Category: Travel

Travel

How to Bag The Cheapest Flights Available

I rack up a fair few miles each year thanks to the amount of travel that my colleague Matthew F Knouff and I do for our business. As much as we do need to travel a great deal, we are always keen on keeping the cost of travel down to a minimum and that means seeking out the cheapest flights possible. Throughout the years I have managed to find the perfect strategy for low cost flights and I wanted to share with you exactly how I go about it so that you too can save some money when you are booking your next flights.

Best Websites To Use

I always book online and I never use airlines directly as these rarely offer the best prices. Instead I like to use 2 websites which I have found to be the best available. The first website which I check is SkyScanner, a fantastic app which searches throughout the internet to find the very best prices from both airlines and third party sites. What I love about this site is that you can use a range of filters to ensure that you get the lowest price out there, you can even use it to search for one way and multi-city options. The second site which I will use is Momondo, this does exactly what SkyScanner does but occasionally finds the odd flight which the other has not yet found.

Credit Card Rewards

Credit cards make so much sense to use if you are looking to save money on your flights. There are many credit cards which have a rewards program that will give you air miles for every dollar that you spend. You can save up these miles over time and then use them on your next flight. With this in mind, I use my credit card all of the time and then settle the balance at the end of each month. Just last week I was able to take 2 internal flights in the US for absolutely nothing because I had accrued so many points which I could use.

Connect and Save

If you don’t have a particular urgency to get to your destination, why not look at the possibility of using a couple of different flights to get there? Very often you can find that if you connect once or twice in different cities, that you can bring the overall cost of your flights right down. I like to always check on the website Kayak to find the best connecting flights and very often they overall flight time will not be much different from the direct option, but the prices could be as much as 50% cheaper. Connecting can be a bit of a pain as you have to switch flights and you could have some layovers in an airport but if you are looking at keeping the cost of your flights down to a minimum, this is a great option for you.

Health Tips, Travel

Scott Tominaga on Getting into Shape for Surfing

One of the most important parts of your body if you are a surfer is your feet. This is why Scott Tominaga believes all aspiring surfers need to exercise their feet in particular. This is what helps them absorb shock, and give them agility, strength, flexibility, power, control, force, and balance. But how do you get started?

Scott Tominaga Explains Feet Exercises for Surfers

Sit down and roll a ball, such as a tennis ball or baseball, under your feet. This wakes up the fascia, which is the connective tissue of the foot. You should not put your full weight on the ball. Instead, switch to smaller, harder balls over time, thereby increasing the pressure. The pressure should not come from your toes and arches, but rather from your outer edges, the balls of your feet, and your heel. You should do this for one minute at least.

Next, use your toes to pick up small objects. Once you can do that with ease, try flinging them up in the air. You should then use your toes to write the name of your favorite person, or anything else quite long and complicated, in the air. Make sure you move them about a lot.

Place your feet back on the ground and start dragging and pushing your toes and the ball of the feet away from the center in an outwards direction. Once you are duck footed, lift the front part of your foot up, leaving the heel stationary. Repeat around 15 times.

Next, press down four of your toes and attempt to raise the big one. This is very hard and you may have to keep your toes pressed down with your hand or your other foot. Repeat 15 times. Then turn it around, pressing down the big toe while attempting to rise the four others. Spread your toes wide apart. When the toes are up, hold them for five seconds. Repeat 10 times. Lastly, rock your feet from toe to heel 20 times.

You then need to stand up, since much of your surfing will be done in standing position. Walk the length of a room on your heels, then walk back on your feet’s balls. Repeat this a few times and then lift your big toe. You should feel the arch of your foot rise. Bring the toe back down, but try to keep your arch up. Hold for a few seconds.

Next, find a step somewhere and place your feet’s balls on the step itself. Your heels should hang down, over the edge. Slowly and with control, use the front of your foot to go up as high as you can. Then, just as slowly and controlled, drop your heels as far down as you can possibly get. Repeat this 20 times.

A final thing Scott Tominaga wants people to remember, is that if any of the exercise hurt, you should do them. Few people exercise their feet, which means the above could be quite difficult for some time. Simply work your way up and do what you can.

Photography, Travel

Shahriar Ekbatani Provides a New Take on Travel Photography

Travel photography is a specialized discipline in which travels are recorded in a photographic manner. It enables people to share and revisit their experiences. Most people who go on vacation will engage in some sort of travel photography, albeit on an amateur level, because they want to remember the enjoyment and fun they had. However, many people have come to Shahriar Ekbatani, who is a professional travel photographer, and felt a sense of failure, not understanding why the atmosphere they tried so hard to capture simply doesn’t shine through.

Shahriar Ekbatani on the Psychology of Travel Photography

If you have ever looked at other people’s travel photographs, you will recognize the feeling of boredom. You aren’t on those pictures, and you don’t really want to see them because you can’t feel what the people in those pictures are feeling. And deep down inside, you know that this is exactly how other people feel when they are looking at yours.

Now here is the psychology of it all. It isn’t because your pictures, or theirs for that matter, are boring. It is actually because of a deep rooted sense of jealousy, one that you probably don’t even know is there. We all love being on vacation. We love traveling and we love discovering the world, seeing things that others have not seen before. And when we see someone else has already done that before us, we feel a sense of jealousy. You can actually test this out! Say, for instance, that you have been on a Nile Cruise, and one of your friends has at well. They will love looking through your pictures with you, because they can share the experience with you and recognize elements. And maybe, if they’re lucky, they will have seen something that you didn’t see. If you now show the same album to someone who has not been on a Nile Cruise, you will instantly find that they seem less interested in your pictures.

Now, your goal will not be to make other people jealous of your fantastic trip. You simply want to share your experience. One way to do that, is by better organizing the pictures you had. You should categorize them in ways that are easy to recognize. Some examples include:

  • Markets.
  • Everyday living.
  • Buskers.
  • Artists.
  • Food.
  • Windows.
  • People.
  • Roofs.
  • Fire hydrants.

These may seem like some very odd categories, but they are things that everybody knows. Everybody has been to a market, lives their lives, has given money to a busker, enjoyed an artist, eaten food, looked through windows, put their clothes on, and so on. This means that they have something to compare things to. They can look at your experience and put it side by side with their own. They can marvel at how different certain things are, but also enjoy finding the similarities. What you have done, in a sense, is made them a part of your holiday and this also means they will take far greater enjoyment in seeing your holiday snaps.

Travel

Preparations to make before going on a road trip

Of all American traditions, the cross-country road trip is one of the most beloved. The freedom, serendipitous experiences, and sights one observes during this type of travel creates memories that can last a lifetime.
However, it is vitally important to prepare adequately before setting out to protect against mishaps that might throw an unexpected monkey wrench in your plans.
Aside from getting an insurance plan before setting out (check out Omega Auto Care Reviews, as they are highly recommended) there are numerous preparations you can make before a road trip that will make it comfortable, safer, and enjoyable for everyone involved. Or you can try to rent at Iceland 4×4 camper rental Below, we’ll run down points you should go over before you jump in the driver’s seat and hit the highway.

1) Tune up your car

Your vehicle has served you well for months on end, so it should hold up well on this trip as well – or will it?
Even if you have stayed on top of your preventative maintenance, there could be a part somewhere within your car that could be on the verge of breaking.
By taking your car to a trusted mechanic in the days before your trip, they will be able to put your ride through its paces.
This will allow them to flag any issues that could derail your journey halfway through. Be sure they check the fluids, brakes, and the tires, as deficiencies in these areas could cause serious problems.

2) Clean it from top to bottom

You might be okay with the lived-in state of your car when you’re using it to commute to and from work, but what will your friends think when they are forced to put up with its disheveled state for days on end?
As much of a pain it can be to clean anything, taking the time to clear irrelevant junk from the backseat, to vacuum the seats and carpet, and to deodorize the interior, as this will make things more bearable for everyone.

3) Pack a cooler with a variety of drinks and snacks

While you will be making stops to eat and fuel during the course of your journey, there will also be times where you will want to make miles.
To stave off pleas for drinks or food, stow a cooler in the back and fill it with a variety of drinks and snacks.
This way, you also won’t be stuck for these essentials if you are in the middle of nowhere, or if you happen to break down despite your best efforts before the trip.

4) Assemble playlists of tunes and podcasts

There will be times when the car is abuzz with illuminating conversation between you and your friends. At other times, though, having a selection of music, audiobooks, and podcasts will allow everybody to chill out and enjoy some great entertainment for a while.
Poll your pals in the weeks before the trip and assemble a lineup of songs and programming that will keep everybody engaged throughout the whole ride.

Travel

Visit Top LA Tourist Attractions in Style

If you want to visit Los Angeles, then the best way to really see all the sights is by finding the best limo service Los Angeles (LA) has to offer. Not only does that mean you travel in comfort and style, you will also have a chauffeur at your disposal who knows the area better than anyone else. So what are some of the key things you should go and see?

Los Angeles Lakers

Getting a ticket to see the Lakers is almost impossible. However, your limo company may have some connections! Who knows, you could end up sitting next to Jack Nicholson, who has had season tickets for years.

Grauman’s Chinese Theater

This iconic landmark truly represents everything that LA stands for. You can look at the handprints and footprints of some of the world’s greatest celebrities. This really is not to be missed, particularly if you are a bit of a movie buff.

The Hollywood Sign

If you visit LA and you don’t get your picture taken in front of the Hollywood sign, you will really have missed something. This is the picture that will prove to people that you were truly there. Your limo driver will be all too happy to take the snap for you as well.

The Viper Room

The Viper Room is co-owned by Johnny Depp. It is a unique bar and nightclub, and one that is very difficult to get into. In fact, unless you have connections, which your limo company may have, you won’t get in. There is only space for 250 people, so this is really exclusive. And if you do get in, you will be mingling with some of the greatest celebrities.

The Las Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers go through ups and downs and, if they aren’t doing very well, you can quite easily get a ticket. Plus, if you love baseball, then going to see the Dodgers is a necessity. You can even have your picture taken at the iconic stadium.

The Warner Brothers Movie Studio Tour

The Warner Brothers studios are really unique. Some of the greatest movies ever made were filmed here. There are tours every day, enabling you to see movies in the making. You can see all the sets and the actors and actresses at work.

There really is no better way to see LA than through a limo service. If you are coming with a group, you could hire a larger limo, or even a type of party bus. Either way, it is an opportunity to travel in comfort, style, and luxury. Most of all, however, it is an opportunity to have a whole lot of fun. LA is a huge city, however, and there are so many things to see and do that it would be almost impossible to do it all in just one visit. Hence, make sure that you plan your trip properly, something that your limo company should be able to help you with. Either way, you will have a great time.