What is your next travel destination? When we are home, that is probably the number one thing we are asked. There is a basic process we go through to choose our next travel destination, which we outline below, along with highlights of 18 of our favourite cities or road trips. Prepare to be inspired. Often, …
This is a collection of articles on travel planning and tips. They cover the range from where to begin, to safety while on the go.
We have been travelling for many years and have visited over 60 countries on six continents. We offer general money tips here. Many save you either money, time, or simply make your travel easier.
In addition, we share several products and services we use and recommend. These make our lives easier, better, or safer.
We also have tips on individual countries and cities, but these are listed in the regional destination categories.
(Photo credit: 姐夫 吳. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution.)
Enjoy our articles featuring travel planning and tips:
25 Princess Cruise Tips and Tricks You Should Know
We love cruising with Princess. As great as they are, knowing a few of the Princess cruise tips and tricks listed below can make your sailing even better. Whether you have already booked or are still thinking about it, these tips for cruising will save you time and money, as well as enhance your cruising …
Lightweight and Useful Travel Gifts for 2019
Travellers who pack light have different needs and finding useful travel gifts for them can be a challenge. The secret to success is that any great gifts for someone going travelling must be unique, lightweight, and practical. While this may sound like an impossible challenge, it’s not. We travel light and we use and recommend …
New Zealand Travel Tips for First-Time Visitors
If a New Zealand trip is on your bucket list, you are in the right place. Whether it’s the ever-changing and spectacular scenery, unique birdlife, extreme sports, Lord of the Rings, or the All Blacks that entice you to visit, you won’t be disappointed. However, to make your journey even better, below are a few …
My Dengue Fever Experience in South America
Dengue fever is no fun. I know. It is high on my list of things I NEVER want to do again. A hard lesson learned, my dengue fever experience was a big price to pay for entering the Brazilian and Paraguayan rainforest using an all-natural insect repellent. The Aedes aegypti species mosquito transmits dengue, Zika, chikungunya and …
Start Pet and House Sitting Worldwide
New Zealand is beautiful, but expensive to visit. Auckland is my home, and I love it here. Visitors flock in daily and are greeted with seemingly unlimited luxurious options at a premium price. There is no doubt that many of these will create lifelong memories. However, for animal lovers, there is an alternative: House Sitting …
How to Photograph Waterfalls (Travel Photo Tips)
There is something magical about a cascade waterfall spilling over a cliff. Whether it’s a huge waterfall or a gentle trickle, capturing the waterfall photography effect that you want is easy once you know a few simple tricks on how to photograph waterfalls. The secrets lie in having the right equipment and understanding the camera settings …
How to Pack Light for a Cruise and Have All the Cruise Essentials
Yes, packing light for a cruise and having everything you need is possible. We have done it successfully multiple times. The trick is knowing the cruise essentials, including what to bring on a cruise and sticking to a packing light checklist. It’s true that one of the advantages of cruising is unpacking only once while …
Unique Ways to Travel: If You Haven’t Yet, You Really Should
The great thing about travel is that it never has to be the same way twice. Sure, it’s easy to take a plane or car somewhere, but even these methods can be spiced up a little bit to give you a more unique experience. In fact, if you’re an avid traveller you’re always looking for …
7 Types of Tours and Guidelines for Organizing Each of These
Not every traveller would accept with pleasure an invitation to wander around the city for hours. There’s no sense in persuading or making him change his mind: there are also other tours to do instead of sightseeing ones. Someone is happy to go to the mountains or to the sea, the other one will choose …
Reflections of an 18-Night Princess Cruise – Is It for You?
Have you ever wondered what it is really like on a cruise ship? Is it relaxing, invigorating and fun OR boring, crowded and just one giant food fest? We recently disembarked from an 18-night cruise on the Island Princess, a mid-sized ship in the Princess Cruise fleet. This is our longest cruise to date and one that …
Eating Onboard: How to Cruise Without Gaining Weight
I gained very little weight after 19 days eating onboard the Island Princess. It’s an impressive accomplishment. Every meal on a Princess Cruise includes expertly prepared, appetising, and flavorful food. Whether or not you have been on a Princess ship before, prepare to leave this page hungry, and with the tools to enjoy eating onboard without …
Best Lightweight Walking Shoes: A Perfect Travel Partner for my Feet
Having recently tried my second pair of Xero shoes, I can honestly say that I have found the most comfortable lightweight walking shoes for travel or every day use. And I am not the only one. Xero shoes are worn by people in 94 countries. They use them for more than just travel. These are …
Oosterdam: A Photo Tour of This 5-Star Holland America Ship
As soon as I stepped onboard the Holland America Oosterdam I realised that all cruise ships are not the same. Oosterdam’s tasteful decor caught me by surprise. I have cruised eight times in the past on five different lines (all 3 or 4-star ratings). The Oosterdam is impressive, an understated beauty, a refined elegance that I …
Top 10 Hotel Alternatives – Save Money With These Options
Finding hotel alternatives is one way we afford long-term family travel. We haven’t won the lottery yet, so we are always looking for ways to save money. Accommodation used to be a huge chunk of our budget. As we travelled around the world, we learned a few tricks and discovered many hotel alternatives. Whether you …
