Tips for travellers to the tropics

I went on my first holiday to the tropics recently. I was afraid of catching a disease, so I did a bit of research, and took some precautions. Here are some tips I found useful.

1. Get your shots.

I spent a short time in areas relatively free of mosquito-borne disease. The key word is 'relatively'. A two week holiday in an urban area is probably alright. If you're staying for months, or in an area flagged as dangerous, get your shots well in advance. Don't leave it until the last minute, as by then it'll be too late! The drugs need some time to 'kick in', and your doctor may have to order them in advance.

2. Get an insect repellent.

I made one for mosquitoes by mixing citronella with olive oil. Citronella is an essential oil (an essence). I rubbed the mixture on all exposed areas morning and night, and after washing. Seemed to do the trick. I put too much oil in, I think, so it smelled a bit. Better that, than being bitten, I say!

3. Wear long sleeved shirts and trousers.

I also wore socks in bed. Give pests no purchase! Mosquitoes are just doing what comes naturally; they need your blood to live. It's just unfortunate that they can pass on parasites when they bite. Deny them a meal, and the only things you'll bring back from your holiday are a silly hat and some souvenir photos. To wear long sleeved garments in bed, you'll need a room with a fan and air conditioning. No need to set them to freezing; just cool, with a slight breeze.

4. Air conditioning.

Air conditioning and fans are supposed to deflect mosquitoes, which is good. Avoid 'going native', and thinking you're as hardy as the locals. They get malaria and dengue as well, be sure of that.

5. Use mosquito nets.

Do what you can to keep them at bay. Paranoia is good!

6. Avoid ice and salads

Ice can have faecal coliforms. It depends on what water it's been made from. Salads can be prepared by low-paid workers who've forgotten to wash their hands. In Muslim countries, they often don't use toilet paper, just a hose, so if the staff haven't been scrupulous about their personal hygiene ...

You may feel self-conscious about refusing. Would you like your holiday to be spoiled by a spell in hospital, in a Third-world country, just for the sake of avoiding embarrassment? People like people who are forthright, so stick to your guns.

7. Don't drink the water.

A country can have a veneer of modernity, but what separates the men from the boys is the sewage system. The tap water may not be filtered properly. Drink bottled water, or water you've boiled yourself. Get a kettle, and boil it up every day, then put the water in your water bottle in the morning. Easy.

8. Drink plenty of water.

A few sips every so often, rather than a litre in one go. You'll save on trips to the lavatory!

9. Stay out of the sun.

There's a reason the locals are laid back; it's too hot to run around like you do at home. Sun tanning is actually skin damage. Due to ozone layer depletion, you may be getting more than a golden tan. Who cares if you don't come back home bronzed? Ladies especially will appreciate this in later years, when their sisters have leathery skin from roasting on the beach. Nothing less 'cool' than a white man with sunstroke, either.

When travelling in the tropics, it's best to be paranoid. I hope you can still enjoy your holiday!

Taking care of your health for safe travelling

Are you going to Paris? Trekking in Nepal? Cruising the Caribbean? Yes, you want to go and to spend some time enjoying the wonderful weather, view and just have a rest from everyday routine.

Whether you tramp through the rain forest or bask on a love boat—travel presents new and different health concerns mostly unknown at home.

We do not want to set on you with our lectures just, please, keep in mind some facts – that will be useful for you.

Preparing before you go is the best way to stay healthy while you're traveling. See a doctor at least 6 weeks before you leave so that you'll have time for immunizations that may need to be done in advance. Check with your doctor to see if there are medications or extra precautions that you should take. For example, people who have heart failure may need to take shorter flights with more stops to avoid long periods of sitting or they may need to adjust their medications.

Before you go, research local sanitation and other conditions so that you can take appropriate measures while you are traveling:

- Is the water safe to drink?

- Do insects, such as mosquitoes or ticks, carry disease?

- Is there air pollution?

- Will the altitude make you sick?

- Is it safe to swim in pools, lakes, or the ocean?

- Could you get heat exhaustion, sun stroke, or a sunburn?

Basic precautions, such as drinking bottled water or using insect repellent, can prevent some illnesses, ranging from an inconvenient bout of diarrhea to life-threatening malaria.

Preparing for a journey takes planning and time. Proper planning is the best way to stay healthy during your trip. See a doctor at least 6 weeks before you go so that you'll have time for immunizations and other health precautions you may need to take in advance. There are several factors to consider in preparing for a trip.

Enjoy your trip.

Istanbul film festival in april 2008

The first section when film-makers were expected to send their works ended in December and the Staff is now undergoing all preparations to be ready by April for this 2008 Film Festival. The organization estimates that for this festival there will be around 200 films competing for different sections. Here the list:

International Competition section, reserved for feature length fiction or documentary films or animations. In order to be included in this section and compete for the "Golden Tulip" award, authors/film-makers have to focus their attention on themes on "arts" or "the artist", and literary adaptations.

There is a particular section where films shown in other leading festivals (including many award-winning) will be projected at the World of Festivals Section

In competition also the films at the Human Rights in Cinema Section that comprises both documentaries and features investigating the politics behind social and individual life changes.

Documentaries

Other NON-competitive sections are the Retrospective section & the Tributes section where tributes to a film-maker influential to film history are selected, The Mined Zone section reserved for innovative, unconventional and unique fiction films in terms of style or content and Masters of the Future Section featuring works by new directors who received critical acclaim

Beside the International competition there’s also the National Competition for recent Turkish films: Turkish Cinema.

As the Istanbul International Film festival keeps evolving every year, the sections of the festival are of course subject to change.

For further information please visit IKSV web site.

To organize your trip in Istanbul, (Turkey) there are many free and useful tools on-line, from city guide to ticket-bookers, to accommodations advices and flight reservations. In the words of French poet Alphonse de Lamartine, if one had but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Istanbul. Indeed, this is a city of astonishing beauty. Its architecture, cuisine, history and culture make up a fascinating tapestry of yesterday and very much tomorrow.

A metropolitan capital with an imperial history stretching back for over 1500 years, Istanbul is today the commercial, historical and cultural core of Turkey. But most of all, it’s a buzzing, living-breathing metropolis that is knocking at the doors of the European Union. It won’t be hard to find a suitable accommodation (there are many youth hostels for backpackers or travellers on a budget up to enchanting hotels featuring Turkish interior designs, typical pieces of furniture, mosaics, spa and thermal baths at affordable prices). We found some in this website (Flashbooking) featuring gorgeous views over Bosporus and Istanbul Blue Mosque and markets.

Top 10 things to do on maui

Are you planning a trip to Maui? You are not alone if you are one of the many people that want to see and visit this beautiful and amazing island. The second largest island on Hawaii, Maui is cram-packed with things to see and do. Time and time again it has been chosen as the best island in the world and it’s no surprise why.

If you are going to Maui, your question will not be of what to do but instead of what to do first? There are so many great sights to see, things to do, places to go and more that you might feel you can never see and do it all in one trip. (Maybe this is why so many people make repeat visits to Maui).

1. Go to a Luau – You can’t visit Hawaii without seeing a luau and Maui knows how to do them right! Even some of the hotels that you might stay at in Maui have great beachside luaus as well as restaurant and resort package deals. Luaus will feature authentic Hawaiian food such as kalua pig, poin and haupia (coconut pudding) and usually a buffet spread of more familiar foods.

2. Go biking - If you don’t mind some physical activity, you should see Maui from a bike. In fact, there are few places in the world that are as bike-friendly as Maui. There are even bicycle tours that let you go from one end of the island to the other. There are downhill bicycle tours and slow-paced tours that let you see the farms and small towns of Upcountry and the beaches down at Paia. There are places all over the island of Maui for you to rent bikes.

3. Fine dining - There are fine places to eat and dine all over Maui. In fact, this island has the best dining in all of Maui. Many fine, experienced chefs from all over the country and even the world have come to Maui to work their magic in the restaurants here on the island. There is literally a restaurant for every taste so whether you like to experiment and try a bit of everything, or whether you are strict in your eating habits, you are sure to find plenty of great places in Maui.

4. Hiking - Another great idea while in Maui is to go hiking. There are fabulous trails that take you literally all over the island. You can even hike in the great craters such as the Haleakala and you can see waterfalls, plunge pools and much more. There is a hiking trail for everyone - no matter what your physical fitness level. Get ready to see Maui by foot!

5. Go for a drive - You would not believe some of the fantastic scenic drives on Maui. The Hana Highway is a 56 mile stretch of 54 bridges over winding lava shore, through old plantation towns, past miles of beaches and through towering forests. You might also want to take a drive to the summit of Haleakala. Haleakala crater appears like the surface of an alien planet and the views of Maui from the summit are amazing.

6. Go for a dive - Maui is the best place to visit the underwater world of Hawaii. There are many different locations for diving and there are two marine conservation areas. Molokini is a partially submerged volcanic crater offshore of Wailea. Both Lahaina and Ma’alaea have glass bottom boats and a pleasure submarine to let non-swimmers share in the beauty of underwater Maui as well.

7. Whale watching - You might already know that Maui has many beautiful and amazing sights that you can’t see anywhere else in the world. But have you ever been whale watching? From November through April each year, Maui welcomes the humpback whale and you can join in the celebration and catch some whale-watching of your own. The endangered species comes here to Hawaii to mate and it’s truly a sight like no other.

8. Shopping - Where would your vacation be without some fabulous shopping? With so many shops and stores to choose from, you simply can’t see Mau without leaving with some fantastic souvenirs. There are also many shops in Maui that contain specialty items unique to Hawaii and Maui such as one of a kind jewelry, glass work and more.

9. Sightseeing - You can’t visit Maui without enjoying the many great sights there are to see. There are many historic locations such as Lahaina, old Hawaiian churches, the whaling history museums and much more. There is so much to learn about the island and so much to see, you will wonder if you have enough time to do it all!

10. Swimming and Snorkeling - Well of course since you are here at the island, you must go swimming. Even if you are not an avid swimmer, you can take a quick dip and get your body wet. Or you might enjoy snorkeling at one of many great locations. Maui has over 80 beaches and over 120 miles of coast to choose from!

Business apartment rentals spain

During the last few years, many small companies have popped up like mushrooms in popular business destinations such as Barcelona & Madrid, all promising to be the best at renting out business apartments. So how do you choose between them? What should you be looking out for? What should you try and avoid? How can you be sure that the business apartment you are renting out isn't miles outside of town in a place that even the taxi driver hasn't heard of? How can you be sure that you haven't just rented out a holiday apartment on the Costa Brava?

What you are looking for which sets the business apartment rental industry apart from holiday rentals is a certain degree of professionalism. You want and need a rental company which does what it says. You need to be able to rely upon check in times & dates, apartment costs, rental availability, extra services and furnishing quality. You don't want your company staff or guests, staying in a place with rats and cockroaches, any less than you want them staying in a place without the advertised wireless Internet connection, without the promised telephone line and without the washing machine and tumble drier to get those shirts ready for that next-day important meeting.

Look for a company that has a good reputation. Speak to people who have used these companies. Check out their web sites. Do they have a good image? Do they instil confidence? You can't always judge a book by its cover, they say. But if a company can't get a simple thing like a web site working properly, can they really provide all that is necessary to rent out professional business apartments?

Take a look at customer testimonials, but most importantly, try actually speaking to someone at the company before you go ahead and book the apartment online. Whilst you may never be able to go to the place in person before the planned business trip, there really is no substitute for speaking to a real human being. So pick up the phone, give them a call and ask them all the questions you have in your mind. Chances are that if they cannot answer all your questions and make you feel happy and confident, then you have chosen the wrong place. Customer service is paramount these days, and a good business apartment rental company will be aware of this. The decision making is then up to you.

Whether you are visiting for business, to work on a project, to attend a congress, to give a course, to take a course, or maybe you start living there and building up the next step in your life, and you require temporary housing, you need to concentrate on a company which focuses on professionals.

With all these issues in mind, there are a few things you should ask for:

Are there basics such as a sofa, bed, TV & bathroom facilities?

How far is the apartment from the centre of town or the place of your business meetings and/or conferences?

Will there be someone who can be contacted at all times during the stay, who speaks your language?

Do they offer a taxi service and/or airport transfer?

Are there extra services such as a cleaning service, catering & baby care facilities?

Is there flexibility regarding your length of stay, in the case that you might need temporary accommodation whilst looking for a permanent place to live?

Is there flexibility in payment methods?

Is there a safe place for your belongings?

Are there any hidden costs such as agency fees?

If you have an emergency, will someone be there to help you out?

Who takes care of the small daily incidents you may encounter, such as a blind that gets stuck, a washing basin that suddenly starts leaking or if you happen to lock yourself out?

At the end of the day, you want to find a business apartment that suits you, one where you will feel at home. Not exactly like your own house, of course, but pretty close - a nicely decorated place, cosy, pleasant, where you can keep your clothes, books, music, sit down in the sofa and watch a good movie or check your emails on your laptop on the terrace, prepare the meeting for the next day while you cook your own meal. You want to be able to invite people over for dinner or to stay for the weekend. You need a place to stay where you can feel relaxed and do as you wish.

Of course, the final decision making is up to you. But you can make this process far easier by simply doing some investigation first.