Easy Travel Planet

Your Dream Florida Family Vacation

Families just can’t get enough of Florida the sun city. Beautiful beaches and exciting theme parks are abundant in this part of the world. Family resorts are numerous that offer a variety of packages for you family.

Some of the places you must consider for that wonderful vacation you have in mind is Amelia Island. It has lovely beaches and a historical fort with actors playing period characters. Sea foods are ohsoheavenly in this island. Kids’ Camps can also be found in Amelia Island plantation that would have activities planned out for the whole family.

Here are some other places the family will definitely enjoy. The Blizzard Beach Waterpark Sea World Discovery Cove and Universal Studios are all in this wonderful state. And of course the worldfamous Walt Disney World Resorts are mustsees. Your children will surely have the time of their lives in these places.

The Space Coast and the Kennedy Space Center are mustsee places especially for your futureastronaut kids. Ecological tours will also serve to be educational and fun for your kids as you visit saltwater estuaries wildlife refuges and marshes.

Hotels and resorts can be found at strategic locations that are accessible to most of the popular travel spots in Florida. Finding a homebase while at the area will not pose a problem for your family there’s a lot to choose from.

If you’re looking for activities for you and your young ones Club Med along the St. Lucie River may be the right place for you. Your family will enjoy waterskiing trapeze golf and wakeboarding. Snorkeling is available in the Florida Keys for your children as young as eight.

For the nature lovers Sanibel and Captiva Islands are two beautiful spots that include unpolluted beaches with shallow shorelines. Captiva Islands also boasts of a mangrove forest that is a habitat of sea turtles and even hawks. You can go fishing boating hiking and parasailing in this beautiful spot.

There are many more beaches and spots resorts in Florida that you may want to visit like Clearwater Beach Radisson Sand Key Sheraton Sand Key and the Tradewinds Island Resorts.

Busch Gardens at Tampa Bay offer thrilling roller coaster and water rides with an African twist. Swimming with manatees is one of the highlights when you visit Crystal River Wildlife Refuge.

Since your Florida family vacation will not be complete if you don’t visit Disney World make sure that you have the following in mind:

It is essential that you pick the best time of year for your visit. Note when is the time when it is not too hot for the kids and there are not too many people so you could truly enjoy all the perks.

Base your visit according to the Extra Magic Hour when one of the theme parks open early. If you cannot make it early just don’t go there for the day because of the rush. This therefore necessitates the need to be early when visiting the theme parks. Don’t forget to consider their closing time as well as this might affect your schedule for the rest of the day.

It is good to avoid the most heated part of the day. This would be the perfect time to take a rest at your hotel and just go back early in the evening to complete your adventure.

Fastpasses will save you a lot of time to avoid standing at long lines for the most famous rides. Just use these passes for the most popular rides.

Bring snacks and lots of drinks for the entire family to save on cash. Dehydration is a common problem when walking all day and enjoying. If you have to eat in the park go for the power buffet meals they may come out cheaper.

Advanced reservations at restaurants may be very helpful and very easy. To get that seat reserve ahead of time.

Disney World has a transportation system that allows you to take the rides every hour of the day and night that will bring you from one park to another.

Most importantly dress down. Use cool and comfy clothes and shoes while doing all your visits to the exciting places of Florida State.

About the writer:  Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.bigfloridavacation.com www.aperfectharmony.com or www.a1hypnosis.com

Yellow Mountain Mt.huangshan

Because of its mists and clouds natural scenery in the area changes beyond prediction. Xu Xiake a noted Chinese geologist and traveler in Ming Dynasty praised Huangshan Mountain as the best of all mountains
Yellow Mountain Mt.Huangshan in east China’s Anhui province is one of Chinas ten bestknown scenic spots It is characterized by the four wonders namely oddshaped pines grotesque rock formation seas of clouds and crystalclear hot springs.

Wu yue is the collective name given to China’s most important mountains namely Mt. Taishan in Shandong Province Mt. Huashan in Shaanxi Province Mt. Hengshan in Shanxi Province Mt. Songshan in Henan Province and Mt. Hengshan in Hunan Province. It is said that you won’t want to visit any other mountains after seeing wu yue but you won’t wish to see even wu yue after returning from Mt. Huangshan. This saying may give you some idea of the beauty and uniqueness of Mt. Huangshan. Together with the Yellow River the Yangtze River and the Great Wall Mt. Huangshan has become one of the great symbols of China.

Mount Huangshan extends 40 kilometers from south to north and 30 kilometers from east to west covering an area of 1200 square kilometers the highlights of which occupy 154 square kilometers.

Huangshan Mountain is a marvel: within an area of 154 square kilometers there is a crowd of peaks 72 of which have names indicating the shapes they resemble. Lotus Brightness Top and Celestial Capital are the three major ones all rising above 1800 meters above sea level. The mountains are a body of granite often with vertical joints. Erosion and fracture contributed to shape the rocks into huge columns giving rise to lofty peaks and deep ravines. When it is cloudy the pinnacles loom in mists as if they were illusionary while the sun is shining they unfold in all their majesty and splendor. Huangshan Mountain change its color and appearance with the alternation of seasons. In spring blooming flowers decorate the slopes in a riot of color and fill the valleys with fragrance; in summer you see verdure peaks rising one upon another and hear springs gurgling merrily. Autumn dresses the mountains in red and purple as maples and some other trees are blazingred; winter turns them into a world of frost and ice with silver boughs and rocks everywhere. Here in Huangshan pines and rocks are intimately involved with each other almost every rock has a pine tree growing out of the crevice and every tree has tortuous and gnarled roots and branches.The still sea of snowwhite cloud can suddenly begin to roll and toss rise or fall gather or disperse while the peaks emerge and disappear in the clouds like isles in the ocean. So from ancient times it has been frequented by tourists seeking their mystery and admiring their frequented by tourists seeking their mystery and admiring their scenery. They come to the conclusion that the fantastic pines the grotesque rocks the sea of clouds and the hot springs are the four major attractions of the Yellow Mountains. As a matter of fact there are marvels almost everywhere especially in the following scenic areas: Wenquan Hot Spring Yupinglou Jade Screen Tower Xihai West Sea Beihai North Sea Yungusi Cloud Valley Temple and Songgu’an Pine Valley Nunnery.

There is plentiful rainfall in Huangshan Mountain. Therefore there are thick forests.Owing to the peculiar terrain the Huangshan Mountain’s climate is marked by a vertical change and the vertical distribution of vegetation is also distinctive: plants on the summit on the middle levels and at the foot belong to the frigid temperate and subtropical zones respectively. There are more than 1500 species of plants of which trees comprise one third. So the Huangshan Mountain occupy an important place in China’s botanical research. Here you will find centuryold pines firs ginkgoes actinidia Chinese torreyas and camphor woods remnants of the glacial era. A number of trees are celebrated on account of their age grotesque shape or precipitously perched position. Mount Huangshan abound in flowering plants; many of them are rare ones such as Huangshan Rhododendron magnolia as well as azalea camellia plum lily orchid and so on. It has a rich store of medicinal herbs; more than 300 kinds are found here; the notable ones being glossy ganoderma ginseng Chinese gold thread rhizome and Chinese cinnamon. Maofeng tea of Huangshan is well known at home and abroad.

Huangshan Mountains also provide the natural habitat for a wide variety of fauna. Among the animals there are monkeys goats deer pangolin and squirrels. There are rare birds such as the redbilled leiothrix the silver pheasant the octavetone bird and the oriole all good singers. The redbilled leiothrix called “love birds” in Chinese are so lovely that they have become favorites of foreign tourists and are exported by pairs. Besides chukkarstone frog from the streams is good to make delicious dishes with.

Mt. Huangshan’s climate is mild and humid neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter the temperature is agreeable all the year round .

It is cool in summer averaging 70 F at the North Sea Area 1 630 meters above sea and 80 F at Hot Spring Area 630 meters above sea in July the hottest month. As clouds often shut out the sun hot weather never stays long and this makes Yellow Mountains an ideal summer resort.

Mt.Huangshan lies in subtropical zones so it’s not quiet cold in winter at least not so cold as some people expected. The temperature ranges from 25 F to 40 F but it’s enough to result in a fantastic snow scenery and a silver world with pines and precipitous peaks covered with snow and decorated with icicles .

Tickets:
CNY 200 Mar. 1Nov.30
CNY 120 Dec.1Feb.28 the next year

Opening Hours: 08:40 to 16:00

Pictures of Yellow Mountain Mt.Huangshan:http://www.touringchina.com/chinapictures/245.html

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;http://www.touringchina.com/anhuiprovince/yellowmountainmt.huangshan.html
For more info about travel china guide
please visit http://www.touringchina.com/

Worlds Best Diving Destinations On A Shoestring – Sipadan Borneo

If you like turtles and sharks great drop offs and reefs to snorkel then you will love Sipadan. This island off the east coast of Malaysian Borneo used to boast the worlds best shore dive. About 10m/30ft from the beach the wall drops to 680m/2200ft. Since 2005 the island is a marine park and is protected from dynamite fishermen and over diving by the Malaysian Navy and Sabah Parks officials. Divers must stay on close by Mabul or take day trips from the coast town of Semporna.

For such a wonderful dive site you would expect premium prices but Sipadan is surprisingly accessible for those on a shoestring budget. Get yourself to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore and follow the tips below for a unforgettable dive holiday without breaking the bank.

Book your international flight to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore and then get yourself to Semporna via Tawau.

How to get from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau

Book a flight from KL to Tawau with Air Asia for around RM200 plus taxes.

Air Asia leaves from the Kuala Lumpur LCCT which stands for Low Cost Carrier Terminal. Its about 10km from the main international terminals. Follow the signs from arrivals to the car park and you will find the bus station and a transfer bus for RM1.50. It takes around 15 mins but leave some time to spare.

Air Asia are very strict about excess baggage and its expensive but they are very friendly to scuba divers. Pack your gear separately and identify it when you check in and you will pay maximum of RM30.

How to get from Singapore to Tawau

Book a flight from Johor Bahru to Tawau with Air Asia for around RM200 plus taxes.

Johor Bahru is the Malaysian town across the causeway from Singapore. After you land take the train into town and then a bus from Queen Street bus station to Malaysia! Total cost less than S5. You will need to get a taxi to Johor Bahru airport also called Senai airport because the buses are difficult to find but this should only cost you RM20 or so.

How to get from Tawau to Semporna

All day boats to Sipadan and transfers to Mabul resorts start in Semporna a fishing town 100km from Tawau. The diving day and resort transfers start early so it is better to go direct to Semporna when you arrive.

Leaving Tawau airport you have two options. The bus ticket counter will sell you a ticket to Tawau RM10 and direct you to the bus behind the police station. Tawau town is 30km from the airport south. Semporna is 70km north. If you go to Tawau first you will have to retrace 30km on your second bus before getting closer to your destination.

So before you buy your ticket to Tawau go and look behind the police station. You will likely find a mini bus going direct to Semporna and they charge only RM20. Save yourself two hours and RM20 and go direct!

If you are tired late or fancy splashing out a taxi costs around RM100 and will fit up to 3 tired divers and their gear!

You could save yourself all that hassle by booking diving ahead. Most dive resorts will come and collect you if you book ahead.

So when you get to Semporna what are your options to dive on Sipadan? Surprisingly you can do day trips from Semporna or stay on an island resort for much the same price so you choose for other reasons.

If you want to enjoy the relative freedom of staying the mainland so you can go shopping and choose your restaurant in the evening then your cost is longer boat times to the days diving. If you want to get away and take advantage of unlimited diving and short boat trips then you must book several consecutive diving days and stay allin on an island resort.

Staying in Semporna and having day trips

Scuba Junkies are probably the largest day tripper from Semporna website offline at publication date. For smaller boat groups you might try Blue Sea Divers who opened this summer and are a couple of doors down the road.

Staying on the island resorts

Many of the resorts on Mabul and Kapalai are expensive but there are budget options. The cheapest is definitely Uncle Changs Sipadan Mabul Dive Lodge. Its very basic mattresses on the floor and shared bathing but you go to the islands for the diving and the resort for rum party evenings not to catch up on your sleep.

For a little more money you could try something totally different and take a room on the converted oil rig called SeaVentures. This offers you the opportunity for unlimited diving under the rig with your buddy which makes it all great value. You also have more chance of getting some sleep on the rig!

Staying in Semporna

Whether its one night before a resort transfer or several days and day trip diving your best option in Semporna is Scuba Junkies backpackers lodge. They have beds for as little as RM20 per night and that includes breakfast.

You might be tempted to go a little upmarket to City Inn or Dragon Inn hotels where you will an ensuite room but watch out these do not include breakfast nor offer any refreshment services at all.

Sipadan is not the only diving destination in Sabah. Why not spend a few days in the state capital and discover the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park just half an hour from the town jetty.

Kota Kinabalu is a very easy town to spend a few days in. There are many backpackers but for sure the classiest is Velvet which opened early 2007. The rooms are immaculate and they offer free use of the washing machine! You can go white water rafting submerge yourself in sulphur baths or for the more adventurous you can climb the mountain.

T.A.R. marine park has a range of diving including several artificial reefs close to the islands which are very successful in attracting a range of fish. You can see some spectacular marine life even when the visibility is low when compared to Sipadan. While several dive centers operate in Kota Kinabalu we found the customer service of Sabah Divers to be second to none and at a very good price.

You can see my dives in Sipadan and Abdul Rahman Marine park on theDiveBuzz

About the writer:  The author is a passionate diver who loves travelling in South East Asia.

World First In Exotic Destinations South Pacific Island Resort Offered In Raffled

Right now people are looking for exotic and different destinations on shoe string budgets.

Everything in the known world is crashing around their ears with the stock market in the biggest bear market for a very long time with the r word floating around. Noone can afford to be rash in their investments or spending. Every cent spent must count as extra cash is in short supply.

There is however one exotic destination that has something very special and still in everyones reach. It has some of the last untouched wilderness areas in the world. People still live in custom villages the way their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. A place where you can breathe the fresh air and see the brightest stars in the tropical night sky. That place is Vanuatu in the South Pacific.

The charity YouMe Support Foundation in partnership with winaresort.com is raffling a boutique resort in the capital of the island nation Port Vila only three hours by plane from Sydney Australia.

Funds from the raffle provide nonrepayable education grants for geographically and financially underprivileged children. A return airfare and one weeks accommodation is included in the 1st prize.

Later this year someone will become the proud new owner of Seachange Lodge. With it goes a taxfree income. Retirement waiting on a South Pacific island.

The raffle will assist children who cannot help themselves. Unless we get outside help our students will never have a chance to go to high school Mr Harris Apos the Banks Area Secretary in Vanuatu said. They will never have the opportunity to live their dreams of being a school teacher doctor mechanic carpenter or nurse. They simply have to stay in the village on the remote island.

The Prime Minister Mr Lini admitted The government does little to assist these people when he visited the area recently. Sometimes all that is needed is only US500 to bring a classroom into use.

One exercise book is shared between several pupils and pencils broken into three pieces to give them something to write with. Qualified teachers are in the minority and often it is the recently graduated primary students who assist the younger ones. Many parents cannot read or write.

In 2006 the nation of Vanuatu made famous by A Micheners Tales of the South Pacific and the film South Pacific was voted the Happiest Country on Earth by the British New Economics Foundations NEF Happy Planet Index.

“The Index was based on life expectancy and environmental footprint to rank the countries according to Adrienne Wilson writing for Gadling.com on July 15th 2006.

Yet the local schools are without resources of any kind. Most of the children will never leave their villages.

We really appreciate our guests who since 2004 have helped us to send desperately needed school supplies to these isolated areas said Richard Tendys the current owner of Seachange Lodge. For those of us who use the benefits of the 21st century without a thought it is good to invest in some children who hardly know the technology that can help them even exists.

Vanuatu has never become commercialized like some of its South Pacific neighbours and so has maintained it own unique blend as an exotic travel destination.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;YouMe Support Foundation http://youmesupport.org in partnership with http://winaresort.com raises funds to provide nonrepayable education grants for geographically and financially underprivileged children. Their current project is to raffle the boutique resort Seachange Lodge http://seachangelodge.com in Vanuatu.
You can contact the author Dr Wendy StenbergTendys on adminyoumesupport.org or Phone 678 26551 Pacific Standard Time.