After almost 10 years of travel, I’ve realized that travel habits don’t change. Once a snap happy tourist, you’ll continue to always snap everything insight. Once unprepared in the airport security queue, you’ll always be holding everybody up. Once a last-minute airport souvenir shopper, it seems you’ll always forget to discover local artisans selling traditional crafts along the way.
So while I’ve been told time and time again I need to start taking my own advice for slimming down your suitcase, it’s time to come to terms with the fact that I am, and always will be, a severe overpacker! Though granted most recently, packing for 150 days of travel and fitting it into 20kg is no simple feat!
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We crouched low in a vibrant field of dandelions on the edge of a spectacular coastal cliff in the North of Iceland. It was bitterly cold, and the air was crisp, however we remained still, hands frozen but index fingers poised motionless above the shutter button ,waiting for the perfect moment to snap the money shot. Above our heads hundreds of puffins flitted...
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Our wooden boat crashed violently into the dense tree line to a chorus of ear-piercing screeches which shattered the otherwise tranquil setting. The next thing we knew we were under attack and being yelled at to hold onto our gear. 3 squirrel monkeys leapt from the treetops and launched themselves onto our boat. 3 more followed. Before I knew it I was in a tug of...
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There is an emotional power associated with outdoor adventure. It has the power to be both transformational and empowering, and nobody knows this better than Jill Wheeler. A climber, skier, and kite surfing champion; a yoga, mountaineering and white water kayaking instructor; Jill is an advocate for women’s health and fitness, and advocate for achieving both...
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NSW is one of the most unique places in the world. Boasting pristine beaches, unspoiled national parkland, wonderful wildlife, and awe-inspiring Australian outback, it’s not hard to believe that this phenomenal state is quickly becoming one of the world’s premiere tourist attractions. Home to iconic buildings, sun blazed beaches, award-winning...
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Authored by Peter Korchnak Slovakia’s tiny capital Bratislava gets so few tourists compared to the nearby Vienna, Budapest, or Prague, that there is hardly a beaten path at all. Still, it seems most travelers hike up to the Castle, roam around the Old Town, stroll on the Danube promenade, take the elevator up the UFO Bridge and call it a pleasant day, or, in...
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Disclaimer: More rant than blog. Though there are valuable travel tips and my new contact email at the end! Granted, a traveler’s worst nightmare would probably be more along the lines of being detained in Egypt, or locked up and deported from Indonesia, however for THIS traveler, blocking and continuing to deny access to my email account ranks pretty highly...
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When every second of a trip is a highlight, it’s hard to narrow down just 10 (highlights) to summarize a two week experience. Our recent DTour throughout Central and South America was absolutely packed full of adrenalin pumping adventure, incredible wildlife experiences, mouthwatering seafood and outrageously scenic views. We rode Quad bikes across remote,...
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The most iconic images of Easter Island include blue cloudy skies, green grassy fields, and abandoned stone moai statues, however the island is even more stunning and awe inspiring in the evening as the sun sets. Silhouetted moai statues against a striking backdrop of red, orange and blue, make for a phenomenal photo opportunity – one more unique than your typical tourist snapshots from around the Rapa Nui National Park.
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Looking for a gift which is truly exceptional and unique? Searching for something handcrafted from an excotic corner of the globe but wanting assurance that your money is going directly to the artisan who created it? NOVICA is your answer. Travel is now the world’s largest industry, and as such, we as travelers have real power. We have the power to choose who we...
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Francis Tapon is an extreme adventure traveler who has hiked across America four times, walked across Spain twice, and has traveled to 100 counties. An incredibly inspiring traveler with a thirst to see more of the world, he is currently on a four-year voyage to visit all 54 African countries.
And he’ll be filming his four year journey along the way to bring us a groundbreaking new TV series with footage and film from the places that CNN and Nat Geo don’t show you. His aim is to show the world the Unseen Africa.
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It’s not often that you win an all expenses paid trip to the continent of your choice, let alone one which includes 4 and 5 star accommodation. It’s not often you win a trip which kick starts your dream career of travel writing, nor one which fulfills bucket list items you’ve waited a lifetime to achieve. But even rarer still, is winning a trip where you are...
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The road from Rurrenabaque to reach the Bolivian Amazon was full of surprises. Our vehicle bounced through muddy trenches and followed a winding dirt road lined by wild vegetation on each side. We drove within meters of fierce looking Caiman, stared out our dusty windows in awe as huge hawks and an assortment of other exotic birds flew by, and pulled over to marvel at sloths making themselves comfortable in the treetops.
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Imagine falling asleep to the soothing sound of waves gently crashing upon the shore just outside your window. Imagine waking up to the tranquil sound of exotic birds calling from your balcony. Imagine a breakfast buffet full of exotic fruits and juices, mouthwatering pastries, and an enormous assortment of hot delights, with a delicious smell which wafts through the entire resort.
Swim up bars, a secluded beach, nightly entertainment and a midnight lounge with dance music; you’re imagining paradise.
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You haven’t known adventure until you have zipped down a 300 foot sand dune headfirst, screaming for your life, eating sand the entire way down. You haven’t known adventure until you have strapped yourself into a sand buggy and flown through “Everest of the Desert” at high speeds, clutching your seatbelt until your knuckles turn white. You haven’t known adventure until you have visited Huacachina, Peru.
The sand buggy tour was the most thrilling and exhilarating experience of our lives. We strapped ourselves into the 12 seater dune buggy as our driver flew over towering sand dunes at high speeds. We gripped the seats in front of us for dear life as he floored the gas and took dunes 90 degree angles. We whizzed through the desert, screaming at the top of our lungs as we blew through the most spectacular desert scenery you could ever hope to see in your life.
At 4pm we arrived at the Desert Nights Hostel, and it wasn’t long before we realized this wasn’t going to be a smooth ride! For $22 USD each, we had honestly expected a fairly tame ride through the desert, however we quickly realized that this was going to be an extreme thrill ride, not for the light of heart!
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One of the most beautiful locations during our DTour of Peru was Paracas, and exploring the tropical desert of the Paracas National Reserve proved to be a highlight. Incredible natural beauty, with miles of cliffs and coastal waters, Paracas National Reserve is where the desert dramatically meets the sea. And the most stunning views can be witnessed from Playa...
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At Doubletree by Hilton, they know the little things mean everything when it comes to a great travel experience. That’s why they have welcomed guests with a warm chocolate chip cookie for more than 25 years. The Doubletree gesture of a warm chocolate chip cookie on check-in is a symbol of the little, bright moments in life. No matter where you are or how you’re feeling, a cookie has the power to make you smile.
May 15 2014 was National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, and in spreading the Cookie Care, Doubletree hotels worldwide took to the streets to hand out their signature chocolate chip cookies. Anyone who walked into one of the brand’s 370 hotels worldwide was treated to an iconic cookie, and surprise cookie giveaways were held all over the world.
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Picture miles upon miles of white sandy beaches, clean surf breaks, epic waves, and water so warm there’s no need for a wetsuit.
Costa Rica is a surfers paradise, and a world class surfing destination for beginners and surf pros alike. With beaches less crowded than that of California, Indonesia, Hawaii and Australia, Costa Rica was the perfect location for an uncoordinate like myself to learn to surf. And believe it or not, by the end of my lesson I managed to stand on the board!
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Lima is the culinary capital of the world, and there’s no better way to enjoy mouthwatering local Peruvian cuisine than taking in dinner with a show!
The Junius Restaurant at the El Pardo Doubletree by Hilton Hotel combines delicious cuisine with a spectacular, colorful, and live folklore show. The show features typical dance from every region in Peru, including the most impressive dances of the Peruvian Andes.
A fully interactive show which is lively, playful and upbeat, the most entertaining spectacle was Danza De Las Tijeras.
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Surrounded by a belt of tropical rainforest, trekking off the beaten path in Panama is fairly easy to achieve. And Soberania National Park is the best place to do just that. With over 400 species of exotic birds, and over 105 species of mammals, the park is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, and a great way to spend a day hiking through the real Panamanian jungle....
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I don’t know what I was expecting Panama City to look like before I arrived, however I had envisioned a rural, poverty stricken destination in the middle of the jungle. The only part of this which proved true was that the city is located in the middle of the jungle.
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One of Costa Rica’s most popular National Parks due to it’s proximity to San Jose, Carara Biological Reserve is the last noteworthy portion of primary rainforest in the Central Pacific region. A haven for rare species of birds, and a crucial sanctuary for other Costa Rican wildlife, visitors to the park have the opportunity to see flocks of scarlet...
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Day one of our Doubletree by Hilton DTour was spent soaring over the jungle on Costa Rica’s famed zip-lines! This is one of the top tourist attractions in Costa Rica, and consists of platforms connected by thick cables stretching across tree-ladden ravines, hillsides and valleys.
We were strapped into harnesses, clipped into the cables and sent flying from one platform to another! I was really impressed overall by the length, speed, height and views offered!
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Flying into Costa Rica you realize this is a country truly touched by mother nature. Even from the window seat before landing we were awed by views of long stretches of deserted white sand beaches, dense jungles filled with a rich diversity of exotic wildlife, lush rainforests and raging rivers.
As we touched down in San Jose, the scenic beauty was unlike anything I had previously witnessed. Lush, vivid green forests backed by the blue silhouette of towering volcanoes. A staggeringly beautiful backdrop, and an amazing welcome into a country which prides itself on its overwhelming natural beauty.
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By Guest Blogger Jamie Gault I was walking along Soi Sukhumvit in Bangkok with Murdoch. The noise was rich and overflowing. Sporadically the sun would peep through the clouds letting some out of the engine racket and sounds of water boiling from the street carts. But mostly the clouds kept everything in, not that I was complaining. Bangkok is a city that sits...
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