Cocos Islands In The Sun

Coco (Keeling) Islands Diving

Coco (Keeling) Islands Diving

If you’re in Australia but you’re looking to get away from it all, you can’t get much further away than the Cocos (or Keeling) Islands. While these islands and islets form part of Australian territory, and the law applied here is generally Western Australian law, the islands themselves are located in the Indian Ocean. That relatively remote location has helped to keep its beaches and water pristine, such that the beach designated as Australia’s most beautiful, can be found among the Cocos Islands. While it may take some time and effort to get there, clearly, it’s worth the trip.  We asked our friends from our fave auto shop to check the place out.

Beaches and Military History

Again, the beaches and surrounding water in the Cocos Islands are stunning. With palm tree branches swaying in the wind, soft white sand underfoot, and water of a rather astonishing shade of blue as far as the eye can see, it’s no wonder people call this place paradise. You can walk along the beach, or swim in the clear ocean water. For those who are interested in military history, there are also plaques set up with information on the Battle of Cocos, which took place in the First World War.

Amazing Diving Spots and Marine Life

The Cocos Islands have more than twenty diving locations, and some of these feature sunken ships as well as other remnants from past wars. Marine life is abundant here, so you can potentially come across turtles, dolphins, manta rays, eels, angelfish and sharks, while underwater. In fact, this is a great place to go diving, if you’d like to see larger marine animals, though this will involve deeper dives (around 100 feet). If you’re willing and able to go that deep, you might find yourself witnessing hammerhead sharks getting cleaned by smaller fish (angelfish, etc.). There might be reef sharks, huge schools of barracuda or snappers, and much more. This can be an excellent destination for more advanced divers.

When people call the Cocos Islands paradise, they mean it. It has amazing beaches, beautiful ocean water, and a treasure trove of marine life for divers to observe and photograph. If you’re looking for adventure somewhere far away, this might be your ideal destination.

Things To Avoid While Preparing Your Vacation

travel preparationWhether you are travelling alone with your partner or family, here are just some of the things that you should not do while preparing your vacation and in the location:

If you want to get value for your money while still experiencing quality food, find restaurants a few blocks away from the tourist spot. This way, you will be able to find places where the locals also dine and the service and quality of food are up to par.

Don’t book too early

It feels really great to book early as you have something to look forward to. However, waiting for the right time can save you a lot of money since airline companies give cheap deals too. You can also by flight tickets 3 to 4 months before your trip as they are cheaper. If you are going on a cruise, wait until the last minute as most cruises give last minute deals to fill in their cruises.

Don’t look down on hostels

While there is a stereotype when it comes to hostels, but the truth is, hostels are actually clean, hygienic and equipped with complete facilities. They are affordable but still provide that stylish living, hotels also offer.

Avoid eating in restaurants near a major tourist location

If you are after great food which is not overpriced, don’t dine in restaurants near major tourist spots. As most of these places cater to travellers whom they may not see again, these establishments may not be after the quality of service but by quantity. Expect that they will be expensive and that the food itself is not that good.

Tips To Help You Prepare For A Stree-Free Vacation

stress free vacationPreparing for a vacation looks like extra work especially if you are the person in your family who has to pack for everything. You have your kids’ clothes and even your partner’s clothes that you should worry about. Not to mention all the other necessities all of you would need as you go on your trip.

And as you go and leave your home, you also worry about how you are leaving your house messy because of the endless preparation you made. If you think about it, maybe going on a vacation is not actually fun.

But as it turns out, you don’t actually have to stress on things. You probably have heard this a couple of times, but proper planning even when you are on the stage of preparation is the key to a stress-free holiday.

Don’t pack your things too late. Try to prepare all the things you need a couple of days before the trip. You can start packing little by little and see what you may and may not need. This way, you are going to avoid a lot of clutter as you will be able to clean like you.

Do a checklist. A very effective way to prepare everything you need is to create a checklist of all the things you and your family will need. This will include the number of shirts, pants, socks, undies, shorts, and the likes that you think everyone will be needing. You should also include the family’s toiletries on the list and anything you think is a necessity.

Make everyone help out. And of course, you do not have to do things on your own. Ask for help from your family since they are not the only ones who are going on vacation, you are too! So make sure they are helping you out with preparing their things and from cleaning the house too.

Destination Ideas To Consider For Your Next Vacation

dream vacation gold coastThere are many beautiful places around the world just waiting to be discovered. If you are looking to travel somewhere but don’t know where to go, here are some destination ideas that you may want to consider for your next vacation.

Take a cultural tour

Learning and experiencing different cultures can be one of travel’s most rewarding aspects. Cultural tours let you explore the world’s culture and creativity. It will help you understand what it means to be a local and enjoy the different cultures and traditions.

Go off on a cultural holiday and experience places like the Great Wall of China or the Pyramids in Egypt. You are going to want to get some good photos of your great travel experience so don’t forget to bring your best camera.

A beach holiday is always fun

The beach is a fun place for anyone. The ocean, white sands, the sun, the bar all add up to a fun and exciting beach stay. If you are looking for a perfect place to relax then this is just the place to be. There is much to do at the beach like surfing, snorkeling, parasailing and other water sports. And if you come with your family, every member will surely have fun. So if you are looking for a relaxing place spend your vacation, you should plan your next holiday to the beach.

Book a luxury cruise for a unique experience

An ordinary holiday trip on land can certainly be a treat, but a luxury cruise that will take you to places is a different hight. When you feel like giving yourself a luxury break for working hard all year round, then go on a luxury cruise.

There are a lot of places to enjoy and explore in the world. If you’re having trouble deciding where to go or what to do, consider these cool destination ideas for your next vacation.

Things To Consider When Choosing Travel Destinations

holiday trip gold coastOne of the best ways to break the stressful city life is by taking a holiday trip. But where? If you need help in finding a travel destination, here are some things to consider when finding a place to spend your vacation.

Give a thought to what you like to do. Think about what you like to do and how you can accomplish it in the destination you intend to visit. There are destinations which are visited by people for their particular interests.

Check availability of tickets and the visa requirement. After listing your possible destinations, you need to determine the date of your holiday and find out about the availability of tickets and any early booking promos. For international travel destinations, check the visa requirement as some countries grant visa at the point of entry while others may need visa applications ahead of the travel date. Also, travel visa has a period of validity.

Consider your budget. After gathering information about the destinations you consider to visit, choose the ones that will go within your travel budget.
Classifying the destinations that you really want to visit may help you in planning and setting the budget for your travel.

Consider the time of visit and health conditions. Do some research about the weather condition of your chosen destination and see what it will be at the time of your visit. Also, make sure the activities you plan to do there will befit your health condition. You can check the centre for disease website (CDC) to see if any epidemic is occurring at the destination you intend to visit so that you can take the necessary vaccines.

Consider the duration of your visit. Determine the length of your stay in your chosen destination. To make the most out of your holiday, plan a moderate level of travelling and activity and sufficient time to rest. If you plan to have a short holiday do not pack your itinerary with too much activity and places to visit so that you can really enjoy a stress-relieving trip.

Consider your travelling companions. If you plan to travel with family, see activities and places of interest for your children in the location you want to visit. You want to make sure that everyone travelling with you will enjoy the trip.

Travel Tips – How To Sort Out The Possible Places To Visit

travel guide collingwood parkWhen you plan a one-week vacation, you mostly know what you want to do and in most cases know what you want to do and accomplish during that one week. But, it is mostly different if you are planning on a longer vacation like a month or two.

Travelling for a longer period may require you to look for more avenues such as the place where you want to stay, the activities you want to do, and the time spent on travelling. Your choices for vacation spots are just endless and you may be overwhelmed about the possible places to go.

Here are some tips on how to sort out the possible places you can go:

 Your budget. Your budget always plays an important part in your decision. If money is not an issue, you might go backpacking in Italy or go to Omar and see the great places those countries offer.

However, if you are on a tight budget, you might consider other countries that will just be easy on your wallet. Plan accordingly, and create an itinerary so that you know where your money will go and how you will spend it. And of course, make sure you always have an extra cash because you never know what extra spending you will do while on a trip.

Know what you want to do. Do you like to go endless partying, sunbathing, sightseeing, and the likes? While you cannot do all of these all at once, but better know what your priorities are. Know what types of recreational activities you most enjoy and if one vacation staying in that place can make you contented.