by Roy -

With a seemingly endless array of hotels and new ones springing up all the time, it can be hard work searching for a decent room in Shanghai. Below is a guide to the city’s most fabulous accommodations, from five-star stunners housed in towering skyscrapers to beautifully renovated pre-war villas.

Hotels seeped in history

The Mansion Hotel combines historic charm and modern luxury like no other hotel in the city. The beautiful 1930s building was originally the residence of Sun Tingsun, a business partner of Huang Jinrong and Du Yueshang, two of Shanghai’s most powerful gangsters. It was used as offices for the trio’s business dealings and was a venue for some of Shanghai’s most extravagant parties.

Stepping through the front door is like stepping back in time to the city’s glorious, notorious past. The lobby, the corridors and the rooms are filled with antiques – a box camera here, a gramophone there, an old pistol in one cabinet, original company documents in another. But it is more than a museum. There is exquisite luxury too. Your feet sink into the carpet as you enter the rooms, which are all huge and come with beautifully-upholstered wood furniture, big-screen satellite TVs, wi-fi, a double-sized shower and, best of all, a private jacuzzi.

The Astor House Hotel, Shanghai

The Astor House, a distinguished elderly gentleman, was Shanghai’s very first hotel, originally built as the Richards Hotel in the latter part of the Qing dynasty in 1846. More than 160 years on, there remains a distinct air of elegance, with the hotel’s original wooden flooring still covering some of the halls and corridors. Rooms are by no means luxurious when compared with some of Shanghai’s five-star offerings, but unlike its flashier competitors Astor House offers guests the opportunity to stay in rooms once occupied by the likes of Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell and Charlie Chaplin.

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 299 user reviews.

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by Roy -

Vacations have their way of eating into your precious savings. And when you are talking of going out of the country, the expenses only mount further. So though you badly need a break, you’ve postponed your international holiday for the umpteenth time.
Well, here’s good news for you. Exploring the world doesn’t have to mean the end of your savings. Use these tips to budget your holiday abroad and not go broke.

Plan Your Budget
Read up on the place you want to visit – surf the Internet, buy a Lonely Planet guide or read travelogues. Chalking out an itinerary will give you an estimate of how much all the things you want to do will cost you. “Blogs are your best bet. Reading people’s personal experiences as well as their useful tips goes a long way in planning your vacation, ” says Ira Singh, a 28-year-old, who holidays abroad once every year.

Find Cheap Accommodation
Give hotels a skip to cut costs. Hostels are a cheaper option. Did you know you can stay at the YMCA in London for as little as Rs 1200 per day?

Homestays are a fairly new concept in India, but if you are travelling abroad, it is not difficult to find a family you can live with for a nominal fee. Hospitality Club (www.hospitalityclub.org) is one place you could start. Finally, hit Facebook and reconnect with those long-lost friends and relatives. They might just welcome you to stay with them.

Pack Light and Smart
Take only absolute essentials with you. This way if you do a little extra shopping you won’t have to pay for excess baggage.

Save on your laundry and ironing bills by carrying a detergent and the right kind of clothes. If you are planning to hang around the beach a lot, carry easy wash and wear clothes like lycra. And if it’s a snowy place, go with woollen sweaters that don’t crumple easily.

Travel Abroad Off Season
Travelling abroad off season means you will be able to experience the local flavour of the place. Plus, everything is a whole lot cheaper – right from your air tickets to accommodation and even shopping! So remember to keep an eye out for discounts offered by airlines. Avoid travelling to Europe and the Americas around holidays such as Christmas, New Year or even the summer. Australia, though, is a good option in summer.

Go the Local Way
Once you are at your destination, use public transport, rent a bicycle or walk! But if you are choosing any of these, make sure to carry a map with you so you don’t get lost. If you are looking for souvenirs, flea markets are an inexpensive option that also allow for bargaining.

“When I was sight-seeing in New York, I ate hot dogs, kebabs and gyros on-the-go. They were cheap and tasty. What’s more, we didn’t waste time dining at a formal restaurant and got to see more of the city, ” says Samuel D’Souza who travelled around the United States earlier this year.

So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and jet off to your dream destination on a budget!

11 Aug 2010

http://idiva.com/news-work-life/holiday-abroad-on-a-budget/1469

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 280 user reviews.

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by Roy -

Before going, certainly going on a trip it helps to know what make the run, stress-free experience. Learn how to avoid wasting precious vacation time and how to travel within your budget while and this certainly is while getting the actual most out of your vacation.

Join in travel or like something else an automobile club can, certainly can save you like as in yourself money on maps, hotels,  car rentals, visits to museums, fairs, exhibits, galleries businesses, etc. Creating an itinerary will, like actually will save money, time and headaches.

Some people think that, certainly that planning ahead of time takes the actual fun out of travelling and makes it less adventurous. Nothing could be, and really be further from the actual truth. Take note of this part, it pays to be prepared.

Create Travel itinerary

Determine how many as in lot days you like as in yourself will travel. Mark List of the actual towns and places you like as in yourself plan to visit. Road map find how many as in lot miles you like as in yourself have to travel between towns, calculate how much time it will, like actually will take to travel. record on your itinerary.

On the actual internet find points of interest you like as in yourself want to visit along the actual way. Look for museums, historical monuments,  national parks, state parks, fairs, exhibits, galleries, etc. Record on your itinerary. Decide which places you like as in yourself want to visit, how much time it will, like actually will take to visit and how much time it will, like actually will take to get there. Record on your itinerary.

Decide how far you like as in yourself want to travel every day. This determines where you like as in yourself will spend the actual night. Record towns on your itinerary.

Look for hotels at your destination on the actual internet. Wait to make reservations until your itinerary has been, actually been finalized. For each travel day record: where you like as in yourself will start the actual day how many as in lot miles you like as in yourself will travel which laces/events you like as in yourself will visit where you like as in yourself will spend the actual night? how much money you like as in yourself will spend that, certainly that day for food, lodging and events.

Review and revise your list. Make sure to keep this is in mind. Ask, will you like as in yourself have enough time to do all the actual things you like as in yourself want to d.ill you like as in yourself have enough vacationday.ake changes as well as necessary. Figure out your budget: add up the actual cost of hotels, events/activities/ how much money you like as in yourself will need for food, gas and fun spending.

Add up the actual total projected cost of your trip and make adjustments if you like as in yourself find that you like as in yourself are going, certainly going over your travel budget. After you like as in yourself have create.inal budget, make hotel reservations.

Take Copy of your tour itinerary and leave another copy at home for your family or like something else friends. Take note of this part, include the actual phone numbers of the actual lodgings where you like as in yourself will be, and really be staying so they know where to find you like as in yourself in case of an emergency.

Raj Aryan

25 Jun 2010

http://blogs.rediff.com/peoplefav/2010/06/25/how-to-travel-smart/

Average Rating: 4.9 out of 5 based on 221 user reviews.

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by Roy -

Vegas at Night

Las Vegas is the most populous city in Nevada, United States, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of casino resorts and associated entertainment. A growing retirement and family city, it is the 28th most populous city in the United States.

Established in 1905, Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911. With the growth that followed, at the close of the century Las Vegas was the most populous American city founded in the 20th century (a distinction held by Chicago in the 19th century). The city’s tolerance for various forms of adult entertainment earned it the title of Sin City, and this image has made Las Vegas a popular setting for films and television programs. There are numerous outdoor lighting displays on Fremont Street, as well as elsewhere in the city.

The Luxor Hotel

The name Las Vegas is often applied to unincorporated areas that surround the city, especially the resort areas on and near the Las Vegas Strip. The 4.2 mi (6.8 km) stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard known as the Strip is mainly in the unincorporated communities of Paradise and Winchester, while a small portion overlaps into Las Vegas and the unincorporated community of Enterprise.

The major attractions in Las Vegas are the casinos and the hotels. The most famous hotel casinos are located on Las Vegas Boulevard on the portion of that road known as the Las Vegas Strip. These larger casinos are located outside of the city. Many of these hotels are massive, providing thousands of rooms, with their large adjoining casino areas. There are many hotel casinos in the city’s downtown area as well, which was the focal point of the city’s gaming industry in its early days. Several large hotels and casinos are also located somewhat off the Strip, as well as in the county around the city.

October 2011

http://thebesttraveldestinations.com/las-vegas-nevada-usa/#more-2801

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 190 user reviews.

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