travel

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Oahu

Aulani has Aunty's Beach House, catering for children aged 3-12 (as long as they are toilet trained). This complimentary kid's club has a movie room, video games, playground and kids get to do many Hawaiian arts and crafts. Activities also take place in the kid's pool area. There are also some Premium Experiences that you can pay for. Open daily 9am-11pm (Sun,Wed,Fri), 8am-9pm (Mon,Sat), 7:30am-9pm (Tue,Thu).

Sheraton Waikiki, Oahu

Poppins Keiki runs activities for children from 2 1/2 to 12 years old. It is located on the 4th floor of the hotel. Activities take place in the suite or at the pool or beach. They also have excursions to the Zoo. Kids programme fees start from US$65 for half a day. They can also provide child care for children from 3 months old. Open from 9am-6pm daily.

Hilton Hawaiian Village, Oahu

Guests at the Hilton Hawaiian Village can sign the kids up at Camp Penguin 7 days a week. Kids need to be aged 5-12 years. It is located in the Diamond Head Tower. Activities include lei making, music, arts and crafts and excursions to the Zoo and Aquarium. The half day programme starts at US$60 and the full day at US$85. Open from 8am-3pm.

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Big Island

The Kids for All Seasons programme is complimentary for guests with children aged 5-12 years. Children can participate in arts and crafts and activities in and around the pool and beach. Lunch is included. There are also activities available for teens from 13-18 years. Open every day from 8am-5pm.

Hilton Waikoloa Village, Big Island

Club Keiki is designed for children aged 5-12 years. Cost is US$90/day for first child, US$75/day for each additional child. Kids will learn about Hawaiian culture while enjoying activities such as hiking, fishing and cooking. Open every day from 8am-4pm. There is also a night camp available, running from 4:30pm-9:30pm. Activities include hula dancing, karaoke and a scavenger hunt. Cost for the night camp is US$60 for first child, US$45 for each additional child.

The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Maui

The Westin's children's programme is for kids aged 5-12 years. The half-day programme is US$55/child and the full-day is US$80/child, including lunch. The night programme costs US$60/child. The Westin Discovery Room has video games, air hockey and foosball. Each morning there is an activity and craft organised such as net fishing and making candy leis. In the afternoons, kids get to spend time in the resort's pools. Night activities include gecko and toad hunts and indoor camping. Open every day from 8:30am-3pm and from 6pm-10pm.

Hyatt Regency, Maui

Camp Hyatt caters for kids from 5-12 years old. They have day and night programmes available. Each day of the week has a different theme such as culture day and sports day. Activities include sandcastle making, tile painting, tennis, and fishing. At night kids can learn about astronomy or attend a lu'au. Open every day from 9am-3pm and from 6pm-10pm.

The Kids Holidays Online website has more information about Hawaii. Check our Hawaii accommodation page or our Hawaii travel guide for more.

Subway travel is a wonderful way to commute to different locations in a metropolis without getting lost, opting for expensive taxis, and hunting around for shuttles in the heat. Moreover, in cities like Paris and London, subway systems are well maintained, function more like cozy retreats, and are excellent places to people-watch!

Are you safe in the subway? Though subway systems are not as prone to violence and pilfering as in other transport systems, it is better to skim through these tips and rather, be safe than sorry.

Things To do:

Make sure you have a fair idea of subway maps. Visit the Tourist Board beforehand to ask them about routes and timings. Download the subway schedule and keep a copy on you always. If you're early, wait only in the designated waiting areas. Remain alert and keep an eye on your baggage and purse.

Things To avoid:

Do not travel during peak hours - why would you want to be part of the conundrum when you can travel at leisure later? Do not travel in the dark. Do not get into empty subway cars. In case you wait for your train on the platform, do not stand really close to, or worse, lean toward, the tracks.

Women-centric advice:

Being a woman, you are at higher risk when you travel unguarded in a subway car. Though there are cities with 'pink cars' like Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Tokyo in Japan, and Mexico City in Mexico, most other metropolises do not have gender-specific cars you can board. As such, stay away from supposed hooligans. Trust your feminine instincts and keep away from men with inviting gestures, especially in third-world countries. You also might want to keep a check on local customs and dress modestly.

As a last word, do not attempt to 'stand out'. Try blending in as much as possible. Buy bags from the local grocer's, avoid glancing too much at the subway map in the car, and try appearing as calm and unflustered as possible to draw less attention. This way, you can have a happy ride home and enjoy exploring the city you are in.

Do you have anything else to share with regard to subway safety? Tell us about a certain not-so-pleasant subway incident you were involved in and how that impacted your vacation, so our readers can be more alert when they use the subway! Thank you.

Hi. I'm Myara M, a freelance writer on Elance specializing in travel, good housekeeping, and health. Do you want me to compose content for you? Feel free to look me up to Elance or get in touch with me at thecontentharbour@gmail.com. My rates start at 1 cent a word. Thank you.

Take a stroll around Central Park

Even if you weren't on a budget, I'd still recommend a stroll in Central Park. The 843 acres of land is right in the middle of Manhattan. It's the world's largest urban public park.

Before Central Park existed, Manhattan was experiencing exponential population growth. Citizens were noticing the large amounts of crowds. To get some air and privacy, people would begin visiting cemeteries. The city council began to notice the tiring effects on people. In 1857, Central Park was constructed. In 1962, it became a National Historic Landmark.

Inside Central Park, you'll find the Central Park Conservatory Garden, the Central Park Zoo, a few ice skating rinks, and Belvedere Castle. Throughout the year there are several events, ranging from open-air musical concerts to Shakespeare plays. Check the official Central Park website to see if any free events occur during your visit.

Walk around Times Square

Times Square is the brightly illuminated intersection of the Broadway district. The intersection was named after the newspaper corporation, the New York Times, which resides at the One Times Square building. That building might sound familiar to you. It's where the giant ball drops every New Year's Eve.

Times Square attracts close to 40 million tourists every year. All around the intersection are giant electronic billboards, advertising famous brands we all know. Along the streets are popular shops and Broadway theaters. Take the time to explore Times Square. If you have some change, grab a cheap pretzel or hot dog at one of the food carts.

Visit Grand Central Terminal

Back when trains were the most popular form of long distance travel, Grand Central Terminal was the most crowded train station in the United States. It's still popular, though now it's mostly used by daily commuters getting to work.

With 44 platforms and 67 tracks, Grand Central Terminal is the largest train station in the world by number of platforms. Grand Central Terminal spans about 48 acres. Inside, you'll find fast food meant for busy commuters. Around Grand Central Terminal, you'll also find plenty of souvenir shops.

Wander inside Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center is home to quite a few NBC Studio shows including all of the late night talk shows and Saturday Night Live. Before your visit, check NBC's websites to see if you can get tickets to one of these shows. Wander inside the complex to feel what it's like at this important media hub.

Outside Rockefeller Center is the popular ice rink. Here, you'll find families and children enjoying winter time. Outside the building, you'll also find the giant sign for Radio City Music Hall. This auditorium housed artists like Fitzgerald and Sinatra.

Look straight above at the middle of Rockefeller Center and you'll see a 872 feet tall skyscraper. That's the GE Building. In 2005, they built an observation deck and named it Top of the Rock. The view on that deck rivals the view on top of the Empire State Building.

Looking for more things to do in Manhattan?

This guide is just a short list of free things to do in Manhattan. If you have a few more days in the city, you might find my visitor's guide of What To Do in Manhattan useful.

Traveling abroad will normally be accompanied by a lot of excitement; especially if it is for holiday or casual touring. It is also quite exciting to traveling abroad on one's own for the very first time. Amidst all the fun, excitement, and planning for the trip, advance planning of all the details of the trip might be forgotten. Just why is it so important to plan well in advance before travelling?

In the excitement of the travel excursion, many people will forget the financial implications that may accompany the decisions made during their travels. It is important to deal with details such as; where to stay and where to change money. Thinking of these little details may seem unimportant as you are in a big hustle; but will assist you in making some great savings in the end. One mistake that many people who travel with hard cash make is to travel with loose, physical cash and exchange it at the airport bureaus. In most cases, the exchange rates given are quite low, and effectively lose a substantial mount of your money.

To avoid this, try to find a money changer in your current location and change the money into the currency of the region that you are travelling to. This gives you the ability to choose the best place, where you will get most value.

You can also make great savings by pre-booking the hotel of your choice far in advance. This helps you get subsidized rates that can offer you the best accommodation. Last minute booking; and booking upon arrival at the hotel; is downright dangerous, as you might lack accommodation and not get the desired services.

With technological advances, you can also save quite substantially by choosing to work with online money changers that will give you an alert when the rate of the money rises to a desirable point, where you can buy the most of the other nation's choice of currency. A simple observation of the exchange rates might help you understand the relative rate that you can work with.

Planning on the currency exchange rate and getting the best deal prior to travelling are some of the best ways to ensure that you get to make substantial savings. This ensures that upon embarking on your trip, you get to enjoy it immensely; as you have already worked out the small details and all the planning is in order. Make sure to make it a habit to always plan ahead and you will be amazed at the massive savings made.

1. Know before you go: Government

Research destinations and ask yourself the following question: What are the main dangers of the country or countries that I will be visiting? Crime, natural disasters, health issues and political instability are all things to be considered. Study the UK FCO and Australian smart traveller sites, both great resources for travelers. Time spent planning and preparing is never wasted. Don't just look at the country but specifically at where you will be, region, city and town.

2. Know a bit more before you go: Commercial

Research your destinations using commercial websites, interact on chat forums, advice pages and blogs. The websites Lonelyplanet and Bootsnall are great sources of information. Learn from others mistakes and experiences.

3. Minimize risk

List the main dangers you have found from your research in points 1 and 2 and then ask yourself one further question: How can I minimize these risks? It is not just identification of risks that's important. Learning how to react accordingly is vital. Professionals in all industries train constantly for what may happen, it should be the same for emergency preparedness when traveling. Consider taking a travel safety course.

4. Check insurance

Insurance may cost money that you don't think you can afford, but believe me, when you need it you will be glad you opted for it. Medical evacuation costs especially in more remote environments that you may find yourself in can easily reach into the hundreds of thousand of dollars. Check the small print over and over again and if in doubt check again.

5. Learn first aid

Off the beaten track travelers may find themselves in medical and first aid situations that they have to deal with themselves. Being able to care for yourself, friends and colleagues can significantly increase chances of survival in times of extremis. Learning how to identify, prevent or treat the basics such as heat illness, travelers diarrhea and mosquito borne diseases are extremely important. Other life saving skills such as CPR and hemorrhage control should also be considered, especially if exploring in remote environments. Consider taking a first aid course or at a minimum learning the basics prior to travel.

6. Be Grey

Blend into your environment. On our travel safety course we call this 'being grey' and this principal focuses on not standing out unnecessarily. What we mean is try and do what the locals do. Learn the culture, customs, gestures and basic language. It is amazing how saying the basics of hello and thank you in the native tongue can help considerably. When volunteering this is especially important, it will endear you to the locals. Consider yourself as guests of the country or region and act accordingly

7. Be patient

This is an underrated piece of advice. Traveling is all about getting to know the locals, seeing new things, experiencing new adventures and having the time of your lives. If one is patient, polite and generally nice then life just goes so much smoother. With patience, comes the ability to put up with perceived rudeness, inefficiency, delays, corruption and a whole variety of things that as travelers or volunteers we may not be accustomed too. Things are done differently in different places, with patience we learn and we adapt.

8. Smile

If you are kind to people then 90% of the time they will reciprocate. You smile they will smile back, if you are nice, they will also be nice. This opens so many doors to a volunteer, meeting people, learning about secret local spots off the beaten track, meals with kind strangers and a host of other great experiences that come from interacting and being nice.

9. Never switch off

This is important especially because of the last two entries. Even though we will be patient, kind and nice we must at no times lose our situational awareness. That means never switching off your risk analysis. We should never walk around with our head in the clouds. It is vital to be aware of our surroundings at all times, to scan for danger and analyze risks constantly. This comes back to point 3. Minimize risk, through preparation, either by training or planning one should learn how to identify threats early.

10. Always wear a seatbelt

One of the biggest risks to travelers in foreign countries is vehicular accident. Even when on a bus, wear a seatbelt. There are many other risks related with transportation. Buses, trains, boats, rickshaws, mopeds all have a huge list of inherent risks associated to their use. Research and prepare, but whatever you do always wear that seatbelt.

This is just a basic list of tips that will help you stay safe whilst traveling abroad. Travel safety and security is a huge topic and one with many variables and standpoints.Traveling is one of the most amazing things you will ever do, enjoy it but always remember the number one rule of safe travel is the same as emergency care, think about number one.

The author is the co-founder of Explorer Travel Security. This is a dynamic and elite travel security company dedicated to travel safety and security of individuals group and businesses abroad. it is a full service company offering tailored training courses, executive protection, global rescue, elite travel insurance and electronic tracking and security solutions.

Please visit our website http://www.exploresecure.com/services/ or visit our travel safety and security blog at http://www.exploresecure.com/travel-safety-blog/.

Our company prides itself on offering tailored travel security solutions and is comprised of counter terrorist and risk management professionals of the highest calibre.

If you have never left home for any length, or extended periods, then visiting another country with a family member or friend can be very daunting. Especially if it's a personal vacation that involves travelling alone.

When growing up, parents take on all of the responsibility and make travelling through borders, and flying internationally, seem like such a simple task. But now its your turn to understand the responsibilities of booking flights. Choosing a hotel and then putting it all together. Understanding the time to check-in and get to the hotel via public transport is all vital to ensuring the trip goes smoothly without any hiccups.

Combine this with gauging the correct amount of currency to travel with and how comfortable you are with the local language is another aspect that can often be overlooked.

Here are four top tips that will help not only improve your travels, but also help give you a head start to setting your expectations and enabling you make the most out of the visit:

Tip One: Breaking The Language Barrier

When visiting another country, it is very likely that their mother tongue will be different to yours. Fortunately for everyone who's first language is English, the majority of European countries have a high percentage of fluent English speakers. But when travelling to Asia and Africa for example, there may be a larger language barrier.

One of the best ways to counter-act this and to ultimately improve your options is to cover as many basics as possible. Pick up a phrasebook and learn common questions and phrases that will help you source local transport, find toilets etc...

Many locals will most likely be more inclined to help, when they know that you are trying to accommodate their culture and language.

Tip Two: Bring Appropriate Clothing

Double and triple check the weather that is common during the months you will be visiting. Other countries will have different rain fall levels and the humidity can make it uncomfortable if you have not packed the correct clothing. If the weather conditions are very different than those you experience back home consider purchasing the appropriate footwear, hats etc...

Tip Three: Getting To Know The Destination and Activities

Depending on the length of your stay, it is highly recommended to research all of the local activities and tourist locations. Planning each day can help ensure everything can be viewed in a timely fashion. But, remember to keep an empty slot in the diary each day to allow yourself to wander and allow unrestricted time to experience anything that catches your attention, that was not planned.

It is worthwhile looking into the local tourist board, many popular tourist attractions provide discount cards that provide access to many attractions for a discounted rate and often can be bought in advance.

Tip Four: Communication

Being able to communicate with your loved ones back home is important to not only curb any homesickness that is felt, but also keep everyone back home up-to-date with your travels.

It's worth noting that international roaming can be very expensive therefore it's worth taking preliminary precautions. Which involves agreeing to specific ways of calling and messaging. Thus, taking advantage of any nearby Wi-Fi can help benefit from the large availability of apps. Such as Viber and Skype. This will allow a consistent form of communication whilst, not costing a penny.

Another way to keep in touch is to agree on a specific time each day and have anyone back home call you, using online access number or international calling cards. This can save anyone who wishes to call you a lot of money.

And providing cheap calls to Australia, France, Africa and anywhere else, no matter how far around the world you plan on travelling.

Harvey McEwan provides information and advice on a variety of areas that help travellers. Especially helping families and friends keep in touch with cheap calls to Australia, France, Germany and hundreds of other countries. View Harvey's other articles to find out more.

The urge to travel is an intrinsic part of being a human. As a species, we have always endeavored to explore new horizons and discover what is beyond our reach to understand the unknown and to comprehend the seemingly unperceivable. We have walked across deserts, climbed mountains, and sent ships into space to satisfy our thirst to journey to the great expanses of beauty available within our reach. Travel is one of the desires that has greatly fueled the necessity of invention and innovation. Nowadays however, most individuals are so mired in their existences that they cannot conceive of undertaking a trip of exploration of self discovery. The urban landscape has become so mundane and monotonous and the drudger is almost inescapable. We must always strive to break the shackles of the monotony and explore within our means. There is a great abundance of beauty within the regions proximal to us if we only chose to take the time to travel there. You can greatly enrich yourself through coming in close contact with various landscapes and cultures. There are several unique travel tips that you can keep in mind, apart from the usual fare, to make sure that you really craft for yourself an incredible and memorable experience. A few go thus:

1) Go off the beaten track

There are destinations and then there are Destinations. That simple statement encapsulates a great truth in that when you step out of your comfort zone and the well traveled road, you can come across great destinations which are yet unexplored and are characteristic of sublime beauty and sometimes, antiquity. There are a lot of facets about the region that you can discover when you travel to such destinations and you can then enjoy the mirror projection on your growing personality as these aspects then become part of you as well.

2) Interact with the regional community

When you take the decision to journey off the beaten road and out of your comfort zone, you can really begin to truly experience life different from what you know it to be. Interacting with the locals of the community in the destination that you're traveling can be an extremely unique experience for many and will really prove to be extremely fulfilling. To have a different perspective about the lives of people living there and to immerse yourself in the various aspects of their culture is an excellent way to satiate your desire to know and live truly, as part of a global community.

3) Make a mark. Leave your footprint in the sand.

After interacting with the regional dwellers, you can really begin to get a sense of the various unexplored gems in a particular destination and then travel to them by yourself. After visiting these destinations, you can devise and act out a personal ritual where you leave your mark on a particular place. This ritual would of course have to be environmentally friendly and harmless to the sentiments of the locals. But even a simple activity such as this makes a great addition to your experiences and can impart to you a lifetime of memories.

The author of this article is Nikita, a autodidact by nature. Working for TicketGoose.com is the largest online web portal providing the Online Bus Booking method for customers.