Thursday, December 31, 2015
Daily Skimm: Clink, clink
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Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Canada's Adventure Couple
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 |
| 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” DestinationGreenland 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  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 IceEach 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
Enjoy Greenland Adventure VideoSubscribe to our youtube channel for weekly travel videos Greenland ToursThere 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 LifeThis post is in partnership with Quark Expeditions. All opinions are our own. For more information on polar travels visit the Quark Expeditions Website. Read Next: Antarctica Expedition ExplainedRead the original post Greenland – The “It” Destination of 2016 on The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog. |
| How Travel Got Me to Finally Let go of Being a Control Freak Posted: 26 Dec 2015 02:17 AM PST I've had meltdowns at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Conniption fits in the snowy streets of Amsterdam. Battles of will with my husband in international airports. Hello, my name is Susan, and I used to be a terrible traveler. It all begins with my incessant need to have everything go my way. Control freak. Type A. Anal. Whatever you want to call it, that was how I lived for most of my life. Then I started traveling, and those skills really came in handy, or so I thought. I'd spend weeks researching every place I wanted my family to go, using Google Earth to check out the neighborhood we would stay in, and making spreadsheets to organize all my OCD information.
The problem was, once we got there, nothing went the way I'd planned. Our delayed flight would cause us to miss our next flight at the layover. We'd get lost on our way to one of my meticulously-planned activities. I'd get sick as a dog from eating snails in Barcelona and spend the night in a dehydrated fugue, ready to curl up and die. I should have gotten the memo years ago. After dating only three months, my then-boyfriend-now-husband threatened to leave me in Paris because I was whining so much. I can't remember what I was peeved at specifically, but it was probably something like my wanting him to visit yet another long-dead author's home and him (logically) refusing. 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.
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 CanadiansI 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.
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 ViewerSomething 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. Read Next: How you Can Help Raise 2 Million Air Miles for Children in NeedRead the original post You Can Make a Difference – Give the Gift of Survival on The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog. |
| My Solo Himachal trip – A safe bet for female travel to India Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:00 AM PST “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.” |
| 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 TravelingHaving 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 WorldHow 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.Read Next: You’ve Found Your Purpose, Don’t Let it Consume YouRead the original post How to Stay Healthy and Active While Traveling on The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog. |
| Travel Trends of the Future – Here’s to the next 100 Years Posted: 18 Dec 2015 06:01 AM PST Did you know that American Express originated with the Pony Express? I wonder if the riders of that famous route could even imagine how much travel has evolved today. Even I can see a difference. When I took my first trip to Guam in 1992, there weren't Internet cafés or cell phones. I was on the other side of the world and very far from home. When I phoned home to talk to Dave, I had to walk a mile to a post office where I stood in line waiting for a private phone booth to be connected to an international operator. I crossed my fingers that Dave would pick up and when he did, I barely heard a word he said.
Early Days of TravelDuring 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 MallsEver 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 ConnectionYou 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 InterventionsOn 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 ExplodeIt 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 TravelI 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 Read Next: How Travel Helped Us Live a Full LifeRead the original post Travel Trends of the Future – Here’s to the next 100 Years on The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog. |
| Our Key West Vacation with IHG Rewards Club Points Posted: 16 Dec 2015 05:45 AM PST Dave and I once tried to drive to Key West while visiting my parents in Florida in 2005. It was the Christmas holidays and traffic was a nightmare. We got as far as Key Largo, and with vehicles moving at a snail's pace we gave up, turned around and made a b-line for Miami. We've wanted to go back to give it another go ever since.
When the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) offered us enough IHG© Rewards Club points to cover our stay and excursions for a trip anywhere in the world, we decided to choose Key West. It always felt like "the destination that got away," and we wanted to do it right.
Armed with 800,000 points we perused the IHG Rewards Club catalogue in search of a hotel and exciting excursions in Key West. IHG has the largest rewards program in the world with hotels like InterContinental, Holiday Inn, and Crowne Plaza in the family. Key West just so happens to have a Crowne Plaza hotel right in the heart of all the action.    The historic Crowne Plaza Key West – La Concha is located in an enviable location on the vibrant Duval Street. It is here that famous restaurants and bars like the original Margaritaville, and Rick's Café line the street leading to the habour where you can watch street performers show off their talents at sunset.  Crown Plaza – La Concha We were walking distance to all the main attractions and loved being able to retreat to our little oasis in the downtown core. The Crowne Plaza hotel has an incredible rooftop spa with the best views of sunset on the island. Like spas? Enjoy the World’s Wackiest Spa Treatments  Sunset from the Rooftop Spa If you book a massage for early afternoon, you can spend the rest of the day relaxing on the lounge chairs while enjoying a glass of champagne as you watch some of the best sunsets in America. Read: Spa Etiquette: From Stripping to Tipping   Key West is the ultimate hippy hangout. It feels as if time stopped in the 1970s here as locals clad in flip-flops and tank tops walk the street with their dogs dressed in sunglasses and flower leis. People come to Key West to party, chill out, and enjoy the sunshine of continental USA's most southerly point.
During our time in Key West, we enjoyed a beverage or two, especially at the Crowne Plaza hotel's elegant Wine-O Bar. It's Key West's premiere wine lounge and retail outlet. We ordered a tasting menu of wines with a cheese and charcuterie plate to die for. We loved it so much, we went back a second night.
But for us, the wee hour partying was left to the heartier crew, and we often turned in early to feel refreshed and alert for our excursions. We love a great adventure and through the IHG Rewards Club Concierge, our IHG Rewards Club points got us a couple of epic adventures starting with a day trip to the Dry Tortugas. The IHG Rewards Club Concierge is available to members in the US, Mexico, UK, Germany and Middle East but as part of our collaboration with IHG, we got the opportunity to try it out.
Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the most remote national parks in the country. You can fly or take a ferry to the tiny chain of keys 70 miles (113 km) off the tip of Key West. From here you are a mere 20 miles from Cuba! See: US National Parks in Photos
If you are a fan of ticking things off the bucket list, the Dry Tortugas is for you. We listened to fellow passengers talk about how many National Parks they've visited and the Tortugas was definitely at the top of their list and was made for the ultimate bragging rights. The 100 square mile marine park is perfect for snorkeling and swimming off pristine white beaches but it is famous for the imposing Fort Jefferson.
Constructed between 1845 and 1876, Fort Jefferson is a giant military fort taking up almost the entire Garden Key. The 8 foot thick stone walls housed 2000 people at the height of its population housing a lighthouse and massive cannons sitting atop the four tiered and six sided brick fort. It was considered an outstanding example of 19th century masonry.    The ferry trip took us two hours where we were fed a hearty buffet breakfast. We wisely chose to sit inside away from the relentless sun and enjoyed air conditioning and good conversation with another couple we met from Upstate New York.
When we reached the Dry Tortugas, we saw small sand bars leading the way to our final destination, the port where our boat docked for the day as we explored the islands. Read: 8 Must Try Caribbean Watersports
We walked around the moat marveling at architecture and then strolled on the beach marveling at the clear sapphire blue waters. It was the best beach we saw during our time in Key West!
With lunch served on board, we had reprieve from the heat and enjoyed unlimited sandwiches, sodas and snacks before setting back outside to enjoy the rest of our day in paradise. After a few more hours, we were back on the ferry heading for home just in time for sunset.
Our second excursion was a snorkel and sailing trip to John Pennekamp State Park. The coral reef: located just a few miles off of Key West is the only remaining reef in the continental US.
We set sail just after lunch on our catamaran enjoying the off shore views of Key West. The trip was good enough for us just as a sailing excursion. We sat at the front feeling the wind in our hair while catching a few rays of sun before we stopped at our snorkeling site.
Smack dab in the middle of the ocean is John Pennekamp State Park reef. Dave and I were the first to jump in and swam directly into a mass of jellyfish (don't worry, not the deadly kind). We were warned it was jellyfish season, and for the first half dozen people in the water, it was a prickly experience. We couldn't take our eyes off searching for the near-transparent ball of flesh for even one minute. Whenever we calmed down to look for other fish, another blob would float right into our legs or shoulders.
It wasn't long before the stinging became a little too uncomfortable and we chose to cut our swim short in exchange for cold beer and wine on deck. The entire snorkeling area seemed to be smothered in the sting of jellyfish. Instead, we put on our shades, grabbed a cold one and soaked up the sun on deck. We didn't mind that the snorkeling was cut short because the sailing was just as fun and fabulous.
It was a sunny day, we met some great people, and enjoyed fantastic deck side conversations. When they finally pulled up anchor, we were sorry to leave our spot in the middle of the sea.
The hour ride back to port was filled with laughs where we said our goodbyes and walked back to our hotel for a cool dip in the pool before heading out for a seaside dinner.
We didn't know what to expect in Key West but after spending some time here we would say it is well worth the drive. The laid back atmosphere combined with beautiful sunsets and great ocean adventures make it a perfect place to relax and enjoy all that Mother Nature has to offer. To learn more about making the most of your vacation visit the IHG© Rewards website. This post is in partnership with IHG Rewards, but as usual, all views of our experience are our own. Read Next: Luxury and Romance at Daytona Beach Shores Read the original post Our Key West Vacation with IHG Rewards Club Points on The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog. |
| You Can Help Raise 2-Million Miles for Make-a-Wish Kids Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:00 AM PST I first watched the power of the Make-a-Wish while working as a make-up artist at YTV in Canada. Popular kids TV host, and lady with a heart of Gold, Stephanie, “Sugar Lyn” Beard was regularly flying off to Disney World or someplace magical to make a child’s dream come true. Kids loved her and I joy she was bringing to people on a regular basis. It didn’t matter how busy she was or how tired she was she was always ready to drop everything and go make a kid’s dreams come true. It always moved me.    Sugar Lyn in Action: Keep an eye out for her in Hollywood, she’s already on her way to becoming a huge star About Make-A-WishMake-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-WishFor 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 HelpDid 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 InvestmentAs 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.
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 ChoicesIn 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.
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.
SettlingFor 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.
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.
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.
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 LoungeLucky 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.
Toronto to Dubai UpgradeThe 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!    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 FoodBut 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.
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.  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! Read Next: Coasteering, It’s not as Scary as You ThinkRead the original post Bounce Below – The Ultimate Underground Playground for the Kid in You! on The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog. |
Hank Martin writes for 
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