travel tips
Travel tips
and suggestions to ensure that your trips are trouble free.
Packing Tips for travel:
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Somehow it
seems that bags will hold more if the clothes are rolled rather than
folded. If you roll in tissue paper, the clothes will also get less
wrinkled.
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Scan your
passport, passport photos and paper tickets (if not the e type) in. Store
this (in an email for e.g.) in your web based email account.
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You can also
store the details of your emergency 'lost card' telephone numbers in your
web based email account so you know who to contact if your credit card or
ATM card is lost or stolen.
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This way, even
if you lose everything, you have immediate access your all important
information. You can even email the details page of your passport to the
embassy or consulate when applying for a new one.
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Pack
everything in clear plastic bags (preferably zip lock), divided into items
e.g. underwear, t-shirts, shorts etc. before packing in your suitcase or
backpack. One plastic bag for each type of clothing. This is extremely
useful in various ways. When you unpack your bag you just take out a
series of bags and you can see immediately what you want. So an overnight
stay somewhere just means taking 1 item out of a bag - no rummaging!! In
addition, if you have to unpack at customs etc, instead of having to
disgorge all your clothing etc out in front of everybody, you can calmly
take maybe 5/6 bags out, the contents of which can be clearly seen by the
officials. To repack then is also dead easy. Just be sure not to leave
your plastic bags lying around if you are travelling in nature!
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When packing
to head to the beach consider pre-packing whatever you might need at the
beach into a beach bag inside your backpack or suitcase. Especially if
travelling with kids, this will prove a timesaver!
Tips for
Women travellers
Travelling doesn’t have to mean dehydration, stress or discomfort anymore!
Here are some beauty tips to use and abuse, whether you’re down on the
ground or up in the air!
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Before
leaving, eat light
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Wear loose
clothes because the low pressure inside planes causes your tissues to
expand by around 20%.
With less than 10% humidity, airplane cabins are drier than the Sahara.
That’s why you should drink lots of water to hydrate your body before
departure.
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It will help
applying a hydrating facemask 4-5 hours before you get on the plane. Your
skin is will be moisturized and will remain supple throughout the trip.
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Before you put
on your makeup, apply Hydrative or moisturising cream over your face. For
those long flights, opt for light makeup and switch to lip gloss instead
of wearing lipstick. If you must wear a moisturising lipstick to keep your
lips supple all throughout the flight.
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For shorter
flights, go for comfortable makeup that moisturises yet stays put
throughout the flight.
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Drink lots of
water. Steer clear of tea, coffee and alcohol – they’re too diuretic and
hence dehydrating.
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Eat light and
healthy on flights – Opt for vegetables, salads, fish or poultry. Avoid
fried food on flights.
To stave off jetlag, during take-off, set your watch to the destination
time and try to adjust your behaviour (meals, sleep) to the arrival time.
This way, you’ll be mentally prepared for the new time when you land.
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On long
flights, take time to cleanse your skin with eye and face makeup remover,
switch to nude look with moisturiser during the flight. You can re-apply
light make-up if you must at end of the flight. While removing make-up on
flights always stick to alcohol-free toners with extracts of moisturising
plants, to avoid dry skin.
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Just before
landing, during descent, chew chewing gum or suck on a candy to re-balance
the pressure inside your ears.
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When
travelling from West to East (shorter day), go to bed at midnight at the
latest. Be sure to do some relaxation exercises to help you to fall
asleep. When travelling from East to West (longer day), take advantage of
the extra time, so you’ll be even fresher the next morning.
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When you
arrive at home or at the hotel, the first thing to do is to take a nice,
relaxing bath.
All our
recommended hotels have a private bath and shower. Some hotels even offer
SPA treatments. Call Concept Voyages representative to suggest you with
some good SPA packages.
During Emergencies
How to dial
emergency numbers abroad: Emergencies can happen any time, any place.
Be
prepared when travelling by knowing the right number to call for help.
All European countries except Switzerland 112
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Australia
000
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Canada & US
911
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Hong Kong
999
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Japan 119
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Thailand 191
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Argentina
911
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Mexico 060
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Israel &
India 100
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New Zealand
111
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Switzerland
144
Watch
out for the water on that flight: Flight attendants begin most
flights serving bottled water, but if they turn to the plane's onboard
tanks, there may be cause for concern. According to the most recent
available US study, one out of every six planes had coliform bacteria in
its water tanks. Since 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has ordered 46 domestic airlines in the US to regularly flush, disinfect
and test their water systems. Richard Naylor, the EPA's aircraft
drinking water rule manager, suggests that concerned passengers avoid
drinking coffee or tea on board (water may not reach a cleansing boil).
T+L tip: Also avoid using bathroom tap water (use wipes or mouthwash).
Opting for canned drinks or stocking up on water after clearing security
may be the answer.
Country secret: Japan-Sick of lugging heavy bags, along with weighty,
shopping purchases, as you get off innumerable trains in the land of the
rising sun? Help is at hand. Japan's network of eminently reliable
courier van services, such as Nippon Express and Black Cat, can relieve
you of your burden for as little as $20. Most hotel staff can easily organise a courier for you, with your items, including pieces of luggage
or cartons, waiting for you at your desired Japanese destination within
a day or two.
How flat is flat seat on the airline: Many airlines have introduced
"lie-flat" or "flat-bed" seats in their business and first class cabins,
but don't assume that "flat" translates to horizontal. For in-depth
analysis of airline seats on a range of carriers, turn to flatseats.com,
an industry watchdog site that ranks seats on factors such as
configuration, width, cushion comfort, privacy, massage options and
more. FlatSeats' data comes from Skytrax, a UK-based airline consultancy
whose employees spend an average of 65 hours in the air per week. (Their
top flat-seat picks? British Airways, South African Airways and Virgin
Atlantic.)
163 degrees - Aer Lingus
169 degrees - El Al
170 degrees - Continental, Japan Airlines
171 degrees - American, Lufthansa
175 degrees - Air France, Qantas
180 degrees - Air Canada, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta,
Emirates, Jet Airways, Qatar, Singapore, South African, United, Virgin.
Great deals at airport duty-free shops aren’t so great: Put the liquor
down. Ditto with the giant chocolate bar and the carton of cigarettes.
Duty-free shops at airports make large profits because travelers assume
they're getting bargains. People in transit are probably looking to
unload some of their unused foreign currency, too. But The Duty-Free
Price Guide, which compares duty-free prices around the world, reveals
that the cost of duty-free merchandise varies widely. More of a concern
is the fact that those same goods are often cheaper if bought in, say,
New York or Hong Kong, rather than a duty-free shop in Zurich or Moscow.
Current Advice: Never assume prices are cheaper because they're in a
store marked "duty-free."
Low-price guarantees don’t actually guarantee the lowest price:
Virtually every major booking engine, and hotel chain, airline, and car
rental agency guarantees that its Web site has the absolute lowest price
available, and typically backs up the claim by matching prices and
offering additional discounts or coupons if proved wrong. First, these
guarantees come with many caveats — packages, discounts for specific
credit card hotels, opaque bookings through websites, and prices quoted
over the phone typically aren't included — so the rates often aren't the
absolute lowest possible. Sometimes the taxes may be charged extra.
Secondly, it's solely up to consumers to keep shopping for a better
price after they've booked — which no one wants to do.
Is it wise for Parents should pre-board with kids or wait till the
end: The pre-boarding courtesy offered by airlines to folks in
wheelchairs, elite fliers, and people traveling with young kids sounds
like a nice perk. But anyone who has traveled with kids knows it's best
to have them confined in a cramped airline seat for as little time as
possible. Let children run around in the airport to burn off some
energy, so that there's a chance they will sleep on board. One parent
may want to board early, to set up some books in the seatback
compartment and store bags in the overhead bin. The other parent can
take care of the kids and be among the last people to get on the plane.
This may be a smarter option.
Airline loyalty program members aren’t always likely to be
upgraded: In the old days, a frequent-flier member wearing a
nice suit had a fair chance of being bumped up to business or first
class if the flight was overbooked, or simply if a seat up front wasn't
filled. These days, in an era when so many travelers belong to airline
loyalty programs — and when airlines are considerably stingier with
rewards — membership has lost its prestige and its value. Carriers tend
to give upgrades on the spot only when forced to, due to overbooking. If
that's the case, upgrades go to the most elite loyalty members —
typically die-hard business travelers with thousands of miles they will
never have the chance to use. Regular travelers have almost no chance of
scoring a free upgrade. If your heart is set on sitting up front,
accumulate points however you can (airline credit cards are the easiest
way), and book a first- or business-class seat. Or, check out airlines
offering less expensive business-class seats.
Checked luggage is often not lost: Somewhere between 1 and
2 percent of checked luggage doesn't arrive on the same plane with its
accompanying owner. Of those bags, the majority are delayed, not lost,
and they wind up with the owner in a matter of hours. A very small
fraction of checked bags disappear for good. A delayed bag could make a
traveler's life difficult, so it's prudent to avoid checking in late,
which increases the chances that your bag won't make it onto the plane.
Also, put your contact info inside the bag, so that if it is delayed —
or mistakenly grabbed by another passenger — there's no confusion about
who the owner is. Never put valuables or fragile items in a checked
suitcase. It's just asking for trouble.
Travelling with pets: Bring familiar items for your pet,
such as a favorite blanket, treats and toys. Pack a first aid kit
especially for pets (tweezers, gauze, hydrogen peroxide).
Make sure your cat or dog wears a collar with an ID tag, just in case
you’re separated. Never leave your cat or dog alone in a parked vehicle.
Keep your pet on a leash as much as possible when you’re outside your
vehicle. If you’re driving, bring water from home in plastic containers.
This will help prevent stomach upset from different water. If you’re
flying, book a direct flight. If your pet is in the plane’s baggage
section, write “live animal” on the crate, make sure you mark it with
arrows for the upright position, and be sure it is closed, but not
locked, so personnel can open it in case of emergency. Talk to your
veterinarian before you leave home. Your vet can tell you about any
potential problems and how to avoid them.
Beware of thefts while traveling:
Start before you leave home: Make sure all your windows and doors are
locked. Suspend newspaper subscriptions and don't let it slip to the
dry-cleaner, the cable guy and anyone else who delivers products or
services to your home that you'll be away for a week. Sometimes people
who have access to your home sell that information or can be an
accomplice for breakins
Put a unique identifying tag on your luggage: "Ever go to
the airport and see a bag with a sweatsock tied around the handle?"
Stanton says. There's method to the madness. Most baggage today is
black. "People will pick up your luggage by accident and sometimes they
will steal it," he says. "Remember there was a time at the airports
where you couldn't get out unless you showed them your luggage tag? What
happened to that?" The good news: A coloured or patterned bag, or one
with a highly visible identifying tag, will help you quickly pick your
luggage out from the bags surrounding it. Ditto for laptops: A brightly
coloured sticker can prevent you from grabbing the wrong one at the
security check.
Make use of your carry-on: Put all of your most valuable
things and at least one change of clothes in your carry-on/Hand Baggage.
Just in case you lose your checked in luggage.
Reserve your laptop screen for your eyes only: A quick
glance over your shoulder when you're using your laptop can reveal a
wealth of information to a dedicated thief, including your name,
address, sensitive data and even security codes. Invest in a privacy
filter that blocks the screen to anyone not sitting directly in front of
it.
Become a hotel low-talker: You may be mocked the low-talker, but when
you're checking into a hotel, speaking quietly is a plus. There are
instances where thieves have broken into hotel rooms by standing next to
a guest when they're checking in. They listen for their name and room
number, then returns to the desk 10 minutes later. "I'm Maria's
boyfriend," he'll say. "Maria Cruz. I left my wallet in the room. Would
you mind if I went and got it?"
Use the room safe: Even if hotel employees are beyond
reproach, you don't want to make it easy for anyone to dart in and grab
your valuables. Cleaning staff frequently leave room doors wide open,
sometimes when they're not even in the room.
Look for the exit: Whenever you're in a building, whether
a hotel or conference centre, make a mental note of the exit locations.
"Don't be paranoid, be prepared."
Keep your cash close: Pickpockets operate all over the
world and they thrive on tourists. You may want to wear a money-belt
under your clothes, or at the very least, keep your wallet in your front
pocket. As for women, wear your purse over your shoulder and securely
tucked under one arm.
If you wouldn't do it at home, don't do it in "paradise":
You can't assume that just because you're on vacation, the criminals
are, too. So don't get bombed and then leave a bar with someone you
don't know. Don't accept a drink unless you've watched the chain of
custody from the bartender to you. Implement a buddy system. And by all
means check the crime rate of a place before you go.
Leave your khaki shorts at home: If you're traveling
overseas, you should avoid dressing like a tourist—and not just because
it embarrasses your kids. With kidnappings on the rise, looking like a
local could be one of the most important precautions you can take during
your vacation. To avoid becoming a victim:
Don't be flashy. Drive a generic vehicle and avoid wearing fancy
clothing, logos, baseball caps or anything that makes it clear you are
from outside the country. Stick with wearing something neutral.
Be wary of gypsy cabs. A car that looks like a professional cab
could just be a ruse to take you to a dangerous place. Have the
restaurant or hotel call for a licensed taxi instead.
The top five countries for kidnapping are Mexico, Iraq, Brazil, Colombia
and Venezuela, according to Chubb Group of Insurance Companies.
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