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7 Safety Tips when Riding in a Foreign Taxi

If you are going overseas on your honeymoon, or to any foreign country, taxis will be part of your trip. Chances are you will not be renting a car. The hotel shuttles we are all accustomed to here in the US are a rarity in foreign countries. Riding a taxi can generally be safe. It’s at least safer than journeying through the subway with your luggage and other travel paraphernalia.

But lets be honest, there are things, bad things, that can happen when riding in a foreign taxi. You’ve probably heard the reports of kidnappings by taxi drivers in the news. If you’ve spent the last year of your life planning your wedding, had your big wedding day, then hopped a plane and flown several hours to your honeymoon destination, you are going to be very tired and very probably jet lagged. In this state, your normal street defenses are very likely to be impaired and small details that you normally would notice as red flags may escape you. Before boarding any kind of vehicle, consider your safety first and then be alert about your surroundings when traveling. The good thing, in this case, is there are two of you– if you both use your common sense, you will be safe.

Tip # 1 – Locate a taxi stand.

If you just came out of the airport, you can easily find taxi stands in and around the area. It will be a bit similar to what you have in your country. You just look for the line of taxis under a sign that you probably won’t be able to read and that will probably be it. If unsure, ask a policeman or security guard. In general terms, only cabs that are authorized by the government to board passengers are the ones that can park under these stands. This also means that the taxi driver is licensed. Never let drivers that are aggressive bully you into riding with them. They might have a more sinister intention than bringing you to your honeymoon destination.

Tip # 2 – Know something about the place where you’re heading.

You should have some general idea regarding how to reach your hotel or lodging destination. You can find foreign city maps on line, or you can contact the property where you are staying and ask for general directions. A few minutes invested in planning at home can prevent you from being taken advantage of there. Try to avoid shortcuts because this can confuse your memory and lead to other streets that you are unfamiliar with. Notice what direction you are traveling in. If you know from asking that your hotel is south and the taxi is going north be determined to ask about it. Otherwise, be prepared to make the cab stop if something seems wrong. As a last resort, jump out of your seat and ask for help.

Tip # 3 – Pay attention to cab similarities.

Look at the color of the taxi. Is it the same as the others? Do they have certain similarities that can reassure you that the cab is really safe? You can never trust a taxi that seems different from the others because in some places, thieves use fake cabs to get your money or sometimes more.

Tip # 4 – Keep your belongings close.

If you’re traveling abroad most likely you will have a lot of big, heavy luggage. It is probably not going to be possible for both of you and your luggage to be inside the cab. But at the very least, keep your carry ons with all your valuables and important papers inside with you. Keep them very close to you. Losing your papers and money in a foreign country is a far more serious matter than losing your luggage in case anything bad happens. This is why you should be very careful when selecting your cab in the first place.

Tip # 5 – Note phone numbers.

Taxi companies love advertising. That is why legitimate taxis are always plastered with company numbers either on the trunk, doors and roofs. Never get into a taxi that doesn’t have the company’s phone number on its interior or exterior surface.

Tip # 6 – Sharing alert.

Sharing your cab with someone can minimize your expenses and might give you a false sense of safety. Generally, you should not agree if your taxi driver wants someone to share with you no matter how
peaceful the stranger looks – especially in foreign countries. You could end up being kidnapped becausethe peaceful-faced stranger is wearing a mask and is actually a monster in league with the cab driver.

Tip # 7 – Pay attention to the door handle.

Open the door to the cab and check the inside door handle before allowing your luggage to be loaded into the trunk. Do not ride in a taxi when the door handle inside is malfunctioning or is broken. It would be very difficult for you to escape a predicament with a busted cab door.

Always have an emergency line where you can call local officials. When you are setting up your honeymoon trip abroad, be sure to ask for these numbers and check with your cell phone provider that your phone will have service where you’re journeying. If you use your common sense and plan ahead, especially in foreign countries, you will honeymoon safely.

Why Honeymoon on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Cruising is considered one of the luxurious vacation treats you can give to yourself for your honeymoon. Although often considered luxurious (which is synonymous for expensive), the idea of sailing on a cruise ship to majestic and wonderful honeymoon destinations is perfect. Different cruise lines offer variety of cruise packages. These will appeal to both rich and average clients.

If you are considering a honeymoon cruise vacation, then you might consider the option of sailing with the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. They offer great vacation treats without any tricks!! There will always be a wide variety of options for you. They are one of the most reputable cruise lines in the industry, and the amenities that they are providing to their passengers on-board the ship are all rated first-class.

If you are unfamiliar with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, you might think that its cruise ships are only targeting the Caribbean. You will be delighted to learn, they also include different locations like Alaska, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Hawaii, Europe, Mexico, Canada, the Pacific Northwest, the Panama Canal, and the transatlantic destinations in their cruise itineraries, as well.

They also have some great cruise tours, which include an escorted land tour that can be booked to occur before or after your cruise. You travel by first-class motor coach or train and gives you the option to see more of the country to which you are traveling.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines is operated by the Royal Caribbean International which is based in Miami, Florida. It has a total of 19 ships in service and two more that are under construction. All their ships have names ending in “of the Seas”.

Each of their ships includes the signature top-of-ship lounge known as Viking Crown Lounge which offers you a panoramic view. It also has a program called Adventure Ocean that is intended for kids on-board.

So what are the best deals that Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines offer to its passengers? First, are the informative lectures about your honeymoon destination and the ship itself. You will be given a tour around the cruise ship where you will find lots of amenities on-board such as ice skating rinks and on-board Casino. You will not be missing your classic Pachinko game in Las Vegas.

What about relaxing your whole body? There is an on-board massage center and spa that will make your body feel relaxed. There is also an acupuncture center, where you can experience the Chinese style of massaging and healing.

As mentioned earlier, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines also features the Adventure Ocean Youth Program for your kids. It includes Fisher-Price Aqua babies and Aqua Tots for toddlers. There is a children-friendly rock-climbing wall that will surely make your children happy. They will be pre-occupied by their own activities while you are on a land tour.

Cruising for disabled or elderly persons is not a problem. Their cruise ships are designed to cater to the needs of aged or mobility-impaired passengers. Cruise ship staff are also ready to attend to their needs as well. There are also medical services for everybody on-board, which includes an emergency clinic with CPR equipment placed on all of their ships. This is staffed by an English-speaking doctor and nurses.

Dining activities are also one of the major attractions when you go on-board with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. They offer a wide variety of culinary delicacies- Italian, Southern, European—these can be found in their dining facilities, either in the cafeteria or in the main dining area.

You’ll find you have a couple of simple ways to book your honeymoon cruise. All you have to do is to log on to travel agent’s online and ask them to book you on a cruise. You can also go direct to the official Royal Caribbean Cruise Line website. They are offering discounts on varying destinations and amazing specials designed to fill up empty spaces on the ship. Whether you book early or late, there are great deals reserved for you on every honeymoon destination that you might choose. You may even get a discount for choosing them for your honeymoon travel. Be sure to ask!

With these pleasant and first-class services at affordable prices, there is no reason for you not to consider the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines when choosing your honeymoon cruise.

Plan a Honeymoon Destination to Aruba and Save Money

If you are looking for a honeymoon destination with a tropical theme but a little worried about the cost? This year but with the rise in gas prices and food costs and other expenses you may be worried along with the rest of us about the cost of a tropical vacation.  Don’t give up on going to Aruba on vacation, just change when you go.

If you visit Aruba during the off season you can save a lot of money on every part of your trip. The off season in Aruba is usually from the end of April until November. Unlike other popular vacation destinations the most popular time to travel to Aruba is from December to April. This is because the weather in Aruba is usually quite beautiful all year long so the time when most people travel to Aruba is when the weather is snowy and cold and unpleasant throughout most of North America which is between December and April.

So you can take a summer vacation to Aruba to enjoy the wonderful sunny tropical weather and pay a fraction of what you would pay if you took the same vacation during the popular tourist season between December and April. You can look on the Internet and find great deals on airfare for vacations to Aruba during the off season. Comparing prices and booking online instead of going through a travel agent can save you even more money. When it comes to booking a place to stay you have a lot of options. Most hotels are practically empty during the off season which means you can get usually get really luxurious accommodations for the price of a regular room so if you want to stay in luxury while you’re on vacation in Aruba then booking a room or a suite at a fancy hotel or spa resort will be perfect for you.

But if you want to have some privacy on your vacation and you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of tourists you should think about getting a vacation rental instead of staying in a hotel. During the slow season you can find amazing deals on vacation rentals. Usually the owners of these rentals have the places already fully booked for the high tourist season but the homes just sit empty during the off season so you can book an entire home or villa or cottage on the beach for you and your family for very little money. The owners might even appreciate having off season guests and offer you further discounts if you are planning on staying for a week or longer.

Saving money on airfare and accommodations is just the beginning though. Everything will be cheaper during the off season in Aruba. Restaurants will be less crowded and less expensive. There won’t be as many lines at popular family attractions, water parks, horseback riding tour facilities, golf courses or any of the other activities that you’ll want to do while you’re there.

Pamper Yourself with a Spa Vacation in Aruba

If you really need a chance to get away, relax, rewind and rejuvenate yourself you should plan a spa vacation to Aruba. Aruba is also a beautiful place to get married or as a honeymoon destination. There are lots of high quality world class spas on the island of Aruba where you can get all the pampering you need to feel relaxed and refreshed.

Most of the spas are located within high end resorts so you will have to book a room at the resort and then add on your spa treatments. When you do that make sure that you have a spa advisor or a hotel concierge book your spa treatments and spa days at the time when you book your room to make sure that you get the appointment times that you want and the treatments that you want.

If you want more privacy and more relaxation than just getting spa treatments at a hotel you can book a stay in one of several destination spas that dot the island. These destination spas often have private beaches and private cottages for guests so that you get lots of privacy and lots of down time to relax.

Unlike some spas where your days are strictly regimented these destination spas let you choose your own schedule, your own treatments and sometimes your own menu so that you can really relax. Since the weather in Aruba is beautiful throughout the year you can save money and have more privacy if you take your spa vacation to Aruba during the off season. The off season in Aruba, the season that has the least amount of tourists, is during April to November so you have lots of dates to choose from.
Want to give your best friend, sister, or partner a great gift? Take her with you on a spa trip to Aruba. That way you will have a loved one to travel with and do things with but you will both get the benefits of a few full days of spa treatments, meditation, and total relaxation. Spa vacations are becoming very trendy and more and more destination spas are popping up in places like Aruba where the natural beauty and tropical climate combined with the relaxation and luxury of the spa experience can make a vacation truly unforgettable.

Couples spa treatments and spa vacations are also becoming popular. If you could use some time away with your spouse to reconnect or recharge your relationship a spa vacation in Aruba is a great way to get some quality time together. Do you know a couple that has a small baby? For their anniversary this year give them a couple’s spa vacation in Aruba. They will be very grateful for the chance to spend some quality time alone together and to relax and get a break from the stress of being new parents.

A spa vacation also makes a great wedding gift. Planning a destination wedding? You could book a few days of spa treatments at the spa in your hotel and head down to Aruba with your bridal party a few days early to get in some girl time with your attendants. Giving your friends and family a few days at the spa is a wonderful way to thank your bridal attendants for participating in your wedding.

Planning a Luxurious Vacation to Jamaica

If you’re planning a luxury vacation to Jamaica there are plenty of places where you can find everything you need to make your vacation truly luxurious. Destination spas, five star hotels and fabulous restaurants are plentiful and easy to find everyone on the island. You can treat yourself to the finest of everything because Jamaica is very affordable. If you want to have a really luxurious vacation you can book a suite at one of the many high end resorts that dot the beaches around the island.

Many of the fine resorts offer complimentary travel to and from the airport and may even have a car service that can you around the island. There are a lot of lovely attractions that you can visit or you can sit by the pool and soak up some warm Jamaican sun. There is also world class shopping and several casinos that can provide a lot of entertainment when the sun is too much. For a truly luxurious Jamaican vacation skip the hotels and look into renting one of the many private villas that can be found on private estates.

Many of these private villas have private beaches right on the ocean and have every luxury that you can think of. Some of these villas are built on land that used to belong to European nobility and European and American socialites and wealthy families that would spend their winters in the Caribbean in mansions overlooking the expansive white beaches. Now most of those mansions are gone but the land is still privately owned and developers have built individual villas on the property where you can stay with a loved one or just by yourself if you need some time alone.

If you’re a boating enthusiast you can rent a villa with a private boat slip so that you can boat as much as you want and you don’t have to travel any further than out your front door. Most of these villas come with housekeeping service, private chefs, and some even have a private concierge so that you can get information on the best spots to eat and shop or get tickets to some of the wonderful shows, exhibits and attractions that the island has to offer. If you want to surprise someone that you love with a luxury vacation you should plan a vacation to Jamaica.

Since the US dollar is worth more than the Jamaican currency the US dollar buys a lot in Jamaica and you can afford to rent that private villa or stay in a high end destination spa for the same price that you would pay for a business class hotel at another vacation spot. Traveling to Jamaica is the perfect way to get away from it all but not have to deal with the hassles of traveling since Jamaica isn’t that far from the United States. Lot of celebrities head to Jamaica during the year so if you rent a villa on a luxurious private estate you might just run into someone famous when you’re out walking around, boating, riding horses, or playing golf.

A Tropical Wedding in Aruba

Have you always dreamed of getting married barefoot on a white beach in some tropical paradise? Think that you can’t afford to have the tropical wedding of your dreams? You can if you plan a destination wedding in Aruba. The busiest season in Aruba is from December to April. So if you want to have a June wedding or a summer wedding in a tropical paradise you can have your wedding in Aruba during the off season.

During the off season you can great deals on everything from flowers and hotels to complete wedding packages. Most hotels and resorts in Aruba welcome summer destination wedding packages because it gives them a chance to fill up the empty hotel rooms. Many of the hotels and resorts have wedding planners and wedding coordinators on staff who can help you pick out the best local florists, caterers, photographers, DJs and more or you can buy a complete wedding package and have the wedding right at your hotel and have the hotel take care of all of the details.

If you really have your heart set on a beach wedding and you want the wedding to be small and intimate you can rent a luxury villa with a private beach. Your family and friends can all stay at the villa and you can hold the ceremony on a private beach. Luxury villas will often have staff that can help you make any local arrangements that you need to make and can offer suggestions on places to shop for dresses or other items that you might want to pick up in Aruba rather than traveling with them.

After the wedding the bride and groom can move to a private villa or cottage and your family and friends can stay in the other villa for a few more days and have a nice tropical honeymoon vacation. Weddings can be very expensive but having a destination wedding in Aruba during the summer off season is a very smart way to get the tropical wedding of your dreams and still keep your wedding costs low enough to be easily affordable.

If you compare the costs of a destination wedding and a traditional wedding you’ll probably find that a destination wedding doesn’t cost much more, if any, than a traditional wedding. When you have a destination wedding the bride and groom traditionally are responsible for the cost of the accommodations for all the guests of the wedding but the guests pay for their own airfare.

Even just paying for the cost of the accommodations and the food and drinks for your guests can get very pricey but if you hold the wedding during the off season in Aruba you’ll be amazed at the great deals you can get on blocks of room at all inclusive resorts where all the foods and drinks will be paid for so that your guests can just relax and enjoy themselves. Having a destination wedding in Aruba is must if you want a tropical vacation on a budget.

A Cruising Honeymoon

Today more than ever newly married couples of all ages are opting for cruises for their honeymoon destination or even think about getting married on a cruise ship. What could be better after months and months of high-stress and preparation of the wedding than for the couple to be able to lay back, relax and not have to think of anything other than each other? There are no cares about anything on a cruising honeymoon. It’s all been done for you. Along with being a carefree vacation choice cruises are generally very affordable for those looking for a budget honeymoon. Lodging, entertainment, food and all shipboard activities included so it makes it an all inclusive package.

Some cruise ships even offer romantic honeymoon packages. Imagine a private oasis for the two of you. Arriving in your room to find a bottle of champagne, flowers and gourmet nibbles. Make time to have a romantic massage for two, how about the honeymoon table specially set aside in the dining room? How about a pampering facial, manicure and pedicure for the bride? Most cruise ships also offer complimentary sessions for hair and make up, depending on the package you choose.

The most difficult decision about planning for a cruising honeymoon could be one that takes place months before the cruise itself. It’s the decision of which cruise to take for your honeymoon destination. This would depend of course on the couple and their interests. The Caribbean is a very popular honeymoon cruise destination, along with Hawaii and Mexico. What could be more romantic than walking hand in hand with sweet warm tropical breezes blowing and a full moon shining overhead?

Cruises are the ultimate all inclusive honeymoon. You unpack one time, and have six or seven or even more days of cruising from port to port shopping and exploring each one. You can take the excursions offered by the cruise line or do some exploring on your own. Your time is your own, and this is the true beauty of a cruise. You have no where in particular to go, and all day to get there. You can sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast, relax by the pool all day and go dancing into the wee hours of the night.