Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Planning the Perfect Trip

If you’re planning a holiday, you want to try and squeeze every last drop of enjoyment out of it. These tips will show you how!

Whenever we start preparing for a holiday, a fair bit of work goes into making it ‘perfect’. A holiday is such a rare treat for most of us that we want to squeeze every last drop of enjoyment out of it, and whether you’re planning a Fiji holiday , a backpacking adventure to Thailand, or whale watching in Albany, we’ve got a few tips that will help you do just that!



Budget
Part of planning the perfect trip is budgeting so that you’ll have enough money to last you, and so that funds aren’t going to be an issue. Wherever you’re going, figure out what you want to see, do, eat and of course where you want to stay. Decide on the type of trip you want to have before you start planning your budget, and then you can get a realistic idea of what you’ll need to spend to achieve it. Be generous with your predicted spend-per-day, because we all know that unforeseen expenses can arise and that little voice inside your head telling you to splurge gets mighty loud while you’re on holiday!

Itinerary

Part of having a ‘perfect’ holiday, ironically enough, is accepting that however meticulously you plan it some things will veer off course. That’s part of the fun in travelling, and accepting that plans change and things go wrong and there is no such thing as perfection? Well, those are pretty decent ways to have a brilliant time. Having said this, a good itinerary is a great way to make sure you see and do everything that you wanted to do.

Researching the big attractions and landmarks and figuring out where you want to go (before you get there) is a big bonus, as it lets you prioritise. Make sure you don’t book up every minute of spare time, however—those little spur-of-the-moment tours and day trips can be the highlights of the whole trip!



Accommodation

Whether you are in Vietnam hotels, Canadian cabins or Albany's HideAway Haven, the thing that will have the biggest impact of your enjoyment of your accommodation is whether or not you go value for money. If you paid $5 per night for a hostel in South America and you discover the mattress is uncomfortable it’s an annoyance, but at the end of the day you know that you still got a bed for $5!

Similarly, if the mattress is uncomfortable in a 5 star hotel you paid through the nose for, you’re going to be a lot angrier and it’s going to have much more of an impact on your trip. The key to happiness when travelling is managing your expectations. Make sure that you do your research and get value for money when buying anything. It’s not so much a question of how much it costs when it comes to accommodation, but how much it is worth.


Travel is the spice of life, and there is nothing better than returning from a trip and knowing you’ve had a truly amazing holiday. While there may not be any such thing as a perfect holiday, you can come pretty darn close. Bon Voyage!


HideAway Haven, Luxury Accommodation in Albany is the perfect luxury accommodation for the Corporate or Business Traveller, Romantic Retreats, Honeymoons, Weekend Escapes, Couple Pamper Weekends, Babymoons, Girls GetAways, overseas travellers and Foodies

 HideAway Haven ~ Happiness and Harmony Happen Here



HideAway Hostesses @ Joop Thai in Albany

As luxury accommodation providers we give our guests the ultimate service during their stay with us. That is why we were winners in the 2011 ACCI Customer Service Business Award. Many guests ask us to recommend a restaurant. We don't like recommending if we haven't eaten there and can recommend with confidence, so headed off to Joop Thai. Joop Thai is a newly opened Thai restaurant in Albany.

Wow what can we say!! Thai cuisine is known for its balance of flavours and its use of fresh herbs and spices and Joop Thai gets 10/10 from us for flavour, presentation and service. The aromas coming from the kitchen were amazing.  We were with a group of 10 and they all gave 10/10.  Our waitress knew the menu and specials inside and out. The meals are so generous and but we were too full to try the amazing dessert menu. Apparently they don't sell many. Joop Thai is BYO and they do not charge a corkage fee. They are open from 5 - 9 Tuesday to Sunday and also serve Take-a-Way.  In a very short time Joop Thai has become a very popular place to dine.







HideAway Haven, Luxury Accommodation in Albany is the perfect luxury accommodation for the Corporate or Business Traveller, Romantic Retreats, Honeymoons, Weekend Escapes, Couple Pamper Weekends, Babymoons, Girls GetAways, overseas travellers and Foodies

 HideAway Haven ~ Happiness and Harmony Happen Here

Monday, September 26, 2011

HideAway Hostesses playing in Fremantle

We spent a night in Fremantle last week. We stay at the Platinum Suites, which overlooked the Fremantle Marina. On our arrival we were warmly welcomed by Vicki, who admitted she was nervous having luxury accommodation providers staying with her. Platinum Suites is conventiently located on South Street and has all the conveniences necessary for a corporate stay, including free WiFi an absolute must for us.

We went to The Red Herring for dinner. Set over the glistening waters of the Swan River, the exquisitely designed surrounds exude style, elegance and magnificence. The night lights reflected on the water and we watched the boats come and go.

We had a very friendly, helpful waiter who was able to recommend dishes and wine.











It was nice to get away and spend some time together and have others wait on us instead.



We enjoyed Beer Battered Fresh Bronze Whaler Fillets,

Risotto Milanese –sauteed wild mushrooms and saffrom acidulated butter

Grilled Garlic Prawns