Proposed Fee for Travelers Entering the United States
Parents Benefit When Traveling With Children
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Families Planning Playdates during Vacations
“It’s not fun for the adults unless the kids are having fun,” says Nina Sadjadpour a mother of kids aged 4 and 8.To help, now more parents can find like minded parents as travel playdates while they are on a vacation thanks to websites like Tripping.com, Courchsurfing.org, BeWelcome.org, Servas.org, PassPorter.com and CruiseMates.com. Families are also searching for playmates at popular family forums and even twitter.
Kyle McCarthy, CEO of FamilyTravelForum.com says, “Younger parents are more open to it and more interested in it, we see even more of it with single parents.”The choices too are unlimited depending on the family’s preferences. Some wish to stay over with a local family while on a trip. Others make arrangements online and meet for a afternoon lunch or dinner. Still others prefer to collaborate with other travelling families and spend time together while their kids play. Different travelers though have a different opinion about this growing trend.
Amber Johnson a mom who blogs at CrazyBlogginCanuck.com says, “We’re inundated with playdates and friends in our everyday lives, so when we do a family vacation, I want it to be just about our family. I am not closed off to meeting locals, but I want it to be more natural.”But Colleen Lanin, editor of the blog TravelMamas.com feels these playdates can be a good break from the trip.
“It winds up being one of the highlights of my trips,” said Lanin, who has two children, ages 3 and 6. “The kids love it; they’re social, too.”Julia Popcowa, a Russian mother living in Poland has taken the concept further and has been organizing annual weekend events for travelling families. Families from France, Germany, Ireland and China have already enjoyed the weekend events like hiking, yoga, kayaking and campfire together. She also feels it is a great way to make friends from different parts of the world.
“Children can find their way easily,” added Popcowa “It’s really very nice. The children are playing, and you can have some time to yourself.”The mother of two has already hosted 25 families in her home in Warsaw and stayed with families she met online when they traveled to Armenia, Algeria, Italy and Germany. Jen O’Neal, CEO and founder of Tripping.com never though he would get response from so many families.
“We didn’t go after families at all,” O’Neal said. “We assumed it would be mostly backpackers and students, but a lot of families are very open to the world.”To ensure the security aspect, the website encourages members to rate other local families and write about their experience. The company also verifies proof of identity and has an emergency call number for travelers who may run into a problem. Other websites too have their stringent rules before a family is added to the list of local families a traveler may visit. But many travelers also have their own way of getting acquainted with other families initially online or meeting once or twice. Sadjadpour believes, it is a great way to introduce kids to different cultures.
“This is a terrific way to infuse our kids at a young age with the culture bug,” she said. “Maybe they will grow up and they will take off on their own.”SOURCE
Delta Vacations Holds Walt Disney World Resort Week
- Roundtrip airfare on Delta Air Lines
- Choice of accommodations at an onsite Disney Resort hotel
- Hotel taxes
- Disney’s Magical Express Complimentary Transportation Service between the Orlando airport and your Disney Resort hotel
- Extra Magic Hours
- Complimentary transportation from Disney Resort hotels to Theme Parks
- Choice of Magic Your Way Tickets
- 1,000 bonus miles, in addition to credited flight miles, through the SkyMiles program
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5 Destinations around London That Are Perfect to See With Your Kids: Sea Life London Aquarium
- 1000s of creatures in over 2 million liters of water
- 500 species from every part of the world
- More than 40 sharks from 12 different species
- 65 displays with 30 species of plants and foliage
- 14 themed zones over 3 floors
Top 10 Family Travel Destinations for 2011
- Italy – The nation with its extraordinary architectural sites like the Pompeii and Roman Colosseum has topped the list of destinations for 2011. People may also enjoy going to the much talked about Italian wine tours.
- England – England is in limelight this year for a multitude of reasons. There is a Royal Wedding scheduled in near future and London is also hosting the 2012 Olympics. There is also the Queen’s Diamond jubilee event in the same year. What makes UK a favourite with families is also the number of things here that can interest the whole family. There are the Countryside castles, city theme parks, cruises on the river Thames and other attractions spread around the nation.
- Hawaii – Families with a beach destination is mind can do all their unwinding at Hawaii. While those who wish to relax on beaches are spoilt for choices here, adventure lovers too can enjoy the different activities revolving around the beaches like snorkelling, surfing, kayaking etc.
- Costa Rica – Number four in the list is the Central American republic with its Caribbean coasts and evergreen forests. It is a god choice for adventure holiday with its numerous attractions like hiking, biking, white water rafting, canoeing etc.
- Alaska – The largest US state has a number of activities for the family. With almost half of world glaciers found here, boating across the glacier lakes is a good attraction. Equally interesting are whale watching trips, visiting the national parks, touring the landscape and enjoying the magnificent rail journeys with the whole family.
- South Africa – Wildlife lovers can plan a trip easily for the family to this land of lions and elephants. The country has a formidable coastline and also Wildlife sanctuaries to boast of. There is also the attraction of watching whales, penguins and seals around the Cape of Good Hope.
- Mexico – While the Cancun beaches and underwater diving are major pullers to Mexico for the family, what people can also enjoy here is the magnificent architectural marvels like the Kukulkan pyramid at the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.
- Galpagos Islands – Charles Darwin spent six weeks in the island nation studying the fauna and later arriving at his famous theory of natural selection. The island is known for dense forests, unique animal species like the giant land tortoise and the flightless cormorants. The Glapagos National Park is also a world heritage site. Therefore, tourist activities on these islands feature snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, wildlife viewing, mountain biking, horseback riding, scuba diving and camping.
- Turks and Caicos Islands – The islands of West Indies have been found to be very popular in 2011 as family travel destinations. The place boasts of world’s longest coral reefs, a cruise ports, family recreational areas, a diving area and many more attractions.
- Australia and Bahamas – Both destinations have tied at number ten when it comes to family travel. While Australia is known for its many adventure sports, outdoor activities, theme parks and amusement parks, Bahamas spell luxury with numerous cruises and family holiday resorts.
5 Destinations around London That Are Perfect to See With Your Kids: The Original London Sightseeing Tour
Most International Travelers Ignore Health Advices before Traveling
“I just think it is ignorance. I don’t think travel agents even mention the thought of protection. And it is only if the travelers wonder themselves and seek out their physician who refers them to us that they would know,” he says.The recent case of George Clooney being infected with malaria while on a trip to Sudan only shows that the warnings are not baseless. Malaria is still a cause of 890,000 annual deaths and it makes 250 million people sick each year. The malaria parasite is common is Africa, southern Asia, South America and part of the Caribbean. What is a cause of concern is that while the infection plays spoilsport during the trip, it can also remain dormant and strike after weeks or a year too when travelers return to their home. While mild cases resolve with shaking, chills, fever, vomiting and jaundice, untreated malaria can develop into seizures, coma, kidney failure and death. The CDC found that of 508 confirmed cases of U.S. civilian travelers contracting malaria abroad in 2008, 70 per cent had not taken medication to prevent it. On the other hand, usually it is not a drastic illness like malaria but other health risk that travelers may face. These may be accidental injuries, traveler’s diarrhea, respiratory infections or a stomach bug. Although there are number of other illnesses too that might spoil any person’s vacation in an exotic location, most travelers never come in contact with these infections.
“I spend more time talking people out of vaccinations than into them,” says Dr. Jeffrey Band, director of infectious diseases and international medicine at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. He said, “While yellow fever, a fatal disease, has a well-tolerated immunization profile and malaria prevention is common sense, something like Japanese encephalitis is so rare as to make the immunization advisable for only certain travelers.”The study also shows that travelers who are meeting family or friends or going for a less than 14 day tour are the ones who are least prepared.
“Those visiting family or friends have been one of our biggest problems” when it comes to malaria prevention, Band says.What is therefore a prudent decision before traveling to any foreign country is to first check with what might result in illness in that country and take the necessary medications and shots. While not all exotic infections may affect a traveler, even a simple case of stomach upset may spoil the trip. The CDC offers a traveler’s page (www.cdc.gov/travel) on which tourists can check real-time health alerts and suggested immunizations for individual countries. Prevention is definitely better than cure especially if you are not in your home country. SOURCE