Finding the right travel luggage before you depart on your trip will greatly depend on where and how you will be traveling. If your journey is a weekend getaway to Paris, and you will have all the amenities provided, then you may need little in the way of travel luggage; the same applies if you are a backpacker who will be constantly on the move. Your bags must be easy to pack, transport and carry. However, if you are heading to Southeast Asia and are planning to put your roots down in Bangkok for a long time, then you can buy the biggest suitcase allowed, along with some added trunks and boxes.

There are a couple of important considerations when choosing travel luggage. First, one of the greatest mistakes that people make when buying travel luggage, is worrying more about weight than size. Weight is less of a problem than bulk, though it is important to be conscious of both. If you can travel light, all the better, but if you cannot, then try to travel small. Secondly, bring what is the most important to you. Some people have the incredible ability to travel with merely a tent, a toothbrush, a change of clothes and a guidebook. I am not one of them, but have found that if you can bring a balance of basic necessities and things for enriching your experience (such as a camera or journal), this can help you pack more quickly.

Your choice of travel luggage is of paramount importance, and will most likely involve you making a purchase at one point or another. After a certain point in your life, it will no longer suffice to borrow your brother?s ripped backpack from fifteen years back or your father?s first roll travel suitcase. You will have to hazard a purchase on your own.

Backpacks can be an obvious choice for people who will be hiking over hills and doing a fair amount of camping. It is the kind of travel luggage that distributes weight evenly on your shoulders and hips and takes the main weight off your lower back. However, if you are considering using public transport and walking in busy, crowded areas, it may be wiser to buy a combination bag and backpack. Both pieces come apart and zip together depending on where you are going, and can be very helpful if you do not wish to look too conspicuous with your backpack.

If you are going on a tour, and will be with a group who has their travel luggage carried for them, it may be wise to look into purchasing a duffel bag. These are easily stored in compartments where suitcases do not fit, and can be easily hoisted on to a pack animal or stowed away on a boat.

Traveling by air may merely require that you purchase a conventional suitcase, and if you are a frequent traveler, it may be wise to get a good quality one. The typical way that travel luggage is handled in airports could easily seeing you replacing that cheap suitcase after each trip.

However and wherever you go, remember to consider the importance of what you will be carrying, and how the travel luggage that you eventually choose can either make or break a trip.

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HOW DO YOU DETERMINE VALUE IN A TOUR?

The ultimate buying experience is getting the BEST QUALITY for the LOWEST price. If your focus is only on lowest price, you are not an intelligent traveler as the dollar is more important to you than the experience. If this is for you, I suggest you read no further. If this is not you & you wish to take a tour, the first question is whether it is to be escorted or independent. The descriptions of independent tours are straightforward consisting of airfare, hotel & transportation combined. But in an escorted tour you have higher prices due to the hiring of a guide full time & the cost of a full time motorcoach & driver. In short, you have a more intense, well organized and thoroughly thought out itinerary giving you the maximum experience. However not all tours do this. If you look closely at most tours, they are routine, boring, poorly thought out & inflexible. When making such a decision, you should compare at least 3-4 tours to insure that you are getting a broad perspective of choices.

The following are steps to take.

1. Calculate the cost of the trip per day by taking the total price and dividing it by the number of days. Doing this will allow you to compare the overall costs of the trips in general. However since price should not be the only consideration, continue with the following items. Since most tour rates are PER PERSON, to get the TOTAL cost of the trip for you, multiply the figure from #1 times the number of people traveling with you to get YOUR TOTAL rate.? Please realize that if each person pays $150 per night, they are staying in a room that costs $300 per night, a rate usually well beyond the reach of most people.?

? 2. Examine the number of hotels used. A well-written itinerary will use very few hotels and each will be used as a hub location. The higher the number of hotels, the poorer the quality of the tour. You will spend half your trip packing and unpacking!

3. Look for the hotel rating (one crown (basic) to 5 crown (deluxe)). Insure you will have private bath if this is a requirement. Does the quality of the hotels justify the tour price?

4. If the tour price is at least $100/person/day, you should have a FULL TIME BLUE BADGE GUIDE. If the tour operator is using step on guides only in the cities, if a member of your group or the driver takes over between locations, and if your tour leader does not have? the history & culture qualifications in formal education, you are NOT getting your money?s worth!

5. How many meals are included? If the tour price is comparatively low and just breakfasts are included, it’s probably a fair deal. Just be sure that if dinners are included that you are not being charged $50 per person. No matter where you travel in this world, you can eat at any cost you choose. You do not have to eat expensive meals in hotels when there are perfectly good moderate priced pubs and restaurants right down the street. Some hotels however give the tour operator a good financial incentive to include meals & that’s to your benefit.

6. Where are you staying when meals are NOT included? If for example you are staying in the country, you might find yourself eating a la carte in the hotel because it?s literally your only choice. Proper hotels should be located in the middle of many restaurant choices if dinner is not included.

7. Is your sightseeing ALL included? Obviously if it is not, you will have extra costs. Usually it is included on escorted tours but not on independent tours. Know the costs when it’s not included.

8. Identify the total number of days at leisure. On an escorted tour days at leisure are a total waste of your money and clear profit for the tour operator. How much money is it costing him to give you such free time? All the money he’d pay the coach company, driver and guide, he can simply keep while you shop. I love to shop, and I believe you should have the opportunity, but not at the expense of the tour. If your primary reason for travel is to shop, book an independent tour and save money!

9. How many visits does each tour make in a day? I do not recommend sightseeing at break neck speed for anyone, but a tour with 1-2 visits/day is shortchanging you when 3-4 are possible at a COMFORTABLE rate. Note that changing hotels every night makes 1-2 visits per day your ONLY option.

10. Is your day of arrival a sightseeing day?? Sleeping on arrival or having the day to do as you wish is again clear profit for the tour operator and a loss for you!

11. Are your sightseeing venues a mixture of history, culture, nature, sports etc etc? Emphasis on just one of these gives you a specialty tour. If you sign up for a walking tour, don’t assume a lot of the other choices for example.

12. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! It goes without saying that if you have no idea of the various facets of your trip, that you can be sold a bill of goods. Know something about the costs, about the trip and the country itself. Only then will you be spending your money wisely!

13. Interview your tour operator carefully. They should be able to answer all your questions on the spot if they are truly knowledgeable.?

14. Review the items not included in your tour price. If they add significant amounts to the tour price, the tour is being misrepresented.

In summary if you are being asked to pay more than $100/person/day, you have the right to expect at least 3 star HOTEL rooms with private bath and breakfast, a FULL lineup of sightseeing with separate BLUE BADGE GUIDE, coach and driver EVERY DAY of your tour. ANYTHING LESS THAN THAT IS A TOUR OF VERY POOR QUALITY OR A TOUR THAT IS VERY OVERPRICED! Be an intelligent consumer! -

Travel agent for 23 years specializing in Great Britain for the last 13 years. Scotsmaster, Wise Wales Master, member Ireland Shamrock Club, BritAgent.

Ah, yes! It sounds so exotic, Armor Manoir Sherbrooke in Montreal. You might wonder what the Armor Manoir Sherbrooke is. Well, it’s a bed and breakfast hotel in the vicinity of downtown Montreal. It is located on a very busy street in Montreal (Sherbrooke) so if you’d like some peace and quiet ask for a room not facing the main thoroughfare.

This hotel does not provide parking so when you arrive you have to either find street parking or park in a big parking garage. If you do decide to park on the street you have to move your car before 7am. The staff at this hotel was interesting. I asked for a copy of the map to the parking garage and they said NO! (?!?!) I could only look at the one they had under the glass on the main counter and redraw the map myself. Also, when I found out that you have to move your car before 7am on the street one of the staff smirked: Well, then you’ll just have to deal with that! … (?!?!) .. ok

You can tell that the hotel was not built for that function. We had to go through three doors (three feet apart) to get to our de luxe room. It was spacious and what one might say in shabby chic style. You could tell that the bathroom for the room was added later since it protruded from one corner of the room. The bed was ok, we were too tired to notice. Modest breakfast was included with the room. The Montreal Festival of Laughter was happening at that time and all rooms were completely booked.

Conclusion: The hotel was just ok. It served the purpose for an acceptable price and a decent location. We probably would not stay there again.

157 rue Sherbrooke Est,
Montr?al, QC, H2X 1C7
T?l.: 514.845.0915

Michael Philip is one of the editors and contributors for the SeeTheGlobe.com web site. SeeTheGlobe.com is a travel information web site and community. Reviews of restaurants, hotels, airlines and other travel resources are provided from first hand accounts.

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in the centre of Europe. It is a country of varied natural beauty, living legends and traditions, and historical monuments that reflect rich times gone by.

The legacies left to us by our ancestors include monuments dating as far back as the Romanesque era, Gothic cathedrals, Baroque churches and palaces, ornate Renaissance houses and summer residences, fine examples of Cubist architecture, Synagogues of various styles, Art Nouveau coffee shops, and winding cobblestone streets.

Though Prague might be the first choice for travellers seeking intriguing destinations in the Czech Republic, the other regions of the country should not be missed. The open landscape is scattered with castles, historical ruins, and chateaux.

The most distinguished people of European and world science and art have left their permanent mark on the country’s history. Mozart, Kafka, Goethe, Einstein, Beethoven and Casanova are only a few of the famous citizens who were associated with the Czech lands.

Apart from the capital Prague, the Czech Republic has eleven other locations on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

HISTORIC CENTRE OF CESK? KRUMLOV

Located on the banks of the Vltava river, the town was built around a 13th-century castle with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. It is an exceptional example of a minor European medieval town whose architectural legacy has remained intact thanks to its peaceful development over more than five centuries.

HISTORIC CENTRE OF TELC

The houses in Telc, which stands on a peak, were initially constructed of wood. After a fire in the late 14th century, the town was rebuilt in stone, enclosed by walls and further strengthened by a complex of man-made ponds. The town’s Gothic castle was reconstructed in High Gothic style in the late 15th century.

PILGRIMAGE CHURCH OF ST JOHN OF NEPOMUK AT ZELEN? HORA

This pilgrimage church, built in honour of St John of Nepomuk, stands at Zelena Hora, not far from Zdar nad Sazavou in Moravia. Constructed at the turn of the 18th century on a star-shaped arrangement, it is the most remarkable work by the famous architect Jan Blazej Santini, whose highly unusual style falls between neo-Gothic and Baroque.

KUTN? HORA: HISTORICAL TOWN CENTRE WITH THE CHURCH OF ST BARBARA AND THE CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY AT SEDLEC

Kutn? Hora developed as a result of the exploitation of the silver mines. In the 14th century it became a royal city endowed with monuments that symbolized its affluence. The Church of St Barbara, a jewel of the late Gothic era, and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec, which was restored in line with the Baroque taste of the early 18th century, were to affect the architecture of central Europe. These masterpieces today form part of a well-preserved medieval urban fabric with some exceptionally fine private homes.

LEDNICE-VALTICE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE

Between the 17th and 20th centuries, the ruling dukes of Liechtenstein transformed their domains in southern Moravia into a remarkable landscape. It merged Baroque architecture and the classical and neo-Gothic style of the castles of Lednice and Valtice with countryside created according to English romantic ideology of landscape architecture. At 200 sq. km, it is one of the leading simulated landscapes in Europe.

GARDENS AND CASTLE AT KROMER?

Kromer?z stands on the location of an earlier ford across the River Morava, at the foot of the Chriby mountain range which dominates the central part of Moravia. The gardens and castle of Kromer?z are remarkably complete and well-preserved example of a European Baroque sizeable residence and its surrounding gardens.

HOLA?OVICE HISTORICAL VILLAGE RESERVATION

Hola?ovice is an outstandingly complete and well-preserved example of a traditional central European village. It has a large number of outstanding 18th- and 19th-century vernacular buildings in a style known as ‘South Bohemian folk Baroque’, and preserves a ground plan dating from the Middle Ages.

LITOMY?L CASTLE

Litomy?l Castle was initially a Renaissance arcade-castle of the type first developed in Italy and then adopted and greatly developed in central Europe in the 16th century. Its design and beautification are particularly excellent, including the later High-Baroque features added in the 18th century. It preserves undamaged the range of secondary buildings associated with an aristocratic abode of this type.

HOLY TRINITY COLUMN IN OLOMOUC

This commemorative column, erected in the early years of the 18th century, is the most exceptional example of a type of monument specific to central Europe. In the typical regional style known as Olomouc Baroque and rising to a height of 35 m, it is adorned with many fine religious sculptures, the work of the illustrious Moravian artist Ondrej Zahner.

TUGENDHAT VILLA IN BRNO

The Tugendhat Villa in Brno, designed by the architect Mies van der Rohe, is an outstanding example of the global style in the modern progress in architecture as it developed in Europe in the 1920s. Its specific value lies in the use of ground-breaking spatial and artistic concepts that aspire to satisfy new lifestyle needs by taking advantage of the opportunities afforded by modern manufacturing.

JEWISH QUARTER AND ST PROCOPIUS’ BASILICA IN TREB?C

The ensemble of the Jewish Quarter, the old Jewish cemetery and the Basilica of St Procopius in Treb?c are reminders of the co-existence of Jewish and Christian cultures from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. The Jewish Quarter bears exceptional testimony to the different aspects of the existence of this community. St Procopius Basilica, built as part of the Benedictine monastery in the early 13th century, is a remarkable model of the influence of Western European architectural tradition in this area.

Great selections of cultural events are held throughout the Czech Republic. Numerous galleries that display examples of local and foreign artists draw large amounts of tourists. A number of festivals and exhibitions take place in the country annually, together with popular sports such as Grand Prix races, ice-hockey championships, etc. Theatre and dance festivals are generally open to the public. The Prague Spring, Prague Autumn, and the International Music Festival are just a few of the best known musical events, while film enthusiasts acclaim the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Paul Keene actively writes travel articles for various hotel websites including one for Prague hotels.

Phuket is Thailand’s largest island, and is approximately the size of Singapore. Phuket nestles in balmy Andaman Sea waters on Thailand’s Indian Ocean coast-line 867 kilometers south of Bangkok.

Phuket is an island connected by bridges to southern Thailand’s Andaman Sea coast, in the Indian Ocean, lying between 7′ 45 and 8′ 15 north latitude, and from 98′ 15 to 98′ 40 west longitude on the map. Thailand’s largest island, Phuket is surrounded by 32 smaller islands that form part of the same administration, with a total area of 570 square kilometers. Measured at its widest point, Phuket is 21.3 kilometers; at its longest, 48.7 kilometers. It is bounded thus:

About 70 percent of Phuket is mountainous; a western range runs from north to south from which smaller branches derive. The highest peak is Mai Tao Sip Song, or Twelve Canes, at 529 meters, which lies within the boundaries of Tambon Patong, Kathu District (no roads go there yet). The remaining 30 percent of the island, mainly in the center and south, is formed by low plains. Streams include the Klong Bang Yai, Klong Ta Jin, Klong Ta Rua, and Klong Bang Rohng, none of which is large.

History of Phuket

Phuket Island has a long recorded history, and remanins dating back to A.D.1025 indicate that the island’s present day name derives in meaning from the Tamil manikram, or crystal mountain. For most of history, however, it was known as Junk Ceylon, which, with variations, is the name found on old maps. The name is thought to have its roots in Ptolemy’s Geographia, written by the Alexadrian geographer in the Third Century A.D. He mentioned that in making a trip from Suwannapum to the Malay Peninsula it was necessary to pass the cape of Jang Si Lang.

Phuket was a way station on the route between India and China where seafarers stopped to shelter. The island appears to have been part of the Shivite empire (called in Thai the Tam Porn Ling) that established itself on the Malay Peninsula during the first Millenium A.D. Later, as Muang Takua-Talang, it was part of the Srivichai and Siri Tahm empires. Governed as the eleventh in a constellation of twelve cities, Phuket’s emblem, by which it was known to others in those largely pre-literate times, was the dog.

During the Sukothai Period Phuket was associated with Takua Pah in what is now Phang-nga Province, another area with vast tin reserves. The Dutch established a trading post during the Ayuthaya Period in the 16th Cent. The island’s northern and central regions then were governed by the Thais, and the southern and western parts were given over to the tin trade, a concession in the hands of foreigners.

After Ayuthaya was sacked by the Burmese in 1767 there was a short interregnum in Thailand, ended by King Taksin, who drove out the Burmese and re-unified the country. The Burmese, however, were anxious to return to the offensive. They outfitted a fleet to raid the southern provinces, and carry off the populations to slavery in Burma. This led to Phuket’s most memorable historic event. A passing sea captain, Francis Light, sent word that the Burmese were en route to attack. Forces in Phuket were assembled led by the two heroines, Kunying Jan, wife of Phuket’s recently deceased governor, and her sister Mook. After a month’s siege the Burmese were forced to depart on 13 March, 1785. Kunying Jan and her sister were credited with the successful defense.

In recognition King Rama I bestowed upon Kunying Jan the honorific Thao Thep Kasatri, a title of nobility usually reserved for royalty, by which she is known today. Her sister became Thao Sri Suntorn.

During the Nineteenth Century Chinese immigrants arrived in such numbers to work the tin mines that the ethnic character of the island’s interior became predominantly Chinese, while the coastal settlements remained populated chiefly by Muslim fishermen.

In Rama V’s reign, Phuket became the administration center of a group of tin mining provinces called Monton Phuket, and in 1933 with the change in government from absolute monarchy to a parliamentary system, the island was established as a province by itself.

Boundaries

On the North Is the Pak Prah Strait, spanned by two bridges running side-by-side, the older Sarasin Bridge, and the newer Thao Thep Krasatri Bridge. On the South Is the Andaman Sea. On the East Is Ao Phang-nga Bay (In the Jurisdiction mainly of Phang-nga Province). On the West Is the Andaman Sea.

Climate

Phuket’s weather conditions are dominated by monsoon winds that blow year round. It is therefore always and humid. There are two distinct seasons, rainy and dry. The rainy season begins in May and lasts till October, during which the monsoon blows from the southwest. The dry season is from November through April, when the monsoon comes from the northeast. Highest average temperatures, at 33.4 degrees Celsius, prevail during March. Lowest averages occur in January, when nightly lows dip to 22 degrees Celsius.

Transportation

By Car

Take Route 4 from Bangkok south. Along the way pass the provinces of Nakorn Pathom, Ratchburi, Petchburi, Prajuab-Kirikan, and at Chumporn go right to Ranong, From Ranong, go south through Kraburi and Kah-Perr districts to Phang-nga Province. In Phang-nga the road passes through Kuraburi, Takua Pa, and Takua Tung districts before reaching the town of Kok Kloy, just beyond which is the Tao Thep Krasatri Bridge and Phuket. Distance is 867 kilometers.

Both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses leave the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok daily. For details call the individual bus companies: Borisat Kohn Sohng Jumkat Phuket Transport Co, Ltd., in Bangkok tel. (02) 4351200, or in Phuket (076) 211480

By Air

Details about flights to and from Phuket International Airport can be obtained from Thai Airway, in Bangkok Tel. (02) 2800070,2800080, or in Phuket (076) 211195, 212499, 212946 or from travel agents around the world. There are also many regular and chartered flights from other airlines.

By Sea

The Deep Sea Port (Port of Phuket) at Phuket is visited by both cargo and cruise ship from Thailand and from abroad. Contact your travel agent for information about the may different ships that stop at Phuket.

More detail

http://www.gosouththai.com/phuket/e-index.asp

Chan Phoondee

Web Director

http://www.GoSouthThai.com

It can be very enjoyable to go traveling both in country and abroad but you should be alert for possible cons while traveling on vacation. There are many types of cons to be on the lookout for and you can never know what direction they are going to come from.

Con Artists are very clever and one of their prime targets is the uninformed traveler. When you visit someplace you have never been to before take the time to research and learn a little bit about the place you are headed. You can easily find information on town and city layouts, crime rates and the types of restaurants and services available online or by making a few well placed phone calls. A Con Artist may offer to help you find information on places or help to secure you a hotel reservation or place to stay at a much cheaper cost, but will really take your money and leave you lost and confused. There are some people who actually supply these services to travelers but their methods may be under the table, quasi illegal or down right against the law. You could get in trouble if they are caught or you may even be tricked by undercover police officers pretending to offer such services.

You can take some simple steps avoid being taken by a con artist. Travel in groups or with another person. There is safety in numbers and con artists are less likely to go after a herd of tourists. If someone does approach your or your fellow travelers tell them ?no thanks,? in a firm tone of voice. If they persist and even begin to follow you remain firm, threaten to call the authorities. If you?ve done your research you should have seen at least a few photos of the type of clothing people wear in the place you are about to visit. Take note of this when packing. For example the French, especially Parisians wear dark and muted colors and they only smile at people they know, friends and family. If you take clothing that is similar to the style and do your best to adopt the social attitude of those you are traveling among you are less likely to stand out as a tourist. There may not be much you can do about the language barrier, but from a distance you won?t look as much a foreigner and therefore an easy mark.

Gail Leino is known throughout the internet world as Mrs. Party. She has become the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies with clever themes. Her simple party planning approach demostrates how to use proper manners while teaching etiquette with organizational skills. She shares lots of interesting fun facts. See travel vacations for information on exotic destinations.