Two chicks with major wanderlust who live to see the world: themselves, through others, or just living vicariously with the latest & greatest gadgets, travel accoutrements - from luggage to skincare
Schmoozing on the ninth hole. (photo: Bernard Napthine)
Ayers Rock (photo:Chris Mellor)
Melbourne by night (photo: David Hannah)
Australia, for all its fabulousness, does have some pitfalls - like weather - as the honeymoon couple headed for the Great Barrier Reef found out. Unaware that it was monsoon season, they spent five days in rain, and never saw the reef. "Australia is such a big place with an array of travel choices that the traveler can easily spend to much money and wasted time if they are not educated on their options," notes David Frederick of LetsGoToAustralia.com whose goal it is to help travelers fully enjoy their time Down Under. "It should be the first choice of everyone to visit in their lifetime and I want to make sure it's the best trip of their life."
For the scoop on where to go in Oz, what to see, and the cheapest way to get to there, visit LetsGoToAustralia.com.
If you're the adventurous sort who enjoys your travel off the beaten path, but still digs excellent accomodation, Lonely Planet's Haystack is serving up a unique 'invitation only' booking service that features only properties that have been chosen, visited, reviewed and recommended by a Lonely Planet
author.
"Whenever you go checking places out grumpy hotel owners say "Why do you guys come at such difficult times?" and that's exactly why we do it. We want to see places at their best and worst," explains one of Lonely Planet's intrepid authors. "First thing in the morning when people are checking out is always a good time to see how people handle being busy, plus there's always a helpful cleaner who might let you see a room that you might not otherwise have caught on the grand tour. The most important thing is to avoid the "official tour," where the people at the desk get the manager and you get shown how light switches work or invited for a cup of tea. Sometimes this can mean sneaking around the front desk or talking to people who are staying there or even just breaking up that tour by saying "What about these rooms?" You have to review against what you're being shown, which often means being pretty annoying to hotel staff." Adds another of their authors: "I don't really jump on beds, but I do look closely to see that the bedspreads are clean (I hate gunky-looking patterned bedspreads), suss out the bathrooms for water pressure and mould, test the windows to see if they can be opened and open wardrobes to look for wire coat hangers (yuck!). I often check minibar prices to see if they're extortionate, and I like to look at communal areas to see how guests and guests of guests are treated. I like to say hello to the people who clean the rooms to, you can tell a lot about a place by the greeting that's returned - and I think everyone in a hotel/motel or wherever should be happy to be there, even if it's for work."
In fact, many of their properties were not previously bookable online through any other service. "We are inviting our favorite properties from around the globe to join the service -- whether it's a backpackers in Sydney, an eco-resort in Yap, or a boutique hotel in Rome," says Dan Christian, Lonely Planet's Haystack Product Manager. "Haystack is a unique service in that every property listed is recommended as a great place to stay. Every property review is 100% independent and written by an experienced travel writer." Currently, Haystack boasts over 1000 properties in more than 58 countries, and more are being added all the time. "Haystack will continue to grow daily as more destinations and
properties are added to the site throughout 2007 and beyond."
Jumpstart a budding travel writing career or just see a slice of Oz as part of the Ambassador Program sponsored by World Nomads (a leading on-line travel insurance provider). In exchange for blogging, podcasting & videocasting your experiences, World Nomads will provide the necessary technical gadgetry - a laptop and iPod and technical back-up - and a van for exploring the Aussie continent at will for up to six weeks. "We want
independent, adventurous travellers who have a keen desire to hone
their travel writing skills," explains Chris Noble, Global Marketing Manager for World Nomads. "They bring the hunger for adventure, and World
Nomads will keep them travelling safely and submitting some amazing
content, all in the comfort of our Ambassador van."
16 lucky Ambassadors will be chosen to participate in this two year Australian oddessey, based on an adventurous, independent spirit as well as the ability to write. Being tech-savvy also helps. To participate, Ambassadors will travel to the designated pick-up point to take over the Ambassador van from previous Nomads and cover the running costs of the van (fuel, oil etc) and living expenses (food, alcohol etc). There are terms and conditions similar to a standard car rental agreement - including being over 21 years of age and having a valid driver's license and a credit card.
Schmoozing on the ninth hole. (photo: Bernard Napthine)
Ayers Rock (photo:Chris Mellor)
Melbourne by night (photo: David Hannah)
Recent Comments