Travelers Insider
Stay in a Tree House Amsterdam I Dream of Africa
Table of Contents Stay in a Tree House … 4
Amsterdam …. 11
I dream of Africa …. 13
Travel News …. 18
Tree Houses T
When looking for accommodations for a vacation, staying in a tree house isn’t what normally pops into persons mind. When you say “tree house” most people envision a crude structure put together out of some gapping 2 x 4 planks of wood and glassless windows. But that is certainly not the way of the modern tree house. The modern, luxury tree house comes with king size beds, full bathrooms, sitting areas and balconies with a view. However if you are looking for something a little more rustic you will have no problem finding something to fit your taste as well.
Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort– Belize This Caribbean Sea beachfront property is a secluded, intimate resort perfect for discovering Belize. Its 9 luxury tree houses are raised on stilts and set in the coast forest surrounded by orchids and birds. 4
The Great House which is reminiscent of a plantation home, is the heart of the resort and where you will find the lobby, gift shop, restaurant, bar and wrap-around veranda. You can also enjoy a refreshing swim in the curved, freshwater infinity pool or maybe just go for a stroll in the lush gardens. You can also take advantage of the full service scuba diving and snorkeling center. All the tree houses come with private porches, hair dryers, bottle water, safe, are en suite, and have air conditioning. Other amenities vary by room. Rates run from $251 per night (dbl occp.) to $690 with $35 for each additional person.
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Tree Houses Hotel - Costa Rica The Tree Houses Hotel is perfect for when you want that rustic feel but don’t want to give up all the comforts of a hotel room. The tree houses come with a full bathroom, air conditioner, safe and refrigerator yet they still retain that rustic, natural feel. Located in the Costa Rica jungle, the tree houses have great viewing balconies and are often visited by monkeys and toucans. Some come with open showers, are split level, full size beds or family size.
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Prices range from $87.00 a night to $150 a night (dbl occupancy & $15 for each additional person) with prices being slightly higher from Christmas through New Years. Price includes a full breakfast and access to the 70 acre wildlife refuge complete with waterfall and dipping pools.
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Tongabezi – Zambia The luxurious Tongabezi tree house boast of amazing views of the Zambezi River. The beautifully decorated, exotic tree house includes a king size canopy bed with air conditioning and plenty of space for private dining and lounging. The bathrooms pride and joy is it’s the open claw footed bath. The resort is all inclusive with activities including canoeing, an island lunch, Sanpan floating candlelit dinner, Mukuni Park, sunrise & sunset boating, Victoria Falls, bush walks, museum tours, fishing, game drives and trips to the Maramba Market. Rates start at $620 per person, per night.
Marc’s Treehouse Lodge Marc’s offers rustic yet comfortable accommodations. Some tree houses are en suite while others have bathrooms just outside the tree house. They come with mosquito netted beds, electric fans and private decks which overlook either the Klaserie River or the Breakfast Dam. They are located on the Motlala Game Reserve where there is an abundant of wildlife. The tree houses are spread out so have the feeling of being secluded.
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Since Marc’s is located on a game reserve animals are free to roam about so this is the perfect place when you want a really African wildlife experience. These are basic, not luxury tree houses which also makes them a good bargain. Game drives can be taken right from the lodge and with their package deals in conjunction with Viva Safari’s, meals are included as well as your pickup in Johannesburg which makes them very convenient. No phone or internet connection is available since you are out in the middle of the African bush. A small bar is available in the mail building/lobby. Package deals are available, contact lodge for rates.
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Amsterdam
Amsterdam is able to perfectly mix its 17th century charm with modern conveniences. The narrow streets, canals, bridges and squares are exactly what visitors hope to find. Amsterdam started out as a small fishing village with the waters around it controlled by a system of dykes and polders. The young township soon became the chief trading city of northern Europe and in the 17th century a massive trading empire. Known for its gable houses, the city has the highest museum density in the world with museums such as the Van Gogh Museum, Heritage Amsterdam and the Rijkmuseum with Rembrandt’s world-famous Nightwatch.
Visitors enter through the hidden staircase behind the revolving bookshelf just as Anne and the others did in 1942. The rooms are now empty except for Anne’s film star pictures still pinned up on the walls and Otto Frank’s model of what the annexe looked like during the occupation. If you are planning to visit the annexe get there early, over 500,000 people visit the museum a year. But don’t let that discourage you from going. It is a historical and moving experience you will not want to miss.
Amsterdam is also rich is World War II history and no visit to the city would be complete without a tour of the Anne Frankhuis where 13 year old Anne Frank and her family along with four other people hid for two years during World War II in order to escape Nazi extermination.
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When people think about Amsterdam they often think of tulips and flowers and justly so. Beginning in late January and peaking around mid-April, beautiful varieties and colors of tulips can be found in and around Amsterdam. Tours to the tulip fields and gardens can easily be made right from the city. One of the most popular places to see the tulips is at the Keukenhof Gardens with over 7 million bulbs in every imaginable color and variety you will want to make sure you have plenty of memory in your camera. You can also visit a flower auction and watch buyers from all over the world bid on some of the most beautiful flowers you will ever see. The variety and color of flowers are amazing. You can walk along the catwalk inside the warehouse and marvel at the sights and smells. There are plenty of good places to eat no matter what your budget is. You will find everything from a retro 70’s restaurant to South American food and if you prefer something a little more familiar you will even find a McDonalds. However, one thing you may be surprised not to find at the local Micky D’s are seats. There may be a couple of chairs but mostly there are just stand up tables. When the Dutch say fast food they mean fast food, and that means no time for sitting. But since you’re in the Netherlands you may want to try more traditional meals. A traditional Dutch breakfast usually consist of bread, cold cut meats and cheeses along with sweet spreads such as hagelslag, vlokken and muisjes. Don’t worry the names aren’t as scary as they sound. Hagelslag are chocolate sprinkles, Vlokken are chocolate flakes and muisjes are tiny candies or sprinkles made primarily from aniseed and sugar.
You will find lunch doesn’t differ much from breakfast. With both meals there will be plenty of cheese, the Dutch are famous for their cheese especially Gouda, Edam and Leyden.
If you want a traditional dinner you may want to try some like Zuurkoolstamppot which is sauerkraut mashed with potatoes and served with fried bacon or sausage, Hutspot made with carrots, potatoes and onion and served with meat or perhaps some Andijviestamppot which is rave endive mashed with hot potatoes and served with fried bacon. Of course the big question here is what is endives! But no worries it’s not nearly as bad as it sounds, it’s a leafy vegetable belonging to the daisy family. Amsterdam is also a great launching point for visiting other European cities which are easily accessible via the Euro rail. Paris, France is just 3 hours away by train, Frankfurt, Germany is 4 hours away and London, England is only 2 hours away. Amsterdam is the perfect blend of old world charm and new world modernization. Giving visitors that feeling of stepping back in time but with all the modern conveniences. Who could ask for more. 12
I Dream of Africa A trip review by Cindy, California
From the time I was a little girl I had the desire to travel. Growing up my family didn’t have money for traveling so I didn’t get to start traveling until I got a job and could pay for it myself. I have worked long and hard for every trip I have taken and on the top of my bucket list was Africa. I had been waiting since I was a young girl to take this trip so it had a lot to live up to. I was afraid too much to live up to, maybe I had built up the expectation of it so high there was no way it could live up to it, especially on my budget. This was going to be a short trip on a tight budget but if I was going to get to Africa this was how I was going to have to do it. So with more excitement then I can describe, I packed up myself, my husband and teenage son up and headed to South Africa.
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I had booked a 6 night package with Viva Safari’s, a local tour company (http://www.vivasafaris.com). I choose them because they had excellent prices with an itinerary that focused on seeing the animals which was what we were interested in. We arrived in Johannesburg the day before our tour was to begin and spent our first night at a hotel near the airport. After breakfast at the hotel we were to be picked up at 9am by somebody from Viva Safari’s. I was a little nervous about whether anyone would actually show up or not. I had heard terrible stories from travelers who used local tour companies but I had done a lot of research on this company and could not find a single complaint about them but still I couldn’t help but be a little nervous. As it turned out I had nothing to worry about, as our driver and guide showed up in the lobby at 9am sharp. We were picked up by a van and after a couple of stops around the city to pickup other guests we were on our way. After about three hours of driving we stopped for lunch and then continued on for about another 3 hours. We stopped at Tremisana Game Lodge, where we would spend our first night. Tremisana is a fenced lodge in the Balule section of Kruger Park. It has 15 chalets and 2 guesthouses. The grounds are beautiful and quiet except for the mischievous monkeys who like to break into the kitchen area and play with the pots and pans. Dinner was served outdoors, buffet style around a big table. Our first game drive was taken shortly after arriving at the lodge and the sunset drive did not disappoint. We saw rhinos, giraffes, a lion, wildebeest, zebra, impala and a number of other animals.
The following morning after breakfast we set out on a morning game drive in our open Landcruiser. After returning to the lodge we had some lunch, relaxed at the lodge for a while and then on to Mark’s Treehouse Lodge, which was about an hour’s drive. The lodge is located on the Motlala Game Reserve. We arrived at Marc’s in the evening and after a short orientation on what to do if we come across any animals on the trails around the lodge, we were escorted to our treehouses. The long dark walk, via a dimly lit trail, to our treehouse was a little intimidating. I just kept asking our escort, how far out are we? I could see why you needed a guide to show you to your treehouse, we would have never found it on our own.
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There is no fence around the lodge area. We were deep in the South African bush on a game reserve and the animals were free to roam, right up to your front door if they wanted to. The tree houses were spread out so you really got the feeling you were all alone.
Our tree house was on an embankment, there were about 6 steps made out of small round tree branches, which made them awkward to climb. The outside deck overlooked the river. The sound of the river at night was very soothing.
After being escorted to our treehouse we were told dinner was being served so we had just enough time to drop off our suitcases and take a quick look around and then head back up to the main building. After walking for several minutes, we passed another treehouse. We looked at it and realized it was ours. Somehow we had walked in a complete circle. We were so lost. Fortunately, someone came walking by and showed us the way.
The treehouse walls were made of thin pieces of bamboo. The walls were pretty solid except in the bathroom where there were several gaps. In a number of places you could actually see outside, so it’s a good thing we didn’t have any neighbors. The bathroom was a bit ruff, I don’t think I was ever in there alone. There was always some creature in there with me. Several times I showered with lizards.
At the top of the walls was about one foot of chicken wire which kept out the mischievous monkeys. The floor was made of wide wooden planks. You could actually see the ground through the gaps in the floor boards. Frogs were constant visitors in the treehouse. There weren’t took many bugs, we went at the beginning of June and the beds were
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equipped with mosquito nets. Though I did bring a can of Off and spray it around the beds at night and we had no problems with bugs at night.
We were told by the manager the first night if the treehouses were too extreme for us they did have some bungalow style rooms we could stay in instead. They also have tents you can stay in. I loved the treehouse but you really are roughing it. There is no heat, no air conditioning ( just a ceiling fan), no TV or phones. So if you needed something you couldn’t just pick up the phone and call, you had to actually make the trek up to the main building and there really wasn’t much there once you got there.
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The walk to the main building wasn’t much less scary in the day time. There were often Impala, Kudu, and Nyala along the trail. One night about 15 minutes after returning to our treehouse after a group of hyena’s came by. They are very loud.
Each morning when we got up we could see foot prints from all the animals that had come by during the night. We often heard the animals at night but sometimes it was hard to tell what they were. One night we heard a noise that sounded like a woman’s scream. The following morning our guide told us it was a warthog being attacked by a leopard.
Breakfast and dinner were included in our rate. Breakfast was served on a deck alongside the river. The monkeys usually came by to see what was for breakfast. They love the homemade muffins. They are incredibly smart and often worked together to distract us while one of them jumped up on the table to snag a muffin.
Dinner was served under a covered patio alongside a fire. All of the guest ate together, it was very nice. All the food was delicious.
Marc’s is just a few minutes from Kruger Parks Opren gate. We took daily game drives right from the lodge as well as a game walk. The tour also included a trip to an animal rehab center.
Marc’s Treehouse Lodge was not only a great bargain but also a great place to stay for the real bush experience. I absolutely loved it and would highly recommend it. I do recommend bringing a small flashlight since it can be pretty dark walking around at night and also a bottle of Off. My trip to South Africa lived up to everything I had hoped it would be and so much more. It really was the trip of a lifetime.
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Travel News Smoking on Cruises
Current Travel Warnings
In the spring of 2014, Cunard Line will begin banning smoking on cabin balconies aboard the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, and Queen Mary 2.
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 10/01/2013 Kenya 09/27/2013 Turkey 09/06/2013 Lebanon 09/06/2013 Pakistan 09/06/2013 Iraq 09/05/2013 Algeria 08/23/2013 Afghanistan 08/23/2013 Egypt 08/15/2013 Haiti 08/13/2013 El Salvador 08/09/2013 Yemen 08/06/2013 Saudi Arabia 07/25/2013 Mali 07/18/2013 Niger 07/15/2013 Mexico 07/12/2013 Philippines 07/05/2013 Somalia 06/21/2013 Israel, the West Bank and Gaza 06/19/2013 Honduras 06/17/2013 Chad 06/11/2013 Libya 06/07/2013 Nigeria 06/03/2013 Iran 05/24/2013 Mauritania 05/21/2013 Cote d'Ivoire 05/16/2013 Eritrea 05/10/2013 Central African Republic 05/10/2013 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 04/24/2013 Burundi 04/22/2013 Sudan 04/16/2013 Colombia 04/11/2013 Republic of South Sudan 03/29/2013 Tunisia 03/13/2013 Syria 03/01/2013
As of November 15, 2013, Disney Cruise Line will no longer allow smoking on stateroom verandas. Violators will be charged a $250 cleaning and maintenance fee. Smoking will also be banned from all interior spaces and will only be allowed at specified outdoor deck locations, which will vary from ship to ship.
In early 2014, Seabourn Cruise Line will ban smoking in all cabins on all ships. Smoking is banned on the balconies of the Seabourn Legennd, Seabourn Spirit, and Seabourn Pride but will be allow on the balconies of the line’s other ships. Passengers will still be able to smoke cigarettes in bars and lounges and on the starboard side of the ship. The new policy will ban the smoking of cigars and pipes except on open air decks.
Jet Blue’s New Premium Service Jet Blue is introducing its new business class intercontinental service, Mint. With fares starting at $599 each way, Jet Blue feels it is making its premium service available to everyone. Mint will feature a pre-departure drink, followed by a cocktail and amuse-bouche once airborne. The on board menu has been created by famed restaurant Saxon + Parole. They will also be the only U.S. airlines to offer customized amenities kits for men and women created by Birchbox which will change throughout the year. Mint will also feature lie-flat beds and four private suites.
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