The Internet gives you easy access to so much information that you can become overloaded. When traveling this is definitely the case. Friends and fellow travelers tell you to book your trip on line yourself – you’ll save hundreds of dollars. But is that really the case? Will you be able to access the best and lowest deals? Isn’t it quicker and cheaper to do it all yourself? Maybe – maybe not.

 

Beware the discount web site. Don’t book on the first deal you see. It may claim to be the lowest fare, but you won’t know until you look around and surfing the web for the best price may take quite a while and time is money.

 

Research of web sites stating they will give you best deal shows up many times as an incorrect claim. Many big travel web sites pay homage to their sponsors and advertisers, by showing their ‘deals’ only. In the airline industry, a number of small carriers are ignored and they may well offer the best deal for you, but you won’t know if their information isn’t displayed.

 

Prices of air flights differ wildly on the Internet. Try it and see. Go to a number of travel sites and look for fares to Sydney, Australia. See what you get. And this is what you need to do when booking your travel through the web. It might then be worthwhile to see what a travel agent can get for you. Yes they do have a booking fee imposed on your tickets but, did you know that many of the best budget deals are not available on the web? Specific web sites are only accessible to travel agents.  UNTIL NOW!  STUART S. TRAVEL is a full service on-line travel agency.

 

Remember that air fare prices change many, many times a day. It is going to be impossible to find the best deal. You need to be smart and organized and willing to spend a bit of time researching the best deal for you. Once you think you’ve found a great travel deal, remember to read the details to see if there are any restrictions. Will you be able to change your flight details? If so will it cost you? And how much? Those kinds of details. Things can change and your travel plans sometimes need to be flexible so make sure you know what it‘s going to cost you if you have to alter anything.

 

So if you are going to book your travel through the Internet remember these points: shop around and compare prices; be prepared to be flexible; ask questions; don’t believe everything you read on the websites; read the fine print; give yourself plenty of time to find the best deal and; if in doubt, don’t book it. 

 

If it all seems too confusing (which many web sites aim to be), go to your local on-line travel agent and see what deals they can do for you.

 

This article was provided by:

Stuart S. Travel / Your All World Travel Guru

http://www.stuartstravel.com sherry.hardsey@aol.com

A short drive away from the main Kalkan hotels lies the beautiful Xanthos Valley, full of ancient Lycian sites and cities, just waiting to be explored.

The Xanthos Valley takes its name from the ancient city of Xanthos, the oldest and most important city in the region. Xanthos was once the capital of ancient Lycia and Homer mentions it in Iliad; as it was from here that Arpedonte led his troops. Although Homer’s Iliad may be a tragic tale, it pales to the real history of the city. On at least two separate and unrelated occasions, the population chose mass suicide rather than submission to invading armies.

Xanthos has many notable sights and although some monuments now stand in the British Museum, there are a number of relics that can still be seen in their original habitat. A tomb called the ‘Harpy Tomb’ which dates from 5 BC is one of the most visited attractions, and located just a short drive away from the majority of the Kalkan hotels. The chamber at the top of this tomb is decorated with beautiful marble motifs showing sirens carrying the souls of the dead.

Another nearby tomb is the Pillar Tomb, shaped like a large bird-table. This ancient tomb is believed to be a lot older than the nearby ‘Harpy Tomb’, and dates from the 3rd or 4th century BC.

The Xanthian Obelisk is the largest inscription of the Lycian language known to exist and altogether this large monument boasts over 250 lines of text. This inscription covers all four sides of yet another tomb, which was built in the 3rd century AD to replace the old Roman Agora. The Xanthian Obelisk used to contain a pillar mounted on two stepped krepis and a funerary chamber, both of which are now housed in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.

Xanthos’ highlight is its ancient amphitheatre, and many companies run excursions to this site from various Kalkan hotels nearby. However, if you’ve rented a car, then the amphitheatre is just a short drive away from the resort centre. It was built in the 2nd century AD to replace an earlier Hellenistic one which stood on the site. Nowadays, only the two upper rows of the auditorium are missing and the stage area still remains intact.

The next town that you’ll come across on your tour of the Lycian Valley is Patara. This city was once the chief port of Lycia, but its ancient port is now little more than a glorified salt marsh. Much of the city still remains buried underground and is believed that this is one of the reasons for its remarkable state of preservation. With the Lycians gone, these days the city has another claim to fame; it is the home of the Bishop of Myra, better known as Santa Claus! There is little to mark Patara as the home of Santa Claus and the place definitely isn’t a winter wonderland. Instead you are likely to come across a vast sandy beach, which is popular with holidaymakers and believed to be one of the longest in the region.

Offering a perfect blend of sandy beaches, ancient architecture and its local celebrity, the Xanthos Valley is the ideal place to explore from Kalkan hotels.

Satellite TV Programming

With more than 375 channels to choose from, satellite TV programming offers far more TV listings and viewing options than cable or over-the-air TV.

Satellite TV also gives you access to music channels, pay-per-view movies, sports packages, adult channels, and international programming.

DISH Network Satellite TV Programming

DISH Network programming packages start at $19.99 per month.

They also offer pay-per-view movies and events, adult programming, and sports packages. International programming includes: African, Arabic, Armenian, Asian, Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Israeli, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, South Asian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Urdu channels.

DISH Network has the biggest variety of movies, music, and shows and the most HD (high definition) programming of the two satellite TV providers.

Here are DISH Network’s current satellite TV programming packages:

Dish Family Pak

This package includes the following program channels:

Angel One, Animal Planet, Biography Channel, Bloomberg Television, Boomerang, BYUTV, CCT-9, CCT-E&F, CNN Headline News, Colours TV, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, CSTV, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times, DIY, EWTN, Fine Living, Food Network, FOX News Channel, Great American Country (GAC), Hallmark, Hallmark Movie Channel, HSN, Kids Tunes, NASA, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (East), Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (West), Nicdelodeon Games & Sports, Nicktoons, QVD, RFDTV, Shop at Home, Shop NBC, TBN, The Outdoor Channel, The Science Channel, The Weather Channel, TV Land.

America’s Top 60 ($29.99 per month)

This package includes the following program channels:

ABC Family, America’s Prevue TV, Angel One, Arts & Entertainment (A&E), Beauty & Fashion Channel, BYUTV, Cable News Network (CNN), Cartoon Network, CCTV-9, Classic Arts Showcase, CNBC, Colours TV, Comedy Central, Country Music Television, Court TV, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Daystar, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel (East), Disney Channel (West), Documentary Channel, Drive TV, E! Entertainment Television, ESPN Alternate, ESPN2 Alternate, ESPNews, ESPN, Eternal Word Television Network, FEC/PAEC, Food Network, Free Speech TV, Good Samaritan Network, Headline News Network, Healthy Living Channel, The History Channel, HITN, Holistic Television Network, Home & Garden Television, The Home Shopping Network, Horseracing TV, iSHOP, Jewelry Television, The Learning Channel, Lifetime, Link TV, Men’s Channel, Music Television (MTV), Music Television 2 (MTV2), NASA, Nickelodeon/Nick At Nite (East), Nickelodeon/Nick At Nite (West), Northern Arizona University/University House, Pentagon Channel, QVC Shopping Network, Research Channel, RFDTV, The Sci-Fi Channel, Shop At Home, Shop NBC, Spike TV, The Travel Channel, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Turner Broadcast System (TBS), Turner Network Television (TNT), TV Games Network, TV Guide Channel, TV Land, TV Outlet Mall, University Of California, University Of Washington, USA Network, VH1, The Weather Channel.

America’s Top 120 ($39.99 per month)

This package includes all of the channels in the America’s Top 60 package, plus the following program channels:

Altitude Sports & Entertainment, American Movie Classics (AMC), Animal Planet, BBC America, Black Entertainment Television (BET), Bravo, CD-70S Songbook, CD-Acoustic Crossroads, CD-Adult Alternative, CD-Adult Contemporary, CD-Adult Favorites, CD-Big Band Era, CD-Blues, CD-BYU Radio Network, CD-Classic Rock, CD Classic Ambience, CD-Contemporary Christian, CD-Contemporary Instrumentals, CD-Contemporary Jazz Flavors, CD-Country Classics, CD-Country Currents, CD-Easy

Instrumentals CD-Euro Style, CD-Fiesta Mexicana, CD-Hawaiian Music, CD-Hot Hits, CD-Jazz Traditions, CD-JukeBox Gold, CD-Kid Tunes, CD-Latin Styles, CD-Light Classical, CD-Modern Rock Alternative, CD-New Age, CD-New Country, CD-NUJAZZ, CD-Power Rock, CD-Reggae, CD-Urban Beat, College Sports Television, Comcast Sports Net Chicago, Comcast Sports Net West, Comcast Sports Net Mid-Atlantic, Discovery Health, ESPN Classic, FOX News Channel, FOX Pittsburgh 2, FOX Sports, FOX Sports Arizona, FOX Sports Bay Area, FOX Sports Cincinnati, FOX Sports Detroit, FOX Sports Florida, FOX Sports Midwest, FOX Sports New England, FOX Sports New York, FOX Sports Northwest, FOX Sports North, FOX Sports Ohio, FOX Sports Pittsburgh, FOX Sports Rocky Mountain, FOX Sports South West, FOX Sports South, FOX Sports West, FOX Sports West 2, FOX Soccer Channel, Fuse, FX, G4, Galavison, Game Show Network, Independent Film Channel, International Music Feed, Madison Square Garden, MSNBC, New England Sports Network (NESN), NFL Network, Noggin, Oxygen, Pax TV, Sirius BBC Radio 1, Sirius Boombox, Sirius Elcis, Sirius Love Songs, Sirius Margaritaville, Sirius Underground Garage, Sirius 60’s Vibration – 60’s Hits, Sirius Alt Nation – Alternative Rock, Sirius Area 63, Sirius Back Spin – Old Skool Rap, Sirius Big 80’s – 80’s Hits, Sirius Bluegrass – Bluegrass Music, Sirius Blues – Classic Blues, Sirius Broadway’s Best – Broadway Musicals, Sirius Buzzsaw – Classic Hard Rock, Sirius Classic Rewind – Recent Rock, Sirius Classic Vinyl – Early Rock, Sirius Classical Voices – Opera, Sirius Disorder – Free Form Rock, Sirius Faction – Rock/Hip Hop/Punk, Sirius First Wave – Classic Alternative, Sirius Hair Nation – 80’s Hair Bands, Sirius Hard Attack – Heavy Metal, Sirius Heart & Soul – R&B Hits, Sirius Hip Hop Nation – Uncut Hip Hop, Sirius Hot Jamz – Jam Bands, Sirius Jazz Cafe – Smooth Jazz, Sirius Left of Center – College Rock, Sirius Mexicana – Refional Mexican, Sirius Moving Easy – Easy Listening Hits, Sirius Octand – Pure Hard Rock, Sirius Outlaw Country, Sirius Planet Jazz – Contemporary Jazz, Sirius Pops – Classical Favorites, Sirius Praise – Gospel Music, Sirius Prime Country – 80’s & 90’s Country, Sirius Pure Jazz – Classic Jazz, Sirius Remiz – Dance Club Mix, Sirius Revolution – Christian Rock, Sirius Runbon – Reggae & Tropical, Sirius Shade 45, Sirius Gold 50’s & 60’s Hits, Sirius Hits One – Top 40 Hits, Sirius Soul Revue – Classical Soul, Sirius Spa 73 – New Age, Sirius Spectrum – Worls Class Rock, Sirius Spirit – Christian Hits, Sirius Standard Time – Standards, Sirius Symphony Hall – Symphonies, Sirius Super Shuffle, Sirius The Bridge – Mellow Rock, Sirius The Coffee House, Sirius The Globe, Sirius The Pulse – The 90’s & Now, Sirius The Roadhouse – Classic Country, Sirius The Strobe – Classic Disco, Sirius The Vault – Deep Cuts Classic Rock, Sirius Totally 70’s – 70’s Hits, Sirius Universo Latino – Latin Pop Mix, SiTV, Soap Net, The Speed Channel, Sports Alternate 1, Sports Alternate 2, Sports Alternate 3, Sports Alternate 4, Sunshine Network, Telefutura East, Telefutura West, Toon Disney, Turner Classic Movies, Turner South, Univision, Univision West, WE: Women’s Entertainment, WGN Superstation.

America’s Top 180 ($39.99 per month)

This package includes all the channels in the America’s Top 120 package, plus the following:

7890 – 4 Decades of Music, Biography, Bloomberg Television, Boomerang, CNBC World, Discovery Health, Discovery Home, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times Channel, Dish Music – 50’s & 60’s Hits, Dish Music – 70’s Hits, Dish Music – 80’s Hits, Dish Music- All That Jazz, Dish Music – Beach Party, Dish Music – Classic Soul, Dish Music – Country Music One, Dish Music – Expressions, Dish Music – Hitline, Dish Music – Hot FM, Dish Music – Italia, Dish Music – Love Songs, Dish Music – Moodscapes, Dish Music – New Orleans Jazz, Dish Music – Piano & Guitar, Dish Music – Roadhouse, Dish Music – Tropical Breezes, Dish Music – Urban Adult, Do It Yourself Network, Encore

(West), Encore Action, Encore Love, Encore Mysteries, Encore Wam, Encore Westerns, ESPNNU, Fine Living, FOX Movie Channel, FOX Reality TV, FOX Soccer Channel, The Golf Channel, GOL TV, Great American Country, Hallmark Channel, History Channel International, Lifetime Movie Network, Military Channel, The Movie Channel (West), MUN2,
National Geographic Channel, Nick Toons, Nickelodeon Games & Sports, The Outdoor Channel, The Science Channel, TMC Extra West, VH1 Classic, Wisdom Television.

America’s Everything Pak ($74.99)

This package includes all the channels in the America’s Top 180 package, plus the following movie channels (31 movie channels in all):

Showtime Unlimited Package, Starz! Super Pak, HBO Package, Cinemax Package.

Note: For more programming information, ordering information, and the latest bonuses and free offers from DISH Network, click on the links below.

DIRECTV Satellite TV Programming

DIRECTV satellite TV programming starts at $41.99 per month.

They also offer pay-per-view movies and events, adult programming, and sports packages. International programming includes Chinese, Filipino, Italian, South Asian, Spanish, and Vietnamese channels.

DIRECTV has the most sports program packages of the two satellite TV providers, including the popular NFL Sunday Ticket.

Here are DIRECTV’s current satellite TV programming packages:

Total Choice ($41.99 per month)

This package includes the following program channels:

A&E Network, ABC Family, America’s Store, American Movie Classics (AMC), Animal Planet, BBC America, Black Entertainment Television(BET), Bloomberg Television, Bravo, BYU TV, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, The Church Channel, CNBC, CNBC World, CNN, Comedy Central, Country Music Television (CMT), Court TV, Current TV, Daystar, DIRECTV FREEVIEW Events, Discovery Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Disney Channel (East), Disney Channel (West), E! Entertainment Television, ESPN, ESPN CLASSIC, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, EWTN, FINE LIVING, Fit TV, Food Network, Fox Movie Channel, Fox News Channel, Fuse, FX, G4 Videogame TV, Galavisión, Game Show Network, Hallmark Channel, Headline News, HITN TV, Home & Garden Television, i Independent Television, Independent Film Channel, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Link TV, MSNBC, MTV, MTV2, National Geographic Channel, NFL Network, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (East), Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (West), Noggin/The N, Outdoor Life Network (OLN), Oxygen, PBS You, QVC, RFD TV, SCI FI Channel, Shop At Home, ShopNBC, SOAPnet, Speed Channel, Spike TV, Superstation WGN, TBS Superstation, The Church Channel, The History Channel, The Learning Channel, The Weather Channel, The Word, TNT, Toon Disney, TRAVEL CHANNEL, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), Turner Classic Movies (TCM), Turner South, TV Guide Channel, TV Land, TV One, Univision, USA Network, VH1, WE: Women’s Entertainment, World Harvest Television, XM: America, XM: Audio Visions, XM: Beyond Jazz, XM: Bluegrass Junction, XM: Bluesville, XM: BPM, XM: Chrome, XM: Cinemagic, XM: Deep Tracks, XM: Ethel, XM: Frank’s Place, XM: Hank’s Place, XM: Highway 16, XM: KISS, XM: Lucy, XM: MIX, XM: Nashville!, XM: RAW – XL, XM: Real Jazz, XM: Soul Street, XM: Special X, XM: Spirit, XM: Squizz – XL, XM: Suite 62, XM: Sunny, XM: The 40s, XM: The 50s, XM: The 60s, XM: The 70s, XM: The 80s, XM: The 90s, XM: The Blend, XM: The City, XM: The Fish, XM: The Flow, XM: The Heart, XM: The Joint, XM: The Loft, XM: The Move, XM: The Rhyme – XL, XM: The System, XM: Top 20 on 20, XM: Top Tracks, XM: VOX, XM: Watercolors, XM: World Zone, XM: X Country, XM: XM Café, XM: XM Classics, XM: XM Pops

Total Choice Plus ($46.99 per month)

This package includes all the Total Choice programs, plus the following channels:

The Biography Channel, Boomerang, Discovery Home & Leisure, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times Channel, Discovery Wings, DIY – Do It Yourself Network, Fuel, History International, PBS KIDS, The Science Channel, SOAPNet.

Total Choice Premier ($96.99 per month)

This package includes all the channels in the Total Choice Plus package, plus the following program channels:

Action, BLACK STARZ!, Cinemax (East), Cinemax (West), Comcast SportsNet (Mid-Atlantic), CSTV: College Sports Television, Empire Sports Network, Encore® (West), Encore® (East), FLIX, Fox Sports World, The Golf Channel, HBO, HBO (West), HBO Family, HBO Family (West), HBO HDTV, HBO Latino, HBO Signature, HBO2, HBO2 (West), Love Stories, Madison Square Garden (MSG), MoreMAX, The Movie Channel, The Movie Channel West, Mystery, NBA TV, New England Sports Network, The Outdoor Channel, SHOWTIME East, SHOWTIME Extreme, SHOWTIME HDTV, SHOWTIME Showcase, SHOWTIME TOO, SHOWTIME West, STARZ! (East), STARZ! (West), STARZ! Theater (East), Sundance Channel, Sunshine Network, True Stories, VH1 Classic, WAM!, Westerns, YES Network.

Note: For more programming information, ordering information, and the latest bonuses and free offers from DIRECTV, click on the links below.

Click on the following link for more information on free satellite TV systems and service, or these links for programming information, ordering information, and the latest special offers from DISH Network satellite TV or DIRECTV satellite TV.