Arlene, Author at Seek Your Trip

March 10, 2019 by Arlene

Top Destinations To Consider For Your Special Getaway This Year

With spring well and truly on its way and the snow and cold beginning to dissipate in many parts of the world, you may be starting to think about the coming summer months and all the fun and frivolity to be had. If you’re planning a great summer getaway with the family, now’s the time to start thinking about it. Have you ever wondered about travelling to those long lost countries that no longer exist and what parts of them you should visit today on a summer holiday with you and your sweetie? Have a look at these top Azure Collection destinations to choose from, some ‘old lost countries’ and others not.

Tanzania

This gorgeous African country isn’t technically a lost country, although it’s name has changed over the years. Formerly known as Tanganyika, Tanzania is one of the most visited on the continent, and for good reason. With its rugged mountains, vast Serengeti plains, Mount Kilimanjaro and island of Zanzibar, you’ll find you never stop in Tanzania. Welcoming locals greet you with “Mambo” or “Jambo” and you can be sure to find something to enjoy somewhere in the borders of this bustling and colourful nation. Whether it’s kicking back on the powder white beaches of Zanzibar or going on a luxury safari in one of the many nature reserves, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or visiting the birthplace of Queen’s Freddie Mercury in Stone Town, you will be sure to fall in love with Tanzania over and over again.

Canada

Canada is a lost country? Not in itself, but from 1907 to 1949 the Dominion of Newfoundland was actually its own self governing entity before becoming a part of the country of Canada. Newfoundland is probably one of the most unique provinces in Canada today due to the fact it’s retained much of its own culture thanks to being a self governing body for much of the 20th century. Home to the oldest English colony in North America, Cupids, it’s an excellent place for those who want to explore the history of colonisation of the continent. The capital, St John’s, is a great place to mingle with the extremely friendly and welcoming locals – so friendly in fact that you might even get invited to a barbecue or two.

On the Avalon Peninsula and near to Bonavista you can sometimes catch a glimpse of an iceberg or three in the springtime. Sometimes they stop off for a day or two in the bays of small cove towns where the locals will go ‘iceberg harvesting’, a tradition where locals will fish broken iceberg ice from the sea for use year round in their drinks. In fact, it’s such a time honoured tradition that Iceberg Vodka, a Canadian liquor corporation, uses iceberg water in their different vodkas and rums. There’s also Iceberg beer available, made by the Quidi Vidi Brewery in St John’s.

Don’t miss: L’Anse Aux Meadows, way up in the tip of the island near St Anthony. A picturesque drive, L’Anse Aux Meadows is believed to be the oldest viking settlement in North America.

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia, a ‘lost country’ was its own governing nation after it split from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918 after the fall of the Empire following the First World War. Following a period of control by Nazi Germany and the Soviets, eventually the country peacefully divided in 1993 into the Czech Republic (now sometimes known as Czechia) and Slovakia. For those who want to visit either, you’re in for a treat of all the senses as both countries boast immaculate scenery, amazing locally brewed beers, and mouthwatering food, much of which has been influenced by surrounding countries including Austria, Germany and Poland.

The capital cities, Bratislava of Slovakia and Prague of the Czech Republic are both ideal spots for anyone to start their adventures. With typical European town squares featuring impressive architecture and history, they make great places to get lost amid back alleys with lots of opportunity to stumble across unexpected surprises. For the nature lover, both countries are home to amazing natural areas such as the spa town of Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic or the Tatras Mountains in Slovakia.

So whether you’re looking for a relaxing beach holiday, something a bit more upscale and cosmopolitan or a real adrenaline-pumping adventure, these suggestions will truly give you something to ponder while you think about your next preferred holiday. Enjoy!

March 6, 2019 by Arlene

Tree Cutting Should Be Intentional to Ensure Safety

Tree cutting should be intentional to ensure safety. That statement may sound strange on the surface, but it is indeed true.

Think about it: How many times have you driven somewhere and seen tree branches hanging all over the road practically begging to cause an accident? How many times have you been walking outside and either been hit or nearly hit by a piece of a tree that was sticking out? Worst of all, how many times have you seen a tree that looked wobbly and instilled legitimate fear in you that it could fall and cause untold amounts of damage?

Unfortunately, these things have most assuredly happened far too many times to count.

There are constantly dangerous scenarios that could occur if a tree, or at least a sick part of that tree, is not cut when it has potential to be hazardous, and this is something that everybody should keep in mind when it comes to tree maintenance.

The bad news is, you cannot control what everybody else does with their trees, so you are still going to encounter these situations.

The good news is that there are ways for you to avoid this when it comes to your own trees, which is why, in addition to cutting trees for aesthetic reasons, tree cutting should be intentional to ensure safety.

Properly trimmed trees help keep your neighborhood safe

Dead parts of a tree may not seem like much to you on the surface, but getting rid of them can be a great way to avoid potential hazards. These dead pieces can become dangerous for various reasons. If they fall from the tree, they can easily become tripping hazards. And even more common, it can attract mold, rot, and insects, all of which can greatly weaken the tree, causing enough damage to greatly increase the likelihood that it will need to be removed. Or even worse, that it could fall.

Cutting parts of a tree can have a positive impact on tree growth and development

Clearing out the dead weight is necessary for trees to continue to grow. New and healthy branches, as well as leaves, cannot grow until the dead material is removed, and the tree itself cannot progress without this new growth.

It also allows for the development of a healthier root system because having all the dead weight cleared out lowers the potential for diseases and pests the tree must fight off. If the tree no longer has to use its resources to protect itself, it is free to focus on strengthening its roots.

Sometimes the whole tree needs to go

Parts of the tree need to be removed when they are dead, weakened, or otherwise potentially hazardous, but what about the tree itself?

If you have a tree that is too weak or sick to survive hardship, your best bet may be to preemptively strike. We know it’s a challenging decision to remove a tree in your yard that you care about, but if that tree is at risk of collapsing, the smart move is to remove it before it beforehand.

Depending on the size of a tree, if it collapses on its own, it could do hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage or even case undue harm to people. These are not risks anybody should be taking and instead, the tree should be cut down so that it can be removed in a safe way that does not result in harm to any person or property.

Ensure tree cutting maximizes safety and minimizes damage

Obviously, it stands to reason that if you do not know what you are doing or are uncomfortable in any way, you should call a professional tree service to take care of your trees. However, if you are going to proceed with tree cutting on your own, there are a few things you need to consider as far as best practices.

First, it is almost always best to do tree cutting work while the plant is dormant. This decreases the chances of the tree contracting a disease before it has time to heal. Also, the size of the tree and its branches must be kept in mind because if dead branches are five centimeters in diameter or less, removing it is pretty safe. However, if it’s five to ten centimeters, then you may want to think twice about removal. And if it is larger than ten centimeters, your tree would be best served not touching it at all unless you have no choice.

When removing key parts of the tree, always aim for two-third crown and one-third base. Otherwise, you could cut off too much and the tree could potentially lose a lot of its nutrients. Also, some construction equipment can badly damage the above-ground portion of a tree by destroying branches, tearing bark, and wounding the trunk. As a result, it is extremely important to pick your equipment with intention and proceed with extreme caution because that type of damage can be irreversible and potentially deadly for the tree.

If you are removing a significant part of the tree, like a major branch, you should always look for the branch collar – the soft tissue from which the small branches grow – because you do not want to cut too close to it and do lasting damage to the tree.

If you cut too close to the branch collar, it could cause the tree to develop an infection or inhibit its growth. You also must be careful to cut as far away from the roots of the tree as possible. If you do not, it could badly impede the health and stability of the tree, making it especially vulnerable to, particularly during adverse weather conditions like a storm.

Ultimately, if you care for your tree with the best intentions and relinquish tasks to professionals when necessary, you can expect it to have a long and healthy life.

January 17, 2019 by Arlene

Why Choose Budget Hotels in Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes is a highly popular town for tourists and business travelers alike for its proximity and connectivity to London. More than 200 trains operate between Milton Keynes Central and London Euston every day, making this town highly popular amongst tourists who wish to avoid the expensive hotels in London. Budget hotels in Milton Keynes, such as Mercure Milton Keynes Hotel, are located close to the station and offer easy access to the various tourist attractions in and around the town. Not only this, 90% of places in England and Wales can be reached in five hours from Milton Keynes. The town is well connected to several airports in the UK too.

Milton Keynes: Some Facts

The beautiful town of Milton Keynes must be explored to enjoy the natural beauty of its various parks and attractions, such as Wobourn Safari Park and the Silverstone racing track. Some interesting facts about this town are:

Milton Keynes Borough covers 119 square miles and is the last and largest of the new towns in the UK. The town is famous for its green areas and the abundance of parks can be gauged from the fact that no one in Milton Keynes is ever more than half a mile from a park.
The town is famous for its Central Shopping area Centremk, which along with Xscape, offering a wide range of physical and entertainment activities, and intuMK, attracted over 44 million visitors in 2015 alone. A visit to Snozone in Xscape, which boasts 220 feet high real snow slopes, topped each day with fresh snow, is highly recommended.
Milton Keynes Stadium, with a capacity to seat around 30,000 people, is easily accessible from the several popular budget hotels and is known to have hosted numerous matches of the Rugby World Cup in 2015. The football stadium is home to the Milton Keynes Dons Football Club, a professional association football club.
Several hotels are also located near Bletchley Park Museum, famous for its displays associated with the decoding technology used in World War II and the latest technological developments. The world’s first semi-programmable electronic computer ‘Colossus’ was built here.
The town of Milton Keynes is based on a North American style grid network, wherein all main roads use an H or V, indicating whether they run horizontally or vertically. This highly popular town had an estimated population of 245,750 in 2011, which is expected to grow to 284,400 by 2021.
The advantage of the various cheap hotels near the train station is that they offer free parking & electric car charging points. Visitors can explore the various attractions in Milton Keynes via foot or cycle by using the town’s extensive Redway system.
Although a small town, Milton Keynes has more bridges than Venice and a longer shoreline around its lakes than Jersey.

So, choosing a good budget hotel near Milton Keynes Stadium will allow you to explore the beauty and uniqueness of this town near London.

December 19, 2018 by Arlene

WHY DUBAI IS KNOWN AS THE CITY OF THE FUTURE

Dubai is a popular destination in the Middle East that is rapidly making a name for itself on a global scale. The city is quickly becoming known as the City of the Future, but you may not know why.

Keep reading to learn why Dubai has received the title of the “City of the Future.”

1: IT IS AN EVER-GROWING CITY

The city is always changing thanks to the expansion of the skyline due to new real estate projects in Dubai. More and more people are visiting the city and even making it their new home, sparking the need for this expansion. Projects like Madinat Jumeirah Living

& Port de La Mer, continue to attract real estate investors from all around the world.

Be it Madinat Jumeirah Living or Port de La Mer, top real estate brokers in Dubai can help anyone snuggle in to any of these properties. The new real estate projects in Dubai are always so beautiful and are ready to make way for even more people in the future!

2: IT IS A BUSINESS CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

Business makes the world go ‘round and it is no different in the bustling city of Dubai. The city is being known as the City of the Future thanks to its ability to unite business ventures in both the Eastern and the Western region of the world.

The city has become a popular destination for business events and even has several business-related events scheduled throughout the year that are free and affordable to everyone. Many believe that Dubai will soon be the place where world leaders will come together to discuss global economy, transportation, food, healthcare, construction, and much more.

3: IT USES AMAZING TECHNOLOGY

Because of the surge of visitors that come each and every year, the Dubai airport, according to the BBC, has increased technology to help cope with the ever-growing tourist surge. For example, the airport has its own control station where they can view each and every person in the airport thanks to infrared technology. They can see this and predict if there will be any surges.

The city also plans to build a “hyper loop,” a sort of subway that will link from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, which will help ease traffic congestion throughout the city.

These are just three of the endless reasons Dubai has quickly become the City of the Future. Everyone everywhere is excited to continue to watch this city grow and expand into a futuristic location built for commerce, by technology, and for everyone!