CheapOair – Guest Blogs and Tips on Travel from travel experts, travel writers | CheapOair

Disneyland Paris: A Must-Do on Your Family European Vacation

by Jennifer Grinold of Grin Travel

While grown-ups can’t seem to get enough of Parisian museums, shops, cathedrals and cafes, this endless sightseeing can tire even the most ambitious young traveler.  That’s why I encourage families embarking on a European adventure to schedule in some activities that will excite the kids, both big and small.  Located only 20 miles east of Paris, Disneyland Paris Resort is a perfect addition to a family vacation in Europe.

Since its opening in 1992, Disneyland Paris has hosted over 160 million visitors, receiving twice the number of guests each year as the Eiffel Tower.  While the majority of visitors to Disneyland Paris hail from France or the UK, guests from all over the world travel to Disneyland Paris to enjoy the magic at the resorts’ two theme parks: Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios.  You can make the trek in to the parks from Paris city center in only 20 minutes on the Regional Express Railway – or RER.  The average length of stay is 3 nights to really have time to enjoy all the park offers, but even a shorter stay is worthwhile.

Disney offers six onsite hotels with a variety of themes and a spectrum of pricing, from deluxe to value.  Options include the resort’s flagship luxury accommodation, the Disneyland Hotel, which sits right at the entrance of the Disneyland Park with views down Main Street.  Other options include the Manhatten-style New York Hotel, the Sequoia Lodge inspired by the California State Park and, the Cheyenne Hotel, which is themed as a colorful town from America’s Old West.  For those with a car, there’s the Davy Crockett Ranch which offers a wilderness retreat to those looking for a more outdoorsy experience.

Those familiar with the Disney parks in the US will right away notice differences that make Disneyland Paris unique.  As Europe is the land where many of the classic Disney stories like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White originated, special care was taken to build a Disney park with sufficient beauty and imagination to earn its proper place in the European land of kings and castles.  In addition to the abundance of attractions, there’s a wealthy of details to admire in the parks.  Disneyland Paris is a fabulous vacation destination year round for families visiting Paris.

About the author:

Jennifer Grinold is a travel blogger and owner of Grin Travel, specializing in family and group trips. She’s currently living in Switzerland with her young American family. You can visit her travel blog at www.grintravel.wordpress.com or follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/grintravel.  

 

Five Best Meals I Had While Traveling

Traveling has been my passion since I was a teenager. While every other person looked forward to clubbing and partying at age twenty-one, I looked forward totraveling without parental guidance. I contacted my insurance company to get travel insurance and after that, I was good to go. New places, people, and cultures rejuvenated me each time I visited a new destination. What I enjoyed the most was the food.

While most people eat to live, I live to eat. I love food to the point that I have contemplated working for the Travel Channel. Where else can I mix my two passions of food and travel together? Since my first trip to Seattle three years back, I have been to Costa-Rica, India, Dominican Republic, and some local spots like Chicago, and Seattle again. One thing I realized, while traveling to all these places, is that you need to have an open mind about food to be able to really enjoy the food. It does not matter what it looks like to you, you need to taste it, to know if it appeals to your palates or not.

As hard as it was to pick my five best meals I have had while traveling, I made some tough decisions, and here they are. I can taste this food to this day and that’s when you know it is really delicious. If years can go by and you still remember the first bite you took, you know it is love at first bite.

1.) Cranberry Salmon in Seattle: Not being much of a fish person, I was skeptical about mixing cranberries and salmon. Wow! That is just one word to describe the combination. Adding to that flavor was the restaurant’s twist on traditional mashed potatoes, which were served within deep fried rolls, containing the potatoes inside of them. Potatoes and salmon never tasted better!

2.) Brazilian Tri-tip in San Diego: Being disappointed with the lines in front of a local BBQ joint, I decided to try out this small, Brazilian place. There is only one word to truly describe it, and that is delicious. The meat was perfect. The fried plantains swept me off of my feet. There is no doubt that I was in plantain bliss. I have visited many, expensive Brazilian restaurants since that incredible meal, but the little spot in San Diego will always be my first love.

3.) Traditional Dominican Lunch: A safari ride in Dominican Republic took me to this little spot up on a hill, where they serve traditional Dominican food. The food was delicious. Being a carnivore myself, each piece of meat was perfection. With the right spices, it was sheer magic served on a plate. It was so hard to decide what dish was the best that I have to put the entire menu on my top list.

4.) Jalapeno Steak in Costa Rica: Costa Rica is a paradise. The country definitely got me to fall head over heels, in love, with Jalapeno Steak. Being a spicy food junky, I had to order this dish, but was supremely surprised when it was so good. I am still contemplating going back for more. The steak was cooked to perfection. The jalapenos had me drooling and literally crying for more when my plate was empty.

5.) Tandoori Chicken in India: I have to admit I am a Tandoori chicken addict, and I will try it anywhere I see it on a menu. Naturally, when I was in a shopping mall in Chennai, I had to try out the hanging chicken. I was in love with my red glazed chicken. Each piece seemed to melt in my mouth. Never before, or after has Tandoori chicken tasted so fabulous.

These dishes represent my top five meals of all time. Every time I go back to these places, I will be sure to try each of them again. Until then, they will remain a sweet memory.

 

Nan Gibbons is a jetset fitness advisor and personal trainer. She spends her time advising at international sporting events, blogging, and running the beach in San Diego with her pup Cody. Follow her – if you can keep up – on twitter @healthnut2011.

 

A Night in Lopburi Train Station, Thailand

Please welcome today's guest blogger Nicholas from Nickschapterthree.blogspot.com

Apart from weekends, I had spent most of my seven weeks in Thailand in Saraburi Province at the school I was volunteering in. My time there had come to an end and I was very sad to be leaving them. But I was also very excited to be getting some real travelling done before going home. My plan was to head north, to Chiang Mai.

I’m leaving from Lopburi, a city I’ve visited before. All over the city centre, including the train station, are free roaming monkeys. They are aggressive, destroying parked cars and stealing food.

Arriving about an hour early for the train I find the it is already about an hour late. Soon it turns into two hours late, then three, then four, then at about 2am cancelled. The next train doesn’t leave until the morning. Looks like I’m here for the night. I wrap the straps of my bag around my leg and try to get some sleep.

I wake up from a sound of rustling. Not sure what time it is. I sit up and give my eyes a few minutes to adjust to the light. I sit up further, that sound is very close. Then I realise what I’m looking at, my little detachable pack-pack has been ripped open. Sitting next to it is a monkey. My clothes are strewn across the floor and it is eating my food! What the hell do I do? I sit right up very quickly, it takes one look at me a runs off... with my food.

There's no chance I'm going back to sleep tonight. I’ll wait until the train. The day train is a normal train, as in it has seats not beds. Constant stops and delays meant I got into Chiang Mai at 11.30pm on Thursday night instead of 7.45am on Thursday morning. The hostel I had booked was locked, but after just fifteen minutes of walking around I was able to find another one. I was very happy to crash in a bed that night!

I’m a Brit who loves traveling and working with kids. I’m taking a new job as an English teacher in Thailand. I blog about my experience as a volunteer teacher while I was out there between November 2010 and January 2011 and will soon be blogging about the new job. I see working as a teacher as a great way to get out and see the world while still working at something I really enjoy.

http://nickschapterthree.blogspot.com

Top 5 Spiritual Things to do in Bali

Once you've been to Bali and you begin to talk with others about it you will no doubt be surprised at how many people have been to this small island on the other side of the world of all places. But there is a reason for this: the 'island of the Gods', or Bali, is a magical place where sprits naturally open and soar, so there is a calling. No doubt you have heard of Bali, because it seems everyone has even when they can't recall when they heard of Bali. It is almost as if it is just a given- Bali is an amazing, beautiful and spiritual place to visit. A must on spiritual bucket lists.

The best way to tap into the deep magic of Bali is by hitting the top Five spiritual things to do there:

1. Nothing - That's right, nothing. When you are in Bali you really want to take advantage of the energy that permeates the air by spending at least some time doing nothing. No doubt you will be sitting outside by the ocean, a pool or enjoying a quiet cup of taste coffee in an outdoor cafe by the rice fields. For all of these there is a gentle sway and flow coming from the water and rice fields that lullabies your soul. The calm, relaxing sway is unnoticeable to the naked eye, which is why you will feel it, sense it and surrender to it when you are doing nothing. This is one of Bali's greatest blessings for you.

2. Visit Five Temples- I'm not sure that it matters what temples you visit, because they are all energized an active. That is to say, their spirit is alive mostly due to the numerous visitors they receive and the fact that the Balinese people are deeply spiritual themselves and are always activating the energy in the temples. Additionally, they are welcoming and inviting of visitors, so you'll feel welcome, comfortable and curious about their three Gods: Vishnu, Brama and Shiva

3. Wash Your Karma Away at Tirta Empul- The temple of Tirta Empul offers one of the most unique experiences of a lifetime. The temple has sacred waters that flow from a row of spouts. People enter the waters and go through the pool washing away their karma at each spout. This rejuvenating and exhilarating experience can be trans-dimensional! If you are sensitive to energy, or even if you aren't, you may begin to sense things shifting and changing as if you are entering a different dimension. These waters are said to cure people and clear karma, leaving a happier, healthier and more enthusiastic person. The popularity of these pools alone should be evidence as to their magic because waiting in line to get to each spout of water is quite common because the Balinese frequent these waters every day of the week.

4. Cleanse Yourself From the Inside Out- The climate, the people and the food in Bali are a breath of fresh air. It must be because this is the 'island of the Gods' that you will find yourself feeling healthier all around and making better eating choices. The food and fruit drinks are a must on our top five list! They are refreshing and invigorating. If you seek out health or to raise your energetic vibration then you no doubt know of the higher vibration that certain foods can offer. These seems to be the foods that grow in Bali because everything there is delicious, healthy (when we took a group most everyone enjoyed great meals and lost a little weight!) and refreshing. Perhaps it is simple logic: on the island of the Gods there is ambrosia, or food of the Gods.

5 Spirituality Must Include Your Body! To be truly spiritual you must be living the oneness that you are, including your body. Hence, pouring the spirituality into yourself in Bali mua that Bali offers no matter what you do there. Bali has so much spirituality that it shows in their amazing arts, customs and daily rituals. No doubt Bali is one of the top Spiritual escapes in the world.

Kalyn & Kristopher Raphael lead spiritual retreats, they are authors and spiritual life coaches/Trainers. To learn more about working with them, about spiritual retreats or taking a trip please go to www.balispirit.org

Europe’s Best Foodie Destinations

If there’s one thing that unites travellers –whether that be a solo backpacker, a couple honeymooning or a digital nomad – it’s food. Once just a ‘basic need’ is now a pleasure seeking mission for most of us when we travel, and if you’re like me you also plan your holidays around the kind of food you feel like eating at that particular time! There’s no doubt that food is one of the draw-cards to travelling the world and seeking new cultures and experiences, and to celebrate all things culinary, I would like to share with you my three favourite foodie destinations in Europe. It’s so hard to pick just three, but these will hopefully provide you with some ideas you hadn’t thought of before as well as an old favourite. Bon Appétit!

1. 
   Bruges – The frites and mayonnaise in Bruges are so addictive that it’s virtually impossible to not feel your pants straining a little by the end of your trip! Lucky there’s loads of things to walk around and see, so once you’re suitably worn out sightseeing, find a Belgian pub and order yourself a huge bowl of mussels and a beer, you deserve it!
2. Krakow – Krakow would not appear an obvious choice for some, but when I visited recently I was pleasantly surprised at how the Polish could turn seemingly ‘boring’ ingredients like potato and cabbage into crunchy potato cakes and melt-in-your-mouth cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and smothered in a tasty tomato sauce. Wander away from the tourist trail and into a family run bistro – if it’s filled with locals you’re in the right place!  
3. 
   Paris – The grand-daddy of cuisine, Paris started it all in 1775 when they opened the world’s first restaurant. Nowadays the city is filled with Michelin starred bistro’s and people travel across the globe to sample some of France’s best fare here – For me though, Paris is best experienced picnic style – visit a local baker for crusty baguettes and macaroons, a deli for ham and cheese, and then grab a bottle of champagne and head to the grass beneath the Eiffel tower with a picnic rug and enjoy. Très bonne!

 

Nicole’s bio:

Nicole is an Aussie living in London and a wannabe long term traveller cramming as many trips around full-time work as she can. Her blog, Woman Seeks World details her adventures around the world, and follows her path to becoming a permanent nomad in the hopefully near future.

You can follow Nicole’s travels at www.womanseeksworld.com

 

Stockyard’s Saloon, Calgary, Canada

If you find yourself in the land of cowboy hats, oil tycoons and the infamous Calgary Stampede outside of the month of July, don’t fret; there is a way to soak up all this country goodness. Go to a country bar. 

On a casual visit to Calgary, a friend and I went to Stockyards Saloon for a going-away party. Up until this point, I was only hearing horrible things about the bar. Now, I should say that this place is known as a “country bar”. I was expecting a hoochie country bar with a bunch of 18 year olds running around in short shorts showing too much cleavage and wearing tiny cowboy hats. Needless to say, I was dreading it. But when we got there, I was pleasantly surprised.

The so-called “country bar” was ACTUALLY a country bar! They were playing some great country music, people were line dancing and two-stepping, and the cowboys there were legitimately cowboys!

Great drink specials were the icing on the cake for the evening. There was also a mechanical bull that provided hours of entertainment as we judged peoplecritiqued riders’ technique and style. The critiques included our friends who were brave enough to ride the bull (I on the other hand would have needed copious amounts of alcohol before even thinking about our friend the bull). This country bar experience wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t describe my new boyfriend to you… ok, not my new boyfriend, but I did stare at him for half the night. No, it wasn’t because of his good looks but because of his outfit. He was wearing tight, lightly dyed wrangler jeans (I could see each clearly defined butt cheek), a tight green shirt that showed off his bulging biceps (I was half expecting an invite to the gun show), and a very nice cowboy hat. Ladies, your country bar experience can qualify as one of the greats too – just find a mechanical bull, a cowboy in tight clothing, cheap booze, and some good country music. Or just go to this place next time you are in Calgary!

Photo Credits:

Visit Calgary: Official Website of Calgary Tourism: http://www.visitcalgary.com

By: NithyaRamachandran

http://www.LifeOutofaSuitcase.com

Twitter: @LifeOutofaSuitc

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LifeOutofaSuitcase

 

About the Blogger:

Nithya, originally from Canada, is a serial expat who has lived in Spain and India in the last year alone. Now, waiting to embark on her next adventure working for an NGO in São Paulo, Brazil, she has launched a new website that is aimed at the 20 something female traveler. She is passionate about travel stories and adventures and is collecting tales from all over the globe. You can read about her adventures and find out more at www.LifeOutofaSuitcase.com

 

China on Your Own

By Doris Gallan

You might think that only the most intrepid travelers would dare go to China without a guided tour. Or, at least, that they would be fluent in Mandarin (the language of the north) or Cantonese (that of the south). Well, I’ve never been one to listen to what most people think so—about 18 months into a two-year round the world trip—my husband and I ventured into the Middle Kingdom on our own.

We spent six weeks in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hainan Island, and Hong Kong before joining a two-week tour of the interior of the country where we knew our lack of language skills would present a greater challenge. We were able to book most accommodations and transportation using English-language websites or just arriving at the hostel or station and asking for help.

We ate in restaurants, markets and at street stalls where meals were so cheap that you could often splurge on a four-course dinner with beer for two people for no more than $15 total. Shanghai is known for its shopping and it didn’t disappoint but smaller towns were better for authentic handicrafts where you could sometimes meet the artists as they worked. We also visited temples and attractions walking and taking subways, buses and taxis – all on our own.

Beijing and Shanghai—thanks the Olympics and the 2010 World’s Fair—have plenty of English-language signs, easy to use subway systems, friendly people anxious to help, and hotels and hostels in every price range. If you go during the two major national holidays, Chinese New Years and October’s Moon Festival, you’ll encounter many country folk who’ve never seen Westerners and understand what it’s like to be stared at (a bit uncomfortable at first, but funny overall).

When we joined a two-week tour to explore the interior of the country we were rewarded with a depth of experience we couldn’t have achieved ourselves as there was absolutely no English to be found. We liked the tour company’s approach as well: put small groups together, book their transportation and accommodations, provide them with a Mandarin-speaking tour leader, and allow the members to take care of the rest of the details.

We met our tour group in Hong Kong and traveled to Chiang-tu where the Karst Mountains are found. That was followed by Yangzhou (incredible river theatre), Longsheng (more mountains and river), Ping’an (the Dragon’s Backbone terraced mountains), and Yichang (the start of a Yangtze River cruise) and ended up at Fengdu. In Xi’an we saw the Terra Cotta Warriors and finished up in Beijing.

A few of my favorite things in China are very well known such as the Terra Cotta Warriors and the European section of the city of Shanghai, the Bund. Other favorites such as the Karst mountains and Beijing’s hutong neighborhoods are lesser known but shouldn’t be missed by anyone traveling to the Middle Kingdom.

Doris Gallan writes the weekly Baby Boomers Traveling blog and provides daily travel tips. She is also the author of The Boomers’ Guide to Going Abroad to Travel|Live|Give|Learn which is now available through BookLocker, Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble.com.

Fuerte San Lorenzo, Panama

The Chagres River has always played an important part in Panama’s history.  Today, its waters are vital to the operation of the Panama Canal.  During the colonial era, the river was part of the main corridor connecting Old Panama City to the Caribbean.  Cargos full of gold from Peru and silver from Bolivia were transported to Panama City, then moved through the Chagres whose mouth kisses the Caribbean Sea and finally, embarked to Spain. As it can be expected, the Spaniards guarded zealously the mouth of the river.  The Castillo de San Lorenzo el Real de Chagres was built in a nearby cliff in order to protect the area from clever foes.  Today, the remains of the “castle” are known as Fuerte San Lorenzo.  If you ask me, it is not the most impressive fort I have seen.   But the matter of fact is that in this case, structural grandness is shadowed by the impressive amount of historic events which have taken place in this splendid area.

Chagres River’s Mouth

 The fort is located in a remote spot.  To reach the place, you need to cross the Gatun Locks (the Panama Canal’s locks located at the Caribbean side) and then proceed through beautiful rainforest.  There is a high probability of observing wildlife such as coatimundis, agoutis and blue morphos as big as you fist.  Once you reach the end of the road, the Fuerte San Lorenzo welcomes you with its elderly canyons.  While exploring the fort, you are rewarded with gorgeous views of the Caribbean and the mouth of the Chagres River.  But there is more than natural beauty to get your heart pumping fast.

One area of the fort contains plaques with the names of the enemies who attacked the fortification.  That is right.  The fort was the scenario of many bloody battles between buccaneers (pirates) and Spaniards.  Probably, the most famous attack was perpetrated by Henry Morgan (1671).  He was able to seize and destroy the fort.  Then, he and his men used the Chagres to reach Old Panama City.  The city was sacked and burned.  The gold guarded inside the city was lost.  The fort was rebuilt as a stone stronghold but Admiral Edward Vernon managed to destroy it in 1740.  Once again, the place was rebuilt in 1768 and those are the ruins we can observe today.  History documents many more confrontations in the area.

View of Fuerte San Lorenzo

I consider myself very fortunate because I had the opportunity to visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site.  If you visit Panama, consider paying a visit to the fort (there are other fortifications and sights in the area).  Who knows?  Maybe once you are there your heart will start to beat faster while the old walls speak ancient stories, the Caribbean winds cuddle your hair and the mouth of the Chagres blows you a kiss.  That is exactly what happened to me.

Ruth travels the world searching for experiences to share with outstanding people wanting to treasure the beauty of life one story at a time.  Find more about her at the Tanama Tales blog/website.  Stay in contact through Facebook or Twitter.

 

Global Unemployment: The Travel Industry’s Salvation?

Please welcome guest blogger Erika from Gypseagirl.matadoru.com

While in Thailand and Cambodia last September, I observed a shift in the profiles of backpacking hostel-hoppers.  Of course, you still had plenty of Thai fisherman pant and tank-top clad Gap Year twenty-somethings.  The surprise was the strong showing of mid-thirty to early-forty-something European and American singles and couples.  

You see, average, working Americans get two weeks of vacation per year.  So, an Asian trek, plus holidays, family obligations and summer weekends, is usually too tall of an order.  And, while Europeans certainly have more flexibility, with four or sometimes blissfully five weeks of holiday, at least my French friends’ employers limit their time off to ten days in a row.  

Over smiley toast at communal breakfast tables, I got some answers.  Turns out, most of these travelers had begun and thrived in a career in their twenties and early thirties.  Due to the economic crisis, they were now unemployed, not just for a few months, but for nine months minimum.  

This realization made me feel less lonely — and, lots less guilty — as I too fit this profile.

Knowing how I had made my trip happen— odd job and gift cash, a kind husband and being ok with being nearly broke upon my return — I had to know how my new kindred spirits had managed.  Answers included: subletting apartments, selling luxury items, dipping into car savings, and sympathetic gifts from family.  The lower cost of living in many of the Asian countries, compared to the U.S. and Europe, had also been a deciding “destination” factor.

No matter what the “how,” however, the “why” was consistent across the board.  As one early forty-something American man at my hostel in Siem Reap put it: “I looked for a job for nine months, and it was all a black hole.  I was so depressed, and had no energy left.  So, when my girlfriend took time off from her job to travel for a year, I said, well, I’ve never been to Asia...and, when am I going to have the time to do this again?”

Perpignan, a fusion of France and Spain

Please welcome guest blogger Katy from Postcardfromtheworld.blogspot.com

Languedoc-Roussillon is a region in the very south of France which occupies an enviable stretch of Mediterranean coastline and boasts a spectacular landscape comprising the Pyrenees and Corbières mountains. Perpignan is one of its larger cities and is in a perfect location to explore the area. It is easily accessible from Girona’s airport – the Frogbus (yes, really) departs hourly to Perpignan. Once there, you will find a choice of centrally located accommodation with an average price of £50 per night for a double room.

In many ways, Perpignan is quintessentially French, with all the boulangeries and patisseries you could ask for, but its French identity is fused with a Catalan spirit. Barcelona is just two hours to the south and Perpignan is very much a part of Catalonia, giving it an exoticism found nowhere else in France. With palm trees lining pretty squares and mountains framing the view, it is an utterly charming city with a laid-back Mediterranean air.

The striking Castillet provides the entrance to Perpignan’s Old Town, a maze of narrow streets which contain a myriad of shops and restaurants. The Castillet itself now houses a museum full of examples of the region’s Catalan culture and offers wonderful views of the surrounding mountains. On the other side of the Old Town stands the Palais des Rois, a medieval palace built by the kings of Majorca when Perpignan was still part of Spain.

After visiting the cultural sights, it is not hard to find a good cafe to grab a bite to eat, but one of the hidden gems is A L’Heure des Thés on Rue Ange. This gorgeous tea shop offers an impressive range of teas as well as the best hot chocolate on the planet. Place Arago, meanwhile, is the place to go for dinner. With a range of restaurants to choose from and with the lovely setting in an open square by the river, it’s the perfect place to spend a balmy evening.

 If you’re looking for a French city with a Spanish twist, this is the place to come.