Posts by : Izy Berry

When you think of Italy, you probably think of melt-in-your-mouth pasta, the Colosseum and chucking a coin over your shoulder into the Trevi Fountain. However, these popular associations are only a small piece of what this beautiful country has to offer – and you’ll want to see them all. But with so many places to see, where do you even start? And if you’re a first-time traveller, how do you even begin to comprehend the idea of navigating your way around? Below are some helpful tips to put your mind at ease.

Do a Tour

Travelling overseas can be overwhelming. If you’re a first-time traveller, it can be even more nerve wracking. Italy is a big country in terms of sites, locations and history, and you’ll want to fit everything in! This is why doing a tour could be your perfect navigation option, as you will get the chance to see and experience a little bit of everything while having it all organised by someone else. For example, visiting the websites of tour companies like Albatross Tours will give you a good overview of what your options are.

Know Your Sites

The best way to navigate your way around Italy as a first-time traveller is to have a dedicated plan. Before you leave, do some research and chat to people about the best locations and sites to visit. By formulating a list of sites and locations you want to see, you won’t feel like you’re treading water when you get there. Having a list will allow you to prioritise your destinations if you’re running out of time, and it will also make it easier to group items together if they’re in nearby locations or cities.

Don’t Overdo It

With so much to see and do, it’s easy to get carried away with trying to squeeze too much into a small timeframe. This is the quickest way to ruin a holiday. To combat this, do your research on travel times, how busy the sites might be, and how long you’ll need to spend at each. You’re on a trip of a lifetime, so try picking a handful of key places and spend a decent amount of time at each one; don’t rush through it or you won’t appreciate it.

Research and Prepare

If this is your first time in Europe, prepare to have your eyes opened! Rich cultures, diverse customs and a mixture of personalities dominate Italy and can potentially leave its visitors with a fair bit of culture shock. Do plenty of research before you leave. How common is English? What are the tipping expectations? How safe will it be? Being aware of questions such as these will make navigating your way through Italy that much more enjoyable.

Italy is a country that offers a little bit of everything, including fine dining, museums and churches, stunning coastlines, and heartbreaking history. As a first-time traveller, you’ll want to do everything in the one trip, but this isn’t practical when it comes to navigation. By following the above tips, you may not get to see everything in the one go, but you will have a more enjoyable and memorable time.

What are the place or sites you want to visit the most in Italy? Leave your choices in the comments below.

Visa processing in the UK can be more involved depending on which country you are arriving from. The red tape involved can be made easier by starting your visa application in enough time before travel.

There are two methods for applying for a UK visa or UK naturalization. You may either submit your UK visa application through the Border and Immigration Agency of the Home Office services, or you can submit it through a UK consulate/High Commission/Embassy abroad, depending on the category of visa you want to apply for. The table below explains which applications immigration and naturalization services can be processed through each method, the processing times and the visa fees where applicable. Keep in mind that EU/EEA citizens and their families do not have to pay visa fees.

* – Processing times can vary depending on Embassy or Consulate.

Theresa May the current UK Home Secretary, revealed that she will revamp Britain’s visa system to make the country more appealing to corporations. The restructurings will decrease the amount of visa types free to foreign business travellers and performance artists from 15 to just four from April onwards.

Luckily, the changes will decrease red tape and speed up processing times. For the first time, professional travellers will also be approved to take a holiday in the UK alongside meetings. In the past, two visas were required, but many argued that the difficulties of the visa system are hurting Britain’s monetary recovery.

For non-business travelers who want to get visas into the UK, the processing is a little more difficult. The inbound travel industry is in favour of lifting visa limitations to increase the amount of Chinese visitors to the UK. These aims have caused Government procedures to proceed in allowing Chinese visitors to use an Irish visitor’s visa for travel to the UK without requiring them to get a separate UK visa. These measures will also allow people from the UK to travel to China without requiring visitor visas as well come autumn.

With regard to marriage visas in the UK, the UK Border agency has recently announced that there are new financial requirements, which are creating hardship for thousands of couples looking to reunite with their partner in the UK.

From the time when new financial limits for sponsoring a non-EU/EEA fiancée, partner or spouse for a UK settlement visa arose in July 2012, thousands of citizens and UK permanent residents have found that they cannot reach the income level required to bring their foreign partner or family member to live and work in the U.K. It has been reported that thousands of couples have been unable to reunite in the U.K. due to not meeting the new financial requirement introduced by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) just a little over a year ago.

While taking travel photos can be a fantastic way to remember our adventures, document the places we’ve been, and stir emotions years down the line, they are also a brilliant tool for engaging followers on social media sites such as Pinterest and Instagram, as well as a way to show our friends and family just what we’ve been up to on vacation. We are, by nature, a nosy bunch, and travel photos can be a great talking point; how many times have you struck up a conversation with a stranger because you happen to notice an exotic location on their desktop? More than that, though, your travel snaps could be worth money too, and it is worth investigating companies that purchase stock footage and photos prior to your travels. You never know where your humble photographs could take you.

The importance of sharing your vacation memories

There are a number of reasons why you may choose to take and share travel photos. The first, and most obvious, is for personal reasons; this may be your first trip abroad, a vacation with a loved one, or a voyage of discovery across many continents. Whatever the purpose of your travel, you’re bound to want to remember it, and taking numerous snaps can be a great way of retrieving these memories later on in life. Similarly, sharing these photos with friends and family who couldn’t be there is a great way of including them in your experiences. Perhaps they were too ill or elderly to accompany you, would be considered at risk if they attempted certain activities, or simply weren’t able to afford it; your holiday footage and photos will be a fantastic tool for keeping loved ones up to date, while ensuring their feet remain safely on the ground.

A little further from home, there are those who share travel photos with complete strangers. Whether you’re using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, or posting your pictures on travel sites and message boards, sharing images with others can be a wonderful source of inspiration to would-be travelers, as well as letting them in on a few little secrets, such as the best places to stay and some of the finest sites to see. There is, believe it or not, a huge market in other people’s travel photos. They can be used by travel companies, advertisers, numerous websites, and by budding artists. They can even be bought and sold by businesses that deal in stock photographs and footage. Why not try and monetize your travel images? You never know who you could inspire.

Basic video and photography tips

Of course, if you’re planning on sharing and selling your images when you get back from your travels, it pays to know how to take a decent shot; numerous images of the same subject, blurred shots, and badly lit scenic pictures do not a good travel photo make! First, conduct your research. After all, it’s important to know what type of scenery you’ll find when you get to your destination, what the most sought after subjects are, and if there are any different angles you could utilize. It’s also a good idea to study your craft before attempting to sell any photos, and there are numerous online and adult study courses that will help you gain a basic understanding of photography; if you want to be taken seriously and get paid as a photographer, you must take your profession seriously too. In many cases, a standard lens, flash, and natural lighting will be enough to capture the money shot. In other instances, you’ll need to adjust a few settings on your camera, perhaps research the best times to get the light right, and make sure you beat the crowds to get the most fantastic pictures. Whatever you do, though, be sure to pack batteries or charger cables, a zoom and a prime lens, a stand and tripod, and a laptop or external hard drive. Nothing is worse than finding the shot and being unable to take it.

Travel photos are fun to share. More than that, though, they can also be highly profitable and, when sold to the right people, can help you to establish yourself as a serious artist. Sharing your images can be the quickest and easiest way to get noticed, so be prepared to network; it’s time to get snapping.

Gazing at the stars on a clear night gives you such an appreciation of the vastness of the universe, but with artificial light from cities and urban settlements obscuring even the clearest of skies, stargazing might not be as easy as you think. Luckily, there are many sites in the US from which stargazing is still possible, thanks to the vast swathes of wilderness that remain in the country.

Some of the best stargazing sites in the US are:

• Death Valley National Park, California: There is very little artificial light within the confines of this park, so it is ideal for viewing meteor showers or lunar eclipses. The dry climate, allied to clean air and an expansive horizon, makes for spectacular stargazing.

• Mauna Kea, Hawaii: This dormant volcano, on the Big Island, is the highest point in all of Hawaii and is also home to the largest observatory in the world. There is virtually no light pollution atop the 13,803-foot volcano, and a tropical inversion cloud layer cuts the summit off from the effect of the moist maritime air below, ensuring a sky free from atmospheric pollution. The Onizuka Center for International Astronomy Visitor Information Station, located at 9,200 feet, runs nightly stargazing programs for free.

• Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah: The skies here offer spectacular views, owing to clean, dry air and the high elevation. You can see as many as 7,500 stars with the naked eye. Bryce holds an annual Astronomy Festival.

2015 is shaping up to be a big year for stargazers, with many spectacular events occurring. The Southern Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower is scheduled for July 28 and 29, and might see around 20 meteors per hour at peak, with best viewing typically toward the east and after midnight. The following month sees the Perseids Meteor Shower, on August 12 and 13, with the possibility of up to 60 meteors per hour at peak. Neptune will be at its closest point to Earth on September 1, if you want a good view of the blue planet. These are just three of the stargazing highlights for 2015.

Outdoor Traveler offers a range of tours to different locations across the US, including wilderness locations, and seeing what it offers is as easy as visiting the Outdoor Traveler Twitter page. Booking your tour and accommodation can be done through the website, with online chat as an option, or over the phone if you prefer.

Start planning your trip to watch the stars, and you be able to experience the brilliance of the great outdoors at the same time.

Solo travel is growing by leaps and bounds, which should come as no surprise, as it’s one of the best ways you can experience the world and yourself. However, as with all things done alone, it can also come with a hefty dose of loneliness now and again.

Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, flush with expendable cash or somewhat on the poor side, seeing the world’s most stunning sites, encountering amazing cultures, and eating delicious exotic food can all lose their luster if loneliness hits and you let it stick around too long.

Whether you’re new to solo travel or you’ve done it for years, here are a few tricks of the trade to help you combat your loneliness.

Give In and Feel It

It’s a favorite truism of Jungian psychology that “what you resist persists” and “what you fight, you strengthen,” which is why, when loneliness strikes, it’s best to give in and welcome the feeling for a while. No one enjoys loneliness, but pretending it isn’t present or working to keep it at bay will only fuel its fire. Instead, sit down and spend some time with that panging, hollow feeling.

Doing so will provide insight into what you need, whether it’s a friendly conversation with a stranger or a call home to Mom. Only by acknowledging the feeling and getting familiar with it will you find a pathway out. And be willing to book a flight to see a loved one if need be — Flights.com has some great, last-minute options.

Get Out and Meet People

Once loneliness has its hold, one of the best ways to get it to release its grip is to go out and meet people. While this tactic can be challenging in a foreign land — especially if you don’t speak the local language well — there is almost always somewhere you can go where expats, or locals who are likely to speak English, can be found.

From spending some concentrated and daily time in an expatriot coffeehouse to volunteering at a local orphanage, by interacting meaningfully with others, you’ll chase loneliness away

Invite a Friend to Join You for a Time

Do you need a taste of home, but it isn’t yet time for you to go back? Invite a friend to join you for a while. Whether it’s an old roommate from college who lives in a nearby country or that friend of your sister’s you’ve always gotten along well with whose flexible job makes her a jetsetter, reach out to those people who might be able to join you.

It will break up the monotony that can sometimes accompany being alone and kick loneliness to the curb without forcing you to cut short your adventure.

Grab a Challenge

One nearly foolproof way to get back into your solo travel groove is to do some kind of physical challenge. From rock climbing to summiting a mountain, tackle something you’re trained for, but make sure accomplishing it will still be somewhat difficult or taxing.

Not only will it re-focus your energy on something outside of you, but it will also restore your confidence and trust in yourself — two aspects of self esteem that can take a dive when loneliness comes calling.

Write It Out

If you aren’t already traveling with a diary or journal of some kind, go get one. Not only does it help keep your different experiences and thoughts crystal clear when travel days begin to run together, it can help you process feelings, especially those of the lonely variety. Write out the things you’re feeling and thinking, and give in to wishing about how things could be different.

By writing it out, your experience of loneliness can become another part of your journey instead of a regrettable part of your inner life. Loneliness and how you worked it out can become part of the record of your travels that can be instructive and helpful down the line.

Connect With Those Afar

One of the easiest ways to combat loneliness is also one that can backfire the most: Reaching out to loved ones who are far away. While connecting with those afar can lift the sense of separation and loss inside of being lonely, it can also make loneliness worse. If reaching out increases your sense of being all alone, don’t despair. You may just need a change of scenery or a few more phone calls to get back into your rhythm.

However, if you’ve been traveling away from your loved ones for a long time, an increase in loneliness when you connect may also mean you need a fix that only being around those you love can provide.

Solo travel provides a wealth of memorable experiences. Should loneliness find you when you’re out on your travels, try these tricks and you’ll be back to loving the experience of being alone in no time.

Recent research has proven what we’ve known for years, travellers like to tell a few fibs now and then, to make themselves look better to their friends, and other travellers. In fact 17% of people have lied about travel, and that’s just the percentage of people who have admitted it.

What are they lying about? There are plenty of lies which you can tell about travel to make yourself look better, however before lying, it’s important to ask yourself why you feel the need to lie, whether you’re likely to be found out, and if you’re willing to be exposed if someone realises you’re telling a porker.

The most common lies seem to be about traveling “authentically”, and “getting off the beaten path”. No one wants to admit they’ve only had street food once, while they’ve been in Thailand for two weeks, or that they actually prefer Mc Donalds over Pad Thai. Plenty of people also lie about never eating Western food while traveling, in order to “immerse themselves in the culture”, while they’re secretly stocking up on M&M’s and toasties in 7/11.

While backpacking it can be easy to get caught up in the countries game. Someone will casually drop into the conversation that they’ve been to 40 countries, and 6 continents, and all of a sudden you’ll find yourself telling a dirty lie about how you’ve actually been to 50 countries, and found Antarctica to be underwhelming.

It’s also not unheard of for travellers to lie about which countries they’ve been to. After all, Tunisia sounds cooler than Italy, and Kenya has much better bragging rights than South Africa. While you’re fibbing about countries, you’ll want to check if the person you’re lying to has been there, or you’ll quickly give yourself away when they press you for information, or want to compare experiences.

Many of the lies about travel aren’t truly lies at all, they’re just huge exaggerations. Sure, you may not have fought off four muggers single-handedly, and in reality you screamed like a girl and gave them everything you had, but that doesn’t make for a good story.

Exaggerations are especially popular while playing drinking games at hostels, when stories get bigger and bigger the more you tell them. It’s best to leave before fellow travellers begin comparing your stories, and picking holes in them.

Activities are another thing that travellers like to lie about, and these are somewhat easier to get away with, and harder to disprove. Many people like to lie about adventure activities, and claim they’ve been skydiving or bungy jumping to make themselves look more fun, and adventurous.

One of the easiest things travellers lie about are the events they’ve been to. Coachella and Burning Man are so big it’s a simple matter to claim you were there, and major sporting events are also a popular lie, with people saying they’ve been to the Olympics, or Football World Cup.

One of the most common lies is that you’ve been arrested or spent time in a cell while overseas. This is popular because it’s so intriguing, and people immediately want to learn more about what happened.

Many people lie because they feel that they’re not interesting enough by themselves. This is a mistake, and it’s better to be remembered as a genuinely nice person, than someone who couldn’t be trusted.

Having returned from a business trip to Seoul, Jered Anglin recently described his lavish adventure. From what he told me about the city, the nightlife and a visit to a local casino, Seoul is now at the top of my bucket list.

Located on the banks of the Han River, in the northwest region of South Korea, Seoul is approximately 605.25 square kilometres. The Han River separates the city into southern and northern halves. The River originally served as a Chinese trading route. However, since the inlet is situated between North and South Korea, it is no longer used as a civilian port. Nevertheless, the city has been a thriving metropolis for over two millennia. It was one of the original three Korean Kingdoms and today it continues to draw international travellers. Surrounded by eight mountains, including majestic Mt. Bukhan (with some breath-taking hiking trails), Seoul is amongst the most frequently visited regions of the world.

Seoul – Globally Rising

After the Korean War, the city sprang back to life following an economic surge labelled the “Miracle on the Han River.” Next in line after Tokyo, NYC, and Los Angeles, Seoul enjoys its reputation for having the fourth strongest economy of any metropolitan area on the planet. A centre for leading technological development, it hosts a variety of conferences, including the one that Jered attended. It ranks at the top of the list as a city with great potential.

The transportation system is also one the best, providing easy access to the Incheon International Airport. The Lotte World skyscraper is slated to become the tallest skyscraper this year. The observation deck, art gallery and the cinema promise to add to any holiday adventure. Seoul has also earned a reputation as a leading host city. In 2010, the city was designated as the “UNESCO City of Design.” It has hosted a variety of sporting events, including the Asian Games, in 1986. In 1988, the city hosted the Summer Olympics. More recently, in 2002 they hosted the FIFA World Cup, followed by the Summit G-20 Seoul, in 2010, as well as world-place poker events.

World Class Poker

This spring Seoul is hosting one of the world’s largest Poker Tournaments, the Asia Pacific Poker Tour, which will return to the capital of South Korea for the 9th Season from April 6 through the 12th. This year, Seoul welcomes international poker players to the APPT. The KRW three million “buy-in” main events are scheduled to occur within the lavish Paradise Walkerhill. Jered said that he is already planning another luxury holiday and make his return to Paradise.

Welcome to Paradise

In Jered’s opinion the visit to the casino was one of the highlights of the trip. He explained that the Paradise is situated a short distance from downtown Seoul. He pointed out how guests who arrive in the early evening can receive a refund on their taxi receipt by simply checking in at the poker desk. Apparently refunds may aren’t available later on, for whatever reason. From the way he described it, the casino sits on top of a steep grade so taking the subway or walking could be difficult. Jered also mentioned that the casino and the poker area are quite small. Those who are bothered by tight spaces and enjoy the comfort of their own hotel room where they can play the same games on a laptop while sipping on glass of champagne are advised to save themselves the hassle of taking the trip to the casino. These same people might be happy to hear that two very valid accommodation options are within walking distance from the Paradise, that is, the W Seoul Walkerhill and the Sheraton Grande.

Going back to the Paradise, its poker room consists of some tables in the very corner of the WH casino. Typically, the room is open to tourists and foreign visitors, and to Koreans who have foreign residency or foreign citizenship. Smoking is permitted in some areas. My friend appreciated the fact that the cocktail servers and dealers are professional and fast. Drinks were readily available and free, and the place draws in serious as well as more occasional players. All in all, a great atmosphere!

From the way that Jered described his adventures, the sightseeing, gorgeous hiking trails, the Han River, the metropolis, as well as the excitement at the poker table, Seoul sounds like the ideal getaway. This spring, why not plan a luxury holiday to Seoul and discover first-hand just how amazing the city really is!

When you buy a new car, you automatically think of insuring it. When you buy a new all singing, all dancing electrical device, you want to insure it against possible breakages, damage, or even theft, right? So why is a holiday any different?

We save long and hard for an annual two weeks in the sun, and this is just as valuable a part of our lives as our washing machine or mobile phone, in my opinion! Because of this, it’s vitally important you remember to purchase the best travel insurance policy for your needs, and of course your budget, well ahead of time. In fact, as soon as you book your holiday, I’d recommend getting your insurance sorted out. Being on the ball with this not only means you’re covered in the event of an unfortunate cancellation problem, but you’re also not going to forget it if you do it straight away.

Because insurance isn’t something you can touch or feel, or something you need to form part of the logistical side of your travel plans, it’s easy for it to be forgotten, or put on the ‘I’ll do it later’ pile. Don’t fall into this trap – it takes a few minutes out of your day, and if you find the best value policy for you, it won’t cost you the earth.

Loss of luggage, cancellation, medical problems, these are all areas that insurance will help you with in the event of a problem, but the one thing you must do is be 100% honest when you complete the process of organising your policy. You’ve probably heard it before, that you have to declare any pre-existing and current medical problems during the application process, and it’s vitally important that you do this. Why? Well, in the event of a claim due to a medical problem, no matter how serious, if you haven’t declared everything then your policy may not be worth the paper it is printed on. The worst case scenario of this is obviously that you could be stuck abroad with a massive medical bill with your name on it, all because you missed something out. It happens, and it’s something that can be so easily avoided.

Finding the best policy for you only takes an online search, and this is generally where the best deals can be found. Check all the small print, and always make sure your that your destination is covered, by checking the list of countries included in their definition of the geographical area – never assume, always check!

It might sound difficult, but it’s really not, and you’ll be glad you took the time out to insure your holiday. Don’t leave it to chance.