The Perfect Family Getaway On A Tropical Thai Beach

However, we have just returned from our most recent family vacation and finally we can gladly report that we have found the perfect family getaway (providing your family enjoy beach holidays) and we wanted to share our find with all of you who take the time to read this post.

For the past few years my wife and kids have been searching high and low for the perfect holiday destination that has something for all of the family to keep everyone fully entertained, but at the same time offers peace, quiet and right environment to be able to immerse oneself in, totally unwind and get off the treadmill so to speak.

We have been to some really nice spots during our search, but in all of the experiences we enjoyed, each one was missing one or more of the key ingredients that we all agreed as being entirely necessary in order for all of us to be totally satisfied and content.

The Location

The place we found that has something to keep us all entertained and happy was a relatively unspoiled 20km stretch of sandy beaches on the Andaman coast with a tropical jungle backdrop.

The region is called Khao Lak and it is roughly an hour's drive from Phuket International airport, and within Khao Lak is 3 main tourist spots; Bang La On, Khuk Khak & Bang Niang. Khao Lak literally means Lak Mountain and there is a nature reserve on the mountain that makes for one of the local attractions which we thoroughly enjoyed during our nature walks and guided Jungle treks.

Each of the three spots are fairly quiet, and have accommodations ranging from the height of luxury all the way through to the backpackers spots to offer something for all budgets and make this quaint, beautiful location in Thailand accessible for all to experience.

Actually if you like the more quiet side of things while on holiday then Khao Lak is not only somewhere that is perfect as a family holiday spot, but also for anyone who is wanting to unwind and relax in nature, and in my opinion it makes for the ideal honeymoon location as there are many attractions that are impressive and interesting, while not being too flashy and intrusive.

If you want to go and Khao Lak at an especially quiet time of year then I would advise going during the low season months which are from April-November.

The Accommodation

Like I mentioned earlier in this post; there are accommodations to suit all budgets and cater for most tastes and requirements in a place to lay their head. We opted for renting a villa within a resort as we know from experience that this will make our lives easier with their being staff on all during most hours to support us with whatever we needed.

Also we like the privacy you get with a villa while still having a resort swimming pool, bar, restaurant and in this specific case - a Kids Club, which suited us perfectly. So during the days we could leave the children to enjoy themselves with whatever the Kids Club had organised for that day, while my wife and I would go off on our scooter or on a guided tour to investigate the nearby attractions and places of interest - which there are many.

The Villa also had a stunning sea view over the beach that according to local people had the best, most beautiful sunset in the province. The beach is your ideal, soft, sandy type and the sea water is warm and as clear as can be, actually scuba diving is known to be quite enjoyable in this area as there is lots of sea life and many interesting things to see. So if you enjoying diving, then be sure to book some fun dives when visiting Khao Lak.

If you are going to visit Khao Lak and you are going with the family then I can highly recommend staying at the Devasom Khao Lak Beach Resort and Villas for an unforgettable vacation for all the right reasons

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9937180

Vacation Rental or Hotel: 5 Reasons to Choose a Vacation Rental Over a Hotel

Whether it is some much needed family time, a romantic getaway, or a girl/guy trip, vacation rentals by owners are always a better option compared to a hotel. There are so many different kinds of vacation rentals to choose from: houses, condos, cabins, chalets, or even tiny houses!

Just the fact that you’ll finally have more options for vacation accommodations is a BIG DEAL! In many cases it’s the largest expense in the vacation budget. So, if you’re a budget conscious traveler, you’ll definitely want to review these 10 reasons because you’ll find so many of them will save you money.

There are many reas­ons vaca­tion rent­als are a very good options for tour­ists. Here are five reas­ons why you should choose a vaca­tion rental for your next hol­i­day in Vienna:

Save Money: Vaca­tion Rent­als Less Expensive 

Usu­ally vaca­tion rent­als are avail­able at a lower price than hotels even though you have all of the amen­it­ies of a per­sonal home. Our vaca­tion rental is avail­able at EUR 75 per night which is below most 4-star hotels in the same region of Vienna and even less expens­ive than many 3-star hotels.

You also can save a lot of money by utilizing the kit­chen of the vaca­tion rental in order to avoid eat­ing every meal at a more or less expens­ive restaurant.

More Space: Whole Apart­ment Instead of Tiny Room 

One of the biggest advant­ages of most vaca­tion rent­als is the avail­able space in com­par­ison to hotel rooms. You might think that space is not much of a big deal, since you only use your room for sleep­ing. But wouldn't it be nice to talk about the day's exper­i­ences while sit­ting on a com­fort­able couch or din­ing table?

Our vaca­tion rental is applic­able up to 2 people, but there other vaca­tion rent­als offer­ing mul­tiple bed­rooms and/or bath­rooms. Thus traveling groups have plenty of space to spend time together.

Pre­pare Your Own Meals 

Most vaca­tion rent­als like our Holiday apartment include a fully equipped kit­chen, so you can save a lot of money by pre­par­ing your own meals and snacks. Another great advant­age of an included kit­chen is that it increases your flex­ib­il­ity a lot. You won't miss any break­fast when sleep­ing in.

You can even have your indi­vidual break­fast plate instead of the standardized break­fast offer in a hotel. And you won't have to get dressed up just for break­fast and spend your first morn­ing time with many oth­ers in the break­fast hall of the hotel.

More Amen­it­ies 

Vaca­tion rent­als are often stocked with all the basics you use in your daily life, includ­ing dish­ware, cook­ware, bed­ding, tow­els, laun­dry facil­it­ies, indoor/outdoor fur­niture, games and enter­tain­ment sys­tems. Our vaca­tion rental even provides bicycles to explore Vienna by bike.

Loc­a­tion: More Vaca­tion Rent­als than Hotels 

Vaca­tion rent­als can be found all over Vienna and nearly any­where you want to go. Thus book­ing a vaca­tion rental gives you a wider range of loc­a­tion to choose from.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6682361

Vacation Planning Tips - 10 Tips for Hotel Holiday Travel

Great fun! Here are 10 vacation planning and hotel travel tips to make the most of your next hotel visit.Staying in a hotel is great. Who doesn't love the luxury of knowing you can make a mess and someone else will clean it up, make your bed, pick up your towels, etc.

1. When choosing your hotel, be sure to check how far away it is from such places as the beach, shops, and the areas you plan to explore. Sometimes you will find misleading phrases such as "near the beach" or "within walking distance of shops and restaurants."

2. I like to pick a hotel that has a nice restaurant attached or as part of the hotel itself. They are usually open pretty early and stay open fairly late so that if you happen to get in late from your day, you can grab a coffee or a bite to eat. The ones that are open 24 hours are the best! If you are staying at one of the hotel resorts in Vegas, all the big ones have a 24-hour restaurant. I love that!

3. Go online and check for reviews of the hotel you plan to stay at. Make sure there are not a great number of negative reviews or unhappy customers. Also check travel guidebooks and see if there is a rating.

4. If you know someone who has visited the same place, ask them what hotel they stayed at and see what they recommend. Personal recommendations are always great.

5. Make your reservations early so that you can get all the amenities you desire such as a room with a view, a non-smoking room, and the size and number of beds you need.

6. If you are going to need a rollaway bed, check on this in advance, as there are usually a limited number available. If possible, try to get a room that has a sleeper sofa instead.

7. Saving money is nice but let's face it, the higher quality hotel, the higher the price normally. The better hotels have better construction, and thereby not so much noise or interruptions during the night, allowing for a good night's sleep. But even the high-priced hotels have deals and specials, and you can also get better rates during the off season.

8. Avoid rooms near the noisiest areas such as right by the elevators, the ice machine, or the swimming pool.

9. If you have a pillow that you can't sleep without, don't forget to bring it. If you are flying, you can use it as a travel pillow and just take it onto the plane with you as carry-on. I personally always travel with my Tempurpedic pillow.

10. The first thing I would do when arriving at the hotel is to fold up the comforter or bedspread that is on the bed and put it in a corner somewhere, then call down for extra blankets. The reason? The sheets are laundered daily but the bedspreads are not.

Use these vacation planning tips to make your next hotel stay much more enjoyable.

For fun vacation ideas and tips for the lowest airline fares visit the-cheap-traveler.com

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1118574