Friday, April 4, 2008
lakky123
Web Site Graphic Design
A picture is said to be an expression of a 1000 words. Yes, this may work for an artist. However, a
As a
Additional keep-in-mind features
ALT text is important
Including ALT text to a page can be helpful while adding an image on the same page. The ALT characteristic in the HTML tag provides substitute text when a person cannot view an image. The textual information will be displayed if the browser of the user does not allow him to see the images or if the user had disabled the visuals option. The ALT text can contain information on the company apart from a site map and then company's logo.
Handy height and width tags
These tags help the browser to track the size and resolution of the image and the browser automatically decides where to place and adjust the text that is available on the page. This helps to catapult the speed of the page and uploads it easily and more swiftly. This will also allow the users and visitors to access the page textual information on the page without displaying the images nearby. Therefore the webmaster has to keep in mind that the use of height= and width= attributes can be helpful incase the pictures are not viewable.
Interlaced images
These images can help a web page to load in a quicker fashion and bring
convenience on the users end. These are the GIF type of images and are easy to use. The image may appear a bit blurred at the start but it catches up with the browser after some time and comes as an attractive and useful image. These tricky images actually make the user feel that the page uploads fast when it does not in actuality.
Reuse images
The image that is put up on your website gets loaded to the browsers cache of a visitor when he logs on to it. This area of a hard disk stores files that may be needed again for viewing. Therefore, theimages on your website will load onto the users' computer and he can feel the website uploading faster. Thus, you can use one image throughout your site without causing any speed disturbances.
David vs. Goliath images
Several small images instead of one big image can be useful as they download more easily than big images. They can also express the organisations values, products and offerings. They are far faster than normal big size images.
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Various Techniques of Search Engine Optimization
SEO techniques are effective procedures to put a website on the first page of search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN for your targeted keywords. These techniques directly help in raising the SERPs (search engine result positions) of the site, increase site traffic and acquire relevant quality links.
If you want people to find your site via a search engine easily, the site will require a high SERP. This means when users search on specific keywords or phrases, they will find your site on the first page generated by the engine. Having the site on the 10th page of search engine results will not give you satisfactory traffic and you can potentially lose thousands of customers and sales.
Let's discuss the techniques that can help you towards achieving a high SERP
1. Domain & File Names
Select a domain name of your site that contains words from your main keyword phrase/query. The domain name should also be easy to spell and easy to remember. Ideally it should only contain alpha-numeric characters and no hyphens for optimum results.
2. Easy to think Keywords
Such keywords are to be used which are searched for in excess on the net. Add keyword synonyms to your content. Make sure you use your keywords from the page you are linking to.
3. Density of placing Keywords
Keyword density is related to the number of times the keyword appears in the text on a particular page. High keywords density is considered spamming by the search engine and can get your site blacklisted. Your keywords should be toward the top of your page and in either every paragraph or every second paragraph depending on your paragraph length.
4. Misuse of SEO Techniques
Misuse of search engine optimization techniques may get your site blacklisted from a search engine. Some techniques that are considered spam are cloaking, invisible text, tiny text, identical pages, doorway pages, refresh tags, link farms, filling comment tags with keyword phrases only, keyword phrases in the author tag, keyword density too high, mirror pages and mirror sites etc. These are all termed as Black Hat SEO techniques. While these techniques might work to give you a higher ranking for a short time, however in the long run they will slow down your progress and can have detrimental and very damaging consequences.
5. Construction of Titles and Description
Each page should have a different title with two or three of your keyword at the beginning. When search engine results are displayed the title is the first thing people observe and therefore enough time should be spent on constructing a fully optimized and well thought title. Your description should also have at least two or three of your keywords at the beginning as so should your first sentence on the page. There should be a different title, description and first sentence on each page.
6. Authors Biography
At the end of the page place an author biography or company name. This technique will help you to improve the branding of your site and get good rankings for your company name.
7. Website Design
In what way the website is designed is also important. Text content should balance the HTML text. The pages of the site should validate and be accessible in all browsers and from anywhere.
8. Links on the Site
There should always a navigation menu present on the site from where you link to all the important pages of the site. The idea is not trying to optimize the home page alone, but each and every page of the site. The secondary and tertiary pages of the site will only be recognized and indexed by the search engines if the spider can reach those pages. There should not a single broken link on any page of the site especially the index/home page.
9. Links to the Site
This involves ascertaining links that point to your site. The online world is not much different as compared to offline world. The celebrities in the real world are all famous and rich people i.e. have high SERPs. The reason they are famous is because so many people are familiar with them and know about their lives. The same principal applies to web-sties. The more the sites link to your site, the higher it will rank on search engines. This is an ongoing task and therefore a lot of effort should be spent in obtaining links from other sites. In an ideal world you should have all the sites linking to yours and your site not linking out at all. However this is not possible, but the idea should always be kept in mind when trying to acquire links. Also the quality of incoming link plays a big role in determining the overall benefit derived and its effect towards increasing the SERPs. The better the quality the better the result and so on so forth.
These are some of the techniques, which if used effectively can directly help in increasing not only traffic, potential customers but also the rankings on all search engines. In the end it's not only about what you know but how you act. Hard work, dedication and patience is always a recipe for success, whether working online or offline.
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Steps involved in making your Business Competitive
These are the fundamental steps that lead a business to a path of progress and competitiveness enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of the business. There are 7 steps that are discussed below:
1. Finding the Gaps
It includes the skills and knowledge your company possesses and is a major determinant of your success. In this step you need to identify your strengths, areas needing further study and areas of concern that could seriously affect your ability to stay competitive. Once you are through with this step, you would have access to practicable online information and other references that will help you bridge any knowledge and skill gaps. Filling these gaps will help in making your organization better prepared and to ascertain benefit from valuable information relating to the various management functions.
2. Pre-Planning
Pre-Planning is the process by which the management of an organization foresee its future and develop the necessary measures and operations to achieve the goals of future. It includes development of the purpose, mission, vision, and value statements of the managing teams; communication of these documents and suggestions for improvement, culture survey to create a base against which change can be compared and last but not the least celebrating achievements and learning from mistakes. After Pre-Planning the team needs to formulate strategies and, clearly identify an action plan on which implementation is to be performed. As part of this phase, you will also need to repeat your mission and restate your company's vision. Although there are many kinds of strategies but in this situation basic strategy should not change much in the short term, whereas sub-strategies can change rapidly in reaction to competitive situations.
3. Financing
Financing plan is developed to increase the business competitiveness through an improved knowledge of the techniques and methods of funding available. Equity and debt are two types of financing available to business. Equity is the money that you put into your business and Debt is what you borrow from others to invest in your business.
4. Involvement of Technology
The businesses are becoming more dependent on technology. By optimizing the use of technology, the business may maintain progress, improve its customer services, and gain a competitive edge over those businesses that are not utilizing their technology. In the modern world the change of information technology has become a vital part in competition with the real world. Now the Question is that why do we use technology in business? The answer is simple that it enhances customer service, can decrease cost, can improve communication, can facilitate research, can increase productivity, efficiency as well as effectiveness in the business.
5. Improvement in Human Resource
Using this resource to its best advantage is a means to maximize the effectiveness of the other entire systems and procedures already in place. The business or an organization having skilled and competitive employees is considered as the most competitive business. Proper human resource management is needed to increase effectiveness in work and to smoothly achieve the goals and accomplish tasks.
6. Marketing strategy
Marketing and related activities in a business, small or large, ensure that your business gets information from its customers, develops and markets the services to satisfy their needs and gets feedback on their satisfaction levels. Marketing acts as an interface between the enterprise and its markets. Marketing can be defined as the function that encompasses most activities between the producer of a good or the supplier of a service and the consumers. It is also a set of business development activities which starts with the consumer from whose needs, the business gets its service ideas and to whom it will sell its services.
7. Process of Quality Assurance
The Process of Quality Assurance in a business refers to planned, and step-by-step activities that determines that testing is being carried out correctly, results are accurate, and mistakes are found and corrected to avoid undesirable outcomes. Quality assurance is a constant set of activities that help the business to ensure that the test results provided are as accurate and reliable as possible. Maintaining quality assurance leads to customer retention, and an image as a competitive business in the minds of clients.
Conclusion
Competition in businesses is now found everywhere and in such a competitive world it is difficult for any new business or start-ups to survive and thrive. Implementation of the above steps can definitely help towards effectively competing in any market.
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Affiliate Programs - A Reliable Online Marketing Strategy
Affiliate programs can be a great strategy of Internet marketing and add additional income to your business. Internet marketing through affiliate programs may be easier if you are marketing your own products and have established customers or a stable list of potential customers. However, if you market products that are not your own through an affiliate program, then the following tips can assist in developing an effective marketing strategy.
Buy Them First
Common sense will state that it may not be wise to market products over the Internet especially when the ownership is not yours. You can't really sell something you know little about nor can you guarantee the product will deliver to your customers' expectations. It is advised to sample the product before you sell it. Educate yourself and learn the benefits of the product before you market on the Internet. Bottom line is to test the product!
Get Them While Their Hot
It is important to get hold of the product in its launch phase or when the demand is very high and not many people are aware of the product. Ideally you should start promoting the product when 99% of the market is not aware of it. This will help you to maximize your efforts and generate higher commissions. Make sure to grasp the information of your customers which you can always use to up sell or cross sell your own products in the future.
Set up 'Redirect' Web Pages
You probably already know that having your own website and domain name is a very important strategy of Internet marketing. Having your own website is a critical element to the success of your business. Use your domain to 'mask' the affiliate URL that was issued to you when you signed up. Customers are use to seeing affiliate URL's. There is a drawback however: When the product begins to gain popularity it is harder to sell with long URL's. By using a redirect and bringing customers to your site, gives you a great lead over the other affiliates selling the product.
Devote Your Web Site to One Product/Service
One thing that may have caught your eye that most web site owners share alike is that they will congest their website with thousands of different products on one web page. For more reasons than one this never works. Instead, avoid making this mistake and take your main page, the one that gets the most traffic, center it on your most profitable product or service. Try to focus towards a single product and even if you want to sell more products then ensure that the products are related to each other in terms of their offerings and value. The idea is to develop pages based on themes and then sell relevant products related to those themes. For e.g. if your page is developed to sell plasma tvs then you could always list products from different companies selling these tvs but placing other products like cameras and dvd players will not be a good idea as the customer who landed on your page was looking for tvs alone.
More Time To Online Marketing
You should have time to market online, instead of setting up several web sites, unlimited forms, handling questions after questions (you will get some, not many though), or any other administrative tasks. You can spend your time with what makes money, advertising and Internet marketing and getting your site visited. This is your main priority and should stay that way for the success of your business.
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All the programs we list have been thoroughly checked out and are guaranteed to pay. We use these programs daily to make ourselves a monthly paycheck. These are all simple and easy ways to stay at home, and make a great income. Some people do it part-time for the extra $250-$500/month to pay their car payment. Others work full-time and make enough to quit their jobs! It's your choice.
No Boss, No Noisy Alarm Clocks, and Definately No Schedules!
You will make the decisions now. Earn Up to $500-$3500 Every month making a better than average income for doing what you want when you want. Nobody to tell you what to do, nothing to tell you when to wake up, and the day now becomes yours! You get to decide because you have the freedom of working for yourself. Look at yourself as a Consumer Professional!
We aren't Filthy Rich, But We Sure Enjoy What We Do !
We are ordinary people, we don't flaunt our money, dine expensively every night, we just enjoy ourselves and what we do. We have never released this information out until now, and there has been an overwhelmingly successful response from it!
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How
companies Pay You To Take Surveys
Its really simple. Companies like to find out what the consumer (you) like to spend your money on, and more importantly what you like to spend your time doing. They pay millions of dollars every month in advertising budget to hire people like us to show you how to take these surveys and focus groups. Its really quite simple to understand that these companies MAKE millions just buy knowing more about you.
Somtimes they even pay for your dinner, and sometimes even pay you to get with groups of people to try products in controlled areas they invite you too! ( These are called focus groups.)
Pretty soon you might find yourself getting Paid:
- $5-$100 To Drive Brand New Released Cars
- Free Meals + $40 to Try out a New Restaraunt in Your Area!
- $20 for filling out a short 10 minute email survey
- Get Paid $100-$200 an hour for offline surveys
- Get Paid $50-80 for online surveys
- Over $200 an hour for focus groups!
- Get Paid $90 just for previewing a Movie Trailer!
- Up to $3500 a month just for driving a car around!
People Didn't Believe Us Either When We Started, Now We are Practically Retired!
Nobody believed us when we started, and we hardly believed ourselves. But the money starting pouring in, We were getting paid by MULTIPLE companies somtimes MULTIPLE times a week. We are now making a living from our homes, working a couple of hours a week. Microsoft, Coca Cola, Sears, and many more LARGE corporations are paying you and I for the extremely valuable customer information that they pay the BIG BUCKS for! We are the source between you and these very generous and high paying companies.
Nobody believed us when we started, and we hardly believed ourselves. But the money starting pouring in, We were getting paid by MULTIPLE companies somtimes MULTIPLE times a week. We are now making a living from our homes, working a couple of hours a week. Microsoft, Coca Cola, Sears, and many more LARGE corporations are paying you and I for the extremely valuable customer information that they pay the BIG BUCKS for! We are the source between you and these very generous and high paying companies.
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Sole proprietorship as a business structure - Advantages & disadvantages
Do you know what sole proprietorship is? A sole proprietorship is a business which has only one owner. It is a 'sole' proprietor in the sense that the owner has no partners. A sole proprietorship essentially means a person does business in his own name and there is only one owner. A sole proprietorship is not a corporation, it does not pay corporate taxes, but rather the person who organized the business pays personal income taxes on the profits, making accounting much simpler.
Most sole proprietors will register a trade name 'Doing Business As'. This allows the proprietor to do business with a name other than their legal name and also allows them to open a business account with banking institutions.
A sole proprietorship has an authority to hire any number of employees because the law makes no distinction between you, the sole proprietor, and the business. Sole proprietorship has also an authority to hire independent contractors of their own choice.
Whether the proprietor has zero or 100 employees or independent contractors, it doesn't make any difference. If you are the sole owner, your business will still be a sole proprietorship.
There are several advantages associated with operating as a sole proprietor. Starting a business as a sole proprietor brings two tax advantages. The first advantage is avoidance of double tax.
Double tax can occur if you carry out your business through a corporation. Corporations are considered as separate entities consisting of many partners or owners. As a result the corporation owners will pay tax on their individual income and the corporation will pay tax on any profits made by the company. As a sole proprietor, you will not pay double tax on your business income because the law makes no difference between you, the sole proprietor, and your sole proprietorship and the business income is treated as your personal income.
The second tax advantage of sole proprietorships is that you can deduct your business losses to the extent of your total income that you may have from all sources, including interest, dividends, and profits.
Operating as a sole proprietor also has some drawbacks. A business organized as a sole proprietorship faces difficulty in raising own capital since shares of the business cannot be sold. Hiring employees may also be difficult. This form of business will have unlimited liability, therefore, if the business is sued, it is the proprietor's who will be responsible.
The second disadvantage is that as a business grows, the risks accompanying the business also tends to grow. To minimize those risks, a sole proprietor has the option of forming a limited liability company.
The principle disadvantage of sole proprietorships is that you are personally responsible for all the debts and the reason for this is that the law makes no distinction between you, the sole proprietor, and your sole proprietorship authorities.
Another disadvantage of sole proprietorship is that you may have to pay high income taxes. You cannot take any tax deduction for your health or life insurance whilst operating as a sole proprietor. A full deduction for your health insurance and a deduction of life insurance policy are offered to corporations, so long as all employees of the corporation are offered the insurance.
In this competition of different businesses, every business is different from each other i.e one thing giving advantage to you may be a disadvantageous thing for the other business. Selecting the best business structure will depend on the factors including your type of business, tax situation, and industry liability among others. Your selection of business structure will have legal and personal applications and therefore it is always advisable to seek professional help in such matters. Getting on the track from day one will take you further and ease your problems in the long run.
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Testimonies
- Personally I love it! I take my son to school, come home and start taking surveys. Work for maybe an hour or two, then head off to the gym. Come home and do a few more surveys. Run out to do a few errands and pick up my son from school. Do a focus group or a few more surveys before dinner and I'm done for the day. I fit my work in whenever I can. The part I like best is I can do it for 5 minutes or a few hours .. I can fit it in whenever I have time and I'm not tied down for long periods of time and I never have to leave the house!
- Of course now everyone I know does online surveys for pay too! My mom is retired and really needs the extra money. My sister is just out of college and has a great job .. but really needs a few hundred extra a month for the extras we all enjoy. My best friend just had a baby and when I told her what I was doing and how much I was making she tried it out before going back to work.
- She is so happy she did .. now she stays home with her daughter and makes great money .. and she spends wonderful quality time with her child. This is such a great job I know you will just love it.
Now you can get started making great money filling out online surveys too. You will receive instant access and can be working by tomorrow! You will have access to hundreds of companies that will pay you to sit home and give your opinion!
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NOTE: There is a Limited Number of Openings. If you hurry, you can Guarantee Processing of Your New Application Through.
earnmoneyatnet.com - Instant Access 
Instant Lifetime Access to our members area containing:
- FREE BONUS: "Get Paid to Shop & Eat!"
- FREE BONUS: "Get Paid to Drive!"
- FREE BONUS: "Over 300 Additional Work at Home Opportunities!"
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Work at home India is India's first work at home company, Work at home India has pioneered the work at home concept in India. Way back in 2000 work at home India started distributing home based work to Individuals, Now work at home India features a lot more work from home jobs both online and offline home jobs then any other company, We are providing home jobs such as data conversion, data processing, email processing, ad placing, data entry, medical transcription, data entry, editing work, paid SMS, paid survey, home webmaster jobs, Free Internet business and many other home jobs. Work at home India is known for its effective customer care and efficiency in the home business field. Work at home India provides high quality work for corporate and firms in the ITES business. We accept Data-conversion, Data Entry, Internet Research. MT, LT, HTML to XML and various other kind of ITES work. We also provide search engine optimization and Online marketing service at par with the industry standards. We also provide a lot more options in the online advertising industry. We sub outsource BPO projects to individuals and bulk customers we also provide telecommuting jobs to home jobs seekers.
If you want to outsource your projects to us we can offer the Most competitive and accurate service. Contact us to outsource your projects.
New Projects in Data conversion and Data entry Updated for Home Jobs and Bulk Outsourcing.
We offer only genuine work at home opportunities, no marketing, no forced matrix, no click based, no paid emails or paid to surf programmes.
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We are introducing paid SMS service in INDIA for the first time.
For Individuals
Make money by receiving SMS from us and our affiliates. You can earn 20 paisa per sms and also on the referrals you make for receiving promotional offers and advertisements on your mobile. Now make money on the go.
For Advertisers & Corporate Customers
Now the best form of targeted advertising is at your finger tips. we have a database of 1 Million subscribers spanning all major GSM and CDMA networks.
All our members have agreed to receive promotional offers so no chance of rejection of your message.
Members classified under various sections consisting location, Age, Sex, Marital Status and other groups. Customers sorted out under various preferences and customer taste.
Now earn maximum attention and generate advertisements into sales through our advanced system of converting advertisements into sales directly. Now interact with your customer on the go. know their preferences through our interactive feedback system.
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Booking for the work opened for a limited period.
The last lot of work has been successfully completed by a group of 200 home workers with average accuracy of 98%.
We would like to congratulate our members for successfully completing the project 2 months before the dead line. The dedication of our members has earned us reputation with our clients and they are satisfied with our accuracy and management which has led to timely completion of our project.
On this occasion we are making a bonus payment to all the members who have helped us achieve this feat.
The last lot of work has been successfully completed by a group of 200 home workers with average accuracy of 98%.
We would like to congratulate our members for successfully completing the project 2 months before the dead line. The dedication of our members has earned us reputation with our clients and they are satisfied with our accuracy and management which has led to timely completion of our project.
On this occasion we are making a bonus payment to all the members who have helped us achieve this feat.
Booking now open for new lot of work 2000 home workers needed.
Our experience in the past has proved that working with home workers is a profitable venture and has resulted in significant cost benefits to us and our clients. We have been able to provide the most accurate results at the most competitive rates by saving on floor space, assets, & overhead cost.
People having a computer at home, preferably with an internet connection with good typing speed can apply for this home based data entry job..
Join us now to get the most out of this opportunity. Click below for home based data entry work and other offline jobs.
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We are now offering Online jobs to suit the needs of every individual.
The jobs we are offering is not marketing or click based, we totally discourage forced advertising and hits based earning opportunities.
Ad placing - Earning per ad placed.
We are offering currently ad placing work.
The work involves placing of the advertisement snippets which we will provide to various directories, classified sites, blogs, forums and others sites.
We are paying on per ad placed and not like other companies who pay only if the link is clicked.
You can earn any where between 50 paise to 5 rupee for per ad placed in directories and classifieds. You have to submit your report weekly of the sites you have placed the advertisements in, after verification we will pay you according to work done by you.
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Payment is made on monthly basis.
You cant use link submission softwares or sites offering mass submission service.
The work is not limited by any means.
A person with average speed can post around 50 to 70 ads or links per hour.
You can earn around 700 to 1000rs per day depending on your speed and efficiency.
You also get paid on referrals joining under you. You will be paid 500rs per member joining under you.
You will be given your own link which you have to promote. You can promote that link anywhere you want. You will get paid for posting the same link and plus you will also get paid for referrals joining through your link.
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You will be able given a personal page at www.workathomeindia.com/yourname.htm . you will be able to post your personal message or if you are promoting any other home jobs opportunity then you can post the same there on your personal page. So you can promote all your jobs on the same single page plus you get paid for promoting your own page.
will get a page similar to this.
The advertisements can be of ours or any of our clients or affiliates. You cant add your personal ads or links along with ours else your payments will be with held.
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We are now offering Online jobs to suit the needs of every individual.
The jobs we are offering is not marketing or click based, we totally discourage forced advertising and hits based earning opportunities.
Ad placing - Earning per ad placed.
We are offering currently ad placing work.
The work involves placing of the advertisement snippets which we will provide to various directories, classified sites, blogs, forums and others sites.
We are paying on per ad placed and not like other companies who pay only if the link is clicked.
You can earn any where between 50 paise to 5 rupee for per ad placed in directories and classifieds. You have to submit your report weekly of the sites you have placed the advertisements in, after verification we will pay you according to work done by you.
Payment is made on monthly basis.
You cant use link submission softwares or sites offering mass submission service.
The work is not limited by any means.
A person with average speed can post around 50 to 70 ads or links per hour.
You can earn around 700 to 1000rs per day depending on your speed and efficiency.
You also get paid on referrals joining under you. You will be paid 500rs per member joining under you.
You will be given your own link which you have to promote. You can promote that link anywhere you want. You will get paid for posting the same link and plus you will also get paid for referrals joining through your link.
You will be able given a personal page at www.workathomeindia.com/yourname.htm . you will be able to post your personal message or if you are promoting any other home jobs opportunity then you can post the same there on your personal page. So you can promote all your jobs on the same single page plus you get paid for promoting your own page.
The advertisements can be of ours or any of our clients or affiliates. You cant add your personal ads or links along with ours else your payments will be with held.
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A Complete India Travel Guide Launched
Your wait is finally over. A complete Travel Guide, www.travelgoindia.com that focuses completely on India has been launched. The days of scratching about for information on India before you embark on a tour of this beautiful country is passé. Learn more about the beauty of this enchanting land from this exhaustively informative website www.travelgoindia.com. This travel guide has quite a few useful tools that enable it to become a traveler’s best friend.
Are you ready to pack your bag but not very sure about your destination? At TravelGoIndia.com you will get to know about some tourist locations, whose existence you were never aware of. No wonder, this is by far the best India Travel Guide that you will find in the Internet. Rich in information, this exclusively India centric travel guide is surely destined to become a tourist’s best pal.
TravelGoIndia.com is conceived to provide travelers with enough information on travel so that it becomes easier for them to take decisions. The website enables you to book hotels in more than 150 Indian cities. You also have the choice to book a luxury hotel or a budget hotel. One added advantage that this complete India Travel Guide has is its ability to book hotels real time through partners and give instant confirmation facility. It has more than 500 hotels of all categories throughout India in its database. You can, therefore, be pretty sure of getting a hotel room anywhere in the country.
Your wait is finally over. A complete Travel Guide, www.travelgoindia.com that focuses completely on India has been launched. The days of scratching about for information on India before you embark on a tour of this beautiful country is passé. Learn more about the beauty of this enchanting land from this exhaustively informative website www.travelgoindia.com. This travel guide has quite a few useful tools that enable it to become a traveler’s best friend.
Are you ready to pack your bag but not very sure about your destination? At TravelGoIndia.com you will get to know about some tourist locations, whose existence you were never aware of. No wonder, this is by far the best India Travel Guide that you will find in the Internet. Rich in information, this exclusively India centric travel guide is surely destined to become a tourist’s best pal.
TravelGoIndia.com is conceived to provide travelers with enough information on travel so that it becomes easier for them to take decisions. The website enables you to book hotels in more than 150 Indian cities. You also have the choice to book a luxury hotel or a budget hotel. One added advantage that this complete India Travel Guide has is its ability to book hotels real time through partners and give instant confirmation facility. It has more than 500 hotels of all categories throughout India in its database. You can, therefore, be pretty sure of getting a hotel room anywhere in the country.
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Tropical Vacations Introduce You to Nature’s Glory
Tropical Vacations Introduce You to Nature’s Glory
A tropical vacation usually evokes images of images of sultry summer days lounging on the beach and soft breezes caressing you in the evenings while you sip a drink in the evenings. There are so many wonderful tropical vacation packages that give you just that in Mexico, but if you’d like to take it to the next level, consider traveling to the interior as well and experience the full spectrum of nature’s glory. Tropical also means exotic plants, gorgeous birds and chattering monkeys, mountain cliffs and amazing wildlife!
Jungle and Tropical Rainforest Vacations
Ecotourism is one of the most incredible adventures you can embark on in Mexico and other tropical areas of the world. These eco adventures give you the opportunity to see and hear things you would never be able to experience outside of a zoo or museum. In tropical regions of the world there are jungles and rain forests that shelter an amazing array of plants and animals that are colorful, unique and exotic.
Traveling with an experienced guide through the interior of a rainforest or jungle will bring you into a world where time has stood still for thousands of years. Imagine trekking along a stretch of sandy beach your first day, then heading spending the next few days in a rainforest where brilliantly plumed parrots fly overhead, calling to one another and flashing feathers of emerald, ruby and gold. The chatter of monkeys as they swing overhead will delight your group as your guide explains the delicate balance of Mexico’s ecosystem.
There are coral reefs to explore, natural springs and underwater rivers with stunning rock formations and always the crystalline waters of the Caribbean Sea.
In the evenings you’ll view glorious sunsets from atop majestic Mayan ruins or high natural ridges, all part of the protected heritage of the Mexican people. The warm breezes will sweep away the humidity of your jungle day as you relax with your small group of fellow travelers, suspended in time under a brilliant blanket of stars.
Challenge Yourself in the Tropics
If you’re up to something a bit more physical, tropical vacations offer a vast range of topographies for every activity from mountain biking to scuba diving. The mountains of the Yucatan Peninsula offer extremely challenging mountain biking trails and hiking opportunities for solo or group trekking.
Check out some of the stunning vistas you can see from various mountain locations, including views of several of the largest volcanoes in Mexico like Pico De Orizaba, Iztaccihuatl and the still active Popcateptl (which erupted spectacularly less then ten years ago, causing the evacuation of two villages). Near Mexico City you can visit the Pyramids of Teotihuacan, another spectacular example of early Mayan culture.
If you’re a fan of scuba diving, there’s nothing more exhilarating than a tropical vacation for scuba. Cancun offers a variety of packages for exceptional open water diving and cave or cavern diving. Even experienced scuba divers agree that there’s always something new to discover in the elaborate underwater caverns along the tropical beaches of the Mexican shore.
Did you know that the second largest coral reef in the world, the Great Belize Coral Reef, is in Mexico? This tropical reef system
Tropical Vacations Introduce You to Nature’s Glory
A tropical vacation usually evokes images of images of sultry summer days lounging on the beach and soft breezes caressing you in the evenings while you sip a drink in the evenings. There are so many wonderful tropical vacation packages that give you just that in Mexico, but if you’d like to take it to the next level, consider traveling to the interior as well and experience the full spectrum of nature’s glory. Tropical also means exotic plants, gorgeous birds and chattering monkeys, mountain cliffs and amazing wildlife!
Jungle and Tropical Rainforest Vacations
Ecotourism is one of the most incredible adventures you can embark on in Mexico and other tropical areas of the world. These eco adventures give you the opportunity to see and hear things you would never be able to experience outside of a zoo or museum. In tropical regions of the world there are jungles and rain forests that shelter an amazing array of plants and animals that are colorful, unique and exotic.
Traveling with an experienced guide through the interior of a rainforest or jungle will bring you into a world where time has stood still for thousands of years. Imagine trekking along a stretch of sandy beach your first day, then heading spending the next few days in a rainforest where brilliantly plumed parrots fly overhead, calling to one another and flashing feathers of emerald, ruby and gold. The chatter of monkeys as they swing overhead will delight your group as your guide explains the delicate balance of Mexico’s ecosystem.
There are coral reefs to explore, natural springs and underwater rivers with stunning rock formations and always the crystalline waters of the Caribbean Sea.
In the evenings you’ll view glorious sunsets from atop majestic Mayan ruins or high natural ridges, all part of the protected heritage of the Mexican people. The warm breezes will sweep away the humidity of your jungle day as you relax with your small group of fellow travelers, suspended in time under a brilliant blanket of stars.
Challenge Yourself in the Tropics
If you’re up to something a bit more physical, tropical vacations offer a vast range of topographies for every activity from mountain biking to scuba diving. The mountains of the Yucatan Peninsula offer extremely challenging mountain biking trails and hiking opportunities for solo or group trekking.
Check out some of the stunning vistas you can see from various mountain locations, including views of several of the largest volcanoes in Mexico like Pico De Orizaba, Iztaccihuatl and the still active Popcateptl (which erupted spectacularly less then ten years ago, causing the evacuation of two villages). Near Mexico City you can visit the Pyramids of Teotihuacan, another spectacular example of early Mayan culture.
If you’re a fan of scuba diving, there’s nothing more exhilarating than a tropical vacation for scuba. Cancun offers a variety of packages for exceptional open water diving and cave or cavern diving. Even experienced scuba divers agree that there’s always something new to discover in the elaborate underwater caverns along the tropical beaches of the Mexican shore.
Did you know that the second largest coral reef in the world, the Great Belize Coral Reef, is in Mexico? This tropical reef system
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Best Hotels are Found Here
Best Hotels are Found Here
Best Hotels are Found Here
Need help? Need a place to stay? Try Hotelslocator.com
Whether you're on your vacation, in for a conference in the city, or just visiting, nothing beats going back to a nice hotel after the day is done. A good night's sleep and nice stay can recharge and invigorate you, getting you ready for the next day.
Standard hotels usually have basic accommodation like a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table. Washstands have been largely replaced by rooms with en-suite bathrooms. Other features found may be a TV, a telephone and an alarm clock. Food and drink may be supplied in a small refrigerator which is usually referred to as "mini-bar", containing snacks, drinks and tea and coffee making facilities like cups, spoons, an electric kettle and sachets containing instant coffee, tea bags, sugar, and creamer or milk. Aside from these, food and drinks may also be ordered through room service, some hotels even offer specialty cuisine which they are famous for.
However, in Japan the capsule hotel supplies minimal facilities and room space. The cost and quality of hotels are usually indicative of the range and type of services available. Due to the enormous increase in tourism worldwide during the last decades of the 20th century, standards, especially those of smaller establishments, have improved considerably. For the sake of greater comparability, rating systems have been introduced, with the one to five stars classification being most common.
But sometimes hotel availability can be a problem. This is where a hotel directory comes in handy. A hotel directory, either on the Internet or in a magazine type publication, is a list of all hotels/motels/places of lodging in a certain area. Typically it also includes reviews
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Work at Home Reviews: Affiliate Marketing Home-Based Business
We are living in an amazing time in history! Technology has given us the ability to communicate, be productive, and work wherever we have internet access. But how do you get an employer to agree to let you work from home? That is tricky. Most companies are still uncomfortable allowing employees to telecommute. One big reason is that businesses who allow employees to work offsite have to make investments and be vigilant about security breaches into the company intranet. Some companies now allow for an occasional telecommute, but that barely impacts the issues driving the desire to work from a home office, such as high fuel costs, long commutes, expensive child care costs, and global warming.
Another way to make money online is to set up your own virtual business. But trying to build your company from scratch is expensive and risky. A quick internet search will present a plethora of home-based business options. So, how do you know which ones are legitimate? The answer is to look at the business model. A solid opportunity provides benefits to all parties involved. Affiliate marketing programs have attracted a lot of attention lately. This type of program is successful because companies need help getting the attention of consumers who have may have an interest in buying from them.
Businesses have long known that referrals from a friend, or another influential authority, such as a trusted business or an association are much more likely to make a purchase than those who come in arbitrarily. This recommendation breaks the initial barrier of distrust between vendor and prospective customer. However, before the internet age, companies had a hard time obtaining enough referred business to sustain their profitability goals. So, they also used expensive media ads to bring in additional customers and build their brands. With the proliferation of internet usage, businesses began shifting some money away from traditional advertising venues to website development and internet advertising. This was a successful strategy when the internet was still small. Now-a-days, there is an overload on information and advertising on the web. So, how does a business stand out to customers who are interested in what they have to sell? They first start by improving their search ranking in an effort to land on the first page of results from searches on major engines like Google and Yahoo. They can do this by optimizing keywords and paying to be listed as a sponsor when people search with pre-specified keywords. This is a necessary tactic, but any good marketer knows that relying on only one stream of leads is short-sighted and risky.
A second tactic is to partner with other websites that provide content which interests their best prospects. This alliance is called an affiliate marketing program (or performance marketing in some circles). It is designed to create a network of targeted lead generators. The concept is simple: companies advertise related products and services to the targeted audience of a website. The owner of that site is rewarded for generating business for referring business to the company. Example: I am interested in cats and build a site with cat tales. Cat food manufacturers, veterinaries, and stores who sell pet food advertise on my site. When my readers click-through to the vendor's sites or make a purchase, I receive a commission. Although there are several affiliate program models the most popular by far is revenue sharing, also known as Cost-per-sale (CPS) or Pay-per-sale (PPS). First a customer must reach the merchant site by clicking on an ad from the publisher's website. When that customer makes a purchase, the publisher of the original site receives a percentage of the sale. Another commonly used affiliate marketing program pays a set dollar amount per referral who performs a given action, such as signing up to the merchant site, subscribing to a newsletter or filling out a form. This is called Pay-per-lead (PPL), Cost-per-lead (CPL), or Cost-per-action/Cost-per-acquisition (CPA).
According to Marketing Sherpa, in 2006, affiliate programs paid out approximately $6।5 billion US dollars in commissions. If there is so much money to be made, why can't you be a part of this growing industry? Perhaps you're thinking you need to be a web designer who is adept at internet marketing strategies. Once again, technology comes to the rescue! The internet allows you to be in business for your self without having to do it by yourself. But how does it work? Where can you go for good advice? Work at Home Enterprises can provide you with in-depth guidance on how to structure an affiliate home business and run it successfully.
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Another way to make money online is to set up your own virtual business. But trying to build your company from scratch is expensive and risky. A quick internet search will present a plethora of home-based business options. So, how do you know which ones are legitimate? The answer is to look at the business model. A solid opportunity provides benefits to all parties involved. Affiliate marketing programs have attracted a lot of attention lately. This type of program is successful because companies need help getting the attention of consumers who have may have an interest in buying from them.
Businesses have long known that referrals from a friend, or another influential authority, such as a trusted business or an association are much more likely to make a purchase than those who come in arbitrarily. This recommendation breaks the initial barrier of distrust between vendor and prospective customer. However, before the internet age, companies had a hard time obtaining enough referred business to sustain their profitability goals. So, they also used expensive media ads to bring in additional customers and build their brands. With the proliferation of internet usage, businesses began shifting some money away from traditional advertising venues to website development and internet advertising. This was a successful strategy when the internet was still small. Now-a-days, there is an overload on information and advertising on the web. So, how does a business stand out to customers who are interested in what they have to sell? They first start by improving their search ranking in an effort to land on the first page of results from searches on major engines like Google and Yahoo. They can do this by optimizing keywords and paying to be listed as a sponsor when people search with pre-specified keywords. This is a necessary tactic, but any good marketer knows that relying on only one stream of leads is short-sighted and risky.
A second tactic is to partner with other websites that provide content which interests their best prospects. This alliance is called an affiliate marketing program (or performance marketing in some circles). It is designed to create a network of targeted lead generators. The concept is simple: companies advertise related products and services to the targeted audience of a website. The owner of that site is rewarded for generating business for referring business to the company. Example: I am interested in cats and build a site with cat tales. Cat food manufacturers, veterinaries, and stores who sell pet food advertise on my site. When my readers click-through to the vendor's sites or make a purchase, I receive a commission. Although there are several affiliate program models the most popular by far is revenue sharing, also known as Cost-per-sale (CPS) or Pay-per-sale (PPS). First a customer must reach the merchant site by clicking on an ad from the publisher's website. When that customer makes a purchase, the publisher of the original site receives a percentage of the sale. Another commonly used affiliate marketing program pays a set dollar amount per referral who performs a given action, such as signing up to the merchant site, subscribing to a newsletter or filling out a form. This is called Pay-per-lead (PPL), Cost-per-lead (CPL), or Cost-per-action/Cost-per-acquisition (CPA).
According to Marketing Sherpa, in 2006, affiliate programs paid out approximately $6।5 billion US dollars in commissions. If there is so much money to be made, why can't you be a part of this growing industry? Perhaps you're thinking you need to be a web designer who is adept at internet marketing strategies. Once again, technology comes to the rescue! The internet allows you to be in business for your self without having to do it by yourself. But how does it work? Where can you go for good advice? Work at Home Enterprises can provide you with in-depth guidance on how to structure an affiliate home business and run it successfully.
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Experiencing Natural Wonders with Ecotourism
Ecotourism
Coined by Héctor Ceballos-Lascuràin in 1983 the term Ecotourism was used to describe nature centric travel to relatively undisturbed areas with an emphasis on education. Today ecotourism consists of cultural tourism, nature tourism, leisure tourism and a good dose of adventure. Sound ecotourism involves travel to natural destinations, minimizes impact, builds environmental awareness, provides direct financial benefits for conservation, provides financial benefits and empowerment for local people, respects local culture, and supports human rights and not exploitation. It is an enlightening, participatory travel experience to environments, both natural and cultural which produces viable economic opportunities for the tourism industry and host communities, and makes the use of these resources through conservation beneficial to all tourism role players.
Global Ecotourism
According to the World Tourism Organisation Ecotourism is the fastest growing market within the ever expanding global tourism industry. Eco-travel is a serious player within the global tourism market and is fast becoming the preferred option in vacationing. We are a society trademarked by a heightened environmental consciousness not known in past eras. This combined with easy accessibility to exotic locations is what has drawn so many to eco-travel. Countries have begun to promote their natural resources, unique locals and tourism facilities in a bid to capture the interest of intrepid eco-travellers. Businesses are constructing camps and lodges and trails and tours are being designed to facilitate the wants and needs of the eco-tourists.
Ecotourism in Africa
Africa is synonymous with the concept of ecotourism, its multitude of game parks and reserves conserve some of the world's most magnificent creatures. The bird life throughout the continent is remarkable, natural wonders are scattered throughout the continent and the cultures and traditions of past eras mystically intertwine with modern day. Each country on this diverse continent offers its own unique appeal to eco-travellers and no eco-traveller would be complete without a trip to Africa.
A Jewel at the Tip of Africa
When the path of tourism began to diverge to ecotourism; nature, heritage and recreational destinations became more important than before and South Africa is a haven for these three cornerstones of eco-tourism. Lying at the very tip of Africa, South Africa is home to some of the most magnificent vistas, sunsets and natural resources one could hope to encounter. It is near impossible to separate SA from a nature experience and the strongest
Ecotourism
Coined by Héctor Ceballos-Lascuràin in 1983 the term Ecotourism was used to describe nature centric travel to relatively undisturbed areas with an emphasis on education. Today ecotourism consists of cultural tourism, nature tourism, leisure tourism and a good dose of adventure. Sound ecotourism involves travel to natural destinations, minimizes impact, builds environmental awareness, provides direct financial benefits for conservation, provides financial benefits and empowerment for local people, respects local culture, and supports human rights and not exploitation. It is an enlightening, participatory travel experience to environments, both natural and cultural which produces viable economic opportunities for the tourism industry and host communities, and makes the use of these resources through conservation beneficial to all tourism role players.
Global Ecotourism
According to the World Tourism Organisation Ecotourism is the fastest growing market within the ever expanding global tourism industry. Eco-travel is a serious player within the global tourism market and is fast becoming the preferred option in vacationing. We are a society trademarked by a heightened environmental consciousness not known in past eras. This combined with easy accessibility to exotic locations is what has drawn so many to eco-travel. Countries have begun to promote their natural resources, unique locals and tourism facilities in a bid to capture the interest of intrepid eco-travellers. Businesses are constructing camps and lodges and trails and tours are being designed to facilitate the wants and needs of the eco-tourists.
Ecotourism in Africa
Africa is synonymous with the concept of ecotourism, its multitude of game parks and reserves conserve some of the world's most magnificent creatures. The bird life throughout the continent is remarkable, natural wonders are scattered throughout the continent and the cultures and traditions of past eras mystically intertwine with modern day. Each country on this diverse continent offers its own unique appeal to eco-travellers and no eco-traveller would be complete without a trip to Africa.
A Jewel at the Tip of Africa
When the path of tourism began to diverge to ecotourism; nature, heritage and recreational destinations became more important than before and South Africa is a haven for these three cornerstones of eco-tourism. Lying at the very tip of Africa, South Africa is home to some of the most magnificent vistas, sunsets and natural resources one could hope to encounter. It is near impossible to separate SA from a nature experience and the strongest
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amaica's underwater wonders
Over the years many songwriters have referred to the beauty of this green pearl in the string of Caribbean islands, and today it is known throughout the world for its lush vegetation, reggae music, rum and coffee. One of the most overlooked attractions is, however, that part of the island that lies below the surface of the ocean that surrounds it. Divers typically do not think of Jamaica as a prime diving destination, except for those who have explored its reefs and have found it to be the best destination of all. Where else can you do a breathtaking wall dive in the morning, enjoy the sea life on a shallow reef at noon, and have plenty of time left in the afternoon to go river rafting, horseback riding, play golf, visit a great house or indulge in any manner of activities. Jamaica as one of the largest islands in the Caribbean has many excellent diving and snorkeling sites: shallow and deep, reefs and walls, wrecks and caverns, home to all manner of sea life: spectacular coral, exotic sponges, spiny lobsters, moray eels, sea turtles and multitudes of colorful fish, big and small. Below we have selected by region some of the unique diving opportunities available to you based on your level of experience. All dives offered by commercial operators in Jamaica are guided dives. The dive guides must have, according to regulations, at least a dive master certificate from an internationally recognized association and be licensed by the Jamaica Tourist Board. Although this limits your freedom to dive wherever you like, this regulation increases the safety and fun of diving in an unfamiliar area. The dive classifications employed below were assigned based on the following principles: Novice divers: Persons who are recently certified, or who have done only a limited number of dives with considerable gaps in between; this could include divers with as many as 20 dives. Dives in this category will tend to be less than 60 ft (18 m) or will not require advanced diving skills. Intermediate divers: Persons who have been diving on a regular basis but lack further training beyond certification, also those with advanced training who have not been diving for the past several months. The environment of this category of dive necessitates greater experience. Advanced divers: Persons with training beyond the open water diver certification that have been diving regularly in the last several months. This requirement will apply to most sites deeper than 80 ft (24 m) because those dives require a mastery of buoyancy and a thorough knowledge of the dive tables. These dives may also be accessible to the less experienced diver after a couple of refresher dives.
Over the years many songwriters have referred to the beauty of this green pearl in the string of Caribbean islands, and today it is known throughout the world for its lush vegetation, reggae music, rum and coffee. One of the most overlooked attractions is, however, that part of the island that lies below the surface of the ocean that surrounds it. Divers typically do not think of Jamaica as a prime diving destination, except for those who have explored its reefs and have found it to be the best destination of all. Where else can you do a breathtaking wall dive in the morning, enjoy the sea life on a shallow reef at noon, and have plenty of time left in the afternoon to go river rafting, horseback riding, play golf, visit a great house or indulge in any manner of activities. Jamaica as one of the largest islands in the Caribbean has many excellent diving and snorkeling sites: shallow and deep, reefs and walls, wrecks and caverns, home to all manner of sea life: spectacular coral, exotic sponges, spiny lobsters, moray eels, sea turtles and multitudes of colorful fish, big and small. Below we have selected by region some of the unique diving opportunities available to you based on your level of experience. All dives offered by commercial operators in Jamaica are guided dives. The dive guides must have, according to regulations, at least a dive master certificate from an internationally recognized association and be licensed by the Jamaica Tourist Board. Although this limits your freedom to dive wherever you like, this regulation increases the safety and fun of diving in an unfamiliar area. The dive classifications employed below were assigned based on the following principles: Novice divers: Persons who are recently certified, or who have done only a limited number of dives with considerable gaps in between; this could include divers with as many as 20 dives. Dives in this category will tend to be less than 60 ft (18 m) or will not require advanced diving skills. Intermediate divers: Persons who have been diving on a regular basis but lack further training beyond certification, also those with advanced training who have not been diving for the past several months. The environment of this category of dive necessitates greater experience. Advanced divers: Persons with training beyond the open water diver certification that have been diving regularly in the last several months. This requirement will apply to most sites deeper than 80 ft (24 m) because those dives require a mastery of buoyancy and a thorough knowledge of the dive tables. These dives may also be accessible to the less experienced diver after a couple of refresher dives.
MONTEGO BAY Rose Hall Reef Depth: 20-45 ft (7-14 m) Class: Novice Named for the famous great house that overlooks the sea just a couple of miles east of Montego Bay, this shallow reef is teaming with marine life. At this location you'll discover "Fairy Castle", a massive colony of pillar coral, and "Fairy Bridge", a coral formation that connects two sections of reef over a sandy "river". The reef forms an intricate system of tunnels that are home to squirrelfish, goatfish, porcupinefish, bar jacks and grunts.
The Spanish Anchor Depth: 50-90 ft (15-28 m) Class: Intermediate Located on the west side of the marine park, the shallow reef drops to a sandy bottom at 50 ft. The site derives its name from the large anchor, undated but of Spanish origin, that rests on the sandy bottom. Within the reef wall one can explore tunnels and caverns with abundant sponge colonies. Sightings of eagle rays are quite common here, and in the deeper water large mutton snappers- and sometimes a docile nurse sharkmay pass by.
Widowmaker's Cave Depth: 40-80 ft (12-24 m) Class: Advanced A deep dive along a wall with a vertical, narrow crack which forms the entrance to Widowmaker's Cave. Inside the tunnel leading to the cave, there is wire coral with, in the beam of your dive light, red polyps, and the walls are covered with multicolored sponges. On this dive you'll likely encounter schools of silvery blue bogas, glassy sweepers, schoolmaster snappers, balloonfish, trumpetfish, hamlets, wrasses and parrotfish.
NEGRIL The Throne Room Depth: 40-70 ft (12-21 m) Class: Novice The entrance to the Throne Room, a fairly wide but low cavern, is a crack in the reef about 25 feet long and 8 feet wide. The walls on the inside are covered with colorful sponges and on the bottom near to the exit you can see a large orange elephant ear sponge for which the site is named. Ceros, cruising along over the sandy bottom, are a common sight, as are small groups of yellow tail snapper.
The Caves Depth: 40-70 ft (12-21 m) Class: Intermediate This site is named for the two caverns, one small and one slightly larger, with a narrow tunnel connecting the two. You can find a variety of sponges here along with soft gorgonians. On the sand flat you will see the usual occupants: furry sea cucumbers, stingrays, jacks and some lane snappers.
Kingfish Point Depth: 80-90 ft (24-27 m) Class: Advanced Among the elephant ear sponges and yellow tube sponges, you may
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Equitours: Worldwide Horseback Riding Adventures Change World Perceptions of the American Traveler
If you’re weighing the pleasures of tourism against the discomfort of going abroad at a time when our country seems widely abhorred, you might want to consider savoring a new way of traveling: on horseback
If you’re weighing the pleasures of tourism against the discomfort of going abroad at a time when our country and culture seem widely abhorred, you might want to consider savoring a new way of making an entrance into that picturesque Provence village. Leave the trains, cars and tour buses to others. What really elicits a warm welcome from locals abroad is arriving in town on horseback.
“Anywhere in the world – Iceland, Tierra del Fuego; France, India – local people greet riders in an overwhelmingly open and friendly way; there’s an instant rapport,” says Bayard Fox, the founder of Equitours, the oldest and largest riding vacation company in the United States. “Horses aren’t just a great passport to some of the most beautiful spots in the world, they are a passport to the hearts of people everywhere.”
Fox, who, with his wife, Mel, has spent the better part of twenty-five years taking Americans to every part of the globe on equestrian vacations, is no stranger to chilly foreign relations. A former CIA operative from the Cold War era, he’s spent years living in Paris, riding with nomadic tribes in Iran, and posing as a big game hunter in Central Africa, all to gather information for the U.S. during the 50s and 60s. His knowledge of foreign cultures is enormous; and his experience has been invaluable in carefully choosing the world’s best riding tours in places that highlight natural beauty,
If you’re weighing the pleasures of tourism against the discomfort of going abroad at a time when our country seems widely abhorred, you might want to consider savoring a new way of traveling: on horseback
If you’re weighing the pleasures of tourism against the discomfort of going abroad at a time when our country and culture seem widely abhorred, you might want to consider savoring a new way of making an entrance into that picturesque Provence village. Leave the trains, cars and tour buses to others. What really elicits a warm welcome from locals abroad is arriving in town on horseback.
“Anywhere in the world – Iceland, Tierra del Fuego; France, India – local people greet riders in an overwhelmingly open and friendly way; there’s an instant rapport,” says Bayard Fox, the founder of Equitours, the oldest and largest riding vacation company in the United States. “Horses aren’t just a great passport to some of the most beautiful spots in the world, they are a passport to the hearts of people everywhere.”
Fox, who, with his wife, Mel, has spent the better part of twenty-five years taking Americans to every part of the globe on equestrian vacations, is no stranger to chilly foreign relations. A former CIA operative from the Cold War era, he’s spent years living in Paris, riding with nomadic tribes in Iran, and posing as a big game hunter in Central Africa, all to gather information for the U.S. during the 50s and 60s. His knowledge of foreign cultures is enormous; and his experience has been invaluable in carefully choosing the world’s best riding tours in places that highlight natural beauty,
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Life is an Adventure, Live It
Costa Rica is Central America's jewel. It's an oasis and an Ecotourism heaven, making it one of the best places to experience the tropics with minimal impact. It's also mostly coastline, which means great surfing, activities and beaches galore with a climate built for laziness.
Costa Rica is Central America's jewel. It's an oasis and an Ecotourism heaven, making it one of the best places to experience the tropics with minimal impact. It's also mostly coastline, which means great surfing, activities and beaches galore with a climate built for laziness.
Deep Sea Fishing Would you like to hook a sailfish on a fly, catch and release a marlin, fight a giant tuna, reel in dolphin fish, take a swim with a porpoise, and catch a few snappers to take back for your dinner? The North Pacific Coast of Costa Rica is a World-Class sport fishing paradise. More than 40 world records have been registered within an 80-mile radius. Sailfish, black marlin, blue marlin, striped marlin (sails and marlin are catch and release), yellow fin tuna and Wahoo are found in abundance. Inshore species include large concentrations of roosterfish and snapper. Billfish are the favored target of most visiting anglers. There are many charter boats on the west coast of Costa Rica. They can accommodate an individual, a couple, a family or a group of any size.
Canopy Tours Swing like a monkey thru the trees on a zip line canopy tour. Guides are professionals in the area of Canopying and most have years of previous experience. The canopy tour offers any adventurous tourist the opportunity to ascend into the forest canopy and see jungle life from a perspective available previously to only a select few researchers and photographers. This is an Adventure for all ages that should not be missed.
Sailing Experience a day of sailing and exploring the impressive Costa Rican coast. While sailing you could encounter dolphins, whales, turtles, manta rays and bat rays. Anchored in a bay you can snorkel coral and rock formations, swim, or simply enjoy the secluded beaches. The best way of relaxing on your vacation is to enjoy a beautiful Guanacaste Sunset Cruise. Sit-back and watch the colorful sunset, while sipping a cold beer, rum punch or soft drinks and enjoying the light snacks.
Volcano's, Hot Springs, Mud Baths and Waterfalls Arenal volcano is well known for its exploding lava shows. Shop at the road side gallery's and gift shops. Visit the rain forest. Lake Arenal, a beautiful 22-mile long lake is great for freshwater fishing. It's home to the hard-hitting rainbow bass, or quapote: five to six pounders are common. Take your swimsuits to bathe in the pools of naturally warm thermal waters amid tropical gardens at Arenal Volcano National Park. For the sports enthusiast you can windsurf one of the premier windsurfing destinations in the world. Due to the area's irregular topography the wind is constant, providing excellent windsurfing conditions, especially in the dry season between December and April.
Buena Vista Hot Springs Canopy tour, hot springs, horses, water slide, waterfall and mud bath. The thermal waters, steam bath, and natural spa are located at the foot of Volcano, Rincon de la Vieja. At the hot springs, you will relax unconditionally as you enjoy pleasurable and rejuvenating treatments with volcanic mud and warm spring waters. This "spoil me" atmosphere makes it easy to forget the hustle and bustle of modern life. By
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Find Serious Romance at Oregon B&B
On Oregon's northern coast, the tiny town of Wheeler sits at the edge of a pristine bay that cloisters all sorts of wonders, which stay even more secret because they often get passed over by the major tourist publications. A mere few blocks long, if you blink you may miss this diminutive gem, where antique shops seem to be the number one industry (there are four such shops, yet only two lodgings and two restaurants). All of this looks out over the Nehalem Bay, where mysterious Neahkahnie Mountain hovers in the distance, looming over the immaculate beaches of Manzanita, some four miles away.
On Oregon's northern coast, the tiny town of Wheeler sits at the edge of a pristine bay that cloisters all sorts of wonders, which stay even more secret because they often get passed over by the major tourist publications. A mere few blocks long, if you blink you may miss this diminutive gem, where antique shops seem to be the number one industry (there are four such shops, yet only two lodgings and two restaurants). All of this looks out over the Nehalem Bay, where mysterious Neahkahnie Mountain hovers in the distance, looming over the immaculate beaches of Manzanita, some four miles away.
Another spot from which to get a stunning view of the bay sits at the center point of Wheeler: the Old Wheeler Hotel. At the corner of Highway 101 and what is called "Artisans Row," Old Wheeler has five cozy and luxurious rooms, all of which have windows to the always-unforgettable bay.
Beauty and romance resonates and oozes from this place, with soothing, Tuscan-inspired color schemes, hardwood floors and a classical décor that's warm, inviting and imparts luxury.
The best of modern conveniences - and a few surprises - await you. The common room serves up breakfast in the morning, and comes with a microwave and high-speed Internet access. Walk down chandeliered and candlelit hallways to the "piano lobby," decked out in a lush, warm pepper-red, stuffed with oversized comfy couches and containing a nifty hammock-like seat. There's also a vintage Wurlitzer piano.
Each room has a vibrant charm to it that's the result of a myriad of nice little details - from the bedspreads and the art on the walls, to the light fixtures and the stuffed animal you may find on your bed. Some rooms have a Jacuzzi and some have a claw foot bathtub.
There's also a masseuse in residence.
On top it all, enjoy free popcorn and movies - thanks to owner Winston Laszlo's history with the film industry. His father was a screenwriter in Los Angeles, so Winston grew up with the world of movies
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Staying healthy while traveling
Your good health is paramount while traveling and taking simple precautions can drastically reduce your chances of falling ill.
Health Insurance
An insurance package that covers your health, possessions and cancellations is imperative.
Immunizations
Immunizations are critical – especially if you are planning to visit 3rd world countries. Many immunizations require a specific time period to take effect or require certain follow-up shots – so plan well ahead. You should record any immunization shots received on an official health certificate as this is often a requirement of visa applications.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can advise you on the current recommendations for your intended destination.
General
Food and water are one of the leading causes of illness for travelers. These simple tips can drastically reduce your chances of illness:
- If the water is suspect, don’t take the risk. This includes ice, food washed and prepared in the water and swimming pools. Buy bottled water or boil/sterilize existing water.
- Only consume fruit and vegetables that can be pealed or are protected by an outer skin (bananas, oranges, pineapple etc)
- Wash you hands thoroughly before all meals.
- When purchasing meat and seafood, look for प्रोपेर
Your good health is paramount while traveling and taking simple precautions can drastically reduce your chances of falling ill.
Health Insurance
An insurance package that covers your health, possessions and cancellations is imperative.
Immunizations
Immunizations are critical – especially if you are planning to visit 3rd world countries. Many immunizations require a specific time period to take effect or require certain follow-up shots – so plan well ahead. You should record any immunization shots received on an official health certificate as this is often a requirement of visa applications.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can advise you on the current recommendations for your intended destination.
General
Food and water are one of the leading causes of illness for travelers. These simple tips can drastically reduce your chances of illness:
- If the water is suspect, don’t take the risk. This includes ice, food washed and prepared in the water and swimming pools. Buy bottled water or boil/sterilize existing water.
- Only consume fruit and vegetables that can be pealed or are protected by an outer skin (bananas, oranges, pineapple etc)
- Wash you hands thoroughly before all meals.
- When purchasing meat and seafood, look for प्रोपेर
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lakky100
When should you talk to your preteen about sex? Most experts would agree, there's no time like the present.
Talking to our youngsters about the birds and the bees is one thing when they're preschoolers, it's quite another when they're preteens. Chances are that at this age you'll get a lot of squirming and looks of disgust when discussing sexual health. But those reactions of embarrassment are pretty normal with preteens, says sexual health educator Kim Marsden. "When they're in the pre-pubescent age, they go into the gross-me-outter stage. Painful for parents, but it's a really important time to persevere and keep talking to them about their bodies."
However kids aren't the only ones who squirm. Many parents find sexual health difficult to discuss and find themselves continually postponing a frank discussion with their child. If this is the case with you, the best bet is to pick up a book, do some reading and then stop procrastinating.
Now is the time to sit down and talk with your child because according to Meg Hickley, author of "Speaking of Sex", "children in grades 4 to 7 have the greatest needs for information and this is the most crucial time to talk. They've been exposed to television and school yard gossip about sexuality and this is your last chance to talk. They need to know about breast development, for boys as well as for girls, that some children gain weight during puberty and it's totally unfair to tease someone about being skinny or fat, and they need to know about body hair and daily washing."
Marsden acknowledges that when it comes to discussing sexual health with children "it's difficult to get the conversation going because they're so embarrassed. So lock them in the car, take a long drive, get talking and keep talking. Then ask them to return the information and see how much they've actually picked up."
And when you've finally had the big talk, pat yourself on the back. According to Hickley the open communication you've created around sexual health will pay off for many, many years. "If you've talked to your kids from preschool through to primary years, I can promise you are going to have a teenager who is filled with joy and optimism about their future adult sexual lives, and who is extremely easy to talk to."
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lakky99
Social Skill Repair: Creative Methods To Build Students' Peer Skills
Peer interaction problems can make any school or agency site chaotic, loud, unpleasant or unsafe. There are no quick fixes to instantly turnaround all your peer problems, but here are some fun ways to begin the process.
The more you can use creative, unexpected and humorous methods, the more success you may achieve repairing poor peer skills. Rely on methods that catch your resistant, oppositional, depressed, withdrawn and defiant youth off-guard and powerfully engage them in learning despite themselves. The interventions below offer those benefits.
** Who You Gonna Call? Gropes Busters! Here's a fun multiple choice quiz that teaches while your students are laughing. Permission is granted to you to print out the quiz for use with students.
The Gropes-Busters Quiz
1. When standing near other kids, it is very important to stand: a) Nose to nose b) On their toes c) About one arm length away
2. When other students say "No," it really means: a) "Yes" with an attitude b) The "n" and "o" are silent c) Stop!
3. When touching others, a guideline to follow is: a) Grope first, ask second b) Ask first, grope second c) Ask first and comply with the answer
4. When watching pro sports like football and hockey, it is important to remember that a) Slapping people's backsides is a universal greeting b) Violent contact is welcomed everywhere c) No one should ever behave as badly as misbehaved pro athletes
5. When touching others, it is always best to a) Never touch anything labeled "radioactive" b) Never touch anything you can't reach c) Never touch until receiving permission first
**BONUS INTERVENTION
To generate a dialogue about interacting with peers who are ethnically, culturally, or otherwise different, use this group experience exercise: Divide students into two groups. Each group will be given the task of either buying or selling items. Privately provide separate instructions to each group on how they may behave, and have these instructions conflict. For example, one group may talk only to blondes; the other group may not permit blondes to talk to others from outside the group. The resulting conflict will mirror real-life clashes and can be followed by a discussion on identifying, understanding and managing cultural, ethnic and interpersonal differences.
**BONUS INTERVENTION
"Problem hands" can be a big problem. It is important to teach youngsters who are being victimized, how to avoid additional problems. But, in addition, remember to teach the victimized kids that they are not to blame. Victims sometimes don't report problem touching by peers for reasons that relate to self-blame. Teach these youngsters that they were not to blame regardless of their dress, demeanor, reputation or personal history. Self-blame issues can be especially important for girls and young women.
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