Navigation Menu

Transaction Failed

It looks like your transaction failed, please try again or contact site support at megan@mappingmegan.com.

 

 

Travel Planning Made SUPER Easy: Use Tripfocal For Free Access to Other Travelers’ Itineraries!

Posted by on 10:01 pm in Blog, Travel Tips | 22 comments

Travel Planning Made SUPER Easy: Use Tripfocal For Free Access to Other Travelers’ Itineraries!

For anyone with a severe case of the travel bug, you likely spend your day-to-day fantasizing about exotic holidays; snorkeling alongside whale sharks in the Maldives, watching the sunset over the African plains, riding a camel through the desert backed by the pyramids of Giza.

But it’s one thing to be inspired to travel to Egypt, and another thing entirely to start planning your own trip. Social media inspires wanderlust, and Instagram feeds our never ending bucket-list, but how did that traveler who you’ve seen on camelback actually get to Egypt?

Which hotels did they stay at, which restaurants did they visit? It’s great that their photos have inspired us, but if only we had access to their whole itinerary. Wouldn’t that make travel planning easy!

read more

The Ultimate Outdoor Networking Device for Adventurous Travelers – GoHeart Review

Posted by on 2:48 pm in Adventure Travel, Blog, Equipment Reviews, Technology, Travel Tips | 20 comments

The Ultimate Outdoor Networking Device for Adventurous Travelers – GoHeart Review

As adventure travellers, Mike and I often find ourselves travelling to off the beaten path destinations. Whether it’s engaging in all day treks in search of wildlife, or biking down the world’s most dangerous road in Bolivia, for some reason we’re drawn to a destination’s less explored places.

Getting off the beaten path has led to some incredibly unique and memorable experiences, but one definite hazard is that once you leave the main tourist route, you do put yourself at a bit of a risk in terms of safety.

It’s often the case that exploring off the beaten path means finding ourselves off the grid, without a means of communicating. But there’s one device that aims to change that, and become the ultimate device for outdoor networking, allowing you to stay in contact with friends and access emergency assistance without needing the internet or a phone signal.

read more

How to File Taxes as a US Expat: TFX Review

Posted by on 11:48 am in Blog, Budget Travel, Expat Life, Travel Tips | 32 comments

How to File Taxes as a US Expat: TFX Review

Humans have always been a nomadic species. Our adventurous spirit has long seen us travel the world in search of new lands and experiences. Even today we yearn to escape the confines of our regular lives in search of new cities and countries.

While travelling to a destination allows you a glimpse into a different culture and way of life, choosing to live abroad takes the experience to a whole other level. You’re able to fully immerse yourself into a destination, and gain a behind the scenes look at what a country is really like; the experience opens your mind to new ideas, helps you grow as a person, and gives you a greater sense of self confidence.

Whether you choose to backpack across Europe for 12 months or migrate to another country permanently, you become what is known as an expatriate (expat for short); a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than their own.

To live abroad is something everyone should experience at some point in their lives, but you do have certain responsibilities as an expat. And one of those is staying on top of tax.

read more

Fly to London for $270? Dollar Flight Club Will Save You SO Much Money on Flights!

Posted by on 6:02 pm in Blog, Budget Travel, Travel Tips, World | 26 comments

Fly to London for $270? Dollar Flight Club Will Save You SO Much Money on Flights!

It feels like there are a million different secrets to finding cheap flights these days, and everyone has a different opinion. Some people will tell you to make your booking on a Tuesday, some might tell you to use an incognito window, or that you should cozy up to an air hostess for their friends and family discount!

But the one secret I’m loving at the moment are cheap flight subscriptions, where there’s a team of travel nerds who run algorithms and send you email alerts when they find crazy low prices.

I’m signed up to a number of these subscriptions, though I definitely have my favorites. And one of them is Dollar Flight Club. While many subscription services exist offering notifications on flights only out of America, Dollar Flight Club is something for everyone.

They search the web for flight deals leaving your home airport, where-ever you’re based in the world, and the deals they find usually save you around $500 on international flights.

read more

Travelling With a Portable Language Translator: Mesay 2.0 Review

Posted by on 12:40 pm in Blog, Equipment Reviews, Expat Life, Technology | 46 comments

Travelling With a Portable Language Translator: Mesay 2.0 Review

As I travel around the world, it never ceases to amaze me just how many people are fluent in more than one language. Granted, I am blessed that the only language I can speak is spoken nearly everywhere to at least some degree. Though this isn’t always true once you start travelling off the beaten path, and it is a sign of respect when visiting someone else’s country that you at least attempt to speak in their native tongue.

I am well aware that I should be the one to learn other languages. I don’t expect other cultures to conform to my native language, and I do actually enjoy discovering destinations that haven’t adopted English as an alternate or additional language. Like many frequent travellers though, I don’t have the aptitude to learn16 different languages, but I still want to communicate effectively wherever I go.

Last year I wrote an article about using MESAY, which is a portable language translator that you speak into, and it spits out translations in real time. Though the company has recently developed an upgrade, and will soon be launching MESAY 2.0.

read more

Top Places to Travel for Exceptional Underwater Life

Posted by on 11:49 am in Adventure Travel, Australia, Blog, China, Eco Tourism, Maldives, Mexico, Russia, UAE, United States, World, Writers | 20 comments

Top Places to Travel for Exceptional Underwater Life

Experiencing underwater life never ceases to inspire and amaze. Offering an entirely different pace, human beings have long been enchanted by the blue silence, surrounded by marine life.

It is true that some of the coolest places on the planet are under water. There are hotels, shipwrecks, temples, museums, restaurants and other underwater sites around the world that are worth diving and snorkeling for.

While the list of exceptional underwater experiences seems as endless as the great depths of the sea, we’ve put together our favorites; some the top sites to don a full face snorkel mask and explore underwater life.

read more

Things You Should Know Before Visiting Byron Bay

Posted by on 6:54 pm in Australia, Blog | 12 comments

Things You Should Know Before Visiting Byron Bay

With colourful shop windows, golden beaches and turquoise waters, and an extremely zen town mentality, there are very few places that can compare to the hippy town of Byron Bay.

A favourite on every east coast Australia road trip, Byron Bay truly is one of a kind. It boasts glorious beaches, an amazing chilled out atmosphere, enough bars and restaurants to keep you fed and watered for weeks, and beautiful surroundings.

But there are a couple of things you should know before visiting this captivating town in northern New South Wales, which will ensure you make the most of your time in the town and see the very best of Byron Bay.

read more

The Best Countries for Jungle Trekking

Posted by on 5:52 pm in Adventure Travel, Australia, Blog, Costa Rica, Eco Tourism, Expeditions, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda | 32 comments

The Best Countries for Jungle Trekking

Jungles may make up only six percent of the earth’s land surface, but they produce nearly half of all the oxygen we require to survive. And, home to some of the world’s most iconic and endangered wildlife, jungle destinations offer a travel experience unlike any other.

Jungle trekking is a way to transport yourself back to a time of exploration as you come face to face with landscapes and animals few people have seen with their own eyes; from the lush humid jungles of the Amazon, to spotting tigers and sloth bears in the national parks of Nepal.

On June 5th, over 140 nations will participate in celebrating World Environment Day. And what better way to celebrate than by listing the countries that are home some of the world’s greatest rainforests.

We can only hope that through continued conservation efforts and sustainable eco-tourism, we can preserve these great jungles for generations to come. You might think that jungle trekking sounds primitive, but you might be surprised to find that the best hotels for jungle trekking are as much luxury as they are eco-lodge!

read more

The Five Things To Think About When Booking Flights

Posted by on 9:02 pm in Blog, Budget Travel, Travel Tips | 22 comments

The Five Things To Think About When Booking Flights

Booking flights can either be impulsive, or carefully planned out, and years in the making. But either way, it’s something that almost every traveler will have some degree of experience with.

After 10 years + years of travel, booking flights has become close to second nature, though even as a frequent traveler, there are a number of things you really need to consider before clicking that final purchase icon on your screen. In some cases it could be a real money saver, in others save you from a nightmare flight.

So whether you’re a first time traveler, or a frequent traveler who often makes bookings without stopping to think, make sure you consider the following five things.

read more

Things to do in Naples, Italy

Posted by on 7:11 pm in Blog, Italy | 29 comments

Things to do in Naples, Italy

World famous as the birthplace of the original pizza pie, and known for having the best pizza, pasta, and coffee in Italy, travelers to Naples are often lead by their appetite.

Though unlike the Italian dream destinations of Venice, Florence, and Rome, Naples doesn’t often rank as a tourist favorite. And perhaps it’s because the area doesn’t market itself well, or because there’s a certain gruffness to this urban sprawl.

Many people’s first impressions of Naples is one of grunge and grime, but for travelers willing to look past a rough exterior, the city is an unlikely masterpiece of breathtaking frescoes, strong tradition, and invaluable artistic, cultural and historic heritage. And, sitting within view of the mighty Vesuvius, the seaside offers one hell of a panoramic view.

read more