When to Use a Travel Agent…

Have you ever used a travel agent? Next time you go on a fairly large trip, try using one. If they’re good, they’ll save you both time and money and give you hints about things and places you didn’t know about.

Travel agents who do research on line often find discounts for air travel that the popular booking engines don’t provide.ices on. Some agents work with with consolidators (companies that offer reduced fares, but not to the public), and the savings can more than make up for agent surcharges.

If you’re looking for air passes and around-the-world fares, a travel agent is a real help. Most airlines sell air passes (such as Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines) only through travel agents. The agents charge you a fee for their assistance and help you work out complex itineraries. Agents who specialize in nothing but around-the-world fares can usually get you a better deal, or at help select the best routes to maximize your travel dollar.

When you’re going on a cruise a travel agent can be your best friend. There are literally dozens of cruise lines, all different so you need the help or a professional to match you up with a good cruise. Small ship cruising (Cruise West), sailing on small yacht like ships, cruising with free style dining (eating in the dining room at any time, with any�size group), traveling on the mega ships, cruising on a line with a great kid’s program, etc. A good agent will get you a goodï price with the right cruise line. They can frequently take advantage of group rates with extra amenities without your having to be part of a specific group.

They cruise pretty regularly and can suggest specific destinations, shore tours, cruise lines and the best time of year to travel.

Travel agents can help if you are looking for a specific type of travel.  Many agents specialize in various types of travelers – -, gays and lesbians, seniors, naturists, or people with mobility challenges. A resourceful travel agent can easily hook you up with like-minded individuals. Many agents have areas of expertise – -cruises, luxury travel, safaris, etc., and their insights can be invaluable. They are also familiar with different tour companies and adventure travel.

If you’re planning a long, complex, multi-country trip, knowledgeable travel agent is a godsend. A trip to several countries requires all sorts of airline, hotel and car reservations and other services. Many travelers prefer to let the expert handle the day-to-day details. Most agents go on one or more “fam” trips every year, so they learn how far the train station is from your hotel, or how the food and service is at a specific restaurant.

Many travelers use travel agents to avoid the inevitable frustration when making travel plans. When you need a specific room at a specific hotel on a specific date, that agent can help you. The seasoned travel agent will have more success getting special requests for you because the hotels and cruiselines know the clout travel agencies have.

It’s wise to use a travel agent if you’re planning a trip to part of the world that might be considered somewhat challenging to visit.  A well-connected travel agent can help you make reservations and set up a single payment for your trip instead of having to make arrangements with individual hotels and airlines (some of which are not set up to allow direct bookings or international payment by credit card). When traveling to countries requiring a visa, an experienced agent can prevent hassles. Likewise, when traveling to a country not popular with American tourists, that travel agent can be a huge help.

England is known to have charters available to European countries that are very reasonable but it will take a good agent to be aware of these special packages and “deals” to the lesser known and less popular destinations.

What happens when your flight is cancelled, leaving you stranded? Your agent can have often get you rebooked and on the next available flight, in a very short time. Many agents will go above and beyond the call of duty, making medical referrals if you get sick or even wiring cash if you get robbed. A friend and travel agent once delivered all the passports a group forgot at home to the airport (4 hours away) in time for a later flight.

Some people don’t have the computer skills to research fares and make reservations online. Or, perhaps you’re not comfortable using a credit card on line. Call a travel agent – you’ll be glad you did.

As summer is on full swing, we all look forward to the small outings and picnic spots that are nearby so that we can return after full day’s relaxation and enjoyment at such park or facility. We had an opportunity during last weekend to visit the Cunningham Falls State Park situated at 14039 Catoctin Gollow Rd, Thurmont, MD-21788, having phone number as 301 271 7574. This State park is very near to Baltimore and Washington DC, only taking around 45 minutes to reach from both the cities.

We started at around 9 am from our residence and reached the park at around 10 am. The park timings are 10 am to 8 pm currently in summer. This Cunningham fall is the highest fall of the Maryland State, having the height of 78 feet. You need to walk around half a mile one way to reach this beautiful fall. The fall looks really very beautiful particularly after the heavy rains as the amount of water falling is quiet high during such period. It is a great pleasure to take a bath below this water fall. The seniors and physically weak people have to be careful as the way to falls is slightly steep and rough. There are other recreational facilities also here at this park. There are three swimming areas with the life guard’s duty from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The water is not very deep and the shore has smooth and fine white sand. It is very pleasant to walk on this sand. The boat ramp is also available.

The private water crafts can be launched with nominal service charges of $3 per vehicle for the Maryland residents and $4 per vehicle for the non residents. The fishing is also permitted here and the anglers can catch trout, bass, sunfish, and catfish. An accessible fishing pier is also provided next to the boat ramp. The park has 40 miles of hiking trails of different distance and degree of difficulty. The hunting is also permitted in this park seasonally in the 3500 acres area of this park. The hunters with disabilities can hunt in a special designated area after taking the permission from the park authorities. There are picnic tables arranged and some grills are also available in the park on first come first served basis. The larger picnic shelter is available in Manor area of the park, which can be reserved in advance if required.

There are large campgrounds and camping facilities available here at the park. The 4 person camper cabins are available at $50 per night. The basic campsite can be made available at $25 per night. The senior citizens above 62 years of age are charged half price for these camping facilities. The camping reservations can be made by calling 1-888-432-CAMP. There was a big rush in the park when we visited it during last weekend of 21st July. There are three swimming areas but one by one all the swimming areas were closed for swimming within an hour of our reaching by the park authorities on the ground that it is not hygienic to swim.

This was one major disadvantage of the park. As otherwise, we enjoyed our visit tremendously. The rest room and shower facilities are also very nice and clean. There are couples of restaurants also available in case you have not brought your food/drinks with you. The beach umbrellas and the chairs are also available on hire at nominal rates. All the Maryland State Parks are trash free parks and so as this. The entry fee to this park is $3 per person on weekdays for Maryland residents and $4 for nonresidents. The entry fee is $4 per person on weekends/holidays for the Maryland residents and $5 for nonresidents. The senior citizens above 62 years and the children below 5 years are allowed free of charge. The picnic shelter in the manor area can be hired at the rate of $40 per day.

We did enjoy our visit to this park very much. We started our return journey after the swimming, fishing, hiking, and boating at around 6 pm and reached back to our residence at 7.15 pm. I have no hesitation in recommending visiting this park to enjoy this summer at economical rates to all my readers.

As I hunch over my laptop computer here in a Milwaukee coffeeshop, I think about the knot in my neck and the strain on my eyes. A trip to a spa would be nice right now, wouldn’t it? A fine complement to my iced chai, at least. But, alas, I’ve never been to such a den of rejuvenation! Enter Content Producer Sabah Karimi, a Brit-turned-Wisconsinite, who gives us some pointers for our next (or more aptly, our first) trip to a spa. Sabah’s article “How to Spa” is concise and practical, focusing on expectations and etiquette instead of on treatments and services (since those vary dramatically). I doubt I’ll be pampering myself anytime soon with a facial scrub or a foot massage, but if the opportunity arises, I’m better prepared thanks to this short piece.

When I do think about relaxation, I think of Europe’s rough and lesser known gems – the sort of Alpine nooks and Andalusian coastal towns vacationing celebrities frequent to avoid the big cities. One of these more quaint destination is Italy’s Spoleto, introduced to us by Content Producer Logan Hamilton. Logan’s article covers this small Umbrian city of 40,000, now popular for its summer art festival. As we learn, personalized tours here are the norm, offering Italian hospitality with a slow, warm bustle. Complete with some detailed history of the area, Logan’s article sells us on this easy excursion from Rome.

The trip from Rome to Spoleto may be a short one by train, but the trip from New York City to Austin by bus is anything but brief, as we learn from Racheline Maltese. In “Surviving Long Distance Bus Travel”, Racheline looks back at a gutsy solo bus adventure, full of curious characters and nagging delays between New York and Texas – both ways. She took it like a trooper and lived to tell the gritty details, including her draining conversation with a recently released, shoe-toting prisoner

Her tale reminds me of a college spring break that I spent on a Greyhound with my friend Jodi, shuttling ourselves from eastern Pennsylvania all the way to a farm town outside of Rochester. Though my seven-hour journey was far less epic, Racheline’s story made me strangely nostalgic. Taking a Greyhound is indeed one of those things that everyone should try, but once is usually enough!

With Racheline’s epic bus adventure in mind, I’ll end this week’s column with a pick-me-up courtesy of Roy Barnes from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Reminding us that travel writing is valuable and vital, he nudges us to keep turning our personal experiences into travel stories. In”Travel Writing: Jumping Over the First Hurdle of Negative Mind Talk”, Roy gives us a brief pep speech, using examples of travel articles that he’s written in spite of the pesky negative thoughts that almost kept him from trying. But you fabulous AC content producers would never let a brief bout of negativity bar you from writing, right? Right?!

For travelers looking for a great trip on a budget, there is no better place to go than Africa, where motorcycle tours, safaris, and gorilla trekking are abundant. Siyabona Africa Safari Company offers a wide array of vacations for the discerning customer, including motorcycle tours, safaris, and wilderness excursions. An example of a great motorcycle tour through Siyabona Africa Safari Company is their 14 day Africa Extreme motorcycle tour.

Starting from the beautiful city of Johannesburg, vacationers take a motorcycle route to South Africa’s renowned Kruger National Park. Within the park, vacationers have the opportunity to join park personnel in observing wild game in all terrain vehicles. Including the tour of the park and driving game throughout habitats, vacationers get the opportunity to camp within Kruger National Park.

From Kruger National Park, the motorcycle tour heads to Swaziland’s Mlilwane National Park. Tourists get another opportunity to tour wildlife habitats as well as additional white water rafting or horseback riding depending on the vacationer’s particular interests. From Swaziland, motorcyclists ride through Lesotho Mountains, the Sani Pass in South Africa, and the famous Comrades Marathon Route, site of one of the most grueling marathons in the world.

Siyabona Africa Safari Company is not the only purveyor of motorcycle tours, but their tour pricing is competitive. While spending over $2000 on a vacation may seem like a lot, spending two weeks in the beautiful environs of Africa is certainly worth the money. Motorcycle tours in Africa are incredible, memorable experiences worth the investment.

Travelers looking to experience nature’s beauty should look no further than a gorilla trekking trip to Africa. Gorilla trekking essentially involves traveling through a gorilla habitat, observing gorilla behavior, and experiencing the beauty of natural African habitats. Siyabona Africa Safari Company is among the many services that provide vacation services in Africa and an example of one gorilla trekking trip is their three day trek to Parc National Des Volcans in Rwanda.

The trek begins with a flight from Nairobi, Kenya, to Kigali and the first day of the trip is devoted to a tour of historic Kigali. With a night spent at Kiningi Lodge, vacationers begin their trek in earnest on day two, with the benefit of English-speaking tour guides and all wheel drive transportation, ensuring a safe, enjoyable tour. Tracking gorillas and experiencing their habitat is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and certainly one that trekkers do not forget.

Siyabona Africa’s gorilla trek in Rwanda costs between $1160 and $1370, depending on the time of the travel season a person purchases the package. This includes the three days of accommodation, both hotel and camping, meals, and a permit to travel through gorilla habitats and learn about their environment. Similar vacations in the United States or in Europe are nearly as expensive without the benefit of being immersed in such a beautiful area. As well as the gorilla trekking, vacationers can experience beautiful lakes in Buhra and Ruhondo and get their money’s worth in sight seeing.

One of the great natural wonders in the world are the Victoria Falls in Africa, which is situated between Zambia and Zimbabwe in southern Africa. For vacationers and tourists, the Victoria Falls provide a great vacation trip on a relatively moderate budget compared to other international trips. Siyabona Africa Safari Company and others offer great trips to the Victoria Falls and Siyabona has a fourteen day trip from Swakopmund to the Victoria Falls for a great price.

The fourteen day trip includes visits to the beautiful and secluded Cape Cross, observation of abundant wild game and vegetation in the Okavango Delta, and of course, considerable time observing the beauty of the Victoria Falls. For vacationers interested in getting immersed in nature without spending their entire budget, this trip offers the opportunity to camp for two weeks in terrain close to the Falls. Some of the activities included with this package are tours of bushman wall paintings, flights over the Delta, fishing trips, and safari in the Moremi Game Reserve.

For this fourteen day trip, Siboyana offers an extremely budget friendly price of $770. The reason that this trip is so affordable is that instead of utilizing hotel facilities, the entire trip’s accommodations involve camping as well as the relatively low costs of traveling into nature preserves. Traveling to the Victoria Falls or any other African landmark on a budget is easy when travelers take the time to research different travel companies.