1. Pack light

Lines for checking baggage can take forever, so try to pack as light as possible. If you can, try to limit yourself to just a carry-on, so you can avoid the lines entirely. Just make sure you know what’s allowed on the airline and what’s not, so you don’t get stopped by security.

2. Leave VERY early

Nobody likes missing a flight, and especially during the holiday season, lines at the airport can be absolutely ridiculous. It’s often hard to predict how much time you’ll need, but it’s always better to have extra time than to be late. So, leave yourself about 1-3 hours (after travel time) just to get through lines and security. If you end up having extra time to burn, most airports have shops, restaurants, etc. that can help keep you entertained.

3. Use public transportation/shuttles

Instead of driving to the airport and parking your car, try using public transportation or a shuttle. Or, if you have someone to drive you, have a friend or relative drop you off. Airport parking lots fill up extremely quickly, and they often cost a lot of money.

4. Use smaller airports

If you want to avoid the crowds, try flying out of smaller airports. Obviously they won’t have as many flights available, but there is rarely lines at small airports, and they are often cheaper than large airports.

5. Travel on “off” days

If you’re traveling during the holidays, try selecting days that are known as low-traffic days. For instance, if you’re going somewhere for Christmas, flying on the day itself is often much easier than flying on Christmas eve or the days before it. And as long as you take an early flight, you can enjoy the full holiday at your destination.

Hanoi Elegance 4 Hotel
This boutique hotel was established just last year in 2008. Strategically situated in the middle of Hanoi Old Quarter, this hotel is a firm favorite amongst travelers all over the world. Don’t be surprised if you see that this hotel was built in a lot smaller than your expectations. What sets this hotel apart from the rest of its peers is that the service is unquestionable. Of course, the hotel itself comes with many amenities preferred by travelers but time and again, the Hanoi Elegance 4 Hotel has been praised for its diligent and genuinely caring staff. Based on reviews online, travelers love the conscientious customer service staff who took the trouble to prepare taxis upon their arrival or departure to avoid being scammed. The staff also took the initiative to recommend first time travelers places to visit and directions on how to best get there.

In short, this is the best hotel to go to if you want a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle, and if you want to enjoy true hospitality, Hanoi-style.

Rising Dragon II Hotel
Tucked away in a charming spot in the hub of Old Quarter, the Rising Dragon II Hotel is preferred for its strategic located. Those who love shopping and enjoying the warm sights and sounds of the outdoor market will definitely love the hotel for its close proximity to the main commercial spots in this part of town. Cafes, banks and drug stores litter the walk way while the Water Puppet Theater is only a stone’s throw away.

Reviews for the Rising Dragon II hotel were many, and glowing. Not only were the prices affordable, the customer service was only deemed impeccable. The staff are well educated in English and hospitality, easily putting travelers at ease with their friendliness and people skills.

Hanoi Legend Hotel
Also located in the Old Quarter, the Hanoi Legend Hotel may sound like a posh hotel but its staff is definitely superior to most, and are all down to earth people to add. Located a mere 50 meters from the scenic Hoan Kiem Lake, one can literally bask in the beauty of the locale while staying in a great hotel. It is interesting to note that renovation for this hotel was recently completed and they now boast of new in-room furnishings and comfortable amenities, stretching your dollars even further!

Internet-savvy travelers will love the fact that the hotel staff will respond speedily to their email bookings and enquiries, sometimes as fast as 15 minutes after the first email is sent! Tours to Halong Bay can also be arranged at your convenience.

The Singapore Flier is arguably one of the best places to visit in all of South East Asia. When I first heard of its construction, I did not believe that such an enormous structure could fit in the tiny city island but once I see it upon completion, I am awed beyond belief because the Singapore Flyer is indeed larger than life itself.

1. Enjoy 360 panoramic view
If you want want to enjoy a beautiful 360 degrees panoramic view of the city, you don’t need to sneak up to the tallest skyscraper in Singapore. All you need to do is get a ticket to ride the Singapore Flyer and you will be rewarded with sights that will take your breath away! On a clear day you can see the bustling streets of Orchard Road, the scenic Straits of Singapore and even Batam Island in neighboring Indonesia! Being in this gigantic Ferris Wheel does not mean that you will only be contained in your seat for the entire 45 minutes – in fact, you get to take a stroll, take in the views and get excellent snap shots as souvenirs!

2. Have a romantic dinner
Did you know that you can wine and dine your date with a romantic dinner aboard the Singapore Flyer for a mere SG$199 per couple? For that price you will get exclusive VIP lounge access, a delicious 3 course meal and your very own host in your decorated cabin! If you feel like splurging and/or proposing to your spouse in a private ceremony, you can shell out SG$1500 for a private cabin complete with 3 course meal, champagne, flowers – the works! Otherwise you can opt for the Champagne Flight or the Cocktail Flight packages, perfect when riding the Flyer during sundown to appreciate the delectable view of the city.

3. Learn more about the amazing city of Singapore
It is recommended that you utilize the free audio guide on board the Singapore Flyer where you can learn a lot about this wonderful city. A comprehensive map is also available in the cabin should you feel like planning your trip around the city as major landmarks are labelled clearly for your convenience.

4. Value for money ride
Where else can you get so much for so little? For as low as SG$30, or lower if you book your ride online, you get to enjoy the views and be in your private little world with loved ones.

Tips to ride the Singapore Flyer: It’s not easy to get “air sick” but if you feel uncomfortable, it would help if you walked around instead of focusing your eyes on a single spot. Also, you can book the Singapore Flyer at http://www.singaporeflyer.com.sg/ to get an attractive 20% off the $30 fare.

1. The Dome, Bangkok
Located at the top of The State Tower, the Dome is indeed a sight for sore eyes, and dry throats. Besides offering a scenic view of the vibrant city below and the enchanting Chao Phraya river, the skybar also lets customers choose from a tempting array of the best whiskies known to man. The bar itself changes color ever so often, creating a fairytale like ambiance as you sip on champagne and feast on fresh, juicy oysters.

2. Vertigo 42, London
Like its name implies, this skybar is located at the 42nd level of Tower 42. Couples have been known to frequent this bar to enjoy the romantic view of the Thames and the St Paul’s Cathedral, and there has been quite a number of proposals which happened right in the bar. Besides offering a good selection of canapes, you can also ask for their famous cheesecake, which is said to melt in your mouth AND in your heart!

3. Rainbow Room, New York
Are you dressed to the nines in New York and want to be seen AND heard? Check out the Rainbow Room, all the way up in the 65th floor of the famous Rockefeller Center. Here, you can revel in the Art Deco-ish ambiance and rub shoulders with famous celebrities such as John Travolta who, incidentally, names the Rainbow Room skybar as one of his favorite night spots in New York.

4. Aqua
If you’ve been to Hong Kong and wondered where’s the party at, wonder no more. Ask any local about Aqua and chances are they will nod their heads in approval – only the most glamorous crowd mingle amongst each other in Aqua. Besides indulging in drinks and merry making all night long, you have the option to caress your tastebuds with the most palatable morsels of food. Take your pick from Italian food from the Aqua-Roma, or Japanese sushi from the Tatami Room.

1. Ala Moana Shopping Center, Hawaii
Deemed the largest open air shopping mall in the world, the Ala Moana Shopping Center has virtually everything you need under the sun, quite literally! From electric bikes to velvet curtains and silk nightgowns for the missus, you can find almost everything in your shopping list. But the satisfaction of crossing out stuff in your list is not the only feeling you’ll love; in fact, window shoppers revel in the Hawaiian ambiance and people watchers can sit in the square while basking in the atmosphere and the live band performing every weekend. Those with a penchant for brand names such as Jimmy Choo and Burberry will also take pleasure in the array of stores at the shopping mall. If you can’t afford them, worry not – the scenic koi pond situated at the western section of the area will have you relaxing, zen style, in no time.

2. GUM, Moscow
Question: When is a shopping mall not a shopping mall? When it’s GUM, of course! GUM, the acronym for Glavnvj Uniwersalny Magasin, is located in Moscow, Russia and does not look like your run of the mill shopping center! It is an architectural icon, revered the world over – the symbol of the new Russia. Be thrilled with its exterior lights on the outside and be amazed with the brand name flagship stores on the inside – brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada and Chanel offer many a great array of items that will sure to delight the fashionista in you.

3. Mall of America, Minnesota
Here at the Mall of America, you can literally shop till you drop! 40 million shoppers have stepped through its doors each year and the amount is rising in an exponential rate. The gargantuan structure houses 520 stores, and counting, and even has a Nickelodeon theme park complete with Spongebob Squarepants and the works! Did you also know that the employees for this mall total up to 12,000? This mall can literally make or break the city’s employment scene! Much loved for being a one-stop shopping mall, the Mall of America even lets people tie the knot at Chapel of Love or get the degrees they always wanted at the Mall of America Campus of the National American University. Lego fans will LOVE the Lego Imagination Center while the children will love to feast their eyes on the aquatic dwellers in the Underwater Adventures Aquarium.

4. Mall of the Emirates, Dubai
Think Dubai is just a country filled with oil sheikhs? Well, you’re partly right but these oil sheikhs sure love to shop! After all, it takes a shoppaholic to really know how to create an ideal shopping mall that has it all, and the Mall of the Emirates fits the bill just right! Here you can shop at the 500-odd stores, have your meal at one of the 70 restaurants and ski, YES SKI, at the indoor ski center, Ski Dubai. Suddenly Dubai does not seem so hot and sweltering after all! If winter sports isn’t your thing, you can indulge in luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, D&G as well as Hermes.

Times may be tough in the United Kingdom at the minute, but as the economy slowly recovers there is a perfect opportunity awaiting those who are keen golfers and also looking to escape to Europe for a quick weekend or even an extended holiday.

In past years there has been a tremendous increase in the amount of golf resorts being built throughout Europe and there is now so much competition in the golfing industry, prices are falling rapidly. A trip abroad to play golf can often be cheaper than UK golfing and with a change in weather and golfing conditions it can be a welcoming challenge.  Combined with rock-bottom prices it’s an unbeatable opportunity to experience some of the best golf in Europe.

Having seen prices drop by as low as 30% recently, golf resort owners are doing anything they can to bring in more tourists. With budget airlines getting even cheaper, this is the perfect opportunity to play a few perfect rounds of golf whilst also enjoying the opportunity of a well deserved holiday.

With famous courses throughout Europe in Spain, Italy, Portugal, France and Turkey to name but a few, your choice shouldn’t be so much on the course you want to play, but how much you want to relax!

Five-star golfing resorts are not hard to come by in Europe, and they offer all the services you’d expect such as kit rental, expert tuition as well as some amazing weather and unparalleled views whilst you tee-off on championship courses.

If you happen to be more of a budget golfer, than there are just as many opportunities available, such as at the Abama Golf resort in Tenerife which offers a truly unrivaled experience for avid golfing fanatics who are looking for both the perfect weather and the perfect golf course on a budget.

There’s nothing quite like playing round of golf in the perfect climate. At this time of year, it’s the perfect way to relax and unwind after the past year’s troubles thanks to the economic crisis.

Have you ever thought about a flying holiday where you see the world on-board a private chartered aircraft? Can you imagine traveling from London to Sydney, stopping off along the way to visit some of the most spectacular attractions in the world?

You can?

That’s great because Qantas Holiday’s are now offering a fabulous 21-day holiday to celebrate the 75th year of the first regular flights between Australia and England. If you’re up for the ultimate chance of a life-time then they have two separate packages available to tempt the luxury traveler looking for that unforgettable experience.

The Highlights of the classical route will take off on the 8th of April and stop off at a number of attractions such as Oriental Bangkok and Rangoon as it takes you on a leisurely flight down to Sydney.

The Highlights of the Nostalgia Route will take passengers from Sydney to London over a 21-day period, following the same traditional route that the first ever flight from Sydney to London took back in December, 1934. This will stop off at 16 destinations such as Brunei, Laos, Nepal, Armenia and Indonesia.

Travel will be on a classic Convair CV 580 aircraft which is limited to 22 passengers, each with their own window seat. The price includes hotels, meals, all transfers fees and sightseeing along the way.

The Convair C 580 will take you safely to your destination, flying at a little over 6,000 m giving passengers the ultimate view of the world as they fly to their destination in luxury, with complimentary food and drinks offered throughout the flight.

Perhaps at £20,930 and £21,900 respectively this is an expensive trip, but take it from us, it certainly is the chance of a lifetime.

There is simply no other way to experience the luxury and privilege of such an exclusive holiday. Flying just four hours a day you will get to see the world in a whole new light, and whilst it may be a trifle expensive, it is certainly the holiday of a lifetime.

Palau is a secretive little island hidden in the heart of the Pacific Ocean. Located not far from the Philippines and Indonesia, it is only recently that this island became a nation under its own right and it is perhaps today one of the youngest countries in the world.

But whilst your thinking such a young nation must have many problems, the island of Palau is blooming from its rebirth into independence after falling under U.S. sovereignty for many years.

Today, Palau is its own nation and thanks to its U.S. heritage, you can be assured of a comfortable stay in the country which accepts the U.S. dollar as the national currency. Palau may be a small group of islands, but there are modern amenities o please all travelers.

The popular city of Koror is home to many tourists and it serves as the perfect base. With numerous hotels, resorts and guesthouses, it’s really easy to find somewhere to stay on this sunshine island with countless beaches.

Palau has in the past been most famous for its amazing reefs and scuba diving. With a fully diverse marine eco-system, this is a thrilling location for any diver due to the variety on offer, and with above average currents the diving is always an energetic challenge.

Whilst a current may be seen by many divers as an obstacle, it is also a great opportunity, because quite simply marine life loves currents. With all sorts of aquatic life in the waters of Palau, you can swim with everything from bull sharks to the world-famous inland jellyfish which have evolved slowly to have no stingers.

Today, Palau is rapidly evolving as the luxury tourist destination of choice for tourists who are looking to spend that little bit more to find a secret hideaway destination that is far enough out of the way as to be relaxing, but still close enough to society.

With more and more luxury hotels going up in Palau each day, there are already a number of world-class resorts which cater to those looking for a truly exquisite stay in this island of natural luxury.

Photo by Tom Corser www.tomcorser.com. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 England & Wales (UK) Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/uk/deed.en_GB

Imagine a hotel built from snow and ice by artists.  The rooms are beautiful and  icy and cold.  You sleep in a warm thermal sleeping bag on a bed made of a block of ice topped by a thick mattress and  reindeer skins.   You could be in a simple snow room, or in a room filled with ice sculptures. You are at the Ice Hotel in Sweden.

Located 200km above the artic circle ICEHOTEL is literally at the top of the world.    It seems distant and remote, however it is easy to get to with the nearest airport and train station only 15km away in the town of Kiruna.  From year to year the ICEHOTEL is never the same.  Every year artists from around the globe come to build and sculpt the beautiful hotel, only to see it melt away come spring.

There is more to do than just sleep on ice, becaues the ICEHOTEL is all about ice there are many other icy experiences waiting for you.  Before you retire to your ice room you could visit the ice bar.  Here your lips will leave impressions on your glass, as it is made from ice, just like the sculptures that surround you.

If you would like a setting for your wedding that seems almost unreal you could get married in the Ice Church. Beautiful ice sculptures fill the space which is both surreal and sacred.

For those who prefer to sleep warm, there are also warm rooms available.  The restaurant is also heated, and not made of ice, however many of the serving dishes are!

If sleeping on ice is not enough of an adventure for you there are plenty of other unique experiences at the ICEHOUSE.

Drive a car on a track made of ice.  Travel by dogsled to a wilderness camp.  Or travel by horseback to view the northern lights.

And then, inspired by the beautiful ice sculptures around you, create your own sculpture from ice, that will melt away in the spring.

The ICEHOTEL is open from December 10, 2009 to April 18, 2010.  The hotel opens in phases, so from December 10 – 30 parts of the hotel are still being built.

African Penguins

The award-winning domestic airline, Etihad Airways has recently announced that it is to start flying to its second destination in South Africa – Cape Town.  Explaining an increase in demand for holiday and business travel, the airline’s chief executive also stated that the move was in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup starting on the 11th June next year.

As Cape Town becomes more and more developed, many people are visiting South Africa through this rather unique city on the great horn.  With so much to offer tourists, Cape Town is an unforgettable destination. Thanks to the excellent climate, and large variety of scenery from beaches to mountains, there is something for everyone in this sunny part of the world.

The beach life around Cape Town is perhaps one of the most popular reasons that have made this city the number one tourist hot-spot in South Africa. Thanks to the cities location, you are really spoiled for choice when it comes to beaches as there are countless different beaches all within a few miles

Perhaps though, one of the most popular beaches is the famous Boulders Beach, which is home to a large African penguin colony.  From here, you can actually get up close and personal with this massive colony of penguins, go for a swim or simply enjoy the views surrounding this very unique beach.

Nearby, is the town of Simon’s Town and here you can visit a historical former British port, and home of the South African Navy. This former town has now become a suburb of Cape Town, yet it has its own distinctly colonial character.  With many hotels and restaurants nearby, Simon’s Town is a friendly and welcoming place to visit.

Thanks to this new service from Etihad Airways , there is even more flexibility available when it comes to visiting this highly popular part of South Africa.  If it’s climbing, hiking, sun bathing or surfing, Africa has everything you’d ever want.  Take a trip now and see just how amazing this often forgotten part of the world actually is.