Chinese New Year: Year of the Horse
January 31, 2014 will ring in the new year in the Chinese calendar. To celebrate and learn more about this holiday, take a stroll through one of America’s oldest cities- Philadelphia! Why Philly? It’s a great city, with one of the largest and most active Chinese communities in the USA, as well as one of the biggest Chinatowns, making it the perfect place to steep yourself in the culture while staying on American soil).
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The Lake Placid Holiday Village Stroll is the perfect way to discover the magic of the holiday season in an Adirondack Winter Wonderland. The volunteer ran committee of elves has a wonderful weekend of art, music, gourmet foods and boutique shopping planned for the pleasure of visitors. Shoppers love the alternative to the big box store options and the intimate setting makes the Village Stroll appealing to couples and families.
The Lake Placid Holiday Village Stroll features over 50 unique stores that accept holiday bucks to help you find the perfect holiday gifts in a serene setting. There is no hustle and bustle of the mall crowd to contend with, and you will find gifts that will be treasured by the lucky recipients.
The weekend isn’t all about shopping. Families will love the ice skating party and Holiday Story Time at the Mirror Lake Inn. Couples will enjoy the wine tastings and art displays. Children will delight in the matinee showing of the Polar Express, the craft workshops and breakfast with Santa at participating hotels on Sunday morning.
If you are traveling to attend the weekend you might wonder where to stay and eat. I have a few recommendations for you to consider while you are planning your 2014 Village Stroll trip.
Thailand is a great place to celebrate the New Year. The Thai’s actually have three occasions that they celebrate New Year – with European friends on December 31st and January 1st, at the Chinese New Year in February and during Songkran in April, which marks the beginning of the traditional Thai solar calendar. If you are travelling to Thailand to celebrate New Year’s Eve on December 31st to welcome in 2014 – here’s an overview of some of the top things to do whilst you are there.
Most of the hotels on the island will be having a Gala dinner at New Year. This is a great option for families – with an array of mouthwatering food on offer and traditional entertainment like Thai dancing. Please note when booking your hotel that the gala dinner is often compulsory and can add a hefty sum to your total bill.
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Sometimes, when people are in the process of planning an international vacation, they will choose to go during its off season, on purpose. There are a few benefits that can come with this kind of strategy. For one thing, the plane tickets tend to be cheaper. Plus, once you arrive to your destination, it tends to be a lot less crowded which means that you can enjoy the city without standing in long lines or sometimes even paying high lodging fees and admission prices.
So, if you’re thinking about taking a trip to Venice during its off season, as you can see, it does have its perks. However, something that you should keep in mind is that between November-March (which is what’s officially considered to be its off season), there’s a strong possibility that you will encounter a lot of rain while you are there.
That’s why we wanted to take out just a moment to provide you with some traveling tips if you do plan to go to Venice during its rainy season. Check these out below:
Pack for cold and rainy weather. Honestly, once the rain starts to fall, sometimes it can lead to flooding. And just ask any local there, when this happens during the winter season, the water can be pretty bone-chilling. So from your raincoat and rain boots to your umbrella, sweaters and long johns, as you’re packing, think about what you would wear on a cold, rainy day.
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Niagara Falls is known for many things, most of which involves the powerful falls of course. But what drives those falls, the water and the creatures with in it are the emphasis of the Aquarium of Niagara.
The aquarium is an interactive aquarium full of sharks, and fish of various colors and sizes, even an octopus who is notorious for escaping! The exhibits contained within include how nocturnal fish can see at night, and how krill and algae factor into the well being of large animals like whales. The main piece of the aquarium has to be the sea lion show. It is full of tricks, fun, and lots of smiles all this at a new 100,000 gallon central tank. We were able to time our visit in such a way that we were able to see the sea lion feeding as well as the show, both of which brought the experience full circle. My son had such a good time visiting and seeing all the sea animals and marine life.
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When it comes to going away, sometimes it can feel like your holiday fund just won’t stretch any further. So how do you enjoy a sun-drenched escape without bankrupting yourself in the process?
Thankfully there are plenty of little tips and tricks out there to help you enjoy a cheap holiday. Look out for late deals on package holidays departing within the next six weeks or so, when prices are often slashed to sell off those last few places. Or you can book super-early in order to take advantage of early bird offers and incentives, such as free child places on family holidays.
Package holidays often reflect high value for money as most of your travel essentials are already included in the upfront price. For instance, check out the range of package holidays with The Co-Operative Travel. You’ll find that your break includes return flights, nightly accommodation, local resort transfers to and from the hotel, and the services of a locally based travel rep.
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There are many choice destinations in Mexico and one of the most up and coming is Vallarta-Nayarit. Vallarta-Nayarit may seem familiar for those familiar with the area it includes Puerto Vallerta and Riviera Nayari. This locale is family friendly and includes both luxury amenities as well as old world traditional experiences. This post is a sponsored but all opinions are my own.
Vallarta-Nayarit encompasses quite a large area including:
Punta Mita, Riviera Nayarit- High end hotels, stunning golf courses and shopping, Punta Mita is secluded and quiet, maybe not the best big family pick but good for a smaller crew.
Marietas Islands- Uninhabited islands with a massive amount of sea animals, including turtles, manta rays, octopus, and dolphins.
Nuevo Vallarta- Luxury villas located within 3 minutes of scenic beaches and 30 minutes from downtown Puerto Vallarta.
Marina Vallarta is just 5 minutes from downtown Puerto Vallarta and is located in a more rocky area of the shoreline, making for some creative usage of the scenery. This makes for fun nature walks and city browsing as well.
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While everyone likes to break away from drudgery of life once in a while and opt for vacations, the choices can be quite varied. Nor everyone likes to spend the vacation days near a seaside quite destination, away from the crowd. For some people, the perfect idea of vacationing is enjoying every moment in boisterous atmosphere in travel destinations amidst events like carnivals, fairs and revelry. If you belong to the latter category, Branson, Missouri could be the perfect holiday destination for you. It is also known as Live Music Show Capital, owing to its numerous live shows, amusement programs and natural sights. On an average, Branson gets close to 7 million footfalls every year.
You can visit Brandon any time of the year but Spring and Fall are best suited for families to visit. While the majority of tourists get lured by the events and shows held in Branson, do not think the place is all about events and entertainment programs. There are shopping opportunities galore and you will also get options to satiate your taste buds with regional delicacies during your trip.
The good thing about Branson travel is that you can save a significant amount of transportation cost with careful planning. Flying to Branson from other parts of the USA or major European cities is easy nowadays, and majority of tourists choose Springfield-Branson National Airport . It is served by various budget airlines. Otherwise, you can also fly to newly built Branson airport, or nearby ST Louis and Kansas City airports. In Branson, you can find plenty of car rental and limo services for sightseeing and exploring nearby places.
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