Home Exchange | Home Exchange Vacation

Beautiful Vancouver, City of the Sea and Mountains

Athena — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:36:12 +0000

As one flies over Vancouver during the decent into the Canadian city’s airport, the surrounding beautiful natural scenery is already noticed with mountains on one side and the sea on the other. Once inside the baggage claim area of the international airport, visitors are greeted with large Pacific Northwest Coast Indian art carvings. This adds to the overall flavor of nature and the environment that makes Vancouver so different from other major cities. When driving along Granville Street towards the city center, one can’t help but notice that the trees and hedges in the residential areas are so much larger and taller than the ones we normally see elsewhere.

One of the locals claims that the superior growth of the area’s plant life is due to the huge amount of rainfall. Vancouver is close to both the ocean and the mountain range so lots of rain is expected. In fact, the rain here can actually be a problem as grey skies, especially during the winter months, are one of the few negatives of living in Vancouver. Fortunately, there is very little snowfall within the city so for Vancouverites, it is a trade off of some sort to have to deal with rain rather than shoveling snow during their winters. As for tourists, the best time to visit Vancouver is the least wet season which is during the summer months. I’ve been told by another local that September is one of the best months to visit. When the sun is shining in Vancouver with both the ocean and mountains as the background, it really doesn’t get any better.

Stanley Park on the west side of downtown Vancouver is the most visited attraction. A drive around the island will reveal great photo spots of both the city and the ocean. Vancouver’s Aquarium is also on site in Stanley Park as well as a magnificent collection of Pacific Northwest Coastal Indian art totem poles. Of course, one can always marvel at the tall trees which seem to touch the skies here. The Lion’s Gate Suspension Bridge connects Stanley Park with North Vancouver on the other side of the harbor. On the north side is Grouse Mountain, the area’s closest ski resort to the city that has turned into an all year round attraction. During the non-winter months, one can take the gondola up Grouse mountain for some wonderful hiking and views of the Vancouver skyline. The Capilano Suspension Bridge which visitors walk across to a nice nature area is another must see nearby. One of the cuisine highlights in the British Columbia province is the salmon and one of the best restaurants to sample it is the Salmon House in adjacent West Vancouver. Dinner there with the Pacific Northwest Coast Indian art décor and spectacular nighttime views of the city is one of the best ways to finish off a day of sightseeing.

Back in downtown Vancouver, the Gastown district is one of the top tourist areas for boutique shopping and souvenirs. Don’t miss the steam clock that rings on the hour. Vancouver has one of the largest Asian communities in North America so the Chinatown nearby as expected has some of the best dim sum luncheons outside of Hong Kong. Further boutique shopping can be found in the Yaletown and Granville Island districts.

If time permits, one of the recommended day trips to do out of Vancouver is to drive up the Sea & Sky highway to Whistler, one of North America’s largest ski resorts. During the off ski season, Whistler is all season resort with many activities such as hiking, biking, festivities and shopping in the village. A ride up the gondola here will enable visitors to get a bird’s eye view of the majestic Canadian Rockies mountain range. The drive itself to Whistler, about two and a half hours along the coastline, offers many wonderful scenic points as well.

Vancouver is a great city to visit as one can really see how a major city can still be in very scenic surroundings. For those coming to Vancouver as the departure port of a cruise to either Hawaii or Alaska, it is highly recommended to allocate at least a full day before or after the cruise to see what the city has to offer. As I mentioned before, on a sunny day with the sea on one side and the mountains on the other, Vancouver is really hard to beat.

5 Tips For Easy Air Travel

Athena — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:38:00 +0000

There’s no denying that it has become more and more difficult to fly without running into snags or problems with the airport or the airlines. Enduring the line at the security check point in some airports is enough to put some passengers in a bad mood. However, despite all of the inconveniences that come with flying, it is a necessity. There are several things that can be done to make flying easier and more hassle free, and all that is involved is a little bit of common sense and planning.

Get to the Airport Early
Arriving at the airport early is a no-brainer, especially when the airlines tell passengers to arrive at least two hours prior to a flight’s departure time. However, there are many people who refuse to heed this request, and arrive at the airport just several minutes before a flight is scheduled to leave. If there is a line at the check-in counter or at security, this can create a very stressful situation. Not only may the flight be missed, but a new flight must be booked, and the passengers will probably have to travel stand-by on a later flight with no guarantee of a seat until the very last minute.
Take a Morning Flight
Leaving on an early flight does not necessarily mean a 4 a.m. flight must be chosen. However, flights that leave first thing in the morning are less likely to be running late, and they are less likely to be affected by weather problems across the country and/or other planes that may be delayed at other airports. Also, if for some reason the first flight of the day is canceled or delayed, there will probably be several other flights throughout the day that, if necessary, can be taken instead.
Try Not to Fly During “Rush Hour”
Airports, like highways, have rush hours. Typically, rush hour in the morning is from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., and in the afternoon from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. These are the hours when airports are the most crowded with people waiting for flights. Crowds mean longer lines at the security check points, more people in the restrooms, more people waiting in restaurant lines, and more people taking up seats in the waiting areas. Flying at a NON-rush hour time of day can alleviate the need to stand in lines and sit with crowds.
Try to Take Non-Stop Flights
Obviously, when a non-stop flight is taken, there is less risk of being delayed. Taking off and landing both take quite a bit of time, so avoiding having to do this twice is recommended. There will always be destinations when a non-stop flight is not available, but there are plenty of cities where non-stop flights are just as common as those that stop. It may even be worth a few extra dollars to book a non-stop flight to avoid an unneeded hassle and the possibility of being delayed.
Book Connections with Enough Time
If a non-stop flight is not available to a desired destination, make sure to schedule enough time in between flights. When airlines book flights, they often have a layover requirement of 30 or 45 minutes between connections. However, this is often not enough time if the original flight arrives late. In order to avoid this stress, try to schedule connecting flights with at least an hour to spare between the arrival time of the first flight and the departure time of the connecting flight.

7 Things To Do Before Buying Travel Insurance

Athena — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:23:17 +0000

Going back to Roman times, risks have been shared during times of tragedy and unforeseen circumstances, such as earthquakes, floods and the like. The first formal and recorded insurance company, Lloyd’s of London, was formed in 1769 and their founding principal remains intact today – to gather the premiums of clients as a pool of resources in order to return to clients who experience unexpected and unforeseen but covered events. So, that is the secret really, plan for the unexpected and unforeseen and make sure you’re covered, especially when you’re travelling. Whether your trip is a quick one or a round the world cruise, there are many good reasons for travel insurance. Here are just 7 things you should do before you buy your travel insurance:

Whatever you do, please explore the market and educate yourself with all the terms and terminologies of the travel insurance cover that will help you to avail the best travel insurance.

Certainly check what is included in your travel insurance policy but most importantly, check what is EXCLUDED from your travel insurance policy.

Research the area you are going to. What is the weather likely to be like? Is there any danger of hurricanes or tropical storms? Floods? How about Mosquito borne disease? What is the crime rate like? Whatever the perceived dangers your research uncovers then make sure that your travel insurance covers you for that eventuality. It is no good after the event to find out that you are not covered for rabid dog attacks (because there are so many in that particular area).

Discuss Your Existing Medical Conditions and Requirements – You need to carefully assess your likely medical requirements and make sure that these are declared to the travel insurance company.

If you intend to drive make sure that you are adequately covered. Many hire companies charge astronomic excesses in case of an accident. Make sure that you insured for that excess (and it will be a lot cheaper than paying the hire company’s rates for that same cover).

Make sure you have the necessary documentation for travel in that country. Take Spain for example which is part of the European community and will offer free health care say to a UK citizen on holiday or living there. There are certain conditions, one of which is that you must have a UK E111 form, if you don’t have that, you will not be treated. You must also go to a national health hospital, which are not in abundance in certain areas of Spain.

If traveling in Europe, it may pay to get a EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) as this will remove a lot of worry should you need any emergency treatment.

Okay, so there you have it. 7 things to do before buying travel insurance for the next trip you make. The other alternative of course is to not take out travel insurance, or to stay at home. Now, there’s an idea. But seriously, as always when taking out insurance, especially travel insurance, read the fine print first. Importantly, find out before you go what is excluded, not just included. So, always read the fine print. For example, accidental coverage is not provided in case of drunken driving, driving under the influence of narcotic substances etc. Exclusions are also provided for accidents during risky sports like bungee jumping, car racing, (insert for your favourite potentially dangerous sport here), scuba diving, white water rafting, flying (except as passenger in regular airliners), gliding, skiing, bike racing, diving, mountaineering, windsurfing etc. The list goes on. That means in case of accidents in these situations the insurance company is not liable to pay any amount to the insured.

Budget Airlines Are A Smart Way To Fly

Athena — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:00:19 +0000

A discount carrier or an airline which offers low down fares for passengers to travel and make them feel budget airlines are the smartest way to fly. Budget airlines is a term which originated within the airline industry for offering a low down fare structure than the competitors. The concept of budget airlines originated in the United States and in 1990’s it spread to Europe and then later came into grasp of all around the world in a sprinkling time. With the raising number of passengers in airlines all around the world, advertisements offering specials off on tickets are also splash all around the world. There is a big competition in this filed, each and every service providers are offering special deals such as free tickets and more with salient attraction for satisfying their customers around the world.

Oasis Hong Kong is one of the budget airlines which helps you to think is the best and the smartest way to fly all around without cutting down your pocket. We help you to have a better maintained relationship than any others can provide and ensures you with best choice for low fare and long haul travel! With the tempting low cost airlines facilities, Oasis Hong Kong airlines offer a wonderful travel air travel in and around Hong Kong. Now travel to London than at reverie with the best offered low fares whenever you need. It is a wonder how come we provide the best than any others, fare of air tickets which cost less than the half of standard fare, fare of air tickets less than that of train fares, and also an air tickets that even cost only a unit amount. These prominent aspects make us unique from other budget airlines and to shower each and every passenger with most economic budget airlines ticket.

If these were the offers quite years before then someone from many would have raised the questions with genuine doubts which needed to be cleared but with the vast growing networks of the budget airlines each and every questions is vanished away before the Oasis Hong Kong budget airlines services – your best choice for low fare, long –haul travel! The essential features of a low cost carriers makes our Oasis Hong Kong budget airline services the best. Most of the people choose our services because of low cost and amazing facilities. It is sure that we are offering very low price when compared with the legacy. Carriers are with short haul, point to point services on a basic basis and also the aircraft in a single model. We also provide vacation packages for our valid customers.

The fare charge of airlines in budget airlines can vary with the intervals and demands of the passengers to destinations. There are no special rules to govern to obtain the cheapest fares to your destinations. However few factors which will surely direct you to the cheapest fares of Oasis Hong Kong budget airlines and they always have a air fly in a mid-week, early morning or late at night for the air fly is sure to reduce your fares on budget airlines, fly while low season that is the time of Spring and Autumn, don’t book a ticket less than two weeks in advance, and the most important factor to be taken into notice is air travel while the public holidays must be avoided as it won’t help you to succeed to have the cheapest air travel.

Oasis Hong Kong Budget airlines – that offers cheapest flights to your destinations is the upcoming airlines travels with ground to earth airlines fares which seeks the attention of every individuals for the air travel ensuring not to spoil the budget of your account. The birth of internet made easy to find us online. Log on to us to know more about us and we are sure to impress you with our air flight charges which you have been always dreaming about. Now why waiting and wasting time on other flight services which you have Oasis Hong Kong budget airline services just a mouse click away. Our honor lies in your happiness and your best choice for low fare, long-haul travel lies on our services!

Home Exchange – Which Club Do I Belong To?

Athena — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:51:49 +0000

Sorry, but the point of HomeExchange Academy is to guide and educate new and inexperienced home exchangers, not promote any one club over another. As this website has grown in popularity, some clubs have approached me to display their advertisments, but each time I’ve turned them down. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against making money, but an advertisement for Club X would immediately indicate to my visitors that I favor them or prefer them over others.

Far better that you read the very detailed advice I provide in Home Exchange Academy to make an informed decision which club suits you individual requirements the best. I walk you step by step through the entire process, and if you follow those instructions you cannot help but be happy with your selection.

I think this is fair.

Home Exchange – Is A Home Swap Right For Me?

Athena — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:56:43 +0000

Without a doubt, a home exchange vacation has a great deal going for it. First, it will save you a significant amount of money, both in paying for accommodation and possibly in car rental, because a great many home exchanges also include the family car.

Second, you and your family will be able to relax and spread out in the comfort of a real home, rather than find yourselves restricted to the limited confines of one or two hotel rooms. Even a vacation rental isn’t the same as a family home, plus it will cost you hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars.

Third, a home exchange vacation allows to live like a native. Whether your exchange home is a house, condominium or apartment, it will be a residence, most likely among neighbors. If you have children they will find kids close by to interact and play with; the home will come equipped with children’s’ games, play-things, etc.

You will have a real kitchen to cook and prepare snacks (more money saved). There will be separate bedrooms and bathrooms, laundry facilities, possibly a garden/yard to relax in with a cold drink after a day of sightseeing.

Believe me, a home exchange has an immense amount to recommend it.

BUT, having said that, home exchanges aren’t for everyone. If you are the sort of person whose vacation is likely to be ruined by constant worries about what your exchange partners are doing in your home while you are away, I would honestly say forget it!

In my book Home Exchange Academy, I cover every aspect of choosing and setting up a successful home exchange. I guide you through a process whereby you will be swapping with friends, not strangers. After all, you will be living in your exchange partners’ home while they are in yours. But in the end, you have to decide if this wonderful, economical means of vacationing is going to be right for you. If there is any possibility that you may back out at the last minute, or spend your entire vacation fretting and worrying, give it a miss.

Happy Home Exchanging!

Home Exchange – How It Began

Athena — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 22:55:23 +0000

It really makes me laugh every time a new organization pops up, claiming that they recently had this great new idea for vacationing—Home Exchange! One web site, reporting on the trend, states that “The concept of house swapping came into existence from the movie The Holiday. Really? The move was released in 2006, that’s more than twenty five years after my husband and I joined the club we’ve patronized for many years, fifty plus years after the grounbreaking clubs listed below were formed.

The truth is, home exchange vacationing began way back in the early 1950′s in the Scandinavian countries. School teachers, faced with long summer vacations but very limited resources, hit upon the idea as a means of vacationing without the need to spend much money.

Teachers and their families in Norway, Sweden and Denmark represented the beginning of the concept, and for a number of years they enjoyed the savings alone. But gradually, word spread and other savvy Europeans began to join in. By the mid 1980′s a handful of clubs had been born with the intention of facilitating home exchange arrangements between their members. They were:

Intervac
HomeLink
Hanney’s Bolig Byte (a Danish club, no longer operating)
Home Base Holidays
ExchangeHomes.com

Back then, with the internet still in its infancy, these five clubs circulated their listings among members in printed directories; usually three or four each year.

With the arrival of the 90′s, vacation home exchanging was beginning to establish itself in North America and new clubs began to spring up. Some new arrivals were:

The Invented City
Green Theme International
Trading Homes International (later changed its name to HomeExchange.com)
International Home Exchange Network (IHEN)

Home swap vacations had arrived!

Unfortunately, too many people saw it as a way to make money and by the end of the 1990′s and into the new millenium, dozens of new clubs appeared briefly on the scene, only to vanish due to lack of experience, commitment and ability to provide knowledgable customer service. They left in their wake, a trail of abandoned, unhappy members.

But all the originals—the “oldies and goodies” survived, flourished, and basked in the glowing recommendations they received from the worldwide media.

By 2001, many of the clubs listed had abandoned directories in favor of databases housed on the internet. This in itself was an evolving process, with security still in it’s infancy, many of the fledgling clubs had little or no resources to implement tight security and continued to fall by the wayside.

Today there are several hundred home exchange and hospitality exchange clubs and organizations located all around the world. People continue to see home exchange as a great means to launch their own company, and these days, more are sticking around than used to be the case.

Several alliances between clubs have been forged, allowing them to share members, plus several clubs have limited their memberships to specific categories and sectors of the public: senior home exchange, apartment exchange, luxury home exchange, long term home exchange, teachers exchage, Christian home exchange, singles home exchange, gay home exchange, academic home exchange, golfers home exchange, etc.

My personal opinion is that this explosion of organizations has swamped the market and if people aren’t careful, many of the newbies could again fold, much as they did in the early part of this new century.

Happy home exchanging!