Adventure Travel - Fly MiG Fighters Over Russia

"Adventure and Discount World Travel Guide" offers information all all types of discount and adventure travel including cheap air tickets, hotel reservations, rail tickets, tour packages, and more.

Over-the-top adventure travel agencies like Incredible Adventures and ROSTOURISM now offer the opportunity to ride in Mig fighter jets in Russia. We're not talking about some decommissioned scrap heap pawned off to a travel agency here - we're talking about the supersonic Mig 23, Mig-25, Mig-29, and best of all, the Mig-31 Foxhound, Russia's most advanced high altitude interceptor and one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world. The Mig-31 was the subject of the Clint Eastwood movie "Firefox" (although unlike the movie, the instrument panel cannot really be controlled by brain waves!).

Your flight will will began at a Russian air base. You'll need to pass through a security inspection, because you'll depart from an actual Russian military installation. Before your trip you will receive a brief safety training and then suit up. And yes, of course they're all supersonic, so you will break the sound barrier. My question is - if you're travelling faster than the speed of sound, can you hear yourself talk? (See the end of this article for the answer).

You'll' fly so high that you will need to wear a pressure suit and breathe compressed oxygen. You'll even be able to see the curvature of the earth (I'm not talking about that wimpy view you get from a commercial airliner - a commercial airliner flies at about 30,000 feet, but in a Mig Foxhound we're talkin' 75,000 feet, an altitude officially referred to by NASA as "near space". Look at it this way - your eyes will be treated to a view that until a few decades ago only God had seen.

Total travel packages generally include hotel accommodation, domestic rail tickets, guide-interpreter services, airport-hotel transfers, and other ameneties (but not including international air tickets) . The tour package will also include time for shopping and exploration of Moscow.

Now here's the bad news (unless you're rich!) This tour is EXPENSIVE! Meaning about US$20,000 per person (sit back, dear reader, you're looking a bit pale all of the sudden - although this site is entitled "Adventure AND Discount World Travel, maybe I should have called it "Adventure OR Discount World Travel"!)

But hey, it's the next best option to hitching a ride on the space shuttle...

Answer: Yes, because the air inside the cabin is also travelling faster than the speed of sound.

Get Your Site Listed on Chinese Search Engines

Most people know that China boasts the world’s largest population. But fewer people realize that China’s urban middle class will soon exceed the entire population of the United States. China is also No.2 in the world in terms of total Internet users and is growing rapidly. Add to that an economy growing at 7-10% per year, and it’s not hard to understand why Western companies have been salivating over the Chinese market for quite some time now.

What’s even more important are two current trends: (1) the number of urban Chinese who can speak and/or read English is increasing so rapidly that it can hardly import enough Western English teachers, and (2) the number of Chinese who hold Visa, Mastercard and American express acounts in US dolloars is also rapidly increasing. Which means… (drum roll please!) a large and increasing number of Chinese are now capable of purchasing your product or service from the Internet. And China has a ravenous appetite for Western products.Is your website listed on Chinese search engines such as Baidu? True, the Chinese search engines might have already picked up your listing, but just to make sure, why not give the Chinese search engines a nudge and list your website with them?

Below are listed website submission URLs for the largest Chinese search engines. These pages are written in Chinese, so get some help before you punch them up:

Top 5 Chinese Search Engines

1. Baidu: http://baidu.com/search/url_submit.htm

2. Sohu: http://db.sohu.com/regurl/regform.asp?Step=REGFORM&class=

3. Sobao: http://search.sobao.com/Computers_and_Internet/Personal/

4. Sina: http://iask.com/guest/add_url.php

5. Tianwang: http://home.tianwang.com/denglu.htm

Disclaimer: Baidu, Sohu, and Sobao are the lions of the Chinese search engine jungle, with Baidu being the rough equivalent of Google. The rest may be out of business by the time you read this.

A final thought: You might want to give some thought to translating a page or two of your website into Chinese.

Airfare Cheap - Book Discount Airfares

“Discount World Travel” offers a variety of information concerning travel destinations, discount tour operators, cheap airline tickets, hotel reservations, etc.

1. Go to the source – check the websites of the airlines

Don’t just check the major airlines – sometimes regional and national airlines (for international travel) offer cheap airfare. Japan Airlines, for example, might offer cheap airfare to Tokyo.

2. Check the online travel sites – Expedia and Orbitz, etc.

Travel agents purchase cheap air tickets by buying from the airlines in bulk, and thus can often offer cheaper airfares than the airlines themselves.

3. If you fly frequently, check out the frequent flyer programs.

In the long run, frequent flyer programs can offer cheaper airfares than buying the cheapest airfare each time, once you factor in the free airfares that you will eventually qualify for. This is particularly true when flying to international destinations – how many trips to Japan would it take, for example, to accumulate enough frequent flyer miles to earn a free airline ticket?

4. Try the bucket shops.

If you live in a major city and an air ticket to, for example, China, check out Chinatown for the mom-and-pop shops. If you want to go to Japan, check out Little Tokyo. This is where the immigrants go for cheap tickets home and believe me, they know where to get the cheapest airfares. Round trip airfare from Los Angeles to Tokyo, for example, can run you as little as US$500.

5. Be flexible with your travel dates.

The cheapest airfares are usually available only on certain dates, and require you to stay a certain length of time and return on certain dates.

6. Book well in advance.

Airfares booked well in advance are usually cheaper than last minute travel arrangements.

7. If you travel light, book with an air courier service.

An air courier service is a company that will buy your luggage allowance in exchange for a cheap airfare. These are some of the cheapest airfares around, but they are usually reserved for international travel, particularly for flights from North American to Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Japan. You don’t have to worry about an unscrupulous operator using your baggage allowance to carry drugs or other contraband because you legally sign away your right to the luggage space, and the stuff they carry might not even go on your flight. The catch is that you may only bring carry-on luggage with you.

8. Be a student.

All sorts of cheap airfares are available with an International Student ID Card.


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Private Jets Through Fractional Aircraft Ownership Programs: Beyond the Hype

Did you know that private jets are available for purchase on a timeshare-style system? With the advent of fractional aircraft ownership programs, private jet ownership is now within reach of some small businesses and even some upper middle class individuals. Providers include companies such as NetJets, Flexjet, Flight Options, Airsprint, and CitationShares, among which NetJets (now owned by Warren Buffet) is considered the market leader.

A 5-year ownership contract generally required for fractional ownership in a private jet. To give you some idea of pricing, a 1/16 fractional ownership share in a private jet (getting you 50 hours flying time per year) would runs from a minimum of $400,000 (and way up from there).

In some ways, fractional ownership in a private jet can save you money if you travel a lot. And it can certainly save you time - flight times are shorter and waiting times are virtually non-existent. Meanwhile, far more airports are available for small private jets than for commercial aircraft, likely getting you closer to your destination and reducing ground transportation time. Because private jets are free from the rigid commercial jet schedule, you may save money on hotel bills 9and will certainly save time!).

On the downside, fractional ownership in a private jet generally requires the payment of a high monthly fee, not to mention fuel charges, etc.. Accordingly, don’t buy fractional ownership in a private jet expecting to save money directly – buy it for comfort, convenience and efficiency with all the indirect economic benefits that it entails – not having to cancel or delay a meeting, arriving at your destination in peak mental and physical condition for negotiations, etc. You might also want to consider fractional ownership in a private jet as an investment, since your fractional ownership can be sold. Do keep in mind, however, that unlike real estate fractional ownership in a private jet is a depreciating asset.

Private Jet Charter Operators for Business Jet Charter

In the wake of the terrorist threat and the accompanying inconvenience of traveling by airline due to security restrictions, many people are no w considering traveling by private jet charter. Private jet charter is, quite frankly, expensive compared to travel by airline. Nevertheless it can be not only the most rational but also the most affordable option under the following circumstances:

(1) The private jet charter fee is being paid by a corporation or a wealthy individual who can afford it.

(2) Many people are traveling together who would otherwise have to purchase separate tickets rather than pay a lump sum private jet charter fee.

(3) You have an urgent business deal to close or for some other reason you absolutely must get to a certain place at a certain time with no room for error, and need to be well-rested when you get there.

There are dozens of leading private jet charter operators in the United States alone, including Business Jet Services, Delta AirElite, Executive Jet Mgt., Hop-a-Jet, PrivatAir, Trans-Exec Air Service, and many more. These operators all fly comfortable, large-cabin aircraft. A licensed pilot and co-pilot are provided, and flight attendants are even available upon request.

Some of the main reasons people choose private jet charter are:(1) Economics – Believe it or not. Most private jets can comfortably seat 18 passengers or more, so if the journey involves many stops and the cost is shared among the passengers you might end up paying less for a private jet charter than what you’d pay on a commercial airline.

(2) Privacy – You and your group get the entire private jet to yourself.

(3) Itinerary – On a private jet charter you don’t have to rely on an airline to tell you when to go, where to go, and how to get there (and you don’t have to wait in line!).

(4) Flexibility – Private jets can land at airports that commercial airlines aren’t allowed to use, which will likely be less crowded and may be closer to your destination.

(5) Comfort – Private jet charters often offer comfort at a level that far exceeds that of even 1st Class commercial flights.

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Tibet Tours on the CHEAP - The New Tibetan Railway Opens Tibet to the World

“Discount World Travel” offers a variety of information concerning travel destinations, discount tour operators, cheap airline tickets, hotel reservations, etc.

The Trans-Siberian Express has long been described as "the greatest train ride in the world". Now it's got competition - the Tibetan Railway, running from Qinghai to Lhasa, eventually to be extended all the way to the Nepalese border about an hour's drive from Kathmandu.

Some issues you might want to consider before boarding the Tibetan railway:

Visas: A China visa is of course a necessity for any Tibet tour. Until recently, a special Tibet Permit (essentially a second, internal visa) issued by the Tibet Travel Bureau was required for foreigners to tour Tibet. This restriction has recently been lifted; nevertheless it would be a good idea to check with the Tibet Travel Bureau before taking the Tibet Railway because the permit requirement could be re-imposed at any time according to Tibet’s political situation.

Price: Tibet Railway tickets are CHEAP – ranging from US$49 to $180, depending on the level of comfort you require and where you’re coming from. A soft sleeper from Beijing to Lhasa (a 48-hour journey) will set you back only $158 at the time of this writing. A travel agency might charge more, but the frugal can purchase a ticket directly from the Beijing West Railway Station.

Altitude Sickness: The Tibetan railway is the world’s highest railway. Nearly 1,000 kilometers of the journey are located at over 4,000 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level. Tanggula Railway Station is the highest railway station in the world at 5,068 meters (over 15,000 feet) above sea level. Lhasa itself is located on a high plateau. Needless to say, altitude sickness is an ever-present danger. Nevertheless, the gradual acclimatization afforded by the Tibet Railway rather than by airline reduces this risk substantially. I toured Tibet in 1994, long before the Tibet Railway, on a flight from Chengdu. I got sick from my first breath of Tibet’s thin air and stayed that way the entire three weeks I was there. And then spent years wishing I could tour Tibet again, because it was worth every single minute of discomfort. Nevertheless, extreme altitude sickness can be life-threatening.

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Discount Travel to China Without Digging a Hole Through the Center of the Earth

“Discount World Travel” offers a variety of information concerning travel destinations, discount tour operators, cheap airline tickets, hotel reservations, etc.

China is not only the most populous country in the world with over 20% of the world’s population, it is also the world’s oldest culture. Among its more popular tourist attractions are the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Great Wall, and the ancient cities of Xi’an, Nanjing, and Kaifeng. Natural wonders include the Yellow River, the Himalaya mountain range, and the bizarre natural beauty of Guilin. A tour of China can be surprisingly affordable if you take advantage of a discount tour operator.

These tour operators and travel agencies offer both group tours and individual tours. Discounts are available for hotel accommodation, car rentals, airfares, etc. and can be as deep as 50% to 70% of the total China tour costs. Even during peak seasons, discount hotel rates offered by many China tours are usually quite affordable for Western tourists used to the high costs charged by European tour operators. Some of the more popular China travel agencies include China Comfort Travel, the China International Travel Service (CITS), and several online operators.

Because of China’s vast size (slightly bigger than the United States), independent travel over a short period of time is difficult. In response, China tour operators have designed comprehensive travel packages that will allow you to see as much of China as possible during a short China tour.
China Custom Tours offers “special interest tours” to unique and remote locations not often seem by the average China tourist. The China Tour Service offers several tempting China tours including a Silk Road Tour, the Tibetan Adventure, and a Yangtze River Cruise. This is only the beginning of what is available. If you wish you can take a martial arts themed China tour or a Himalayan trekking China tour.

Americans visiting China are encouraged to register with the US Embassy in Beijing in case of an accident or loss of passport.

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