flerdle’s one-bag adventure

Via One Bag, One World

August 25, 2008
Posted by Registered CommenterBrad in Luggage, Packing

OBOW reader flerdle went one-bag for one month in Europe and here account read likes a textbook for the novice light traveler. Enjoy:

One month, five countries, one bag: Europe!

(flerdle’s one bag adventure)

I live in Australia, which is a long, long way from just about anywhere (except New Zealand), so when the opportunity to attend a conference in Lausanne, Switzerland arose for mid July, I decided to combine work and play, extend my stay to a whole month, and see how I went traveling as lightly as possible.

I was also recovering from recent major shoulder surgery, so traveling light was an absolute necessity.

Verdict: it certainly worked for me, and I would not hesitate to travel this way again.

I would like to echo John’s comment on a recent thread: “Pack the right gear, get the high-tech, lightweight, quick drying gear, and pack right”. I got an MEI Voyageur, a Rick Steves Civitas daypack, an Asus EeePC, three pairs of light pants from Ex-Officio, and went from there. A complete (women’s) packing list is at the end of this post, with a photo of it all. Yes, despite how it looks all spread out it all fitted in the bag, with room to spare. I didn’t feel as if I was missing anything. [read more]

Hawaii Timeshare Occupancy, Employment Stays Strong | ARDA Reports

“It is clear timeshare owners are using their scheduled vacation time in Hawaii because they have already paid for their accommodations. With the expense of their stay pre-paid, it’s easier for them to cover today’s higher airline ticket costs and overcome other economic concerns that are impeding travel to Hawaii.”

HONOLULU – Data collected from Hawaii’s timeshare industry shows that the appeal of vacation ownership continues to be a strong, stable component of the state’s tourism economy, highlighted by high occupancy, employment growth, and rising capital expenditures. The American Resort Development Association’s Hawaii Chapter (ARDA) today released occupancy figures provided by timeshare operators for second quarter 2008 (below), showing that timeshare exceeded hotel occupancy by nearly 20 percentage points statewide. The comparison is especially compelling considering the softening that Hawaii’s visitor industry has experienced since April when visitor arrivals began progressively declining due to increased travel costs and a weakening national economy. read more>>

Destination New Hampshire: Family Fun in the Lakes Region

The Lakes Region of New Hampshire is a glorious spot for a summer or fall vacation. Visitors flock to towns like Weirs Beach, Laconia and Wolfeboro to swim, boat and fish on Lake Winnipesaukee, the state’s largest lake.

Naturally the giant body of water and acres of sandy shoreline provide plenty of entertainment for the kids. But there is a whole host of man-made attractions to keep kids occupied, too:

Weirs Beach Boardwalk
Lots of old-fashioned fun at this historic resort area on the lake, such as bumper cars, skee-ball, mini-golf and arcade games. Kids love the four twisting and turning rides at Weirs Beach Water Slide - each is rated beginner to expert, so you can choose how thrilling you’d like your ride to be. Don’t miss the local favorite food: fried dough is a huge disc of doughy goodness topped off with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or butter - or all three!

M/S Mount Washington Cruises
Take a scenic tour around Lake Winnipesaukee aboard the majestic, historic, 230-foot M/S Mount Washington. The M/S Mount Washington picks up and drops off passengers for two- and three-hour cruises at five different ports of call around the lake: Weirs Beach (the Mount’s home port), Wolfeboro, Alton Bay, Center Harbor, and Meredith. Evening cruises include Tuesday “Family Night,” where each child under 13 cruises for free with a paying adult.

Funspot Arcade
This giant arcade in Meredith claims to be the largest arcade in the world. With hundreds of classic pinball and video games, a bowling alley, mini golf and much more all under one roof, it just could indeed be the world’s biggest. On a rainy day in summer, the arcade is absolutely packed, but if you don’t mind crowds, children love spending your money here.

Winnipesauke Scenic Railroad
Little train lovers will appreciate this scenic excursion along the rails that skirts Lake Winnipesauke. Sit back and enjoy the scenery out the large picture windows in your car. Or pay a bit extra to perch in the cupola of the caboose. In September and October, the railroad runs fall foliage trips through the White Mountains, so participants can relax (instead of navigating the wheels of their own cards) and enjoy the stunning colors of the changing  leaves.

Imperial Fiesta Club at Casa Maya in Cancun Mexico

By David Hong, Holiday Group Web Developer

This quiet resort is near the end of the Hotel Zone, but close to downtown Cancun. If you are looking for a place to get away from your busy life and want some peace and quiet, this is the place. Casa Maya is one of the older resorts in Cancun at the Hotel Zone but it still offers a lot. It has two restaurants, one located at the lobby of the resort, which opens only for breakfast only. The other restaurant is located near the beach and offers a beautiful view of the lagoon. The resort also has two bars, one in the lobby and another one on the beach.

If you have children or just want to relax in the pool, you are in luck. The resort offers three pools, with one dedicated to children. Other facilities include a small children’s play area, with swings, a very small exercise room, convenient store in the lobby of the resort, free wireless Internet, but you’ll have to bring your own laptop. Also for a fee, they have a room with computers to access the Internet and check your email. There’s also a tennis court but you’ll have to pay a fee to use it.

The beach is very beautiful with lawn chairs and many huts to help block the sun. But, you’ll have to arrive early to get a spot in one of the huts. Remember to bring plenty of sunscreen/sun block, hat and sunglasses, as the beach’s sand is so white, it reflects the sunlight directly into your eyes.

If you don’t want to stay within the resort area for your whole stay in Cancun, you can join tours which you can book at the lobby of the resort. If you only have time for 2 tours in Cancun, the Isla Mujeres and Chichen Itza tours are your best bet.

The Isla Mujeres tour came in two varieties, one with a lunch buffet and open bar on the ferry ride to and from the island (all-inclusive), and one without. Both include a lunch buffet and the breakfast buffet had a lot  of fruits. The tour included snorkeling (all equipment included), zip line, kayaking, 2 hours at Isla Mujeres’ downtown, and boat ride to and from mainland Cancun to the island. Tip: spend a few more dollars and go for the all-inclusive tour.

The Chichen Itza tour consists of viewing Mayan buildings, a “sink hole” to a underground river which you can swim in and buffet lunch. The “sink hole” was the first stop after a 3 hours bus ride from the Hotel Zone. The hole was as big as a small house and as deep as a 6 story building. The underground river was about 100ft deep, according to the tour guide. The second stop on the tour was the buffet lunch which consists of many fruits. And the final stop was Chichen Itza itself.

These were amazing buildings with an incredible purpose. By placing buildings in a certain location, the Maya were able to amplify the voice of the speaker standing on top of the center building. They also achieved what the Egyptian achieved, but on a smaller scale: pyramid shape buildings and other large structures.

Exchange Rate

The exchange rate at the airport is worse than the one in the city or even at the resort itself. You really don’t need to exchange a lot of money because many places accept US currency or major credit cards.

Food and Drinks

Water and soda cost more in Cancun. A small bottle of water, about 300ml, a little bit smaller than a can of soda, costs $3US at a restaurant and a can of soda is about the same price. Most restaurants, within resorts, near and around the resorts and within tourist area, are quite pricey. Prices per dish start from $15US and there aren’t many choices for under $20US.

If you like to buy your own groceries and cook, don’t buy it at convenient store within the resort. Their prices are 2 to 4 times higher than Wal-Mart’s. Yes, there are American retail stores within Cancun. Just take the bus to downtown Cancun for $0.75US one-way and you have Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Office Depot and Home Depot, just to name a few. At Wal-Mart, you can get fresh fruits, fresh meat and other Wal-Mart stuff. The prices are either cheaper or the same as the Wal-Mart in the States. Also, you can pickup your souvenirs for your family or friends at Wal-Mart and save a bundle.

Local Tours

Take the local bus for $0.75 per person, per ride and do some exploring yourself. This is the easiest way to explore other part of Cancun as driving in Cancun isn’t safe. Get out there and move away from the tourist area to explore another side of Cancun. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find: fresh coconut juice, directly from a fresh coconut for $1.50US and real Mexican food starting at $1.00US. Also, take a walk through a Mexican street market and you’ll see how spoiled we are with our air conditioned and nicely stocked supermarkets. Also, this is where your Mexican Peso will come in handy.

Airport to/from Resort

Book your ride to and from the airport and resort ahead of time. I was able to find rides, ahead of time for $7US per person, one-way. If not, you’ll be paying about $21US per person, one-way at the airport. Plus, the closest resort within the Hotel Zone is about a 20 minutes ride from the airport, at 45mph.

Other Tips

-Bring a waterproof camera; you’ll be around plenty of water.
-Bring plenty of sun block/sun screen.
-Bring plenty of US cash if you don’t want to pay for the exchange rate twice.
-North American electronic devices works fine in Cancun without any adapters, but beware, as some places do not have the third grounding prong.

Link: Imperial Fiesta Club at Hotel Casa Maya Resale Timeshares

Getting More “Bang” For Your Timeshare “Buck”

Late last month, I had the pleasure of co-hosting a live webinar entitled “Making The Most Out Of Your Timeshare.” It was great fun and I enjoyed the many insightful questions that I received at the end of the presentation.

Soon afterwards, I was playing around the RCI Web site and was delighted to see that there were some new additions. Both Last Call and Extra Vacations had a discount attached to them, and many resort exchanges were on “sale” for as much as 50% off regular point values. Up to 50% off!

Just another example of how it pays to not only keep your exchange company membership valid, but also to check back with the Web site every now and then, even if you are not planning a vacation in the foreseeable future.

There will always be people who complain about timeshare. Some of those complaints are indeed valid–buying more than you can use, not being able to exchange for prime destinations in prime times, increasing annual dues, etc.

And then there are the success stories. As some of you know, I was a timeshare salesperson for more than six years in the Orlando area. I have sold weeks, points, RCI and II. Back in 2001, two couples from Minnesota purchased an RCI Points timeshare. Combined, they owned a total of 132,000 points. I recently spoke to them because they were planning another vacation to Orlando. In addition to the timeshare they owned in Orlando, they each bought a week in Hawaii.

This year, each couple was coming down to Orlando for one week and then jetting off to Hawaii for four weeks–yes, four weeks, each using a combination of their points and their weeks. And while these people are fairly bright, intelligent, motivated owners, they are not magicians.

What they do is carefully plan, check RCI every now and then to see what is available, and then take advantage of good deals. Do they pay a lot in annual fees? I’m sure the fees in Hawaii are hefty. But the interesting thing about these two couples is how much they enjoy timesharing and how much they recommend it to their friends and family.

If you enjoy vacations, want more “bang for your buck,” purchase the right timeshare for you–I promise that you will never regret buying a timeshare. Happy vacations to all of you!

Las Vegas Timeshare Firm Buys Timeshare Company Bluegreen Corp

Written by Timeshares Daily Staff

Boca Raton-based time-share company Bluegreen Corp. said Monday it intends to sell itself to a new owner for a hefty premium.  The company said it signed a nonbinding letter of intent to be acquired by Las Vegas-based time-share developer and manager Diamond Resorts LLC for $15 a share, or about $500 million, excluding Bluegreen’s outstanding debt.

Bluegreen shares closed Monday at $6.44, off from a 52-week high of $11.85, before the deal was announced. The company had calculated its book value at $12.37 a share as of March 31.  Alan B. Levan, Bluegreen’s chairman, said the company had been considering options for the next three to five years.

“When Diamond presented our board with this unsolicited, attractive offer, we believed that it was in the best interest of our shareholders to pursue this transaction at this time,” Levan said in a statement. [read more]