Three Reasons Why You Should Travel To New Zealand (general aviation)
No commentsBy Daniel Millions
If you are unsure about where to take your next vacation then perhaps you should consider New Zealand. It is a beautiful country that has a variety of wonderful scenery and terrain. From the forests in the north to the many beaches in the south, New Zealand offers just about every thing that the visitor could want. This article aims to provide an insight in to just a small selection of the places that you can visit once you decide to go.
Current statistics show that the population of New Zealand is approximately four million people, of which just over a million live in its biggest city, Auckland. The capital city is Wellington which has a population of around 400,000. The vast majority of the urban areas of the country are situated on the North Island and generally people visit the South Island to enjoy the rural environment.
Auckland
If you decide to visit Auckland on your trip then make sure you visit the Sky Tower. It is hard to miss as it stands 1,066 feet into the air. Built in 1997 its primary function is for telecommunications. However, as one of the tallest buildings in New Zealand it is also a favorite place for tourists and locals alike to visit. There are restaurants and shops within the tower and the views can be breathtaking, particularly the sunsets. If you are feeling adventurous then you might want to consider trying the bungee jump off the tower. The Sky Jump will drop you 192 meters at a speed of 83 kilometers per hour in approximately 11 seconds!
Christchurch
This is the largest city on the South Island and is a great place to visit. With its relaxed environment, pleasant suburbs and wonderful scenery it is not difficult to understand why this is a popular city to visit. During its history, Christchurch has become known as the gateway to the Antarctica as it traditionally has been used as a base for explorations into the area. Famous explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton have used the area previously and it is still used for these purposes today.
Christchurch also has amazing botanical gardens. They were established in 1863 and possess a vast array of different and unusual plants. The great thing about this is that entry is free, so if you do go to the city you have no excuse not to visit.
Fiordland National Park
This wonderful place was named a World Heritage site in 1986 and is New Zealand’s largest National Park. The area covers approximately 1.2 Million Hectares and is a vast variety of beautiful natural landscapes.
There are plenty of places to explore within the National Park. Doubtful Sound is the deepest fiord and it is here that you can discover penguins and seals. It is also possible to go Kayaking or enjoy a cruise in this area. Milford Sound is the only fiord that is accessible by road and offers a wonderful drive, one perhaps you are unlikely to experience anywhere else in the world. If you visit this area then you must find the time to see the underwater observatory. It is situated some 10 meters below the surface and offers a wonderful view of the undisturbed natural environment under the fiord.
If you want more information about New Zealand Travel such as the Gap Year New Zealand you can visit Pure New Zeland.
India Travel: A Journey into Self-Discovery
By rohan arora
Travel to India to find out the real you. We tire ourselves out working hard, all for getting a good life; that life keeps eluding us until we realize that its an endless cycle. To get out of this trap, the human race has been blessed with natures bounty. Nothing soothes a stressed mind than the magnificence of nature, and if you are looking for a place that has it all, come to India. A country of contrasting extremes, India has been the answer to countless peoples quest for peace of mind. The spiritual, the adventurous, the fun loving, and the religious, all find India a perfect holiday destination.
From the lofty snow capped peaks of the Himalayas to the waves of the Arabian Sea, India offers the most sought after tourist destinations of the world. The holiday packages in India take you to the well known as well as the lesser known tourist spots of the country. Starting from the north, the Himalayas are equally attractive to the spiritually inclined and those in the quest for adventure. The region is home to some of the most revered Hindu pilgrimages like Kedarnath, Badrinath and Rishikesh. The Gangetic plain is one of the most densely populated regions of the world, and is home to many famous cities of India like Agra, Lucknow, Allahabad and Varanasi.
The holiday packages in India also include fascinating journeys into the protected forests. National Parks like Bandhavgarh, Sariska, Corbett and Sunderbans offer a splendid opportunity to watch the wildlife of India from close quarters.
History of India is well preserved in its numerous forts and palaces. The magnificent forts at Agra, Delhi and Rajasthan are just the places where you can lose yourself into the glorious past of India.
The long coastline of India on either side offers fascinating beach destinations like Goa and Kerala. They offer a peaceful holiday combined by a multitude of water sports.
The temples and other religious places will also feature prominently in your itineraries when you travel to India. The country has an incredible number of ancient, medieval and modern temples that still carry on the tradition of temple architecture. The famous mosques of the country like the Jama Masjid in Delhi are not to be missed too. Add to the list the famous Buddhist pilgrimages and your tour to India may well turn out to be a journey of self discovery. After all, this is the land where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment!
To conclude, the natural beauty of this amazingly diverse country has the power to mesmerize any tourist. The serene lakes and their backwaters in Kerala, the slow meandering rivers, the milky white water falls, the lush green tea gardens, gentle slopes of the hills in Ooty, and the coconut lined beaches; all make up a giant, colorful canvas that India is.
The people of the country and their festivals covering an amazing range of rituals also make up the seemingly unending discovery of India. No matter what you read, you have to experience India first hand. The holiday packages of India help you plan your trips efficiently. Find out about them whenever you decide to travel to India.
Rohan Arora is a travel writer based in India. I did my masters in travel and toursim from Delhi University For more information on India Travel, Holiday packages in India contact us. We will give you complete travel related information about Destinations of India
Three Ways to Avoid Fraud When Booking Travel Online
By Maxine Clarke
Thousands of UK consumers are victims of web fraud every year after booking bogus flights or holidays online.
Earlier this year a gang of internet fraudsters was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud after swindling 6 million pounds from innocent holiday makers. The gang had taken-over five legitimate holiday firms in London during a three year period. They then traded under various names, including Ciao Travel and Orange Sun Ltd, and advertised cheap holidays that did not exist.
The scam was only discovered when a terrorist alert halted all flights from the UK. Significant numbers of passengers checked their flights and accommodation and became aware that no bookings had been made for them. The authorities initiated a full scale investigation soon after.
ABTA - the Travel Association advises UK consumers to take three simple steps to ensure they are not a victim of fraud when booking travel on the internet.
1 Check whether your travel company is an ABTA member on the ABTA website.
This association of travel agents and tour operators aims to ensure that holiday-makers receive choice, value and quality. All members adhere to a Code of Conduct, with breaches being reported and resolved. ABTA publishes a Code of Conduct specifically for online travel companies entitled ‘Standards on Websites and Online Trading’.
Look for your travel company’s ATOL logo and number. ATOL is a Government guaranteed financial protection scheme for UK tour operators. This protects over 28 million consumers every year. You can check if your travel company is included on the Civil Aviation Authority website.
2 Make sure you’ve got the right paperwork. When you have booked and paid for your flight or holiday online you should receive a confirmation document outlining the travel arrangements and the money you have paid.
When you’re just booking a flight, make sure you get either an ATOL Confirmation or the airline’s ticket or flight confirmation immediately.
Check that the payee names on the paperwork match with who you have paid and check your bank and credit card statements for names and amounts.
If you book additional travel services direct with a tour operator, make sure that you receive separate receipts detailing company names and amounts paid.
Keep all documentation relating to your holiday booking in case of future problems.
3 Find out if your travel arrangements are financially protected if your travel company goes out of business. Many travel arrangements provided by ABTA members are protected. If not, ABTA members can offer low-cost insurance policies to cover consumers.
UK travellers who book package holidays or flights through travel agents are automatically protected by two statutory schemes. The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tour Regulations 1992 require the organisers of package holidays to protect your money and bring you home if necessary. If your package includes a flight then you will be protected under the ATOL scheme.
The Civil Aviation (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) Regulations 1995 require tour operators who sell flight-only deals to protect your money and get you home if necessary.
If you book your flight directly with the airline or book accommodation-only, there is no legal requirement for your travel company to protect your money.
In the event of your travel agent going out of business, you should contact the relevant holiday company, airline or hotel to check that your booking is in place. If so, your trip should be able to go ahead unaffected.
If you suspect any criminal activity involving a travel website, contact the police. If you have a concern regarding an ABTA member or ATOL holder contact the ABTA Consumer Affairs Department or the CAA’s ATOL Claims Department. Full contact details are available on their websites.
As with any goods or services paid for online, consumers should use their common sense and look out for anything suspicious.
All legitimate businesses will publish their full address, landline telephone number and email details. Do some research on the company if you have any concerns.
Does the offer seem too good to be true? If so, it probably is. Check the company policies on bookings, refunds and complaints.
When making a payment, use your credit card so that you can dispute the charge if you later discover the deal has been misrepresented. If you are spending more than 100 pounds and paying by credit card you should be covered by the Consumer Credit Act - which means if there is a problem you will be able to claim your money back. Check that you are entering your card details onto a secure site and keep your own security software up to date. The URL in your browser window should begin “https://” and a small padlock should appear at the bottom of your screen.
Beware of searching for cheap travel deals on internet auction sites - you will have little comeback if they turn out to be fraudulent. And look out for bogus holiday clubs - the alarm bells should start ringing if you receive a phone call telling you that you’ve won a free holiday.
Always remember that when you buy from a company online you have exactly the same consumer rights as when you shop on the high street in relation to faulty or badly described goods. Take a look at the government’s Consumer Direct website for comprehensive information on your rights and tips to avoid scams. There are some great travel deals out there, and just taking a little care will ensure that you get a true bargain. Happy travelling!
Max Clarke is a copywriter for holiday services company, Holiday Extras, currently writing about airport parking,airport hotels and Glasgow airport parking.
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Sunday, August 17th, 2008 at 2:05 am and is filed under travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
