Carefreetrip.com :: Travel Blog

Carefreetrip.com announced their Best Rate Guarantee for online Save Rate Hotel bookings. They guarantee that their Save Rate Hotels are the best prices available online. If you find a lower rate on another website for the same room, at the same hotel, on the same dates, within 24 hours of making your booking with them, Carefreetrip.com guarantees they will match it PLUS pay you 10% of the difference in price.

The Best Rate Guarantee applies to discount rates at over 30,000 global properties. Carefreetrip.com’s Save Rate Hotel Rates are already low, but they can guarantee them because they have negotiated these low rates with hotels and hotel suppliers based on bulk purchasing capabilities. “Carefreetrip.com is confident that our Save Rates provide the best value-for-money available on the Internet” said Kyle Henrie, CEO of Carefreetrip.com.

The Best Rate Guarantee is for the Save Rate Hotel room rate only and does not include any taxes, tariffs or fees. The Best Rate Guarantee does not apply to discounted rates for senior citizens (including AARP rates), travel industry rates (e.g. IATA), corporate negotiated rates, Government/Military rates or AAA rates.

Read the complete guarantee here.

Save Rate Hotels are often available on nights that are normally sold out for many hotels. They are noted on Carefreetrip.com with a special or icon next to the property listing.

Carefreetrip.com offers low fares and real-time booking on airfares, hotels, vacations, cruises, car rentals and more. Through broad choices, low prices and excellent customer service, Carefreetrip.com can take you to where you want to go.

For more information visit: http://www.carefreetrip.com

Contact: Kyle Henrie
Email: kyle@carefreetrip.com

This Travel Warning is being updated to inform American citizens of recent attempts to assassinate the President and Prime Minister of Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor) and the continuing potential for violence, and to urge American citizens to defer non-essential travel to Timor-Leste at this time. Americans currently in Timor-Leste should evaluate carefully their safety and security situation in light of this Travel Warning. This supersedes the Travel Warning issued on September 12, 2007.

On February 11, 2008, armed rebels attempted to assassinate President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. The President was shot at his home and evacuated to Australia for medical treatment, and the Prime Minister was unharmed.

The Department of State advises U.S. citizens of the continuing potential for violent civil unrest in Timor-Leste. The situation could deteriorate without warning and foreigners may be specifically targeted. U.S. citizens should defer non-essential travel to Timor-Leste at this time. Those already in Timor-Leste should exercise extreme caution, limit movements to the greatest extent possible, and maintain a high level of security awareness while moving around in Dili; be alert to the potential for violence; and avoid demonstrations, large gatherings, and areas where disturbances have occurred. Demonstrations can occur at or near symbols and institutions of the Government of Timor-Leste, including government buildings and houses belonging to prominent politicians. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.

Since April 2006, Timor-Leste has experienced outbreaks of politically-related civil unrest, and the risk of further violent unrest continues. Violent disturbances broke out in several areas of Dili and in the Eastern districts of Baucau and Viqueque following the President’s August 6, 2007, announcement of a new government.

Indiscriminate communal violence as well as criminal violence have occurred and can occur unexpectedly throughout the country. Areas in Dili affected by violence have included the international airport and its surroundings and the areas around internally displaced persons camps near the Comoro market and Bairo Pite. Gang-related violence occurs often in Dili, and Americans risk intentional or inadvertent injury when traveling in affected areas. Criminals have been known to operate illegal checkpoints for taxis and minibuses in some areas of Dili; American citizens are advised against using taxis or minibuses for transportation. Americans remaining in Timor-Leste despite this warning should monitor the media for updates on the safety and security situation and check the status of flights before traveling to the airport.

The Government of Australia has advised its citizens to reconsider their need to travel to Timor-Leste and warns that Australians and Australian interests may be specifically targeted. Attackers could indiscriminately target foreigners, including Americans. The Australian travel advice may be viewed at http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/East Timor.

Americans in Timor-Leste should immediately register at the U.S. Embassy and obtain all recent messages sent to the American community in country. The U.S. Embassy in Dili may be reached at 670-332-4684 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. local time, or one may call the duty officer at 670-723-1328 outside business hours. The U.S. Embassy is located on Avenida de Portugal in the Pantai Kelapa area. U.S. citizens living in or traveling to Timor-Leste may also register through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website at http://travel.state.gov/, where the current Worldwide Cautions, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings may be found. Travelers should also consult the Department of State’s latest Country Specific Information for Timor-Leste. Current information on security may also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada. Callers outside of the United States and Canada may call a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (except on U.S. federal holidays).

This Travel Warning updates information on the security situation and reminds Americans of the risks of travel in the Philippines . This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for the Philippines issued April 27, 2007.

U.S. citizens contemplating travel to the Philippines should carefully consider the risks to their safety and security while there, including those due to terrorism. While travelers may encounter such threats anywhere in the Philippines , the southern island of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago are of particular concern. Travelers should exercise extreme caution in both central and western Mindanao as well as in the Sulu Archipelago.

Kidnap for ransom gangs operate in the Philippines . In October 2007, one such gang abducted a visiting U.S. citizen whose whereabouts are unknown at this time. Several other foreigners were also kidnapped for ransom in 2007. The New People’s Army (NPA), a terrorist organization, operates in many rural areas of the Philippines , including in the northern island of Luzon . While it has not targeted foreigners in several years, the NPA could threaten U.S. citizens engaged in business or property management activities, and it often demands “revolutionary taxes.”

Terrorist groups, such as the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Jema’ah Islamiyah, and groups that have broken away from the more mainstream Moro Islamic Liberation Front or Moro National Liberation Front, have carried out bombings resulting in deaths, injuries and property damage. On January 3, 2008, a bomb exploded at a Cotabato City disco pub, killing one and injuring eight. The central and western areas of Mindanao have also experienced bombings targeting bus terminals and public buildings. While those responsible do not appear to have targeted foreigners, travelers should remain vigilant and avoid congregating in public areas; a recent bombing outside the House of Representatives in Metro Manila resulted in a number of deaths and injuries to bystanders.

U.S. Government employees must seek special permission for travel to Mindanao or the Sulu Archipelago. When traveling in Mindanao , U.S. official travelers attempt to lower their profile, limit their length of stay, and exercise extreme caution. Some foreigners who reside in or visit western and central Mindanao hire their own security.

The Department strongly encourages Americans in the Philippines to register with the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Manila through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov. The U.S. Embassy is located at: 1201 Roxas Boulevard , Manila , Philippines , tel. 63-2-301-2000. The American Citizen Services (ACS) section’s fax number is 63-2-301-2017 and the ACS web page is at http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwh3004.html.

For information on general crime and security issues, U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State’s Country Specific Information for the Philippines and the Worldwide Caution, located at http://travel.state.gov/. American citizens may also obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 from the United States and Canada , or 202-501-4444 from overseas.

This Travel Alert is being issued to alert U.S. citizens to security concerns in Mali . Due to recent armed conflict, kidnappings, armed robberies, and the presence of landmines, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid travel to northern Mali . Areas of particular concern include the Mali-Niger, and Mali-Algeria borders, the Kidal region, areas north of Timbuktu and the city of Tinzawaten . This Travel Alert supercedes the Travel Alert for Mali issued on November 2, 2007, and expires on August 6, 2008.

Al-Qaeda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has a presence in northern Mali, and was designated as a terrorist organization by the United States . The presence of AQIM and other armed groups in the north present potential dangers to travelers.

On December 24, 2007, bandits, possibly connected to AQIM, killed four French tourists outside of Aleg, Mauritania . Several days later, four Mauritanian soldiers were killed by suspected terrorists near El Ghallawiya, Mauritania .

On January 3, 2008, four Italians were robbed at gunpoint near Araouane, 150 miles north of Timbuktu by assailants whose affiliation is unknown. This recent activity and the porous nature of Mali ’s northern borders reinforce long-standing concern about security for travel in northern Mali . The Department of State strongly urges citizens to avoid traveling to Northern Mali, including Timbuktu and Essakane.

On August 26-27, 2007, Tuareg dissidents attacked and kidnapped civilian and military convoys near the Mali-Niger border. On August 30, a truck transporting civilians from Algeria to Tinzawaten hit a landmine, killing at least 14 people. In September 2007, the Malian military garrison at Tinzawatan clashed with armed rebels. While the government of Mali is working to strengthen security in northern Mali and achieve a peaceful settlement, the area remains unstable.

Many people who reside in or visit northern Mali travel with security escorts. However, the August 2007 convoy attack on agricultural researchers (escorted by Malian military personnel) illustrated that this does not ensure safety. U.S. government employees, including those on temporary duty, must be given special permission before traveling north of the Niger River, including to Timbuktu, Essakane, Kidal, Tessalit, Lere, Goundam, and Menaka towns.

Americans planning travel to the northern regions of Mali despite this Travel Alert, including those planning to attend music festivals like the Festival in the Desert in Essakane or Sahara Nights Festival at Essouk, as well as Americans residing or traveling in Mali, are urged to register with the Department of State or the U.S. Embassy through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located at ACI 2000 at Rue 243, Porte 297.The Embassy’s mailing address is B.P. 34, Bamako, Mali . The telephone number is (223) 270-2300. The consular fax number is (223) 270-2340. The Embassy webpage is http://mali.usembassy.gov.

Updated information on travel and security in Mali may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada, or for callers outside the United States and Canada , a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. For further information, please consult the Country Specific Information for Mali and the Worldwide Caution Travel Alert, which are available on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website at http://travel.state.gov.

As the Department continues to develop information on any potential security threats to U.S. citizens overseas, it shares credible threat information through its consular information program documents, available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov. In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. or outside the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

This Travel Warning provides updated information on the security situation in Afghanistan. The security threat to all American citizens in Afghanistan remains critical. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Afghanistan issued April 4, 2007.

The Department of State continues to strongly warn U.S. citizens against travel to Afghanistan. No part of Afghanistan should be considered immune from violence, and the potential exists throughout the country for hostile acts, either targeted or random, against American and other western nationals at any time. Remnants of the former Taliban regime and the terrorist al-Qa’ida network, and other groups hostile to NATO-led military operations continue, with the heavy involvement of U.S. forces. There is an on-going threat to kidnap and assassinate U.S. citizens and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) workers throughout the country. Afghan authorities have a limited ability to maintain order and ensure the security of citizens and visitors. Travel in all areas of Afghanistan, including the capital, Kabul, is unsafe due to military operations, landmines, banditry, armed rivalry among political and tribal groups, and the possibility of terrorist attacks, including attacks using vehicular or other improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The security environment remains volatile and unpredictable.

Terrorist attacks on international organizations, international aid workers, and foreign interests continue. Kabul in particular has seen a rise in militant attacks, including rocket attacks, vehicle borne IEDs, and suicide bombings. The number of attacks in the south and southwestern areas of the country continues to be high as a result of insurgent and drug-related activity, but no part of the country is immune from attacks. The country’s most lethal suicide attack occurred in Baghlan Province in November 2007, killing more than 70 people.

More than 70 attacks were reported in Kabul between April and December 2007. These included repeated incidents at or near Kabul International Airport, suicide bombings, persistent rocket attacks on vehicle convoys, and IEDs on many of the major roadways. These incidents resulted in many deaths and injuries of U.S. and coalition personnel and local civilians.

Incidents have occurred with some frequency on the Kabul-Jalalabad Road (commonly called Jalalabad Road) since June 2006. The road’s use is highly restricted for Embassy employees and, if the security situation warrants, sometimes is curtailed completely.

Foreigners throughout the country continued to be targeted for violent attacks and kidnappings, whether motivated by terrorism or criminality. An American NGO worker and her driver were kidnapped on January 26 in Kandahar. On January 14, gunmen attacked the Serena Hotel and killed at least eight people, including an American contractor and a Norwegian journalist. An employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture was killed in an attack in Ghazni province in October 2007. A Bangladeshi aid worker was abducted in Logar Province, located south of Kabul, and held for three months from September to December 2007. An Afghan-American businessman was kidnapped in Kabul in September. Several German citizens were also kidnapped in Afghanistan last year, including a German woman kidnapped in Kabul while eating at a restaurant in September. In July 2007, twenty-three South Korean aid workers were kidnapped in Ghazni, two of whom were later killed.

Riots and incidents of civil disturbance can and do occur, often without warning. American citizens should avoid rallies and demonstrations; even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.
Carjackings, robberies, and violent crime remain a problem. American citizens involved in property disputes — a common legal problem — have reported that their adversaries in the disputes have threatened their lives. Americans who find themselves in such situations cannot assume that either local law enforcement or the U.S. Embassy will be able to assist them.

Official Americans assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul are not permitted to have family members reside in Afghanistan. In addition, unofficial travel to Afghanistan by U.S. Government employees and their family members requires prior approval by the Department of State. From time to time depending on current security conditions, the U.S. Embassy places areas frequented by foreigners off limits to its personnel. Potential target areas include key national or international government establishments, international organizations and other locations with expatriate personnel, and public areas popular with the expatriate community. Private U.S. citizens are strongly urged to heed these restrictions as well and may obtain the latest information by consulting the embassy website below. Terrorist actions may include, but are not limited to, suicide operations, bombings, assassinations, carjackings, rocket attacks, assaults or kidnappings. Possible threats include conventional weapons such as explosive devices or non-conventional weapons, including chemical or biological agents.
The United States Embassy’s ability to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Afghanistan is limited, particularly for those persons outside the capital. Afghan authorities also can provide only limited assistance to U.S. citizens facing difficulties. U.S. citizens who choose to visit or remain in Afghanistan despite this Travel Warning are urged to pay close attention to their personal safety, security and health needs and are expected to assume primary responsibility for their own well-being. They are also encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within Afghanistan. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy. Registering makes it easier for the Embassy to contact Americans in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located at Great Masood Road between Radio Afghanistan and the Ministry of Public Health (the road is also known as Bebe Mahro (Airport Road), Kabul. The phone number is +93-70-108-001 or +93-70-108-002; the Consular Section can be reached for after-hours emergencies at +93-70-201-908. The Embassy website is http://afghanistan.usembassy.gov.

Updated information on travel and security in Afghanistan may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. For further information, please consult the Country Specific Information for Afghanistan and the current Worldwide Caution, which are available on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website at http://travel.state.gov.

This Travel Warning updates and reminds American citizens of ongoing security concerns in Colombia. The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens of the dangers of travel to Colombia. While security in Colombia has improved significantly in recent years, violence by narco-terrorist groups continues to affect some rural areas and cities. The potential for violence by terrorists and other criminal elements exists in all parts of the country. For additional details about the general criminal threat, please see the Department of State’s Country Specific Information for Colombia. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Colombia issued June 4, 2007.

Violence has decreased markedly in many urban destinations, including Bogota, Medellin, Barranquilla, and Cartagena. Cali continues to experience more violence than most other large cities, and the level of violence in Buenaventura remains high. Small towns and rural areas of Colombia can still be extremely dangerous due to the presence of narco-terrorists. Common crime remains a significant problem in many urban and rural areas.

The incidence of kidnapping in Colombia has diminished significantly from its peak at the beginning of this decade. Nevertheless, terrorist groups such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN) and other criminal organizations continue to kidnap and hold civilians for ransom or as political bargaining chips. No one is immune from kidnapping on the basis of occupation, nationality, or other factors. The FARC continue to hold three U.S. government contractors, having captured them when their plane crashed in a remote region of the country in February 2003. In January 2008, the FARC kidnapped six Colombian tourists from a beach on the Pacific coast in Choco Department. Although the U.S. government places the highest priority on the safe recovery of kidnapped Americans, it is U.S. policy not to make concessions to or strike deals with kidnappers. Consequently, the U.S. government’s ability to assist kidnapping victims is limited.

U.S. government officials and their families in Colombia are permitted to travel to major cities in the country, but normally only by air. They cannot use inter- or intra-city bus transportation, or travel by road outside of urban areas at night. All Americans in Colombia are urged to follow these precautions.

As the Department develops information on potential security threats to U.S. citizens overseas, it shares credible threats through its Consular Information Program documents, available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov. U.S. citizens should consult warden messages for Colombia at http://bogota.usembassy.gov/acs_wardenmessage.html , as well as the Department of State’s Country Specific Information Sheet for Colombia and Worldwide Caution Public Announcement at http://travel.state.gov. U.S. travelers can also get up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 in the U.S. or Canada or on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.