Project Management and Travel: What you need to know

Posted by admin on June 26th, 2010 filed in General
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In addition to being the Cheif Editor of TravelExploit.com, I am also a Project Manager. I manage people, budgets, technology, change, and sometimes even travel. I’ve realized that the tools and techniques I use to plan, control and execute business projects readily apply to planning trips and should be used in order to maximize your budget and enjoyment while traveling.

I want to illustrate my point by defining a project: Read the rest of this entry »


Global Perspectives on Travel

Posted by admin on May 26th, 2010 filed in General, Travel Interviews
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At TravelExploit.com, we pride ourselves on our global network of travel experts and correspondents. We’ve picked our experts brains on the latest travel trends, hottest destinations, and the tools and technology to improve your travel planning. In the upcoming months, you will find Podcast and mp3 versions of our global interviews as well. So please check back and let me know if you have any questions you would like answered.

Our first set of interviewees are travel experts from Australia, Russia and the United States. Each brings a unique perspective on travel not only in their own country, but in the world as a whole. I’d like to introduce our panel, beginning (alphabetically) with Gleb from Russia, Nusair from the United States, and Tim from Australia.

TravelExploit.com: Tell us about yourself, how you got into travel, and why you love it?

Gleb: I am from Russia, St. Petersburg. It’s the most popular touristic spot in Russia, Read the rest of this entry »


Cheap travel

Posted by admin on May 18th, 2010 filed in General
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Many times in the articles on this website you will see the word “cheap”, especially when it applies to airfares. I want to point out, however, that “cheap” is not necessarily always a good thing. There are many situations, with tour guides, hotels, and yes, sometimes even airlines, where being cheap will end up costing you big in the end. Therefore it is important to know when it’s a good idea to spend more in order to get the most out of your vacation. Being cheap is an art.

I want to first start with my definition of cheap: Maximizing value by getting the lowest price for commodities. Notice that I said “commodities” and not all goods and services. The reason being is that commodities are the same no matter who sells them. For instance, American lager beer, like Budweiser, Coors and Miller are all mass-produced commodities that have nearly the same taste and quality. If someone offers you a $20 pitcher of Budweiser or a $15 pitcher of Miller, you’d most likely buy the Miller. I see airlines the same way. They all offer near identical service, so why pay more? Read the rest of this entry »


Nile cruise

Posted by admin on May 13th, 2010 filed in General
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Taking a cruise ship down the Nile is the best way to see Upper Egypt for a few reasons:

1) The cruise ships are a trip back in time. All of the boats are smaller and much more cozy and charming than what you might expect if you’ve been on Carribbean cruises or similar. Each ship only holds about 100 people, and all cabins have windows facing out.

2) The river flows from South to North, so it is easy to get back to Cairo.

3) It’s the best way to see the river. The sunrise and sunsets, animals, feluccas, and the people of Egypt can all be seen from your cabin deck.

4) Some sites, like Kom Ombo, aren’t linked by roads, so water is the only way to get there.

5) Its cheaper than a regular hotel in most cases. You can book online or as part of a group package and will likely pay less than $100 USD per night per room. Remember too that this includes three generous meals daily, and it really stacks up to a great value.

To get an idea of what the Nile cruisers are like, you can check out this video:


A night with the Bedouins

Posted by admin on May 9th, 2010 filed in General
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There is nothing friendly about arriving in the Sinai desert late in the evening. The bus ride from Cairo is 7 hours long and uncomfortable. The sandy mountains that gleamed in the daylight become black blocks in an otherwise dark and desolate environment. Before arriving in the city of St. Catherine’s, a collection of mud brick huts a stone’s throw away from where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God, our bus was stopped a half-dozen times for inspection of our passports. When the bus finally arrived near the city center, and after we disembarked, we really had no idea where we were or how we would find a hotel at this advanced hour. The guidebook was of no use because I wasn’t even sure where I was in relation to the map, and the suggested hotels were far from the city.

Some Swiss travelers had rode with us and were waiting for their bags. I chatted them up, and luckily they had arranged a stay at a nearby Bedouin camp and were to be picked up shortly. The camp was not listed in any of our three guidebooks on Egypt, but we decided to rely on the strategy of “when in doubt, ask fellow travelers.”

Within a few minutes we arrived at a walled enclave. The Bedouins carried our bags in and showed us a large, clean room with three beds and a private bathroom. The beds were just mattresses lying on the ground, but they were made up nicely, and more importantly, they looked warm as it was quite cold in the desert. The bathroom was adequate, also clean, but not a place I would want to shower.

What really sold us on staying there was the Bedouin tent Read the rest of this entry »


The Kindness of Strangers

Posted by admin on May 9th, 2010 filed in Blogging, General
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I want to share an endearing story with my readers,  thank a new friend, and introduce a method for retrieving items lost when traveling.

We visited Israel in January 2010, staying a few nights in the Old City of Jerusalem. We had taken 2 digital cameras with us, along with 1 film camera to photograph the amazing sites and scenes of the ancient city. We got some excellent pictures, and were looking forward to getting home to share them with our friends.

On our final day in Jerusalem Read the rest of this entry »


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