Hostels

Hi ! guys~
I have been looking up for the flights and accomodations that I am going to stay in at each destination
I browsed through these sites http://www.hostelbookers.com/ and http://www.expedia.com.au/ and they offered me some really good insights.I finally decided upon the following prices and I have also set up a table containing the airfares and hostel prices for each destination that I am heading to, this table is easily understandable and clearer to read.^^

New York

When I was browsing through http://www.hostelbookers.com/ , it offered me a wide range of selection of hostels available in New York, but the prices varies greatly from EUR $ 25 to $ 119 per night. There were a lot of cheap hostels but they were all shared rooms and bathrooms between 4-8 people, I personally do not favour this kind of shared accomodation as it is not so convenient and hygenic sharing bathrooms and bedrooms. Therefore, I will go for the private rooms but they are more expensive accomodations than the shared ones, since, Jenny and I are going to meet up in New York, we could even out the accomodation fees. I have finalised on the hostel that we going to stay in, this is the one,"hostelling international" in 891 Amsterdam Avenue, New York City, its overall rating is 90.1% which sounds pretty okay for both of us.

The main reason why I chose this hostel was because its advantageous location, it is a perfect place to explore New York as it is located in the heart of Manhattan's Upper West Side, only two blocks from Central Park, a main subway line, Columbia University, a 24 hour grocery store and only a 10 minute train ride to Times Square, Penn Station,etc. The total cost for 2 days is AUD $ 37.

London

The next destination that I am aiming for is London, in England, there are a great variety of hostels around the central regions of London and they are quite expensive as well. It took me a long time to decide upon which hostel I should be staying in for 2 days, in order to keep my expenditure within the $7 000 budget, I have to spend my money wisely and economically. I have finally chosen "generator hostel" at Compton Place, off 37 Tavistock Place, London.This hostel is famed for its friendly and welcoming services and of its great central location in Bloomsbury. It only takes 5 minutes to walk from the British Museum,Oxford Street. Kings Cross, St Pancras, the Eurostar terminal.etc.

Paris

I have selected the St Christopher's Inns as my accommodations for my 2 days Paris trip. It is renowned for its cleanliness and entertainment facilities.The rooms have got a private bathroom which is the type that I am looking for:).The rating of the hotel services is 4 out of 5, all these great offers won't come at a cheap price, it actually costs AUD$ 58 per night.

This is what the private room that I have booked for look like.I am really looking forward to sleep on that cosy 'spongy' bed!



Venice

I am going to stay in the "Locanda Barbarigo" for my two days Venice trip. I am sure that I will enjoy the trip on water^^. This 3 stars hostel is rated 90% of its overall services.It is located in a quiet and evocative area very close to San Marco Square, 'La Fenice' Theatre and Calle 22 Marzo, one of the most elegant shopping streets of Venice.The room have a private bathroom, are decorated in Venetian style, have queen-sized beds.This perfect location really saves me from having to travel long distances to my desired attraction sites. The total price for 2 nights is $54 which I think is a real bargain.

China

Beijing is the last destination of my trip, indeed,China is my homeland so it is the country where I am most familiar with and fond of. Its historical vaule and structural wonders make China the most unique and ancient country in the world.That is the main reason why I chose to visit Beijing, as everyone know, the capital city of China.

This '9 Dragons House' will be my accommodations in Beijing, this is a stylish hostel located in a traditional Hutong in the heart of Beijing’s Dongcheng District( a bustling district),it costs about $63 for 2 nights. '9 dragons house" is fairly close to the Lama Temple,Wangfujing shopping street,Houhai Park Bar Area,Sanlitun Bar Street,National Museum Tiananmen square ,Forbidden city,Chairman Mao's Mausoleum,Temple of Heaven,Silk Street Market,Hong Qiao Pearl Market ,Great Wall of China .

I have introduced you all the accommodations that I am going to board on during my trip. All in all, it will definitely be a fantastic trip!

Bye for now~!

should I travel in a group or on my own??

Hey~ guys~ I am back!

I have been thinking about whether I should travel in a group in this trip or just  one my own.
There are a lot of advantages of travelling in a group:
- It is a much safer choice to travel in a group than travelling on my own
- Will not experience feelings of loneliness during the journey,
- Travelling in a group provides convenience and they could help each other to carry luggages or other things.
- Can take photos at a long range
- To help around if there is an emergency or accident
- Having someone to talk to and share fun experience on the journey
- Having someone to collaborate with if one encounter a difficulty such as lost in the woodlands.

Despite all those advantages mentioned, there are also a lot of disadvantages of travelling in a group, these might include:
- Very limited freedom as not much free time are allowed for individual to wander around in a group travel
- the routine is set and is not flexible
- the scheduled routine might not suit one's interest
- might not be as fun as once expected as the routine is not flexible
- Likelihood of other people's violation of your privacy or personal details
- Personal items and valuables are not 100 % secure if the person were to share rooms with the group.

The advantages of travelling on one's own includes:
-Having a lot of freedom and flexibility as everything is all under the control of herself/himself
-Privacy will not be violated
- A lot of flexibility
- The routine is effectively designed to suit one's favourites and interests so there will not be any boring stuff.
- Don't have to be restrained as much


The disadvantages of travelling on one's own are as follows:
- Personal security is not garanteed
- Likelihood of exposing oneself to dangerous situation as no one is beside her/him to warn them of the perilous actions and situations such as taking out a large amount of money in public areas.
- More likely to be targeted by robbers and thieves as they are alone
- No one is able to help if one is in danger

Personally, I do not agreed to take on either of these two options as there are  too many disadvantages than advantages to each of these. Hence, I am going to travel to USA, England, china, France, Italy with my elder sister. It is much safer than travelling on my own and we can take care of each other on the way,so there will not be any feeling of loneliness during the trip.Having someone to talk to and share fun experience is actually a very important element in order to have a wonderful holiday.

New entry requirements for US

I saw a news of new entry requirement for US in the lastest Bulletin, it saids that United States government has introduced an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) which applies to all Australian passport holders visiting United States.

With the introduction of this new system, it makes my trip planning even more complicated. From 4 September 2010, the government will charge a US$14 as payment for the mandatory ESTA for all individuals intending to travel to the United States.


I went to my travel agent to sort things out and found out heaps more about ESTA. It basically is a web-based system administered by the United States Government that determines the preliminary eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States. Travellors who do not have a valid ESTA may be denied boarding, experience delayed processing or be denied admission to US.Travellor is required to complete an ESTA application using the online system.

My travel agent recommends me to use the online system no later than three days (72 hours) before departure, keep a print out copy of  my ESTA application number for reference, because it is often required, at airports or seaports. According to them, current statistics shows that ESTA refusals are less than one half of a per cent. Therefore, the chance of me getting the approval is very likely.

Today, I calculated the cost of the following items in each of the currency listed in my last blog.I am planning to purchase those items when I get to my destinations.

Sunglasses: A$ 30,
 30.00 Australian dollars = 2,434 French Pacific francs
 30.00 Australian dollars = 29.81 US dollars
30.00 Australian dollars = 196.46 Chinese yuan (RMB)
30.00 Australian dollars = 18.34 British pounds sterling
30.00 Australian dollars = 21.59 Italian Lira

Hamburger: A $ 7.5
7.50 Australian dollars = 609 French Pacific francs
 7.50 Australian dollars = 7.45 US dollars
 7.50 Australian dollars = 49.11 Chinese yuan (RMB)
 7.50 Australian dollars = 4.59 British pounds sterling
7.50 Australian dollars = 5.39 Italian Lira

DVD :A $ 25

25.00 Australian dollars = 2,029 French Pacific francs
 25.00 Australian dollars = 24.84 US dollars
25.00 Australian dollars = 163.71 Chinese yuan (RMB)
 25.00 Australian dollars = 15.29 British pounds sterling
25.00 Australian dollars = 17.99 Italian Lira

Travel bag:  A $ 55
55.00 Australian dollars = 4,463 French Pacific francs
55.00 Australian dollars = 54.65 US dollars
55.00 Australian dollars = 360.17 Chinese yuan (RMB)
55.00 Australian dollars = 33.63 British pounds sterling
55.00 Australian dollars = 39.59 Italian Lira

All those figures above are calculated based on the foreign exchange rate as of 14/11/10.
Franc will be the best value for money once I exchange my Australian dollars.
All the others have a really high foreign exchange rate, that means I will have to spend my money wisely and economically. :)
I will end my blog here:)

Arranging flights and booking hotels

Hey guys!
Back again~
I think I will go to the travel agent to arrange a fully- detailed and enjoyable trip as they are a lot more expertised and professional in doing this. If I create a plan myself, I may not be able to make the best use of my money and might exposed myself to those tourists scammers on the illegal websites that seem to be providing the best flight and hotel combinations. There are a lot of advantages of planning a trip with a travel agent as they could suggest the best place and time to visit a particular destination. The whole planning process will be short but fully -detailed.A travel agent could help me to make the best use of  my money and choose the shortest route between countries during the trip. The destinations are completely new environments for me and it is better to seek someone for help who is familiar with the place(travel agent). They provides convenience for us, as tourists, and saves our time and money.Why not choose to plan a trip with a travel agent? I will give it a go.

see you~

Currency table

Hi! Everyone!
Today, I have looked up the current foreign exchange rates on oanda website,

Currency	Code	AUD/1 Unit	Units/1 AUD
Chinese Yuan Renminbi	CNY	0.1522	6.5929
French Franc	FRF	1.3922	0.7199
British Pound	GBP	1.6258	0.6156
Italian Lira	ITL	1.3922	0.7199
US Dollar	USD	1.0086	0.9917

 

Hi! guys~
Tell you a great news!
I am going to receive $7 000, and I can spend it on anything that I wish. How wonderful is that!
I have $I have been wondering for the whole week,how should I spend this $7000.
Shall I use this money for shopping? Or, shall I  plan to go on a trip around the world?
 My second thought sounds much more alluring, therefore,I am going to start my preparational plan for this trip.
Indeed,my mind is completely welled up with the fascinating images of those exotic scenery. After long and hard consultation with my parents and the resources on the internet.
I had finally decided upon the five cities that I am planning to visit
The first country that I wish to visit definitely is going to be United States, I want to see the Iconic Empire state building, enjoy the exotic feelings of being in the brilliant Times Square, Brooklyn bridge and the Ellis Island museum, they are countless to name of.

London is the next city that I am planning to head towards, I am going to visit the Tower of London, Wembley Stadium,the National Gallery,Tower Bridge,Crystal Palace Museum
 and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
France is famous for its french cuisines,I am longing to eat the traditional cheese and croissants at Paris and visit the Eiffel tower. I leant a bit of French, so I hope this trip could provide an opportunity for me to practice French speaking skills and learn new knowledge.

Then, I am going to visit Italy because it is a beautiful city renowned for its unique "on water" styles.
The last country that I am going to go is China, the ancient heritage and buildings in Beijing is uncomparable and unique in its historical values.

Just going to end here for today~
 see you:)