To answer these questions, the Travel Daily News has put together some common tips and advices. Here they are.

1. First advice is to always rent a hotel room or an apartment on an upper floor rather than the ground floor, preferably without a balcony or a patio. This is a good way to keep intruders to get into the room easily.

2. This may sound obvious, but we too often forget the obvious. It is important to always keep your windows closed and your doors locked, and to check if they are indeed locked or closed before going to bed or leaving your room.

3. Third advice, instead of using a purse, keep your I.D. and money in your pockets, in a money belt or simply in little pockets you can sew to your bra (this is the last place thieves will think of!). And if you happened to be carrying a purse, if someone tries to grab it, it is always recommended to just let it go rather than risky injuries.

4. Avoid unnecessary flirts, conversations or eye contacts that may leave the other party the impression that they may be on to something if your intentions are to get a good night of sleep.

5. Last but not least, dress casually. It is important to look as much as possible like you are knowing your way around and not like a female tourist who is obviously traveling alone.

Of course, there are many common sense tips, such as avoid wearing lots of jewelries or to carry big currency bills. Also, if you need to ask for directions, preferably ask a policemen, or a store clerk.

For more information, please visit All Inclusive Caribbean Vacations now.

1. Sun tan lotion or strictly sun block?
Looking for a vacation? Ask yourself: are you in an urgent need for some sun, or are you in the mood to wander around in the cafe of Europe. Before looking for a deal, make sure you know where you want to go, or at least where you do not want to go.

2. All inclusive resort or regular hotel room?

All inclusive have the advantage of letting you travel totally worry free (or as close as it can be). Accommodation, food, drinks, entertainment and much more are included in an all inclusive Caribbean package. On the other hand, all inclusive resorts are far from the city. Staying in a regular hotel room or bed and breakfast room will give you the advantages of being in town, therefore allowing you to be closer to the local people, restaurants and shopping areas. However you will have to look and pay for your food, drinks and transportation. If you are looking for a cheaper vacation, a good all inclusive deal can come up less expensive because you are guarantee a fixed cost for the whole trip.

3. Never without my computer!
Many airlines, travel agency and travel websites release on a daily or weekly basis news and updates about last minute deals. Register on their mailing list to have access to all the great deals and discounts on all inclusive Caribbean vacation packages.

4. Flexibility = Cheaper
Surprisingly, one day can have a huge impact on the price of a flight or deal. The same applies for an all inclusive Caribbean package which cost, when taken a few days earlier or a few days later, can vary a lot. Therefore, before booking, play with the departure and arrival dates. Check and find out if you could get a better deal by leaving on a different date.

5. Less tourists = Cheaper
Take advantage of the low season. Note : Low season in the Caribbeans is during Spring and Fall.

6. www.theweathernetwork.com
Before purchasing a last-minute deal, check the weather and advices to the travelers. Avoid bad weather surprises! It would be a shame to hastly purchase a last minute deal to the Caribbean and to realize they are expecting 2 weeks of heavy rain…

7. Check the expiration date of your passport. Many countries require you to have a valid passport with an expiring no less than 6 months after the data of travel.

8. Don’t forget your vaccins, medications and travel insurance! Being sick out of the country is pretty bad… Being sick out of the country with no travel insurance is worse!

Bon Voyage!

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by: Kandi Harper for cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation

Far too many travelers say no to travel insurance…

- “Why bother with travel insurance… It’s not like a risk taker… I’m not camping in the jungle and I’m not into any of the extreme sports…”
-”I don’t need travelinsurance… It’s kinda pricey and will be away only for a few days…”

Do you recognize yourself? If so, you are wrong, because sicknesses or accidents don’t take a break. Wherever you are, however long you are there for, you can break an arm or a leg. Then what happen? The doctor put a cast and it heals… However your wallet might take more time to heal after you spend thousands in health care abroad, if you decided to decline your holiday insurance.

Unfortunate Stories with Happy Endings

The following stories are true and have been reported by different travel insurance companies… Unfortunate stories from year 2000 that ended happily for those people who bought their travelinsurance.

1.A 48 years old male, a 16 days trip to Switzerland, aortic rupture (aneurysm). Total of healthcare and transportation by plane and ambulance : 41 000$. Amount reimbursed by his insurance company: 40 700$. Luckily, he had purchased the 152$ travel insurance.

2.A 29 years old male, a 15 days trip to Mexico, broke his leg. Total of health are and transportation by ambulance : 45 370$. The travel insurance company paid back 38 221$. The holiday insurance cost him 52$.

Travel agent

If you are going to a travel agency, your travel agent has to ask you whether you would like to purchase an insurance from the travel insurance company they deal with, and explain in details all the modalities of the insurance contract.

If you are booking with an online travel agency, you will have to check yes or no to a holiday insurance before purchasing your actual holiday package.
If you refuse to purchase the travelinsurance, you will be asked to sign a discharge form, so if an accident happens to you throughout your trip, you will not be able to sue the travel agency you are booking with.

Advices for travel insurance shopping

1.Carefully find out their coverage (which type of health problems they cover, which one they don’t)

2.Find out about the customer service of the travelinsurance company you are dealing with. Ask, for example, whether the operator can speak your language, whether they refer you to reputable clinics or hospitals, whether the travelinsurance company will deal directly with the bill instead of making you pay first.

3.What are the acceptable reasons or conditions to cancel a trip before departure or throughout the trip (we mean here a serious condition, no a cold nor a last minute change of idea).

4.What are the steps to get reimbursed? Who do you need to talk to? Where do you need to send the original bills? In other words, how helpful will the travel insurance company be, and who will help you with the paperwork.

5.How fast will it take for the company to process your file.

6.Check up your credit card or work insurance. They generally do not cover everything.

7.You can also purchase longer travelinsurance packages. This way, if you travel out of the country every other week, you will not have to purchase a travel insurance each time.

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by: Henly Ng for cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation

]]> http://www.cheap-all-inclusive-caribbean-vacation.com/essential/essential-travel-insurance/feed 0 http://www.cheap-all-inclusive-caribbean-vacation.com/essential/essential-documents-for-all http://www.cheap-all-inclusive-caribbean-vacation.com/essential/essential-documents-for-all#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:55:52 +0000 admin http://www.cheap-all-inclusive-caribbean-vacation.com/?p=194 Vacations in the Caribbean for all

Serious things to consider before going to the airport… To avoid bad surprises and enjoy your cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation to the fullest!
So print out this check list, and make sure EVERYTHING item from the list is checked out before you leave the house or the apartment and hop in the cab.

Essential documents
□ Flight tickets
□ Hotel information (reservation number, hotel name)
□ Passport
□ Currencies of the country you are heading to
□ Some American money
□ Insurance travel cards
□ Other types of cards (suchs as certification for diving and other types of activities that require certification)
□ Brochures, pamphlets, fliers about your Caribbean destination
□ Any other documents you think may be useful for the rest of the trip

Identification
□ Identification TAGGED ON every suitcase with your destination address AND your home address (see below)
□ Identification IN every suitcase with your destination address AND your home address (see below)

______________________________________________________________________________________
Name : _____________________

At home
Address:
Number___________ Street_________________
Zip/Postal code___________________
Country_________________________
Phone number:____________________________

At destination
Address: Hotel name_____________________
Number_________ Street_________________
Zip/Postal code___________________
Country_________________________
Phone number:____________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Although airlines try their best to get your luggage to destination, there are minimal chances that you lose your luggage for a few days… It is why it is essential to identify well your luggage with a tag on the handle of the suitcase, but also with a tag inside the suitcase.

Hand luggage and restrictions
□ Don’t forget the Ziploc bags! Restrictions at the airport are now very strict.
□ All liquids, gels and aerosols must be placed in a single, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag (Ziploc type).
□ All liquids, gels and aerosols must be in three-ounce/100ml-100g or smaller containers.
□ Exceptions : Baby food and feeding bottles for parents traveling with toddlers age 2 and less.
□ Exceptions : Medications are usually exempt from the 100ml or 100g restriction
□ To find more information about restrictions and exceptions, visit your airport website or the air transport security authority of your country website.

Place your liquids, gels and aerosols in Ziploc type bags

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by: Kuy Tev for cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation

Gentlemen, are you leaving on a one week trip to a cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation resort?  Unlike women who tend to bring to much stuff for there one week holiday, men tend to under pack.  Gentlemen, unfortunately, packing only your all purpose swimming-suit-slash-bermuda-shorts and a pair of sunglasses may not be enough.  Here is a list of the essential travel items you should check before leaving.

You camera is a must, to make your trip truly unforgettable.

1. Moisturizing cream. Unlike the ladies, moisturizing cream are usually not a priority for many men. If you are traveling in couple, that is OK, however if you are traveling by yourself, make it a must. Lying down by the sea of the Caribbeans, if your pale skin hasn’t accustomed yet to the sun, chances that you may get a light sunburn are high. After a small burn, it is extremely important to moisturize the skin. While we are here, don’t forget to slip some sunblock lotion in your suitcase!

2. A small essential travel kit consisting of a razor, a toothbrush, a travel size toothpaste tube, a deodorant (absolutely not to forget under the Caribbean heat!), some hair gel if needed, an aftershave, your favorite cologne, a small shower gel and shampoo sample, and for the ones more concerned about their skin, a night cream!

3. Clothing : it should include a swimming suit, flip flops, bermuda shorts, a pair of jeans and clean pants (at least khakis), a minimum of five t-shirts, a long sleeve sweater for cooler nights, three shirts (well pressed et well folded), underwear (read many many many underwear), socks, running shoes and dressed shoes.

Some of these may sound not essential to you. It is true that for most of your all inclusive Caribbean vacation, all you will need is a pair of sandals and your swimming suit. Nevertheless, on top of the all-you-can-eat buffet, most resorts also have à-la-carte restaurants. The dress code in those restaurants is strict: no sleeveless shirts, no open-toe shoes (sandals) and clean pants are required. Also, if you are wanting to take a tour, some activities, such as going in an underground cave, require running shoes.

Finally, bring an umbrella, it is always useful, even down south!

Clean pants (i.e. khakis) and a shirt are a must, most à-la-carte restaurants have a strict dress code

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by: Kuy Tev for cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation

]]> http://www.cheap-all-inclusive-caribbean-vacation.com/essential/essential-travel-items-for-him/feed 0 http://www.cheap-all-inclusive-caribbean-vacation.com/essential/essential-travel-items-for-her http://www.cheap-all-inclusive-caribbean-vacation.com/essential/essential-travel-items-for-her#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:23:11 +0000 admin http://www.cheap-all-inclusive-caribbean-vacation.com/?p=167 Vacations in the Caribbean for her

Are you running away from your hometown cold or sad weather? Did you find yourself a cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation deal in Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica… You are so much looking forward to escaping work and the routine.

With all this excitement, you forgot to get ready and are leaving in a few days (or in a few hours!!). You look at your empty luggage and start stressing and worrying…. Quick quick, what essential travel item do you need to bring to the all inclusive resort? Don’t panic! Here are a few advices to get ready to your dream vacations…

Ladies, so you are leaving for a one week all inclusive Caribbean vacation? Do not over pack your luggage. Remember, you are going for one week, not one month, not one year. This is the essential travel items you need to make your week perfect.

Do not overpack... You should be able to fit your one week all-inclusive Caribbean vacation in one suitcase

1. ONE Bikini. Not three, not five, only ONE bikini. Chances that it will barely have enough time to get dirty. Plus, you are going to spend the week on the water. Simply rinse your essential travel bikini in the shower before going to bed and let it dry on the towel rack in the bathroom of your hotel room or suite. You will wake up with a wonderful clean bikini.

2. A skirt that accentuates your long legs for a killer look at the bar, comfy shorts, and also a pair of jeans for cooler evenings or nights. Those three items are more than enough for the whole week. Still wish you could bring more? Bring a pair of jeans that can be folded into Capri as needed. Hence, rain or sun, you will have the perfect garment.

3 A few tops that will fit well with the three essential travel items from #2. Think about an outfit for everyday. Remember to also bring a long sleeve sweater for chilly days or evenings, and at least one hot or pretty outfit for going out at night. Tops that can be worn casually or in a dressy should be your first choices.

4. A makeup kit, with a small sample of moisturizer cream (not the whole bottle!) for the face (even better if it already contains sunblock), some body lotion, a waterproof mascara, an waterproof eyeliner, a lip balm, foundation and some eye shadow. Do not bring every single eye shadow color or every shade of foundation you own, you will not use them. Simply bring the color you wear the most, this way you will know that you will look pretty all week!

5. A little essential travel kit which will include a toothbrush, a small toothpaste tube, a 100ml shower gel bottle, a makeup remover, a face cleanser, deodorant, a razor, sunblock, a hairbrush, tampons, a small hairspray… Remember to bring the small versions of everything you are bringing, the lighter you travel, the less troubles you will have carrying your luggage. Also think about when you’ll come back home… You will probably have tons of souvenirs and new clothes to bring back in your luggage. You will need space for all of that!

6. Finally, in the list of essential travel items : a hair straightener, a pair of flip flops, a pair of comfy shoes, an umbrella (for those unfortunate days), underwear, socks and a plastic bag are the only other things you will need. It is always more pleasant to have light bags, and to know that you will not have too much luggage in your way to go shopping at the airport duty free store.

Tip of the day : Travel light

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by: Kandi Harper for cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation

When looking into an all inclusive vacation, there are two major things most people can think of: first about the fantastic destination you are going to, including the warm weather, the warm waters and the sun, and second about having an amazing time at the all inclusive resort, including the buffet, the drinks, the activities. Obviously, enjoying a nice environment and having fun effortlessly are important parts of a cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation, however in order to have both, you need to put some initial effort in planning your first cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation, and sometimes it’s not quite so simple.

First, you need to decide of your destination, or at least about the type of destination you are looking for. How important is the beach for you? Are you the crystal emerald beach water and white sand type of person, or are you the huge swimming pool type of person? How important is it to have a city nearby for shopping, or some historical sites for some sightseeing? What parts of the Caribbean do you want to see?

Second, after you choose the perfect destination, you next need to start looking for the different cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation packages that are available in that particular location. You will realize here that there are packages for all type of people, for different likes and hobbies, for different age ranges. That is why you need to think about the features you would like to have: do you need a pool bar, a golf course, a nice gym facility, kids daycare, an amazing spa, a late-night club, an adult oriented resort or a family oriented resort? The size of the resort can also differ, some resorts being fairly small and other being humongous, with many small resorts in one huge resorts. Finally, some all inclusive resorts will have better food than others, or better drinks than others.

Third, you will need to make a definite decision on what cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation package to book. The prices of the packages will vary depending on the factors and special features you will decide are important, even essential, to make your trip a success.

Fourth, you need to pack your stuff. Make sure you don’t leave it to the last minute, or you risk increasing the chances of forgetting something important. Make a list of what you need to prepare and bring, and PRIORITIZE them. There are various items to remember, and you sure do not want to forget anything. With the checklist, not only this is not likely to happen, but more importantly, you will not forget the essential things that may stop you from being able to attend your cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation(such as your flight tickets, your passport, your visa).

Fifth, make sure you arrange some type of transportation to the airport, ON TIME. Make sure you do not leave it to the last second. If you are cabbing to the airport, remember that sometimes, cabs can take a lot of time to show up. You want to give yourself plenty of time to arrive to the airport on time (at least 3 hours prior to the departure).

Sixth, the next step to planning your cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation is to decide what you will include in terms of activities during your vacation, other than what is included in your package. You may want to plan and budget a tour in a nearby historical site, a nearby island, budget some money for a shopping spree in town or plan to go swimming with the dolphins, or even the sharks. By planning ahead, and finding out what is available, you will avoid disappointments of not being able to do what you had in mind.

There are few tips to help you well plan your cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation.

1)Find yourself a good travel agent. The best travel agent will find you various packages at the best prices, and will know what resorts in the industry is most reputable.
2)Ask your friends and family who have been to the Caribbeans recently about hints or suggestions. Consider the one that they recommend you. This can give you an idea of the price range and whether the packages you are considering are real deals or not.
3)Go online and do some research. Many sites allow people to review their resorts. Every resorts have their good and their bad comments. Make sure you a reading recent reviews, as resorts and hotels can go down or up in quality with time.

Finally, make sure that, whatever destination or packages you chose, you carefully make your homework of doing some research because, after all, it is your vacation.

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by: Kandi Harper for cheap all inclusive Caribbean vacation