If you are seeking the ultimate vacation experience then consider the wonderful world of the “all inclusive dream Cancun resort vacation”. You will need to know the differences in the types of all inclusive vacations to be able to make an intelligent decision when choosing your vacation.

I have traveled to many beaches in many parts of the world and have experienced wonderful stays at four and five star resorts, but my most pleasant experience all the way around was my all inclusive stay at the Playacar Palace Resort which is owned by the Palace Resort Company. This was the ultimate all inclusive dream Cancun Resort vacation.

Please let me explain why. There are different types of all inclusive vacations. The first type not only includes your room and board, but also includes your airfare. These types of all inclusives are available through many of the online services such as Expedia, Travelocity, Trip Advisor, Priceline, and AAA. Sometimes you can get great deals on these vacations and if the airline schedules suit your schedule, then you will want to jot down the price and what is offered. But you may not want to buy though until you have considered the other excellent alternative.

The second type of all inclusive dream Cancun resort vacations do not include airfare. However, these vacations are offered by VIP timeshare owners of the Palace Resorts and they include your room, board, and ground transportation to and from the Cancun airport and much more, but you will need to make your own airfare arrangements. This is a great option for those of you who have frequent traveler miles or for the many who do their research on the internet to compare the cost of flights instead of just blindly trusting what the other all inclusive packages are offering. It is always wise to check the airfare on your own even if you are leaning toward traveling using the first type of all inclusive package.

A great way to save some serious money on an all inclusive week is by bidding on the auctions offering the use of a timeshare owner’s week. The timeshare owner is the one who had to come up with the thousands of dollars to purchase the timeshare. Chances are they purchased so many weeks that even their families would have to pass their weeks down to their families and so on. You can benefit tremendously because you can get a wonderful deal on an dreamcancunresorts.com all inclusive dream Cancun resort vacation by searching for Cancun without actually buying a timeshare.

When deciding on your vacation, the cost is important, but the other amenities that are offered will dictate whether you have a good vacation or the best time of your life. Renting your ultimate vacation week from a timeshare owner will provide you with more than what you will need to have a great vacation. You need to take this information into consideration when deciding on your all inclusive dream Cancun resort vacation as well.

Margaret Dunn is an avid Cancun Mexico traveler with a passion for beautiful beaches and relaxing vacations. She is also a VIP timeshare member of the Palace Resorts who will allow you to travel as her guest saving you hundreds of dollars off your next Playacar Palace Resorts vacation. For more detailed information you will want to visit the all inclusive Mexico vacation blog and the Dream Cancun Resort site for the vacation of a lifetime. You can visit her site at: allinclusivemexicovacationsite.com allinclusivemexicovacationsite.com

Amboseli National Park is the most popular park after Masai Mara, mainly because of the spectacular backdrop of Africa’s highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro, which broods over the southern boundary of the park. Cloud cover can render the mountain’s massive bulk invisible for much of the day, but the two lodges in the centre of the par are perfectly placed for those classic early morning views.

As well as being a prominent part of the country’ tourist portfolio, the park has been at the centre of some controversy since president Kibaki’s 2005 decision to downgrade it from a national park to a national reserve, transferring its administration from the KWS to local authorities. Supporters claim that the move rightfully returns control of the land to the Masai community, but many conservation bodies have argued that it’s simply a political move aimed at securing the Maasai vote, and that degazetting parks is an illegal move that could undermine Kenya’s whole wildlife preservation system. In the wake of the crushing defeat on the constitution referendum, Kibaki’s next move on this issue will doubtlessly come under heavy scrutiny.

At 392sqkm, Amboseli is a small park and lacks the profusion of animal species found in the Masai Mara, but as the landscape provides limited cover for wildlife you have a good chance of seeing some of the larger predators. The vegetation here used to be much denser, but rising salinity, damage by elephants and irresponsible behaviour by safari vehicles has caused terrible erosion. Amboseli can turn into a real dustbowl in the dry season.

Buffaloes, lions, gazelles, cheetahs, wildebeest, hyena, jackals, warthogs, zebras, Masai giraffes and baboons are all present, but the last few black rhinos were moved to Tsavo West in 1995 after a sustained period of poaching. In the permanent swamps of Enkongo Narok and Olokenya, large elephant herds can be seen grazing with Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background, probably the definitive Kenyan wildlife shot (and available on innumerable postcards if you can’t snap it yourself)

Erosion and grass die-off is having a dramatic effect at Amboseli; the rains seem to provide less relief every season, and it’s only a matter of years before the lack of food makes the animals move on. It’s important for vehicles to stick to the defined tracks to avoid making things any worse. Hopefully others will follow suit and the grasslands that drew all these animals here in the first place can be preserved.

Amboseli: Distance, Hours, Roads and Means of transport

Amboseli Air safari

Air Kenya has daily flights between Wilson Airport in Nairobi and Amboseli (US$88, one hour), departing from Nairobi at 7.30am. Return flight leaves Amboseli at 8.30am. Mombasa Air Safari flies here from Mombasa and Diani (US$220) on the coast.

You’ll need to arrange with one of the lodges or a tour company in Kenya for a ticket and a vehicle to meet you at the airstrip.

Amboseli by car & 4X4

The usual approach to Amboseli is via Namanga. The road is sealed and in surprisingly good condition from Nairobi to Namanga; the 75km dirt road to the Meshanani Gate is pretty rough but passable (allow around four hours from Nairobi). In the dry season it’s also possible to enter through Kitirua Gate, but this is a bumpy old road and it’s hard to follow. The track branches right off the main Amboseli road after about 15km.

Some people also enter from the east via Amboseli-Tsavo West road, although this track is in a bad way and shouldn’t be considered in a conventional vehicle. During the 1990’s there were bandit attacks in this area, so vehicles have to travel together, accompanied by armed guards. Convoys leave from the Tsavo turn off, near the Sopa Lodge, at around 7am, 9am and 1pm. Allow 2 ½ hrs to cover the 94 km from Amboseli to the Chyulu Gate at Tsavo West.

Self-drivers will need a 4WD to make the most of the park. Petrol is available at the Serena and Sopa lodges.

Robert is an East Africa Kenya travel expert. He is director of landmarksafaris.com, a Kenya safari tour company. More on the all-named Elephants of Amboseli safari park here: landmarksafaris.com/tours/wildlife.php/?refferer=ezinearticles landmarksafaris.com/tours/wildlife.php/?refferer=ezinearticles

One of the main facts about Delaware is that it is small compared to other states but it has huge benefits.

Delaware’s central location also gives you the perfect launching pad for touring New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington D.C., New Jersey, and Virginia. You are in the middle of the United States major site seeing areas.

Delaware is also one of the cheapest areas to live in or visit out of all the states, which helps you save money when you are on vacation.

1. One of the Oldest Churches

Old Swedes is one of the oldest churches in use today in the United States. This church was built back in 1698 and used to be called the Holy Trinity Church.

The Old Swedes church can be found today in Wilmington, Delaware.

2. The Mason-Dixon Line

The United States western and southern borders are formed by the Mason-Dixon Line.

One little known fact about Delaware is that it is the only state to lay north and east of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Also the border of Delaware and Maryland runs through two towns. The names of the towns are actually a combination of both states, which are Delmar and Marydel.

3. American Furniture and Arts

Delaware has one of the foremost collections of American furniture and decorative arts in the United States.

You can find this at the Winterthur Museum which has approximately two hundred furnished rooms. These rooms are furnished in styles from 1640 up to 1840.

The Winterthur Museum can be found in Winterthur, Delaware.

4. George Washington

During the American Revolution, during the Brandywine campaign, George Washington and his staff held a meeting at Hale-Byrnes House which was built during the 18th century along White Clay Creek.

George Washington also stayed at Robinson House, which was constructed in or around 1723.

The Hale-Byrnes House can be found in Newark, Delaware and the Robinson House can be located in Claymont, Delaware.

As you can see Delaware offers much history across the state. There are many facts about Delaware but what makes this state so attractive is the low cost of living and the easy access to other major site seeing areas.

Take a closer look at the Escape-to-Delaware.com/facts-about-delaware.html facts about Delaware to know exactly what else this state can offer you. You can find out more vacation hot spots at: Escape-to-Delaware.com Escape-to-Delaware.com

© Copyright Tony Warrington

All Rights Reserved

India is one of the greatest civilizations of the world, the continuity of which is traceable back to thousands of years. A decisive factor in shaping India’s culture and history has been its geography and ecology. Beginning from the snow-clad peaks of Himalaya in the north to the sea encased southern peninsula, India is true blend of landscapes and environment.

On account of its diversities, unique culture and an old age tradition of tourism, India has been the most attractive destination for the visitors around the globe. India is big package culture and legend that never fails to captivate the imagination of the visitors. Tourism is a highly fragmented industry with many different participants including tour operators, the transport and hotel industry, and of course, the tourists themselves.

India is probably the only country that offers various categories of tourism. A reliable India Tour operator plays a very important role in the development and promotion of tourism in India. Many Indian tour operators offer attractive tour packages for the India tours. These include South India tours, Rajasthan tours, Pilgrimage tours, Wildlife tours, Temples of India tours and many more. These tour packages satisfy all types of tourists weather they are culture tours lovers or nature & adventure tour lovers.

If you are nature lover and interested in culture, Kashmir tours and Ladakh tours will be much interesting and pleasant. One can also enjoy thrill experience of wildlife during wildlife tours. India has 80 national parks and 441 wildlife sanctuaries. The Bengal Tiger, the Asiatic Lion, the One-horned Rhino and the Indian Elephant are the prime attractions of the wildlife tours in India.

Being an ancient country, India is a country of magnificient monuments and palaces. During Rajasthan tours one can visit many royal monuments and grand palaces. Rajasthan Tours is considered the most popular tour packages among the all the Indian tours packages. Rajasthan tours package also offers a very exotic tour circuit which is known as Golden triangle tours. Without going throw this circuit no one can think about complete Rajasthan tours. This tour circuit covers Delhi (the capita of India), Jaipur (the capital of Rajasthan, India) and Agra, Uttar Pradesh (famous all over the world for the beautiful love monument Taj Mahal and grand Agra Fort). Apart from Rajasthan tours, one can also visit many royal and picturesque monuments and palaces during Goa tours and South India Tour.

If your heart desires warmth of nature, lovely hill stations, lovely beaches, beautiful panoramas, imperial waterfalls, then you must choose Kashmir tours, Himachal tours, Goa tours and South India Tours. South India tours are also famous among tourists as well as Indian tour operators for its Ayurveda & Yoga tour.

If you want to make an ultimate tour plan to travel India, a reliable tour operator, surely will be very helpful. So, what are you waiting for? Travel to India and experience its culture, exciting adventure, matchless beautiful landscapes which are waiting for your arrival.

Michael Braganza is an eminent analyst and writer in Travel & Tourism related topics. He has authored many books on tour guide for touroperatorsfromindia.com/ Tour Operator India and touroperatorsfromindia.com/ Golden Triangle Tours. Now he is rendering his services to touroperatorsfromindia.com/ touroperatorsfromindia.com/

If you’re looking for an exciting way to spend your holiday, an exotic African safari might be the answer. There’s plenty to see and do for all ages, and it’s now easier than ever to book a trip.

Believe it or not, there’s more to an African safari tour than what you see in pictures or on the television. For instance, on a Kenya safari you’ll enjoy breathtaking scenery highlighted with mountainous backdrops, glistening lakes, savanna grasslands, mist highlands, beautiful rivers, and abundant wildlife. If you take a Kenya holiday during July or August, you might even get to witness an amazing phenomenon - the annual wildebeest caravan. This is a time when millions of wildebeests make their way north to search for lush grass.

Amazing Animals and More

Also on a Kenya tour, activities will often include trips to medicinal springs and the inside of a crater where the black-manned lion, rhino and buffalo roam. You might travel to a nearby lake to see a variety of game and scenery. Many Kenyan safari tours also include nighttime entertainment with music and dance. It’s not all wilderness and forests!

Combine Your Kenya Holiday and Tanzania Safari in One

You can now book a “two-in-one” Tanzania and Kenya holiday to make your African safari vacation even more interesting. These two places are filled with wonder and have much to offer visitors. There are lodge safaris, game viewing safaris, and even mountain-climbing safaris - whatever you prefer!

How to Book Your Africa Safari

You can contact a travel agency to book an African safari or you can find a tour company on the Web that specializes in African travel and tours to get the assistance you need. There are many services that you’ll need to consider before securing your Africa vacation such as a rental car (or car hire), reserving hotels, obtaining a Visa, getting the necessary vaccines for disease prevention, and booking a flight.

Find a dependable company on the Web that is actually based in Africa for the best possible service. It’s great if you can travel to Kenya where the company is located and acquire assistance from them when you need it. Try to find an all-in-one African safari tour package to be sure all your needs will be covered. They can help you get a car rental, hotel room and everything you need. The last thing you want is to arrive in Kenya and realize you missed some important steps!

Quick African Safari Travel Tips

As with traveling to any foreign land, there are a few things you should take along for safety, pleasure, and comfort. A safari can be fun if you take time to prepare.

1. Take a good, dependable digital camera with plenty of photo memory. There will be many, many “photo moments.”

2. Keep plenty of mosquito repellent with you at all times. Also, wear long sleeves and long pants to keep mosquitoes from biting and to protect from severe sunburn.

3. Pack several bottles of sunscreen for exposed areas of your skin.

4. Take your own pair of binoculars even if the Africa tour company provides them. You might be required to share theirs with others on the tour, but you can use your own whenever you want.

5. Take along some medicines to prevent headaches or fever, pain, and diarrhea.

6. Secure health insurance coverage, just in case of an emergency. The tour company may provide options for you.

Ask your travel booking agents about other items you might need. They may provide a list for you.

You can enjoy days of excitement on your African safari tour once you’ve taken these important steps. With online resources, you can now learn all about it before you go!

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular majon.com internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about kingsafari.com Take a Holiday - African Safari or Majon’s majon.com/directory/Travel Travel directory.

Don’t all of us love to have the money to do the fun things that bring us joy? Not that all fun things require money, mind you, on the contrary!  But have you ever wanted to read that awesome-looking new book, eat at that new green restaurant in town or throw a party for friends and family…only to be short a little cash?

Here are few tips:

1. Give your hot water tank a blanket. 

There’s this neat thing called Reflectix, have you heard of it?  Wow.  It’s basically insulation for your hot water tank…in the form of shiny aluminum foil, but slightly thicker.  And just as easy to manipulate.  Just roll out the amount needed, wrap your hot water tank, and secure it with a special shiny tape, almost like gift wrapping your tank. 

Net result?  You’ll save a bunch off your heating bills!  And by saving energy to heat your water, you help the planet enormously!  (Reflectix can also be used to insulate heating ducts.) Buy it in rolls of all different sizes at your local hardware store and go nuts!!  Very cool stuff.

2. Grow your hair long OR…shave it all off.

Okay, call me crazy, but what is it with the hair thing?  Cutting it off, letting it grow, trying this style, that style…I don’t know about you, but I’m a real no-nonsense kind of gal.  And a while back, I decided to let my hair grow and go as long as I could without a cut. (About six months.)  It was quite liberating!  And by conservative estimates, I saved probably close to $100 dollars in those six months!  ($30 dollar haircut every two months, plus tip.)  Of course, I had a style that didn’t grow out, so I looked fine (or at least no one TOLD me I didn’t.)

How does this help the planet, you ask?  Well, as with all the money saving tips in this issue, the more money you save, the less you have to work for it.  The less you have to work for it, the less you have to commute, use your car/gasoline, eat out for lunch/dinner…etc. etc.  Get what I mean?

Whether man or woman, let me ask you this.  What if you were to decide to let your hair grow and forego haircuts for a period of time?  Or, go the other route like my husband Mike and shave it all off, that way you can do it yourself, every time!  I don’t think Mike’s spent a cent on cutting his hair for nearly five years, and of course, he looks fab as always…

Radical? Maybe. But it does save money AND helps the planet.  Think about it and maybe it’s for you…even if it’s just for a few months.

3. Sit on your toilet paper roll.

Giggle.  Yes, you can help the planet and save money…by squishing your toilet paper roll before you put it on its holder.  How’s that?  Well, simple really.  By flattening your roll, (sitting on it, stepping on it, whatever) you make it harder to take too much toilet paper at once.  You know how sometimes you give it too much of a yank, and there you have it, toilet paper all over?  No use trying to roll it back up, right?  Well, that’s wasted paper and money.

By flattening it first, the roll moves slower, and you can take just the right amount.  A great money and planet saving tip for ANYONE to try, from die hard environmentalists to newbies, especially if you make a point of buying the toilet paper with recycled paper content in it!

Go on, this is one you can try right now!  Go squish your toilet paper rolls, then come back and finish reading. Yay! 

4.Speak up.

I’ll finish off with a REALLY easy one okay?  It promises to save you money AND help the planet…and it’s fun too.  A true-blue Joy to the Planet tip.  And that is…speak up! Meaning…when in doubt, have a conversation.  You really want to do something great for the planet?  Well, you heard me right. Start talking.  Pick any of the ten items on this list and talk about…how cool, how easy, how hard, how crazy…each is.

It’s simple really.  By having a conversation instead of going to the movies, to the mall, or out for food, you inevitably, inexorably, save money, and probably enjoy yourself more too!  Who doesn’t like a hearty chest-pounding yack-fest with a friend?  At the same time, just talking about how to help the planet is a really low-tech, sure fire way to get people thinking more about these things, and that is a great thing. 

Andrea J. Lee is an award-winning author, speaker, entrepreneur and coach.
She is a rabid advocate for the planet who coaches online business owners in
the environmental niche market to be financially successful.  For more tips
on how you can help the planet and enjoy life at the same time, visit

Altea is located fifteen kilometres north of Benidorm. This is one of the few villages on the Costa Blanca that has kept the fishing village feeling. They have created a tourist area without sacrificing the natural beauty of the surrounding area.

This village offers a tranquil atmosphere that is more relaxing and quiet than the larger cities in the area. The weather is mild in the summer and winter. The surrounding hills keep the temperature comfortable in the summer months and keep out the cold winds in winter.

Travel and Accommodations in Altea

Most visitors take a flight into the Alicante airport. The airport is located about an hour drive away from the village. You can get a car hire at the airport for transportation. Buses and trains are available from Alicante to Altea.

Just outside the village is the mountain area, which offers a beautiful view. Real estate is growing in this area. There are new hotels and apartments. This is a great place to stay for a quiet, relaxing vacation.

Villa or apartment rentals are available in the village for a more private vacation experience. This offers more flexibility, privacy and a relaxing atmosphere. Consider a villa with a pool for a summer vacation. Most owners rent directly to tourists. This saves money on a travel agent. Rentals can be found on the internet.

Altea Attractions

Altea is one of the most beautifully landscaped areas in the region. The tranquillity of the area attracts Spanish and international writers and painters. Some stay for short periods and others live in the area all year. Most stay in the area surrounding the old church.

The village is home to a famous church, Nuestra Senora Del Consuelo. The church was built in 1910. The design is Mediterranean style architecture. The tiles are all hand painted with old world craftsmanship. The blue dome roof is a landmark in the area.

The village has a nice harbour with restaurants and bars. The restaurants offer great seafood and authentic Spanish cuisine. In many of these restaurants, you can sit outside on terraces overlooking the sea. The beach area is 5 kilometres long. This is great place to relax and soak up the sun.

A little away from the beach and harbour area are a variety of quaint stores for shopping. Most shops are open from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Many break for afternoon siesta from 2 p.m. until 4 or 5 p.m. and then re open. Some of the larger stores remain open all day.

A walking tour is the best way to experience Altea close up. Walking tours are available in the town and surrounding mountain areas. The mountain walking tours are a great way to enjoy nature in a tranquil atmosphere. You can take a private tour or a guided walking tour of the many trails around the village. All inclusive tours are available for a few days to a week.

A craft market is open in Altea from Easter through September. The market is located near the harbour area. Local crafts people offer a variety of items for sale at the market. You can get beautiful hand made items at a reasonable price here.

The sun and mild temperatures are popular for golf vacations as well. The Altea Golf Club offers a great course for visitors.

If you want to experience night life or more populated tourist attractions, take a day trip to Benidorm. This larger city is close enough to the village for day trips by car or train. Benidorm is home to water parks, theme parks and night clubs.

Ken J. Morris’ online reports can be found on many online sites with reference to Spain and Alicante. From his detailed publications like alicante-spain.com/altea.html alicante-spain.com/altea.html ,the writer showed his experience on things relating to alicante-spain.com/altea.html Altea and the Costa Blanca.

When you learn to fly, everything is new to you. It is a lot of fun, but you are put into situations that you haven’t been put into before. And it’s a lot of fun but a lot of times it can be pretty spooky. Let’s say that you are flying for the first time through moderate turbulence, it’s really bumpy and uncomfortable and you are not used to it. It can be pretty rough for a new student.

Also, another thing that can make new students a little bit nervous is landing. And yes, landing is its own adventure. When you are at a higher altitude, you have a lot of room for error and you feel more comfortable. So approaching the ground can be a little daunting.

So here’s what I want to say to you, the student pilot (I don’t care if you have 10 hours of flying time or 10,000 hours, you always need to be a student) - Have confidence in yourself.

Let me say this again: Have confidence in yourself.

At first, when you are just beginning to land, you feel like you have no control over the airplane. It’s only because it isn’t second nature to you yet. Don’t worry about that. When you are ready to solo, your instructor will let you know. Trust their decision (make sure you have a good instructor though). They have been exactly where you are now. It’s okay if you don’t grease every landing on like a pro. When you are ready to solo, you may not be Bob Hoover, but at least you are a safe pilot.

Many of my students are ready to solo before they have the confidence. They have the ability, but not the confidence yet. (Don’t worry, I let them build their confidence as well before they solo.)

There will come a point in your training when it will click. You will get it. The final approach, the flare, the touchdown and rollout. It will all make sense, and now you can work on perfecting your landings, as opposed to figuring out how to not blow the tires on touchdown.

Another piece of advice; when it comes to landing, or anything that you are struggling with, don’t get stressed out. Becoming a
private pilot is fun. Make it fun for yourself. Don’t beat yourself up after a not so great landing. If you are getting too frustrated, go play golf, or go fishing, or watch your favorite movie. There are plenty of things that are less expensive than flying. When you learn to fly, make sure you are mentally ready for each lesson, and remember to keep it fun.

Matt Tanner is an experienced flight instructor in the Atlanta, Georgia
area. He has been training private pilots throughout the United States for many
years. Matt has compiled his extensive flying experience and advice into a book
for people who want to matttanner.com learn to fly at

privatepilotguide.com privatepilotguide.com

Not everyone in the world knows how to smoke a cigar. Even those that smoke cigars regularly do not necessarily know how to smoke a cigar. How so? Smoking cigars is like showing dogs: there is skill involved, as well as a certain beauty and sophistication.

Here are some tips for how to smoke a cigar:

· To learn how to smoke a cigar properly, you do not need to wear a smoking jacket. In fact, make sure that you do not wear one, unless it really helps you get into the mood.

· If you have never smoked one before, be sure to practice in privacy first. Stumbling through the process of smoking your first cigar is not going to place you in high esteem! And it certainly will not make you look sophisticated.

· If you find yourself in a position in which you cannot properly practice smoking a cigar first, be sure to watch everything that your cigar-smoking companions do, and mimic them!

Alright, now that we have covered the finer points, let us go on to how to smoke a cigar with class and esteem:

Before you can learn how to smoke a cigar, you must learn how to pick one out.

· If you are new to smoking cigars, and you do not want to cough, you are going to want to start out with a longer, thinner one rather than a stubby one. Thicker, shorter cigars are much more intense.

· Make sure that the cigar consists of 100% tobacco.

· Gently squeeze the cigar to make sure there are no lumps in it.

· Make sure there is not discoloration of the tobacco at the end.

Once you have chosen your cigar and you are ready to smoke it, you must first cut it.

· Do not simply bite off the end with your teeth. This is hardly effective, and you will look like a heathen.

· Instead, create a straight cut by using a single-bladed cutter. For added effectiveness, use a double bladed cigar cutter.

· Aim for the spot where the cigar meets the wrapper. Be sure to leave enough of the cap surrounding the wrapper.

· Horizontally chop off the head. (You do this while the wrapper is still on).

Once you have cut the cigar, you can move onto lighting it. This is where you can add a little extra, personal style.

· If possible, definitely use a cigar lighter (this will keep the smell and taste of the cigar at their best).

· Technically, you can use other flames to light a cigar, but just try to stick with a cigar lighter! More refined cigar smokers can definitely taste the difference between a cigar lit with a candle and one lit with a cigar lighter.

And in the end, you get to smoke it (finally!)

· Remove the band (after you have puffed on the cigar around 10 times)… do not remove this until the cigar has been lit.

· Most importantly, do not inhale! Hold the smoke in your mouth and enjoy the flavor.

· Keep your cigar in one hand, and with your other hand, hold a glass of bourbon or cognac. When you set the glass down, you can use that hand to pet your great dane, etc.

And that, my friend, is how to smoke a cigar!

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, cigars, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on cigars, please visit usasmokeshop.com USA Smoke Shop.

A cruise ship wedding can be more fun than a traditional wedding. All cruise lines have different packages and rules for receptions and number of guests. The internet and your travel agent should have all the information about a wedding on a cruise ship for any particular cruise line. Not all the captains are licensed to marry you, but many lines will have a priest or rabbi or some other officiate that may provide these ceremonies. If you considering a cruise ship wedding, plan early so you will not be disappointed. Lots of cruise ships limit the number of ceremonies per cruise. Some of the Cruise Lines that offer cruise ship weddings are discussed below.

Princess Cruises has a wedding chapel where they perform the cruise ship weddings. The Grand Princess and her sister ships all have wedding chapels. Here the Captain is able to perform the ceremony. Wedding options start at $1400.00 per couple with receptions around $70-$80.00 per head. There will be hot and cold hors d oeuvres, drinks and an official marriage certificate, a cake and music. The ships photographer is available and the ships florist can design any arrangements that you have in mind. You can check out their packages on line. Click on the On Board link and then the wedding/special occasions link to get information on weddings on a cruise ship. They even supply you with a phone number for a wedding consultant. The Hearts and Minds Chapel is quite quaint and perfect for a wedding on a cruise ship.

A more upscale option is Crystal Cruise who will perform ceremonies for weddings, vow renewals or anniversaries. Your cruise ship wedding will be performed by the captain or a member of the clergy and includes Champagne, a Portrait, and a cake. They also have a Honeymoon Package with a cake, champagne, a picture and a certificate signed by the captain. I would discuss this one with your agent but of course you could check out their website.

Royal Caribbeans Voyager of the Seas has a wedding chapel and performs cruise ship weddings on the day of embarkation. Their wedding packages start at $800.00. They include flowers for bride and groom, a photo session, champagne and a cake. Go to their website to check out their options.

Carnival Cruises has shore side packages that are all inclusive. There will be a toast with keepsake flutes, a photograph, the wedding cake topper and an engraved announcement. You can also customize any extras for a fee. Talk to your travel agent, or, if you want to do some research on your own, go to the Carnival website.

After your cruise ship wedding take tons of pictures. Especially today with digital cameras, this helps to keep the cost of film and the film development down. Be sure to bring a lot of memory cards. Save stubs from tours you have taken, the invitation to the Captains Table for dinner, any notes you receive from the officers, the brochure that lists the itinerary, the dates of each port of call. You can make many beautiful well documented photo albums that will bring lots of smiles and many fond memories. It is highly recommend building a scrapbook from your trip; you will love it later when you pull it out and relive the experiences. It takes some time but is so worth it to have these pictures after your cruise ship wedding. On our honeymoon aboard the Volendam at the end of the cruise they supplied us with a beautiful menu from each dinner. On one side was the menu and on the other a beautiful scene from Holland.

All ships have a Newlyweds game. Go to it. It is fun and hopefully, you will only be a newlywed once. Participate in all the activities, they are a little bit corny but they do make you laugh. Let everyone know you have just had your cruise ship wedding, people love that. You might even get a few free drinks.

Honeymooning on a ship is a great way to kick back and relax after that year of stressful planning for the cruise ship wedding. It is now time to enjoy you and your spouse and the journey of a lifetime. Take advantage of your time together in a luxurious atmosphere. Have fun, meet new people, make new friends and be yourself, most of these people you will never see again.

Heres to a Bon Voyage, a wonderful cruise ship wedding and great honeymoon.

Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship. Visit her websites at: CruisingTips.com Cruising Tips, CruiseTravelDirectory.com Cruise Travel, and CruiseGold.com Cruise Reviews