Travel and Health
It is a well known fact that travel has a positive effect on a person’s health. It doesn’t matter whether you travel across the globe, or just travel to the nearest tourist town. I notice this where I live. We live in Mennonite country. Tourists arrive in the beginning of the summer in a highly stressed state. They over eat. They spend too much time entertaining themselves. In short - they live unhealthy lifestyles.
It doesn’t take more than a couple of weeks before they slow down. The farmers markets are full as they start sampling the local foods. I am sure this is not the only place where this happens. I’ve seen travel shows about people who travel in Australia, China, and Africa. It is fun to watch their daily life slow down as their holiday extends. It is possible to experience the health benefits in a week or two.
Today it is possible to explore the entire globe through an online website. I prefer a global one. I find that exploring the world from a ‘non’ American point-of-view reduces the chances of booking the wrong hotel.
Here are some tips for using a good Online Hotel Booking site.
1. Make sure the website is owned by a recognized travel group. When you find the name of the company, Google it. Can you find the head office on a map? Is there a phone number? If so then you have a ‘real’ website and not one of the affiliate websites.
2. Do the same test with the Hotel before booking. One friend of mine asks the hotel for a good local restaurant. Then, she searches the restaurant. She phones them and asks if they can refer a few local hotels. If the restaurant refers the hotel then you can be fairly certain that the hotel did not misrepresent their quality.
3. Book online. Travel agencies can book hotels that are not on the Hotel booking websites then, Buyer Beware. I find that I can get a discount when booking online.
4. Contact the local health department. Make sure that you have all the shots needed. Also, make sure that you have a good idea of the local diet. My parents went on a dream vacation to the Bahamas. They didn’t consider their diet and ended up feeling ill most of the trip.
If you have food sensitivities then stay in the tourist areas. Do not venture into the local restaurants and markets. Also, beware of the water.
5. Make sure that you have a good idea of the Hotel’s clientele before booking. There is nothing more disheartening than expecting to sleep late and bask on a sun soaked beach, only to arrive to find you booked the ‘hottest’ party spot on the beach.
6. Book Hotels Online but make sure the site is SLL secure. Verify the website with your credit card company. This will verify that the company is legit.
One last note. The travel industry is not regulated. Anyone can start their own travel agency without any experience or knowledge. Use the same guidelines to book an online hotel for local travel agencies. The travel world is full of horror stories about local travel agencies. They are not more legit than an online site.
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