Vegas is all about getting you to come back. The casinos make so much money from you gambling that they can afford to give a little back. Usually that ‘little’ comes in the form of comps. Comp is short for ‘complimentary’ and comps range from free food and drinks to T-shirts and other souveneirs, all the way up to free hotel suites.  Unless your last name is Sinatra, however, they won’t just offer you this stuff, you have to ask.

The first step in getting comps is to obtain a slot club card. There is usually a slot club window in the casino and all you have to do is fill out a card with your personal information. A slot club card is about the size of a credit card and is used to track your gambling habits within the casino. The card can be inserted into slot machines or given to a dealer at a table game so that your gambling can be ‘rated’. The machine or dealer will then track your average bet and how much you’ve bet. Some casinos have formalized the process somewhat and reward you with points as you gamble that can later be redeemed for a variety of free stuff.

You should also make an effort to meet the host of the casino section that you’re in. The host used to be called a pit boss and their main job is to make sure you have a good time and that you keep gambling at their casino. It’s a good idea to introduce yourself to them when you start gambling as they’re more likely to be generous with you.

Once you’ve been gambling for a while, its okay to start asking for stuff – try starting with a ‘line pass’ to the buffet. It won’t pay for your meal but it will get you to the front of the line. If you’ve spent a fair amount, go ahead and ask for a free pass to the buffet. A good rule of thumb is that you can be expected to be comp’d about 20-40% of what you’d be expected to lose.

Of course, the drinks are the main form of comps. You’ll often see waitresses wandering around, taking orders. Well spirits and tap beers are free, but you should always tip your waitress, especially if you want her to remember you.

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Blackjack has the best odds for the gambler of any game in Vegas; the house edge is only .5%. That means that over time, if you bet 100 dollars on blackjack, the casino will end up with a measley 5 cents. But wait, you ask – if the odds are so good, why do most people lose all their money? It’s because the house edge is based on how much you gamble, not how much you bring to the table. As you win, you play more, out of your own winnings. If you bring 100 dollars to a blackjack table and bet $5 per hand, you’re betting about $150 per hour – more than you actually brought. After 13 hours you’ve bet $1950 and 5% of that is $97.50, meaning that at the end, you’re left with $2.50 and another Vegas story. The other catch is that the house edge is only small if you’re playing with the right strategy. If you do it wrong, you’re playing at a much higher disadvantage. So learn to do it right.

The operating principle in blackjack is simple – there are more cards that are worth 10 than any other value. Keeping that in mind, assume that any card you can’t see – the dealer’s down card or your next hit – is a 10. It’s also important to remember that the dealer has to hit on anything less than 16 so if you’ve got a 14 and his up card is a three, you should stay, since he probably has a 10 and will have to hit and likely bust. It’s not about getting the highest total, its about beating the dealer.

Splitting and doubling down are your two other strategic options. If you have two of the same card you can split them by putting an amount equal to your originial bet next to the cards.  You then play two hands, hitting or standing on each one independently. It’s a good idea to split when you have two aces or two 8s. The former, because of the rule of 10 above and the latter because two 8s are 16, one of the easiest hands to bust.

Doubling down means you double your bet and get dealt exactly one more card. Doubling down is a good bet when you have either a 10 or an Ace.

Two things to avoid are tables where blackjack pays 6:5 and insurance. Without going into why, just remember that these are sucker bets.

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Holidays are expensive. If they weren’t, nobody’d work. One of the main reasons for their priciness is the cost of accommodation. You can easily spend as much for one week in a hotel or resort as you would for one month in your own house. Adding to the strain on your wallet is the fact that resorts are designed like pitcher plants – attractive to look at and apparently filled with nectary goodness, but once you get in you’ll have a hell of a time getting out. That means you pay resort prices for resort foods and, after paying resort prices for resort cocktails you’re all the more likely to indulge in a bit of room service.

Of course, you could always go the time-honoured route of hostels. Of course, in many major cities a private room in a hostel is barely cheaper than a hotel. Dorms are an option but a single room smelling of the socks of the multitudes isn’t conducive to relaxation. Fortunately, you can take a third option and rent your own cottage or apartment.

With a cottage or apartment rental you get the privacy and comfort of a hotel room without the enticing added extras that can send the bill spiraling to Virgin Galactic heights. Cook your own food, bring your own grog, supply your own entertainment, all in surroundings that have a personal touch often lacking in mass market resorts.

A quick google search to the effect of holiday rentals (destination) can often yield some pleasant surprises.  Two Mile Bay Cottage in Port Campbell on the Great Ocean Road is one of them. Built by a local artist out of the pylons of the old pier, this quaint, two-bedroom home sleeps up to six and provides a fantastic ocean view. At 200 dollars per night, it’s a very economical option if you’ve got a group.

The Kiwis are an interesting bunch. The country is to Oz what Canada is to the US – the quiet neighbor with a funny accent. But beneath the laid-back, laconic New Zealand exterior there must be a huge red pepper of raging lust for life. After all, this is the country that brought us bungy jumping.

Visitors to New Zealand, no matter where they are, will have a wide variety of grey hair inducing, slightly suicidal activities to choose from and nowhere is this more true than Queenstown, NZ’s capital of crazy.

Bungy jumping is one of those things everyone should try at least once. However, like many of those things (skinny dipping, body shots, running for office in Queensland on a platform of thinly-veiled racism) you’ll often end up fiding out that you don’t want to do it just once.

 


Fortunately, Queenstown is the home of not one, but three different bungie sites. There the Kawaru Bridge, the world’s first commercial Bungie site, measuring in at a modest 42 meters. While it may not seem that extreme compared to the dizzying heights of the other two sites, its more than high enough when you’re standing on the edge. As an added bonus you can elect to be dipped in the river so no one will notice that you’ve wet yourself.

Then there’s the Ledge, located at the Skyline complex, 400 meters above Queenstown. This sites distinctive feature is its unique harness and runway that gives you more than 10 options as to how you jump with names like The Matrix and Flying Squirrel.

Finally, for those who believe that nothing succeeds like excess, there’s the Nevis Bungy. Just getting to the jump site is enough to get your pulse racing as you sit in a gondola suspended over 134 meters of empty air. The drop from Nevis is a heart-stopping 8.4 seconds of free fall – plenty of time for a good chunk of your life to flash before your eyes.

Charlotte Pass: This snowbound resort usually reached only by over-snow transport from Perisher. The village has ski-in and ski-out accommodation and the slopes are perfect for intermediate skiers. Those looking for variety can enjoy backcountry tours, snowshoe tours and a new tube park. Stay at the Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel or choose from several self-catering lodges.
Gate entry National park day entry: $27 or $190 for a season pass

Selwyn Snowfields: With lifts for downhill skiers and over 45 kilometres of cross-country trails, Selwyn offers variety for families and those learning to ski. Accommodation is in the surrounding suburbs such as Adaminaby or Talbingo.
Gate entry National park day entry: $27 or $190 for a season pass.

Mount Hotham: Victoria’s highest resort has challenging runs for experienced skiers and a bubbling village to entertain you off the slopes. Takes about 4 ½ hours to get there from Melbourne along the Hume via Wangaratta, Bright and Harrietville.
Gate entry: $33.60 for private cars and 4WDs or $335 for a season pass.

Aspen is home to a variety of restaurants and bars to satisfy any food or drink craving. Simply take a stroll through the amazing city to discover all the quaint boutiques and historic buildings that Aspen has to offer. One of the most iconic buildings in Aspen is the Ute bank, a building that can be dated back to the 1800s.

With everything that there is to do in Aspen, there is no time to be bored or run out of fun-filled activities. The various mountain ranges alone are enough to entertain you. Try the slopes that meet your skill level and work your way up. However, if you do plan to stay at Snowmass, make your reservations well ahead of time to ensure you get a room.

Of course, with winter weddings come winter honeymoon destinations, and the advent of colder weather and snow means needing to get creative about your winter honeymoon.

However, whether you work to find somewhere that still has great weather in the winter or find a destination that you can enjoy in the snow, there are plenty of great winter honeymoon destinations out there. Here are a few:

• Some winter honeymoon destinations like Venice, Italy, make for a beautiful honeymoon any time of year, but the advantage of a winter honeymoon there is that you beat the crowds and the higher prices you’d see during the busy season. Best of all, Venice only gets snow on a few days a year, so you’ll still be able to enjoy a romantic ride along the canals without getting buried in snow and sleet
• If you truly don’t mind the cold weather, then try some winter honeymoon destinations that use the cold as an attraction. For instance, every year in Quebec, an ice hotel is erected for guests that want a truly unique stay in a cold destination. With a movie theatre and a chapel, this ice hotel has both entertainment and a venue for those who want to have their wedding ceremony in a truly memorable place.
• Another great way to enjoy cold winter honeymoon destinations is with a cruise. Cold-weather cruises can be an experience as unique as their counterparts from warmer waters. Take a flight to Alaska and enjoy a winter cruise where you can watch stunning icebergs and glaciers, and enjoy your honeymoon in a non-traditional way.
• Still, some people want winter honeymoon destinations that are warmer, which is completely understandable! A break from the cold is a great way to spend a honeymoon. For such a trip, Hawaii is a great destination, any time of year. With an average winter temperature of around 32 degrees Celsius, the tropics make a great place for you to celebrate a new marriage and to soak up a little sun while your home is still under cold, sleet, fog, rain and even snow.

Whether your destination is somewhere romantic, somewhere extra cold, or whether you go for warm waters, keep an open mind to plan a memorable winter honeymoon.

1. Antigua is an island that is close to Bermuda. This island has many beaches for you to visit, water activities, and great choices for food. If you envision yourself relaxing on the beach, you should consider visiting Antigua. The average temperature is almost always above 32 degrees, which means you can forget about winter very quickly. Many people visit this island each year, so you will have the opportunity to meet new friends from all over the world. In addition to pristine, white sand beaches, there are many hotels and resorts for you to stay in while on vacation.
2. Rio de Janeiro, which is located in Brazil, is the place to go if you want to visit the beach and enjoy the nightlife. With many activities including the legendary Carnaval, you will be able to sample great food, listen to music, and soak up the local culture that Rio has to offer. This city is also a great place to sightsee with many religious statues and buildings to see. When you visit Rio, you will never want to leave. With 120 kilometres of beaches, you will be able to spend the days sunbathing and the evenings dancing in many of Brazil’s famous rumba clubs.
3. Singapore has four official languages include Chinese, so you will definitely be able to learn more about the culture during your visit. With many small towns surrounding the city, you will never be bored. Relax and eat good food and meet interesting people from all over the world.

First off, decide how much time you can allocate to getting away and how much travel you would like to do. Seeing as the majority of popular tourist sites in Australia can still get quite cold in winter, you’ll need to travel north to find warmer weather. If you only have a few days to spare, then consider sticking to interstate travel rather than venturing overseas. Queensland and the Northern Territory manage to stay quite warm in the colder months, so it may be wiser to venture inland.

If you do have the time and funds to travel overseas, here are a few of our top picks:

Southern Florida
For loads of options and tropical weather through the Aussie winter, visit Florida. Miami is fantastic for visiting the beach, soaking up the sun and enjoying the nightlife of South Beach. If you want a slower pace and fewer crowds, consider the Florida Keys. Key West is a quaint city full of bed and breakfasts with plenty of family-friendly activities including water sports and nightlife.

Caribbean
A bit more extravagant than Florida is the Caribbean. The flights are more expensive but it is truly the epitome of a paradise getaway. There are tonnes of tropical islands from which to choose. There are French, Dutch, British, Latin and other influences to give you some culture. The Dominican Republic in particular is known for its inexpensive all-inclusive resorts, enabling residents to pay one fee that covers all accommodation, food, transfers and water sports on the trip.

Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is a popular destination due to its affordability and richness in culture. Singapore is not only full of sights, luxury hotels and culture but it is known for being a very clean country. Malaysia has many white sand beaches and islands with accommodations ranging from simple bungalows to lavish resorts. Thailand is another country brimming with ancient sights and gorgeous beaches and its people are known for their hospitality.