Alaska’s Floating Adventure

Alaskan cruises offer almost everything a traveler could want. They are relatively inexpensive, have majestic scenery, offer family friendly, solo traveler, and romantic couple options, allow for a wide range of activities, and customer service can be directed to be either extremely doting, or hands off.

From the moment you leave port, your floating adventure begins. Whether aboard an intimate sized vessel of 100 guests, or on a traditional sized cruise ship holding 2000 passengers, the ship’s start thru the waves as you stand along the rail waving goodbye to those on shore, fills you with a sense of expectant excitement.

For those who have never experienced a winter environment or its attributes, Alaskan cruises offer a chance to do so. The sense of wonder as you watch huge chunks of ice float pass you, or see the sun sparkling off the blue tinted ice surface of a glacier, blue since that is the only color of the spectrum that is reflected after the red and yellow spectrum colors have been absorbed) is magnified by being a first time event.

As you float along in quiet stillness, the sheer beauty of watching a lush evergreen covered shoreline flow by reflected in the dark glossy surface of black colored water, is nearly unmatched. And suddenly viewing a whale emerge out of those murky depths, or spying an eagle gliding above, or spotting a bear hunting salmon along the shore, only increases the awe.

Staying aboard as others go on shore excursions is another aspect to your floating adventure. The smaller customer base allows for all kinds of advantages. Quiet time at the pool, space in the gym, spa appointments (sometimes at a discount), available casino machines, easier ship exploration, and short lines at the shops. It also allows for an educational opportunity to see a “behind the scenes” view of various ship processes as employees prepare for the next phase of your Alaskan cruise.

So make now the time you embark on your own floating adventure, and join those who have discovered how truly life enriching and memorable an Alaskan cruise can be.

Is wire transfer the safest way to send money

Wire transfer is often the best choice for sending money abroad in a safe manner. This mode of remittance is not just secure but also quick. This is the reason why many people opt for bank wire transfers because of the reliability and safety aspect.

What is a wire transfer?

Let us first understand what exactly a wire transfer is. It is manly an electronic method of transferring money. These days, almost all payments are electronic but wire transfer is a specific type of payment-relatively secure and fast. The money gets transferred from one bank or credit union to another through a network such as SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication). It is mainly a messaging network that banks and financial institutions bring in use for quick, secure and accurate sending and receiving of money transfer instructions.

Are wire transfers safe?

The big question that arises is – are wire transfers one of the safest ways to send money? The answer is yes. For instance, in the US, each party has to have a bank account in order to initiate or receive a wire transfer. As per federal regulations, banks require identity proof and various other details for opening an account.

Since everything is verified, there are less or no chances of thieves pulling off a scam with bank wire transfer. Scams related to wire transfers are not unheard of; however, the numbers are still less compared to credit card scams. The main risk in a wire transfer is that you will be sending money to a particular recipient but someone else will withdraw the cash or wire it to a different account. You won’t realize you have been scammed until it is too late to recover the funds.

Even if someone is asking you to transfer money through wire transfer, make sure you know who you are sending to. There are few transactions that can pose risks to your money. For instance, if you are wire transferring money to an agency that gives out the proceeds in cash, someone with a fake ID can also collect the money. So be extra careful about who you are sending money to.

Receiving wire transfer is also safe because banks wire money out only if the sender has funds available in his/her account. Once the money arrives in the account, the recipient can withdraw it any time they want to. Also, it is not easy for senders to pull money back after it has been transferred.

Tips to remember

When sending money, make sure you choose a reliable money transfer agency. There are many online money transfer agencies through which you can wire transfer money to India or any other country.

Gather India money exchange rates and transfer fees being charged by different agencies and compare to make a final choice. Online money transfer agencies offer competitive rates compared to banks. Their transfer fee is also less, especially if you are sending a large amount.

Boutique Hotels In Manali For Those Who Fancy Top Class Staying Options

Boutique hotels might sound like a new concept for most of us and in fact the term boutique hotel is imported from the US. The concept of boutique hotels originated with Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager when they opened Morgans Hotel in New York in 1984 and since then this concept has caught up with the rest of the world, including India. Boutique hotels are lifestyle hotels with personalized services and guest interaction which is unlike traditional hotels.

So are there any boutique hotels in Manali?
In recent times, most travellers opt for extravagant vacation with luxurious accommodation. And Manali being a favourite holiday destination for the majority of us finding luxurious accommodation in the valley is not difficult. In fact there are a few boutique hotels and 4-star resorts in Manali that will fulfil your fancy for a luxurious stay in this awesome valley.

What can one expect from the boutique hotels in Manali?
Boutique hotels in Manali offer stupendous services that include; stylish entertainment (in restaurant and bar), pleasing presentation of food, good ambiance, well-groomed staff who attend to all your requirements 24/7. Apart from this you can also enjoy live music, chic lounge services, clubs, fusion cuisine, stylish decor, state of the art technology such as Wi-Fi internet, Plasma TV, telephone with voice mail, dim switches, rain shower, frost-free mirrors, bathtubs with Jacuzzi – these are just some of the facilities you can thoroughly enjoy while you stay in any of these boutique hotels.

What are the places around Manali that are visit worthy?

Solang Valley which is 13 kms off Manali is the popular snowpoint and is an attraction for indulging in adventure tourism as well.
Rohtang Pass is another visit worthy place that is 51 kms off Manali, at a height of 3980 m above msl it’s a gateway to other attractions, namely Lahaul and Spiti. The spectacular Himalayan view from this place cannot be missed and beyond this pass there is Sonapani glacier as well as Gaypan twin peak which are also worth visiting.
Naggar: This was the capital of Kullu in the 16th century and the castle in this 500-year-old village is worth seeing. The place is about 26 km from Manali.
Manikaran: This is about 81 kms from Manali town and the hot sulphur springs and Ram temple and Guru Dwara are famous attractions here.
One can reach Manali using several options; Bhutang Airport is not far off from the hill station and is only about 50 km from it, and one can hire a taxi from the Airport. The nearby railheads include Chandigarh and Pathankot stations. Besides this, Manali is very well connected from the two railheads, once can hike, take a bus or a taxi and head to Manali.