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Cyber-Safety: The Dangers of Using Public Wi-Fi When You Travel
Safety is always a big priority when traveling to another country; it’s good practice to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings, and people do everything they can to protect themselves from becoming the target of tourist threats.
After-all, no-one wants their vacation ruined by thieves, tourist scams, or hospital visits. But what about online threats?
While many travelers prioritize their physical safety, we often don’t think about our cyber-safety when traveling. When we connect to the Internet, we don’t think at all about how we’re connecting. We just do. And we expect that nothing will come of this. But, connecting to an unsecured network overseas is incredibly risky, and allows anyone using the same network to access your information; they can see data like your usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers.
Let’s be real; abstinence has never been a practical solution, so telling travelers to stop connecting in airports, coffee shops and streets is never going to happen. BUT you can protect your data and still connect by traveling with a VPN.
read more3 Reasons People Are Traveling This Year
There are many reasons people love to travel, and the answer to this common question is typically something to do with personal development; to challenge yourself, to learn, to appreciate life, to expand your perspectives.
Of course, there are also many who travel for the pure enjoyment of adventure, or for the relaxation and rejuvenation that escaping the stresses of everyday life can bring.
There are many motivations for traveling the world, and being that travel is such a personal journey, there will always be an endless list. However some fascinating travel trends have recently emerged that have seen motivations for travel converge into three main categories.
Wondering why people travel this year? Here are three of the biggest reasons! Let us know in the comments why you personally travel, and whether you find the following travel trends surprising.
read moreDear Americans: How to Find the Best Credit Cards for FREE Travel!
We often joke that I married my husband for the credit card rewards. He’s American, I’m Australian, and a definite perk of our marriage was that it came with a Chase Sapphire Preferred card! Don’t get me wrong, we have credit card rewards programs in Australia, but when compared to the rest of the world, the free travel offered by American credit cards is on steroids.
American credit cards offer an insane amount of rewards points which can be redeemed for free travel, and not only do these points accrue as you go about your normal spending, most cards offer particularly ridiculous sign up bonuses. The Chase Sapphire Preferred, for instance, gives you a sign up bonus of 60,000 rewards points which equates to $1,000 of free travel just for signing up. Our Marriott card gives us free hotel stays just for being a member.
Travel hacking through credit card rewards is a real thing, and you can literally travel for nothing. But the trick is knowing which cards to get.
And for that? We use Travel Freely; a free app that lets you organize your credit cards, track rewards points, and makes personalized recommendations, telling you exactly which credit cards are the best for free travel! It’s seriously amazing.
read more5 Reasons to Choose Uganda for Your African Safari
❝ I’ve been blessed to have had one of the most amazing experiences of my life, gorilla trekking at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
It was a meet and greet experience between us and our closest relative in the jungle. I was with my friends, a group of 5 girls, afraid of the wild jungle but who took the risk for the chance to stand face to face with gorillas in the wild.
We had only walked for an hour or so before we saw it; a baby gorilla swinging freely from tree to tree. We agreed that none of us had ever seen anything so full of life as he had been.
But this was just the beginning. It wasn’t long before we saw another, and then another, with not a care as to our presence in the jungle. Of the warmest sight, a mother gorilla carrying her baby; the epitome of love.” – Chris Amutuhaire
Many of us dream of taking an African safari, but most people don’t realize that there are many more options beyond classic jeep tours in popular countries like Kenya and Tanzania.
There are in fact, some 15+ countries which offer their own unique take on an African safari, though from gorilla trekking to exploring landscapes that include rainforests, volcanoes, savannas, and the River Nile, the following are 5 reasons you should choose Uganda.
read moreProspect House Private Hotel: A Luxury Experience in an 1830’s Colonial Manor
Travelers to Tasmania have the chance to step back in history, and if it’s history that you’re after, there’s no better place to immerse yourself than the small town of Richmond. Built mostly by the hands of early convicts at the start of the 1800’s, the town’s many historic sandstone buildings remain on display to this day.
There has never been a more exciting time to explore Richmond’s fascinating sandstone heritage, and, for the first time in almost a decade, the town’s most exquisite historic estate is now open to the public.
Offering 12 contemporary-styled rooms on a property with many tales to tell, Prospect House Private Hotel has quickly become one of the most unique luxury hotel experiences in the State.
Having been blown away by the uniqueness of the experience, let me introduce you to a little of the history of Richmond and Prospect House, and why you should include both on your next visit to Tasmania.
read moreEssential Clothing for Traveling in Extremely Cold Weather
Traveling is a fun and exhilarating activity, however if you’re not prepared for the weather, you might find that you’ve effectively ruined your trip.
The weather is the single factor most likely to positively or negatively affect your travels, though it’s also one of the things most travelers take for granted, and people quite often find themselves caught off guard.
Checking the weather forecast for your destination before you leave is essential to ensuring you are packing appropriate clothes, and you shouldn’t make assumptions as to what you believe the weather is going to be.
I mean it’s always going to be warm in Australia right?
Always check.
If you’re traveling during winter, or to destinations that experience extremely cold weather conditions, make sure you have the following items of clothing with you.
read moreWhy Every Female Traveler Needs Mox Shoes
I recently spent two weeks in Asia with my aunt, and I wouldn’t be surprised if, by the end of it, she was sick of hearing about how incredible my new shoes are … it may have been a daily conversation point!
They had arrived the day I was leaving; one of those times where you find out about an epic product 3 days before you board the plane, and pray to God that you haven’t left your order too late.
Stylish, comfortable ballet flats, made from super soft manmade rubber, they promised to be stylish for every occasion, easy to wash, and comfortable from the very minute you put them on.
Think crocs that people would actually compliment you on; a jelly shoe that you can walk in all day, that’s crazy light for traveling, and one you can wear to the beach, throw under a tap, and then wear to a 5 star restaurant. I came home from overseas and instantly bought 2 new colors!
If you’re looking for the perfect shoe for both home and abroad, the name you need to know is Mox. Read on to find out why I’ve been raving about them so much!
read moreImportant Things to Know About Travel Vaccinations
Chances are that if you’ve ever traveled to a foreign country, you’ve probably been advised that it’s wise to immunize. There are a huge range of vaccines available these days, some mandatory, some a matter of choice.
Places like Canada, Australia, and Europe probably won’t require extra vaccines, though if traveling through third world countries or places stricken by poverty, you might choose to vaccinate yourself against common diseases like typhoid, hepatitis, and influenza.
And it’s always important to research whether a country requires mandatory vaccines before allowing you to enter (ie you’ll need the yellow fever vaccine for traveling to parts of Africa and South America).
After you’ve decided that you need / want an immunization, the following are important things you need to know before getting the needle.
read moreThe Best Ways to Protect Your Tech While Traveling
Technology has become such an everyday part of our lives that we’re traveling with more than ever before. From phones to digital camera, tablets, laptops, and kindles, tech is something that every traveler packs.
Losing or damaging your tech is a worst nightmare, especially when you’re traveling, and unable to replace or fix it, being so far away from home. But every year thousands of smart phones alone are lost, stolen, or damaged while on vacation.
Considering the expense of personal technology, the inconvenience of losing your boarding passes, photos, and contacts, and the security risks of having your personal data and information available for hack, it’s imperative to protect your tech and electronics.
Here are some very simple steps. Basic? Yes. But we’ve found that the most basic tips are the ones that travelers most often forget (or take for granted).
read moreThe World’s Best Luxury Train Journeys
There’s always a certain charm attached to a journey by train. While some may swish across landscapes at high speeds, connecting some of the world’s most major and iconic cities, others may simply rattle slowly along a scenic coastline.
While trains have long been a vital link for transport, their role as a mode of a luxury travel is experiencing somewhat of a renaissance.
Think plush carriages, pressed linens, and a five course meal where you’re expected to dress for dinner; rail travel has once again become an elegant affair.
Luxury train travel has made a serious resurgence in recent years, and these five top class contenders vie with each other to pamper you as you travel across remote landscapes in the most plush and romantic of environs.
Thinking of taking a luxury train journey?
You can’y go wrong with one of these!
read more