Now that airline fees are increasingly rising for checked baggage it behoves any holiday traveler to pack light and to travel with just a carry-on. If you are someone who likes to pack and plan for every contingency, such as rain boots, sweatshirts, tank tops, an extra pair of sandals or two, then most likely you will have to prepare for extra fees.
Most travelers go on holiday with a carry-on plus rolling luggage, which always seems fine when you are packing, but once you get to the airport it can become pretty cumbersome, especially when traveling alone. It makes everything more annoying and complicated having to haul all those extra clothing items around.
Then invariably what happens?
You get home from your holiday and realize that all of those extra bags you hauled around because you absolutely needed three extra pairs of shoes and the rain gear were not used, once.
Now, there are plenty of ways to combat that and the following is a list of just a few ways any traveler can work towards packing for just a carry-on, enjoy vacation, not pay any extra fees, and still have plenty of clothes for any situation.
Plan — Check the weather where you are going to be. A tropical holiday certainly will require far fewer clothing needs than a ski trip. Another tip is to determine if where you will be staying has laundry facilities.
Match – Think about packing in color schemes with similar palettes. Also stick with neutral khaki pants, shorts, or skirts, which will match with a lot of colors. Same goes with black pants or shorts. Alternatively, many travelers dress in all-neutral themes and then pack a few colorful accessories to add a pop.
Double up — A beach cover up can be transformed into a cute outfit for going out later on. You do not need three outfits a day. Mix and match, bring things that can be transformed, and/or used in a different way.
Wear again — If you are going to the beach for a week, you do not need seven pairs of swim shorts, cut down and bring two and then wear them again or wash them. This will really help to cut down on space and weight.
Dress heavy on the plane – When traveling, especially to a destination that has a different climate from the one you are leaving, try to wear heavier clothes on the plane, i.e.: a sweater, jacket, or hiking shoes. That saves a lot of weight from the bag, but also allows a way to carry the extra items you might think you need.
Roll — You can fit a lot more clothes in your bag if you roll the smaller things like shirts and underwear. This rolling method also helps to keep other clothes less wrinkled, which works well if there are a few dressier events planned.
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Seeking a family escape in Northern Ontario this summer? If so, you will want to take a look at Twin Lakes Campground in Moonbeam.
As the name suggests, you will have an extraordinary experience at this campground. Sandy beaches, a 200 foot waterslide, playgrounds, a chipstand restaurant and all the essentials so you don’t have to rough it too much when camping in the great outdoors.
Have fun with the family this summer… Go camping!
http://www.familycampingnorthernontario.com
http://roymarvelous.com/2012/04/st-lucia-8-hours-caribbean/
One of the quirks of working on a cruise ship and having a life of perpetual travel is that we easily take the places we visit for granted. St Lucia is one of those places. The first impression when arriving at the harbor of Castries, is that it’s a bit of a shit-hole. All there seems going for it is the free wifi at the port terminal. Indeed, judging by the hordes of crew members with their laptops, scattered over the floor of the terminal as if they were refugees from a land without internet, this would seem to be true. Of course, St Lucia has much to offer. The thing about islands such as St Lucia, is that you really need to get away from the capital to see what’s there. You may be able to do this cheaper via local buses or taxi but being on a limited timeframe, I decided to take a tour. I’ve never been a big huge fan of tours until coming on cruise ships. And the reality is, tour guides make the experience so much more enriching than by simply going to a place by yourself. My favorite way however, is always to meet up with local Couchsurfers. I managed to do that once in St Lucia, for a visit to Pigeon Island. Once you get out of the downtown area, it’s obvious that St Lucia is very lush and green. The land is rich with volcanic soil and fruit trees seem to grow everywhere. It’s like being in Avatar but without the blue people. I liked how there fruit stands setup in random places, selling mangoes, bananas, coconuts and other local fruit. Apparently, they have 52 varieties of mangoes on the island. I didn’t even know 52 varieties of mangoes existed! I’ve decided that my favorite fruit are mangoes. My next favorite thing here is the cacao which they sell as “chocolate sticks” (which happen to look quite phallyic). It’s solidified cocoa before adding milk and sugar, and it is used as cooking chocolate. It also makes a healthy snack, if you like bittersweet chocolate and don’t mind people staring at you as if you are performing a rude act in public. One thing that annoyed me was the men who congregated at scenic points around the island, offering folded leaves to tourists “for good luck”. I would like to know how this good luck is quantified because clearly, these men seem to be lacking some themselves. It reminds me of a similar scam perpetrated by Hare Krishnas and gypsies around the world, where they give you flowers or such as a token of friendship and then ask you for a donation. I find it perplexing that anyone would consider that this business model was sustainable or scalable. Anyway, after visiting St Lucia more than a dozen times I finally got to see the Pitons with my own eyes. “Piton” is not only a delicious local brew but also the name of the famous twin cone-shaped volcanic peaks south of Soufriere, the old capital. It really is a breathtaking view, and a one of the most beautiful sights in the Caribbean.
Are you itching to get outside with your pooch, go for a walk and breathe in the warm air?
Spring has sprung and the urge to go outside is irresistible! Your dog is certainly feeling the urge to get outside too so what’s holding you back?
Does your dog pull on the leash and drag you around all over the place? If so, you may want to consider using a no pull dog harness instead of a leash. Get more information and reviews of the most popular dog harnesses on the market here: http://www.easywalkdogharnesses.com
Found this beautiful post about vegetarian food from India. The variety is mind blowing and makes me want to travel to India simply to eat!
Snapshots from India:
The Best Vegetarian Street Food Posted by Jessica Allen and Garrett Ziegler
If you read a lot of Indian novels, you’ll know that people sometimes use “veg” and “nonveg” as shorthand for “tame” and “sexy,” respectively. But as we ate our way across Mumbai, through Rajasthan, and into central India, we discovered that when it came to food, the opposite was true. The vegetarian fare we ate was so much better, so much fresher, and so much more interesting than the nonvegetarian offerings that, after a while, we hardly even gave the meat a second glance. The best vegetarian street food—and to be honest, it was all pretty good—hits multiple pleasure centers: spicy, crispy, gooey, sweet, umami-licious. Here are some highlights from a month of eating around India: chaat, pakoras, samosas, papad, and more.
About the authors: Jessica Allen and Garrett Ziegler write the Date Night column for Serious Eats: New York, as well as the blog We Heart New York.
Definitely worth visiting this post for pictures and descriptions of all the yummy vegetarian Indian food:
http://mobile.seriouseats.com/2012/03/snapshots-from-india-best-vegetarian-st…
from: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/articles/managing-work-while…
My favorite travelling hobo has written a very informative article about staying in touch while travelling. From phone to fax to Internet access on the road, this article clears everything up nicely. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
Managing Life and Work While Traveling Phone, Mail, and Internet by Nora Dunn
Managing communication tools like phone, mail, and Internet is usually quite easy in the comfort of home. But it’s a different story when you travel long-term or full-time.
How do you know when you received mail from the tax-man? Where will your next Internet connection come from? And what is the most cost-effective way to make and receive phone calls? If you work while traveling, having these communication essentials figured out becomes even more important. In this article, we will explore how to manage life and work on the road easily and inexpensively.
Read the full article here: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/articles/managing-work-while…
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dipika_Patel]Dipika Patel
This winter will see droves of holidaymakers flock to sunnier shores – but with so many winter sun destinations to choose from, where is best to go?
This can depend on how far you want to travel and what you want to get out of your holiday, but here are five of the most attractive locations.
Those keen to stray not too far from home may like to stay along the Costa Blanca – a 200 km stretch of beach-based destinations in Spain that are sure to please. The area is famed for the quality of its beaches, which attract scores of visitors to destinations such as Benidorm and Alicante each year.
Meanwhile, those eager to explore further afield and experience a bit of adventure may like to try Egypt or South Africa. Egypt, of course, offers dazzling sights such as the pyramids and the Sphinx – some of the most awe-inspiring and mysterious structures that can be seen in the world today.
South Africa provides a wide variety of holiday types, all drenched in heat for a winter escape. Holidaymakers can head to the coast and indulge in diving, snorkelling and other water sports, or they can head inland and view some of the amazing wildlife on safari.
Others may prefer a quieter island break. Those looking for a holiday of this nature may enjoy a trip to the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the north-west coast of Africa.
Including popular destinations such as Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote, visitors will be treated to an idyllic escape, equipped with glorious sunshine and beautiful beaches to enjoy it on.
Or you might prefer to head to Malta, another sunny island haven. Combining interesting architecture and historical sights with its warm weather and sandy beaches,
Malta strikes a good balance between relaxing, lazy days on the beach and interesting walks among native sights. It also boasts delicious local cuisine which reflects its multicultural heritage, as well as having an excellent range of bars and clubs to keep even the liveliest holidaymaker occupied.
And not being too long a flight to get to from the UK, it is a quick escape for Brits in need of some winter sun. Those looking to escape to [http://www.interhome.co.uk/holiday-theme/Self-catering+holiday+villas+and+apa…]Winter sun destinations will be spoilt for choice. Staying in [http://www.interhome.co.uk/Home.aspx?lCode=EN-GB]Holiday villas is a great way to avoid the winter blues – and here are our top five destinations.
I am a travel blogger addict. As a new years resolution and in an attempt to clean up my life I’ve cut back on the amount of travel blogger subscriptions i have. This one im definitely keeping: Alex in Wanderland. She’s in Vietnam now and found a lot of mixed reactions, felt a lot of strong emotions and got a totally different point of view about the war from the perspective fron the Viaynamese point of voew. Definitely worth a read. Following is a short section of het colorful blog post here:
http://www.alexinwanderland.com/2011/12/29/war-tourism-in-vietnam/
“My reaction to the sites and museums we visited was extremely emotional. Half the time I found myself genuinely ill about the horror America has helped cause in Vietnam. Specifically, the short-sighted use of Agent Orange, which not only killed or maimed half a million people but has gone on to disfigure unknown generations, and poison countless food and water sources. The other half of the time I felt an indignation boiling up at the biased and propagandized views being fed to Vietnamese nationals and international tourists. War is a two-sided hell, but the atrocities of the Viet Cong against the South and yes, against Americans, were completely absent from the discussion. But as they say, history is written by the victors. I think most Americans would find it difficult to travel through Vietnam and not have some bit of identity crisis. I found myself thinking we had no business getting involved in the first place, while simultaneously outraged at the US’s lack of interference during the Khmer Rouge occupation of Cambodia. I found myself sympathetic to the terrorized civilians of Vietnam, while at the same time empathizing with the terrified young American soldiers, many of whom fought a war they didn’t believe in. I found myself embarrassed, and I found myself confused. Mostly, nationalities aside, I found myself mourning the fact that so many humans on this Earth suffered so deeply for so long. Visiting Vietnam gave me a perspective on war I didn’t previously know I was missing, and made me reflect deeply on the war my country is involved in today. It seems to me that the wounds of the Vietnam (or American) War are still very fresh despite the decades that have passed. I hope as time begins to heal them we can all learn from a more balanced, two sided story of a war gone horribly wrong; and that we can move forward into the future and learn from the mistakes that were clearly made.
Well, my husband is not up to visiting Ethiopia so I’m very glad Jill from Jack & Jill went and gave such in dept reviews of the most amazing natural site in Ethiopia, The Danakil Depression.
Check out Jill awesome report here: http://jackandjilltravel.com/danakil-depression-the-hottest-place-on-earth-in…
At 1st glance, Danakil Depression in Ethiopia – Eritrea border seems like an arid desert. So hot and inhospitable that nothing should live here.
But on driving through we found patches of oasis inhabited by Afar people – known for their independence and ability to live in areas where nobody wants to – and geological formations so varied, so strange, and so beautiful.
First and foremost, Danakil Depression is where Erta Ale volcano and its sloshing lava pool is located. Then there’s Dallol. Our group can’t make up their mind which between Dallol and Erta Ale was the highlight of the trip. Erta Ale gave me a glimpse of a nightmarish vision of hell. Of glowing red against pitch black.
While Dallol is where colors seem to burst forth from the ground, where you get to walk on earth the color of rust among chimneys spouting out acrid fumes of sulfur. Without the scorching heat and the rotten egg smell of sulfur, I can easily believe I was walking in a fairy-tale land where the munchkins live.
from: http://southamericatourist.com/how-to-protect-your-money-while-traveling-2/?u…
Travelers to South America should take a significant amount of time considering how to protect their possessions and valuables before leaving. Even more important than protecting property, however, is protecting the money you take with you on your trip. A little planning beforehand can save you headaches later on.
In terms of protecting the money you have on you, look into wearing a money belt to keep your money close to you and away from the hands of pick pockets. It is also very important to remember that protecting your money involves more than protecting just the travel money you take with you.
Before you travel, look into recommendations from experts as to where debit and credit cards can be used, and what fees your bank may charge. In the event that you lose one of your cards, make sure you have the cancellation department phone numbers and information written down and stored in a different place than your cards.
Along with the above phone numbers, you should also have your insurance information readily available. Once you’ve researched travel insurance quotes and found a provider that is right for you, talk to them about any valuables that you plan to bring with you on the trip.
One of the most important things you can do to protect your information and money is to avoid logging on to important sites over unsecured connections. Banking information is the most important to be careful with, but it is also important to think about every site you visit and the fact that others may be able to see your passwords at wireless hotspots.
Make sure you have different passwords for all of your important accounts so that someone who gains access to one will not be able to log onto others. Look into options to make your internet use safer while traveling.
If you are staying in a hotel room, make sure not to store passwords on public computers in the lobby or leave any information up after you leave the computer. If you need internet on the go, consider purchasing a portable wireless access card. This can be safe in terms of protecting your personal data.
Following these tips will help you stay safe no matter where you travel to.
Photos by epsos.de
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