I’m loving the explosion of glamping in Australia; the availability of luxury accommodation in picturesque natural surrounds. I’m talking tents with real beds, cozy decor, and all of the amenities of home. I’m talking luxury cabins offering secluded wilderness with a hot tub.
From barns and cabins, to tree houses and caves, glamping is a way to connect with your surroundings without having to rough it. And with incomparable access to nature, “glamorous camping” is the newest Australian craze. Tucked inside mountains, scattered along white-sand beaches, unique structures with an amazing backdrop are beginning to pop up everywhere.
Located in the beautiful East Gippsland region of Victoria, one glamping site is particularily worth noting. Situated in lesser known Nungurner is a unique rural homestead; a contemporary vacation cabin nestled on 50 acres of stunning countryside. Just over three hours east of Melbourne, this property provides the perfect setting to retreat, relax and rejuvenate, and is the ideal base for exploring everything East Gippsland has to offer.
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If there’s one thing I’m always on the hunt for, it’s finding a better way to learn a new language.
People learn a language for all different reasons. It’s a great way to get ahead in your professional career, connect with family members, or maybe you met a cute foreign boy. Though my interest lies in speaking with locals while I’m traveling.
Because I hate feeling ashamed that I can’t communicate in another language. We expect tourists visiting English speaking countries to speak English, however 90% of the time don’t reciprocate by making an attempt to speak the local language when traveling through foreign countries ourselves.
Not expecting people to speak to you in English, and making at least an attempt to communicate in the language of the land wherever you go, is a sign of respect for both the locals and their culture. But language learning isn’t for everyone, and surely no-one in the world has mastered over 200 local dialects! So what is a traveler to do?
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There’s an art to packing hand luggage when you’re heading overseas, especially if you’re a tech friendly traveler who transports a number of electronics and cords. Between your laptop, iPad, camera, phone, chargers, adaptors, and cords for all of the above, most bags aren’t exactly functional for transporting technology.
So when I had the chance to get my hands on the Lance Daypack from ecbc I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve taken it with me on our current Round the World, and honestly, it’s every travelers dream.
As far as hand luggage goes, the ecbc Lance Daypack is a more functional, fashionable and comfortable way of transporting technology and everyday essentials than any other bag I’ve traveled with before. And I’ll go as far as to say it’s the best backpack I’ve ever owned.
A bag which works functionally in the jungles of Cancun and is sleek and elegant enough for a board room, here are 5 reasons you need an ecbc bag too.
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It’s my favorite kind of travel read; a laugh-out-loud travel memoir that reveals backpacking’s awkward side. So upon picking up Sue Bedford’s new book “It’s Only the Himalayas and Other Tales of Miscalculation from an Overconfident Backpacker“, I naturally became engrossed.
Sue is a disenchanted waitress when she embarks upon a year-long quest around the world with her exasperatingly perfect friend, Sara. Expecting a whimsical jaunt of self-discovery, Sue instead encounters an absurd series of misadventures that render her embarrassed, terrified, and queasy (and in a lot of trouble with Philippine Airline).
Whether she’s fleeing from ravenous lions, dancing amid smoking skulls, navigating the torturous Annapurnas, or (accidentally) drugging an unfortunate Englishman, Sue’s quick-witted, self-deprecating narrative might just inspire you to take your own chaotic adventure.
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Real movie lovers realize that it’s not only the plot, music, or great direction that matter when they kick back with a film, looking forward to be transported to another world. No, a lot of the time the make or break comes down to the setting.
A number of locations around the world have proven to be popular with many movie makers, whether they are exotic spots, busy cities or rural settings. And these locales appear in our favorite films again and again. So what makes them so special and why are they chosen so often? Read on to find out.
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No visit to Australia is complete without a road trip. From coastal journeys and outback adventures, driving is one of the best ways to see this great Southern land.
Driving Australia can be easy on most routes, but you do need to be prepared for the distances. Once you find yourself outside the main cities, much of Australia is very spread out, and towns can be few and far between. So prior planning is essential, especially when it comes to choosing overnight stays to break up the trip.
For those traveling between Melbourne and Adelaide, we recently stayed at Horsham International Hotel which was the perfect overnight stopover for this route.
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When it comes to booking any kind of travel experience, nothing beats the recommendation of a friend. But when it actually comes to booking a trip or buying something online, we all end up basing our decisions on reviews by complete strangers on sites like Tripadvisor, Yelp or Amazon, and letting random reviews dictate how we spend our time. Which doesn’t make a great deal of sense, because the strangers who leave reviews on these sites don’t know us.
Until now, we have used these sites because there has been no better alternative to sourcing trusted recommendations and reviews in a quick and convenient way. Though with the release of free travel app ‘Pearlshare‘, that’s all about to change.
A fantastic app which lets you build and share local travel guides, and tap into the knowledge of your inner-circle, Pearlshare is about to leave review sites like Tripadvisor and Yelp behind. It’s easy to use, and a fantastic new way to guarantee you’re getting travel advice from sources you trust.
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How do you organize your undergarments when you travel? Do you place them in zipped bags? Store them in luggage pockets? Or just place them wherever there’s space?
I can organize my clothes to look neat and tidy in a suitcase when I’m packing for a trip, though as soon as the case is zipped and flipped to stand on it’s wheels, there’s always a moment of pause where I cringe. After all that hard work separating your underwear from your shirts, and your shirts from your shoes, you know that after you arrive at your destination everything inside is going to be a hot mess.
And it’s always the little things. The individual toiletries, socks, underwear, and memory cards that disappear among the chaos. And that’s where the TUO by Origami Unicorn comes in – the ultimate travel undergarment organizer that allows travelers to organize their undergarments or small items neatly in a foldable bag which acts as a portable closet throughout their trip. Because a little organization can go a long way to making your life easier when you’re on the move.
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For every woman who has ever wanted to travel light, though without compromising style, Australian designer Chalisa Morrison has created a brilliant new garment called the Zippy Skirt. A high quality, stretch pencil skirt with a unique zip on, zip off panel system, you can change your look in seconds by literally zipping-on different panels.
A qualified fashion designer with over 20 years experience working in product design, trends, styling and body image, Chalisa set out to create a versatile skirt that was stylish and flattering and could be effortlessly worn multiple ways by all shapes and sizes. She wanted to create a product to empower women to feel stylish and sexy while living a busy life; including travelling with a light suitcase – empowered and on the move!
1 skirt + zip-on panels (which also doubles as a stylish strapless top)…. Zippy Skirt is the little black skirt that every female traveler needs.
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In 1931, Airstream began with Wally Byam’s dream: to build a travel trailer that would move like a stream of air, be light enough to be towed by a car, and create first-class accommodations anywhere.
85 years later, when it comes to spotting one on the road, no other travel trailer comes close to the classic, instantly recognizable “silver bullet” look, and after decades of touring the roads and campsites of America (and the world), the Airstream has gone from being an oddity to a true American icon.
For those who have ever wanted to spend a couple of nights in an iconic Airstream travel trailer, a new glamping experience awaits you on Australia’s NSW South Coast. Having come a long way since Wally’s first design, modern Airstream trailers now resemble a luxury home.
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For more than a thousand years, pilgrims have been making their way on foot to the Spanish city Santiago de Compostela, the purported resting place of the remains of Saint James, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. The pilgrims walk hundreds of miles that make up the Camino, which in Spanish means the path, a road, a route, a way.
Pilgrims from every background are today drawn to the Camino from all over the world and for a wide variety of reasons. Some are ill, some grieving, some confused, some celebrating, some walk out of devotion or in fulfilment of a vow and others are just simply curious. Some will have walked a hundred miles, others five hundred and others more than a thousand.
What is nevertheless common to them all is that they will have left behind what is familiar and habitual in order to wake each day to a new vista, to a new stretch of road, to the scents and flavours of a land other than their own.
The best way to prepare for such a walk? To know if this pilgrimage is for you? The Road to Santiago movie is a very real account of the journey as walked by Alan Fields; an authentic, down to earth documentary which will transport you to the trail and put you in his shoes.
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The Crimson Rosella’s are forced to scatter as a pair of Rainbow Lorikeets decide it’s their time to feed. They descend upon the bird feeder we’ve packed with seeds, sending the two Rosella’s into a fast retreat. A sudden burst of vivid plumage and squawking fills the air. The Lorikeets have first pickings here. They have their run of the rainforest and make sure every other bird knows it too.
Over the past few years, Mike and I have been fortunate enough to experience our fair share of sensational accommodation. Think plush penthouse suites in Las Vegas where the range of in room amenities is so excessive it will fulfill every wildest dream. Or an intimate boutique loft apartment in New York. Think a decadent hotel built atop ancient Incan ruins in Peru. We recently also stayed in a room which came with a zoo!
Suffice to say, we have slept around quite extensively when it comes to luxury rooms. And it as such takes something truly exceptional to wow us to our core. Who knew it would be our first experience glamping, in the Australian bush no less, which would leave us both in absolute awe.
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Sharing your travel photos today is a simple click away thanks to how far photography technology has come. Though have you noticed recently that everyone seems to be sharing the same shots?
There are so many beautiful places to see in the world, whether that be a natural wonder or an architectural site, though it feels as though the world has already been photographed. As a tourist, it’s difficult to capture a unique angle which the world hasn’t already seen. Difficult to make your photography stand out when 1,000 tourists before you have stood and set up their tripod in that exact same spot.
Well, If you’re sick of coming home from overseas with the exact same shots as everyone else who owns a camera, Fripito is the app you need. Local knowledge, insider tips, and unique photo locations which other tourists simply don’t know.
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There’s something to be said about experiencing the world, though being able to travel with the comforts of home. It’s walking barefoot along a windy beach and at the end of the day having access to a laundry for your sandy clothes. It’s waking up and having the freedom to cook your own eggs, without the need to make yourself decent for other guests.
While you may not think twice about these kind of things on a short vacation, it’s these little luxuries in life that a full time traveler craves, and why we were so taken by our recent Wollongong stay.
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For those who travel long term, cooking on the road is one of the most practical solutions to keeping your expenses low. It’s healthier than eating out, and there are substantial savings to be found in trading restaurants for grocery stores.
Though one obstacle to eating on-the-go is kitchenware. Space-saving, multi-purpose, reusable kitchenware is difficult to find. And that is exactly why the Roaming Cooking range was born; collapsible kitchen containers for travelers which you can cook in, eat out of, are easy to wash, easy to use, and when not in use, folds down to a third of it’s size. It’s brilliant!
Even more exciting, enter the sweepstakes at the end of this review; 3 readers will take home a Collapsible Silicone Container Set with accompanying Cutlery Set from the Roaming Cooking range before Christmas.
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My 6am alarm hadn’t yet sounded, though I woke quite abruptly. I could have sworn I was woken by the intense sound of a lion roar. Though that was surely a ridiculous concept. I wasn’t in Africa – I was in a luxury four poster canopy bed in Australia’s national capitol. It must have been a vivid dream.
Though as I began to doze off again I suddenly had the feeling we were being watched. And as I pulled back the curtains I was stunned by what I saw. We were in fact being watched. There was a Giraffe peering in from outside our room.
If you’ve ever dreamed of an intimate experience with African animals, Australia has the lodge for you. While there are a number of zoos that offer overnight sleepovers, Jamala Wildlife Lodge takes the concept to a completely different level.
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There’s nothing I hate more than having to hand-wash while traveling. The skin on my knuckles gets rubbed raw, my nails get bent out of shape, and it’s usually done in the dirty sink of a shared hostel bathroom. Or a questionable looking lake. Though hand-washing is a necessarily evil when on a long trip/trek where you have to pack light and can only travel with a couple of pairs of clothes. And hundreds of travelers put up with it. Not any more.
In 2010, one Aussie traveler came up with a brilliant idea. A concept which would allow travelers to do their laundry on the road for free, and be able to wash clothes while traveling without having to use a dirty sink.
Weighing less than an apple, the Scrubba Wash Bag is a pocket-size device that allows you to wash your clothes and travel clean, light and free. Designed for travelers, trekkers and campers, the secret to its ingenuity is the hundreds of resilient nobules that act like a flexible washboard, a fusion of old and new technology, that allows you to wash your clothes in minutes. Though unlike a traditional washboard, you can easily slip it into your backpack.
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Action camera’s are fantastic, though let’s be honest, they’re not made for easy sharing. If you’re an adventure seeker you wait until the end of the day to see your footage and you spend hours editing it before being able to create a sharable clip. I would love to post videos more frequently from our adventures, but they often take days to complete. That is, until now.
The TomTom Bandit isn’t the first action camera to hit the market, though I’ve found it’s certainly one of the most unique. Breaking into the market of action camera’s and releasing a product consumers will remember is a fairly difficult task – the market is already cornered by established name brands, and many companies who have attempted to break into action camera’s simply haven’t managed to last against brands like GoPro.
Though after reviewing the Bandit I do believe TomTom are up to the task – and not because the specs on the Bandit match some of the best cameras out there, but because it has very obviously been created with us in mind – they’ve really put thought into what users today want from an action camera, identified the pain points of current cameras, and created the TomTom Bandit action camera to be the easiest way to edit and share movies.
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Earlier in the year we reviewed “Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago”; a 90 minute documentary which provides up-close look at the ancient spiritual pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James.
The documentary itself was fantastic, and you can read our full review, though while watching the journey of each pilgrim unfold, I found myself equally as fascinated with the process of making the film.
How did they cast the travelers who took center stage? What was the budget for this kind of a film? How did the camera crew cope with completing this same trek but with all of their heavy equipment?
Determined to find out what goes into the making of a travel documentary, I decided to consult an authority on the matter. This week’s interview is with Lydia B. Smith, the director and producer of Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago, on what it takes to make a travel film. She takes us behind the scenes.
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It was 110 degrees when we left Los Angeles earlier in June this year (43 degrees Celsius). We were Australia bound after having finished a 3 month road trip from the bottom of the States to the very top. The Californian sun was spectacular, so I boarded my flight in my tank top, shorts and thongs (flip flops…always feel the need to translate there).
In my carry on was a spare change of clothes, clean underwear and a light overthrow. 20 hours of flying later and I realized I had made the first rookie error of flight. I wasn’t wearing suitable clothing for the weather of my final destination, and I didn’t have an appropriate change of clothes.
I disembarked in Sydney to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or as we in Australia call that…0 degrees. I had forgotten the implications of traveling to Australia in June.
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WILDLIKE is the latest film to be set amid a stunning Alaskan backdrop to promote the power of adventure and wilderness for personal healing.
In this thrilling coming-of-age adventure, a troubled teen must face the dangers of the Alaskan wild, as well as her own past, in order to find her way home. Sent to stay with her uncle in Alaska while her mother is in treatment, 14-year-old Mackenzie is forced to flee as her uncle’s attention turns threatening. Unable to reach her mother and afraid that the authorities will return her to her uncle, she embarks on a journey across miles of wilderness to find a way back home to Seattle.
As she plunges deeper into the Alaskan interior, a chance connection with backpacker Bartlett proves to be her only lifeline. Mackenzie shadows him across the rugged frontier, thwarting his efforts to cut her loose until he has no choice but to help her survive. Against the backdrop of a spectacular landscape, they discover the redemptive power of friendship.
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It continues to amaze me how quickly technology evolves. Travel is made more and more accessible everyday through the sleuth of new technology, apps and start-ups, and now resources to find affordable travel options exist in droves. The aim? To help us travel cheaper, smarter and longer. And while smartphones didn’t even exist when I began to travel, now we don’t even need to wait for our laptops to power up – everything is more or less available instantly from the palm of our hands.
Though it’s now getting to the stage where we’re facing an information overload, and while it was once took hours to access information, now it could take hours to sort through it. There are almost too many resources, apps and start-ups, and the task becomes figuring out where to begin.
When searching for cheap flights, car hire and hotels at least, I’ve found you don’t need to look further than an app called Webjet. Comparing all available airfares, hotel deals and car rental rates around the globe, Webjet is your very own one-stop travel booking app, and the download is free.
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Picture this: hours spent lying in a hammock you’ve strung up between two trees on a picture perfect beach, watching the sunset over the water as you decide it’s finally time to sleep. Or coupling it with a canopy to keep the rain off while spending the night in your luxury digs listening to the sounds of exotic wildlife jump through the jungle. Or quickly throwing it up if you’ve been kicked out of the airport overnight and need a comfy place to hang.
The fact is, hammocks are more comfortable, more enjoyable and far more adventurous than many other forms of accommodation, and traveling with one doesn’t have to be about roughing it or sacrificing comfort – in fact it’s just the opposite. And surprisingly, purchasing a good quality hammock doesn’t have to break the bank. Which hammock should I buy for travel.
After shopping around, Hobo Hammocks have proven to be by far the best value for money, with a few fun added perks thrown into the mix. As such, here are seven reasons you should always travel with a Hobo Hammock.
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Wouldn’t it be cool if you could easily have a conversation with someone in a totally foreign language such as Chinese? Wouldn’t it be even cooler if you could do that in just a few seconds?
To be speaking in a totally foreign language with someone else halfway around the world in seconds is a pretty bold claim, (and they do mean with your voice, not just using text translations), but Hello Pal have hit it home in recognizing that immersion really is the best method for language learning.
Rather than having you study boring and often complex grammar, syntax and vocabulary, Hello Pal is a free social language learning app which chooses to throw you in the deep end (with flotation devices!) and teaches you how to swim. You pair yourself with a native speaker, and there’s a unique phrase book integrated into its chat system which allows you to learn and speak on the go. Type or physically speak the phrases into your phone, and away you go! It’s that easy to begin a conversation, even in a language you didn’t know existed minutes before.
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Nothing beats the feel of a good book in your hands, and sometimes the best way to inspire wanderlust is with a great travel read. And there are many out there! Authors who write of foreign and far off lands, who take us with them on their adventures and misadventures through every country on Earth.
Earlier in the year I joined the Travel With Books Project to “encourage people to read more books, to discover lesser known titles and to enrich their knowledge of places before they travel”.
With that same goal in mind, here is the ultimate summer travel reading list: 10 books you should have on your shelves.
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