Family safari vacation to the home of the gods

Families traveling with kids will find Amboseli national park a safari destination matched to no other, with less tourist traffic, breathtaking open spaces, easy access from Nairobi, the list is endless.

The park described by writers as ' a home for the Gods' covers 150sq mile south of Nairobi and lies just at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain at 5,895m. The park is currently on the cross roads with the government and the local communities both claiming ownership, with Kilimanjaro's snow capped peaks dominating every aspect of this Park and form a stunning backdrop to the wildlife found here - elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, cheetah and a host of plains game and its breathtaking beauty, the tag is well worth the effort!

The area is home to the Masai people, tall, colorful, proud, nomadic warriors famous for their legendary prowess in battle and single handed acts of bravery in fights with wild animals. Perhaps, more than any other people they have learned to live in complete harmony with the wildlife which surrounds them, this knowledge they proudly shared to visitors and well worth the time. Kids will be allowed to get really close and explore the simple but fascinating homesteads, adults will also enjoy the cultural aspect of the lifestyle.

Amboseli's Oltukai lodge is one of the best spots in the world where children can watch elephants and study their fascinating wilderness behavior, This is where you will find the highest concentration of elephants than anywhere else in Africa, they can be seen spread well over the savannah woodland, just remember to ask your driver guide on how this clever mammals mourn and pay last respect to a dead member or how they cross their tiny young on a fast flowing river. .

Quietly tucked away from view, The Kibo family Villa crouches undisturbed, an elegant three-bedroom log cabin built in stone and gum tree, in complete harmony with its surroundings. Own entrance, a lounge, a fully fitted kitchen and a barbecue area. Secluded by a copse of indigenous Acacia Tortilis trees and five acres of garden, Kibo Villa is peace and privacy made perfection. Two or threes small families traveling together love the self-catering option, use the lodges facility is welcome. Detailed attention is taken on security issues and a resident nurse is available on call.

Kids will love the lavish private family buffet breakfast or dinner set out specially as a family package in wonderful secluded detting amongst the tortillas trees only a tone away from the family of the resident elephants also having a feast of their own, breakfast works out best.

Selenkay conservation area lies east of Amboseli is well off the beaten track, never visited by tourist till now, birdlife is prolific especially bird of prey. The 6 tents Porini luxury camp caters for 12 guest at a time, the camp is in the lines of a traditional luxury family camp, comfortable family tent rooms, ensuite bathrooms, flush toilets, solar powered electric lighting and an amazing chef completes a safari family haven!

At Amboseli locally trained masai naturalist or walking guides will get Kids out in the mornings in a small group of say 8 kids for an adventurous nature exploration. This walking trips to the nearby sites in most cases will include lessons on the masai hunting techniques, catching and naming butterflies, treasure hunts, tree planting, hide and seek in animal camouflaged clothing and an interesting Q and A session answering every question they have ever had on wildlife and tribesmen.

The young rangers club is available to 10 - 15 year olds, could be a temporally or annual membership with letters, post cards and birthday cards sent to members all over the world from deep down wild and magical Africa!

Guide to tv vcr and dvd voltage converters

When traveling overseas, voltage differences in various countries should be considered if you want to take along your TV, VCR, or DVD player. Luckily, there are products such as TV, VCR, and DVD voltage converters to make traveling with these items easier.

How Voltage Converters Work

Voltage converters, often called voltage transformers, enable you to use 110v TV, VCR, or DVD player with a 220v outlet or vice versa. Step down converters will lower the voltage from 220v to 110v (or other voltage ranges) while step up converters will raise the voltage from 110v to 220v (or other voltage ranges).

When Do You Need a Voltage Converter?

A voltage converter or transformer is needed when traveling to other countries where the standard voltage differs from the standard used in your own country. If your country has a standard of 110 volts and the country you plan to visit has a standard of 220 volts, then you will need an 110v to 120v converter. If the opposite is true, you'll need a 220v to 110v volts converter. Some countries offer both voltages, in which case you wouldn't need a voltage converter.

TVs and Voltage Converters

If taking your TV along, keep in mind that monitor formats for displaying television shows are often different in other countries. Televisions create a surge when turned on, so choose a TV voltage converter that is more powerful than the wattage indicated on the back of your TV set.

Though a voltage conversion will allow the television to work power wise, it will not make the format compatible. North American format for TV is called NTSC. Other modes such as PAL mode used in Europe are not compatible with a television designed for NTSC mode. So, a voltage converter plus a multi-system TV might be required.

VCR and DVD Players for Traveling

Traveling with a VCR and DVD player can also be a hassle if you own an older model. The older versions may not work with some formats of televisions overseas, and many models (old or new) will likely need a voltage transformer to operate. Check the format of your player to ensure it matches the format of the available television set. Also, find out the voltage of the country you plan to visit.

Once plugged in, the VCR and DVD player can be used to watch videotapes and DVDs from your country, but maybe not those from another country. Just like with TVs, there are various formats being used around the world for videotapes and DVDs such as NTSC and PAL.

Newer models of VCRs and DVDs called multi-system, code free, or region free will enable you to watch films from your country or from the country you are visiting. Also, some newer machines will convert the voltage automatically, so there's no need for a voltage converter with these.

Voltage Regulators

Voltage regulators act as both a voltage converter and a voltage stabilizer. There are two types of regulators - Servo and Relay. A Servo type regulator stabilizes voltage by adjusting the converter or transformer to the desired output voltage. It gives the most precise voltage and is great for areas with unstable voltage currency. The Relay type regulator works electronically and is not as precise as the Servo type.

Before you go, find out what type of format and voltage converter you will need for your TV, VCR, or DVD player. If staying at a hotel, phone or email a hotel clerk to gather the information you need. Then, go online to shop for plug end adapters, voltage converters, or even a new multi-system or code free TV, VCR or DVD player for your enjoyment!

How the online gambling ban helps al qaeda

Groups like Al Qaeda may very well be using online casinos to raise money for their global Jihad, but does banning online gambling really hurt them. The answer to this question is absolutely not, it actually help them.

The way it helps them is easy to understand. Most of the money spent on online gambling was going to publicly owned British operators, but the online gabling ban passed by the American Congress put a stop to that.

Out of fear of repercussions, as soon as the law was signed these companies sold off all operations dealing with the USA, but online gambling is still going on, so now who is getting the money.

The problem with the Gambling ban is that it does not stop people from gambling online it only stops legitimate operations from getting the money and less reputable ones start getting rich.

It is these small casinos that before went mostly unnoticed, that will now be bringing in the billions that will still be wagered online.

It is also these casinos that have the best chance of being a front for AL Qaeda.

Some so called experts will tell you that this is not true and that it was thru owning shares in these publicly traded online casinos that terrorists were making money, but if they were buying shares of online casinos I am sure they are buying shares of Microsoft and Google. So why not ban them as well?

But once again the American people seem to be getting lied to by their elected Government officials, and it is time that we the people fight back against the government.

It is time we as a nation start to question and demand answers that make sense from them, after all they work for us, don’t they?

If you are tired of all the lies, then there is something you can do.

Jim Nickogoski the creator of the http: myspace. com/angryonlinegambler has started a web page to help fight against the Online Gambling Ban, the page also offers an online petition so you can tell the government you do not agree and you demand they reverse this unfair and unjust law.

The only real way for the government to ensure that money made from online gambling is not going to fund terrorism is to work together with the online casinos to regulate the industry with licensing so you really know who is getting your money. Only then can we be sure none of our money is going to the people killing out troops and threatening the American way of life.

So make your voice herd, write letters to senators, congressmen and even the President. Tell them you disagree with the law and ask them for real proof that this law is really what is best for us.

In the end I am sure the law will be reversed, maybe one day the government will learn what most Americans already know a ban on something never works, even if the government showed proof that online casinos are run by terrorists people would still play in them, just because they are not supposed to be it is just human nature.

Selling timeshares useful tips

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Retaining the ownership of a timeshare property can become impractical sometimes. The reasons for selling the time shares might vary greatly. A person after enjoying the time share resort for a number of years could have got bored of it, or the financial position of the owner could have changed, or the life style is no longer suitable for enjoying the timeshare he owns etc. Whatever might be the reason, it is just like a piece of real estate and selling needs good planning. There is lot of legitimate agencies which will assist the owner to sell his timeshare in a very professional manner.

Selling a timeshare can be very difficult as lots of factors are involved in the sale. When selling a timeshare the owner has to sell not only the particular time of the year but also the location of the time share resort. Some buyer might be only interested in the location but not the period of the year and vice versa.

Pricing the property rightly is the key to sales:

If the owner of the property likes to sell the timeshare the fast and the easy way, he has to price it right. To price it right it is good to analyze the features and amenities available to the owner, whether it is fixed or floating or rotating type of timeshare, the number of rooms available, if it is freehold or leasehold kind of ownership, fees collected in the form of maintenance and annual fees, location of the unit say if it is overlooking the beach or near the mountain side etc. By emphasizing the features, it can be sold at a reasonably higher price. Normally time shares are sold for 20 – 70 % less than the original value. Professional advice will be very helpful in getting a competitive price as well as it can be made very legal.

If selling of the time share is not feasible, the next option to get returns out of it is to rent it. Also the owner has to be wary of paying the up-front fees in case of hiring a broker for selling timeshares. If hired on a commission only basis, it avoids the risk of paying money for the services not received. A reputed broker will be able to advice on the current trends of the time share and will ensure that both the owner and himself get the best out of the deal.

Chinese gambling games casino games with chinese origins

The Chinese culture has a significant influence on the American gambling industry. Many of todays popular casino games were introduced to American casinos by Chinese immigrants. In this review, you can read about some of the most popular Chinese gambling games that had a successful immigration to the West.

Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is a hybrid of American poker and traditional Chinese tiles game called Pai Gow. The original tile game Pai Gow, which means Make 9, is one of the most ancient gambling games that are still available in cotemporary casinos. Pai Gow Poker is played with playing cards instead of tiles and it uses the traditional poker hand ranking. It is one of the most popular casino games worldwide and it can be found in almost every major casino in the US. Its online version can be played at most casinos on the internet.

The object of the Pai Gow Poker is to form the highest possible two poker hands, one five card hand and a two card hand, out of the seven cards dealt to each player. Each player competes against the banker that can be either the casino dealer or one of the players who can afford paying the players winnings.

Sic Bo

Sic Bo is yet another popular casino game with roots that go back to ancient China. The chance game came to the States around the beginning of the 20th century by Chinese immigrants. It can be played in most land based casinos in Macau, the US and the UK. Sic Bo has an online version as well.

The meaning of Sic Bo is Dice Pair. It is played with three standard dice on a special table. Each player places any number of bets on the table and then tosses the dice. The outcome is determined by the combinations of the three dice. Each combination has a different payoff according to a payoff schedule, which vary from one casino to the other.

Fan Tan

Fan Tan used to be the most popular gambling game among Chinese gamblers but the glory days of Fan Tan have already passed. During the 1890s, Chinese immigrants brought the game to the United States. At that time, every Chinatown in American City had several Fan Tan houses that were always full of enthusiastic gamblers. Nowadays, you can find Fan Tan in some casinos in Macau as well as in some online gaming sites.

Traditional Fan Tan, not to be confused with the card game of the same name, used to be played with any objects such as coins, dried beans or small buttons on a table with a square marked on it. Fan Tan. The object of the game is pretty simple and odds are 1: 4.

The play begins with the banker puts on the table a pile of objects then covers them with a bowl. Each player has to bet on one of the numbers that mark the four sides of the square, or on one of the corners of the square. After the bowl is removed, the croupier removes four of the objects each time until the last group remains. If 1 object is left, then the player who placed a bet on 1 wins the pot, and so on.

Mahjong

Mahjong is probably the biggest inherit of Chinese culture to the gaming world. The ancient Chinese tile game has many variants worldwide including variety of online games. According to the myth, Mahjong was developed by Confucius around the 500 BC. The game was brought to the United States during the 1920s and soon was very popular especially among women. The game was played in Chinese style decorated rooms with waiters wearing traditional customs.

The American version of Mahjong was developed during the 1930s and it is played in America until today. At the same time, the National Mahjong league was founded. In addition to American Mahjong, there are Japanese, Vietnamese, Cantonese and other variations of the game, which vary from one to the other by their scoring structure, number of tiles and rules variants. In 1998, the China State Sports Commission had set a standard set of rules that will differentiate the illegal gambling game from the skill game.

Mahjong Solitaire, the online version of Mahjong, gains wide popularity recently. The online version of the classic Chinese game is a matching game that uses the Mahjong tiles. Online Mahjong games can be found in many online gaming sites in variety of layouts and versions.

Safe web site booking of your discount travel package

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Many claim that they serve the best discount offers in flight tickets and save rate hotels. With the growth in travel market and changing psychology of people who prefer to book online for their travel needs there is mushrooming of websites everyday.
Typically travel websites contain a search form and some details about the places and some banners. But many search forms doesn’t work or rather slow comparing to the fast world of Travel. Searching the world of database pertaining to hotels , flights or cruises needs the provider to store and process updated information. Search engine should be efficient enough to search, consolidate and display the required information of the browser.

Most often websites fail in doing so. For example in flight search, you may be happy to see a cheap price on display with one stop. If you falsely book without looking at the stop hours, you will end up wasting several hours for the second hop. Some hotel search engines first show you list price hotels and then save rate hotels in that order. But you may save lot of money with hot deal save rate hotels if booked online.

Next there is a question of whom to believe and who to rely on. Are they really following the guidelines of privacy and security?
Do they stick on to the commitments they made at the time of booking?
Is it backed by network of travel industry? These are some of the questions you should raise in your mind before committing yourself. Customer live support should be there at any time for you to verify. The website should be able to provide link for status verification of your reservation and for cancellations as well.

There is lot of developments in today’s technology. The customers can track the flights live position where it is now flying etc., Many sites provide this facility online for their clients. If you are buying in your currency which is different from what is followed in the website, check if the website follows the standard money exchange rates. Some times you may loose money heavily in exchange conversion rates.

Status tracking should always be possible from the website. Let it be flight or Hotel reservation the browsers should be able to track the status for upgrades, monitoring and cancellations using their reservation ID. Or else you will be kept in dark about the status.

This author of the article is Sam of Travelmia. com

Going on holiday three rules to ensure you are properly covered

If you are going on holiday – or even having a mini break somewhere - travel insurance is a must. Many people don’t even bother taking out travel insurance, thinking they won’t need to claim on it. However, if something goes wrong when you are away from home and you need medical treatment, you could spend out literally thousands of pounds in overseas hospital costs and repatriation. So, rule number one is - get travel insurance! That in itself could save you thousands of pounds!

The second rule is to shop around for it. Many people buy their travel insurance as part of their holiday package, not realising that they can probably get a cheaper policy – with the same or even better level of cover – elsewhere.

You are not obliged to buy travel insurance from your travel company – there are many online specialist sites (such as protection-insurance. com or uk-travel-insurance-online. co. uk) that have quick and easy access to online quotes and can save you up to 50% on premiums!

Holidaymakers should also be aware that you are not fully protected by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) when buying standalone travel insurance cover from High Street travel agents such as Thomas Cook and Thomson. Therefore, using one of the many FSA registered online facilities will give you peace of mind that the policy is valid.

The third and final rule of buying travel insurance is to understand different levels of travel cover that are available – for example, gold, silver and bronze. When comparing the cost of travel insurance, it is imperative you compare like with like to ensure you get the right level of cover at the right price.

….And if you are still not sure of the importance of travel insurance .. then read on…

Bernie P (40), an avid skier from London never really valued the importance of travel insurance, seeing it as a ‘formality’ when arranging holidays. However, a near fatal skiing accident in March last year brought it home to him, with hospital and repatriation bills totalling over Ј45,000.

His travel insurance policy covered all the medical and transportation costs both in Austria (which included being airlifted off the Alps, two weeks spent in a coma in hospital and treatment for 10 broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, a collapsed lung and a smashed hip joint). The policy also continued paying for further operations once he was back in the UK, including a hip re-build operation.

Over a year on, Bernie is 99% fit and has just returned from a skiing holiday. He says: "Without the travel insurance policy, I wouldn’t be as fit and well as I am today. I got the best in medical treatment without the worry of paying the bills”.

Polar Loans is a marketing and a trading style of Speedie Consultants Limited. In conjunction with our partners, we have created a Loans broking service which not only provides you with great rates and exceptional customer service but also gives back to the environment.

Video poker how to play the game

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If you are looking for a fun and challenging alternative to playing slot machines, video poker is the game for you. Instead of simply pulling the machine handle and hoping that you will be lucky enough to meet a row of identical icons, in video poker your moves would rule whether you win or lose. Moreover, the house edge in video poker is much lower than at slots.

Playing video poker is similar to playing draw poker on a slot machine. It enables you to enjoy the action of poker without having to face other players who may be more experienced and skilled than you are. In addition, in video poker, there are no dealers, no rakes, no bluffing, no cheating; it is all about you and your poker skills.

How to Play Video Poker:
There are several variations to video poker. Some of the video poker variations are played with standard 52 card decks while others are played with additional wild cards. All the variations are based on the traditional card game of poker. Therefore, a basic knowledge of poker hand ranking is necessary.

You start by choosing the coin value you wish to play and then pick the number of coins that you want to bet. Afterwards, you click on deal and five cards will appear on your screen. You can discard some or all of the cards and replace them with new ones. After pressing hold on the cards you wish to keep, you push the deal button and the machine replaces your discarded cards with new ones.

The outcome of the second draw determines whether you win or lose. Each video poker machine displays its payout table, which details the number of coins the machine pays for each five card poker hand. The payout table differs from one video poker variation to the other and so is the minimum hand that qualifies for a payout.

Video poker odds are the same as in regular card poker. A 52 card deck produces more than 2.5 million hand combination. Each video poker machine is set by a random number generator, which simulates the probabilities of drawing any of the poker hand combinations. While in regular card poker, the casino ensure its profits by collecting a rake, in video poker the casino ensure its profits by setting each machine pay table differently.

Video Poker Tips:
1) Learn the basics of draw poker before you start playing video poker at online casinos or at a casino nearby.
2) Know the machine payout of the table you have decided to play at by selecting the machine that offers the highest return.
3) Adjust your strategy to the specific video poker variation you intend to play.
4) Use a mathematical strategy to play the game correctly.
5) Do not keep cards that cannot be used to form a winning hand.
6) Hold on to any pair instead of keeping a high card.
7) Keep any pair rather than draw into a straight or a flush.
8) Practice playing online video poker in a play money mode.