Resorts and Lodges Travel Guide

Even though it may seem hard to believe, it is easily possible for one to get hold of cheaper car rentals in the current economical downturn. Instead of owning a car, opting for cheaper car rentals is actually preferable.

To ensure that you have every chance of finding cheapest car rentals, it is important that you take the following things into considerations.

Car rental companies are known to base their premium based on certain factors, which if you are aware of will ensure that you have every chance of finding cheapest car rentals.

- Don’t go for rental cars from the airport

Now you may be asking your self why as this is one of the most convenient options when it comes to booking a rental car. The reason being is that booking a rental car from the airport usually includes an excess airport fee that is included in your premium. Depending on how far the airport is from the city centre, which in nearly all cases is at least an hour’s drive, is also known to increase the initial period that you would have to pay. You would be better of going for cheapest car rentals from somewhere in the area that you are staying.

- Make sure you do not go for unknown car rental groups

It is very important that you only rent out cars from well known and used car rental agencies. If you end up booking with a company that is not so well known, there is always a risk factor of having to pay hidden costs. The cars that they may provide could also be unreliable as such unknown companies would not have a set standard to maintain in comparison to one that is widely known and used.

- Booking in advance is the key

To make sure you have every chance of getting cheapest car rentals with well known rental companies, it is important that you try and book well in advance. Not only will this ensure that you get the car of your choice, but what this also means is that you are in for a good chance to get the cheapest car rentals possible.

- Make use of the discount code

It is quite common for nearly all companies to give discount codes online or through newspapers and magazines. Make sure you do a bit of research on them to ensure you have every chance of finding cheapest car rentals. This does not apply to the peak seasons unfortunately.

- Be punctual

Try making sure that you pick and drop the car back on time. The moment you sign the release papers is usually when the car is under your name for a certain period of time. Make sure you have everything pre planned so that when it comes to returning the car on time, you do it well in advance. You would want to give your self at least an hours lee way when it comes to returning the car as giving it in late would result in hefty fines.

- Try avoiding booking when cars are in short supply

Make sure that you book with the company when they have a lot of cars in supply. If they have a short supply of cars and you really need one, they can easily charge you more as they are in a more demanding position then yourself.

- Asking for more never hurt anyone

There is no harm in asking for more discounts or a free upgrade.

For winter sports enthusiasts, there is nothing better than rushing down a mountain on freshly snow-covered slopes. To help you find the right ski holiday that will fulfill your craving for an outdoor adventure, here is a list of popular ski slopes in the United States:

Breckinridge, Colorado

One of the better known Ski resorts in Colorado, Breckinridge totals 2,358 acres and has 155 trails. Its longest trail, Four O’clock, reaches a length of 3.5 miles and the resort spans over more than 10 peaks. Of the 155 trails this resort hosts, 36-percent are expert slopes, the largest percentage of slope difficulty, and 13-percent of the slopes have the easiest designation.

Aspen, Colorado

Located in the midst of the Rocky Mountains, Aspen, Colorado, is the Aspen Mountain Ski Resort. Sitting on 673 acres, Aspen Mountain is one of the smallest ski resorts around. It utilizes Aspen Mountain and Bell Mountain which has an elevation of 11,212 feet.

Killington, Vermont

This ski resort is the largest resort in the eastern part of the United States. Utilizing Vermont’s second highest mountain, Killington Peak, this resort sports 200 trails and 33 ski lifts spanned over seven mountains. It is estimated that nearly 17,000 people will visit Killington Ski Resort on a good day.

Park City, Utah

This tourist destination is home to three different ski resorts, Park City Mountain Resort, the Canyons Resort and Deer Valley Resort. Park City Mountain Resort covers 3,300 acres and has 104 trails. Canyon Resort, the bigger of the three, runs on nine mountains, totaling 3,700 acres and 155 trails. Deer Valley Resort recently underwent a nine million dollars renovation to add 200 acres and nine new slopes

Lake Tahoe, Nevada/California

Lake Tahoe, located on the Nevada-California boarder is home to Heavenly Mountain Resort. It features 95 slopes over 4,800 acres. At an elevation of 10,067, this resort is host to Lake Tahoe’s highest peak. It is the largest ski resort in California, with a total of 33-percent of its land developed.

Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania

The Pocono Mountains is home to more than ten different ski resorts. The largest one, Camelback Ski Area, has 33 slopes and covers 139 acres. At an elevation of 2,133 feet, its steepest slope is 800 feet. Located in close proximity to Camelback Ski Area is Jack Frost Big Boulder Resort. This ski area is two resorts combined into one with nearly 30 different ski slopes.

Life is getting stressed and technology, far from helping us relax, has increased work and stress. Those with computer work have to sit hunched over a desk all day long but the stress of work has caused other tensions of the mind. We once thought that Spa therapy is becoming a fashion. Those were the days. Now Spa has become a necessity and just as the demand has risen, Spa resorts are increasingly becoming better organised, as they say, in mind and body. The Balinese Spas, for instance are taking the wellness experience to the next level by introducing professional counselling to the menu. It seems spas are no longer just beauty parlours and fat farms – these days, they want to sort out your mental health too. The concept is very promising as it supported with qualified therapists.

Massage Research & Surveys

Surveys suggest that one in four Europeans suffers from mental-health problems and the UK-based adventure travel website www.AwimAway.com is inundated with requests for spa breaks. “What follows is more interesting”, says its CEO Harish Kohli. These requests are accompanied by comments such as “I am getting divorced”; “my job is so stressfull”; “I’m fed up of being so fat”.

Research also indicates that “Stress-related disorders make up between 80-and-90 percent of the ailments. What they require is someone to listen, someone to touch them, someone to care. That does not exist in modern medicine.

One of the complaints heard frequently is that physicians don’t touch their patients any more. Touch just isn’t there. Years ago massage was a big part of nursing. There was so much care, so much touch, so much goodness conveyed through massage.

Many now believe that massage therapy is absolutely key in the healing process because it relieves stress, it is obviously foundational in the healing process any time and anywhere. Perhaps a resort offering “proper” therapy is just the ticket?

Chic Spas

The accommodation is Spas is the epitome of Asian chic, overlooking a steep, deep-green rainforest valley and foaming river. The restaurants serve delicious food that’s also healthy. But the best they offer is the emotional-health, sometimes in group-participation coaching that can have topics such as “how to break bad habits and maintain good ones”. They hope to encourage guests to see how to make constructive changes. Sometimes, we tend to ignore how important our emotional health is to our physical welfare. Studies have shown that after operations patients with a positive attitude leave hospital sooner and their scars heal more quickly.

The process works if the counselling is used in conjunction with the spa’s other specialist services. These include a nutritionist, an iridologist, an osteopath and an Ayurvedic doctor. Get ready for the new era of yoga and massage. This will now be complemented with mental massage.

Where To Go

UK-based operator AwimAway (020 7430 1766, www.awimaway.com) offers Spa holidays to destinations around the world. AwimAway has special offers to Bali and India and can organise your holiday to the resorts with spa, yoga and mental message.