TRAVEL ARTICLES
Friday, 11 September 2009
It's Good to Talk...the Lingo
Saturday, 15 August 2009
Of Malls and Men: Singapore's Awesome Orchard Road
So, you think you know shopping? Consider yourself somewhat of a shopping aficionado? Confessing to be a bit of a shopaholic maybe? Friends, you don't know nothin' until you've taken a stroll down Singapore's Orchard Road. A one-way road to shopping Elysium, Orchard is Singapore's rocking retail masterpiece.
Orchard Road originally received its name from the fruit orchards that once lined the street in the 1800's. The seeds of shopping supremacy were planted in the early 1970's when commercial development took off in SE Asia's "Lion City".
Watered by one of the strongest economies in the world, those shopping seedlings have matured into a street lined with massive shopping malls, chic boutiques and luxury hotels. A favorite area for both locals and tourists, the road is packed with people looking to take sift through the massive amount of choices.
The malls of Orchard began to take shape when Tang's department store first sprouted in the early 1950's. The "lifestyle based retailer" is a shopping institution in Singapore and was the first to setup shop on Orchard Road. Eventually big mall developments with names like Paragon, Takashimaya, Centrepoint and Plaza Singapura followed Tangs lead, and developed lavish shopping malls filled with well-known brands and boutiques.
A popular destination for both tourists and locals, Orchard Road begins to bloom in late spring, when the famed Great Singapore Sale takes hold. The annual sale offers discounts at retailers throughout the city. Merchants of Orchard Road do some clear-cutting, slashing prices and offer deals that makes the mouths of credit-card executives water.
Hotels and airlines get in on the act, offering great rates on flights and rooms from the end of May through July. The Orchard Hotel, Meritus Mandarin and Four Seasons are a few of the luxury hotels waiting for shoppers in the area and the elegant boutique Royal Plaza on Scotts is attached to a huge Duty Free shopping Plaza, for tourists looking for easy access to tax free shopping.
Every big city has a shopping haven and all claim to be the perfect place for the serious shopper; Los Angeles has Rodeo Drive, Tokyo has Ginza, New York has 5th Avenue, London has Oxford Street and Hong Kong has Central. All are fantastic destinations for consumers looking for a retail fix or for those feeling the need lighten their pocketbook, but none have embraced "mall life", like Singapore's very cherry Orchard. Throw in an annual sale so massively popular that the entire city gets in on the act, and Singapore is reigning supreme as the perfect shopping destination.
Orchard Road originally received its name from the fruit orchards that once lined the street in the 1800's. The seeds of shopping supremacy were planted in the early 1970's when commercial development took off in SE Asia's "Lion City".
Watered by one of the strongest economies in the world, those shopping seedlings have matured into a street lined with massive shopping malls, chic boutiques and luxury hotels. A favorite area for both locals and tourists, the road is packed with people looking to take sift through the massive amount of choices.
The malls of Orchard began to take shape when Tang's department store first sprouted in the early 1950's. The "lifestyle based retailer" is a shopping institution in Singapore and was the first to setup shop on Orchard Road. Eventually big mall developments with names like Paragon, Takashimaya, Centrepoint and Plaza Singapura followed Tangs lead, and developed lavish shopping malls filled with well-known brands and boutiques.
A popular destination for both tourists and locals, Orchard Road begins to bloom in late spring, when the famed Great Singapore Sale takes hold. The annual sale offers discounts at retailers throughout the city. Merchants of Orchard Road do some clear-cutting, slashing prices and offer deals that makes the mouths of credit-card executives water.
Hotels and airlines get in on the act, offering great rates on flights and rooms from the end of May through July. The Orchard Hotel, Meritus Mandarin and Four Seasons are a few of the luxury hotels waiting for shoppers in the area and the elegant boutique Royal Plaza on Scotts is attached to a huge Duty Free shopping Plaza, for tourists looking for easy access to tax free shopping.
Every big city has a shopping haven and all claim to be the perfect place for the serious shopper; Los Angeles has Rodeo Drive, Tokyo has Ginza, New York has 5th Avenue, London has Oxford Street and Hong Kong has Central. All are fantastic destinations for consumers looking for a retail fix or for those feeling the need lighten their pocketbook, but none have embraced "mall life", like Singapore's very cherry Orchard. Throw in an annual sale so massively popular that the entire city gets in on the act, and Singapore is reigning supreme as the perfect shopping destination.
Friday, 20 February 2009
London to Paris: is Eurostar better than flying?
London to Paris: Train vs Plane
London and Paris are the two most visited cities in Europe. If you are going to travel between these two great capitals here are some points to consider whether to fly or get the Eurostar.
Travel Time
Travel by train from London to Paris takes 2 hours and 15 minutes. A flight takes around 1 hour.
While flying is technically quicker, once you have factored in getting to and from airports, checking in, clearing security and reclaiming bags, Eurostar works out to be a faster option.
Benefits of Train Travel
There is less transit hassle to travel on the Eurostar. You pass through both countries customs before you board. Clearing customs and baggage screening takes no longer than 20 minutes and you only need to be there 30 minutes before departure.
You carry your bags onboard and as you have already cleared customs, once you reach your destination you can walk off the train and straight out of the station.
Benefits of Flying
Despite the train being faster overall, there are some instances in which flying is the better option. First of all you might be flying to Paris via London on alliance airlines which includes a stopover in your ticket.
Another reason to consider flying is if you are going one-way. For example if you are flying from the US to London, then onto Paris, then returning to the US from Paris. One-way tickets on Eurostar are not good value and often cost more than a return ticket. In this case it would be cheaper to fly.
If you are going one-way and still want to experience the Eurostar you could buy a return ticket and just not use the return. A discount return ticket will cost as much as a one flight so the expense is comparable.
Train Station v Airports
The advantage that Eurostar has over flying is in the location of the train stations. The Eurostar London station is the magnificent St Pancras Station, which is a destination in itself. This restored Victorian Gothic masterpiece is close to central London and has an impressive departure facilities.
Eurostar in Paris arrives at Gare du Nord (North station), which is close to central Paris and well connected with the metro and regional rail services.
As the train stations are centrally located the time and expense of transferring to airports is avoided.
Overall the benefits of Eurostar outweigh the benefits of flying, which is now the most popular way to travel between London and Paris.
London and Paris are the two most visited cities in Europe. If you are going to travel between these two great capitals here are some points to consider whether to fly or get the Eurostar.
Travel Time
Travel by train from London to Paris takes 2 hours and 15 minutes. A flight takes around 1 hour.
While flying is technically quicker, once you have factored in getting to and from airports, checking in, clearing security and reclaiming bags, Eurostar works out to be a faster option.
Benefits of Train Travel
There is less transit hassle to travel on the Eurostar. You pass through both countries customs before you board. Clearing customs and baggage screening takes no longer than 20 minutes and you only need to be there 30 minutes before departure.
You carry your bags onboard and as you have already cleared customs, once you reach your destination you can walk off the train and straight out of the station.
Benefits of Flying
Despite the train being faster overall, there are some instances in which flying is the better option. First of all you might be flying to Paris via London on alliance airlines which includes a stopover in your ticket.
Another reason to consider flying is if you are going one-way. For example if you are flying from the US to London, then onto Paris, then returning to the US from Paris. One-way tickets on Eurostar are not good value and often cost more than a return ticket. In this case it would be cheaper to fly.
If you are going one-way and still want to experience the Eurostar you could buy a return ticket and just not use the return. A discount return ticket will cost as much as a one flight so the expense is comparable.
Train Station v Airports
The advantage that Eurostar has over flying is in the location of the train stations. The Eurostar London station is the magnificent St Pancras Station, which is a destination in itself. This restored Victorian Gothic masterpiece is close to central London and has an impressive departure facilities.
Eurostar in Paris arrives at Gare du Nord (North station), which is close to central Paris and well connected with the metro and regional rail services.
As the train stations are centrally located the time and expense of transferring to airports is avoided.
Overall the benefits of Eurostar outweigh the benefits of flying, which is now the most popular way to travel between London and Paris.
Friday, 2 January 2009
How to find the cheapest hotel rooms online
There are so many online hotel booking sites that it is impossible to say which one offers the cheapest hotels rooms. So the best way to find the cheapest hotels online is to use a hotel booking comparison website.
Comparison booking sites searches multiple hotel reservation websites at once and lists the results on one page. The largest hotel comparison search website is Hotels Combined. This hotel price comparison website searches over 30 of the biggest online hotel booking sites.
When you search for a hotel room you will get a list of all the hotel rooms available from all of the booking sites, and you can then sort the results into cheapest rooms available.
When you select a hotel you will be shown how much the room rate is from all of the hotel booking sites. Sometimes the room rates can vary by as much as 50%!
The vagaries of how hotel rooms are priced means that different booking sites get a certain amount of rooms at a discount rate. It is far too time consuming searching each hotel booking site individually, so searching for hotel rooms from a comparison site will save you time and money.
Search and compare hotels at HotelsCombined.com
Comparison booking sites searches multiple hotel reservation websites at once and lists the results on one page. The largest hotel comparison search website is Hotels Combined. This hotel price comparison website searches over 30 of the biggest online hotel booking sites.
When you search for a hotel room you will get a list of all the hotel rooms available from all of the booking sites, and you can then sort the results into cheapest rooms available.
When you select a hotel you will be shown how much the room rate is from all of the hotel booking sites. Sometimes the room rates can vary by as much as 50%!
The vagaries of how hotel rooms are priced means that different booking sites get a certain amount of rooms at a discount rate. It is far too time consuming searching each hotel booking site individually, so searching for hotel rooms from a comparison site will save you time and money.
Search and compare hotels at HotelsCombined.com
Thursday, 11 September 2008
Viva Barcelona
This post has moved to Viva Barcelona
Taking that Late Summer Holiday
There is a very strong argument for delaying your summer break until the commercial drop-off of early autumn. For a start, the moment we move out of high-season breaks, the prices drop dramatically. Secondly, the crowds are also minimised, as most children are back at school, students go back to university, and most of the rest of the country head back to the office.
Also, flights begin to run less frequently, meaning that you are more likely to fill up a regular plane rather than demand the commission of a whole new set of flights. It might sound insignificant, but that is a reduction in carbon emissions as well as a better guarantee that you won't get bumped or severely delayed by massive crowds.
These are just a few reasons to consider taking advantage of one of the late holidays on offer at a range of online travel websites. Many of us will be tempted by the idea of a few days in the sun, making up for the beach holiday we never had this summer. Take a look at On the Beach's website and you may well find some inspiration for a sunny September interlude.
There are still plenty of holiday destinations to choose from; thanks to the extended summer much of the continent seems to be enjoying, you are not limited to taking city breaks or walking tours. Make the most, instead, of the beach holidays on offer. Perhaps you fancy yourself as a surfer, an explorer following in the footsteps of William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac: take a trip down to Morocco for culture clashes as well as wave crashes.
If you fancy something quieter, the Balaeric Islands are now winding down after their busy summer season. The old side of Ibiza is a beguiling and picturesque part of an island more famous for its extraordinarily expensive mega-clubs. If Spain doesn't seem like the place for you, the south coast of France provides style, class and top-quality cuisine, as well as beautiful scenery and a good deal of celebrity spotting. But with these late holiday offers, you won't necessarily have to pay movie-star megabucks to get there.
Also, flights begin to run less frequently, meaning that you are more likely to fill up a regular plane rather than demand the commission of a whole new set of flights. It might sound insignificant, but that is a reduction in carbon emissions as well as a better guarantee that you won't get bumped or severely delayed by massive crowds.
These are just a few reasons to consider taking advantage of one of the late holidays on offer at a range of online travel websites. Many of us will be tempted by the idea of a few days in the sun, making up for the beach holiday we never had this summer. Take a look at On the Beach's website and you may well find some inspiration for a sunny September interlude.
There are still plenty of holiday destinations to choose from; thanks to the extended summer much of the continent seems to be enjoying, you are not limited to taking city breaks or walking tours. Make the most, instead, of the beach holidays on offer. Perhaps you fancy yourself as a surfer, an explorer following in the footsteps of William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac: take a trip down to Morocco for culture clashes as well as wave crashes.
If you fancy something quieter, the Balaeric Islands are now winding down after their busy summer season. The old side of Ibiza is a beguiling and picturesque part of an island more famous for its extraordinarily expensive mega-clubs. If Spain doesn't seem like the place for you, the south coast of France provides style, class and top-quality cuisine, as well as beautiful scenery and a good deal of celebrity spotting. But with these late holiday offers, you won't necessarily have to pay movie-star megabucks to get there.
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Havana's Crumbling Charm
Friday, 30 May 2008
America? China? It's all Greek to me...
This post has moved to America? China? It’s all Greek to me…
Thursday, 29 May 2008
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