Traveling at the Right Time of Year Costs Less
The best time to travel is in the holidays, right? Not if you want to make big savings on your traveling costs it’s not. If you travel in off peak (or low season) periods, or even in the shoulder season, you’ll find traveling costs a lot less.
Where are you traveling? Do you know the peak travel times for this destination? Summer and spring, no matter where you are, are generally considered the peak seasons to travel, unless you are a winter sports enthusiast. In that case, ski resorts will be having their peak season in winter. And what hemisphere are you thinking of visiting? The seasons differ depending on whether you are north or south. For example, the North America summer months are June, July, August but in Australia the summer months are December, January and February. You will need to research your destination to find out the low season times to visit.
First of all, what type of savings can you expect to make if you travel in the off-peak season?
1. Air fares are much cheaper. There are less people wanting to fly so air carriers drop their prices to attract customers. Take advantage of these great savings. If you are traveling in the high season, see if you can book a flight mid-week. These flights are generally cheaper too.
2. Accommodation is cheaper and more readily available. In high season it can be difficult to find a place to stay in popular tourist destinations and when you do find somewhere it can be up to twice as much as when traveling in the off peak.
Tips for Saving When Traveling in a Group
Traveling in a group? You are the holiday packagers dream! Imagine being able to offload bulk airline seats, rail passes and entertainment packages in one booking. A group traveling is a wanted commodity and because of this you can secure great deals for your group. But as always, beware of any hidden ‘extras’ such as cancellation policies and preferred partners when stepping outside the package. Be prepared to shop around for the best deal.
Here are some tips for the traveling group on a budget:
1. Travel insurance can be bought through some companies where savings can be ten percent or more. A group usually consists of four or more. Contact a number of travel insurance agencies and compare quotes.
2. Pack as many people as you can into your hotel room (keeping it legal). The more heads in the room, the higher the number to divide the cost by.
3. Renting a car when traveling in a group of four is usually cheaper than buying travel passes – and more convenient.
4. Food, guidebooks, taxi fares can all be split between the group bringing costs down.
5. Rail passes for groups or pairs may find discount offers in some countries.
6. Some airlines offer discount rates to groups of ten or more traveling together.
7. Group package bookings that have everything included in the price will have all expenses covered so you won’t be surprised by any extra costs, apart from shopping!
8. Discount holiday packages for large groups of travelers are offered through a number of travel agencies. Sports fans may be able to travel to big events using one of these travel packages for much cheaper than organizing it on their own.
Stone Forest
Driving 85 km from Kunming, we reached the town of Shilin. (Shilin means ‘stone forest’) This is home to the Sani ethnic minority people. Here, the Stone Forest sits on 350 sq. km area. The GPS location 24 49′ 27.95″ N 103 19’24.41 E will put you at the entrance.
My friend Rose was my guide through this amazing place. It took us about 4 hours to explore about half of this Unesco World Heritage site. It is also considered the first natural wonder of the world, being formed over 270 million years ago.
Walking through these giant stone karsks is a sensation for both your eyes and ears. The rock itself is an extremely hard stone. It feels like steel. Some of the stones make a musical sound when struck, while others make no sound at all. With our trusty map in hand, we worked our way through to the various points of interest along the way. The typical Yunnan weather of clear blue skies and sunshine only added to the unique lighting environment inside the stone forest.
I would consider this a must see stop during your tour of China. The park area has it’s touristy feel to it, but not to the extreme. It is easy to find yourself along exploring this unique forest of stone. After leaving the park and returning to Kunming, we stopped in Yi Yang and ate the best Peking Duck ever. I always stop in there when I am going in this direction from Kunming.
Ideal Hotels on Nashville
Many tourists opt to stay in Nashville for a different vacation experience. The trusty Nashville hotels always make their stay a bit more pleasant than usual.
Drury Inn and Suites Nashville Airport
This budget hotel lies about a half mile away from the Nashville International Airport and 5 miles away from downtown Nashville. It is close to some attractions such as the Opry Mills, the Country Music Hall Of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry. They offer complimentary hot and quick breakfast including Belgian waffles, sausage, biscuit, scrambled egg and free beverage.
It also features free airport shuttle services, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool as well as a whirlpool, exercise room, laundry facilities and a business room. All guestrooms have refrigerators, hairdryers, telephones with voice mail and cable television, coffee maker as well as free high speed Internet access, daily maid services and iron with ironing board.