5 tips to have a fabulous holiday without breaking the bank

If you sit to think of a word that brightens your day, brings you to glow and gets your heart skip a beat. For someone bit by the travel bug, that word is ‘holiday’. Balancing your work life and personal life is very important and the best way you could do it is by indulging in periodic breaks. But what’s holding most of us back? Yes, you guessed it right- It is money. What most people don’t know is that you can travel in budget without compromising on fun. Yes, with just a few tips, you can probably have the best vacation.

Plan ahead: 

First and foremost decide on your budget and research on destinations that fall within the bracket of your budget. Plan the trip from start to end keeping in mind the various expenses as well. Keep researching until you get the best deals and offers that can save you a huge chunk of money.

Flight options and flexible travel plans: 

If you’re flexible with your travel dates, then check for flights during mid-week instead of weekend flights. Try to travel off-season. Pack light so you could save on extra baggage charges. Compare one-way tickets with round-trip tickets. Sometimes round-trips come cheaper.

Explore free sightseeing options: 

Hike up the mountain, surf the beach, stroll around the city streets, visit malls, and do road trips- all these for free. You need no entry pass to do any of these. Once you decide your destination check on the major activities at the place you can indulge in without an entry fee.

Walking and self-driving: 

Walking keeps you on your toes and lets you explore the city at your own pace. Having conversations with the locals, and visiting local cafes sometimes help you get to know the unexplored side of the city. Renting a car or bike and self-driving around the city also is not a bad idea, provided if you have a valid driver’s license.

Cook your own food: 

Cooking is the best option to save money and stay healthy if you have a mini kitchenette at your place of stay. Avoid touristy restaurants. Opt for cafes instead of fine dining restaurants.

We assure you these will help you travel in style without burning a hole in your pocket. 

Step by step guide to planning your ideal holiday

A holiday or vacation can mean different for different people. To some, it could just mean taking a break from the usual hectic schedule and relaxing in some picturesque and peaceful place. Whereas for some, it means abandoning the regular boring day to day activity and indulging in some exciting and adventurous thrill in another enchanting locale. In either case, one is looking for some change and for that to take place it needs some planning and organizational skills.

So, here’s a travel guide that would be of some help to you:

Decide on the best time for a holiday

Most of the time, it’s not easy to just pack up on a whim and set off for a holiday. Therefore, it’s important to pre-plan to schedule a holiday and the best way to do it is by coordinating with every member you’re to take this journey with.

Decide the type of holiday desired keeping budget in mind

It sounds sensible to first decide or plan on the budget that you’d like to spend for the holiday so that one can chalk out a suitable itinerary based on that without digging a hole in the pocket. Nothing can ruin a trip quicker than realizing you can’t afford it.

A lot of research helps in the long run

Based on your budget and the type of holiday you intend to take, it’s important to do extensive research on potential places that will fit your bill and how much will it cost you to get there.

Make your travel and stay bookings

Booking travel tickets much prior to your journey is the most countable option as fares tend to increase once closer to the date of travel. Also, you can save yourself from the last minute hassle. Now that you know where you want to travel, it’s important to research hotels and accommodation in the location and get hold of something that’s affordable enough to allow you to do everything you want.

Pack wisely

Traveling with kids? Be prepared don’t forget to pack the essentials for your ideal holiday, so do your research well, most important being having the weather condition of your destination in mind. You’ll also need basic toiletries, suitable clothing depending on the type of activities you’re going for. Make sure to carry some of the essential items in your hand baggage to ensure that you have the necessary stuff within your reach.

With these travel tips, we’re sure you’re to have a great holiday.

Technology must have while on the road

Some of them are just too fun to miss, others add some convenience to our experiences. You’ve guessed it right: we’re talking about travel gadgets!

These smart tools have forever changed the way we experience the world and certainly works as life-savers for all you wanderlust people out there. We’ve jotted some of the most enjoyable yet usable gadgets to make your trips safer and easier.

• Get your hands on the world’s smallest travel steam iron: It features a 420-watt motor and three fabric heating levels and is the smallest of its kind. It can be extremely useful for business travelers who are on the road.

• Portable Wi-Fi hotspot & power bank: Nobody wants to bother themselves about foreign SIM cards or roaming charges when traveling the world. So, get hold of a portable Wi-Fi hotspot that provides unlimited 4G LTE service and gives you unlimited internet access. Power banks are must-haves as well.

• Waterproof Bluetooth speaker: If you’re going on a beach vacation, it’s a good idea to bring a waterproof Bluetooth speaker along. You can listen to your favorite tunes without having to worry about it getting destroyed.

• A streaming stick: If your idea of a vacation is a hotel room for a week or two and you want to just sit back and relax, then a streaming stick is your friend. You can binge watch your favorite shows all day.

• A luggage tracker: If you’ve ever lost a bag while traveling, you know how tedious and nerve-racking that can be. Plus there’s a thought that it might never be found. Trakdot wants to eliminate that frustration with its palm-sized luggage tracker. The tracker has a GSM chip inside of it so you can be kept up to date. When it’s within 30 feet of you, it will send your iOS or Android phone an alert. How cool is that!

• A Kindle: If you’re an avid reader and traveler, you owe it to yourself to pick up a kindle. Just for the sheer convenience of being able to carry hundreds of books at a time.

We hope this list of all the useful travel accessories and travel check-list make you’re traveling smooth and easy.

Luxury Vacations that are surprisingly affordable

Let me paint you a picture, a tropical island, surrounded by the most beautiful turquoise water you can imagine with the most diverse aquatic life, white sand and a wide range of activities for you and the family to enjoy. I can only be describing the Bahamas and Harmony Beaches can get you there.

The Bahamas is a collection of Islands in the Caribbean Sea. It is renowned for its beauty and as a famous tourist location. It boasts a very interesting history as it was a very famous port during the Colonization of the world by the European counties. The abundance of merchant ships and cargo ships also saw an increase in Pirates who had indeed taken over the islands for a long period of time. This adds to the mystique of the island as well as making it an excellent scuba diving spot to explore all the shipwrecks. Each island is unique and they have a lot to offer like culture, food, and arts.

Here’s a list of things you can do on a weekend getaway to the Bahamas.

1. Island hopping: With all-inclusive cruise vacation packages from Harmony beaches, you can hop on over to an island that fits your requirement

2. Explore the beaches: The Bahamian Beaches are known to be the most pristine beaches in the world. They have a wide range of aquatic sports to get the adrenaline pumping. You can even swim with the Dolphins at Dolphin Cay, explore the coral reefs, snorkel and lay on the sand and get that evasive than you have wanted.

3. Learn about the island’s history: Since it had an exciting past, it’s very intriguing to see how the pirates and slavery. Relive the legendary stories of these pirate captains. You can even visit the island of Pablo Escobar. One can get a Cruise vacation package from Harmony Beaches.

4. Swimming with the Pigs: The island of Exuma has some peculiar pigs who like to swim in the sea. They have adapted to the beach life. Everybody has mentioned the pigs in the Harmony Beaches customer reviews.

5. Visit Paradise Island: This Island has some of the world’s best water parks and luxury resorts. It is a huge attraction, especially for families. With a lot of high-end hotels and restaurants, it’s heaven inside paradise.

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Principles to Make Travel Memorable!!

It’s no secret that each one of us is busy these days. So leave everything aside and take an unforgettable family vacation but the idea of planning it all might seem daunting. Don’t WORRY, we’ve curated these principles to ensure your trip is memorable both in the moment and for many years after:

Stretch your boundaries

Try something new every day to expand your horizons and allow yourself to be out of your comfort zone. Laze under the stars, try exotic cuisine, interact with strangers, basically do something that you haven’t done earlier. You’ll soon discover the side you never knew existed.

Interact. Listen. Embrace.

When you’re visiting a new place, it really becomes exciting to know their local culture. And for that interaction is a must. Ask question to dig deep, listen attentively, all these will let you explore and you can learn so much in the end.

Slooow it down!

It doesn’t matter how many countries you travel to, what matters is how deep your footprint was. Have you really traveled to a place if you raced through? The best way to experience a particular place is when you absorb it- you’ll see more, you’ll learn more, you’ll grow more.

Swing in hammocks often

Simple things bring the most amount of joy. It doesn’t always have to be the ‘must-see’ sights. It’s okay to not follow the bucket list some times. Go for an early morning walk by the beach, attend a yoga retreat, sit on the sidewalk of a café or swing in hammocks at sunsets.

Allow your five senses to soak up the world

Be present. Experience every moment and try to make the most of everything you see around. Get excited and live every moment with passion.

With Bahamas Travel Agency, we can assure you’ll get the best experience ever. Call our representative 561-860-9739 to book your dream vacation to the Bahamas.

Check customer reviews & ratings on holiday vacation packages and deals to the Bahamas.

Battling Wind and Rain: Is your Home ready for Hurricane Season?

For people residing along the Gulf coasts, hurricane season comes around just as predictably as every other season. It’s basically from June through November, peaking August through October. Think about Katrina, Sandy, and Harvey. Scary, isn’t it?
But what exactly have you done to get your home prepared for this apocalypse?

If you are still looking for an answer and living in a disaster denial, which most of us do, then you’re not alone. As for hurricanes especially, many people fail to realize that the storm surge is the most threatening bit. So, are you done living in a denial? We’ve listed a couple of critical tips on how to prepare for Hurricane Season: 

1. Storm surge is immensely risky. If you’re living on the coast, be aware that a big surge can rise to your roofline in a matter of seconds. Make a plan in case you need to evacuate. 

2. Plywood to the rescue- Simple 5/8 inch plywood covers offers good protection. Cover all the windows to protect them from breaking. Permanent hurricane shutters of cut-to-fit marine plywood work just about fine. 

3. Protect your garage doors with hurricane panels, or reinforce the doors from the inside with studs or braces. If wind enters a garage space it can cause massive structural damage. 

4. Consider building a safe room. 

5. No disaster preparedness article would be complete without an insurance reminder, so 

• Is your insurance up to date?

• Are you insured for full replacement value?

• Storm surge is classified as flood damage. So should you consider having flood insurance?

Other property precaution tips: 

• If you happen to live in a high-rise building, you need to stay alert of the fact that potentially damaging wind pressures increase with height. 

• Avoid leaving anything outside, be it your furniture, tools, gardening stuff, etc. Trim trees early so that it’s manageable before the hurricane strikes.

• Make sure to fuel up your vehicles and emergency power generator well ahead of time to avoid the last minute rush at the petrol pump station. 

• Most importantly, watch the news. The more you learn, the better you’ll be able to prepare and respond to the emergency. Keep an eye on the Weather channels for any kind of critical information and weather updates about the status of the hurricane. 

• These huge, churning storms can spell disaster with wreaking havoc in many ways. We hope these tips help you to survive the fury of a hurricane. For more information visit.

How to prepare for Hurricane Season

The onslaught of hurricanes seems unending. Despite being at the threshold of these late-summer storms, the cruise industry has been managing itself with aplomb. When we hear about the Bahamas, there is a range of things that can lure a traveller but before you set sail, you might want to check the weather forecast. So, in case you’re planning to sail during this time, it’s important to know what to expect.

It’s usually unlikely to find out how safe your cruise ship is during this time and by this time we mean most storms happen between mid-August and mid-September. In the Western Caribbean, they occur slightly later, between mid-August and early November.

If you’re still determined to sail, we have jotted down a few hurricane season tips for you:

Is the ship safe at all?

Unlike a fishing boat, a cruise ship can’t be avoiding hurricanes by just mooring in an inland canal or hiding among the mangroves. The only way left is to sail away until it reaches a safe harbour or it meets the calm waters. While cruise lines might end up altering itineraries or skip a place, but the top priority for all the cruise lines in all of this is safety.

Steal a fantastic deal:

If you’re hoping to get an amazing deal, the peak three months of hurricane season (August-October) is an ideal time to book a cruise. For the biggest savings, it is advised to wait until June to get the best last-minute offers from the cruise lines.

Pack sea-sickness remedies:

While a ship can leave behind the storm or change its course, you’re still likely to face turbulences which in turn might make you fall sick. Hence, you should carry some remedies along because it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Be flexible with your expectations:

A change in the itinerary is the most common when a hurricane happens to hit. Expecting a change and being flexible is the key. Don’t make up your mind on visiting a certain point, you might be taken aback with the surprises that a new experience might hold for you. And you never know, you might discover a place that can become your most favourite. Cruising in a hurricane is surely a fun adventure so sit back and relax!

You need travel insurance:

It’s relatively inexpensive and will not only safeguard your investment but also provide peace of mind. Be sure to buy a policy that includes hurricane-related coverage. The aftermath of a hurricane can create havoc to more than just the cruise itself. It will even cover extra expenses incurred for your travel to and from the port.

Pack for the worst:

Choose to relax in the quiet bar while everyone’s busy rushing to find a dryer. Don’t go unprepared. It’s best to pack with the worst in mind when it comes to cruising in hurricane season. Pack a few extra essentials to ensure you don’t get caught up in all the hassles.

Now, with all these hurricane safety tips, we are sure to have you prepared for the adventure of cruising during hurricane season. To know more visit us. 

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