Why Travel Makes People Happy

Some people love to travel and others not so much. I love most every aspect of it. I like planning a trip, deciding on the route, what I want to see, where I want to stay, the flights, in fact the whole caboodle. Then there’s the actual trip which is exciting and when it is over, travel gives you (usually) wonderful memories. What is there not to like?

Planning is a great time as you get to choose where you want to go, how you are getting there, all aspects of your trip, including hotel. Today there are so many ways you can get information about the place you have chosen for your trip. For example, say you want to plan a trip to Costa Rica as your neighbors went there last year and they loved it. Certainly you can pick their brains about their experiences there.



Then you can do your own research. Online is a great place to start as you can look at maps, visit blogs about the place and start planning what you will do when you get there. There are flights to book. Is San Jose the right airport for you or would Liberia be a better choice? Check with different airlines or expedia.com for the best routes and what the price differences are. Maybe you should do some research into all-inclusive deals or general vacation deals that include hotel and flights.



If you decide you would rather plan your itinerary yourself, then you can spend more time planning your trip. Costa Rica is well known for its beauty and there is so much to do there. You could go on a trip through a rainforest. Maybe a yoga camp? How about car rentals? You could then simply go wherever you want each day and not plan much at all. You could start of in San Jose and spend a night or two there to get to know the city and then hire a car and travel north to Arenal where the rainforests are and the volcano. The area is also a renowned spa town. You can either plan ahead and book hotels or just pick a place to stay when you get there – something that is usually very doable.



You could go further north west until you get to the beautiful Pacific coast where there are lovely small towns on the coast where you can enjoy water sports, go on a trip to see the whales or the turtles, or simply relax on one of the beautiful beaches.



While Spanish is the language of the country, it is not difficult to get by with just English. Travelling by car, you could more or less see the whole country in about two weeks and have a great time. Another plus is that it is near the equator so the weather so the weather is usually beautiful all year round. The people are nice and friendly and the country itself is spectacular and so are the flowers and the birds – they even have monkeys.



After your trip, you can spend your time looking at your photos and re-living the great time you had there. This is just one of the many reasons that travelling is wonderful.

Why You Should Choose A Cruise Vacation

If you love to travel, you should consider a cruise vacation. In the past few years, there have been some mishaps aboard cruise ships, but overall, a cruise is a fun and safe vacation. The media will cover the rare cruise ship fires, but they fail to mention the many cruises that happen safely every day of the year.

If you look at the price of a cruise, it is actually a very cost effective vacation. Just compare the cost of a traditional vacation to a theme park to the cost of a cruise. If you were to take your family of four to Orlando for a visit to the theme parks, you will be paying for the hotel, you will pay for meals, and you will have to pay for admission to the theme parks. This can easily come to $500 per day or more, or $3500 for a week. Now, for a cruise, you will pay for the cruise, which can be as low as $620 per person, or $2480 for a family of four for a one week cruise.



When you pay for a cruise, you are paying for not only the cabin, but the price also includes meals and entertainment. There is a wide range of dining options on most cruise ships. There are buffets open three meals a day. You can eat in the main dining room. Many modern cruise ships also have several specialty restaurants and other dining options, including burgers, pizza, sandwiches, and cafés. Most of the dining options are included in the price of the cruise, but some options do carry an additional fee. But isn’t $30 per person worth it to dine in a high end steakhouse?



Theme parks can provide a great vacation. But the shore excursions on a cruise are so much more fulfilling. In most ports of call, you will have a wide variety of shore excursions to choose from. You can take a tour of the city or island, or visit local markets to do some shopping. If you want a relaxing time, some ports of call offer a serene sunset cruise on a sailboat or catamaran.



If you have a taste for adventure, many ports of call, especially in the Caribbean, offer parasailing or zip lines through the jungle. Other shore excursions take you scuba diving or snorkeling. For a lower key excursion, however, you may choose to simply lie on the beach and soak up the sun. But you certainly do not need to go on a shore excursion on the cruise. You can simply relax on board the ship next to the pool, or in one of the hot tubs.



A cruise vacation can be much more cost effective than a traditional vacation, and provide you with plenty of options for fun. The dining options on a large cruise ship are many and varied. And the shore excursions provide you with a wide range of fulfilling activities. And of course a cruise offers the opportunity to simply relax.