What is Forex Marginal Trading

Posted by admin as Euro Rates

For those unfamiliar with the term, Forex (Foreign Exchange market), refers to an international exchange market where currencies are bought and sold. The Foreign Exchange Market that we see today began in the 1970’s, when free exchange rates and floating currencies were introduced.

In such an environment only participants in the market determine the price of one currency against another, based upon supply and demand for that currency.

Forex is a somewhat unique market for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is one of the few markets in which it can be said with very few qualifications that it is free of external controls and that it cannot be manipulated. It is also the largest liquid financial market, with trade reaching between 1 and 1.5 trillion US dollars a day.

With this much money moving this fast, it is clear why a single investor would find it near impossible to significantly affect the price of a major currency. Furthermore, the liquidity of the market means that unlike some rarely traded stock, traders are able to open and close positions within a few seconds as there are always willing buyers and sellers.

Another somewhat unique characteristic of the Forex money market is the variance of its participants. Investors find a number of reasons for entering the market, some as longer term hedge investors, while others utilize massive credit lines to seek large short term gains.

Interestingly, unlike blue-chip stocks, which are usually most attractive only to the long term investor, the combination of rather constant but small daily fluctuations in currency prices, create an environment which attracts investors with a broad range of strategies.

Marginal trading is simply the term used for trading with borrowed capital. It is appealing because of the fact that in Forex investments can be made without a real money supply. This allows investors to invest much more money with fewer money transfer costs, and open bigger positions with a much smaller amount of actual capital.

Thus, one can conduct relatively large transactions, very quickly and cheaply, with a small amount of initial capital.

Marginal trading in an exchange market is quantified in lots. The term “lot” refers to approximately $100,000, an amount which can be obtained by putting up as little as 0.5% or $500.

Example: You believe that signals in the market are indicating that the British Pound will go up against the US Dollar. You open 1 lot for buying the Pound with a 1% margin at the price of 1.49889 and wait for the exchange rate to climb.

At some point in the future, your predictions come true and you decide to sell. You close the position at 1.5050 and earn 61 pips or about $405.

Thus, on an initial capital investment of $1,000, you have made over 40% in profits. (Just as an example of how exchange rates change in the course of a day, an average daily change of the Euro (in Dollars) is about 70 to 100 pips.)

When you decide to close a position, the deposit sum that you originally made is returned to you and a calculation of your profits or losses is done. This profit or loss is then credited to your account.

Martin Chandra
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/what-is-forex-marginal-trading-81919.html

Gold Penny Stocks and Gold Canadian Stocks

Posted by admin as Euro Rates

The reaction of mainstream analysts to the events of last spring and summer was as amusing as it was predictable. As soon as commodity and metals prices weakened, they were out in droves, tut tutting and warning the great unwashed that we had seen the top of the cycle. They patiently explained to those too dim to

understand their market insights (which included us, I suppose) that the “abnormal” commodity markets were coming to an end and the “bubble” had burst.

It is to laugh. These articles did not surprise me. Many of the best known market strategists and market generalists have not understood this cycle from day one. Anyone who makes even a cursory study of commodity markets could see that there was something very different about the current cycle. The opinion of many commentators and business journalists is that most commodities, but especially metals and energy have not been acting in a “predictable” fashion. Their definition of predictable is a short cycle that passes through phases of under production, shortage, price increases, production scale up, oversupply and price collapse.

This cycle is not different from all others; it’s just different from the garden variety economic boom and bust cycle. It actually looks pretty normal so far compared to past secular commodity bull markets. Those don’t come along very often. There have only been a couple true secular commodity cycles in the past century prior to this one. So generalists can be forgiven for gloating about the demise of the “old economy sector”, even if its based on an ignorance of the data.

The generalist view was based solely on the strength and speed of the up move this spring. They believe that it had to be a bubble because things moved too fast. There is some truth to this view. The momentum buying -and selling- they exhibited was scary. Scary enough in fact that i think it influenced the world’s major central banks. There were real concerns about inflation and the economies of both Europe and Japan were accelerating quicker than expected. I think central bankers were also worried about markets getting carried away by speculative money their loose monetary policies created. In response, central bankers sucked an enormous amount of liquidity out of the system in the second quarter. That led to a lot of trades, especially leveraged hedge fund trades, getting unwound. That is where most of the selling came from in commodities and emerging markets. Keep in mind that in most commodity and futures markets the speculative money far outweighs the trades of “real” suppliers and buyers. It always has and it always will. That didn’t make the nose dives less real or painful. Nor does it mean that buyers won’t use the price cuts to advantage. It does mean the price drops were driven at least as much by trading considerations as by supply and demand. They were trades. There have been no mountains of copper or nickel or lakes of crude oil appearing in front of NYMEX or the London Metal Exchange. Where inventories changed at all in the past two months is has been to the downside. The cycle is intact and supply still needs to catch up to demand in most metals. As long as synchronized growth in North America, Europe, Japan and BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) continues, the balance between supply and demand will be tight. This did not change just because traders saw bearish chart signals. It’s worth noting that metals that do not have developed forward markets and that are not “traded” like tungsten, uranium and molybdenum did not see much of a down move in this period.

Some commodities may not exceed their May highs but most will. Oil already did thanks to political tensions and the start of hurricane season. Nickel already has thanks to tight supply and zinc probably will for the same reasons. Copper may not, but it will also not see prices anything like old cycle lows for a very long time, if ever. Silver, as we predicted, fell harder once an expected “ETF Lift-off’ didn’t materialize but it has bounced and started climbing. Gold has too. We still have inflation concerns. I’m very concerned about just how much drag the US housing market creates. Remember though, that one of the lasting changes from this cycles is that the US will be less dominant in most markets. It actually already is, but it will take time for traders to accept that. If the US can hold to a slower growth track without over shooting rates, the rest of the world can take up the slack and keep this party going for a while. If the Fed really is done the Euro and Yen in particular will keep gaining. This will add to the upward pressure on metals prices – especially gold and silver.

rob rens
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/gold-penny-stocks-and-gold-canadian-stocks-93130.html

What is Forex Marginal Trading

Posted by admin as Euro Rates

For those unfamiliar with the term, Forex (Foreign Exchange market), refers to an international exchange market where currencies are bought and sold. The Foreign Exchange Market that we see today began in the 1970’s, when free exchange rates and floating currencies were introduced.

In such an environment only participants in the market determine the price of one currency against another, based upon supply and demand for that currency.

Forex is a somewhat unique market for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is one of the few markets in which it can be said with very few qualifications that it is free of external controls and that it cannot be manipulated. It is also the largest liquid financial market, with trade reaching between 1 and 1.5 trillion US dollars a day.

With this much money moving this fast, it is clear why a single investor would find it near impossible to significantly affect the price of a major currency. Furthermore, the liquidity of the market means that unlike some rarely traded stock, traders are able to open and close positions within a few seconds as there are always willing buyers and sellers.

Another somewhat unique characteristic of the Forex money market is the variance of its participants. Investors find a number of reasons for entering the market, some as longer term hedge investors, while others utilize massive credit lines to seek large short term gains.

Interestingly, unlike blue-chip stocks, which are usually most attractive only to the long term investor, the combination of rather constant but small daily fluctuations in currency prices, create an environment which attracts investors with a broad range of strategies.

Marginal trading is simply the term used for trading with borrowed capital. It is appealing because of the fact that in Forex investments can be made without a real money supply. This allows investors to invest much more money with fewer money transfer costs, and open bigger positions with a much smaller amount of actual capital.

Thus, one can conduct relatively large transactions, very quickly and cheaply, with a small amount of initial capital.

Marginal trading in an exchange market is quantified in lots. The term “lot” refers to approximately $100,000, an amount which can be obtained by putting up as little as 0.5% or $500.

Example: You believe that signals in the market are indicating that the British Pound will go up against the US Dollar. You open 1 lot for buying the Pound with a 1% margin at the price of 1.49889 and wait for the exchange rate to climb.

At some point in the future, your predictions come true and you decide to sell. You close the position at 1.5050 and earn 61 pips or about $405.

Thus, on an initial capital investment of $1,000, you have made over 40% in profits. (Just as an example of how exchange rates change in the course of a day, an average daily change of the Euro (in Dollars) is about 70 to 100 pips.)

When you decide to close a position, the deposit sum that you originally made is returned to you and a calculation of your profits or losses is done. This profit or loss is then credited to your account.

Martin Chandra
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/what-is-forex-marginal-trading-81919.html

Gold Penny Stocks and Gold Canadian Stocks

Posted by admin as Euro Rates

The reaction of mainstream analysts to the events of last spring and summer was as amusing as it was predictable. As soon as commodity and metals prices weakened, they were out in droves, tut tutting and warning the great unwashed that we had seen the top of the cycle. They patiently explained to those too dim to

understand their market insights (which included us, I suppose) that the “abnormal” commodity markets were coming to an end and the “bubble” had burst.

It is to laugh. These articles did not surprise me. Many of the best known market strategists and market generalists have not understood this cycle from day one. Anyone who makes even a cursory study of commodity markets could see that there was something very different about the current cycle. The opinion of many commentators and business journalists is that most commodities, but especially metals and energy have not been acting in a “predictable” fashion. Their definition of predictable is a short cycle that passes through phases of under production, shortage, price increases, production scale up, oversupply and price collapse.

This cycle is not different from all others; it’s just different from the garden variety economic boom and bust cycle. It actually looks pretty normal so far compared to past secular commodity bull markets. Those don’t come along very often. There have only been a couple true secular commodity cycles in the past century prior to this one. So generalists can be forgiven for gloating about the demise of the “old economy sector”, even if its based on an ignorance of the data.

The generalist view was based solely on the strength and speed of the up move this spring. They believe that it had to be a bubble because things moved too fast. There is some truth to this view. The momentum buying -and selling- they exhibited was scary. Scary enough in fact that i think it influenced the world’s major central banks. There were real concerns about inflation and the economies of both Europe and Japan were accelerating quicker than expected. I think central bankers were also worried about markets getting carried away by speculative money their loose monetary policies created. In response, central bankers sucked an enormous amount of liquidity out of the system in the second quarter. That led to a lot of trades, especially leveraged hedge fund trades, getting unwound. That is where most of the selling came from in commodities and emerging markets. Keep in mind that in most commodity and futures markets the speculative money far outweighs the trades of “real” suppliers and buyers. It always has and it always will. That didn’t make the nose dives less real or painful. Nor does it mean that buyers won’t use the price cuts to advantage. It does mean the price drops were driven at least as much by trading considerations as by supply and demand. They were trades. There have been no mountains of copper or nickel or lakes of crude oil appearing in front of NYMEX or the London Metal Exchange. Where inventories changed at all in the past two months is has been to the downside. The cycle is intact and supply still needs to catch up to demand in most metals. As long as synchronized growth in North America, Europe, Japan and BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) continues, the balance between supply and demand will be tight. This did not change just because traders saw bearish chart signals. It’s worth noting that metals that do not have developed forward markets and that are not “traded” like tungsten, uranium and molybdenum did not see much of a down move in this period.

Some commodities may not exceed their May highs but most will. Oil already did thanks to political tensions and the start of hurricane season. Nickel already has thanks to tight supply and zinc probably will for the same reasons. Copper may not, but it will also not see prices anything like old cycle lows for a very long time, if ever. Silver, as we predicted, fell harder once an expected “ETF Lift-off’ didn’t materialize but it has bounced and started climbing. Gold has too. We still have inflation concerns. I’m very concerned about just how much drag the US housing market creates. Remember though, that one of the lasting changes from this cycles is that the US will be less dominant in most markets. It actually already is, but it will take time for traders to accept that. If the US can hold to a slower growth track without over shooting rates, the rest of the world can take up the slack and keep this party going for a while. If the Fed really is done the Euro and Yen in particular will keep gaining. This will add to the upward pressure on metals prices – especially gold and silver.

rob rens
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/gold-penny-stocks-and-gold-canadian-stocks-93130.html

Are Personal Debt Consolidation Loans Always High Risk?

Posted by admin as Euro Rates

Debts are the result of financial incapability of an individual in meeting up his requirements. A person goes for debts when he needs cash for fulfilling his needs and borrows it from the one who has it i.e. the lender. This debt can be consisting of loans, credit card or shopping bills. Paying numerous lenders and creditors at variable rates always leads to inefficient management of debts as well as our finances. This sometimes leads us to pay more that what we are supposed to repay. High risk personal debt consolidation loans can help us avoid such situation through apt monetary support for consolidation of these debts.

High risk personal debt consolidation loans can be defined as the consolidation loans meant especially for people with bad credit. Lending money to people with bad credit holders is a risky affair for standard loans lender due to which they deny these people from applying for the loans. This type of loan can serve with ease to such people with bad credit including:
– Defaulters – CCJ’s and IVA’s – Arrears – Bankrupts – Poor credit score holders

If you are unsure about the status of your credit record, you must get a copy of your credit score along with credit report before going for this debt consolidation loan. You can order it from credit rating agencies namely Experian, Equifax and Transunion at a minimal charge.

High risk personal debt consolidation loans are available with or without offering the collateral. Presence of security can get you bigger amounts with flexible terms. However, applying without collateral is also not a problem with an unsecured high risk personal consolidation loan. This will benefit you with faster approvals when need is urgent. You can apply amount ranging between Euro 1000 to Euro 75000 depending upon the collateral status and requirements.

The competition among loan lenders is increasing and in order to attract the borrowers, these lenders are offering the best possible rates and terms. Among these lenders, your task is to find the quotes which matches into your circumstances the best way. You can use the online websites to ease this task with free loan quotes and comparison tools to serve you.

A standard application form for this debt consolidation loan consists of following details:
– Name – Address and contact details – Loan amount – Residential status – Employment status – Idea of your credit score

After having a look on small prints for the loan you can sign the agreement. Once satisfied, the lender will put your application in approval process and you will be ready to enjoy the benefits of a high risk personal debt consolidation loan.

Gibran Selman
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/are-personal-debt-consolidation-loans-always-high-risk-64690.html

Earn Unlimited Money Trading in Global Forex

Posted by admin as Euro Currency Exchange

Global money trading involves the buying and selling of world’s currencies, par excellence the most formidable ones on the fx markets. Initially only the privileged few like the enormous banks and big shot financiers had access to this remarkably lucrative market. But with the ubiquitous presence of internet, the suitable time for trading in global forex is not restricted in the hands of the big players. The hobby investors can also tap the high profit potential of the forex market to make some great money.

There are some typical advantages related with trading money in the global forex market that has made it the world’s largest money spinning market.

foremost of all, while the national stock market operates with work hours, the Global forex stays open 24 hours a day. The fx-market opens every day in Sydney moving westward as the day advances. A truly globalized market, the trading moves around the globe as the trading opens in each major center, first to Tokyo, London, and New York. Thus, unlike any other financial market, you can instantly correspond to any type of fluctuations in any currency followed by economic, social and political events. And you can easily take decision the time they occur—day or night.

Unlike the domestic stock market, you do not have to deal with a share agent and do not have to pay any commsiion for making the trade. The FX market is Over the Counter type of market. It operates on the ‘interbank’ basis. Thus transactions are conducted between two parties in two different parts of the world via internet or over the telephone.

Then leverage is also essentially high in this market and practically you can make deals 100 times greater than the value of your deposit money.

You do not have to be present in person in the market to carry on the trade. As this market is not like any other markets you can think of. Trading is not restricted to any centralized location. Trading occurs worldwide and Forex is the world’s largest and most intense market.

The currency trading involves the business on the spot between the US dollar and the
six major currencies (Japanese Yen, Euro, British Pound, Swiss Franc, Canadian Dollar and Australian Dollar). Thus it is a enormous market which can not be controlled by any single factor or player. There is impossible for one man to control and manipulate the market in his favors. This trait makes it the most exciting market in the world. beside the major players like Central banks, private banks, multinational corporations, and money managers the little man in the street can also make unlimited money in the forex market.

So you can clearly see that there are significant opportunities of making money in this biggest market of the world. But there are risk factors as well. The aggressive day traders might experience substantial profit-loss swings per day.
Fortunately, there are no daily limits on foreign exchange trading and no restrictions on trading hours other than the weekend. This implies you will always get an opportunity to react to the particular trends and a lower risk of getting trapped into bad deals without the opportunity of getting out.

Lars Rohde
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/earn-unlimited-money-trading-in-global-forex-102905.html

The Outlook of the Real Estate Market

Posted by admin as Euro Rates

There has been a definite slump in the prices of houses for sale. This has been compounded with a tendency this year for the dollar to go down some 11 percent this year in relation to the Euro. Some economists are worried that a high level of foreclosure of homes could also cause a financial crisis at the two big agencies that buy mortgages, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Home foreclosures are up 53% compared to the same time period in 2005. This is bound to create some real financial problems down the road.

Banks are able to continue to supply mortgages to consumers because their mortgages are sold to Freddie Mac. Freddie Mac buys home mortgages from banks and sells them repackaged as securities, which are sold to investors. The stated mission of Freddie Mac is to stabilize the mortgage market and make homeownership possible and opportunities for rentals. There has been some concern at Freddie Mac for the extension of a real estate bubble since 2005, since Freddie Mac noted that large amounts of cash were being taken out of home values through the refinancing of second mortgages on houses that had been revalued at much higher than their original purchase prices. Due to the fact that Freddie Mac and its sister organization are heavily in the real estate market themselves, they have continued to make optimistic predictions about the housing market. In late 2006, their predictions are that we have seen the worst in the fall of housing prices, and things can only look up.

Despite all the happy talk, there have been recent warnings of a sudden fall in the real estate market and in the value of the dollar itself. Robert Rubin, the Treasury Secretary under President Clinton, and Paul Volcker, Federal Reserve Chairman from 1979 to 1987 have warned that something must be done or else foreign investors will pull their money out of U.S. investment and cause a continuing fall of the dollar.

Due to the way the real estate and mortgage market is structured, this could have a profound impact on the real estate market as well through higher interest rates. Mortgages have been reorganized into Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS), which are then sold as derivative securities to investors all over the world. Rubin and Volcker have been pointing out that the U.S. Government needs to cut its yearly budget deficit, or else foreign investors will begin to dump dollar-denominated investments.

Adamheist
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/the-outlook-of-the-real-estate-market-92219.html

On Safari in Botswana

Posted by admin as Euro Rates

Once a year deep in the central African highlands, heavy seasonal rains fall. Floodwaters gather momentum and head south into the Kalahari Desert forming the largest inland delta in the world – The Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. This unique wetland supports and sustains a huge diversity of wildlife and is considered by many to be one of Africa’s most prolific wildlife and wilderness sanctuaries.

This natural phenomenon contrasts with another flourishing ecosystem driven by different stimuli in the Chobe and Linyanti regions north of the delta. The many varied habitats within the Chobe and Linyanti wildlife areas – such as marshes, waterways, riverine forests, dry woodlands and the world-famous Savute Channel – have created an area renowned for its predators and large concentrations of game, particularly elephant that can sometime gather to some 400 strong.

Botswana government abandoned mass tourism and focused on high quality / low volume tourism as the best way to create a sustainable industry that would employ a large percentage of its people, while still preserving the environment. Today wildlife and tourism employs about 45% of the population in northern Botswana. The country has remained focused on delivering the finest possible authentic wildlife experience, which is accomplished through one of Africa’s most sensible land plans ever devised. While there are national parks open to the general public, much of the country’s most productive wildlife areas lie outside these parks in private reserves known as concessions. These concessions are leased out to safari companies that must manage them within strict guidelines to prevent overcrowding, must train and employ local people and are obliged to pay for the privilege of using these areas. In this way 40% of the country has been set aside for wildlife.

It is for this reason that a relatively high-end budget is required to experience a safari in Botswana. The all-inclusive luxury game lodges within the private concessions have exquisite remote settings, all naturally blending in to their surroundings. Access into the Okavango Delta and Linyanti Region is limited to light aircraft chartered flights adding to the magnificent wildlife and nature experience of your safari as you fly over the game rich areas and water wonderland.

The best time of the year to travel to Botswana:

The winter season is generally known as the best season to view game in Africa because it is the dry season. The bush is dry and largely leafless making it easier to spot the game and the game tends to gather at waterholes to quench their thirst and are therefore easy to find. However the green season in Botswana has incredible diversity and what’s more is it offers “out of season” rates.

The green season (summer) covers the months November to April and has long been considered low season by the travel trade. Because rain has fallen game has dispersed, vegetation is thicker and humidity is higher. As a result many would rather send their clients elsewhere. To do so is to miss out on an explosion of life and colour and some exceptional game and bird viewing in spectacular scenery. The birthing of multiple antelope species makes for interesting predator–prey interactions and the myriad migratory bird species and green luxuriance make for spectacular photographic backdrops. Of course some areas do become less productive, but the trick is picking an itinerary that takes in those areas that produce year round high quality game viewing, as well as those areas that come into their own in summer.

Although the rain received in the summer months has a minimal affect on the water levels of the Okavango Delta, this is not the main cause of high and low water levels. In fact the delta high-water level takes place in the dry winter – April to October or November. It takes many months for the summer floodwaters from the Central African Highlands to reach the Okavango Delta, once again changing its appearance and therefore the experiences available to you.

To enhance your wildlife and nature experience, many varied inclusive activities are available to you from these luxury game lodges. Safaris by boat and dugout canoe (mokoro) allow an amble stroll through the peaceful waterways and are particular brilliant for bird watching, while game drives and night drives by open 4×4 vehicles are best for tracking the animals. Guided walks are unsurpassed experiences for being in touch with nature. Elephant back safaris are available from specific camps as well. This is however an optional experience at an extra cost.

Mobile tented safaris are also available for walking safari experiences, concentrating on wildlife rich areas guests would not normally see. Walking on safari has always been regarded as one of the finest ways to get a feel for the African wilderness, allowing guests to get their feet on the ground and get away from vehicles, to really feel, smell and touch Africa.

Money matters:

While all the luxury game lodges are sold on an all-inclusive basis, some do not include all drinks and none include tips (tips are however not compulsory). These lodges do accept MasterCard and Visa credit cards as well as travellers cheques for little extras that you may need. They also accept US dollar, British pound, Euro and Rand cash. The local currency is the Pula.

Allow Botswana to show you her true colours, to creep in under your skin and leave you beaming with excitement as you return home to tell friends and family about your  African safari adventure.

Claire Dinnie
http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/on-safari-in-botswana-743753.html

On Safari in Botswana

Posted by admin as Euro Rates

Once a year deep in the central African highlands, heavy seasonal rains fall. Floodwaters gather momentum and head south into the Kalahari Desert forming the largest inland delta in the world – The Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. This unique wetland supports and sustains a huge diversity of wildlife and is considered by many to be one of Africa’s most prolific wildlife and wilderness sanctuaries.

This natural phenomenon contrasts with another flourishing ecosystem driven by different stimuli in the Chobe and Linyanti regions north of the delta. The many varied habitats within the Chobe and Linyanti wildlife areas – such as marshes, waterways, riverine forests, dry woodlands and the world-famous Savute Channel – have created an area renowned for its predators and large concentrations of game, particularly elephant that can sometime gather to some 400 strong.

Botswana government abandoned mass tourism and focused on high quality / low volume tourism as the best way to create a sustainable industry that would employ a large percentage of its people, while still preserving the environment. Today wildlife and tourism employs about 45% of the population in northern Botswana. The country has remained focused on delivering the finest possible authentic wildlife experience, which is accomplished through one of Africa’s most sensible land plans ever devised. While there are national parks open to the general public, much of the country’s most productive wildlife areas lie outside these parks in private reserves known as concessions. These concessions are leased out to safari companies that must manage them within strict guidelines to prevent overcrowding, must train and employ local people and are obliged to pay for the privilege of using these areas. In this way 40% of the country has been set aside for wildlife.

It is for this reason that a relatively high-end budget is required to experience a safari in Botswana. The all-inclusive luxury game lodges within the private concessions have exquisite remote settings, all naturally blending in to their surroundings. Access into the Okavango Delta and Linyanti Region is limited to light aircraft chartered flights adding to the magnificent wildlife and nature experience of your safari as you fly over the game rich areas and water wonderland.

The best time of the year to travel to Botswana:

The winter season is generally known as the best season to view game in Africa because it is the dry season. The bush is dry and largely leafless making it easier to spot the game and the game tends to gather at waterholes to quench their thirst and are therefore easy to find. However the green season in Botswana has incredible diversity and what’s more is it offers “out of season” rates.

The green season (summer) covers the months November to April and has long been considered low season by the travel trade. Because rain has fallen game has dispersed, vegetation is thicker and humidity is higher. As a result many would rather send their clients elsewhere. To do so is to miss out on an explosion of life and colour and some exceptional game and bird viewing in spectacular scenery. The birthing of multiple antelope species makes for interesting predator–prey interactions and the myriad migratory bird species and green luxuriance make for spectacular photographic backdrops. Of course some areas do become less productive, but the trick is picking an itinerary that takes in those areas that produce year round high quality game viewing, as well as those areas that come into their own in summer.

Although the rain received in the summer months has a minimal affect on the water levels of the Okavango Delta, this is not the main cause of high and low water levels. In fact the delta high-water level takes place in the dry winter – April to October or November. It takes many months for the summer floodwaters from the Central African Highlands to reach the Okavango Delta, once again changing its appearance and therefore the experiences available to you.

To enhance your wildlife and nature experience, many varied inclusive activities are available to you from these luxury game lodges. Safaris by boat and dugout canoe (mokoro) allow an amble stroll through the peaceful waterways and are particular brilliant for bird watching, while game drives and night drives by open 4×4 vehicles are best for tracking the animals. Guided walks are unsurpassed experiences for being in touch with nature. Elephant back safaris are available from specific camps as well. This is however an optional experience at an extra cost.

Mobile tented safaris are also available for walking safari experiences, concentrating on wildlife rich areas guests would not normally see. Walking on safari has always been regarded as one of the finest ways to get a feel for the African wilderness, allowing guests to get their feet on the ground and get away from vehicles, to really feel, smell and touch Africa.

Money matters:

While all the luxury game lodges are sold on an all-inclusive basis, some do not include all drinks and none include tips (tips are however not compulsory). These lodges do accept MasterCard and Visa credit cards as well as travellers cheques for little extras that you may need. They also accept US dollar, British pound, Euro and Rand cash. The local currency is the Pula.

Allow Botswana to show you her true colours, to creep in under your skin and leave you beaming with excitement as you return home to tell friends and family about your  African safari adventure.

Claire Dinnie
http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/on-safari-in-botswana-743753.html

The Pain in Spain Can be Your Real Estate Gain

Posted by admin as Euro Rates

The popularity amongst many Northern Europeans to own a second home on the sun drenched Costa del Sol, Spain has proven to be a pain for some in the last two years. Since the early 1990’s there has been an explosion in the amount of luxury Spanish properties for sale along a small stretch of land between Malaga city and Gibraltar, this demand was met by builders who gorged themselves on the new boom of selling to foreigners often with taste style and price forgotten about, the attitude was ‘throw it up and they will come flocking to buy it anyway’. This theory worked for a time and prices increased dramatically, on average 17 % till 2004 when we then saw a slow down.

Meanwhile as countries such as Ireland embraced its economic boom fondly know as the Celtic Tiger, and the UK found favourable exchange rates from sterling to the euro, hundreds flocked to the south of Spain to find their own little piece of paradise.

During the boom many bought off plan and with the notion to sell back to the market before completion in order to avoid the mortgage repayments. The idea was that they took the ‘risk’ in investing in the property off plan so once it was complete they would sell it to an end user who was looking for a holiday or permanent home.  

Unfortunately this did not quite plan out for many. As hundreds of Spanish luxury properties completed at once, causing saturation in the market, and a world wide economic recession loomed many were left holding keys to properties they did not want or could not afford. Competition between developers became fierce and only the best offers and the smartest discounts are now attracting buyers.

With prices dropping a staggering 30% in some cases harking back to the days of the early 1990’s now is the time to snap up a bargain in Marbella on the Costa del Sol.

Cash buyers can now make their bid and snap up a beautiful property in the jet set location of Marbella for a snip of its original price.

So those who with cash in hand, or even with a small mortgage can now purchase a property in one of the most popular destinations in Europe, with some brand new homes selling for 120,000€ when previously priced at 170,000€ now is the time to catch a property bargain.

So should you be thinking that the property market is dead in the water, think again as this Pain in Spain can certainly become someone else’s gain! For more information www.alandahomes.com

Justine
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