The 7 Most Vital Travel Accessories
Thursday, May 23rd, 2013 /

Any experienced travel will have a travel accessory that they couldn’t live without, I have decided it was time that someone made a list of the seven most vital travel accessories in the hope that your travels will be more organised, safer, and more memorable.

1. Money Belt: They come in an incredible number of shapes and sizes and not all of them are actually belts! But as far as travel accessories go you will not find any that are more important. Keep your cash, your passport and your life safe and store your valuables in your money belt.

2. Packing Cubes: When travelling you are most likely living out of a suitcase, and not being able to find your camera or your iPod because its lost in your luggage is a problem that you should have on holiday. Packing cubes allow you to stay organised and will mean that you need less time for packing and allow more time for partying.

3. TSA Locks: As far as travel accessories go, they don’t get more important than your luggage locks. Unfortunately since 9/11 customs officials in various countries now require access to your luggage at all times, and that means that traditional locks just get cut off. But the TSA locks are approved by the travel authorities and can be opened by customs officials without destroying your locks.

4. Travel Pillow: Most people will say that good neck or back pillow is their most vital travel accessory. Anyone that has been on a 14 hour flight from Melbourne to LA will understand exactly what I mean. Having a sore neck or back can really affect the way that you enjoy your holiday, so think about your comfort when you fly.

5. Pressure Reducing Ear Plugs: This is not a travel accessory for everyone, but for people that have had top fly with an ear infection, perforated ear drum, or even just the common cold will know how painful the change in air pressure can be. These earplugs will control the speed of the pressure change in your ears and as a result reduce discomfort and pain.

6. Luggage Tags: This is the most simple and probably the cheapest of all travel accessories, but if you eve loose your luggage you will thank your lucky stars that you got some.

7. Travel Adaptor: The annoyance of not being able to charge your phone, iPod or digital camera while on holidays is avoided with this handy travel accessory. But make sure that you get the right plug for the country that you are going to; any good travel accessory website will give you a run down of what plug you need for what country.

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Romantic Travel Destinations
Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013 /



When it comes to romantic travel destinations, your creativity is the limit!

There are a lot of options of where you can go. Some people choose a winter paradise, others select a romantic cruise or an all inclusive beach resort. Ultimately, it is your decision on where you and your partner want to go, but I am here to help you figure out what it is that you two lovebirds want to do. Below, I will give you some suggestions on what you can do on your vacation together, as well as list a few of the hottest places you can go to make some magic happen.

When a couple travels together they have time to themselves, away from work, away from the stress of everyday life and away from everything else in their lives that can make it difficult to have quality, intimate time together. Many couples forget that being intimate is a big part of keeping a relationship going.

Taking time to get away from home and going to a romantic travel destination can help many couples who feel that the magic is fading. There are so many places around the world that lovers can go and remember what made them fall in love in the first place and help them fall in love all over again. Love can be a wonderful thing when a couple can keep the magic alive; many relationships sadly end because they did not stay intimate enough.

Here are the top Four Romantic Adult Getaways

Number One: Paris is and always will be a place for lovers young and old. It is the number one romantic travel destination for couples whether they are married or in a committed relationship. In fact, Tom Cruise thought it was a great idea to propose to Katie Holmes on the Eiffel Tower. Many people around the world have always thought of Paris as an ultimate romantic travel destination, and have nick named it “The city of love”.

Number Two: Wine Country California, from Napa Valley to Sonoma there are cozy lodgings, great tasting wines and some of the best food you can find. Many couples find it absolutely romantic; it may have something to do with the breath taking scenery, or the fact that it has miles of land dedicated to making some of the finest wines in the world.

Number Three: Mexico is one of the hottest travel spots in the world right now. Not only is it surrounded by beautiful beaches, but you can’t beat the price. Depending on the time of year you travel, you can book at an all inclusive (this includes air, meals and hotel) resort for around $1000 a week! These resorts aren’t cheap either. They are five star resorts with pools, beach front property, incredible dining and impressive service. (Plus the alcohol is usually free!)

Number Four: Cruises are very popular for couples young and old. A get away on a romantic cruise through the Caribbean Islands is sure to bring back any magic that may have faded. There is nothing like cruising the open waters and watching the dolphins jump along the ship to bring two people closer together. Not to mention all the sandy beaches and live entertainment that comes with booking a cruise!

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Top 5 Ideas For Retirement Gifts
Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013 /

When browsing for retirement gifts, there is one simple rule to keep in mind above all else. What will the retiree do with their free time? Each person chooses to spend their retirement in a different way, and figuring out what your friend, relative, or co-worker has planned for their newly acquired free time will steer you in the right direction. Nonetheless, there are some very popular and practical alternatives that in 2010 are cropping up at the tops of retirees wish lists.
Technology Don’t be so surprised–even Grandma has a Facebook nowadays! As it turns out, retirees are thrilled to have time to stay connected via the internet to old friends and family. They send emails, upload photos, and even create travel blogs to share with loved ones. A new gadget helps a retiree feel young and stay young. One extremely popular gadget for retirees in 2010 is an e-reader. Instead of purchasing a generic bookstore gift card, consider an e-reader as a nice gift for your retiree. They will be able to take their library with them everywhere, including plane flights, and can shop for books from anywhere they like. The latest e-readers are lightweight, user friendly, and can store massive quantities of e-books. Further, e-books are significantly less expensive than the latest hardcover, so your retiree will be able to hold onto their limited retirement funds. It is not only a practical gift, but a highly desired one. Gift Certificates Perhaps you know someone who is about to retire, but are not close enough to them to pick out a gift you know they will enjoy. A gift card, along with a nice card, is an excellent alternative. However, those who have worked long enough to make it to retirement have also probably acquired a lot of things during their lives. Instead of opting for a traditional gift card-in which an object is the end result of the gift-try selecting a gift card for an experience or activity the retiree can enjoy. If they are a thrill-seeker, then go for a skydiving or rock climbing gift certificate. If they enjoy a refined environment, perhaps vouchers for a play or ballet would be appropriate. You can get gift cards or gift vouchers to almost anything, so use your imagination and the knowledge you have about the person who is retiring. Certificates to fancy restaurants, movie theaters, dancing studios, spas and golf resorts are just a few of endless options. Luxury Gifts Once you retire, the money you have is generally limited and requires serious planning and budgeting to stretch it to the maximum. Many people reach retirement with too little funds to lead the lifestyle they would have liked to enjoy while receiving their working paycheck-except they lacked the available time. Not surprisingly, retirees love to receive the gift of these luxuries. Your retiree might love a day spa or massage voucher, or perhaps a golfing or fancy dinner voucher. Alternatively, consider an expensive bottle of wine, a gift basket of foreign delicacies, or a collection of exotic coffee and tea blends. A little time to splurge on the finer things in life is something that anyone can-and will-enjoy. Travel Gifts Unless you have a job that requires a lot of travel, most people do not get to experience the world until they have reached retirement. If you are lucky, you have been planning a retirement budget to include the travel expenses you plan to incur during retirement. However, if you are shopping for someone who is about to retire that does plan on traveling, then a gift to aid in their journey can be the most appreciated. Pieces of luggage, passport wallets, and luggage tags are all useful gifts. Take it a step further and consider digital cameras, mini travel computers, nice journals and scrapbooks, and language guides as unconventional aids to enjoy, capture, share, and remember their journeys. Hobby Gifts When hearing hobby gifts, you may think golf clubs and scrapbooking accessories. Though these may still be major hobbies of some retirees, today’s workforce headed towards retirement as a much more modernized idea of hobbies. Digital photography, video editing, sculpting and painting, and even SCUBA diving are all closer to the direction that today’s retirees are heading. The hobbies that your retiree is interested in are not likely to be the average cookie-cutter activities. Find out what their personal passion truly is, and if it is something you are unfamiliar with then be sure to ask the advice of a sales representative or do some internet searching before picking your final selection.

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Awesome Family Summer Travel Destinations
Tuesday, May 21st, 2013 /



The world is full of amazing and awe-inspiring sights and sounds. To squeeze all of Mother Nature’s extravagance into the top ten great summer travel destinations for families is a daunting task. Summer brings everything outdoors; the furniture, toys, children and every kind of outdoor activity one can imagine. However, one of the best ways to enjoy one’s summer vacation is to pack up ones family and go discover the world. Now, you may be wondering, isn’t that what the rich do? Well, today you can find cheap flights to almost anywhere, and once you arrive you can rest assured there are one or two reasonably good cheap hotels to stay in. That said; spoil your family with a vacation to one of the following great summer travel destinations for families:

Costa Rica
This beautiful south Caribbean tropical paradise is located in Central America and bounded by the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea to one side and Nicaragua and Panama on the other. Amazing white beaches and tropical flora and fauna adorn this country making it the perfect tropical paradise to visit. What’s more, many budget airlines that fly to Costa Rica offer discount airfare rates especially when advance bookings are made.

The Hamptons
Located conveniently on the east end of Long Island, NY, this historical summer getaway is great for domestic tourism. Accessible via domestic couriers that offer cheap airline tickets to locals, enjoy the long stretches of beach, sprawling vineyards and magnanimous estates. In addition, experience the unique historical seaside villages that dot the Hampton coastline and make for a great family travel vacation.

Madagascar
This prehistoric island off the Southeastern coast of Africa has some fantastic and extraordinary creatures and plant life. Perfect for a summer vacation eco tour, this country has all sorts of great flora and fauna to keep everyone excited. Popularized by the Hollywood movie, Madagascar, this destination will definitely live up to your expectations. Hospitable locals, exuberant landscapes and cheap hotels all go towards making this a perfect summer vacation destination.

Abu Dhabi, UAE
Tipped ‘the richest city in the world’ (Fortune and CNN) this rapidly growing capital of the United Arab Emirates is fast becoming one of the premier destinations for summer vacationers. Multicultural and super urbanization features characterize this area. As the Emirati begins to diversify the economy of the area, tourism has become a key building block for the developing economy. With cheap flights from the numerous carriers plying the Middle East, experiencing this new city f the world has never been easier.

Cyprus
Located in the Eastern Mediterranean sea, Cyprus is a great summer vacation destination for all. With an excellent economy to match the excellent Mediterranean climate, Cyprus has a booming tourism sector and great packages for the interested traveler. The Mediterranean climate provides warm to hot weather all year round and the azure waters surrounding the island are a great way to kick back and relax.

Australia
This continent ‘down under’ has a great adventure awaiting the intrepid traveler. Arrive in style in either Sydney or Melbourne and embark on an Aussie adventure in this expansive country. Camel hikes, dune bashing, or seaside holidays are all on the itinerary. Once in the country, get some cheap airline tickets form one of the budget airlines in the country and hop from one area of the country to the next, you’ll have a whole continent to explore to your heart’s content.

Kenya
Home of the safari, travel to the renowned Maasia Mara or recline on the white sand beaches enjoy that perfect summer vacation. Hospitable locals, a vibrant, cosmopolitan capital and numerous options available to access, a summer vacation to Kenya would be a different experience altogether.

Scandinavia
Well, you may be wondering, Scandinavia is not a country; exactly the point. Take a summer vacation to one of the Scandinavian countries and simple hop onto a bus, train or cheap flight and in no time, you are in the next Scandinavian country. Offering great summer travel destinations for families, the kids will get a lesson in European geography as well as have a great time.

Tuscany, Italy
Home to the true Italian Renaissance; walk in the neighborhood of great artistic leaders such as Dante, Botticelli, Leonardo De Vinci, and Galileo Galilei amongst others. Breathtaking landscapes add to the rich artistic legacy to create a holiday vacation like no other.

China
Two billion people call this country home and so there must be something to it. In deed there is; from the Great Wall of China to the Yangtze River, China has such diverse landscapes it will leave you wondering if you were in one country or ten. The top vacation destination in Asia, China offers eco-cultural tours like no other.

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Interactive Travel Guide – Technology to Help in Your Trips
Tuesday, May 21st, 2013 /



For sure you have heard something about them, but as a recent invention I think it is good to talk a bit about what is it about and which benefits can it bring to have the support of an interactive travel guide during your trip. Also, I’ll look in which places having some interactive travel guidance can be more suitable.

As a starting point, let’s look at what we are talking about. I define an interactive travel guide as an electronic device that is aware of its position thanks to a GPS system for open wide spaces or an internal system of sensors for closed or little areas. This system detects where a tourist is and starts playing a recording teaching different cultural aspects of the place where the traveler is placed. Instead of the need of carrying lots of books and papers to your destination to make your trip a cultural experience or needing to get a guide explaining to a crowd of people, you can get this cultural immersions on your own way, either if you are in a museum or traveling with a campervan through a whole country.

Benefits of the system? It really depend on where you are going to use it. As a first example, I’ll put the wax museum in Salzburg, Austria. They have a device you connect to your ears which detects areas you cross in the museum and starts with an explanation of what it is about. This allows people to go into the experience at their own speed, repeat explanations if they haven’t understood, and it is an advantage for the museum guys because they don’t need to pay for a tour guide.

On the other hand, if your purpose is to go on a road trip across a country for example, I’ll put the example of a device made in New Zealand for exploring the country. In fact, this device was the first one in it’s class and many tourism organizations worldwide are buying the idea to improve the immersion experience to visitors. It uses a GPS system that is connected to the radio of your vehicle and it starts playing a recording every time your vehicle enters any area of special interest. It includes recommendations on hot spots, cultural background, history about the place, legends and myths, or it even recommends a restaurant or a special off the beaten path place where you can spend some nice time.

Advantages are many. You no longer need the help of a book for understanding more deeply any region you cross, you get some good advice about the places you visit and recommendations on what to do and you don’t need of course any guide who travels with you in the campervan! The guys running this project have it always open for adding new places with new recordings and even ask New Zealanders to contribute with any of their personal experience in the country.

Finally, thinking ahead in the future, this device could be combined with audiovisual material (not of course while you are driving!) and even incorporate some interactive functionality that could allow you to explore a certain zone with a menu every time you enter it or, in the case of New Zealand and road tours in general, every time you tell the device your vehicle is stopped.

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