Traveling Overseas? Beware of the Pickpocket in Your Wallet.
Author : Kayla Fay
Your money belt is well hidden, your valuables locked in the hotel safe. With your conservative dress and your confident walk, you dont look like a tourist. You walk into the store, make your purchase, and leave without anyone coming near you. Its only when you arrive back in the United States that you discover the theft. Every time you spent a dollar, several cents was taken from you. You had a pickpocket in your wallet everywhere you went.
If youre a savvy traveler, you know that a debit or credit card almost always gets the best foreign exchange rates. When you cash a travelers check or dollars, an exchange bureau will give you about 5 to 10% less money than an ATM machine. Its smart to use plastic. But beware some banks and credit card companies have slipped a little fine print onto their credit card terms. Its called a foreign transaction fee, and is quite simply a 3% to 5% fee that the bank charges for transactions made outside the United States. A foreign transaction fee can make your trip a lot more expensive.
The good news is that not all credit cards add this fee. To find out if your bank has sticky fingers, check your terms. It's also a good idea to call your bankand get their policy in writing. If you find you are being surcharged, get a different credit card for your travels. There are plenty of cards that dont charge a foreign transaction fee, but youll have to shop around. (If youd like a current list of recommended cards, email us at cardlist@cash-abroad.com. You will not be added to a mailing list.)
On your next trip abroad beware of pickpockets especially the ones that stay in your pocket all the time.
Kayla Fay is a freelance writer and the publisher of http://www.cash-abroad.com, where you can find more hints that will help you understand the most cost-effective ways to get cash and make purchases on trips overseas.

Disneys 10 Most Magical Experiences

Author : Cara Goldsbury
How do you narrow down a place like Walt Disney World into just a few days? A great way is to be sure to experience Disneys most wonderful offerings first and foremost and then allowing the rest to just fall into place. Here are the best of the best:
An Epcot Illuminations Cruise Each evening boatloads of visitors depart from the docks of Disneys Boardwalk Inn and Disneys Yacht Club headed for Epcot. Their destination is a prime position under the bridge between the United Kingdom and France for a view of the Illuminations fireworks spectacular. Cruises are offered nightly with your choice of either a pontoon boat seating 10 or a beautiful reproduction of a 1930s Chris Craft accommodating 6-7 people. Although reservations can be made up to 90 days in advance, they sometimes sell out on the first day. Call 407-WDW-PLAY.
Dinner at the California Grill The California Grill on the 15th floor of Disneys Contemporary Resort is a definite highlight for any connoisseur of cutting-edge cuisine. Through immense windows is an unbeatable panorama of the Magic Kingdom and the Seven Seas Lagoon and on many nights picture-perfect views of the Wishes fireworks. From pristinely fresh sushi to the exceptional New American Cuisine to sensational desserts and the outstanding California wine list, this place has it all.
Breakfast With Cinderella High atop Cinderellas Castle in the Magic Kingdom is your chance to feast in a fairytale setting with Cinderella, Jasmine, Aladdin, and Belle. Kids love the grand dining room where through glittering leaded-glass windows is a birds-eye view of Fantasyland. The characters make their way around the dining room and give each child quality time signing autographs and posing for pictures.
Beachside Vista of the Magic Kingdoms Fireworks On evenings when fireworks are on the Magic Kingdoms agenda, head to one of the Polynesian Resorts idyllic white-sand beaches, grab a hammock, kick back, and view the festivities.
Your First Glimpse of Cinderellas Castle As you walk under the train station at the Magic Kingdom and into a world of make believe, the splendor of Main Street is spread out before you with that celebrated fairy tale castle sitting at the end.
The Sight of Exotic Animals Grazing Below Your Guestroom Balcony A stay at Disneys Animal Kingdom Lodge comes with a view of its marvelous savanna filled with hundreds of roaming exotic animals. After dark the preserves are lit with a moon glow effect, perfect for a nighttime stroll or after dinner entertainment from your room balcony.
A Picturesque Ride on the Monorail Hop on board Disneys favorite form of transportation for a delightful journey around the Seven Seas Lagoon, through the interior of the Contemporary Resort, past the Magic Kingdom, and off through the pine trees on your way to Epcot.
Cocktails in the Grand Lobby of Disneys Grand Floridian Resort This resorts favorite gathering spot is an exquisitely soaring, 5-story lobby of stained-glass cupolas and filigreed chandeliers. Find a seat on a cushy sofa and take pleasure in the lively big band orchestra while sipping a strawberry-topped glass of champagne.
Reliving the Drive-In of Your Youth At Disney-MGM Studios At the Sci-fi Dine-In Theatre, guests are served in sleek 1950s-era convertibles while watching B-grade sci-fi and horror trailers on the big screen. Waiters on roller skates carhop the darkened, starlit theater, speaker boxes hang on the side of your car and, of course, popcorn and hot dogs dance on the screen during intermission. Though the food is just so-so, who cares when Godzilla is your entertainment.
A Float Through Splash Mountain Who can resist the charms of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Brer Bear, and the rest of the gang, even if it culminates in one heck of a plunge? Drift round the briar patch in a hollowed-out log while toe-tapping music plays among the cabbages and carrots, jugs of moonshine, chirpin birds, and croakin frogs as you relax and bob your head to the beat. As you float through bayous, marshes, and caverns, all a delight to the eyes with loads of colorful detail and too-cute cavorting characters, the heartwarming theme song Time To Be Moving Along plays. Its guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Cara Goldsbury is the author of The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World: How to Get the Most Out of the Best Disney Has to Offer available at 800-247-6553, or www.luxurydisneyguide.com

How You Can Transform Frequent Flyer Miles and Hotel Points They Earn Into Dream Trips of a Lifetime
Author : Theo Brandt-Sarif
The best free room I ever had? There have been many, but one that comes to mind is the six-night stay my family and I enjoyed at the Park Hyatt in Tokyo. Incredibly, there was no check-in desk. As we entered the hotel, we were ushered straight to our room on the 40th floor by elevator, where we walked through the elegant lobby marveling at the spectacular views over Tokyo. Only after we were situated in our room did a staff person visit us. We signed the necessary paperwork in about 2 minutesall from the luxury and comfort of the desk in our own room.
The amenities alone made our stay memorable. The huge bathroom greeted us with marble everywhere, while a giant tub invited us to sit, soak, and relax. Not only were the best shampoos, conditioners, and lotions provided each day, but also a new, top-of-the-line hairbrush and nailbrush. We lounged in complimentary silk kimonos and donned thick bathrobes after using the pool and spajust a quick elevator ride away on the 52nd floor amid a dazzling 360-degree view of Tokyo.
For all of this, we paid absolutely nothing, not even room tax. But, as we all know, there is no such thing as free. It actually took 21 paid nights at Hyatt Hotels, using a promotional offer, to earn enough hotel points for that five-night complimentary stay.
But here is the key point: When you accrue hotel points or intend to use some promotion toward free nights, make the most of what they offer! Just as you would use those free nights you earn only at hotels which might otherwise be out of your budget, redeem your frequent flyer miles for the most expensive air tickets in business or first class.
Research consistently shows that almost two-thirds of all redeemed frequent flyer miles are used for free coach class trips within the US or between the US and Canada. This statistic amazes me. Because these awards usually cost 25,000 frequent flyer miles, travelers who cash them in towards domestic leisure tripsfor which airfares are unusually low in todays competitive travel marketreceive a poor return on their investment. The savvy traveler can reach almost any domestic destination today in coach class for under $400 using an advance purchase ticket. With low-cost airlines such as America West now offering first class cabins for travel anywhere in the US priced under $1,000 (and frequently matched by the major competing airlines), even premium class is more affordable than ever before. Why not wait until you have accrued 100,000 to 200,000 miles and splurge on one or two premium class tickets for travel abroad?
You may argue that you want to use your frequent flyer miles quicklybefore the airlines go out of business. Critics across the board are heralding the demise of all major airlines, and with it the frequent flyer mile programs savvy travelers have come to loveand hate! Countless travel authorities wax lyrical in newspapers and journals, and knowledgeable pundits on radio and TV continue to warn travelers to use up their miles quickly before they are all worthless. How utterly ridiculous.
With the exception of US Airways, which I believe will disappear from the landscape in the next few months, the majors are here to stay for the time beingso continue to accumulate frequent flyer miles and be ready to book your dream trip one day in the not-too-distant future. Will airline miles be devalued in the future? Of course they willand so will the greenbacks in your pocket and mutual fund account, but that hasnt stopped you going out and earning dollars each workday, has it? Get real nowthe major airlines will need their frequent flyer programs for many years into the future, not only as a way to communicate with their customers, but also as a source of revenue from the thousands of businesses (banks, mutual funds, restaurants, long distance phone companieshow do we count the ways?) that offer frequent flier miles as rewards to their loyal customers. Your hotel points are even more secure, not least since the major hotel chains have not hemorrhaged money in the same manner as the major airlines. So keep earning those Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, and Starwood loyalty points to enjoy the kind of stay I describe in the opening story.
Its really the exotic destinationsfrom Tahiti to Paris, Antigua to Rio de Janeirothat should excite you, the sophisticated world traveler who lusts for the unique, the unusual, the spectacular experiences. Start imaginingand planningthe fabulous trips that will take you to a whole new level of exhilaration. Decide which portion of paradise has the highest priority on your wish listand figure out the amount of miles youll need for one or two or more business or first class tickets to transform your dreams into reality. Then begin working on strategies to start racking up the miles as fast as possible to accelerate your quest toward mileage nirvana.
And bon voyage!
Theo Brandt-Sarif is editor of Lustfortravel.com and co-author of the newly-released book Guerrilla Travel Tactics, Hundreds of Simple Strategies to Save Road Warriors Time and Money. He is a frequent speaker at corporate meetings and national trade association conventions.

Travel and Leisure > Drakensberg Getaway
Author : Andrew Pieterse
The drive towards the Drakensberg Mountains swept over the undulating foothills down side-roads that snake along meandering countryside to our first destination Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse. Cleopatra is tucked away in the beautiful Kamberg valley in the Drakensberg Mountains, it is a gourmet getaway where attention to detail is evident everywhere. The dining room and lounge are extended over a trout-filled dam that looks out across the water to the stunning mountains of the Southern Berg. It is a magical place - a secluded luxury hideaway where the most important factor is not to come here if you are on a diet!
The build up to dinner was an event in itself with all the guests meeting at 7pm for drinks and given an entertaining, detailed account of the gourmet meal that was to follow by Richard the chef and owner. Everything is hand prepared on the premises, some of the sauces (the highlight of most plates) take up to three days in creation. It's three fabulous starters each, in our case a plate of meltingly succulent scallops, then a rich, baked butternut soup with a dollop of creamy pesto and a plate of Mozambican king prawns. A small freshening sorbet provided Richard the time for final preparations of the main course, an elaborate plate of choice lamb cuts on rosti with three different chutneys, and rounded off with a rich chocolate concoction, perfectly offset by homemade orange-infused vanilla ice cream.
Breakfast the next morning followed in a similar style and although difficult to leave we knew that we had to walk some of this food off or we would never make the next meal. That food was possibly the best I have ever eaten but seriously doubt having survived 2 days of this non stop eating.
Kamberg hosts a site of Bushman rock art with relative easy access, a stunning walk including a waterfall, and particularly well preserved examples of Bushman paintings. It is here that the "Rosetta Stone" of San art first provided archaeologists with the key to interpreting the symbolism of the paintings as spiritual in content - showing how hunters gained power from the animals that they killed. Its all professionally explained by guides and although I had seen these paintings before I was again moved.
The road to our next stop the Antbear turned out to be just a little hop away mainly because Richard had guided us via the back roads. The Antbear Guest House is one of those seldom found gems hidden away in a network of rural roads in the Drakensberg foothills. The little white washed farmhouse has been converted into a place of artistic elegance. It is full of hand sculptured wooden furniture, a labor of Conny and Andrews love. Andrew greeted us dressed in very flamboyantly African dress and welcomed us with a cup of tea. He is a humorous character with a passion for entertaining, conversation and alternative living.
Andrew is a dab hand in the kitchen too. The food is very different to that of Cleopatra definitely not as rich but no less of an experience. Supper was the best Indian food I have ever eaten with a selection of curries, papdams, onion badjis, sambals and naan bread to boot. Andrew quite likes the company in the kitchen and its really different watching this kind of cooking. Its like a circus as he casually juggles the egg turner or adds a handfull of spice to some frying onions. The hosts eat with the guests at a single table with candle chandeliers and a fireplace. Its very welcoming indeed. For desert Andrew whipped up caramelized cape gooseberries in whiskey with hint of time. Why the Antbear is so affordable is a bit of a mystery me and till today the Antbear is my favourite guesthouse anywhere. Armed with Connys picnic lunch setoff to Giants Castle Nature Reserve. Giants Castle is a spectacular part of the Drakensberg and one of my favorite regions. Its has less tourism than most other parts and I have always wondered why as it is about as beautiful as it comes. We wanted an easy walk so opted for Worlds View a 14 km trail with a spectacular 360 view at its end.
We had lunch and soaked in the views and got back to Giants Castle Camp in time for a well-earned cappuccino and piece of cheesecake.Dinner back at the Antbear turned out to be a Moroccan evening. Again the food was excellent. Andrews advice and enthusiasm inspires confidence and we reorganised some of our plans The following day was supposed to be a visit to the battlefields but I had forgotten about the Drakensberg Boys Choir. Andrew arranged tickets for us and this is really something not to be missed under any circumstances. The day was spent in the Champagne Valley another beautiful part of the Drakensberg.
For dinner Andrew had taken the Zulu line. An interesting stew with a type of dumpling bread baked in the same pot. Butternut and maize meal and some wild spinach added a touch of colour. What I have never seen before was the wild asparagus sauted in lemon and butter with a hint of sesame oil. I start to drool even thinking about that now.
The next morning was a guided horse trail through the Drakensberg foothills. I am not a horse enthusiast normally but with such relaxed horses I would not have missed it for anything. It was just before lunch we headed of to Montusi Montusi a bit like a hotel with a personal country cottage feeling about it. The lodge is perfectly positioned to catch the surrounding view, fields of galloping horses and lakes to fish in. The food here too is excellent perhaps not as unexpectly different as the Antbear but our lamb with chargrilled lemon and mint was perfect.
Our last day in these mountains was spent walking the Tugela Gorge Walk below the Amphitheatre in the Royal Natal National Park. It took us to the base of the Tugela Falls, where the Tugela River plunges 948m (3,109 ft.) from the plateau, its combined drop making it the second highest falls in the world, and afforded us marvelous views of the Amphitheatre.
Our trip back to Durban guided us through the Midlands Meander a place I find to be over rated unless you make the effort to pick out the gems that it does offer. We stopped at Marakesh Israeli Goats Cheese for a glass of wine and some cheese tasting. A perfect light snack after that lovely drive to get here. Our next stop took us passed the Karkloof Falls to the Karkloof Canopy tour.a unique eco-experience that takes people on a 3-hr adventure through the magnificent Karkloof indigenous forest. The canopy tour involves traversing from one platform to another along a steel cable suspended up to 30m above the forest floor.
It was five thirty when we arrived back at my flat in Durban. We were all tired but satisfied with our week in the Drakensberg Mountains. I know that this region offers much more and far greater extremes but for us it was a perfect balance of natural beauty, good living and just a little excitement.
More Information about the Drakensberg
www.drakensberg-tourism.com
www.drakensberg.net
www.drakensberg-accommodation.com
www.south-africa-tours.com/drakensberg.html
www.south-africa-tourism.com
Links to Drakensberg Accommodation
Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse R1250 per person includes 3 meals
Antbear Guesthouse R350 per person includes dinner and breakfast
Montusi R750 per person includes dinner and breakfast.
Links to Drakensberg Activities
Kamberg Nature Reserve (R15 park entry per person + R25 Rock art presentation + R15 tour guide to game pass shelter)
Giants Castle Nature Reserve (R20 park entry)
Drakensberg Boys Choir concert (R75)
Royal Natal National Park (R25 park entry per person)
Karkloof Falls (no charge)
Karkloof Canopy Tour (R395 per person)