Inspired By Nature

Disney magic: Downtown Disney is among the group-friendly venues in central Florida.

By Mark Chesnut

Orlando may be known as the capital of Florida vacations, but its many world-famous attractions can also serve as memorable backdrops for business meetings, entertaining and enjoying time off after long days at work.

Among the newest venues is TurtleTrek, which debuted in April at SeaWorld Orlando, with a 3D, 360-degree film that allows viewers to follow the journey of a sea turtle.

Universal Orlando Resort has unveiled an array of new developments for 2012, including a new lagoon show, daytime parade, theme ride and miniature golf course, as well as a revamped Blue Man Group show and upgrades to the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman ride. Replacing the Jimmy Neutron attraction at Universal Studios Florida is a new 3D attraction based on the animated film ?Despicable Me.?

The Walt Disney World Resort has plenty of new group- and business-friendly options, including Splitsville, a new attraction that opens this fall in Downtown Disney. With a 30-lane bowling alley, billiards, live music, dining and dancing, Splitsville is clearly designed to create a festive atmosphere.

At the Walt Disney World Resort?s Magic Kingdom, the first phase of Fantasyland?s expansion is already up and running, with attractions including the Storybook Circus and Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride. When the project is complete, Fantasyland will be twice its original size.

Disney-bound travelers will also find a new option for accommodations, with the opening of the first group of guest rooms at Disney?s Art of Animation Resort, where suites are designed with ? you guessed it ? animation themes.

Central Florida attractions on a smaller ? but still very business-friendly ? scale include CSI: The Experience, a traveling exhibition that has opened up shop here through the end of the year. Based on the hit TV show, the venue allows visitors to try out their own detective skills. Anyone caught up in the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking, meanwhile, should consider Titanic: The Experience, which has reopened with new artifacts from the wreck site, including what is billed as the second-largest piece of the ship to be recovered.

Related resources

• Cheap Orlando flights
• Orlando hotels
• Orlando vacations

Mark Chesnut is a travel writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America. He was a big fan of the Eastern Airlines ?If You Had Wings? ride at Walt Disney World.

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On a month-long trip in Myanmar, you pass through a lot of strange doors and gates, entrances and exits. Here are some memorable ones from the author’s recent trip–at a time when the country is on the brink of great change…

This is no ordinary gate. It is the tall gate that leads to the house where one of the great heroes of our times lives: Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. “Daw Suu” as she is affectionately known by the Burmese, was locked away here under house arrest for more than 15 years?”a prisoner in her own country,” as she once put it. In November 2010, restrictions were lifted, and suddenly her iconic image (previously forbidden) was plastered all over the place: on posters displayed outside shops and houses, on T-shirts, on calendars.

On April 1st, 2012, important by-elections include the NLD, Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, for the first time in two decades. Two days before the elections, she has called a press conference at her lakeside home in Rangoon. Having caught wind of this, I show up–and am dismayed to find a long line-up of press people with big cameras–and press passes prominently displayed. I have no press pass. Indeed, I have no press ID at all. That’s a throw-back to the paranoid era, even a year earlier, when discovery of an unofficial visit by someone with any press affiliation would get you booted out of the country.

I am standing near the gate when it opens–and wave at the press officer, who recognizes me from a previous interaction when I donated some books to the cause. She calls me forward. And by this lucky turn of events, I am the first through the gate that morning. Gate-crashing! I sprint around the perimeter of the garden to stake out a position near the podium where Daw Suu will speak. In the background is the two-story house where she lives: it looks run-down, but I’m sure she has other things on her mind than painting the walls.

It is enthralling to be standing just a few feet away from a person whose courage–and perseverance in the face of extreme adversity–is legendary. A barrage of photographers and videographers home in on her, with camera flashes popping. “Just like Cannes!” says a French photographer.

Daw Suu speaks flawless English, with an Oxford accent. Responding to a question about the elections, she breaks into a smile and says, “We have unreasonable expectations. We’re going to be unreasonable.” She wants to win every seat in the by-elections. She’s been banging her head against a brick wall for 20 years and still she is unreasonable. Question: “On a democracy scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being idealist perfection, where does Burma stand today?”

“We are trying to get to number one,” she quips. As questioning wears on, she sits down, appearing tired. She is 66, and she has been on the road for the last few months, traveling the length and breadth of Burma, speaking at every opportunity, drawing massive crowds.

The Wrong Door
Let’s rewind a few weeks here. The normal mode of operation in Burma is when time is rolled back. Or turned upside-down. Burma is a classic riches to rags story. It was once the jewel of Asia, with a prosperous, thriving economy. Under military dictatorship, the last 60 years have seen the country isolated from the rest of the world, and battered economically with sanctions. Which has created Burma’s strange time warp; it’s out of sync with the rest of Asia.

One place you definitely do not want to experience a time warp is at an airport: as in riding some vintage Russian aircraft. I breathed a sigh of relief when I spotted an ATR-72 turbo-prop on the runway: the flight to Myitkyina. I have decided to take a plane from Rangoon as far north as I can, and head down the map by boat on the Irrawaddy River.

But on arrival in Myitkyina, I discover I cannot get out of the place overland except by train. Fighting with Kachin rebels has flared up, making the river and roads to the south unsafe to negotiate. The fighting has been going on sporadically for the last 60 years. More recently, Kachin rebels have delivered an ultimatum, telling Chinese dam-builders to cease and desist from destroying the environment and flooding Kachin villages. That call has been ignored, and so the fighting has resumed.

I take a short hop by plane to Bhamo, to the south, and launch on the Irrawaddy there, heading for Katha. Next problem: dry season. The river is at a record low, causing boats to get stranded on sandbars–which requires everyone to evacuate to dry land so the vessel can be dislodged.

The scenery is nothing special: the trip highlight is actually rubbing shoulders with Burmese people: men chewing betel-nut, women with cheeks coated in thanakha (home-made sunscreen and moisturizer), cigar-smoking wizened old women. And youth experiencing the joy of acquiring their first cellphone. The price of a cellphone SIM card has plummeted from US$2,500 to just US$200. A bargain! For people poor as church mice, a SIM card is now a possibility, though the price tag represents over a month’s wages.

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This is a guest post by Ian from Eager Existence.

For many years Europe has been popular amongst the travel crowd and backpacker circuit, but the assumption is always travel in the West.

Is it because of pop culture and plenty of media coverage; or simply ease of getting around, communicating in English, and a common currency? Many have no ambition to travel to the East; when really, why not?

So where exactly is Eastern Europe?

It?s in the East, right? But where do you draw the line exactly?

Back in the Cold War days, defining the borders of Eastern Europe was easy; it was made up of all the communist countries on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Nowadays, it depends where you get your information. For me, Eastern Europe is everywhere east of the Adriatic Sea and west of Asia-Minor (the West side of Istanbul).

Just having the geographical North, East, South, and West makes life easier. Wikipedia suggests Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine as Eastern Europe. So where does that leave Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Hungary, Serbia, and Slovenia? You get the idea; let?s just say Eastern Europe is in the East.

Eastern Europe is not as unsafe as you might think. The people are genuine and friendly, things cost less, it?s easy enough to get around, there?s plenty of history and geographic diversity.

However, for the first-time traveller, travel there requires a little more flexibility (and perhaps planning) than Western Europe; but overall it makes it an excellent region for travel.

Safety

Hollywood movies would have you believe that Eastern Europe is an extremely dangerous place. But in all honesty, it?s no more dangerous than anywhere else you?d travel. I think it?s a fear of the unknown that has the majority of people avoiding travel in the region.

I travelled Eastern Europe (mostly) solo, and didn?t have any trouble at all. In fact, it was North Africa and Western Europe where I had troubles with scammers and thieves.

If you are really concerned, there are several well-known travel techniques to keeping yourself safe. If it?s your first time in the region, consider following the advice of a local tourist bureau, not because it?s unsafe, but because it?s quite different to the travel you?re used to.

Further Reading: Safety in the Ukraine: Avoiding Theft and Personal Danger

Culture & History

Eastern Europe has the geography, weather, and history you?d want to experience when travelling.

Bulgaria has the Cyrillic alphabet, and the Black Sea coast. I can recommend Plovdiv, Sofia, and Veliko Tarnovo.

Croatia has the beautiful blue oceans, the cliffs, and islands; as well as Roman ruins. Zadar is magical, and Vis will always hold a special place in my heart. Split, Dubrovnik, and Hvar are touristy, but definitely worth a visit.

Czech Republic is the beer drinking capital. But it also has beautiful historical centres like Cesky Krumlov.

Hungary has Budapest (and the Roman Baths), is completely land-locked, and has the Hungarian Sea (Lake Balaton). I spent a summer on the lake (CouchSurfing with a Grandmother) during an annual wine festival, and had one of the best summers of my life.

Eastern Europeans are friendly, warm, and still curious about foreigners. It?s not uncommon to be invited into someone?s home for a meal. I?ve met many backpackers and hitch hikers with stories of genuine hospitality and concern for their welfare.

Each country has unique cultural traditions, influences, and historical experiences.

Further Reading: The Day I held the Iron Curtain in my Hand via @insidetravellab

Challenging

Perhaps the greatest challenges you will face in your travels are the language barriers. I managed to get lost in Hungary when the clerk at the train station put me on the wrong train.

Miscommunication is somewhat common practice, but makes for great travel tales later. The fact that many places are off the backpacker circuit means that hundreds of thousands of tourists haven?t been there before you. It just means that all those little things like catching the bus, buying a meal, meeting locals, and navigating your way around become more of an adventure.

Further Reading: How to Hop Around Language Barriers via @traveldudes

Less Tourists

One of the biggest draw cards to Eastern European travel would have to be the lack of Western tourists. In many places you can move around freely without hearing English chatter, except for the hostels and bars obviously.

It?s a great ?off the beaten path? feeling when you have to try and communicate with broken English or the local language. However, there are still a few well-trodden tourist places like Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia, Krakow in Poland, and Istanbul in Turkey.

1. Prague

Further Reading: (listening) Why You Should Visit Eastern Europe Now via @FrommersTravel

Getting Around

Flying into Eastern Europe is fairly straightforward, with budget airlines servicing major cities. Once there, train travel is a great low-cost option; although not everywhere supports the high speed Eurail network ? so check before using Eurail passes. But, local trains are many and very cheap. You can check Eastern Europe train schedules on the German Train site DB Bahn.

Buses are also frequent and low-cost.

Further Reading: A Guide to Booking Travel in Eastern Europe via @WomanSeeksWorld

Budget

If you are a student, or if you have a student ID, many museums and other attractions in Eastern Europe offer a student discount when an ID is presented.

Remember, Eastern European countries aren?t on the Euro (except Greece), so you have to make use of currency exchanges. Be sure to protect yourself and your finances by going to official exchanges, but avoid using airports and hotels (they charge a higher exchange rate).

Do your research first, and establish the rates & all costs before handing over your cash. Either spend all your cash, or exchange it before leaving the country.

Most of Eastern Europe is still relatively cheap to travel through compared to the West.

Further Reading: The Cost of Traveling Far-Eastern Europe via @NomadicMatt

The Global Village

The number one reason to get to Eastern Europe now, is that the world is shrinking at a phenomenal rate. It?s not westernized yet, but who knows in a few years from now? Cities in the East are growing, and rural areas are becoming urbanized.

You?ll find Internet cafes common-place, McDonald?s here-and-there, but for the most part you can still find great off-the-beaten-track destinations.

I remember walking down the street in Hvar, I approached people asking for rooms to rent, and pretty soon found a great 3 bedroom place overlooking the town at a very reasonable price (less than a dorm bed in the West). Approaching locals for accommodation is not so common place in Western Europe, with the abundance of hostels and campsites.

Bio: Ian is a 20-something year old guy who gave up his career and mortgage for solo long-term travel. He travelled extensively across Europe for a year before heading onward to North Africa. Catch him on Facebook and his travel blog Eager Existence.

* images credit 1, 2, 3, 5, 7.

There?s no escaping the fact that a trip to New York can become a very expensive endeavour if you let it. But if you do your research beforehand, that doesn?t have to be the case. There are countless ways to save money in the Big Apple ? without missing out on any of the major sights ? so here?s the lowdown on how to enjoy everything the city has to offer without breaking the bank?

Invest in a New York discount pass

A discount pass is one of the best ways to save money in New York. The choice of which pass to go for depends on the length of your trip and how many attractions you plan on visiting. The two main contenders are the New York CityPass and the New York Pass.

The New York CityPass gives you admission to six of the city?s top attractions: the Empire State Building, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) plus a choice of the Guggenheim Museum or Top of the Rock, and the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island or a Circle Line Cruise. The pass is valid for 9 days from the first day of use, and you get to skip the queues ? a massive bonus at the Statue of Liberty and Empire State building in particular, where the lines can be immense. The ticket costs $89 (about £55) for adults and $64 (about £40) for 6 ? 17 year olds, which is a saving of around 45% on individual ticket prices.

Statue of Liberty, New York © Maxine Sheppard

The New York Pass works differently. It covers more than 70 different attractions, including all those covered by the CityPass above, and offers visitors a choice of 1, 2, 3 or 7 day validity. The 2, 3 and 7 day passes must be used on consecutive days, and during that time you can visit as many attractions as you like. This means you?ll need to pack a lot in to get the best value out of the 1 and 2 day passes, but you can make substantial overall savings on the 3 and 7 day passes. Prices range from $80/£50 for the adult 1-day pass to $210/£130 for the adult 7-day pass.

View of the Empire State Building from Top of the Rock, New York © Maxine Sheppard

Other types of discount pass include the New York Explorer Pass, where you can select a fixed number of attractions to visit over a 30 day period, and the New York City Entertainment Book, which contains money-off coupons for attractions, restaurants, cinemas and sporting events.

Free events in New York?s parks

The High Line is one of our favourite outdoor spaces in the city, and there are plenty of things to do in the park for little or no cost. Every Tuesday night, the Amateur Astronomer?s Association of New York hosts a free stargazing night using high-powered telescopes. Also on Tuesdays are free guided walking tours, giving you an opportunity to learn more about the High Line?s design and history. Most of all though, we just love hanging out at the ?10th Avenue Theater? watching the world go by at our feet.

Tenth Avenue Theater, High Line Park, New York © Maxine Sheppard

Central Park is not short on free events and activities either, with free Conservatory Garden tours every Saturday morning between April and October. If you?re travelling with a budding LeBron James, then get them down to the free Youth Basketball Clinic for 9 to 17 year olds, where they?ll learn to shoot hoops like a pro. Younger kids will also be in their element in Central Park ? it?s home to 20 different playgrounds and the Tisch Children?s Zoo (within the main Central Park Zoo) where little folk can pet and feed the potbellied pigs and other barnyard animals. Entrance (which covers both zoos) is $18/£11 for adults (13 and up) and $13/8 for 3 ? 13 year olds ? cheaper if you buy tickets online in advance.

Central Park, New York © Maxine Sheppard

Great value, high quality restaurants and food trucks

We?ve written about the explosion of the food truck scene before, and it?s still an ever-growing phenomenon. If you?re on a tight budget, this is a really good way of getting to try a whole range of varied, quality food at reasonable prices. On everyone?s radar at the moment is the Mexican/barbecue fusion Mexicue truck, which travels to different locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn throughout the week. Keep an eye on their Twitter feed for up-to-the-minute movements. Other great trucks worth investigating include Gorilla Cheese, Korilla BBQ and the Big Gay Ice-Cream Truck, which will hit the road again at the end of May 2012.

On the restaurant front, if you?re a health-conscious traveller then take a look at our previous article on cheap and healthy eats in New York. For absolutely top-notch burgers ? the ?Classic? is priced at $7.95 ? head to Bill?s Bar & Burger in the Meatpacking district or the Rockefeller Center. Award-winning Daisy May?s BBQ in Hell?s Kitchen serves up plates of pulled pork and chicken, and bowls of Texas-style chili for around $10, though if you?re particularly hungry and you fancy a splurge, $150 will buy you a whole pig.

Pancakes at Clinton Street Baking © takahi rock

For the perfect Sunday brunch head to the Clinton St. Baking Company in the Lower East Side ? the queues might be long but the food is worth the wait. The Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich with scrambled eggs, melted cheddar, homemade tomato jam and hash browns will set you back $9. For more breakfast ideas, check out our previous feature on New York?s best breakfasts.

Good quality, good value accommodation

On a trip to New York, the cost of accommodation can often be the biggest expense. Just like any huge, expensive city in the world, it can be difficult to find a decent place to stay that ticks both the quality and the budget box. There are genuine budget and lower priced hotels in New York, but you may have to compromise on location, space or en-suite bathrooms to grab a great deal. And don?t forget to sign up to receive special offers from somewhere you especially like the look of; free nights and other money-saving deals are frequent at quieter times of year.

One such hotel offering regular promotions is the trendy Pod Hotel in Midtown. Rooms or ?pods? come in a variety of configurations, from hip and spotless single or twin bunk rooms with shared bathrooms (the availability of which is shown on an in-room display) to more spacious Queen pods and a ?Double Double Pod? that sleeps four. All rooms come with free wifi and MP3 docking stations, and there?s a great rooftop garden. Rates start at $179/£110 for a twin bunk room in early June or $229/£142 for a double. A new Pod hotel is opening in the Murray Hill district in June 2012.

© courtsey the Pod Hotel New York

The Jane Hotel is a handsome old building with a great location in the West Village, and a compelling story behind it. Originally built as a hotel for sailors, it housed survivors from the Titanic in 1912, who stayed on until the end of the inquiry into the ship?s sinking. Rooms are inspired by luxury rail cabins, and are cosy but well-designed. Bunk and standard cabins with shared bath start at $135/£83 in early June, Captain?s Cabins with private bath are $250/£155.

The Flatiron District is home to the creative arts-focused Gershwin Hotel, one block from Fifth Avenue and Madison Square Park. Five different types of room are available, again starting with low budget bunk rooms and increasing in size to rooms that sleep up to four. Superior rooms (sleeping two) start at $179/£110 in June.

Also in Manhattan, check out the Americana Inn, the Tribeca Blu and the Chelsea Star Hotel.

For more money-saving ideas, read our article on how to see New York for free.

Virgin Atlantic operates five daily flights to New York from London Heathrow.

Thanks to Flickr photographer takahi rock.