While in Arequipa, I was able to tour the unique White City as it was built from the white sillar rock that spewed out of the Volcano Misti. While touring the districts of Yanahuara and Chilina, I was able to experience magnificent views of the Misti Volcano. I drove from Arequipa to the Colca Valley, where I was able to climb the Pampa Canahuas at the Aguada Blanca National Reserve which is protected habitat for a llama relative, the vicunas. While in Colca Valley, I enjoyed being able to see the towns which appeared to be untouched by time as each town had passed on the traditions to the younger generations and maintained their original appearances.

I thoroughly enjoyed my motorboat ride on Lake Titicaca to visit the floating islands of the Uros – a water tribe. Also while on Lake Titicaca, I visited the natural island of Taquile which is inhabited by quechua-speaking natives who have developed, through generations, both an efficient and original social system and a fine hand weaving technique. Being this high up actually affected me, as I felt light-headed for the first couple of days.

On the way to the Cusco area, I was able to visit the Pre-Columbian complex of Pucara dating back to 200BC and which consisted of six, stepped, stone pyramids. The temple of Raqchi was surrounded by warehouses and other buildings that served as dwellings for priests, servants, and farmers. There is also the largest and most spectacular temple there which was built during the splendor of the Inca Empire.

Finally, the sacred valley of the Incas and Manchu Picchu made up the highlights of my trip. The valley consists of several picturesque towns and many archeological sites, including the Inca Fortress which guarded the entry of the valley and protected it from possible invasion. I had the opportunity to walk through the nearby town, which the design and foundation of the buildings dated from the Inca era. The Lost City of the Incas was truly a majestic site, as it is situated over a mountain ridge surrounded by tropical forest. My favorite part though, was my early morning hike up Huayna Picchu peak which provided me with a fantastic view overlooking Machu Picchu.

My favorite part of my Peru experience ended up being the opportunity of viewing and interacting with many different small villages and communities that had managed to retain their unique culture and heritage throughout time. It was amazing seeing all the different tribes who were so distinct from one another and who lived so close to another.

1. Devote some time to doing research at least 6 months in advance. Certain restaurants and particularly lunches with Cinderella or the Disney Princesses actually fill up this far ahead of time.

2. Decide what your priorities are: do you want 7 days of nothing but Disney World, do you plan to rent a car and visit other sites in Florida, are you within driving distance or will you be flying? Depending on your answers to these questions the most economical solution for you will vary. For example if you are flying down specifically to visit Disney World than you can stay on-site at a resort. You should also contact a travel agent about possible package deals. If you will be renting a car- then stay off site in a less expensive hotel. You can also book a hotel outside of the park and stay in Orlando. It is a lot cheaper than staying in the park and many Orlando hotels have shuttles into the park for free.

3. If at all possible visit the park during off-peak times to avoid lines and frustrations. If you have to visit during peak times- decide ahead of time which rides you absolutely must go on and which you can give a pass if the line is just too crazy. Think of silly games to play with your children while in line, heck, make friends with other kids and parents waiting in your line.

4. Keep careful track of your food budget. You can save a lot of money eating breakfast in the hotel. Don’t forget to bring plenty of snacks and water to munch on during the day. If your kids are older than 5 give them some pocket money in the morning and let them chose how to spend it be it on ice cream or souvenirs. They will be surprisingly more frugal than you would think.

5. Maintain your sense of humor and (I have to say it) try not to get overwhelmed. Something is bound to go wrong so when it does remember to laugh it off. In the end your kids will remember the wonder of the trip not the long lines of lost dinner reservation.

Fortunately most families still refuse to cut their annual vacations and holidays even if money is tight.

Lanzarote, along with the rest of the Canary Islands, is only four hours flying time from the UK.  And is serviced by a number of cheap flight operators, such as Thomas Cook, Jet 2 and easyJet.  Ensuring that flights to the island remain relatively affordable, usually starting from around £200 return, depending of course on the time of year.  The main flight days to the island from the UK are on Mondays and Thursdays.  Although Lanzarote flights are now available on virtually every day of the week.

Visitors arrive at Lanzarote´s only airport – which is called Arrecife (flight code ACE).  The airport is located just outside the capital city of the same name – and also acts as a hub for inter-island flights between the other Canary Islands as well as services from mainland Spain.  Despite being one of the top ten busiest airports in Spain the amenities at Arrecife are a bit limited though.  With no shops or money change facility in arrivals.

The majority of visitors to the island are booked on package holidays.  Which means that they are transferred to their hotels in Lanzarote on coaches provided by their tour operator.  Independent travellers should note that there is no public or shuttle bus service available at the airport.  Which means that they will need to either hire a car in the arrivals hall or take a taxi just outside it.  Car hire on the island is relatively cheap with prices starting from around €20 per day.

Lanzarote is a small island, measuring just 58km by 38km. So transferring from the airport to apartments or villas in Lanzarote is a fairly quick and straightforward business.  The journey time to the furthest resort of Playa Blanca is around forty minutes.  Whilst Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise are both within a ten minute drive of the airport.

There´s lots of things for tourists to do on Lanzarote.  As the island boasts over ninety great beaches.  Along with a surprisingly large amount of natural beauty spots – such as the Timanfaya Volcano Park and the Green Lagoon.  Along with historic towns such as Teguise – the oldest in the Canaries.  And some unique man made attractions – created by the island born artist Cesar Manrique.  So hire a car and take time to explore this enchanting island.

Pop along to the Lanzarote villas website for the very latest availability of holiday villas in Lanzarote. You can also find a great selection of  Lanzarote holiday apartments there too.

I got to Heathrow Airport via the British Airways and wen through immigiration. I got a taxi to go to the Tavistock hotel in Russell Square. The Russell square is home to many good hotels.

On my first day, I just fell in love with the area. My London street map took me to town the very first day I was in the capital. The City was not different from what I have read in books. I first visited the British Museum which I understand has over 7 million items from all over the world and also visited British Library all in Russell Square. My next destination was Covent Garden. I went there to have a look at some of the street performers and visited some of the shops there.

For the rest of the week at Tavistock hotel London, I visited the West end area. I visited the Marble arch and the Oxford Circus. The Leicester Square is an area in London which has a conentration of theatres. I saw a lot of them when I went there. I went to the Piccadilly Circus and it was actually a very busy area. Many other tourist were there for the same purpose as I was. I paid a visit to the shopping streets in the West End area on my 5^th day and was surprised to see that the place was so dense with shoppers and other tourists. I found out that the Oxford Street was the busiest, then the Bond Street and the Regent Street in that order. Not far from Oxford Street is Soho. I stole the opportunity to explore the area.

I went to stay in Victoria area in my second week as booked through Cheap London hotels agency. I was really looking forward to my stay in the area close to the Buckingham Palace and the houses of Parliament. I was in Buckingham Palace the very day i arrived at Victoria to witness the changing of the guard. I was also anxious to see the Big Ben which I have seen picture of in books. Just a few metres away from the Big Ben are the Houses of Parliamnet. At the parliament Square, I went to have a look at the Westminster Abbey. I then decided to go and have a look at the London Eye. It is a piece of are which will always attract tourists. The London ey will continue to be one of the best Landmarks in London for quite sometime. I enjoyed my stay in Central London and I would like to stay in the cheap hotels in Russell square as they have good accommodation standard but lower rates.

There is a huge difference between spending 4 days as an average tourist taking photos and experiencing the customs and traditions of this unique city as a local.

Exploring Rome’s culture is not done with a visit at the Colosseum, St. Peter’s Basilica, Trevi Fountain, Forum Romanum and Piazza di Spagna. A local guide can show you more about the city than a typical sightseeing tour and will teach you about local’s life. Cool bars and squares where locals meet their friends after work, a ride with a Vespa or even better an old Fiat 500 in the chaotic traffic; all these experiences you would miss unless guided by a local.

When travelling to Rome for sure you want to taste the typical food or wine or maybe even learn from a local how to prepare regional dishes, or you want them to show you the best places this beautiful city has to offer…come and live the “dolce vita” and experience for one day the magic places and atmosphere of the 70s. And what about going back in time to relive the past glory of the Roman Empire, its tragedies and its love for entertainment?

With a local guide all this is can be possible. A local guide can not only save you hours of wasted time, but also show you the real local culture, traditions and anything else you want to see in Rome…

Why don’t make the most of your trip and visit Rome accompanied by a private guide who will show you how locals really live. Whether you are interested in history, art, local cuisine or traditions…Choose from the numerous local guides and go for your individual experience. Creative Rome guided toursnwill immerse you straight into locals’ life, traditions and their culture…

Contact your private Rome tour guides and enjoy your trip like a local! Or create you own tour and show people more about this fascinating city!

My favorite city on our whirlwind tour was Rome, followed by Venice, then Florence, then Milan. Milan had a very industrial feel and not a lot to do; it was too spread out. Neither myself or my friends enjoyed it much. Florence was incredible because we had friends there to show us around, and we saw the statue of David along with all sorts of fun night life spots that we never would have found. Venice was a magnificent city and lived up to its billing as a destination for romance, but they never mentioned the smell of the canals… phew!

Rome was the pinnacle of my time spent in Europe. The sheer amount of history that city has is unbelievable. It was like watching my AP Art History class come to life. The Coliseum is so large it is hard to imagine what it was once like when it had not been cut down for stone, I wish they had some way to project the visual of the completed building onto it! The Vatican is unreal, the Sistine Chapel rivaled the statue of David for me as the most incredible piece of artwork I have seen. If you get a chance to come to Italy, come for Rome, Venice, and Florence, but skip Milan!

Oh God, I almost forgot about the seafood! I have had a hell of a time trying to find good affordable seafood in Buenos Aires, and Florianópolis had good, cheap seafood by the bucketful. There was a small place on the beach called Dos Irmaos (two brothers) that had a massive seafood deal they called the “sequence of shrimp.” It was a feast fit for a king, and I will be damned if a normal man could actually eat the meal himself. I had the meal at least three or four times while I was on the island, and I brought friends from the hostel along for most of the trips. Everyone agreed that is was the best seafood they had eaten in a very long time, especially coming from cities around South America.

Surfing was another new activity I got to take up while there. I had never surfed before, but I thoroughly enjoyed trying to learn every morning. The cold water, a crisp breeze, and good waves are the best way to start the day in my opinion. I cannot wait to make a return trip in the near future.