Author: Brandon Lopez

Christmas Traditions You May Experience When Travelling Overseas

Christmas is around the corner that you can already see the festive decorations in almost every place you visit. For many people, Christmas is a magical time packed with tradition, festivals, celebrations, markets, parties, gifts, shopping, and foods. Some people may celebrate it and some people don’t but that’s not a problem. What unique is that Christmas traditions are different across the world. If you are travelling overseas during Christmas time, you may experience the festive mood of it through various tradition adopted by the place you visit.

Festive Christmas markets

Christmas celebration is often associated with lots of foods. No wonder you will find Christmas markets during your travel overseas. During Christmas celebrations, people love to visit markets and stuff their face with lots of delicious foods like cakes, cookies, and chocolates. Each city, town, and village around the world may have different way to celebrate Christmas but you will find their markets to be one of the most festive spots.

Christmas lights

Another way to celebrate Christmas is by setting up a light show to create lively and festive atmosphere. In Toronto for example, there is Christmas tradition called Cavalcade of Lights. It’s an annual event to mark the start to the holiday season. If you happen to visit this country during Christmas celebration, you may witness how 300,000 energy-efficient LED lights illuminate the Nathan Phillips Square and Christmas tree. It shines from dusk to 11PM until New Year. This event often comes with a spectacular firework show as well.

Another place that celebrate Christmas through lights is Medellin. During Christmas, the city lights up with some mesmerizing light show called El Alumbrado. The amazing display can be found throughout the city. The main areas are moving around each year so if you are lucky you may experience it during your travel to Medellin.

Unique Christmas tradition

Some places around the world also have their own unique way to celebrate Christmas. For example, people in Norway have hiding broom tradition as the people since centuries ago believed that witches and evils spirits came out on Christmas Eve looking for the broom to ride on. Thus, it became a tradition for Norway people to hide their brooms on Christmas Eve.

Another unique tradition is in Japan where people don’t really celebrate Christmas. However, the people in Japan now have a light tradition to eat KFC in December. They even place their orders weeks in advance or wait for hours to just get their KFC fix. This tradition came after a successful marketing campaign from KFC in 1974. It has led thousands of Japanese people to flock KFC to get Party Barrel around Christmas time.

Ukraine also has pretty unique Christmas tradition since the Ukrainians decorate their Christmas trees with artificial spiders and spiderwebs instead of baubles and tinsels. This tradition is said to come from the Legend of the Christmas Spider. Thus, you may witness Christmas tree with hanging spiders and spiderwebs in some households in Ukraine during your vacation in the country.

December 29, 2022
Tips for Pick a Bali Family Resort for a Memorable New Year’s Eve!

Many people will travel with family, friends, or couples during the New Year’s holiday. The atmosphere will be more enjoyable if you rent a Bali family resort. So you can have fun with your family while admiring the beautiful scenery on Bali’s south coast.

To provide the best family resort stay in Nusa Dua, Bali. Plan so your vacation does not zonk or fail to present a pleasant atmosphere, as the end of the year ushers in the high season, when there will undoubtedly be many tourists visiting.

Make A Reservation In Advance.

Remember, not only you who desires a New Year’s getaway. So, if you’re certain you want to and can take a holiday, book the best family resort you want ahead of time to avoid running out of options.

Furthermore, if you book too near the holiday season, the rental price may rise due to the high number of people who need a place to stay.

Select A Bundle Package.

You can save money by booking your flight, hotel, and car. Bundling is especially smart during non-peak travel times if you book late in the game. Websites frequently combine unsold flights and hotel rooms to create appealing last-minute packages. However, it would be best if you started looking for bundle deals around the holidays as soon as possible. Remember, these packages aren’t just for vacationers taking advantage of the year-end holidays.

The Bali Family Resort View

Of course, those who vacation at the sea or beach want to see the sunrise or sunset. The best Bali family resort, Nusa Dua, is the ideal location to take in the breathtaking scenery.

Nusa Dua is located south of Bali, on the Indian Ocean’s edge. The beach’s beauty is undeniable, with clean white sand. Despite its proximity to the sea, the waves at Nusa Dua are small and usually calm. Despite the calm waves, Nusa Dua is treated to a beautiful sunrise that can jumpstart your day.

New Year’s Eve Celebrations

Make sure the resort offers new year’s events, so you don’t have to worry about where to go to celebrate the new year.

Resorts typically compete to include New Year’s Eve events in their stay packages to complete a family holiday at the end of the year. The celebrations usually include live music events, fine dining, and fireworks.

December 29, 2022
Best Villas To Stay at During Your Visit To Bali

Many types of accommodations you can choose for your stay in Bali. And one of the most recommended is stay in villa. There are so many beautiful villas with complete amenities for a comfortable stay during your vacation on the island. You can choose based on your preference and budget. It is recommended that you choose your villas based on the major attractions you want to visit. For example, you can choose villas around Canggu is it is the area you will spend most of your time in.

Choosing the best villas for your vacation in Bali

The best things about villas is that they often provide everything a guest needs from beautifully-decorated bedroom to luxurious infinity pools. Not to mention that villas are often located next to stunning place, offering beautiful views even when you just wake up. And so here are some of the bests villas to consider for your stay in Bali:

Pertiwi Bisma

This villa is pretty affordable and located near the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud. It doesn’t have private pools like most luxurious villas do but offers incredible views from its infinity pool. This villa has two properties located in two different areas. They are Pertiwi Bisma 1 and Pertiwi Bisma 2. both offer the same quality and price standard. This luxury villa is perfect for budget travelers.

Theanna Eco Villa and Spa

This is such a one-of-a-kind accommodation in Bali because it blends three different aspects for its design in which they are adopting Balinese, Japanese, and Scandinavian styles all together. With special atmosphere, this resort has become a magnet to many travelers and tourists alike. It offers large space and located just a short walk away from Canggu beach. Butler service and private pool are also offered to the guests of this villa. Not to mention the spa and infinity pool to relax on.

Sanglung Villas

This is a place that offer exotic atmosphere, located only fifteen minutes away from the beach. It offers panoramic views and rich cuisines to pamper the guests. At the outdoor space is beautiful terrace with stunning infinity pool. There are two bedrooms and two bathrooms of each villas, making it suitable for family group to stay in. There are three villas operated in the complex. It is best to book in advance since it is pretty rare to find an empty space.

Samsara Ubud

This is a complex of villas located in the Bali jungle. It is a sanctuary that adopted modern Balinese style with authentic furniture. There is private infinity pool in each villa every guest can enjoy. Guests can relax while enjoying stunning views from the surroundings since the villa is located in the jungle where greenery are very luscious and dense. There is also restaurant serving local, international, and Indonesian cuisine. With affordable rent fees, guests can rent various villas. There are one-bedroom villas, two-bedroom villas, and three-bedrooms villas. Hence, it is also suitable for group travelers consisted of families or friends.

December 8, 2022
The History of Nusa Dua Beach Resort, a Luxury Stay Spot in Bali

Who isn’t familiar with Nusa Dua? A location on Bali Island’s southern tip that will host the G20 Summit. Because of the presence of several Nusa Dua Beach Resort, this area is better known as a luxury tourist destination.

A very safe area with strict guards; when entering and leaving the area from Nusa Dua, the guards will definitely check it. The development of a beach resort in Nusa Dua, which is situated on the stretch of the southern coastline of the island of Bali, has drawn tourists there to stay.

History of Nusa Dua Beach Resort

The government established a French consulting firm in 1970. The company’s name is Centrale Société pour l’equipment Touristique Outre-Mer (SCETO). His job is to create a master plan for the sustainable development of tourism in Bali. SCETO proposes building a self-sustaining resort complex by the sea as one of the recommendations.

To minimize the impact of tourism on Balinese culture, the location must be separated from the main population center. Finally, the Nusa Dua area was proposed as the location. The Nusa Dua area encompasses approximately 350 hectares of land. One reason for choosing this location is the geographical conditions, which include unproductive dry land.

BTDC Manages The Nusa Dua Area

In response to SCETO’s recommendations, the Indonesian government established PT Bali Tourism Development (persero) or Bali Tourism Development Corporation as a State-Owned Enterprise (BUMN) (BTDC). The government established BTDC and granted it rights to manage the Nusa Dua area.

As a first step, BTDC will acquire land, construct international standard infrastructure, develop a master plan, and create an investment system to entice investors to invest in Nusa Dua.

BTDC was later given the authority to manage the Mandalika Resort area in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). The name of BTDC was changed to PT Indonesia Tourism Development (Persero) or Indonesian Tourism Development Corporation on May 16, 2014. (ITDC).

Beautiful Beach With Pristine Sand and Water

The coastline of Nusa Dua Beach is wide and long. The sand is light brown and white and looks stunning when combined with the blue seawater. Even if you pay attention, the color in the middle of the ocean varies from light blue to dark blue. In addition, trees thrive on the beach, providing shade from the hot sun.

Because the beach waves are so calm, this location is popular for swimming. Because there aren’t many coral cliffs around the beach, you can swim freely. When swimming, however, you must be prepared to be covered in the black-green algae that cover the waters around the beach. Nonetheless, the swimming atmosphere here is very pleasant, and of course, it is safe to be on the shore.

December 8, 2022
About Sedentary Lifestyle And Its Negative Effects
Sedentary lifestyle has become widely adopted especially since the global pandemic hit. Sedentary lifestyle is a kind of lifestyle that involves more inactive activities such as sitting and laying down for long period of time. Meanwhile, adults need to be active for at least 150 minutes per week. By sitting and less active on your everyday life, various risks can be developed which may impact your physical and mental well-being. Lack of physical activity leads to a decrease in metabolism. Hence, it will affect the ability of body to control various functions. Here are several risks of adopting sedentary lifestyle:

Obesity

Obesity refers to a condition of excess weakness in the body caused by excessive calories in the body. Your body needs calories to turn them into energy. Meanwhile, calories are burned and turned into energy through physical activities. Lack of physical activities will result in excessive calories. Aside from being physically inactive, obesity also can be caused by various factors such as genes, overeating, and high consumption of fatty foods.

High cholesterol

Cholesterol is fatty substance that can be found in every cell in the body. It is needed to produce hormones, digestive substances, as well as vitamin D. However, excess cholesterol can lead to plaques forming. Those plaques stick to the walls of the arteries causing atherosclerosis and lead to coronary artery disease. It is when your blood flow is blocked by those plaques. When you are being inactive, your metabolism is decreased, causing cholesterol to get out of control.

High blood pressure

Blood pressure refers to the force of your blood to push against artery walls. It can rise and fall to suit your body condition. Having high blood pressure over time can cause serious health problems such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney failure. To keep your blood pressure in check, you need to avoid sedentary lifestyle and being more active instead.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis can be caused by various factors including low bone mass. When this happens, your bones become brittle and break easily. Your bones become thin and weak and may lead to other serious health problems. Keeping yourself active is a must to improve your bone health. Don’t forget to get enough sunlight exposure to get vitamin D needed by your body.

How to avoid sedentary lifestyle

Sedentary lifestyle is highly against because it can cause various health problems instead. Hence, it is best to prevent from adopting sedentary lifestyle by doing activities such as:
- Walk to work, school, or grocery store.
- Stand up every 20 minutes, or opt for standing desk to do your work instead.
- Do some household chores diligently to stay active and help burn more calories.
- Exercise at home if you cannot go to the gym. You can use supplies you have at home such as yoga mat.
- Put your drinks far from your desk so you are forced to get up when feeling thirsty. And put the remote as far away as possible so you are forced to stand up and walk around more.
December 1, 2022
4 Reasons Why Inflatable Boats Is Good For Outdoor Watersport

You may have hears about a boating vacation. And if you have never heard it before then it might be the time for you to explore it especially if you are an avid fan of watersport. Doing variety of outdoor watersport using inflatable boats is so much fun as you can fully experience the adventure. Not to mention that escaping away from the crowds and daily hectic on a boat is fun. It is not really new thing people like to enjoy while on a vacation but it always brings excitement and happiness for sure.

4 Reasons to Consider Taking Inflatable Boats to Your Next Water Adventure

If you need more reasons to start trying boating in an inflatable boat, here are the 4 reasons you might want to know:

Good for your well-being

Also called rigid inflatable boats (RIB), these boats have become a go to choice for people who want to experience perfect summer vacation. The boats are are the most flexible and versatile for people to enjoy variety of watersport and satiate their wanderlust. They are also perfect boats for getting started in boating since they are easy to learn and adaptable.

Boating using an RIB is good for your well-being because it can give you a sense of change and adventure. You can charge at full speed or put it at anchor to enjoy the surroundings of the mother nature. Your mind will focus on driving the boat so it gives you a sense of separation from your hectic daily life. You can consider it as a mini break to help maintain your well-being.

Great for flexible touring

When you are on a vacation, there are some places that cannot be reached by conventional transportation such as cars or buses. When you are islands hopping, you will need reliable boats to go from one island to another. Therefore, having an inflatable boat for vacation is a great choice. You don’t have to wait a line to get into a ferry sine you can just drive your inflatable boat anytime you want to reach your destinations. Hence, it gives you a more flexible touring option.

More Lifestyle & Travelling Stories:

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Inflatable boats have more to offer

These kind of boats can carry between six to ten people, depending on the model and size of the boat. The latest boat models have more options so you can choose according to your own preferences. You may choose the one with greater capacity so you can take more people with you. Or, you may opt for a new model installed with the latest technology.

Safe to drive

The Inflatable rigid boat is designed following international standard for safety. Hence, it is safe to use. Just make sure that you learn how to drive it properly before taking your own adventure so you know how to navigate it safely and swiftly. You can even get your kids involved by letting them engaged with the digital nautical map and GPS used to sort out your route.

December 1, 2022
Otherworldly Photography Locations In Iceland You Must Check Out

Iceland is undoubtedly one of the most amazing places on earth. With its charms and all natural beauties, it feels like a magical place to exist. The country is famous for its epic landscape photography and has become a major destination for photographers both professionals and amateurs. The thing about Iceland is that everything feels and looks almost magical. It’s not everywhere you can see blue glacial ice caves or otherworldly erupting volcano. Don’t forget the beautiful northern lights that everyone want to witness.

Top photography locations in Iceland

For such a small nation, Iceland is packed full with beauty and diversity. Dramatic landscape sprinkled with old farmhouses and fishing villages make it look like a place in another dimension you can only know from a fairy tale. Here are a list of best photography locations in Iceland you must check out:

The Blue Lagoon

This one of the most visited places in Iceland has attracted many international visitors to come experience a man-made geothermal pool located in South West Iceland; the Blue Lagoon. Soak yourself in the Blue Lagoon’s milky blue water full of silica and minerals. The white mud and warm water is supposed to be good and nutritious for your skin. As for photography, it’s a perfect place to check out. It’s recommended to come early in the morning or late in the evening so you can take pictures more freely without too much crowds.

Glacier Ice Caves

The blue ice caves are definitely stunning as meltwater flows under Vatnajokull glacier creating these beautiful natural caves. The sunlight filter through the ice from above creating a blue tint that looks dreamy-like and magical. Those elements make this place perfect for creating arts of photography. It’s highly recommended to come with a professional guide because the crystal caves collapse or move every season. It can be difficult to reach especially when you visit in the winter.

Eldraun Lava Field

Hearing the word lava is a bit concerning especially if it’s your travel destination. However, ancient lava fields of black rock covered with a thick green carpet of moss can be found in some areas of Iceland. The special thing about this place is that the volcanic moss takes hundreds of years to grow. The local legends say that the trolls and elves live under the moss. Experience walking through this amazing landscape yourself. Or, photograph the field of moss. However, you are not allowed to walk on the moss since it won’t grow back once destroyed.

Skogafoss Waterfall

This place is at its best when ice mountains mixed with summer days. The waterfalls are already famous worldwide and often taken as best photography locations. The waterfalls are best photographed under the light of midnight sun. The Skogafoss waterfall displays its standing rainbow that can be seen clearly anytime the sun shines. Legends say there’s a Viking treasure behind the curtain of water. The waterfall has become more famous after chosen as a location for movie scenes in Thor: The Dark World.

November 8, 2022
Essential Skills Customer Service Representatives Should Have

Customer care webpage interface word

Customer service is one of the most important departments for your business. Hence, you need to fill this department with highly competent people who understand what they have to do to delver excellent customer service. There are various tasks should be performed by customer service representatives included answering inbound calls, figuring out the solution to a client’s inquiry, assisting returns, and many more. Hence, it is essential for each personnel of this department to be skillful and resourceful.

Skills to encourage in your customer service department

Aside from being knowledgeable while serving client, customer service representatives should also be able to provide it in the best demeanor with genuine concern and empathy to each client. A customer service rep must know how to remain composed and calm when addressing client’s issues and concerns. And here are essential skills you must encourage to everyone in your customer service department:

Communication skills

Customer representatives are the ones who directly work or communicate with clients and customers alike. Hence, it is important for the reps to develop excellent communication skills. They must know how to engage with every customers as well as provide clear answers to them appropriately. Your company must have guidelines and policies that come with product and services but they will wasteful if your customer service reps don’t know how to explain them to the customers well. After all, the reps are a bridge between you (your company) and customers.

Time management skills

You also need to encourage time management skills to every rep of your customer service department. As mentioned earlier that the reps are responsible to various customers-related tasks and all should be delivered in a swift and efficient manner. Your customer service crew must understand the timeframe and for every call and client, taking advantage of it while smoothly catering to the customer’s needs. You can also provide time tracking tools to help them manage their time more efficiently.

Good understanding skills

Your business must have variety of products or services that come with policies and guidelines that your customer service crew should not only memorize but understand as well. Hence, it is important for your crew to develop excellent understanding skills. Hence, they are not only memorizing what’s matter but understand them all. This way, they can navigate resolutions easily and serve customers efficiently.

Empathy skills

Empathy is more than just a trait. It now one of the most valuable skills one must have to be able to deliver excellent customer service. By having empathetic skills, your customer service crew will stay calm even the customers misbehave or become exasperated. Empathetic skills are also important to create more engaging communication in an appropriate manners.

Good spirit to learn

Regardless of the age and accomplishment, one must not get tired of learning. It applies to your crew in customer service department. Encourage them to join seminars and other educational events be it formal and informal so they have the opportunity to learn something new to help them grow and improve.

October 6, 2022
Starting A Short Term Rental Business: A Business Plan

Millions of travelers worldwide decide to take vacations to Bali each year. Regardless of where they go or how lengthy their journey is, they almost certainly need to rent an accommodation. When making travel arrangements, renting villas in Bali or similar sort of vacation rental homes can be a practical and cost-effective choice. In fact, the opportunity of making money from owning a villa rental encouraged many people to think about starting their own vacation rental company. We’ll look into this type of business in more detail below, along with the actions you’ll need to do to launch your own.

Laid Out Your Business Plan

It’s crucial to prepare a business plan before moving forward with any preparations to launch your luxury villa rental business in Bali. A business plan is a road map that helps you launch your company and may be an effective tool for raising money and garnering support. A great business plan should contain information on your business concept, the market you’ll serve, your company’s structure, and thorough financials.

Think About Your Financial Goals

Simply said, will rental property villa business in Bali be profitable? The long-term objective is to be aware of your financial goals. The marketing research and other factors will help establish what that initial phase of the strategy will look like, so set your goals now.

Define The Niche of Your Bali Villas

Are you more on catering to family? Do you want to target young single travelers? Maybe you want to focus on creating a romantic getaway and therefore focusing on couples? Define your target demographic to find the perfect niche for your vacation rental.

When discussing the space itself, finding a niche frequently begins to take shape. This paragraph might go on forever! For instance: Do you have a unique location for your Bali villas? Exist any special features in the area? Does this area more closely match the intended audience? Can this room be improved to accommodate your ideal visitor? Market research feeds your “company owner” side of the mind, and now you need to start engaging your “ideal guest” side. Everything starts to pander to a specific demographic, from the furniture you use to the photography style. You can start to identify your niche at this point.

Know Your Competitors and List Them

Consider your rivals as people you can relate to because they are doing what you want to accomplish and doing it effectively. It is entirely up to you how you select these individuals, although limiting yourself to those in your immediate area will limit you. Try to know what other vacation villas in your Bali area is doing. Are they creating special packages? Is there anything you want to learn and adapt?

Remember that you choose these competitors for a variety of reasons, such their decorating taste, their humorous listing descriptions, or the consistently excellent and unique reviews they consistently write.

More Vacation Rental Insights:

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Study the Legal Factors, and Study Them Thoroughly

Legal issues are a significant barrier for some people, especially for foreigners who want to invest on property in Bali

The process of acquiring the appropriate answers for your business plan may be the most tiresome. One day, a change in the law can put you in a situation where short-term rental is not economically advantageous for you.

Analyse the Property in Details

You can completely handle it on your own and search through your property to create a list of items, but you will overlook some things. Using a consultant can significantly reduce the amount of “missed stuff.” No one is flawless or able to predict the future, but I am aware that when I inspect a house for a customer, I offer much more than a checklist. Talk about the details to put in a listing, questions to ask, and potential dangers that might not be obvious at first. This includes the price of outfitting, upkeep of standards, and cleaning, among other things.

October 6, 2022
Recommended Small Towns You Can Put In Your Bucket List

Travelling to big cities where there are popular attractions that draw millions visitors each year is something many people tend to choose. However, you can also create your own travel plan and choose destinations that are not too popular. It may bring another sense of happiness for you because it feels like you find a hidden gem and not always follow the crowd.

Small towns you can visit on your next travel plan

Small tows usually have more peaceful vibe where you get to breathe fresh air, enjoy beautiful scenery of the nature at your surroundings, try variety of authentic local cuisine, join local festivals, learn more about the local’s way of living that hasn’t been touched by modernity. If these are what you are seeking of a trip, here are most recommended small towns to visit around the world:

Wanaka, New Zealand

New Zealand itself is a popular travel destination. Instead of going to popular cities, why not visiting its small town that is full of charm like Wanaka. It’s about an hour outside the Queenstown and home to 7,521 Kiwis. It is also home to Lake Wanaka which often used for various sport activities. In addition, you can also visit the most photographed tree in the country. It’s recommended to explore this small town toward sunset to get beautiful view.

Bayerish Gmain, Bavaria, Germany

Bayerish Gmain is home to only a few thousands Bavarians. This small town is nestled between Salzburg, Bad Reichenhall, and Lake Konigssee. In fact, it sits on the border of Germany and Austria. This small town is often dubbed as the prettiest corner due to its magnificent natural panoramic views. This place is best for having outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, rock-climbing, sledding, snowshoeing, or skiing.

Lucca, Italy

Lucca is beautiful small town located near the water, as the coast of Versilla is only less than half an hour away. Full of ancient history, this small town is surrounded by walls that were built to keep the enemies out. There’s Lucca main attraction worth to visit called the City of 1000 Churches. You can find an ornate church around almost every corner.

Annecy, France

Another small town is from Europe named Annecy. This beautiful small town has a string of scenic water canals that flows through it. It’s often dubbed the Venice of France. It’s recommended to scroll through Vieille Ville or Old Town to enjoy its beauty and history through medieval buildings, cozy cafes and restaurants, and ancient cobbled streets.

Niagara-on-the-Lake

This place is known for and being next door to the infamous Niagara Falls, theater, and wineries. This beautiful small town is home to art galleries, cute cafes, sweet shops, museums, and golf courses. Since it’s the heart of the province’s wine country, it’s a must to visit one of around 100 wineries in the town. Make the most of your visit here by enjoying your time exploring each corner of the town. Explore the town’s food scene as well.

September 28, 2022