Curitiba has definitively confirmed itself as a important tourist region and city, with options for everyone. The Núcleo de Turismo Receptivo (Receptive Tourism Nucleus) of the city, organized by the Sebrae/PR in partnership with the Tourism Institute of Curitiba, launched six new specific tours in the capital of Paraná state, Brazil.

In agreement with the Sebrae/PR consultant and manager of the tourism project, Patricia Albanez, everyone that is direct and indirectly involved with the tourism in Curitiba need to know about these new products. “They are differentiated and attractive scripts, that privilege tourism attractions that are barely awarded in the traditional tourist packages of Curitiba. Moreover, these new tours are relatively fast and can be added in the routine of people who come to Curitiba for business, work, events or leisure.”

Innovative Tourism

Patrician Albanez affirms that the reason of creating and divulging these innovative tours in Curitiba aim to provides the tourist the “experience economy”, where tourists can get the chance to live the city deeply and see it in different forms. The capital of Paraná also becomes a highlight touristic city in southern Brazil.

“The Núcleo de Turismo Receptivo’s project exists since last year and its main objective is to organize and foment the receptive travel agencies of the city, assisting them on businesses diversification and qualification. The Nucleo is composed by 9 specialized companies that are innovating the tourism activity in the city, demonstrating a great associativism “, evaluate the consultant.

THE NEW TOURS IN CURITIBA:

“Caminhando por Curitiba – Curitiba Walking Tour” - Special Paraná Turismo & Eventos
This tour is basically a fun and exciting stroll around Curitiba downtown to learn the history and culture of Curitiba. In a approximately 5 kilometers walk will take the tourist to streets and tourist attractions, accompanied by anecdotes and curiosities of the last 350 years of the city. You will also get to see many awesome images of the old Curitiba and see what the city looked like hundreds of years ago.

 Visited places:
- Tiradentes Square (Cathedral)
- Largo da Ordem (Ordem Church, Rosario Church, Flores Square)
- Belvedere and São Francisco Ruins
- Solar do Barão
- 19 de dezembro Square
- Arab Memorial
- Passeio Público
- Santos Andrade Square (Teatro Guaíra and University)
- Eufrásio Correia Square (old Train Station)
- Barão do Rio Branco Street
- Marechal Deodoro Street
- Zacarias Square
- Boca Maldita and Osório Square
- Pedestrian area
- Paço da Liberdade

Included in the price:
- Local guide (Portuguese, English, German, French and Italian available)
- Bus ticket

Departure time: Monday trough Saturday (9h and 14h) – between 2 and 10 participants.

BOOK “CURITIBA WALKING TOUR” ONLINE NOW!

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“De Bar em Bar – From Bar to Bar” – MMS Turismo
This tour is perfect and made specially for visitors that loves to make new friendships and wants to know and experience the best bars of Curitiba. In this tour you will go to three or four bars in the same night, guaranteed sit in one of the best tables, beyond an amused and pleasant night. Duration: 4 hours.

Departure time: Monday trough Sunday at 20h.

***

“Passeio de Compras em Curitiba – Shopping in Curitiba” – ONETUR
This tour will take to go shopping in Curitiba. You will visit malls, shops, outlets and commercial centers of Curitiba, where you can buy many things like clothes of famous national and internationally brands, artisan clothes, mineral rocks, souvenirs, etc.

Duration: 3 – 4 hours
Departure time: Monday trough Friday at 14h.

 ***

“Caminhos da Arte Paranaense -  Paranaense Art Road” - Sermann Turismo
In this tour you will walk around 5 kilometers in approximately 4 hours stroll by the heart of the city to see art works of the city made by the most famous artists Paraná state like Poty Lazzarotto, João Turin, Oscar Niemeyer, etc. This tour will show you the essence of the local art, well known for its multiple languages as painting, sculpture, mosaic, architecture and design.

Departure time:  Tuesday trough Saturday at 9h.

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“Curitiba Multicultural” – BWT
Curitiba is fruit of the immigrants’ efforts that, in the XIX century, had chosen the city as its safe port. In a 3 hours stroll you will get to see multiple ethnic marks and the most cultural beauties of the city like the Arab Memorial, Muslim Mosque, Japanese Memorial, Pope Woods, German Woods, the famous Italian neighborhood Santa Felicidade and Tingui Park.

Departure time: Daily (9h and 14h) – minimum of two participants.

***

“Esporte Tur em Curitiba – Sport Tur in Curitiba” - Kallisté Turismo
This tour is a great option for visitors who appreciates sports.  Trough a guided visit, this tour will take you at soccer stadiums, the Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba and skate parks of Curitiba.

Duration: 3h30 (approximately)
Departure time: Tuesdays and Fridays – minimum of two participants.

Click here to check other tours in Curitiba and surrounding areas!

Cheap Flights to Hamburg starting at $287* roundtrip!

Flights to Kiev for just $345* roundtrip.

The most common strategy these days, especially for younger travelers, is a “fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants” approach. While spontaneity and freedom is certainly somthing to be appreciated while visited new and exciting locations, a complete lack of planning can lead to a frustrated traveler and a deflated wallet.

Travel expert, Rick Steve’s mentions in his website that a well planned trip will provide for less stressful trip and will also allow for spontaneity. Mr. Steves suggests that an itinerary is made before the trip begins and each day is planned out. While having each day scheduled may seem too structured and rigid, you can always make changes or modifications to the schedule.

 When planning your itinerary plan a few hours of “free time” where there is nothing scheduled. This will allow not only for some room in the case of a timing issue, but also to make changes in your itinerary or for rest.

Rick Steves offers eight steps that will assist you in creating the perfect itinerary:

1. Read up on Europe and talk to travelers.

2. Decide on places you want to see.

3. Establish route and timeline.

4. Decide on the cities you’ll fly in and out of.

5. Determine the mode of transportation.

6. Make a rough itinerary.

7. Adjust by cutting, streamlining, or adding to fit your timeline or budget.

8. Fine tune.

To learn more about these steps and other travel tips, visit http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/itin.htm

Trains In Seattle Bring Out The Inner Child

by Owen Jones (Hosted by Bruce Oliver, Travel & Cruise with Bruce)

Boys and girls of all ages like trains and train sets. They have played a vital part in the history of this country and Seattle, Washington and the Northwest in particular. In fact, the roles of trains in this part of the country have in the past been so critical that there are a couple of museums dedicated to them. Trains were essential supply routes for the people here for many years. While their importance seems to be diminishing in today’s society, their importance throughout the history of our country remains.

If you truly are a train enthusiast, then it should not be difficult to talk you into stopping by Seattle’s Train Center before and after touring the museums devoted to trains and their vital role in history. The Train Center offers a wide selection of model train parts and pieces that would make excellent additions to your train set or a great beginning for a train set for you or your kids.

After you’ve whetted your appetite for trains and gotten your child all excited about them, it is time to take a walk back in time to the Northwest Railway Museum. There you can learn about railway history or even decide to take a ride on one of the trains that departs on several trips throughout the day. Most of the excursions are 65-75 minutes long and are a remarkable treat for young and old alike. Perhaps the greatest thing about this museum is that its main purpose is to educate the public about the important function that railroads had in the development of this part of the country.

If you’re really interested in sharing your affection for trains with the ones you love, you may consider taking a spin on the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train. This is a great way to not only get the experience of travelling the rails but to take in some of the beautiful Washington scenery and have a gourmet meal in the process. During the months of November through to April up to two children may ride free with a paying adult.

There are certain limitations on the type of seating, but it is a great way to enjoy the experience at a greatly reduced price. There are also exclusive events such as Murder Mystery Trains and Magic and Illusion shows in addition to certain holiday events as well. Be sure to check out what is going on while you are visiting Seattle and see if this is something that might interest you and your family.

If you are up for a not so short drive to Pasco (about three and a half hours from Seattle), you might find the Washington State Railroads Historical Society Museum well worth the journey. Be sure to remember that the museum is only open on Saturday and that the hours are restricted so this is a journey you need to plan in advance. The greatest thing about this museum to me is the fact that there are lovely little stories, like the blackboard that recorded the first snowfall at the depot each year and others such as this.

It is the short stories that do not necessarily make history that do make lasting impressions and I am glad to see this particular story is being shared. Just remember, when visiting any of these depots, museums, and train tours that you definitely must bring your inner child with you in order to enjoy them as you should.

About the Author:

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a lot of topics, but is presently involved with train sets for kids. If you would like to know more about train sets for kids, please go over to our website for some great offers.

Recently visited HIX restaurant in London on Brewer St cose to Piccadilly Circus . Excellent food at reasonable prices www.hixsoho.co.uk

American Airlines low fare deals to Nassau, Cancun and other cities starting at just $78* roundtrip!

Austrian Air Fares to Vienna starting at $347* roundtrip.

Fri Dec 4, 10:18 am ET

DALLAS – Southwest Airlines Co. said Friday that November traffic jumped
11.7 percent over the same month last year, when recession and shock waves
in the financial industry were hurting business travel.

Southwest said revenue for each seat it offered, a closely watched
measurement in the airline industry, rose about 12 percent.

The results pointed to a strong end of the year for the Dallas-based
airline, which carries more passengers in the U.S. than any airline. Traffic
and other measurements were far stronger in November than for the year so
far as a whole.

Southwest said paying customers flew 5.88 billion miles last month, up from
5.26 billion in November 2008.

Meanwhile, the airline was reducing seats, which caused planes to fly closer
to full. Passenger-carrying capacity fell 7.7 percent, to 7.69 billion
available seat miles. Airlines cut seats with fewer flights and some smaller
planes to reduce costs and drive up fares by shifting the balance of supply
and demand.

The average November flight took off with 76.5 percent of the seats filled,
compared with 63.2 percent a year earlier.

For the year through November, Southwest passengers flew 68.49 billion
miles, up 1.2 percent over the same period last year. Capacity fell 5
percent to 90.17 billion available seat miles. Average flight occupancy rose
to 76 percent from 71.3 percent.

Source: AP

On my latest excursion I bought Rick Steve’s guide to Paris and took it with me for the trip (though I left it in Rome to make room in my luggage for pesto!).  As an experienced traveler, and a fan of independent travel, you might wonder why I chose to buy a guidebook.

Its simple really. I bring guidebooks along as experienced friends. When used correctly, guidebooks can facilitate your trip without it losing any sense of being a unique experience. They don’t lead my trip, but merely assist me in making decisions by giving travel tips. When you buy a guidebook:

The Guidebook told me about Notre Dame, but not about the roses behind it!

Do:

1. Read it Ahead of Time!: 80% of the pleasure I get out of a guidebook is before my trip. Anticipation adds so much to a trip.
2. Planning: While you can never completely plan everywhere you will go on a trip, a guidebook gives you the ‘most sees’ so you can decide for yourself. When I looked at the list for Paris, I realized that I did not want to miss the Louvre, but could do without paying to go to Saint Chapelle this time around.
3. Transportation, Transportation, Transportation!: I really think this is when a guidebook becomes indispensable. It saves a lot of stress when you can read ahead of time how to get from the airport into the city, what the best kind of transportation pass is to buy and how much to pay for a taxi.
4. Language Tips: If you aren’t familiar with the language (and don’t have time to take a course) the quick guide to useful phrases in the back of the book can certainly help you along.

Don’ts

1. Limit Yourself to the Accomodation/Restaurant Choices: While Guidebooks can provide good suggestions, there often better deals if you look for people renting out appartments. Also, staying in a hotel pushed in a guidebook may mean that you are only staying with other Americans (which may or may suit you). Finally, a guidebook can not cover all the good restaurants in a city! Be creative and willing to step in a restaurant that appeals to you.
2. Glue the Book to your Hand: While it is a good reference, remember that your book does not have to be your guide everywhere you go! You will see more and appreciate more if you have to figure out a couple things for yourself. Consult the tips in the book and then go ahead and call that cab, order that dessert, or ask directions. Its part of traveling!
3. Feel Discouraged if You Don’t Cover Everything: You won’t cover everything in a guidebook and a guidebook won’t cover everything in your trip. Remember, its your trip, not Rick Steves, Lonely Planet’s or anyone else’s.

I’ve found another helpful aid is the chats about guidebooks on the web. For example, you can find the message board for Rick Steve’s here.

Don’t forget to pursue your own interests: art, music, sports…whatever it may be.

Any suggestions for other great guidebooks?

Pieces of history are always fascinating especially when it is something tangible.  One of the best places to take a walk in time and absorb the past is a cemetery.  The older the cemetery, the more fascinating the walk.  One reason is that a walk in a cemetery reminds us of our own mortality and the graves are graves of real people who lived in times past.  A walk through an old house or an ancient city is quite enjoyable.  However, a walk through a cemetery is somehow more personal, and though cemeteries are filled with the remnants of the dead, it can bring history alive.

An old city like Savannah is rich in history and culture, and it is not exempt from its own historic cemeteries.  Bonaventure Cemetery is the oldest and most

A Beautiful Bonaventure Monument

beautiful of them all.  It is filled with rich architectural monuments, history of those who help build Savannah and is planted among some of the most majestic Southern Oaks you will find anywhere.  Located in Thunderbolt at 330 Bonaventure Dr., Bonaventure Cemetery is situated on a bluff overlooking the Wilmington River with breathtaking views.  As a result, it is one of the most visited cemeteries in the United States a

According to the history books, Bonaventure served as the Tattnall family burial ground since 1794 and formed part of the Tattnall Plantation.  Savannah businessman Peter Wiltberger bought 70 acres from Joseph Tattnall III as a public cemetery in 1847, and the plots were designed around the old plantation house and the oak lined roadways.  In 1907, the City of Savannah purchased the property and continues to be owned by the city today.  Peter Wiltberger was himself buried in the cemetery only 1 year later in 1848 beside his already deceased wife.

Among those buried in Bonaventure are Little Gracie Watson, Alexander Robert Lawton and his daughter Corinne, Conrad Potter Aiken and his wife Mary, Johnny and Ginger Mercer, Claudius Charles Wilson, Josiah Tattnall and Henry Rootes Jackson.  There is also a large Jewish section of the cemetery and a small wooden synagogue.  As you stroll through this section you can see gravestones with Hebrew symbols and writing and occasionally the Tetragramaton, 4 Hebrew letters that represent the name of God, often pronounced Yahweh or Jehovah in English.

While some companies charge for tours of Bonaventure, upwards of $26.00, it is open to the public from 8 pm to 5 pm daily and there is no charge for entrance so you can take your own tour for FREE.  Just respect the beauty of the architecture by not destroying, defacing or polluting any aspect of the cemetery.  Why not take a stroll, a drive and spend time with your family and those of the past?  Spend the day relaxed among a beautiful historic setting on link any other.  Why not have an adventure in Bonaventure!

We thank you for reading our articles.  Please support them by visiting our Savannah Toile website and purchasing a Savannah keepsake for yourself or a gift for a close friend or relative.  Let’s keep Savannah beautiful!  Visit us at www.savannahtoile.com.

By Meg Hoppe

Changing the old adage, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" to "If don't have anything to say under 140 characters, don't say anything at all."

Welcome to December everyone!

I noticed that I’ve been really letting myself go lately. I’ve stopped budgeting, stopped writing about budgeting and started shopping. I could tell you all it’s been the holidays, the sweet fall leaves, or the over abundance of turkey in my life as of late. Whatever the reason, holidays can be killer on everyone’s wallets. So, in my attempt to re-join the land of the fiscally responsible, Black Friday deals have their sway on even the strongest, I stumbled across this article discussing the benefits of Twitter on travel.

Most friends rolled their eyes when I jumped on the Twitter bandwagon. At first I used it to challenge my writing. If I can write a concise and witty 140 update, I’ve chosen the right profession. However, now this social networking giant has become a tool that everyone should explore.

Aside from taking the place of a news wire for a journalist, Twitter is a great place to find deals, savings, and freebies. I’ve been on for almost a year and have gotten free CDs and invites to events. I did some digging and found tons, and I mean tons of tweets advertising cheaper prices for or giveaways for almost everything you can imagine.

And apparently traveling is no exception to this. According to an MSNBC article, last summer some lucky followers were able to get $9 JetBlue tickets from JFK to Nantucket and $444 round–trips on United from the West Coast to Australia. You might ask yourself how they were able to get them. Twitter folks, it’s all about Twitter. By following JetBlue and United a few lucky travelers were able to check out steep sales first.

I really think it’s time for you to get off your anti-Twitter rampage and step on over to the dark side. We have cookies and cheaper plane tickets, so why are you waiting? Get your own 140 character soap box and join the movement.

Some great people to follow for the best travel deals:

• FareCompare
• Rick Seaney [CEO of FareCompare]
• TravelZoo
• JetBlue Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines

*Meg Hoppe is a freelance writer and marketing professional from Chicago. Visit her other blogs here and here and follow her on Twitter @CallMeHoppe.

You might be a bit of a late planner — and the holidays are fast approaching.

But, that’s OK. You can still plan a trip to see family and friends. Or, if you’re looking for a little “me” or “we” time and prefer to go it a little more on your own somewhere new, that’s great too. There are still plenty of last-minute holiday finds out there — but you have to know where and how to look. Though the availability in Mexico and Jamaica is at a premium, the Dominican Republic still has many great opportunities during the winter months.

The best way to approach your holiday plans is simple: consult your travel professional.

When you work with your travel pro, you’re not only saving all kinds of time but you are getting a chance to pick and choose the best travel values and experiences. All you have to do is give them a basic idea of what you want to do or where you want to go and they will do the rest — and do it quickly since the holidays are approaching fast.

Or, just tell your travel pro your budget range and that you just want to get out of town and see what they come up with. Who knows? That dream vacation you’ve been thinking about may be closer than you think.

Developed and developing nations are being challenged more than ever to provide a good quality of life for their inhabitants while coping with population growth. Curitiba, the most environmentally friendly city in Brazil, is flourishing by meeting these needs. Through embracing sustainable development, it has become an important reference among these communities in terms of planning, public policies, and successful strategy implementation towards environmental sustainability. With 1.7 million residents, Curitiba has grown through calm, harmonic urban solutions that respect individuals and cultures and preserve the environment while sustaining its cosmopolitan cultural identity. This setting makes Curitiba an example for the rest of the world.

How Curitiba got there

Most of the policies that transformed Curitiba into a model of environmental sustainability were initiated by Jaime Lerner, Mayor of Curitiba during Brazil’s military regime in the late 1980s. He and a working team designed and implemented the urban master plan, which included integrated initiatives of green areas, waste recycling, and transportation projects. Today, the public transport system accommodates 2 million passengers daily and is the main source of transportation for 54 percent of the city. Most Curitiba citizens embrace the city’s commitment to environmental responsibility as part of their collective subconscious. The exhaustive marketing and educational campaigns that were carried out during the military regime have been maintained and reinforced during the democratic mandates that have followed. Citizens have incorporated environmental awareness as part of their lifestyle.

Curitiba started its green transformation with the development of an integrated plan for basic sanitation and environmental preservation. When in the early 1970s the United Nations declared that every urban inhabitant should have a minimum of twelve square meters of green area, Curitiba had only a half-square meter per inhabitant. The city implemented various strategic changes, and today the green area per inhabitant is fifty-one square meters. Through land expropriation, the city government offered new sport and leisure spaces while preventing illegal land occupation by those without explicit right to the property. They also created ponds and lakes by containing rainwater at a cost fifty times less than a typical channel network.

 These green areas are spread among thirty forests and parks that have become highly valued meeting points for the population. Several of them are allusive to important local history, honoring the arrival of immigrants and the native habitants, the Tingui Indians. Because immigration contributes to the multicultural accent and development of the region, Curitiba’s green spaces represent its culture with free public libraries of various languages and open spaces that host annual cultural and gastronomic celebrations. The authoritarian government, which reigned from 1964 to 1985, sustained Lerner’s foresight, but the successes of his administration ultimately led to his democratic reelection.

Additional projects improved the strategic use of the extensive green areas in an inclusive way. UNILIVRE, the free university for the environment, is the first of its kind in the Americas. UNILIVRE holds workshops for environmental awareness and education for people of all ages, backgrounds and socioeconomic conditions.

Keeping it clean through sustainable waste management

 A few of Curitiba’s most notable successes are its solid waste management and recycling programs. The city established an industrial landfill through a public-private partnership near the assigned industrial development area. At the landfill site, they neutralize toxic waste (such as batteries) and reuse other materials for cement production. Additionally, they collect and process cooking oil to be reused for soaps and fuel. Finally, they introduced a particular process for clinical and hospital waste to be sterilized before being sent to the organic landfills.

 Curitiba was the first city in the country to practice selective garbage collection by separating organic from inorganic waste. The municipal service collects an average of 1200 tons of organic waste and thirty tons of recyclable materials daily, and independent collectors gather an additional forty-five tons of recyclables daily. Through “Cambio Verde” (green exchange program) another thirteen-and-a-half tons are exchanged. This program exchanges four kilograms of recyclable material for one kilogram of food at over eighty-eight points in the city twice a week.

Recyclables are a profitable source of income not just for the lowest quintile of the local society, but also for the other stakeholders in the recycling system. The majority of the collected materials are donated to the Pro-Citizenship Institute (Instituto Pro Cidadania de Curitiba, or IPCC), a local NGO. IPPC separates, compacts, and sells the material to surrounding recycling factories, giving a source of income to over sixty employees.

Another group that benefits from municipal assistance with recyclable material are the “ecociudadanas” cooperatives. The city provides groups of twenty to twenty-five citizens, mostly women, with a physical space to keep, select, compress and sell the recyclable materials they collect. This system allows them able to double and sometimes triple their regular income while also obtaining healthcare, childcare, and education access for them and their children. As of July 2008 nine ecociudadano cooperative groups existed, and given their successes, the local government is continuously opening more.

Application to other cities

The most likely obstacles that other local governments will face while trying to integrate these policies in their municipalities are budget restrictions. Surprisingly, the expenses for such a progressive system are relatively limited. In 2006, expenditures for the Environmental Department represented just 1.4 percent of Curitiba’s annual budget. However, the annual expenditures for urban development and education were 39.8 percent and 18 percent of the annual budget for Curitiba, respectively. Sustainable planning requires a willingness to invest and cooperate with the private sector, and Curitiba demonstrates how this commitment efficiently promotes environmental preservation.

Curitiba is far from being an ecologic sanctuary, but the “green” attitude of Curitibans has taken them in a positive direction and has transformed the city into an important reference worldwide, inviting others to be creative and value citizens’ input as a priority for environmental conservation. Curitiba, along with other cities such as Portland, OR (USA), Geneva (Switzerland) and many others as in Germany and Sweden, is a living model for other cities that want to implement sustainable living policies. As a blossoming city in a developing country, Curitiba is an inspiration for other cities in this context to overcome economic resource constrains and address the same sustainable challenges.

Daniela Ochoa Gonzalez is a 2009 MPA Candidate in CIPA concentrating in environmental policy.

Check out the tour “Curitiba like locals: Urban Planing”, a  private tour where visitors can have the chance to see how locals use the great Curitibas’s public transportation system  and also get more information how Curitiba developed it in the last decades. Well recomended!

Click here to book this tour online! Check other Curitiba tours at www.curitiba-travel.com.br

Incaran maling

Walau sedang menikmati indahnya alam, Anda tak bakal bisa melupakan pekerjaan. Wajar, jika Anda harus membawa notebook saat traveling, baik untuk menjalin komunikasi maupun memantau bisnis.

Untuk saat ini, pisah dengan laptop dan handphone rasanya sungguh sulit. Bahkan saat traveling pun, laptop sudah menjadi bagian tak terpisahkan. Dengan notebook ini Anda bisa berbagi informasi dengan rekan-rekan, baik meng-upload foto ke situs jejaring sosial, chatting, membuka email atau bahkan memantau dan menyelesaikan pekerjaan. Membawa notebook saat melancong bukan berarti tanpa resiko. Benda elektronik ini rentan dengan benturan dan mudah rusak. Coba ikuti tips berikut agar laptop tak mengalami gangguan saat ditenteng dari satu tempat ke tempat lain.

1. Sebagai barang berharga yang mudah dijual, notebook menjadi incaran pencuri. Untuk menghindari pencurian, jangan masukkan notebook ke dalam tas laptop. Simpanlah di dalam tas ransel atau tempat lain yang tidak menimbulkan kecurigaan. Pastikan laptop aman dari benturan sehingga tak rusak jika harus masuk ke bagasi.

2. Lengkapi laptop dengan anti virus terbaru. Notebook mudah terserang virus di tempat-tempat umum seperti hotel, café dan bandara yang belum dilengkapi dengan sandi khusus pada jaringan internetnya. Hati-hati dalam menggunakan Wi-Fi, jangan sampai Anda menjadi korban hacker yang ingin mengacaukan notebook Anda.

3. Saat keluar hotel, jangan biarkan laptop tergeletak di kamar. Selain beresiko hilang, bisa pula data-data penting dicuri. Pastikan hard disk sudah di-back up sehingga Anda tak kehilangan data jika terjadi sesuatu pada notebook. Jika terpaksa meninggalkan laptop di kamar, simpan di tempat aman serta matikan piranti ini.

4. Pakailah laptop pada saat dan tempat yang tepat. Jangan gunakan notebook di daerah rawan pemerasan. Cari tempat aman, di hotel atau tempat lain, untuk mengeluarkan dan menggunakan notebook.

5. Pastikan Anda membawa charger laptop. Ga lucu kan kalau charger tertinggal sehingga notebook tak ada gunanya lagi. Jika perlu, bawalah baterai cadangan. Jangan lupa pula membawa piranti lain yang sering Anda gunakan seperti flash disk, modem 3G, kabel data atau card reader sehingga aktivitas tetap lancar.

6. Lengkapi laptop dengan password. Kata sandi ini akan menyelamatkan notebook dari tangan jahil yang ingin melihat atau membongkar isi laptop Anda. Pastikan Anda mengingat password tersebut sehingga tak menimbulkan masalah. (Majalah 3636 edisi 46, November 2009)

It reads as ominously as a middle school chain letter. Except, in the end, failure to perpetuate the chain isn’t sworn to result in untimely death or spinsterhood (which are more or less the same thing when you’re 12). Rather, in this chain, compliance results in access to a treasure trove of travelers’ secrets. And probably some new friends.

I was hit by two writers in the TripBase Blog Tag, spreading through the travel blogosphere like hot gossip around a lunch table. Or a dirty note during Math class, light-up sneakers in a mean game of duck-duck-goose. (The analogies could go on forever.) The idea is you write a post about your top three travel secrets: out-of-the-way towns, little-known restaurants, unheard-of hotels—”hidden gems” that lay glittering in the dimness of obscurity. Until now, that is.

Aside from amassing an ass-kicking list of previously unknown spots around the world, the other objective of the TripBase Blog Tag is to be build community and get folks involved. I can get down with that. In addition to the awesome ladies that tagged me—Stephanie from Twenty-Something Travel and Abbie from Miles of Abbie—I’ve already discovered some new writers on the TripBase list of bloggers tagged so far. (Best blog names? Dirtbag Writer and Snarky Tofu. Fuck yeah.) My hunch: the final list won’t just expose travel secrets, but also some bad-ass writers I hadn’t encountered yet.

They say you’re only as sick as your secrets. Here’s to travel health:

End of the hike: waterfall into the Pacific

#1 Palomarin Hike, Marin County, California

My work friend had been telling me about “the secret hike” for months. Huddled over our staff meals in the cramped bus station, she made rope-swinging into the clear lake, and the coastal waterfall at the trail’s end, sound like a dream. Or at least a damn good fantasy.

We finally coordinated a day off together in August and headed up to Marin to the Palomarin Hike. We grabbed sandwiches and drove up past Stinson Beach to tackle the 11-mile hike. And I gotta say, it was just as killer as she’d described.

The hike starts through rather typical dusty California coastal terrain, taking you past sweeping Pacific vistas us locals have grown accustomed to. After about 45 minutes, the foliage and trees thicken, and you eventually get to Bass Lake, a frigid-water lake that’s biggest draw is an old-school rope swing. You could while away hours here, but, seeing as though it was August in the Bay Area and foggy as hell, we were too cold to partake. We continued on, and ended up at the trail’s end, where a waterfall tumbles into an isolated coastal cove.

The good news: the hike, although long, is gentle and not too strenuous. Which means just about anyone could do it—including my smoke-a-pack-a-day friend and me, who was then recovering from swine flu (yes, really).

The bad news: the Palomarin Hike is a total word-of-mouth Bay Area secret. As is the way with Marinites, locals don’t want outsiders to know about their secrets or have access to them (see also: why BART doesn’t run to Marin). Locals take down street signs and signposts, meaning that you’ve pretty much gotta go with someone who’s been there. So if you’re headed to the Bay soon, just hit me up; I’ll take you.

Ahhh...

#2 Legzira Plage, Atlantic Coast, Morocco

Okay, if you’ve been following this blog for a bit, you’ve already heard me gush about the most deserted and beautiful beach I’ve ever been to: Legzira Plage, Morocco.

Talk about tucked-away: from Tiznit, take an hour bus ride, hop off at the faded roadside sign, and hike down 20 minutes. It’ll really just be you, a couple stray tourists, some fisherman and their donkeys—and the sandstone arches that dive red earth into blue water.

Among the handful of pink building that cascade down the cliff into the main beach, there’s two hotels that offer relatively cheap rooms. I went high-class and got one with my own shower, squat toilet (doin’ big things), and a window that opened onto the ocean view—for under $20.

Another bonus is the Moroccan street harassment factor, and the fact that Legzira Plage doesn’t have one. After a couple weeks of solo backpacking, sweating in long sleeves and fending off the barrage of “bonjour”s, it felt pretty damn sweet to strip down to my bikini and wave-hop in peace.

Kids on their way to school

#3 El Congo, Venezuela

The story goes that, when Europeans first arrived in what is now Venezuela, they came to the Lake Maracaibo villages, perched on stilts amid the marshes and water. Watching the village folks traverse the “streets” in handmade rafts reminded the Europeans of Venice—and they dubbed the place Venezuela.

El Congo, Venezuela is the most other-worldly places I’ve ever been. It’s only reachable by boat, a 30-minute ride through the hazy flat expanse of water, and you’ve gotta book a tour to get there. But surprisingly, the town isn’t the main draw of the tour. The Catatumbo Lightning phenomenon is what draws most people—mysterious, thunderless lightning that occurs almost nightly in the skies over Lake Maracaibo.

The road to Los Llanos was flooded when I was in Merida, so I opted to take the Catatumbo tour in its place. I hadn’t heard of El Congo, but it ended up being the highlight of the tour (the lightning didn’t really happen that night). The town had everything—a school, a fire station, a convenience store, even a Plaza Bolivar—all erected on stilts. Rumor had it there were a couple old folks still living in the town who’d only ever stepped foot for dry land to bury relatives.

It wasn’t an untouched Eden: El Congo was extremely isolated, making inbreeding a huge problem, and the town was quite poor. Sanitation was a major issue, with most refuse and human waste going directly into the water. Owning an actual boat was a sign of privilege. The less well-to-do had to construct their own floatation devices—this girl tied a piece of wood to some leftover styrofoam, dug a stick down into the mushy lakebed, and propelled herself along that way.

The thing that really bummed me out were the poor yapping dogs chained to the “front porch” of some of the houses. So much for getting a walk, little buddy. But hands down, El Congo was the most unusual place I’ve ever traveled to—and so far off the beaten path, there wasn’t a path at all.

So that’s my top three, scrawled not-so-jaggedly into the margins of a wrinkled note. Now to fold it up and shove it into another sweaty, unsuspecting palm. This could get good…

Cheap Flights to London starting at $159* roundtrip!

Flights to Paris for just $207* roundtrip.

When traveling to a city you’ve never been to before, I highly recommend staying at the Four Seasons.  However, if you’re like me and cannot afford the Four Seasons, find a hotel near the Four Seasons.  The reason is this: Four Seasons is never in a bad neighborhood.

When I’m traveling, especially when I’m going alone, I find out where the Four Seasons (or the Mandarin Oriental or another top hotel) is, and then I find a nearby hotel that falls within my budget.  I’ll then check the reviews on Tripadvisor, making sure to disregard multiple reviews from the same e-mail address or from the hotel’s e-mail address.

I also look for hotels that have available Internet in the business center or lobby.  This way, on long trips, I can send periodic emails to friends and family.  It’s a good idea, too, to leave a copy of your itinerary and numbers with someone back home.

So many exciting events for Christmas time!

The first we want to invite you to is the opening of a great ice skating rink in the centre of Salò: this attraction will entertain children and adults until the end of January 2010.

Don’t miss a special opening ceremony with Christmas carols and gospels next Saturday from 8,30 pm – we all will be there!

P.S.: does this post title remind you of anything..? Maybe.. a Christmas song by Sir Paul McCartney from 1979? Enjoy it!

With the holiday season less than three weeks away, many of us are getting ready to travel and make our appearance elsewhere. Speaking of appearance, many of us battle with “travel hair”, where despite truly valiant effort, our hair never looks as fabulous as it does when we’re at home with our own products and tools. Tired of relatives and others making comments about your own lackluster hairstyle when you come to visit? Afraid to bring all the wrong hairstyling items again? StyleBell decided to take action on this “situation” and call in an expert. Here, celebrity hairstylist Rodney Cutler gives us his exert advice on how to get fantastic hair on the road:

What are some of the mistakes women make when packing as it pertains to hair care?
People take for granted the impact the right or wrong shampoo can have on your hair: it all starts with the right hair cleanser. Transfer your full-sized shampoo and conditioner into generic 3 oz size containers. Our salon produces a great Cutler Carry-On Kit ($22) that includes travel sizes of our Daily Shampoo, Daily Conditioner, Body Wash, Body Milk, and Face Soap. Also, consider what climate you’re traveling into, i.e. more or less humidity than where you live. Different climates require different styling products. Finally, look at the events you’ll attend and plan the desired looks you want to achieve.

What are your essential do’s or don’ts when it comes to travel-proof hair?
Limit your possessions. For example, if you aren’t sure if you’re going to wear your hair curly or straight, bring one tool that does both like a flat iron that works as a straightener and a curling iron. 
 
What are the essentials any woman should pack to make her hair look its best when she travels?
A must-have is a bungee cord to pull hair back into a bun or ponytail so you don’t disturb the texture of the hair.
 
Is there anything a woman can do in advance of traveling that can make doing her hair on the road any easier?
Go easy on finishing products with too much oil, like a shine spray because travel time will lead to your scalp producing oil, which creates greasy hair.  Stick with products with more of a matte finish because. Quick and easy and you’ll be ready for any holiday function with gorgeous hair!

By Kristin Booker