Here Are Some Useful Train Travel Tips

If you find yourself facing down a 50-hour train ride in the near future, you might wonder what to bring with you. If it were a plane ride covering the same distance you'd be focusing on what not to have in your pockets and the exact dimensions of that carry-on you've been using for the past eight years.

The train is a bit different. Since you're on it for a longer period of time and you're not hurtling through the air at 30,000 feet, there's a different set of considerations. Here are some useful train travel tips:

Food: Amtrak offers a dining car on its longer routes with a diverse, but pricey menu. However, if you want to save some money, you're welcome to bring your own food onboard. I prefer less-perishable fruits and vegetables, jerky, granola, summer sausage, and some cheese.

Drinks: You can also buy a variety of beverages on the train or bring your own. Their single caveat is that you drink their alcohol in their Dining, Lounge, or Cafe Cars. If you bring your own, you should have paid for a Sleeper Car in which to drink it. If they catch you with it in a "public area", I imagine they will dispose of it and watch you closely.

Toiletries: Sitting for so many hours at a time without access to a proper shower can leave you feeling pretty scuzzy. Bring along your shaving kit (if you're not one of the bearded) to freshen up halfway through. You'll feel better just realizing that you can have your safety razor within reach.

One essential item that improves my mood when I've been on the fireline for days is a pouch of facial wipes. I prefer Simple wipes. They're alcohol-free with no perfumes and dyes. They also don't leave you smelling like a baby wipe.

Bedding: Bring a neck pillow and stowable blanket. The Coach seats are larger than an airplanes and recline pretty far. If you're willing to spend some extra money, sleeper cars are available.

Entertainment: Bring a few books you've been meaning to read. You have the time. DVDs or downloaded movies and a laptop or DVD player can break up the trip. Noise-reducing headphones are key on the train. Also, look out the window. The cross-country routes offer some spectacular views.

Sleep Aids: For some, the rhythm of the train can be soothing. I'm a light sleeper so I'll be using an herbal supplement, night mask, and ear plugs. Valerian root is a natural, mellow sleep aid that can be found in health food stores and some of the larger stores. Melatonin is another popular choice. With a little research, you can find something helpful with few adverse side effects.

Baggage: Each passenger is allowed two carry-ons, each less than 50 pounds. That's right. You can bring 100 pounds of your stuff onboard without paying a dime. If you don't want your baggage with you, you can stow two pieces at no charge.

You Must Need This Dubai Travel Guide

Dubai, one of the seven emirates of UAE, located in the Persian Gulf. This welcoming and prosperous city is increasingly becoming well known worldwide amongst tourists. The Dubai Culture is one of the important things that lure people to this lovely place.

Of late, this city has emerged as a dream destination for leisure and business travelers across the globe with different Dubai Attractions. The city is also popularly known as city of Gold because of its open gold markets.

Dubai is known as the shopping capital of UAE. In fact, shopping is one of the favorite pass times for people in Dubai and for travelers alike. Guests here can experience the magic of glitzy Dubai malls known for their international brands.

Dubai Shopping Festival, held in the month of March, is a very popular festival among people from all over the world. The major highlights of this festival include discounts, Raffles, prize draws, cultural events, street entertainers, spectacular fireworks displays and so on. Another festival celebrated in Sharjah is the Ramadan Shopping Festival.

Besides, other Dubai Attractions include rocking nightlife, numerous shops and markets, entertainment and amusement parks, gardens and lot many other recreational activities.

Tourism is one of the backbones of Dubai and the state generates large amount of revenue from this sector. A Dubai Travel Guide is incomplete with visiting some of the fascinating places in Dubai including Dubai Museum, Jumeirah Mosque, Shindagha District, Bastakiya District, and Al Ahmadiya School in Old Dubai. Similarly, places that can not be missed out in New Dubai include Burj al-Arab hotel, Burj Dubai, Palm Islands and so on.

Other interesting things that the Dubai Map features include Beaches and sea, Desert Safari or Dune Bashing, Skiing, Dubai Creek Cruise, Golfing, Hot Air Ballooning and so on. With the availability of Business Class Air Tickets, a smooth trip to Dubai is increasingly becoming easy.

Dubai is the most populous emirate of UAE and one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the world. It is a place of harmonious existence of tradition and modernity. Dubai Travel Guide also features some mesmerizing sky scrappers that attract the attention of the travelers.

Dubai is truly believed to be the ideal place to be in and enjoy. Dubai Travel Guide offers travel packages and other facilities to different tourist destinations for rich as well as budget travelers alike. For accommodation, Dubai has a great number of options for affluent and budget people. Along with luxury resorts and 5-star hotels, Dubai also offers numerous budget hotels lodges for accommodation.

These days, there are many different tour and travel agencies, which offer great service including Business Class Air Tickets, accommodation, sightseeing, food etc. at discounted rates for travelers. With these services around, one can simply go ahead and have a wonderful vacation in the city.

You Must Remember These Tips When You Plan Your First Indian Trip

India is a breathtaking, beautiful, but at times bewildering country. It is the seventh largest country in the world by area and, with over a billion people. India offer the visitor with the view of fascinating religion, variety of languages, with more than 438 living languages and monuments that have been present from thousand of years.

India is not a easy travel destination for the first time tourist. Small lanes, different language in different regions make the journey difficult. India is also the home of different festivals and colors. Roads are covered with autos, cows and BMW. Travelling in India for first time require a lot of patience and the following these basic tips should be taken care.

1. Get a VISA

Getting an Indian visa is the most hard visa anyone can get. You have to spend a lot for getting it earlier. In most countries you can pop out and can pop in to get the extended visa but in India if you want to extend the visa you have to wait for 60 days before you can re-enter. So make yourself prepare to handle all the formalities regarding getting visa and extending it.

2. LANGUAGE PROBLEM

India is a home of 438 languages and Hindi is native language spoken over there but in spite of that English is the unofficial official language of India. Indian English has its own different sound. Many Indians have learned English by watching TV or working with foreigners so don't show amusement at different Indian accents and choice of words. If you get a chance to coach an Indian with English, buffer the Exchange by asking for help with your Punjabi, marathi, etc.

3. CARRY YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER

Indian is country where the cutlery is provided but toilet paper is not. So stock up on toilet paper.Public washrooms like trains,tourist places don't always offer toilet paper. India is also very famous for its unpredictable power cuts so carry mini flashlight with you. The lack of finding of toilet paper is a very common problem in India. Mostly the tourist places have western toilets but the lack of toilet paper make it difficult for the people to manage.

4. STUDY RAIL SCHEDULE

You will not understand the Indian Railways unless you experienced them. Be aware of the areas which are marked as "LADKI" otherwise you will be punished. Also keep in mind that the arrival time of train will 6-8 hours late than that of proposed time. The longer route you travel the more money you have to pay. So, to avoid all the uncertainty study the Indian Railway schedule prior coming to India and book trains in advance. Also, don't assume that train departing from city A will take the same time to reach the city B. The Routes vary from place to place.

5. TAKE PROTEIN BARS
Take your antimalarials, antibiotics and protein bars while you are heading towards to the urban section of India as they are mostly probhitied to mosquitos. Don't take tap water. Carry mineral water bottle along with you to avoid infection. To ensure a healthy journey carry a proper first aid kit along with you. Also ensure that restaurant from where you are taking the food is healthy and known one or not.

6. NO PERSONAL SPACE

Keep the idea of personal space at your home. India has one- sixth of total world population. So you will be crowded with people at tourist places and airports. You have to wait in a queue for long time for booking your ticket. Be aware from not becoming a victim of eve -teasing. Always say "EXCUSE ME" if you are in crowd and you want to change your position. Don't cut the persons which may lead to any punishment for you. If you are in gurudwara or any temple then have patience to tolerate the guzzling crowd as India can be full of people running towards the same destination.

7. CARRY CHANGE AND LOCAL GUIDES

At the time of bartering when you give 100 rupee to the vendor and they will not have change. The trick these vendors mostly used is they wil try to accomodate the left amount as a tip for them. So, carry change with you to save your money. Also, carry a small guide along with you that will help you locate the places easily.

You Need These Yunnan Travel Guides

The province of Yunnan, the name of which in Chinese means "south of the clouds" is located in Southwest China bordering Vietnam, Laos, and Burma. It is home to rugged mountainous terrain, ranging from alpine mountain ranges to rainforests, and hosts most of the biodiversity in whole China as well as 25 different ethnic minorities.

Yunnan has a lot to see, whether you are interested in nature, culture, or history. It is a vast area that can be explored by travelling by yourself or on a sightseeing tour around Yunnan. There is an enchanting natural rock formation called a Stone Forest outside the capital city of Kunming, as well as many nice temples and parks inside the city that is said to enjoy eternal spring weather.

Lijiang, a beautiful town located on the foot of the imposing Yulong mountain and home to the Naxi people, is among the most popular travel destinations in Yunnan. It hosts a World Heritage –listed old town that has its fair share of temples, restaurants, and cafes, as well as a theater with performances of traditional music. The other historic and cultural sites in Yunnan include the historic center of Dali, the ancient town of Chuxiong, and the ethnically Tibetan mountain county of Zhongdian, also known as Shangri-La. There are also nice golf courses in Yunnan to enjoy.

Local cultures & nature. Yunnan is famed for its wide diversity of 25 different ethnic minority groups whose diverse customs can be seen around the province that is filled with festivals. Actually, Yunnan is the most culturally diverse province in China. It is also China’s most biologically diverse province with over 15,000 species of plants as well as about half of the whole China’s bird and mammal species, including tigers and Asian elephants. The mountainous terrain in the province is challenging but also very rewarding for trekking in Yunnan, and the many rivers flowing across the region offer some good rafting possibilities. The Three Parallel Rivers National Park in Northwest Yunnan is another World Heritage Site in the province. There are also tropical rainforests in the Xishuangbanna area in the South Yunnan.

The climate in Yunnan is tropical monsoon climate that offers a lot of variation in temperatures caused by altitude. The winters in Yunnan are temperate and summers are nicely warm. Some rainfall is received throughout the year, but especially during summer months.

Yunnan travel can be done by air via the international airport in the capital city Kunming, or by train or bus. There is even a boat connection to Yunnan from Thailand via the Mekong River. Traveling inside Yunnan can be done by train or bus, depending on which part of the province you are heading to.

Yunnan has lately become a popular place to visit, so there are plenty of hotels in Yunnan as well as cheaper accommodation available. Restaurants in Yunnan are available in most towns around the province. Car rental in Yunnan has also become possible recently. Yunnan is generally a safe region to travel, although pickpockets operate in local cities and traffic in the steep mountainsides can be dangerous. English is usually not understood outside bigger hotels and tourist attractions in Yunnan.