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]]>Pack Outfits
Instead of haphazardly throwing clothes in your bag, pack outfits and solid colors. Pack a few different bottoms and tops all solid colors so they can easily be interchanged. If you buy something new on your trip, leave something behind that isn’t so valuable to you to avoid accumulating things.
One Pair of Shoes
Pick a pair of shoes that match every outfit, are durable, and can sustain over a month of travel. If you’re going on a trip with a lot of hikes, perhaps opt for a pair of hiking boots. You can most likely fill in as well once you get there.
Travel Size Containers and Packing Cubes
Pack travel-size items such as moisturizer, and opt to buy universal things such as toothpaste and other essentials in smaller packages when you arrive at your destination.
Do More Laundry
Pack fewer undergarments and prepare to do more laundry as you go. Several hostels and Airbnb offer laundry services, and if you’re desperate there will always be places to buy fill-ins.
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]]>The post How to Find Instagrammable Locations While Traveling appeared first on Traveler Dreams.
]]>Do Your Research
Thanks to social media, once hidden gems are no longer so hidden. To find the most postcard-worthy spots, explore travel blogs and Instagram hashtags related to your destination. Bloggers and influencers tend to share content from lesser-known spots that aren’t likely to be overrun with tourists, so search through their pictures until you find locations you’d like to check out for yourself.
(@marine_audineau)Ask for Recommendations
If you feel comfortable, try striking up conversations with locals or use social media to connect with residents in the area to ask for recommendations. Photographers and local influencers in particular may be able to provide insider tips on picturesque places and hotspots that might otherwise be easy to find.
Go Off the Beaten Path
Famous landmarks are beautiful, but they’re also magnets for crowds, which may make it difficult to get decent shots. Instead of trying to work around hundreds of people at well-known attractions, wander through side streets and small neighborhoods to find unique, charming backdrops. Sometimes, the most photogenic locations are the least popular.
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]]>Delays
How many times have you arrived three hours early for a light, only for it to be delayed? Well by whipping out your Kindle, you can get lost in a novel and let time fly by. With thousands of options to choose from you are sure to find something interesting that catches your eye that you can read while you wait.
Information
Another way the Kindles are a great accessory for you to bring on your next trip. You can buy books recommended for the city of your destination. This way you have access to books that recommend restaurants, cafes, museums and a whole lot more. Thus, making it the perfect portable tour guide that you can use as you wish.
Live in Fantasy
By bringing your Kindle with you to your next destination, you can read a novel based in the country of your next destination. This is a great way to explore the city through a different lens and perspective. There is nothing more exciting than exploring a new city through the viewpoint of some of your favorite characters.
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]]>The post Try This Trick to Get a Bigger Hotel Room appeared first on Traveler Dreams.
]]>The trick of good photography is that it can make places like hotel rooms look far bigger than they really are. Cue the disappointment when you finally check in and discover your room is barely large enough to swing a cat in.
If that is the case, there are a few things you can do.
One option is to politely ask the staff at reception whether there are any free upgrades. Something like this will eventually depend on how full the hotel is. The worst they can say is no.
Another option—which is much likelier to work—is to request a corner room.
Based on the way that most hotels are built, corner rooms are slightly bigger than average rooms. However, they are not big enough that they would be considered suites and cost you a small fortune. Sounds like a win to us!
So, next time you’re on vacation, keep to the corners.
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]]>The post What’s Better: A Guided Tour Or Going With the Flow? appeared first on Traveler Dreams.
]]>Guides Can Be Great
The reason that guided tours can be super helpful is that they take all the guesswork out of the equation. They allow you to sit back and relax as you let the tour guide do his or her thing. They may take you from one location to another, and the best part is they know where all the good spots are. For this reason, guided tours truly are great for travelers.
Flowing and Free
However, there’s a great argument to be made for not going on a guided tour. There’s something about figuring everything out on your own that truly embodies the spirit of traveling. Sure, it can be a little bit more stressful, and definitely a lot more unpredictable. But for some travelers, that’s exactly what they’re looking for. Some backpackers seek the unpredictable, which is why going with the flow is a much better option for them than a guided tour.
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]]>The post Cultural Immersion: How to Get the Most Authentic Experience on Your Travels appeared first on Traveler Dreams.
]]>Research and plan ahead
Before you go, do some research on the local customs, traditions, and history of the place you’re visiting. This will give you a better understanding of the culture and help you avoid any cultural faux pas.
Stay in local accommodations
Consider staying in a guesthouse or homestay instead of a large chain hotel. This will give you the opportunity to interact with locals and experience their way of life.
Eat local cuisine
One of the best ways to experience a new culture is through its food. Try the local cuisine and visit markets, food stalls, and restaurants that are popular with locals.
@timtense $1.21 Local Price Olives in Sri Lanka #srilanka #kandy #streetfood #travellife #travelvlog #solotravel #traveladvice ♬ original sound – Tim Tense
Learn some basic phrases
Learning a few basic phrases in the local language can go a long way in showing respect and building connections with locals.
Attend cultural events
Look for festivals, concerts, and other cultural events that are happening during your visit. This will give you the opportunity to experience the local traditions and customs firsthand.
@morganinspain The worlds largest food fight is in Spain! #latomatina #spain
By following these tips, you can immerse yourself in a new culture and get the most authentic experience possible on your travels. Remember to be respectful and open-minded, and enjoy the adventure!
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]]>The post A Retired Couple Has Decided to Live on Cruise Ships Because It’s Cheaper Than Paying Off a Mortgage appeared first on Traveler Dreams.
]]>After hitting their 50s, Richard and Angelyn Burk decided to retire and travel the world as they had always wanted. Yes, the venture is expensive, but as Angelyn, who is an account, worked out, doing so is actually cheaper than paying a mortgage on a house!
Since May 2021, the couple has technically been homeless as they decided to sell their house and live on cruises instead.
(@nikos.tsiak)“We love to travel and we were searching for a way to continuously travel in our retirement that made financial sense,” Angelyn explained. After crunching some numbers, she worked out that it is much cheaper to do so than paying back the bank for a home on land.
The couple owned a residence in Tukwila, Washington where the average price of a house is around $604,000. This equates to an annual mortgage repayment of $44,000 if putting down 20 percent.
In contrast, living on a cruise ship for about $100 per night comes to $36,500 a year.
“When planning out cruises, I try to stay on the same ship as long as possible, as long as it is cost-effective,” said Angelyn.
And why not live on a cruise?
By living from port to port, the pair has food, entertainment, bed, board, and transport all covered!
So far, their travels have included a 51-day trip from Seattle to Sydney, and docking in Singapore, Italy, Canada, and the Bahamas.
“We don’t plan to permanently live on land in the future,” confirmed Angelyn. “Where else can you have your resort take you to different countries while relaxing by the pool or sleeping in a comfortable bed?”
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]]>The post Why You Should Travel With Your Significant Other appeared first on Traveler Dreams.
]]>Learn How They Handle Stress
To put it lightly, traveling can be stressful. Learning how your significant other handles stress is super important for the long-term. Do they get angry? Take control? Handle it calmly? These are important things to note to see how they might handle stressful events in the future. It can also help you learn to work together to handle these situations as a team.
Learn What Kind of Travel They Enjoy
Are they more of a planner, scheduling every day to the minute with sights and tours? Or do they prefer to take it day-by-day, relaxing and adventuring? Do you both enjoy the same things? If you don’t, are you both okay with doing things separately? These are great things to consider for future vacations you may take together!
Create Beautiful Memories Together
At the end of the day, the best part of traveling is the experiences you get to take home with you. Why wouldn’t you want to share these beautiful memories with your significant other?
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]]>The post Top Tips for Navigating Public Transport Abroad appeared first on Traveler Dreams.
]]>Ask the Locals
No one knows the public transport of any given place better than the locals who use it every day. Don’t put all your trust in Google Maps and ask for advice on how best to get from A to B. People will be happy to help!
Get the Apps
Many public transport systems these days have apps. These are usually very accurate, user-friendly, and tailor-made for your destination. Ask in your accommodation which apps are going to help you get around and make use of them!
Leave Plenty of Time
Always leave plenty of time for your journey. There’s nothing worse than trying to find your way in an unfamiliar place in a hurry. If you’ve got tickets for a show or a train to catch, plan your journey in advance and make sure to leave a little room for things going wrong!
Get Lost!
You heard us right—don’t be afraid to get lost. Taking public transport can be a fantastic way to get to know parts of a city that you might not have otherwise gone to. Of course, always check the safety recommendations of different areas, but be open to exploring a neighborhood you never intended to visit!
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]]>The post How Traveling Can Actually Make You Happier appeared first on Traveler Dreams.
]]>Travel Makes You More Confident
One study done by Booking.com showed that 65% of travelers reported that their first time traveling abroad boosted their confidence. There are a few reasons why that might be the case, like giving you opportunities to prove to yourself that you can handle being pushed out of your comfort zone.
(@mariabruzzese)Travel Allows You to Get to Know Yourself Better
When you travel, especially alone, you’re sure to learn quite a bit about yourself, including how you handle challenges, what your limits are, what you prefer, and so on. Taking this information home with you can really help you craft your life in such a way that makes you happier.
Traveling Makes You More Adaptable
Being able to easily roll with the punches of life is incredibly important to living a happier, lower-stress existence. And travel is a great way to help yourself learn to adapt better to challenges, unexpected situations, and novel, unknown variables.
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