Making The Most Of The Gold Coast’s Whale Watching Season

BY  Abdul Aziz Aug 8, 2019

Planning a trip is not only overwhelming but sometimes it might be time-consuming as well. It is always much harder to plan a trip, especially when traveling overseas and with some family members or even your kids gave all the things that you may have to put into consideration. Nonetheless, planning a trip is therefore very essential if you wish to travel. The plan you make for your trip will guide you appropriately on what to do where and how. You will be able to put almost everything that you will do while on the trip into consideration.  Therefore, planning a trip will help you to estimate the total cost of your vacation. One thing you need to understand is that different trips come with different plans. If you are planning to go on vacation with your family, you will require a different strategy compared to the person who is traveling to attend to his or her business duties. One thing that is clear is that whatever the purpose of the trip, you will need to plan to help you sort out everything properly. If you are planning to go on a trip but are stuck at the crossroads with regards to what to do, then a plan will be essential. The tips below should be able to guide you effectively when planning a trip to whatever destination and for whatever purpose. It is good to follow them if you are looking for a memorable trip experience. 10 Useful Tips for Planning a Trip: Do You Know These? The tips for planning a trip are exhaustive. So, let’s get into the thick of it directly. 1. Select the Right Destination for Your Trip: The first thing you may need to do when planning a trip will be to select a destination for your trip. You will have to ensure that the destination you choose will not only meet your preferences but also be friendly to your budget. Another important thing you have to consider will be the duration of your trip. The length of your journey will help you to choose where to visit. If you have about four weeks or more, then you will be able to travel overseas for your trip. If you have little time, a domestic trip will be reasonable. However, you will have to ensure that the destination that you choose for your trip will offer you an opportunity to enjoy and have fun to the fullest. It will not be a good idea for you to plan a trip to a place where you will not be able to enjoy and have fun. That will be a total wastage of your time and other valuable resources. If you are convinced that your travel destination is right for you, you will now have to consider your travel companions. Will you be traveling alone, with your family (including your children) or with your colleagues? You need to put into consideration the aspect of diverse interest. Consequently, if you are bringing some people along with you on your trip, you should also consider their tests and preferences. It is a crucial element to consider when planning a trip. It might be essential for you to sit down with them and discuss their travel preferences and later on agree on a common destination. Lastly, you may have to choose a destination that will allow you to fully enjoy and even remember your trip for days to come. 2. Plan for Your Flight: Immediately after choosing the destination, the next thing you have to do is a plan for your flight. It is essential for you to try and explore the number of options with regards to the available flights and select the cheaper one. Choosing a cheaper flight when planning a trip will help you to reduce your budget when significantly. If you choose to travel with your family, it is advisable to pick a flight that will get you to your destination within the shortest time possible. You also have to ensure the flight offers you and your family maximum comfort. If you are traveling for the first time, then it will be essential for you to go for premium direct flights. This decision will help you to avoid long hours that come with connecting flights. If you are unable to find a cheaper flight, then you can try out some online sites that offer useful information regarding flights. The information will help you to get a cheaper flight that will save you costs in the long run. 3. Book Your Accommodation: It is advisable to choose a suitable accommodation for yourself when planning a trip. However, you need to be so keen not to overspend on accommodation while on your trip. Go for the most affordable accommodation options. Choosing affordable accommodation options will help you to save some money for other activities while on your trip. The length of your trip will also be a significant aspect when planning for your accommodation. If you intend to stay for a shorter period, then you can reward yourself a fantastic moment in prestigious accommodation centers. If you want to stay for a more extended period, then it will only be right that you settle for cheaper accommodation options. If you wish to travel to a country that you are not familiar with, you need to go online and explore some of the cheaper accommodation options available. However, don’t compromise your comfort by choosing the cheapest hotels. Usually, online sites will provide you with a broad range of accommodation options from the most expensive to cheaper options. You can also get privately owned accommodation centers being the best options. 4. Planning for Transportation: After choosing your destination, you need to plan on how you will have fun in different areas. This factor implies that you may have to move around. Therefore, it is vital to start making arrangements on how you will be able to move around your travel destination when planning a trip to ensure that you don’t get stranded at some points. Try and research on the existing travel options in your travel destination and see which one fits you best. You can either choose to use taxis or opt for commuter buses. You will have to be a bit vigilant in some destinations when planning a trip due to insecurity or even avoiding getting conned. Try to avoid rental car companies from the airport since some of them might charge you highly hence reducing your budget. However, there could be some other car rental companies that charge reasonably well. The only problem will be that you may not be able to get them due to the higher demand they face. If you intend to make use of such transportation options, then you need to make an earlier booking. If you manage to catch a vehicle from the company, it will help you to save money and other resources. This is because the vehicles will transport you to and from your destination without making stopovers that tend to waste time. 5. Things to See and Do on the Vacation: It is very much essential for you to determine the place you will have to visit without failure when planning a trip, and possibly the kind of things to do in those places. Also, look around and see if there are other fun things you can do free of charge. If you choose to travel at a peak season, you will be able to catch up with more fun, and more people who are having fun as well. Through having fun, you may find yourself creating new friends in the process. However, traveling during the peak season may force you to make prior bookings to accommodation centers and tourist’s sites. This earlier booking is advisable since there may be many people visiting the sites as well hence making the accommodation options scarce. The research will be fundamental when planning a trip, and more particularly on the kind of things, you will intend to do while on your journey. Some countries offer online booking options to zoos and theme parks. You should make use of these options to avoid last-minute rushes while planning a trip. If you are not so sure of the kind of activities to engage in when planning a trip, you may have to enquire for a guide. The guide will take you through all the events in your selected tour destination, though at a smaller fee. You can also go online and try to research your selected tourist destination. The research will help you to see if there are some things you will need to give priority to while on your trip. The only thing you need to look for will be an exceptional experience in whatever activity you will choose to engage. Ensure the activities present you with an opportunity of enjoying optimally. 6. Places To Drink and Eat While on the Trip: Some travel destinations are famous because of the drinks and foods they offer. If you are a big fan of beverages and foods, then you need to consider such destinations. If you are a fan of testing new things, probably new cafes and drinks, these destinations should have your priority any time you will be planning a trip. If you are traveling with family, it will be vital for you to consider destinations that provide excellent eating places. If you visit these excellent places then you will have an opportunity to sit with your family and enjoy excellent delicious meals. The good thing about such travel destinations is that they come with multiple locations where you will be able to enjoy meals. If you are concerned about budgets, you should find a place where you will be able to enjoy a meal and a drink at relatively lower prices. You need to do a lot of research when planning a trip while on a budget. 7. Check Your Passport: It will just be unreasonable for you to carry on with your trip plans overseas without a visa. If you don’t have a passport, you will need to give yourself enough time to apply for one before eventually carrying on with your trip plans. You have to acquire a passport first before eventually carrying on with the booking of your accommodation and even getting your flight tickets. You also need to check the expiry date of your passport. If the expiry date of your passport is after six months, then you have to fit your travel and vacation plans within the same period.  Some countries or travel destinations will even require you to have a passport with the validity of six months beyond your vocational stay. 8. Understand the Visa Requirements for Your Preferred Destination: You will need to know and understand the visa requirements of your travel destination before eventually setting sail. You also need to know how exactly you will be able to get a specific visa when you need it. Usually, when it comes to visas, different countries provide different rules for nationalities. Therefore, it is essential you to carefully study the kind of rules and regulations that pertains to the Visa of the country you intend to travel to before eventually acquiring one. If you manage to access the rules and regulations regarding the visa, you will have to move with speed and acquire a permit. This speed will help you to avoid the last-minute rushes which might in some cases, end up delaying you. If you are not so sure about overseas travel and what such visas entail, you can gather some information on the same from online sites. 9. Plan To Get Immunized if You Will be Going Oversees: Some travel destinations may cause a risk to your health. Therefore, it is vital for you to ensure you get the necessary immunization before proceeding to visit your preferred travel destination. Most countries give priority to health, and you may even find yourself unable to travel due to the lack of vaccination documents. To stay on the right side of things, ensure you talk to a doctor about the right travel vaccines for you and have yourself vaccinated before eventually traveling. 10. Prepare Copies of Essential Travel Documents: It is a normal thing for people to misplace copies of essential papers when planning a trip. Some companies may even lose your booking reservation. If not so, you could also find yourself encountering a communication breakdown with your company. This breakdown could be due to the amount of money paid and the expected service or possibly many other things. With all these possibilities in mind, it is vital for you to ensure you keep copies of all the essential documents. These documents include passports, visas, flight tickets, and other necessary and relevant records. The copies will help you to confirm your details in case of any misunderstanding. Practical Tips For Writing A Trip Itinerary  Now, let’s focus on the more crucial part of planning a trip. Once you have ticked all the ten points on your checklist, you must draft an itinerary. If you have a travel management company onboard, it will set everything for you. However, if it’s a self-guided tour, you have to create a draft of the stops, time, attractions, and many other things. A good itinerary plan is detailed, with proper time and budget allocations.  Let me share a travel itinerary template with you. Travel ItineraryPurpose: Friends’ ReunionDestination:Travel Start Date:Travel End Date: Departure Flight Details DateTime Of DepartureAirport NameGate NumberArrival TimeAirport NameCar Rental from the AirportDateTime of Pickup from the AirportCar NumberContact Number of the DriverArrival Destination (Hotel) and TimeAccommodation Name and AddressContact PersonRoom NumberBreakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Options and TimingCheck-in and Check-out DateDay 1 to 5Destinations to VisitTime of Trip StartActivities throughout the DayLunch and Refreshment DetailsThings to CarrySafety Instructions (if any)Departure Flight DetailsDateTime Of DepartureAirport NameGate NumberArrival TimeAirport Name If you are uncomfortable making an Itinerary, you can check out the templates available online. However, when organizing solo, family, and friends trips, you will be more aware of your preferences. So, there will be a lot of customization.  In fact, you can use travel guide apps to plan trips to a different country and have a workable itinerary.  These tips for planning a trip should be a perfect guide for you. Whether you will be traveling with your family or alone, these tips will give you the right guidance. Bon voyage!  Conclusion: If you are planning a trip, then the tips mentioned above should act as a perfect guide for you to ensure that you end up with a journey that you will love. Whether you will be traveling with your family or alone, these tips will give you the right guidance. Read Also: Top 10 Best Travel Apps To Use In 2019 6 Expert Packing Tips That Will Make Your Trips More Fun Top Places To Visit In Italy On Your Next Travel Escapade 7 Key Points Remember While Planning Your Honeymoon Trip

BY  Abdul Aziz Oct 19, 2023

This outdoor oasis in the South is a solid wanderlust attraction. A scenic city that is always on the move can be your next perfect weekend getaway. The city is bustling with energy, and on a typical afternoon, you will see its locals as well as weekenders venturing into the Tennesse River along with their boards and boats. The bikers go up and down the hilly streets through the town, running and walking down the pedestrian bridge and playing with frisbees in the numerous parks. The parks look neat, being hedged by bike lanes and carefully placed benches. Public art makes the town come alive with color and socio-cultural significance. The number of things that will stay with you long after you visit this town is too many, but one of them will be the food and the restaurants. There are also a lot of adventures to be had outdoors in this character-filled city. If you are looking for some weekend fun or a short trip to feel rejuvenated, this city is close by and has to offer a lot. This is going to be the best weekend spot for you, and we have brought you the best of it. Here are some of the most fun and memorable things to do in Chattanooga. Things To Do In Chattanooga hotels.com If you have thought about going away sometime and taking a break, but you can’t think of any place so far. Chattanooga could be a great option. Here are some of the best things things to do in Chattanooga that will stay imprinted on your memory. Tennessee Aquarium tnaqua.org One of the fun things to do in Chattanooga is visiting the aquarium. This aquarium maintains two buildings. There is River Journey which showcases the freshwater habitats from around the world, and Ocean Journey, where visitors are treated to the magnificent view of sea creatures and ocean life. It is recommended to spend at least three hours while visiting to take in a good fraction of the 10,000 animals that are here. If you are looking for things to do in Chattanooga with kids, they will love the adorable macaroni penguins and dreamy sea jellies. Try visiting on a weekday, as it gets busier on weekends, for a more authentic experience. If you are looking for free things to do in Chattanooga, the city also offers a free shuttle to get here, making the experience pocket-friendly. Lookout Mountain cntraveler.com There are three scenic attractions this mountain ridge has to offer. There is the Ruby Falls, Rock City, and the Incline Railway. The Ruby Falls is the United States’ deepest and tallest underground waterfall standing at 260 feet. Rock City is where one can see seven states from the iconic Lover’s Leap. And when you hop on the Incline Railway, you will be witnessing the steepest passenger railway on Earth. You need to spend a minimum of 4 hours at these mountains to gauge the highlights of the spot. Each of the three attractions has separate expenses, and the tickets are known to sell out fast. Raccoon Mountain Caverns wikimedia.org The Raccoon Mountain Caverns are located 1.3 miles off the I-24 at the Lookout Valley exit. It is less than 10 minutes from downtown Chattanooga. This mountain offers views of a cave in its natural state that has thousands of diverse rock formations. There are stalagmites, stalactites, flowstone, delicate soda straws, rimstone pools, columns, draperies, natural bridges, and a rare shield formation. It also offers many wild cave “spelunking” expeditions for all those who want to go deeper into the caves and explore the mountain. An expedition to the waterfall dome allows visitors to get to the place with the view of the tallest underground, unassisted, naturally flowing waterfall. Walnut Street Bridge pickyourtrail.com This is one of the best examples of the Phoenix wrought-iron truss bridges dating back to the years between 1884 and 1923. Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum wp.com This nostalgic train trip will offer aesthetically restored vintage locomotives and passenger cars that encase the intricate craftsmanship of ages long gone. The ride will take you through the beautiful Tennessee countryside that has awe-inspiring views bound to make you reflect on the simpler times of the past. The museum’s exhibit has an impressive set of artifacts, old photographs, and other memorabilia that help bring the rich railroading history to life. The staff here are highly knowledgeable and will eagerly share information on railroad history while being dressed in period attire. The experience will provide you with lots of fascinating insights whether you are a history buff or otherwise. Ruby Falls simpleviewinc.com This one is the deepest and tallest underground waterfall that is open for public access in the States. There are guided tours such as the classic waterfall tour, the lantern tour, and the extended cavern experience tour. The tour will take you along its beautiful cavern trail to a gorgeous waterfall that is surrounded by old geological formations that took millenniums to form. There are also extensively picturesque views of the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee Valley, and the Tennessee River from the top of the Lookout Mountain Tower. The tours fill up pretty quickly. You must purchase the tickets online in advance for increased availability. Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery chattanoogawhiskey.com One of the other things to do in Chattanooga for adults is visit the whiskey distillery. This distillery is the first ever to craft whiskey in Chattanooga in over a hundred years. It boasts over 100 different barrels that mature in an aging cellar. Each visit to the distillery is an ode to the past, present, and future of hand-made bourbon. You can reserve a tour & tasting trip to check out their latest craft. This can also be one of the things to do in Chattanooga for couples. You must be 21+ with a physical and valid ID. Creative Discovery Museum This museum is a hands-on children’s museum at the very heart of downtown Chattanooga. It is known to inspire children of all ages to innovate, explore, play, and create. The exhibits are designed to entertain as well as educate children on exploring the world around them. They are pushed to become inquisitive about art, science, music, water exploration, and dinosaur digging. It was rated number #7 by Trekaroo of the children’s museums in the U.S. in 2015. Wrapping Up Chattanooga sure has everything you could want for a short trip away from the hustle of the city. If you want to know about things to do in Chattanooga this weekend, we hope this article gave you a headstart. If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you! Read Also: You Won’t Believe The Best Things To Do When In Fiji! Some Of The Best Things To Do In Navarre Beach, Florida These Are The 30+ Things To Do In Mexico City That You Must Try!

BY  Ankita May 31, 2022

Is there anyone who does not like traveling? By ‘traveling,’ I do not mean the daily travel that one does from their homes to their workplace. I am talking about vacations and trips. There is hardly anyone who will say that they do not want to travel if given an option. Travel helps us in so many ways. From refreshing our minds to inspiring us to go back to our daily lives with energy and zeal, there are so many benefits of traveling. If you have been thinking about visiting your favorite holiday or travel destination this year, try to book your travel through Kayak. Learn more about it in this article… Kayak.com: What Is It? You must have heard the name Booking.com or Google Flights. Kayak is a similar website that helps you book your travel and accommodations. This travel search engine is a part of the Priceline group of travel sites that is also the owner of booking.com and Expedia. It is one of the most user-friendly travel sites that helps the users to look for their preferred destinations and also helps them book their travel stay. So, in case you thought that you could only book your hotels with this one, this would come as a shock to you.  One of the USPs of the Kayak website is that you can scan the prices of several other travel sites across the world in mere minutes. And it is not just limited to flights considering you will get options for hotels, car hire, eateries and others. It is one of the good sites considering it is way more reliable than third-party sites providing unstable bookings. They have tie-ups with travel agencies and services driving the sales of individual travel providers! How Does It Help? Kayak or Kayak.com helps the users (you, in this case) find hotels and travel at the best prices. This means that you can not only book your stay in your favorite destination but also book the travel options to the chosen site. Some of the services that are offered by the site are: Hotels Flights Trains Cabs Rental cars Cruise Vacation packages Rental apartment  Rental condos This search engine is also under the Priceline groups. As a result, the names of the hotel or flights that you see on your smartphones or desktops are similar to the ones shown by other search engines owned by the same. However, one of the major benefits of this search engine is that the price of the listing is quite low. This means traveling will not hurt your pockets! Considering it is a metasearch engine, it has more exposure with regard to deals, discounts, and offers. It is guaranteed that you will get bookings done at the lowest prices on this travel search engine. Even though many people hold the opinion that Google Flights have easier and cheaper rates, one cannot deny that Kayak Flights are very economical. The process is speedy. The price transparency when it comes to flights is something that Kayak.com is praised for. Should You Or Should You Not? Before choosing any particular site where you are going to spend money for the services they provide, it is best to learn about the advantages and the disadvantages. So should you or should you not use Kayak for your travel. Here are the pros and cons of this travel search engine: Pros The services are available in 18 languages The mobile app is user friendly It is great to compare the fare of the flights It has a mobile-friendly interface You are guaranteed to get some of the best deals User-friendly interface Cons Some people have complained about the safety concerns This site lack ingenuity because of its lack of user reviews compared to other travel websites Kayak.com: Alternatives There are many alternatives to Kayak as well. Some of them are: FlipKey Booking.com Expedia TripAdvisor Priceline.com  Hotels.com Here Are Some Facts Before going ahead to the reviews, let me tell you some of the facts about Kayak. Here are some: The name founder of the website is Paul English and Steve Hafner The search engine will send price alerts whenever the prices of services that have been selected by the customer fall. Kayak became a member of the Priceline Group of travel in 2012. The organization was started in 2004. Kayak is an American company. The search engine was previously owned by Booking Holdings. Steve Hafner is the CEO of the company. Reviews: What Do People Say About It? I know that you will not just choose this website for your flight and hotel booking simply based on my words. That is why I will bring to you some of the authentic reviews by people who have used Kayak previously. Here are some of the reviews: 1.  "I really use it to explore it was recommended to me by a friend years ago. It fills me with illusion to see so many places that I would like to visit all of them, but for the moment I keep dreaming." Lucy H. Source: influenster.com 2. payment issue sorted very efficiently..... "Payment was declined (anti-fraud), I unlocked the payment and responded to the email from Kayak alerting me to the decline, and the payment was cleared very quickly, or more importantly my booking went through with no further hiccup." TF Source: trustpilot.com Apart from the reviews that have been posted, I would also like to explain to you why Kayak is more reliable as compared to other third-party sites. The users of the site are driven towards booking with individual travel providers. This ensures that the booking is updated and accordingly can be adjusted. There can be fluctuations in the price however, it is not by a huge margin. Another advantage is you can also save your searches hence, it is efficient. The site will give you an alert on the price change if you save your searches! The Hacker Fare is another legit way to use Kayak especially when the website tries to use multiple airlines to give you the best of deals. What To Do To Efficiently Use Kayak! You must set a price alert because that will help you understand your bookings along with the alerts of the searches so that you can adjust your dates or timings based on your requirements. You can also make your preferred plans along with destinations! This will further help you because the application will notify you of any upcoming changes. You should also create an account where you can save cash. This will help you access the deals, especially during price fluctuation. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): 1. Why Should You Use Kayak? The travel search engine Kayak is a great alternative to many similar sites. It helps you book flights and hotels and trains and other rental Condos.One of the main reasons you should use this Kayak is the user-friendly website, which makes it easier to research travel and accommodation. 2. How To Kayak? If you are someone who likes watersports, then you must have heard the name Kayak or Kayaking.To Kayak, you need to make sure that you engage your core muscles as you paddle. You also need to push the paddle away from the body with the help of the shoulder and pull it back. 3. Who Owns Kayak? The mega online travel site Priceline.com acquired the travel and accommodation search engine Kayak for a massive amount of 1.8 billion dollars. Since then, Priceline.com, who is also the owner of Booking.com, has been the owner of Kayak. Wrapping Up! If you are planning to travel and are looking for a search engine that can help you find the best deals, I recommend that you try using Kayak. Also styled as KAYAK, this is one of the best travel search engines out there. In addition, it is a member of the Priceline group, which makes it a trusted company. You can book your hotel stays and the travel options from the search engines. In addition, there are a variety of services that the website provides to the users. Some of them are flight booking, trains, Kayak rental cars, and hotels. If you were looking for some facts and reviews of this site, some of them have been included above. Hope you found this article helpful. Read Also: The Many Reasons Hotel Stays Become Extended In New York City Finding The Best Hotel In Bournemouth 10 Best Places To Travel In February