels in last minute is no longer a problem. A lot of people think that they would need to make hotel reservations weeks in advance to get a fair deal. The truth is that it is much easier to get reservations at a discounted rate in the last minute. Wondering how? Well here is a simple explanation- hotels are never fully booked. There will always be a couple of unreserved slots. Hotels have to incur losses because of this. That is why they offer cheap last minute reservations to walk-in customers. With the increasing number of hotels, there is fiercer competition. This too leads to dwindling number of customers for the hotels which in turn means more losses. To attract more customers these hotels offer cheap last minute reservation rates. In fact certain hotels maintain an unreserved slot for the walk-in customers. There is also an increase in last minute planners who plan their trips in a jiffy. Thanks to the many travel and tour agencies that are doing a flourishing business these days, planning trips in the last minute has become possible. These last minute planners also need last minute hotel reservations, hotels make sure that such last minutes customers do not go away from their premises. They offer reservations at discounted rates which the customers are only too glad to accept. If you want to find out and compare reservation rates of various hotels is the internet. Almost all good hotels have their own websites where they post all requisite information about themselves. Here you can also find out about their various packages and last minute reservation rates. You can compare different hotels and find out which one offers the best deal. Bookings are also made online. You can make online reservations a couple of hours before if you want or call the hotel to make your reservation before you show up or just walk in for a stay. It is especially good for frequent travelers or for those who have an emergency. It is good for the hotels too as for every hotel room that they don’t fill, they lose money. If you are making a last minute tour plan you can make your booking with online travel agencies they offer you various last minute packages that includes the hotel you want to stay at along with airliner and car rentals. You can make this last minute booking three days prior to your journey to three hours before it. If you calling three hours before then you have to take whatever package is available. The availability is however never less. With last minute hotel reservations becoming so convenient, you can now plan a trip every weekend. Hotels all over the world have caught up with this emerging trend so making last minute reservations feasible. So whether you plan to take a trip to the countryside or to a faraway land, hotel reservations are no longer a problem. Just make sure you have all the requisite information to go ahead with.
Tags: booking, cheap, discount, hotel, last minute, reservation, travel Posted in Travel Articles
Posted July 11th, 2008
by travel guides
There are many reasons that your credit cards + your travelling will equal a combination that will keep you safer on the road and possibly even save you money. From reserving your hotel to purchasing souvenirs at your destination, a credit card makes traveling a lot easier. Worldwide acceptance, zero liability, extra features and even better exchange rates all add up to some great benefits to anyone who desires to travel. Especially for those traveling to foreign climes, a credit card will be the most universally accepted form of payment. Visa, MasterCard and American Express signs are found wherever payments are expected and are much easier than trying to figure out how many pesos are in a dollar! These three most commonly used card brands transcend language barriers world over - no translations needed.Credit cards are a great protection for consumers with their zero liability clauses. You will only pay for authorized purchases providing you have exercised reasonable care in safeguarding your card. There are some exceptions to this rule but in general you are granted protection in the event that your card is stolen. As long as you notify the company as soon as you’ve discovered the loss, most cards will hold you blameless and will cancel the stolen card so you don’t have unexpected bills when you get back home.The market is so competitive that credit card companies are bending over backwards to convince people to hold an account with them. To that end, most cards offer some extra features that can really help you stay safer and save money while traveling. Some of these benefits can include travel accident insurance, auto rental insurance and even trip cancellation/interruption coverage. Often credit cards offer a travel and emergency assistance feature, as well, which can cover things like lost luggage, emergency transportation and even translation services.One excellent benefit to using credit cards while you travel is that you will usually get a lower currency exchange rate when traveling abroad. Credit card purchases are exchanged at the interbank rate which is almost always the best rate available for currency exchange. Most credit card issuers will charge you a nominal fee, typically 3% or less of the transaction amount. This is lower than trying to cash in traveler’s checks or convert your cash at the local exchange rate. There are even some cards that will not charge any fees for this convenience.It’s reassuring to know that no matter how far you travel, your major credit card will be accepted and ensure that you have accommodations for the night. Zero liability will protect you should you lose your card or have it stolen during your travels. The extra features on most of today’s cards like the insurances available and trip cancellation protection are helpful and money saving benefits while you travel. Overseas travel becomes less expensive when using your credit cards, as well. As you can see, the benefits you will gain from your credit cards + your travelling are numerous compared to the dangers and costs of carrying cash.
Tags: booking, credit card, hotel, mastercard, reservation, travel, visa Posted in Travel Articles
Posted July 11th, 2008
by travel guides
Koh Samui is a breathtakingly beautiful island off the east coast of Kra Ithmus in Thailand. White beaches and clear warm sea is the main attraction of this place. It is a great place for beach holidaying. Get away from the hectic troubling everyday life and lose yourself in the midst of nature. Koh Samui is a charming place away from the hustle and bustle of ordinary life. Everything about this island is exotic – the lovely beaches, the beautiful sea, the dense green jungles, the tiny Chinese shops and even the rural inhabitants of this place.There are several beautiful beaches on this lovely island. The chaweng beach is a big one on the northeast side of the island. The beach bustles with life. The water is shallow, the beach clean and the scenery beautiful. A little way into the island from the beach is the one way beach road along which are situated several hotels, villas, spas, night clubs, shops and much more.Lamai beach is cleaner and less crowded than the chaweng beach. This low budget town has charms of its own. Maenam has golden sands and offers spectacular views. Bophat refers to itself as fisherman’s village. It lies east of Maenam and has a more traditional lifestyle. Lipa Noi is the best swimming beach. This beach is also very quite and undisturbed. There are several other such beaches on the island each with a charm of its own.The island of Samui offers many water sports for its tourists like scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, sailing, canoeing and much more. there are trainers and staff available on duty all the time.The island offers several other adventure sports like mountain climbing and trekking. You can also play golf and other leisurely sports. But beaches and water are the most enchanting things about Kho Samui. You can come here with family or friends or even on your own. The food is Thai and Chinese. You can get the kind of accommodation you want. From luxury villas to small hotels - all sorts of accommodations is available for all kinds of tourists. Koh Samui one of the best known beach holiday spots in the world with a huge number of tourists flocking in every year. Due to the ever increasing number of tourist influx in the island, a number of hotels, restaurants and bars have sprung up there. Samui also has its own international airport that connects it to all the major cities of South East Asia. You can also get there by train, bus or boat. The island is so small that it can be explored on foot.Whether you are looking for a gala time or a quite retreat, Samui is the place for you. It is an excellent place for beach lovers. You can lie down on the beach for several hours forgetting everything. You find nature in its finest guise here as you see the limestone mountains and lush green vegetation complementing the white beaches.
Tags: Asia, beach, booking, hotel, koh, reservation, samui, Thailand Posted in Travel Articles