Home Articles Posted by Izy Berry (Page 113)
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Traveling With or Without a Laptop
As a travel blogger, I tend to cart my laptop around with me everywhere. While it’s great to have with me so I can check emails, edit photos and watch videos on long plane and train rides, it can be a right pain. I have to worry a little more about my luggage, because my laptop is very valuable to me, especially because of all the data it contains. There have been numerous nights in dorms where I’ve slept with my laptop under the pillow because there simply were no safe lockers to secure it in. When jumping off long tail boats in Koh Phi Phi I found myself feeling a little more nervous that I might just fall off the edge of the boat and drown my laptop. Deciding whether to travel with or without a laptop can be a tricky question to answer, because there are so many reasons to leave your laptop behind when traveling, but a few pros to taking it with you:
Pros of Taking a Laptop Overseas
Easily Staying In Touch With Friends and Family
Most places I’ve been to are built up well enough for tourists to stay in touch with those back home. There are generally lots of Internet cafes and many hostels even have their own computers you can use, some of which let you use them for free. In certain places, Internet cafes and hostel computers can be very pricey to use, which can really add up quickly especially if you’re a fan of long Skype catchups. Having your own computer means you wont have to wait for others to finish, you can connect to free WIFI in places like Starbucks around the world and you can have easy access to friends and family back home.
Entertainment When Traveling
I wouldn’t have survived my long term travels without my laptop – it provided so much entertainment on long journeys and helped keep me sane. When traveling next to a friend on a bus, you can easily share headphones and watch a movie without disrupting those around you. If you’re playing drinking games in a hostel dorm room, wiping out a laptop is a great way to provide music to accompany your drinking mishaps. After your iPod’s gone flat, you can turn your laptop on and turn the screen off and get a few good hours of music out of it. My laptop has been a real gem at entertaining me while overseas.
Safety and Security
I am super paranoid about bank fraud, especially overseas. I have a fear of someone accessing my bank account details and magically withdrawing all my money, leaving me broke and alone somewhere foreign. Thankfully, this hasn’t happened and I don’t think it will. Regardless, I like the extra security of knowing that I am only logging onto my banking and Paypal accounts from my own computer.
Cons to Traveling With a Laptop:
You Never Really Disconnect
Because my work is on my computer, when I have my laptop on, I can never fully relax. A work email will pop up and I’ll check it and then get side tracked with some work. This is great when it’s a normal Monday to Friday at work, but when you’re overseas, on holiday, it can be really tiresome. Leaving the laptop at home means you can fully disconnect from the working world and focus on your holiday.
Laptops Can Weigh You Down
Have you ever been trekking carrying a laptop? Let me tell you it’s not the most fun. I was too paranoid to leave my laptop at the hostel without a locker, so I took it trekking. I did not enjoy walking up steep hills with the weight of the laptop pulling me the other way down the hill. Carrying my luggage anywhere became much more tiresome because of the extra weight of the laptop. There were numerous times where I got so frustrated with it I thought I might just abandon it. There’s something super care-free about traveling with next to nothing, and a laptop makes that impossible!
It Can Get Stolen/Break
Taking a laptop away with you increases the risk or something going wrong with it. Maybe you’ll be half asleep and walk off the plane without it. Maybe someone will steal it from your hostel dorm. Maybe you’ll fall off your boat and drop it into the ocean. So many little things can go wrong, and even the best travel insurance rarely covers full replacement costs of a laptop. Then when you factor in the loss of all the photos, data and other special things that are on your laptop, it can be a really scary thought.
Taking your laptop can be really convenient, but is it worth the risk?
Do you travel with or without your laptop? Let us know why in the comments below:
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Tips for Cycling Holidays
If you love cycling, then chances are you’d probably enjoy a cycling holiday. There are a number of ways to incorporate cycling into your holiday; from touring and traveling entirely around by bicycle, to simply renting a mountain bike for a day and enjoying some challenging terrain. One of my favourite reasons that I love to include cycling in my travels, is that it helps keep you fit on the road – which is really important to me as I am always tempted by excess food when I’m overseas! Cycling also allows you to get much closer to both nature and the environment around you, rather than being shut off in a car. Here are some good tips for cycling holidays so you can plan your perfect cycling holiday:
1) Invest in a Good Helmet
Not all helmets are created equal, and although no one wants to think about it, accidents do happen when you’re on a bike. Don’t let that put you off enjoying cycling overseas, just use it as motivation to invest in a high quality bike helmet to keep your most valuable part of your body safe, no matter what. There are so many different styles of helmets these days so you can find one you really love. In New Zealand, it’s illegal to cycle without a helmet so I’m used to wearing one no matter what. If you’re planning a holiday to a country that is more relaxed about wearing helmets, consider wearing one just in case. It’s worth it for the peace of mind.
2) Read Online Reviews
You can choose to do a cycling holiday independently or with a tour. Whichever way you go, make sure that you read some online reviews about the company and/or tracks. Bare in mind that people are much more likely to leave reviews when they are really disappointed than when they really like it. By checking out the online reviews, you can get a better idea of what to expect and whether it’s what you want from your cycling holiday.
3) Check the Weather
When you’re planning your trip, read up on the weather reports for that time of year for the place you are planning on going. When I was in Asia during rainy season, I heard some fellow tourists complaining about the rain. I didn’t understand what their problem was; it’s rainy season. It rains at least once a day during rainy season, usually for about an hour. It’s annoying, but a little research would have warned them and then maybe they wouldn’t have found the rain so disappointing or bothersome. I like cycling when it’s cool to warm, not too hot and not raining. So for me the shoulder side of summer in most places would be the best time of year to go. Be realistic about what kind of conditions you need to be comfortable cycling and work backwards from there.
These are my top three tips for planning your cycling holiday. Is there anything I’ve missed off the list? If you’ve had a great cycling holiday or done some great cycling while away, let me know in the comments below.
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Keeping Yourself Sane – in Transit
I’m traveling to Asia with my sister in September. I’m really, really excited as she’s never left New Zealand before and the largest city she’s been to is Auckland. A part of me is also pretty nervous though, because she’s never been on a plane for more than 1.5 hours. We have a bunch of crappy cheap flights, including a decent stopover in Sydney before an awkwardly timed flight to Kuala Lumpur. During my three years of traveling, I’ve learned lots of tips for keeping myself sane in transit. I’m meeting up with my sister tomorrow to go over some finer details of our trip, and I was thinking of what I could suggest to her to make the flight more bearable and the waiting times in airports less uncomfortable, when I figured I’d share them on my blog.
1) Find Something to Listen to
Listening to something while you’re in transit is much, much easier than watching a movie or TV show at times, because you can simply plug into your iPod, MP3 player or phone. It’s also a better option if you’re hoping to dose off to sleep, as you can sit there with your eyes closed. While music is great and I always travel with music, in recent time I’ve come to really appreciate listening to audio books when I’m in transit. There are an overwhelming number of books available, they’re easily downloaded and take up no extra space in your bag, unlike a traditional book. Another bonus? Audio books are super cheap – often much cheaper than buying a kindle or paper version, which is perfect for the budget friendly traveler. After some research online I know exactly what I want to download next to keep me busy on the plane. I will go for the Hobbit audiobook which can be found here. I have read the book years ago and I am really looking forward listening to the story again to refresh my memories of the journey of Bilbo Baggins.
2) Take a Journal With You
My memory is pretty average and I find myself failing to remember people’s names I met once or certain things I did along my travels. I’m also very sentimental, as in I like collecting things during my travels and looking at them takes me back to that place in time. I never had a travel journal on my first trip; I had a notebook that I wrote my feelings in, but I wish I had a purposeful travel journal that I used to document my trip. I regret not having a book that my travel buddies could write in and I could look back on laugh about now. As it’s my sister’s first trip, I’m going to buy her a travel diary and encourage her to use it regularly so it can be kept as a keepsake of her first international adventure. Having a journal that you can write in, doodle on and read when you’re bored in transit is a great way to stay sane. I found some super cute ones on Etsy. This is my favourite travel journal which I think she would like best.
3) Learn to Laugh
Shit goes wrong when you’re overseas. I wish I could tell you everything will be magical and you’ll float from one airport to the other, without delay or issue. That your bags will never be lost, you’ll never miss a connection, break anything, lose anything or have anything stolen. Stuff goes wrong all the time, sales people lie in order to get business. You will be, at times, disappointed on your trip. The language barriers will frustrate you. You’ll be tired, miss home and wish that things were just as they were back home – but it’s all part of the journey and the adventure. Learn to laugh at the things that go wrong, because there’s actually nothing better to do about it (unless something serious has gone wrong). There’s a quote “Travel is only glamorous in retrospect” – it’s true. Sometimes it bites, but learn to laugh and know that everything works out in the end.
4) Buy a Pack of Cards
When I was young I fancied cards, but then I became distracted by the Internet and TV. Cards took a backseat in my life and only were brought out during drinking games – until I went traveling. A pack of cards is relatively small, doesn’t take up too much space in your backpack and is a great way to pass a few hours cruising down a slow boat in low, or waiting at an airport for your next connection. The great thing about traveling with a pack of cards is that you don’t need power or WIFI for it to work. Anywhere in the world, with a few willing players and a deck of cards, you can create an engaging game to pass the time. My all-time favourite game is shithead which is super easy to explain to friends/travel buddies or the random stranger in the airport lobby. Make sure you know the rules for at least one game before you head off on your holiday. Online you can find the rules for shithead and pretty much any card game.
Travel certainly isn’t seamless and there have been countless times when I’ve struggled to stay sane, especially during a 36 hour bus ride from Laos to Vietnam. Planning ahead, such as loading some good audio books onto your phone and buying a cheap deck of cards can go a long way in ensuring your happiness during those boring parts of travel.
Do you have any tips for staying sane on the road? I’d love to hear them!
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Preparing for Travel
There’s a lot to organize before you go away for a holiday, especially if the holiday is lasting a few weeks, months or even years. It’s easy to forget to take care of the little things and then realise when you’re on the plane that you forgot to do something fairly crucial. As I’ve traveled so often, I kind of have a quick go-to-list of things to organize before I head away. Preparing for travel is important as it will allow you to properly enjoy your trip without worrying, while knowing everything will be OK at home.
1) Organizing Home and Contents Insurance
Anything can happen while you’re away: when I was in India, there was a massive earthquake in my home town that killed a number of people, destroyed houses and cost billions in damages. Thankfully I didn’t have a home base in Christchurch at that stage, so I had nothing to worry about personally but I know a lot of my friends lost a lot of things because they didn’t purchase home and contents insurance. Just because you’re on holiday or traveling the world doesn’t mean you’re invincible from natural disasters, burglaries, or even damage to your property from fire or extreme weather. Give yourself the peace of mind that everything will be properly insured before you step out the door. If you already have home and contents insurance check your payments are all up to date.
2) Make Sure Your Pets are Looked After
There are lots of different options for making sure your pets are properly cared for while you’re lounging on a beautiful beach or exploring an exciting new country. You can ask a neighbor, family member or friend to swing by to tend to your animals. You can ask someone to say in your house and tend to them while you’re away. You can even look at getting a house sitter who will stay in your house and maintain it while you enjoy your holiday, stress free. There are a number of options, but it’s important you get this organized well in advance. For short term trips you can always put your pets into a cattery or kennels, but this can often become quite expensive.
3) Ask Someone to Check Your Mail
I’ve managed to get most of my statements and bills sent to me electronically; it saves paper and means no matter where I am in the world, I can be up-to-date with any bills. That way I rarely come home to a nasty surprise in the form of an overdue bill. Of course, you’ll have to choose someone you trust to check your mail, or alternatively you can get it sent it a mail scanning service that will open, scan and forward your mail to your email.
4) Organize Travel Insurance
Unless you’re traveling within your own country or region, getting travel insurance is absolutely essential. I’ve read way too many horror stories about travelers who have decided to save a few pennies by avoiding travel insurance, only to end up in some foreign hospital with a hospital bill so large it’s disabling. A fellow New Zealander was involved in a motorcycle crash that was not his fault and wound up with a $100,000 medical bill and was being refused treatment because he had no way to pay. When you’re sick, injured or inconvenienced while traveling the last thing you want to have to worry about is how to pay for it. Travel insurance is a safety net that can literally save your life.
These are the top three little things you should always try to mentally make sure are checked off before you go away on a trip. Is there anything else you do before you leave for your trip to make sure everything’s taken care of? Share in the comments below:
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How to Make Airports Easier
Flying is fun, for the first hour or so. But when you factor in things like getting to the airport, expensive food and drink prices, a lack of entertainment in most airports and delayed flights, airports can turn into the stuff of nightmares. If you’re going to travel, even if it’s just a short trip, chances are you’ll find yourself taking a flight at some stage, which means you’ll wind up dealing with airports. I can’t even count how many airports I’ve been to. While some are great – Singapore, Dubai and Bangkok all have wonderful airports – the majority are not. When you’re sleep deprived, jet lagged and just ready to be in the next place, airports can be a nightmare so use these little tips to make things a bit easier on yourself.
1) Organize Airport Parking
Parking at the airport is a great way to save time and to allow yourself to have the convenience of having your own car with you. It means you can leave your house exactly when you need to, put all of your luggage in your car and depart the airport as soon as you arrive home. It makes getting to and from the airport stressful. I used to avoid airport parking in the past, because it was hideously expensive, but thanks to the wonders of the Internet you can book airport parking online, in advance, and save a considerable amount of money.
2) Take a Water Bottle with You
I’m not sure who it was that first decided to hike airport food and drink prices up to a ridiculous amount, but I guess the fact is – they can get away with it. You’ll end up paying 2-5 times the price for a bottle of water in the airport and if you travel a lot that can wind up really expensive. I always buy a small, decent sized water bottle before I head to the airport and simply fill it up at the drinking stations around the airport. When it comes time to go through security, I simply empty out the liquid and keep the plastic bottle. On the other side of the security there’s always a fountain. On planes I ask the air hosts to fill up my water bottle so I don’t have to constantly nag them for water. You’re not allowed to take the liquids off the plane so either leave the water bottle on board when you depart or empty it in the bathroom.
3) Pick a Good Flight Time
Choosing a decent time to fly will make all the difference. For my upcoming travels to Asia, I’ve chosen to take a really, really crappy flight. It’s kind of regrettable, really. But it was SO cheap it was OK. It’s also into a city I’ve been a few times before: Kuala Lumpur, so I’m going to feel navigating my way around at 5.00am without worry. I am also prepared to pay for a hotel room for the night of our flight so that we can take a taxi straight to bed and sleep if we need to. Picking a good flight time can make a huge difference, even if it costs a little more. For my sister and I, the $200 difference to fly at a different time simply wasn’t worth it, but if it was a smaller price I’d have happily paid it.
These are my favourite tips for making a trip to the airport run more smoothly. Do you have any secrets or tips you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments below.
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Visit Flanders
There are a number of reasons you’d head to Belgium with the standard being a fondness for beer, incredible chocolate or delicious fries. Perhaps you want to visit the fairytale-like city of Bruges, or spend a day or two shopping in the irresistibly trendy Antwerp. Maybe you’d like to visit to enjoy a slice of history, in the form of the Retro Ronde, a colorful, nostalgic and fun cycling event that is held in Flanders. There are two requirements for this ride: a retro bike and a retro outfit, mustaches are optional.
The ride itself is made up of three routes, 40, 70 or 100km in length, depending on how keen you are. You’ll cruise through the Flemish Ardennes, enjoying beautiful landscapes and quaint cobblestone roads. As a guide, your clothing and bicycle should be dated from before 1987 to adhere to the Vintage nature of the ride. It’s quite a sight watching hoards of people wearing old school clothing, with bicycles to match, leisurely enjoying the beauty of the Flemish countryside.
It’s the perfect excuse to Visit Flanders and a great way to burn off all those delicious temptations that generally bring most people to visit Belgium.
If you’re planning to visit Flanders and you’re not in time for a Retro Ronde, why not check out some of the wonderful cycling routes available in this region? Cycling can be a great way to explore a new city, town or region, while allowing you to get up close and personal with the countryside.
While you ponder your next trip, check out this hilarious Retro Ronde video for a better idea of what the ride is really all about.
Have you ever been to Flanders? What was your experience like?
For more information on cycling in Flanders, see:
http://www.visitflanders.co.
Find out more about the Retro Ronde here:
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Top Four Things to do in Samui
Koh Samui is the gateway into the south of Thailand, nestled close to one of the biggest party islands, Koh Phangan and the laid-back little brother, Koh Tao. Samui itself is often overlooked, as people to head to the smaller islands to either party or play. I would say that any visitor to Thailand should experience Koh Samui on holiday admiring traditional Thai temples. For a relatively small island, Samui is a lot more than a hub to nearby islands.
Check out my top four things to do in Koh Samui:
The Yogarden:
If you manage to avoid the hustle and bustle of Cha Weng, Samui can be a really relaxing island, filled with gorgeous restaurants, lovely beaches and a slower pace of life. There’s probably no where more relaxing on the island than The Yogarden, Here you can enjoy calm, peacefulness and tranquility while practicing yoga. When I’m traveling I often elect to do as much walking, yoga and trekking in order to make up for the hoards of food I eat! This is a great place to chill out and feel like you’re really on holiday.
Silver Beach:
What trip to any island in Thailand would be complete without visiting a beach? If you’re looking for somewhere to lounge, some calm waters and just some beautiful beach action, then Silver Beach is a great choice. It’s probably the prettiest beach on all of Koh Samui and is clean. Here you’ll get your white sand and coconut trees lining this beach. There’s not a lot to do, so bring a book, a camera and soak up some sunshine.
Angthong National Marine Park:
Although I don’t usually suggest tours, this is a great place to go on a tour. Find a company that you can do a variety of activities including kayaking, mountain climbing and snorkeling with. It makes for a wonderful day out, while enjoying some of the best scenery Thailand has to offer. The landscape is really striking along the coast and varies considerably, so the best way to enjoy this Marine Park is definitely by boat.
Wat Plai Laem:
As someone who’s traveled a lot, I’ve found myself becoming a little bored with temples. Once I’d seen the White Temple in Chiang Mai, few things compared. Wat Plai Laem isn’t the most specular temple, but it is beautiful and very relaxing. You can easily spend an hour or so exploring this beautiful temple and enjoying a break from the relentless sun. This temple is in fantastic condition, and is a demonstration of beautiful workmanship.
Koh Samui is relatively easy to get to, with an airport on the island as well as a number of ferries connecting it to both mainland Thailand and the two smaller islands nearby.
I really enjoyed my time in Koh Samui and would love to visit again. What did you love about Koh Samui?
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How to Make the Most of Paris
The truth is… I didn’t love Paris but I did lots of things wrong on my trip that I’d do differently the next time I visit. I didn’t visit Disneyland, even though I really wanted to. I didn’t visit the Louvre because the lines were too big. I didn’t even go up the Eiffel tower because I didn’t want to be a clichéd tourist. Secretly, I want to go back to Paris and do it properly and these are the things I’d do differently:
I’d visit Disneyland:
Whether you want to spend just a day at Disneyland or an entire weekend, there’s so much to see and do there it will keep you easily entertained. If you live somewhere else in Europe you can simply plan Paris weekend breaks to Disneyland and get lost in the wonder and magic for a weekend. If you live further away, you can tact a trip to Disneyland onto your bigger trip around Europe. It doesn’t matter how old (or young) you are, Disneyland is a special place everyone should visit at least once.
Go up the Eiffel Tower:
I didn’t think I needed to; I thought standing at the bottom was enough and admiring the structure I’d been fascinated with since I was a child. When I got home I was looking through a friend’s photos that he’d taken from the top of the tower, it seemed to be a whole different perspective of Paris. I have a fear of heights so didn’t bother going up and now I almost feel like I need to return to Paris so that I can see what Paris looks like from the top.
Visit the Louvre:
Yes, the lines will be huge, daunting and seemingly relentless, but there’s a reason the tourists all flock to the Louvre. Paris was one of the first places I ever visited on my travels and if anything was expensive or too consuming, I simply couldn’t be bothered. Now I’ve traveled more and realize how much it will cost me to get back to Paris to visit the Louvre, I wish I’d waited in line and parted with the fee. Although I’ve been to Paris, I missed out so many of the key experiences I feel like I didn’t really see Paris.
Go Shopping on Champs-Élysées:
I managed to save a lot of money for my trip to Paris, but I was so busy penny pinching I didn’t get to really enjoy it. I concerned myself with overpriced espressos and couldn’t commit to buying any new clothes in Paris because it felt so much more expensive than home. I have nothing from my trip to Paris, no special dresses I indulged in and no stereo-typically Parisian scarves that I invested in. I’m not a huge shopper when I travel, but I wish I had something to remind me of my few days in Paris. Shopping along Champs-Élysées is unlike anywhere I’ve ever been and I wish I had something to show for it.
I’m planning to visit Europe next year and while Paris wont be the top place I want to visit on my list, it’s very high up there because I feel like we have some unfinished business.
Have you been to Paris? What did you think? What would you suggest I do the next time I visit.
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Don’t Go Off the Rails: The Benefits of Train Holidays
If you are looking for a stress-free holiday without starting your free time fighting through the queues at Heathrow or Stansted then a rail holiday may be ‘just the ticket.’
Modern travel
Air and car travel in the 21st century can sometimes be a nightmare. The restrictions imposed by airlines on baggage, the endless waiting in the airport and even the journey to the airport, often means that what should be an enjoyable and relaxing time is plagued with stress. An increasing number of travellers now select a rail holiday from Great Rail to overcome these difficulties – but what are the benefits of doing so?
Destinations
The destinations offered by the train holiday companies have expanded during the last decade, so if you wish to take a guided tour across Morocco, you can. In fact, every part of the planet is accessible through a combination of train and water travel, so the holidaymaker need never be restricted.
Freedom
Each of these trips is designed with the individual in mind, so travellers should banish any notion that they won’t be able to carry out any independent exploring. All the problems associated with hotel bookings overseas will be taken care of too and professional guides will brief you before you reach each new destination.
Cost
Car driving is getting ever more tedious and petrol prices are prohibitive for those interested in road travel, but with a rail holiday, you can stop off at each new city, feeling refreshed and relaxed, and still have plenty of money in your pocket.
Knowledge
Trains can also reach destinations that are hard to access by car. Some of the terrain in the USA is remote and difficult to reach, but an escorted train holiday will give you access to historic narrow gauge railways and other points of interest that the everyday traveller might not know about.
Customer service
It often appears that airlines have forgotten the true art of customer service, whereas those running rail holidays make customer comfort their first priority. The fact that an experienced tour manager accompanies every train holiday means that, should any problems arise during the holiday, they can be swiftly dealt with. This gives the best possible experience to the traveller, ensuring their holiday gets off on the right foot – or rail!
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Forget the Myths – Cruises Offer a Great Value Holiday
There are a number of myths about holidaying on cruise ships – assumptions of tacky rooms, cheesy cabaret acts and bland food – but the modern reality of a cruise holiday is very different to that, and if you’re looking for a simple and cost effective way to enjoy a holiday then it’s certainly worth considering.
There are many benefits you get with a cruise holiday that you wouldn’t get with another type of break. We’ll outline a few here and see if we can’t bust some of those myths, but if you start thinking a cruise could be an option it might be worth looking at the websites of specialist cruise providers such as MSC, so you can see for yourself what it’s like on board.
Cruise Ships are Not All the Same
The modern cruise ship can wear many different hats – it can be a place for fun and entertainment, a spot for relaxation or a way to get out and explore different areas. The list of things you can do aboard various cruise ships is almost endless – options include everything from spa treatments to rock climbing and cinemas to yoga classes, combined with a selection of high-class cuisines that is as good as anything you’d find in a typical city. Going on a cruise could involve booking into what amounts to a floating hotel or getting aboard an old tall ship – there are so many options!
Sightseeing Made Easy
For some people, settling down in just one spot for two weeks is not what holidays are about, they want to get out and see as much as they can. Cheap flights and better information about hotel availability has made multi-stop sightseeing holidays easier to do, but they still involve plenty of planning. With a cruise, you can explore entire coastlines from the comfort of your floating hotel, stepping off at regular points to look around before climbing aboard again and back to your bed and suitcase.
Just one booking, one payment
Rather than having to trawl the web looking for the best deals on hotels, flights and excursions, with a cruise everything is part of a package. One easy booking and it’s all organised, and you’re still free to explore in your own way when you get off the ship, should you wish to at the time.
Making one all-inclusive booking will often mean you pay less than you would when building your own DIY holiday piece by piece, because even if you get deals on your flights and accommodation, the cost of eating out and visiting attractions can soon mount up. And for an extra-special deal on a cruise, perhaps look into the off-beat world of the repositioning cruise.
Cruises can be a great way to relax, see a little more of the world and enjoy time together as a family. Have you ever been on a cruise before? What did you think?
