When it comes to beaches there is no denying that Australia has been truly blessed. From white sandy beaches for swimming, surfing or snorkelling on the Great Barrier reef there are beaches to suit everyone. Let’s look at some of the more popular beach destinations for an Australian beach holiday.

Gold Coast, Queensland:

Even the Americans are on to the Gold Coast. Holiday apartments are harder to secure in the peak season but they are the best way to get close to the beach action and views. 10 million people visited the Gold Coast in 2008 and in 2009 you can see what they were there enjoying. Parasailing, water sports, and of course, a bit of sun worship are definitely the order of the day.

Noosa, Queensland:

Each March surfers head to Noosa. Accommodation can be hard to find, but holiday rentals are an excellent choice for making the most of your holiday. As one of the few beaches that faces north, even if you are not watching the surfers in March you’ll find a lot going on in Noosa year-round. Do watch on Alexandria Beach – clothing is optional!

Port Douglas, Queensland:

Port Douglas accommodation is hard to find in peak season, so book early if you are wanting this to be your beach destination in 2009. And there are so many reasons to make Port Douglas your oceanic destination! Naturally, there’s the Great Barrier Reef, plus the surfing, and then the onshore 4 wheel drive adventures are a gas. You can sun year round as well, without even having to get in the water.

Byron Bay, New South Wales:

As the Wet sets in, land lubbers all over Oz start dreaming of Byron Bay holiday homes. If you can’t own it, you can at least rent one for a long vacation. The white sandy beaches are perfect for sunning, or you can climb the steep shores with binoculars and gander at the water life. Both whales on migration and bottlenose dolphins are frequently spotted here. Parasailing, gliding, surfing and scuba are also on offer here. It’s also a very earthy, alternative style hippy zone, so you can totally unwind from the real world as you bask on the shore.

Jervis Bay, New South Wales:

Parts of Jervis are protected national park, and it’s no wonder. Stunningly beautiful, you’ll want to plan your trip early to book anything during the busy school holiday seasons such as Christmas and New Year this is one of the most popular destinations on the South Coast. Everyone and their dog and a colony of fairy penguins heads out here, or so it seems. Only a couple of hours drive south of Sydney, Jervis offers an easy to reach holiday spot for a long weekend or longer stay. Surf, fish, dive or trek in the Boonderee National Park during your stay. Sea kayaking has also recently gotten huge here, so if you tire of sunning yourself on the beach you can have a go at it as rentals are readily available.

By: Rich Greenwood

About the Author:

My job in a major firm that specializes in mergers and acquisitions takes me all over Australia. I guess that’s one reason why they asked me to do my own review for the simplylush.com website. Well, that and the fact that they think highly of my excellent taste and discerning eye (wink!).

I was asked to write about my favourite five-star hotels in Melbourne and Sydney, where I usually do business, as well as my overall Australia-wide favourite holiday five-star retreat. Without further adieu, allow me to tell you about my favourite five-star hotels.

1. Langham Hotel, Melbourne

For me, this is the best hotel in Melbourne, with absolutely the best riverside location in the whole city. The hotel exudes a personality that is elegant but not pretentious or overly opulent – like a gracious Victorian residence from the olden days. The hotel is an easy distance from many of my favourite Melbourne things, including the al fresco restaurants, superb cafes and a rather happening night life.

My wife enjoys the nearby boutiques, National Gallery of Victoria, Victorian Arts Centre and the magnificent Botanical Gardens. She doesn’t usually come with me on my trips and, although I’ve been to the Langham countless more times than she has, I never really appreciated the hotel’s magnificent high ceiling, cascading fountains and Waterford crysal chandeliers until she pointed them out.

There are 12 suites in all, plus the Presidential Suite. They also have a glitzy Executive Club on the 24th floor which has special privileges. In addition, the in-house Melba Brasserie is a great place to eat, with soft elegant armchairs and sofas, and a breath-taking view of the Yarra River.

2. The Observatory Hotel, Sydney

Located in Sydney’s historic Rocks district, the Observatory Hotel blends right in and reminds me of a grand 19th century Australian Home. Word is that the Observatory Hotel is part of the Orient Express collection of properties, and it does have that kind of mystique.
It is furnished with tasteful Australian antiques, fine tapestries and original oil paintings. The Observatory is also close to Sydney’s Central Business District and that matters to an executive like me as well. After a stressful day in the boardroom, there are many options here that can help me wind down, including the Day Spa & Health Club, which has a magnificent spa and sauna as well as a 20-metre indoor swimming pool. The in-house Galileo Restaurant offer fine cuisine

3. Sheraton Mirage Resort & Spa Gold Coast

Now, if it’s a vacation hideaway I’m after, then the Sheraton Mirage at the Gold Coast is tops on my list. Just thinking about its superb location – right between the soothing blue Pacific Ocean and serene Southport Broadwater – is a calming experience.

With over 15 hectares of palm trees and its own sparkling blue lagoon, the word that comes to mind when I think about the Sheraton Mirage is oasis. The rooms are elegant but I’d advise you to go for the private villas with their picture-perfect view of the rolling surf and nearby tropical gardens.

For dining, the Sheraton Mirage has five restaurants and bars, each of them award winners in their own right. For seafood lovers, the Terraces Restaurant offers a superb buffet while the Oasis Pool Bar is great for lounging by the pool. Horizons Restaurant is the place for a romantic dinner while the Oyster Bar is great for a champagne-flowing experience.

By: James Lush

About the Author:

Strange as it now seems, Australian beaches were empty of body surfers until the dawn of the twentieth century. Since swimsuits had not yet been invented, five major steps were taken to ensure that the behaviour of people bathing in the ocean or swimming in rivers would not offend early colonial standards of public decency.

1, In 1833, the government of New South Wales introduced an Act that prohibited all ocean bathing in daylight hours. Sydneysiders had always been resistant to attempts by officialdom to limit their freedoms and, in the heat of summer, they were not to be kept from the cool ocean waves. The authorities struck back with a new Act, passed in 1838, banning daylight swimming within sight of any public place.

2. Beach Inspectors enforced the new laws, which carried a fine of one pound Sterling – more than the weekly wage of an ordinary working man. Glorying in the title of Inspector of Public Nuisances, few of these unpopular functionaries were noted for a sense of humour.

3. By 1841, public baths had been set up in Melbourne’s Yarra River. The first swimming championship was held in Sydney’s Domain Baths in 1846. Dress codes that were ridiculously modest by modern standards remained in force. Bathing dresses were usually made from a heavy woolen serge and could contain up to ten metres of fabric.

4. Among the first body surfers to publicly defy the laws against daylight bathing were two Manly Beach locals, Freddie Williams and Tommy Tanna. The first official challenge came in 1902, when the owner of the local newspaper became fed up with a law that had led to many deaths because people swam at night. William Gocher made three well-advertised daytime swims in a bid to force police to arrest him, but none of the magistrates would convict him. By 1903, the law had to be changed but the bans on Sunday bathing, on men and women swimming together, and the strict dress regulations remained in force until the 1930s.

5. The Royal Humane Society of Australasia, formed in 1882, and the Royal Life Saving Society, formed in 1894, were the precursors of Australia’s famed surf lifesavers. Early rescue methods were based on those used in England and not until 1902 was the first club of regular lifesavers formed, by Major John Bond of the Medical Staff Corps, Victoria Barracks, at Sydney’s Bronte Beach. The team was formally constituted in March 1907. At Bondi Beach, a club had been constituted in February 1906 and one of its members introduced the reel, which revolutionized life saving methods. Its first use was to rescue a boy who would become world-famous as the aviator Charles Kingsford Smith. (c) Dorothy Gauvin

By: Dorothy Gauvin

About the Author:

Tourist Visas Embassies and consulates

Kenya has diplomatic representation in many countries. Where there is no Kenyan embassy or high commission, visas can be obtained from the British embassy or high commission.

Its important to understand what your own embassy-the embassy of the country of which you are a citizen-can and cant do to help you if you get into trouble. Generally speaking, it won’t be much help in emergencies if the trouble you’re in is remotely your own fault. Remember that you are bound by the laws of the country you are in. Your embassy will not be sympathetic if you end up in jail after committing a crime locally, even if such actions are legal in your own country.

In genuine emergencies you might get some assistance, but only if other channels have been exhausted. For example, if you need to get home urgently, a free ticket home is exceedingly unlikely-the embassy would expect you to have some insurance. If all your money and documents are stolen, the embassy might assist with getting anew passport, but loan for onward travel is out of the question.

Kenyan embassies and consulates in Your Country

AUSTRALIA: Tel, 02-62474788 kenrep@dynamite.com.au QBE Bldg, 33-35 Ainslie Ave, Canberra, ACT 2601

AUSTRIA: Tel, 01-7123919; kenyarep-vienna@aon.at

Neulinggasse 29/8, 1030 Vienna

CANADA: 613-631773; [http://www.kenyahighcommision.ca] ; 415Laurier Ave, East Ottawa, Ontario, KIN 6R4

ETHIOPIA: Tel, 01-610033; kenya.embassy@telecom.net.et ;

Fikre Mariam Rd, P.o Box 3301, Addis Ababa

FRANCE: Tel, 01-56622525; kenparis@wanadoo.fr ;3rue

Freycinet,75116 Paris)

GERMANY: Tel,030-25922660; embassy-kenya.bn@wwmail.de; Markgrafenstr 63,10969 Berlin

INDIA: Tel, 011-26146537; [http://www.kenyamission-delhi.com;] 34 Paschimi Marg, Vasant Vihar, 10057 New Delhi)

ISRAEL: Tel,03-57546333; kenya04@ibm.net ;15Rehov

Abba Hillel Silver, Ramat Gan 52522, P. O Box 52136, Tel Aviv

ITALY: Tel, 396-8082714; [http://www.embassyofkenya.it;via] Archmede 165, 00197, Rome)

JAPAN: Tel, 03-37234006; http://www.embassy-avenue.jp/kenya ; 3-24-3 Yakumo, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo 152)

NETHERLANDS: Tel, 070-3504215; kenre@dataweb.nl ;

Niewe Parklaan 21, 2597, The Hague)

SOUTH AFRICA: Tel, 012-3622249; kenp@pta.lia.net ;302 Brooks St, Menlo Park, 0081,Pretoria)

SUDAN: Tel, 011-460386; Street 3 Amarat, P.O. Box 8242, Khartoum)

TANZANIA: Tel, 022- 2112955; khc@raha.com ; NIC Investment House, Samora Ave, P.O Box 5231, Dar es salaam)

UGANDA: Tel, 041- 258235; Plot No.41, Nakasero Rd, P.O. Box 5220, Kampala)

UK: Tel, 020-76362371; [http://www.kenyahighcommision.com;45portlandPl], London W1N4AS)

USA: Tel, 202-3876101; [http://www.kenyaembassy.com;] 2249R St NW, Washington DC 20008)

Embassies and Consulates of other countries in Kenya

Many countries around the world maintain diplomatic missions in Kenya; A selection of these is listed following. Missions are located in Nairobi (Area tel. code 020) unless otherwise stated.

AUSTRALIA High commission; tel, 445034; [http://www.embassy.gov.au/ke.html] ;ICIPE House, Riverside Drive)

AUSTRIA: Tel: 319076; Nairobi-ob@bmaa.gv.at ;City House, Wabera St)

CANADA high commission: Tel, 3663000; http://www.nairobi.gc.ca ; Limuru Rd)

ETHIOPIA: Tel, 2732050; State House Ave.

FRANCE: Tel, 316363; [http://www.ambafrance-ke.org;] Barclays Plaza, Loita St)

GERMANY: Tel, 4262100; http://www.nairobi.diplo.de ; 113 Riverside Drive)

INDIA high Commision: Tel, 222566; http://www.nairobi.indianhighcommision.com ; Jeevan Bharati Bldg, Harambee Ave.

IRELAND honorary consulate: Tel, 556647; irconsul@swiftkenya.com ; Maasai Rd)

ISRAEL: Tel, 2722182; Bishops Rd)

ITALY Embassy: Tel, 319198; cooperazione@utlnairobi.org ; International Life House, Mama Ngina St; Consulate 041-314705;Jubilee Bldg, Moi Ave. Mombasa.

JAPAN:Tel, 315850; embjap@wananchi.com;ICEA Bldg, Kenyatta Ave.)

NETHERLANDS: Tel, 4447412; Riverside Lane)

SOUTH AFRICA High Commission; Tel, 2827100; Roshanmaer Pl, Lenana Rd)

SPAIN: Tel, 246009; embespke@mail.mae.es ; International House, Mama Ngina St.)

SUDAN: Tel, 2720883; sudanemb@wananchi.com ;AON-Minet Bldg, Mamlaka Rd) At the time of research, this embassy did not issue visas.

SWITZERLAND: Tel, 228735; International House, Mama Ngina St)

TANZANIA High Commission: Tel, 311948; Reinsurance Plaza, Aha Khan Walk)

UGANDA High Commission: Tel, 4445420; http://www.ugandahighcommission.co.ke ;Riverside Paddocks) Consular section; Tel, 311814; Uganda House, Kenyatta Ave)

UK High Commission: Tel, 2844000; [http://www.britishhighcommision.gov.uk/kenya] ; Upper Hill Rd)

USA: Tel, 3636000; [http://www.nairobi.usembassy.gov] ; United Nations Ave)

By: Robert Muhoho

About the Author:

Willing to travel aboard? The first and foremost concern of each traveller after all the paperwork get done, is how to pack their luggage safely and effectively and in a manner that it is easily accessible. Shopping for a luggage set that fits your each requirement perfectly is as important for enjoying a hassle-free international trip. One of the most ideal luggage sets is samsonite luggage set.

Ideally, the type of luggage set you prefer would entirely depends on the location you wish to visit and of course the duration of your stay. One must possess a luggage set that would be durable and handy to carry. Durability is essential, as it should be able to withstand the rough journey on the conveyor belt without giving up on the way. The samsonite luggage set is the ideal solution, meaning that it includes the distinct compartments for packing various different individual pieces so that you will not waste your time in searching the items from the luggage set.

Variation of choice available for best luggage set shopping

The choice of whether to buy a suitcase, duffel bag, tote bag or any other piece of luggage would depend on the individual needs and tastes. A number of options are available with samsonite luggage sets from durable, stylish suitcases, duffel bags, and tote bags to all, can make your travel pleasurable and comfortable. All pieces of samsonite luggage come in varied sizes and shapes to suit your individual preferences and requirements.

Whether on a pleasure travel or a business trip samsonite luggage is available just to suit each need and make the travel more comfortable and enjoyable without being pre-occupied with your luggage.

There are bags that can be carried along with you on the flight for that two day business trip eliminating all the inconvenience and wastage of time involved in waiting impatiently near the conveyor belt. Samsonite luggage is also available with suitcases and duffel bags that have wheel attachments ensuring absolute convenience; especially after all that shopping that you are planning on the travel.

Shop for the best luggage set

Deciding to go in for a suitcase or a duffel bag that would be a great buy at a low price could be a great idea. But imagine your condition if it gives way half way through your travel? Therefore, it is always better to shop in a luggage set, which is known for its quality and durability. A samsonite luggage piece can only offer you both stylish and trendy look. Moreover, it is the only one that stands as the best suited for an enjoyable travel. With a samsonite luggage set you are sure to be rest assured. A samsonite luggage set is sure to serve you well for a long time to come.

Finally, Samsonite luggage sets are available in all sizes and in a range of colours as well. Samsonite luggage is the answer to all your travel requirements when both looks as well as practical use matter. So Happy Travelling!!!

By: Caitlina Fuller

About the Author:

Amongst all destinations and tourist spots in Australia, one of the best loved and impressive place is Uluru / Ayers Rock, located in Australia’s Northern Territory. This is the location of the impressive Ayers Rock – a single sandstone mass, the best place for Uluru Tours – and Kata Tjuta, made up of volcanic stones wrapped in red sandstone.

There, many different ways to discover the rock and its history enable visitors to get the best out of their trip to Australia’s Northern Territory by enriching their culture and their mind. Uluru has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and by taking some Uluru tours, mainly guided by Aborigine people – the traditional owners of the place -, visitors can learn a lot about Aborigine culture and the history of these incredible rock formations situated in Australia’s outback.

What to do in Kata Tjuta National Park

At destination, tourists – from backpackers to families -, are able to enjoy Uluru and Kata Tjuta in many different ways. The best known Uluru Tours are Uluru at sunset and sunrise: sun gives Uluru amazing colours, changing a lot the aspect of the rock and offering visitors the best sights of Uluru. During these Uluru tours – some departing from Alice Springs -, visitors can also have breakfast and dinner when they can learn even more from the guide, like local legends, and understand why Uluru is such sacred place for Aborigine people. And by walking around Uluru and Kata Tjuta, visitors have the possibility to approach Uluru fauna and flora, at the condition of keeping their eyes wide open.

Plenty of choices are available for tourists to see and experience Kings Canyon and Kata Tjuta National Park. Helicopter Ride over Uluru / Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta / The Olgas will offer panoramic and amazing views of Uluru right in the middle of the desert. Camel rides and 4WD tours will allow visitors to come close to the rocks and keep learning about the history of Uluruand Kata Tjuta National Park. Even climbs on Uluru / Ayers Rock are available, but only if temperatures are not too high, as it becomes difficult to climb it.

Before deciding to climb the Uluru, which is also one available tour, visitors must be aware of its sacred meaning and why this path has a real significance for them, which explains their will to convince people not to climb.

By: Mimi Rippy

About the Author:

It would be practically impossible to think of a holiday, without indulging in a little retail therapy, and if you have to come a shopper’s paradise like Gold Coast, there is no way you can leave without at least a few bags. With cars for rental, Gold Coast becomes easy enough to traverse.

Now, when you come to the Gold Coast, you really need to think about and plan your shopping trips, because there is simply too much for you to choose from. Perhaps, the first thing you should do when you get into town is get yourself Gold Coast car rentals. This way, not only will you be able to get to all the places you want to visit, but also get your purchases back to your hotel.

As mentioned before, the choices on the Gold Coast are extensive and these range from high-end shopping to local markets. It is up to you where you want to shop and what you want to shop for. The local markets include those held at Surfers Paradise, Burleigh Heads, Broadbeach and Coolangatta. Other popular markets include Tamborine Mountain, Robina Town Centre, Canungra Country Market, Paradise Point Art and Craft Market.

With cars for hire, Gold Coast shopping can be much more fun, because you can shuttle from branded shopping to street side, with ease. Perhaps one of the first places you should head to is the Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, which is home to some of the best retailers in the country. You can find almost anything and everything you need, under this roof and at reasonable rates as well. If at any point of time, you feel hungry or thirsty, there are several restaurants, bars and cafes.

The Oasis Shopping Centre is another place, worth visiting, because here you will find over 100 stores, which deal in specialty products. You will be able to find gifts to take back home, latest trends and fashion, including clothes and accessories as well as a supermarket. The best thing about this place is that you will also find a range of services, such as a bank, a post office and salon.

If you want a slightly more stylish shopping experience, then Harbour Town is the place for you. This is where you will find all the big brands, including, end of season lines of renowned designers. The shopping center also boasts of the country’s premier purpose built outlet shopping experience.

By: Michael Ed Jones

About the Author:

Insurance is extremely common in today’s world – almost everyone will have insurance of some sort; most will have multiple policies protecting themselves and their assets against various events. One type that tends to be misunderstood and underutilized is vision insurance, which offers a range of benefits relating to one’s eyesight, including cover for visits to eye specialists and related costs.

The following will highlight what vision insurance is, and provide general information on why having this type of coverage can be advantageous.

A definition

Vision insurance is a specialist type of cover, and is designed to provide for expenses relating to eye care and health. Similar to health insurance, a vision policy will cover office visits and services rendered by eye doctors, both general eye health practitioners and specialist optometrists (up to a certain level based on you’re the provider and plan selected). As with other policies, the insured will pay a monthly or annual premium in addition to a set deductible or excess amount every time a claim for reimbursement of specific eye-related services and costs is made.

Typical benefits

Whether you wear glasses, contacts or you simply are interested in constant checkups to ensure the best possible vision and eye health, a policy can provide significant value. In fact, it is common to hear that a vision insurance policy more than pays for itself on an annual basis. As policies generally have a reasonable premium amount attached to them, many find that having coverage is more cost-effective than not, as eye health services and glasses/contacts can be expensive to say the least. Vision insurance may reduce the money spent on these services, even when you factor in the annual premium and deductibles.

A common misconception is vision insurance only covers an individual’s annual eye exam coverage and any unexpected eye related conditions. However, depending on the provider and policy selected, there may be many other inclusions and benefits. Although each policy will be different, most include coverage for a wide array of eye doctors such as optometrists, ophthalmologists and others in the vision arena. Policies may also cover a variety of eye-related needs such as eye exams, consultation for eye problems and the need for glasses and/or contact lenses. By having a policy in place, you are in effect making sure that you and your family members are covered whenever you need to be seen by an eye doctor for one reason or another.

Also, many may think that their health cover plan will include visits to an optometrist, but in fact many do not. Some health plans will cover an exam for a medical problem or an annual eye exam but this is as far as it goes with regard to coverage for eye issues, which can end up being very expensive. With a vision insurance policy, the insured can rest easy knowing that their eye health needs are covered no matter what the vision issue may be. Having appropriate insurance will mean that you are never caught off guard with regard to paying high medical bills on vision related office visits and treatments. There is clear value in being covered with regard to medical issues of the eye and general eye health.

By: David J Wright

About the Author:

Most individuals are relatively familiar with the basic types of insurance coverage such as auto, homeowners, health and life insurance. Even those who do not have an active policy are likely to have a basic understanding of how they work given the prevalence of insurance in today’s society. One of the lesser known types of coverage is umbrella insurance, and despite being lesser known it can be extremely helpful in a wide range of circumstances. The following will describe what umbrella protection is and highlight the basic protections it offers. Please note that this article is not intended to replace professional advice.

Simply put, umbrella insurance is fills in the gaps where auto and/or homeowners insurance leaves a shortfall. It is a way for insured individuals to receive extra protection and cover aspects of auto insurance policies and homeowners insurance policies not already covered. As is to be expected, those who obtain an umbrella insurance policy will have to pay an annual premium on top of their other insurance coverage policies, but the annual premium is often worth the extra peace of mind which an umbrella insurance policy provides to insured persons.

In order to gain a better understanding behind the concept of an umbrella insurance policy, we can look at examples of what a policy will cover in the real world. One example pertaining to your auto coverage – if you get into a car accident and the court rules in favor of the other party, you will usually have to pay some sort of monetary amount to settle the matter. As your auto policy may only cover part of the damages, you can use your umbrella insurance policy to cover the remainder of the costs. This extra protection can be extremely useful in a matter such as this one.

Another example in relation to homeowner insurance – suppose an incident occurs on your property and your homeowners policy does not cover it. Depending on the circumstances, your umbrella insurance policy may. This gap filling coverage is extremely handy and is one of the main reasons why more and more individuals are obtaining an umbrella policy in addition to their auto coverage and homeowners coverage.

Before obtaining an umbrella insurance policy, it is important to evaluate whether doing so is the right move for you to make, and if necessary seek professional advice. Initially it is a good idea to speak to your current provider(s) to determine whether there is a shortfall. In the event that you do identify a shortfall, call around to insurance agents to see which one offers the best deal. If the annual premium is simply too high to fit within your budget, then you may choose to pass on an umbrella insurance policy for the time being. However, if the premium is reasonable and you can fit it into your budget, then you may decide to move on to the next step and considering your current policies to see what liability limits exist on them.

Reviewing your current auto insurance policy and homeowners insurance policy liability limits is important when considering if you should obtain an umbrella insurance policy. If your current policies have high liability limits on them and reasonable deductibles, then acquiring an umbrella policy may not be necessary, at least not as much so as for those who have less favorable liability limits. On the other hand, if your liability limits are on the lower side, you may find that an extra cover in the form of umbrella protection is a wise move to make.

By: David J Wright

About the Author:

You can travel the world for free by becoming an “Outside Agent” or “Group Travel Organizer” for travel agencies.

Travel agencies usually have a wide range of domestic and international tour packages available. These tours typically last from ten to fourteen days, with groups of about ten to thirty people for each tour. Travel agencies constantly need people to sign up for their tours and most heartily welcome any help they can get in recruiting new tourists for their services. When you put a travel group together for the agency you can receive a free (all expenses paid!) vacation.

You can visit travel agencies directly, or locate them through internet searches. Contract with them for a free trip in exchange for you securing a group of people to sign up for a tour with the agency. For example, for a cruise, you’ll need maybe 9 to 15 people to sign up with the agency for you to travel for free. Make sure you find out exactly how many people you need to sign up for the tour so you can travel for free. Also ask if the tour will cover your airfare or not, and get all details related to the tour. Dates, times, schedules, costs, food, accommodations, transportation, sight-seeing, etc. Ask the travel agent if he or she can supply you with brochures or flyers, with your name, phone number and email address, to hand out to potential sign-ups.

When putting a group together talk to friends, relatives and co-workers. Visit churches and organizations with your travel proposal. Post and handout your flyers to everyone you can. Send emails to everyone you know, and ask them to forward the message. Let all of the friends you have in social sites like FaceBook know about the trip. You may even consider placing small classified ads in newspapers for more leads. Write an article about the tour’s destination and offer it for free to newspapers, magazines, blogs and websites as long as they include your contact information.

Giving travel presentations is another great way to get people to sign up for the tour. Your church, retirement organizations, Veterans groups, Kiwis, American Legion and Rotary Club are all good places to give your presentation. Provide refreshments and have plenty of flyers on hand. Your home is another place where you could hold presentations. Invite family and friends, and ask them to invite their family and friends. You can speak about the tour, show a video, or have a travel agent that represents the agency give the presentation.

Once your group is organized collect deposits from each member as required from the agency. This ensures that the people are serious about going. Most deposits are refundable up to a certain date as prescribed by the agency, so little or no risk is involved for your group in paying deposits. Then make sure that each group member gets their travel vouchers and know the departure date, time and location.

You go with the tour group for free, and when you get back home you can do this all over again to have another all expenses paid vacation. Do this as often as you like to go anywhere in the world for free.

By: Thomas C Carroll

About the Author: