How To Survive When Your Luggage Is Lost?

There’s nothing worse than waiting at the luggage reclaim carousel after a long vacation flight and realising that your baggage is a no-show! Follow our tips for how to survive when you become parted from your luggage;

Before traveling

Choose wisely – Don’t opt for a standard black suitcase that 99% of other travellers have; go for something brighter and more noticeable. Or customise your black baggage with ribbons, stickers or sew-on patches.

Insurance – Make sure you have adequate travel insurance that covers you against luggage loss.

Swap clothes – Swap a couple of changes of clothes with your traveling companion and if your luggage does go missing, at least you have a change of outfit.

Essentials – Keep any medications and travel essentials with you in your hand luggage to avoid any inconvenience.

Check in – When you are given your baggage identification labels at check in, keep them in a safe place as you may need them later!

What to do if your baggage is lost

Seek help – Head to the baggage service area where staff will take all of your details and ask to see the baggage labels.

Wait – Your details will then be stored on a central database and you may get access to a baggage tracking website.

Chase – Be persistent in contacting the airline and in most cases you should be reunited with your luggage pretty quickly. Make sure the airlines have your full accommodation address so your bags can forwarded to you with no delay.

Claim – If your baggage doesn’t appear you might be able to claim from your own insurance or from your airline. Check the individual policies.

When traveling

Shop local – If your luggage is lost or delayed for a while then go shopping locally to replenish your clothing supplies. Hit the local markets and department stores to create your new local capsule wardrobe.

Don’t stress – As long as you have any medication required and other essentials from your hand luggage, just try to enjoy your holiday and don’t get stressed!

8 Best Beaches In The World

Whether you like to lounge around catching a few rays, use as a base for numerous water sports and adventure activities or enjoy a family fun day out with picnic and games; there’s a beach to suit all tastes. These are just a few of the top beaches in the world;

Bath of Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean - This gorgeous beach with her unusual rocks is amazingly beautiful. You must first travel through a rock cave before you can reach the beach but once there the water is a serene aqua blue. The rocks near the beach look more like fish cast in stone and the white sand of the beach puts the crowning touch on the beaches’ stunning beauty.

Hainan Island, China – If you’re looking for a tropical beach stay whilst visiting China then do consider Hainan Island which is relatively new to the tourist scene. As a result the nightlife is almost non-existent, the hotels are relaxed and low key but the beaches are clean, tranquil and golden. And with tropical temperatures Hainan offers a year round temperature of 22 degrees C with warm waters thanks to the Gulf of Tonkin.

South Shore, Bermuda, Caribbean - This beach is a photo picture of tranquillity, beautiful foaming water washing upon the shore and the slightly pink tinged sand invites you to chill out, relax and stay awhile.

China beach (My Khe), Danang, Vietnam – When in Vietnam many travellers include a stop at Danang which is said to have the best beaches in the country. Head to China Beach and spend the day soaking up the sun or try one of the many water sports and aqua activities available.

Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, USA - The Conquistadors knew what they were doing when they landed in Florida. Beautiful white sand with the backdrop of Wide Ocean, Santa Rosa beach gives the impression of being on a desert island with no end in sight, but, you are just happy to sit there and watch the surf.

Durness, Scotland - The beach at Durness in northwest Scotland looks more like a beautiful golf course draped in blue, with the white sand and green grass of Scotland, it is not only one of the world’s best beaches but one of the world’s most beautiful places.

Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka – If you’re looking for the best surfing beach in Sri Lanka then head to Arugam Bay, which is also said to be the fourth best beach in Southeast Asia! About 120km from the capital city of Colombo, Arugam Bay is blessed with sprawling sandy beaches and azure blue lagoons. And once you’re ready to move on there is plenty to do in the area with the Kumana bird sanctuary, Shastrwela Buddhist Temple and Okanda Hindu Temple all nearby.

Turks and Caicos, Caribbean - This beach is splendid, literally walking out into the sky blue water. As you stand on the beach you watch the sand and the water ripple together, the beach getting lost in the calm lapping; while you watch the beach and the water become one.

7 Crazy Caving Experiences In The World

Natural cave wonders exist all over the world. Each cavern has its own interesting feature such as how the lighting illuminates the stonework or how the stalactites and stalagmites appear. Some of the caves are made up of mostly ice while others were formed from eroded limestone. The best cave experiences for adventure travellers include New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns; Crystal and Fantasy Cave in Bermuda; China’s Red Flute cave; Eisriesenwelt Ice cave in Austria; Italy’s Blue Grotto cavern and Luray Caverns in Virginia.

Carlsbad Caverns, located in Carlsbad, New Mexico, is home to more than 117 underground caves. The caves were created when sulphuric acid eroded the limestone. Carlsbad Cavern national park is listed on two- National Register of Historic Places: the Rattlesnake Springs Historic District and the Cavern Historic District. The roof of the main cave reaches 256 feet tall. One of Carlsebad’s unique features includes the Lechuguilla cave because it has the furthest limestone cave depth (1,567 feet) in the United States.

Established in 1884, Bermuda’s Crystal and Fantasy cave feature large stalactites that drop down from the ceiling. From the lake below, visitors can witness the stalagmites that rise up from the clear water. The lake’s transparency is one of the main reasons people visit the cave each year. The bottom of Cahow Lake is 55 feet (17 meters) deep.

China’s Red Flute cave, also identified as “the palace of natural arts”, is situated to the northwest of Guilin City in China. One unique fact about this particular cave: workers use the verdant reeds, located outside, to make flutes. Carbonate deposits formed the rock and stone structures located inside Red Flute cave. The cavern itself reaches a length of 240 meters.

Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves is located in Austria, near Werfen market town, within the state of Salzburg. Eisriesenwelt has the one of the expansive ice cave systems throughout the world. The cave, remaining closed during the winter, opens to visitors on May 1st of each year. Temperatures inside the cave tend to remain below freezing, even in the summer. Visitors climb steps in order to see the ice structures. A fantastic view of Salzach valley can be seen from the entrance of Eisriesenwelt on clear days.

The largest single cave passage in the world has just been discovered in a remote Vietnam jungle. The Son Doong caves measure 262 by 262 feet (80 by 80 meters) and adventurers have explored some 3 miles of cave before reaching floodwaters. A local farmer uncovered the cave which has stalagmites over 230 feet (70 meters) tall.

The Blue Grotto cave, off the coast of Italy, is the national emblem of Capri Island. Light from the sun, travel through an underground chamber, casting a mirrored image throughout the cavern. Visitors go through the mouth of the cave by rowboat. At certain times of the year, traffic jams happen outside the entrance because the rowboats can only travel through the mouth one at a time.

Luray Caverns, discovered in 1878, is located a short distance west of Luray, Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley in the USA. A stalacpipe organ manually plays in the background while visitors tour the cave. Three acres of stalactites are used to amplify the sound of the organ. Outside the caverns, visitors can explore and try to find their way through the largest garden maze on the United States east coast.

10 Awesome Safari Experiences

There are some truly awesome safari destinations in the world and if you choose your location carefully you could witness the great wildebeest migration, spot the last of the mountain gorillas or enjoy a leopard safari;

Kruger National Park in South Africa - This is perhaps the safari destination that most people are familiar with. Many people head to South Africa to see the lions and the herds of buffalos. With nearly 150 mammal variety, it is an i

deal place to go see wildlife.

Snow Hill Island in Antarctica - Located on an island of snow, this is definitely one cool safari! It is the safari adventure for those hoping to spend some time with emperor penguins in their natural habitat.

Great Serengeti Wildebeest Migration in Tanzania – For one of the greatest shows on earth head to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and witness the great annual wildebeest migration; the largest herd movement in the world!

Sailing Safari in Greenland - Greenland is the place for whale watching. Minke whales, beluga whales, fin whales, and humpback whales can all be found here. But that is not all that you will see as a sailing safari is also a good place to spot seals, polar bears and arctic wolves.

Leopard Safari in Tissa, Sri Lanka – Jump into a 4×4 and tackle the dirt tracks of the Yala National Park, which covers 378 square miles in Sri Lanka. Travellers will be rewarded with views of water buffalo, elephants, exotic birdlife and the main attraction; leopards.

Kakadu National Park in Australia - Kangaroos might be the Australian icon, but at the Kakadu National Park, the main stars of the safari are the alligators found in the Alligator Rivers.

Denali National Park in Alaska - This is the safari to go on in North America. Mountains, rivers, and wildlife what makes the Denali National Park so memorable. Moose and caribous run wild and free in the area and so do bears. This safari takes place on a dog sled, and it is sure to be one thrilling safari ride.

Dai Nam Van Hien Park in Vietnam – Head about 40km outside Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and you’ll come across Dai Nam Van Hien, Vietnam’s first safari park! Dai Nam Park is massive at around 450 hectares and sports an artificial sea complete with beaches and waves. There is also a shopping complex, theme park, water park and zoo!

Mountain Gorilla Safari in Uganda - Uganda is the only place left in the world for people to spot the magnificent mountain gorillas. With their total population less than 1000, the mountain gorillas are definitely an endangered species. Do not pass up the opportunity to see the mountain gorillas while they are still around.

Amazon River in Brazil – Head to the Amazon River when in Brazil to track Caimans (South American alligators) which are small but fierce! Head out at dusk to spot their eyes by torchlight and jump in and wrestle a Caiman at your own peril!

7 Battlefield Tours In The World

Visiting a battlefield site can be a sombre and thought-provoking experience. Many famous battlefield sites, especially from World War 1 and II and the Civil War offer battlefield tours which is a good opportunity to learn some history whilst travelling;

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA - Gettysburg was a three day battle that happen in Adams County when Robert E. Lee tried to invade the North in 1863. The battlefield consists of over 1,000 monuments that honour the people who died during that battle. The first place to visit while at Gettysburg is the museum. It has some of the best relics from the actual battle. The second place at Gettysburg is the David Wills House. This house features the room where Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address.

Gallipoli, Marmara, Turkey – For 9 months during 1915 the Gallipoli conflict was fought on the Turkish peninsular between Turkey and a British Army aided by troops from Australia and New Zealand (ANZACs) and French. The troops wanted to reach the Ottoman capital and push on into Russia. Around 100,000 men lost their lives and today travellers can visit the 31 Commonwealth graves at the Gallipoli and French cemeteries. The Australian memorials are at Lone Pine, the New Zealand memorials are at Chunuk Bair and Twelve Tree Copse and the British at Cape Helles.

Bunker Hill, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA - Bunker Hill is a 1775 battle that happened on the Boston Harbour between the British troops and the American Continental Army. The best thing to do while at Bunker Hill is to go to the museum which features some exhibits about the battle itself. It is a great way to find out more of the history of the battle.

Pearl Harbor, O’ahu, Hawaii, USA – Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941 by the Japanese navy. This caused the United States to declare war on the United States therefore leading to World War II. The first thing to do while at Pearl Harbor is to visit the museum. The museum has all of the sights and sounds that lead up to the attack at Pearl Harbor. The second thing to do is to visit The Remembrance Circle exhibit. This exhibit pays tribute to the people who died that day.


Battle of the Somme, Somme River, France – The Battle of the Somme is one of the World War I battles that happened between 1 July and 18 November 1916 between the French and the British troops. The first thing to do at Somme is to visit the many museums. The second thing to do is to take a history tour. The third thing to do is visit the memorials.

Antietam, Sharpsburg, Maryland, USA - Antietam is a battle that is known as the bloodiest day in the Civil War. The first thing to do while at Antietam is to visit the museum. The second thing to do is to take a scavenger hunt on the battlefield. The last thing to do is take a tour of the battlefield.

DMZ, Central Vietnam – Travellers can visit the Demilitarized Zone in central Vietnam which was created in 1954 following the First Indochina War between the French and the Viet Minh. The 5km area was off limits to the troops of the then split north and South Vietnam. However, over the following twenty years the DMZ became one of the most active battle sites. Today it’s best to join an organized tour which leave regularly from Hue (75km away) as there are still unexploded landmines. You’ll visit the Ben Hai River site, Khe Sanh combat base, Vinh Moc tunnels and The Rockpile.

An Giang To Build Airport

The Ministry of Transport has officially approved a plan to build a civil and military airport in the Mekong Delta Province of An Giang, the An Giang Province People’s Committee and Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) confirmed Thursday.

Under the plan, the airport will be built on a total area of 235 ha in Can Dang

Commune, Chau Thanh District and cost about VND3.4 trillion (US$170 million).
The approval came despite a public concern that such an airport is unnecessary.

Vuong Binh Thanh, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, however said the airport would help boost the local tourism industry.

Of all Mekong Delta Provinces, An Giang receives the highest number of tourists every year and is attracting foreign investments in its economic zones, Thanh said. These visitors and investors will want to fly to An Giang and thus the airport is necessary, he said.

Source: oratrip.com

Majestic Hotel To Expand New Hotel Complex

Saigon Tourist Company plans to invest VND1, 900 billion (US$92 million) in expanding the old Majestic Hotel in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City.

Two 24 and 27 storey buildings with a total of 353 rooms and four basements will form the expansion plan.

The old Majestic Hotel built in 1925 in French architectural style and recognized by the Viet Nam National Administration for Tourism (VNAT) as a 5-star hotel in 2007, will remain unchanged and will preserve its heritage status.

The old hotel has 185 rooms and along with 353 rooms in the new hotel complex, the majestic hotel will offer a total 538 guest rooms. The new complex will be fully operational by 2014.

For more information about the hotel, you can visit http://www.majesticsaigon.com.vn/ or contact Email: sales@majesticsaigon.com.vn.