travel Archives - A Million Lives

September 21, 2019 by Greg Underwood

5 Ways Your Hotel’s Dining Affects Your Vacation

When someone talks about a hotel, the first thing that comes to everyone’s mind is dining. Food is the main reason we spend so much time in hotels.

When you are on holiday, the kind of dining you choose will have a significant impact on how the vacation will turn out. You, therefore, need to ensure that you choose the best hotel dining available.

Whether you opt for a restaurant, a fast-food joint or a high-class hotel; be sure to first check out their dining amenities. Dining is more than just food; it includes the hotels’ environment, the restaurant’s design and style, and the theme of the place.

In this article, we’ll look into four ways in which your chosen hotel’s dining affects your vacation.

1. It sets the mood for the entire trip

Nothing beats good food. There’s no arguing about that. Therefore, when you have your first meal during the vacation, it’ll determine how well you enjoy the trip.

Imagine having a bad stomach during your vacation because of the food you ate. Disappointing, right? Such an occurrence will completely ruin the vacation.

However, dinner at a romantic venue, with some jazz music at the background and a personal waiter at your beck and call, will ensure you have something to look forward to, throughout the vacation. It would help if you thus considered choosing a dining style that achieves your vacation theme.

If you are a couple seeking to rekindle your love, dining under the stars or while watching the sunset is pretty great. If on a family vacation, dining with live music and lots of food is ideal.

2. Foods from different cultures open your eyes

Your vacation will never be complete if you never tasted foods from various places around the world. If your hotel’s dining offers different foods, you’ll probably learn to appreciate different cultural meal.

You will also learn to appreciate people of different cultures by merely eating their traditional foods. For some hotels, guests are even taught how to prepare different meals from cultures around the world!

Therefore, if you are lucky, you may learn how to prepare different meals or even have a new favorite meal! This not only makes the vacation fun but also educative!

In dining such as Ayana’s beach club bali, guests enjoy a unique blend of traditional Balinese dishes and some of the local signature meals! This ensures that the guests experience the best of the Balinese culture with other extra services.

3. Helps in relaxing

The reason you are on vacation is to take a break from your stressful life and relax for a few days. Your dining will also play a key role in ensuring you relax during the vacation.

When on vacation, you have the freedom just to sit and drink some fresh coconut water all day, enjoy an ice-cold beer, or a classic cocktail as you bask under the sun.

Therefore, if your hotel offers such effective dining services, it will become easier to relax during the vacation. Also, good food is therapeutic for some people!

4. Great offers

During a vacation, your hotel’s dining offers will help you cut down on costs. This means you can save some money to spend on other activities.

Offers on foods and drinks such as free buffet for breakfast, lunch or dinner means that you’ll eat and drink as much as you want even when on a tight budget.

As a result, you’ll get have a fun vacation and still save some cash!

Conclusion

The state of your hotel’s dining services has proven to be very crucial for your vacation. It determines how well you enjoy it, and how much you can gain within the vacation. It would therefore be best if you were careful when choosing the hotel you’ll dine in.

Remember, crappy dining services means a crappy vacation while with good dining, better vacation experience!

July 10, 2019 by Greg Underwood

Top European Countries To Visit This Year

Source: Julius Silver on Pixabay

When it comes to picking the right holiday destination, it can be a bit daunting to find the perfect place that fits everyone’s desires, needs, interests and budgets. If you’re travelling with friends, you want to be sure to pick the ideal place to go that has a bit of everything to suit everyone in your party, and if you’re travelling with kids, you want something that will be family friendly. That’s why we’ve put together this handy travel guide to Europe with the best countries for awesome getaways for anyone from ages eight to eighty. You can score cheap flights to Europe easily as well, making it a perfect, budget conscious place for all. Check out our favourite countries in this useful list.

France

France is a beautiful country with some amazing food and wine. If you like trying different dishes, France is the place for you. Think fresh baguettes with real butter and fresh ingredients on sandwiches. Paris, the capital, is a bustling, sprawling city with numerous sights to see and areas to explore. One of the most unusual is the Parisian catacombs, located under the city. The usual haunts of the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur church and the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées are popular tourist attractions and are likely to be busy and crowded, but worth it if you like doing the tourist thing.

Outside the city, try to get out to Bordeaux for some wine tasting, or head down to the French Riviera for sun, sea and sand. The beaches at Normandy in the north will herald some seriously interesting World War 2 history to learn about, but if you want something a bit more… intense, check out the village of Oradour sur Glane, a town which the Nazis razed, leaving only a handful of survivors.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic (sometimes known as Czechia) is a beautiful country with amazing things to see and do. Prague is the most popular spot for many travellers, with castles, museums and beautiful squares to just sit back, relax and enjoy people watching. Karlovy Vary in the country’s northwest is a beautiful, alpine spa town that is a fantastic respite from the demands and crowds of the big city.

Want something unique and a bit weird? Catch the train out to Kutna Hora to see the Sedlec Ossuary – a church which was said to have soil from the Holy Land spread through its graveyard, increasing its popularity for burials to such a degree that mass exhumations of skeletal remains were conducted and the bones stored in parts of the church until it reached such a point they began to make decorative chandeliers, wall hangings, pillars and more from the bones of those formerly buried here.

Greece

When it comes to amazing places to visit, Greece is top of our list. With dozens of stunning islands to explore and a mainland that is rich and rife with history, you can’t go wrong with this amazing place. For the best islands, check out Kefalonia’s stunning azure waters, rugged hillsides and lush greenery; Crete for interesting historical palaces full of myth and mystery as well as beautiful beaches and quaint little towns with charming back streets; Corfu for delicious food including olives and seafood with a backdrop of fortresses in Corfu town and the likes of Rhodes, Zakynthos and Kos for a mix of hectic nightlife and laid back beach afternoons.

On the mainland, don’t miss the incredible historical sites of both Delphi where an oracle used to be questioned about the future, and the strange but beautiful Meteora with its monasteries on sheer cliffs overlooking the valley floor below. Food wise, don’t miss souvlaki – we promise you will love it as much as we do. Think Greece is expensive? Don’t worry – you can definitely do it on a budget!

Spain

Spain is a beautiful country with amazing weather and so many unique cities, towns and villages to visit. Rent a car and go on a road trip to visit as many as you can. The Costa Brava is a particularly beautiful region with the likes of Tossa de Mar being ideal for those looking for a bit of resort life without the resort crowds. Visit the castle on the hill overlooking its beaches and bay before strolling through the back streets of the old town, stopping along the way for paella, delicious Spanish beers or wines and a spot of people watching. Head to Barcelona to take in its artistic streets and the impressive Parc Guell, Gaudi’s house and the Sagrada Familia.

So if you’re looking for a great area to visit this year (or any time in the future!) consider Europe. The nice thing about Europe is that with so many of the countries being only a short flight away from each other, you can easily visit more than one place on a trip that is a couple weeks in length. So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets booked today!

June 24, 2019 by Greg Underwood

Top 3 areas perfect for tourists to stay in Dubai

Over the years, Dubai has become one of the most visited destinations in the world. If you are planning to visit Dubai soon, this article will help identify some of the best places to stay during your vacation. Firstly, it is important to understand that summer falls between June and September where the temperatures rise severely. If you don’t appreciate the hot summers, you can visit during winter that falls between October and May. During the winter season, the temperatures are favourable for a vacation.

Here are the perfect areas to stay in Dubai

1. Downtown Dubai

This is one of the most popular destinations in Dubai. It is home to most of the major tourist attractions in the world. For instance, the tallest building, the largest shopping mall, the tallest dancing fountain, the biggest man-made lake and many more. This neighbourhood is strategically located in the heart of the city making it perfect for a vacation.

The area has a lively and thriving atmosphere that is designed for those with a special appreciation of life. This is a very high-profile neighbourhood that offers world-class amenities and attractive lifestyle privileges to visitors and residents

2. Dubai Marina

This is another popular tourist destination in Dubai developed by Emaar Properties. It is meticulously planned with efficient road networks and a picturesque marina. One of the most alluring features of this neighbourhood is the large canal that stretches over 3.5 kilometres that provide access to the sea on both sides. The developer has also been involved in a similar project known as the Dubai Creek Harbour Emaar.

There are two metro stations near the marina. Since the roads can get busy during rush hours, the metro is always an easy way to access other parts of the city. Also, if you want to get around the neighbourhood, you can use the Dubai Tram that has eleven stations.

3. Jumeirah area

Jumeirah is a coastal area in Dubai which offers scenic views and a wide array of world-class restaurants, cafes, hotels and other amazing amenities. In Arabic, the name Jumeirah means beautiful and coincides with the beachfront living and gorgeous views of the area. There is also easy access to pristine white beaches where you can enjoy a wide variety of water activities such as swimming, paddling and more. The Jumeirah area is home to very popular residential properties such as Port De La Mer by Meraas and City Walk apartments Dubai.

May 18, 2019 by Greg Underwood

How to Always Make Your Vacation a Special Time

Vacations are a time when you can get out of the home and go to places that are exciting and interesting. This free time is usually once a year and it is mandated by most governments in the world as a law. Without it, many businesses would simply make their workers work continuously throughout the year without a break.

It has been proven that vacation time actually improves worker productivity and causes them to be happier on their jobs. It also gives them a chance to recharge their batteries and reminds them of why they work so hard, because vacations typically include family.

When you consider your vacation you should always try and make it a special time, because the time is so infrequent and it is an opportunity for you to spend quality time with your loved ones. In order to make it special, try the following:

Pick a Vacation Place that is Special

Some people worry about spending too much on a vacation, and as a result they never have special vacations. Take this coming summer as an opportunity to do something really special with your family. How about taking a yachting trip on the Mediterranean? This special trip gets you access to some of the world’s most special vacation destinations and places where you can have an absolutely wonderful time.

Chartering a yacht allows you to control where you go, what you see, and how long you stay at any location. You have the option of disembarking at any of the coastal cities in France, Italy Spain, Croatia, Greece or Turkey that you find appealing. Many people believe that setting up this type of trip is overwhelming and it can be unless you contact Vyra.com at this website. They will handle all details including boat rental and even providing a crew if needed. Best of all, Vyra.com can work within your budget to get you on a beautiful yacht.

Value the Time With Your Family

Vacation time is special time but often we are so tired that we do not make the most of it. We lose the opportunity to do fun activities, take pictures and, eat at new and delicious food places. These times can never be repeated so we should do all we can to make them special. This means leaving the phones and other electronic devices in our bags, and not engaging them every minute of the day. These practices are contagious and give us a chance to bond better with our families.

We should also take the opportunity to do something special that we might not normally do. Show the people close to you how much you are thinking about them and their well=being. Perhaps it is spending a little extra money on something special during vacation. This is the time to do it because it will be really appreciated. So go for it and make great family memories.

April 27, 2019 by Greg Underwood

5 reasons why Dubai continues to attract millions of tourists every year

Over the last four decades, Dubai has evolved to become one of the most preferred tourist destinations in the world. The city attracts millions of visitors every year to have an experience of a lifetime. Through the years, the number of visitors has been raising and is projected to continue in the coming future. This is a demonstration that most people prefer to have Dubai as their tourist destination of choice.

The city is known for the world’s superlatives such as the tallest building, the highest dancing fountain, the biggest mall and soon the tallest residential complex. It is unsurprising that millions of people are flocking to Dubai to experience the lifestyle of the 21^st century and future.

Why do tourists continue coming to Dubai year after year?

1. Hotels

Dubai hosts some of the grandest and most luxurious hospitality facilities in the world that offer top of the range services. In fact, the city is home to the only 7-star hotel in the world, the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. These facilities are spread across the whole city and continue to increase to meet the rising demand.

2. Uptown lifestyle with local culture

Dubai is able to provide a perfect mixture of uptown lifestyle with the traditions of the Emirates. No matter where you visit, you will have an experience you have never had before. Apart from the local traditions, almost every culture in the world is represented in Dubai. As a result, there is a wide variety of dining and entertainment options for everyone.

3. Shopping

Dubai is synonymous with luxurious shopping attracting people from all over the world. The city is home to some of the biggest malls in the world such as the Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, etc. These malls feature top of the range amenities and facilities to cater to a wide variety of needs.

4. Tourist attractions

There is a wide variety of attractions for everyone. In fact, you may not even spend a dime but have an experience of a lifetime. For instance, you can visit the Dubai Fountain placed at the 30-acre man-made lake, the Burj Lake. Besides, you can hop on the traditional boats known as the abras, to have an incredible view of the city from the sea.

5. Residential options

Dubai offers a wide selection of residential options at different prices to cater for every budget. Due to the increasing demand, there are a lot of new upcoming projects in almost every part of the city. For instance, new projects by Meraas include the iconic Port De La Mer apartments or Emaar Dubai Creek Harbour which is a seaside community development that’s attracting investors from all over the world.

December 11, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Top Tips For Applying For Your United States Visa

For most people, moving to the United States means that they will need a US visa. With the visa, you will be allowed to make travel arrangements to the United States, as airlines will always check to make sure you have the appropriate visa and documentation before allowing you to travel.

But in order to get your visa, you need to apply for it first, and tips on how to do so is the subject we’re going to be covering today.

Here are the top tips for applying for your United States visa:

Have The Proper Documentation

There are many important documents that you will need to have on hand when preparing your application, including:

Your Passport
Travel Itinerary
Information On Your Last Visits to the United States
Work History
Education History
Divorce Certificate (if applicable)
Police Certificates (if applicable)
Financial Support Evidence
Photographs

Complete Form DS-160

Next, you will need to form the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, otherwise known as Form DS-160. You can access this on the website of the US Consulate from which you will apply.

In this form, you’ll basically need to list out your background, work and education history, and a few other details.

Pay The Fee

You will need to pay a fee to apply for your visa. Some people are under the impression that they only need to pay the fee if their visa is approved, but this is not the case. The fee can be anywhere from $150 to $250 on average depending on which specific visa you’ll be choosing and where in the United States you will be working.

Take The Interview

If you are between the ages of fourteen and seventy nine, you will need to take a mandatory US visa interview at the USA consulate or embassy from which you are applying. The wait time can be anywhere from a few days or a few weeks, so schedule it quickly.

Be sure to arrive on time to the interview and have all of the requested documentation on hand. After the interview, you can expect to wait anywhere from a few days to a few months before your visa is approved or denied. Only make the proper travel arrangements after the visa has been accepted; otherwise, you could end up paying several hundred or thousands of dollars in non-refundable travel costs that you won’t be even able to use.

Applying For Your United States Visa

In all honesty, applying for your United States visa is not going to be as intimidating or complicated of a process as you may suspect it is. Just have the proper documentation on hand, fill out all the proper forms, and be honest and forthright in your interview, and you should be good to go.

October 23, 2018 by Greg Underwood

What you need for a perfect RV trip

Whether you’ve recently become the happy owner of a recreational vehicle or you’ve decided to rent one to finally be able to go to the places you’ve never had the chance to visit, the fact is that traveling with a motorhome can be adventurous, exciting, and very satisfying.

But the truth is that you need to be very organized to make sure that you don’t forget something essential at home. We would advise you to start your adventure by creating a checklist. If you can’t be bothered with writing down everything, there are checklist models to be found online, so you can conveniently use one of those.

If you’re renting the RV, it probably comes with everything you need. If you’re not, here’s what you should know about the most important things it should come outfitted with.

Heating or cooling

Whether you intend to travel in winter or in the summer, the fact is that nothing beats a good air conditioning system. One of those that you can use both for heating and for cooling is definitely handy, and it can mean a lot in the way of providing you with the comfort you need.

A good bed

Being rested in the morning takes the cake, especially when you have a whole day of visiting tourist attractions ahead of you. If you’re tired, you’ll be cranky, so there’s really no point of saving up on getting a quality mattress for your RV bed.

Plumbing

There are two main things you need to consider when it comes to plumbing. One of them is how you’ll get rid of the things in your RV toilet and just what model suits you best. The second thing you have to mull over is the type of water heater you will need. Obviously, you will use this type of product for both cleaning your body and the interior of the vehicle, the dishes, and a variety of other things.

There are both traditional and tankless alternatives, and while some people might try to argue that a tankless one can get damaged a lot easier than its counterpart, that really isn’t true. Water heaters these days are very versatile and well-designed and well-constructed, so you have at least ten years of working performance to expect from any you choose, provided that you don’t go for the cheapest one ever.

What about entertainment?

If you like watching TV, you might need an RV-specific TV. On the other hand, this type of entertainment device might be useless if you love spending your spare time browsing the web and watching TV shows without any commercials. A Netflix subscription is affordable, and the best thing about the vast majority of the campsites scattered across the United States is that they offer free WiFi for the fee of staying there.

As such, you’ll only need your laptop and a VPN extension. The VPN is totally necessary if you don’t want your personal data to be collected and used by anyone.

October 2, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Traveler Guide on the 5 Best Beaches in the World

Beach lovers always dream of going to a beach with soft white sand in their holiday vacations. However, not all beaches are nice. Beaches that get high traffic usually have problems like trash, no parking or loud music. A careful research will enable you to find the perfect beach with the ideal condition for you to relax on your vacation. The following is a list of the 5 best beach spots in the world.

Clearwater Beach

Clearwater Beach is a sugar white sandy beach that offers a nice view of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. The beach is clean without any crushed seashell or other sharp objects on the shore. There are lots of baywatchers and police riding on golf carts to patrol the beach. You can visit restaurants and specialty shops at Pier 69. There are many types of boats at the pier including sail boat, pirate ship and shark boat. There are public umbrella and chairs to use. After swimming, you can rinse off the salt water at the shower stand. Lifeguards and public car parking lot are available.

Bavaro Beach

Bavaro Beach is a long powdery white sandy beach that is lined with palm trees in Bavaro, Dominican Republic. The beach is surrounded with a lot of hotels and restaurants. It is ideal for couples who want to enjoy an evening walk. It is near to a small fisherman village called ElCortecito. On this beach, you will find a lot of boat tours that you can take part in. You can go parasailing on a boat driven by the local. When wearing the snorkel mask, you can see small shark, stingrays and other exotic fishes swimming in the water.

Praia de Falesia

Praia de Falesia is a 6km long golden sandy beach with lots of pine trees and a cliff background in Portugal. The beach is situated in between Vilamoura and Albufeira. You must descend a long stairway from the car park on the cliff to reach the beach. The stairway has a handrail and is in good condition. Nearby, you will find several high class golf courses, and restaurants. Many nearby hotels offer courtesy buses to this beach but it is near enough to walk to. Lots of sunbeds and umbrella shades are available.

Elafonissi Beach

Elafonissi Beach is a mile long pink sandy beach with turquoise water situated on the Elafonissi island in the southwestern part of Crete, Greece. The beach is named after a Greek term called Elafi, which means deer. Sunbeds can be rented by hour or daily rate. The water is shallow and suitable for toddlers. If you come by car, you will need to drive through a narrow winding mountain road with steep cliff. There are plenty of small coves and rock formations along the shoreline. Elafonissi beach is a natural reserve area and home to more than 110 plant species. While at Elafonissi Beach, you can also visit the Chrysoskalitisa monastery.

Fig Tree Bay

Fig Tree Bay is a gorgeous sandy beach with crystal clear water in Protaras, Cyprus. The beach is full of loungers. If you want a lounger, it is recommended that you come early before 8:30 am as it gets crowded fast. The beach gets busy with tourists but it offers plenty of rooms. You can get the Wi-Fi code from the staff and use free internet on the beach. Fig Tree Bay has disabled facilities. It is also suitable for young families who have to push their babies or toddlers on prams.

September 5, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Top beaches to visit in Kochi

Kerala is awarded the title of “God’s own country,” for the natural beauty it possesses. Every single city of Kerala offers beauty that one can found nowhere in this world. Be it a hill station or a beach city, Kerala has the best. Talking about beach then Kochi is the first name that often strikes the tourists. The city has the beaches that not have ocean and shores but are something that looks majestic. With other elements like Chinese fishing nets and smacking seafood being served on the seaside stalls, Kochi has always been people’s favourite when it comes to planning a holiday at the beach city. If you are impressed with the elaboration of Kochi’s beaches and want to plan a holiday there, we have more for you. Today, we are discussing the top beaches of Kochi that you must visit.

One can easily reach Kochi as the city has well-connected and maintaining transportation facilities. Talking about international tourists then it is even easier to reach the place as Kochi has its own international airport. One can book Canada, Singapore, London, and book Dubai to Kochi flights easily with the help of several websites.

Now let us discuss the top beaches of Kochi that you shouldn’t miss from visiting.

Fort Kochi Beach

Fort Kochi beach is the first beach in the list that you must visit. The beach is located in the Old Kochi across the Arabian Sea. The beach is famous for its Chinese fishing net which is locally called “Cheenavala.” The beach is not the cleanest one in the city but it is worth taking a walk. Do not forget to click the photos of Chinese fishing net as they are hard to find these days. Also, if you are a seafood lover, do try out some seafood dishes served at the nearby stalls. You can also shop for some handmade crafts from the beachside stall.

Puthuvype Beach

This beach is not famous as other ones in the city which perhaps keep it from crowd and litters. This fact also has kept the place from getting commercialized and there is hardly any vendor. You can enjoy some me-time here without getting interrupted. The view of the turquoise water meeting with golden sand at the shore is something worth watching. A lighthouse serves as the perfect background scene. If you are visiting from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. you can also get the chance to take a trip to the lighthouse.

Cherai Beach

Cherai Beach is another very famous beach in Kochi and is located on the Northern tip of the Vyppedn Island. The beach stays overcrowded for there are many water sports activities are offered along with swimming and boat ride. You can ride a boat and go to the less crowded area of the beach to enjoy the view. You should try out seafood here. You can also spot the same Chinese fish net as of Fort Beach. If you are lucky, you can also spot a dolphin. Yes, you read it right, you can spot a dolphin.

These 3 beaches of Kochi are must visit. Each of them offers different ambiance, facilities, and charm.

August 15, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Best Ways to Travel in Russia

Russia is one country that figures in almost every traveler’s bucket list. From the sub-freezing temperatures of Siberia to the onion domes of Moscow, the country has something to offer for everyone. To cover the whole of Russia is a challenging task, given that it is the largest country in the world. You can travel the country in cars, trains, planes or cruises – all of which come with their own pros or cons. Take for example a cruise St Petersburg to Moscow, which takes up at least ten days and offers world-class luxury. On the other hand, a Trans Siberian railway trip is not only economical but covers more diverse landscape in the same time period. Read on to know more about the best ways to explore the country.

Drive around the highways in Russia

A road trip is a more authentic and relaxed option. However, covering such a vast and diverse country can seem unnerving to some. Add to that the long stretches with no people or the poor quality of roads at places – and traveling by road in Russia becomes one of those options which only some can truly opt for.

Take a cross-country train trip

The country features a robust railway network. One of the oldest lines in the world, the Moscow – St. Petersburg network is a good way to cover the two most beautiful capitals on the planet.

You can also take the Trans Siberian from Moscow to Vladivostok, which makes for the perfect one week vacation. Hop on the longest railway line in the world to explore Russia like never before. There are different types of wagons in the train, which vary in terms of cost and comfort levels. This rail trip will let you cover most of the various landscapes that the country has to offer and interact with natives along the way.

Cruise along the waters of Volga

Many cruises offer the option of exploring St. Petersburg and Moscow while sailing on the waters of Volga. These cruises vary in their itineraries but most of them offer various onboard activities, luxury stays, city tours, lounges, bars, etc. You can also enjoy different cuisines and incredible services from the cruise operators.

Traveling in the waters is the best way to explore the tiny, quaint Russian towns situated along the Volga and soak in the beauty of the river and its canals. It is the perfect option if you are a couple looking to relax, rejuvenate and spend some quality time together.

Soar through the skies

Most airlines in Russia are not exactly cheap given the long distances they need to cover due to the geography of the place. Traveling around the country will cost you upwards of 400 USD, which is a lot given the more economical options like trains available. However, planes are the way to go if you are on a deadline.

So much is known yet mysterious about this beautiful country that we all end up daydreaming about it. So why not plan a trip soon and get exploring!