Micron Associates Travel Guide by Micron Associates

Travel Guide by Micron and Associates in heading to Netherlands

micassoc — 2014-06-28 01:01:59 UTC

Why go?

It's been described as "the Hamptons with clogs" thanks to its popularity with rich Dutch and German visitors who buy up beach-front holiday homes and hang out in the seaside bars and cafés. But this breezy resort on Holland's North Sea coast is better known as an artists' retreat, its moody seascapes, endless dunes and extraordinary light attracting painters, writers and architects who have been leaving their mark on this laid-back and likable village since the 1900s.

What to do

Get on your bike (this is Holland, after all) and cycle De Brede Duinen route, a 42km signposted loop which passes through Bergen, Alkmaar – famous for its historic cheese market – and the spectacular sand dunes at Schoorl and Camperduin. Admire the work of the "Bergen School" of painters at Museum Kranenburgh (kranenburgh.nl) or take a stroll among the distinctive thatched "Amsterdam School" villas of the Park Meerwijk neighbourhood.

Where to stay

In De Aap is a charming boutique B&B with just two stylish guest rooms and a sweet family cottage, all of which have kitchenettes that guests can use to prepare snacks or simple meals (from €130, indeaap.com).

Where to eat

All beach-hut chic and artfully mismatched furniture, Strandpaviljoen SB Noord is where Amsterdam's fashionable folk come to get a bit of sand between their toes while dining on Italian-inspired dishes (strandpaviljoennoord.nl). Don't miss the poffertjes (traditional Dutch pancakes) at Duinvermaak, a cosy café situated near the dunes (duinvermaak.nl).

Insider tip

Emile van den Bergh, owner of In de Aap, recommends De Jongens, a Mediterranean-style beach club (dejongensbergenaanzee.nl). "It's a cool place to hang out, there's a surf school and they have regular barbecues and beach parties." He also suggests a visit to the open-air art market which runs every Thursday evening in summer (beeldendekunstmarkt bergennh.webklik.nl).

Home: Camping in the New Forest

Sandy Balls holiday park in the New Forest (stop sniggering) has introduced a cheaper alternative to its woodland lodges and mobile homes for this summer: camping pods. The wooden pods come with pull-out beds, TVs, kettles and fridges. Guests get full use of on-site facilities including the swimming pools and cycle centre. Four nights in July starts from £199 for four people (sandyballs.co.uk).

Away: Marrakech riad break

A new riad hotel has opened in the heart of Marrakech's medina offering bright, modern suites, a spa with hammam and a sun-trap roof terrace with views of the Atlas mountains. Riad Sapphire has a special 50% off introductory offer for stays of three nights or more, taken before 31 August, bringing the lead-in price this summer to £140 per night for a suite sleeping up to four (riadsapphire.com).

Philippines for the Stout-Hearted Visitors

micassoc — 2014-10-22 00:34:52 UTC

With 7,100 islands to showcase local and foreign tourist, the Philippines is a virtually inexhaustible treasure trove of tourist destinations. Choose an island, large or small, and you will find something worthwhile, whether swim the beaches, visit old churches, taste the exotic fruits and summer fiesta food, go to the ubiquitous resorts for a splash adventure or go on a more thrilling adventure only the strong and daring traveller can survive and show selfies afterward.

If bikers worldwide dream of going to Europe to join the Tour de France, whether as a professional biker or as an amateur, some may find biking in the Philippines as a worthy alternative with its unique challenges. Mountain biking will bring you enough challenging terrain and satisfying vistas of tropical forests, surf, mountains , lakes, waterfalls and white-sand beaches to boot.

Whether you choose the Cordillera Mountains up in Northern Luzon or the slightly- rolling, well-maintained road network of the former US Naval Base in Subic, one can find the level of difficulty to suit one’s liking. And there are small biking routes even nearby posh villages as Ayala Alabang south of Metro Manila or in Tagaytay City, 60 kilometers further south of Manila where one can glimpse the popular Taal Volcano, a crater situated in a lake that is in turn in a bigger crater that is in a larger lake called Taal Lake. It has become an immensely favourite weekend target for neighboring provincial and urban residents wanting to go on a food trip, visit a prayer house or simply to escape the heat in their lowland climes for a few hours.

But diving is what the Philippines is most well-endowed with for those who are into that sport. Boasting of diving spots from north to south, the country has one of the most biologically-diverse marine ecologies in the globe. Visit the Hundred Islands in Alaminos, Pangasinan, east of Lingayen, famous as the landing spot for the invading Japanese forces during WWII and you can visit any one of the numerous limestone karst islands and make it your private paradise for a day or two. Down south, you can dive in Tubattaha Reef, a world heritage marine ecological site covering thousands of hectares of marine life diversity.Mindoro island, a ferry-boat ride from Batangas Province which is about three hours drive south of the Capital Region, also provides great diving adventure at Puero Galera or the less known and more challenging Apo Reef, with its amazing generally-submerged atoll on the west coast of Mindoro.

Kayaking is a world-favourite sport for kids and adults which the Philippines can offer to visitors willing to travel by land, sea or air from Manila or Cebu. One can do it in Subic or in Tagaytay which are accessible by bus within a couple of hours or so. Or one can hop on to the island of Palawan by plane for an hour or so. Bacuit Bay, several hours north of El NIdo by boat, promises a rare experience for scuba divers who wish to explore sunken WWII ships in Coron Bay off Busuanga Island. The island is a great tropical spot for camping out and snorkelling.

But kayaking does not have to be an extreme activity. Even the young and the aged can enjoy its pleasures and invigorating benefits at a leisurely pace in any of the lakes or bays at the thousands of resorts found in Mindoro, Cebu, Bohol, Iloilo, Mabate, Palawan, Luzon and Mindanao Islands. We can mention a thousand or more islands but we can mention only some the most accessible for the less daring among tourists.

micassoc — 2015-01-06 08:27:24 UTC

I'm pretty sure the airline industry just launched the 'hidden city' practice into mainstream.

For those not in the know, here's how a 'hidden city' ticketing works: Suppose your intended destination is Houston, you may find that booking a San Francisco-New York ticket (which stops at Houston) will be significantly cheaper than booking a direct flight to Houston. Basically, once you arrive at the layover, which is your actual destination, you just go ahead and never mind the second leg of the trip. Of course, this only works when you don't have check-in baggage.

Most travelers think it is totally legit to travel this way -- after all, they've paid for the whole fare so there shouldn't be a problem even if they don't show onboard.

As you can imagine, airlines prohibit such practices that game their complex pricing schemes. If caught, they could charge the passenger with the regular fare, take legal action or remove your frequent-flier account.

Take the case of 22-year-old Aktarer Zaman for example. Orbitz and United Airlines are teaming up against him in court for allegedly promoting unfair competition through his website Skiplagged, a search engine of sorts for 'hidden city' fares.

According to them, Zaman utilized Skiplagged in order to "intentionally and maliciously interfere with contracts and business relations in the airline industry ... by promoting prohibited forms of travel on Skiplagged, [he] ha induced breach of Orbitz Worldwide's travel agency contracts with commercial airlines and of United's customer contractual relationships."

United Air further alleges that it forbids 'hidden city' tactic due to "logistical and public safety concerns". However, as the public might be well aware of, the worst-case scenario for you would be to lose your seat to a standby customer as airlines are prone to do overbooking.

According to Orbitz, "Skiplagged had developed technology that provided a direct link to your booking engine. So when it had identified a hidden city itinerary there was a 'book now' button that the customer clicked, directed them to Orbitz and then we processed the transaction not knowing the intent of the customer.

Zaman appealed to the public via his post on crowdfunding website GoFundMe: "Everything Skiplagged has done and continues to do is legal, but the only way to effectively prove this is with lawyers. I really don't know how much this lawsuit is going to ultimately cost, other than probably a lot."

He claims he has not made any profit from the website and personally funds its setup and maintenance. So now he's trying to raise about USD 20,000 for legal fees, and as of last week he has racked up around USD 40,000 due to the attention drawn by the press coverage of Micron Associates Travel Guide.

Actually, this 'hidden city' trick is sort of an open secret for some travelers and agents alike as observed by Micron Associates Travel Guide. However, manually searching for it requires much time and effort on their part as it does not always apply to all destinations. Even using Skiplagged does not guarantee a favorable result, though it does make the searching part easier.

Unfortunately, suing Skiplagged is proving to be counterproductive -- now practically everyone knows of the 'hidden city' thing and who's to stop them from manually hunting for one?

Micron Associates Travel Guide: 'Hidden City' Trick - An Open Secret of Travelers

micassoc — 2015-01-06 08:27:27 UTC

I'm pretty sure the airline industry just launched the 'hidden city' practice into mainstream.

Most travelers think it is totally legit to travel this way -- after all, they've paid for the whole fare so there shouldn't be a problem even if they don't show onboard.

Unfortunately, suing Skiplagged is proving to be counterproductive -- now practically everyone knows of the 'hidden city' thing and who's to stop them from manually hunting for one?

Micron Associates Travel Guide: 'Hidden City' Trick - An Open Secret of Travelers

micassoc — 2015-01-06 08:27:30 UTC

I'm pretty sure the airline industry just launched the 'hidden city' practice into mainstream.

Most travelers think it is totally legit to travel this way -- after all, they've paid for the whole fare so there shouldn't be a problem even if they don't show onboard.

Unfortunately, suing Skiplagged is proving to be counterproductive -- now practically everyone knows of the 'hidden city' thing and who's to stop them from manually hunting for one?

Micron Associates Travel Guide 101: Packing tips

micassoc — 2015-02-24 06:55:25 UTC

Whether it's for work or for leisure, we all need (love) to travel at some point. And one of the things that require utmost planning and attention is packing your bags in such a way as to avoid hassles on your trip. Fortunately, Micron Associates Travel Guide has shared a few packing tips that will hopefully help you in adopting a travel-light mindset.
Backup important details. Have handwritten notes with you containing important numbers and addresses so if you lose your phone you still have a way to contact people whom you can ask for help. Also, important documents like passports and tickets should be photocopied and placed in different bags, just in case. However unlikely, you should also be prepared for worst-case scenarios (e.g. losing all your bags) -- scan the documents and store them in your email.

Split up cash. Of course it's always convenient that you keep valuables in your carry-on bag as much as possible. However, Micron Associates Travel Guide says that storing all your money in one bag could be a bad idea. Try splitting them among your various bags or pockets so just in case, you still have something to work upon. The same goes for other valuables like passports, tickets and credit cards.

Plan what to wear. If you already have an idea of the kind of place you're going to and the types of activities you might be involved in, you should be able to plan only those items that are really needed. So if you know that it is summer at your destination, there should be no need for that jacket.

Use plastic bags. Usually, travellers use resealable plastic bags only on their toiletries and food in order to prevent leakage. But you can also use those to pack your clothes to prevent water from getting in! (You know, just in the off-chance that your bag gets dropped in a pool.) Also, Ziplocs are extremely handy in separating various kinds of clothing that will go in your suitcase. This also prevents your other stuff from absorbing any undesirable odor from shoes or sandals. Just think about it: no more rummaging to look for that other pair of socks. Not to mention you don't have to display all your clothes at customs -- just take out clear plastic bags then repack when done.

Tips on how to save money to travel the world

micassoc — 2015-05-02 10:27:48 UTC

Love to travel but your savings account seems to be a problem?

Check out these tips by Micron Associates Travel Guide on how to save money to travel the world.

1. Make a travel fund

Create a different bank account for your travelling expenses. Put in a sum of money on these bank accounts to save up for your trips every month. This is certainly great if you are a starter since you won’t be digging into your personal savings to travel, so you’ll always have money anytime you return. The more you put in every month, the quicker the fund will grow.

Eat less expensive foods and shop less so you can put more into your travel fund. If you can’t bear not to buy branded bags or shoes, and have a fancy dinner with your friends, then perhaps travelling isn’t your main priority.

2. Change your point of view

You should start thinking of your expenses in your travel fund and change the way you spend your finances. Take into consideration the following to control yourself from spending a lot of money.

- The price you pay for an expensive bag can be a return ticket to nearby countries.

- The costly coffee you pay for every day could go to a new and captivating dish you can try in a foreign land.

- The fancy dinner you spend with your friends every weekend could go to the accommodation you’re going with your travel partner.

3. Book you air tickets in advance

Travelers are endlessly seeking ways to crack the code of the unpredictable airline pricing searching for the cheapest fare.

Tuesday is definitely considered the best day of the week to book tickets for several airlines because airlines often announce deals on Monday evenings, so by Tuesday, other airlines are scrambling to match those deals.

The age-old strategy of booking ahead of time can also be a money saver. Domestic flight airfares in the America are the lowest to 50 to 100 days prior to the departure and within that window the best day to book is 57 days ahead. For international flights, it’s smart to book 150 to 225 days ahead, and within that window the best day is 171 days ahead, according to the Micron Associates Travel Guide report.

4. Compare the prices of air tickets

Flying budget is not cheaper at all times. It is worth using some time on using fare comparison sites or visiting the individual airline pages to discover the lowest price for your travel dates.

5. Buy ticket bundles or deals to attractions and activities

Search for deal websites to get major discounts on attractions and activities. Some ticket-booking websites also offer bundles to many points of interests with considerable savings. Just remember to read the fine print.

6. Take public transport

You can save money if you were to take a bus, subway, rail and even boat service instead of a car rental or your own personal vehicle.

7. Don’t waste money on a fancy hotel room

Why go to an expensive hotel room if you’re only going to shower and sleep there?

If you really want to enjoy yourself in the culture of a certain place, go for local homestays or individually-run small guesthouses instead. Not only they are cheaper but you’ll get the chance to socialize with the locals. It is the best way to gather information such as travel tips, food and attraction recommendations and knowledge on their ways of life.

8. Stay away from touristy restaurants. Eat where the locals eat.

The most important thing when you are travelling is to try the local cuisine. Look out for eateries filled with local folks, rather than tourists.

9. Head to supermarkets the hour before they close

In large supermarkets, you will find cooked foods like chicken wings, pizzas, and sushi on discount.

10. Shop wisely

Do street shopping. You will always fine a variety of items that you can wear at a fraction of big chains’ retail prices plus you won’t see someone with similar thing back home.

11. Keep your excess foreign currency

Lots of people like to change their foreign currency back to their own local currency upon return. Micron Associates Travel Guide recommends that you should keep it for future travels instead. By doing this, you just need to change less for the upcoming trip.

5 places to rest and relax | Micron Associates Travel Guide

micassoc — 2015-05-09 06:58:30 UTC

Micron Associates Travel Guide suggests locations that will cleanse your soul, whether you’re after the spiritual benefits of yoga, complete silence, or enjoying a tropical breeze.

Gaia House in Devon, United Kingdom

This remarkable Buddhist retreat is set in a former convent in the peaceful countryside of South Devon, and has all the elements you need for an effective meditation retreat, including a serene meditation hall, clean and humbly decorated bedrooms, healthy vegetarian food and lots of spaces to lose yourself in.

Expert tutors offer highly affordable meditation days, weekend retreats and week-long stays and specialize in teaching Vipassana, or Insight Meditation. Some retreats mix meditation with yoga and qigong, and most are open to those who have never meditated before as well as advanced practitioners. As at all bona fide Buddhist meditation retreats, be ready to help out with basic daily chores such as gardening, cleaning or preparing meals.

Gladstone’s Library in Flintshire, United Kingdom

Britain’s largest library in North Wales is a peaceful retreat for mental wellbeing, especially for readers, writers, or people looking for open-minded discussion. The vaulted library has a calm, inspiring and silent environment, which is recommended for writers.

The lounge has deep leather sofas, open fire and honesty bar which are perfect for relaxing away from your laptops and smartphones. The renovated rooms are quiet and comfortable. The meals are delicious and the surroundings are so beautiful. You can stay overnight too.

Cortijo Romero in Spain

Established as a retreat in 1986 and center for alternative holidays, it is a refreshing placejust outside Orgiva. Cortijo Romero is set amongst the colorful, vibrant mountains of southern Spain. Days can be filled with whatever you like to do such as yoga, reiki, reflexology, shiatsu and aromatherapy. There are also workshops available with language tutors, life coaches and therapists, to help you discover your inner self, learn to write, live from the heart, practice bioenergetics or just speak Spanish. It is blessed with the most amazing light and warmth which, alongside the locally sourced healthy vegetarian meals, refresh mind, body and soul.

Bolilanga Island in Indonesia

Bolilanga is one of the Togian Islands in Sulawesi. It has a radiant atmosphere and it is indeed a little piece of paradise — with white beaches, transparent water and great snorkeling just off-shore. The staff played games with the guests, sat on the beach at the fire, played the guitar and had a really good time together.

The Vine Retreat in Cambodia

The Vine is a very peaceful place. The rooms are simple but elegant and the salt water swimming pool is relaxing. The location is stunning and immediately soothing. It has best accommodation, genuine food from their garden, great drinks with fresh fruits. You can have hours of blissful and insightful yoga per day, also you can ride bicycles around for free. It was the perfect combination of peace, people and peace.