Archives

How To Make the Most of Your First Yacht Charter Experience

Travel Tips - Shelia - April 5, 2020

Warm weather is just around the corner, and chances are you have some cabin fever right now. Why not start planning your summer adventures? One excellent choice is chartering a yacht. Whether you’re stepping aboard with family or a large group of friends, there’s nothing quite like sailing across the open water and soaking up the sun. Check out these tips to help you make the most of your first yachting experience.

Read the Contract Thoroughly

When you charter a yacht, you’ll need to sign a contract. Read it thoroughly to ensure you understand what you’ll receive, which rules you’re expected to follow, and which fees you may incur during the course of your experience. Check the size of the yacht first. If you’re only taking a small group of friends, a small one is fine. On the other hand, if you’re hosting a large party, you want to make sure everyone has enough space to move around.

Next, read the insurance clause. Some charters provide the insurance as part of the cost. Others expect you to pay more for optional insurance. Verify how much the deposit is and what happens if you need to cancel. In addition, read the rules regarding whether smoking is allowed on board, how old children must be and whether they can roam freely (younger children should not, regardless of the rules), and whether you’re allowed to bring your own food aboard.

Pack Only What You Need

Chances are you’ll be on your charter yacht for the entire day and possibly into the evening, so it is important to pack essentials. Naturally, you’ll want to have bathing suits with you to enjoy the sun, but you can save space by wearing them under your regular clothes. Remember, being on the water can be chilly in the evening, so check the temperatures and consider packing a sweatshirt or light jacket.

In addition to layered clothes, pack plenty of sunscreen (and remember to apply regularly). A lip balm with an SPF and a large hat will help to protect your scalp and face. Avoid tanning oil, as it can stain the boat’s deck. If you’ll need it, pack essential medications, as well as some pain reliever and anti-nausea medication.

Finally, bring the fun stuff. A deck of cards and a Bluetooth speaker are great for music and entertainment on the water. A flashlight and matches help with light for evening sailing. Pack smartphones, tablets, and other electronics in Ziploc bags to protect them from the water.

Practice Good Etiquette With the Crew

The crew running your yacht charter is there to make your experience as special as possible, so practice excellent yacht crew etiquette. In addition to treating the boat itself well, listen to all of the crew’s instructions and follow them. The rules are not only to protect the boat but to protect you as well.

After listening to instructions for your trip, give the crew the space they’ll need to work safely. Avoid their quarters and work space, and never expect them to take care of any children you have aboard with you. If you do have questions, ask the captain first. If the captain can’t help, he or she will direct you to someone who can.

Finally, part of practicing good etiquette is tipping well. The standard rate is between 10% and 20%. You can offer cash to individual crew members or tip a lump sum that they can divide between themselves. Some charters automatically add a gratuity for large groups, but tipping above and beyond shows your appreciation and ensures you’re treated well if you ever book another sailing trip.

Take Advantage of the Offered Stops

As nice as it is to lay back on the deck and watch the waves and the sun, part of the experience is taking advantage of the stops you can make. Some charter experiences allow fishing, while others will stop at popular beaches or spots where you can watch for dolphins or other sea life. Many charters sail along shores that provide a variety of shops and restaurants right by the water. For example, charters in southern Florida often stop at waterfront restaurants Miami. If you have the chance to eat at one of them, some of the popular ones include Seaspice, Zuma, and Texas de Brazil.

Before you know it, temperatures will soar, the sun will shine, and you’ll be itching to feel it on your skin. By planning and preparing your yachting experience now, you ensure smooth sailing down the line.

Continue Reading

Best Places to visit in Costa Rica

Travel Destination - Shelia - March 31, 2020

Wondering about the best places to visit in Costa Rica on your trip? Then you will get to know about the best places to visit in Costa Rica in this particular post.

Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful places in Central America. It’s also one of the most visited travel destinations in the world. People love to explore this splendid place mainly because of its attractive beaches, volcanoes, cloud forests, and unique wildlife.

Even though Costa Rica is a small country in landmass. This place is known as the world’s biggest natural playground because of its border.

It’s called the world’s biggest natural playground mainly because of its natural border. This place is bordered between Nicaragua and Panama, and it has the largest density of flora and fauna as well.

Costa Rica is not as cheap as other places, so lots of budget travelers skip this place. But frankly, you should check out this place at least once by saving your money. However, there are lots of ways to explore Costa Rica on budget.

Now, let’s find out the best places to visit in Costa Rica.

Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica:

In this list of best places to visit in Costa Rica, I have included splendid places which you shouldn’t miss out on your trip to Costa Rica.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve:

One of the best places to visit in Costa Rica is the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. If you are a wildlife lover, then you will love this Cloud Forest Reserve mainly because of its Lush green mountains, tropical jungle, exotic birds, and unique animals.

This cloud forest reserve is located in the heart of Costa Rica, and it’s one of the country’s most coveted tourist destinations, mainly due to its astonishing scenic views, extraordinary biodiversity, and more. It is the nation’s premier cloud forest and largest eco-tourism hub in the country.

You can find lots of private and public tours and trips to the Cloud Forest Reserve. You shouldn’t miss out on this special place to visit in Costa Rica.

Puerto Viejo:

Puerto Viejo is an accessible location in Costa Rica for young backpackers who love to explore great beaches for their surfing activities and party culture. This place is located on the banks of the Caribbean coast right near Panama. You can find lots of beautiful scenic spots in this place. Apart from that, you can stay in luxurious hotels as this place has some best hotels for tourists. You can even find Jaguars on this place as a Jaguar rescue center is very nearby.

Arenal Volcano:

Arenal Volcano is one of the best attractions in Costa Rica. It is sitting at an elevation of 1670m and it’s one of the many volcanoes in Costa Rica you should have a look. While visiting this place, you have to be careful as it still erupts from time to time.

If you’re lucky enough, you can see some lava flowing down the volcano at times. But, its rare site nevertheless you still have a chance as it used to be the most active volcanoes in the world. This place is surrounded by lots of incredible scenic sights and other adventure activities.

Cahuita – Gorgeous Small town:

Cahuita is a gorgeous small town which is located right next to the stunning national park. It is the best place to relax for all the tourists. They can have a glance at the most beautiful and lively spots in this location. It’s just about an hour from the north of Puerto Viejo. You can do animal spotting, swimming, surfing and even go for hiking as well.

This region is popularly known for its Afro-Caribbean influences, because of its food and local culture. The best food you have to try here is grilled chicken. It tastes different than what we get in our town, but it’s better than us.

Tortuguero – Land of Turtles:

Exploring the land of turtles is one of the best things to do in Costa Rica. The Tortuguero is a Costa Rican version of the Amazon Rainforest. This has a vast northern coast, with Tortuguero national park. It is over 77,000 acres, which is significant in size. The massive area is having a series of rivers and canals that cross the jungle. This attracts tourists to explore the place. On this tour, you can find hell lot of turtles so it got that name as Land of turtles.

The best place to visit this spot is in April and May where you can see Turtles nesting. If you are on your trip for other months, then don’t worry, you can still go hiking and participate in several cruises.

Corcovado National Park:

Never miss out exploring Corcovado national park on your trip to Costa Rica. This is the best place on the remote Osa Peninsula in the southwestern Costa Rican. It was established in 1975, and this gorgeous park covers a vast area of around 424 Square kilometers.

Corcovado is filled with a wide range of bird species and marine life. Because of that, it draws most of the visitors.

But, the problem is it’s not easy to explore this peninsula as the path of this place is quite hard to move ahead. If you’re an adventure freak, then you can easily explore this because of your hiking skills. All your efforts to visit this place will be fulfilled as this place is full of great hikes, camping, marine life, and unique wildlife as well.

Manuel Antonio:

Manuel Antonio is a popular beach destination on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. The white sand and warm blue water make this a perfect spot for beach lovers to enjoy swimming and other water activities. There is a national park in this spot which was opened in 1972 since then it has attracted lots of tourists to the spot. It’s an excellent place for hiking trails and has many secluded beaches.

Conclusion:

These are the best places to visit in Costa Rica. Along with these, if you have time, you can also explore areas such as Poas Volcano, Santa Teresa, Dominical, Tamarindo, and Jaco.

Continue Reading

Best Things to do in Brussels

Travel Destination - Shelia - March 25, 2020

Are you planning a trip to Brussels and wondering what things to do in Brussels are? Then don’t worry, you’ll discover the best things to do in Brussels in this post.

Brussels is one of the picture square cities with splendid places waiting for you to explore. It’s the capital of Belgium, and this place is packed with history in every street and alleyway.

This unique place has a lot to offer for tourists, especially if you’re a fan of beer! Then you’ll love this place. Apart from that, there are lots of places to explore in Brussels, which I’ll cover below.

It’s a great stop between Amsterdam and Paris. So, you can plan a visit to those locations as well. Now, let’s check out the best things to do in Brussels.

Best things to do in Brussels:

If you’re striving to enjoy your trip to Brussels? Follow the below things to do and see in Brussels to make your trip memorable. The multi-layered atmosphere of Brussels makes it a great city to visit for travelers.

Pay a visit to Grand Place:

The Grand Place is one of the Brussels popular scenic attractions that is in the centre of the city. As a traveller, when you have a glance at the Grand Place, you’ll be amazed. It’s a gorgeous 15th-century city hall with six guild halls around it.

This place is worth visiting several times at different times to capture fabulous pics to break your Instagram. You’ll find a flower market at that place on certain days, which you shouldn’t miss out in Brussels. Watching the Grand Place is definitely one of the best things to do in Brussels.

Never Miss out Exploring – The Royal Palace:

The Royal Palace of Brussels was originally constructed in the 18th century, and it’s where King and Queen host receptions, organized parties, handle state affairs, but they don’t live there full time.

Although they won’t live in that royal palace, its size is enormous. The astonishing thing is the facade is 50% longer than Buckingham Palace. So, you can imagine how big the royal palace is, never miss out to explore the royal palace of brussels.

Explore Brussel’s Notre Dame Du Sablon:

Notre Dame Du Sablon is a gothic catholic church that began life in the 14th century, but it was later extended in the 15th century due to the popularity. This church is officially titled as “The Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon”. It’s also the home of Baroque chapels that were added in the 17th century. If you’re a history lover, then you should explore this ancient church.

Le Botanique (Botanical Gardens):

Le Botanique is one of the historical places in Brussels. It is a botanical garden of the city that attracts lots of tourists regularly.

The greenhouse which was constructed in the 19th century, now regularly plays a range of performance arts and acts as a cultural center as well.

If you’re a true lover of greenery, then you’ll never miss exploring these beautiful gardens. This is one of the best things to do in Brussels as well.

Laugh at Manneken Pis and Jeanneke Pis:

Manneken pis and Jeanneke Pis are the two odd statues that have grown into the popular tourist attractions in the city. Although a few categories of people do not like it, others enjoy it.

The statue is nothing but children peeing. These two statues meant to reflect the Belgian sense of humour, so these are attractive. Getting to these statues requires a little bit of skill as it’s not there on many tours.

Visit Petit Sablon:

The Petit Sablon is a park that has a collection of 48 statues; each represents the history professions which were common in that city. All pillars and statues have unique designs and do have an iron fence for protection. This is one of the best things to do in Brussels as well.

Take fresh Air in Parc Du Cinquantenaire:

The Parc Du Cinquantenaire or Jubel Park is the largest park in Brussels. This park has been around since the reign of Leopold II. Whether you are on a picnic or want to explore old architecture, then this is the perfect place for your trip. This park has a vast collection of arti-facts and housed museums as well.

The Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries:

The Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries are glazed shopping arcades in the heart of Brussels. This is having the oldest shopping arcade in the entire Europe and is home to cafe’s, chocolate shops, restaurants and more.

It was specially designed in a way to create a shopping area. So, you have to explore this place to check out how the oldest shopping mall used to be.

Tour to Cantillion Brewery:

Cantillion brewery is the oldest brewery which was founded in 1900, and now it is offering tours to the public. So, on your trip to Brussels, you can watch the beer-making process in live-action. You can even learn about old brewing methods and equipment as well. If you’re a beer lover, then you can have some samples as well.

Go on a Belgian beer Tasting tour (Don’t forget to Visit Delirium):

Belgians are always proud of their beer, and of course, it has played a vital role throughout the history of the city. So, you can take a beer tour and have a blast at the city breweries. Also, never miss visiting Delirium. Delirium has the longest beer menu in the world, and it has even won Guinness record for it as well.

You can find over 60 countries beer in this special crowded tourist place. It’s the best place to try local beers. So, don’t miss this to keep it on the list of best things to do in Brussels.

Conclusion:

These are the best things to do in Brussels, so don’t miss out on these. If you are striving to explore more places in Brussels then you can try out experiencing nightlife, broodhuis, and more.

Continue Reading

How to Plan the Perfect Party

Travel Tips - Shelia - March 25, 2020

Party planning has it’s perks. You’re in control of all aspects of a celebration, from the decorations to the food and drink to the guest list. But with these perks come the logistical challenges of planning a large gathering for a huge number of people. To help you through these logistical challenges, here are a few tips for planning the perfect party.

Take Care of the Essentials First

Of course, you might want to jump right into all the fun aspects of planning a party before doing anything else. But before you can make your party playlist and plan your decorations, it’s important to first take care of all of the essentials that go into a large gathering. This means making a budget, thinking about how many people you’re going to invite, coordinating table and chair rentals and planning out the food and drink that you want to serve. Getting these essentials out of the way before doing anything else in relation to planning your party will eliminate any large scale worries you have about making sure you have a space large enough for your guests and whether they’ll have enough to eat.

Hire Outside Help

With so much to coordinate in planning a party, it can sometimes seem like a full-time job. So, for assistance, why not hire the help of people for whom party planning is a full-time job? Hiring a private event planner New Jersey is one way to make sure you are taking care of everything you need to take care of when it comes to hosting a large event. This event planner will be able to provide advice for your party as well as coordinate some of the essentials that you want to get done before moving onto other more fun elements of the planning process.

Customize It

Finally, remember that this party is a reflection of you and your tastes. Take the time to have some fun with customizing the party, whether that be through music, decorations or special food and drink selections. The fun part of hosting a party is that you get to make the decisions that dictate what kind of experience your guests will have, so try to embrace this opportunity and really make the party your own.

Taking care of the essentials, hiring outside help and customizing your party are three steps to planning the perfect party. Remember that this party is a reflection of you, and really try to embrace the opportunity to put on a killer event.

Continue Reading

6 Best Things to do in ISRAEL for best Vacation

Travel Destination - Shelia - March 19, 2020

ISRAEL is famous for its historical and religious sites. It’s the birthplace of the world’s two major religions, Christianity and Judaism. Along with these, there are lots of tourist attractions in the city.

So, it’s definitely the best spot to explore in your Vacation if you are enthusiastic about history. If you’re striving to have a look at the best things to do in ISRAEL then dont worry, in this post we’ll cover them.

This special place is a mineral-rich place with lovely nightlife and world-class food scene. If you are a foodie then obviously, you’ll love the food items over here. Although ISRAEL is a small country, it does have a lot to offer for its visitors.

Now, as you’re striving to check out the best things to do in ISRAEL, let’s look at the six best things to do in ISRAEL for your unforgettable Vacation.

The Dead Sea:

The Dead Sea is one of the famous places to see in Israel. People love to float on the dead sea to chill out. If you are checking for the best things to do in Israel, then you shouldn’t miss this out. The Dead Sea is over 600 square kilometres, and it is shared between Israel and Jordan.

The Dead seashores are the lowest point on the earth, and its water is eight times saltier than normal oceans. Hence, no sea life can survive in this water, so it is called the Dead Sea. The Special Part of this sea is it makes you float because of its saltiness. So, you can enjoy your day floating and snapping pictures all around the dead sea.

Unfortunately, if you have any cuts on your body means, you really can’t enjoy floating as it will show you hell. Apart from that, this dead sea has some sinkholes that are caused by industrial exploitation. So, be aware of them and pay attention to your footsteps while hovering around the Dead Sea.

Visit Jerusalem:

Jerusalem is one of the famous places in ISREAL, mainly due to its history footprints. This is one of the oldest cities in the world, with a history of about 5,000 years. Jerusalem is referred to as the holy city as it holds the world’s major religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

This unique city is the perfect destination for pilgrims and tourists who are looking for historical traces of their religion. Visit Mount Zion, the city of David to check out original sites of Jerusalem.

If you want to check out Jews community, then head over to western wall, the holiest place for Jews to pray. You can find tunnels over there as it’s separated for men’s and women’s go and offer prayers to find out religious practices.

Apart from these, you can check out Via Dolorosa – the holy church of sepulchre (the place where Jesus final walk of execution took place). Along with these, you can find out Yad Vashem, the emotional site where six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.

Along with these unique holy places, you can find amazing hotels and old city markets to explore. As you are striving to check out the best things to do in Israel? Then do check out this place.

Tel Aviv:

Curious to have fun in Israel? Then explore Tel Aviv and other beaches in Israel to enjoy sunbathing, surfing and more. Tel Aviv is the best city in the Mediterranean, with almost four million people living in the beach city. It’s Israel’s most modern city with lots of international flights. This is simply the main point of your arrival.

Tel Aviv has lots of special spots including its 13 splendid beaches, apart from that the primary attraction to this place is its food. You can taste a wide range of food items in this special place.

If you are thinking about the best things to do in Israel, then check out this special place. Apart from that, you can enjoy the colourful nightlife in Tel Aviv. It has rooftop bars, wine bars, and breweries and more all over the town. You can even explore the Museum of Arts, Yitzhak Rabin centre and Ancient port of Jaffa.

The Negev Desert:

The Negev Desert is one of the tourist attractions in Israel as it covers the southern half of Israel and spans over 13,000 square km. This desert covers 55% of the entire country. Watching this desert from Florence and George can give you great views. This is one of the best things to do in Israel, so don’t miss out.

Visit Timna Park, which is in the far south as it has incredible rock formation. Along with that, you can check out colossal sandstone pillars and lots of colours as well. The best part of this place is every year a hot air balloon festival will be held in autumn, so try not to miss this best one.

In this desert, you can explore all kinds of adventure activities such as sandboarding in dunes, rappelling off cliffs, and so on.

Snorkel experience in the Red Sea:

Eilat is one of the best places to visit in Israel. If you are a fan of fantastic coral reef and snorkelling? Then it would help if you didn’t miss out Eilat. It’s a place with incredible coral reef, crystal clear water and beautiful fish all around. This place has great weather all yearlong, and it’s having a short coastline on the Red Sea. So, you can go for activities like snorkelling or scuba diving in this place.

This is one of the best things you have to do in Israel and should be in your checklist. Along with these activities you can also hop over the fantastic petra and wadi rum, these are stunning dives of mount Sinai.

Explore Masada National Park and Fortress:

The Masada fort and national park in Israel is one of the most visited places in Israel. It is located just 100km south to Jerusalem, and it is on the edge of the dead sea. This place is a symbol of Israeli determination, and it stands as the country’s most popular attraction.

You can hike up to the Snake Path; it’s a 60-90 minutes hiking spot which gives great views. Although it’s excellent to view the locations, but it’s too hot in summer, so you have to be careful.

Conclusion:

Whether you want to explore religious history or curious about archaeology? Then you have to spend some quality time in Israel as it’s a great place for fun activities and more. These are the best things to do in Israel. I hope you enjoyed this article.

Continue Reading