http://www.smarttravelreport.com en-us http://www.smarttravelreport.com N/A travelgirl12866@yahoo.com Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:37:16 MST 20 http://www.smarttravelreport.com/blogs/160/Two-hotels-loaded-with-history-and-character-in-Singapore.html I tend to travel to destinations where I can stay with friends or family.  The South East Asian city of Singapore is where I have several friends and family and it is a destination that I have visited many times since childhood. Many people tend to describe immaculately clean Singapore as 'sterile' and 'antiseptic', but I have always enjoyed my holidays there and am ever ready to visit again.   Whilst in Singapore, I tend to stay with my favorite aunt who made Singapore her home more than thirty years ago but on two occasions I have had the pleasure of spending a couple of nights of two of Singapore's grandest hotels The Fullerton and The Raffles.   The stay at Fullerton came courtesy a friend who was visiting Singapore for a conference at the same time that I was having my annual Singapore sojourn and the Raffles experience came via a cousin who worked at this historic hotel and secured me a night's stay at one of the most luxurious hotels in the world.   When I choose( or rather afford to) to stay at a hotel rather than choose one which is exceedingly modern I tend to choose a hotel which has some sense of 'history' or as we say some 'character'  and both these hotels   met  my specific requirements more than  adequately .   The Raffles hotel which is located on Singapore's  Beach Road, is quite close to the heart of the city and is a fitting testament to Singapore's rich colonial past. The Hotel was founded in 1887 by a quartet of Armenian brothers who named the hotel after Singapore's founding father, Sir Stamford Raffles, the Briton who worked with the trading company called the East India Company.   The Hotel is built in classic colonial style with an all white façade and features a plethora of tropical plant-filled verandahs and courtyards which are adorned rattan furniture. Apart from its 103 suites many of which feature classic high ceilings, oriental carpets and original prints and etchings it has many fine dining establishments like Doc Chengs which is renowned for its fine fusion Asian cuisine, Ah Teng's bakery which serves many local baked goods and is the place to go for an afternoon cup of tea and of course the well known Long Bar steakhouse where the world renowned cocktail the Singapore Sling was invented.   The hotel also has a two storey shopping arcade which features several high end retailers like Armani Casa, Iladro, Tiffany and Co, Louis Vuitton etc. This grand hotel is considered to be the ultimate luxurious destination and has won a slew of awards and accolades over the years. The hotel which was declared a national monument in 1987 and underwent extensive renovations in 1991 has welcomed many celebrities and heads of state through the ages.       Though I consider myself to be lucky enough to have spent a night at The Rafffles Hotel, I must confess that I did enjoy myself even more at the other equally historic but perhaps not as well known hotel in Singapore, the Fullerton hotel.    The Fullerton Hotel is situated in the midst of Singapore's Central Business District (CBD) and has grand views of the Singapore River. The Fullerton building with its many Doric columns and its grand Palladian style of architecture was built in 1928 and has served as the home the General Post Office, The Exchange, the Chamber of Commerce and The Singapore Club over the years. This imposing building which is steeped in history was transformed into a hotel with 400 hundred plush rooms and suites in 2001.   The Fullerton Hotel also has several dining and recreational facilities like Jade, a Chinese restaurant which serves contemporary Chinese cuisine and the raucous Post Bar which has the original ceiling and pillars of the General Post office and is a favored meeting point for an after-work drink.     Both the Raffles and the Fullerton have their own unique brand of charm and budget permitting you should try and spend a night at either one of these grand hotels on your next trip to this charming island nation.  Images of Singapore Hotels posted on http://www.flickr.com by toddsmithdesigns,mat honan,alex.ch and formulagpguys Anjeeta Nayar Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 MST http://www.smarttravelreport.com/blogs/159/Travel-tricks-and-tips-to-facilitate-your-journey.html Traveling is my absolute passion and I am lucky as I do get to travel quite a bit every year but since 9/11 the way the world travels has changed completely and airline travel has become quite a stressful affair what with all the security procedures that have been put in place at all the  airports world wide. In recent times we face yet another adversity which affects the way we travel, the high price of oil which translates into higher fares, curtailment of routes and for a traveler like me the dreaded weight restrictions and fees on checked luggage which is a source of much of my stress when I travel.  In order to combat and reduce my stress I have developed a system of travel tools which seem to help me immensely on my journeys.   Online Check-in is a boon   As soon as I book my tickets either online or through my trusty travel agent (believe me sometimes he can secure a better deal than all the online travel agencies and airline web sites especially for carriers like Air India and Kuwait Airways.) I then always check if my chosen airline allows me to choose my seats before I fly.  An extremely useful website which helps me in this endeavor is www.seatguru.com , a website operated by trip advisor which has the seat configurations of most aircraft on it and tells you which the best seats for your flight are. This information is critical for someone like me who always wants an exit row seat or bulk head seat in Coach as I do have reasonably long legs and tend to fly long haul.   Most airlines like British Airways, Virgin, Singapore Airlines etc now allow you to do an online check-in for their flights as early as 24 hours before your flight. This sometimes helps me get my highly coveted seat though some airlines like Virgin are loath to release them until you request and pay extra for them at the airport.   Pre- selecting my meal preference   At the time that I do my online check in I also use the airline's facility to pre-select my meal. I usually ask for a special meal as this ensures that I get a meal of my choice and I am often served  way before the rest of my fellow passengers.   Samsonite's Spinner suitcases   These four wheeled beauties are absolutely a dream to travel with as they are quite unlike the bulky suitcases of old. These suitcases are contoured, stylish and also have great maneuverability which eliminates your need for a trolley at airports like JFK which charge you $3 for the rent of a trolley.   Balanzza digital luggage scale   Before I bought my Balanzza digital luggage scale I used to find weighing my luggage an absolute ordeal as it involved me either first weighing self (gulp!) then standing on the bathroom scales with my usually heavy suitcase to figure out the actual weight of the case. Now weighing my luggage with the Balanzza digital luggage scale is a breeze and since it is easily portable I always carry it with me on my travels in order to avoid paying those nasty excess baggage charges abroad.   TSA locks   These travel sentry certified locks are essential only for travel to and fro from the USA and since I live in the USA an absolute necessity for my travels as I would never travel with my luggage unlocked! TSA locks are available from a large number of luggage manufacturers and stores that sell luggage and accessories.   100 ml or 3 ounce bottles in a zip lock bag   Airports around the world now don’t allow liquids in quantities more than 3 ounces or 100 ml in your carry on luggage. Despite the many notices and circulars many travelers seem unaware of these restrictions and continue to carry liquids which exceed these restrictions. I have invested in some 100 ml plastic bottles which I bought from the hip Japanese design store called Muji  into these I fill in all my essentials from my industrial size containers at home. These bottles enclosed in a zip lock bag, along with a change of clothes and my laptop all travel with me in my hand luggage.   Travel adapter and GSM cell phone   Since I always carry my laptop with me , I consider a world power travel adapter with a multitude of plugs an absolute necessity for my journey, though many companies make these plugs I find  the ones made by Targus to contain combinations for almost all areas of the world. Another necessity for my travels is my unlocked GSM cell phone, sure the i-phone is a cool gadget but when you use it abroad you probably will have to pay AT&T's high roaming charges. My Nokia N72 unlocked cell phone works very well with any pay as go sim card which I usually buy at my destination as most economical way to stay in touch with loved ones back home in the USA.Travel images originally posted on http://www.flickr.com by bosconet, adnan yayah, jimmymac210 and Larsz Anjeeta Nayar Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 MST http://www.smarttravelreport.com/blogs/156/Vineyards-in-Georgia.html We’ve all heard about the famous vineyards in California, in the luscious wine regions of Sonoma and Napa Valley in the Northern part of the State.  However, it’s startling how few people know about the wine regions on the East Coast of the U.S.  Georgia is known not only for peaches, cotton and Southern Belles, but for the surprising number of wineries that produce scrumptious wine.  As a matter of fact, these wine makers have been harvesting grapes and creating bottles of wine as far back as the days of early exploration to America.  It wasn’t until the end of the nineteenth century that Hungarian immigrants established working wine communities, although the Georgia Prohibition Act of 1907 put a damper on production until the mid 70’s into the early 80’s when a handful of winemakers chose to revive the wine-making industry. Georgian wine has a sweet taste that is gaining popularity with wine connoisseurs worldwide.  Much like the territories near San Francisco, the wine tours are popping up for wine lovers to visit those vineyards and sample the fruitful flavors for themselves.  New wineries are emerging every year, as Georgia becomes more and more well-known as an agri-tourism hotspot.  According to the websites promoting wine territories throughout the State, wine is expected to multiply in the upcoming decade as more people become aware of its existence on the East Coast. The city of Dahlonega, Georgia celebrates its growing reputation as the premier site for wine lovers to visit – with a yearly ‘Georgia Country Wine Festival’ that takes place in the early part of summer.  It seems appropriate that this city, once known for its hydraulic gold mining field; has a new treasure in the form of delicious sweet grapes.  It seems that this Georgian wine must be “as good as gold”; figuratively-speaking! Really, it makes perfect sense that wine would be harvested in the rich soil of Georgian farmland.  Throughout the State there are approximately (50) known wineries that can be visited by enthusiastic tourists, who may wish to catch a sample of the sweet berries harvested and distilled to make sparkling wine, red wine and zinfandels that can be sampled during certain times of year that the wine tours are made available.  Although the majority of the wine vineyards are located in the Northeast area of the State, there are a handful of winemakers in other regions of Georgia, as well. For those people who won’t have a chance to make it to the West Coast to see the renowned wineries of Northern California, it may behoove them to take a closer look at the undiscovered region of Georgia as it becomes the next ‘Great Wine Country’ of America. Anne Violette Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 MST http://www.smarttravelreport.com/blogs/155/How-much-do-you-should-you-tip.html Living as I do in New York City, I have become quite used to the practice of tipping a person who provides me with any kind of service. So if I ride in a cab and the charge is $8.20 I usually round it up to $10 and for an airport trip into Manhattan I usually include a $5 tip if the charge is $50 including tolls.  I follow the same practice in restaurants where I generally use the rule of thumb of doubling the tax amount and leaving that as the tip. This generally seems to keep all parties concerned happy.   However recently I have been reading reports in the local press that restaurant staff in New York City is gripping about the tourists who apparently are not so generous when it comes to appreciating the service at New York City's many restaurants.  Many Restaurants have noticed this and in order to prevent an exodus of their staff have begun to add an 18% gratuity in the bill. I have experienced this myself when recently I met some friends for tea at the chi-chi uptown cake boutique Lady M . My friend's brother was aghast at the bill which seemed astronomical for a few slices of cake and a cup pf tea because of the 18% gratuity which was  included and we were not even 6 people!( Usually New York City restaurants include a 18%-20% gratuity for parties  of more than six people).   Last weekend when I was at my favorite Chinatown restaurant of Jaya Malaysian I noticed a fresh sign which informed customers that they would be charged 18% gratuity for parties of more than one person!! I was amazed and couldn’t help wondering what the reason for this sign was.  Surely not all tourists are cheap and even locals who are feeling the pinch in worsening economic conditions do know that it is customary to tip for services in New York City.   Why is not customary to tip in most places in the world? I tend to do so in any case unless a service charge is included in the bill. In countries like   Spain, France, Germany, India a service charge is usually included in your bill, even then I tend to leave small change as a tip for my server. Even when I take minicabs in London to and from the Airport, I usually round up the £ 48 charge for the journey between my home and Heathrow to £ 50 and I am always thanked for the tip by the driver.   In the city of my birth, Mumbai tipping for a service is an accepted practice as well. There these tips are known as ' baksheesh' and are customary not only for restaurant staff but for myriad service providers like valets who bring your car around,  chauffeurs who chauffer you a round in a car rental (India doesn’t have a self-drive practice for rental cars, rental cars are provided to you with a chauffer to maneuver the crazy traffic in most cities), salon personnel,  the gentleman who delivers your Income tax  notice,  the gas station attendant who fills your car and checks your water and air etc.     During the annual Hindu festival of Diwali this system of  ' baksheesh'   assumes epic proportions and everyone including the mail man who delivers your mail, the municipal workers who clear your garbage and perform other services, the staff at your local club ( relics from the times of the Raj) all come around with collection lists to collect tips that are expected from you for a year's service that they have supposedly  rendered. The practice is quite similar to the tokens of appreciation that we hand out here in the USA  at Christmas time, the difference being that these collection lists sometimes come filled with suggested amounts that are expected as ' baksheesh'  or  tips! This is something that makes me mad and makes not want to tip at all! What about you? How much do you tip?Images of tipping around the world posted on http://www.flickr.com by toth92,amchu and eagereyes. Anjeeta Nayar Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 MST http://www.smarttravelreport.com/blogs/154/Dine-at-famous-New-York-City-restaurants--during-Summer-Restaurant-Week.html Twice a year New York City's many diverse restaurants participate in a marketing exercise called Restaurant Week which enables you to experience their fare at a fraction of their price.  Winter Restaurant Week is usually held in January while summer restaurant week is held in what are considered 'slow' months for New York City restaurant scene at end of July or early August when many New Yorkers flee the oppressive heat in the city for beach locales like the Hamptons. However this is the time that New York City is inundated with tourists and if you are planning to visit New York City over the next two weeks it would be wise to check out the list of participating restaurants of Restaurant week so you can get to eat at famous New York City restaurants like the cavernous  Del Posto, or high end  celebrated Japanese restaurants like  Nobu  and Megu for a fraction of the price that they normally charge.   This year restaurant week is to be held over two weeks on week days only from Monday July 21st to Friday July 25th and from Monday July 28th to Friday August 1st.  The Restaurant week menu at participating restaurants is not offered on weekends. During Restaurant week this year participating restaurants will offer a three course lunch menu for $24.07 while a similar dinner prix-fixe will be available for $35. Some restaurants offer Restaurant week menus for both lunch and dinner while some only offer lunch like renowned chef Mario Batali's Lupa Osteria Romana located in Greenwich Village or   dinner like the stylish Mexican restaurant Maya which is located on the Upper East Side.   This prix-fixe restaurant week menu does not include beverages, gratuities or taxes but even then many local New Yorkers and tourists wait for Restaurant week in order to visit the many hip restaurants that dot New York City's restaurant landscape at a time that they are relatively affordable. So it is best to reserve early during Restaurant week when popular restaurants may be fully booked up. Reservations for Restaurant week can be made through the website of Nycvisit or Opentable.com   Being a foodie, I fully intend to take advantage of Summer Restaurant Week to visit some of my favorite New York City Restaurants like:-   Quality Meats at Midtown West   Located in a building that once housed the Manhattan Ocean Club, Quality Meats is a raucous restaurant which has a definite masculine vibe but serves excellent steaks and delectable ice creams.   Amma at Midtown East   Anju Sharma's small and cozy restaurant serves the 'best' Indian food in New York City.    Dos Caminos (three locations at Midtown East, Park Avenue South and Soho)   Dos Caminos at Midtown East was my choice for Winter Restaurant Week when I had friends from overseas visiting. The Dos Caminos restaurants are part of the B.R. Guest group of restaurants and serve great Mexican food in a lively atmosphere. Try their excellent Prickly Pear Margaritas as a respite from the summer heat.   Chinatown Brasserie, Soho   I love all kinds of Oriental cuisine but haven’t had a chance to sample Chinatown Brasserie's fare. I look forward to doing so during Summer Restaurant Week.      Images were from http://www.flickr.com by Panduh, Cormac70, Phil Thomas and cresny. Anjeeta Nayar Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 MST http://www.smarttravelreport.com/blogs/152/Mumbais-environmentally--friendly-Lunch-carriers--The-Dabbawallas.html Every city in the world has certain systems and practices which are integral to its culture and unless we can constantly travel the world and learn about these new cultures we have no way of knowing these systems and practices. One such system is the unfailing efficient dabbawala system which exists only in the Indian city of Mumbai. This simple system with its extremely high success rate is constantly featured in the case studies of business schools all over the world as MBA students the world over wonder at this highly efficient supply chain management system that has been in place in Mumbai for over a century and is manned entirely by a work force which is not highly educated either.   My parent's home in the city of Mumbai, the teeming metropolis which is the financial and commercial capital of India is always a hub of activity in the mornings as my father and brother get ready to get to our family's automotive business and my young nephews get ready to go to their respective schools.   In the midst of all this daily chaos, my family cook, Shantaram who has been with my family for over four decades is always busy getting by nephew Amit's Tiffin( an aluminum  lunch box also known as a 'dabba' hence the colloquial term  dabbawala or man with 'dabbas' ) ready for collection by  the dabbawala who will be there on the dot of 10.30 to collect it.   The dabbawala is essentially a courier of these 'Tiffins' who ensures that the 'Tiffins' which contain lunch are delivered to offices and schools on time every day. The dabbawala system is a system which is peculiar to Mumbai. No other city in the world has such an elaborate system of delivery which is manned by usually an intricate network of largely illiterate souls who ensure that millions of Mumbai's residents are well fed each day.   The Dabbawala system originated during the times of the British when Mahadeo Havaji Bacche started a lunch delivery service in the city of Mumbai with about 100 men. Today the number of dabbawalas in Mumbai has swelled to approximately 5000 men who work in tandem to ensure the safe delivery and collection of  200,000 thousand lunch boxes come rain or sunshine. In order to deliver my nephew's lunch to his school everyday, the dabbawala charges my family a monthly sum of Rs. 300(approximately $10).  Not only is the service efficient, this invaluable service provided by Mumbai's dabbawalas is reasonable as well.   Apart from being cost effective the dabbawala system is also environmentally friendly and entirely green as the dabbawalas use bicycles, handcarts and public transport in the form of Mumbai's rail system to collect and deliver these lunchboxes.       The lunch boxes are collected daily from office goers and other individual's homes by a collecting dabbawala who usually travels on a bicycle or uses a push cart. All the lunch boxes have some sort of color code on them which is understood by only the dabbawala network. The dabbawala takes his daily quota of 'Tiffins' to a designated sorting center where these lunch boxes are then batched into different groups by marking them according to delivery points and then they are made ready for dispatch using Mumbai's network of trains. At each station these lunch boxes are handed over to a waiting local dabbawala who delivers them to the correct schools and offices.   The dabbawalas usually allow the recipient of the Tiffin an interval of a couple of hours to finish their lunch, after which they collect the lunch box once again and deliver it to the recipient's home for the cycle to continue the next day.   All dabbawalas contribute a small amount of working capital towards the business. Their contribution is in kind in the form of two bicycles, a wooden crate for the lunch boxes and a uniform which consists of a kurta-pyjama (tunic and pajamas) and a distinguishing part of their uniform, a white Gandhi cap. For their share in the business each dabbawala receives a monthly share from the business which varies from Rs 2000- Rs 5000($40 - $100).   Prince Charles had the opportunity to meet Mumbai's famous dabbawalas, when he visited the city in 2003. So impressed was he with the network that he in fact invited the present President of the Dabbawala's Association , Raghunath Medge and his associate Sopan Mare to attend his wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles which  was held in London in April, 2005.Mumbai's dabbawalas are also now moving with the times and have set up a website to keep a track of developments and also accept orders for delivery by SMS ! .Images of Mumbais dabbawalas posted on http://www.flickr.com by Jim Reeves and Premshree Pillai Anjeeta Nayar Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 MST http://www.smarttravelreport.com/blogs/151/Tax-Free-Shopping-in-London.html On my travels to various countries I love to explore the local shops and buy something that reminds me of my trip. This however does not mean that I am like my friend Deeta, who has an entire room in her large home in New Jersey which is adorned with souvenirs from her various jaunts the world over.   My weakness is usually limited to articles of clothing and shoes, which like most women I have a passion for. One city which I frequently visit is London and currently with the dollar and pound exchange rate differential shopping in London is quite prohibitive but that does stop me from pounding London's high streets to bring back a slice of 'Cool Brittania' to the New York City.     Apart from trendy clothing which I source from stores like TopShop, River Island, NEXT and Dorothy Perkins which are all located on Oxford Street, London's main shopping drag, I also tend to always visit the flagship store of the quintessentially British chain of stores- Marks and Spencer. This store located at London's Marble Arch which is located at one of end of Oxford Street. Here I stock up periodically on comfortable shoes from their Foot glove line and their well made and durable lingerie.  Marks and Spencer's like many other British stores carries the Global Refund sign and offers Tax Free shopping to its international shoppers where they have a chance to get back some of the hefty  17.5% VAT which have to pay purchase of goods and services in the U.K.   Marks and Spencer's at Marble Arch has a VAT refund desk located on its upper floors and it is here that you take all your receipts and your passport to process your claim, once you have finished shopping. Marks and Spencer's requires that you have a minimum spend of £75 excluding food and children's clothes in order for you to qualify for this refund. Other stores like Harrods, Selfridges which have great luxe bargains during their bi-annual sales in January and July require you to have a purchase amount of at least £ 100 in order to qualify for this VAT refund.   In order to process these claims to stores also charge you a handling charge which is usually between 2%-3% and on my trip to London last month, I was told that if I wanted my refund in the form of cash at the airport, I would have to pay an additional charge of £ 2.50 which would be deducted from the refund amount at the airport. So in reality the amount you get back in the form of your refund actually amounts to approximately only 10% of the value of your purchases but even this amount which you convert into dollars is worth the hassle of processing this claim.       You can even choose to have this refund amount credited to your credit card in your currency rather than collect cash in £ at the airport, however in all cases you must get the refund claim stamped by a customs officer before you leave the United Kingdom. For this reason you have to go to the HM Revenue and Custom's desk located at all London Airports before you check in for your flight so that the customs officer's can inspect the goods and stamp your Global Tax Refund or Premier Tax Refund form. For your credit card refund you simply have to post the tax refund form with the choice of refund ticked in the accompanying envelope at any of the post boxes located at the airport. This envelope is marked free post and does not require any stamps if posted in the UK itself. You usually do get your refund in a few weeks. So next time you are in London be sure to process your Tax refund form and some of the  hefty VAT that you pay while shopping in London back.Images of London stores on Oxford Street originally posted on http://www.flickr.com by jovike, coda and Maria Salviato. Anjeeta Nayar Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 MST http://www.smarttravelreport.com/blogs/150/Your-Honeymoon-on-the-Beach.html Honeymoons are a romantic and relaxing moment for the newly wed to spend their time alone together. A beach vacation is the perfect way to spend a relaxing and a romantic honeymoon that a couple will never forget. In Choosing your honeymoon, you can either opt for a beautiful local beach or a totally foreign and romantic beach vacation. If you live near the coast and you know some romantic private beach where you can spend your very special holiday, then a beach vacation honeymoon is a great idea. You don’t have to spend a lot booking an expensive hotel room somewhere else, you can just lounge in the sand, rent a boat or perhaps a jet ski or you can just spend your time cuddling in your room and enjoying the beach view. You have already spent much on your wedding so enjoying a local beach honeymoon would be perfect. If you want to travel and explore other beach destinations for your honeymoon, you have endless choices. You can check out deals on websites or packages for couples on honeymoon, many of them provide your honeymoon needs including hotel, rental car, and more for a low price. Search for deals and book earlier so you can find the best beach vacation honeymoon for you and your partner in a special place and an unforgettable moment. Remember that your honeymoon is a time for you to relax, enjoy your moment without thinking of bills, responsibilities and work. Choose the best place where you can both enjoy, watching the sunset, waking up to a gentle breeze and the sound of the waves, walking in the sand, or just snuggling together in your own private space. kris janiya Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:00:00 MST http://www.smarttravelreport.com/blogs/149/New-York-City--Your-number-one-shopping-destination.html New York City is usually flooded with tourists especially in the summer months of June to September when local New Yorkers try to flee the city and its oppressive heat. However this influx of tourist is now no longer limited to the summer months and it has become a year round phenomenon due to the common perception that New York City due to the depreciating dollar offers fabulous value for money especially for those who enjoy shopping.   Recently when I was in London, a talkative mini-cab driver who was driving me to the airport was telling me how he now performs several trips to the London airports daily and these trips are comprised of transporting passengers who are traveling to and fro from New York City. He also said that he noticed that the volume of these passengers seems to increase towards the end of the year when many Britons head to New York City for weekend trips in order to finish their Christmas shopping in a jiffy. With the current dollar and pound and dollar and euro differential ,New York City represents an incredible value for many Europeans who along with the Arabs are snapping up much of New York City's real estate along with designer goods and other paraphernalia.   So where does go to discover these incredible bargains?  One of the prime shopping destinations in New York City which is a must-do on any shopping itinerary  is the mega designer discount store called Century 21 which is located downtown near the site of the World Trade Center and which also has other outposts in Brooklyn and other areas of New York State.   Century 21 has deals all kinds of merchandise like apparel, accessories, luggage and even home goods. I recently bought a gorgeous designer Cole Haan handbag there for $180 which was marked down from its normal retail price of $249. It was not a bag from the current season but according to me a bargain is a bargain..   Another popular shopping destination for tourists in New York City is the Macy's flagship store which is located on Herald Square on 34th Street. Macy's offers its own version of Tax Free shopping at this its flagship store, in the sense that it offers visitors its visitor card which entails shoppers to a 11% discount on their purchases. In this way shoppers don’t have to pay the 8.37% sales tax which is applicable on purchases . This visitor's card is available from the Visitor's center located on the one and half floor located in Macys.  This Visitors card is valid for month after it is issued to you and you have to show your passport or some kind of ID which proves you are from out of town in order to procure it.       Bloomingdales, the other popular New York City department store also offers visitors an 11% discount card at its flagship store on 59th street and Lexington avenue but this card is valid only for that particular day and it is not valid for the much coveted premium denim brands like Seven for all mankind and Citizen's of Humanity that many foreigners seem to love and want to buy. However Bloomingdales also offers its visitors a hotel package delivery with a purchase of over $250 and the visitor's center also currently gives you a free gift when you make purchases over $50. In fact the visitor's center at Bloomingdales offers overseas visitors a whole host of other services. Similar services are also available at other premier department stores of New York City like Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys.   Yet another source for bargain shopping in New York City are the many designer sample sales which take place weekly at many locations all over the city. A listing of these sales is always available in the latest issue of New York Magazine and on its website . Other websites like topbutton.com, thebudgetfashionista.com and thelazardshopping.com also offer listings of these sample sales. Many of these sites require you to register in order to access the information but registration is free on these sites.  The only downside of shopping at these sample sales is that you have to know your correct size in every brand advertised especially in the case of sales that involve premium denim as often there are no fitting room facilities at the sales. Another point to bear in mind is that these sales often don’t have a returns policy.   Yet another way to find designer clothing at bargain prices in New York City is to visit the several designer resale stores many of which like BisBiz and Tatiana are located in the tony environs of the Upper East Side in New York City. If you have the enough time to spend in New York City you might even consider heading out to the outlet malls located at Woodbury Commons in New York State or the Jersey Gardens  Mall in Elizabeth to indulge in even more designer discount outlet shopping. Both these locations are accessible by buses which leave from New York City's transport hub - Port Authority on 42nd street and 8th Avenue.  If all of this sounds too overwhelming or if you just don’t have the time or the inclination to venture out to the New York City shops on your own you could just pre-book one of highly effective  the various New York City shopping tours like those offered by organizations like Chicinspirations. Chic inspirations offers many private and group shopping tours in New York and  this organization  has in fact  been voted the 'best'  New York City personal shopping organization for 2008 in independent surveys by its satisfied clients.Photos of  popular NYC shopping spots posted on http://www.flickr.com by Zesmerelda, Haesemeyer and Bg-Os. Anjeeta Nayar Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 MST http://www.smarttravelreport.com/blogs/148/Orlando-Still-Drawing-Domestic-Visitors.html There is still a 1.8 increase in Orlando visits in 2007 despite increase in travel cost and weakening economy. But tourism promoters said that it will be difficult for Central Florida to continue the growth because of the nation’s economic status. Gary Sain, president and chief executive of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said that the overall travel pie of the U.S. may shrink, “So our attitude is, we want to get a disproportionate share of whatever that pie is.” The Orlando CVB reports that 45.9 million domestic visitors came to Orlando last year, compared to 45.1 million visitors in 2006, though still about 700,000 shy of 2005 visits. Sain says that the increase was the result of many factors, but he points to the $68 million ad campaign the bureau launched in 2007 as a key component. Total leisure travel, which is 77% of all domestic visitors, increased by 2.4 percent from 2006. Overnight leisure travel was up 3.9%t to 23.5 million, while day leisure travel was down 0.3% to 11.8 million. Total business travel to Orlando was down 0.5%, overnight business travel was also down 2.1% while day business was up 1.2% and the overnight group meeting numbers were down 4.5%. Mark McHugh, President of Gatorland as well as Chairman of the visitors bureau, said he was pleased with business travel, given the state of the national economy. “I think we weathered that year pretty well on the business side,” McHugh said. Sain said it is difficult to predict how Orlando tourism will fare this year given the increase in gas prices and air fares, fewer travelers are booking vacations far in advance and more are buying at the last minute. kris janiya Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 MST