Something to Look Forward To — Avoiding Winter Blues With Holiday Deals
If you’re already starting to suffer from the winter blues it may be time to give yourself something to look forward to. Start planning your summer holiday now and you’ll be able to beat the last minute rush and achieve some fantastic holiday deals.
During the dark winter months the summer sunshine can seem like a distant memory, so start taking a look at where you’d like to spend your vacation and check out those early booking bargains.
More time to budget
One of the biggest advantages of booking your summer holiday during the winter is that it gives you more time to pay for your vacation. Of course you can pay the entire price in advance but spreading the cost is a way to budget efficiently for your trip. There are also many travel websites that allow you to book accommodation but pay when you arrive at the hotel. Take a look at sunshine destinations such as Greece, Spain, Egypt or the Caribbean and work out how much you can save each month before placing your booking.
More time to search those sales
Travel companies have sales throughout the year and this is the best time to achieve large discounts on that holiday to Greek hotspots such as Paphos or Turkish destinations such as Marmaris. For additional savings, try to avoid the most popular vacation periods. If you can book even a few weeks either side of the high season you’ll benefit from sizeable savings. Another bonus is that popular sunshine destinations during the high season tend to mean crowded beaches — book a low season holiday and you’ll find the pace a little more relaxed.
Early booking deals
The travel industry is highly competitive and will offer good discounts to consumers to start selling those hotel spaces and package deals as early as possible. The other bonus when booking early is that you have more choice of cheap holidays and aren’t hit with the remaining hotel rooms once the last minute summer booking rush begins.
Remember that cruise deal
A cruise means you can follow the sun to Caribbean destinations such as Barbados, to Central American destinations like Mexico or Honduras, or island hopping at the Canary or Greek islands. The bonus with a cruise is that meals and accommodation are normally included in the price. Booking early should mean cheap holidays on the ocean waves.
Merely researching sunny destinations should dispel the winter blues. Remember that the early bird catches the best deals. Research, budget and book in advance to ensure you obtain the vacation you want at a price to suit.
Fiona Kershaw is a globetrotter and bargain junkie and is always planning her next trip. The warmer the destination, the better!
Ivory Resort Seminyak Review
It’s no secret that I love Bali! I’ve spent quite a lot of time exploring beautiful Bali and I’ve come to find a few favourite destinations while there. Seminyak suits me perfectly; it’s relaxed, there’s a beach and a lot of great cafes, restaurants and boutique shops.
I think Seminyak is the perfect destination for the more refined traveller – the type of traveller that can spend a day or two in Kuta and is ready to move on. So where to stay when you’re in Seminyak?
Ivory Resort Seminyak Review
The Location:
The Ivory Resort Seminyak has a great location, it is only a few minutes walk from a number of restaurants and cafes. While taxis are very cheap in Bali, I really like being able to walk around as it’s a great way to get used to where you are and to get some exercise while you’re traveling. Ivory Resort is only a 15 minute walk from the beach. The walk to the beach is lined with heaps of great boutiques and beauty salons, so you might wind up taking a little longer than 15 minutes!
The Facilities:
The type of facilities you will get will depend a little on the room type you’re staying in. I was lucky enough to sample both the a deluxe and private one bedroom villa so was able to sample both. Of course, I much preferred the private one bedroom villa with private pool and giant sun lounger beds. There is also a main pool on site, which is perfect for relaxing and working on your tan. At night time the pool is lit up beautifully and is even nicer to lay by. The resort itself is pretty small, in terms of number of rooms and therefore guests, which makes it feel very intimate.
The Deluxe Room:
The room had everything you could possible want for your stay, as well as a beautiful day bed by the entrance that was more than big enough to accommodate two people. I spent a little too long relaxing out here, surrounded by the beautiful greenery. The bed was ultra comfortable and the bathroom was modern and very clean, with a decent pressured shower.
It’s no secret that I love spas and so was very keen to try out the spa facilities at Ivory Resort. The spa is located in between the pool and reception, so it’s very easy to access. The treatments I received here were of a very high standard – the same as I would expect at home, but with the warm Balinese touch.
More About the Villas
I especially loved the villa – it felt so luxurious and as someone who works while traveling, I really appreciated the extra space. At 181 M2, there’s really ample room and it would perfectly suit a couple or family. I was impressed by the kitchen/dining/lounging area as it had a lot of great facilities and felt more like a home than simply a room in a hotel. Having a private pool also goes a long way if you’re like me and not the most confident swimmer! There are actually two villas that share the same large pool, which is fine as we never saw the other guests there during our stay. This would be perfect for a larger family who want to rent the two villas together and have their own private area.
Stay at Ivory Resort Seminyak if you… love exceptional value! The prices of the rooms here are extremely reasonable and comparable to paying for two people to stay in a dorm in a more expensive location, such as Sydney. There’s enough space in both the rooms or the villas that you can be very comfortable here, even for a longer stay. The location is great, the staff are bubbly, and the pool is gorgeous by day or night – what more could you want?
My holiday wish list for 2015
The New Year is just around the corner so it’s time to start thinking about 2015. Rather then going back some old favourites, I thought it would be good to start exploring some new trending destinations that are up and coming on the travellers map. There is always something so exciting about going to destinations that haven’t yet become the “trendy” destinations. I’m already starting to look at Thomas Cook Flights to book tickets for my wishlist for 2015.
Myanmar
Myanmar or Burma only opened its borders up to tourists a few years after shutting it out for over 49 years. However this destination isn’t going to stay quiet for long, in fact it’s already getting quite popular amongst the backpacking crowd. Of course the must see in Myanmar is the ancient city of Bagan, where I definitely plan on taking the hot air balloon for the best views. I’ve heard so many great reviews from fellow travellers about this country, so can’t wait to see what it has on offer.
Belgrade, Serbia
Tourism is still relatively slow in Serbia, but it’s such a great place to visit in Europe to get off the beaten path. I’ve been told Belgrade is a beautiful city with a tonne of charm. It also doesn’t come with the huge expensive price tag that a lot of other European cities come with.
Oman
The Middle East has a pretty bad wrap when it comes to travel due to safety. However I’ve always wanted to explore there more. I’ve heard Oman is the best place if you want to experience true Middle Eastern culture and traditions, and is be in the safest place to do so. It’s a great place to add on as a side trip if you are visiting the bigger more modern cities of Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Central Asia
Central Asia has been on my list for ages, to get a true backpacking experience. It’s still so untapped on the tourist route making it very desirable for those of us who suffer from severe wanderlust. It offers beautiful landscapes, friendly locals and a very unique cultural experience. I plan on adding all the Stan’s to my list of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan. I’ve been told as it can be a little harder to travel through these countries as they don’t have the developed tourist infrastructure yet, but that’s what I find so exciting about it. I definitely plan on staying in some Yuks and travelling by horseback whilst I’m there.
Do you have your holiday wishlist for next year? Let me know in the comments below.
The Pros of Traveling Solo
I’m writing this post on my flight to Panama City (and posting it a little late…) It feels a little weird to be boarding this flight alone. When I left New Zealand I had completely different plans, although Panama was the end goal. In the past four months, my life has done a complete 360, but I’m learning to roll with the punches.
Over the years I’ve traveled with lots of different people; friends, friends I met on the road, boyfriends, my little sister and, of course, solo. Right now I’m really missing traveling with my fellow travel blogger Stacey from OneTravelsFar as we just ‘got each other’ and it was really easy. Plus, it is really great traveling with a former travel agent.
Despite missing her awesome company (and that of many of my friends) there are things I LOVE about traveling solo. The truth is, when I do travel solo I am rarely by myself, except for during transit. Even then, you are only as alone as you want to be.
Not convinced of the benefits of traveling solo? Check out the reasons that I love to wing it alone
1) You Don’t Have to Compromise
Want to stay in bed until 11am and then have ice cream for breakfast? When you’re traveling solo you don’t have to justify it to anyone. Compromising sucks, especially when you have a limited time in an area. Couple that with someone who doesn’t want to do the same stuff as you BUT doesn’t want to be alone, ugh, nightmare!
2) You Can Be Whoever You Want to Be
While I love all my friends dearly, there’s something extremely refreshing about turning up to a new location with a bunch of people who know nothing about you. While I haven’t made up any elaborate stories about myself (yet) it’s nice being able to choose what you reveal and don’t reveal.
3) You Have More Local Experiences
When you’re traveling in a couple and too busy sucking each other’s face off next to the Effiel tower or too busy arguing with your sister on the sidewalk, there’s not much room to meet local people. You probably scare them off, actually. When I’m alone I tend to interact a lot more with the world around me – including the people. Traveling alone is much better for my photography.
4) You Grow a Lot
There’s something both daunting and exhilarating about turning up to an airport alone, with no one waiting for you. It can be scary in the sense “it’s all on you” to make everything work out: getting to your accommodation, ordering something edible in a foreign language and making the most of your time there. While not everyone will get stabbed like I did, crap happens on the road that can be much harder to deal with than if you were at home, surrounded by loving friends and family. Having the support of a friend with you when something goes pear shape is nice, but there’s a real sense of growth to be found in dealing with it alone.
5) Anything’s Possible
I feel there’s a lot more freedom with traveling solo. Don’t like a place, move on. Don’t like a group of people, move on. It’s a little bit harder to ditch your travel buddies if they’re long time friends or partners… My favourite way to travel is on one way flights solo, spending short segments of my trip traveling with others.
Do you prefer to travel solo, with your partner or with friends? Have you travelled solo? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Things That Suck About Travel
Just a forewarning: I’m sick with a cold at the moment. There are few things in the world worse than being sick when you’re traveling. Not only is everything more of a challenge, that you likely don’t have the energy for, you have to endure being in a New Place With Limited Time, too sick to enjoy it or explore.
Travel is my favourite hobby/obssession. Even though it’s the best thing in the world, it doesn’t mean there is nothing that sucks about travel. In fact, there are a lot of things that suck about travel. I’m tired of reading travel blogs with shiny photos and glamorous stories: lots of parts of travel are very unglamorous. I’ve had so many moments during the past few years where I wanted to just never travel again, buy a piece of land somewhere out in the middle of no where and never-ever-leave.
With my poor planning skills, innate desire to get a ‘great deal’ and affinity for bad luck, I’ve experienced a lot of things that suck about travel, including:
1) Getting Ripped Off
I tend to look up things on Google Maps before ordering a taxi, so I can estimate the distance and price. Yesterday I did exactly that but was distracted by practicing my very poor Spanish with my driver that I forget to check where we were going. The taxi was to the bus station, only 3km from my hostel, but wound up taking half an hour and costing thrice the price. I’m such a sucker for conversation. It’s not that I can’t afford to be ripped off; I always leave a little wiggle room in my budget for this, but it’s painful when you’ve made the effort to plan ahead and start to have that tingling feeling that you’re being taken for a ride.
All I could muster was “muy carro” with puppy dog eyes. The driver didn’t respond and just looked at me with an expression that said: “that was the point, silly gringo”.
2) Missing Laundry
You know when you’re doing your own laundry at home and a sock or two disappears? That sucks. When you’re traveling it goes one up on that, everything goes missing. I had some laundry done in Iquitos and saw them counting each piece before they wrote down a number (more on this later). I assumed that they would count everything up before returning it to me, so neglected to check. Fatal error. Two countries later and I’m down around 6 pieces of clothing, including half of my underwear sets.
3) Not Being Able to do Your Own Laundry
I recently had a very traumatic experience in that very same laundry shop. I went to the Amazon for 4 days (incase you hadn’t read already: It Was Awesome) and had managed to basically douse my clothes in sweat, sunscreen and Deet. It was disgusting. It was one of the few times in my life that I was genuinely repulsed by myself. I threw ALL my clothes into a bag and marched to the laundry place and slowly slid the bag across the bench, while my eyes pleaded: “I’m sorry, I’m not usually this disgusting”.
To my horror the laundry lady decided to count each piece of clothing. She poured my filthily, crusty clothes on the ground and then individually counted them and placed them back in the bag. I winced. This was the most horrific thing I had ever endured in my life. I wanted to throw money at her, as an apology for her trauma, and take the first flight out of Iquitos. But, I needed those clothes so I did my best to pretend this was all a bad dream. As she slid the receipt over to me, I saw in her eyes a look that I’ll never forget. I wanted to explain to her that I had just been in the Amazon and really, it was not my fault. But I figured it was better to run out of the store as quickly as I could.
Perhaps she stole some of my clothes as payment for what she endured that day. Or maybe she burned them. Either way, I miss doing my own laundry and sharing my shame only with myself.
4) Feeling Sick and Assuming You’re Dying
I’m a hypochondriac. Sometimes I think I’m an evolved hypochondriac because I’m aware that I freak out over everything and can often soothe myself “Don’t worry, Izy, you’re just freaking out, you’re probably fine”. This works wonders when I’m in New Zealand and not surrounded by things that are trying to kill me.
While in the Amazon I went on a night walk without a torch (first mistake). During the walk I fell over and grabbed a tree branch to support myself that I couldn’t see (second mistake). Instantly I was at a 8 on the pain scale, but I wanted to play it cool so tried to deal with it by myself in the dark (third mistake). I could feel some prickles in my hand, so promptly removed all three of them. After some time had passed and I was certain I could hold back the tears, my hand still felt like it was on fire so I asked to borrow someone’s torch to assess the damage. It looked fine. The next day I woke up and my hand was infected and it hurt to move it. I couldn’t really clasp things; it was basically useless. For around half an hour I contemplated what would happen if my hand was amputated.
What would happen to my typing speed? Would it halve, or would it be even less than half? Would my left hand learn to compensate for his missing brother? So many questions, so few answers.
Once we returned to civilisation I took some medication and it cleared up in a day or two. But the thing about traveling to weird destinations is that I’m always getting weird illnesses. Then when you’re already feeling lowly you have to go and try to negotiate some drugs from a pharmacist in a wild mix of Spanglish and sign language – while then promptly getting ripped off. Double whammy.
5) People in Dorms Who are Assholes
I like staying in dorms because I like to meet people and steal their travel plans. I have done enough travel planning now that I quite enjoy meeting someone, charming them with fabulous New Zealand accent and then accepting their invitation to join their adventures.
I don’t like staying in dorms because I actually like to sleep.
It’s hard, because in my experience I am best at making friends with people staying in my hostel who are actually in the same room as me. Perhaps it’s because I can catch them off guard, like when they’re trying to pack up their dirty laundry or are just waking up from their slumber. People in the common areas have had coffee and are not so susceptible to my trip stealing. I think, because they’re in the same room as me, they realise they can never escape.
I’ve had numerous opportunities to meet Assholes in Dorms. There’s probably a 1:3 ratio of assholes to cool people in dorms, which is actually pretty good. For every asshole, you’re likely to meet 3 good people. Just enough to keep me from hating dorms, but not enough to make it a pain-free experience.
Recent Assholes in Dorms:
2 girls in Panama who decided that it would be a wonderful idea to turn the bedroom light on at 4am and proceed to talk loudly, in German. I’m sure German sounds fabulous when you’re well slept and it’s an appropriate hour, but at 4am I wanted to stab their eyes out. They weren’t even getting ready for bed, they just wanted to come into the room and chat. They left the room for half an hour, but left the light on. I got up and turned it off. They came back in and I felt like I had been sucked into a time machine and spat out thirty minutes prior, having to endure their shit all over again. Too tired for conversation or any communication beyond an evil glare, I got up and turned the light off and sighed. I can already see my future as a jaded 80 year old hating on the youth for being so spritely and energetic at all hours.
American guy who proceeded to Skype call his best friend about potentially being set up with his sister, while in a shared dorm in Yangon, Myanmar after midnight. Hey buddy, guess what? You’re not at home, you’re not going to be set up with her any time soon so how about you do us all the courtesy of shutting up?
Often the trend of meeting assholes in dorms will be broken up by meeting someone who’s creepy. Creepy people exist everywhere, but it’s annoying when they know where you sleep and have 24/7 access to your room. During my time in San Jose, between sleeping excessive amounts and feeling sorry for myself, a man decided to take a shining to me. Usually I would appreciate this, but he had the same amount of character you’d find in a wrung-out sponge and he was also at least a decade older than my father.
He invited me out to dinner and I was so caught off guard, and too sick to lie strategically, that I went along. Even indulging in one of my favourite hobbies – eating – was not enough to make his company enjoyable. When we returned to the hostel I decided to read a book and placed my handbag next to me on the couch as a clear “Don’t Fucking Sit Here” sign. He, without asking, moved it to the side and proceeded to talk to me. I did my best to barely engage in conversation and maintained holding my book. It didn’t deter him. At one point he went to the bathroom and upon returning decided to grab my toes. I don’t like strange people ignoring obvious social cues, such as ‘leave me alone, now’ and I especially don’t like people touching my feet.
It was just weird. I promptly excused myself to bed and pretended none of it had ever happened.
6) Exceptionally Long Transit
During my early years backpacking, I had so much enthusiasm. A 36 hour bus ride through a third world country with no toilet on the bus and aggressive food poisoning? That sounds like such an *adventure*, sign me up.
Those days are long gone and now even a 5 hour bus ride evokes a childish “Do I have to?” inside my head.
Thankfully on my most recent trip – from Panama City to San Jose by bus – I was so sick that I literally fell into a coma for the entire trip. It was broken briefly to do a border crossing, but I slept the entire 16 hour trip, without any medication.
Exceptionally long travel sucks. Even if you take a few changes of clothes and some wet wipes, you are still sitting in the same position for much too long. You have to strategically plan your bathroom breaks, how much liquid you’ll consume and ration out your electronics battery life. It’s hard work.
7) It’s Addictive
Have you ever ran a race where for every kilometer you run, they move the finish line three kilometers further away? Nope. It probably doesn’t exist, because that would be a very cruel, soul-destroying race. That’s kind of how travel is for me. Not that I’m racing to go anywhere, but the more places I visit, the more I add to my list. It’s like a never-ending to-do list that grows faster than I can tick things off.
So there we go, travel sucks. You shouldn’t do it.
Slowing Down & Finding a Home
While this trip has changed a lot – both in terms of destinations and overall tone, the end game was always finding somewhere to live for a while. I left in July and it’s almost December. I’m tired: tired of having to pack my bags, tired of having to say goodbye to people and places I like.
I need to order some documents from New Zealand which will take a month or two to arrive, depending on how organised I am with applying for them. During this time, I plan on slowing down a lot so I can focus a bit more on work and getting my life back into gear.
After the break up I just decided to be selfish and just did whatever I wanted whenever I felt like it. I had a crazy blow out in New York, decided to go to the Amazon on a whim and have been basically very irresponsible with my money and planning. It was a lot of fun, but now I’m ready to add a little more logic into my plans.
I also haven’t really worked in months, which sounds like a dream but I’m starting to feel a little guilty and I miss working.
Yes – I’m the girl who is complaining about too much travel and not working enough. You have my permission to slap me.
I came to San Jose because I’m interested in doing a Yoga/Photography/Spanish ‘course’ for a few weeks down in Playa Jaco. I emailed them today to check if there’s space. It sounds amazing, 3 or 4 weeks chilling doing a few hours of Yoga, Photography and Spanish. Hanging out with a new crowd of people; people I don’t have to constantly say goodbye to.
If that falls through I think I’m going to pick somewhere to volunteer. I want to learn Spanish and so hopefully I can find something that isn’t along the lines of teaching English. I feel like my life needs a little more purpose and nothing has ever made me happier than volunteering overseas!
I have a feeling I’ll spend at least a month here in Costa Rica and then make my way up towards Antigua, Guatemala…
Finding a ‘home’ isn’t about slowing down travel for me. It’s about having a base where I can work for a few weeks at a time before packing a small bag and jetting off for a few weeks. It’s about finding a bit more of a balance between work and travel.
Too much of anything isn’t a good thing and right now I’ve had too much movement.
KLM is Happy To Help
International travel can be a hassle, but passengers around the world were delighted to experience the journey-simplifying impact of KLM’s #happytohelp project.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines undertook a unique mission to help any traveller in need, not just those flying with KLM.
From a special HQ at Schiphol Plaza in Amsterdam Airport, the #happytohelp team assisted travellers at airports worldwide and via social media for five days. KLM’s innovative help centre was open 24 hours a day and demonstrated the extraordinary lengths the airline goes to for all air travellers.
The KLM team searched across social media, providing travel advice to anyone who was heading abroad. Holidaymakers were treated to personalised video tips that directly related to their destination. During the week passengers were helped out with lost or forgotten passports and provided with beds during long nights waiting hours at airports, as mere examples. All of this activity was documented and uploaded to KLM’s social media and YouTube channels for all to see.
Watch more of the amazing and heart-warming #happytohelp exploits here – KLM.
Watch KLM’s video below:
Note: This is a sponsored post by KLM for their #happytohelp campaign
Adventures in the Amazon
One of the things I like about traveling is being super spontaneous. When you’re tired down to a 9-5, it’s almost impossible to change everything on a whim just because you feel like it. At this point in my life, I have no one that depends on me. No one is expecting me to turn up on Monday morning; I don’t have any bills to pay or any real responsibilities. That means that I have an abundance of flexibility and I want to make the most of it.
The other day I was supposed to board a flight to Guatemala city, but instead I hung out in Panama City for another day before heading to Iquitos, Peru. If you’ve spent any length of time with me, you would know that I have always wanted to visit South America – but I hadn’t made it here, until now.
Life kept getting in the way and the timing wasn’t right and so South America was never a reality. I also had considered coming to Buenos Aires after my time in New York, but it didn’t feel like the right time. I kept mentally saving South America until I had enough time to ‘do it properly’.
I’ve written before about how the problem is you think you have time – all you have is now… so with that in mind, when a new friend I met in Panama suggested that I join his trip to Peru and the Amazon, I couldn’t think of one good reason why not, so I booked flights and gatecrashed his week long trip to Peru.
The Amazon is somewhere I always expected to visit at some point, but I wasn’t sure when. I’d seen a number of documentaries about all the flora and fauna here, which I found absolutely mesmerizing. It was very surprising to be visiting years before I had mentally planned to.
During my time in the Amazon I saw a lot of amazing things: from the pink dolphins, that look more like whales, through to a sloth chilling out in a tree. I caught – and ate – some piranhas, got hit in the leg (while sitting in the boat) by a barracuda and was completely violated by about 3000 mosquitos. I saw squirrel monkeys, giant pink tarantulas, bright green bullfrogs and an array of gorgeous birds. Each night I fell asleep to the sounds of the Amazon and every morning I was greeted by the cleanest air I’ve ever experienced.
Oh and the best thing? No wifi! That meant a lot of time spent chilling in my hammock reading and dozing to the sound of bird song.
On our last night we took the canoe out and slowly paddled down the river; we saw more monkeys playing in trees, countless fireflies dancing in the sky and so many glittering stars. It was perfect.
To be honest, my time in the Amazon wasn’t entirely comfortable. While we stayed at a very nice lodge, I was ill prepared clothing-wise. I found myself to be drenched in at least one of the following Deet, sweat, or swampy water at all times, most usually a combination of all three.
At the beginning of the night walk, I slipped and grabbed onto a tree and wound up with three spikes in my hand, which are now infected. Despite showering three times a day I constantly felt dirty and longed for a hot shower. I was completely out of my element, but I loved every second of it.
There were so many times on my trip to the Amazon where I felt overwhelmed; by the beauty, by wildlife, by the clean air and by all of the wonderful sounds.
I now know how it feels to look up at the sky in the Amazon, the sounds that the pink Amazon dolphins make and the way pigmy monkeys suck sap from the trees. I saw so much beauty during my four-day trip that I need a few days to process it.
I was pretty sad to be leaving, but I know I’ll be back. It’s definitely one of the most incredible places I’ve ever been and I want to see the Amazon when it’s flooded due to rainy season.
I met an older couple during my stay at the lodge that asked if I’d been to the Amazon before and then proceeded to tell me that it would ‘change me’.
While I think every trip changes you a little, I know my trip to the Amazon will mark a special time in my life. This is the time in my life where I’m being spontaneous, where I’m listening to how I feel and what I really want from life, and I’m moving towards it. I don’t know where I’m going or where I’ll end up, but I know it’ll be the greatest adventure and that’s enough for now.
I’m trying really hard not to have favourite places anymore because I want to focus more on the present moment than the past, but if I was picking favourites the Amazon would feature very, very highly.
Top 5 places to visit Australia
Australia is such a large country it can be extremely hard to decide where to visit when planning a holiday there. The country itself offers everything from luscious tropical beaches, to dry arid deserts, from cosmopolitan cities to beautiful wine country. Don’t just think about flying either, you get to see far more of the country if you travel by campervan or train. You can book a rail holiday easily online. If you are planning on making a trip to Australia then I’ve rounded up the top 5 places to visit whilst there.
Perth
Located in Western Australia, Perth offers some of the most beautiful beaches the country has to offer. Think clean white sand beaches and bright blue water. Not only that but Perth city itself has a great cosmopolitan vibe with great restaurants and cafes. If you head a little out of Perth to places like Freemantle you will get to discover untapped beaches on Rottnest Island, gorgeous country towns and super friendly locals.
Darwin
If you want to experience the proper Australian outback then you need to visit Darwin. It’s a vibrant multi cultural place and you wont be short of things to do there. You can swim with giant saltwater crocs if you are daring enough or enjoy a fresh seafood dinner on the beautiful waterfront in the city. It’s also the gateway to the famous Kakadu national park, Adelaide River and Tiwi Islands.
Adelaide
If you want to visit the food and wine capital of Australia then Adelaide is the place to go. Just outside of Adelaide is the famous Barossa Valley where you can sample your way through some of Australia’s best wineries. It’s not just wine though Adelaide has to offer but incredible food too. In fact Adelaide city has the most restaurants per capita in Australia and you can sample some of the freshest, tastiest food there is to offer.
Sydney
Sydney is the largest city in Australia and has one of the best harbors in the world. You really can’t go to Australia without visiting this stunning vibrant city. The iconic opera house and Harbor Bridge do not disappoint, and neither do the famous beaches of Bondi or Manly.
Melbourne
Think food and shopping for your visit to Melbourne as this very hip city offers some of the best markets, shopping, and cafes around. The city is hipster central and the nightlife is unreal. Make sure you check out the cafes in Fitzroy area where you will be served the healthiest food and some of the best coffee.
How to Stay Organised While Traveling
There’s a lot to remember when planning a trip. Double it if you have small children who are coming along for the ride. If you’re the type who struggles to remember that the dog needs to go into the kennels, travel insurance needs to be bought, and your flight has been moved up by two hours, here are some ways you can stay organised while traveling:
Park your car at the Airport
Taking airport transportation out of the equation is sure to free your mind up to focus on other things, like making sure you remember the duty free. Check out Airparks, which is located at Glasgow airport, and you’ll have crossed one thing off your travel list.
There are also plenty of Glasgow airport hotels available, so if you have an early morning flight and don’t like your chances of checking in on time, grab a cheap hotel for the night so you’ll fly feeling refreshed the next morning.
Use a good Calendar
There are plenty of calendar apps available which will sync on both your laptop and smartphone, so you’ll know exactly what you’ve got planned for each day. Most off them also include to-do lists, so you can be sure you won’t forget to renew your passport. Try Fantastical, which is available for both Mac and iPhones, or VueMinder, which is free for those using Windows.
Talk to a Travel Agent
Many people are hesitant to use travel agents due to the belief that their holiday will end up costing an arm and a leg. However travel agents actually have access to deals that the public are unaware of, and can help you find the best flights and accommodation for your budget.
Most travel agents will also price beat, so if you find cheaper flights online they should be able to get you the same flights.
Book in Advance
It seems obvious, but simply booking your trip well in advance will not only mean that you’ll get the best prices available, but you’ll avoid the last minute stress of trying to book everything at once.
There’s nothing worse than trying to figure out if you’ve forgotten something critical for your trip, and by booking in advance you’ll have time to book anything you’ve forgotten before it effects your holiday.
Booking in advance also means that you can break the trip down into smaller tasks and complete them weekly, so it doesn’t seem so daunting.
Do you have any other tips on staying organised while travelling? Let me know in the comments below.