September 21, 2008

Where to Stay in Ennis

By Ronan Menton

If you are just passing through the town of Ennis then of course you will not find yourself in need of accommodation . . . yet there is just something so warm, so friendly, so simply, unassumingly welcoming about this quaint, picturesque little town in Country Clare . . . you are not to be blamed if you feel yourself drawn to it. If, on getting out of your car to just stretch your legs, catch a bite to eat and take a look around, you find yourself falling so in love with Ennis that you simply have top fin a place to spend at least one night, nobody will blame you; more than that, nobody will be surprised. You certainly aren't the first to do so, and you definitely will not be the last.

Ennis offers a competitive selection of accommodation options, and visitors to the town are often pleased to learn it. There are several hotels available in Ennis, many of them enviably located near the town centre and a myriad of attractions. Many (although not all) of the hotels will offer guests ensuite baths in addition to comfortable, well thought out and well appointed guest rooms. Try a night at the Old Ground Hotel in the heart of town, or maybe stay a week at the chic Ashford Court Boutique Hotel, which also features a lovely restaurant.

Or, if bed and breakfast is more your style, Ennis can accommodate you there, too! There is a selection of bed and breakfast establishments for visitors to choose from. Try a night at Carbery House, or perhaps Newpark House, and revel in the comforts of a more intimate environment and service. Fountain Court is also popular, as is St Patrick's Bed and Breakfast. Or, if you simply prefer self catering options, then simply bunk down in Baker's House, and take care of your own needs- Ennis really has it all!

Ronan Menton is the webmaster for a number of travel related websites and has been for some time in Ireland, associated with search engine optimization in the Irish travel industry. Among the many sites he is currently working on are the following: Ennis Pubs and Ennis Restaurants.

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September 20, 2008

Cambodia Travel Adventures 2008

By Fred Tittle

When the first of the Asian adventure travelers first discovered the Kingdom of Cambodia using the term roads was merely an easy way for saying improved tracks of endless quagmire in the rainy season, and axel snapping, oil pan crushing track for the rest of the year.

Voted 10 years in a row the worst road in the world, the path between Bangkok and the Temples of Angkor Wat today carries large 48 seat buses under passable conditions for the better part of the way, but then the back wrenching, pitching, lurching and stomach emptying for many begins and continues for 100 kilometers to the Thai border, where you will find and really appreciate, western standard roads for the rest of the trip.

Going into the provinces of Cambodia is now possible with many options including share taxis and mini buses. The main routes between Phnom Penh & Siem Reap and Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville you can now find buses that would be rated first class in Thailand, with the definition of first class being air con with a small water closet. Some of the legacy carriers will assault you with Khmer karaoke classics at painful volume; Mekong Express being the exception which shows previews of the temples, and on the other routes you will be able to keep up to date with all of the Mr. Been adventures, which like chocolates, has everyone smiling regardless of where on the blue marble they come from.

Dining can be a real culinary adventure on most of the routes, expect to be wined and dined with mongrel flea ridden dogs, lactating cats and bugs that go whir in the night, sometimes they are begging for your food, other times they are featured on your plate! The fare using the term in its loses meaning, is mostly passed over by all but the most hardy of travelers unless of course you are partial to things like chicken embryo's and 1000 year old eggs. You need to do your shopping before you go to the bus stations as the choices are very limited if you want western snacks. They sometimes will have fresh fruit for sale, pineapple and bananas being found most often. The soft drinks they offer are Cokes and beer and all sorts of Asian drinks that you probably not familiar with like green jelly or soy milk soda. The coffee and tea that they have is generally horrible tasting which is a kind understatement unfortunately.

The fares are very comparable to distances in Thailand or Vietnam for the cheap buses. You can get from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville for $6, Phnom Penh to Siem Reap under $10, and to Bangkok or Saigon for right around $20 give or take from most parts of Cambodia.

Fred's new project http://www.CheapCharliesHotels.com/ where he reviews Asian cheap hotels , budget guesthouses, discount accommodations and cheap international flights, but is really an excuse to go scuba diving on vacation more, Fred is in Phnom Penh Cambodia planning his next adventure travel tourto Pattay and Phukett in Thailand. Keep up to date with Fred and to view some great pictures go to http://www.cheapcharlieshotels.com/blog/Cheapcharlieshotelsasiadiscountflightsvisa

Fred Tittle has lived and worked in holiday vacation resorts his entire life, from Lake Geneva's Playboy Club, as a rock jock for KSPN FM in Aspen Colorado, he became a PADI Pro Scuba Diver in Hawaii, diving on Maui, Kauai, Kona on the big island, and Waikiki on Oahu. He founded Eco Adventures South East Asia in Sihanoukville Cambodia. he still teaches SSI and PADI scuba diving courses and runs liveaboards in the gulf of Thailand and Asia adventure tours, http://www.ecosea.com/

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September 09, 2008

How to Travel Cheap in Paris

By Kylie D

Paris being the "City of Lights" and "Romance" attracts people from all over the globe. Being one of the most visited and hot tourist destinations, Paris is considered quite expensive. But do not panic as it does not mean that you cannot dream of going to the most romantic city in the world.

It is very much possible to visit the expensive Paris within limited budget. For that you just need to plan your trip and follow some budget tips. Rest assured you will enjoy a fabulous trip of your lifetime.

Accommodation
• If you want to save on accommodation, consider staying in smaller towns where it is cheaper. When you are planning to visit Paris, you can look out for Paris hotels which are located near or well connected to the Metro or the RER (the suburban train lines), or even have the option to stay in a near by city like Chartres which is just train ride away. It will save a lot on traveling as well.

• You can also look out for star ratings of Paris hotels according to your budget and need. The Paris star-rating system is good and dependable. Even if you stay in one star less than your desired hotel, it will not make much difference in terms of comforts and facilities. You will find that sometimes even these lesser-rated Paris hotels are far better than their peers a notch up.

• However, if you are planning to stay in a town for more than a week, it is advisable to stay in a vacation rental or serviced apartments than a hotel. You can save on eating out as you can cook on your own in the fully equipped kitchen. Your have the privacy and comforts of home in these vacation rental or serviced apartments. However, the only disadvantage of not staying in hotel is that you will miss the personalized service of hotels.

• If you do not want to spend on accommodation you have the option of home exchange. It is possible if you are living in a big city which is also a popular tourist destination. While they visit your New York City Apartment, you can stay in a Paris couple's Paris apartment.

• For a change from your usual stay in hotels, you can consider camping in Paris. It can be a lot fun. With France's government-regulated star rating system, even a pricy two-star hotel can be equivalent to four-star campground.

Rail
• Get a rail pass if you are going to travel for long distances or for a few days of rail travel, as it is the best and only way to travel cheap.

How to Get Cash
• It is advisable not to visit exchange companies as the rates are terrible and commissions high. The best way to get Euros is by withdrawing at an ATM in Paris or charging on a credit card. It is the most budget way to get Euro.

Eating Out
• You can save on your hotel breakfast which is usually overpriced and consists of just few pastries and coffee. You can visit the local cafe and start your day with a breakfast and spend half or quarter the price for a pastry or croissant. You can also inform them when you are booking your room or checking in whether you want breakfast or not as you can be automatically charged for it. However, it will be much cheaper if you opt only for coffee in the room instead of full breakfast.

• Instead of spending money on all three meals a day, you can indulge in one great big French meal and preferably lunch. You will be served the same food for dinner for lesser money. For a low price, you can have the prix fixe menu consisting of a starter, main dish and dessert, and sometimes even wine.

• Having eaten much in lunch, you can go for cheap pastry and sandwich for dinner. Or if you prefer, you can go for the big three-course dinner and have sandwich lunch instead. Almost all over Paris, sandwiches are very good and usually cost around 3.5 Euros.

Transportation
Paris is well served by good transportation thus, making it easy for you to access to any part of the city. It is easy to get from one town to another as smaller towns in Paris are also linked by good transport system. If possible try to avoid hiring or taking taxis because it is expensive. However, if you are not sure or confident about your specific destination, you can always e-mail the tourism office to enquire about their transportation system.

Follow these tips and you need not ruin your trip or make it too difficult to enjoy your trip to Paris. So, do not miss the opportunity to visit Paris as you only live once.

The Author is a contributing writer to the website Apartotels.com which is operating over 3000 serviced apartments including London apartments & Paris apartments.

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