What types of fabrics travel best for hot weather?
Coolmax® is one of my favorites for steamy climates. If you were to use one word to describe Coolmax® it would be wicking. The next generation polyester fabric created by Dupont wicks moisture or perspiration from your body and dispenses it to the outside world helping to keep you cooler. The fabric has a cottony feel, is very wrinkle resistant, and when laundered dries in a flash. On a recent trip I laundered both cotton and Coolmax® tees at the same time. The Coolmax® items dried overnight while the cottons remained there and are probably still wet.
Tropical Microfiber is another great choice for hot weather travels. With several lightweight suiting options, these travelers are made from a silky, super fine filament giving a durable fabric with soft drape as well as excellent wrinkle resistance.
Natural Fibers such as cotton, silk, rayon and linen are naturally cool, breathable and easy to care for. To lend extra travel savvy, often they blend natural fibers with other fibers to gain wrinkle resistance and durability.
Sun Protective Fabrics offer extra protection from the sun with tighter weaves, UPF resistant finishes and linings. Some Supplex Nylons, due to the tightness of the weave actually have built-in protection from the suns burning rays. A typical cotton tee for example is rated UPF8 (UPF=Ultraviolet Protection Factor), indicating that you can be out in the sun 8X longer than without protection. Special protective garments may have protection as high as 40-50 UPF.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The U.S. Dollar and Travel
The U.S. Dollar and Travel
Fortunately, there are still safe havens out there — countries where our currency and the host country’s currency move in lockstep. In two cases, our dollars are the actual currency, so you don’t even have to visit an exchange booth. Here are five destinations where your costs should be stable no matter when you arrive.
Panama
Panama has been using the U.S. dollar as its own for more than 100 years. As I noted in this longer article about travel in Panama, prices are lower here than in neighboring Costa Rica, but many of the reasons for visiting are similar. If you’re a birdwatcher, a wildlife buff, an adventure traveler, or someone who loves to sail and go island hopping, Panama will keep you occupied for weeks.
Ecuador
Ecuador also uses the dollar as its own currency. The land best known as the home of the Galapagos Islands has a lot more to offer, with the Andes Mountains, thick rainforest jungle, and some bargain-priced beach resorts. Ecuador gets its name from the equator passing through, but much of it is not all that hot because of altitude: this is the one spot where you can find snow on the equator-on Volcán Cayambe at nearly 19,000 feet. The historic center of capital city Quito has gotten a major makeover in the past few years and is also worth a visit.
Belize
The exchange rate with Belize never budges much beyond a range of 1.97 to 2.05. In other words, its 2 Belize dollars for every 1 American dollar, give or take a couple pennies. You don’t have to take a time machine to get a lot for your dollars here, whether you want to scuba dive, snorkel, sail, lie on a beach, or explore the jungle interior.
Caribbean and Atlantic Islands
As many cruise ship passengers have learned, there are several Caribbean islands and clusters of islands that peg their currency to the greenback. Barbados’ currency trades at a stable 2 to 1 with the dollar, while in the Bahamas or Bermuda you can use their dollars or your own—the value is the same. The exchange rate is stable in Turks & Caicos and the British Virgin Islands, and of course the U.S. dollar is the principal currency in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. This doesn’t mean you’ll find bargains galore in all these locations, but you can feel secure that prices won’t suddenly rise because of an exchange rate change.
Argentina
This is an example that may not stand the test of time, but since 2003 the Argentine currency has moved in a narrow range of around 3 pesos to 1 U.S. dollar. Before the massive economic crisis that hit the country at the beginning of the decade, it was 1 to 1 and it’s certainly possible things will change again in the future. For now though, even though inflation is high and prices aren’t as low as they were a few years ago, Argentina is a relative bargain and Buenos Aires is the best substitute for a visit to a European cit
All of the above destinations are in this hemisphere, places where you can frequently find reasonable flight or package deals and you won’t have to worry about jet lag. If you want to go further, Hong Kong, Guam, Saipan, Jordan, and Dubai all have currencies pegged to the U.S. dollar.
Of course, it’s important to look at the full range of actual costs for what you are planning to do. Belize is less expensive than most islands in the Caribbean, while Panama and Ecuador are true bargains when it comes to food and transportation. Rises in fuel and grain prices are driving up costs everywhere around the world though, wherever you are heading, so always assume prices you’ve read about will probably be higher when you arrive.
But if you’re going to an inexpensive place that’s already a good deal, such as these and other greenback deals around the world, it’s much easier to budget and live large without breaking the bank.
If you live in Europe and have been getting paid in euros, forget all of this advice and go anywhere: your currency is at the top of the heap right now. Take advantage of it! As we Americans have painfully found good times don’t last forever.
For Currency Conversion visit www.dmttravel.com, click on services.
Fortunately, there are still safe havens out there — countries where our currency and the host country’s currency move in lockstep. In two cases, our dollars are the actual currency, so you don’t even have to visit an exchange booth. Here are five destinations where your costs should be stable no matter when you arrive.
Panama
Panama has been using the U.S. dollar as its own for more than 100 years. As I noted in this longer article about travel in Panama, prices are lower here than in neighboring Costa Rica, but many of the reasons for visiting are similar. If you’re a birdwatcher, a wildlife buff, an adventure traveler, or someone who loves to sail and go island hopping, Panama will keep you occupied for weeks.
Ecuador
Ecuador also uses the dollar as its own currency. The land best known as the home of the Galapagos Islands has a lot more to offer, with the Andes Mountains, thick rainforest jungle, and some bargain-priced beach resorts. Ecuador gets its name from the equator passing through, but much of it is not all that hot because of altitude: this is the one spot where you can find snow on the equator-on Volcán Cayambe at nearly 19,000 feet. The historic center of capital city Quito has gotten a major makeover in the past few years and is also worth a visit.
Belize
The exchange rate with Belize never budges much beyond a range of 1.97 to 2.05. In other words, its 2 Belize dollars for every 1 American dollar, give or take a couple pennies. You don’t have to take a time machine to get a lot for your dollars here, whether you want to scuba dive, snorkel, sail, lie on a beach, or explore the jungle interior.
Caribbean and Atlantic Islands
As many cruise ship passengers have learned, there are several Caribbean islands and clusters of islands that peg their currency to the greenback. Barbados’ currency trades at a stable 2 to 1 with the dollar, while in the Bahamas or Bermuda you can use their dollars or your own—the value is the same. The exchange rate is stable in Turks & Caicos and the British Virgin Islands, and of course the U.S. dollar is the principal currency in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. This doesn’t mean you’ll find bargains galore in all these locations, but you can feel secure that prices won’t suddenly rise because of an exchange rate change.
Argentina
This is an example that may not stand the test of time, but since 2003 the Argentine currency has moved in a narrow range of around 3 pesos to 1 U.S. dollar. Before the massive economic crisis that hit the country at the beginning of the decade, it was 1 to 1 and it’s certainly possible things will change again in the future. For now though, even though inflation is high and prices aren’t as low as they were a few years ago, Argentina is a relative bargain and Buenos Aires is the best substitute for a visit to a European cit
All of the above destinations are in this hemisphere, places where you can frequently find reasonable flight or package deals and you won’t have to worry about jet lag. If you want to go further, Hong Kong, Guam, Saipan, Jordan, and Dubai all have currencies pegged to the U.S. dollar.
Of course, it’s important to look at the full range of actual costs for what you are planning to do. Belize is less expensive than most islands in the Caribbean, while Panama and Ecuador are true bargains when it comes to food and transportation. Rises in fuel and grain prices are driving up costs everywhere around the world though, wherever you are heading, so always assume prices you’ve read about will probably be higher when you arrive.
But if you’re going to an inexpensive place that’s already a good deal, such as these and other greenback deals around the world, it’s much easier to budget and live large without breaking the bank.
If you live in Europe and have been getting paid in euros, forget all of this advice and go anywhere: your currency is at the top of the heap right now. Take advantage of it! As we Americans have painfully found good times don’t last forever.
For Currency Conversion visit www.dmttravel.com, click on services.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Vacation Preperation
1. You should have two credit cards (Different accounts)
2. Be sure and call your Credit Card Companies and tell them the dates and the destinations of your vacation.
3. You might want to go to your bank and get some currency before your trip. You should be able to get some at the airport but that would be just one more thing to have to do then, and I think you would get a better deal from your bank.
4. Make sure and make a copy of your passport, carry that copy in your carry-on.
Also leave a copy with your travel agent or a family member.
5. Make a copy of your itinerary and place it inside your checked luggage, right on top. That way if your luggage happens to get misplaced the airlines will have the information needed to forward it to you.
Also leave a copy of your itinerary home with a family member or friend.
Another thing to consider is for you to share suitcases. Each pack half your clothes in the others suitcase.
That way if one losses their luggage you at least have something to wear until your bags show up.
If by some chance your luggage is not there, go directly to the claims center and let them know. If you are going to be greeted by a tour guide be sure and tell them also .Then call your Travel Insurance Company!
6. Be sure and have any medication, camera, jewelry (I would not even take any jewelry) in your carry-on. Do not pack these things in your checked bags. AND DO NOT PACK ANY CASH, TRAVELERS CHECKS OR CREDIT CARDS IN YOUR CHECKED BAGS.
To Purchase Your Travel Insurance contact Donna at www.dmttravel.com
1. You should have two credit cards (Different accounts)
2. Be sure and call your Credit Card Companies and tell them the dates and the destinations of your vacation.
3. You might want to go to your bank and get some currency before your trip. You should be able to get some at the airport but that would be just one more thing to have to do then, and I think you would get a better deal from your bank.
4. Make sure and make a copy of your passport, carry that copy in your carry-on.
Also leave a copy with your travel agent or a family member.
5. Make a copy of your itinerary and place it inside your checked luggage, right on top. That way if your luggage happens to get misplaced the airlines will have the information needed to forward it to you.
Also leave a copy of your itinerary home with a family member or friend.
Another thing to consider is for you to share suitcases. Each pack half your clothes in the others suitcase.
That way if one losses their luggage you at least have something to wear until your bags show up.
If by some chance your luggage is not there, go directly to the claims center and let them know. If you are going to be greeted by a tour guide be sure and tell them also .Then call your Travel Insurance Company!
6. Be sure and have any medication, camera, jewelry (I would not even take any jewelry) in your carry-on. Do not pack these things in your checked bags. AND DO NOT PACK ANY CASH, TRAVELERS CHECKS OR CREDIT CARDS IN YOUR CHECKED BAGS.
To Purchase Your Travel Insurance contact Donna at www.dmttravel.com
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Hurricane Season
Peak hurricane season, which runs between August and October in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the U.S. south Atlantic coast, is certainly nothing to take lightly. Most every year you can see a fair bit of storm activity: according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), on the average there will be 14 to 18 storms, with winds of at least 40 mph, will be generated. Seven to 10 of these storms may be hurricanes, with winds of 75 mph.
Still, the lure of these warm-weather destinations, especially during the off-season, can be hard to resist. Crowds are thin, prices are excellent, perks—like free meals and spa treatments—are numerous, and very often, the weather winds up being perfectly fine (if slightly more humid than in high-season months). So, the question is: are there ways to “hurricane-proof” a vacation—to minimize the chances that a storm will ruin a low-season trip to the tropics?
Indeed there are—although most of the tricks for lessening hurricane risks require some research on the traveler’s part. The Internet can be an indispensable tool for scoping out predicted weather patterns, for example, or for comparing the hurricane policies of different hotels, tour groups, and airlines. Booking accommodations and flights with companies that offer hurricane guarantees (most often in the form of penalty-free rebooking) is a good way to safeguard a vacation; so is shopping around for and purchasing traveler’s insurance (the further in advance, the better).
Still, the lure of these warm-weather destinations, especially during the off-season, can be hard to resist. Crowds are thin, prices are excellent, perks—like free meals and spa treatments—are numerous, and very often, the weather winds up being perfectly fine (if slightly more humid than in high-season months). So, the question is: are there ways to “hurricane-proof” a vacation—to minimize the chances that a storm will ruin a low-season trip to the tropics?
Indeed there are—although most of the tricks for lessening hurricane risks require some research on the traveler’s part. The Internet can be an indispensable tool for scoping out predicted weather patterns, for example, or for comparing the hurricane policies of different hotels, tour groups, and airlines. Booking accommodations and flights with companies that offer hurricane guarantees (most often in the form of penalty-free rebooking) is a good way to safeguard a vacation; so is shopping around for and purchasing traveler’s insurance (the further in advance, the better).
Sunday, June 6, 2010
A Little Info Regarding Your Flight
AIRLINE MEALS
An airline meal is not something people rave about. In fact, people don't rave at all lately because the meals are almost nonexistent in domestic economy class. Some airlines sell snacks or sandwiches on board, but a hot meal behind the curtain is the exception, not the rule. Surprisingly, many people still get on a plane expecting to be fed. Many tell the story of how they flew all day and got nothing to eat but a bag of pretzels. There's a note in your flight confirmation that says "meal service," "no meal" or "food for sale." Check this note ahead of time so you know whether to pack a lunch or an extra 10-dollar bill. Airline food doesn't cost peanuts.
GETTING THE BEST SEAT ON THE PLANE
Why do airlines only reserve seats for you if you remember to ask? By the time you remember, the good ones are gone. To get the better coach seats, you want to avoid the restrooms and galleys because they're busy with lots of traffic. The seats in the last row and in front of exits often don't recline, Middle seats are cramped. Bulkheads have less leg room, but no one reclines into your lap, Window seats have a view but less head room or aisle access. Show up when the counter opens to get the desirable exit row. Each airline configures its aircraft differently, so check out www.seatguru.com before your next flight for the scoop on which seats to ask for.
www.dmttravel.com
An airline meal is not something people rave about. In fact, people don't rave at all lately because the meals are almost nonexistent in domestic economy class. Some airlines sell snacks or sandwiches on board, but a hot meal behind the curtain is the exception, not the rule. Surprisingly, many people still get on a plane expecting to be fed. Many tell the story of how they flew all day and got nothing to eat but a bag of pretzels. There's a note in your flight confirmation that says "meal service," "no meal" or "food for sale." Check this note ahead of time so you know whether to pack a lunch or an extra 10-dollar bill. Airline food doesn't cost peanuts.
GETTING THE BEST SEAT ON THE PLANE
Why do airlines only reserve seats for you if you remember to ask? By the time you remember, the good ones are gone. To get the better coach seats, you want to avoid the restrooms and galleys because they're busy with lots of traffic. The seats in the last row and in front of exits often don't recline, Middle seats are cramped. Bulkheads have less leg room, but no one reclines into your lap, Window seats have a view but less head room or aisle access. Show up when the counter opens to get the desirable exit row. Each airline configures its aircraft differently, so check out www.seatguru.com before your next flight for the scoop on which seats to ask for.
www.dmttravel.com
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