http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/travel/vacations/planning-the-perfect-weekend-getaway.html http://www.articletrader.com/travel/vacations/planning-the-perfect-weekend-getaway.html Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500
First of all, think about whether you would like to relax and unwind: somewhere quiet and peaceful, or whether you would prefer to de-stress by taking part in an outdoor activity like boating or mountain biking, for example. Your answer to this question should give you some ideas on what kind of location would be best for you.

You don’t have to go that far a-field to get away from it all either. In fact, when you are spending a weekend away you don’t want to be travelling for hours to get to your destination. Pick somewhere that is ideally not much more than a couple of hours away from your home. That way you can get an early start on Saturday and still enjoy the whole day – and on Sunday you won’t have to worry about leaving early to get home in time for a good night’s sleep before work the next day.

Once you’ve got an idea of the kind of area you’d like to visit, you’ll need to pre-book your accommodation for the night. Treat yourself to a nice hotel room that you can relax and unwind in after a day’s sightseeing. Most hotels will also be able to advise you of any particularly good places to visit in the area – giving you some ideas for how to spend Sunday.

The great thing about a weekend break is that you don’t need to take too much with you. A small overnight bag should be enough to hold everything you need; if you are planning on taking part in any activities you can always hire any equipment that’s required.

You can also organise a surprise break for your partner if you wish. It’s a wonderful way to de-stress and spend some quality time together. Try and choose an area you would both enjoy, and that has a wide range of sights and activities to enjoy, depending on what mood you are both in.

To make the most of your weekend break, you can take the Friday off from work – or at least finish early – so you can get to your destination and spend two nights there instead of one. You can then spend the evening enjoying a nice meal or going to the cinema to see a film, safe in the knowledge you still have two whole days to enjoy.

In short, a weekend away can keep you going until your next big holiday comes around. It doesn’t need to cost much and the benefits you will gain from it can be better than you think.

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Adam Singleton is an online freelance journalist from Scotland. His hobbies include travelling and hiking.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/customer-service/hotel-loyalty-programmes-step-up-a-notch.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/customer-service/hotel-loyalty-programmes-step-up-a-notch.html Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Frequent flyer plans emerged on the scene a while back and since inception, have often been viewed as more troublesome than they were worth. Blocked out flying dates and ever higher to achieve mile limits made them popular only with frequent business travellers. The nominal increase in air travel did not stir up much interest as predicted because consumers did not believe there would be many savings to be made by signing up.

Hotel costs, however, have increased much more dramatically in the past few years than air travel. According the PricewaterhouseCoopers, the average daily rate charged by US hotels jumped 16 percent while in New York the increase was a whopping 34 percent. As a result, reward programmes offered by hotels became much more popular with clientele as they could see the value of free overnight stays.

Hotel loyalty programmes have also worked to greatly expand the rewards available when points are redeemed. Not only can guests stay for free, some hotels offer point redemption in exchange for merchandise such as digital cameras and expensive electronics. The newest offers highlight life experiences such as concert tickets to popular shows and Hilton has even offered programme participants the chance to be a pilot for a day! Other popular offers are room amenities such as free phone use, internet access and lax check in and out times.

Personalisation of rewards and catering to individual participants is another way loyalty programmes are reaching consumers. Some hotels have gone so far as to offer personalised wake-up calls recorded by a family member or friend. There are also "inspirational" calls that awaken guests with a proverb or thought of the day. Participants overall have responded positively to hotel loyalty programme advances as more people sign up to join.

The programmes that have teamed up with other companies can offer more ways for participants to collect points. By shopping at certain retailers, participants can collect points and the same goes for any other hospitality or retail members of the programme, such as. restaurants, hotels and even online shopping can be included in a programme. The advice for consumers is to focus on programme members when making purchases to earn the most rewards.

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Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen amateur photographer from Scotland. His interests include travelling and hiking. He is co-administrator of Article Graffiti - a new article directory for authors, publishers and webmasters to submit and source content for websites and ezines.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/food/celebrate-a-chinese-festival-in-authentic-hong-kong-style-eat.html http://www.articletrader.com/food/celebrate-a-chinese-festival-in-authentic-hong-kong-style-eat.html Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Perhaps the most well known of these holidays is Chinese New Year which is celebrated during January or February each year depending on the lunar calendar. It can be quite noisy at this time of year as anyone who has lived near any East or South East Asian community knows because of the abundant number of firecrackers set off during this time to which are believed to drive away evil spirits.

Many foods eaten during the New Year are said to bring good luck, symbolise togetherness and long life and always should be presented whole on the table, such as whole fish and chicken. Noodles are also eaten during New Year celebrations and should be made as long as possible as they represent a long and prosperous life.

The next big celebration is the Dragon Boat festival, which marks the time for Dragon Boat races whose participants range from amateurs to professional teams that compete in big cities around the world. The must-have delicacy during this festival is 'zongzi', a glutinous rice dumpling flavoured with different ingredients depending on the local custom before being wrapped and cooked in a banana leaf.

The dumpling eating history of this festival revolves around a famous poet named Qu Yuan. It is said he ended his life by jumping into a river because of great sorrow and disillusionment he felt in response to the corruption that he saw happening all around him. After his death legend says all the villagers threw rice into the river to tempt the river dragons to eat the rice and save his spirit from being devoured. His sacrifice caused the country to begin a period of reflection and a long period of peace followed. To commemorate his death, villagers began making the rice dumplings or 'zongzi' during the time of the anniversary of Qu Yuan's sacrifice, which later became known as the Dragon Boat festival and this is why 'zongzi' are still eaten to this day.

Booking flights and accommodation during either of these major festivals can be challenging due to their popularity, but if you can make it out there, the experience is extremely rewarding. Visiting a city like Hong Kong, Beijing, Taipei, or any other cities in the far-east during one of these festivals is well worth doing as the sights, sounds, food and mingling with the local people is sure to provide an authentic experience.

If you wish to find a hotel in Hong Kong or accommodation elsewhere it is best to book early if you're contemplating a visit to the far-east during festival-time. Many people in the region will also be travelling around festival time but if bookings are arranged in advance it is possible to find cheap flights and accommodation and experience a true taste of the Orient.


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Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen amateur photographer from Scotland. His interests include travelling and hiking.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/danger-in-bed-dont-be-bugged.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/danger-in-bed-dont-be-bugged.html Tue, 21 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Only three decades ago the bugs were thought to be totally eradicated, but it appears that news of their demise was premature. They are back in bigger numbers than ever before and not only have they returned but they are far more resistant to common pesticides. Hospitals, students’ lodgings and even luxury hotels have all been hit by the mites and in some cases lawsuits from itchy residents leading those in the hospitality business to take the issue extremely seriously.

Bed bugs live for around four months, but are able to reproduce after only five weeks. Mature females can lay 10 – 50 eggs at a time and produce between 200 and 500 in a lifetime. Eggs take between one and three weeks to hatch and before dying the mites will grow up to 5mm in length, shedding their skin several times before achieving maximum length. These voracious mites are able to consume several times their own bodyweight at one sitting, dining on human blood, their preferred snack. Once full, they begin to defecate, leaving odious black deposits which are extremely unpleasant and very difficult to remove from most surfaces.

Because they feed on blood, they are equally at home in the dirtiest of hovels or the finest luxury palaces. If you are unlucky enough to be dined upon by bed bugs you may notice wheals or irritation where you have been bitten, but apart from that discomfort you will not be threatened by any fatal diseases.

They are clever little suckers, as they have a very flat body enabling them to live in the smallest of crevices, even in a crack between two sheets of wallpaper. Most commonly they live in the corners of furniture, not just beds. Wealth and social status is no barrier to bed bugs, they don’t discriminate between cheap or luxury bed linen as a place to live.

Because of the way that bed bugs can hide in the smallest crevices it takes an expert with a specialist insecticide to eliminate the pest. However, in the past it wasn’t always that way. According to legend, 19th century Gentlemen would travel with a pig when they were due to stay at hotels with which they unfamiliar. They would put the pig to bed first letting the bed bugs get their fill, before they retired for the evening.

Thankfully, it’s not yet got to the point where we have to dash out and buy a Vietnamese pot-bellied hog as a travel companion before we dare sleepover at the local hostelry, but experts do predict that bed bug numbers will rise in the short term, until awareness is raised and people call in the professionals.

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Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen amateur photographer from Scotland. His interests include travelling and hiking.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/discover-the-docklands-london.html http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/discover-the-docklands-london.html Tue, 21 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
The Docklands is best known for the tallest building in Britain - Canary Wharf Tower, on Canary Wharf which looks much like a huge thumb pushing the river Thames southward. Canary Wharf boasts some of the best shopping in London with a multi-level indoor shopping centre in Cabot Place East and Cabot Place West. For those not interested in shopping, there is also paintball and dragonboat racing. The neighbourhood also has lots of places to eat and drink and unlike many other areas in London, a table can be easily found on Friday and Saturday nights as most of the people seen during the day are there for work and the area becomes markedly quieter once the workday ends.

The museum in Docklands is a must see for those travelling to London. It tracks the history of the river and the people who made their livelihoods along its banks and on its boats and barges. The museum lays out the history of the area from the time of Roman settlement right up to modern times. The museum is housed in a converted Georgian warehouse and in all contains 12 major galleries and services geared at children and educational services. The museum also hosts a range of changing temporary exhibitions in addition to its permanent collection.

River views tend to create seafood cravings and a great place to satiate this feeling is to head across the river on one of the ferries to Greenwich's San Miguel Bar which specialises in seafood tapas. Great Spanish-influenced décor and ambiance adds to every meal taken, especially if accompanied by sangria or a glass of Spanish wine.

The area is close to London City Airport or can be reached by the futuristic Docklands Light Railway (DLR) or Jubilee line and there are many places to stay in the area with an abundance of hotels in London both in the Docklands and farther a-field around the city.


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Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen amateur photographer from Scotland. His interests include travelling and hiking.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/credit/interest-free-but-not-transfer-free%3B-the-%A3240-million-cost-of-switching-credit-cards.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/credit/interest-free-but-not-transfer-free%3B-the-%A3240-million-cost-of-switching-credit-cards.html Tue, 21 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Many customers were unaware of the transfer charge until it appeared upon their statement, and that has led to complaints. There are up to 150 different UK credit cards currently offering zero-interest balance transfers, but almost all charge transfer fees ranging up to 3%. That means that someone transferring a balance of £10,000 would have to pay a fee of £300. A spokesman for the British Bankers Association defended the actions of the credit card companies by claiming that the fees are levied to cover the transfer of direct debits and checking credit history. However, if that is the case it is unclear why the transfer fees are percentage related when the actual administration costs must surely be the same for each customer. That effectively means that people who transfer higher balances are either subsidising those who transfer less, or providing more income to the credit card companies.

Ironically, the balance transfer fees were introduced by the credit card companies following an OFT crackdown on late penalty fees, forcing them to look for an alternative income. Research carried out by Moneyexpert.com found that 12 million people had switched credit cards last year incurring an average fee of £19.99.

The balance transfer fee is now an important factor when evaluating which credit card deals are best when it comes to zero-interest switching. Like everything it pays to shop around. If transferring a balance of £5,000, for example, the difference in fees paid between a 1% and 3% charge would amount to £100; quite a saving. Better still would be a 0% charge saving £150, but that 0% deal tends to be restricted to existing customers only at a limited number of banks and building societies, such as Norwich and Peterborough and the Britannia building societies.

If you are considering switching to a zero-balance deal it pays to compare credit cards and the deals the card issuers are offering. Don’t simply be tempted by a zero-interest balance transfer without reading the small print. Check the amount you would have to pay as a balance transfer fee and also the length of the interest-free offer. If you get it right it could be a useful way of managing your debt. Get it wrong and you could be paying hundreds of pounds in fees, as well as being in the position of needing to switch again after a relatively short period.


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Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen amateur photographer from Scotland. His interests include travelling and hiking.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/credit/are-you-saving-too-much-for-a-rainy-day.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/credit/are-you-saving-too-much-for-a-rainy-day.html Tue, 21 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
There is a school of thought which suggests that people who are saving as much as the financial services recommend could be saving more than they actually need to. Some experts suggest that most retirees will need at least 80% of their pre-retirement incomes in order to be able to live comfortably when they stop working, but others say that most pensioners will require less than this amount as their mortgage is likely to be paid off and kids will have left home.

However, there are many academics and economists who believe that most people aren't saving enough to support themselves upon retirement and there is concern that the state pension will decline as the population ages, meaning that there will be even more people depending on pensions paid for by even fewer earners.

It is also important to remember that every situation is different and how much or how little you save will depend upon many factors. For example: the time you have until retirement, your present income, your debts, how much you have already saved, the value of assets you own and the type of pension you have.

It seems the best plan of action would be to err on the side of caution. Rather than squander all of your money and save nothing for the future it would make sense to put away as much as you comfortably can. After all - if you find you do have more than you need in future you can always spend it then! But if you find that you're not left without enough money to live on in years to come, there is very little you can do to remedy the situation.

That said, if you're not already saving now, set up some form of savings account and try to put part of your monthly income into it. There are hundreds of different options on offer from banks and building societies: ISA accounts, online savings accounts, bonds, instant access savings - whatever your financial situation there is a savings account for you!


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Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen amateur photographer from Scotland. His interests include travelling and hiking.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/travel/dublin-a-nirvana-for-folk-music-fans.html http://www.articletrader.com/travel/dublin-a-nirvana-for-folk-music-fans.html Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Whelan’s in Camden Street, central Dublin is the place to visit for traditional and folk music. This exciting venue has had most of Ireland’s folk talent perform on its stage at some point. Just a stone’s throw away, also in Camden Street, is The Village – another vibrant music venue, that’s well worth a visit.

Vicar Street - despite its confusing name - is not a street but a fabulous traditional music venue and can be found in Thomas Street in the heart of Dublin. This prestigious venue opened in 1998 promising to give Dublin a mid-size venue that would ‘punch above its weight’. It presents bands and solo artists that play all types and genres of music including traditional and folk, with big-name Irish bands such as the Dubliners appearing at this venue. Other artists that are slated to appear at Vicar Street include Dara O’Briain, Fionn Regan and Brendan Grace proving that it is living up to its promise to deliver quality acts.

Plus, you’ll find many more places where you can enjoy traditional folk music at most times of day or night. Bars, cafes and hotels in Dublin are all places where you can find Irish Folk Music being performed by eager and talented local musicians. Plus, you’ll be able to enjoy just about any other genre of music in Dublin that takes your fancy, from rock to classical. So, if you are planning to visit Dublin, or just toying with the idea, make sure that you are prepared for ‘the craic’!

And if you are in any doubt as to how much the Irish love their music, take note of the following example. The Irish Post Office has recently started selling a series of stamps that pay tribute to four iconic bands whose roots are based in traditional Irish folk music; The Chieftans, The Dubliners, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, and Altan. The bands have been chosen because of the success they have had in taking traditional Irish folk music to the world. The inclusion of Tommy Makem is quite poignant as he recently passed away, and these stamps make a fitting tribute to his life-time contribution to making Irish music popular throughout the United States. They are sure to become collectors’ items, so be sure to pick some up when you visit Dublin.


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Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen amateur photographer from Scotland. His interests include travelling and hiking.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/mortgage/new-chancellor-new-mortgage-plans-but-will-they-work.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/mortgage/new-chancellor-new-mortgage-plans-but-will-they-work.html Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
But Alistair Darling, the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, has set about attempts to reshuffle the way the mortgage market in the UK is managed. Essentially, Mr Darling's new proposals will focus on creating a new bond regime, which will emphasise the importance of long-term loan deals for homeowners. By encouraging more people to fix their mortgage rates for long periods of up to 25 years, the scheme is designed to help first time buyers get a foothold on the property ladder.

The Chancellor claims that the intended shake-up has been brought about amid concerns that mortgage lenders are offering shorter-term fixed rate deals in order to charge high arrangement fees. Additionally, Mr Darling cited the high costs involved in re-mortgaging every two or three years as a prime factor in deterring potential first time buyers. Instead, he expects that long fixed-term rates will bring more stability to the UK housing market, and thus attract more and more people to the idea of buying a house earlier than might otherwise be the case.

In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, the Chancellor commented:

"When you look at the rest of Europe, it is more common to have longer term fixed rates. We need to look at that. We need to reduce the volatility."

However, many home loan experts state that the housing situation in Britain is unlikely to change unless long term deals become more affordable and more flexible. Fixed-rate mortgages that stretch over a period of 25 years have never been popular in Britain, with two to three year fixed rate mortgage deals being the prevailing choice made by many potential homeowners.

However, with the recent dramatic hikes in the Bank of England base rate, homeowners that are due to come off a fixed rate mortgage in 2007 or 2008 are likely to suffer more than a few teething problems when adjusting their payments to accommodate the current rate. As a result, long term fixed rate mortgages will likely provide more stability and enable borrowers to plan out their financial futures with greater certainty.

Despite criticism from some corners, Alistair Darling's new mortgage initiative has already seen some acceptance from key players in the mortgage market. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has welcomed the proposals but has specified that it needs to see more details of the mortgage proposals to better assess what their impact may be. Moreover, Nationwide Building Society has just announced that it will be re-launching its 25 year fixed rate mortgage in July. The deal was originally made available in March 2007, but the £50 million fund allocation for the scheme ran out only five weeks into its lifetime due to unprecedented popularity.


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Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen amateur photographer from Scotland. His interests include travelling and hiking.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/travel/from-leather-seats-to-local-livestock-coach-travel-around-the-world.html http://www.articletrader.com/travel/from-leather-seats-to-local-livestock-coach-travel-around-the-world.html Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Firstly let's take a look at the country where car and coach is King: the USA. The famous Greyhound Line has been shipping travellers across the States for close to 100 years and is a national institution for travellers. Founded in 1914 in Minnesota by a Swedish immigrant to America, Greyhound first started business by transporting iron ore miners from the home to the workplace. Now, Greyhound Lines are the largest inter-city carrier of passengers in the US and serve some 2000 destinations across North America. Their buses, though not luxurious, do feature air conditioning, footrests and tinted windows as standard.

Coach travel in the Far East tends to conjure up images of buses covered in people hanging off the roof and out of windows, clutching goats, chickens and other livestock, and in certain rural areas of Asia this is still the case. However, countries like Malaysia, Thailand and Japan have extremely sophisticated and modern coach systems that would put many of those in the West to shame.

For example, Japan runs several sleeper coach lines that offer almost fully reclining seats and have three rows of single seats rather than two rows of double ones. Malaysian buses boast spacious couch-like seats with large armrests, plenty of leg room and onboard video. China is a little more variable, offering a number of choices for long distance coach travel, which can range from reasonably comfortable to fairly unpleasant. More expensive sleeper coaches provide bunks in which travellers can lie down, but in the more rural provinces, coach staff and fellow passengers can make the journey somewhat different to what people in the West might expect. For example, smoking and drinking is a popular way to pass time on long journeys, and spitting on the floor of the bus seems to be a socially acceptable practice.

Comparatively, UK coach travel is often a more sedate affair. There are a number of coach companies in operation cross-country, the most well known being National Express. Though coach distances in the UK are generally less than that in countries like China and the US, coaches are relatively lavish, with some lines introducing leather seats on all new coaches, offering panoramic window views from all seats and even Wi-Fi internet access on certain lines.

Until we invent teleportation, bus and coach travel is likely to remain the most widely used form of public transport, and the future is likely to bring new levels of luxury and sophistication to coaches around the world.


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Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen amateur photographer from Scotland. His interests include travelling and hiking.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>