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Dubai probably isn’t the first or even the fiftieth place you think of when you think about green vacation destinations, but the city which is known for its huge skyscrapers and mind-boggling wealth is surprisingly eco-friendly. Not convinced that the land of oil and designer shopping opportunities is a green place to visit? Read on…

Eco-Friendly in Dubai

Dubai is known for its abundance of entertainment complex’s and leisure facilities, but did you know that many of the top things to do in Dubai are decidedly green? In fact, there are 35 Green Globe Certified buildings located in Dubai, and no less than ten hotel brands are included in this. That means that there are more green hotel complexes and buildings in Dubai than anywhere else on the planet.

If you didn’t already know, membership of the Green Globe is limited only to hotels, leisure facilities, attractions and tour operators who carry out their work in a sustainable manner, and with 44 separate criteria for membership, including things like the use of solar energy and bio-fuel, it really isn’t easy to be accepted, and it is fair to say that Dubai is leading the way in tourist sustainability.

Green Tourist Destinations

Thinking of checking out Dubai’s Green offerings, here are some of the places you simply must visit:

JA Jebel Ali Golf Resort

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Out of all the green resorts in Dubai, the JA Jebel Ali Golf Resort is one of the best thanks to its unique bio-garden, which is used to grow fresh produce for the hotel via the use of a sustainable aquaponics system.

Sir Bani Yas Desert Islands

This collection of eight islands, which is located just off the west coast of Abu Dhabi is an impressive conservation zone where you can see all manner of protected plants, animals, birds and marine life. Although visitors are allowed to enter the islands, they are strictly monitored and must adhere to strict rules to minimize their impact on the island’s’ natural environment.

Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project

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Love turtles? Then when you’re in Dubai, you simply must take the time to visit the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project which is located at the Jumeirah beachside hotel in Mina A’Salam. The project, which is free to enter, looks after, protects and nurses back to health sick turtles. The project also does what it can to raise awareness about the beautiful creatures’ and the importance of caring for them and their home. While you’re there, you’ll be able to find out more about turtles and watch them happily play in the turtle pools.

The Change Initiative

The Change Initiative is Dubai’s first retail premises to sell exclusively sustainable products and services. So, if you’re not impressed by the designer labels and fast fashion that makes up most of Dubai’s shopping districts, head there, and you’ll be in heaven.

The Change Initiative sells everything from soap to electric cars, and even the building itself is extremely earth-friendly, being one of the greenest on the planet!

As you can see, there is much more to Dubai than meets the eye, especially for the green traveller!

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July 4, 2017 by Chase Vandros

3 Survival Skills To Learn Before You Embark On Your Next RV Trip

One of the most overlooked preparations when getting ready for an RV trip is learning new survival skills. You must be prepared for the possibility of your RV breaking down in a remote area where civilization is far away, and this means learning basic yet effective survival skills to pull you through until help arrives.

Here are the top three survival skills to learn before you embark on your next RV trip:

How To Build A Fire

Knowing how to build a fire is one of the most essential survival skills to know. This is because fire is the only thing that can provide you with light, warmth, and a means to cook food or boil water simultaneously. The very act of building a fire will be a huge morale booster in a life-or-death survival situation.

According to Outdoorsy.com, there are many different ways to start a fire in a survival situation as well: you can simply get one going using traditional fire starting devices such as a lighter, matches, or magnesium flint striker; you can rub a battery against steel wool; you can use chap stick or hand sanitizer as kindling as both are flammable; or you can build a fire bow drill.

How To Signal For Help

Another critically important survival skill to know is not how to walk back to help, but how to bring help to you. This is where learning basic signaling techniques can save your life.

There are a variety of techniques you can use for signaling for help: polish the bottom of a soda or beer can and then aim it towards the sun to reflect the sunlight, burn green boroughs to create a strong smoke signal, aim a mirror towards the sun to also reflect the light, or actually spell out ‘SOS’ or ‘HELP’ using sticks and rocks in a clearing.

How To Purify Water

You can only survive for three days without water, and you’ll feel the negative effects of dehydration after going just one day without it. Therefore, knowing how to purify water you collect to make it safe to drink is critical.

Easily the safest way to purify water is to boil it. Boil the water in a clean metal container for a minimum of fifteen minutes and then allow it to cool before drinking. If there are any visible substances such as dirt in the water as well, you will need to remove those substances by filtering your water.

You can make your own DIY water filter by taking a bottle, puncturing holes in the bottom, and then making layers of sand, pebbles, leaves, and charcoal, with each layer being a minimum of an inch deep.

Learning New Survival Skills

While there are many more survival skills out there for you to learn, these three will be the most critically important for you know for your next camping trip should anything go wrong.

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June 28, 2017 by Chase Vandros

Make Your Next Vacation a Splash

Has the time come for you to get away from it all? If the response is yes, where are you thinking of heading off to?

For millions in need of a vacation, there are generally countless options to consider.

Do they state in the country and see some different states? Do they head off to neighboring Canada or Mexico for some R&R? What about a trip to Europe?

With so many choices in front of them, many travelers have a tough time making a decision.

That said your number one goal with travel is to make sure you have everything as planned out as can be.

So, are you ready to pack your bags and head out?

Getting the Most of Your Travel Opportunities

For people looking to hit the road for summer travel or getaways the rest of the year, making the most of it is key.

To do that, being a good planner comes into play.

Part of making the most of that planning is receiving the best deal possible. Whether this means airlines, hotels, rental cars, the list is endless.

As an example, when searching for Niagara Falls hotel deals, you want to give a hotel a chance to find the right deal. In doing so, you’re almost guaranteed to get the best rate going.

The same holds true when in need of a flight.

Although there are a myriad of travel sites out there, you may end up with money left by booking with the airline.

Your best bet is always to shop and compare what is out there. That way, you have a variety of choices to select from.

See Where You Can Save Some More Money

Not only how you book your trips is important, but also what you do once on those vacations.

While you want to have a great time no matter where you go, don’t come home with only pennies left in your pockets. You can save some money during the trip and still have a great time.

Among the ways to go about this:

· Book early – As mentioned earlier, by booking your trip as far ahead of time as possible, you are more apt to save money. Always check the Internet for deals. Also view television and newspaper stories that highlight saving money when traveling.

· Take your own food – Have you seen some of the prices for food at airports? In some cases, you almost need a second job to afford a meal, Okay, while that is an exaggeration, you get the idea. By packing snacks and sandwiches, you oftentimes avoid spending money on expensive food. This is especially true if you are taking little ones along on the trip.

· Avoid expensive transportation – No matter where you go, you’re likely to find mass transit. Okay, that is unless you’re going camping far from civilization. That said you may want to skip the rental car and take the bus or subway etc. where you go. Not only can you save money not getting a rental, but you do not have to worry about finding somewhere to park it.

Whether you make summertime your go-to travel time or hit the road over the winter holidays, make it a splash.

When you shop for deals and use some commonsense, your next vacation should be one to remember

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June 20, 2017 by Chase Vandros

Bored Of Beach Holidays?

A relaxing holiday in the sun isn’t for everybody, some of us get bored sitting around doing nothing all day. After a week, you’ll be itching to do something active again. If you want to avoid going out of your mind before the holiday is over, you’ll need to plan something a bit more active for yourself. There are plenty of great activity holidays all over the world, these are some of the best.

Bored Of Beach Holidays? Go skiing instead.

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Skiing is great fun and there are places all over the globe that you can go to do it. You can get different experiences depending one where you go so do a bit of research beforehand. If it’s something that you enjoy a lot, you could try to get a ski instructor course qualification. That way you can teach skiing and stay out there for longer periods.

Cycling

Cycling is a brilliant way to get to know a new country while staying active at the same time. You can cover a lot more ground on a bike than you can on foot. There are places all over that are great for cycling holidays, but some of the best ones are in Europe. France is particularly good, there are brilliant paths in the Alps that take you through some lovely picturesque areas. If you fancy something a little more extreme, why not go on a mountain biking holiday in Austria. It isn’t well known as a place to go cycling but it’s great. There are cable cars that will take you up the mountains and from there you can follow lots of separate paths of varying difficulty. Most of the trails are close to the airport so accessibility is good.

Hiking

If cycling is a bit too hectic for you and you prefer something that is a bit slower, a hiking holiday is good for you. You get all of the same benefits that you would from a cycling holiday but it’s a bit easier on the legs. Britain has lots of brilliant hiking trails, especially in Scotland and Wales, but one of the best places to go in the world is Romania. There are plenty of stunning lakes and valleys to hike through but be warned, some of it is fairly tough so it’s only suitable for experienced hikers.

Surfing

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Hiking isn’t all that cool and if you think you’re way too hip for that, surfing might be a bit more your speed. Most people tend to think of the USA when they are thinking of places to go surfing. While places like California are brilliant for surfing, there are other more interesting options. Portugal is a surprisingly good surfing location, especially the secluded resorts set in a valley on the west coast. They make a nice change from the more hectic resorts in America and they also offer lessons so don’t worry if you don’t know what you’re doing. After a long day of surfing, you can also take part in yoga sessions to help you relax.

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June 15, 2017 by Chase Vandros

5 Ways To Add A Level Of Luxury To Your Travels

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When you’re a frequent traveler, you can often find that you tend to stick to the same kinds of experiences. After all, when you’ve found something you love, why wouldn’t you. But, it can often be fun to switch things up a little – especially when that switch involves the best of the best. Even if you’re a newbie traveler, it can be exciting to add a luxury touch to your plans. Sometimes, you just want to spoil yourself, kick back, and enjoy some of the most incredible experiences in the world. And when you want to do that, here are a few things to help you.

Go Private

Want to travel in style? Then you’re going to want to look at your options for flying private, with using a site like jettly. Not only will you get that luxury edge that you’re looking for, but you’ll benefit from incredible comfort, flying solo (or in a small group) and getting to your destination so much easier. If that doesn’t take your fancy, then why not hire a private yacht? Not only can you make it your vacation spot for the summer, but you can head out to see and swim too.

Upgrade Your Stay

With transport covered, why not think about staying in style too? Sometimes, you want to treat yourself when it comes to accommodation. And we all know there are some pretty stunning spots to stay in around the world. So wherever you’re heading, go five-star plus. Not only will your surroundings look incredible, but you’ll benefit from impeccable service and the ultimate in relaxing vacations.

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Take A Tour

Not every offer of activities will appeal to you, but if you want to do something completely indulgent but still nourishing, head off on a guided private tour. Whether you’re staying in a city or flying to a private island, there’s always something to see. But don’t wonder around aimlessly, get yourself booked in for a culture-clad wine tasting or tour of the local art gallery. This way, not only will it be heaps of fun, but you’ll broaden your horizons too.

Visit The Spa

But if you’re really not feeling up to much, you might want to think about spending some time in the spa. Because when you’re staying in first class accommodation, the spa is always second to none. If you want to make sure that your place has one of the best, take a look through the best spas in the world and see if any takes your fancy. Then, you’ll truly be able to relax, switch off and feel like a brand new you.

Treat Yourself

And sometimes, you want to be able to treat yourself, just because. When the occasion calls for it, go all out. Get champagne in your room, reserve an elegant restaurant for dinner and dance until the sun comes up, just because you can. Make sure you snap away to save your memories, take everything in and enjoy your little luxury touches. Because life’s too short not to spoil yourself every once in awhile.