20 Safety Tips for Budget Travelers

1) When taking taxis from an airport to your hotel, travel in the more expensive airport taxis and ensure that the drivers have official identification. Never take a taxi waiting outside the airport grounds.

I know this sounds extreme, but it is by far better to be safe then sorry.

2) When traveling from your hotel to the airport, go with a taxi recommended by the hotel.

Again, taxi’s can be very dangerous. I can’t express that enough.

3) Try not to arrive in a new city or town late at night.

This can just go wrong in a number of ways. It is much easier getting checked in during the day time and security at night in certain areas is just horrendous.

4) Travel in a group if possible.

Since when is traveling in numbers not a good idea?

5) Learn the basics in the local language before you arrive. Don't expect that people will speak English.

English is becoming more widely spoken these days, but you want to be sure. You should always check on these things before your arrival.

6) Keep your valuables hidden.

A money belt is great if it is an option that you willing to look into. There are many different styles of money belt. One of the most popular is an “over the shoulder” style wallet on a strap that you were underneath your top. This makes it very difficult for a thief to make off with your valuables.

7) Avoid going on your own to remote areas/ruins where tourist would be expected to go. Seek local advice or take a guide.

8) Read the guide books and talk with other tourists to find out which areas are best avoided.

9) When leaving discos late at night take a taxi home no matter how close your hostel is. Outside most discos you'll find a street vendor selling cigarettes. Usually these people know all the taxi drivers and can recommend a safe one.

10) When arriving in a new town, keep to your original plan and stay in the hostel that you have decided on. Don't let the taxi driver persuade you that your hostel is fully booked and that he knows a cheaper and better one. He'll be working on commission and the hostel probably won't be in a safe part of town.

11) Even better, when arriving lane/train in a new city, try to reserve your hotel in advance, preferably with a hotel that has an airport/station collection service.

12) Don't wear expensive looking jewelry.

13) On public transport have your day pack close to you at all times, preferably with the straps around your legs or padlocked to the luggage rack. On buses your backpack will normally go outside, either on top of the roof or in the external luggage compartments. On long distance buses ask for a receipt for your bags. On short rides just keep a careful eye out each time the bus stops to off-load bags. In the event of having your bags stolen, stay with the bus - you will probably require a declaration from the bus company accepting responsibility for the loss in order to claim any money from your insurance company.

14) Leave your valuables in your hotel safe when making day trips or longer tours. Obtain a receipt not just for your money belt/wallet etc. but for its contents, with each item listed.

15) If you have to leave your passport and credits cards together, place the credit card in a sealed envelope and sign your name across the flap. This way when you return you will know that nothing has been tampered with.

16) If planning on going to market areas, crowded streets, fiestas etc. don't go with all your valuables. Leave them in the hotel. If you’re planning on buying something expensive keep your money safely in a money belt. Try to be discreet when opening it! To protect small change in your pockets you can stuff a handkerchief in after.

17) If the pavements are really crowded, especially in market areas, walk in the road.

18) If you suspect someone is following you, stop and stare them in the eye until they go. If you really get a bad feeling about a place, go with your first instincts and leave. Bag slashing is rare nowadays but for added safety you can wear your day pack on your chest.

19) If it's on your back try to walk without stopping. If you need to stop, sway your pack gently from side to side so that you can feel if anyone is tampering with it.

20) When putting your bag down on the floor, to take a photo or just to sit in a café, remember to put your foot through the strap. Not only will it be impossible to snatch, you also won't forget it! This is the most common type of theft - tourists forgetting bags in cafes and on returning to ask if anyone has seen it, you've guessed it, it's gone.

About The Author
Eric Odom is an avid backpacker who runs student travel websites for a living. His latest site can be found at http://www.backpackearth.com.

Hong Kong Hotels - The Best Places To Stay During The Chinese New Year's Celebration

The New Year's celebration is Hong Kong's biggest event of the year. The three-day extravaganza includes a colorful parade on the first day, a brilliant display of fireworks over Victoria Harbour on the second day and horse races on the third. To best take advantage of all Hong Kong has to offer during this celebration, travelers should stay near the action. Fortunately, Hong Kong has long been a popular destination for both business and pleasure travelers and fantastic hotels are abundant in the area.

The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong is a five star hotel located close to the New Year's parade route. Rooms feature spectacular views of Victoria Peak, the city or, for a higher price, the harbor. The décor is elegant and traditional. However, the Ritz-Carlton's greatest strength is its amazing level of service. The numerous helpful staff members work hard to make guests feel pampered and appreciated. Tasty complimentary cookies are always available in the reception area, a favorite perk for guests.

Another five star hotel situated near the parade route is the Island Shangri-La Hotel, located at the Pacific Place development in the Central District of Hong Kong. The location is one of the best in Hong Kong with plenty to see and do nearby. Shoppers will appreciate the large shopping mall also housed in Pacific Place. The hotel boasts many leisure facilities, including a health club and swimming pool, and there are a variety of bars and restaurants featuring different types of cuisine. The rooms are lavishly appointed and command views of the peak or the harbor, perfect for watching the fireworks display.

Also located at Pacific Place is the classy Conrad Hong Kong, another five star hotel. Rooms are decorated with an elegant, modern flair, but touches like the teddy bear by the bed and rubber duckie in the bath are fun and homey. Each year the Conrad's distinctive lobby is beautifully decorated for the New Year's celebration. The hotel also boasts several excellent eateries as well leisure facilities. The Conrad Hong Kong is conveniently located near the subway system, which provides easy access to all of Hong Kong.

While the luxury hotels in Hong Kong are extraordinary, there are also many wonderful, less expensive hotels in the area. Across the harbor in Kowloon's Tsim Sha Tsui area are many hotels, several with beautiful views of Hong Kong Island as well as the harbor. There are plenty of shops, restaurants and nightlife in Tsim Sha Tsui and the Island can be easily accessed by subway or by taking a picturesque ferry ride across the harbor.

Two moderately priced hotels to try in this area are the Hyatt Regency and the Holiday Inn. The Hyatt Regency Hong Kong is in a great location in Tsim Sha Tsui, close to shopping and a subway station. Many travelers find good sale prices for the Hyatt's rooms. The Holiday Inn Golden Mile is a typical Holiday Inn, with a fitness center and a nice pool. This hotel is also near the subway and it's an easy walk to the ferry.

Planning a trip to Hong Kong can feel a bit overwhelming -- there is so much to see and do, and it's virtually impossible to include every activity. From the worlds largest night parade and top Hong Kong attractions to great dining and exciting nightlife, you're sure to enjoy the Pearl of the Orient! Choosing the right Hong Kong hotel will make your journey more enjoyable for all the must-see and must-do experiences, during Hong Kong's biggest event of the year.

About The Author
John Riggin is Executive Editor for http://www.SeeYouInAsia.com, the largest and most comprehensive US to Asia travel website. Where you'll discover the best deals on flights, tours, hotels, cruises and more to welcome in the Chinese New Year.

Kiev apartments or Kiev hotels?

Are you planning a trip to Kiev, Ukraine? If so, you may be wondering whether it is better to stay in a Kiev hotel or rent an apartment in Kiev. The purpose of this brief article is to list here some of the factors that will hopefully help you take the decision right for you.

Staying in Kiev hotels

Kiev hotels vary in quality and prices. Daily rates for some of them start from around USD50 per night, but usually hotels within this price category are located outside Kiev downtown and have pretty Soviet-like style. The average hotel rooms cost about USD100 per night and provide major amenities that you may need while in Kiev - room with a bathroom and hot water, telephone line, satellite or cable TV. More expensive hotels can provide high speed Internet and other nice amenities like hotel gym or nice swimming pool. Charge for some Kiev hotels includes breakfasts that may be pretty convenient way to start your day. The daily rates for some of the most expensive Kiev hotels are around USD500 per night.

Advantage of staying in a Kiev hotel is the ability to check-out any day you wish or extend your stay for as long as you want. Also, every-day cleaning, room service, some in-house restaurants, cafés, gyms, swimming pools can be a nice thing to have around. Disadvantages include relatively high price for a small space you are getting, and low privacy.

Staying in Kiev apartments

Renting an apartment in Kiev is becoming increasingly popular among foreign guests to Kiev. Kiev apartments provide a lot of space (one-bedroom, two-bedroom or even three-bedroom apartments), excellent western-standard renovation, variety of amenities. All of Kiev apartments have telephone lines, cable TV, fridge, oven, kitchen with everything you may need to avoid expensive Kiev restaurants. Many apartments have satellite TV with numerous international channels, air-conditioning, CD-players, DVD-players. Some apartments have high-speed Internet or Jacuzzi.

Prices for Kiev apartments vary depending on the amenities and the exact location of any specific apartment. In particular, apartments in the very center of Kiev near Khreshatik St. and Independence Square are much more expensive than those further from Khreshatik or in other areas of Kiev. Accordingly, rates for the apartments vary considerably depending on those factors. The least expensive one-room apartments outside Kiev center can be available at the rates starting around USD30 per night, the most expensive luxury apartments can cost up to USD300 per night. The average rates are around USD60 for a studio, USD80-100 for a one-bedroom apartment, USD120-130 for a two-bedroom apartment. The above rates tend to change and may be different at the time you are reading this article.

There are no two Kiev apartments alike. It is not a hotel where you book one of the rooms which are all nearly the same. All of Kiev apartments are unique. Though, it is obviously an asset of apartments, it has also some downsides. In particular, it may be hard (if not impossible at all) to change the dates of your stay. For example, if you want to extend your stay in the apartment for a few days more, the apartment may already be booked by someone else. On the other hand, if you want to leave the apartment earlier, you will be required to cover for the whole period of your booking anyway, since the apartment was kept for you, and all other clients interested in the same dates were refused. The above disadvantages can be easily eliminated by more careful and thorough planning of the exact dates of stay.

The same uniqueness of the apartments causes another inconvenience. Landlords of good apartments are reluctant to commit to bookings shorter than five nights. If someone agrees to book an apartment for a shorter period, it often means that they will accommodate you in any apartment available at the date of your arrival. One-three night stays are not attractive for apartment landlords and agencies at all, so they will hardly be able to book anything specific. Exception is the situation when there is a few day opening between other bookings that fits the dates you are interested in. Four-night stays are somewhere on the edge. The agencies may book a specific apartment, but there is always a chance that its landlord will let the agency down and do not keep the apartment for such a short period.

In order to book a Kiev apartment, you will be required to provide a booking deposit in the amount equal to a one-night stay or a higher amount depending on each particular apartment and the length of your stay.

Availability of specific apartments is changing very fast, and some agencies have availability calendar with bookings a few months in advance. So, it is always good idea to book an apartment well in advance, at least three or four weeks before your trip.

Those are basically the major things to keep in mind when choosing between a stay in Kiev apartments or Kiev hotels. Regardless of what kind of accommodation you choose, you will enjoy your stay in this beautiful European city with so many things to offer to its visitors.

About The Author
Yevgen Tel is the manager of Apartment Rentals Kiev - one of the oldest and most reputable apartment rental services in Kiev. The company has been providing decent apartments in Kiev for rent since 1998 and has thousands of satisfied customers worldwide. For more information on Kiev apartments you may visit one of on-line projects of the company - Kiev Apartment.
kievapartmentslux.com
info@kievapartmentslux.com

Consider This When Searching For A Hotel

People travel for many different reasons, for business or pleasure. When you're traveling you can find many good hotels that provide good value for your dollar. But there are many other considerations you should make when you're looking for a hotel. When you are looking for a hotel, there are many ideas to help you choose:

Cheapest? The cheapest hotels are not always the best option for the budget-conscious person. In fact, cheap hotels have become a joke, they can be so bad! Motels are an okay option for the budget conscious person but if you have a family, a hotel may offer you more convenience and choice for your children. For example, in a hotel you might find a restaurant and pool for the kids and a bar for the adults, which you would rarely find a motel. The difference in price is not huge so choosing a hotel for those family friendly amenities make the few extra dollars worthwhile.

Close to where you want to be? People who choose to stay at a hotel often find that the closer a hotel is to the downtown, the more expensive the hotel is. If your destination is downtown, you do not have to choose a hotel that is close by, but you should find one that is conveniently located. For example, if you have a business meeting to attend downtown, you don't want to choose the cheapest hotel which is so far away from downtown that you'll be fighting traffic and searching endlessly for a parking space. But you also don't want to spend an arm and a leg for a hotel that is too close to downtown. Instead, settle on one that is a few minutes out of the downtown core but not too far away.

Amenities? What you are willing to spend on a hotel room should not only reflect the quality of the service and the comfort of the room, but also the amenities. If you love to have a morning swim, a few extra dollars for a hotel with a swimming pool will make your stay worthwhile. But if you are not much of a socialite, spending extra dollars to be in a hotel with the hottest nightclub in town isn't worth it. Ask about what services the hotel provides and see which ones you'd use.

Proximity? Proximity to your meeting or destination is one consideration, but if you flew into town you should also consider proximity to the airport as well. Many hotels that are close to the airport, call themselves “airport hotels” or offer shuttle services to the airport charge more than non-airport hotels. Part of this is because the airport may charge the shuttle for parking privileges, which the hotel passes along to the consumer. Depending on how long you stay, it may be worthwhile to pay for a cab to go a little farther away from the airport to find a hotel that provides the same service for a slightly cheaper cost.

About The Author
Jeff Lakie is the founder of http://www.my-hotels-search.info and http://www.my-hotel-discounts.info websites providing information on Hotels.

Cape Town -- City Center Hotels for Every Budget!

Most of us bring to mind Nelson Mandela or Mel Gibson’s Lethal Weapon 2 when we think of Cape Town, South Africa. But as visitors year round know, the region is an outstanding vacation spot as well as efficient business center, and right in the city center, you’ll have a wide range of choices for accommodation.

If you’re looking for a budget hotel, you might like the Cape Town Lodge on Buitengracht Street, right on the edge of the Central Business District. 114 rooms with cable television, movie rentals, and air-conditioning in a hotel with a restaurant, bar, and room service offers terrific value for the price. Cape Town Lodge also offers a terrific central base for city attractions, as well as for treks to outlying regions of the Western Cape. For those daytrips, it’s proximity to the railway station comes in handy, and within walking distance lie some utterly delightful cultural attractions such as the William Fehr fine art collection of paintings, prints, and drawings spread between the Castle of Good Hope and Rust En Vreugd, both just a few blocks away.

For a bit higher price, you might find the high standards of hospitality at the Holiday Inn Cape Town to be to your liking. Also located centrally, this hotel offers some more sophisticated amenities including babysitting services, conference facilities, a fitness center, and even a beauty and barber salon. As with most city center hotels, you’ll have quick access to Museum Mile: the Castle of Good Hope, Rust En Vreugd, and also the South African Museum, focused on natural history, and the Bertram House Museum, with a collection of some of the finest pieces of English and Chinese porcelain in existence.

Every city center hotel offers visitors the opportunity to check out Museum Mile and Greenmarket Square, what was once a farmers’ market that has now become the most enjoyable flea market in the city. The best time to explore the market is Saturday mornings, when even dancers and singers set up shop and entertain for tips.

Along with the cultural exhibits, in close proximity to St. Georges Hotel is, of course, St. Georges Mall, filled with specialty shops, eateries, and more. The St. Georges Hotel is known for its luxurious accommodations and top-notch service...at a reasonable price! Within walking distance to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront – locally known as the V&A – the St. Georges offers 139 air-conditioned rooms, and various perks to include babysitting services, a swimming pool, and a comprehensive tour desk to help you plan your itinerary, whether your stay is for business or pleasure.

With a short taxi ride, you’ll be at the Tabletop Mountain Cable Car or Mouille Point, a boardwalk type pedestrian walk that also contains one of the oldest lighthouses on the coastline. Begin at the lighthouse and wend your way forward for an adventure that follows a bit of the Atlantic coast. You’ll quickly reach Sea Point, a seaside collection of shops and restaurants. On the other hand, if fine, white sandy beaches strikes your fancy, Camps Bay and Clifton are two other Cape Town beaches often enjoyed by locals and tourists, alike. However, beware – Clifton has four beaches, the first two for sunbathers and beach sports, the third for gays and lesbians, and the fourth is designated family.

Finally, if you’re looking for 5-star lodging in downtown Cape Town, look no farther than the Mount Nelson on Orange Street. The hotel is comprised of six different wings, each separate from the main hotel and each with it’s own gardens, facilities, and distinctive personality. With a business center, limousine service, conference facilities and tennis court, you know you are traveling in style when you stay at the Mount Nelson. Less than a half-hour walk takes you to the delights of the city center, including the world-famous Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. On the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, the Garden grows and displays only plants native to South Africa in its 528 km2 of glorious flora and natural forest.

For more Cape Town hotels, please visit http://www.hoteldetective.net/Town/EN/Cape_Town-Hotels.htm

Whether you’re traveling to Cape Town for business or pleasure, whether you’re on a budget or traveling in style, make sure to take time to see all the city center has to offer. You won’t have to travel far, and you’ll find some of the most interesting and intriguing displays in this surprising city at the bottom tip of the African continent.

About The Author
Michael McCormick is a savvy traveler and editor of hotel reservation website http://www.hoteldetective.net.
Please note that this article is copyrighted by Hotel Detective and can be freely reprinted or published as long as the reference and a link to Hotel Detective website is provided.