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The 5 Benefits of Traveling

So why travel? Nothing compares to the moment your plane lands in a new destination. As your feet touch the ground, it reality hits you that you are not at home anymore. You are in an unexplored area (if this is the first time you are visiting), and adventure waits… CONTINUE READING >> 

Many people keep on postponing that trip they have always to go on for years, blaming everything from friends, family, career demands to finances. Anyway, there is a comfy sofa at home and you can “visit” just about anywhere you want via YouTube, without lugging a huge bag.

So why travel? Nothing compares to the moment your plane lands in a new destination. As your feet touch the ground, it reality hits you that you are not at home anymore. You are in an unexplored area (if this is the first time you are visiting), and adventure waits.

Most people overlook the benefits travel can bring into their professional and personal lives. Traveling opens your eyes to new experiences, cultures and communities that can even change your life. Here are the top five benefits of how traveling can enrich your perception and bring in a flood of new opportunities in your life.

 Try New Things

While you can explore something at home by trying out the newest restaurants or even splurging on your expenditure, traveling gets you out of your comfort zone. It forces you to try and experience new things – for better or worse. When you experience one of Oahu Hawaii tours, for example, you are in a much better position to relate in a fresh way the next time you hear someone talk about Oahu or see the location in your next favorite movie.

Trying out new things is the perfect opportunity to mold yourself into a well-rounded individual oozing with self-confidence: it gives you new things to add to your conversations in social circles. You never know, you may actually find out that karaoke can be a new direction in life or even find out that you have a new favorite meal.

 Improved Physical Health

Traveling gives your body that chance to lower stress levels, which reduces risk of heart disease. Exploring a new destination that you will find, for example at  www.roadtohanatour.com, involves a bit of walking, which will help improve your overall fitness levels and cardiovascular health.

During the trip, you may be exposed to various viruses and bacteria that are unknown to your body; the body reacts by increasing antibody production, strengthening your immune system.

While nobody likes catching something while on holiday, the combination of increased antibodies and lowered stress levels works towards decreasing infection risk. Science has demonstrated that frequent travelers tend to have a longer life expectancy than people who prefer their sofas.

Sharpen Your Mind

You are so used to your daily routine, which has taken years that you can go through it with your eyes shut. Stepping into a new environment helps engage that part of your mind that has been lying dormant and gets the synapses up and running again. New environments require you to navigate unfamiliar locations, learn a foreign language (or two), make fast decisions, and adapt to a new sleeping and eating schedule.

All these new experience – places, sounds and sights – require a refreshed mental and information processing. Your brain will thank you for this valuable workout. When you get back home, you will find that it is easier to grasp, better organize and spruce up your daily routine.

Extended Experiences

Once you return to work from a vacation, volunteer holiday or a gap year, you have amazing experiences that are essential in your professional and personal development. Growth and discovery should not stop when you come back; make sure you learn by continuously forging professional connections to boost employability. Young people with travel experiences are miles ahead of their counterparts professionally, bringing to an organization better problem-solving skills, independence and maturity.

The influence and excitement of traveling goes beyond the journey. Leaving home, even for a while, strengthens your resolve and independence, helping you build your professional and personal networks.

Author Bio:
Taby G. is a super-connector with Towering SEO and OutreachMama who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. With over 6 years of writing experience, Taby brings a vast amount of knowledge, style and skill to every project. Her expertise lies in article/blog writing, eBooks, and SEO/informational writing. She prides herself on her excellent research skills and flawless grammar throughout her copywriting and fiction.

We are happy to feature this collaborative post to offer valuable information to our readers.

Three Things To Make Your Dubai Trip An Unforgettable One!!

There are thousands of fun and adventure activities Dubai has to offer but the following certainly belong to the top notch. Just wait until you see… CONTINUE READING >> 

There are thousands of fun and adventure activities Dubai has to offer but the following certainly belong to the top notch.

Desert Adventure:

The vast Dubai desert has a so much to offer it goes beyond imagination. The desert safari Dubai is an ultimate way to feel the beauty of desert along with some really nice entertainment activities. In the desert safari, you will be going for jeep rides and camel rides on the sand dunes, which is a thrilling adventure followed by some delectable cuisines in the desert.

There will be entertainers performing wonderful dances and other cool stuff. You will get a chance not many are fortunate to witness that is a sunset in the middle of the desert. It feels as if the sun is being engulfed by the desert and the view is simply magnificent.

Feel the Majestic Waters of Dubai:

There are many ways in which you can enjoy the warm waters of Dubai but the best way is to ride a Dhow. It is a traditional Arabic cruise in Dubai which has all the modern amenities and delicious food along with entertainers onboard.

At Dhow Cruise Dubai Marina you can celebrate your birthday parties, reunions, marriage proposals and a lot more making the trip an unforgettable one.

The Awesome Fishing Experience:

Fishing is something that everyone enjoys but it adds even more to your pleasure when the location is Dubai. Yacht rental Dubai for fishing is an experience of a lifetime.

There will be sonar devices to detect fishes in the sea and make sure that the guests get a good catch every time. That cool ocean breeze and warm sun give you a true feeling of vacation. Don’t forget to click some awesome pictures for you to cherish the memories for a lifetime.

ENJOY!!

We are happy to feature this collaborative post to offer ideas for vacations to our readers.

Fearless Bucket List Adventures

Whether we display it in a prominent place or keep it stuffed in a drawer, save it on a hard drive or only in the back of our minds, we all have a list of places we want to go before we make our way into the great beyond.
One thing we’ve found in our discussions with fellow travelers is that… CONTINUE READING >> 

Whether we display it in a prominent place or keep it stuffed in a drawer, save it on a hard drive or only in the back of our minds, we all have a list of places we want to go before we make our way into the great beyond. For many people, this is better known as a bucket list.

One thing we’ve found in our discussions with fellow travelers is that the adventures on those checklists tend to take place in some pretty exotic locations. Fulfilling our lifelong aspirations often requires trekking to far-flung outposts in remote corners of the globe.

Planning a visit to some of those isolated regions can lead to a level of anxiety that often prevents people from pursuing the dream. All too often we find ourselves asking, “What if something happens?” 

Turning a once-in-a-lifetime experience into a reality doesn’t have to be a daunting proposition if we take the proper precautions. One surefire way to relieve the apprehension and forge ahead with confidence is to address those pesky “What if?” doubts ahead of time.

What If I Face a Medical Emergency That Is Beyond the Local Hospital’s Ability to Handle?

Accidents and sickness know no boundaries. Mishaps happen, and no matter how cautious we are, some dreaded tropical bug or unfamiliar virus can attack. Usually the local health care system is adequate, but sometimes the only solution is to get to first-rate facilities as soon as possible.

That’s when state-of-the-art medical transport becomes a necessity. It’s a situation that typical travel insurance won’t address, but a MedjetHorizon membership will.

Members have worldwide access to medical aircraft that are staffed with professionals and ready to transport them to the hospital of their choice back in their home country. MedjetHorizon can even arrange special intensive-care aircraft should the need arise, and in most cases a family member can fly along with the patient.

What If Political Conditions in the Country Deteriorate While I’m on My Trip?


Image via Flickr by Meghan Rutherford

These days, political unrest can be a real concern. Many of the world’s wonders are located in regions that are somewhat less than stable. Many times conditions can drastically change between the time we book a trip and when we travel.

We found ourselves in Istanbul during the Gezi Park protests in 2013. Even though our hotel was only a couple of blocks from the action, everything worked out fine. But can we count on always being that lucky? Maybe not, so MedjetHorizon has an international crisis response network designed to perform in those types of circumstances should we not be so fortunate next time.

The Crisis Response Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with experienced travel security experts dedicated to solving problems big or small. They can assist anywhere in the world with everything from finding legal representation and helping sort out passport and visa issues to an evacuation during a coup or terrorist attack.

What If I Can’t Find a Doctor?

Forget the phonebook. MedjetHorizon’s experts can recommend doctors and hospitals almost anywhere and furnish accurate contact information. Not only that, but they can also make sure that the folks back home are fully informed with emergency communication to the family.

What If I Can’t Explain My Problem?

Another thing we’ve learned firsthand is that the language barrier can pose problems, especially when seeking health care. On several occasions, we’ve found ourselves in the midst of elaborate pantomime performances while trying to obtain a remedy whose name did not appear in our handy travel dictionary.

MedjetAssist representatives can provide members with translation and interpretation over the phone in these sorts of situations. This ensures that you get the right medicine and save a lot of time and potential embarrassment.

With this peace of mind, the only “What if?” left to check off of the list will be what if we can travel where ever we want without a care in the world?

Must See Attractions in Canada

Canada is a country that takes pride in accommodating millions of visitors every year and you can see why. Diverse cities, perfectly maintained attraction sites and jaw-dropping national parks make Canada an extremely popular destination. CONTINUE READING >> 

Canada is a country that takes pride in accommodating millions of visitors every year and you can see why. Diverse cities, perfectly maintained attraction sites and jaw-dropping national parks make Canada an extremely popular destination. The country boasts 17 World Heritage Sites, and with everything else it has to offer, you can see why travelers take frequent trips to this inspiring country. With flights to Canada cheaper than ever, some of the world’s greatest attractions are even more accessible. There is so much to see, but we thought we would share with you some of the highlights:

Niagara Falls, Ontario

This isn’t just a must-visit attraction in Canada, this is one of best must-visit attractions in the world. When you find yourself in Ontario, you should never miss a visit to the world-renowned Niagara Falls. To stand there in the presence of one of nature’s greatest wonders is incredible. You can also get up close and personal with one of their boat rides, allowing you to feel the powerful water for yourself.

Of course Niagara Falls is famous as a honeymoon destination so Wedding Bus Rental Toronto could come in handy for the big celebration before the honeymoon.

There are also plenty of other activities for the whole family to engage in, including visiting the Butterfly Conservatory, playing golf, boarding the whirlpool jet boats, enjoying stunning views of the falls from an aerial view aboard a helicopter and taking a wine tour. When evening comes around, there’s even the Niagara Falls Views Casino Resort to keep you occupied.

The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto

For those of you after a bit more culture, the Royal Ontario Museum is a must. Probably one of, if not the best museum in Canada. You will have the chance to learn more about Canadian culture and admire numerous collections that include; sculptures, dinosaur skeletons, fossils, and meteorites among others. There are educational programs for everyone who wishes to learn more about culture, history, and art. There is also a well-stocked gift shop and the Druxy’s ROM Cafe. Those that visit will attest that the Royal Ontario Museum is one of the world’s most visited history museums.

Notre-Dame Basilica, Montreal

A visit to Montreal would not be complete without seeing the mesmerizing Notre-Dame Basilica. As you admire its architecture from inside, you will discover 32 bronze panels that represent life, birth, and death on the altar. On the western tower of the basilica, there is a huge bell that vibrates your whole body when you ring it. Whether you are a religious tourist or not, you will love the Notre-Dame Basilica, which has become popular with weddings. Weddings take place at the Wedding Chapel otherwise known as the Sacred Heart Chapel.

Banff National Park, Alberta

If you are a nature and wildlife lover, you will absolutely fall in love with Banff National Park. Maybe one of the best national parks in North America, it’s breathtaking views and incredible natural features will have you lost for words. Lake Louise’s’ turquoise waters encompassed by snow-capped mountains make it a photographer’s dream. On top of the beautiful views, those who are more active can enjoy lots of hiking trials and some great bike rides. In the winter, skiing is the most popular activity. Animal lovers will be keen to spot the diverse wildlife to be found here, including wolves, caribous and grizzly bears.

From the stunning natural features to the diverse and cultural cities, Canada is certainly a must visit destination. Don’t just take our word, take the word of the millions of people who flock to this wonderful country each year.

We are happy to feature this collaborative post to offer ideas for vacations to our readers.

Cavorting Along the Camino de Santiago

As we traveled across the Basque Country we came upon the Camino Santiago, known in English as the Way of St. James, almost every day.
The paths originate all over Europe and merge as they go until they all reach their destination in the city of Galicia on the… CONTINUE READING >> 

A big thank you to VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations for providing this adventure, as always, all opinions are our own.

As we traveled across the Basque Country we came upon the Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of St. James, almost every day.

See all of our adventures in the Basque Country here.

We encountered it on mountain tops, along the seaside, on city streets, and across international borders.

Each year hundreds of thousands of pilgrims make a trek on foot along this famous system of trails. The Camino is a catch all name for all of the paths that originate all over Europe and merge as they go until they all reach their destination in the city of Galicia on the northwestern coast of Spain.

A sign points “The Way” through Hondarribia, Spain on the Camino de Santiago.

The tradition began over a thousand years ago, when the legend spread that the remains of Saint James the Great, Santiago in Spanish, were buried at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.  Just how the apostle ended up on the Spanish coast is a tale that seems to have a few versions.

The stories range from the mundane, with his disciples bringing him back to Spain, to fanciful sagas with the body flying, or sailing on an angel-captained ship. Somehow they all end with him washing ashore covered in scallop shells.

At some point the pilgrims began to identify themselves with the shells as a way to recognize each other, and now it is common to see scallops attached to their backpacks.

We noticed this on our first day in San Sebastián, and then later found the shell symbol used on many markers showing the way.

Read more about San Sebastián.

Many of these pilgrims walk hundreds of miles, over weeks or even months in a physical, as well as spiritual, journey of self-discovery. There is even a movie, The Way starring Martin Sheen, about how walking the Camino affects the lives of those who make the pilgrimage.

Compared with these dedicated voyagers, our experience with the Camino was much less dynamic. We made our most extensive hike one afternoon along Mount Jaizkibel near the city of Hondarribia on a part of the coastal route that is considered to be the oldest of the trails.

This particular path dates back more than 1,000 years and is believed to be the first established route used by religious travelers.

Unfortunately, the weather was less than cooperative for our hike. It was almost impossible to keep things dry.

Low clouds and heavy rain completely obscured our view of the surrounding mountains on one side, and the Bay of Biscay on the other.

Basically, the only thing we saw clearly was that we were glad we had trekking poles in these conditions.

We did have the chance to meet and speak with some heartier voyagers from Canada who were making the entire trek from France.

As impressed as we were, after a couple of miles we were soaked and ready to opt for motorized transportation. I know, I know, we’re wimps.

Luckily, we had the chance to return to this section of the Camino a few days later on a gorgeous clear day. It was amazing to see what we had missed.

From the ridge we could look out all the way down the coast of Spain and see where it makes a hard left turn to the north, becoming the coast of France. This “L” of shoreline is what forms the Bay of Biscay that stretched out before us.

Our next encounter with the Camino was around the city of Tolosa, high in the Pyrenees Mountains. We followed it along the Oria River through town, and then up into the countryside nearby.

At the end of our journey we had one last rendezvous with the road in Bilbao, the unofficial capital of the Basque region. They Camino runs directly through the Casco Viejo, the city’s old quarter, as an ancient cobblestone street.

It passes several churches, the main one being the Santiago Cathedral from the fourteenth century.

The name is in honor of the Camino de Santiago, because the northern branch of the Way of Saint James was already here when the church was made.

Read more about Bilbao.

All in all we figured that we walked about a dozen miles along the Way, not even close to qualifying as a pilgrimage.

It was enough for us to know that we are glad we did.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

See all of our adventures in the Basque Country here.

See all of our adventures in Spain.

A big thank you to VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations for providing this adventure, as always, all opinions are our own.

This post contains sponsored links.

A Collection of Castles in Germany

Cruising along the Moselle and Rhine Rivers unveils an unbelievable concentration of castles.

It seemed as though we never traveled more than a mile or so before spotting the next fortress… CONTINUE READING >> 

 Written aboard the Longship Odin on her river voyage with stops in Paris, Luxembourg, Trier, Cochem, Heidelberg, Wurzburg, Rothenburg, Nuremberg, and Prague. Thanks to Viking River Cruises for inviting us along and providing this adventure! As always, all opinions are our own.

Read about our entire Viking river adventure here. 

Cruising along the Moselle and Rhine Rivers unveils an unbelievable concentration of castles.

It seemed as though we never traveled more than a mile or so before spotting the next fortress. In fact, much of the time we were never out of sight of at least one castle.

Beginning in the Moselle valley, where some of the best Rieslings in the world grow, we would spend the next few days casting our eyes from riverbank to riverbank seeking the next fortification.

Landshut Castle

In the charming medieval village of Bernkastel we docked for a night time visit directly under Landshut Castle. This classic was constructed in 1277 but burned, along with all of its treasures, in 1692.

Imperial castle Reichsburg

The city of Cochem is overseen by the imposing Imperial castle Reichsburg on the hill high above. Actually, saying castle Reichsburg is redundant, like saying castle Reichs castle, because burg means castle.

But by any name it is a fantastic sight looming over the town.

Thurant Castle

Beginning in the mid-13th century, Thurant Castle was the bastion of the archbishops from Cologne and Trier, which is why it looks like two castles stuck together.

Since the 16th century the double castle has gradually fallen into disrepair, until the last hundred years or so when it has been partially restored.

Marksburg Castle

Marksburg Castle is one of the few castles in Germany, that has never been destroyed.

When we looked down from its perch high above the river it was easy to see how no invaders ever managed to ransack this stronghold.

Inside we found eight-hundred years of well-preserved history, and even though most of the artifacts were brought in from other places, they provide an excellent look into life in the middle ages.

Among them, eye-opening displays of torture, no wait, let’s call them criminal punishment devices, that harken back to the days when Marksburg served as a prison. Certainly looked as though harsh sentences were the order of the day back then.

Schönburg Castle

Schönburg Castle stands guard above the medieval town of Oberwesel in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley and dates back as far as the year 911.  As with many of these strongholds, the idea was to levy customs upon the traffic on the river.

Rheinstein Castle

Rheinstein Castle goes back to the late 13th century, when the archbishop of Mainz decided to collect some tariffs from the commerce on the river.

Of course it also provided protection from the other castles down the river.

Its heyday ran until the 16th century, before falling into ruin.

Pfalzgrafenstein Castle

Pfalzgrafenstein Castle has one mouthful of a name, so it is usually known simply as the Pfalz. This was another toll castle erected by King Ludwig the Bavarian in 1326.

To extract the fee, a chain was pulled across the river to block the boats. Traders who refused to pay would be thrown in the dungeon until they coughed up… or maybe croaked.

Heidelberger Schloss

While Heidelberg is on a different river, the Neckar, we included it because the Heidelberger Schloss found itself in the middle of much of European history. This palace / fortress has been occupied by kings and emperors of Germany, Bavaria, and the Holy Roman Empire.

See more about charming Heidelberg here.

Read about our entire Viking river adventure here. 

Find the rest of our escapades across Germany here.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

 Written aboard the Longship Odin on her river voyage with stops in Paris, Luxembourg, Trier, Cochem, Heidelberg, Wurzburg, Rothenburg, Nuremberg, and Prague. Thanks to Viking River Cruises for inviting us along and providing this adventure! As always, all opinions are our own.

To Drive or Not to Drive, That is the Question

Renting a car and taking off across a foreign land can be daunting even to the most seasoned travelers.

Before the days of the internet we had to hunt down… CONTINUE READING >> 

Renting a car and taking off across a foreign land can be daunting even to the most seasoned travelers.

Visions of confusion at the counter mingle with the dread of ending up lost, or worse, crashed.

Then there is the prospect of finding a hotel in a strange land. The first time we tried it, over twenty years ago, we certainly suffered from those anxieties. But now it is much easier.

Before the days of the internet we had to hunt down one of the very few companies available for international rentals at that time, then called, faxed, and even overnighted documents across the continents to secure a rental.

Once we were driving, we would simply hope to find a good place to stay along the way, and hope even more that we could find a good deal.

Now, thanks to the internet, all of the reservation process can be handled online in one short sitting. That still leaves the driving of the car though. Here we found most of our fears to be unfounded.

Other than the difficulty of reading signs in unknown languages, safely operating a vehicle is about the same on either side of The Atlantic. The same basic principles apply, obey the laws, pay attention, be careful, drive defensively. (see our guides on driving in Italy and the Czech Republic)

There are a number of big advantages to renting a car to visit Europe as opposed to other modes of travel. Driving is often the best way to see some of Europe’s most famous sites. How else could we have traced the route of the Monaco Gran Prix, or motored over magnificent mountain passes in The Swiss Alps?

The perfect vehicle for an alpine crossing because he had the biggest windshield of any car we’d ever seen. It extended all the way up to the middle of the roof. Kind of a sunroof / windshield combo. Perfect for viewing the mountainous majesty.

WATCH: A beautiful drive though the Alps

WATCH: We traced the route of the Monaco Grand Prix!

A car has also allowed us to experience all sorts of treasures off the beaten path. Places we never would have seen if we stuck to the regularly scheduled modes of travel. Hidden gems like Wangen in southern Germany, the tiny principality of Liechtenstein, or a festival day in Castelletto d’Orba, Italy.

Staying in these smaller towns can be a real money saver. Hotels are generally much less expensive away from the tourist centers, and gassing up a small car sure beats buying train and plane tickets.

Our lovely, affordable hotel in Wangen, Germany

We’ve found that the simple act of driving through a country has given us a much better view of what everyday life there is really like. Whether pulling into an Italian truck stop or wandering around the Czech countryside, the connection is something no organized tour can provide.

Of course it is important to keep the vehicle running in top condition. Bad fuel can be a problem, so a good additive is a good idea.

WATCH: Italian “truck stops” are far fancier than their U.S. counterparts!

WATCH: The countryside in the Czech Republic is a beautiful drive

We must admit that one of our biggest apprehensions about driving in Europe was entering into the big cities. We’d heard horror stories about the traffic and it turns out they are mostly true.

In Rome, every signal is treated like starting lights for a Vespa and Fiat drag race to the next one, and in Paris the motorcycle mayhem on the freeways will frazzle the steadiest of nerves. In fact, navigating through city traffic can be difficult even in the smaller urban areas, so we generally just don’t do it anymore.

In the small and even medium sized cities it is much easier to simply park the car and walk to all of the sights, and when it comes to wading into the insanity of major metropolitan traffic, we have learned to stay on the outskirts of town and use public transit to explore the big cities. Subway, tram and bus systems have always served us well throughout our travels.

Then, when the time comes to find our way to our next destination, even getting lost on the way out of town can be an adventure.

WATCH: We got lost in Prague. Seriously lost.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

YOUR TURN: Have we inspired you to take a European roadtrip?

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