MaiTravelSite

Swimming With Dolphins and Turtles in Oahu

maitravelsite — Thu, 17 May 2012 02:10:57 +0000

Few places in the world as good as Oahu´s west coast when it comes to whale watching and dolphin encounters, and if this is one of the experiences in your bucket list make sure you join one of the tours that allow you to swim with dolphin and turtles tours when exploring Hawaii’s most visited island. In this video you’ll get to see what our tour with Sail Hawaii was like (an absolute blast), and if you need more info you might want to read my article on the experience too.

Have you swum with dolphins in Hawaii? Elsewhere? Spotted them from a boat? How about turtles? Share your story with us in the comments section below, and this video too if you liked it!

My Four Favorite Cities in Colombia

maitravelsite — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:26:56 +0000

Colombia is known as a country full of traditions and beauty. It has beautiful beaches and some spectacular archaeological finds that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. Yet perhaps surprisingly some of it’s biggest cities are full of character and destinations you must visit when in the country. These are the four I highly recommend:

Cartagena

This city plays a very important role in terms of international trade, being home to one of the mains ports in Colombia. You will feel how the colonial period has impacted the city, just by walking through the streets. Cartagena has a variety of attractions including visiting the “Casa de Marqués Valdehoyos” (an old house portraying old Cartagena), the Cathedral, and the “Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas”, a fortress which was built to protect the city from pirates. Finally, if you’re a beach lover, Playa Blanca will not disappoint you. You can hop on one off the tourist boats or save some money and head there early in the morning with a public speedboat.

Bogota – Colombia’s Capital

This city is influenced by a mixture of cultures from English, Spanish and Indian. Bogota is very modern with lots of interesting architecture, restaurants and shops. There are many districts in Bogota, such as “Norte”, “Noroccidente”, “Occidente”, “Sur” and “Centro” – all having their own character and uniqueness. Expect to find a lot of things to do in this capital, including the “Cerro de Monserrate” – which is a stunning monastery located on top of a hill. You can take a cable car here and remember to take your camera to shoot some amazing views of the city. As for lodging, you’ll find some amazing accommodation in Bogota, including private bed and breakfasts in the city centre or in one of the city’s exciting districts.

Cali

This is Colombia’s third largest city and was founded in 1536. If you want to go somewhere hot this summer then Cali is the place for you. Of course like Bogota and Cartagena, there are lots of things to do . The “Iglesia de la Merced” is a wonderful stunning cathedral, located in the Plaza Caycedo. There are of course plenty of museums to visit here, including the “Museo de Arte Colonial” and the “Muse de Oro”, and if dancing is your thing, there’s no better place to learn Cumbia and master salsa till the wee hours of the morning.

Popayan

Perhaps Colombia’s most spiritual city, Popayan exudes a charm and beauty that does not go unnoticed- even to the untrained eye. Known as the “white city” because of the white walled buildings that dominate the cobbled streets, the old quarter is easily walkable and the best place where to stay. The best of Popayan can be visited in just one day, but just a 45 minute bus ride away is Silvia, a small village with an indigenous population (the Guambinos, easily identified by their black hats and blue capes) that will keep you in awe for the day.

Today the locals have earned their reputation as visionaries and entrepreneurs who love life on the streets and are famous for exaggerating their colorful stories. The hospitality, frugality and proactive spirit associated with the region are proverbial and the enticement of this wondrous place stretches even beyond the picturesque landscape and beauty.

Have you visited Colombia? Do you agree with my pick or do you have other favorites? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below, and this post too if you liked it!

What Should a Good Credit Card for Travel Have?

maitravelsite — Fri, 04 May 2012 23:29:23 +0000

We all know that there’s a plethora of credit cards out there from which to choose, yet despite how simple getting a good travel credit card may appear to be, the truth is that choosing the wrong one might cost you very dearly. Why? The answer is as simple as it is scary: fees. And not only that, you might be loosing free flights and other bonuses. With your permission let me guide you through this obscure world, and hopefully you’ll be seeing a light at the end of the tunnel by the time you’re done with this article.

Watch Our For Credit Card Fees

When choosing a credit card to take on a trip overseas, you need to check how much the card provider is going to charge you to use it while you are traveling. Some providers levy extortionate foreign conversion charges for using your card (and may even stop your card if you don’t inform them in any advance that you will be using it overseas), with charges typically starting from around three per cent of each transaction that you make with the card while traveling overseas- this can add up to hundreds of dollars when traveling long term. The best way to get around this is to carry a debit card that you will use to withdraw local money, thus only being charged the local bank fee (if there is one) and not the cash advance plus exchange rate fee, or to buy everything online via the U.S. version of the site to avoid being charged. There are however a few no foreign transaction fees credit cards – Capital One, the Chase British Airways card and Discover, for example- although they may limit the period you can do so or charge you more for withdrawals from ATM’s. If you’re going to get a Credit Card, I’d get one of these.

If you are traveling in Europe or North America, another option is to take out a pre-paid foreign exchange card rather than a debit or credit card. These allow you to top up before you go and offer a much better exchange rate than a bank or bureau de change. You can also top them up online or by phone when you are overseas. Leading providers of pre-paid foreign exchange cards include Caxton FX and Fair FX.

And what about annual fees? Branded credit cards usually charge between 50-100 USD in annual fees, but there are some that do not have them. What’s the catch? Cards that have fees usually offer more points per mileage and other advantages, thus allowing you to use your rewards sooner. If you’re going to travel a lot odds are that you will actually save more money with one of these than the cost of the annual fee.

Reward schemes

Another thing to check is what reward schemes are associated with your credit card, for example one air mile per dollar spent on the card or points that you can redeem against future purchases. Good airline miles credit cards will give you extra points when you shop at specific retailers, or, if it is a branded credit card, with a particular brand. Don’t however spend more than you otherwise would on the card to build up air miles or reward points as this will end up costing you more than you gain, but try to get more than one point per dollar when possible!

Sign up bonuses

Most travel credit cards offer huge bonuses for signing up, equal to at least one domestic travel flight within the U.S., sometimes even more. The American AAdvantage card offers 25,000 miles just for joining, United Airlines gives you 30,000 miles for signing up and Delta offers miles and elite status miles when you sign up. I highly recommend you don’t get one that doesn’t offer these, as you’ll be able to reap the benefits right away.

Insurance

Many credit cards also offer things that you will find useful while you are traveling, such as car insurance and health insurance. American Express for example offers insurance on car rentals so that you don’t need to pay for it separately to the car rental business as well as travel insurance that covers you if you lose anything or are injured while traveling. That is a huge bonus I think.

Some of the More Popular Credit Cards

Let’s take a closer look at some of the more popular credit cards and their fees.

HSBC

The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation based in Britain has a number of credit and debit card deals for personal customers. HSBC charges an overseas conversion fee of one per cent on all transactions, whether you are buying goods and services with your card or using it to get cash. If you use your card to take out cash from an ATM overseas, it will also levy an additional $1.50 ATM transaction fee on each withdrawal. So if you’re in Europe and you want to withdraw four hundred Euros, it would cost you $5.50 (one per cent conversion fee of $4 plus $1.50 ATM transaction fee). Having said that, this is still at the lower end of what some banks and credit card providers will charge you on overseas transactions.

Bank of America

Bank of America’s charges for overseas transactions are some of the lowest available to personal customers. It also charges a one per cent conversion fee on all overseas transactions as well as a $5 fee for withdrawing cash from an ATM while you are traveling. However, these fees can be avoided if the bank you use overseas is part of the Global ATM Alliance. As well as Bank of America, this includes Barclays (United Kingdom), BNP Paribas (France), Deutsche Bank (Germany), Scotiabank (Canada), Westpac (Australia) and ABSA (South Africa).

CitiGroup

CitiGroup in the United States has a number of Citi Cards which you can use when traveling abroad. It too charges a one per cent conversion fee on all transactions and an additional fee of $1.50 on ATM withdrawals, but like Bank of America it will waive these if you use your credit or debit card at one of its affiliated banks overseas.

This is a bit overwhelming, can’t you just tell me which one I should get?

Before I get your hopes high, I’m sorry to say that the answer is no. Depending on where you are, where you’re going, and what you’re going to do one credit card will be better than another, and only you can determine which one suits you best. This said, I would recommend you get two: one that will give you one of those huge bonuses when signing up, and another that will waive you the fees when withdrawing money overseas. Should you loose one for any reason you will still have a replacement, and if you don’t mind carrying a third one I would recommend you get one too that includes some sort of insurance.

What credit cards do you use when traveling? Do you pay attention to the fees that are charged? Which is kind of travel credit card would you be most interested in getting? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below, and this post too if you liked it!

[Photo credit @ Flickr: 401k]

10 Free Things to See and Do in London

maitravelsite — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:24:18 +0000

London is one of the most popular European destinations for tourists, especially those from North America and Asia. As in other big cities, and because of currency exchange rates, prices in London – for accommodation, food and drink, entertainment, transportation – can be high. So what can you do for free?

Art galleries

London is home to a number of world class art galleries. As well as Tate Modern on the site of a former power station on the south bank of the Thames which specializes in modern paintings, sculptures and other installations, there is also its sister gallery Tate Britain, the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square, itself an iconic and much-visited destination (there is a exit from Charing Cross London Underground station directly into the square). All these galleries are free to visit, although some of them may ask for a voluntary donation or charge admission for special events or exhibitions.

Museums

All the big London museums are free to visit but as with the art galleries some of them charge admission for special exhibitions. They include the British Museum, one of the world’s leading museums with extensive collections relating to British and world history, the Museum of London, where you can learn about the history of the city starting with the Roman occupation of England, the Natural History Museum, and the Imperial War Museum which documents the lengthy history of the British involvement in international conflicts.

Parks

Walk or picnic in one of the London’s many open spaces such as Hyde Park, Regent’s Park and St. James’s Park. Many also have impressive views of the city’s landmarks and historic buildings.

Churches

St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey charge admission fees to visitors but it’s free to attend a service (you can also get in free outside these times if you tell them you’re visiting for religious reasons and are insistent).

Music

Free live music in London spans rock, jazz and folk in pubs to classical concerts in churches such as St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

Lectures

Institutions where you can attend free talks and lectures include the London School of Economics and the Royal Society.

Walks

Many places in London, such as the parks, offer free guided walks. You can also of course go for a walk yourself, for example along the Thames with its iconic skyline.

Public buildings

The Central Criminal and High Courts and Houses of Parliament – where you can watch a trial or debate – are open to visitors, although you may need to queue in order to gain admission.

Sport

While top class football, cricket and rugby is very expensive, there are sports events you can watch in London, notably the University Boat Race on the Thames and the London Marathon.

Architecture

One of London’s main attractions is its architecture, from the Norman Westminster Abbey and Tower of London, through Wren’s seventeenth century St Paul’s Cathedral and modern buildings such as Canary Wharf.

As you can see, whether you’re staying at hotels in Earls Court or more upscale luxury central London hotels there are lots of free things to see and do in London. Go and experience some of them for yourself and have a great trip to England’s historic and vibrant capital.

Have you visited London? Which of all free sightings do you like best? Any others you think should be in the list? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below, and this post too if you think others might find it helpful!

[Photo credits @ Fickr: top anirudh koul; middle Michael Spence]

Review: Nobelcom Prepaid Phone Cards

maitravelsite — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 02:59:17 +0000

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Nobelcom inquiring if I would be interested in trying one of their prepaid online phone cards and reviewing it after putting it to good use. Why not?

Remembering the days I lived in Australia when I would buy my 6 AUD prepaid phone card that would give me 350 minutes of calling time to Spain I was interested to find out if prepaid phone cards had anything to offer in the days of Skype, Rebtel, Whatsapp and other VoIP systems that abound. Are the rates cheaper? How good is the sound quality? Are they easy to use? Will I have to carry plastic around to remember my number?

Who is NobelCom?

Nobelcom is (per their website) ” a telecommunications company founded in 1998 [...]committed to offering top quality phone cards for US domestic and international calls at affordable rates.” They are an online based telecommunications provider that ” provides online customers with a secure way to purchase affordable, easy-to-use prepaid phone cards.” Although I was given mine at no cost I have visited their website and sure enough they accept all the major credit cards as well as Paypal, and the sign up form is a breeze too. As for their rates, they are certainly much cheaper than regular phone calls yet aren’t free, as you obviously might expect.

OK, I get a prepaid phone card, but what else?

NobelCom has made sure that as a service provider they offer not only the prepaid calling card but other useful services too- at no additional cost. The extra services I found most appealing are:

PC-2-Phone calls: Download the latest version of their PC-2-Phone program, install it, select the PIN to call from and start enjoying your calls! To keep things simple, you will be able to log in with your NobelCom username and password
Virtual Numbers: You can get Virtual Numbers for various locations around the world. What are they? Here’s an example: if you get a Virtual Number for Paris, your friends in Paris can ring you up and they are billed as for a local call. The Virtual Number costs a small fee to rent and can be rented for 1, 2, 3, 6 or 12 months.
Send an SMS to any cell phone in the world! You can currently send 3 free SMSes per day to any number in the world, at no cost.
You can recharge your card online.
24/7 customer support.

Who are these cards for?

With today’s technology the use of calling cards is not as widespread as it was just a few years ago, yet there is space for them in the telecom market. I find that these cards are great for travelers who are not traveling with a laptop or a smart phone, will not have easy access to a phone with VOIP but will need to speak with people overseas.

Conclusion

After using the card to make a few phone calls overseas I found that their top claim is indeed very true: the quality of the phone conversation is second to none (when compared with other phone cards…and even direct calls in some cases!). They have several toll free numbers I could dial to reach my counterpart and the rates were rather reasonable, of course exceptional when compared with standard rates. However there is one thing I do not like very much and that is having to know (or have stored somewhere) my personal ID number plus toll free number somewhere to be able to make the call. In developed countries this makes it a bit of an inconvenient, though you probably won’t care less if located in an under developed nation. All in all Nobelcom prepaid phone cards are excellent because of the sound quality, value and simple to use platform IF you don’t have access to Skype, Rebtel or other similar programs, and in today’s world this is a BIG if.

Have you used prepaid calling cards before? Do you still use them now? What advantages do they have in your opinion? And disadvantages? Share your thoughts in the comments section below, and this post too if you think other might find it useful!

Note: This is a sponsored review, however like with all reviews in this site my opinion has remained unaffected

[Photo Credit @Flickr msutherland1]

Which is the Best Way to Learn English?

maitravelsite — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:01:33 +0000

This post is an entry to participate in an online contest held by Kaplan International Colleges that poses, in any case, an interesting question: which is the best way to learn English? I am quite certain about what the most effective method is, but let’s take a look at this interesting infographic they have prepared:

Looking at it, the answer stands out bluntly and is one I fully agree with and probably you do too: the best way to learn English, or any other language, is to travel to a country where that language is spoken and absorb everything you can. Why? I think it is quite simple:

You are forced to use that language for communication. Period.
You will pick up local accents and slang that will take you one step ahead.
Want something? Whether it’s food, accommodation, directions or anything basic, using English (assuming it’s an English speaking country) will be the way to go. In fact even if it’s not an English speaking country English will come in very handy to get you anywhere, and anything.
Many sources of entertainment are also in English, be it music, video, games or movies. This will shorten your learning curve even more.
Practice makes perfection, and in an English speaking country you’ll be READING, WRITING, LISTENING AND SPEAKING in English 24 hours a day. How and where else can you put all these requirements into practice without feeling like an outsider? Only in an English speaking country, of course.

Who doesn’t like to travel, to explore the world? Learning a new language is a great excuse to pack your suitcase and hit the road. There are several fascinating countries that are the most commonly visited when English is the language to learn, namely USA, Ireland, the UK and Australia. Each has many other sources of entertainment, and depending on your budget, personal interests and location you will probably choose one of these four. My pick would be Australia because of all the other travel opportunities it would allow and because of the fine weather you can enjoy most of the year ( I know the South is cold- I’ve lived there). But I can understand why you might choose a place closer to home.

And now it’s your turn:

Which is, in your opinion, the best way to learn English? Why? Do you also think traveling is the most effective? Did you travel overseas to learn or improve your English skills? Where? Please share your opinion with us in the comments section below, and this post too if you liked it!

[photo credit @ Flickr: JLS Media]