A Safari across the endless plains of the Serengeti in an unforgettable experience; it touches something deep within us; creating experiences that will be never be forgotten. A trip through the Serengeti in Northern Tanzania is both intriguing and exciting, shaped by the fascinating balance between the wildlife, the landscapes and its people.

The great migration is a year round migration sometimes the migration is scattered over a large area other times the animals are concentrated into a huge mass of over a million animals. It is the last remaining big migration left on our planet and as such many people want to witness this great event.

The rains are the key to this never ending migratory cycle; and as the weather is unpredictable so is the migration. Many people try to predict the whereabouts of the animals; if the rains are on time and long enough then on past experience the predictions are accurate. However, in recent years the rains have not been on time or they have even failed leaving some safari-makers with clients in the wrong area of the Serengeti.

How to solve this problem involves a little work on your part. To research your subject and book with care; bellow are a few simple steps to act as a basic guideline.

If you book your safari from late July through to the end of September then it is necessary to book well in advance. This time of year is madness. If ever you hear stories of overcrowding in the Serenegeti the chances are the safari took place between these months; and most probably the safari was in the Seronera Valley in the central Serengeti. This area of the Serengeti has a good reliable concentration of animals year round. Many safari companies are lazy and send there clients to this part of the Serengeti only. Ensure your safari includes two areas of the Serengeti one should be the south or the north of this huge park depending on the time of year.

Any other time of year I would leave the actual booking of the safari until a few weeks before your departure. If it is low season, March to end of June then the safaris [accommodation and to a less extent transport] are at bargain basement rates. Keep checking on the whereabouts of the migration and then book your accommodation accordingly.

How, is it possible to keep a check on the whereabouts of the migration may be easier said than done. There are many sites that claim to have regular updates but they can be two years since the last update. CC Africa has the best site for updates on the migration but at the time of writing this page was three months out of date. I would suggest keeping in touch with two or three ’boutique’ tour operators in Tanzania – they have vehicles with drivers who are returning from the Serengeti every week and so know the movements of the animals. Most safari companies will keep you informed as it is their job to do so; the more helpful they are the more likely you are to book through them.

To make life easier there are now several semi-permanent tented camps in the Serengeti. Do not let the tent bit put you off; they are huge tents with double beds and furniture and even en-suite bathrooms. Some boast of private butlers for each tent. They are small camps and have an intimate feel about them. They are semi permanent because they move several times per year so as to be close to the migration. To book with one of these camps ensures your safari will be both special and close to the migration.

Take care and put some thought into your safari – the planning is a part of the expedition. Research a little and make sure your ground operator in Tanzania is willing to make your safari special. Some are rather sadly only bothered about money and each client is a number only and they are not willing to make changes to itineraries. Beware of such companies as Tanzania and the Serengeti are amazing; make sure your safari experience is as amazing.

For more information on Tanzania, the Serengeti and the Migration contact either http://www.betheladventre.co.uk or http://www.parksadventure.com – and regularly updated news on Tanzania related subjects

Our Pauper loves to save money using an airfare consolidator. These consolidators contract with airlines to get tickets at cheaper rates than the general public. Because they buy large blocks of tickets the airlines love them.

Though you can get really good deals by knowing how to use consolidators, remember they are not structured for great service. They’re playing the quantity game not the hold-your-hand game. If you need personal attention use your travel agent instead.

The best time to use consolidators is during high travel times of the year. Other than these peak travel times consolidators don’t really offer much better rates than those offered in the lowest advertised fares. Yet, you can enjoy 20-30% off when you decide to travel during Christmas, for instance.

The other good time to turn to consolidators is if you are traveling on short notice. Unlike the airlines, they don’t penalize you for traveling on the spur of the moment.

Always use a credit card with consolidators. Some consolidators can charge high fees if you change your plans and/or cancel your flight. So make sure you understand what the policy on cancellations and refunds is.

In this article I’ll give you a list of consolidators that are available to you directly or through your travel agent.

In addition I’d recommend you purchase a copy of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, which is available at most libraries or you can subscribe for $39. Write to: Consumer Reports Travel Letter, 101 Truman Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10703-1057.

Let’s get started:

Cheap Tickets sells more than 500,000 tickets a year for domestic and international flights. Now they even help you with hotels and cruises. Call 800-AIR-PLUS (800-247-7587) and visit http://www.cheaptickets.com

Council Travel Service offers super fares in the USA and mostly all of Europe for cheapskates like you and me. They also package individual travel packages for vacations, car rentals, rail passes, paid internships, and work programs. 800-226-8634 And visit:
http://www.counciltravel.com

Far Eastern Travel if your plans include a visit to China. 800-275-3384

Fly Cheap has my favorite name among the known consolidators. They do a good job on all kinds of flights to all manner of destinations. 800-359-2432 and visit:
http://www.flycheap.com

Victor K. Pryles is the author of: “Travel Cheap- Travel Well”!-Confessions Of A Traveling Pauper www.paupertravel.com Free e-course: “The Top 100 Travel Planning Websites”
Send a blank mailto: pauper-travel@prosender.com Learn how to travel like a King on a Paupers budget.

Day spa gift certificates are among the most popular gifts for every occasion. Providing relaxation, pampering and stress-relief is one of the best gifts anyone could receive. However, it can be difficult to know how to choose the best spa and the best treatment for a loved one. The following are some questions to ask to ensure that your spa gift certificate is a success:

Does the spa offer weekend and evening hours?

Having a variety of hours available to enjoy a treatment is important.

Does the therapist ever leave the room during a treatment?

Believe it or not, there are some spas that leave a client alone during a portion of a facial and will actually perform a second treatment while the client waits alone. This is unacceptable. A therapist should be in the room at all times providing pamepering and results.

Do the therapists have quotas?

A relaxing spa visit can soon turn stressful when a therapist begins aggressively pushing products. Professional skin care products are wonderful and can make a tremendous difference in the skin, but when products are being pushed by someone who has a quota to meet, often, the client’s best interest might not be the reason for a recommendation.

Does the spa have a website?

A website can be a wonderful way to learn about a spa. Upscale spas will have a virtual tour which will allow you to experience the environment of the spa. The spas philosophy and background will also help you decide if a spa is ideal for you. Gift certificate packages are typically described on a website. This will help you decide on the perfect package for you or a loved one.

Is there a physician affiliation?

Although, a traditional day spa does not require a physician to supervise treatments, it can be an indication of a high level of care. Medical spas are the fastest growing type of spa. Medical grade treatments like laser hair removal, laser skin tightening, and medical grade peels do require physician supervision.

When thinking of a day spa package, consider a treatment that will provide relaxation and results for the one you love.

To search for a spa in your area, you may go to websites such as http://www.spaindex.com/ or type in key words “best day spa” followed by your city. To find a day spa that offers the results of a medical spa, type in medical spa and the name of your city.

Blue water Spa has been recognized as one of America’s top spas by American Spa Magazine. Blue Water Spa http://www.bluewaterspa.com offers gift certificates online and via e-mail

ROME

It is a city, it is a dream, it is a memory of seemingly unlimited and unending power. It is history itself. It defines the word “empire.” The Eternal City. Roma. Rome.

One of the guidebooks claims that one can turn any corner in Rome and run into “something beautiful and unexpected that was placed there centuries ago, apparently in the most casual fashion.” This is not hyperbole, it is literally true.

The legend is that if you throw a coin into the Trevi fountain, in the heart of the city, you will someday return. The fact that the bottom of the fountain is each day covered anew with coins demonstrates that visitors hope to come back to this place that represents so much of civilization’s past. Only the New World countries have a history that was not directly shaped by the people of this city. But even most of the inhabitants of the Americas came from countries, which, themselves, bore the indelible stamp of the Roman Empire, which, for centuries, ruled most of the then-known world.

Early Rome was a republic ruled over by Gaius Julius Caesar, who was assassinated in 44 B.C.E. After ten years of civil war and political chaos his heir, who came to be known as Caesar Augustus, established the monarchy, which brought in the Empire, two hundred years of prosperity and the Pax Romana (Roman Peace.) Rome ruled supreme over most of what we now know as Europe and it was said that a Roman citizen could travel anywhere without being in danger — no one would dare harm him. Because of this, people from the outlying provinces converged on the city to become politicians, military personnel and artisans – but mostly to become simply Roman citizens. Rome quickly became the center of art, culture and economy in the entire Mediterranean world. Although the empire crumbled centuries ago, the mystique of Rome has hardly diminished today. Built on the famous seven hills, the city has lived up to the legend that “all roads lead to Rome.” As the guidebooks claim, it is impossible to turn a corner without encountering a building or ruin or monument, which is like a living postcard.

Then, of course, there is Vatican City, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museum, which houses in its complex interior the Sistine Chapel. Although it is clearly a separate entity and not part of the city life, that alone would attract thousands of visitors no matter where it was located. Michelangelo’s Pieta, the famous statue of Mary holding the body of Jesus, right inside the entrance to St. Peter’s, is one of the thousands of works of art in the city that make it hard to believe that these eternal masterpieces are really there, in flesh and blood so to speak, for ordinary people to see, if not touch.

Besides the Vatican, three of the most-visited landmarks in the city are the Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain and the ruins of the Forum.

Take a walk down the Corso, one of the busiest streets in the city, past dozens of clothing and art shops, follow the crowd to what feels like the very heart of Rome and you will come across the magnificent statuary of the Trevi Fountain. Bernini began the work, it was continued by Pietro de Cortona and finished a hundred years later, by Nicola Salvi. The fountain depicts Neptune as the King of the Sea looking down on his subjects from a chariot pulled by galloping and plummeting sea horses.

At 85 feet high and 65 feet wide, Trevi is the largest of the many fountains of Rome. Most of these fountains were built to mark the terminus of the aqueducts, which carried pure water to Rome. Today the fountain has modern pumps and the water is oxidized to keep it fresh.

Although some of today’s Romans will outwardly scorn the Trevi because it was made famous by an American movie (Three Coins in the Fountain) most are proud of it, as can be attested to by the groups of school children gathered around teachers lecturing at the base of the fountain on any spring day.

Perhaps even more famous and familiar a site to people all over the world is the Coliseum. This magnificent ruin has been reproduced so often and in so many different media that it is startling to come upon it while strolling down the Via Imperiali, the wide avenue that cuts through the city and takes one to most of the major attractions. Suddenly there it is, just as you have seen it hundreds of times. In spite of its ruined condition there is a strange thrill in standing where so many fought and died – where the lives of Christians and gladiators were saved or snuffed out at the whim of an emperor or an audience.

During the day there are always many tourists waiting to get inside the Coliseum and use the audio tour equipment. But come back at night and it is possible to feel the ghosts of those who witnessed, or experienced, either glory or violent death, strolling the ruined aisles.

Between the Coliseum and the Trevi Fountain, on the Via Imperiali, it is impossible to walk by what is left of the Roman Forum without going onto the “grounds” and invoking the memories of the feet that walked there so long ago and the events that took place which still impact many cultures.

The Forum, if not the geographic center of Rome, was the center of art, religion, politics and economics. In other words, all of the things that made Rome was it was. It held this position from at least 7 BCE to 4 CE.

The hills of Roman – most notably the Palantine and the Capitoline-surround the small valley that contains the remains of the Forum. The Senate met there and all important public meetings were held there. Because of this it was once crowded with innumerable statues and monuments honoring public officials. Temples and basilica honoring the gods were everywhere.

Quite naturally, the importance of the Forum as the symbolic, and actual, seat of Roman power meant that when there were political fights this is where they took place and as a result many buildings and monuments were damaged over the years. It was not until the 20th century that full and systematic excavation of the area took place and it is now possible to view enough of the ancient structures, whether original or restored, to appreciate the glory that once was the Roman Forum.

These are only a few of the sights to be taken in around the Rome. We have not spoken of the lovely Spanish Steps, the perfect architecture of the Pantheon, the Church of the Holy Cross with the tombs of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Donatello, Macchievelli, Dante, Marconi, Fermi and Galileo and on and on. Churches not even mentioned in guidebooks contain amazing frescoes and, of course, everywhere is the work of Michelangelo.

It would be impossible to see everything in one trip, so if you go to Rome be sure to throw a coin into the Trevi, thereby assuring your return. The Eternal City will be waiting for you.

Misty Jones is a member of the writing team at
http://futuretravelplans.blogspot.com/ our goal is to build up to one thousand cities. Hopefully we will be writing live in the city at the time. Come travel the world with us and please send us your ultimate trip.

Gatlinburg Tennessee attractions and Pigeon Forge Gatlinburg attractions provide a wonderful variety of fun things to do on vacation. Gatlinburg has been a vacation favorite for decades. Located at the Tennessee entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg accommodates up to 35,000 visitors a night. It’s fun and it’s within a day’s drive of half of the USA population.

And what about Pigeon Forge Gatlinburg attractions? Located about seven miles from Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge also has many fun and educational attractions for all ages. Since many attractions are located between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, the term Pigeon Forge Gatlinburg attractions is a frequently searched phrase on the internet.

Here are popular Gatlinburg Tennessee attractions and Pigeon Forge Gatlinburg attractions:

Cooters Place – one of the popular Gatlinburg Tennessee attractions is based on the TV show ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ and features a museum and shop. This Gatlinburg attraction is a tribute to the lifestyle in Hazzard County and features photographs, props, costumes and memorabilia from the television show.

Dollywood – absolutely one of the top Pigeon Forge Gatlinburg attractions, this amusement park offers music, shows, crafts, family fun rides and special events that appeal to all ages.

Dollywood Splash Country – another one of the top Pigeon Forge Gatlinburg attractions, this 25-acres of water fun includes 16 water slides, 2 interactive children’s areas and a 25,000 square foot wave pool.

Gatlinburg Tramway – enjoy spectacular views all year-round on the Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway and the Gatlinburg Skylift, one of the most visited Gatlinburg Tennessee attractions.

Guinness World Records – see hundreds of exhibits from the best-selling Guinness Book of World Records including shows that feature Elvis, the Beatles and the Batmobile.

Rafting in the Smokies – choose from tubing, guided or unguided rafting trips, one or multi-person boat rentals and beginner or experienced level rafting trips. With guides, you can enjoy powerful whitewater on the Ocoee, Nantahala and Big Pigeon rivers.

Ripley’s Believe-It-or-Not Museum – this Gatlinburg Tennessee attraction features thousands of unique and unusual artifacts that have been collected by Ripley archivists. Ripley’s includes exhibits, cartoons and interactive displays entertaining for the whole family.

No matter whether you want to experience Gatlinburg Tennessee attractions or Pigeon Forge Gatlinburg attractions, it’s all waiting for you, your family and your friends or group to enjoy. Don’t wait until the last minute to plan your Smokies trip, what you’d like to do and where you’ll be staying. Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge have a lot to offer. Discover what fun is waiting for you in this popular Great Smoky Mountain National Park vacation area.

Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing

Learn more about the popular Pigeon Forge attractions and Pigeon Forge events. Kevin Buster is a travel writer for InfoSearch Publishing and http://www.bestvacationrentalsonline.com – visit the website to find cabin rentals, pet friendly lodging, places to get married, discount hotel rooms and other vacation fun.

It was 1770 when the very first hotel was opened in Chamonix Mont Blanc. Before this date Chamonix village embodied a uncivilized and sturdy agricultural village where folks caught their own animals and produced their own wheat.

Chalets then were used to farm animals during the spring and summer. Milk was conserved by changing it into different types of cheese and kept in the village for eating over the cruel winters. During the snow season the farmhouses were barred, and all valued possessions were put safely in a liitle mazot.

The person who invented catered chalet holidays is unknown, however it was likely some spirited chaps who realized a pattern that was novel. With Erna Low it all started when she was a homesick alumna who could not visit her family back home as frequently as she liked. And so in 1933 she took a punt and placed a ad in the Times to invite punters on a winter break. The cost was £15 and they journeyed to and from the town, had dinner and lodging in the only chalet, and paid for ski gear and lessons. The trip was arduous work, there were no chair lifts, no safety fixations, merely leather shoes, it was such a hit that Erna Low kept on taking groups on vacations, making sure she sourced excellent hotels and ski instructors.

These Skiing holidays during the formative years were very different to the luxuries we have now. Back then hot water was in limited supply, the bathrooms were used with all of the customers, and there was no a chef; the punters had to help out. It was a complete lottery as to who may share the accommodation for the vacation, you might be pleased by meeting brand new acquaintances, or grimaced by the thought of spending another day with unpleasant guests.

Chalets France were later advertised on its additional bonuses. Your own chef, who served you breakfast and dinner and prepared you cakes, ensuites warm water.

Random Drug Testing

Drug screen has grown into a frequent phenomenon across the world. Many societies perform drug exams on newly hired people or present employees to verify a drug-free surrounding at workplace.

Insurance offices and courts conduct drug trials on a regular ground on distrusted people. The important query that comes to your brain, when you go for some screen is how to pass the drug exam?

Internet web sites much like Free Pass Drug Test Information proposes the current detoxification products including permanent cleaners, phony piss products, and saliva cleaning products, detoxify drinks and home drug screen kits.

Home Drug Testing Kit

Passing The Drug Test proposes master support for every item, with support brought home the bacon by drug test persons who are highly seasoned with assorted types of drug testing methodologies and effects. Support is available by e-mail and telephone. Shipping is seamless, with complete secrecy assured, using plainly and discrete boxing materials to hold entire client privacy.

Ecstasy Drug Test

Involved on the new site is a wide order of products for detoxification and testing intents. Permanent cleansing agents are proposed in 3, 5 and 7, 10, 14, 21 and 30 day systems, with a assortment of herbs, roots, barks and minerals that are recognized lipides destroyers which work to break down fat cells and eradicate toxins wholly. Synthetic Substance weewee is offered, which accommodates all ingredients usually seen in weewee, specially balanced for pH with specific gravity, creatine and other piss features. A saliva cleansing mouthwash is tendered will clean toxins from the mouth with merely 3 minutes of use. We offer a range of detoxification drinks, each carrying the most working herbs and fiber to help free the body of toxins that may have accumulated.

If you use MSN to lookup the wide world web for us here are 10 Good phrases to use to find our web site.

Workplace Random Drug Testing

Home Drug Testing Kit as well provides drug test kits including saliva, hair and piss based tests to guarantee that detoxify efforts are effective. For more information, visit Drug Free Passing Test Tip If you have any questions, please call us at: 866-641-7277

Music lovers can heave a sigh of relief after Vodafone, announced a new deal which will enable its users to download DRM free music to their mobiles, laptops and netbooks (click for deals on free laptops). In the first such step by a mobile network, Vodafone has made it easier for its users to enjoy a variety of music without any downloading restrictions.

The deal has been signed between Vodafone and various record companies like Universal Music, Sony Music and EMI. As part of the offer, customers who have already bought some music in WMA format will also be allowed to upgrade to DRM free MP3 format without any additional charge.

Divulging details of the deal, Pieter Knook, Director of Vodafone Internet Services said that music being a major focal point in the lives of many of the customers, it was important that the company did its best to provide some relief to them in whichever way they could. Going DRM free, the company hopes, will be a hit with the customers, as it will enable them to download music without worrying about restrictions over its use.

Digital rights management (DRM) is an access control method often used by publishers or copyright holders of music to limit sharing of digital music among different devices. A publisher can restrict a file to a maximum number of viewing, copies, downloads etc. The method has been extensively used by many companies dealing in digital music such as Apple and Sony.

To the East is Florida’s state capital, Tallahassee, with
its streets of graceful old Southern mansions. To the far
west lies Pensacola, which it is said, is the country’s
oldest settlement, dating from 1559.
Between these towns, is the potential for a whole range of
different holidays.

Tallahassee was named by the Apalachee Indians.

It is best enjoyed by traversing along the Canopy Roads.
Which as the name suggests, are thoroughfares in the middle
of town, where Spanish oak trees connect above the
streets forming a lush tunnel-like canopy.

Visit the New Capitol Building and go to the 22nd floor
observation level. There you can see magnificient views of
the city and beyond. You can also still see the Old Capitol
building with its red and white awnings. Many thousands of
students bring a real buzz to Tallahassee, culminating at
night, when the live music scene caters for a young crowd.

Pensacola is found in the far western tip of the Florida
Panhandle.

Pensacola spent centuries changing hands between the French,
Spanish and Britain, before being relinquished to the United
states in 1821.

Most who visit go straight to the superb beaches. But the
city’s architecture makes for a great day of sightseeing.

There are three distinct areas to explore. All grouped
around a simple grid of roads central to which is Palafox Street.

The North Hill district is where Pensacola’s high society
resided during the late 19th century until the 1930s. Their
housing architecture ranged from neoclassical porticoed
mansions to black-and-white neo-Tudor cottages and Queen
Anne villas.

The Palafox district to the south of North Hill is full of
turn of the century elegance such as fluted columns and
elaboarate balustrades.

The Sevilla district, fronting onto Pensacola Bay, forms a wonderful mixture of restored old homes and great museums.

Around Memorial Day weekend, the city is teeming with a
huge lesbian and gay party of up to 100,000 attendants,
on the streets and on Navarre Beach in a whirl of revelling.

This article will be printed in 3 parts as there are other
beautiful areas in the Florida Panhandle to visit. But there
is far too much information to mention it here all at once.
In this regard, the article will be printed within a few
days of each other. But, if you can’t wait to read the rest
of this article, go to http://www.milkriver.co.uk Florida
Travels.

Tim Burton writes travel articles for the popular Orlando Villas Florida by Owner website at http://www.milkriver.co.uk and Worldwide Villas by Owner website at http://www.worldwidevillas.net © Copyright 2006 by Tim Burton Article may be reprinted but must include the all the author information.

It’s widely agreed among those in the interior design and fashion industry that a good deal of the iconic styles which were synonymous with the Seventies have started to re-emerge in regards to carpet. In terms of colour, on trend customers as well as interior designers have been asking for old-school 70’s shades such as deep purple, tangerine orange, and forest green.

Many of these colours have already started to appear as slightly different shades in exclusive interior products and accessories which are now filtering down to the high street.

It has been noted by one interior designer that people are searching for something that is a little bit different and want to make their homes unique whilst still remaining cutting edge.

A whole host of carpet manufacturers, distributors and retailers have collaborated to extol the benefits of carpet flooring through Fun on the Floor – a fully fledged marketing campaign designed to reinvigorate the nation’s interest in carpet.

Fun on the Floor is a national campaign that will draw focus on carpet as a great flooring choice by bringing to life its versatility, practicality, affordability, and unrivalled ability to transform a home!

The initial phase of the campaign launched July 31st with the opening of a unique house in central London designed and curated by Interior Designer and Sunday Times Style Columnist Danielle Proud.

What is being called the Fun on the Floor House will play the role of a showroom through a medley of creatively designed rooms that feature carpet in stunning, creative and fun ways based on whats popular in the interior design industry at the moment. The house will initially be open by invitation to trade, national, consumer, regional journalists as well as key influencers such as interior designers, production companies for a free shoot location up until December.

Following the launch of the Fun on the Floor House, an eye-catching press and outdoor advertising campaign will kick off in the autumn 2008 and will cover billboards and vans across the country. Showcasing carpets as something that is a little bit different and for people who want to make their homes stand out whilst still remaining contemporary.