FrugalMonkey Discount Travel News

Tag: travel

  • Volunteer Vacations Abroad

    While some people consider a vacation as a time to sit back and relax, others are using their vacation time to give back. Going on a volunteer vacation is an excellent way to see the world in a non-traditional way. Volunteer vacations are being set up all over the world through charity and volunteer organizations as a way for people to get involved when they travel abroad. Eco-vacations, or city volunteering are two popular ways to volunteer while you’re studying, working, traveling, living or vacationing abroad. College students find this an excellent way to get in volunteer hours while others see it as simply a way to give back. Go on a non-traditional vacation and put in some volunteer hours!


  • With The Exchange On Your Side…

    Thousands of expatriates and hundreds of travel articles are buzzing about travel in Argentina. One of the world’s most culturally rich countries (with world famous wine and steak) has travelers in a tizzy over the activities and vacations available at a fraction of normal vacation costs. Because of the favorable exchange rate to the peso, travelers from all over the world are vacationing to Argentina cheaply with their hard earned dollars. Right now you can travel to the Paris of the South for an amazing South American vacation with cheap flights through travel auction sites. Students who book with STA travel can even find flights for as cheap as $700. That’s hundreds of dollars off previous prices! And when your dollar earns you 3.7 pesos that’s a lot of wine and more than a few amazing steak dinners to write home about.


  • Kick Back On The Big Island

    Looking for an amazing summer getaway? Well getaway from it all and travel to Hawaii’s Big Island for fun in the sun with all the adventure you can pack in.

    The Big Island has all sorts of adventures perfect for a summer with friends, family or just some alone time.


    If you’re looking for some beach time, it’s hard to look past Hapuna Beach. This beach is a crowd favorite and has all kinds of activities near by that are a perfect addition to your island paradise. You can go horseback riding, kayaking, go snorkeling, boogie boarding and more! Enjoying the surf and sand is a big part about visiting Hawaii. Make sure you take in some beach time while you’re on the Big Island. You deserve it!

    If a cooler day comes your way, you might be interested in going on a Lava Tour. The Kilauea Volcano has been pooling red lava through a vent on its side everyday for the past two decades and each year tourists flock to see this amazing display of nature. Volcanoes are iconic to Hawaii, so it’s hard to vacation on the Big Island and not take in some of the incredible volcanic sites around the island.

    The Big Island is all about fun and the outdoors. Because of its size, it has the largest geographical diversity. Two airports, a number of Hawaiian cruises, lots of tours from the smaller islands and vacation outfitters offer transportation in and around the island.

    Golf is another popular pastime during a vacation in Hawaii. The three golf courses on the Big Island are state of the art offering all the challenges, and pleasures of a difficult golf game with a scenic beauty that is hard to beat. Each of the three courses offers something different. Don’t expect to see much of dad on your vacation – he has plenty of golfing to keep him busy!

    What might peel him away from the luscious fairways and smooth greens however, is some marine life. If you want to get under the waves, think about a trip to the Coral Reef center in Hilo.


    The northwestern island surrounding the Big Island represents some of the best Coral Reef and marine life available for viewing in the United States and the Caribbean. It’s so famous in fact, that National Geographic has done specials on this incredible cluster of islands and nature.

    With prices so affordable a great way to visit the Big Island is on a cruise. You can take cruises year round with several leaving from Los Angeles regularly. What is so great about undergoing your Hawaiian vacation on a cruise is that you get to see so much of Hawaii. Instead of being stuck in one place, you can visit all of the islands. Not may people can say that about a 7-night stay in a place like Hawaii with so much to see.

    Flights are also very affordable right now. Keep an eye on travel auction sites for incredible deals. You can book round trip tickets from the west coast for around US$300 if you’re lucky. I guess that means the kids can bring a friend, because at prices like these it’s hard to say no.

  • Summer Cruise Jobs

    It’s hard to beat a summer working on a cruise ship. So why try? Working on a cruise ship might just be the perfect summer job. The cruise industry sees its highest occupancy during the summer. This is when the weather is nicest and when most people take their vacations. It is also when cruise ship directors need more staff to help deal with the increase in travelers. Working on a cruise ship means you get to travel the world, see new places and at the same time make some of the best money ever, from a summer job. Seasonal travel industry jobs can be hard to procure, but not in the growing cruise industry! Most summer employees work for about four to six months earning money the entire time. Work days are long, but the paychecks are well worth the longer hours. Also, one of the biggest perks to working on a cruise ship is the money you save on food and accommodations – two aspects that are normally included while you’re employed onboard.


  • Surf Your Way Around The World With These Amazing Travel Deals

    Adventure tourism is turning the lazy, luxury traveler into a thing of the past. Now you can 4X4 in a South American desert, rock climb, dog sled, dive into a cave with sharks swimming all around you, pet dolphins, hike or backpack national forests or photograph endangered species on an African safari.


    It seems that this new wave of adventure tourism is taking over – full speed. While these newest vacation highlights are starting to don the cover of travel magazines, there have been adventure vacationers for decades who have traveled the globe in search of only one thing: the perfect wave.

    Surfers are perhaps the original adventure vacationers, chasing summer and waves all over the world. These fun loving vagabonds represent the beginning of adventure travel in all its glory. But surfing isn’t only for elite surfers and world renowned pros – now you can chase waves and the idea of endless summer easier than ever before, with these amazing travel deals and vacations ideas! If you love to surf, laying on the beach or simply love being outside, these are the vacations FrugalMonkey suggests for you:

    South Africa
    If you want to take the time and read up on all the sporting events in South Africa, you won’t be disappointed by your options. But when you have a country surrounded almost entirely by a coastline, you’re likely to find surfing as well. Surfing is a way of life in many South African towns. If you love to surf and are feeling the need to travel, you can easily enjoy the many surfing camps, exciting cultural endeavors and cheap travel deals that can be found going into South Africa. Right now, several airlines are offering cheaper then normal travel deals into this surfing haven. Book now and begin planning your own endless summer!

    Australia
    It’s no surprise that for a country entirely surrounded by water and with coastlines called ‘The Gold Coast‘ that surfing is popular in Australia.


    On almost any of Australia’s western beaches you can find people surfing. With good weather year round, and amazingly cheap travel deals (like one-way flights from San Francisco or Los Angeles on Qantas for $299) it’s hard to say no, if you love to catch waves and have an excellent time in the water. Be on the lookout for good surf schools, competitions and wave after wave of adventure travel-fun.

    Hawaii
    Adventure tourism in Hawaii is nothing new. In fact part of the incredible allure to Hawaii is the fun you can have outdoors in one of the most stunning landscapes in the world. Surfing is almost synonymous with adventure in Hawaii as well. World renowned competitions and surfers continue to call Hawaii their home with surfers dotting nearly every coastline. For beginners however, there couldn’t be a better place to start. Many of the hotels have information on local surf schools and by simply walking around the ocean shores you can find someone to teach you the ropes. With such incredible travel deals into Hawaii you can’t miss an opportunity to surf the Hawaii shores with cheap flights, cruises and hotel stays making it that much easier.

  • Cruise Into Hawaii With These Great Offers!

    Sure flying to Hawaii is nice, but what about enjoying the fresh ocean air, a view from every island and more adventure than you can pack into your traditional Hawaiian vacation? Right now, Norwegian Cruise Lines are offering extraordinary deals on cruises to and around the Hawaiian Islands. By promising passengers less time at sea and over 100 hours at ports, their 7-day cruise packages are going fast! Right now, Norwegian Cruise Lines is offering Balcony Cabins for these May and June cruises at only $899. That’s practically a steal for all the money you will save on hotel accommodations, transport and food during a normal 7-day stay in Hawaii. See Hawaii in a whole new way by cruising with Norwegian!


  • Flight Deals To Australia

    Traveling to Australia used to be synonymous with expensive tickets making family vacations or romantic getaways to the Outback a pretty expensive trip.


    But now you can fly to a variety of Australian cities on Qantas at a fraction of what it would have previously cost you. Once again, the economic downturn in vacation packages, flights and hotel accommodations in conjunction with the decrease in the number of travelers flying, is forcing airlines to make huge exceptions and lower ticket prices. What does this mean for your dream vacation to one of the world’s most popular vacation-destinations? It means, it’s at the tip of your fingers ripe for the taking. Take a look at what FrugalMonkey deems as the best flight deals to Australia this week.

    Cheap flights to Sydney
    Sydney, Australia is one of the most popular Australian destinations for travelers visiting the country. The famous Opera house, gorgeous beaches, the zoo, botanical gardens and of course the incredible shopping and restaurants make Sydney the perfect vacation spot for families and vacationers of all ages.

    Right now Qantas is offering extraordinary vacation packages to Sydney. Starting at just $1,499 you can book a round trip ticket from Los Angeles, to Sydney and Cairns! This also includes 11-day Hertz Rental Car deals in addition to 10 different Hotel packages to choose from. But book now, the offer expires April 15, 2009 and travel needs to be completed before September 2009.

    Also ending on April 15 are round trip flights from Los Angeles to Sydney for only $598! This price represents some of the lowest flight prices from the west coast ever offered, so take advantage now!

    If you want to include some of Australia’s other cities in your vacation plans then consider cashing in on the Qantas deal offering a 4-night stay in Sydney and a 4-night stay in Melbourne including a round trip ticket from Los Angeles for only $948. Like most of these offers, the trips need to be booked soon, so don’t delay! Your Australian dream vacation is right around the corner!

  • Adventure travel vacations

    Some people consider the perfect vacation sipping martinis by the pool a few hours before their massage.


    However, a new breed of vacation is becoming more popular among backpackers and travelers. Adventure vacations are throwing the traditional vacation to the wayside and inventing an entirely new way to experience travel. Now, you can mountain climb, horseback ride, camp, backpack, snorkel, dive into shark cages, ski, snowboard, surf, dog sled, parachute, parasail, windsurf, fish, hunt and anything else your adventurous heart desires more so then ever before.

    New vacation outfitters that cater to the adventuresome spirit are becoming more and more popular. Even through cruise lines and luxury vacation providers there are new options for the more active vacationer. For example, years ago, rock climbing was something you had to go out of your way to experience. Now, even cruise ships are offering rock climbing walls and lessons as if it were as common as shuffleboard or happy hour. People are demanding vacations with more adventure and the industry is delivering.

    While the common vacation to Mendoza, Argentina for instance might have only involved wine tours and delicious steak, backpackers are now enjoying whitewater rafting, rock climbing and backpacking as an integral part of their vacation plans. Some extremists seek out providers who lead tours up to Aconcagua (the tallest mountain in the western hemisphere).


    Whether you’re eager to lie on the beach or go shark cage diving in South Africa it seems you can find an adventure on almost any vacation. The next time you’re traveling with your family consider looking up adventure tours. Kids love it, parents enjoy the new experience and fun is had for all. Many adventure tours are quite reasonable since their peak in popularity. You could be dog sledding the Iditarod trail, heli-skiing in the Canadian Rockies or snorkeling off the coast of Hawaii. First timers are common and lessons are usually available for all ages. So take your next vacation to the extreme and go on an adventure!

  • Mexico Travel Deals

    Looking for a last minute spring break getaway to Mexico? Or are you thinking of planning your next Mexican vacation with family and friends? FrugalMonkey has all the insider information on where and how to book your last minute Mexican vacation. Right now on SunMex vacations there are an enormous number of vacation packages, hotel deals and cheap flights to Mexico, ripe for the taking. On a number of different carriers and from different departure cities you could be traveling to Mexico for a seven-night vacation for as cheap as $300! It’s hard to turn down a Mexican vacation when you’re practically going for free, so why try? Book your cheap vacation to Cancun now!


  • Tools and tips for keeping in touch

    Whether it be for work, pleasure or simply to say hello, keeping in touch while you travel is important to everyone. That’s why FrugalMonkey is here to share with you some tips and tools on how to keep in touch with your loved ones while you are living, working and traveling abroad.

    Even just a few years ago, if you were traveling internationally your options for keeping in touch with friends and family while you were away were limited to calling cards and email.


    While these venues of communication are still some of the cheapest and easiest to manage, people who are traveling for business or need to be available by phone are finding ways to communicate that are easier then ever before.

    The Internet application Skype is becoming as much of a backpacker necessity as the backpack itself. It allows anyone with an Internet connection to login, message and make phone calls all over the world. Skype allows members to use their Internet connection to make calls to cell phones and landlines at a very low cost. International calls and calls made to cell phones tend to be more expensive, but the convenience of being able get a hold of the person you are trying to reach, extends far beyond the few cents each minute that are charged to users. Skype even has functions allowing calls to be rerouted cell phones so users can communicate while away from the computer. It is revolutionizing international phones and communication among travelers.

    Travelers also find unlocking their cell phones to be useful when traveling abroad.


    Unlocking your phone means removing your original SIM card and allowing your phone to be used with another carrier’s SIM. This means you can use your original address book, phone and applications while being in another country. You can also purchase international cell phone plans, although the cost of these plans can be much more expensive in comparison to the money you save using Skype, calling cards and other cheap methods of communication.

    If it’s important for you to stay in touch while you’re traveling abroad consider the amazing travel deals you will enjoy by saving money on communication while you are away!