After Holidays Depression

The worst part of the holidays is when you coming back to the “reality” and a lot of people are deeply depressed about that. In your mind are storing up all the “Things to do”  and you finding hard to deal with that. You have to realize you are not alone. In this article I will give you a couple of tips that will help you to preserve your positive feelings and keep your energy levels high as you are getting back to your everyday routine.

1.) Return to your daily routine slowly
Jumping right back into the fast paced hubbub of society may be to much to handle at first.  Pad in a few extra days off work upon returning to allow a gradual return to your routine. 

2.) Share your adventure
You may be bursting with stories from your journey, or you may have flashes of brilliant thoughts from your adventure. Keeping these to yourself may cause frustration and feelings that no one understands what you’ve just experienced. Share your adventure.  Invite your family and friends over for a slide show, contact your local newspaper, give talks to schools and civic groups.  Many folks would love to hear of your adventure and sharing it allows you to relive the experience.    

3.) Eat sensibly 
If your adventure involved rigorous exercise, you are no longer burning 5,000 calories a day, taking daily jogs along the beach, or ascending mountain summits. Model your food portions after your civilized "real world" peers. 

4.) Turn your vacation thoughts into action
All that thinking time may have allowed you to solve some of your personal dilemmas, or perhaps you thought of a new business idea, or a new path you’d like your life to take. It may feel defeating to let those thoughts drift away.  Make a list of all the profound thoughts and ideas you had on vacation and select the ones you can implement.  

5.) Have a vacation escape
When the hustle and bustle becomes overwhelming, slip in that nature CD, post a picture from your trip as a screen saver; take a brief stroll in the nearby park. Let your mind drift off to that peaceful place on the trail, beach, or mountain vista. 

6.) Plan your next adventure
Dwelling on the great adventure having ended can bring you down.  Focus on your next great adventure.  Give yourself something to look forward to! This will lift up your energy levels!Planning your next escape?

Getting Married in the Island of Aphrodite

What would be better than starting your new life as a couple in the island of Goddess Aphrodite? This is the island of Cyprus well known for its beauty in Europe but not so famous overseas. The tradition says that in Paphos Aphrodite was born rising up from the Sea, and with her soul mate Adonis were living here.Honeymoon offers free quotes

Cyprus offers astonishing places to host your wedding ceremony and a variety of themes to choose from. You can pick up for example a great family meal in a Traditional Tavern with all these delicious Cyprus dishes, or a luxury day on a yacht, or on a five start hotel.Wedding receptions

The weather is smooth and sunny almost 300 days per year. So you will really enjoy it. You can find also a variety of wedding packages to choose from that matching perfectly to your budget. You your family and close friends will remember your wedding for years to come.

People are warm and friendly, you will feel like home. When you come to Cyprus you will adore the place, the locals, the culture and the history and for sure you will come back!

Low cost family vacation tips

It’s challenging but not impossible to enjoy affordable family vacations. This is a great time to relax, and create life lasting memories. There is a saying that “Families that play together…stay together”. Even in this economic environment 94% of the American citizens agreed that is worth to spend money on holidays according to Expedia research.

Below I am going to give a couple of tips that will save you money and a lot of hustle. Usually women are deciding or planning the family escapes. Here are a couple of ideas to consider.

1. Plan your holidays ahead. You will have the time frame to select among great vacation deals.
2. Off season vacations. This is a smart way to get advantage of huge vacation offers.  The majority of the hotels are giving up to 50% discounts and they have great packages to choose from. Mexico and Caribbean are enormous choices for summer off season vacations.
3. Go on a cruise! I know that this maybe sounds strange but with a little research you can find that prices start from as little as $200 (including port fees and taxes) and in some cases children travel for free!(Cruise and vacation offers
4. Drive instead of flying. You can find great destinations to spend your holidays in a driving distance from your home.
5. What about camping? There are a lot of organized places where you can take your family, enjoy all the facilities, like restaurants, playgrounds etc, and socialize with other travelers too.
6. Become a member of a Travel Club. With an affordable membership you have the opportunity to get advantage of all the special offers and deals. Plus in most of the cases one membership covers all the family.Affortable family vacations

Easter Holiday Ideas

With just a few days to go before the Easter break places at some of the hottest destinations around the world are filling up fast. If you haven’t decided where to go yet find below a couple of vacation ideas.Low budget vacation deals

Rhodes Island.

Rhodes has a huge tradition and local customs for Easter festive. Travellers have the opportunity to visit a lot of historical places while they can enjoy the local festive. As Easter is by the end of April you could be able to enjoy the marvellous beaches around the island. The best place to celebrate Easter is Lindos as the Easter Ceremony takes place in an ancient but refurbished church. The locals are very friendly, so after the ceremony you would be probably invited as a guest to the traditional late dinner. If you never tasted the soup of the day is called “Mageiritsa” you will get excited. Usually people start the preparation of the roast lamb immediately after the Ceremony. If you are not brave enough to stay awake, no worries will be plenty of delicious food waiting for you the next day.

Cyprus.

The island of Aphrodite has a strong ancient Greek culture and customs around Easter. It differs a little bit from Greece, but locals are passionate with Easter Festive. “Flaouna” is a local type of pastry which is the island’s Easter trademark. When I first visited Cyprus was Easter time and everybody was giving me a flaouna…as a gift. All cities are organizing major festivals, offering lamb and good wine. Locals have a strong hospitality culture, so you probably get invited to celebrate with them and break the red eggs, which is one of the major customs of the day. The red colour is the fertility colour and symbolizes the earth’s awakening after winter time. Contrary to Greece here the soup of the day is chicken soup with egg and lemon sauce. It’s a delicious plate especially for the late traditional dinner after the Easter Ceremony.

 Cyprus provides you with the opportunity to visit historical places, like the ancient village of Kouklia, or have a little bit of adventure in Akamas Peninsula. In Cyprus you can also enjoy an amazing diving experience.Latest travel deals

Mediterranean Cruise

If you have sweet memories from the tv series “The Love Boat” maybe a cruise would be the most lucrative selection for your Easter Holidays. This type of vacation is recommended for couples with no small kids. There are a lot of destinations you can choose from. One of the most attractive is the Mediterranean Cruise as you will have the opportunity to visit a variety of amazing places and have great time. Also there are a lot of special cruise offers to get advantage from. Prices start from $225 with port fees and taxes, so check out for all the latest last minute deals.Vacation Special Offers

Prague

This is one of the most beautiful cities around Europe with a strong culture. In Prague Easter is a very unique festive. Locals are celebrating with their very own way which is worth to experience. One of the most impressive Easter customs is the Egg painting. Boiled eggs are painted in an artistic way, and they remain in the basket as pieces of art. Also in Prague there is a custom to prepare 12 different plates which are symbolizing Jesus 12 students. Probably you will not be able to eat all this food, but its worth to taste it.  There are a lot of good deals in luxury 4 and 5 star hotels which you can take advantage from.

Whatever you decide, have fun and enjoy your holidays and do not forget to make a lot of videos! Your friends would be probably jealous!

56% of Business Customers Use Mobile Technology to Search/Book Hotels

Travelport has released new research findings which show that more than half of business customers now use mobile technology when it comes to searching and booking hotels, indicating a rapid increase in the use of mobile technology in the business travel sector.
The survey, which polled over 600 corporate travel buyers, agents, and hospitality and travel professionals globally, explored hotel experiences and expectations of the modern business traveller. Remarkable response findings from the 150 respondents were:
• 80% would like to see mobile applications offering suggested restaurants and bars around the hotel location.
• 67% would like similar apps offering suggestions for recreational activities.
• 71% rank Wi-Fi as one of the most important technology solutions that should be included as standard in hotel rooms - 82% of travellers expecting this service to be in all rooms within five years.
• 54% wanted more transparency and choice when it comes to charges for optional extras.
• Many in the poll commented that they should only have to pay for the services they really want or use when travelling for business.
• There was limited appeal for mobile apps which could record TV channels remotely or convenience solutions like the ability to adjust the temperature of the room when away.
Niklas Andréen, global vice president of hospitality and partner marketing at Travelport said, “At a time when there is increased focus on hospitality innovations as demonstrated at the recent ITB Berlin Exchibition through the dedication of an entire day to the sector, these results affirm the importance of understanding what our business customers want as well as identifying where there is opportunity to add value. The responses seem to indicate that hotel rooms are no longer a place of rest but an extension of the office when travelling for business and as such it is important to move with the times and provide these services in a way that travellers want and expect.”
(Source Asian Travel News)

Traveling with friends

Travel industry is increasingly witnessing the launch of sites and applications, which are meant for helping travellers to make new friends who are either travelling on the same flight or going to the same holiday destination.

Over the last seven days or so, two new ventures have emerged. A new social media site, www.hangoutonholiday.com, emerged last week. This venture has been set up by Paul Stanyer, founder and former CEO of Internet transfer company Holiday Taxis. The new site has been created to allow those going on holiday to search for and interact with others going to the same place at the same time, before they travel.

Those that haven’t yet decided where to travel can still register on the site and are placed in the Departure Lounge with others in the same boat. Once they have booked it takes seconds to update their details. An online diary system allows members to see what is happening in their resort at the time they are staying as well as providing access to a range of benefits including discounted club tickets and the latest resort news.

The site currently features 40 resorts. The site will be tailored for user groups such as skiers, festival goers, and surfers etc. to enable easy access to like-minded travellers.

Stanyer said that, “This is not trying to copy Facebook, that’s impossible, but whereas Facebook is for those you already know, `Hang Out’ is for those you ought to know.”

In another development, a new Facebook application, Find a Flight Buddy, has been released enabling users to connect on flights.

The app is intended to help people to meet up with like-minded travellers on the way to an event, business conference or to find somebody to talk with during long waiting hours. After the addition of the application on Facebook, users are asked to enter their flight number and the time of departure; users then select their preferred type of travel buddy; on the next page one can choose from their matches and can then contact nearby travellers directly. A user’s flight buddy details will also allow people to find him or her through the app although one’s personal details will not be shared with others. 

(Source: eyefortravel.com)

Leading Markets at Berlin's Tourism Exhibition

Adventure tours and eco-tourism are among the fastest growing markets in the tourism sector, a trend accurately mirrored by events at ITB Berlin.

In the Trends & Events Hall (4.1) a total of 123 tour operators, tourism boards and organisations representing 31 countries are presenting their latest Adventure Eco, Youth Travel and Economy Accommodation products, with information on expeditions, diving holidays and nature tours, as well as sustainable tourism.

Numerous international exhibitors can be found in the Adventure Eco section in particular, among them Tourism for Peace Jenin & Gilboa, a tourism project from Israel and the Palestinian territories.

SHARKPROJECT

On March 11th, for the first time at the world’s leading travel trade show, a Shark Day organised by SHARKPROJECT will be taking place at ITB Berlin 2011, sponsored by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit.

According to a survey by the North Atlantic Dalhousie University in Halifax, over the past six years the number of deep sea sharks has fallen by 80 per cent.

At a podium discussion representatives of international tourism organisations as well as the celebrity figure and actor Hannes Jaenicke, who for years has been championing wildlife conservation, will discuss Marine biodiversity, sharks and tourism – which is the aggressor?

Next weekend at ITB, visitors will also be able to see the MS Haitanic exhibition and the film entitled Hannes Jaenicke im Einsatz für Haie.

(Source Breaking Travel News)

Dinning in style when you flying!

In order to control their costs many Airlines have been rudely attacked the meals served to passengers. Maybe this could sound like a cost effective idea but had affected consumers preference into the long run.

Flight search engine Skyscanner has released a list of the top 10 airlines for in-flight meals - and not one Australian or US airline made the cut.

So which airline should you pick if you want a tasty mid-air treat?

Emirates came out on top in the survey, with the eastern flavour also proving to be popular with six of the top 10 airlines based in the Middle East and Asia.

Four European airlines made the grade, with Lufthansa coming second and Russian carrier Aeroflot scoring fourth place.

“Emirates is passionate about providing great in-flight cuisine and we see it as a crucial part of our product offering. Individual menus are carefully planned for each route we serve to ensure we cater for the diverse cultures and preferences of our international customers,” Robin Padgett, Emirates' Vice President - Aircraft Catering, said.

More than 1200 people were asked to rate their in-flight meals based on taste, presentation and choice.

An overall calculation was then made for each of the 35 airlines featured in the survey.

Skyscanner Director Barry Smith said that airlines are placing more importance on the quality of food they serve.

"Although there are some notable exceptions, airlines are making huge efforts to provide good-quality meals, with many even appointing celebrity chefs as consultants," Mr Smith said.

“It is interesting to see these Middle Eastern and Asian airlines ranking so highly.

"Airline food is notorious for being bland and perhaps it is the use of these strong eastern flavours and spices that is contributing to their popularity. Possibly it’s also because exotic flavours get people in a holiday mood.”

The top ten highest scoring airlines were:

1. Emirates

2. Lufthansa

3. Singapore Airlines

4. Aeroflot

5. Qatar

6. Malaysia Airlines

7. Thai Airways

8. Etihad

9. KLM

10. Air France

(Source Travelnews.com)

More growth to Travel Revenue in 2011

Great news for travel industry!!! According to the Asian Travel News the hotel industry continued to recover in January 2011 with strong growth in both global hotel revenue and bookings, according to data from Pegasus Solutions’ The Pegasus View.
Driven by demand and assisted by rate growth, business travel revenue rose by more than +40% over January of last year, while leisure revenue jumped nearly +15% over the same period in 2010.
The report also forecast growth in business and leisure bookings through mid-year based on business on the books. Forward-looking data for bookings made through the mostly corporate global distribution systems (GDS), show an average monthly growth rate potential of more than +20% through the second quarter. Average daily rate (ADR) for the channel will continue at the same or an even stronger pace than that realized in Q4 2010, while length of stay (LOS) will also expand.
“The travel industry’s rebound is a direct result of a healing economy and increased corporate travel,” said Mike Kistner, chief executive officer of Pegasus Solutions. “As corporate profits and competition return, companies are sending executives and sales teams back on the road. The accompanying growth in length of stay and booking lead times suggest more of these trips are made of group travel, conferences and meetings, which are a boon for hotels.”
The outlook for the leisure market also reflects positively for hotels. Bookings to-date made via online channels, or the alternative distribution systems (ADS), show increases of more than +10% over 2010 through spring and into summer. ADR in this channel will continue a slow and steady climb as well, while LOS will remain static. Look-to-book ratios, a product of online consumer comparisons and transaction processing inefficiency, continue to grow by over +40%, and will remain an issue for the industry.
“Consumers will travel as much or more in the coming year. A strong, but slightly smaller majority will also spend as much or more on travel in 2011 than in 2010 – they plan to spend, but spend wisely by shortening trips or aggressively shopping rates,” added Kistner. “Hotels would do well to examine their revenue management strategies to make sure they don’t risk losing the business or revenue to be had with inapt rates that are too high to sell rooms, or too low to make a profit.”
 Data reported in The Pegasus View comes from billions of transactions processed monthly by Pegasus Solutions, one of the world’s largest global processors of hotel transactions. It reflects data drawn from both GDS and ADS transactions, representing the business and leisure markets respectively for approximately 90,000 hotels worldwide.

Travel Industry is conquering Internet

“The growth trajectory for those who intend to purchase travel products via their mobile device is extremely strong, and is projected to nearly double in 2011”.

Internet without any doubt has shifted the marketplace and has influenced everyday consumer’s behaviour and lifestyle. The social networks and mobile devices are the two major trends which are leading consumer’s behaviour and choices. Here are the  two newest reports, PhoCusWright explores how these sweeping trends—mobile and social networks—are changing how consumers shop for, purchase and share their travel experiences. Based on a comprehensive survey of online travellers, PhoCusWright’s Traveler Technology Survey 2010:

PhoCusWright’s Traveler Technology Survey 2010: Mobile reveals some significant trends in device ownership, and explores the types of activities that travellers perform (and plan to perform) on mobile devices. Among the report highlights:

Keeping in touch
Among online travellers who carry smart phones, more carry touch screen devices than non-touch screen devices. However, only a third of those touch screen smart phones are iPhones, suggesting that some travel companies should broaden their mobile strategy.

See what is on tap
“The growth trajectory for those who intend to purchase travel products via their mobile device is extremely strong, and is projected to nearly double in 2011”.

PhoCusWright’s Traveler Technology Survey 2010: Social Networks. In particular, the report focuses on travel-related communications and activities on social networks, and how this activity impacts the travel planning and sharing processes. Research highlights include:

Posting is the new postcard
While posting about general subjects is far more common than travel-related posts, nearly four in 10 social media users have posted something about travel, underscoring the importance of having a coherent social media strategy.

“Fans” or not, travellers connect with companies online
Relatively few social network users are “fans” of travel companies online; however, more than one third of online travelers have interacted with a travel company through an online social network via a computer.

These targeted reports on mobile and social networks are each based on PhoCusWright’s Traveler Technology Survey 2010, which examines consumer behaviour and attitudes toward a broad array of innovations in travel technology, including new tools, functions, and platforms. The way today’s travellers use technology to plan, shop, and buy their travel is constantly changing; these reports help travel companies understand the fundamental trends and stay in the game.

Top destinations in Europe

As we are in the mid of February there are a lot planning or have already planned their holidays!!This is exciting itself. Three European countries seem to be more appealing for the vacation holders according to the British Travel AwardsTop 100 Travel Companies magazine.

SPAIN & THE GREEK ISLANDS - as the pound strengthens against the Euro and tour operators can respond to competition from Turkey and Egypt. Therefore, 2011 is set to see the return of some excellent deals to old favoruites such as Spain and Greece. Seville continues to represent exceptional value for tourists from the UK - the city is well serviced by low-cost airlines and you can bag a weekend break for as little as £70 with some of the bidget airlines. With the Greek Islands the nations favourite beach holiday destination, Rhodes is a big tip - after heavy investment in recent years has led to a flurry of quality new five star hotels opening recently.

CROATIA - Thomas Cook has reintroduced Croatia as a package-holiday destination for 2011, with its all-inclusive and boutique hotels a real draw in the exclusive resorts of Rovinij and Makarska. Dubrovnik on the Adriatic Sea remains a a popular choice, with the 45-day annual Dubrovnik Summer Festival, featuring live plays, concerts, and games not to be missed.

What's the next Travel Trend?

The International SPA Association has produced comprehensive research about the industry with the release of the ISPA 2010 U.S. Spa Industry Study. Produced in cooperation with PricewaterhouseCoopers, the study covers six categories of economic indicators within the spa industry.

INDUSTRY SIZE AND THE IMPACT OF THE RECESSION

Spas, like every other industry, were impacted by the worst economic downturn since the 1930s. However, even with the decline, the "big five" indicators (revenue, spa visits, locations, employees and square footage) remain at their second-highest level since ISPA’s first study in 2000. Spas managed the recession by reshaping their workforces and creatively identifying new ways to remain competitive. "After many years of very rapid growth, all five of the key measurement statistics for the spa industry show a decline after 2008," said PwC Global Research Director Colin McIlheney. "However, many in the industry who took part in the ISPA survey report that they have been proactive in taking measures to combat the impact of the recession. Respondents are indeed cautiously optimistic about the future while also recognizing there are still challenges to face."

INDUSTRY PROFILE

Composition of spa types remained similar to previous years. Day spas comprise an overwhelming majority of establishments (79 percent); resort/hotel spas comprise the second largest segment (8.8 percent), with medical spas a close third (8.7 percent). Other spa types include Club, Mineral Springs and Destination spas. The largest concentration of spas are in the Northeast (24 percent) and Southwest (23 percent).

FACILITIES

Spa establishments account for 76 million square feet of indoor space, made up of dedicated treatment rooms, as well as a retail element. Two in three spas contain massage-only treatment rooms; 71 percent contain skin-care only rooms. Four in 10 spas contain hair styling stations, one in two contain make-up stations. Manicure/pedicure stations are found in 85 percent of resort/hotel spas and 65 percent of day spas.

SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

Spas received an estimated 143 million client visits in 2009. The primary treatments provided by spas are body or skin care services, including facials, scrubs and wraps (94 percent); massage services (86 percent), and salon services (68 percent). Wellness programs, including weight management and healthy eating, are offered by 17 percent of spas; and one in 10 spas offer fitness or sports services.

PRICES AND COMPOSITION OF REVENUE

Four main spa treatment and service categories — massage and bodywork, skin care, hair and nail — account for 78 percent of total spa revenue, though average treatment numbers vary considerably by spa type. Retail accounts for 12 percent of spa revenue, with skin and hair care products accounting for the majority of spending in most spas.

PEOPLE

The spa industry employed over 330,000 people during the spring of 2010; 89% of spas provide a range of benefits to employees. Spas still serve a predominantly female clientele, though they are actively seeking to diversify the client base, with 45% of spas using packages targeted toward men. Other client groups targeted by spas include: wedding parties; couples; pregnant women; teens (13 to 19 years of age); athletes; families; and others. As a way of managing the effects of the recession, most spas have reengineered their menus. 75% have introduced shorter treatments (30 minutes or less) to provide a less expensive option for clients with busy schedules.

(source ISPA)

Recession doesn't discourage travellers

At the time that everybody is concerning where the global economy is going, the figures regarding Travel Industry could be socking. According to the new figures published to Asia Travel Tips, IATA is expecting a massive growth of travellers. 800 million new travellers will add up in this massive 8 trillion industry raising the total number to 3.3 Billion travellers up to 2014. This is rising a question. "Are the vacations a luxury? or a need"? As the stress levels are rising up, seems that more people need a good break. 
Who is going t Travel more?
China will be the biggest contributor of new travelers, according to Asia Travel Tips. Among  the 800 million new travelers expected in 2014, 360 million (45%) will travel on Asia Pacific routes and of those 214 million will be associated with China (181 million domestic and 33 million international). The United States will remain the largest single country market for domestic passengers (671 million) and international passengers (215 million).


Top 5
By 2014, the top five countries for international travel measured by number of passengers will be the United States (at 215 million, an increase of 45 million), the United Kingdom (at 198 million with an increase of 33 million), Germany (at 163 million with an increase of 29 million), Spain (123 million with an increase of 21 million), and France (111 million with an increase of 21 million).

Europe is leading US in Travel

In a cross-pond comparison of online travel bookings, Europe tops the U.S. European online leisure/unmanaged business travel bookings surpassed U.S. bookings in 2008 and will continue to retain a lead in 2010, according toPhoCusWright’s European Online Travel Overview Sixth Edition and PhoCusWright’s U.S. Online Travel Overview Tenth Edition.

During the 2009 downturn, online travel proved more resilient than offline channels in both the U.S. and Europe. But while U.S. online leisure/unmanaged business travel fell 5%, the European market held onto a slight 1.5% gain. In 2010, European online leisure/unmanaged business travel bookings will grow 10.5% to reach €73.4 billion (US$97.4), staying just ahead of the U.S. at $96.9 billion.

Although Europe’s online penetration lags behind the U.S., the gap continues to close, and Europe’s larger total travel market offers room to grow. In 2009, Europe’s online leisure/unmanaged business penetration of 31% was nearly eight percentage points behind the U.S. In 2010, the gap is expected to close substantially to just under five percentage points.

Europe is projected to continue its gain on the U.S. over the next several years as markets that have been slower to adopt online booking continue to develop.

PhoCusWright’s online travel overviews are the industry standard for market sizing and forecasting. PhoCusWright’s European Online Travel Overview Sixth Edition is a comprehensive overview of the European online travel market, with detailed analysis of France, Germany, the U.K., Italy, Spain and Scandinavia. The report provides market sizing and forecasting through 2012 for all major travel segments (airlines, hotels, car rental, tour operators, rail and cruise).

People "need" vacations

According PhoCusWright’s European Online Travel Overview Sixth Edition  the European online travel market is expected to grow in up to 10% this year. As the recession goes on, travellers who have hesitated to book online holiday packages are expected to do so, primarely driven from the prices. As PhoCusWright reveals “Deal seekers turned to the Internet, and online travel agencies in particular, to find affordable options.” 


The future of travel shifts in front of our eyes.

What an amazing way to start the New Year!!!

The View 

 At the time that people are feeling confined from their financial condition, I had the opportunity to take a short escape in a 4 star hotel in Limassol, spend amazing time with friends, recharge my energy, and the best part of all was on a rediculous price. As soon as I stepped in the hotel, I was treated as VIP. The concierge jumbed and picked up my luggages, the staff was around me asking all the time if I wanted something, and I have enjoyed every part of the service, the food, the complimentary sauna and steam bath treatments. In my life I have spend a lot of money travelling, but never I was treated like that before. Looking forward for my next one soon!!!

Why to travel?

   Traditionaly people love to travel. From ancient years they were chasing up the experience, the financial benefit or the fun part of it. Travel has been proven scientificaly that helps the human body to restore it's balance, improves the health and the well beign of people. From sort escapes to longer vacations, holidays are not a luxury is a must. The feelings and the joy attached to holidays last for a lifetime and this is what life is all about. In my notes I will share with you traveling experiences and useful holiday tips. I wish you 2011 holiday more!!!