Geocaching in Canada

Muchmor Canada Magazine decided to take a look at the phenomenon of Geocaching and how you can get involved and make exploring your country even more exciting.So, what is Geocaching?Put simply, Geocaching is a game of treasure hunting or hide and seek. All over the world individuals and companies hide caches and then share the location on the Internet and invite other Geocachers to find them using GPS devices.Some caches can be found quite easily, whereas others require significant hikes and map reading skills. There are puzzle caches that require you to solve clues in order to find the cache and multi-caches, which involve finding several caches before finding the final location. At the time of publication there were over 30,000 Geocaches in Canada and these are added to every day. This type of treasure hunting makes it fun to explore your surrounding and makes for a great family trip. What is a cache?There are many different types of cache to find and the size and contents vary. Smaller caches can be the size of a 35mm film container and contain only a logbook and pencil to register who finds it and when. Other caches can be the size of large buckets or plastic containers with several items inside such as CD’s, money, books, maps, games, in fact anything that is not illegal or dangerous.When you find a cache you should enter your details in the logbook and if items are included you should take one and replace it with something of equal or greater value. Where are caches usually located?The location of the cache is what makes Geocaching interesting. Some are located in easily accessible areas such as at the side of a road, in a local park, cemetery or even in the middle of a town centre. However the more interesting cashes can be placed in very remote locations and may require special equipment in order to find them. Examples include caches hidden underwater that can only be accessed by scuba divers, ones located on rocky cliffs, accessible by rock climbers etc.  do I find the cache?When someone sets up a cache they submit the location details (waypoint) on the Geocaching website. They will also give other clues such as if it is a box or bag and its size, so you know roughly what you are looking for. They may also give you practical information like, “you might need Wellingtons” or  “it is in a very public area”. There will also be details regarding the difficulty and terrain, so you can search only for caches that suit your ability. When you decide which cache to search for, you input the co-ordinates (waypoint) in your GPS device and away you go. is a GPS Device?A GPS (Global Positioning System) unit is an electronic device that can determine your approximate location (within around 6-20 feet) anywhere on the planet, much like a satellite navigation system found in many vehicles.  Coordinates are normally given in Longitude and Latitude. You can use the unit to navigate from your current location to another location. Some units have their own maps, built-in electronic compasses, voice navigation, depending on the complexity of the device. You don’t need to know all the technical details about GPS units to play Geocaching. All you need to do is be able to enter the waypoint where the Geocache is hidden.How do I buy a GPS unit?You can purchase GPS units from many places on the Internet as well as camping stores and other supply stores. The costs vary depending on the type of device you purchase and where you buy them. Units start at around $100 CAD and can be as much as $1,000.The GPS unit you choose should be easy to use and durable. Some GPS units come with certain functions and accessories and others require you to but additional software etc.As a guideline, you should consider purchasing a GPS with the following functions:12 parallel channels, external antenna jack, in/out ports, NMEA compatible, at least 8 megabytes of memory, memory card acceptable, adaptable power sources i.e. cigarette lighter cable, solar charger, rocker keypad, large screen and waterproof. Some GPS units have colour screens and although these can be useful they are not essential to Geocaching and the colour screen will use up batteries much quicker than a black and white. Getting StartedSo, now we have you interested here is what you need to do. Go to the Geocaching website at http://www.geocaching.com/ here you can find out all sorts of information about your new hobby including help and advice, forums etc. Before you start you should purchase your GPS unit and a map of the area, preferably a topographical map, which shows land features such as hills and rivers etc., these can be purchased at camping stores or off the Internet. You might also want a compass and of course make sure you are equipped clothing wise. You should also have items ready that you can leave in the cache in place of the ones you remove. These can be anything from key rings, to CD’s, jewellery to cameras.On the Geocaching website you can locate one or several caches in the area you are concentrating on. You can search by postcode, province etc. Study the information given carefully and look at the results of other people who have found the cache. They might give you some clues, which will make finding the cache easier.Next you need to use your GPS and input the waypoint and off you go. Once you find the cache, remember to sign the logbook and enter any additional information such as how easy it was to find, what fun it was etc. If there are items in the cache take one and replace it with something of equal or greater value. Never move the cache from its original position and always replace leaves, rocks etc if they were there before. You can log your find on the Geocaching website and also email the person who hid the cache to let them know you found it. Safety FirstRemember to always let someone know where you are going and if at all possible never travel alone. Make sure you have adequate clothing, food, water etc and that you have spare batteries for your GPS. When you leave your vehicle at a cache point it is worth entering the waypoint into your GPS so that you can find your vehicle after you have found your cache. Next?Once you get into Geocaching you can start to leave your own caches for others to find.  You can also attend Geocaching events and start to extend your search to other locations and even other countries. You can purchase trackable items to leave in caches such as Geocoins and Travel Bugs. As people transfer then from cache to cache you can track them on the Geocaching website so you can see how far your item has travelled – you might be surprised. There are many different kinds of cache, so you might want to track certain types such as puzzle caches where you have to solve clues in order to locate the cache, or you might want to track only caches that contain Travel Bugs. The scope of Geocaching is endless and new variations to the game are always being invented. One thing is for sure, once you get the Geocaching bug it will be very had to travel anywhere without first checking to see what caches lie nearby for your to find.Number of caches in Canada Alberta: 3,037British Columbia: 5,483Manitoba: 1,074New Brunswick: 3,149Newfoundland and Labrador: 875Northwest Territories: 40Nova Scotia: 2,919Nunavut: 17Ontario: 6,926Prince Edward Island: 267Quebec: 6,279Saskatchewan: 518Yukon Territory: 64Total: 30,648If you are travelling, there are thousands of caches all over the world:United Kingdom: 17,428Australia: 9,908France: 2,149Germany: 31,322New Zealand: 2,868South Africa: 1,701

Publiched in muchmor canada magazine www.readmuchmor.com

UMBRIA-GREAT EVENTS OF SUMMER 2009: tour operator DISCOVER YOUR ITALY will participate to the 4 daysâ?? event in New York City

DISCOVER YOUR ITALY will be in New York City from May 5th to May 8th 2009 for UMBRIA-GREAT EVENTS OF SUMMER 2009 and will make a presentation of its unique tours.

UMBRIA-GREAT EVENTS OF SUMMER 2009 is an event organised by ENIT (Italian Tourism Board) of New York City and UMBRIA REGION for launching the new editions of UMBRIA JAZZ PERUGIA and FESTIVAL DEI DUE MONDI SPOLETO, but it is also a unique chance for American tour operators and travel agents to be introduced to the amazing travel opportunities in UMBRIA.

During the 4 days of UMBRIA-GREAT EVENTS OF SUMMER 2009, participants will experience the best of cultural travel opportunities UMBRIA-the Green Heart of Italy has to offer such as: music performances by world renowned artists (RENATO SELLANI, DANILO REA, ENRICO PIERANUNZI, FEDERICO BRUNELLO and many others), wine and food tasting of the many water mouthing UMBRIA gourmet specialities (wine, olive oil, and many more), tour proposals which are specifically designed to discover the many beauties of this enchanting region of Italy.

Daniela Mencarelli, co-founder of DISCOVER YOUR ITALY, will make a presentation on May 5th 2009 at Rockfeller Center during which she will outline the business model of the this luxury tour operator (cultural tours, small groups, out of the beaten track itineraries, local and art events, sustainable tourism), the offer of tours for spring/summer 2009 in Umbria and all over Italy, the interesting business opportunities for commercial partners.

All interested tour operators and travel agents are invited to attend DISCOVER YOUR ITALYâ??s presentation and schedule an individual meeting with Daniela Mencarelli during the workshop taking place immediately after her presentation in order to discuss specific needs and how DISCOVER YOUR ITALY may meet their expectations.

DISCOVER YOUR ITALY is looking forward to meet tour operators and travel agents at UMBRIA-GREAT EVENTS OF SUMMER 2009 on May 5ht 2009 at Rockfeller Center in New York City.

Article source: DISCOVER YOUR ITALY in New York City for UMBRIA-GREAT EVENTS OF SUMMER 2009

What are the Provincial Planâ??s Coverage When Traveling Outside of Canada?

Out of the budget medical emergencies can be extremely overwhelming and can be so burdensome. Especially when you are out on a trip with your family and friends, or on that important business trip only to find out that your Provincial Health Insurance will not cover your medical expenses; such a nightmare!

Provincial government health insurance plans will only cover emergency care up to a certain extent, and that extent is dependent upon the service that would have been expended in your home province. The rest should be paid for by you, and this is the difficult part here because this would come in very expensive especially if you are out of your own country. This is where travel health insurances come in handy.

Travel insurance is the answer to supplement provincial plan coverage and thus, ensure full coverage for medical emergencies, unexpected illnesses and accidents while on vacation outside Canada. Services like emergency hospitalization, physician fees, medical assistance, emergency medical transportation, health care monitoring and other related services can be provided as well.

In order for you to be eligible for coverage in your provincial health plans, most Canadian provinces require a minimum number of days that one should spend in the province each year. In Ontario, you should stay for a minimum of 153 days in that province within a 12-month period to be covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. In Alberta, the minimum number of days of residency required is 183 days in a 12-month period to be eligible for care under the province health insurance plan; same is true with the most of the other Canadian provinces.

Are you aware that traveling to other provinces within Canadian territory could necessitate a need for you to secure travel insurance to get you covered? There are a number of provinces and areas in Canada where you can find yourself uncovered; there are a number of exceptions in the Provincial Health Plan policy. Items that are not covered include medicines prescribed in the course of consultation, dental services under certain instances and circumstances, expenses incurred from bringing a family member to the ill personâ??s bedside, ambulatory services for transport to a better facility, costs of returning the vehicle, appliance rental like wheel chairs, crutches, braces and the like, and also costs of accommodation of a travel companion.

This only means one thing: buying and securing yourself with a travel health insurance is a necessity, whether you are traveling in or out of Canada.

Travel Pre and Post Internet

Title: Travel: Pre and Post Internet.

By: The Nomad

Travel Pre Internet:

I’ve been travelling for over 40 years – by thumb in my early days, by boots in the Scouts, a Lambretta came next and then my first old banger followed by newer old bangers to the beaches of the Costa Brava.

My thumb, boots, bikes and bangers took me all over Europe and the UK before finding that a charter flight to Spain on an old ‘Connie’ could get me to the beaches and bars a lot quicker and allow more time to enjoy the local travel opportunities by horse and cart and the occasional bus and train.

‘Go West and Prosper’ seemed to be a good idea so instead of taking an 8 hour flight I took an 8 day transatlantic crossing from Tilbury to Montreal on the Stephan Batory of Polish Ocean Lines ensuring that jet lag did not trouble my travel plans. Some years later I crossed the pond again on a ship but this time it was 5 times bigger and I travelled in style on the QE2 and dined in the Queen’s Grill somewhat removed from my earlier experience. I highly recommend ocean voyages but cannot see myself on one of the modern cruise ships going from port to port with constant line-ups to get on and off to buy t-shirts. However, I have done 10 Windjammers and a Star Clipper cruise in the Caribbean which were all memorable (let’s hope Windjammer Barefoot Cruises recover from their woes). But I digress.

I had read that Canada is a spectacular country, from sea to shining sea, and my entrance into the St. Lawrence River to Montreal and then heading west in an old Econoline van from the Great Lakes, across the Prairies to the Rocky Mountains before ending up whale watching off of the Pacific Coast of Vancouver Island was a trip of wonder to a bloke from London. Today the scenery is still spectacular and the best way to go is still by road so rent or buy a car, motorhome or motorbike, take the train or tour bus but remember the maps, a fly rod, good boots and take your time.

My favorite part of Canada / USA for adventure travel has to be Northern BC / Alaska, to hike the Chilkoot Trail in the steps of the goldseekers of 1898. The Northwest Territories to canoe the Nahannie River and the Yukon to drive from Dawson City to Chicken, Alaska. If you like the outdoors and can put up with a few bugs, cast a fly and scale a few hills or drive on endless dirt roads sharing the space with moose, caribou, elk, bears and eagles, then these are the places to put on your list. The pleasures and experiences in driving to Inuvik on the Dempster Highway or to Prudhoe Bay on the Dalton Highway or even the Canol Road can only be felt by doing them. I would have mentioned the Alaska Highway but now it is an easy drive unlike the aforementioned.

Today the costs of driving these distances may mean that sharing the journey with others is required, but RVing or simply vanning and camping is a great way to see beyond the horizon. Some enroute adventures now need to be booked in advance whereas when I hiked Denali and the Chilkoot Pass it was just a case of turning up, registering with the local ranger office and heading on out. A little more forward planning is needed for today’s traveller and cost considerations of lengthy flights or drives have to somehow be countered with more careful planning. In the days of reasonable gas prices I would not even consider the driving or flying costs and have driven to Key West from the northwest coast, down the west coast to the Baja and to the west coast from New York. I once even flew my 1946 Fleet taildragger from the Pacific to the Atlantic and back using around 5 gallons an hour of avgas. Before the oil and credit crisis I drove from Rio de Janeiro to Lima, down to Tierra del Fuego and back to Rio covering over 15,000 miles of spectacular scenery and with no consideration about the cost of gas. South America should be on your itinerary too! Some other memorable drives that may now require a mortgage with the gas companies include London to The Nordkapp, Norway, Skippers Canyon in New Zealand and the loneliness of the far north of Australia and the amazing coast of Western Australia stopping by at Monkey Mia and Wave Rock.

We tend to forget that the real cost of travelling is often less today than over the 40 years of my travels. In 1977 my round-trip airfare from Canada to Australia cost over $1700 in 1977 dollars so today it is far cheaper to fly, even with the airlines gouging for fuel, extra baggage, no service and no pleasure. The ‘Big Mac’ method of price comparison as developed by The Economist newspaper gives us a good gauge for most expenditures of today compared to yesterday but my $1500 cost to get a private pilots licence in the 1970’s seems cheap by comparison to today, but obviously not when using this Big Mac principle. Other travel costs are also far cheaper today but this should not mean that travellers should disregard the many methods of saving costs that can then be put to extended or improved travel experiences

Travel Post-Internet:

In my 40 years of travel I have had to use travel agents to make even the simplest of reservations and buy tickets, not even thinking to ask them if they had “been there, done that?” It was just a case of there being no other options to buying travel. Now we have unlimited choices and can seek out better travel agents, better prices, better selections and information about anywhere in the world for our travels – without even leaving home.

The Internet now gives travellers ideas and options of Where to go, When to go, Why to go, What to do, Who to book with and How to save money and offset costs. We can search and find experts for every travel option. If we are comfortable with the Internet we no longer have to go to a travel agent to make reservations and buy tickets except to book with some of the larger travel companies that still produce glossy brochures and offer all inclusive packages or tours that only sell through the agency system. The Internet also allows those of us who are smart enough to know when to seek out a top travel agent with knowledge, experience and expertise (KEE skills) of destinations and activities about where to find them. There is no longer any need to only use our local agents when we can find one somewhere else in the world. When we do not need ‘the knowledge’ and can do it ourselves we simply surf the web so that we can book directly with tour and travel operators wherever we have decided to go.

Some travel agents operate their own tours, some are both wholesale and retail, some limit consumer selection by only selling their ‘preferred’ suppliers and some have professional consultants with years of experience invested in gaining knowledge, experience and expertise and are worth their weight in gold to the savvy traveller. Beware though, as some are also called destination specialists and some of these designations merely require the agent to take a rudimentary test offered by tourism offices, destination marketing groups or even tour operators and in my opinion can harm the reputation of the travel industry. A specialist is not necessarily an expert.

Travel is probably the most used commercial aspect of the Internet and if retail agents want to harness this exciting medium to offer ‘the knowledge’ and their ‘kee’ skills to a global audience, not just their local community, they must embrace the changes that are happening. Travellers now have the ability to seek answers to the 5 W’s of travel and the important ‘How to’ save money and offset costs by having information just a click away.

And then it occurred to me that even internet travel prices often include a commission element even when sold directly to the consumer. If we book directly with operators we should not have to pay full retail prices as we are doing for ourselves what a retail agent would normally do for us. A dilemma for the operator is that to show a both a retail and a cost price option could deter many agents from selling the services as travellers could use an agent for free advice and book directly with the operator to get a ‘net of commission’ price. Obviously this two tier pricing is not often available but travellers who do not need advice should also not be penalized by retail pricing. A new way had to be found and I think I have found it!

The need for fairer fare prices is why I developed the Top Travel Voucher program at The Top Travel Club and I even found a dot com for it. All travel selections on the site are at ‘net of commission’ prices for members who handle there own travel arrangements directly with the operators linked on the club website using our voucher program.

I am inviting travel operators from around the world to join this program, from B&B’s, Motels, Hotels, Luxury Lodges, Eco Resorts, Beach Resorts and Tour and Adventure Operators who want to promote their products and services to travellers who are comfortable with direct bookings and reservations.

I am also inviting Travel Agents with knowledge, experience and expertise of destinations and activities to showcase their skills to a global audience of travellers and to the members of this new travel club. I am leery of ’specialist agents’ and only want experts to showcase their services.

This opportunity is available to the travel trade at no cost except for them to offer net, wholesale or outlet prices to club members and visitors to the website using top travel vouchers. I believe this program offers fairer fare prices to direct-booking travellers. The operator would normally be paying commission anyway but now travellers get the savings because they make their own arrangements.

The Top Travel Club opened in mid-April 2008 offering thousands of top travel vouchers for travel in over 70 countries with around 150 travel operators onboard. Every week we add more travel operators with more choices for members. Currently you can get savings on accommodations, adventure travel, boat charters, culinary tours, hike, bike and dive tours, auto and RV rentals fishing lodges and guides, safaris, vacation rentals, single travel, women only and dude ranches. Members get the vouchers free of charge by paying an annual membership fee and non-members can buy the vouchers on the internet at Top Travel Sites at deeply discounted prices to the face-value. The future growth will include restaurants, travel clothing, travel insurance and the opportunity to access air ticket consolidators who want to deal directly with consumers.

The way I have travelled and the way I see travel is that consumers should have unlimited access to every travel opportunity with the ability to do their own due diligence or to find a professional who can offer quality advice and services at fair prices, and to find all of this without needing endless hours of searching.

To find out more about the new way of cost offsets for travel please go to The Top Travel Club and my apologies for some of the spelling (traveller / traveler) but that is what I was taught. As long as we all understand the meaning, vive le difference!

Stay in Montreal Canada Hotels to Imbibe the Live and Historic Culture of the City

Montreal is heart of the French Canada. Its flair and sophistication is something that is missing in most of the mega cities in Canada and even in North America. It is second largest city in the Canada is home to many tourist attractions. Its cultural and historic landmarks are source of attraction to tourists. Even some hotels in Montreal Canada have heritage status. It will be worth while to pay a visit to these hotels even if you do not stay in them.

Downtown Montreal is an example of live history. Old Montreal part of the city has been preserved in its historic flavor. Oldest buildings here date back to beginning of the seventeenth century. This area is quite vibrant and hotels and shopping centers in the area offer great tourist attraction to its visitors.

Hotels in Montreal Canada

Area wise hotels in Montreal may be divided into following major regions:

• Cote des Neiges District

• Dorval

• Downtown Area

• Golden Square mile

• Latin Quarter

• Laval

• Longueuil

• Old Montreal

• Olympic Stadium

• Others

Old Montreal is known for its boutique hotels. Some of the popular hotels in the old Montreal are Auberge du Vieux – Port, Hotel place d’armes and hotel St. Paul. Of these first one occupies a heritage building and offer excellent riverfront view from its roof top terrace.

Last Minute Travel can help you find accommodation in any region of the city of the Montreal. They also offer services doe flights and car rentals. Whether it is last minute package search or package in advance you will find services at last minute travel really useful.

Things to do in Montreal

First and major attraction of Montreal is old Montreal. Besides enjoying the culture and history of this place city has lot to offer to it visitors. You may do any of the followings:

Visit to Mont Royal

Mount Royal has never ending fascination for tourists as well as the dwellers of the city of the Montreal. A trek or hike to the mountain is popular among the tourists.

Shopping at Saint-Denis Street

If you like to shop in the historic city visit the shopping district of St. Denis St. and St. Laurent Boulevard. Vibe of the area is eclectic and restaurant, boutiques and shops are treasure trove to any shopping fan.

Point-a-Calliere Museum

This archeological museum provides a visual treat to the history of the Montreal.

Guided tour at the museum is worth taking, one should not miss it. It is free with admission. What is special about the museum is that it conserves in situ remains and it has a river view restaurant in the building.

Montreal Bio dome

Home to four different ecosystems this zoo is must visit for students and families besides eco friendly enthusiasts.

Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art

With more than 7000 works of art of more than 1500 artists it is one of the grand galleries in the Canada. The Gallery offers free admission and guided tours on Wednesday evenings.

All this is not an end to the activities one can get involved in the Montreal city. Thriving city life with rich culture and living history offers diverse activities and treats to its tourists. To enjoy all these activities one needs good accommodation. Hotels in Montreal Canada offer excellent value for money and services of last minute travel will prove invaluable in search of these hotels.