The online world is a great place to find deals, receive tips and read reviews that will help plan your holiday. However, with the amount of information out there, it can also be a little overwhelming.

I have always loved the reader review websites, like TripAdvisor. They are a great way to take the pulse on a destination. However, remember to read them with a critical eye. Unfortunately, it seems that people are more motivated to write a review when they have had a negative experience.

Here are some tips to help you navigate your way through:

• Ask yourself who is doing the writing? Where their expectations unreasonable? Did they do their research? I saw a review critical of an All-Inclusive resort that offered only one a la carte restaurant. But that shouldn't have been a surprise, should it?
• Is it just one bad review mixed in with a bunch of good ones? If there is a thread of bad reviews complaining about similar issues, then you have a reason to be concerned.
• Look at how many reviews were posted. A number one ranked hotel on the site's ranking system doesn't mean much when the hotel has only received two reviews. I am more impressed by a very good ranking with dozens of reviews.

See what other people have to say on:

Travelpost.com - culls two million user-reviews from ten websites including Orbitz and Travelocity.

Hotelicopter.com -- has added a review application through Facebook connect so people who are your "friends" share their reviews. So you know if you share the same tastes as your reviewer.

Spottedbylocals.com - is a network of blogs aimed at travelers who like to experience cities from a local perspective.

If you are on the hunt for a deal try checking out:

Yapta.com - it lets you track fares and book your ticket when the price is right. When fares are at their projected lowest, the site will send you an alert. The site claims to have saved users $100 million since it launched in mid-2007. It's great for people who don't have a lot of time to be checking numerous websites on a daily basis for the best fare.

Cheapflights.ca - does not sell airfares but publishes a selection of airfare deals from major airlines, consolidators and discount airlines with up to date travel information. Cheapflights has been in the UK for 13 years, but launched this site in the last year to target Canadian consumers.

Some other ones to look at:

Tntcrashpads.com - rooms in traveler-friendly private homes at cheap rates (some for free).

Notfortourists.com - 75,000 listings in US and cities like London, Paris, Amsterdam and offers the latest buzz on openings, art exhibits and funky bars.