Tag: Travel

7 Trip Ideas You Can Take With Your Tax Refund

Slide 1 of 8: Amangiri Hotel utah

Perhaps it’s true that the only things certain in life are death and taxes. So why not make the latter a bit more fun?

This year, according to the IRS, this link opens in a new tab, the size of the average tax refund is $3,008. If you’ve already trudged through your paperwork and are just waiting for that check to clear: congratulations! You deserve something special.

While everybody has different ideas about how to best use that coveted refund money, we’re firmly of the belief that a getaway is the best reward.

Whether you’re impatiently awaiting your refund or in need of an extra dose of motivation to finish up that paperwork, we’ve got seven ideas that will help you make the most of your tax return.

From a tropical week-long getaway to a luxurious weekend in the desert, these seven vacations are only waiting for your return — and for you to press “book now.”

Slide 2 of 8: One of Thailand’s most well-known vacation island destinations, Ko Samui is known for its sandy beaches, coral reefs and seemingly-endless resort options. While you may be tempted to spend all your time on the 13-mile island relaxing by the water, Ko Samui also has plenty of active options for those who want to get out and feel more than just sand between their toes (think diving, exploring bamboo villages and visiting ancient sacred sites). Flights to Bangkok are available from $700 round-trip from New York and from $550 from Los Angeles. Bangkok Airways offers daily flights from Bangkok to Koh Samui from about $130 one-way. A stay at the Six Senses Samui (from $385 per night) could be the perfect way to unwind after a stressful tax season. The resort preaches wellness, with an emphasis on emotional wellness that will last long beyond your return flight.

Ko Samui, Thailand

One of Thailand’s most well-known vacation island destinations, Ko Samui is known for its sandy beaches, coral reefs and seemingly-endless resort options.

While you may be tempted to spend all your time on the 13-mile island relaxing by the water, Ko Samui also has plenty of active options for those who want to get out and feel more than just sand between their toes (think diving, exploring bamboo villages and visiting ancient sacred sites).

Flights to Bangkok are available from $700 round-trip from New York and from $550 from Los Angeles. Bangkok Airways offers daily flights from Bangkok to Koh Samui from about $130 one-way.

A stay at the Six Senses Samui (from $385 per night) could be the perfect way to unwind after a stressful tax season. The resort preaches wellness, with an emphasis on emotional wellness that will last long beyond your return flight.

Slide 3 of 8: Travel to Bhutan is easy from a budgeting point of view. The self-proclaimed happiest country on earth has set a standard tourist rate of $250 per day. But that tourist fee will ensure that visitors have their visa, three-star accommodations, transport, food, entrances to sites and a licensed guide service all taken care of. Round-trip flights from New York to Paro (via Delhi) are available from about $1,200. You can spend up to a week exploring Bhutan with all the money you get back from your tax return. In that time, you’ll be able to trek through the country’s famous mountains, dine on Bhutanese cuisine in the capital city of Thimphu and visit the iconic Tiger’s Nest Monastery.
3/8 SLIDES © Andrew Stranovsky Photography/Getty Images

Bhutan

Travel to Bhutan is easy from a budgeting point of view. The self-proclaimed happiest country on earth has set a standard tourist rate of $250 per day. But that tourist fee will ensure that visitors have their visa, three-star accommodations, transport, food, entrances to sites and a licensed guide service all taken care of.

Round-trip flights from New York to Paro (via Delhi) are available from about $1,200. You can spend up to a week exploring Bhutan with all the money you get back from your tax return. In that time, you’ll be able to trek through the country’s famous mountains, dine on Bhutanese cuisine in the capital city of Thimphu and visit the iconic Tiger’s Nest Monastery.

Slide 4 of 8: Peru’s capital and largest city is often just seen as a stopover on the way to Machu Picchu. But the city is a thriving metropolis, home to awe-inspiring history and a thriving culinary scene — it’s the only place in the world with two restaurants in the top 10 of the world’s best. If you’re a surfer, you can spend time catching waves. Architecture buffs can wander the old streets, exploring well-preserved colonial buildings dating back to the 1500s. Book your stay at the famous Country Club hotel, considered by some to be the birthplace of the pisco sour. Rooms are available from $211 per night. Round-trip flights from Los Angeles start at only $350 and around $450 to get there from New York City.

4/8 SLIDES © Courtesy of Lima Country Club Hotel

Lima, Peru

Peru’s capital and largest city is often just seen as a stopover on the way to Machu Picchu. But the city is a thriving metropolis, home to awe-inspiring history and a thriving culinary scene — it’s the only place in the world with two restaurants in the top 10 of the world’s best.

If you’re a surfer, you can spend time catching waves. Architecture buffs can wander the old streets, exploring well-preserved colonial buildings dating back to the 1500s.

Book your stay at the famous Country Club hotel, considered by some to be the birthplace of the pisco sour. Rooms are available from $211 per night. Round-trip flights from Los Angeles start at only $350and around $450 to get there from New York City.

Slide 5 of 8: Barbados is one of the true gems of the Caribbean. While the 166-square-mile island has plenty of selection —rum, reggae, jazz, food, history and nature — it doesn’t have the same crowds as many other Caribbean islands. Spend a week exploring the island’s history, dining in beachside fish shacks or drinking in roadside rum shacks where locals like to boast that their island is the birthplace of the liquor. Flights from New York City to Barbados start at about $400 and from Los Angeles, it’s about $600 round-trip. Every single one of the rooms at the Fairmount Royal Pavilion (available from $468 per night) face the beach.

5/8 SLIDES © Philip Willcocks/Getty Images

Barbados

Barbados is one of the true gems of the Caribbean. While the 166-square-mile island has plenty of selection —rum, reggae, jazz, food, history and nature — it doesn’t have the same crowds as many other Caribbean islands.

Spend a week exploring the island’s history, dining in beachside fish shacks or drinking in roadside rum shacks where locals like to boast that their island is the birthplace of the liquor.

Flights from New York City to Barbados start at about $400 and from Los Angeles, it’s about $600round-trip. Every single one of the rooms at the Fairmount Royal Pavilion (available from $468 per night) face the beach.

Slide 6 of 8: Make your tax return stretch all the way across a river. Viking River Cruises offers an eight-day “Romantic Danube” cruise that will take you from Nuremberg to Budapest. The trip includes excursions to castles in Budapest, a tour of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna or an option to visit Salzburg, where “The Sound of Music” was filmed. The eight-day cruise is available to book from $1,999. That price includes all food and one cultural excursion per day, but does not include airfare.

6/8 SLIDES © Courtesy of Viking

Danube River Cruise

Make your tax return stretch all the way across a river. Viking River Cruises offers an eight-day “Romantic Danube” cruise that will take you from Nuremberg to Budapest. The trip includes excursions to castles in Budapest, a tour of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna or an option to visit Salzburg, where “The Sound of Music” was filmed. The eight-day cruise is available to book from $1,999. That price includes all food and one cultural excursion per day, but does not include airfare.

Slide 7 of 8: If a vacation in the Utah desert doesn’t sound like one of the most heavenly escapes imaginable, you haven’t seen Amangiri. The ridiculously-stunning resort is an oasis of modernist luxury architecture in the middle of the desert — complete with vistas of mesas, a Navajo-inspired spa and private pools at each suite. Rates start at $1,400 per night and include all board and airport transfers. Plus, you get privileged access to the nearby National Parks when you’re an Amangiri guest.

7/8 SLIDES © Courtesy of Aman

Utah

If a vacation in the Utah desert doesn’t sound like one of the most heavenly escapes imaginable, you haven’t seen Amangiri. The ridiculously-stunning resort is an oasis of modernist luxury architecture in the middle of the desert — complete with vistas of mesas, a Navajo-inspired spa and private pools at each suite. Rates start at $1,400 per night and include all board and airport transfers. Plus, you get privileged access to the nearby National Parks when you’re an Amangiri guest.

Slide 8 of 8: Escape to a Central American paradise with your refund this year. Belize is beloved by many for its variety: tropical rainforests, exciting mountains and pristine beach are all within easy access of each other. Book a trip to one of the Cayes, or islands, off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean. If you feel like going all out, book some time at St. George’s Caye, a private island resort. One night at the private and luxurious villa accommodation will set you back $894 per night — but it can be shared with up to six people. (Just wait for your friends to get their refunds back.) Flights to Belize City are available from major U.S. hub airports starting at about $400.

8/8 SLIDES © Jennifer Sharp/Getty Images

Belize

Escape to a Central American paradise with your refund this year. Belize is beloved by many for its variety: tropical rainforests, exciting mountains and pristine beach are all within easy access of each other.

Book a trip to one of the Cayes, or islands, off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean. If you feel like going all out, book some time at St. George’s Caye, a private island resort. One night at the private and luxurious villa accommodation will set you back $894 per night — but it can be shared with up to six people. (Just wait for your friends to get their refunds back.)

Flights to Belize City are available from major U.S. hub airports starting at about $400.

Tickets to Brazil Are in High Demand as Visa Restrictions End

© mikolajn / iStock / Getty Images Plus Cable car going to Sugarloaf mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Travelers are scrambling to get plane tickets to Brazil now that the country has erased the need for a visa.

Australian, Canadian, Japanese and American tourists will no longer need a visa starting June 17, 2019, and a new Kayak survey revealed searches for flights have shown double-digit increases. The highest increase was registered in Australia (36 percent), followed by the United States (31 percent), Canada (19 percent) and Japan (4 percent).

The end of the visa requirement came about as part of a decree from the Brazilian government. Visitors arriving with valid passports and intending to visit Brazil for leisure and business tourism, artistic or sports activities or exceptional situations of national interest are able to visit without a visa for 90 days, extendable for another 90 days.

Travelers don’t have to wait to visit Brazil, however. The country relaxed visa restrictionslast year, and electronic visas are easily obtainable.

When the move to the electronic visa process was made last year, there was a similar push from these four countries, boosting arrivals to Brazil. In 2018, the country received more than 715,000 tourists from Australia, Japan, the U.S. and Canada, a number 15 percent higher than in 2017.

Specifically, the U.S. sent more than 500,000 tourists to Brazil in 2018, an increase of 13 percent. More than 71,000 Canadians headed to the country, 45 percent more than in 2017. Australia recorded a growth of 25 percent, and Japan, 5 percent.

These Countries’ Citizens Travel the Most

© Hong Kong Tourism Board Asian Shoppers
Get Going travel insurance looked at the most traveled nations and has awarded China the “Champions of Travel.”

With their massive population, Chinese nationals have been monumental to the travel industry spending over a quarter of a trillion dollars which is more than that of the U.S. and Germany combined.

Coming in at second, the U.S. has increased its tourism spending to over $135 billion, which is pretty significant since only 42 percent of Americans own a passport.

Germany takes the cake for the most traveled citizens in Europe as they spent $90 billion last year. The country was followed by the U.K. which spent $71 billion in 2018.

But where do all of these travelers go? In terms of the U.S., about 35.1 million Americans visit Mexico each year, while only 14.3 million visit Canada. Only 5 million Americans leave North America for the U.K. and France.

The Brits are always on the prowl for sun it seems as they most often travel to Spain or France. While Canada didn’t make it in the top four, their citizens average 632 air miles per person and tend to travel to the U.K., Cuba and Germany.

Get Going also discovered that some countries are outnumbered by tourists. Andorra, for example, had 3 million arrivals last year which put its tourist to residents ratio at 1:39. Macao, similarly, had 17 million visitors last year, and with a population of only 630,000 people, it’s no wonder they came in second on the most tourist-heavy areas.

“Travel around the world seems easier than it ever has been, and more and more nations seem to be holidaying further afield than in years gone by. The research is a good way to look at where money is being spent and who is benefiting from it,” Get Going Spokesperson Josh Hancock said.

5 Reasons Why Every Entrepreneur Needs to Travel to Improve Their Business

Some entrepreneurs believe travel to be nice but unnecessary. Or, a waste of their time, when they could be in their office, nurturing leads or making sales calls. The other half knows that it’s important, but don’t feel like it could benefit them or their business, even if it is a working vacation.

I’ve been traveling around the world for over 20 years, both for business and personal reasons, and I’m 100 percent positive that traveling has made me a better person and businessmen in numerous ways. So, to help you see what so many of us traveling entrepreneurs already know, I’ve gathered a few reasons why traveling alone or with colleagues should be one of your top priorities in your business.

1. It prevents burnout.

Burnout is one of the worst things that can happen to an entrepreneur. When you’re constantly working with no end in sight, the only thing you can and will see is burnout. That’s why you need a break from work. And I don’t mean leaving your office desk to go home and work in your home office.

To prevent workplace burnout, you need to travel. It can help you decompress and take your mind off your business, even if it’s only for a few days. Sure, traveling has its own set of problems, but once again, it helps you focus on something other than your business. When you return from your travels, you’ll be using your brain at full capacity and feeling more relaxed.

2. It can inspire you.

When you’re stuck at your desk all day, you’re likely not learning new things or analyzing different perspectives. Thus, your creative muscles aren’t stimulated, so you feel like there’s nothing more to add. But how can you know that if you’re not going places and experiencing life?

Traveling to foreign countries helps you recharge your creative energy. You’ll notice the way people interact, their values, and how they do certain things. All these factors combined might lead to you launching a new product that helps to solve a problem for your customers that you wasn’t aware of before. Or, you might find a different perspective on a problem you’re facing in your business.

You’d be surprised what connection your brain can make when you travel to other cultures, and how those connections might be the catalyst to help propel your business forward.

3. Travel improves your adaptive skills.

Being an entrepreneur means constantly being thrown out of your comfort zone and having to do things that you would prefer not to so your business doesn’t fail. That means you need to always be able to adapt to the changes that present themselves to you. Travel is one way to push your boundaries.

One way I’ve done this is by traveling to places I’ve never gone before. One thing I used to do was travel to the same city, stay at the same hotel chain, and eat at the same restaurants. I was traveling, but I was traveling in my comfort zone.

I felt like I was missing something and traveling wasn’t the same. Once, I noticed that it was because traveling had become too comfortable to me, I decided to switch it up.

I started going to different countries and interacting with diverse cultures and people. It forced me to adapt to my surroundings and learn how to fit in. I wanted to enjoy my trip so I got past my limitations and started to enjoy traveling again.

Like it did for me, traveling can help you to change what you consider your comfort zone until nothing intimidates you and you start to thrive from the curve balls life throws at you.

4. It helps you read people.

As I mentioned before, I would travel to different countries and interact with people whose language I wasn’t well-versed in. To communicate more efficiently, I learned to read their body language, facial expressions, hand gestures and tone, anything that would help me understand what they were trying to tell me.

Learning to read people is a critical skill to have when conducting business, especially if you have international clients who have different social norms.

5. Travel can grow your network.

Whether you’re traveling for business or personal reasons, you can meet new people and make meaningful connections. I’ve gone to conferences and meet colleagues and potential clients. But I’ve also built relationships with people who wanted to learn more about traveling.

Some of them turned out to be great friends and years later, we still occasionally chat and if I’m nearby, we’ll meet up. It’s no guarantee that you’ll meet lifelong friends on your trip, but it’s possible to spread the word of your business and help others or learn from them.

Tickets to Brazil Are in High Demand as Visa Restrictions End

a view of a mountain: Cable car going to Sugarloaf mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Travelers are scrambling to get plane tickets to Brazil now that the country has erased the need for a visa.Australian, Canadian, Japanese and American tourists will no longer need a visa starting June 17, 2019, and a new Kayak survey revealed searches for flights have shown double-digit increases. The highest increase was registered in Australia (36 percent), followed by the United States (31 percent), Canada (19 percent) and Japan (4 percent).

The end of the visa requirement came about as part of a decree from the Brazilian government. Visitors arriving with valid passports and intending to visit Brazil for leisure and business tourism, artistic or sports activities or exceptional situations of national interest are able to visit without a visa for 90 days, extendable for another 90 days.

Travelers don’t have to wait to visit Brazil, however. The country relaxed visa restrictionslast year, and electronic visas are easily obtainable.

When the move to the electronic visa process was made last year, there was a similar push from these four countries, boosting arrivals to Brazil. In 2018, the country received more than 715,000 tourists from Australia, Japan, the U.S. and Canada, a number 15 percent higher than in 2017.

Specifically, the U.S. sent more than 500,000 tourists to Brazil in 2018, an increase of 13 percent. More than 71,000 Canadians headed to the country, 45 percent more than in 2017. Australia recorded a growth of 25 percent, and Japan, 5 percent.

Exploring Beruwala And Bentota, Sri Lanka

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After seeing wild elephants in Udawalawe, we spent the remainder of the evening, relaxing poolside, glasses of bubbly at-the-ready…

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The next morning we set about exploring a place I’d never heard of before visiting – Beruwala (which was part of our travel plan that you can see in our complete guide, below).

https://handluggageonly.co.uk/2017/12/25/complete-guide-things-sri-lanka/embed/#?secret=AQgQjZ7PLu

Beruwala is also a seaside town and after wandering around the town, we ended up in at the Kande Viharaya Temple, with its rather impressive Big Buddha.

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We wandered around the temple (remember, in Sri Lanka, you have to walk around temples with your right arm facing the temples i.e. in a clockwise manner), before heading down to the town…

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…past the railway and hopped into the car in search of our next home in Sri Lanka – The Vivanta by Taj.

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On the face of it (ignoring the grand entrance), the Vivanta by Taj seems like a relatively small hotel… this is of course until you start exploring it many hallways and realise that you could quite easily get lost here. This is not a bad thing, of course, there’s something to be said for a hotel that still has an intimate feel despite being fairly large.

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We checked in fairly quickly, arriving to a bottle of wine and rather colourful sweets, both of which I ignored in rather uncharacteristic fashion as I headed over to the spa for a massage booked in by TUI prior to our arrival. I’m a sucker for a good massage and I started to get the idea that the folks at TUI definitely knew this before we even arrived in Sri Lanka.

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Massages over, I set out to relax by the hotel pool with lunch and cocktails…

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…

…before heading down to the beach with the girls for a little wander around.

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The rain soon cleared us all off the beach and so we headed back to the shaded area by the pool, ordered up some more cocktails and pretty much spent the rest of the afternoon/early evening sampling our way through the rather varied cocktail menu.

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Dinner that evening was finally in the outdoor restaurant (I’d wanted to dine al fresco since we arrived) and we were treated to what I can only describe as a seafood cornucopia! *licks lips*It was amazing and easily one of the best meals we’d had all week (can’t even remember what I had for dessert – the main meal was THAT delicious).

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Alas, that evening was our final evening in Sri Lanka on our trip as the next day, we packed up our things up (after breakfast, of course) and made our way back to Colombo airport for our flight back home.

Now, although you’d think coming back to Sri Lanka and having a totally different experience this would leave me feeling accomplished with seeing a lot more of Sri Lanka (I’d seen so many amazing and diverse part of Sri Lanka over almost 2 weeks thus far), I actually left Sri Lanka, only more eager to return and discover even more parts of this beautiful country!

4 Tips to Fly a Budget Airline Without Hassle

Budget airlines often trade space and even basic amenities for crowded planes and cheaper tickets. With these four tips however, you can save some cash and even enjoy the trip.

CreditLars Leetaru
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CreditCreditLars Leetaru

 

I’m a recent convert to budget airlines, even though I may have once thrown a tantrum at the Ryanair check-in counter when they charged me 40 euros for forgetting to print out my boarding pass.

Frequent fliers may turn up their noses when they hear I’ve traded miles toward Delta Platinum status to fly airlines that have suggested charging passengers to use the bathroom while flying at one point, possibly removing seats to make passengers strap up and stand for the duration of the flight, and the ever-evolving hidden fees on others.

For the most part however, low budget international carriers like Norwegian Air and Wow Air have managed to work out the kinks, in my view, to make flying low budget worthwhile. Here are some tips to fly on a budget and deplane with your sanity intact.

Budget airlines don’t fly year-round to the same locations. Instead they open up chunks of time when you can book a flight to certain destinations. That also means people looking for a deal to a specific place all have to book — and travel — at the same time.

Twice a year, I travel to Cork, Ireland to see family. It had become expensive to take two trans-Atlantic trips with multiple legs. So, once those March to October Cork flights on Norwegian Air opened up, I booked a $300 dollar leg from Rhode Island immediately for a July visit. It was a couple hundred dollars more to book a flight from Georgia to Rhode Island. If you’re looking for similar deals, do some research on when the “high season” is in the place you’d like to visit. That same flight, also five hours longer because of the longer layover and flying past Ireland to Amsterdam for the connection, was nearly $1,400 dollars on KLM.

If peak flight and travel season for, let’s say, Iceland is May to September, look out for $99 Wow Air flights for January. Reykjavik, or any new location, is fun, no matter the time of year. Just bring extra sweaters.

No one wants to stand in front of the check-in counter shifting headphones and chargers from the carry-on to your backpack, then to your checked bag just to avoid weight or size limits. Just pay for the bag. (Or read the fine print before you book, and be prepared to travel light!)

If you’re traveling with someone, though, remember that budget airlines usually charge you for baggage on each leg. That means one person can pay for a checked bag or carry on, while the other books an economy seat with no add-ons. That’s at least a hundred dollars in baggage fees saved. But what that also means is that one of you, the person who didn’t pay for a carry-on or checked bag, sometimes you will have to pay a little extra to sit next to your flying partner. For example, JetBlue doesn’t charge you to choose an economy seat. Spirit Airlines charges begin at $5 per leg. Norwegian Airlines begin at about $12 dollars. Most of the time, it costs about $6 to $15 dollars to choose your seat with this basic price, and you two can choose seats simultaneously and end up next to each other on the flight.

Most people automatically associate budget airlines with uncomfortable seats. Sure, they may not be as plush as airlines with bigger planes and more amenities, but I haven’t been on an uncomfortable budget flight in a long time because I keep an eye on the seats.

Here’s what I mean: When you first book, book toward the back of the plane. It may sound counterintuitive, but because everyone always seems to want to be up front (maybe they think it’s quicker to get on and off the plane, even though it usually isn’t), even though the seats are all the same. Plus, unlike bigger airlines, I haven’t been on a budget flight leaving the United States in a long time that was booked completely and sold out. Where are those empty seats, you ask? In the back, with me.

Also, if you’re traveling with someone, book the window and the aisle. No one likes the center seat, so your odds are higher someone just won’t book it — and if they do, you can always offer them the aisle or window so you can sit together. Who would refuse?

Budget airlines are much smaller operations than their large, international counterparts. Reaching someone via Twitter direct message or Facebook message can be pretty easy. No one answered my question via email on an overnight flight to Europe, so before we took off I sent a message to the airline on Twitter. By the time I landed, I had the information and confirmation number for the shuttle transfer I needed upon arrival.

5 Travel Tips For Planning a Stress-Free Vacation

You booked that fall getaway to escape the stresses of everyday life, not trade them in for new ones. As relaxing as going out of town can be, a few unplanned events can easily turn your trip into an overwhelming situation. Follow these tips to keep your vacation memorable and, most importantly, stress-free.

© Jinna Yang/Christine Tsang

Take the pressure off.

Ever felt the need to make a Friday night so fun that it ended up being the complete opposite? When you’ve got limited vacation days on top of a hectic work schedule, an upcoming trip can easily become the only thing you look forward to for months. Tons of pressure to make that vacation perfect can end up backfiring on you. Just think of it as a Monday night that just so happens to become one of the highlights of your month. Sometimes the best memories you make on vacation are those that unexpectedly come from a good conversation, a tasty meal, and the wonderful people around you.

© Jinna Yang/Christine Tsang

Keep a loose, flexible itinerary.

It’s important to remember that unplanned events can account for a lot of your vacation time. You don’t want a delayed flight, slight snooze, or cancelled tour to throw your entire itinerary off. Try to plan some activities for specific days, but leave some days completely open. When your schedule’s flexible, you’re not rushing to complete everything on your travel wish list; you’re exploring a hidden street, catching up on sleep at the beach for a few hours, or relaxing at a cafe over an espresso. You’re learning to enjoy the down time, which is the entire reason you went on vacation in the first place.

© Jinna Yang

Set a collective goal for your trip.

Traveling with others can become extremely stressful at times, because everyone has a different set of preferences. What if your partner wants a beach day, and you want to go explore the old town? What if your friends expected this trip to be a party weekend, and you’ve been looking forward to bubble baths and watching movies in your hotel bed? When planning your vacation with other people, have a discussion with your group to set a collective goal for the upcoming trip—are you aiming for relaxation, adventure, romance, or celebration? Doing this will avoid those awkward moments when you realize that your expectations differ from theirs.

© Jinna Yang

Do your research in advance.

It is and always will be a good idea to do as much research as you can about your destination: Look into everything from public transportation, restaurant options, cab estimates, and visa requirements. The more you know before you leave, the better.

© Jinna Yang

Pack light.

We’ve all been guilty of overpacking. Too much luggage makes the inescapable struggles of travel—getting to and from the airport, waiting to check into your hotel, dealing with baggage claim—that much more difficult. Keep your clothing options easy and only pack the necessities—easier said than done, I know, but there are certain things you can leave behind. Air dry your hair, and leave your blowdryer at home. Don’t pack the heels you know you’ll never wear, and pack your comfortable sandals instead. Avoid baggage claim by fitting everything you bring into your carry-on. We promise it’s better to underpack and be comfortable than to overpack and be exhausted.

11 Instagram Photos That Will Inspire You to Travel

@Tinyatlasquarterly isn’t your basic travel Instagram account. At first glance, it boasts thousands of incredible photographs of everything from rigid city architecture to cuddly looking alpacas. But what sets this 146,000-follower account apart is that every image is accompanied by a meaningful personal narrative that highlights the people, places, and stories behind each shot. These deeper connections are what first inspired photographer Emily Nathan, who is based in Oakland, California, to begin publishing a print magazine on all things travel, Tiny Atlas Quarterly, in 2012. Seven years later, @tinyatlasquarterly has evolved into a full-blown community with more than seven million #mytinyatlas posts showcasing readers’ best travel shots. At the end of March, Nathan is releasing her first photo book, My Tiny Atlas: Our World Through Your Eyes, which features work from 130 #mytinyatlas contributors. Here we’ve selected a few of our favorite photographs from the book.

Photo: The Lofoten Islands off northwestern Norway are known for colorful fishing villages and Arctic fjords dwarfed by dramatic peaks. Nathan recommends taking the four-hour ferry ride along the coast for the best views and access to the beaches with the best surf.

Though Oahu has 112 miles of shoreline, this image was shot on a less popular stretch of sand, proving that even though much of the Hawaiian island is now thriving and populated, incredible nature isn’t hard to find.

Lake Hillier is just one of Western Australia’s pink lakes. Scientists suspect they get their bubble-gum hue from the same-colored bacteria and algae that flourish in the saline water.

 

For a few days every February, when the sky is clear and there’s strong runoff after a good snow season, El Cap’s Horsetail Falls turns into Yosemite’s famous “firefall.” If you ever manage to catch this phenomenon, don’t look away: it’ll only last for a fleeting ten minutes.

A gorgeous archipelago of 42 islands makes up Thailand’s Ang Thong National Marine Park, which is home to unique features like steep limestone formations, caves, lakes, and even sinkholes. Save for two islands—Ko Wua Ta Lap and Ko Phaluai—all the rest are uninhabited.

North of the Arctic Circle lies Uummannaq, a small heart-shaped island in Greenland. Since it only sees around 83 days of sunlight every year, summer is the best time to go—the only catch is the sun doesn’t set at all in June and July.

If you follow enough travel-focused Instagram accounts, you’ve probably experienced the digital awe of the hot-air balloons in Cappadocia, Turkey. The good news is, if you make the trek to Cappadocia, you can actually experience this phenomenon any month of the year. And in the high season, between April and June, you can see up to 150 balloons in the sky at once.

 

Climb the 241 zigzagging steps to the isle of Gaztelugatxe in Spain and you’ll reach an ancient church said to have been burned down and reconstructed dozens of times over the centuries.

The largest national parks in the U.S. are in Alaska, with Denali coming in at number three. It’s home to some of America’s most iconic wildlife, from bald eagles and caribou to wolves and grizzly bears.

Photo: Kim Goodwin for Tiny Atlas Quarterly

Kvitoya is the most remote island in the Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago. Here, a polar bear walks across a nearby glacier.

99 Things Every Female Traveler Should Know

From practical travel tips to tips for inner travel peace, the following is a long (very long) list of everything we think a female traveler should know in order to get the most out of a travel experience.

And since the list pretty much explains itself, here we go!

1. How to embrace your natural self.
2. Less is more when it comes to packing.
3. You are your own best security alarm.
4. Dressing modest is important in many parts of the world.
5. Dressing modest is about more than following a dress code.
6. You’re braver than you think.
7. A big scarf is your new best friend.
8. It’s all about the accessories.
9. Comfortable walking shoes. Enough said.
10. Confidence speaks volumes.

#12 - Traveling solo is not the end of the world.

11. Traveling with friends is not always the bright and happy adventure you thought it would be.
12. Traveling solo is not the end of the world.
13. Shower flip flops. Always.
14. People are generally helpful across the globe.
15. If you can’t carry your own luggage, you’ve packed too much.
16. The most stressful moments sometimes end up being the best.
17. Communication happens with more than just words.
18. Make an attempt in the local language. It will be appreciated.
19. Your feet were made for walking. They’re the best way to explore a city.
20. If it doesn’t scare you, you’re not human.

#22 - You can survive with less than you think.

21. Money is money. Memories are everything.
22. You can survive with less than you think.
23. Take other traveler recommendations with a grain of salt; we all enjoy different experiences.
24. Respecting the culture comes first.
25. Researching common travel scams can save you from exploitation.
26. That said, travel scams can happen to anyone.
27. Travel is a marathon. Packing in too much too quick will lead to exhaustion.
28. You don’t have to do it all.
29. Live in the moment as much as possible.
30. Put down the technology.

#30 - Put down the technology.

31. Enjoy the journey.
32. Economy class will never be comfortable.
33. Laughter is the best medicine when plans get interrupted, delayed, etc.
34. Plan for jet lag. It’s real!
35. Street food is usually the best food.
36. Layers, layers, layers.
37. Budget travel is great, but small splurges in the name of safety are worth it.
38. Leggings add warmth, modesty, comfort, and style to a travel wardrobe.
39. Ditch the guidebook every once in a while.
40. You will change; people back home will not.

#43 - The world is a freaking beautiful place.

41. Travel friendly snacks. They can alter the course of a long journey.
42. It’s OK to take a vacation from your vacation.
43. The world is a freaking beautiful place.
44. Falling in love with a place, a culture, a person on the road… is inevitable.
45. Women just aren’t treated the same in some countries.
46. There is such a thing as tourist prices.
47. Hostels are excellent places to find new travel friends.
48. You’re never more than a plane ticket from home.
49. Homesickness happens.
50. You don’t need as much make-up as you think.

#50 - You don't need as much makeup as you think.

51. A Skype call to someone back home can make a big difference.
52. Leave the hair dryer at home.
53. Learn how to haggle.
54. Realize when it’s not worth haggling.
55. People at home will tell you it’s too dangerous to travel (solo or otherwise). It’s not.
56. It’s ok to change your plans, stay somewhere longer, or leave earlier if you want.
57. A book is a great dinner companion.
58. A digital book is even better for packing.
59. Take lots of pictures.
60. But don’t spend your travel time posting them all to Facebook.

#61 - Travel makes you more confident.

61. Travel will make you more confident.
62. If you get overwhelmed, stop and take a deep breath.
63. You can’t prepare for everything.
64. Don’t expect things in other countries to be like they are at home.
65. The overnight bus/train/plane is not always worth the savings.
66. Use sunscreen.
67. Wear a hat in the sun, even if you hate hats.
68. Try the Diva Cup.
69. It’s not a fashion show.
70. Don’t plan too much. Lots of great experiences come out of spontaneity.

#70 - Don't plan too much.

71. Show up early for the bus, train, or plane.
72. But be prepared to wait from time to time.
73. Always carry tissues in your pocket or purse.
74. The art of squat toilets.
75. The art of saying no, and meaning it.
76. Plastic bags are a hostel dorm room nightmare.
77. Memories are the best souvenirs.
78. Your passport is worth its weight in gold; protect it.
79. Baggage restrictions vary; do your research in advance to avoid check-in drama.
80. You can never have too many hair ties.

#86 - How to read a map the old fashioned way.

81. A watch is still a handy way to keep track of time (and time differences).
82. Travel with kids is still a possibility.
83. Packing cubes.
84. Alcohol in moderation.
85. Travel insurance may sound like a waste of money, until it’s not.
86. How to read maps the old fashioned way.
87. Leave the valuables at home.
88. Investing in quality travel gear may cost more, but is often more worthwhile in the long-run.
89. Sometimes it’s OK to leave the to-do list at home.
90. Travel inspires creativity and reinvigorates your soul.

#92 - How to follow your own path.

91. How to be open-minded.
92. How to follow your own path.
93. People watching is a cheap way to explore a culture.
94. Don’t drink the water unless you’re sure it’s safe.
95. Airport security is easier when you’re organized.
96. To not set unreal expectations.
97. Get outside your comfort zone.
98. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
99. Travel is what you make of it.

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