Travel Tip Tuesday: Postcards

Do you send postcards when you travel? I always try to send at least one postcard home from wherever I am, but i've sent many a postcard that never made it (i'm talking to you Argentina). Well, now of course there is an app for that!

This is all new to me, so I apologize for my more tech savvy peers, but there are apps that let you take a photo on your phone, and then transform the picture to a postcard!

 From there you can write a message, sign your name (with your finger), and then put in the address where you want it to go. 

The cool thing is, the postcard arrives the old fashion way, via snail mail! That takes so much of the confusion out of dealing with foreign post offices and finding the right stamps. I often would arrive home before my postcard, but since these are printed in the states, they will actually beat you home. It's a little bit like cheating, but i'm sold!

Here's "Postcard on the Run:"

And just in case you want options, there is "Postagram"

  

I believe that the apps are free to download and just .99 cents per postcard! 

*Sidenote: I don't turn on my data when traveling to avoid HUGE fees, but you can always connect to wifi and then send a postcard that way*

Travel Tip Tuesday: Go Glamping

Last Thursday, while I was digging around on the internet for luxury camping accessories, I stumbled upon a few great sites that chart the world's best glamping locations! 

These are not your typical dirt/ outhouse camping experiences. They range from luxury canvas tents, to converted airstreams and are located all over the world, at prices sometimes much less than hotels. Wouldn't it be rad to go sleep in a luxury yurt in Europe or a safari tent in Montana? 

"Go Glaming" is one of the best sites I found; it catalogs all those gorgeous glamping locations from around the world.

My favorite was this converted airstream in Big Sur, California.

And these gorgeous yurts in Portugal

 And these super rad domes in Patagonia

Another site for Glamping (just in case you are getting serious about booking an adventure) is Glamping Hub...The've got a great list as well...

Happy Glamping!

Travel Tip Tuesday: Body Language

These little tips were inspired by Lonely Planet's Travel Etiquette 101...Body language is usually something we don't have to think about in our everyday life, but when traveling, it's important to realize somethings might be taboo or a huge offense.

1. Asia: they have a serious obsession with body language here and it is a big no-no to do anything with your feet. Your feet are the "lowest" part of your body and it is extremely rude to point your feet at the shrine in a temple or at someone. If you accidentally touch someone with your feet, you must immediately apologize, and never prop your feet up on a table.

2. Also in Asia: Don't touch anyone's head, not even a child. The head, likewise, is the highest (spiritually) point in the body. 

3. While in Fiji, handshaking is customary and may last through entire conversations. (Not sure I could focus on the conversation with someone shaking my hand that long).

4. Nepal: don't step over someone's legs (not sure why) and never walk counter-clockwise around stupas and chortens.

5. In Japanese baths, you must wash beforehand. If you don't and then get into the pool, you are committing a taboo as bad as peeing in the pool. 

6.  I have to skip over Italy, there are too many body language signals...so read up before you go!

7.  This one from India i've never heard of. If you want to pay one of the highest compliments to someone's beauty or intelligence, place your tongue between your teeth and with your hands wave the air around someone's head into your own space. 

8. In the UK, if you do the "peace sign" with your hands, palm facing you, that is equivalent to flipping the bird. 

9.  The thumbs up sign in Iran is considered extremely rude.

10.  In Bulgaria, you shake your head from left to right to mean "yes" and up and down to mean "no."

Travel Tip Tuesday: Zamp

It's been a while since I have found a new innovative travel app, but Zamp came along and changed all that. Zamp is basically your airport guru. Once you arrive at an airport, Zamp will find you friends in the airport, let you know who is on your plane, even allow you to see friend's travel arrangements ahead of time so you can coordinate transportation. Since this app is location-based, it is basically aiming at making travel more social. You can even send messages to other travelers on Zamp, arrange meet-ups, and compare travel stats and tips.

A preview:

What your homepage would look like:

 This app might even make you feel a bit like George Clooney in "Up in the Air."

Travel Tip Tuesday: The Best Airfare

 

(image sources unknown :()

Travel Tip Tuesday: Cell Phones

This little tip comes courtesy of a Gadling article about cell phones. The gist of that article is how a few cell phone hacks can save a lot of time!

(Here)

Here is sample of their smartphone tricks:

1. Take a photo of your hotel- this is so obvious that it is amazing I have never done it before! Taking a photo of your hotel/ hostel while abroad makes it a lot easier to find, especially when the hotel name is easily forgettable. I also always grab a hotel card from the front desk (usually the address is listed on them).

2. If you drove, take a photo of your car. This also saves an amazing amount of time when you can't remember if you parked on blue, teal, or sky. 

3. Photograph your checked luggage. Gadling suggests that you photograph both your luggage and its contents. While this is helpful if your luggage gets lost (at the airport), it really doesn't help much if your luggage is stolen, unless you have travel insurance. Certain travel insurances cover up to X number of dollars worth of luggage, so if you go that route, than get photographing.

4.  Photograph your passport, ID, Credit Cards, and any other important documents. This is a biggie. I never leave home without copies of important documents. I like the idea of taking photos of them for quick reference, but be sure to have your smart phone password protected, and take hardcopies just in case.  

A few of my own:

5. Photograph country codes. I did this when I went to Asia and makes a world of difference when you need to dial someone quickly and/or can't remember the country code to reach home.

6. Use the map. Most smart phones come with a gps feature, and if you don't want to use up data or get charged a huge amount, connect to your hotel wifi beforehand, map your route, and then take off. It will save your data.

7. Download XE's app. This is a world currency converter and saves a huge amount of time when you are trying to figure out if 1500 kip is a good deal for a poster or not.

8. Turn push notifications and data off. This will save a bundle, and you can use a variety of apps that don't run off of data.

Travel Tip Tuesday: Credit Card Air Miles

I realized while researching credit card hacks for airline miles, that well, I am nowhere near an expert about this. As I tried to formulate something interesting for this post, I really couldn't even touch the great content other blogger's have out there. So in lieu of content, I created a graph based on 2012 best airline credit cards. 

*One of the basics is to go with a credit card that gives you a lot of bonus miles upon sign up and then cancel before that annual fee (unless you love the card of course). But be wary of opening too many credit cards, I recently read that your credit goes down 2-5 points for every card opened. Whether that is true or not, I have no clue.

There are a lot of different tricks and tips out there if you want to fly for free, and using an airline credit card is just one of them. If you want to do some reading and get lost in the topic, I definitely suggest checking out:

The Points Guy

The Nerd Wallet (who ranks the British Airways Visa Signature Card as the #1 card. I didn't include it in the graph but it is worth checking out)

Million Mile Secrets

Frugal Travel Guy (who also loves that British Airways Card)

The Frequent Miler

And to keep track of all those Airlines miles, hotel points, etc there is a great site called AwardWallet.com

Travel Tip Tuesday: Air bnb

Two things that have been on my travel radar a lot lately are credit card airline miles and Air bnb. Next week I will give some tips on the best credit cards to open to get those coveted air miles, but today i'll give you a few tips about using Air bnb.

 If you haven't heard of Air bnb, it is a peer-to-peer rental site and is much like staying in a friends apartment. You can put your own place up for short-term stays and find amazing apartments and houses all over the world to stay at as well. This is one of my favorite sites because the places are usually cheaper than hotels and give you a more authentic experience.

 Because there are so many places and you are staying in someone's home, it is important to do a little pre-scanning beforehand. While browsing apartment therapy I found a great article giving three tips to try before you rent.  

(The first two points on my list are inspired by apartment therapy's article, the third is my own).

1.  Have multiple conversations with your hosts (or potential guests). Conversations can go a long way, and despite potential language barriers, you can really get a sense of who the people behind the home are. Are they seriously laid back? Are they really particular about how you use things? These little soundbites will give you some great insight and weed-out potentially creepy rentals (and home-owners).

*an actual rental in Ostuni, Italy

2.  Analyze the photos. When you are looking for an apartment in Paris or a house in Uruguay make sure the pictures are up to snuff. This could make the difference between a cleaned bathroom or a college frat house. If dirty clothes are out of the pictures or their bed is made, that usually means someone cares enough about their pictures that it probably translates into a great (clean) space.

3. Don't be afraid to just rent a room in a house. This sounds like a strange option, to rent a room and have the homeowner still there, but it could lend to some great experiences and a real taste of the local culture. Most of the times hosts who rent out rooms are travelers themselves and love to take you around to their favorite spots and introduce you to their friends.  Where else would you drink yerba mate with a gang of Argentinians or discuss who's been to more countries with a group of new friends in Australia?

 *this whole villa rents for pocket change: just $1140 a night (don't worry there are many really great inexpensive options on Air bnb)

Travel Tip Tuesday: How to Travel for Free

One of my favorite topics is the art of free travel. There are a lot of resources out there for people who want to give a little back, in return for a bed to sleep in and some food to eat. 

1. My favorite free traveling resource is WWOOF, which stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. There are farms all over the world (and even bed and breakfasts'). All you do is work for a few hours a day and in return you get a place to sleep and food. Saving on rooms and food can exponentially increase the time you can travel for and I think it would be a great way to see the United States (our hostels are far too expensive) on the cheap!

              * One of my dear friends has WOOFed all over and even stayed a while in Hawaii. She lived in a treehouse and was fed the same food she was helping to grow! 

2. Workaway is along the same lines as WWOOF, but is more about volunteering in a range of activities and fields in order to learn about different cultures and languages.  "Workaway holds a database of (people)... who have registered with us and are looking for volunteer help in a huge range of different fields.  From painting to planting, building to babysitting and shopping to shearing, Workaway aims to introduce working travellers and language learners to like minded hosts, without having to pay expensive agency fees."

               *The great thing about Workaway is the locations; from a chateau in Normandy to an elephant camp in South Africa.

3. Stay in a Kibbutz in Isreal. This is one of the lesser-known options in free travel. A kibbutz is basically a self-sustaining community, where every member has a job and everyone shares everything. I had a friend actually do this after college and I always thought it would be an interesting way to see Israel. I'm pretty sure you don't have to be Jewish, but I could be wrong on that. More information on Kibbutz's and volunteering, visit here.

There are lots of other great options;  happy exploring: 

United Nations Volunteers, Peace Corps, HF Holidays, Sudan Volunteer Program, Fat Tire Bike Tours, Conservation Volunteers

  

Travel Tip Tuesday: Get Lost

(via fuck yeah, typography)

I read an article in Psychology Today that poses a really interesting idea about how to approach traveling. The article is about the art of getting lost and how it improves not only your trip, but your worldview. The author interviewed a long-time traveller, Matt Gross, who writes for the New York Time's travel column, "Frugal Traveler." Matt, who spends most of his time traveling the world has built up an immunity of sorts to getting lost. Although instant acclimation to new places could be a good thing, Matt realized that he missed the sensation of getting lost.

"I want to get lost, because it’s hard to get lost. And, in getting lost, I am opening myself up to finding new things, places and people and experiences I could never have predicted I’d find. "

I read Matt's quote and then re-read it about fifty times. Maybe being connected is leaving me much more disconnected while traveling and possibly in everyday life? What if finding my way via GPS kept me from finding a hidden cove in Kho Phi Phi or from discovering the perfect mole at a little hole-in-the wall in Oaxaca? 

 The author goes on to say that he realizes that he has not been truly been lost since the age of 8, and wondered how he would react to actually being lost and what that even feels like. 

 "To find out the answers to these questions, I knew I'd have to reject the approach to travel that had worked for me for so long." 

So he tossed out guidebooks and maps and the social networks and dove head first into a foreign place; and he finally discovered that authentic experience, which often eluded him and his fellow travelers.

(Via Pinterest)

If you want to try getting lost on your next trip, Matt suggests: 

1. Head to a bus station first (you can usually find lockers to stash your bags, which leaves you free to roam)

2.Getting lost happens slowly- just keep moving further and further away from all that is familiar

3. "Expand your definition of getting lost." The meaning of getting lost can change; it is all about challenging yourself with unfamiliar places, people, experiences.


To read more about "The Art of Getting Lost" head here!

Travel Tip Tuesday: DIY Organizer

I am a huge fan of travel-hacks and figuring out the best and simplest ways to pack, so i'm excited to share with you all this a wonderful DIY vintage book organizer via Design*Sponge (my go-to source for just about everything!).

This DIY project would definitely eliminate the need to pour out your bag on the hotel bed!
*the organizer is that great vintage book

All you need is:

Materials (via design*sponge):

• vintage cloth-bound hardcover book with dimensions close to 6.5″ x 10.5″ x 1.75″ thick
• black rubberized fabric (I used a non-slip black drawer liner material from the hardware store, but a thin neoprene foam will work, as well.)
• 9 yards black elastic ribbon, 0.5″ thick
• sewing machine, pins, needle and black thread
• illustration board or thin mat board (same dimension as your book)
• Elmer’s Glue and fabric glue
• ruler, X-Acto knife and cutting mat
• black photo tape (available at art stores)

So incognito! You could definitely avoid theft with this little hack, well unless your thief is into books...

To find full instructions, click here

Travel Tip Tuesday: Travel Bags from Lo & Sons

I couldn't help myself from reposting about Lo & Sons. I love their travel bags, and their stylish videos.

If you are looking for a travel bag/ tote or even a gym bag, I would definitely recommend these classic ones from Lo & Sons. The TT and OMG bags are my favorite and i'm pretty sure I could stuff them with a weeks worth of clothes!

Travel Tip Tuesday: On the Way

Do you all use Stumbleupon? It's basically like using a search engine which shows you websites based on certain criterea. I've recently discovered it and love flipping through travel sites. The last time I was "stumbling" I found out about an awesome site called "On The Way." On the Way is a road trip application which pinpoints all the cool stuff to see along the way. I plugged in Seattle to San Francisco and found out that there is a lot of weird stuff between here and there...from the biggest rubber band ball to Jack Kerouac's love shack.

 Definitely a lot of inspiration/motivation for taking a road trip, I mean who wouldn't want to see the world's biggest rubber band ball?

Travel Tip Tuesday: Passport Covers

Travel Tip Tuesday: What to do with those pesky passports. 

Passports are tricky: they are a little too big for a wallet, and a little too small to just float free in a bag. When I travel, I always try and find something that combines both a wallet and a passport holder. This makes it a lot harder to loose or forget your passport, and well, just looks prettier.

Here are a few of my favorite finds:

{1} Lola Jeans; Etsy

{2}Whym: Etsy

{3}Anthropologie; Out of Stock :(

{4}Portrait Pouch; Anthropology

{5}BagsbyTravelher; Etsy

{6}Lodis 'Mod' Passport Cover; Nordstroms

Travel Tip Tuesday: {r}evolution apparel

"10 PIECES. 100 OPTIONS. LIGHTWEIGHT, VERSATILE, PACKABLE, SUSTAINABLE, AND DESIGNED WITH LOVE." - {R}EVOLUTION APPAREL

When traveling, I always look for clothes that can make my pack or suitcase as light as possible. I have a few favorite items, but when I saw {r}evolution apparel on Kickstarter a few months ago, I knew that I needed to add their "versalette" to my repertoire of travel clothing. {r}evolution apparel, made by Kristin Glenn and Shannon Whitehead, fellow travelers and "kitchen table philosophers," saw a need for light, sustainable, and well designed clothing. These girls are rad, and I am pretty sure I would become fast friends with them!  

{r}evolution apparel Introduces the Versalette from {r}evolution apparel on Vimeo.

This one piece is not only stylish, but would probably eliminate half of the clothes I bring on a trip and is eco friendly to boot! 

In their own words: 

"It takes incomprehensible amounts of energy and waste to produce the clothes we consume. Much of that apparel ends up in landfills, with the average American throwing away nearly 70 pounds of clothing and textiles each year. It’s time to rethink the way we design apparel — from the raw materials to the end use."

Travel Tip Tuesday: How to Find the Best Airfare in 2012

Ahh airfare. It is a traveler's worst enemy...the huge chunk of change eating away at your hard earned savings,  but staying at home is not an option, so you (wince) book the flight and forget about the sticker shock. 

For me,  flight booking time comes with an unhealthy obsession with finding the best price. I spend hours scoring every site online, battling all those tiny pop-up windows in search of that illusive deal. 

Well, thanks to travel expert Jim Cochran, those flight deals just became a lot easier to attain!

How to find the best airfare deals in 2012:

Words via here

Find Incleborough House in Norfolk, Here!

I still have no idea what campbling or glamping is but I assume it is glamorous camping?  Any ideas?

Travel Tip #4: Don't Ride Trains for Free

Travel Tip Tuesday:

Don't ride trains/subways for free (mainly in Prague)

This little travel tip mainly applies to the beautiful city of Prague.

 In Prague, there is a subway system linking the city, but unlike London or Paris, there are no turnstiles or places to slide in your ticket. Instead, Prague's metro system works on good faith. You buy your ticket, entering a few coins into a machine, and then walk right on down to the platform. 

We unfortunately listened to someone from our hostel who explained to us that you don't need to pay every time, you can mainly ride for free because "everyone" in Prague does it.  Naively, we walked right past the tickets and straight down to the platform, where we hopped a train.  

Suddenly, as we are departing the train we hear someone shouting in Czech and realize that  his finger is pointing straight at us. 

We look around for a minute, trying to figure out what is going on, only to realize that the guy shouting/pointing at us is now in front of us and a cop, who is not so nicely asking to see our tickets.

Apparently, there are tons of cops in civilian clothes who ride the metro or hang out in the platforms and wait for trains to arrive. Once people start exiting they shout to anyone who looks like a tourist and demand to see their tickets. 

Obviously, we didn't have a ticket and there was no use trying to stall. I can't remember what we had to fork over for our little indiscretion, but I do remember that it was a lot!  

So if you ever find yourself in Prague, buy a subway ticket, it'll only cost you $1.25 and save you a lot of humiliation.

Travel Tip #3: Tipping Around the World

Travel Tip #3

After figuring out flights, booking hotels and manically reading lonely planet, I feel like I arrive in a new place ready and well-read... but once I sit down to grab a bite to eat, I always forget what to do once the bill comes. 

That's where Mint comes in: They have an awesome Tipping Etiquette Infographic: check out the link to see a much bigger version than the one below! 

 When I was in Korea, I remember sitting at lunch eating something delicious and staring at the bill trying to figure out what to leave as a tip, I wish I had known that you don't tip! Do you think you would end up feeling bad just walking away and not leaving the waiter/waitress anything?

Travel Tip #2: Argentina

Travel Tip #2

When in Argentina, eat membrillo and cheese. Seriously you must try this, even outside of Argentina, it will change your life.

When we were in Argentina a few years back we stumbled upon this red jelly-esque substance in the grocery store.  We were later informed that Argentinians eat it with a bit of cheese as a dessert or a sweet snack. Once we tried it, we were hooked and continued to eat the stuff, day and night, throughout our whole trip. 

Membrillo (pronounced MEM-BRI-JO, the Argentinian way or MEM-BRI-YO, the Spanish way) is a paste made out of quinces, which are small apple like fruit, but way more tart.

To make membrillo, you simply need to combine quinces (if available), sugar, lemon, and water.  You can find detailed instructions here, or take the lazy way out and buy some (which is what I do).  Membrillo is usually in the cheese aisle at any Whole Foods, or specialty foods store. I pare slices of membillo with manchego cheese for a perfect and easy dessert.

Photos via here

*Side note: when in South America, you must also share Mate with a local!