Accommodation, Asia, China, Hong Kong, Hotels, Regions- Read 2327 times

A Chinese Valentine’s – top 5 romantic hotel getaways in China

Valentine’s can be a difficult period. When romance blossoms, clichés bloom in equal measure – Paris, London, Rome and the like are all tried and tested destinations to spend a romantic trip, but ironically, tried and tested is not in the least bit romantic. With Valentine’s Day following immediately after Chinese New Year (11th-13th February), why not head over to the Far East to celebrate the Lunar New Year in style, and spend a loving holiday with your significant other in China?

If you have already been to China, then you know of the uniquely mystic romantic nature of the country, capable of being awe-inspiring and exasperating in equal measure, but always keeping you curious to find out more. If you haven’t yet, then this mysterious nation may just be the trip to light up an old (or new) flame…

1. The Peninsula, Hong Kong
‘The grand dame of Hong Kong’, ‘The finest hotel east of the Suez’: The Peninsula has many nicknames, including the affectionate ‘The Pen’, as it is known to many residents. Opened in 1928, the hotel and the Peninsula Group have long maintained a tradition of legendary service. With a modern tower addition that blends well with its original art deco structure, the hotel has everything from classic interiors to modern day amenities to a million dollar view. With a slew of world famous restaurants, including the regal Gaddi’s (if you’re going to propose, that’s the time to do it!), your dining options are also catered for in style. But to truly charm your loved one, pick the Peninsula Suite (one of the world’s most expensive) – exceptional views come with an exceptional price.

2. Park Hyatt, Shanghai
Occupying the 79^th to 93^rd floors of the world’s fourth tallest building, the Park Hyatt, housed in the Shanghai World Financial Centre in Pudong, ensures one thing: a dizzying view to take your romance to dizzy new heights! Contemporary minimalist décor may not elicit those memories of old, but if the view can’t help take your relationship to the next level, then nothing can! If it’s too late to book the Park Hyatt, try the alternative Hyatt on the Bund, which looks out onto the Shanghai World Financial Centre and the rising Pudong skyline from across the river.

3. Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing
If it’s old memories you’re looking to rekindle, look no further than Aman at Summer Palace in Beijing. The Summer Palace was once the guest quarters of Empress Dowager Cixi, but today provides a throwback to the Ming dynasty. With acclaimed boutique resort group Aman in charge of hospitality, a romantic retreat is sure to be featured heavily on the menu. If the prices don’t impress your significant other, then the spa treatments are sure to.

4. Banyan Tree Lijiang Resort & Spa, Lijiang
Man-made wonders wow, but natural miracles astound. Set high on a plateau in Southern China, the Banyan Tree Lijiang lets you drift off to an ethereal state. With sweeping views of the deep-cut valleys of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, with its peaks covered in glaciered snow, and its base in a picturesque supple green, the resort is unique in both its altitude and its architecture, replete with pagodas and villas shrouded with a traditional Chinese roof. Take a deep breath and let the thin, crisp air make you giddy with love again.

5. Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake, Hangzhou
If your idea of romance is akin to Hollywood movies, then the Four Seasons at West Lake may be the perfect sentimental getaway. Set amid the exotic suburbs of Hangzhou, the calm lake is a sight to be hold in the morning as the sun’s rays gently warm the city and break the mist that shrouds the lake, piercing the still water. If ever there were an occasion when you wouldn’t be mad for being woken up early, witnessing this spectacle would be it!

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Top 10 cities 2013

Best in Travel 2013 - Top 10 cities

 

1. San Francisco
Darling of America's west coast
Best for: Culture, events, food

Quirky shop front decoration, Haight Street, The Haight.

© Copyright Lonely Planet Images

Famous for hills, earthquakes and a penchant for liberal politics, San Francisco continues to attract kindred spirits, eagerly embracing all newcomers to the bosom of its cultural mélange. If you need an extra incentive to get yourself to San Francisco, the city has an ace up its sleeve – the 34th America’s Cup is coming to fog city in 2013, and big changes and upgrades are afoot all along San Francisco’s heaving waterfront.

2. Amsterdam
Golden Age charmer prepares to party
Best for: Culture, events, food

Lights along canal bridges along Herengracht near the famous 'Golden Bend'.

 

Amsterdam always cast a spell on travellers, but the party ramps up big-time in 2013, when more anniversaries than you can shake a herring at coincide. The famed canal ring turns 400 years old. It’s Vincent van Gogh’s 160th birthday and the 40th for his colour-swirled museum. The Rijksmuseum re-opens after a 10-year renovation. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra – often considered the world’s best – blows out 125 candles. Plus the Artis Royal Zoo and Felix Meritis cultural centre mark 175 years and 225 years, respectively. It all adds up to a slew of celebratory concerts, exhibits and street fests grooving throughout 2013.

3. Hyderabad
Old City recapturing past glories
Best for: Culture, food, value for money

Vendor at street stall at foot of the Charminar.

 

Hyderabad was once the capital of a filthy-rich princely state. After India’s independence, the palaces and pleasure gardens were sold off, built over and looted, and you had to be really sharp to see the city’s beauty. But several palaces in Hyderabad’s Old City have recently been refurbished, including Falaknuma Palace, a seven-star hotel that was skilfully restored by the Taj Group and is now an exceedingly plush time capsule. Other monuments and buildings are being fixed up, but the city, and many of its architectural gems, are still off the radar – which keeps the masses at bay. Elegant and blossoming, but also weathered and undiscovered, Hyderabad’s Old City is ripe for exploration.

4. Londonderry/Derry
Packed calendar for UK City of Culture
Best for: Culture, events, family

You Are Now Entering Free Derry

Londonderry/Derry is the UK City of Culture 2013, which means this vibrant, historic walled city is undergoing a renaissance. The year will see a wealth of cultural events, including the 10-day All Ireland Fleadh, the world’s biggest Irish festival and it also plays host to the always-controversial Turner Prize. The city will buzz throughout the year with hundreds of other events, from pageants to music to contemporary dance. Derry also hosts lots of regular festivals, such as the Jazz Festival and Earhart Festival (in 2013 celebrating 80 years since American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart landed here), celebrations for which will all be cranked up a notch.

5. Běijīng
Capital on cusp of greatness
Best for: Culture, value for money, food

Artist painting in the Forbidden City.

 

Běijīng remains as the cultural and artistic centre of China. While the 2008 Olympics may now seem like a distant memory, their effect is enduring – there are English street signs and a multitude of architectural gems such as the Bird’s Nest studded across the sprawling city. More recently, the Běijīng–Shanghai high-speed rail now connects the two cities in under five hours. Today, Běijīng tentatively balances a multitude of (growing) populations and subcultures. There’s a palpable sense of change in the air, though no-one quite knows what to expect. China is on the cusp of true greatness and one day, people will look back and say it all started here.

6. Christchurch
Rising from the rubble with flair
Best for: Culture, events, family

Pop-up shipping-container shopping centre in Cashel St.

New Zealand’s ‘Garden City’ is rising from the rubble created by devastating earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 with a breathtaking mix of spirit, determination and flair. With a unique opportunity to rethink urban form, Christchurch is bouncing back with a new energy and inventiveness. Foodies will be surprised by the variety of what is on offer, from Burmese to Turkish to local specialities, live-music venues have popped up all over the place, and innovative artworks fill empty demolition sites. 2013 will be an intriguing year to join the rebirth.

7. Hobart
Harbour town becomes hip
Best for: Events, culture, food

Fishing fleet and their lobster pots moored in Victoria Docks, Hobart.

 

The sleepy harbour town reputation attracts a solid ‘outdoorsy’ set, but the recent arrival of the world-class MONA museum has the waters rippling, hip tourists flocking and Hobart rousing from its slumber. 2013 will see the new kid on the block team up with the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) for the Theatre of the World exhibition curated by Jean-Hubert Martin, former director of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. This year will also prove exciting for Hobart’s already burgeoning gastronomic scene as the city’s culinary credentials continue to rise.

8. Montréal
Mélange of cultures marries brains and beauty
Best for: Culture, events, value for money

Le Vieux-Montréal

 

Having recently gained a high rank on city lists including the world’s happiest (Lonely Planet, 2010) and hippest (New York Times, 2011), this year Montréal’s angling for a top spot, showing off in Stephen Spielberg’s summer release Robopocalypse, and inviting everyone for drinks at the new urban beach. But Montréal’s got brains as well as beauty. Spring 2013 marks the launch of the new Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, rounding out the ambitious ‘Space for Life’ project. And Montréal’s social calendar is also bubbling over with the unveiling of the Grévin wax museum at the Eaton Centre, the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the Place des Arts, and the new Point Zero hotel, owned by the eponymous fashion label.

9. Addis Ababa
Ethiopian metropolis evolving at pace
Best for: Culture, food, value for money

Portrait of jousting competitor at festival of Timkat, dressed in style of traditional Abyssinian warrior, with Gelada monkey headdress and embroidered cloak.

Like the Ethiopian marathon runners, Addis Ababa (often shortened to plain ‘Addis’) is evolving at a fast pace. The fact that the country’s economic growth should reach almost 5% in 2013 helps create a feeling of confidence and stamina. Founded little more than a century ago, Addis Ababa, which in Amharic means ‘New Flower’, is not only the diplomatic capital of Africa and a thriving metropolis, but also a groovy city that takes pride in its multifaceted assets.

10. Puerto Iguazú
Much more than just a waterfall
Best for: Family, activities, adventure

Iguazú Falls

It’s official: votes are in, and the Foz de Iguazú has won its place among the prestigious new seven wonders of nature, following a worldwide 2011 poll. That this phenomenal waterfall, spread-eagled along the Argentine–Brazil border, should make the final reckoning is no great shock. So tourism to these falls is set to morph: good news for Puerto Iguazú, the main tourist base hereabouts. ‘Iguazú’ – as locals call it – doesn’t just want to be the fall guy, though. After all, it offers some of the best hostels, top-end hotels and spas in the country, not to mention some stunning side trips.

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fastjet takes off, achieving a 78% load factor on first day

FastJet.com

African low cost airline fastjet commenced commercial flight operations yesterday, with its first aircraft flying passengers from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza, and Dar es Salaam to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Eight sectors were flown, carrying more than 900 paying passengers and achieving an average booked load factor of 78%. Three of the eight sectors flown exceeded a load factor of 90%.

Future demand for seats on these two initial routes is currently far outstripping supply. Additional flights to these destinations are already being considered, and the Company also intends to expand its route network regionally over the coming weeks as the fleet grows to three Airbus A319s.

Commenting on the success of the first day, fastjet Chief Executive Ed Winter said: “fastjet is delighted to see how the people of Tanzania are embracing the Low Cost Carrier model. Yesterday was a huge success and a great way to start operations. 

“We are pleased to see reservations and bookings continuing to grow. The demand for this type of air travel has far exceeded the Company’s expectations.

“Yesterday’s passengers ranged from business people through to many first time flyers who were using fastjet as an economic alternative to conventional bus transport. Clearly, as predicted, our low cost model is stimulating a whole new market of people to fly,” Winter added.

Luxury travel firm opens Dubai HQ

The Travel Attaché, a premier luxury travel specialist, has launched its Dubai headquarters, the first in a series of offices to be unveiled across the Middle East and Asia by 2015.

Working with over 200,000 of the globe’s leading suppliers, The Travel Attaché enjoys access to the world’s most desirable properties and offers a diverse portfolio of sumptuous hotels, villas, chalets, yachts, cruises and private jets, a statement said.

In addition, the independent consultant presents a unique experiential offering, a first for the region, with tailor-made experiences ranging from kite skiing in Antarctica to private viewings of the Northern Lights.

Founded by a panel of industry experts with over 50 years combined experience across the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, The Travel Attaché is run by a team of connoisseurs who each enjoy individual acclaim as leaders in their field.

Chairman Mishal Kanoo, deputy chairman of the Kanoo Group, is joined by vice chairman Gaurav Sinha, Founder and managing director of Insignia, the Middle East’s first luxury branding and brand marketing agency; Liam Wholey, chief executive officer, formerly CEO for elite concierge service Quintessentially Group’s Middle East & Africa division; and managing director Jeremy Sutton, founder and former managing director of Quintessentially Travel.

The announcement comes the day the World Travel Market opens in London, a reflection of the company’s international outlook.

“Our decision to create The Travel Attaché is reflective of the region’s growing need and desire for an exceptional travel proposition,” said Wholey.

“The Middle East remains one of the most dynamic parts of the world with a rapidly progressive consumer base and we are excited at the prospect of redefining levels of service and expertise in the leisure and business booking sectors.

“With our unique offering, we are confident that we can deliver unforgettable experiences in a seamless and sophisticated manner and redefine the region’s perception of travel,” he added.

Tourism: Hawaii’s blessing and curse

Hawaii is a beautiful, serene and ideal spot for many USD students to visit, but an imperative question arises: are we welcomed guests? 

For many years prior to the influx of a tourist based economy, indigenous Hawaiians flourished without being dependent on revenues derived from tourism. In order for USD students to see tourism from the islanders’ perspective, we must first analyze the history behind the development of Hawaii as a tourist economy. 

Before its addition to the United States, Hawaii was subjected to imperialism, which is an exploitation of people, resources and land. After the United States illegally overthrew the Queen Liliuokalani in 1893, we claimed ownership of the island in 1894. 

The overthrow of Hawaii completely changed its economy from one which was self-sufficient to one that was a hostage economy. According to “Hawaiian Journey” by Joseph G. Mullins, prior to tourist exploitation, Hawaii’s economy relied on pineapple and sugar production, yet in recent years the profits derived from such production account for only a fraction of the island’s economic sustainability. 

The amount of tourism on the island per year brings forth the vast majority of the island’s revenue, yet Hawaii cannot sustain such a tremendous amount number of tourists, creating a severe dilemma. In order for sustainability of the island to exist into the future, then tourism must be reduced to a quantity that is less than it is today. 

One can see the beautiful pictures of resorts and beaches in Hawaii, but may not comprehend the state of economic distress Hawaiians are in. People are not typically made aware of the amount of homeless people who have jobs, but receive such low wages from their work that they cannot afford a home. People don’t see how so much tourism can be insulting to the indigenous people of the island. 

Yes, hulas and luaus are fun for many visitors to Hawaii, but they are also sacred to the people of the land and reserve a higher meaning and appreciation. Even at USD, the luau could come off as offensive to some Hawaiian students. 

After interviewing Keanu Gututala, a Hawaiian student and native to the island, he said, “I was extremely disappointed because it made people culturally blind to what a luau actually represents in Hawaii. There was no aspect of the luau that actually represented a true luau.” 

I saw this with the food and music. At a recent USD event, the DJ played rap and mainstream music as opposed to the genre of music that is true to the island. The food was sushi and pulled pork which you would not find at a real luau. 

This is an exact example of the misconception some possess of true Hawaiian culture at our school. 

As previously stated, tourism does bring in most of Hawaii’s revenue, so it is not all bad. 

In a sense, Hawaii could not last in the long run without it, yet one might want to consider the idea proposed by Haunani-Kay Trask, author of “Lovely Hula Hands: Corporate Tourism and the Prostitution of Hawaiian Culture”, in which a quota on the amount of tourists allowed in Hawaii per year is established. 

Often, travelers see an inauthentic Hawaiian culture that has been expressed at our school. It is a cultural ruination in the sense that those who get exposed to the culture of the land exist only to lure tourists in to earn money. 

At this point in time there are actually fewer native Hawaiians living on their land than tourists and foreigners. Most of those natives that do live on the land are not receiving all this money for the use of their culture, and are receiving little money for other people’s perception of the Hawaiian culture. On any given day there are at least 148,750 tourists present on the island. USD students often talk about visiting the island, whether it is for vacation or school. 

No matter what purpose, any student at this school who ends up going should take some time to think about the true identity of Hawaii’s people and the reason why Hawaii is a tourist economy today.

THE TOWN WITH NO ROADS

Giethoorn in Holland is a beautiful and quiet little village unique in that you will not find a single road in the entire town. Rather, it is connected by waterways and paths and some biking trails. Visitors are always welcomed and encouraged to rent an electric and noiseless "Whisper Boat" to explore this little piece of heaven on earth.

Giethoorn is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Steenwijkerland, about 5 km southwest of Steenwijk.

Giethoorn used to be a carfree town known in the Netherlands as "Venice of the North" or "Venice of the Netherlands". It became locally famous, especially after 1958, when the Dutch film maker Bert Haanstra made his famous comedy "Fanfare" there. In the old part of the village, there were no roads (nowadays there is a cycling path), and all transport was done by water over one of the many canals. The lakes in Giethoorn were formed by peat unearthing.

Giethoorn was founded by fugitives from the Mediterranean region in around AD 1230. Giethoorn was a separate municipality until 1973, when it became part of Brederwiede.

Read almost any travel blog, including our own and you are going to hear constant talk of the benefits of a life of travel.

Do you have what it takes to free your mind and soul for a life of travel?

But at what cost?

There is nothing you do in life that does not involve some sort of sacrifice and there are many sacrifices that come with a life of travel. A lot of these are minuscule and can evaporate without a second thought once you step into that great unknown. Some of them, however, are a little harder to make and bear and quite often can be the very thing that prevents people from travelling in the first place.

Sacrifices of a Life of Travel

Family

You grow up in a particular family environment, you get married, move a couple of blocks or maybe neighborhoods away from your family home, have kids and start the cycle again.

This is the traditional way of living, which in today’s 21st century is not becoming so traditional anymore. We have so many options available to us that assist us in breaking free of this standard way of living.

Living a life of travel means foregoing this cultural expectation. It means leaving your family behind. For some this is too hard to take and so they don’t spread their wings and fly, others have their wings clipped by those who don’t want them to leave.

Since 1995 when my brother, Stilts, left to go overseas, I have seen him about once every two years. Since I left in 97, I have seen my sisters and parents about the same frequency.

But, we are extremely close. I never fight with my siblings, and rarely with my parents.

Because we rarely see each other, when we do our moments are filled with so much love, laughter, encouragement and good times. Spending months, or possibly years apart from your family does not mean that it spells the end of your relationship. I believe it can strengthen it in many ways.

We were lucky enough to be able to spend time with Craig’s sister almost every year we were away. We would meet up somewhere in the world. We have so many great memories of that. We also have the same experiences with our parents.

Quality will always trump over quantity.

You might be at home living near your family, but are you really creating memorable experiences every day?

Friendships

So many people cling to their friendships like they would to a piece of drift wood in the middle of a stormy sea. They see their friendships as defining who they are and without them they have nothing.

When you live a life of travel, you are going to leave many friends behind. This can be really tough to take. Your friends probably understand you more than your family do. How can you ever live without them? How can the life that you know it together ever be the same without you in it?

Once you start travelling you realize that the world is so big and you are capable of loving and having friendships with many different people. You will find friends from all walks of life and you will rejoice in it. There will be some friendships that will fade away in the distance as you will lose that common bond. You will still have your best friends though, the friends whose bond youshare is so strong nothing will tear it apart.

I am so happy and content with having those friends in my life. I come and go but each time I come it is like I never left and I love them all the same.

I have some friends whose common bond I share is a travel one. I could see them and speak to them once a year and it would be like it was yesterday.

Time and distance cannot destroy true friendships it can only strengthen them in different ways.

Career

Coming back last year to Australia to teach again has taught me how much living a life of travel has really put a hamper in my “career” path.

I suddenly discovered that my qualifications were no longer considered worthy and I was going to be shut out of teaching in Australia.

The bogans didn’t even want to look at the experience I had teaching in 5 countries, which included leadership positions. I now am treated as a first year teacher but get paid on a slightly higher level- five years, wiping out 9 years experience.

A life of travel can get in the way of building up job experience and climbing that ladder. But, if truth be known, I don’t really care about a career of teaching. I now care about living my passion and having a wealth of life experiences over job experiences.

The experiences I have had teaching around the world have made me a much better teacher, even though stupid executives in suits can’t look beyond their red tape to see this.

The skills I have learned from travelling make me much more able to take on new job and business opportunities.

Finances and Material Possessions

Craig and I often think how rich we would be if we never went travelling. It looks and sounds great for about five minutes and then we think of all we have spent our money on; all the experiences, the countries, the friends, the laughter, the joy, the lessons.

There will never be any materialistic possession that will never equate to this. You will have to come to terms with this sacrifice when it comes time to travel. You will have to make cutbacks when you are saving to travel, and you will make cutbacks when you are on the road.

This can really hurt. Who doesn’t want nice things? You have to weigh the sacrifice up with what you will get in return for it. Your travels will take all your money and savings, you won’t have anything tangible to show for it at the end, except for some awesome photos. But, you will have a lot of incredible memories.

Which one gives you more meaning, which one can you take with you at the end?

Living a life of travel has taught me to give up my need for materialistic things. I can walk away from it in an instance, as I know it does not matter. I really don’t own anything any more, and I am quite happy with that.

I spoke about this in my recent post on learning lessons from not winning the Mummy blog competition which would have resulted in me getting a brand new car. I really didn’t want the car as it was going to get in the way of my travels. I understood what was the bigger reward.

Home Ownership

I think about buying property again, and then it passes by quite quickly. I know what can come with ownership, mortgage, bills, stress, limitations. I’d much rather have my life of freedom on the road.

This sacrifice does not always come with travel. You can travel while still owning a home. You can rent it out and have someone else pay the mortgage for you. Craig and I did that for five years with two properties. It worked out really well for us.

And then we returned home to a “normal” life, couldn’t handle the loss of our life on the road, made some seriously stupid mistakes which came at a bad economic time, and lost a lot of what we had built.

Sometimes I wonder whether the sacrifice of travel caught up with us in the end, but I don’t think so. I think you can do both.

It only stopped working for us when we stopped doing what we loved.

Cultural

When you leave your culture to travel the world you are in some parts leaving all this behind. You think you will always hold true to your culture and that it will always remain the best in the world, but you will change, adapt to and take on the thoughts and beliefs of other cultures.

You will be sacrificing some of your own cultural ideals.

This can be at times hard to take, especially when you return home and are left with many feelings of not being able to fit in anymore, and of being somewhat of a traitor. (yes, don’t worry people won’t be shy in dropping comments to make you feel like you are)

But, if you feel like these new beliefs are now part of who you are and it works best for you then ignore them.

Travel is so enriching, there is nothing wrong with changing your view point on things. Its called evolution. Life can’t move forward with out change and usually it is for the better.

Why wouldn’t you want to grow for the better?

It doesn’t mean you love your culture any less, you just might love others just as much. Just like a mother who has a second child, she understands she is capable of loving on infinite multi- dimensional levels.

So you see the rewards really do outweigh the sacrifices. You’ve just got to change your thinking on it.

Source.

How Long Do You Have For Vacation

The amount of vacation time you have plays a big roll in deciding where you travel. With a traditional job in the US with just two or three weeks vacation, or even another country that allows for four to six weeks vacation, you have a limited amount of time to spend on travel. Here are a few simple things to think about when determining how much time you have.

Time for travel

You might have a certain amount of vacation days each year you always use to visit family for the holidays. Or maybe you know you’ll want a random day off in the middle of the year to just relax at home. How much time do you have leftover that you are willing to use for your vacation?

Determining how much you have left to use is the first step in deciding where you can travel. If you only have a week leftover, a trip to New Zealand (if you live in the US or Europe) might be tricky considering how long it takes to get there and the drastic time zone change.

Time equals distance

The longer you have for your vacation, the farther away you can go. Sounds logical, right? But just how far can you go?

Start looking at how long it takes to get from your home to the destination you’re thinking of. If you live in the eastern US, a nonstop flight to western Europe will probably take eight to 10 hours. If you live in the middle or western part of the country, it’ll take longer and you might not even get a nonstop flight. Looking at eastern Europe or a city or island that doesn’t have a major international airport? Tack on a few more hours. Any standard flight booking site will be able to show you what the flight times look like.

Also take into account that the more time zones you travel through, the more likely you are to suffer some jet lag. You will probably need to take it easy that first day, so you won’t fit in as much sightseeing. It’s a good idea to not even count that day as one of the days you have to spend in your destination since you won’t have much energy.

Time to Relax

If you are the type of traveler who wants to lounge on the beach for a week, making sure you have enough time to relax probably won’t be a problem. But if you’re the type to pack in as many activities as possible, you will need time to relax. Leave yourself a day here and there to just enjoy where you are. Don’t plan so many activities that you don’t have any down time.

I’ve planned trips before where I went from city to city at such a fast pace that I had a meltdown once I got to the fourth city in five days. Don’t let this happen to you. Give yourself a little wiggle room. If you think you need three days, plan four instead. An extra day can give you time to do something you didn’t discover until you arrived. Or just relax at a cafe and soak up the atmosphere.

Planning out the amount of time you have for your vacation is just one step in the planning process, but it’s an important one. Don’t stretch yourself too thin, and make sure you plan enough time to see what you really want to see. Following these simple steps will go a long way towards helping you have an easier and more enjoyable vacation.

London tourism rates plunge during Olympics

Olympic tourists head straight for the Games and avoid the capital's other attractions and shopping destinations, according to some London businesses.Photo: AFP
The London 2012 Olympics appears to be deterring tourists from the capital's centre after warnings of travel chaos and overpriced hotel rooms, according to key industry figures. Many businesses complain they are being sidelined as tourists make a beeline for the Olympic Games and avoid the capital's other attractions and shopping destinations, while non-sports fans opt to stay at home or delay their trips.
In the run-up to the Olympics, commuters and tourists alike were warned to avoid central London, with millions of athletes, support staff, media and spectators descending on the capital for the greatest show on earth.
The Games have long been heralded as a key boost to the recession-hit British economy. But tourist numbers have fallen "dramatically" since the Games began, according to industry body the European Tour Operators Association.
"London has approximately 300,000 foreign and 800,000 domestic visitors every day in August. These people have been told implicitly that they should stay away and they have done so," said ETOA chief executive Tom Jenkins.
He argued that many were simply following official travel advice from Transport for London, which runs the capital's roads and railways.
"The numbers are currently dramatically down on last year. How far down will be determined by how long Transport for London maintains the 'don't come into London' campaign," added Jenkins.
"But they have been replaced by approximately 500,000 Games ticket holders, many of whom are Londoners, all of whom are here because they've come to watch sport.
"They are not necessarily interested in London as a tourist destination. They are not here to shop, sightsee or dine out," he said.
Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, agreed that too many tourists have heeded the official warnings, leading him to compare central London streets to a "ghost town".
"Our business is down by about 20-40 percent depending on the time of day," McNamara said.
"Normally about 90 percent of our customers are Londoners but they've all left the city and haven't been replaced by tourists.
"I don't know where all these tourists are or how they're getting about, but London is like a ghost town."
Many holidaymakers are meanwhile delaying their trips to London until September, following the end of the Olympics and Paralympics.
"Compared with the same period last year, bookings for London are very substantially down, whereas bookings for all other European cities are significantly up -- as is London in September," said Angela Skelly, head of hotel room provider JacTravel.
Despite the poor anecdotal evidence, tourism chiefs remain upbeat that London can prosper from the Olympics.
"We have always recognised that the London 2012 Games would present challenges as well as opportunities," said Mark Di-Toro, spokesman for tourism body VisitBritain.
"Host cities and countries usually experience a dip in tourism in the year of the Olympics and it is our ambition to buck that trend."
He added: "Indications are that hotels in London are around 80-percent full during Games time."
The British government hopes to generate deals worth more than £1.0 billion ($1.54 billion, 1.2 billion euros) over the Olympics, with £13 billion more over the next two or three years. The Games are costing £9.3 billion to stage