Monday, Sep 1, 2008
There are so many things to do in New York City. From visiting museums, parks, watching Broadways and seeing the major attractions like Ellis Island, Lady Liberty Statue or Central Park, there is some thing for each member of the family to enjoy. Also, there are available NYC Bus charters available for big group tours, which is a good option if you want a free and easy look-see of New York City.
Although we maximized the few days we allotted during our visit a few years ago, we felt that we should have stayed at least a week (or even longer if possible) to explore more places. I remember how tired we were at the end of each day since we spent the most part walking. It is expensive to take a cab and not all tourist spots are accessible by train. Anyway, that’s how to best explore the big Apple, on foot.
I just hope we can visit New York again someday. It should be easier to plan for now. However, we should plan for a side trip to Philadelphia since Sesame Place is a must-visit for our daughter. I can’t wait to see her reaction when she finally meets her all-time favorite, Elmo.
Posted in Piggy Bank, Travels
Monday, Sep 1, 2008
More and more of our friends are migrating to Canada. It goes without saying that some of them are convincing us to consider moving there. Aside from good work opportunities, it is the quiet and laid-back lifestyle that they consider as its “selling” points.
If ever we’ll consider moving to another country (again), we will first go for a visit and have a first-hand feel of the place. Like, if it is Canada, we can try going to BC and get Whistler accommodation. They offer different types of Whistler lodging, ranging from town homes, condos, apartments or condos. Since we will go as a family, it might be a good idea to rent an individual property like Cedar Ridge 17.
It will be nice to eventually visit Canada and compare the lifestyle with Australia. This is in our long list of must-see places anyway, so I hope it materializes in the near future. The best part is we’ll get to meet long-time friends that we haven’t seen in years. So, Canada, we’ll see you someday.
Posted in Piggy Bank, Travels
Saturday, Aug 23, 2008
Traveling anywhere in the world is now made easy with the wide array of choices of airlines and travel agencies. The popular travel agency called Destinia, which used to cater mainly to Spanish clients, has now opened its doors to bigger markets. It’s spanking, brand new website has been revamped to advertise not just available cheap hotels but also car rentals, travel guides and even show tickets for quick bookings.
Their service doesn’t end there. There is a forum page, which is divided into various sections meant to assist different types of travelers with tips and advice. With the topics neatly categorized, it won’t be difficult for anyone to post reviews of their trip experiences.
Another interesting portion of the website is the Activities page, which lets you select the city/destination (e.g. London hotels) and the dates (in range) you are interested in. Once the search engine starts, it will provide a list of theme parks, events and shows, attraction passes, restaurants and lots more. You don’t need to go to different sites to get the information you need.
With the successful re-branding of this company, it will not be difficult for them to cover their target markets. Indeed, Destinia’s website is a one-stop travel agency.
Posted in Piggy Bank, Travels
Friday, Aug 22, 2008
What makes a trip to Europe more appealing is being able to touch base with relatives at the same time. My uncle and aunt are based in Naples, Italy, and since their move there years ago; they have always asked our family to visit them.
My cousins were able to go to Europe and see them in 2005. They were taken to lovely places in Rome like the famous Trevi Fountain, Piazza San Pietro and a lot more. Looking at their photos made me so envious!
In one of our conversations with my uncle and aunt, they mentioned that they currently live in a navy housing. I take it that it is enough to house a small family but definitely not two families. At a future prospect of visiting them, they offered that we can squeeze in with them or we can check out the Rome vacation rentals widely available there.
It is a good idea to book in Rome rather than in Naples so that we’re in close proximity to the main attractions. Nowadays, there are so many websites for vacation home rentals like Vacation Rental Rome. I bet when the time comes that my husband gives a green-light to a Europe tour, I will be the first to check out this website.
[photo source: realtravel.com]
Posted in Piggy Bank, Travels
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008
With my ever-increasing interest in photography, it is my wish to someday visit Europe with my family and be able to take photos of Venice, Tuscany, Paris and many of its other beautiful cities. I have seen enough movies and travel shows shot in Europe to fall in love with those places and it has been a dream to see them all.
I don’t mind staying at any of the cheap Paris hotels (or in any of those cities) so long as we maximize to visit the highlights of the place. We definitely need a good hotels guide, a map and a plan so that we won’t miss to see want we came to see.
Remember the movie, Under the Tuscan Sun? I can watch the film over and over again and won’t get tired looking at the sceneries. To experience the rich history and culture of the key cities in Europe will be an awesome experience.
I hope that that someday will be soon. It is better to go on a Europe tour while we’re still young. When we are still able to endure long walks and long drives. But one thing is for sure; my family will enjoy that tour as much as I will.
Posted in Piggy Bank, Travels
Sunday, Aug 17, 2008
This early, we are planning on how to spend our three days in Singapore. We will detour the small island in January next year before going back to Sydney. Aside from the personal matters we need to attend to there, we will definitely visit the restaurants and food stalls again for our favorite Singapore food.
On the side, I also want to buy a few gadgets that are more expensive if bought here in Australia. Hopefully, there will be a trade show exhibit in the city where I expect a lot of freebies to be given away. Before, we used to frequent those major trade show exhibits, which happen twice a year.
I cared less if the exhibit areas become really crowded especially on the first and last day. At the very least the stalls are laid-out nicely with huge posters and banners (just like what you can find in this website, http://www.gilbertdisplays.com). It was not difficult to spot the stall and product I wanted to checkout.
Posted in Piggy Bank, Travels
Saturday, Aug 16, 2008
It is not easy to travel with kids. There is so much planning and preparations involved that many parents I’m sure are putting off traveling because of these. First, packing for long haul trips and long-term stays require careful organization of the kids’ foods, toys and clothes.
Second, all the luggage must be manageable enough to carry around aside from the prams and the diaper bags. I see kids luggage sold in malls and I think for kids age 4 and up, they can very well drag those little, pretty disney luggage on their own. There are those that can be used as stool for the kids so that it serves a dual purpose.
Lastly, the parents, especially the moms, need to have a lot of patience and creativity when bringing their kids to trips. In my experience, I make sure that I have memorized enough children’s songs, ready toys in my own bag and nibblers to distract my little girl when she’s nearly throwing a tantrum or just won’t sit still.
Posted in Just for Tots, Piggy Bank, Travels
Thursday, Aug 7, 2008
We are bound to Sydney tomorrow after nine days in Perth. It is indeed a relaxing mini-vacation for me, with no worries of household chores and errands. The only weekend we got was maximized to see the beauty of Western Australia.
Our next target family trip is to visit Melbourne. They say that its city is more colorful, more vibrant than the city of Sydney. It will be exciting to experience the four seasons in one day, too!
For now, we have places in Australia in our travel plans. Since we are already here, we might as well take advantage of the travel opportunities. Paris or even London can wait. For now, we’re in for an Australian adventure.
Posted in Piggy Bank, Travels
Friday, Aug 1, 2008
Ever since we arrived Sydney, my husband and I promised to try to see as much of Australia. There are so many beautiful places to see and things to do here that it will take many, many years for us to see everything. So, we’re taking little steps to see the fruition of our goal. Never mind the planning and packing efforts, it’s the whole experience that makes traveling worthwhile.
Just this year, we’ve gone to two road travels and a trip to Perth. I can tell from how our luggage look that they deserve some serious cleaning and probably some parts replacement. We are only a family of three but even with short trips, we use one huge luggage for my and my husband’s clothes and a small hand-carry with roller for my daughter’s things.
I found a very helpful luggage buying guide on the Internet and I realized how many times I made the wrong purchase. I thought that it’s never a good idea to spend a bit more for some thing you don’t use everyday. But it goes without saying that for travel bags, quality means shelling out more cash. This will be a good investment, so to speak, since we plan to make full use of the luggage for our future adventure trips.
Posted in Piggy Bank, Travels
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008
One of the highlights of our trip to the US in 2005 was our visit to Las Vegas. Whenever I see the colorful lights along the strip on TV shows, I tell myself that we should plan for Vegas vacations in the near future.
I remember playing the slot machine for the first time and I won 80 dollars, they call it beginner’s luck. Also, there’s this restaurant that serves really cheap but yummy steak and eggs (just thinking about it makes me drool). Best of all, I miss the beautiful sunset, like the one I captured above during our drive from Vegas to San Diego.
Posted in Feature, Piggy Bank, Travels, Wordless Wednesday
