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African experiences in the wild
I love nature and being outdoors and have had a couple of interesting experiences in South Africa. My South African friends seem to find my stories pretty interesting and even so much more the people I have met in Australia and other countries, so...
Aliens, Hitler and a hideaway villa on Fuerteventura
Aliens and Adolf Hitler might not seem to have much in common. But lying in isolated mountainside in one of the most secluded areas of the Canary Islands lies an spacious villa that has given birth to mysterious legends about both.
This spacious...
Alternative Holidays – Exchange Conversation for Accommodation in Spain’s Englishtown Project
Madrid, Spain -- For the last three years, over 3,000 people have participated in the unique English language immersion program known as Englishtown. Two venues, a 16th century abandoned village and a plush country-style hotel, play host to a...
Malaria Prevention - Five ways to avoid catching it on Safari
Malaria is endemic to most of the areas in Africa where safari trips are still possible which means you will need to take malaria prevention precautions to protect yourself against catching the disease when you travel there. There are five things...
Renting Town Houses in Orlando Florida
Why should you rent an Town Houses instead of staying in a hotel room? So you decided on Orlando Florida for your family vacation this year. Before you decide where to stay think about what it is like in Orlando. It is usually very warm, even in...
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All Inclusive Vacations Are Great For Planning Your 2006 Holiday, But Are You Getting The Best Deal?
Another year has come and gone, and now you're planning a 2006
Caribbean holiday vacation to get rid of those winter blues!
When considering a winter getaway, an All Inclusive vacation may
be your best option if you happen to be on the after Christmas
vacation budget.
If you're new with the vacation terms such as inclusive
vacation, all-inclusive, semi-inclusive, EP plan, and vacation
packages provided through many Vacation Tour Companies, I will
give you a crash course on what the differences are between the
packages, and what you would normally expect from each
individual holiday plan.
You may be surprised that the All-Inclusive package has a far
better value over other package deals! Your budget will
determine on what type of vacation package you would opt for,
but during the final decisions, you would want to make sure you
get the best value for your dollars spent.
European Package: Also known as the EP Plan, this is your
most basic vacation package that only offers your hotel
accommodations, airfare, and in most cases transfers to your
destination of choice. Your meals, drinks, snacks and gratuities
are additional, so unless you happen to be very good with
budgeting, and watching your spending during the time you're at
destination, then I would suggest you stay away from this plan
unless you find a price you just can't refuse, but then I would
still want to do a cost comparison.
Semi-Inclusive Package: Many vacationers get this term
confused with the All-Inclusive, and the package price
difference can be quiet substantial. This is why when you read
the brochures, this may be easily overlooked, and before you
know it, your holiday that you booked becomes more expensive
than you originally imagined.
It's always in your best interest to read all the fine print
whether out of the brochure, or online information. The
semi-inclusive plan is simply your resort, flight, transfers,
and may not include gratuities. This type of package in most
cases does not include unlimited beverages, such as pop, coffee,
and alcohol, and you would have to pay for most, if not all your
water sport activities at your property if available. You will
see that a semi-inclusive plan could offer full daily meals,
however, in most cases they may only provide breakfast, and/or
lunch/dinner, leaving one meal and snacks as an additional
expense.
All-Inclusive Package: These resort packages are the best
for budgeting, because all your costs are paid up-front, but
also be very careful with this plan, and do your research to
make sure that what is included is exactly what you're looking
for in your vacation experience.
With this type of plan, you will receive your accommodations,
air transportation to your destination, transfers to/from
airport, and in some instances gratuities are included. Your
daily meals consist of your breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and
most plans provide daily snacks. A large number of your water
sports and entertainment are included in the price of the
package, but I will explain where you may find some differences
in these All Inclusive package deals.
Inclusive Hotels, Inclusive Service, And Beach Packages Are
Not All Created Equal!
You will find with vacation package deals offering All-Inclusive
plans are not all created equal, and in many instances you may
think that you paid for everything, and later find out there are
additional costs charged for amenities that you thought were in
your inclusive service.
It may take a little research, but when you read the details
of
all the amenities that are offered, you will soon understand why
your All-Inclusive package price looks so appealing! Some areas
you may witness discrepancies are in your meals, drinks, water
sports, and gratuities. These little oversights could be costly,
and add up very quickly on the actual price you paid for your
vacation. These are items and services you may have not budgeted
for, and if not caught prior to booking, can easily put a strain
on your holiday experience.
As you go through each of the resort packages available, you
will quickly notice that price will be the indicator on what you
will be getting, and don't use the current sale or last minute
prices, use the brochure or online gross price. My best advise
to you, is to find the holiday package that suites your
lifestyle requirements, such as beachfront resort, more A La
Carte restaurants versus buffets, and higher star rated
properties that offer more amenities such as 24 hour services,
fitness clubs, spas, and free bottled water, which is a big
oversite by many lower star rated resorts.
After you figured out what you want in your vacation experience,
then the next step is to search online for the inclusive
information for the resorts that appeal to you most. If you
happen to see cheaper deals online, compare the two with the
amenities and services offered, and make sure that the property
provides everything you are requesting. Do a price comparison,
and see what the cost difference is, and this can help you make
your final decisions.
Keep in mind that what you budget at home is not going to be the
same for your vacation. I always tell people that when you
arrive at your desired vacation destination, your current budget
goes right out the window! You're in a different mindset, and
when the moment arises you're more than likely going to be more
impulsive, and the normal decisions that you would not make in
your everyday life, you will do it on your holidays. Remember,
you're on vacation to have fun, create new experiences, and do
things that you would don't normally do in your everyday life,
that's why they call it a getaway from reality!
You're going to meet new friends, and they may want you to go
out for intimate fancy dinners, and share exciting excursions
together. With my experience, the pressure takes a toll on you,
and when the pressure is on, the credit cards are pulled out,
and the charges add to your vacation expense.
In conclusion, it is better to find a quality four-star resort
property that offers a variety of fancy dining in combination
with good buffet restaurants. Make sure the drinks such as pop,
coffee, liquor, beer, and wine is available to you 24 hours a
day with unlimited availability, and also see that water sports
and entertainment is included with no additional fees charged.
My last suggestion is that you find a package that also offers
all gratuities, because when you get to your resort, you are
going to be overwhelmed with their service and amenities, which
will have you dishing out more in tips than you budgeted for in
the beginning. These are a few of the small expenses that wind
up making your great All Inclusive deal turn into a costly
holiday that you never expected in the beginning.
About the author:
About the author:
William Lezubski is a professional in the
Travel Industry and is the owner and author of "Discount
Caribbean Vacations Web Site" at www.discount-caribbean-vacations.com A great
source for vacations.
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Holidays on the Net - Welcome |
Includes music, graphics, historical information, suggested activities, kids pages, links, and other features for most holidays. |
www.holidays.net |
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Kids Domain - Holidays |
HOLIDAY FUN with crafts, recipes, printables, games and activity suggestions for your family to enjoy. |
www.kidsdomain.com |
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Earth Calendar |
Every day is a celebration! The Earth Calendar is an online calendar of holidays and observances around the world. |
www.earthcalendar.net |
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Federal Holidays Calendars from 1997 to 2010 |
Offers a list of federally-recognized holidays celebrated in the United States. |
www.opm.gov |
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TELETEXT HOLIDAYS : Cheap Flights, Last Minute Deals, Ski Holidays ... |
Search for package holidays from over 250 tour operators, find last minute charter flights, ski holidays, snow reports, cruises, destination guides and ... |
www.teletextholidays.co.uk |
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Thomson.co.uk - Great Value Holidays from the UK's no.1 Tour Operator |
Thomson Holidays Online offer cheap package holidays, flights, sun holidays, faraway holidays to exotic destinations, late deals, city breaks, hotel booking ... |
www.thomson.co.uk |
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Holiday - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
4.1 Holidays traditionally in the winter holiday season ... Public holidays can be either religious, in which case they reflect the dominant religion in a ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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Bargain holidays and cheap flights from Bargainholidays.com |
Choose from 2 million+ late availability cheap flights and last minute bargain holiday packages departing from the UK. Order online from an ABTA bonded and ... |
www.bargainholidays.com |
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First Choice - Book your dream holiday online - Great value ... |
Find great value package holidays online with First Choice. Book last-minute holidays, all inclusive holidays, family holidays and villa holidays. |
www.firstchoice.co.uk |
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Holidays Around the World for K-12 |
Holiday Internet links for US and international holidays, religious holidays, and a holiday calendar for K-12. |
falcon.jmu.edu |
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Holidays - cheap holidays, bargain holidays and bank holiday deals ... |
Book your cheap holidays and bargain bank holidays at lastminute.com. |
www.lastminute.com |
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Cheap holidays and package holiday discounts - Holiday.co.uk |
Cheap Holidays and package deals from all the major UK tour operators including Airtours, Argo, Avro, Balkan, Club 18-30, Cosmos, Crystal, First Choice, ... |
www.holiday.co.uk |
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Virgin Holidays |
Tour operator offering holidays to mainland USA, the Caribbean, the Far East, South Africa and Mauritius as well as a ski programme in California and New ... |
www.virginholidays.co.uk |
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Saga Holidays, Travel Insurance, Short Breaks, Vacations, cruises |
Specialists in providing travel services to people over 50. Details of river and sea cruises, resort holidays, tours, short breaks, special interest and ... |
holidays.saga.co.uk |
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Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators - Holiday Information |
A categorized, annotated list of over 2500 sites to help educators, teachers, and parents enhance instruction and support the curriculum. |
school.discovery.com |
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Queensland Holidays - Queensland Holidays |
Queensland Tourism & Travel Advice - Find accommodation, events & activities as well as special packages & deals - Queensland Holidays. |
www.queenslandholidays.com.au |
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BBC - Holiday |
Information on worldwide destinations as covered in the series, plus advice and travel information, presenters, message boards and postcards. |
www.bbc.co.uk |
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COSMOS - Package Holidays, All Inclusive Holidays, Self Catering ... |
Looking for cheap holidays online? COSMOS offer great value deals on package holidays, all inclusive holidays self catering holidays, villa holidays ... |
www.cosmos.co.uk |
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Late Holiday Deals and Discount Holidays at DirectHolidays.co.uk |
Book late holiday deals online at Direct Holidays - discount breaks to destinations around the world. |
www.directholidays.co.uk |
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Contiki Holidays - Holiday packages for 18 to 35 Year Olds |
Contiki Holidays offers holiday packages and budget travel tours for 18 - 35 year olds including destinations to Europe and the UK, Asia, Latin America, ... |
www.contiki.com |
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