The family vacation is a time-honored tradition, but many parents find themselves even more tired and worn out after the vacation than before it started. Traveling with kids can be very demanding. But it doesn’t have to be so tough. When you plan your next family vacation, use these tips to help make vacationing with kids a roaring success.

1. Choose your destination carefully.

Of course, you want to choose a place everyone will enjoy, but also think about the implications of your destination. If you’re going to the beach and you live in New Hampshire that would be quite different from going to the beach from Missouri. You have different options on where you go and how you get there. Keep those needs in mind as you choose a destination.If you’re considering Disney World or another theme park, but your children are of widely differing ages, consult a guidebook to decide which park provides the best options for all your children.2. Use the best transportation for your kids.

Traveling on a plane with a child can be a little challenging, but if your destination is more than a few hours away by car, flying may be the best option. Think through the various ways you can reach your destination, including renting a minivan for a more pleasant drive, or buying a DVD player for the back seat of your current car.

3. Pack carefully.

Traveling with kids sometimes means improvising, but try to keep that to a minimum by making sure everyone has appropriate clothing, shoes, books, toys, and medication. This last is absolutely critical, as a sick child can ruin even the best vacation.

4. Keep them occupied.

This may sound obvious, but the best way to keep kids happy on a trip is just to give them something to do. Pack activities and toys to keep them busy. If your kids are old enough, let them pick their favorite things, but make sure you check to insure that there are enough activities and enough different things to do.

5. Keep them fed and hydrated.

Tired, cranky kids are often hungry and thirsty kids. Whether you’re traveling by plane, car or train, carry along plenty of snacks and make sure the kids have enough to drink. Sugary soft drinks and even juice can increase thirst rather than really quench it, so make sure your kids get plenty of water, as well.Traveling successfully with kids is really no different than traveling successfully without kids. You have to make sure everyone’s needs are met. Kids just have slightly different needs that may include that special blanket or a copy of their favorite comic book.

The main problem many parents have in taking a family vacation is not that their kids are misbehaving, but just that the trip and the kids are not compatible, either because the kids are bored, or because they’re tired, hungry, or thirsty. Taking care of all those contingencies makes for a fabulous trip.

So what is a parent to do? Traveling with kids doesn’t have to be a bad experience. Instead of deciding to leave the kids home for the next “family” vacation, relax! You can make traveling with the kids an enjoyable and stress-free experience by following these simple tips:

1. When possible, travel at night and let the kids sleep. But be cautious, because it’s easy to get tired. If you find yourself getting sleepy, roll down the windows, play music, or better yet, find a safe place to pull over and take a 20 minute nap.

2. Plan your trip during the day with stops about every 90 minutes. By planning ahead, and using travel planning software, online trip planning sites or travel associations, you can find — and stop at — kid-friendly places such as parks with playgrounds, historic monuments or view areas where everyone can get out and walk around for a few minutes. Giving the kids even a 15 minute break will give them a chance to “get the wiggles out” and work off some energy.

3. Bring along some sing-along music. Although your kids may groan at first when you start singing, they’ll soon join in, especially if the songs are either well-known, absurd or “gross.” Think of your own childhood favorites, or camp songs. Singing can really help to pass the time, and creates happy memories later on. To help cut costs, you can even record your own CDs? If the kids don’t know the words, create sing-along books for everyone by typing them in your Word processing program and printing them out.

4. Create a goodie-bag. Good ideas are travel toys and games, bubbles, inexpensive art books and pencils, even the latest in collectible cards or action figures. (To save money, look for seasonal sales or buy something every payday.) To cut down on arguments about sharing, you can set a time limit for playing with each game, before everyone has to switch. Individual presents can be wrapped or not, and given out at whatever schedule fits your needs and your kids’ boredom levels. You can even choose particular games for particular stops, such as bubbles, Frisbees or small balls, which will encourage running off energy.

5. Bring along individual “quiet time” activities. These could include an art box (keep the supplies inside an inexpensive plastic shoe box), postcards or writing paper, or even a journal given to each child at the beginning of the trip. Encourage them to write letters, or record their thoughts and feelings. You can also bring along hand-held games, or inexpensive CD players and earphones, so that everyone can listen to the music or books of their choice. Depending on the space you’ve got and the length of time you’ll be gone, each child could have their own box or backpack, to keep their things organized and accessible.

6. If your trip is going to include a lot of sightseeing, pack a backpack with sweaters, hats, swimsuits (if in season), extra socks and even towels, in case anyone gets wet — accidentally or on purpose. Keep the backpack in your trunk, so you can just grab it and go. Most kids, if given the chance when near water, will really enjoy getting wet, and it saves on the wear and tear of your vehicle if you plan ahead. Also be sure to pack extra water and travel snacks such as energy bars, nuts or travel mix. You can add to your child’s enjoyment if you also include things such as a magnifying glass, binoculars, a disposable camera and their own travel map.

7. Include a “kid’s activity” at least once every day. This may be something as simple as going for ice cream after visiting a museum, or going to a water or amusement park. There are often lots of great free or inexpensive activities in most places in the States. To find them, you can check ahead of time with local Chambers of Commerce, on city Websites, or with your travel agent. To help keep the expenses down, don’t forget to check for “two for one” coupons, or discount tickets that are often available at local fast food restaurants or in local papers. Also, many family style restaurants offer a “kids eat free” night, which could be a special treat.

8. Don’t forget about the travel games you probably played as a child. There is “Letter Bingo” where you look at road signs and billboard ads to find the letters of the alphabet, or “License Plate Alphabet” where you go through the alphabet in order. You can also create easy bingo sheets that you print out with clip art of common sites you’ll see on your trip. Your kids will be more inclined to play along if they know that your parents used to play the exact games with you. (Grandparents are SO much cooler than parents are…)

9. Let your kids help to navigate, narrate and create information about your trip. There are so many great resources online these days that can help you make your trip even better. Letting your kids get involved helps to make it more enjoyable for them. For example, let one child be the “trip navigator” each day. They have the responsibility of looking at the map, and making sure that the right exits are taken, or how much farther to each destination point. (If you really want to get creative, the navigator could wear a special hat or badge; the narrator could have a “press badge” or carry a reporter’s notebook, etc.) Older children can create written entries into a journal or even in a Blog, talking about the daily activities and sights. Another option is to bring along an inexpensive tape recorder, and let each child record their impressions of the different places you see or things you do. Younger children can draw pictures, or use a disposable camera.

10. Start collecting postcards. Postcards are inexpensive, and your kids will enjoy getting to send them to their friends or other family members. Postcards are also a great addition to your family photo album after the trip. You can cut them up, or even write about specific experiences on the backs of them, to help everyone remember what you did and where you went.

11. Create a scrap book at the end of each trip, using the postcards and pictures the kids took. Letting them help to decorate and put the journal together is a fun after-the-trip activity.

12. Above all, give yourself a break. There is no such thing as a “perfect” family vacation. Inevitably there will be things forgotten, things broken or other “unexpected” problems.

By planning ahead, and making every effort to get your kids involved in the trip, and giving the things to do to keep them occupied and interested, there will be less stress and everyone will have a better time. Have a great trip!

A GROUP of local travel agencies on Wednesday offered help to the Department of Tourism in developing and propping up tourism in Mindanao after this industry was identified as a possible key to peace and progress in the country’s second biggest island.

In the same light, President Arroyo enjoined some 175 municipal mayors from Mindanao to invest in solid-waste management facilities, using their internal revenue allotments (IRA).

Naitas chairman emeritus Robert Lim Joseph said this offer of assistance is a gesture of support to Sen. and former tourism secretary Richard Gordon, who proposed tourism as a possible solution to Mindanao’s problems.

Joseph said Mindanao has a rich history and culture in addition to the many scenic places like lakes and waterfalls in the central part and beautiful beaches in the southern portion.

These places in Mindanao also offer opportunities for extreme and nature adventures and aquatic sports, which have not been spoiled by crass commercialism.

“Add the hospitable people, only ruined by image of war and kidnapping, and tourists can have a high-value vacation at very low rates,” Joseph said.

At the Mindanao leg of the Zero Basura Caravan in Davao City, about 175 municipal mayors from Regions 11, 12 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao made a commitment to close down all existing open dumps in their area as part of compliance with Republic Act (RA) 9003, otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

The caravan, a joint project of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), is part of the Green Movement Agenda: Strategies for Local Action which aims to accelerate the provisions of RA 9003.

The President exhorted the local government units (LGUs) to invest in material-recovery facilities or MRFs in their barangays, urging them to use their IRA to fund these facilities; the program aims to reduce waste generation by as much as 50 percent.

Right now, tourism in Mindanao is a chicken-and-egg situation because of the peace-and-order problem, but the vicious cycle can be broken if tourism can be used to drag its residents out of hunger and poverty by providing them jobs and livelihood in tourism, Joseph said.

“This will make the Moros stakeholders in the industry, which they will now serve to protect and promote by safeguarding tourists and travelers,” he added.

The tourism-industry leader said that trade and commerce will be promoted by tourism because the growth of transportation will be hastened and sale of local goods, especially souvenirs, will be boosted. He said the first most likely step is to cultivate a culture of tourism among communities in Mindanao, where residents can be involved in promoting and protecting their respective tourist areas.

Joseph said Naitas can provide seminars promoting the culture of tourism in key areas in Mindanao as the group has been doing this in many places in the country for several years already.

The national government can provide the necessary infrastructure to make the tourist spots accessible and convenient to travelers, he said.

Joseph said the recently enacted Tourism Act of 2009 can be used as an instrument for the development of tourism by providing incentives to investors to set up shop in Mindanao.

NSWMC executive director Gerardo Calderon, who has been leading the caravan from day one, said  the mayors in attendance also drew a plan which includes the immediate phaseout of open dumpsites and converting them to sanitary landfills and then to ecological parks. As of the second quarter of 2009, there are 901 open dumpsites across the country as compared to 936 dumpsites in the fourth quarter of 2008.

He added that many LGUs are investing in modern landfills and converting some of them into ecoparks. Davao City, for one, has invested in a P216-million modern sanitary landfill, which is the first in Mindanao. It has a 3.8-hectare, 46-meter pit with high-density polypropylene liners that will prevent leachates from seeping underground.

Calderon, who is also a DENR assistant secretary, explained that the facility also has retention ponds for leachates, plus drainage canals and ponds which will prevent seepage of waste materials to adjoining waterways. The landfill is designed to handle residual waste or trash that can no longer be recycled or reused.

Calderon also cited Santo Tomas municipality in Davao del Norte, which has established its own ecopark. The eco-park was formerly a controlled dumpsite turned into a processing center where trash is recycled and converted into compost or other reusable materials. The former dumpsite is now a lush green picnic ground frequented by tourists and visitors.

The need to minimize garbage is borne out of the growing concern on climate change as methane, which is the byproduct of decomposing garbage, is a greenhouse gas which has a warming potential 20 times greater than carbon dioxide.

How can I get a better rate on my Airline tickets?

- Make your reservations as soon as you have decided on travel plans. Airlines give discounts for early bookings at least 21 days in advance. The best rates are often those that include a Saturday night stay and have travel dates during the week.
- Shopping the Internet can be the quickest and easiest way to compare many different Airlines’ rates to find the best deals. – If you can be flexible about when you travel, do so. It can bring big savings. Even changing a flight’s time during the same day can effect the rate. Often the less popular early morning or late evening flights have lower rates.
- The best rates tend to be found during the off season and at other times when the Airlines are flying at less than capacity.
- Check into splitting your trip into two roundtrip sections. A stopover at a midpoint could save you over flying a direct route. Although, make sure the saving are large enough to warrant the extra hassles of the stopover.
- Check into booking your travel plans as a package. You might be able to save by booking your Airline tickets along with your hotel room or rental car.
- Ask if this is the best rate that they have available when you are booking your reservation.
- Apply any special discount programs for which you are eligible.
- When you reach check-in, ask to see if any special upgrade deals are available.
- Take some time to look for the best rate, a little research can bring big savings. Airline ticket prices vary wildly and you want to be the one that paid $200.00 roundtrip, not the guy in the next seat that paid $600.00.

What types of special discount programs are available?

- Check for special deals with your membership in associations or clubs.
- Memberships in premium or loyalty clubs and frequent flyer programs can offer discounts.
- Some credit cards have special discount agreements with certain Airlines.
- Package discounts can be found when booking your Airline ticket along with a certain hotel, cruise line, or rental car company.
- Discounts are available for some age groups, young and old, as well as, students.
- Discounts are often available for large groups traveling together.
- Discounts are often available for government, military or corporate employees. Some Airlines will even extend these discounts during leisure travel.

How can I find other businesses that have partnered with my Airline to provide me even greater rewards for using their services?

- Check out your Airline’s web site. They should have a list of other businesses they have partnered with that can reward you with bonus points or miles and discounts or other special offers. These other businesses are usually found on your Airline’s web site in a special travel partners section or they can be listed under their membership program section as participants or partners.

How can I beat the best rate flying into my destination?

- Check into another destination. You might be able to fly into a nearby neighboring city at a much lower rate. Remember to allow for other costs when you consider this option. You could lose the airport shuttle, and your rental car costs, gas, etc., may change. This might also take a little more travel time.

Should I buy someone else’s frequent flyer awards, vouchers or unused tickets?

- No, there are lots of ways you can get burned doing this. Most Airline programs have rules against this activity and you’ll be denied boarding if you are caught. With computer checking systems and rules requiring proper I.D., your chances of getting caught and losing your money are good. Many of these items are also easy to copy or fake and you might just end up the victim of fraud.

How will I know which is the best Airline for me?

If it’s a onetime flight, you can probably see who flies the route for the cheapest rate. If you are looking for more of a relationship, you’ll want to consider some of the factors listed below:

- You’ll still want to consider ticket prices.
- See if you belong to any groups that entitle you a special deal with a particular Airline.
- Investigate the Airline’s on-time, safety and customer service record.
- Evaluate frequent flyer programs to see which will allow you to earn free tickets or upgrades the quickest.
- You might want the Airline with the more lenient luggage policy.
- Pick an Airline that has strong routes and flight options available for the area where you’ll be doing most of your traveling.
- Find out what Airline partnerships they have to see if they will provide you further flight options.
- Find out what other partnerships they have that could save you money in other areas. Many Airlines have agreements with hotel chains, rental cars or credit card companies.
- Find out which Airline is most willing to help with your special requests.

Though overseas travel promises a lot of fun and excitement, it also poses several risks that could put you in helpless situations where you may feel helpless and not know what the next step is. Hence, medical insurance for travelers is an absolute must to handles these unexpected situations that could otherwise ruin your trip.

Travel insurance plan is like a contract between you and the insurance provider which states in the agreement that the insurance company would cover the costs of certain risks as mentioned in the policy if you pay a certain premium amount in advance as stated in the policy document.

The person who takes a travel health insurance policy can either pay the premium at one go or in multiple installments as agreed with the provider.

There are various reasons why you should take travel health insurance especially during a trip overseas. Most of them points to ensuring a safe and secured trip instead of worrying about the major risks and the related expenses. There are various choices of travel health insurance policies which offer different coverage options. It is important that you go through the policy document and also do adequate groundwork on the benefits it offers.

Travel insurance plan comes very handy in the case of illness especially when you are away from your homeland. It covers the major medical expenses, hospitalization costs, medical procedures and doctor consultation fees in case you suddenly fall seriously ill.

In addition, in case of the death of the insured, the insurance also covers funeral expenses and the death benefits for the beneficiaries. Hence, it is necessary to designate a beneficiary while you purchase a travel insurance plan policy.

Travel insurance plan covers loss of baggage but the limits is predetermined. Hence, while choosing your insurance policy, you need to take enough care to ensure that you are fully protected in case of any unexpected emergencies.

While many of us enjoy traveling abroad, it would be a clever step to take enough precautions than repent later about not securing for the trip and keep medical insurance for travel as the top priority in the checklist.

Toilet stories…. now here’s a part of travel you might not like to think about. If you’re traveling in rich, “first world” countries, you probably don’t need to worry too much about it. But if you’re traveling internationally, you’re probably going to run into a surprise or two. Talk to people who have been traveling internationally for a while, and they’re bound to have one or two amusing toilet stories. In the U.S. almost all toilets will be “pedestal style”. Some may be a bit run down, but they will mostly look the same. In Europe, most of the time you will find pedestal style toilets too. There are some pretty interesting flush mechanisms, so you may have to figure that out. If you get out into the countryside or into less developed countries, it’s just possible that you’ll run into some W Cs that are more like porcelain footprints with a hole. Seasoned travelers often say “Western style” and “Eastern Style”, but you can run into either anywhere in the world. You won’t always have that “throne”, so just make up your mind that you can deal with it. It always pays to have some tissues or toilet paper in your pocket. Even if you find a toilet that has a dispenser, it could be empty. In more rural areas and more undeveloped counties, TP might clog up the plumbing. In places like that, you’ll see wastebaskets with dirty paper… put yours there too. Finding a public toilet can be harder abroad than it is in the U.S. If you’re out wandering the street, look for train stations or department stores. If there is a U.S. style fast-food restaurant, you can find a toilet inside. Big hotels will have one tucked away in the lobby somewhere, and they are reliable for having TP. You can find one in restaurants too. If you’re not a customer, ask politely, most of the time they will let you use their W Cs. Never leave a museum or restaurant without going – even if you don’t need to. Who knows when you’ll find the next facility. Many big European cities have coin operated “toilet booths” on street corners. Public toilets often are pay toilets. Carry small change to pay for them. Some will be coin operated on the door, others will have attendants sitting by the door. Even if they don’t insist on you paying when you go in, it’s polite to leave a small tip… it’s usually only the equivalent of about 25 U.S. cents. Don’t expect them to have change… they might, or they might just keep the change if you don’t have anything small enough. It’s another way for them to make a little money… so plan ahead — don’t give away all of your “little money”. It’ll come in handy. Get used to occasionally having women cleaners in the Men’s rooms and sometimes men attendants in the Woman’s room. Lots of toilet stories come from these encounters, but they’re used to it, so you might as well just get comfortable with it too. When you get beyond Europe, you’ll run into more and more of those “Eastern Style” porcelain holes-in-the-ground. Some will even be just that — holes in the ground. OK… if you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go. Just deal with it, and you’ll come home with some toilet stories of your own.

Tax inclusive flight deals under $199

Search Tip: Fly on Tue/Wed/Thu and book 21 days in advance
From	To	Round Trip* Fares (USD)
Milwaukee	Madison	$87
Boston	Baltimore	$106
Milwaukee	Minneapolis	$116
Denver	Albuquerque	$122
Tampa	Fort Lauderdale	$128
Dallas	Houston	$140
Baltimore	New York	$143
Las Vegas	Phoenix	$143
Austin	Dallas	$143
San Francisco	Long Beach	$143
Salt Lake City	Denver	$143
Long Beach	San Jose	$143
San Francisco	Los Angeles	$143
Santa Ana	San Francisco	$143
Los Angeles	Las Vegas	$143
Houston	Austin	$145
Kansas City	Tampa	$147
Baltimore	Cincinnati	$147
Philadelphia	Raleigh Durham	$153
Fort Lauderdale	Atlanta	$153
New York	Buffalo	$153
Atlanta	Miami	$153
New York	Norfolk	$160
Houston	San Antonio	$162
Baltimore	Albany	$163
Las Vegas	San Diego	$163
Orlando	Detroit	$163
Las Vegas	Oakland	$164
Charlotte	Philadelphia	$173
Detroit	Myrtle Beach	$174
Philadelphia	Orlando	$183

Book Now the cheap air lines international flight.

Up to 65% off on Full Published Un-restricted Airfares, Discounts may vary based on seasonality, Seat availability, Restrictions, Advanced booking, Minimum stays, black out dates may apply, and other conditions and restrictions. Please book at least 21 days in advance with a Saturday night stay to find the possibility of finding the lowest fares, during Holiday season and weekends, the seat availability is limited.

1. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain

2. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

3. “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

4. “The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson

5. “All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.” – Paul Fussell

6. “Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac

7. “He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” – Moorish proverb

8. “People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.” – Dagobert D. Runes

9. “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” – John Steinbeck

10. “No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang

11. “Your true traveler finds boredom rather agreeable than painful. It is the symbol of his liberty-his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure.” – Aldous Huxley

12. “All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.” – Samuel Johnson

13. “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

14. “Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese

15. “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

16″A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” – Moslih Eddin Saadi

17. “When we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright. But things will happen to us so that we don’t know ourselves. Cool, unlying life will rush in.” – D. H. Lawrence

18. “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark

19. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

20. “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

22. “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharial Nehru

23. “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” – Paul Theroux

24. “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson

25. “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

26. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by.” – Robert Frost

27. “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

28. “There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” – Charles Dudley Warner

29. “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu

30. “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener

31. “The journey not the arrival matters.” – T. S. Eliot

32. “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill

33. “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain

34. “Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quiestest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy
“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

35. “Not all those who wander are lost.” – J. R. R. Tolkien

36. “Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” – Benjamin Disraeli

37. “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” – Maya Angelou

38. “Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation.” – Elizabeth Drew

39. “Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe”……Anatole France

40. “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” – Seneca

41. “What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do – especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat Moon

42. “I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.” – Lillian Smith

43. “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley

44. “Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.” – Freya Stark

45. “The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” – Rudyard Kipling

46. “Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.” – Paul Theroux

47. “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” – G. K. Chesterton

48. “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman

49. “A wise traveler never despises his own country.” – Carlo Goldoni

50. “Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins

Domestic fares for as low as P588 all-in; International fares from P1,388

Cebu Pacific (CEB) will launch a 3-day seat sale on May 27 to 29, 2009 with fares as low as P588 for domestic and P1,388 for international flights valid for travel from July 1 to August 31, 2009. Cebu Pacific is allocating more than 200,000 seats for this seat sale.

A one-way ‘Go Lite’ fare of P1,388 is applied for Clark to Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, and Bangkok; Manila to Bangkok, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Min, Hong Kong, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Shanghai, Singapore, and Taipei; Cebu to Hong Kong and Singapore.

Cebu Pacific is offering a P2,288 one-way ‘Go Lite’ fare for its Manila to Incheon (Seoul) and Cebu to Incheon, Busan, and Jakarta services.

“We are optimistic that this seat sale will stimulate domestic and international travel during these traditionally lean months. Cebu Pacific remains the pioneer in creative pricing strategies as it continues to offer the best travel deals for all travelers to and from the Philippines,” said Candice Iyog, CEB VP for marketing and distribution.

For domestic flights, Cebu Pacific’s one-way ‘Go Lite’ fare only charges P1,388 all-in for its Manila to General Santos, Davao, Cotabato, Zamboanga, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, and Dipolog; Cebu to Clark and Davao to Iloilo. All other local destinations carry a one-way fare of P588 all-in.
Domestic fares are all-inclusive; international fares are exclusive of government taxes. Promo fares are non-refundable.

‘Go Lite’ fares are for passengers traveling with no check-in baggage. Passengers with check-in bags just have to add P200 to the fare.

Cebu Pacific, the leading domestic carrier, flies to 14 cities in Asia and 32 domestic destinations with direct flights from Clark, Cebu, Davao, and Manila. It currently has the youngest fleet in the country, comprised of 21 Airbus A320s 8 ATR aircraft.

Here is the complete list of destinations included in the latest promo offering of Cebu Pacific:

Domestic

P588 ALL-IN
- Manila to Bacolod, Busuanga, Calbayog, Catarman or Caticlan
- Manila to Cauayan, Cebu, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Kalibo, Laoag or Legazpi
- Manila to Naga, Ozamiz, Puerto Princesa, Roxas or San Jose
- Manila to Tacloban, Tagbilaran, Tuguegarao or Virac
- Cebu to Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Caticlan or Davao
- Cebu to Dipolog, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo, Legazpi or Ozamiz
- Cebu to Puerto Princesa, Roxas, Surigao, Tacloban, Zamboanga or Siargao
- Davao to Cagayan de Oro or Zamboanga

P1,388 ALL-IN
- Manila to Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato or Davao
- Manila to Dipolog, General Santos or Zamboanga
- Cebu to Clark
- Davao to Iloilo

NOTE:
- All domestic promo fares listed above are all-inclusive of government taxes, you only need to add P200 if travelling with check-in baggage.
- Sale Period: May 27-29, 2009
- Travel Period: July 1-August 31, 2009

International

P1,388++
- Manila to Bangkok, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh or Hong Kong
- Manila to Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Shanghai, Singapore or Taipei
- Cebu to Hong Kong or Singapore
- Clark to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Macau or Singapore

P2,288++
- Manila to Jakarta or Incheon
- Cebu to Busan or Incheon

NOTE:
- All international promo fares listed above are exclusive of government taxes.
- Add P200 if travelling with check-in baggage.
- Sale Period: May 27-29, 2009
- Travel Period: July 1-August 31, 2009

Cebu Pacific’s 3 Day Seat Sale Madness! Hurry! Book your flights now!

Being a responsible budget traveler
Tourism in developing countries can be both a blessing and a curse – each individual leaves his or her mark upon a place.

Small decisions that we make along the way as travelers insure that future travelers find a place as welcoming and magical as we did.

Travel and tourism should be planned and executed as a means of individual growth and development. When practiced with an open mind, it is an awesome source of self education, mutual tolerance and for learning about the diversity and wonderful nuances that make our planet such an interesting place.

Everyone has a responsibility for creating and promoting responsible travel and tourism. Governments, business and communities must shoulder their share of the load, but as a budget traveler you can support this in many ways that make a huge difference:

1. Open your mind to other cultures and traditions. It will transform your trip and you will earn respect and welcome of the local people. Be tolerant and respectful, making sure to observe social and cultural traditions and practices.

2. Respect human rights. Exploitation in any form conflicts with the fundamental purpose of travel.

3. Help preserve natural environments. Leave things the way you found it – or better.  Protect wildlife and habitats and do not purchase products made from endangered plants or animals….this includes animal products, novelty insects, etc…

4. Respect cultural resources. Activities should be conducted in a way that respects the artistic, archaeological and cultural heritage of a place.

5. Support the local economy – they need it. Purchase local handicrafts and products using the principles of fair trade. Bargaining for goods should reflect an understanding of a fair wage – don’t fall victim to traveler scams, but that merchant probably needs the difference more than you do.

6. Get up to date about the destination’s current health situation prior to departure and be assured that your health and personal security will not be threatened. Make sure that you have the means to remain healthy and happy before you arrive in a new place.

7. Learn as much as possible about your destination and take time to understand the customs, norms and traditions in an effort to avoid accidentally offending the local population.

8. Learn the local laws so that you do not accidentally break them. Refrain from all trafficking in illicit drugs, arms, antiques, protected species and products or substances that are dangerous or prohibited.

Responsible travel is not complicated.  Getting into the mindset that you are going to leave a place in better shape than you found it by doing your part and encouraging others, will ensure that the doors will be kept open for future budget travelers!