Situated in the Gulf of Thailand, the beautiful island of Koh Samui it is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, attracting travelers from all over the world seeking a tropical beach vacation.
Fine white sand beaches and crystal clear waters come together with nodding coconut trees to one side and the beautiful Gulf of Thailand to the other, and those wanting to dance barefoot under the soft light of the full moon can join one of Koh Samui’s wild nightly beach parties.
More than 1.5 million tourists visit the island each year to enjoy the kind of tropical coastline and beaches you find featured in ads. Here are a few of the more popular, and some of my most favorite beaches to visit on the island. “Get a massage, have your hair braided, buy barbecued chicken or sarongs, get to know the locals or simply doze off and chill out.”
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Terrorism is something we try not to think about as travelers. And it’s certainly not something we jump to promote in our attempts to inspire others to take that life changing trip around the world.
But even though various articles online put your chances of being caught up in a terrorist attack at roughly a 1 in 20 million, that doesn’t mean terrorism isn’t real. In fact it’s very real. Global terrorism is a fact.
So why do so many travelers still travel without insurance? With more people traveling for business and leisure, and attacks occurring literally across the globe, some people are going to find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Do we travel anyway? Absolutely. We should not let extremist activities stop us from doing what we do. BUT there does needs to be a happy medium. Traveling with adequate health insurance which covers you in the event of terrorism is that happy medium, but too many insurers have a blanket exclusion for all terrorist activities, refusing to pay out on emergencies or injuries related to terrorist attacks.
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As we began our trek through the wilderness of Denali National Park we knew we were not alone. Fresh footprints marked our trail, and the chew marks on the wooden sign which noted our location at Sable Pass were quite obviously the jaw imprints of a grizzly.
Though far from being afraid, we had actually come for the bears, attempting to track them by their prints and scat which led from right outside our camp deep into the backcountry throughout the park.
These are our top tips on being bear aware, and our favorite photos from our recent trip to Alaska.
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Named after Queen Victoria and meaning victory or triumph, this beautiful city in British Columbia is most definitely aptly named.
With a climate that seems like a tropical paradise by Canadian standards it is no wonder that foreign visitors and native Canadians alike blow into Victoria like Maple leaves in a wind storm.
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It’s something we take for granted far too often – traveling to a foreign land and expecting our English will be understood. And while most of the time it’s easy enough to get by, knowing what, how, and when to say a phrase in a foreign language can sometimes prove necessary when you find yourself in an emergency situation which may not be possible to resolve in English.
Unfortunately, travelers do suffer injury or illness on occasions, and it’s in these situations where it is important to be able to communicate the need for medical assistance before a condition becomes unbearable.
Hopefully you won’t have to use these, though it’s always better to travel prepared. The following are important health and medical phrases you should know in every language…well, the language of the destination you’re traveling through at least! Translate them before you go and write them down to keep with you on your trip.
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It’s a no brainer that technology has become pervasive in our every day life. At a basic level, most travelers use it to book their flight or hotel reservations through sites like Kayak or TripAdvisor, and almost everyone now carries a smartphone…even as it would seem, my tuk tuk driver in Laos who spent more time using his iPhone than watching the actual road!
The following are technology tools and services which will greatly enhance your next adventure.
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In an age where there are a stealth of technology powering our daily lives, it’s essential for our sanity to find the ability and the time to unplug. And unplugging the laptop to retire to a chair with your iPad in hand doesn’t count. Nor does switching off the phone to then reach for the TV.
Unplugging completely means convenient access to hot mineral-spring pools and massage therapists instead of WiFi. Or waking up to the sound of waterfalls splashing through moss-softened gorges instead of the stressful vibrations of your phone. It means spending time hiking, fishing, or kayaking as a replacement for your televisions, radios and cells – all modern distractions which would otherwise take away from the deep, clear, glacier-carved lake right outside your door. With limited internet, television and telephones, the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State is the ideal place to ditch the electronics and connect with the natural environment instead.
After having returned from the Olympic Peninsular completely rejuvenated and refreshed, we have put together this complete guide to an unplugged vacation in Olympic National Park; where to stay, where to go, and what to do.
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You’ve seen your friends travel the world, and return home having done all of the cliche things that tourists do. They’ve snapped selfies holding up against the Leaning Tower of Pisa, can list almost every Australian bar across Asia and Europe, and probably got by without learning a single phrase in a foreign tongue. And while that’s all fine for them, you want to seek out unique experiences.
You want to return home with photos which are different from the shot everyone else has, and see the world through they eyes of a local. You want to replace the generic, mass produced holiday that your peers seem content with and seek out a more unique, personal experience, while maybe even supporting the community that inspired you to book your trip.
Fortunately, with all of the new technology, apps and start-ups which are around today, it’s becoming easier and easier to connect with locals in order to ensure a fully immerisve experience abroad. Ventoura is one such app.
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As a traveler, the best way to get to know India is to board a train. Only train travel offers the combination of unique cultural insight into Indian culture coupled with incredible natural scenery; the ability to witness the landscape of a country whose scenery is diverse and continually changing.
The following is a complete guide to navigating Indian Railways for the international traveler – important guidelines to help you as you pack off for an interesting journey.
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Student exchange is one of the most worthwhile experiences available in colleges and universities today, though preparing to study abroad isn’t something which happens overnight. The planning involved before your departure can often take a few months, though that’s not to mean you should be discouraged – studying abroad will without a doubt rank as one of the most amazing experiences of your life, and while your list of “to-dos” may appear long to begin with, most of the time it’s the case of being full with small, but very important items.
Use the following pre-depature checklist and you’ll be fine – this is a list of everything you need to organize before leaving to study abroad!
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Whether you’re hiking through the Arizona desert, trekking through the Amazon, or perhaps exploring the tropics of Northern Queensland where pythons have been known to swallow Australian crocodiles whole, chances are you may come into contact with a snake at some point during your trip. And, after having stepped on a venomous cottonmouth in Florida, watched as a boa wrapped itself around our camera tripod recently in Joshua Tree (see featured image above!), and aggravated a deadly rattlesnake in Arizona, trust us, we would definitely know!
As a global traveler it’s important to be prepared – the following are essential tips and tricks you should be aware of re snakebite for emergency situations while hiking abroad. Would you believe, all photos are our own!
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They were on a comfort cruise through the Amazon with International Expeditions when the unthinkable occurred, when Dave slipped and broke his back.
The world’s favorite adventure travel couple, Deb and Dave have an impressive resume of extreme adventures, so getting hurt on a cruise made for birdwatching, village visits, and daily boat rides out to explore the “calm tributaries of the Amazon River” wasn’t something any-one saw coming. But it happened.
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A medical emergency is something no one wants to face on a camping trip abroad. It’s often difficult to access proper medical care while so far from home, and camping in a remote location means you’re likely too far out of range to manage a call for help. Though arming yourself with the proper knowledge of first aid and an understanding of the risks involved with your specific trip, you’ll be properly equipped to resolve an emergency while camping.
The following are a few tips on how to deal with an emergency while camping abroad so that you can keep your cool if it happens to you.
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I was traveling through Budapest when it happened, when I collapsed and my lips turned blue. It began with a coughing which just wouldn’t stop, though as I felt my airways narrow and swell, I freaked out because I knew.
As you would expect from most 19 year old backpackers on Contiki through Europe, I had spent the better half of the evening reaching an early stage of incredibly drunk. Not too long after we got back to our campsite I was on the ground.
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Tyres wear down over time and there is no getting away from the fact. Unfortunately, there is no method which will mean that a set of tyres will go on, mile after mile, forever. However, there are a number of things that travelers can do which will mean that their tyres are not worn down unnecessarily.
Since the cost of replacing tyres is never something that car owners welcome, preserving them for as long as possible makes a lot of financial sense and there are other benefits that are associated with keeping your tyres in good condition which ought to be factored in, as well.
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It’s the ultimate rush of adrenaline – strapping yourself to a beautiful stranger and skydiving from a perfectly good plane 12,000 ft in the air; an ultimate bucket list item you’re sure to never forget.
There are only a few seconds of initial terror – the moment you realize your body is plummeting towards the ground at around 200 kph. Though everything after that is pure pleasure, and the feeling of weightlessness as you soar above some of the most spectacular scenery in the world is better than any high which exists in substance form on earth.
The following are the best places to skydive around the world, including my personal favorite, Interlaken, Switzerland.
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We’re pretty much the poster children for packing everything bar the kitchen sink, and despite fervent vows that the next trip will be different, that we’ll learn to travel light, this never ends up being the case. In fact, we travel so light that we even travel with a microwave!! For cross country road-trips at least.
It was a during recent road-trip throughout the US that we realized a portable microwave could come in incredibly handy. With the amount of time we were spending in the country to explore, we figured the time and money having a microwave would save would prove to far outweigh it’s initial cost.
We hit up Walmart to invest $40 and haven’t looked back since. The following explains exactly why our microwave now rides shotgun on each of our epic trips.
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Are your travel plans bringing you through Vancouver this season? Perhaps you’re catching a flight with a long layover, or are one of those lucky travelers taking an Alaskan Cruise with a 24 hour stop in British Columbia. If so, there are plenty of ways to explore Vancouver without putting a large dent in your pocketbook, and plenty of amazing sites and attractions to fill a day.
Here are a few suggestions for those wanting to take in some of the amazing sites and attractions in downtown Vancouver in a day.
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Many of us are doing everything we can to reduce our carbon footprint at home. We’re making an effort to recycle, catching public transport where possible, and reducing the amount of electricity we use. Now that global warming is at such a critical point, we’ve realized that we should be doing everything we possibly can to reverse it.
But what about when we travel? Do any of us think about what impact we might be having while we’re skipping and jumping between countries?
I know it’s not pleasant to think that we might be damaging the environment by exploring new places, but unfortunately travel leaves a carbon footprint too.
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Everyday, millions of people share their travel reviews on a host of popular websites, and you’re probably one of them. This means your experience is helping thousands of other travelers find inspiration and make more confident choices, and you do all of this for free, meaning the online travel agencies and review platforms are making a healthy profit from your knowledge and insight. But all this is about to change.
A new hotel booking site which pays you for reviews, Yonderbound is starting a revolution in travel – the first platform which lets you earn money online by sharing your travel insights whether you’re a travel professional, a travel blogger, or you just enjoy sharing your own experiences.
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Australia is a goldmine when it comes to bucket list experiences – an enormous country blessed with a variety of different landscapes, activities enough for multiple trips, and attractions for absolutely every taste.
Whether you are a competitive tanner, diver, surfer, backpacker or wildlife enthusiast, Australia has a bucket-list experience for you.
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Cruises are a fantastic way to discover the world, and travelers who haven’t yet tried this form of travel are definitely missing out. A vacation which combines the price your transport, accommodation, activities and meals into one package deal, and which places every amenity and on-board activity imaginable right at your door, cruises come in all shapes and forms, and there is absolutely a cruise to suit every traveler out there.
If you’re among those considering a cruise for the first time but haven’t yet taken the leap, here are 7 reasons why you should write off some time, and book a cruise today!
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You have made the brave decision to move abroad – at least for a little while. While you were nothing but excited before you moved, now you are abroad you face the real challenge: settling in.
But how do you do this? We have some tips and tricks to settle in as quickly as possible.
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Over the last year we’ve scrambled through sand dunes in Peru, trekked deep into the Amazon, and hiked through some of the most remote island destinations on earth. We’ve wandered through the desert, rappelled down buildings, and trodden on the ruins of ancient Incan civilizations. So it should come as no surprise that we’ve sacrificed many soles.
My feet have been pierced by needles from cactus plants, we lost one pair of shoes to a vicious cotton-mouth snake attack, and others have succumbed to water damage after crashing a quad bike into the sea. So it was about high time, we thought, to invest in some long lasting, high quality hiking shoes.
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Australia is most people’s dream destination, a “must-visit” on their ultimate bucket list, though with some of the most extreme and varied climates in the world, packing can be one of the most challenging parts of the trip!
For instance are you hitting the tropical rainforests of far North Queensland, the harsh landscape of the Outback, or the colder climates of Southern Tasmania? Are you planning a dive in the Great Barrier Reef, a climb of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, or some skiing in the Snowy Mountains?
When planning a trip to Australia you need to consider the weather and climate of the destinations you will be visiting, and the outdoor activities you plan on undertaking during your trip. You need to know if you plan on exploring only urban areas, or also plan on hitting up some more natural settings. After you know your itinerary, this will determine your packing list for Australia.
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