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My advise for Adventure Vacation ?

I have not taken a vacation since I started my business eight years ago. It is difficult to walk adventure_vacationaway from a sole proprietorship, even for a few days. That is not to keep me from fantasizing, though. In my dreams I am young and healthy woman of leisure. I travel the world seeking adventure. Solid beautiful guides lead the way and keep me safe I climb Kilimanjaro. My sleeping tent and hot meals are provided, and I woke up every morning to the sound of joyous singing porters, as the sun welcomed me to a new day. The high altitude is a challenge, but guides specifically trained to know how to control the distress for medical, so I can relax and enjoy my climb into the clouds.

vacation_adventureI will celebrate my triumphal ascension to the heights, rewarding myself with a photo safari in Tanzania. The days will be devoted to wildlife natural Ngorongoro Crater, the Tarangire National Park and the Serengeti, and in the evening I am going to relax in the comfort of a luxury lodge safari with my fellow adventurers. You will be in my mind all the time, dear readers, and on my return I will fulfill my blog with marvelous stories and fauna phtotos. We are going to relive my vacation of a lifetime over and over, and you book your travels with Tusker Trail because they were kind enough to sponsor my position you are introduced to the wonders of Africa adventutre holidays.


Take a trip up the Rio Napo into the jungles of South America

Driving rain pelted our open canoe as we forged our way up the Rio Napo further into the rainforest, driven slowly by the Thatched Hutgentle hum of the outboard motor. Our waterproof high tech fancy shells and hiking boots quickly succumbed to the elements, while our guide’s simple garbage bags and bare feet served them perfectly in the humid and wet weather. The Rio Napo is a tributary of the Amazon, and this was the beginning of a three day trip into the jungle outside of Coca, a retired oil boom town in the deep interior of Ecuador.

The South American Explorers Club in Quito is a great resource for information including travel reports by fellow explorers, several of which pointed us to a tour guide named Wimper Torres operating out of Coca. We attempted to call to make arrangements, but were told simply to make our way to the little town and ask for Wimper when we got there. After taking an overnight bus over a single track rutted dirt road, we reached the town which consisted of a few square blocks of dirt streets and wooden planked sidewalks. There were a handful of stores selling crafts and staples, basic restaurants and the surprisingly nice Hotel Auca, where we negotiated a triple room, and inquired after Wimper Torres and were told that he’d find us later in the day.

After walking around town and having a simple almuerzo (a fixed lunch menu) at the Residencial Lo Janita, we returned to the hotel to find Wimper waiting for us. On the bus, we had met a couple guys from Japan also canoelooking to do a rainforest tour, and since it’s cheaper the more people you have, we decided to go in together on the trip. We flagged down a passing flat bed truck, and accompanied him to his home on the outskirts, where he spread out a map of the area and we discussed what kind of trip we wanted to take. We decided on a three day trip where everything was included for 30USD per person per day. He needed to buy provisions so we made arrangements to meet the next morning at the docks.

The next day we met Wimper and his nephew Irwin, and after a visit to La Oficina de Comandante, where we had to get permission for the trip (a formality) and leave our passports during our trip, we loaded our gear and supplies into an eleven meter outboard canoe. We pushed off from the shore, and began our slow five hour trip upriver, immediately met by torrential downpours limiting visibility. The river presented a variety of hazards from sandbars to trees, but the experience of our guide on these waterways showed and finally, we turned off into a maze of small lagoon waterways where we were sheltered from the rain by the canopy overhead and could talk with our guide who pointed out numerous colorful birds.

We finally reached a hut that would become our home base for the rest of the trip. It stood about five feet above ground on stilts, had no walls, a sixty foot square bamboo floor and a pitched roof made of palm leaves. Wimper strung two ropes across the hut, over which we hung thin mosquito netting to sleep under. There was a simple outhouse approximately fifty feet from the hut, a trip to which was quite an adventure at night as you needed to climb down the ladder and then navigate through the forest to find it. It was a creaky shack with a hole and it was best not to think about what was above or below.

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CampervanAlthough Australia is an island it is also a continent and for this reason alone it is large. Very large. To get around the country there is a very large and competitive air travel network. The southern parts of the country also offer fairly substantial train travel while the more remote areas of the northern part of the country mainly only offer bus travel.

One other option which is becoming very popular is to hire or rent a Campervan.

Considering that with today’s prices a single bed in a hostel dormitory verages around $27.00AUD per night per person. So for three people traveling together that equals an average daily cost - just to rest your head for the night - of $81.00.

It is no wonder that Campervans are becoming so popular.

A basic campervan vehicle can take two forms. One type is the Camper Wagon or Campa Car which is often a large Ford or Holden Station wagon (you may know this type of vehicle as an Estate) which comes equipped with full camping equipment including tents, Gas cooker, linen, cookware and crockery and camp chairs for each person.

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Tips To make Your Camping Safety

campingNo doubt about it, camping can be fun. But, if you don’t pay attention to safety, your fun camping outing can turn into the camping trip from Hell. What are some of the most important camping safety tips you should know?

1. Plan Ahead. Do your research. Make sure the campground you’ve chosen is a safe one. Make sure there are no current fire dangers. Check out the weather. Any health alerts in the area, such as dangerous bacteria count in the water, or outbreak of any rodent-carrying viruses?

2. Pack the Emergency Kit. Be prepared for cuts, bee stings and allergic reactions. Bring antihistamines, antiseptic, bug sprays and insect repellents, pain relievers, bandages, sunscreen and if possible, a snake-bite kit.

An emergency kit should also include the following items: Whistle, flashlight, compass, a small Swiss Army knife, razor blades, tweezers, magnifying glass, sterilized water packets for cleaning wounds, emergency blanket, thermometer, cold pack, and a mirror. A mirror can be helpful when signaling for help. Some people also use a CD. If you can afford them, a pair of night-vision goggles can also be a help in an emergency.

3. Arrive at the Campsite Early. Arriving early, with ample daylight, allows you to examine the entire campsite and set up while there’s still light. Be on the lookout for sharp objects, broken glass, huge ant beds, branches, poison ivy, hazardous terrain and bees.

4. Build your Tent on a Safe Spot. Make sure your tent is flame-resistant and keep it at a safe distance from the campfire. Try to pitch your tent on elevated land so it doesn’t flood in case of rain. In order to keep the bugs out, make sure you close your tent immediately upon entering and leaving.

5. Go Over Safety Issues with Family Members. Make sure family members are aware of poisonous plants in the area. Be sure the children understand that they should never drink from any stream or river, regardless of how clean it may look. Finally, issue each member of your family a whistle for emergency use only.

6. Be Fire Safe. Make sure there are no current fire restrictions before building any fire, and don’t build a fire if there are strong winds. When you do build a fire, keep it in the fire ring, and make sure there are no flammable items near the fire. Do not use heating devices or candles inside the tent.

Never leave your campfire unattended, and keep the area clear of leaves and twigs. Before going to bed, make sure the campfire is property put out by drowning it with water.

7. Be Aware of Wild Animals. Be sure to familiarize yourself and your family with safety concerning wild animals. Wild animals have acute senses of smell. Make sure you keep your campsite clean and free of food or garbage which might attract them. It is best to store all food, garbage and strong-smelling items (such as soap or toothpaste) in bear-resistant containers or your vehicle. Keep your sleeping bag and tent completely free of food and food odors, and set up your cooking and eating area at least 100 yards from your tent. Do not go to sleep in the same clothing you cooked in, as even the cooking smells can attract bears and other wild animals.

While it may seem like attention to safety takes the fun out of camping, in reality it helps ensure that your camping vacation is a fun time for the whole family. And, isn’t having fun the point of camping?


booking serviceWhen booking a venue for a corporate event, there are a few important things which must be considered. The first thing which needs to be accounted for is the size capacity of the venue. Other things like accommodation booking, equipment, transportation accessibility and cost also need to be sorted out. Finding the actual venue for a corporate seminar, meeting, conference or training programme can be an arduous task without professional assistance and guidance. The fact is that the whole process of booking a venue can be a time-consuming and complicated one. Furthermore, most corporate events usually have tight time schedules which must be met. As such, venue booking always requires careful planning and organization.

Due to limited time and other resources some companies and events organizers may not be able to focus wholly on the entire process of venue booking. This means that such companies or event organizers may not be able to obtain the most suitable venue. There is no doubt that the right venue cannot only compliment any corporate event, but can also contribute to making the event a success. This is because the right venue portrays the company and its delegates in a good light.

With the aid of a specialist venue booking service, the whole process of finding a suitable venue can be stream lined and expedited. This is because a venue booking service can remove the administrative bottlenecks and unforeseen costs that are involved with finding a venue. Some venue booking services will charge you a fee for the service they provide. This means that companies will have to make two separate expenditures. In other words, they would need to pay the venue finding service and will also have to pay for the use of the venue itself. Using such venue finding services may not be the most cost-effective way of booking a venue. Hence, a company looking for a corporate venue should search for a venue booking service which offers their services for free. Such venue booking services are funded or sponsored by the venues themselves. This allows them to provide their services on a free basis. The venue sponsors which fund free venue booking services could either be hotels or other conference venues.

The advantages which a company could enjoy from a venue booking service cannot be too stressed upon. This is because such services are able to provide a fully customized service that meets the exact requirements and specifications of their clients. The most reputable venue booking services are also able to provide their clients with other peripheral services such as information management and budget support. At this junction it should be mentioned that it is always advisable for companies and event organizers to patronize the services of a venue booking service, which has a good reputation and track record. This will increase their chances of obtaining a high quality service, and this will in turn ensure that a suitable venue is found on time. Searching for customer testimonials on their website is useful way of obtaining an idea about the track record of a particular venue booking service.

A competent venue booking service will have a team of experienced professionals who have many years of experience in terms of finding corporate venues. Their staff will be able to provide clients with effective guidance and support. They will also have strong negotiation skills, which will be necessary for getting clients the best venue at the most competitive rates. One of the good things about using a free venue booking service is the fact since you will only be paying for the use of the venue it self, you can have the added peace of mind that there will be no hidden charges. This is why an increasing number of companies and event organizers are choosing free venue booking services for their venue finding needs.

Since some venues do not have in-house accommodation facilities, some free venue booking services are also able to secure accommodation discounts in nearby hotels for those clients who require this. They are able to do this because they build and maintain close affiliations and communication links with many good local hotels. Though locating an ideal corporate venue may not be a straight forward task, finding a free venue booking service is not at all difficult. This is because many free venue booking services can be found online. You can also contact them via their websites. The most reliable venue booking services will normally be able to respond to your online or email inquiries within hours of making it. There is no doubt that with the aid of the right venue booking service, you can find whatever type of venue you are looking for whether a contemporary, unusual or traditional venue. Even if you are looking to book a venue outside the UK, a reputable venue booking service will be able to provide effective assistance.


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