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Check out this week’s Friday Funny from cartoonist Dave Blazek!
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It’s the time of year to resolve to do things better in the new year. For many of us, this includes eating better, exercising more, and being kinder to one another. And let’s not forget my favorite — sticking with our resolutions beyond the second week of January.
As for me, I’m adding 13 travel resolutions to my list for 2013. I describe them all in my latest contribution to the Huffington Post. Click over for the list in full.
What are your travel resolutions for 2013? Let us know in a comment below or on our Facebook page.
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Check out this week’s Friday Funny from cartoonist Dave Blazek!
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One of the open secrets of the travel industry is what we call “the big upsell.” You are probably familiar with this sales technique, just didn’t know it had a name. The “big upsell” is the term coined for a “bare bones” vacation package that is sold at a dirt-cheap price. Travelers who fall for this trick end up paying extra for everything, like transfers or an upgrade to a decent hotel, and they typically end up paying much more than they originally intended.
The “big upsell” is one of my biggest pet peeves in the travel industry, because it is designed to lure you in for a price you’ll never actually pay. And it’s so unnecessary to market this way. Friendly Planet doesn’t need to resort to tricky pricing, because our deals, while including great hotels, transfers, and much more, are always carefully priced with a focus on huge value for money.
Anyone who takes the time to read our inclusions and make even a superficial comparison with other similar packages can see that they actually provide everything a traveler needs to have an amazing vacation. Our travelers don’t have to worry about paying for extras later, and we take pride in this.
Before you fall for a tour price that is simply too good to believe, please check out “The Big Upsell” piece I wrote, which was published on the Huffington Post last week. Read it to find out more about ‘deals’ that trick travelers into over-paying.
Have you fallen victim to an upsell when booking a trip? We want to hear your story — leave a comment below.
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We all have holiday traditions that are unique to us and our families. Some might have been passed down from ancestors and through culture, and others we might have created last year with friends. Either way, in my mind, traditions are what make the holiday season come to life.
I wanted to share some holiday traditions from around the world with you. Some are specific to our Friendly Planet team, some are driven by culture and our communities, and others have been carried on by entire nations for generations. Read on for a look at how some of us celebrate this wonderful time of year.
North America. Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Chanukah are all celebrated in December in the United States by people of different faiths (though Kwanza can end in the beginning of January, and Chanukah sometimes begins at the end of November). A special Christmas tradition for many is the Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner on Christmas Eve, which is Italian in origin and commemorates the wait for the birth of baby Jesus on Christmas Day. Many also attend midnight mass after the seven-course meal.
A tradition that’s unique to those who celebrate Kwanzaa is dedicating each of the seven days to one of the seven principles — unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith — which are believed to have been key to building strong, productive families and communities in Africa.
A member of our marketing team, Leora Hafri, shared a personal Chanukah family tradition with us: (more…)
Check out this week’s Friday Funny from cartoonist Dave Blazek!
I’ve devoted the past 30 years of my life to giving people a taste of the breathtaking beauty and infinite diversity of this planet. As the president of a travel company, I’ve had the satisfaction of giving thousands of Americans an opportunity to do just that. So it was rather humbling when I learned last week that I’d been completely outdone by two ambitious young men with a crazy idea.
Four years ago, Kyle Ruddick and Brandon Litman embarked on a fantastically brazen project to create a feature-length film with footage shot in every nation on earth — all captured in a single day. Now absorb that for a moment. This would be the first-ever simultaneous filming event occurring in every country of the world. If it sounds like a project worthy of a filmmaker like James Cameron or Ridley Scott, consider this: Kyle and Brandon, two graduates of The University of Southern California, had no budget and had never made a film before.
And yet, somehow, they pulled it off. Last week, I had the opportunity to watch the result — the 105-minute documentary film “One Day on Earth” shot entirely on Oct. 10, 2010. It was quite simply one of the most sweeping, stunning, inspiring pieces of cinema I’ve ever witnessed. So how did they do it? Crowdsourcing, of course.
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Check out this week’s Friday Funny from cartoonist Dave Blazek!
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Do you dream of seeing the world and inspiring good along the way? That was the dream of Jessica Festa, the woman behind the travel blog Jessie on a Journey and the next guest we’ve invited to join us for our Travel Talk blog series.
Jessica has traveled all over the world to help people, including teaching English in Thailand and orphanage work in Ghana. She is also a backpacker by nature, and has backpacked through Europe and South America, studied abroad in Australia, and toured Southeast Asia and China.
She writes about her philanthropic travels on her blog to inspire others. We think Jessica is pretty inspiring herself! Read on for how she got started volunteering and traveling, misconceptions she often hears about solo women travelers, her best budget tip, and more.
1) When did your love of traveling begin?
I’ve been traveling my whole life, as my parents also are avid travelers, just with a different focus. When I was younger, we would do a road trip every summer driving to different amusement parks. Then as I got older, we started doing the whole cruise thing. It wasn’t until I studied abroad in Sydney, Australia, that I realized I wanted to go abroad more. Now my travel style is a mix of volunteering abroad, international solo backpacking, and U.S. road trips.
2) What is the most memorable destination you’ve visited and why?
Probably Sydney. I was there for six months and had an apartment, gym membership, favorite cafe, designated grocery store, a part-time job, etc. These things made me feel as though I was truly a local, and helped me to get to know the place. Another very memorable place was Ghana, Africa. I lived with a family and worked at an orphanage for a month, and really fell in love with the culture.
3) What’s the biggest misconception people have about traveling solo, especially women who travel by themselves?
That you can’t do it. People still tell me “you can’t go to Bolivia by yourself” or “Quito is too dangerous for a solo woman traveler.” Well, I’ve done both and lived to tell the tale!
4) What is the best piece of advice you can offer to someone traveling solo to a country they’ve never been to before?
Don’t give up as soon as you start to feel lonely. There will inevitably be times you feel a bit more lonely than others, but there are also ways to combat it. My favorite thing to do is use the CouchSurfing forum, not for sleeping on couches, but to plan meet-ups and dinners. For example, if you’re going to Buenos Aires, search for the city group, join, post a note saying when you’ll be in the city, and ask if anyone would be interested in grabbing a drink, sightseeing, etc. It worked out very well for me.
5) What’s one travel item you can’t leave home without?
My LUSH Godiva shampoo bar. It’s moisturizing, compact, and takes up much less space than a shampoo and conditioner together.
6) What’s your best budget travel tip?
Go local! Skip the touristy restaurants and shops and opt for local eateries and markets.
7) You’ve written in the past about a travel philosophy. How would you define yours?
To me, your travel philosophy is about your beliefs on travel and travel goals. It’s all about experiencing local culture and getting to know new people and places with an open and welcoming mind.
8) Are there any stereotypes of places you’ve visited that you can disprove based on your travels, especially for women travelers?
One thing I’ll say that’s usually wrong is when people stereotype an entire country. For example, I heard over and over about how dangerous Brazil was. However, while Rio and Sao Paulo may have been a bit rough, the areas of Paraty and Ilha Grande felt very, very safe.
9) When you meet other women solo travelers, have you found that there are any common personal or cultural characteristics that you share?
I think women solo travelers seem to be easy-going and adventurous. I mean, you have to be to go against the warnings of your friends and family and do what’s best for yourself.
10) Where in the world are you headed next?
I’m going on an adventure-focused trip to Ohio this week, which I’m excited about, as well as a two-week road trip from Melbourne to the Outback in Australia. Then, I’ll be driving around Kentucky for two weeks exploring the hiking and bourbon offerings. I definitely have some exciting things coming up! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your amazing adventures with us Jessica! Be sure to check out Jessie on a Journey for the latest news on where she’s going next.
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Check out this week’s Friday Funny from cartoonist Dave Blazek!
