Site Review: WelcomeRural.net - Portugal

WelcomeRural.net is a rental booking site for properties in the rural regions of Portugal, they provide rental homes, small rural hotels and guesthouses. The site is most useful to Portuguese speakers but there is enough English for you to understand what the properties offer. Searching for your ideal rural vacation accommodation is done by region, there are not that many properties on this site but each one seems to be very special. There are rustic historic houses, homes built in the traditional regional styles and small comfortable hotels. Once you have selected the vacation accommodation you want you can then fill in a form to contact the owner of the property directly.

Don't let the fact that this site seems to have a mix of English and Portuguese put you off, WelcomeRural.net does provide English when it's needed most, when you are choosing the actually rental property you want. For rural accommodation rentals in Portugal you will find on WelcomeRural.net a select variety with descriptions of what you will be getting for your money. You probably won't find these rural properties on many other rental sites, they seem to be unique. For example the description of Casa do Foral in Santarem tells the story of where the property got its name and also details of the building itself " ...of the Ribatejo region of the late 19th century. Its architecture and rustic, highlights its wide walls whitewashed and covered with ivy…".

Who should use WelcomeRural.net

WelcomeRUral.net is primarily useful to Portuguese speakers although English, Spanish, French and German is also provided. Anyone looking for small intimate rustic hotels and guesthouses in Portugal where you can be close to nature will find this site useful. Perfect for a romantic getaway or even to hire for a company weekend, families will also find this form of accommodation economical as a house can be rented for the whole family.

About WelcomRural.net:

• There are large color photos of each hotel or guesthouse.

• Many of the properties welcome pets.

• The hotels, guesthouses and rentals are rated with a star system to help you select your accommodation.

• WelcomeRural.net covers: Acores, Alentejo, Algrave, Centro, Douro, Lisboa, Madeira, Norte and Porto.

• The style and price of rural accommodation vary from hostels for 30Euros to hotel rooms for approximately 125Euro.

• You can choose to see room rates in any of from several currencies.

There is room for improvement on this site in the English grammar and small amount of properties but it will be useful for those looking for something specific in this region. If you need good quality rural accommodation in Portugal checkout WelcomeRural.net for some really unique and special vacation rentals and rustic hotels.

Cabarete Sosua Rentals

Cabarete is a sea side vacation city in the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean and is known as one of the best Caribbean locations for water sports, especially windsurfing and kite surfing. Sosua also in the Dominican Republic is best known for its wild nightlife and lazy days on the beach. Cabarete Sosua Rentals is a soon to be launched website covering info and booking for vacation accommodation in these two sunny vacation destinations.

Cabarete Sosua Rentals focuses on the smaller types of vacation accommodation – small hotels, pensions and rental apartments. With knowledge of the area and up to date data on available rentals the site will aim to supply accommodation in central locations close to amenities and all close to a beach. The site will offer plenty of detail about the rental in question including photos, facilities and prices, they also provide the contact details of the property owners so that you can then contact the owners directly. In fact you won't be doing business with Cabarete Sosua Rentals simply using the site as a rental search engine.

The site will also offer information about luxury rentals, long term rentals and condos in Cabarete and Sosua. You can also get travel tools, advice and tips on the same site to help you plan your trip to Cabarete or Sosua. The site will be available in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian and Russian so stay tuned and watch this space for the upcoming new Cabarete and Sosua Rentals Site.

Low cost accommodation in Switzerland

There is no question that travel in Switzerland is pricey and most travelers on a budget have to make a quick in and out visit to avoid paying for an over night stay. Well if you're up for an adventure try sleeping in a bed of hay on a Swiss farm. Schlaf im Stroh is a Swiss organization which regulates over 200 farms which offer camping, dorm and hay stays. The prices are more than reasonable at 20-30 SF a night and breakfast is included. Check out their site for more details:
Schlaf im Stroh

Cheeky Monkey Guesthouse in Phnom Penh Cambodia

The Cheeky Monkey Guesthouse Phnom Penh, Cambodia has an ideal location as well as home comforts and service from the English speaking owners. Here you get short or long term accommodation of a higher standard than you wouldn't expect for such reasonable rates.



Facilities:
All the rooms in the Cheeky Monkey have AC, T.V. and bathroom facilities (2 rooms have en-suite bathrooms). Of course there is a room cleaning service daily and clean towels and sheets available. On the top floor is an art studio open to all who feel like painting and painting materials are included in your hotel fee. There is also a book exchange, bar and communal area where you can socialize with the other guests.


Perhaps the best feature of this Phnom Penh guesthouse is the breathtaking view from the top floor. Not only is the guesthouse located next to a Buddhist temple but from the balcony you can see the Mekong River and the Royal Palace.

Continental breakfast is included in your room rate and evening meals can be ordered in from The Mad Monkey – the guesthouse's sister accommodation. All the food is free range and organic.

No need to concern yourself with safety issues here as each room can be locked and the guesthouse is locked at night with each guest having their own set of keys to get in whenever they choose.

Rates:
The room rates at the Cheeky Monkey Guesthouse in Phnom Penh range from $26 to $18 and include a continental breakfast. For this price you get a central location and friendly English speaking service in basic but comfortable accommodation.
The Cheeky Monkey Guesthouse Offers:

The Cheeky Monkey is a socially and environmentally conscious establishment, bottles and plastic are recycled and the Cheeky Monkey is eco-friendly. 10% of the profits are invested in the local community and social projects and local employees have social benefits and are paid well.

The staff also provides travel advice and services including visa processing services for Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. You can arrange boat trips and other excursions from the guesthouse.

This guesthouse offers the friendly hospitality of a traditional "homestay" where you are taken into a local home, coupled with the comforts of hotel services.

Children are not allowed at the guesthouse due to safety concerns as the guesthouse is on a high level.

There is free Wi-Fi and a computer for guest use.

Guests can use the guesthouse fridge.

Same day laundry service is also available at reasonable rates.

To book a room at the Cheeky Monkey in Phnom Penh go to the Cheeky Monkey website.

Cruisetimetables.com for all your cruise timetable info in one place!

If you are planning a cruise it's often frustrating to go from cruise site to cruise site looking for the ideal cruise for you. You probably have specific dates that you want to cruise; sights you want to include; a cruise departure point in mind and cruise destinations you want to visit. You may even have a particular cruise ship or cruise company you prefer. The problem is that you can't normally find a combination of all of these factors on one site, it's either a cruise company site or a destination specific site. However there is a solution – Cruisetimetables.com.

On cruisetimetables.com you can search for your ideal cruise according to:

• Ports of departure.


• Cruise destinations.


• Cruise ships.

Cruisetimetables.com covers cruises worldwide including the unusual destinations and the unique cruise ships like the cruise ship wind surf. The site covers every possible cruise option thoroughly in fact the landing page may be intimidating as you face the long list of search choices. However as you navigate through the site from your initial choice of port, destination or ship you will find the information provided is easy to understand and most importantly comprehensive.

If you search cruise timetables by port of departure you get:

• A photo of the port.


• A brief but interesting description of the port and its surroundings as well as port terminal details and a map of the cruises made from that port.


• From your choice of port of departure you can then refine your search by date.


• The date search will then show you a map of each cruise from that port on that day and details of price, ports of call, duration and the cruise ship name.

When you search by cruise timetables by cruise destination you get:

• Several photos of the sights in that port, for example in Southampton you get photos and descriptions of the Old Town, the Aviation Museum, The Titanic Trail, the Jane Austen Walking Tour and the New Forest.


• You can then extend your search by clicking on the dates cruises leave for that cruise destination. You can view all cruises visiting that port destination and see the cruise details.

When you search cruise timetables by cruise ship you get:

• Picture of the cruise ship.


• Cruise ship specifications – cabins, crew, year built, length, flag and tonnage.


• Dates to search where that cruise ship will be on a given date. This will take you to cruise details that are available on those dates for that ship.


• Find out where the cruise ship of your choice is in real time at the moment you are online!

Cruisetimetables.com is not only a comprehensive schedule of all cruises worldwide but also a great source of information about the ports of call and cruise ships. One of the best features is the fact that you can view prices, which makes it easy to compare and find the best deal. Cruise timetables.com is an invaluable tool not only for those planning a cruise and still undecided but also for those who have already booked a cruise and want to read more about the ports of call.