New York, the city which never sleeps, has always been on my list of “Cities to Visit.” Before the last year ended, I planned to visit New York with my wife. Though I’m good at planning trips I’m really bad at making bookings for the hotel or the airlines so I asked her to get the ticket reservations done.

To my surprise, she booked only one ticket which was for me and the other one she bought that through the miles program “earn united miles,” we travel mostly from united airlines so we had a huge stack of miles which she consumed to buy her own ticket. This way we saved money of one separate ticket which we planned to use for shopping and restaurant hunting in New York.

Here I want to share with you how I planned our trip to New York as I mentioned above that I’m good at planning trips, I did the same for this trip as well. So here is how we did it and you can follow this for having a nice vacation.

When To Visit New York City?

Overall New York is the best city to visit all year round, but I think each season in New York have its own perks and disadvantages for visiting.

I particularly like to travel in the winter season so winters are great for those who want to experience the holiday season in New York and are not much bothered with the cold. Spring on the other hand is also a good season to visit as you don’t have to face the summer heat but you might need to pack the umbrella. Summer is great for those who want to take the advantage of free events in this city, despite the fact that summers are hard to tolerate in New York.

My Choice: So because I love the winter season I chose to travel in early December and spend my Christmas in New York with my wife and believe me it was an amazing experience of my life.

How To Reach New York?

If you live in US and you are in the neighboring cities of New York you can easily travel by car, train, bus or plane, if you are new in the city then I’ll suggest you travel by plane. Travelling by train, bus or car won’t cost you much, but if you are travelling through the air, then you may want to search for the best deals on airfares to reach New York.

My Choice: I chose to visit New York via airplane; it’s easy and comfortable to travel through the airline.

Where To Reside In New York?

In New York you will find all kinds of accommodation from luxury hotels to cheap hotels, bed and breakfast inns to single tourist hostel, New York has accommodation for every kind of traveler. I wanted to lodge at a budget-friendly hotel so these were the options which I had in front of me.

1. Chelsea Savoy Hotel
2. Cosmopolitan Hotel-Tribeca
3. The Gershwin
4. Colonial House Inn

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It’s easy to be seduced by the promise of Caribbean luxury hotels. Many are based in stunning locations and offer the ultimate luxury holiday experience. But even if the origin of the idea is clear, choosing a specific location might end up being rather more of a challenge.

This information may help.

Where is the region?

For a start, different people have rather varying ideas as to where the Caribbean actually is. If that sounds ludicrous in the days of global SATNAV, it’s attributable to the fact that the area can be defined in different ways including: geographic areas; geo-political associations; economic areas; advertising and marketing domains.

Strictly speaking, it’s a sea that sits to the south of Cuba, Haiti and Puerto Rico and includes islands such as Jamaica, St Lucia and Grenada. However, in terms of holidays, it’s sometimes ‘stretched’ as a term to include the Bahamas and on some maps even the Florida Keys. Some people have even shown Bermuda as being a Caribbean holiday destination when it is, in fact, way out into the Atlantic.

Purists might debate these boundaries furiously but for many holiday companies a vast area of ocean is often referred to, albeit incorrectly, and you’ll see Caribbean luxury hotels advertised almost everywhere within it.

Choosing a destination

So, how to go about choosing where you will go? One start point might be on the background culture of the island. Some have a huge legacy of Spanish culture, such as Cuba. Others may owe much more to French tradition, with St. Lucia being a good example. Whatever their background culture, much of the area was once incorporated into the British Empire and, as such, the UK has left its mark.

Of course, many colonial powers also brought African slaves into the region to work the plantations and other enterprises. Consequently, various African cultures have also merged into the regional cultures to create a unique hybrid. Yet as anyone who knows the region will tell you, each island – and sometimes parts of each island – has their own distinct culture. For example, Bermuda simply cannot be compared to St. Lucia – it’s not that one is better than the other, just that they’re very different.

You should research the culture of an island and see whether or not it catches your attention, remembering that culture affects things such as cuisine, nightlife and so on.

Another thing you might want to consider is the weather. True, almost everywhere will be able to rightly claim ‘great weather’, but in reality, if you check the statistics, you’ll see that the average weather can vary considerably from one island to another. In particular, look out for the wind and rain figures. Much of the area has a ‘rainy season’, though in many cases this is notional and represents the occasional 30-minute heavy shower with bags of glorious sunshine before and after. Even so, it’s worth looking into – particularly if you’re into beach life. Some islands have rather more protracted wet and windy seasons than others and that might be an important selection criterion when you’re booking Caribbean luxury hotels.

Wherever your destination, you can be sure of plenty of Caribbean luxury hotels to choose from and that you’ll find this fabulous region every bit as wonderful as its reputation.

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China receives thousands of visitors every year. If you will be travelling to the country in the near future, here are three of the best places that you should consider staying in:

Beijing

It’s the capital city of China; therefore, it’s the political, cultural, economic, communication, international, and educational center. Due to this you will find any amenity in this city. If you are looking for a good place to eat, there is the roast duck, imperial court food and other great eating joints.

There are many places that you can visit while in the city. For example, you can visit the great wall, Forbidden City, summer palace, Ming Tombs, Hutongs, Temple of heaven and Beijing zoon.

If interested in a hotel to live in, the city has some of the best hotels in the country. For example, there is Hulu hotel, New World Beijing hotel, Red wall Garden hotel, Kerry hotel Beijing, the opposite house, and many others.

Shenzhen

It’s located in the southern side of Guadgdong province and it neighbors Hong Kong and Pearl River Delta. Due to its location, Shenzhen is one of the fastest growing cities in China and when you visit it you will be impressed by its fast-paced urban life.

There are many places that you can visit when you are in the city. For example, you can visit Dameisha seaside resort and Thailand Royal Palace also known as the window of the world.

If you want to live for a few days, the city has many great hotels such as Hui, Ritx-Carlton, Futian Shangri, Grand Hyatt, and Intercontinental Shenzhen.

Wuhan

It’s the capital city of Hubei province in central China and it’s situated on jianghan plain. One of the most attractive features of the city is the low cost of living; therefore, if you are visiting China and you are on a low budget this is city that you should consider staying in.

Some of the best hotels in Wuhan are: Wanda Reign, the PuYu hotel, Marco Polo, Howard Johnson pearl plaza, Shangri-La hotel, Wanda Realm and Ramada plaza.

There are many places that you can visit when you are visiting Wuhan. Some of the best places to visit are: Jin Zhu Temple, sculpture, yellow crane tower, and Bronze vessel.

Conclusion

These are some of the best places to stay while in China. If you are planning of staying in a hotel, you should book early in order to not only be assured of a room to stay in, but to also attract great discounts.

Duncan Lancer

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If you are planning a trip and have decided to hire a taxi, you must be aware of the factors to consider when choosing a cab service. Getting acquainted with these factors will help you to ensure that your journey on the cab is comfortable and completely safe.

The first factor that must be taken into account when hiring a taxi service is company license; in other words, you must first check whether the company you are dealing with is licensed. This is because only licensed cab services can be expected to meet all the operational and legal requirements. Meeting these requirements is essential for ensuring complete safety and thus one should never opt for companies that are yet to get a license.

The next factor to be considered is reputation of the service provider. Even if the taxicab service provider has the required licenses, you must find out whether it enjoys good reputation among previous customers. Licenses don’t prove whether a particular company is reliable. To know what kind of reputation the business enjoys, you can check its website and read customer feedbacks. If you are dealing with a top taxi service provider, it will surely be represented by a website.

It’s extremely important to know whether the taxi service provider you are dealing with is reliable or not as hiring cab from an unreliable company can make you spend extra money. Often we find taxi drivers taking the longest route for making more money. Hiring cabs from a trustworthy company will ensure that you don’t become victim of any such deceptive act.

Reliability of the cab service provider is also the most important factor for individuals planning to travel alone, in a strange locality or late in the night. When talking to the representative of the taxi company, don’t forget to ask whether all the drivers working for it have undergone thorough background check before being appointed.

Be ready to ask a few more questions to the service provider. Ask whether the cab they will be providing you with is mechanically sound. You can expect the taxi ride to be safe and comfortable only if the vehicle you are boarding is mechanically sound.

Also, ask whether the driver in-charge of the cab is well-trained and experienced. Remember, a driver who has not been trained properly and is not made to undergo refresher courses at regularly usually lack driving skills. This puts passengers traveling on cars driven by him/her at high risk of encountering accidents.

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When most people visit London, after catching a Gatwick shuttle service into the city, their itinerary will include all the main sites – like the Tower of London, the main museums, Buckingham Palace, and others. But what many risk missing are the lesser-known cultural venues (some of which can be glimpsed as you whizz by on the Gatwick shuttle service). For a city that has so much to offer, London also keep’s a fair bit hidden away – but it’s there for those who are in the know and will to explore. Why not make time to see out the world’s oldest music hall and visit the unusual Wellcome Collection?

Wilton’s Music Hall

Started as an alehouse around 1743, Wilton’s is thought to have served as the local venue for the Scandinavian sea captains who lived nearby. Around 1826, the owner installed the area’s first Mahogany Bar, which caught on as a name for the pub. Then, just over ten years later, a concert hall was added, and for a while the place was licensed as a saloon that permitted full-length plays on its stage. While you probably won’t see this place on your Gatwick shuttle service into the city, you can easily make your way to Grace’s Alley, E1, where it is tucked away.

Around 1850, John Wilton bought the place and upgraded the concert hall with all the bells and whistles. Over the next fifty years the area went downhill and was bought by a Methodist Mission and renamed. After World War II, the Methodists left and the building was scheduled to be destroyed. Thankfully, it was saved in the 1960s, and has been reopened since 1996 and has been presenting new works since 2004.

The Wellcome Collection

On your Gatwick shuttle service to the centre of the city, you may well pass by the Wellcome Collection, near Euston. Popularly known as the “free destination for the incurably curious,” the Wellcome Collection promises to delight. Founded relatively recently in 2007, the curious mix or artefacts, arts, medicine and science will give you hours of entertainment exploring.

Founded by Sir Henry Salome Wellcome, the current exhibition of Medicine Now is a multi-media show that explores aspects of modern medicine and the way the Wellcome Trust fits in. You can view works on the body, obesity, the genome and more. You can also stop by the current exhibition, ‘The Institute of Sexology’, which is a look at the most publicly discussed private acts, and runs until September 2015. While you are here, pop into the fantastic cafe and check out the artworks on the walls of the entrance too. If you’re interested in more in depth studies, you can visit the impressive Wellcome Library, which has a focus on growing the resources of medical history. If you are interested, you can join for free and explore the history of medicine.

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Salzburg is one of the most stunning cities in the world, and its historical legacy alone is enough for any tourist to fall in love with it. Whether it is the city’s ancient cathedrals and castles (which have endured for centuries), the scenic landscapes made iconic by the movie The Sound of Music, or simply the sheer beauty of the gardens and public parks of the city, there is something for every tourist in this lovely Austrian city. Fortunately, today’s travellers can now rely on a Salzburg shuttle service to get them to their accommodation quickly and easily, and once there, the following activities should be on any itinerary.

Go on a Cycling Tour on the Set of Sound of Music

Once the Salzburg shuttle service has transported you to your accommodation, it’s time to get out and explore. Although it’s the fourth largest city in Austria, it is very accessible and easy to get around – and there is so much to see! One of the highly recommended and most popular tours is a cycling tour around several locations used as sets in the 1965 musical film, The Sound of Music. Fans of the movie will be able to channel their inner Maria as they are guided around the iconic locations where the film was shot, including the beautiful Trapp Villa and Hellbrun’s gardens. It will take around 20 minutes from the Altstadt to the Trap Villa, but the pleasant cycling and the fantastic destination will not disappoint. Moreover, those who are self-confessed fanatics of the film could elevate the experience even more by booking a room at the Trap Villa and spending the night in one of the most important icons in 20th century cinema.

Explore the City on a Historical Tour on Foot

Even without the Sound of Music tour, the city is an amazing destination that caters to many different types of tourists. For those who appreciate history, there are more than enough old cathedrals, museums, monasteries and castles in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. While many tourists prefer to explore the city on their own-arriving from the airport and getting to different destinations is easy enough with the Salzburg shuttle service -there are also guided tours that usually last for two hours and include numerous stops in the lovely Baroque city, including the famous Salzburg Dome Cathedral.

Mozart’s Geburtshaus

Any trip to the city would not be complete without a visit to Mozart’s Geburtshaus, birthplace of the world-renowned classical music composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Your Salzburg shuttle service may even take you past Mozart’s Geburtshaus on the way from the airport. This incredible townhouse is filled with amazing collections that allow visitors an intimate glimpse into Mozart’s earlier life. The most notable items housed in the museum include the mini violin Mozart played when he was a toddler, a number of other instruments, and many portraits.

While there are so many other attractions that are well worth visiting in this fabulous city, missing these three should not be an option.

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