http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/amazing-namibia.html http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/amazing-namibia.html Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:06:55 -0500 5 things you should know about Etosha safari park (other than looking for the animals):

1. The gates open at sunrise and close as sunset - there is generally a mad rush to get to the gates for sunset so make sure you don't get caught in someone else's dust otherwise you will miss the magnificent sunset
2. If the sign says stay in your car, they mean STAY IN YOUR CAR!
3. The only accommodation within the Etosha National Park is run by the Namibia Wildlife Resorts. Visit the old German Fort of Namutoni - great views and a super waterhole with a resident group of very entertaining striped mongeese
4. You should not miss out on Sproukieswoud (Fairy Forest), the amazing Moringa Trees - known to feed people as well as animals. In Etosha these are growing uniquely in soil and not on rock
5. The main road in Etosha runs from East to West or visa versa. It can easily take a day to drive just along this road (there and back) so don't get caught out by thinking it is not that far!


5 Things you should know about driving in Namibia:

1. Always have at least 5 liters of water in the car with you. It is very hot, and dusty and there are not a lot of water stops
2. Know how to change a tyre and make sure your car comes with a spare one!
3. Fill your car up regularly - don't chance it to "make it to the next town"
4. Have plenty of music and plenty of battery life in your iPod.
5. Estimate the time you think it will take you and then add on another hour or two (don't always rely on the map) - road conditions are generally good but driving on dirt roads makes for a longer trip


5 amazing things about Sossusvlei:

1. The colours and scenery here is some of the most contrasting and remote that you will find anywhere in the world
2. The combination of Sand Dunes, Grasslands, Mountains, Desert & Game - which all make for a photographers paradise
3. The highest Dune is Big Daddy at 300m
4. The closest dune to the road is Dune 45, which is what makes it the most popular one
5. The most amazing way to witness this phenomenal place - is from the heights of a hot air balloon


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These helpful tips were provided by the African Travel Experts

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/travel-in-australia.html http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/travel-in-australia.html Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:17:33 -0500 Australia is an epic encounter. Split by three time zones and the tropic of Capricorn, ‘Oz' is a vast and diverse land of wide open spaces, captivating red desert, dense rainforest and some prime beachfront locations. Its cities are modern and cosmopolitan, offering a range of activities, places to stay, and excellent cultural opportunities.

Sydney's skyline is recognised right across the world, though it is infinitely more impressive in the flesh than it can ever be on a postcard, especially when combined with the seemingly constant blue sky. Up the coast towards Brisbane, Byron Bay is renowned as a real beach paradise and the turquoise skies, golden sands and warm sea justify such a reputation - this is an idyllic place to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

Queensland is Australia's most-visited state with highlights including the world's oldest rainforest and the mesmerising Great Barrier Reef. The Reef is consistently seen as one of the real must-sees for even the most ardent traveller, constantly amazing and absolutely unforgettable. With so many islands to choose from, there is something to suit every budget - tented cabins, 5 star retreats and family-friendly resorts make for a relaxing break with easy access to the numerous watersports and snorkelling opportunities. The ancient rainforests of Daintree National Park and deserted beaches of Cape Tribulation offer an entrance to the Reef - the only spot in the world where two world heritage sites meet.

The drive from Melbourne to Adelaide on the ‘Great Ocean Road' is internationally recognised as one of the world's most captivating drives, with highlights including the stunning Twelve Apostles. In Western Australia, the laid-back city of Perth is a great base for exploring beautiful Rottnest Island and the world-famous rock formations The Pinnacles.

Of course, any visit to Australia isn't complete without a trip to the spiritual centre, Uluru, which was previously known as Ayer's Rock. This dramatic sandstone rock rises out of the outback, becoming ever more spectacular with every sighting.

A land of fantastic contrasts, Australia is without a doubt a unique country, full of surprises, natural wonders and vibrant modern delights.

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Start your own once-in-a-lifetime adventure with Discover the World, the Australia experts.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/camps-bay.html http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/camps-bay.html Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:28:06 -0500 Camps Bay the perfect location to meet with friends for sundowners after work, an ideal way to end a working day.

While sipping cocktails you can either look up to the Twelve Apostles Mountain (back of Table Mountain) or you can gaze out to the Sunset which sets right across the ocean. The views really are magical.

The luxurious Bay Hotel is along the beachfront, which offers fine dinning at its best. So if planning a romantic evening is on the cards then the Bay Hotel should definitely be on your list of restaurants to visit.

Camps bay nightlife is vibrant and cosmopolitan. It is the place to see and be seen. It is a favourite destination for the locals, overseas visitors as well as international celebrities.

Camps Bay also offers stunning holiday accommodation from B&B's, short term rentals to popular hotels. The V&A Waterfront, city centre and Hout Bay are a short drive away so Camps Bay is a great central location to stay in.

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The Dogon Group are Cape Town property experts.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/the-cape-town-life.html http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/the-cape-town-life.html Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:33:49 -0500 Cape Town
Cape Town is said to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and it isn’t hard to see why. The city itself is surrounded by stunning views of Table Mountain, and the bright blue ocean. Just outside the city you are welcomed by more mountain views, sandy white beaches, and lovely green valleys.

Cape Town is also well known for its vibrant people, excellent restaurants and sunny warm weather. All of this combined makes it an amazing city to live in.

Camps Bay

Camps Bay is a suburb situated right outside the city center. The spectacular mountain houses, sandy white beaches lined with palm trees, and abundance of trendy restaurants and bars situated along Camps Bay main road, are just a few things that make Camps Bay a popular destination for locals as well as tourists. Camps Bay gives you the beach lifestyle right on your doorstep.

Clifton

Clifton is an up market suburb which is situated between Camps Bay and Sea Point. The beaches (there are 4) in Clifton are always buzzing with trendy foreigners as well as locals. Due to the location of Clifton the sea water is often calm, this makes for an excellent swimming and tanning spot.

Hout Bay

Regarded as the Jewel of the Cape, Hout Bay is entirely surrounded by mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. A blend of colourful cosmopolitan culture and rural ambience creates a truly unique lifestyle experience in this popular seaside village. The bay is guarded by the peak known as the Sentinel and nestled at the foot of Chapmans Peak Drive ¬ rated as one of the most scenic passes in the world.

About Dogon Group

Dogon Group is a real estate company who specialise in selling property across the Atlantic Seaboard. Denise Dogon has been a successful property agent for more than 33 years, with an acute understanding of the Cape Town property market, Denise has also branched out to the overseas arena, promoting Cape Town Property in the UK and USA.

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Dogon Group is a Cape Town real estate company who specialise in selling property up and down the Atlantic Seaboard.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/business-foreign-exchange.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/business-foreign-exchange.html Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:47:52 -0600 business foreign exchange will rule your world.

A large business with over 50 employees may have access to the better business foreign exchange rates offered by high street banks. Small or medium sized businesses usually only have access to the tourist exchange rates. This can be bad news for your profit margins.

Whether you trade abroad, or simply have business travel expenses, finding the best business foreign exchange rate available is a priority. Corporate FX will help, whatever the size of your company.

There are various ways to handle your business foreign exchange contracts. ‘Spot contracts’ - binding agreements to buy or sell currency at the going rate within 48 hours of the agreement - make up 51% of foreign exchange contracts. These are the simplest contracts, good for urgent transactions, but dependent on market conditions. They also don’t protect you against foreign exchange exposure.

In a forward contract, the agreed exchange rate applies to a specific purchase or sale on a specific date during the next two years. Changes in business foreign exchange rates are irrelevant. A mathematical calculation decides the rate, depending on the difference between the interest rates of the two currencies. This contract will protect against a downturn in the market, but won’t take advantage of an improvement.

With a foreign currency option, you can make a business foreign exchange at a specific price and time – but you aren’t locked in. You make the most of a favourable market move, but can drop out if the change is unfavourable.

Another choice is the Stop Loss order, where you specify a minimum rate at which you are prepared to trade. If and when the exchange rates fall, your order kicks in automatically.

In a Limit order, you set a higher target exchange rate than is available currently. Your order triggers if, and when, exchange rates rise. A Stop Loss and Limit order side by side guarantee you a rate between two levels which you set. This combination can be a good way of minimising your exposure.

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Corporate FX are business foreign exchange experts who work with all size companies in the city of London.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/foreign-currency.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/foreign-currency.html Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:18:29 -0600 Currency Rates

Currency rates depend on a lot of factors.

Currency exchange rates reflect the economy of one country as compared to another country. With foreign currency traded in pairs, the rate changes when the values of either of the currencies change.

A currency becomes more valuable when demand for it is greater than supply. Conversely, it becomes less valuable when demand decreases.

A country’s economic status has a big impact on demand for the currency. This includes factors like employment levels, business activity, and gross domestic product (GDP). If unemployment rises, the public as a whole spend less money on goods and services. Demand for the currency decreases, and foreign currency exchange rates fall. Worldwide interest rates also directly affect currency rates.

The most commonly traded currencies are known as the Majors – USD (US dollars), JPY (Japanese Yen), EUR (Euro), GBP (British pound sterling), CAD (Canadian dollars), AUD (Australian dollars) and CHF (Swiss francs). A quotation relating to foreign currency exchange rates represents the number of units of ‘term currency’ that can be bought in return for 1 unit of ‘base currency’.

Currency exchange quotations always give 2 prices for each currency pair – the Bid price (the rate at which a buyer is prepared to buy currency), and the Ask price (the price at which a seller is willing to sell the currency). The difference between the bid and ask prices is the dealing Spread. Normally, the spread is no more than 5 pips (eg 1.4694 – 1.4699).

Currency rates change all the time. When you are dealing in hundreds of thousands of pounds, a small percentage change makes a very big difference. A 1% change in the exchange rate for a sum of £100,000 makes a difference of £1000. Failing to find the best currency exchange rates could really mean the difference between profit and loss.

Studying currency conversion rates is only half the battle. You also need to decide how – and when – to trade.

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Make sure you secure your company’s profits and safeguard your international trading risk. Gain peace of mind by taking advice on currency rates from Corporate FX – the specialists in foreign exchange rates and foreign exchange.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/foreign-exchange-rates.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/foreign-exchange-rates.html Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Foreign exchange rates are a huge factor in the success of any business, large or small.

If your business imports or exports goods or services, owns assets overseas, or regularly makes overseas payments, foreign currency exchange rates will directly affect your profit levels. But even if you have no immediate contact with businesses or customers overseas, and don’t accept any foreign currency payments, changes in foreign exchange rates will still affect your business.

Why should this be?

Obviously, foreign money exchange rates affect your profit levels when it comes to trading abroad. Foreign currency is traded in pairs – for example you may sell pounds sterling and buy the equivalent amount in euros. If the pound is strong, you will get more euros. If the foreign currency exchange rate weakens, you will get fewer euros.

That much is clear. But, even if you don’t physically need to buy or sell foreign currency, the foreign money exchange rate still affects your customers, and they in turn affect your profit levels.

Some of your customers understand foreign exchange rates. They know that, if the pound is strong against the euro, they may be able to get more for their money if they sell pounds and buy euros, and trade abroad instead. And that is bad news for you.

So, you need to guard against this risk caused by changing foreign exchange rates - ‘economic foreign exchange exposure’. It is difficult for businesses to protect themselves against economic exposure, as they have so little control over it. Nevertheless, an understanding of foreign currency exchange rates can help. Corporate FX will help you decide whether you need to reduce your prices temporarily in order to become more competitive, and safeguard profits for the long term.

For importers and exporters, who buy and sell currency in order to trade abroad, foreign exchange rate changes have a direct effect. These businesses need to guard against ‘transactional exposure’.

Businesses or individuals who own assets abroad may need to convert the value of their assets into pounds sterling. The foreign currency exchange rate at a given moment will determine that value. This type of risk is known as ‘translation exposure’.

Whatever your circumstances, your forex company will help you minimise exposure and keep watch on foreign exchange rates, while you watch your business grow.

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Article from Corporate FX - The foreign exchange experts.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/travel-to-knysna.html http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/travel-to-knysna.html Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Knysna is the type of place you will leave thinking that you wished you had more time to explore. Its abundance of tourist attractions means that there will be activities and sights that will suite all visitors.

If water sports are on your agenda then Knysna is a perfect destination. Knysna has a beautiful lagoon which can be explored by either hiring a boat, or you are welcome to bring your own. You can also take a ferry across to Featherbed Nature Reserve or to the Knysna Heads. You will also find a lot of good surfing spots which friendly locals will be able to tell you about.

Adventure activities are very popular around this area. Whether you are into paragliding, abseiling, or experiencing the thrill of hanging from a cable and gliding from one tree top to another in the dense Tsitsikamma Forest, you can find it all here. Horse riding on the beach is another popular activity. Organised horse-trails can be arranged through various companies if exploring forests and other trails are more your thing. If leisure sports is what you are looking for, then a trip to Knysna’s 18 hole golf course is waiting there for you.

When it comes to wildlife, Knysna has various Animal farms right on its doorstep. You can see game, crocodiles, elephant, cheetah and ostrich, or leopards at a wildlife ranch. There are many Nature Reserves in and around the Knysna area. Knysna is also famous for the Knysna Seahorse which can be found in the Knysna Lagoon. It is considered to be one of the most endangered seahorses in the world. A visit to see this celebrated African fish should definitely be a must on your stay in Knysna.

Knysna's accommodation is plentiful and there is something to suit all peoples budget, from the lavish 5star guest houses to family run bed and breakfasts no one will be left disappointed.

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This article was brought to you by House Hammond - the Knynsa Accommodation specialists.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/christmas-in-lapland.html http://www.articletrader.com/travel/destinations/christmas-in-lapland.html Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Spend Christmas in Lapland!

Visit Lapland for a festive break with a difference and discover a true winter wonderland! Lapland, the home of Father Christmas is the perfect winter holiday destination. Try your hand at husky sledging - cruise past snow-capped mountains and trees covered in powdery snow, while you keep a look out for reindeer and other winter wildlife. Or get a quick adrenalin fix by driving a snowmobile across the vast white wilderness!

You can be as adventurous or as relaxed as you like on a holiday to Swedish, Norwegian or Finnish Lapland. Try out sleeping on ice in one of our ice hotels, including the world famous Icehotel in Sweden, or stay in an idyllic log cabin where you can curl up in front of a crackling log fire. Travel to Norway for a winter holiday in breathtaking surroundings, or visit beautiful Finland and go walking amongst spectacular scenery.

By day you can explore Lapland’s snow dusted countryside as much or as little as you like, and by night you can look for the magical Northern Lights. If you are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the mystical natural light display, you’ll be awe struck. If conditions are right, watch in amazement as swirling, shifting colourful patterns appear in the night sky.

Lapland isn't just about reindeers and snow. You can choose from a wide range of activities designed to inspire everyone - why not combine a breathtaking Orca Safari off Norway's stunning coastline, with a chic stay in the World famous Icehotel© in Sweden? Spend Christmas or New Year in Lapland and you’re guaranteed to discover a winter wonderland. Let your winter adventure begin and experience the magic of Lapland!

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This article was provided by Discover The World - The Iceland specialists.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/internet/seo/the-basics-of-sem-seo-and-ppc.html http://www.articletrader.com/internet/seo/the-basics-of-sem-seo-and-ppc.html Sun, 16 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500 What is SEM?
Search Engine Marketing or SEM is a range of marketing techniques used to increase a website’s visibility on search engines and directories so that it will attract visits from its target audience. SEM includes SEO, PPC or a combination of these and other search related activities.

What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimisation or SEO is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a website from search engines, therefore increasing the website’s ranking. It takes time to build and maintain a good SEO campaign but the results are worth it. SEO uses a combination of tools techniques, such as modifying site content, structure and code using relevant keywords, link building and utilising web standards.

What is PPC?
Pay Per Click Advertising or PPC is an advertising technique used on websites, especially search engines. The advertiser pays an agreed amount for each click delivered to their site from a link or listing on a website or search engine. In the UK, Google AdWords and Yahoo! Search Marketing are the main providers of PPC services.

What are Keywords and Keyphrases?
A keyword or keyphrase is a word or a series of words used by search engines when searching for relevant web pages. For example, if someone was looking for a cookbook, they would type in the keyword “cookbook”. Before your website is optimised, it is important to choose the correct keywords and keyphrases, as there is no point in optimising your website for keywords or keyphrases that no one searches on.

Our website has just gone live – why can’t I find it on search engines?
The internet is a very crowded place and as there is no central location to find information, users rely primarily on search engines to find what they want. If your website has been optimised and has been created using web standards, then your website should be going through the process of being indexed by the search engines. Search engines are constantly crawling the web for new websites and are continually adding new websites to their indexes. If your website has not been optimised or does not have any quality inbound links, then your chances of gaining good rankings are significantly reduced.

We have just had our website optimised – why can’t I find it on search engines?
SEO is something that takes time and needs to be consistent. Search engines give rankings based upon many factors, such as age, quality of content, appropriateness of keywords and keyphrases and links. For example, if a website has been online for a year and has had consistent content, high quality links and has not done any underhanded tactics to try and rank higher, the search engines will give rankings to this type of website over a newer website, as the search engines trust the older site.

How can we get an immediate result?
The only way your website will be ranked immediately is by using PPC. However, PPC does not grow organically like SEO and your ad will only be shown at the times you choose to pay for it. If you have the budget for both PPC and SEO, then it is best to do both in tandem, so that you get the immediate results from PPC and the long term sustainable results from SEO.



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This article was written by Sandi Wassmer of London digital agency, Copious www.copious.co.uk.

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