Medan

The holidays can be quite hectic but they are often a time when people travel to see family and friends or to take their vacation. Following these basic tips will help make sure you have the best time when you travel during this time of year. Being prepared for things to go wrong is the key in minimizing the damages and getting on with your holiday travel plans.

Make sure you have all of your tickets and confirmation numbers in a specific place. It is a good idea to make a copy of the information as well as the contact number for your tickets and place it in another location. This way if you lose the originals you will have enough information to take care of it. You should call about a week before your travel dates to make sure your reservation is still active for all modes of transportation and your accommodations.

It is common for flights, trains, and buses to get delayed over the holidays due to security issues, weather, and trying to meet the needs of the volumes of people using such modes of transportation over the holidays. Ensure you have enough of food, drinks, cash and all the necessities to get you through these delays. They can range from a couple of hours to a few days. If you will be traveling a long distance you should consider bringing with you games to pass the time, especially if you are traveling with young children.

If you bring with you prescription medications you should make sure you have them clearly labeled. You may get questioned about them if they aren’t in the bottle you picked them up at from the pharmacy. It is a good idea to have a written note from your doctor regarding the medication as well. Makes sure you have enough of it for the entire vacation including any delays that may occur.

Lost baggage is one of the biggest problems when people travel, and it happens most during the holidays because of how busy everyone is. While you really cannot always prevent your suitcase from getting lost, you can do your best to make sure you have all you need in the mean time. Remember to make sure each person traveling has their clothing in all of the luggages instead of only one luggage for each person. This way everyone will have a chance to have some items should a suitcase get lost in the shuffle.

Clearly identify your luggage so that you will be sure to get yours upon reaching your destination. Too many bags look the same and many people are in a hurry when they travel for the holidays. Place a colorful ribbon or colored tape on your bags if you carry the styles and colors that are very popular. If you travel very often you should consider a unique looking luggage that stands out.

Traveling during the holidays needs to be as smooth as possible to ensure you will enjoy your trip. By taking the time to follow these tips you can help make that happen. There are plenty of horror stories out there about people not being able to get to their destination for the holidays or they didn’t have the items they needed upon arriving. Don’t open the door for your vacation travel to fit into this grim category.

For more travel tips visit cheap family vacations

Consider Medan Sumatera as a travel destination. It has the largest volcanic lake in the world in North Sumatra Indonesia known as Medan Lake Toba. Visit www.MedanKu.com to download Medan city guide, budget travel guide and see more pictures and videos of Medan Indonesia.

Posted: January 28th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
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Medan City

Asia occupies a quarter of the earth’s land mass, it spans a lot of time zones. Having a single travel guide for all of Asia is impossible. Asia like any other continent, has its certain hot places to visit, here are some travel tips for a few of the popular countries in Asia.

Vietnam

The country’s recommended tourist places are Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, they are both modernized. All tourists to Vietnam, except Thai and Philippine Nationals need a tourist Visa before entering the Country. Health wise, Malaria is common in Vietnam, it would be better to bring with you anti-mosquito repellent to prevent being bit.

Thailand

Thais are very religious and very loyal to the monarchy. You will definitely see pictures of the king around the cities, do not make fun of him. The Thais also consider the head as the highest part of the body, whether spiritual or physical. Stay away from touching anybody in the head, and try not to point at anything with your feet.

Malaysia

It’s advisable to bring light and cool clothing to the country Malaysia. You would usually find food stalls in the cities selling the local food, “teh tarik” a creamed tea, and “roti canai” a type of pancake, are a must eat when get a chance to see them. Malaysia has many religions, you would usually see, a variety of Christian churches, Muslim Mosques and Buddhist and Hindu temples may be present in each city.

Philippines

The Philippine has over 7,107 islands and islets; beaches are the main tourist spots in this country. There are several museums and Historical Landmarks in Manila, the country’s capital.  Boracay Island is the boast of the country which has white sand beaches. You’ll find a “tiangge”, which is like a bazaar with stalls that sell many things, in most parts of the country, even inside malls. Tiagges are the best place to find souvenirs as well as cheap products or gifts.

Indonesia

Aside from the usual prohibition of narcotics and deadly weapons, Radio cassette Players are banned in the Island of Bali, which is a prime tourist spot in Indonesia. Any object with Chinese characters written on it, were not allowed in Bali. ( This has now been changed since 2000 ) Consider traveling to Danau Toba , the largest crater lake in the world in Medan North Sumatra Indonesia. It has the most breath taking view for a natural crater lake.

To learn more about Medan Hotel visit www.MedanKu.com to download Medan city guide, budget travel guide and see more pictures and videos of Medan Indonesia.

General Tips

Each country in Asia has its own currency, although some shops will accept dollars, there are very few of these around. It is best to have your money changed at the local bank. Some hotels also offer money changing, but usually at a lower exchange rate.

Pickpockets are present in most tourist areas, so be careful with your belongings. Separate money from checks and credit cards, have two sets if you can so that you won’t be left dry if you fall victim to a pickpocket.

For more travel and vacation tips visit vacation ideas

Posted: December 19th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Medan Indonesia

So many people travel for important holidays that you may be quite disappointed with the cost of it. There are great ways you can save money though whether you are traveling by plane, train, or bus to get to your destination for the holidays. It is essential that you book your travel arrangements early. You don’t want to be stuck without a way to get where you want to be for the holidays due to everything being sold out. You also want to take some time to compare prices.

You will find some travel dates should simply be avoided around the holidays. This will allow you to avoid crowds which often equal substantial delays. You will also be able to get the same travel arrangements at a lower price just by carefully calculating the best times to travel.

You may be surprised that Valentine’s Day is a top travel holiday but it is. It is very important for people to be able to spend this holiday together. Since Presidents Day is very close to Valentine’s Day many people are able to take a long weekend. Avoid traveling during this Monday holiday and you will save money. Instead fly out in the next few days and then stay for a couple of days after Valentine’s Day instead of before.

Spring break takes place for about three weeks in March depending on which schools people are attending. If you plan to travel for spring break you need to plan it very carefully to maximize your time and to get good prices. Many colleges allow people to complete their final exams early. Try to do this and travel on a Wednesday or Thursday. Avoid peak days such as Friday and Saturday. You also want to come back on week days as they will be lower volume dates for travel.

Many people fly to see their parents for Mother’s Day and for Father’s Day. These are important holidays that take place on a Sunday in May and then on a Sunday in June. Traveling on the actual day will save you money over flying out on the Friday or Saturday before. This way you can arrive on their special day and stay around for several days. Your return trip should be for one of the weekdays after the holiday instead of on the weekend.

Thanksgiving is a common holiday that people travel for. Since it always falls on a Thursday, most people get an extended weekend so they can go visit for a few days or take a vacation. The highlight of this holiday for travel takes place on the day before Thanksgiving. However, if you are willing to travel on Thanksgiving Day you can avoid the crowds. You will also find you save up to 50% of the price of getting there just by waiting less than 24 hours.

Most people return from their Thanksgiving vacation on the Sunday following the holiday. Try to avoid this day as well and return on the following Monday. Most employers want some people to be in the office on the Wednesday before so offer to do it in exchange for having the following Monday off.

Christmas is another peak travel season, and you will find the fares get much higher the closer it gets to the 25th of December. Try to travel before the 19th in order to take advantage of the best possible fares. If you won’t be able to stay through New Year’s then choose a day in the middle of the week after Christmas. These are often slower days than the weekends and you will get better prices.

Avoid travel on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day as they are two of the most popular travel dates of the year. Fares are usually double what they normally cost so you will save yourself plenty of money and delays if you work around them on your travel.

For those interested in traveling to Danau Toba Indonesia , the largest crater lake in the world in Medan North Sumatra Indonesia, remember to avoid traveling during the festive months of Idul Fitri, Ceng Beng and School Holidays. These are the times where many will be traveling to and from Medan Indonesia.

Visit www.MedanKu.com to download Medan city guide, budget travel guide and see more pictures and videos of Medan Hotel

For more information and travel tips visit inexpensive vacations

Posted: November 25th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Medan North Sumatra

Rahmadhan Month in Medan Sumatra Indonesia

There are several issues that visitors need to be aware during the fasting month when traveling to Muslim countries such including Medan Indonesia.

Ramadan, the fasting month, is an event of great importance to the Indonesian and the world’s Muslim community. Being one of the five pillars of Islam, observance of the fasting month is the priority in the devout Muslim’s life during this month. Fasting involves a change in the daily routine of the Muslim faithful and represents an expression of their deep belief to God.

Many Indonesians look forward to fasting during Ramadan and take it as a chance to test and develop their inner, spiritual selves. The fasting regimen is rigorous. No drinking, eating or smoking is allowed after the first prayer in the morning until the opening of the fast in the evening.

Prayer times change based on sunset and sunrise, so the exact time will be different every day. The morning prayer usually comes around 4.30 AM. Before this time, a Muslim family must rise and eat their last food or drink that they will have for the next fourteen hours.

The opening of the fast, or Buka Puasa, occurs around 6.00 PM in the evening. At this time, all fasting Muslims will break the fast by drinking, eating and attending prayers. Expect restaurants to be more packed than usual especially those that are serving Indonesian or local food as many families may not cook for this breaking fast period.

During this time, you may noticed that some restaurants may be closed or are opening discretely with curtains covering up windows of restaurants during the fasting time. This is a sign of respect for those who are fasting.

You can see an example of a picture taken at www.MedanKu.com where restaurants have prepared curtains to cover up the windows including fast food chains for Rahmadhan.

Other ways visitors should do as a sign of respect are:

* Be discreet when eating. Do not to eat or drink in public places except for restaurants.
* Be observant and do not offer food or drink during the fasting hours to those who are fasting.
* Be respectful and do not showcase your own food or drinks in public.
* Be empathetic and tolerant as you may find energy levels of those who are fasting to be low which may affect service levels and poorer performance.

Medan maybe unknown to many international travelers. It is the third largest city in Indonesia and is famous for having the largest crater volcanic lake in the world known as Sumatra Lake Toba

For more information about Kota Medan please visit www.MedanKu.com - The Pride of Medan Indonesia - Travel & Living website for travelers.

Other resources for your adventure vacations can be found at www.VacationSpotsIdeas.com

Posted: November 21st, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Medan City

How much to tip in Medan

Before we get into tipping, you may want to know the value of your money in Medan Indonesia, no not just the exchange rates.

Minimum Wage in Medan
This is just a reference to the value of money and tips in Medan. The standard minimum wage in Medan is about Rp980.000 a month which is around Rp38.000 (USD 4.00 ) a day. Some smaller retail and service industry even pays lower than minimum wage of Rp500.000 / month.So you can measure how much your tips are worth.

There are many times, tourists are the victims of extortion in Indonesia, hence, takes extra precaution. The amount of Rp 50.000 is a big sum as tips in Indonesia, hence do not fall into the trap.

Tipping at Restaurants & Hotels
Many restaurants and Hotels inn Medan have the standard 10% service charge plus tax directly charged to your bill. So technically, you are not required to give any extra.
Nevertheless, if you are feeling well served and generous, you may want to give extra tips to the waiters or waitresses.
There are no hard and fast rules on how much to tip in Medan compared to USA where 25% of your bill is expected.

For restaurants, the standard tipping is around Rp 5.000 to Rp 10.000. You may give more if you bring more guests. Rp20.000 should be a big tip.
Hotel porters and bellboys, probably the same aroung Rp5.000 to Rp10.000 depending on the amount of luggages you have for them to help you with.

Tour & Tour Guide
If you took a world vacations package to Medan, you may be faced with Tour Guides: I would suggests Rp 50.000 each, for the driver and the guide ( for private tours ). This is based on the standard 3D2N tours. If you feel that you would like to show your appreciation, then really it’s up to each individual. If you are traveling on a group tour, then this should be optional.

Taxi Driver:
This is not expected. But sometimes due to the limited amount of change Indonesia such as the Rp100, Rp500 coins. You may just let them keep the change.

Airport:
Although it is clearly stated that the porter charges Rp 2.000 for each bag, many expect more of about Rp5.000 for each bag now (yes they will ask for more).
So be prepared. There was once, I was feeling generous and gave Rp20.000 for 3 bags and they still ask for more!
You will need the help of the porter if you have many luggages.

Remember, tipping in Medan Indonesia should be based on your own appreciation of service you received and your own financial ability. The amount stated here is just a general guide.

For the latest news and buzz on Hotels in Medan in Indonesia, please visit www.MedanTalk.com where you can find out more about Medan from the locals

You can also download special city guide and budget travel guide at MedanKu.com - The Pride of Medan Indonesia

Posted: October 10th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Kota Medan

Medan City

Medan North Sumatra is the 3rd largest city in Indonesia. Located in Sumatera Utara of Indonesia with a population of 2.5 millions residents. It is said that during day time, the population of Medan City will grow to about 4 millions with people coming from suburbs.

The unique thing about Medan is that, it resides the largest volcanic lake in world known as Lake Toba which is twice the size of it neighboring country of Singapore.

History of Medan Indonesia

Medan started as a village called Kampung Medan (Medan Village). Kampung Medan was founded by Guru Patimpus around the 1590s. As Kampung Medan sits on Tanah Deli (Land of Deli), Medan Village is also referred as Medan-Deli. The original location of Medan Kampung is an area where the Deli River meets Babura River.

Based on the diary of the Portuguese merchant in early 16th century, it stated that the name of Medan was actually derived from Medina which is actually a holy city in the western of Saudi Arabia. However, other source indicated that the name of ‘Medan’ actually came from Indian language “Meiden”. One of the Karo-Indonesia dictionary written by Darwin Prinst SH published in 2002 wrote that Medan could also be defined as “recover” or “be better”.

The first inhabitants of Kota Medan came from the Batak Karo community. It was not until the Sultan of Aceh, Sultan Iskandar Muda, sent his warlord, Gocah Pahlawan Laksamana Khoja Bintan, to be the Sultanate of Aceh’s representative in Tanah Deli, that the Sultanate of Deli started to grow. This growth stimulated growth in both the population and culture of Medan City. In the second year reign of Sultan Deli (between 1669-1698), there was a cavalry battle in Medan.

Kota Medan did not experience significant development until the 1860s, when the Dutch colonialists began clearing the land for tobacco plantations. Medan quickly became a center of government and business activity, dominating development of Indonesia’s western region.

The Dutch governed Tanah Deli from 1658, after Sultan Ismail, ruler of the Kingdom of Siak Sri Indrapura, yielded some of his once-ruled land, Deli, Langkat, and Serdang. In 1915 Medan officially became the capital of North Sumatra Province, and officially a city in 1918.

With the largest volcanic lake in the world, Lake Toba Sumatra Indonesia , Medan is a city worth visiting for your unusual vacations in Asia Indonesia

Visit www.MedanKu.com for more information about Medan

Download Medan city guide, budget travel guide and see more pictures and videos of Medan Indonesia.

Posted: October 6th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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