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It’s simply not possible….not possible that a wine that is freely available on most supermarket shelves for around R25 can be the cheapest wine on a restaurants wine list at R100.00.

What happened to the wine since is was bought from the supermarket, did the restaurateur decant it, lie it on new French Oak for two years and convert it in some way into a Wine magazine five star or a Cape wine masters Choice? I don’t think so.

The real story is it was probably bought that morning, stuck away in a box behind an overworked fridge compressor, at the wrong temperature prior to being dunked in some iced water in time to be served cuddled in a starched white linen cloth to be served as the vintners choice for the evening. Good grief….but what do we do as the typical South Africa guest, we smile sympathetically at the poor and innocent under trained waiter who has not been informed of the difference between bourgeois or burgundy. Do we call for management….no we don’t want to make a scene, do we call the wine over valued crap and send it back, no we are too scared our taste will be challenged or that we might embarrass ourselves.

How often have you bought a product, perhaps at your local hardware store, to find it broken after a few uses, you toss it aside, a little angry or disappointed at being conned into another wasted purchases….the cash slip, of course absolutely essential if you hope to get reimbursed or to send the R25.00 spanner away to China for a repair or replacement. A trip to the store; a scratch for the slip; a queue at the customer counter if there is one; two or three calls to a call centre to explain your story….what the…it’s simply not worth it is it….toss it and walk away….a lot easier.

One large supermarket chain is always on our side, looking after our best interests….the other is just up the street, or is it a creek, the local fruit and vegetable store has great bargains as long as you eat that pocket of pineapples on the day you bought it otherwise forget the fresh bit…..ripped off by pharmacies for years, how much real meat is in that hamburger you bought the children, is the pork sausage really pork, how much pork MEAT does it have to have to qualify….we are apathetic consumers, we “grin and bear it” in stoic tradition.

Here are a few travel tips that might help you to prevent a rip off when you are in unusual places:

• When booking a hotel room of a walk-in basis, ask to see the room before committing, they’ll hardly send you to their worst room will they.
• As soon as you arrive in a new country, determine a few items that you can use to compare pricing, as a benchmark when checking a window menu as an example. A beer perhaps or other tinned beverage, a hamburger; the lowest price wine….if a cold drink on a menu is twice the price of that in another menu, be warned, the rest will be as well.
• Restaurants and shops around the corner from the main streets and/or main attraction often offer far more value than those on the front. Look for smallish restaurants, preferably with locals evident, they would have sought out good food and good value long ago.
• It is far cheaper and often more fun to grab a few food odds and ends plus a drink or two from the supermarket, find a quite place and have a little picnic. Remember to take along a small pocket knife and a few suitable sized plastic bags for storage. A bottle of wine from a supermarket is a quarter of the price, there’s nothing better than to share it with someone special at a romantic spot.
• No…is an answer, even once seated at a restaurant or café, if you don’t like what you see, stand up and walk out.

Travel wise, street wise, call it what you like but you’ve worked hard for your money…like the old adage says “a fool and his money are soon parted”

[Source:- South Africans Robbed]

Are Diesel and fuel prices getting you down? Yes, we all get a little depressed as we see our visit to the local fuel station slowly becoming our most expensive out-lay of the month!

In a moment of madness, I bought an SUV…..a modern euphemism for a large family sized station wagon which is usually fitted with either a 4×4 or differential lock option, if not immediately recognizable as such, there will be a mention somewhere about it’s ability to travel off-road or to handle our ever deteriorating roads better than the next one. So be it, we now have this large vehicle that no one else wants unless the price is dropped by at least 25% of what we paid for it some twelve months ago. Not only have the operational costs escalated but to compound the problem, monthly re-payments have also escalated…..this does not auger well as we plan the well earned family summer holiday.

Making some budget suggestions for holidays remains a little subjective, there are unfortunately those of us who will scoff at the idea of even attempting to plan a holiday this year as they might be experiencing financial difficulties so bad that this is a non-starter, on the one side there are those able to ride out the economic storm. Let’s assume you are able to scrape together a budget for the family holiday but that you will need to approach it quite carefully.

• Look close to home. KZN residents do not have to travel to the Western Cape and vice-versa, for destinations, look nearer home. This has got to be our budget tip number 1. Reduce the travel time required and also the operational car costs and minimise fuel usage.

• The next important expense after travel costs is accommodation. The best option is to stay with a close family friend or relatives. No, please, for the sake of these poor hosts, this does not mean a free-loading holiday experience at the expense of your friends, it simply means eliminating the expense of a commercial profit. In all fairness, you will be required to at the very least supply food and refreshment at least equal to that consumed by you and your family.

• Have you thought of a “house swap” – you have a friend with a house in a suitable area who would like a change? Offer to swap houses or place a small advert to attract a like-minded family.

• Consider camping. For those of you who have not camped since being put off this years ago, take a new look at the great equipment available now. Yes, a little investment in this will go a long way. Camping is a low cost option and will take you to many affordable destinations, I can say without fear of contradiction that you will be pleasantly surprised and that you will probably do this again and again.

[Source:- Don't Cancel Your Holiday]

The death of movie and Broadway star Natasha Richardson, the 1997 death of Robert Kennedy’s son Michael in 1997, and the 1998 death of Senator and one time television star and singer Sonny Bono as a result of skiing accidents highlights and illustrates the dangers of both hidden and obvious injuries that can result in paralysis or death. The cause of Natasha Richardson’s death, according to the autopsy report, was an epidural hematoma. Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner’s office, stated that an epidural hematoma causes bleeding between the skull and the lining of the brain. Doctors also reported that if Ms. Richardson had sought or agreed to medical attention immediately following the accident, there is a high probability that she would have lived.

Sadly, most head injuries are caused by failure to wear the proper protective gear, whether the victims are skiing, riding a bicycle, riding a motorcycle, or engaging in other higher risk activities. Ms. Richardson was not wearing a helmet. Protective gear for skiers is available in a variety of colors, styles, and designs, so that skiers and persons engaging in other activities do not have to give anything up in the way of being fashionable and comfortable. Goggles are also available in a variety of colors and styles. Safety should always come first.

Since symptoms are often not immediately noticeable following a fall or other accident, it is imperative for anyone suffering a fall on the ski slopes, regardless of their level of expertise, to immediately seek first aid advice and an examination on-site at the resort’s first aid or emergency center. This way, a person with a suspected traumatic brain injury can be flown or driven by ambulance to the nearest hospital and can be closely monitored on the trip. Unfortunately, Natasha Richardson turned down medical attention since she felt fine and had no apparent injuries. Approximately one hour later, according to various reports, Ms. Richardson developed a headache and was later taken to a hospital where she later passed away.

When a person falls or receives a blow to the head, the brain may bounce within the cavity of the skull and may cause shearing or tearing of the blood vessels surrounding the brain and Dura. According to the University of Missouri Health Care website, when the blood vessels tear, blood accumulates within the space between the Dura and the skull. This is known as an epidural hematoma (epi-door-ul hem-a-to-ma), or blood clot at the covering of the brain.

It is equally important for skiers to take other safety precautions that will help lessen the risk of accidental falls or hitting trees and other skiers, etc. Keeping track of the weather and changing snow and slope conditions throughout the day, sticking to skiing on slopes that equal a skier’s level of expertise, following resort and slope rules, and knowing where emergency services at the resort are located is imperative. A skier, no matter what their age, their level of expertise, or any medical training they may have had, should immediately seek medical attention after any fall, no matter how minor the fall seems. In the case of Michael Kennedy’s death CNN – Coroner: Kennedy death accidental – January 1, 1998 reported that, in addition to not wearing a helmet, the family had been playing a form of ski football, and had been warned of the dangers of this sport by a ski patrol earlier in the day.

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New York City (NYC) is one of the most popular and visited city in the world. If you are planning to visit NYC for Vacations then it’s very important to know about staying.

There are so many rental apartments and flats available especially for tourists and visitors or if you want to enjoy your vacations with staying in luxury and costly hotels then here are some good and famous hotels-

The Plaza Hotel: The 19-story luxury hotel in New York City is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South in Manhattan. The Plaza has achieved landmark status by New York City’s Landmark Commission in 1969. It is named after the plaza on which it is situated. It is only Hotel in the NYC which is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

The Waldorf-Astoria: The famous landmark hotel that was built in 1931 in the Deco style. It’s very popular luxury hotel in New York City and has been housed into two historic landmark buildings. It has three American and classic European restaurants, and other features like parlor; boutiques for the visitors are included in the main lobby of the hotel. The hotel has its own railway platform as a part of Grand Central Terminal.

The Algonquin Hotel: It is one of the historic hotels located at 59th west, 44th street in Manhattan in New York City. The hotel was built on 1902 with 174-rooms in it. It was originally constructed as a residential hotel but was quickly converted into traditional lodging. It is famous for its two things, First, the Vicious Circle, where the celebrities usually met in 1920s and the second is the hotel’s resident cat, which can be found none nonchalantly holding court in the lobby of the hotel.

[Source: Hotels and Staying Tips For a New York City Visit]

The log cabin holidays have only recently become one of the premier choices for holiday makers who are looking for self catering holidays and short breaks. The reason they have become so popular is due to the locations, accommodation and the facilities that are available to anyone that books into the sites. There are no hidden costs or fees to use the facilities and once you have paid the holiday and arrive on site all the facilities are available, there may be some exceptions such as health and beauty treatments and some leisure activities but the main facilities will be included. This is a big positive when you are looking to budget for your holiday and want to know your costs up front, especially if you are away with the family.

The modern day consumer is very discerning and will not put up with accommodation that is in poor condition, dated or unclean and this is why the Log Cabin Breaks are popular. The log cabins come in a range of styles and whether they are rustic on the outside or contemporary and modern you will always find they are perfectly kept and are in a very clean condition and welcoming for the start of your holiday. Packed full of all the necessary self catering items you require you can unpack and get on with enjoying your short break or holiday. Once on site there will be plenty to see and do, depending on which location you may have chosen will reflect on the amount of facilities but you may like to enjoy a dip in the indoor heated swimming pool, or maybe relax and unwind in your own private sauna, or work up a sweat on the tennis courts in the gym. Your holiday and your choice is the Moto for the Log Cabin Breaks and you can do as much or as little when you like. There are well over 200 different log cabin parks throughout the UK and each one of them gives you something extra for your holiday, so plan where you want to go and what is important to you for your break and then you can go about checking the accommodation and parks that best suite your needs.

[Article Source:- Log Cabin Breaks - Fun, Relaxing and Enjoyable Holidays]

There are many thousands of vacation rental properties available on web sites, through rental agencies, and listing sites. Finding the perfect one for your vacation can be quite a challenge, and sometimes even when you feel you have found just the right one for your family, there is a good possibility that someone gets there before you, and you lose the week you want.

Here’s a few secrets from vacation rental owners that may help you find the perfect place, create a great relationship with the owner, and have the most amazing vacation.

1    Remember that you are not reserving a hotel room. Owners who rent out their homes are real people who have spent much time and effort on making the place comfortable, ambient and fully equipped for their rental clients. A good rental will provide you with all the comforts of home, a well decorated environment, entertainment systems, a kitchen with everything you need to create family meals, and comfortable bedrooms. The owners are likely to be very proud of their home and only want to rent to people who will appreciate it. This means that if you treat them as you might a hotel or resort reservationist, they might just turn your request down. From my own experience, I like to have people in my cottage who I think will respect and enjoy the experience of staying there, so I want friendly renters that I can chat to on the phone and assess if they are right match for my property.

2    When you speak to the owner or agency, don’t be vague about the number of people in your rental group. When they ask ‘how many people do you have’, don’t reply with, ‘ I’m not sure yet’, or ‘we haven’t decided how many people will be coming’, as this will start alarm bells ringing in the owner’s mind. One of the greatest fears that a vacation rental owner has is that they will rent to a group of people who see the property as a ‘party house’ and invite all of their friends to come along and share the accommodation. Be specific about the people who will be in the rental group and respect the owner’s accommodation limits.

3    Accommodation limits are usually determined by several factors. Firstly, the owner may simply decide to set a limit on how many people he will accept in the property based on the potential for wear and tear. This is his choice, and should be respected. So even if the property listing says it has five bedrooms, however the accommodation limit is set to six, resist the temptation to argue that since there are beds for at least 10 people, that is how many you will bring, as this will not endear you to the owner who may well end of the conversation there and then. The second factor is one that is common to many country properties that are not serviced by township septic and drainage systems. These places will have holding tanks or septic tanks, both of which have capacity limits which will place a restriction on the number of people the property serviced by the systems can accommodate. These limits are usually based on headcount so there is no difference between adults, children or babies. We often hear rental clients saying, ‘they’re only babies, they don’t use any water, and they are in diapers anyway’. Even though it’s quite a long way in the past, I can still remember that I bathed my babies quite regularly, and usually in the bath tub using more water than a shower would take.

4    Before you start e-mailing or telephoning an owner with a long list of questions, please check that the answers are not already shown on a web site or rental listing. Many owners have comprehensive web sites that provide all the information you need, and although they are happy to answer any additional questions, it is very helpful to them if you have already read the listing. If the property is very attractive and popular the owner may be receiving numerous enquiries every day and may be very selective about who they will rent their property to. Bombarding them with questions about features and facilities that are clearly shown on the listing may not result in a favourable response.

5    Many vacation rental owners welcome pets; many do not. Please don’t expect an owner of a non-pet-friendly property to accept your ‘adorable, well-trained, hypo-allergenic, Labra-doodle-poo’, even if it is crated, kept under control at all times, and ‘never allowed on furniture or beds’. If the owner doesn’t like dogs or cats, you won’t change his mind by pleading or asking in a dozen different ways. It would simply be better to either accept you have to put your pet into kennels, or find another property. In any case, wouldn’t you prefer to bring your much loved pet to a property where he or she is welcomed with a few dog treats?

I have owned several vacation properties over the past 20 years and have met many people, some of whom are now good friends. Along the way, I’ve learnt a lot about my rental guests, what they expect, and how I should provide a space that is just right for them. As a responsible owner, I work hard to create that space and offer good value for money, and in return I simply look for respect for my property and an appreciation of the special nature of a rental vacation. This type of vacation is not right for everyone, and if you are looking for the type of sterile, impersonal environment found in many hotels and resorts, then v not be right for you. On the other hand, you may find that once you experience vacation rental for your family, you will never take any other type of vacation again.

[Via - How to Find the Best Vacation Rental!]

Visitors to the area looking for luxurious accommodation will not be disappointed by the magnificent selection of boutique lodges, bed and breakfasts, superior apartments, villas and executive resort hotels available.

Let us explore a few of these sophisticated options in some more detail.

Boutique Lodge / Bed and Breakfast
A popular choice for couples and small groups seeking the comforts of home, within a relaxed and friendly environment, delicious food and wine, pleasant company and personalised service. Hosts will go the extra mile in these up-market lodges to ensure your stay with them is an unforgettable experience. After a long day on the ski fields a cozy open fire, comfy couches, freshly made scones and stunning lakefront and countryside views will be the perfect way to end your day.

Superior Apartments / Villas
For those travellers and visitors seeking more independent accommodation as part of their ski holiday, Wanaka has a choice of superior apartments and villas available for short and long term stays. These stylish, modern and self contained buildings are a desirable option for families, groups of friends and passionate skiers seeking somewhere private and exclusive to stay. You will be sure to find a contemporary and spacious apartment that captures the essence of this winter wonderland, often complete with stunning alpine and / or lakefront views.

Executive Resort Hotels
The functionality and services inherited in resort style hotel accommodation is often an attractive option for families and groups who appreciate in-house features and services such as: a heated indoor / outdoor pool, spa, restaurant & bar, gym, day spa, childcare and laundry facilities. A beneficial service offered by some first class hotels in Wanaka are drying rooms and ski gear maintenance & repair – a particularly valuable offering for a family of skiers. After a hard day on the slopes the convenience of returning to your hotel room where everything has been done for you, will allow you to enjoy a soak in your private spa.

With numerous luxury ski accommodation providers available to you in Wanaka, you will be certain to find lodging that complements your personal preferences.

Danny’s most recent project Lakeshore Springs in Wanaka is a NZ architecture award winner offering exquisite design and quality. Ten luxury villas are positioned on the lakes edge and in the heart of Wanaka, New Zealand’s tourism crown jewel. Wanaka a four season destination offers incredible skiing, boarding, wineries, restaurants, golf, and every outdoor pursuit you could imagine all with a back drop of some of the worlds most dramatic and beautiful scenery. Lakeshore Springs is arguably the finest accommodation of its kind on offer, each 250 square metre + villa is equipped with every luxury you might expect including sauna, spa bath, gourmet kitchen, surround sound and views to die for. Inspirational architecture, designer furniture all within a three minute stroll to exceptional dining and entertainment make Lakeshore Springs a truly memorable experience and the perfect compliment to one of the worlds most beautiful and inspiring destinations.

[Via - Looking For Luxury Ski Accommodation in Wanaka, New Zealand?]