Holidays – Ottawa Valley Travel

7 Of The Best Shopping Destinations In Bali

One thing that every tourist loves to do when they travel to a different part of the world on vacation is go shopping, and if that destination happens to be Bali, then they are spoilt for choice. Bali is home to some of the most diverse shopping experiences you can imagine, with everything from traditional street markets to huge air conditioned shopping malls.

The range of products that you can purchase is also huge with handcrafted goods, local brands, international goods, and of course, the quintessential souvenirs of Bali that every tourist wants to take home. To give you some indication of the diversity of shopping destinations you have in Bali, here are seven of them.

Ubud Art Market: If you are looking for local and traditional art, carvings, jewellery, and textiles then Ubud Art Market is the place you will find them. Many of them come from local villages and prices are very reasonable. This market is referred to as Pasar Seni Market by locals.

Beachwalk Shopping Centre, Kuta: If you wish to combine a bit of upmarket shopping with some entertainment you will find them at the Beachwalk Shopping Centre in Kuta. Modern, with all amenities, it plays host to a host of brand name stores such as H&M, Gap, and Fossil. It also has plenty of places where you can eat, a children’s play area, and as for entertainment, there are dance shows and a musical fountain.
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Holidays, Travel Marketing

5 Key Website Design Features Your Holiday Resort Website Should Have

There are several reasons why you may need a new website for your holiday resort business and whether it is for a new company, to replace an ineffective website, or if you are rebranding your business, your new website must include certain design criteria. The web design specialists at www.cheap-web-design.com.au will tell you that if any of these core design features are missing, your website will not be as successful as it could.

When we use the term ‘website design features’, we are not referring to specific visual elements, such as the border, the colours, or the fonts. Instead, we mean certain criteria that add to the overall functioning of the website, and most importantly, give you a better chance of converting those who visit that new website from prospects to paying customers. Here are 5 of the most important of those website design criteria.

It Must Be Designed With Visitors In Min

The most important people who should have any influence on how your website is designed are not the programmers, the graphics designers, or you, the owner of the business. In fact, it is the visitors who will ultimately be visiting and navigating through that site, and as such, everything included in the design must be created with a view to making it enhance the experience of those who visit the website. In other words, keep it simple, make website navigation easy.

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Holidays, Travel

Holiday Villas in Candidasa, Bali

Candidasa is in the remote Karangasam area of Bali. Until recently, it was very difficult and very time-consuming to travel to Karangasam due to the condition of the roads.

Visiting this beautiful, remote area used to take more than 2 hours on rough roads. Today, though, there has been a lot of development in northern Bali, including the construction of good roads. Visitors can reach Karangasam in just about an hour thanks to these new roads. It is definitely worth the trip!

This area of Bali is also growing as a tourist destination, constructing several luxurious hotels and many beautiful private villas that have been designed and landscaped by leading landscapers. Principal Landscapes. The hotels and villas are the perfect place to stay while you enjoy all that Karangasam has to offer. One area of Karangasam you should consider visiting is Padangbai which is a lovely fishing village that offers some of the clearest and bluest water and the best white sand beaches in Bali. This village can be found on Amuk Bay. Manggis is another beautiful area with the Amankila and Alila resorts which are known world wide.

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Holidays, Travel

Something for everyone in Kuta Bali

Visitors to Kuta find that there is something for everyone. This is a world class destination that is visited by people from all parts of the world. There are elegant and luxurious Bali villas available for a very reasonable price when you compare prices on Bali villas in other parts of the country. There are also many excellent hotels available including the Hard Rock Hotel, Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel, Harris Hotels, Kuta Bali Hotel and the Mercurre Hotels. All of these hotels and Bali villas will allow you to feel comfortable while in a very elegant setting.

Kuta Villas

A lot of people visit Kuta to go surfing. You can get to the beaches where surfing is amazing by car, by taking a taxi or on a motorbike. However, if you choose the right hotel or Bali villa you will be able to walk to the beach. This is the best choice for people who want to surf because the traffic in Kuta is very heavy and it can take a long time to get anywhere.

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Holidays, Travel

5 Money-Saving Travel Hacks

Even if you have been saving for years to be able to relax in Bali or see what the world has to offer, it’s still nice to be able to save a little money where you can. When you’re a tourist to a new country, it can be a challenge to know whether you’re getting a good deal or not, which is why doing your research beforehand can help. Aside from being aware of discount offers and the best websites for accommodation, these five tips below may be of assistance as well.

Consider Home and Pet Sitting

If you’re in desperate need of a holiday, but your budget doesn’t stretch to flights as well as accommodation, then why not consider being a house and pet sitter? There is an abundance of websites with people looking for reputable house sitters and pet sitters to take care of their precious possessions while they are away. The best part is, it doesn’t cost you a cent – saving you thousands in accommodation.

Know When to Book Flights

No one is a mind reader when it comes to booking flights. Therefore, there is always going to be a time when you book a trip then find out it is several hundred dollars’ cheaper the next time you look. Whether you’re booking one return flight to get you to Bali villas and back, or several for a world trip, it’s a good idea to do your research on flight booking tips.

According to CheapAir, you can save a significant amount of money if you book four months or three weeks before your holiday, and on a Tuesday or Wednesday. In most cases, Friday, Saturday, and Monday tend to be the most expensive days to fly.

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Adventure, Holidays

Overseas Cycling Adventures

When we think of going on an overseas holiday it is usually all about the nightlife and the main tourist attractions, but there are many other ways to have fun as well. Once you’ve settled into your accommodation, you might want to try a cycling adventure. Don’t worry whether you will be able to cycle up hill and down dale, because mostly the trips are not in steep country. On a cycling tour you can often cheat by being taken to the top of a mountain by vehicle and just riding down, along with your guide.

Cycling adventures are for kids, adults and seniors. Even babies can participate so long as Mum or Dad take the handlebars, because there are bikes with baby carriers and seats so the whole family can enjoy their ride. You can stop on the way there or back for a meal, depending on what time your tour leaves.

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Holidays, Travel

10 Tips to Holidays on a Budget

If you were thinking the cost of an overseas holiday would be too much, there are many ways in which you can save. The biggest cost factors on holiday travel are for the travel fares, the accommodation and the food. If these three biggies can be reduced in some way, your holiday suddenly becomes much more affordable. And this applies to holidays in Australia, not just overseas.

Here are 10 tips to help reduce the cost of holidays.

If flying, watch for specials run by the airline of your choice. Be flexible so you can get packed and go at short notice when the specials come on.
With cruise ships, booking way ahead will often get you a great special in price. But it is also possible to get last minute deals because they want to sail with a full ship if possible and if all the cabins are not booked by a week before sailing they’ll offer them at a good rate.
If going by car, the way you drive can save a great deal in the cost of fuel. Braking and accelerating smoothly save fuel; jamming your foot down on the brake or accelerator waste it.
Watch what you buy when overseas because you’ll have to pay excess for luggage that is over the weight limit. So pack light and take an extra suitcase if you intend to get a lot of stuff, then you won’t have to buy luggage to carry all those things you bought. Luggage is quite expensive in other countries.

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Holidays, Travel

Holiday Adventures that Kids Will Love

If you want to delight the kids with an overseas holiday, Bali has many unique adventures suitable for kids and adults alike. Participating in these fun outings with them will guarantee to ensure a fun time for all with no chance of being bored – and you won’t need to hire a babysitter. Settle into your villa and start to enjoy.

Here are some of the great places in Bali that kids will love.

Walk through the treetops at Tabanan. It’s great to view the forest from the top instead of the bottom. At Tabanan you’ll find high walkways through the treetops. In fact, it’s made more fun by including obstacles of varying hardship degrees. In every case, safety is assured with a safety wire attached to your harness. Start from 2 metres high and go up to 20 – if you’re game. It’s called Bali Treetop Adventure and is located at the Bali Botanical Gardens.

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Holidays, Travel

Travel Tips to Save Money

Whether you are going to your favourite holiday island such as Bali or another tourist destination there are certain things you can do to save money, if you just know about them. Most people are on some kind of a budget, so finding ways to save is something they look forward to. If you save money you might even be able to add a day or two to your holiday.

Here are some ways to save on the cost of an overseas holiday

Book weekend accommodation in the business district of a city. This can save money because during the week these places are full, but at the weekend – including Friday nights – when business is not carried out they are essentially empty, so offer cheaper rates to attract people.
According to some travel experts, Tuesday is the time to look for budget airfares. This is because often one airline will offer a good deal on Monday and by Tuesday, many other airlines bring their prices down to match it.
The weekend is the most popular time for travellers so is likely to be the most expensive for flights.
Eat at a local restaurant where the menu is not in English. Asking for recommendations from the hotel staff will only get you to an expensive place because fancy restaurants pay them for recommendations.
You can often save money on hotel accommodation by phoning the place directly rather than using an 800 line, which is often a clearing house that reserves at a higher rate.
In Europe, October through to April is the off-season when you’ll get cheaper deals.

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Holidays, Travel

Do’s and Don’ts for Riding a Scooter on Holidays

Once they’ve settled into their luxury villas, many holidaymakers choose to rent a scooter to get around because there is no public transport. They don’t realise the driving rules and conditions are completely different from most other places such countries as India, China, Japan and even Indonesia. It may seem easy to ride a motor scooter too, but if you’ve never done it, Bali is not the best place to learn.

Here are some do’s and don’ts for riding a scooter in Bali.

Do’s

Always wear a helmet; make sure it fits properly and has a visor.
Before choosing a scooter – and paying for it – make sure the brakes, lights and horn all work. Yes, you’ll need the horn, it’s an integral part of driving in Bali.
If you are not sure where to turn or how to pass another vehicle, watch what the locals do and follow them.

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