3 Useful Tips for Travel Tipping

May 3, 2008 at 6:52 am | In Travel Tips, tips, travel | Leave a Comment
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Remember that diner scene in Reservoir Dogs? The gang was having an argument on whether to tip or not to tip Incidentally, when you’re traveling, you will come across a bevy of service people who are there to make your lives so much more easier. I think I’ve mentioned tipping several times in this blog already, and there’s good reason. It works.

You ask yourself, wait, isn’t it part of their job to make my life easier? Why do I have to pay extra?

As a traveler, life is not easy. At the very worst, you’ll be doing everything by yourself, planning, getting tickets, getting on a flight and whatnot … and then you’ll still have to do it on the way back. Doormen, the concierge, busboys, waiters, room service, stylists, massage therapists, cabbies, etc, are there to help you through each part of your trip. From getting to where you ought to be, to carrying your luggage, these people work for a modest salary, and your tip motivates them to work harder for you.

There are only a couple of rules to follow when tipping:

Why tip? If you get really good service with a smile, like, say, a waiter who was there at your every beck and call, leave a good 15% tip. Lousy service? Still leave a tip, about 10% and then never take service from that person again. (Stylist, cab driver)

Budget budget. Some establishment already have service charge. While you’re not required to leave a tip, if you’re genuinely pleased with something that someone does for you, leave a tip — just don’t go overboard. Upon computation, if you add up all the people you have to tip on a trip, it’ll cost a fortune! For small favors, you don’t have to leave 15%, hand the guy a buck or two, and you’re good!

Customs, customs. In some countries, tipping is actually not customary. Grab a country guide when you’re in so-and-so country, to find out if a tip is needed or not.

Top 3 Spots for That May-June Honeymoon

April 22, 2008 at 4:04 pm | In Travel Tips, tips, travel | 1 Comment
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The May-June period is a special time of the year. Not much rain, spring-time tomfoolery, and, well, it’s also wedding season! When creating that romantic getaway, do your research, as sometimes, couples expecting the perfect honeymoon trip might stay in a hotel that would ultimately turn out to be kid-friendly getaway runaway place; and the romance will be ultimately ruined. (And no, I’m not getting married … yet!)

Here are a couple of useful, always true tips:

Hawaii is just awesome. A summer vacation from January ‘til December.

July-August is hurricane season in the Caribbean. Peak is August, so better get married early in the year! As great as a Caribbean getaway might be all-year round, the CTO (that’s Caribbean Tourism Organization to you) says that August is just rainy season for most of the islands. If you simply MUST get that Caribbean getaway, islands to consider are the Turks, Caicos, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. (The last three being the ABC islands.)

Kids will be everywhere, so as romantic as your honey winning over some gigantic plush octopus via a feat of strength at the fair might be, it WILL be infested with children. Choose spots that are adult/couple-friendly to avoid this quandary.

According to About.com, the top 3 honeymoon spots are: Hawaii, Italy and Tahiti. Here are a couple of suggestions for places to stay.

Hawaii

Ritz-Carlton Capalua – For the golfer in your honey, it is surrounded by three championship golf courses and a real, operating pineapple plantation. Whether its the exclusive party you could throw in the private Club Suite floor, learning to play golf in the Kapalua Golf Academy, or learning to dive at the scuba clinic, the Ritz-Carlton has it covered. (It’s a bit pricey in Hawaii, but this is, the best of the best honeymoon spot of all)

Italy

Gallery Hotel Art – This special place has been ranked pretty high over at TripAdvisor — and who am I to argue? Fifty honeymooners who had a memorable experience can’t be wrong — this Ferragamo-owned hotel is just a house of style. I mean, if you aren’t happy enough to be in Italy, the location of the hotel’s just right for you — it’s just a couple of blocks away from the culture (food!) situated near Ponte Vecchio. Cozy rooms oozing with elegance and simplicity is the order of the day. The included breakfast will get you your procuitto, panchetta and focaccia on, just before going to the delightful concierge to tell you about spots to go to in the city. All in all, a big, gigantic “A”!

Tahiti

Te Tiare Beach Resort – For that “away-from-everyone” romantic getaway. Being accessible only by boat (gift or curse?) — 10 minutes of getting to see the waters doesn’t seem too bad, once you think about it. Having only 41 rooms, (you wouldn’t really mind spending your honeymoon with 40 different couples, right?) Te Tiare provides a unique personal touch to people who decide to stay. Everything that encapsulates life in Tahiti is just minutes away, while civilization is just a boat-ride away. Best of seclusion and modern life, I should say.

What You Waiting For?

April 11, 2008 at 1:13 am | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
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Auto-bidding??? How hot is that???!

You may remember a previous post of mine about joining the Win a Trip thing, and gosh, things just got a whole lot more exciting — imagine, say, if you were into ForEx (Foreign Exchange) there’s this thing called “risk factor,” and, as you know, when it’s YOUR money on the line, there’s no such thing as a gamble — a broker will cut off from putting your money on the line when it hits a certain amount.

Imagine having a “travel broker” play out until a specific amount, (the amount of money you’re willing to spend) increasing increments at a minimum, and yet topping the last bids, assuring that you’re in the lead.

This is done to eliminate the need to constantly check your bid if you need to hit it higher or not. (As to why they’re doing this? I’ve no idea — are they really giving away flights? OMG!)

Imagine going home one day, after a hard day at work, only to find out that you’ve won yourself and a loved one that dream vacation? Isn’t that something? It may not seem like a big deal to other people, but for truly busy people who want to keep travel planning as hassle-free as possible, this is pure gold. (Or they may not know the joys of traveling? Hahaha!) As a talented songwriter named Ms. Stefani once said, “What you waiting for?”

OC Tips for Travel Safety

March 4, 2008 at 2:14 am | In Travel Tips, tips, travel | 2 Comments
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Okay, so, say, there’s a period in which the government initiative for cleanliness kicks in and says no to sickness … “whoopee,” right? Well, that’s good for wherever you are, but what about when you travel?

I’m a bit OC when it comes to germs/bacteria and the like. (think: Adrian Monk) I find that, if I follow my compulsion to always wash hands, it’ll inevitably save my life. Here are a couple of things I do to keep my health safe for when I’m traveling.

 

Travel with clean stuff. Don’t mix and match the dirties with the clean clothes you have on your bag. Separate your toiletries from whichever compartment you keep your shoes. Make sure your bag’s at least clean before you start stuffing your clothes in it. (Bugs might’ve housed themselves in the bag while not in use. My worst fear is unleashing a horde of roaches on a plane by accident.)

Bring bottled water. (If, and when you can.) On a plane, or wherever your destination is. I find that, water differs from place to place, and that there’s really no portable way to make sure that tap water is clean wherever you are. Always bring bottled water. If this isn’t possible, boil the water (or add purification tablets) before you drink / refrigerate it.wash your hands

Bring your own set of face towels. Hotel towels are okay for drying the body, but for your face, you’re never too sure how they wash those things, plus, there’s a huge possibility that someone else has already used it.

Keep a hand sanitizer handy. Or alcohol. Always rinse your hands with ‘em before touching anything you have to put in your mouth.

Follow these few OC tips and you’ll be fine, wherever you are in the world.

Forgetful-Me-No-More: Pack Me Notepads

January 21, 2008 at 12:00 pm | In Travel Products | Leave a Comment
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If you’re like me – packing at the last hour (or even worse the last minute! que horror!) – a trip to whatever luxury destination is always full oflobotoME notepads “I cannot believe I forgot my tweezers again!” or “oh no, who’s feeding my goldfish tomorrow!?” just when you’re about to board the plane.

Now, during one of my sessions skipping from one online store to another, I found these precious little notepads that will make sure you won’t forget anything anymore!

Presenting… Pack Me Notepads! (from those brilliant people at Lobotome.com)

Objective: A checklist to get you on your way, on time, with your bags and without going to the loony bin! (just perfect! sometimes packing can really take a toll on your sanity).

From making reservations, checking your house before you leave, to bringing the proper clothing – the Pack Me Notepads never fails to impress me with their very organized, very detailed, and carefully thought of list! I was trying for 30 minutes to think of something not included in the list (Tweezers actually, but then again, I think I’m the only one left in my lovely city plucking away at my bushy eyebrows). A portion is dedicated to the mothers, aptly titled “the lil people not in charge”, so no more excuses for not bringing that pacifier!!!

Best of all, these notepads are printed on recycled paper (hurray for the environment), and measure 5.5 x 8.5 (50 sheets). Priced at roughly $10, these notepads are a steal!

They also have other notepads which you can check out here.

It’s so fun surfing the internet, I haven’t had this much fun checking out new sites since Sex and The City ended. Hurray for my new addiction! :)

 

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