March 11th, 2010 by admin
Ever been stuck in traffic, delayed in reaching your destination or transfer? This is probably one of the worst things that can happen when you have a train or flight to catch. Remember: the cliché “I’ve got a train to catch”? Well, trains, buses, planes, and in fact most forms of public transport, wait for no-one. If you’re late, you’ve missed it.
This can cause much frustration when looking forward to your much deserved break. Nothing is worse than being delayed and not being able to do a thing about it.
Most airports demand that you check-in at least an hour before the flight departure. Some specify two hours. With this in mind, you would be doing yourself a big favour by planning this into your travel plan. Bear in mind that delays can occur anywhere from your front door to the intended destination.
On the day of travel all your checklists should be satisfied and complete. However, your travel checklist will not be complete until you actually arrive at your destination. The best way to account for travelling time is to do a little research before making the journey. Work back from any departure time and give yourself roughly 25% of the overall journey’s travelling time as a ‘buffer’, should the inevitable happen. This should be enough time to deal with any unforeseen delays and, if necessary, arrange alternative transport.
Although you may be getting off a train at the designated airport’s rail-link terminal, ensure that enough time is allocated to get from the train terminal to the check-in. Bear in mind that you won’t be the only person making the transition from train to airport and large volumes of people moving around at the same time is highly likely.
When travelling to your destination, take note of any possible delays which could occur on your return journey and factor them into your plan for the journey home.
A more favoured approach of travelling to the airport is by car. The great thing about using the car is that you can transport your luggage and also drive directly to the airport. Although delays are ever prevalent on the roads today, at least you will have some control over your journey. Once again, ensure you set enough time aside to get to your destination in plenty of time.
Most airports have their own parking facilities. However, like the flights themselves, airport parking is available on a ‘first-come-first-served’ basis. Heathrow Airport Parking can often be oversubscribed, so book as early as you can. Basically, book your airport parking at the same time as (if not before) your flight tickets. The advantage of using the respective airport’s car parking facilities is that you are almost there. Short of the transfer to the airport terminal, the most likely sources of delay would have been averted.
All of the larger airports offer this facility. A number of companies usually sell parking spaces on behalf of the airport so it wouldn’t hurt to shop around. You may even find that staying in a nearby hotel and using their parking facilities is cheaper than leaving your car in the airport car park. Explore as many of the possibilities available to you as possible and you could well save some money – making travelling a more pleasurable experience.
Tags: Airports, Alternative Transport, Bear In Mind, Buses, Checklists, Departure Time, Favour, Flight Departure, Frustration, Holiday Travel, Journey Home, Journey Work, Link Terminal, Public Transport, Return Journey, Train Terminal, Travel Checklist, Travel Plan, Travel Time, Unforeseen Delays
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March 5th, 2010 by admin
A unique place to visit while in Costa Rica is the tranquil little village of Mal Pias. Situated on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica around the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, this place boast of vibrant colors and sceneries. The name Mal Pais originated from the Chorotoga Indians who inhabited the area. Legends in the area would tell us that the word Mal Pais was coined from the word “mah pah” which is a very huge stone used by the Indians to draw. Some of the finest Costa Rica vacation rentals are located in the Mal Pais area.
Dubbed as the Hawaii of Latin America, the coastline is filled with rocky and some unique volcanic rock formations which creates a fascinating and intriguing scenery. Looking at those rock formations, one would marvel at the how nature sculpts itself and create a magnificent work of art. What’s more, if you wander along the beach of Mal Pais, you could be treated with the sight of pelicans sailing along the shorelines or diving for fish! Such a beautiful and peaceful sight indeed! There are many reasons why people come to Mal Pais. Divers would come for its unique and pristine subtropical nature.
Students of ecology and biology would come trekking from the nearby Cabo Blanco National Park which is located some 3 kilometers south of the village. The Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve serves as a nursery for many aquatic species, most of them endangered or threatened by human activities.
Mal Pais offers a tourist haven along its three kilometer road which is dotted with charming hotels. Most of these hotels offers fantastic views and very good accommodations guaranteed to make you feel at home while enjoying the golden sunset of the Pacific.
The oldest of Costa Rica’s National Parks, the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve is located at the extreme southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. It is one of the most beautiful such nature reserves in the country, with a genuinely of a kind combination of climate and geographical location. It was also such protected area established in Costa Rica, all the way back in 1963, a first step that has now become an extensive national park system and has led to the nation becoming one of the world’s foremost authorities in the ecotourism industry.
The attractions held in the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve are numerous and varied. It encompasses over a thousand hectares of mixed forest, known as moist tropical forest, as well as primary and secondary forest, and is home to a stunning menagerie of wild life that includes anteaters, armadillos, coyotes, howlers, monkeys (both spider and capachun) and white tailed deer.
The gateway to the reserve is Cabuya, a small community that exists on the border of the main entrance to the Reserve and offers excellent accommodation and hospitality as well as numerous activities of its own such as sports fishing, bird watching (Cabo Blanco is the nesting place for more than a hundred and fifty different types of birds), beachcombing, hiking, scuba diving or trips to various places such as Tortuga Island and an undersea volcano.
All in all, Cabo Blanco is an ideal place to sample the unspoiled simplicity of an old fashioned Costa Rican village.
Tags: Aquatic Species, Cabo Blanco, Costa Rica Vacation, Extreme Southern Tip, Golden Sunset, Kilometer Road, Kind Combination, Latin America, Magnificent Work, Nature Reserve, Nature Reserves, Nicoya Peninsula, Pah, Pelicans, Sceneries, Shorelines, Tourist Haven, Unique Place, Vibrant Colors, Volcanic Rock Formations
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