Posts by : Izy Berry

For those who love to travel, Chile represents the pinnacle of why we travel, and is a great example of how travel can be life-changing. Chile means “when the world ends” and the shape of the country is particularly interesting, at around 4300km long and only 180km wide.

This country has some of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes in the world, combining more climate zones than anywhere else, from ice and glaciers, hot springs and volcanoes to the driest desert in the world, rainforests, sandy beaches, grasslands and mountains.

Along with truly breathtaking scenery, the cultural diversity is incredible in this country. Here are some reasons why you should visit Chile:

Santiago

Santiago is a metropolis and shows the sophisticated side of Chile. You’ll find tree-lined boulevards, gorgeous colonial buildings, huge public parks, a business district filled with skyscrapers, bohemian neighbourhoods, trendy restaurants and great art museums. The transportation system is modern and the subway system is the largest in South America.

The Mercardo Central is a must-see, with huge displays of produce, vegetables, meat and fresh fish.

The Atacama Desert

This is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chile, due to the fact that this dessert is the highest and driest in the world. The unique rock formations attract photographers from around the world, and the most popular places to visit include Moon Valley, Death Valley and Dinosaur Valley.

Easter Island

Easter Island is one of the most isolated places in the world, and the linage of the people who live there can be traced back to Micronesia and Polynesia. It’s easy to travel around the island and you can hire bikes. LAN is the only airline which flies into the island, and you can get a flight from Santiago.

Vine Del Mar and Valparaiso

These cities are just an hour apart and located between 3 and 5 hours from Santiago. Valparaiso is a great place to see graffiti art, and you’ll find interesting portraits throughout the city, along with the Pablo Neruda museum. Vine Del Mar is where you’ll find the gorgeous (and famous) flower clock and a nice beach so you can relax in the sun.

Patagonia

Patagonia looks like it belongs in Switzerland, with towering snow-capped mountains on the border of Argentina and Chile. The Torres del Paine national park is also here, and the lake country is waiting to be explored.

Colchagua Valley

Chile produces 10 times as much wine as Argentina and is the fifth-largest exporter of wine in the world. The Colchagua Valley is home to around 20 wineries and the climate here makes it ideal for wine production. be sure to visit some of these wineries and explore the region before you leave.

Chiloe

You’ll find Chiloe south of the Lake District, and it’s part of a mountain range that actually sank below the water after the last Ice Age.This is where you’ll be able to explore rural Chile, along with more than 150 wooden churches and chapels from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Asia is a continent that’s both accessible and affordable, offering colorful cities, fascinating cultures, amazing wildlife, and diverse landscapes to adventurous souls. Here are the top 8 Asian adventure hotspots that you should visit when you are in the region:

Surfing in Japan

Japan has many surfing resorts, mainly in the Chiba, Shonan and Shizuoka areas. In the south, there’s a series of islands with great surfing and a tropical climate the whole year round.

Cruise down the Ganges in India

Explore the Ganges River and see India’s communities, wildlife and cultures untouched by tourism. The Ganges is the most sacred of Indian rivers and is now navigable, a 7-night City of Light river cruise taking you to Moghul forts and palaces and India’s holiest cities.

Paddling in Thailand

River paddling is popular and, during the dry season from January to the end of May, you can paddle in the Maekok and Pai rivers, which flow through lovely gorges and remote wilderness. Paddling and/or kayaking also enables you to venture deeper into the unexplored natural environment of Northern Thailand.

Kite surfing in the Philippines

The Philippines has numerous beaches and kitesurfing schools. The monsoon winds dictate the kite surf season and surfing conditions can vary. The tropical weather provides a relaxed setting, perfect for lovers of the outdoors escaping to any of the 7,107 islands. The best area to kite-surf in the country is Boracay, an island off the Panay coast. Known to the world as a tropical paradise, it offers other beach- related activities other than surfing. If you wish to stay longer, there is a great selection of condo for rent on Zipmatch. Take a look at the luxury properties of the Philippine real estate and get lost in love with the country’s best sceneries.

Cycle Island Hopping style in Sri Lanka

Cycle across the paddy fields and lowland jungles before heading along the winding roads of the Knuckles Mountain Range with tea plantations, Buddhist shrines/temples, old hill stations with their colonial architecture. Finish the trip with a couple of nights at the beach.

Explore Gigantic Caves in Vietnam

In Vietnam’s jungles are some amazing caverns, the largest being Son Doong Cave. It is one of the world’s biggest and only recently accessible caves to tourists. Forests of tall trees grow in spaces big enough for skyscrapers and include giant stalactites, monkeys, hornbills and flying foxes. Visits are limited and costly but there are other more affordable caves nearby, which are equally spectacular.

Walk between the villages of Nepal

Nepal has many charming historical hill villages to visit. Stay in one of the comfortable guesthouses while enjoying delicious local food. Sailung Peak, at 3,146 metres, is a holy area for Buddhists and Hindus. The rolling hills are visually stunning and the area is famed for having great sunrises.

Trekking in Bhutan

A scenic trek in Bhutan is the Laya-Gasa, with views of beautiful and unspoiled Himalayan landscapes. A typical trek lasts 1-2 weeks over several hundred kilometers of alpine meadows, high mountain passes and sub-tropical jungles.

Holidaying is meant to be an exciting time but unexpected illness can transform travel dreams into nightmares in an instant. Although risks can never be avoided completely, there are still a number of straightforward strategies to bear in mind that will keep potential holiday hazards to a minimum.

Use the following 7 tips to avoid getting sick while traveling:

1. Build up a healthy immune system in advance of going on holidays. Many countries still have serious levels of communicable disease that have largely been eradicated in the west and can be avoided with the right immunisations. Be certain to consult with a doctor to receive the appropriate immunisations for the intended travel destinations.

2. Taking probiotics for a few months prior to traveling will help strengthen ones digestive system. These good bacteria can be found in certain yoghurts but are available in much higher doses in pill form that can be purchased over-the-counter from pharmacies and health food stores. Having an abundance of healthy gut flora will help the body fight off any foreign nasties that may be unwittingly consumed.

3. Always drink bottled water and be certain to inspect the seal to ensure the bottle has not been refilled with tap water. Tap water must be avoided when brushing teeth, bottled is safer. Refuse ice in drinks unless the staff can demonstrate that the ice is made from purified water. Water can easily carry pathogens that can cause serious illnesses – see here for an example.

4. Avoid eating fresh salads or unpeeled vegetables that may have been washed in contaminated water or fertilised with animal or human waste. This can be tricky to avoid as trying new cuisine is part of the appeal of travelling. Fresh fruits and vegetables that must be peeled to be eaten are definitely the safer option.

5. Eat foods that are piping hot and fully cooked as bacteria and disease cannot survive the sustained heat of cooking. Definitely avoid eating from buffets where food is left for hours unheated or openly exposed in a bain-marie. If breakfast is included with a holiday package try and eat as early as possible while the food is still hot and fresh.

6. When looking for a restaurant or wanting to try street food, simply follow the crowds of locals. Popular places turn their food over quickly which reduces the time a cooked dish will be sitting potentially gathering bacteria. Nothing kills a food business faster than talk of customers falling ill through food poisoning. A large crowd usually indicates that the food is good and these stores will also have a reputation to uphold.

7. Practice good hygiene by regularly washing hands before and after eating as bacteria can linger on surfaces and be transmitted from person to person quite easily.

Following these simple precautions will help reduce the likelihood of exposure to potentially life-threatening illnesses and ensure that everyone returns home safe and sound, ready to plan another exciting travel adventure.

It doesn’t matter if you like travelling short-term or if you are the kind of traveller who likes being away from home for a longer period of time – travelling will change your perspective on life itself and it will change the way you see the world.

However, too many delicious indulgences can lead to extra pounds you don’t want to bring back home in your “luggage”. If you care about your shape, you should definitely know that there are many ways to stay fit even when you are on the road.

Following, we have gathered some of the best ones – so read on if you want to find out more.

Be balanced

OK, we know that staying away from pizza in Napoli and from cheese in Paris is a definite no-no for any self-respecting traveller. And why would you stay away from so much deliciousness when it’s “at home”?

However, being balanced about what you eat is a great idea. Try out the unhealthy things, but don’t forget about the fact that most of the ethnic cuisines have perfectly healthy options too. For instance, eating only pizza in Italy will make you miss out on the delicious fish dishes they have – and that would be a real pity too.

Work out

You may not be able to buy gym membership when abroad (especially if you don’t want to stay in one place for too long). What you can do is pack work out items that are easy to carry – such as a pair of leggings and a pair of comfortable shoes to jog into or a work out band to help you train your muscles.

Moreover, remember that working out does not always refer to the “gym” type of exercises. You can work out in your hotel room using your own body weight. You can run. You can bike. You can dance. There’s a myriad of work out options that can be practiced when you are on the road as well – so you have absolutely no excuse for not picking at least one of them up.

Make sure you get enough nutrients

In general, no matter how healthy you eat, there will still be certain types of nutrients your body cannot assimilate (either because it’s simply in its nature to do that or because you are not having enough of those nutrients). For instance, there are people who find it difficult to assimilate Calcium and Vitamin D. And most people do not have enough of the B Vitamins in their bodies. Also, there are other people who are focused on building muscle and who need to take extra protein in order to do that.

To make sure you keep yourself in shape and healthy when you travel, bring your necessary health food supplements with you. Remember that you should invest in high quality supplements if you want the best results and if you want to stay away from any potential effects low quality supplements may have on your body. This is your health we’re talking about, so it’s definitely worth it to invest a bit more to make sure everything is alright!

Most people want to travel and see the world – and there’s truly no reason why you wouldn’t want to do this. However, a lot of us feel that we either don’t have enough money to make our dreams come true or that we don’t have enough time to do it.

And yet, there are so many examples of people who managed to have it all – the great job, the traveling and even the family!

What are the best ways to find a great work/travel balance? We have gathered some of the most important tips for you to know – so read on if you want to find out more.

Be very thorough in your planning

It doesn’t matter what type of job you have: if you want to travel more and see the world, you can do it only if you are very thorough in your planning. Plan your time, your vacations and your budget in a way that will allow you to actually see the places you want to see. Sure, it may be hard at times to stick to your schedule, but whenever that happens, remind yourself what you are working for – and how amazing your traveling will be. This will most likely motivate you.

Find the right job

Some people are lucky enough to travel for work and this allows them to see a lot of places they wouldn’t see otherwise. Working as a stewardess or as part of a cruise personnel are both amazing opportunities for those who want to see as much of the world as possible. There are also certain “office jobs” that enable workers to travel in a variety of countries too. And when you’re back in the office, why not invest in some workplace shelving options to declutter and make your workspace as stress free as possible.

Do your research and aim for the type of job that allows you to really travel and mark all those “dream spots” on your map of traveling goals. If you work hard enough and if you are great at what you do, you will definitely get there.

Quit your 9-5 job and find a way to work remotely

Working remotely is very popular with long-term travellers because it enables them to earn money while they are away. You can work from a beach in Belize or from your hotel room in Rome. You can send your work emails right before you get ready to climb the Great Wall in China. You can apply to gigs while you eat your cheese in France.

All these things are possible today, mostly because the Internet connects us like never before.

And there are a lot of types of jobs you can do online without having to starve. Even more, there are even businesses you can start remotely and which can grow in very profitable ventures, so that you can afford traveling just about anywhere, anytime you want.

It takes a bit of skill and you should be a very determined person to be able to pull this off. But, in the end, you will live the life some only dream of – and it’s definitely worth it!

Airbnb has become a very popular “destination” for travellers from all over the world – and not without reason. For a fraction of the price you would pay at a high-end hotel, users on Airbnb have the chance to rent amazing apartments and houses in the locations they are visiting – so they can truly enjoy their time there while spending much less than they would by staying at a hotel.

If you have decided to invest in an Airbnb apartment and if you want to make sure your flow of tenants is enough to make you a good living, you have come to the right place. We have gathered some of the most important things to know about creating a great Airbnb apartment – so read on if you want to find out more about this.

Location is key

The location of your apartment determines how much you will be able to charge on it. The closer it is to the touristic attractions, the more expensive it will be. Also, keep in mind that tourists tend to be quite well-informed so you will not be able to actually lie about your apartment’s location – it will most likely lead to negative reviews and it will lower your odds that you get other tenants in the future.

Your apartment does not have to be situated in the top ranked areas of the city. If you already own apartment in a decent area (e.g. in a safe area), you will most likely be able to market it properly on Airbnb without lying about it. But remember that the price you ask will depend a lot on the location of the apartment.

Create a really nice environment

People on Airbnb generally want more from their rentals than just a bed to lie their heads on – or at least they don’t want only that when they are willing to pay a bit more for their rental. Create a nice décor for the apartment and make sure it is well equipped with all the things tourists may need (including cooking utensils and appliances).

Furthermore, remember that investing in high quality furniture will be a great investment if you want to make the most out of your apartment on Airbnb. Nice furniture adds style, elegance and comfort even to a small apartment and even to an apartment that’s not luxurious, so it’s more than worth making this investment.

Make sure everything is clean

From the kitchen utensils to the bed linens, everything in your apartment should be top-notch quality and clean. The last thing you want is a review from a tenant who arrived at your apartment guided by the amazing photos – and discovered that everything is actually a mess.

If you don’t have the time to do this yourself, hire a housemaid to clean after every series of tenants. It will cost a bit more, but it will attract positive reviews – and thus, more visitors as well.

If you are like the vast majority of the people out there, you want to travel more. And if you are like most of the people who don’t get to travel as much as they would like to, your finances are most probably the most poignant reason for which you never seem to make your dream come true.

However, with a bit of determination and ambition, you can definitely save money to travel more. After all, our lives are quite short and the world is an amazing place from so many points of view – so why wouldn’t you want to save money to see at least some of the gorgeous places out there?

How do you do it? What are the simplest and most effective ways to save money for travel? We have gathered some tips for you to keep in mind – so read on and find out more.

Set a goal

You cannot motivate yourself if you don’t have a very clear goal in mind. Establish very clearly how much money you want to save and what you plan on visiting with this money, so that you constantly remind yourself what you are working so hard for. Whenever times get rough and you feel like “falling off the wagon”, visualize yourself in the country you want to travel, enjoying yourself, shooting photos and making for the most amazing memories ever.

Ditch the extra costs

Sit down and think very well about the things you spend your money on. Some of them may be absolutely necessary (such as paying your rent and your basic bills). But other things are not even by far as “necessary” as you think they are. Shopping every month and collecting pairs of shoes? You most likely do have enough clothes and footwear. Spending money on special offers for things you don’t actually need? Skip it. Those subscriptions you really find no use for? Forget about them and cancel them as soon as possible. Save money on buying cartridges online which is a simple change you can make that can save you serious money!

There are a lot of useless things we tend to spend money on just because they come in handy. Stay away from these expenses and you will save hundreds of dollars for your travel goals!

The small things matter

Saving money is a lot about the large things as it is about the small ones too. Leaving the tap open, not replacing your light bulbs with energy friendly ones, not going grocery shopping with a proper list of the things you need – these extra costs gather up and, by the end of the year, they can make for hundreds of dollars you could have saved.

Analyse your behaviour and see where you are doing wrong. There are probably a ton of things you don’t really pay attention to, but which could save you tons of money in one year. At first, it will come a bit odd not to do those things anymore, but in the end it will all be worth it when you will get to see an amazing place!

Over the past few years, we have seen how a lot of people became more and more interesting in using bicycles instead of the more “traditional” means of transportation (including cars and subways, for example).

Truth be told, using a bicycle is a truly amazing thing to do even when you are travelling. Why so? Why is it so great to travel by bicycle? We have gathered 5 of the most commonly encountered reasons – so read on if you want to find out more. If you’re looking to buy a bike online there are many options to suit every budget!

It’s really cheap

You don’t need to fill a bicycle’s tank with expensive gasoline. And the bike itself will be really cheap too (especially if you choose to settle for a second-hand high quality bike). If you are a budget traveller and if you want to explore a lot of places on a tight budget, a bicycle will be one of the best choices you have when it comes to travelling around.

It’s very healthy

Biking is one of those activities that stimulate your cardiovascular system and boost your immune system. If you want to get healthy, travelling by bike is an amazing option that costs almost nothing at all and is very fun too. Instead of simply jumping in the car and continuing with a sedentary life, biking will get your blood pumping, it will make you sweat a little, it will put your muscles to work, it will oxygenate your brain and it will make you feel really amazing about yourself too.

It can help you lose weight

If you are among those who want to maintain your weight (or lose some pounds), and if you want to make sure you stay slim even when traveling, biking is a really great way to do this. Because it is a cardio type of exercise, biking will help you burn the extra fat and it will help you build long, lean and beautiful muscles. And you don’t need a gym membership for that!

It allows you to see more

Traveling by bike will help you see more of the places you are visiting. It can help you breathe in some clean air when you are outside of the city. And it can help you stop wherever you want if you travel inside a city and if you are curious in its attractions. Furthermore, you will not depend on anyone’s schedule, so you can do things at your own pace and truly enjoy the places you travel through.

It’s the most environmentally-friendly means of transportation

If you are concerned with the environment (and you should be, considering the awful state humanity has brought it in!), you should know that bicycles are by far one of the most eco-friendly means of transportation. Because you don’t need fuel and because your bike will not emanate polluting gases into the atmosphere, your actions will have absolutely no impact on the environment – which in turn, will help it repair itself better. Definitely something we should all do more!

Going on a road trip can be really exciting and fun, especially since you will get the chance to spend your time with people you really like and to see nice places as well.

However, keep in mind that a successful road trip starts with planning ahead the most important details. And your car is definitely one of the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to this.

What to look for in a road trip car? We have gathered some of the most important things you should remember, so read on if you want to find out more.

Your budget

If you have to rent a car to go on the road trip, remember that you should start by establishing a very clear budget. The same goes with buying a new car as well. Starting off with a very clear budget in your mind will help you not exceed your financial capabilities, so that you can actually make the most out of your road trip. One thing that’s important to me is to invest in good tyres, so if the car you’re buying doesn’t have great tyres, you might want to upgrade. Shopping at Tyre-shopper.co.uk makes buying tyres not only easy, but affordable too. You might need to buy some auto car products too, for your new car, and you’ll find great value at National.co.uk.

Financing

If you have decided that it is high time to buy a new car and if you plan on using it for your future road trips, make sure you choose the right type of financing. From traditional car finances to loans offered by different types of institutions, there is something for everyone.

In general, traditional loans will need you to have a very good income and they will also need you to have a very high credit score as well. However, if that is not the case, you can always call for the help offered by companies such as http://refusedcarfinance.com/. This kind of companies will give you a car loan even if your credit score is a bit damaged and the entire process will be much faster and easier than in the case of the traditional car financing methods.

The details matter

When choosing a car for the road trip, please make sure you have it inspected by a professional. You want your money to go in a very safe place and you want to be absolutely certain the car is in perfect condition for the road. Not doing this can end up in having to pay extra repairs (which will make you go over your budget) and it can even be extremely dangerous. It may cost a bit more to have your car analysed by a pro, but it is most definitely worth it!

The size

How many persons do you plan on bringing with you on the road trip? Do you want your car to be comfortable for everyone? Then the size of the vehicle will matter a lot – both when it comes to the seats and when it comes to the trunk space as well. Furthermore, take into consideration that, if you want to attach an RV to your car, you will have to make sure its engine is powerful enough to be able to drag the “moving house” on the road.

Don’t rush, take your time and you will be able to buy the best car for your road trip!