Canada's Adventure Couple

Our Most Beautiful Photos of 2015
Greenland – The “It” Destination of 2016
How Travel Got Me to Finally Let go of Being a Control Freak
You Can Make a Difference – Give the Gift of Survival
My Solo Himachal trip – A safe bet for female travel to India
How to Stay Healthy and Active While Traveling
Travel Trends of the Future – Here’s to the next 100 Years
Our Key West Vacation with IHG Rewards Club Points
You Can Help Raise 2-Million Miles for Make-a-Wish Kids
Why you will never travel if you don’t travel now
Flying Just Got Better – Premium Service Direct to Dubai
Bounce Below – The Ultimate Underground Playground for the Kid in You!

Our Most Beautiful Photos of 2015

Posted: 30 Dec 2015 05:11 AM PST

Well I must say that 2015 didn't really start out the best, recovering from my broken back and all, but it sure turned into a stellar year for adventure and photography. We visited a few countries we had not been to before and re-visited some old favourites. One of the things I love about putting together posts that include our most beautiful photos of the year is being able to re-live each moment. Scrolling through my photos is almost like being there in the moment again. I think that is one of the things that I love about photography. It captures that moment in time and stirs up the emotions and memories of what it was like to experience it in real time.

It was a changing year for my photography as I switched from being a long time Canon user to a Sony Mirrorless convert. Let me tell you it was the best thing I could have done. I am so happy with not only the quality of the images and durability of the Sony system but the weight difference has been a real blessing on my back.

I also changed my processing techniques. I used to process all of my images solely in Lightroom but have since moved to a combination of Lightroom and Photoshop. Thanks to my friend Elia Locardi's Photographing The World: Landscape Photography & Post-processing tutorial (which I highly recommend and will be writing an in-depth review in the coming weeks) that he produced in conjunction with the amazing guys over at F-Stoppers, I was able to elevate my processing and in-camera techniques to another level. I can't wait to continue learning and improving in 2016.

So as 2015 comes to a close and a new year begins sit back and enjoy these glorious destinations from around the world from yours truly....

Our Most Beautiful Photos of 2015

Read the original post Our Most Beautiful Photos of 2015 on The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog.

Greenland – The “It” Destination of 2016

Posted: 28 Dec 2015 05:00 AM PST

National Geographic Traveller and Lonely Planet have it on their top destination lists for 2016. And Dave and Deb of ThePlanetD have been touting Greenland as the hot “it” destination for two years now. Glad you could join us LP and NatGeo! Yes, we are ahead of the curve when it comes to travel trends. (Insert smiley face here) But in all seriousness, we’ve been in love with Greenland since visiting with Quark Expeditions in 2013.

Massive Iceberg overlooking the Arctic Tundra

Greenland is that destination that makes us feel excited about travel. Very few tourists visit the country, Greenlanders still cling to their ancient culture, and the mountainous scenery and polar ice-cap is awe-inspiring. I can still picture the massive icebergs dwarfing our ship as we looked on from our kayaks while exploring an uncharted fjord.

Kayaking in through the Incredible Greenland Scenery

Greenland – The Hottest “It” Destination

Greenland is one of those places where people’s eyes widen when you mention you’ve been there. What’s it like? They ask. Is it similar to Iceland? We always say, “A little, but not really.”

Thinking of an expedition? Check out Arctic or Antarctica, How to Choose Your Polar Expedition

destination greenland the it destination of 2016

Greenland settlement

Compared to Iceland, Greenland is bigger, bolder, and untamed. There are no roads connecting villages. You either must travel it by plane or on ship. A small expedition ship is the way we travelled down the West Coast along the South Shore and over to the East. Our ship’s captain navigated through fields of ice taking our small group of 50 passengers deep into fjords to view enormous glaciers and giant icebergs.

Incredible Greenland Ice

Love this Greenland Photography? Check out 23 Epic Photos of Arctic Ice

Each day was spent hiking along the Arctic Tundra, exploring smaller inlets by zodiac, and kayaking to the hardest to reach places. At night we’d watch the Northern Lights dance in the sky as we sat on lounge chairs bundled up in our warm parkas. Greenland leaves a lasting impression.

Dave and Deb enjoying the Northern Lights

Greenland Tours and Savings

Quark Expeditions Greenland

Right now Quark Expeditions is offering 25% off when you book seclect Arctic voyages before Jan 15, 2016.
Want to learn more about Greenland, Download the New Quark Expeditions brochure.

Enjoy Greenland Adventure Video

Subscribe to our youtube channel for weekly travel videos

Greenland Tours

There are shorter 10 day trips for those who don’t have a lot of time where they can fly North and South to trips lasting up to 21 days where you can really delve into the magnificent destination. Greenland offers you the chance to spy polar bears, musk oxen, and whales. You can hike on the tundra, climb mountains, or take a more relaxed cruise to watch from zodiacs and the ship’s deck.

Hiking on the Arctic Tundra

Greenland is the final frontier, and Quark is making it easier for anyone to visit. Greenland is still one of the most isolated regions in the world making independent travel difficult. But this also makes it one of the most interesting and untouched regions of the globe.

Our ship in Greenland

The smaller expedition ships led by Quark allow passengers access to remote villages where you can meet the local Inuit and learn about their fascinating culture. Many villages see very few people each year and they look forward to ships coming in. They allow you into their homes, welcome you to their community, and even play a game or two with you.

Playing a game of soccer with the locals

There are so many things to do on a Greenland tour. Our days were never boring. In fact, they were a bit tiring. But as we say, you can sleep when the trip is done. If you want to learn more about what it’s like on a Quark Expeditions trip to Greenland, enjoy our video below.

Greenland, a Day in the Life

This post is in partnership with Quark Expeditions. All opinions are our own. For more information on polar travels visit the Quark Expeditions Website.

The Turning Point

It wasn't until I got serious about travel writing that I knew I had to change how I traveled. I was making the people around me miserable with my need to control every situation, and I wasn't any happier. If I wanted to build a career around travel, I'd have to reduce the stress it was causing.

Earlier this year, we started planning a 5-week trip to Provence. My husband already knew what to expect. We'd worked out a metaphor to help me deal with my need to control, and he used it then:

"So…you ready to let me drive this trip?"

Provence Changed it all

Letting me drive was our code for me to metaphorically hand over the keys and sit in the passenger seat quietly while he navigated us through airports, customs, and general travel. Whenever I was able to hand over those invisible keys, I found myself enjoying travel more. Still, it took this conversation to really shake me into changing.

Me: "Yea, sure, that's fine. Totally cool."

My 10-year-old son chimed in, "You don't want it to be like the time you cried at the Eiffel Tower, Mama."

And suddenly, I saw myself through their eyes. Fierce. Angry. Unable to let serendipity just wash over me and enjoy the experience. I didn't want my son growing up regretting every trip he took with me, and I wanted there to be many trips. I didn't want my husband to leave the hotel room under the guise of buying groceries just to get away from my ranting. I wanted to be a person who was pleasant to travel with.

In addition to being a control freak, I'm also willful. So as soon as I decided I needed to make some serious changes in how I traveled, I set to work on them. I named my controlling self Uptight Ursula. I spent time understanding what motivated her, and why she felt like she needed to have things go her way. I understood I didn't need her, and in fact, would be happier without her. So I locked her up and threw away the key. Sure, it was a silly visualizing exercise, but it worked.

saorge france

As anyone knows, changing ingrained habits (especially bad ones) is pretty challenging, so I won't say that I was an angel in Provence. But it was a lot more fun.

When we got lost, I opened my eyes to see where we ended up. It was often better than where we'd planned to go. When I was hungry, I let my husband choose the restaurant. I'd ask my son what he wanted to do. We all got to experience the Provence we were interested in, and we shared those experiences.

I didn't get a medal for my good behavior from my family when we got home, but the real reward was finally letting go and finding a way to let travel happen to me, rather than molding it to fit what I wanted.

I now understand travel better. The reason I travel is to experience the unfamiliar. Yes, it's uncomfortable, but if I wanted comfort, I could stay home and save a hell of a lot of money. Travel requires being flexible and open to whatever comes, and I finally get that. When I try to control my experience, I limit it, and I don't see a destination for what it is: a magical slice of life in another place.

About the Author

When Susan Payton isn’t running her marketing company, she’s traveling and writing about it on The Unexplorer. She’s written several books (business, as well as travel) and has been published on Forbes, Mashable and other sites. Follow her on Twitter: @unxplorer, Instagram: @unxplorer, or Facebook.

Read the original post How Travel Got Me to Finally Let go of Being a Control Freak on The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog.

You Can Make a Difference – Give the Gift of Survival

Posted: 24 Dec 2015 02:00 AM PST

The holidays are the happiest time of the year for many of us. It’s a time to visit the ones we love, spend time with friends and family, and give thanks for all that we have. We are the lucky ones. We have comfortable beds to sleep in at night where we feel safe and warm. We don’t have to worry about when the next meal with come or if we will have a roof over our heads. With so many parties and festivities going on it’s hard to imagine that there are people out there suffering. But right now there are a staggering amount of people facing hardships.

UNICEF Survival Gifts

Dave at a project in Malawai

Did you know that 16.7 million children are currently refugees around the world? Many will not have a safe place to sleep tonight on Christmas Eve. But you can make a difference.

Read: Empowering People, one Brick at a Time

UNICEF has made it easy for Canadians to help people going through difficult times buy putting together survival gifts for those in need. You can visit www.survivalgifts.ca and browse 60 different life-saving items like vaccines, blankets, and survival food kits to help a child in need. UNICEF is in 190 countries, so you can be sure that these emergency items are reaching the hardest to reach. There is no child too far.

Canadians are a generous bunch and many have chosen to give the gift of generosity. Instead of running to the frantic Boxing Day Sales to buy something you really don’t need or won’t remember in years to come, give from the heart and join those who have already purchased 22,899 Survival Gifts totalling $1,157,260 in humanitarian support.

Generous Canadians

I am touched by the generosity of Canadians. So far they have made a significant difference in the lives of the 1,129,208 children reached so far who are living in some of the world's most dangerous places.

For as little as $9 you can make a difference.

As Canadian’s we are blessed with some of the purest drinking water in the world. Other people are not so lucky, but you can help make their water safe and clean by choosing a water package to suit your budget. From water purification tablets that cost a mere $14 to donating a water pump and maintenance training to a local community you can easily change lives.

survival gifts

It’s an easy website to navigate where you can choose how your money is used. From emergency gifts to brighter future gifts it’s up to you how you want your donation to be spent.

Read about the Christina Noble Foundation in Mongolia

Virtual Reality Viewer

Something I love that UNICEF is doing is how they are using VR tech, Google Cardboards and a mobile app to let you see what they see. You can purchase the viewer for $12 or if you purchase one of the 9 qualifying gifts you will receive a free virtual-reality viewer that will allow you to walk in the shoes of Sidra. You will be able to see what life is like for this 12 year-old girl currently living in the Za'atari refugee camp after fleeing conflict in Syria.

3D Virtual Reality

There is nothing more powerful than stepping in the footsteps of someone else to appreciate what they are going through in life. If you have never used virtual reality before, you will be blown away by this. As you look up, down, right and left, you see what she sees. The camera moves with each turn of your head and you get a 360? view of the refugee camp, her temporary home and school. It’s a wonderful way to bring people into the lives of others.

So, this year instead of buying yet another video game, blockbuster movie or LEGO toy, help those who need it the most. Last year UNICEF Survival Gifts helped children in 135 countries. Conflict and unrest have only gotten worse this year, with everything that is now going on in the world, we need to do everything we can this Christmas and into 2016.

“I have wandered all my life, and have also traveled; the difference between the two being this, that we wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.”
~Hilaire Belloc

Life has several moments of impact in stock. The last and the most tremendous of all those moments is considerably our last one. I would beg to differ. A recent study shows that the human brain remains active for seven minutes after the heart stops, going through its most precious keepsake: the memory bag. THAT for me will be seven minutes filled with impacts. That is what I decided I would live my life for, collecting as many memories, as many moments, as many feelings in as many places as I possibly can, all for those last seven minutes.

The town of Dharamshala

That is when I decided I would pack my bag; a small red one from Levis I still remember, and I would head out.

That was the beginning to a whole new world of adventures, moments, emotions, feelings and goosebumps, which I saved up, but there is so much more yet to come.

All my life, till I turned 18, there would be vacations every year, with friends and family to beautiful locations; it had become routine. And if you ask me: What do you remember from those trips? How do you remember the trip? How was the place? How were the locals? How did the air there smell? I would not have an answer to any of those questions because all I remember from those trips are the people I was with; that little circle of people completely absorbed within themselves with a whole world of fellow travellers and nature going past through them in a blur called time.

Road from Mcleodganj to Dharamshala

So why did I go on so many vacations? Living in lavish hotels, eating the most royal food and spending time with the same people when I cannot even remember what the place where I spent so much time, was?

So that year, I took a decision to break that routine. I sat my parents down and I told them that I want to go to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. Alone. It was an instant no. I did not know what to do. Days I convinced my parents and I told them about full phone connectivity there and that it was a very safe place to travel. And a good ten days later, they sort of agreed and that was good enough for me.

It was a short trip, but I came back with so much. I roamed around in the hills clicking pictures, chatted with the locals, played with the furry dogs, said bye to cars passing by, sat in the church with the locals, visited monasteries, chatted with monks, got to know what Tibetans really feel about their political scenarios, had the most locally made food in roadside dhabas, met people from all over the world over books and coffee in cafes, got excited to see a small waterfall up at Bhaksunath and so on.

Man painting the Buddha painting in Dharamshala

When I came back, I realised how I slowly realised that things were different. I would smile more, acknowledge people around me, greet others, notice small things like the seasons change, enjoy warm get-togethers rather than loud fun, I was less irritated and soon, people around me started being happy. When I was down, I would plan one of my future adventures in the Himalayas.

Everyday problems in life still existed, but how to look at them and tackle them, had changed. People around would still get the worse of me, but I learnt how to get the better of them. And I realised where it all came from. A few habits, a few hacks I picked up on, in the hills had actually sunk into my everyday life.

One adventure, alone, went to another one and then another, mostly through the Himalayas. I started understanding terrains, the local cultures, folklore, beliefs and superstitions, crafts and lifestyles. The more I got acquainted with life at different metres above sea level, the more I was intrigued to know, the more memories I added.

Himalayas from Mcleaoganj

That’s the thing about solo soul-searching. The search never ends when you explore on your own. What you notice and how you notice it changes a one eighty degrees because somewhere you know, this is one thing you are doing for yourself after days and months in the city, trying to live in the monotony of metro societies.

Today, in a world and a time where, the morning newspaper generally greets you with shadows of the previous few days, where we often forget where the time went and where we walk over our own desires for so many situations, solo travel is your break, your key into your world. It is your space, where you get to know yourself, where you imbibe the positive energies around you into yourself. It is the time, everyone needs to spend with oneself.

To all the women out there, there are so many places which are safe for you all! Himachal Pradesh is one such state. A matriarchal society and happy worry free people, this state is one, where you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Travel in local buses, interact with locals, meet new people. I have been staying with the locals for years and they are the most warm and fuzzy people to be around. You to them, you will be family and there will be so many things about the place and surrounding areas, that the locals would tell you about, which outsiders would hardly ever know of. My crazy adventure to Kinnaur to meet the master weavers of the famous Kullu Shawls is a testimony to that.

Daughter of Tibetan family in Dharamshala

There is so much to see out there. To spend one night in the mountains, staring at the sky with big eyes thinking whether the entire Milky Way has descended towards you, the cold in the air pressing down and a cricket chirping in some distance and not a worry in mind. A break everyone should take for themselves once every few months, to get away from the extremely fast paced struggles in the city and to spend the much needed time with yourself, exploring, discovering and memories.

So, open that map, mark your spot, figure out the bus routes, pick a weekend, pack that bag and fly solo to discover yourself. Just as you need to make a house, home; you need to make a trip, an adventure, a journey. That journey will have a hundred stories in one and you will want to live it a thousand times over.
And every moment of that is worth it.

Abhinanda sitting on a 300 year old graveyard in Dharamshala

Pictures:

The Author – On paper, Abhinanda is a twenty-two-year-old craft-textile designer. But she believes that in truth, she is really just a wanderer. Travel makes her wonder, wandering makes her observe, observing makes her understand and understanding makes her value. To satiate her wanderlust, she also writes for AlienAdv, whom you can follow on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Google+

Read the original post My Solo Himachal trip – A safe bet for female travel to India on The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog.

How to Stay Healthy and Active While Traveling

Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:00 AM PST

This article is sponsored by Abbott as part of its LIFE.TO THE FULLEST. initiative. This story, thoughts and opinions are our own.

Staying healthy while traveling full-time is not an easy task. When you spend time in great foodie destinations like Greece, Italy, and France, it's easy to indulge in a lot of rich and delicious food.

How to Stay Healthy While Traveling

Having a routine is nearly impossible with our lifestyle and that is why we love incorporating adventures and activities into our travels. When Abbott asked us how we learned to live a full life, we answered through travel. Travel changed our lives. It strengthened our marriage, helped us find balance and it helped us fulfill our dream of working together while seeing the world.

Read more about our #fullosophy at How Travel Helped us Live a Full Life

How to Stay Healthy through Travel

But travel is just one part of our answer. There are so many things that help us live a full life, from making a difference in other people's lives to having fun and staying healthy and active. And the best way we found to stay healthy and active on the road is to try adventures like kayaking. When we thought about it we realized that kayaking is a huge part of our adventure travel routine. We've kayaked on all seven continents in countless countries. It's a way for us to keep in shape, but to also find peace and quiet. It's the stillness and solitude that lets us appreciate the beauty of this earth. And we have a lot of fun too.

Kayaking Around the World

How Do you Stay Healthy and Live a Full Life?

We're helping Abbott fulfill its mission of asking 1 million people around the world what living fully means to them. For us, it's living a well-balanced life. Career is important, but if you don't have your health and happiness, it loses its value.

So we have made our pledge to continue to strive to create a balanced, active and healthy life. What is your pledge to living a full life? Make your own declarationand take the quiz. Tell Abbott – and the world – how you imagine your best life to be and what steps you are going to take to get there.

Are you living a full life? Tell your story on LifetotheFullest.Abbott and share your mission to live life fully on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #fullosophy.

Head over to @AbbottGlobal to take the quiz and share your #fullosophy of how you are living a full life.

Early Days of Travel

During the early days of travel in Kenya, people left notes on a thorn tree asking travellers to pass messages along or bring notes home with them. It was a lot tougher to stay in touch then. When you went travelling, your family wasn’t sure if they’d ever hear from you again.

We’ve Come a Long Way Baby!

It’s hard to believe American Express is celebrating 100 years of travel service. Back then it seemed like travel was only for the truly adventurous. Not many people were traveling for pleasure compared to today’s standards, but Amex has been there for travellers before it was popular.

They've been helping Cardmembers realize their travel dreams for decades providing end-to-end services from booking, to the airport to wherever in the world they touchdown.

Remember the days of traveller's cheques? We would never leave home without them. Our American Express traveller's cheques gave us peace of mind. Traveller's cheques may have gone the way of the Dodo, but the great service continues.

Travel Trends of the Future

Having just returned from the ultra modern city of Dubai, Dave and I have been thinking a lot about the future of travel and what travel trends are ahead. That city is as futuristic as it gets and has given us plenty of ideas of where the world is going. After looking back at the past, let's look at the future of travel.

Mega Malls

Ever since we took part in the Mongol Rally, we think that mega malls will be the future of travel. In Astana, the Capital of Kazakhstan, there is a giant mall that looks like a spaceship. The Kazakhstan malls has midways, skating rinks, arcades, and movie theatres and today it’s not uncommon for many malls in Asia and the Middle East to have these amenities. Dubai takes the cake for the most amazing malls. The Dubai Mall has an enormous aquarium where people can scuba dive with sharks, cage dive with great white sharks, and walk under a glass tube to see all the marine life on display and the Mall of the Emirates has an indoor ski hill complete with snowboard park.

With luxury hotels attached to the malls that continue to get bigger and bigger, people will be booking their vacations around the mega mall. There's something for everyone. Mom and dad can go to the spa followed by a romantic dinner while the kids go skiing, and can catch a movie. Sounds nice, right?

Complete Connection

You think we’re connected now, wait until the future takes hold. With Periscope and Snapchat taking over the bandwidth, more and more people will be sharing every single moment of their travel experience with others. Attractions, restaurants, and hotels will be completely connected and you’ll be able to check your smart watch or smart phone to find out about daily specials and instant deals.

Connection in the middle of the desert

You won’t even have to do a Google search anymore. If you are downtown Toronto and you have your latest travel app set to “tell me what’s up” you may get information telling you the times that the Hockey Hall of Fame closes, how much it costs to go up the CN Tower, where the best place around you is to eat, and how long the queue is for the latest Star Wars movie.

Technology Interventions

On the opposite end of the spectrum, people will need a break. People have talked about the digital detox for some time now, but I really believe it is going to come to life soon. We are all overloaded with noise and social media and people need a break from their smart phones and computer screens. Computer neck syndrome is a very real and true ailment.

I have a feeling cameras and photography equipment won’t even be allowed on a digital detox vacation. What would people do if they couldn’t document every single moment of their lives? The technical intervention vacation will find out.

Luxury Travel will Explode

It seems that the days of the broke backpacker is disappearing. When we first started travelling, Dave and I could get a basic beach bungalow for $5 a night. It was a no frills room with nothing but a bed and a squat toilet bathroom, but it was cheap and it was all we needed. It seems that people aren’t willing to rough it anymore, even the twenty something's want luxury.

I admit, we don’t want to stay in basic accommodations anymore either. Dave and I now require a more lavish set up. We don’t want to rough it anymore and it seems that millennials don’t want to rough it either. The world is turning to luxury and premium experiences.

Rewards and Loyalty Programs Continue to Grow.

Luckily, there are rewards programs out there offering deals on luxury accommodation and premium experiences. As people become savvy travellers, they will look for ways to stretch their dollars for the best deals and discounts. They’ll remain loyal and true to one program to reach optimal benefits and shop smart for their next vacation. Our American Express Platinum Card gives us luxury perks like elite tier status at hotel programs and Front Of The Line for events. When travelling, we breeze through security, take advantage of free WiFi and have access to free valet service at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Loyalty Programs for Perks

We have access to more than 850 airport lounges around the world offering us Platinum travel experiences wherever we go. We might not be a celebrity, but we often travel like a star by using our Membership Rewards and Platinum benefits.

The Future of Travel

I think travel will constantly evolve and change in the years to come. It’s fun to try to predict the future, but who knows if we are accurate or not. A lot has changed in 100 years, it’s hard to imagine what will happen in the next centure. It doesn’t matter though, because the world is travelling. More people than ever are crossing continents and exploring the globe and they are looking to programs to help them travel more. We use American Express to help us reach our travel goals. What do you use?

To learn more about the breadth of Amex's travel offerings and the benefits offered by being an Amex Cardmember visit americanexpress.ca/potential

About Make-A-Wish

Make-A-Wish is an organization doing great things. The power of positive thinking can do wonders for healing. It’s so important to let kids be kids again and to give them a break from all the tests and procedures they need to endure each day. To give a seriously ill child a chance to live out one of their biggest dreams is the greatest gift anyone can give.

That is why I was so excited when I heard that our pals at TripIt have once again teamed up with Make-A-Wish to raise 2-million miles to help make dreams come true. Can you believe that Make-A-Wish turns a child’s dream into a reality every 38 minutes? Out of all those dreams, 74% of them include travel—that's 2.5 billion airline miles and over 50,000 round trip tickets needed to fulfill this mission. So they need your help.

make a wish and tripit

TripIt and Make-A-Wish

For the past two holiday seasons, TripIt users donated more than 2-million airline miles to make wishes come true. Each year TripIt has exceeded its goal of 1 million miles, but for 2015, they want to raise the bar and reach 2 million miles in 1 year! They will be able to make a lot of dreams come true like the one below in this video.

Check out how Keena had her dream fulfilled and met her donor in Australia.

How you can Help

Did you know that many airlines delete your miles if you don’t use them? If you have unused or expiring miles that will just go to waste, why not donate them to a good cause? (Note donated miles NEVER expire) Head over to TripIt where you can instantly donate your United or Delta Miles to help a kid in need. And make sure to check out more details on how you can transfer miles to the Wishes in Flight^® program.

You have the power to make a child’s wishes come true this holiday season. Donate today and lift the spirits of a child. It will make you smile in the process.

Read the original post You Can Help Raise 2-Million Miles for Make-a-Wish Kids on The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog.

Why you will never travel if you don’t travel now

Posted: 11 Dec 2015 02:16 AM PST

My life would have been awesome had I never started traveling. With a beer in hand I thought about all the things I didn’t have but my peers did. I don’t have a house. I have never owned a car. My bank account isn’t padded, and my retirement funds wouldn’t stretch very far.

I know beyond all doubt, had I not started traveling five years ago I never would have. And, if I had not, I’d be able to match the milestones of others my age.

Today I would not be a globe trotter, but I’d wake up every morning, and spend the hours of 9-5 in a cubicle. This would certainly have put me in greater standing in the ol’ tit for tat game that we all play, but would have been the worst thing for my happiness, personal development and well-being.

Travel Now

Start traveling now, or you never will

I’ve lived in both Germany and Italy and spent over a month backpacking through Colombia. I’ve been to over 20 different countries in South America, Europe, the Middle East, the Baltics and more. I’ve driven four-wheelers across Greek Islands, canyoned through rivers in Slovenia, hiked up mountains, biked down mountains, floated in the dead sea and visited coffee plantations.

My desire to move pushed me away from a cozy suburb and reliable job and into the streets of places I couldn’t pronounce. What if you too have a desire to move, but don’t know where to begin? What if you are sitting here reading this and wishing you could leave everything behind, travel half-way across the world and encounter new places and people? My advice: leave and do so as soon as possible. If you don’t travel now you never will, and here is why.

Travel Isn’t a Typical Investment

As of now there are few ways to invest $2,000 on a pleasure trip somewhere and see that $2,000 turn in to $3,000 next year. Instead you purchase experiences. While you gain innumerable soft skills such as compassion, the ability to read people, serenity under pressure and more, you very rarely receive a return on your investment in monetary terms.

When it comes to spending money you will always find more tangible, “better” things to spend your money on. If you don’t start budgeting for travel now, budgeting later becomes impossible, as each dollar disappears to other needs. Travel rarely ranks high against material possessions. Despite thinking you avoid the curse of vanity you don’t. Neither do I. I like nice things, just as much as the next person.

tay_colombia

Summing up my point in one sentence, a highly articulated sentence by a very intelligent friend of mine, “whoever dies with the most shit wins.” Travel is by no means a collection of shit with 350 horsepower that you can wash on your front lawn in full view of your jealous neighbors. As time passes by your dependence on “keeping up with the Joneses’ will require more of your money, leaving less to spend on travel.

Too Many Useless Distractions and Choices

In the morning, when we wake after a good night’s sleep, we are full of energy and willpower. Then the day begins and our gas tanks diminish. What should you eat for breakfast? Do you have time in your schedule for a meeting with Mr. Joe Blow today? Which emails require immediate attention in your inbox?

By the end of the day your energy and willpower tank is on "E." You have spent your energy reserves dealing with work, kids, finances, emails and a slew of other things. Your willpower is also gone, burnt away making choices, which is one thing we have an abundance of today.

Choices tap into our limited supply of willpower and energy, depleting our most precious resources: time, energy and mental stamina. So, when you finally have free time, how do you spend it? In front of the television, surfing the internet, or doing some other mindless activity that doesn’t require a lot of energy or thinking. Your mind is shot for the day.

queen_snow

We have reversed priorities. Instead of putting our big life goals and ambitions as must do’s, we make them must do’s when we have time. We put losing weight, traveling to the mountains, learning a new language, working out, reading more, or other important life changes as priorities at the end of the day when we are mentally and physically drained. A task will always expand to fill the available time, it’s a fact of the universe. So, if you don’t budget time and energy to focus on change, you will crawl into bed at 11 pm wondering where the day escaped to yet again.

This pattern continues your whole life until retirement, at which point the system reverses itself. Suddenly, with an empty nest, with no job and fewer priorities you can once again think about your lifestyle, your health and traveling. The irony, of course, is that in your latter years you have less energy and desire to change.

Studies have shown that change requires a series of steps: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. In essence, we have no awareness or desire to change something in our lives; then when we become aware we delve into the possible obstacles of changing. Finally, we act and change, and then every so often we refortify our behavior to stay on track. Interestingly, we most often fail between the preparation and action stages, or in philosophical terms we can conceive of what is needed to change, but can’t actualize it in reality.

We are also affected by something called the St. Petersburg Paradox. This paradox argues that all humans not only have different levels of risk aversion, but also different perspectives when it comes to utility gained. Meaning, a person already in peak physical condition knows and sees the benefits of working out; hence, he has an easier time continuing to devote the time and energy to pumping iron or going for a run. For other people it may be too much of a risk, too big of a commitment and a scary situation to go to the gym every morning. What are all the fit people going to think of me? I’ll be made fun of. I don’t fit in. I’m not part of this crowd. I don’t know what to do. When faced with a risk deemed too great, whether financially, socially, or otherwise, people will not partake in an activity.

The amount of energy, willpower, and mental fortitude required to make a change in your life is the number one reason you won’t travel when you retire. The patterns you set in life begin early on, and it is easier to live with the status quo than change. After all, it is more desirable to know which side your bread is buttered on than be left with sticky uncertainty on your hands. Which leads to the next reason you will not start traveling when you suddenly find the time for it.

col_hike

Settling

For a long time, philosophers have been justifying their philosophies by saying it is better to know what you are getting for certain today, even at the cost of giving up something greater tomorrow. Now, I’ve done this on several occasions, I’ll admit. Just recently I was in a Colombian city with night approaching and no place to stay. I found myself in a sketchy situation with a hotelier on a far too remote beach. This led me to grab my passport copy and any identifying information from his desk and high tail it out of there. I also accepted, regardless of the price, a different hotel I knew would be safe, and passed over many cheaper options because I didn’t have the time or energy to find a better alternative.

I’ll admit, the allure of "one in the basket vs. two in the hand" is strong. But, when moving beyond basic needs such as food, safety and shelter you would think the allure of giving up something greater for certainty of the moment would decrease. This is not true, however. You only need to look at history to see many examples of people choosing to live under a poor system versus risking the displacement of a tyrant and the unknown, possibly worse, new system.

Relating this to travel, even though you may have always dreamed of traveling the world when you retire the pull of familiarity during a time of age decline keeps you rooted to the constant, which is the antithesis of travel.

Retirement is a period not only marked by a sudden increase in personal time, but also a period of decline in the human body and mind. To put this in perspective, the average retirement age in the US is 66, and the average age of death is 84. That gives you 18 years to get your adventure on, unless your body says otherwise.

Waiting to travel until retirement is like investing in a penny stock, the situation is volatile. You may not always have the health to travel at age 66 and above. Plus your body cannot handle the stress of travel as well as it could when you were younger. Consider the following.

Studies have shown that older people actually make worse decisions than people of all other ages. After age 27 your brain is already deteriorating. By the age of sixty the signs of deterioration become more evident. With that in mind can you justify traveling out of the country for the first time knowing your brain is prone to making poor decisions and bad rationalizations?

With our minds deteriorating, our bodies follow suit. Especially when we have spent 30 or 40 years in the same location, doing the same thing day in and day out, our bodies become accustomed to a pattern of life. Did you know that infants and senior citizens are more prone to illness then any other age group?

The reason is simple: when you are young or old your body is less adept at adapting to viruses and foreign substances. Your body cannot produce antibodies as efficiently or as fast. When you are old you have trouble acclimating to changes in your environment. Guess what, travel is all about adapting to new situations, climates, foods and germs.

With an aversion to risk, a psychological desire to maintain the status quo, and a declining body and mind there is a great tendency to say, "my life is good enough, I don’t need more." Settling wins again. We become okay with okay. We no longer need travel, or the new, or the challenge.

Doom and gloom aside, I’m not saying you can’t travel when you’re retired. I’m saying the odds of you miraculously packing your suitcase and hopping on a flight for an exotic, foreign location are against you.

greece_fishing

Instead, travel must be a lifestyle from early on. Travel must become a path you set yourself on that allows for change when needed, adaption when necessary, and pushing the boundaries of the status quo.

Several years ago there was a man in the UK who showed up at a clinic, reporting signs of possible memory loss. He was an avid chess player who played regularly for most of his life. His MRI scan that day came back normal. At most he had minor memory loss, which was expected with old age. Two years later when the man died examiners discovered that he actually had advanced Alzheimers but had showed no signs.

The moral: regular stimulation can improve brain function well into old age and keep energy levels high. This man broke the status quo by investing in himself. So invest in yourself and begin a regular routine of travel today, for I know of no greater mental and physical stimulant than travel, and there is no better time than to travel now.

Hank Martin writes for Breaking Trail Online, a resource for young men and women that combines travel with practical tips for investing in your greatest asset: you. Get social with Breaking Trail on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus

Read the original post Why you will never travel if you don’t travel now on The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog.

Flying Just Got Better – Premium Service Direct to Dubai

Posted: 09 Dec 2015 04:45 AM PST

Air Canada knew what they were doing when they added a new non-stop service on the 787-Dreamliner from Toronto to Dubai this past November. It seemed that half the people sitting in the Air Canada Lounge at Toronto Pearson were heading to the most populous city of the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is a hot destination right now. It seems that everyone wants to visit the city that houses some of the tallest, most over-the-top skyscrapers on earth.

dubai flight toronto direct

Toronto to Dubai?

It was April when we were in Hawaii for an annual summit when we drew names out of a hat for a big surprise. Our hat said November, that was all we knew. So we waited until our fellow bloggers chose their dates and the announcements were made. It turns out, Dave and I drew the dream destination of Dubai. It was another seven months before our trip, but it was worth the wait. Especially when direct flights were introduced by Air Canada direct from Toronto to Dubai at the beginning of November. Amazing! We escaped the dreaded connection through Heathrow or New York.

If you follow us on social media, you’ll know that we always fly Air Canada. We’re proud Canadians, so naturally, we should fly Canada’s largest airline. It’s interesting to note that our national airline is also among the 20 largest in the world serving 35 million customers a year.

Since we already had a flight booked, we took a chance and contacted Air Canada asking if they’d be interested in letting us test out their premium economy and business class seats for our flight from Toronto to Dubai. We already have 50k Elite status on Air Canada and probably could have gotten an upgrade for a fee, but why not make it an guarantee? After all, this is the new 787 Dreamliner. We wanted to travel in style.

The Air Canada Lounge

Lucky for us, Air Canada kindly accepted our proposal and offered a media upgrade to review their new service. They couldn’t guarantee a seat, so we held our breath as we waited at the airport. Luckily, our wait was in peace and comfort as we enjoyed the amenities of the Air Canada International Lounge in Terminal 1. It’s our favourite lounge in Toronto Pearson Airport with an excellent choice of food and beverages.

What I like is the dedicated Wifi to Air Canada and Star Alliance status members. You don’t have to share the bandwidth with the rest of the airport that is being sucked up quickly with all the free iPads on offer in public restaurants. We arrived early and spent our time getting a lot of work done. I don’t know what it is about airport lounges, but we are very productive when we sit down to work in them. Time flew by and 15 minutes to boarding and we decided to walk to the gate early to see if our names would be called.

air-canada-dreamliner-premium-economy-3

Toronto to Dubai Upgrade

The moment of truth arrived and sure enough, we got the upgrade to premium economy.

We’ve flown business class several times on Air Canada, but it was our first time flying premium economy. It was a pleasant surprise. First of all, it was premium economy on the 787 Dreamliner so you know it’s going to be bigger and better than anything else. The 787 Dreamliner is big. It has bigger windows that tint dark and light at a push of a button, bigger TV screens with movies, television, and game choices, and bigger bathrooms. I couldn’t get over the room in the toilet when I finally went. Had I known, I would have gone much earlier. I always put off going to the toilet on airplanes, they are usually an unpleasant experience. But not this one!

air-canada-dreamliner-premium-economy-10

What is Premium Economy?

Premium economy gives you many of the perks that business class has at a fraction of the price. Star Alliance Gold Members can get upgrades using their eCredits or you can buy premium economy seats for approximately 35% more of your flight fee. Our premium economy seats felt like the business class seats that you sometimes get on shorter flights. We even received our own amenity kit with toothbrush, chapstick, moisturizer, and eye mask. Needless to say we were quite happy with the extra width and legroom.

We were treated similar to business class receiving our choice of sparkling water and juice, and we were given headphones, blankets, and large pillows for the flight. And just like business class, we had a proper dinner menu.

I normally like to settle into a movie at the start of the flight. What I love about Air Canada is how I can start using the entertainment system the minute I get on the plane. While other passengers are embarking, I’ve already chosen my movie, I’m in my own little world relaxing with a cold beverage. Since we have Elite Status we have priority boarding and this makes all the difference. We never have to worry about running out of room in the overhead bins and we have freedom and a lot of room to settle in while the plane is still empty.

Premium Economy passengers automatically receive priority boarding. So, as I was saying, I’m already into my movie before most passengers have even boarded the plane. A difference I noticed on the Dreamliner was that I could easily fast forward to the ads at the beginning of the movie and get on with my programming.

I rarely work on a flight even though these seats were made for working. There are USB and power plugs and the tray table is large enough to spread out my workstation. However, I watch movies instead. Movies helps me unwind until meal service where afterwards I promptly go to sleep to feel refreshed at my destination.

Premium Economy Food

But before I go to sleep, let me talk about the meal. The food in both the international MLL and on board premium economy & business classes are part of the new menu created by Canadian celebrity chef David Hawksworth. Let me tell you, I noticed a difference. This is gourmet meal to make your mouth water.

Just before dinner, I was brought a hot towel which I always put to my eyes. Since my LASIK surgery, my eyes are dry and that hot towel is a warm welcome. While others wiped their hands, I felt the heat on my eyes. But I digress…Meals on Premium Economy are the same as what you get in Business Class. They’re served on china plates,the choices were diverse, and there’s complimentary wine and spirits.

Dave had the beef and I had the pasta and we were both thoroughly satisfied. Probably too satisfied. Between the warm roasted mixed nuts, warm rolls, appetizer, main course and dessert, we were stuffed! One of my favourite parts of flying Air Canada business or premium economy are the mini salt and pepper shakers and little bottle of olive oil and vinegar. I never put salt and pepper on my food, but I always do on a flight because I love those shakers! And I always save half my oil and vinegar bottle to dip my second roll of bread into. Mmm, I’m drooling right now.

Premium Economy Feels like Business Class

The most noticeable difference between business and premium economy was that the seats don’t go back all the way. In business you are in pods and can lay right out.Premium Economy seats recline farther than coach, but you still sleep sitting up. But we did receive we larger pillows and had extra wide seats, so we were very comfortable. Naturally there are more luxurious perks to business class that I’ll tell you about in a later article since we flew business class home from Dubai. But I can honestly say that my experience in premium economy was comfortable and pleasant.

Dave and I slept like babies and when we arrived at our destination, we were feeling relaxed and refreshed. Because of the advanced technology in building the 787-9, one of the signature features on the new aircraft is the higher humidity rate. This helps you feel more rested when you arrive and we definitely noticed a difference. It’s amazing how you can feel the difference between good and bad air. I had a much less stuffy nose than usual and that was Ah-mazing!

Wouldn’t love to look this refreshed after a flight?

If we do lose our elite status one day when we slow down our travels, I’ll be sure to book premium business for long haul flights. Trust me, as someone that has flown coach around the world, the extra splurge is worth it. You’ll be able to function the first couple of days of your trip rather than walking around in a fog.

For more information on direct flights from Toronto to Dubai visit AirCanada.com
For more details on the Dreamliner See more on the Air Canada Website

Read the original post Flying Just Got Better – Premium Service Direct to Dubai on The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog.

Bounce Below – The Ultimate Underground Playground for the Kid in You!

Posted: 07 Dec 2015 02:00 AM PST

Have you ever wanted to get back to your childhood roots of jumping around, crawling on the ground, and falling down without a care in the world? There’s a place in Wales that lets you do exactly that! Bounce Below is what we like to think of as the ultimate jungle gym for adults. It’s a series of trampolines, nets, ladders and slides inside a giant underground cave. This isn’t an ordinary cave, it’s twice the size of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Bounce Below in Wales

Arriving at Bounce Below in Wales

We arrived on a rainy day to Bounce Below located at the Llechwedd Slate caverns in Blaenau Ffestiniog. (If you can pronounce any of that, you are a better persona than I!) It was a good day to be underground as the wind was whipping through the valley and the rain was pouring down. We were grateful to be heading indoors. err, underground.

The cave is the result of an old mining quarry, and when you walk through you can see the remnants of a bygone era. The Llechwedd caverns even offer tours of its slate mining history.

Bounce Below is in an old mining quarry.

We met our fellow jumpers in the holding area where we sat on wooden benches waiting for our time to be called. We had an hour to jump around inside and something told me, one hour would be more than enough. The group before us came out with big smiles and lots of sweat running down their faces.

Check out more Wales Adventures: Coasteering in Wales Video Break

All jewellery needs to be taken off and anything loose needs to be left behind. We brought our GoPro and small snappy camera with us. We did regret not bringing our larger camera because this place is so photogenic, it would have been awesome to photograph. However, we never would have had as much fun either.

Getting ready for our Bounce Below experience in Wales

We made sure nothing was fastened to our appendages. I had visions of a Jimmy Fallon type fall in the cave ripping off my ring finger, so Dave and I both opted out of wearing our wedding bands into the playground.

We entered the chamber lit up with psychedelic lights and we were set loose to explore the many different caverns, passageways, and colourful trampolines. I felt like I was in a live game of Tron.

The Bounce Below Experience

This is what it looks like in Bounce Below

These nets were bouncy to say the least. We couldn’t get our rhythm and ended up falling down and giggling like school girls. (Yep, Dave giggled like a school girl)

Once we got our footing, we started to have some fun catching air at an already jaw dropping height of 180 feet.

The nets are all hung over the cavern dangling in mid air. There’s one spot where you really get a feel for how high you are when you go out to a dark chamber in a back corner and bounce above what feels like a never ending drop into darkness.

What does it look like inside bounce below

Bounce Below has nets everywhere

As other people joined in on the fun on the tight trampoline, we were propelled from one side of the net to the other.

It was then time to start our climb. We wanted more height. We found a tunnel with a wooden ladder and climbed higher and higher until we reached the top of the obstacle course. There were small slides and pockets to play, but it was the huge chute that got my heart racing.

I had to be coaxed into dropping into the abyss. Dave as usual was gung ho for any adventure and dropped in first so that he could give me words of encouragement from the bottom.

“You can do it Deb, no problem!”

I took a deep breath, covered my nose and mouth (something we were advised to do) shut my eyes and fell into darkness. Before I knew it, I was at the bottom laughing and rolling like a 6 year old.

“That was fun, lets do it again!”

We made our way through more tunnels and found a winding trail back up to the entrance.

Feeling more confident the second time around, we explored more chambers and found more chutes.

Deb having a blast at Bounce Below

We compared each chute with the last saying things like “Oh, the last one was so much faster” “This one gets a little skinny at the end, we gotta lose some weight” I want to try that one over there, how do we get there?”

We ran around huffing and puffing for the entire hour. We commented on how out of shape we were and how we need our own bounce below in Canada. If I had one nearby, I’d get a seasons pass to jump and fly into the air. It’s a great workout! I think Bounce Below may just be future of adult workouts in place of a boring gym!

Before we knew it, the hour was up and like the group before us, we came out of the caves with big smiles and running sweat.

We handed in our helmets, dried off our faces and emerged from the depths to sunshine and happiness. Like our mood, the day had turned bright and sunny.

For details visit Bounce Below for pricing, location and information.

Our trip to Wales is brought to you buy Visit Britain and Visit Wales. Check out their websites for more great Wales and UK adventures!

Wednesday, December 30, 2015