13 Protocol To Be Followed At A Spa

By Rohan Mistry  the owner of a day spa in Mumbai

1. Etiquette : Typical situations demand typical way of behavior. Like, we are expected to have a deadpan expression at a funeral, while the same poker face look can be irksome at a party formal dinner, a business luncheon, a casual party, or a family get-together. This etiquette is the mirror of your persona. It betrays your breeding and decides the social circle that you hobnob with. Each place demands a special code of conduct, and a spa is no exception. A newbie to the spa culture might need guidelines to follow on what to expect and how to behave at a spa. Here are the basics. 
   
2. Arrive Early : Report at least 20 minutes before the time of the scheduled appointment in order to check in, change into a robe and comfortable slippers and settle down. Arrive earlier still if you wish to enjoy the facilities such as a hot shower, a steam room, a sauna or the like at the place. 
3. Switch Off Your Cell Phone : The ambience of a spa is meant to relax your nerves. Everything, right from the staff members to the music to the soothing colors conspire to this effect. The ringing cell phone is definitely an irritant to fellow visitors and the staff alike. Moreover, it comes in the way of your own relaxing. Hence remember to switch it off the moment you step inside the spa, to enjoy a carefree session of a laidback treatment. 
4. Dress Casually : Wear light clothes when heading to a spa. Convey your preference to the therapist depending upon whether you want to be fully clothed during the massage or don't mind being nude. Staff members respect your modesty. Only the part to be treated will be exposed while care is taken to cover all other parts of the body. Also avoid wearing jewellery for the massage, because it hinders movement needed for strokes.
5. Order of Treatments : If you have scheduled two or more treatments in a single spa visit, keep the order of the treatments right. Like, a body treatment followed by a massage followed by a facial. If you are not sure of the order of treatments, do not hesitate to ask the staff for the ideal sequence of the treatments. They would be more than happy to guide you.
6. Choose Your Therapist : While booking for a treatment, request for getting a massage from a therapist of your choice. If you feel more comfortable with one therapist than the other, the spa will make the necessary arrangements. You can also decide whether you want to get a massage from a male or female therapist. Let the spa know of your preferences well in time. 
7. Ask For The Right Pressure : If the massage is hurting you or is too light, tell the therapist so. You may want a more vigorous or a more light massage. Feel free to ask for what you want. Also speak up if anything else is causing discomfort – be it music, light, or temperature. 
8. Choose Whether You Want to Talk or Remain Quiet : During the massage, it is up to you to speak or remain quiet. The therapist will take a cue from you, and respond if you start a conversation or remain quiet if you do so. 
9. Talk About Injuries : Let the therapist know about any physical conditions or injuries so that he may suggest remedies or enhancements in the therapy. It will also help him focus on the area of the injury and take care that the massage does not directly hurt the affected area. 
10. Relax After The Massage : Often, the therapist will ask you to take your time to get up after a massage. Do not hurry to leave the room behind him. But taking your time to get up does not mean you can have a nap. Understand the need for the room to be vacated for the next client. Though, do not hastily get up from the massage table. Give yourself a minimum of five minutes to relax and then change to your normal clothes before leaving the room. If you feel like relaxing for a little while more, there are lounge areas and meditation rooms in the spa for the purpose. 
11. Tip the Staffers : Any satisfactory service rendered should be tipped. A tip of 15-20% of the total amount of treatments is a reasonable one. If you are using a gift certificate ask on the front desk if the tip was included. Do not worry about whom to hand over the tip. Almost all the spas make available envelops for this purpose, which are provided to guests by the front desk executives while checking out. Place your tip in the envelope and do not forget to mention your therapist's name on the top of it.
12. Ask : If you have any other issue regarding anything, feel free to ask the staff there. They will be more than curious to solve your problem to be a good host. Remember that making you feel comfortable is their main concern.
13. Bottomline : Your motive behind visiting a spa is to relax and rejuvenate. Take care that nothing comes between these objectives, not even the stress of becoming a perfect guest. At the same time, respect others' space, too, and you won't need to follow any other rules. Be yourself and go by your intuition. The spa wants you to savor your experience. Help them do that. 

10 Tips For Custom and Immigration

by James Wysong

Here are some tips for getting through customs and immigration without too much fuss and aggravation.

1. If you know you will have a tight connection when you land in the States, leave the flowers and produce behind. Agriculture inspection can add an hour to your re-entry time.
2. Always carry a photocopy of your passport, and keep it separate from your passport. Some officials will accept the copy or at least give you an easier time if you misplace the original.
3. Turn off your cell phone. Customs and immigration officials are strict on that rule; in fact, they will confiscate your phone and not return it if they catch you using it. The reasons for this are unclear, but can you imagine the sound of 500 people on their cell phones at the same time? What a nightmare.
4. Don’t make wisecracks or jokes to the officials; it makes you look like you are trying to hide something.
5. Read your customs forms carefully, and fill them out as soon as you get them. There is a complete guide to filling out your forms along with a list of contraband items in the back of your in-flight magazine.
6. If you are unsure about whether to declare something, declare it. The “Gee, I didn’t know” excuse won’t work.
7. Don’t make a scene if the wait gets long or your bags get a thorough going-over. You definitely won’t make your connecting flight if you are sent to secondary screening.
8. If you are uncomfortable with an agent of the opposite sex searching through your luggage, ask for an official of the same sex. It’s a standard request and perfectly legitimate.
9. Don’t put any fruit in your bag during your vacation if you can help it. You may have eaten that sack of mangos a week ago, but the persistent aroma will have the fruit dog all over your bag and you will be delayed in the agriculture inspection.
10. Leave any compromising photos or videos of you and a partner at home. They could be confiscated as pornography and wind up on a “wall of shame” in some back office.

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The Wonderfull Land : China

Ten Tips For Taking a Trip Around the World

http://away.com/features/shoulder-season-around-the-world-tickets-1.html

So, you’ve finally collected enough spare change in the expendable savings account, you’re dying to tell your jefe to shove off, and your brother—just finishing his studies—is begging to sub-lease your room for a year. Seems the stars have finally aligned: It’s time for that round-the-world trip you’ve spent countless Monday-morning office meetings daydreaming about. But where to start? How do you stretch your pennies so you can escape the rat race for as long as possible?

For most long-term bargain travelers, airfare is by and large their greatest expense. And while a few true adventurers (or lucky poor planners) manage to hook up on-the-go deals from bucket shops in mega-hubs like Bangkok, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, and London, the rest of us desire the security, flexibility, and ease of a round-the-world ticket. Here’s how to find the ticket that’s flexible, cost-efficient, and perfectly tailored for your round-the-world adventure:

Secrets of the Shoulder Season Revealed!
Unsure when to go to the 1,001 destinations on your list? Take a peek at our comprehensive guide to the secrets of traveling during the globe’s shoulder seasons , from Australia to Europe to the Caribbean and beyond.
1. Choose your destinations carefully
Paradise may be wherever you find it, but it is different for everyone—hammocks on a beach in the South Pacific, teahouse trekking in the Himalaya, a safari on the South African savanna, hash bars in northern Europe, or all of the above. First things first: Decide, in general terms, where you’d like to go. Most air brokers offer specific itineraries that include circling the South Pacific, Europe, Asia, or a true, east-to-west round-the-world ticket. These standard itineraries tend to be a bit cheaper (often under $2,000 for a six- to seven-stop trip) and less hassle to arrange, but customized trips can be nearly as inexpensive ($75 and up for additional stops depending on where and when), so contemplate where you want to while away your days and go from there.

2. Get the biggest bang for your buck
Air Brokers (1-800-883-3273; www.airbrokers.com), one of the largest, easiest, and cheapest round-the-world ticket agents, offers several suggestions to keep your ticket costs low: Travel in one direction only (east or west), travel during the shoulder seasons when air tickets are at their lowest demand, and link several of your flights together with overland travel (fly into Sydney and out of Cairns after some overland touring of Australia, for example). Off- and shoulder-season travel has the added benefit of cheaper accommodations, smaller crowds, and discounts with most outdoor outfitters. And one of the best ways to get to know the local people (as well as what’s up in the regional travel scene) is to travel by bus, train, or boat. A Eurail train pass, the Trans-Siberian railroad, a South China Sea ferry, the Ghan train through the heart of the Outback, or a Saharan camel trek are all excellent and exciting ways to see more of the world, and—in most instances—save a little cash.

3. Take your time
Unlike last-minute, space-available deals on some bargain Internet sites specializing in one-way or round-trip fares, round-the-world agents get the best prices by shopping the global wholesale air-travel market, then getting tickets issued wherever they are least expensive. To get the best price and to take full advantage of this global network of suppliers, you usually need to purchase your ticket at least a month in advance of your departure, says Air Treks (1-877-247-8735; www.airtreks.com). These global ticket suppliers can buy a tremendous volume of air tickets and therefore can negotiate prices much lower than published fares. Also, make sure you know the life of your ticket; you may want to extend or shorten your stay in any given destination. Three-month and 12-month tickets are most common, sometimes at nearly the same price, sometimes at slightly increasing intervals.

4. Balance budget and time
A limited budget does not necessarily mean a short trip. You can easily be on the road for six months for only $6,000, including airfare, if you spend the majority of your time in less expensive destinations such as northern India, Cambodia, Turkey, and Eastern and Central Europe. On the other hand, if you have only three weeks for the entire round-the-world experience, consider westward travel to minimize the effects of jetlag and reduce your number of stops, so that you spend your time exploring your destinations instead of the inside of an airplane or your budget hotel room.

5. Prowl the Internet
Once you’ve chosen your places and seasons, shop around. Airline alliances such as Star Alliance (a network of 15 worldwide carriers, including Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, Scandinavian, and United Airlines; www.star-alliance.com) or Sky Team (including Delta, Korean Air, and Air France; www.skyteam.com) occasionally offer better deals, especially if one of your destinations is more expensive or off the beaten path. Both of these alliances feature over 650 destinations, but are rarely as flexible or user-friendly as the brokers specializing in round-the-world tickets. Airline alliances typically insist on at least one transatlantic and one transpacific flight in your itinerary, and unidirectional travel is a must.

6. Take advantage of your advantages
If you are a student or under 26, make sure you check STA Travel (1-800-781-4040; www.statravel.com) for special student and youth bargains. Likewise, if you are over 65, traveling with children, or belong to any airline preferred-passenger clubs, ask your broker what discounts exist.

7. Get your paperwork in order
If you don’t have a passport, or if it expires before your trip will end, take care of that ASAP; the process can easily take up to two months (applications can be picked up at your local post office or online at the U.S. Department of State website). In addition, it is important to make sure all your visas are in order. A visa service can handle your needs for a fee, but most air brokers specializing in these types of trips will happily tell you how to take care of it yourself. Knowing whether a visa is required for each of your destinations, how to apply, how long it usually takes, how long the visa lasts, and how much it costs can easily be found out by contacting the embassies or consulates of the countries you plan to visit. In addition, most countries insist that arriving travelers have proof of onward travel. If you don’t have an outbound ticket in hand, you will need to show evidence of your other travel plans. Your ticket broker should be able to help you with this.

8. Make copies
One absolute necessity: copies, copies, copies of all your important records (passport, visas, travelers checks, credit cards, and ticket information). Email these to yourself, leave them with a trusted friend, hide them in a bag, and trade them with your travel partner. Should you lose your important stats, narrowly escape certain disaster with nothing but the clothes on your back, or have anything stolen, you’ll need to consult these copies, particularly for reissuing your plane tickets.

9. Changing your itinerary
Found your raison d’être, the love of your life, or just a really good chicken tikka-masala and simply have to stay one more week? It’s important to know how to change your itinerary on the road. Most tickets are good for up to one year and changing dates is usually free. Adding destinations is a different story, though. Sometimes that will cost as little as $75, but it is important to know the parameters of your ticket before you leave, as well as what on-the-road support you can expect. As you travel other travelers will know the best places to stay and what to see and do, especially since even the best guidebooks are a year or two out of date. This means you’ll want to be flexible, and you’ll want your ticket to be flexible, too. Discuss the costs and change-of-plan options before purchasing your tickets.

10. Check the fine print for added benefits
Many air brokers, such as Air Treks and Around the World Tickets (1-800-627-0715; www.aroundtheworldtickets.com) offer great bennies such as emergency medical transportation insurance and 24-hour medical, legal, and travel assistance. When you are talking about similarly priced tickets, these added extras just might help you make your decision.

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Internet Travel Guide

Visit this site : www.fodors.com

Fodor’s is an excellent example of what an Internet travel guide can do for you. It contains not just information on destinations and sights but is a guide to hotels, restaurants, and much more. The Travel Wire (short travel articles) section alone would make this site worthwhile.

The travel guide (Destinations) part of the Fodor’s site is accessible either by clicking on the Destinations tab, or link, or by clicking on the map found on Fodor’s main page. You will be taken to a clear, straightforward directory of destinations arranged by continent, country, region or state, and city. In all, Fodor’s provides these “miniguides” for nearly 300 cities and regions (Figure 2.1), but the number of destinations is more than 300 if you count the Side Trips links provided for those destinations. For most countries, you will get a miniguide for several cities. For some smaller countries, such as Slovakia, the information focuses on the country itself. Expect to find miniguides for major cities, but not for the many smaller cities covered in the corresponding printed guide. Because Fodor’s does not publish printed travel guides for all countries, some are notably missing online, particularly some Asian, African, and Middle Eastern countries.

For each city (or region), expect to find an Overview and sections for Sights & Activities, Restaurants, Hotels, Nightlife & the Arts, and Shopping. Click on any of the latter five categories to get a list of places or events with a brief description of basic details. Each of those sections also has an Overview subsection that is particularly useful for getting an overall feel for opportunities for hotels, sights, etc. A Smart Travel Tips section provides information on Arriving & Departing, Getting Around, and Contacts & Resources. You will also find links to suggested itineraries for various lengths of time. Additional Features links take you to information on When to Go, Fodor’s Choice, and side trips and special topics relevant to the particular city. For the unique flavor of a city, don’t pass up these special topics links—for example, for Sydney, Australia, you may find an article on “The Shocking Truth About Australian Wine,” and for Chicago, Illinois, one on “Chicago’s Gangster Past.” Also take advantage of links to Maps, Related Destinations, Weather, and Adventure Travel, provided by Fodor’s partner sites, such as Weather.com.

In the Hotels section for any destination, look first at the Lodging Overview link to get a feel for the overall lodging situation for the destination. On a Hotels page, you will find a list of hotels with a price range, a (Fodor’s) Guest Rating, and a Book It link. Click on the hotel name to get a more detailed description of the hotel, an address, and phone numbers. The details page may also provide individual ratings and tremendously useful comments from travelers themselves. In the Restaurants section, check out the Overview subsection first, which is designed just like the Hotels Overview section. From the Overview, use the Go to Restaurants Listings link to get to names and descriptions of restaurants.

Links on Fodor’s main page (and at the top of most Fodor’s pages) lead to sections for Hotels, Restaurants, Travel Wire, Talk, Booking, and Bookstore. Fodor’s does a good job of integrating this variety of content and provides multiple ways to get to a specific bit of information. If you start with the Destinations section for a particular city, you will find subsections for hotels, restaurants, etc. If you start with the Hotels link on the main page, you are then led to a choice of destinations, and so on. Whatever you choose as a starting point, in the end, you get to the same information.

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Discount Rates for Hotel Reservation

• There are several discount opportunities for the world traveler to exploit when seeking upscale accommodations, even during peak periods. No one strategy works every time, in every circumstance. If a hotel is not offering one type of discount, ask about another. And even another. Be persistent.
• The Web is a great place to start your search, as you can obtain information and check out standard rates.
• Naturally, use free nights you may have earned if the hotel rate would otherwise be expensive.
• Be sure to ask for at least four to five possible rates, including 50 percent discounts (such as the Entertainment Directory rate or Starwood half-off discount by redeeming 1,500 points for up to four nights), weekend or holiday rate, AAA or AARP rate, negotiated corporate rate/corporate discount, introductory or renovation rate for new or refurbished properties, and the convention rate if you will be attending a meeting for which hotel rooms have been assigned.
• When calling a hotel, never end the call before asking about any other special or promotional rates—you may be surprised what other discounts are forthcoming!
• Hyatt offers members of its Gold Passport program the options of using 3,000 or 6,000 points to upgrade to Regency Club or Suite, respectively, for up to four nights, when paying the rack rate.
• If you still cannot find a great rate, contact hotel consolidators. Potential disadvantages include discounts that are usually less than if you contact hotels direct, a focus on independent rather than chain hotels, no hotel loyalty program points, the possibility of getting one of the least attractive rooms, and the likelihood of stiff fees if you cancel or change.

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The Secret Of Low Cost Airlanes

‘‘Value’’ or low-cost airlines, such as Southwest, JetBlue, America West, America Trans Air (ATA), AirTran (different from ATA despite similar yet confusing names!), Frontier, and Spirit have made it possible for the traveling public to save billions of dollars. Currently, 75 percent of Americans have the option of flying on a low-cost airline, although some travelers may need to drive as much as two hours from their home to the airport or from their destination airport. Southwest has trailblazed this market niche for over two decades, with its impeccable safety record and consistently profitable operations serving to enhance the reputation of low-cost airlines.

JetBlue, the best-funded airline startup ever, took the concept one step further, positioning itself as the low-cost airline with select frills, offering satellite television for every passenger and more leg room at most seats—but no meals (even on cross-country trips) or first-class cabin. Still, it’s much easier to pack a gourmet lunch than a multichannel TV set! Low-cost airlines are now recognized as the single biggest threat to the survival of the ‘‘big boys.’’ Recognizing this, most major airlines have at some point in time set up value subsidiaries—including Continental Airlines with its short-lived ‘‘Continental Lite,’’ United Shuttle on the West Coast, and US Air MetroJet on the East Coast. But none was able to replicate the operational prowess of Southwest, and each one was disbanded.

Nevertheless, several major airlines are vowing to try setting up low-cost subsidiaries all over again, with Delta’s Song and United’s Ted the first of several attempts by major airlines to address the growth of low-cost airlines!

The average amount of revenue major and low-cost airlines earn per mile transporting passengers is quite similar, typically being slightly higher for major airlines that also include first-class cabins. However, the biggest advantage low-cost airlines have over major airlines is significantly lower labor costs. Additional cost-saving benefits for low-cost airlines include factors such as purchasing new fuel-efficient aircraft, never providing meals, and using secondary airports which have cheaper landing fees and which are often less congested, thereby significantly decreasing operating expenses.

After the September 11 tragedies, which coincided with a slumping economy, business travelers were forced to scale back on high-priced fares, and major airlines came under relentless attack from low-cost airlines, resulting in the bankruptcies of US Airways and United Airlines in 2002, followed by Hawaiian Airlines in 2003. American Airlines came within hours of declaring bankruptcy in 2003. There is widespread agreement that the major airlines will have to restructure their entire business model if they are to survive the onslaught they face from low-cost airlines such as Southwest, JetBlue, and Frontier.

There are some drawbacks to flying low-cost airlines. If any of the following are important to you, you might want to steer clear of the low-cost carriers:

• Some do not have preassigned seating. This has been Southwest Airlines’ most significant weakness.
• In many instances, they fly into minor airports that can require significant travel time from central locations, for example, Jet Blue. (Long Beach rather than Los Angeles) and Southwest (Baltimore rather than Washington, D.C.; Providence or Manchester rather than Boston; Oakland rather than San Francisco). Several European carriers fly out of Stansted or Luton rather than Gatwick or Heathrow in London.
• Meal service is the exception (peanuts and pretzels are typically as good as it gets!), even when flying five or more hours cross-country.
• Some do not have frequent flyer programs, or the limited network of cities served reduces award redemption opportunities. (Hey— Southwest and JetBlue do not fly anywhere outside the U.S. mainland,so not even Hawaii is an option!)
• Few fly long distances—from one major airport to another— without at least one stop, although Southwest, JetBlue, and America West do have nonstops on a few of their cross-country routes.
• Southwest passengers who have purchased cheaper nonrefundable tickets must pay extra to go standby.
• Most do not have large fleets or extensive maintenance crews at all airports served, which can be a setback when an aircraft experiences a maintenance problem. Since tickets on low-cost airlines have limited transferability to other airlines, you may want to be cautious and plan for possible delays or cancellations by building in at least a two- to four-hour buffer between your scheduled arrival and a subsequent appointment.
• If your flight on a low-cost airline is canceled, you will almost always have to wait for another flight on the same airline or get a refund—but then you’re left trying to find a last-minute purchase on another carrier, which could be expensive. Conversely, major airlines do have agreements with competitor airlines, meaning that a major airline can validate your ticket to an alternative carrier in the event of cancellation. Major carriers may pay for a hotel room if the cancellation strands you overnight, whereas most low-cost airlines will not. Finally, if delay or cancellation of your low-cost airline flight results in a missed connection with another airline (such as when connecting to a cross-Atlantic flight), the responsible airline will owe you nothing. However, a missed connection when transferring flights within the same major airline will get you rescheduled to the next available flight at no extra charge.
• In Europe, low-cost airlines charge significant amounts for excess baggage. For example, Ryanair levies $6 per kilo for anything over 33 pounds. This restriction could mean that U.S. travelers, who are accustomed to a two-suitcase allowance, could incur a hefty baggage charge!
• With the exception of Southwest and JetBlue, low-cost airlines have been known to operate with precarious financial support. Names that disappeared around the turn of the century include ValueJet, Sun, Pro-Air, Kiwi, Tower, Vanguard, National, People Express, and Eastwind Airlines. Make sure you pay only with a credit card for travel within sixty days or less, so that you can dispute the transaction with your credit card company if the airline should suspend or discontinue service

ALERT : If a low-cost airline should disrupt service shortly before you travel, the cost of purchasing a last-minute fare on another airline may be prohibitive. Occasionally, a price break is given by another carrier to those who are victims of unusual circumstances, or there may be a law requiring other carriers who service the same route to pick up the slack, usually with some administrative fee tacked on. But don’t count on much sympathy from the major airlines!

Given the disadvantages described above, don’t blindly accept that a low-cost airline offers you the overall best deal. Before you go the value route, first compare prices and perks with your favorite large carrier(s). Where the prices are equivalent to the value carriers, we recommend you choose to fly on major airlines, such as United, American, Delta, Northwest, Continental, Midwest Express, or Alaska Airlines. The exceptions would be Southwest and JetBlue, which have managed to consistently combine excellent fares and on-time performance with financial stability.

Source From The Book : Guerrilla travel tactics : hundreds of simple strategies guaranteed to save road warriors time and money by Jay Conrad Levinson, Theo Brandt-Sarif.

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