Moneybelt for women: Hassle-Free traveling!

woman robbed of her handbag

Traveling with a moneybelt for women means being able to travel care free! Women often are a great target for thiefs. Whilst they are very careful at home, they seem to lose that same care as soon as they are on holiday.

There are many things women can do to guard their safety. You should try to avoid crowded areas, or if you cannot be on your guard, carry a light when walking in a dark area (even better is not to be there at all!). Immediately surrender your handbag when thieves have set their eyes on your handbag and are determined to take it off you. I know some horrible stories of people who tried to resist in a first impulse. And … the best you can do to safeguard your valuables, and continue to have a great journey, is to have your valuables stored safely in a moneybelt for women!

Your valuables are safe in a moneybelt for women

Your money and passport are obviously the most crucial belongings when you are traveling. You should take the necessary precautions to keep an eye on it! When you want to prevent your money being stolen, there are some precautions you could take. You will find that this is an easy job and so much safer with a moneybelt for women. I have tried and tested quite a few in the last couple of years. On my travels nowadays I stick to the moneybelt for women that suits me best: the Rick Steves Silk Moneybelt.  This is an ideal moneybelt for women. I shall explain why.

Why this one, and not other another moneybelt for women? The Rick Steves Moneybelt is made of silk. Because it is silk, it lets through your body warmth. Nylon money belts get sticky and therefore smelly. Leather money belts are much heavier and also tend to get sticky as well. This silk one is super light weight and if you have perspirated a little during the day, it dries over night. And, although it sounds as if it tears quickly, it doesn’t because of its zipper pockets that keep everything well together. In fact, it is very strong and sturdy, yet soft for the skin.

I also like the way it is comfortable, and therefore ideal for women. A great plus : this moneybelt for women contains two separate zipper pockets. Your money, passport or tickets stay dry in the plastic pocket! Even it if rains, all important items stay dry. This is crucial!

Rick Steves Silk Money Belt, Natural, One Size

You simply adjust the moneybelt with a soft elastic strap around your waist, under your waist band, if you wish. The strap is long enough for oversized people. The moneybelt has a slim, strong buckle which makes it easy for you (!) to clip it on and off. You will find that this will keep your money safe since the money is held in the bag very close to your body. If you wear it under your clothes, thieves will not be able to grab your valuables. I sometimes see people wear a moneybelt very ostentatiously on top of their clothes. That obviously doesn’t work!!

Rick Steves Silk Money Belt, Natural, One Size

A simple and low cost investment in a moneybelt for women ensures that you get the most of your holidays, and will leave you worry-free so you can concentrate on more important things, such as enjoying your well-deserved trip. Remember that the entire objective of a traveling & having a holiday is to have fun, no hassle…! Just follow the simple travel tips above and you can head your way to an enjoyable travel. The moneybelt for women will help you to make it a success! It is the most popular moneybelt around, and has received many 4 and even 5 star customer ratings. I am sure that it will bring you peace of mind! The Rick Steves Silk moneybelt won’t disappoint you!

One excerpt form a review: ” I used this moneybelt when I was in Costa Rica for a week in May. It rained every day but my money, passport & other papers stayed dry and secure in the plastic pocket! I was afraid that it might be uncomfortable or sweaty with the heat, but I wore it under my waistband on my lower back and it dried out very quickly every night.”

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Rick Steves Silk Money Belt, Natural, One Size

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Mini folding bike : great for commuting!

Ever stranded on a station without a taxi stand and you just missed the bus? On those occasions you wished you had a mini folding bike under your arm! No more waiting! Or perhaps you are sick of the claustrophobic, dirty tube and underground stations of the big city? A mini folding bike takes you wherever you want, without needing to go underground..!

Personally I work in a rural area where only a car can take you. In the morning it takes me 1 ½ hours to get there, and in the evening 2 hours back because of the inevitable traffic jam. Since I purchased a mini folding bike, I can leave the car at home. I leave home on my small, yet comfortable mini bike and take the train to the station closest to where I work. No traffic jam, just me and my bike in the train. In the train I simply put it next to my seat without hindering anybody. While everybody else is waiting for the bus, I effortlessly unfold my mini folding bike and bike away happily to work! Fun and easy. And, very environmentally friendly, and friendly for the wallet. These bikes are not a big investment at all, if you chose the right one. Long gone are the days that they were heavy, and that you had to avoid wearing white trousers!

What mini folding bike suits your needs?

There are many different kinds of mini folding bikes and they come with many different features. One can find a mini folding bike that fits your specific needs. They work really well for people who live in cities or dorms. Why? Simple! They require very little storage space.

Hikers also like these mini folding bikes because of the fact that they can ride parts of the trails they take and when the terrain is to rocky and impassable by bike; they can simply throw their mini folding bike on their back.

Mini folding bikes are also great for boat travels or short excursions, even by air. From a health perspective, the benefits are plenty. Daily biking can be a good workout. As you are well aware, regular physical activity is something that all doctors recommend. Riding your bike periodically can greatly help one’s overall health.

Schwinn Loop 7-Speed Folding Bike

Riding a mini folding bike also offer a great sense of leisure relaxation. You can unwind from your long day by riding your mini folding bike. You just grab it and go. It takes the stress out of having to lug around a heavy bike. It is much easier moving a compact easy to carry bike.

I use it mainly for commuting to work. But many people use these mini bikes for leisure. Indeed, these mini folding bikes are designed for the best comfort and ease of use. There has been much thought and research put into how a mini folding bike should be made. These mini folding bikes make the whole ride as comfortable as possible by creating the best ergonomically possible riding posture. This allows one to go even on extended rides without discomfort.

 Schwinn Loop 7-Speed Folding Bike

Biking is a great way to explore the great outdoors, exercising and having fun. As with any outdoor sport, selecting the right equipment and an understanding of the sport will be the key to a great adventure. Selecting your bike is a personal choice and contingent on the type of riding you will do. Bikes come in all different styles, shapes, and prices, therefore selecting the perfect one for you can be difficult. A good mini folding bike becomes the best choice of many people especially to those who are health conscious.

Where it also comes in handy is while camping! Nowadays these campings are absolutely huge. Me and my family use it to get to the shop, the swimming pool, etc. Great!

The one I have is the Schwinn Loop Folding bike. Why this one? I researched the internet and found this one has the best and most positive reviews. It has 7 speeds, is made of alloy, and can be unfolded within seconds! In addition to its light weight, it has good breaks, and is very reliable. It fits in the trunk of a compact car. In short, and ideal mini folding bike!

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Motion Sickness Medicine for Carefree Travel

Motion Sickness

If you suffer from motion sickness you will have to take precautions before you travel. Motion sickness is also called kinetosis. It is a condition which involves a disagreement between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system‘s sense of movement. Luvkily there is a motion sickness medicine available.

Motion sickness can be caused by travel by sea, by car, or by air. If you suffer from motion sickness you have the following symptoms. You will feel:

-       dizzy

-       tired

-       nauseous.

Unfortunately for the traveller, vomiting will not help to feel relieved from motion sickness as long at the motion continues. This is a great difference from regular sicknesses. many people are trying to find the right motion sickness medicine.

The individual experiences of motion sickness are all different, and the sickness may not always happen with every type of transportation. Some people may get motion sick on a boat, but not in a car. Others may get sick when traveling by train but not by air.

Without going to deep into the symptoms, I will mention just a few common ones before suggesting three different solutions.  The symptoms involve feeling dizzy, sweating, nausea, producing more saliva in the mouth than usual, and –ultimately- vomiting. Usually people feel it coming, and try to minimize the effects. People usually find they don’ t suffer from motion sickness when they drive their car. The reason for this being that the sensors of their brain view the scenery that flashes by differently than when they are in the passenger’s seat. Some people get sick when they travel by train. In case you are susceptible to motion sickness when you are a car passenger, do avoid a window seat on a train. And try to avoid seats that face backwards! Pregnant women can suffer from motion sickness due to the changes taken place in their body. Children are also quite susceptible to it. The good thing is, they can grow over it!

Precautions you can take

Motion Sickness

There are various precautions you can take to help prevent the effects of motion sickness. Children should try to avoid playing games (difficult!) or reading books in a car or train when they suffer from motion sickness. It is advisable to let them ride in the middle seat in order to offer them a view out of the front of the vehicle. This is much better than a peripheral vision from the side windows. Offer your kids a light snack before travel. Consider snacks such as crackers accompanied by water.  Also important: do not travel on an empty stomach or after eating a substantial meal. You could carry some extra clothing for children, so you have a clean set when they end up vomiting on their clothing. The latest research shows that ginger is an apparently good cure against motion sickness. There are tablets and pills around for those who do not like the smell and taste of ginger.

For many, however, the above precautions do not help sufficiently.

Motion Sickness Medicine: three products recommended

For those, an over-the-counter or –if all fails – medication on prescription, may be required if they want to travel without problems. Make sure you follow the instructions of such medications, and do not exceed the recommended doses. If the instructions mention that it should be taken with food or water, please do so.   Several medications require to have a full stomach some time prior to departure so pay attention to this.

One good product against motion sickness is Motion Ease. The good thing about this oil is that it is all natural. The symptoms of motion sickness begin in the inner ear. When Motion Eaze oil is applied just behind the ear lobe, the oil is absorbed through the skin. The active ingredients travel to and calm the inner ear, in turn, calming symptoms of motion sickness. And Motion Eaze appears to be among the most effective motion sickness treatments currently on the market. It is formulated to provide fast relief from symptoms, and, importantly, it has no known side effects.

The Sea Band: easy and perfect for kids and adults!

Sea-band against motion sickness

Another perfect motion sickness medicine, but this time against sea sickness is a so-called ‘sea-band‘.

It comes in colours for kids and there is one for adults.

It gives immediate relief, and will works as soon as you put it on your wrist. Best is to put it around your wrist a few minutes before traveling.

There is no need to take any drugs, and has no side effects whatsoever. Check this out. It is entirely drug free and works against nausea, travel and even morning sickness!

It is not only cool, it also works!

Sea-Band Child Wristband, 1 pair “colors may vary”

My daughters are using it with much success. Since they use it, they both travel without any problems.

How does the Sea band work? It works through a pressure point, just three fingers away from the wrist. This is the so-called Nei-Kuan point, well-known from acupuncture. The Sea-band comes in a package with two bands. I use one for each kid, but you can also use two for a kid.

Sea-Band Child Wristband, 1 pair “colors may vary”

Sea-band against motion sickness

     Sea-Band Child Wristband, 1 pair “colors may vary”

Sea band is multifunctional. It also works against nausea such as morning sickness and after operations.

Doctors explain how:

A third medication I want to mention is again an all natural product: Quease Ease. This product works against all types of motion sickness: Sea Sickness, Car Sickness, Morning Sickness and Boating. Quease Ease is drug-free, all natural, and consists of a unique blend of essential oils. It was formulated to calm the queasiness associated with surgery and anesthesia and works very well for soothing motion sickness.

However, no motion sickness medicine is 100% fool-proof. Some people experience it only once in a while and others deal with it all the time. Try to get to some fresh air if possible. That is perhaps the best among travel tips there is. If you are on an airplane turn on the air above you and take slow, deep breaths. You will find bags offered in case you do end up having to vomit.

You can also try to make your way to the bathroom where you will have more privacy. You are surely not the only one who has problems with motion sickness. The fact that the mode of transportation you are taking may be full during the holiday season can be stressful. But you will never have to see most of them ever again. You may want to carry extra clothing with you for those in your part that do suffer from motion sickness, especially children who may end up vomiting on their clothing.

In any case, don’t let your travel plans be halted due to fear of suffering from motion sickness. There is much you can do with pills, provided they are natural and cause no side effects like the ones mentioned. Motion sickness medicine is there to help you!

Best Travel Tips & Advice

Travel safely!

It’s always exciting to plan for a trip, whether by car, airplane or ship.  Here are some of the best travel tips before starting out on your adventure.

You Can’t Take Your Closet With You! So many times, people pack way too many clothes and it is a wonder they can find a suitcase large enough to accommodate them.  Coordination is the key word to packing clothing.  Pick just a few interchangeable clothes that work together, cutting down on the number of items to pack.

Try to avoid materials that wrinkle very easily. You do not want to spend your entire vacation ironing.  A pair of jeans are great because they can be interchanged with a variety of tops and will withstand numerous wearing.

Pack only two pairs of shoes: shoes for great comfort, in case you will be doing a lot of walking, and a pair of formal ones for a special night out. Evening wear can be placed in a wardrobe bag with a hanger. Most airlines have closets to accommodate these bags.

Packing Tips

On Foreign Soil

When traveling abroad there are certain precautions you should take.  Double check that you have all important documentations, such as your passport and perhaps your driver’s license. Use traveler’s checks instead of cash, and carry only one creditcard.  Always keep them in a safe place to protect them from theft.  Most hotels will have a main safe or there will be a safe in your room. Keep your wallet and passport in a money-belt wrapped around your waste, and under your clothes.

Gather as much information as you can, regarding the area you visiting.  You want to know if there are places to avoid, or the travel time to theme parks and resorts.  Checking with the bureau of tourism, for that area, is a great place to start.  It’s also a good idea to get the address and telephone number of the nearest embassy to your location.  Never say never; an emergency might always pop up.

Upon arrival at your destination, take the hotel van –if there is one- or hire a limousine.  If you are traveling in a foreign country and do not speak the language, you might not be able to communicate with a cab driver.  Also, some cabs are not reputable, you could end up spending a fortune for that ride to the hotel or worse, something could happen to you. If only taxis are available, discuss the price before stepping into the car. This will give you the possibility to negotiate with other taxi drivers, and will avoid confusion or worse afterwards.

Safe Hotel Travel Tips

Safe Hotel Tips

Although most reputable, star-rated hotels have excellent security, you still need to be cautious. Doing a thorough room search is smart and highly advisable.  Have one of you stand by the open door to your room, while the other searches the room.  Look in closets, the rest room, under the bed and behind curtains.  If you have separate rooms, make sure you’ve done a room search in both.  You do not want to find an unwanted person in your room.  Flight crews who frequently stay in hotels across the world, use this practice.

Anytime you leave your room, make sure your door is totally shut and locked.  Leaving a light on or the television running, while you are gone, is just another security.

Never travel along dark, unlit streets, keep your bag safely tucked under your arm, carry money inside your clothing and be aware of your surroundings, including people nearby.

Timeshare Might Be For You

Timeshare has become extremely popular with travelers as they can get far more amenities than hotels offer.  Owners of a timeshare might have a week within a year that will not be convenient for them.  As they will have to pay for the timeshare, whether they use it or not, many owners will rent them out.  There are various places you can find people renting their timeshares, such as ebay.

Not only will you get great privileges and great accommodations, you can actually save money along the way.  These timeshares are usually condominiums or specious suites.

You could save some serious money by preparing your meals in their full-sized kitchens instead of eating out every day.  Many of these timeshares are located much closer to or within resorts and theme parks.  As an example, Disney offers timeshares that are literally inside their parks.  Think of the money you could save on cabs or car rentals.

Here’s the really great news, you can find timeshares anywhere in the world right from your computer.  Look around and see if this might be a good alternative for you.

These are just a few travel tips that could make your vacation a lot less expensive and worry-free, allowing you to just have an exceptionally wonderful time.

Great tips for traveling with kids

Traveling with kids can be fun!

What a joy to be traveling with kids!

It is great to have them with you on your travels. It opens up their eyes to more knowledge and discovery. By bringing along your children on your travels, it will bring them even closer to your heart. If you take along kids on your travels, you would need to be well prepared.You are here to find some great travel tips.

They have special needs to which we have to respond. With the tips below, it will help to get your self prepared for a great holiday! Here are some great travel tips.

First of all, some vital items you need to bring along when traveling with kids:

• Their favorite cuddly/ stuffed animal (This is really crucial stuff. We sometimes tend to overlook how important these can be!
• Lots of wet tissues (multi-functional)
• Sunscreen
• Diapers (depending on their age)
• Band-Aids and Tylenol or aspirin
• Antiseptic hand gel
• Telephone numbers of medical Doctor
• Plug-in nightlight (so it feels safe and can find the bathroom at night)
• Zip lock bags (very handy for collecting shells, wet clothes, and storing food)
• Sunglasses / hat
• Extra set of underwear (not deep-down in a suitcase!)

Children are usually not too fond of looking out of the window of the car when traveling and looking at the wonderful natural surroundings…! They’d rather play with their favorite games and toys! Do not forget those, and of course, bring along sufficient crayons and paper. I always have the back of the passenger’s seat packed with stuff for kids: deck of cards, safe scissors, pencils, paper. A very nice memory game to consider is the Flip and Win memory game by Melisa and Doug. I have used it a few times when traveling with kids and they absolutely adore it! It keept them busy for quite a while, and it trains their memory! This is a great one among travel tips!

When my kids were around 5/ 8 years old they have been busy for hours on end with a tiny recording device! They could record funny noices and played them over and over again! Really great stuff! Do take along if you have one! Great travel tips?

Since there will likely be people from other states or countries traveling as well over the holidays, make a game to identify cars from as many states or countries as possible. You could consider having a list with you and then they would mark them off the list once they are identified. Or you can buy a ready-made license plate game like this one, provided you are traveling with kids in the United States:

Consider having a photo of your kids in your wallet – in case you loose them in a crowded area. I have a band that I wrap around their wrist with my mobile number on. Never had to use it, but you never know!

If you take your own car as a means of transport for vacation you avoid the hassle at an airport. In addition, it is less expensive. Especially if you are planning to go on holiday during the holiday season. If your car is too small, you can consider renting a mini-van or a larger car. Try to make sure you have plenty of room for the children and for all the stuff you need to take with you. As an alternative, you could consider buying a container on top of your car.
When traveling by car, do not forget sunscreens. Kids are not fond of looking outside anyway. It prevents them from getting hot and bored. In all likelihood they will fall asleep during the road trip, so bring along a pillow and a blanket. Obviously, you cannot expect them to sit still for hours on end or to keep quiet when they have no activities to undertake. Plan your trip so that you can stop every three hours at a rest area along the way, and let them run around for a while and make a pee even if they say they do not need to..!

What I have done for years now, is to buy a small present for each before leaving. They are allowed to open it as soon as we are on the highway. They love the anticipation to open the present and will play with the toy for hours. I do the same on the way back. If you do this every year, it gets a tradition all kids will surely like!

A Huge Lifesaver!

It is advisable to for long road trips when traveling with kids to purchase a portable DVD system with monitors so the children can watch movies during their travel. They are rather modest in price nowadays. They can be a huge lifesaver! Kids will be fully entertained, will love it, and will be quiet. With a bit of luck they will fall asleep as well. Do not forget to take these monitors out of the car when you leave the car at night!

Of all portable DVD players with screens I have seen I find this one the best. Why? It has two large 7-inch screens, and it comes with 5 hour built in battery life. Nothing more annoying than having run out of batteries..! And it is not expensive considering the fun the kids will definitely have.

You can also play a game where one person asks a question (what animal have I got in mind?) and then each person in the car gets the chance to ask a question. Is it bigger than a cat? The other person is only allowed to answer with a yes or a no. This can go on for hours! Other questions can be very simple. Like ‘what is your best memory’. Surprising what you get to hear! In addition to pass the time in a nice way, you will get to learn a great deal about your kids and they will learn more about you as a person.

Inevitably there comes a time when they have run out of all games they played..! They are bored and wish they had already reached the destination..! (This may have already happened to you..!) That is the appropriate time to play a CD with fun songs for children to listen to and to sing along with.one of the free games that can be played basically anytime

Last but not least, do not attempt to speed while traveling with children in the car during the holidays. You want to arrive safely at your destination. In case it takes a little longer, perhaps because you are in a traffic jam or otherwise, why not spend that time bonding with your children and play a mind-game?

Some advice for you: don’t forget yourself!

There is nothing more annoying than empty batteries in your cell-phone. Do take a solar charger along to ensure you can always make a telephone call or send a text massage when you need to! And consider a Kindle Fire! You may also want to have some fun on the road (in the passenger’s seat that is..!) You can watch movies, read books, listen to music, etc. Your kids will definitely want to borrow it from you!! Have fun!

Is Travel Industry a Green Industry?

Green Industry

Human activities are fundamentally changing the globe’s climate through increased greenhouse gas emissions. These gas emissions allow large-scale worsened health conditions, and have social, economical & ecological effects. There is also an abundance of scientific evidence, that many predicted changes take place in the environment at the time of writing this very blog. What is not so clear, however, is how a change of climate affects the travel industry in particular, and exactly what hotels and also the travel industry and travel agencies could do against this. Shouldn’t they become a green industry?

One notices restricted water supplies, a decrease in snowfall, more rainfall during seasons that used to be dry, or a much longer rain season. These are all potential dangers that could well have a negative impact on travellers, and on their choice of destination. Asia is a case in particular. Especially in Asia, rain seasons seem to last much longer every year with heavier rainfall flooding the islands in Indonesia which is taking on dramatic proportions.

What I would like to suggest is that the travel industry could help out and contribute to reducing Co2 output. Because of the green image it gets, the lodging industry could well benefit. There are a range of possibilities. The benefits could range from reduced operating costs to an increase in energy efficiency. Not unimportantly, it will build goodwill among travellers.They love great travel tips and being green.

Firstly the lodging industry should become aware of its own gas emissions, and what possibility it has of reducing the green house effect. If the travel industry wants to become green and wants to know what it emits, there is a so-called ‘greenhouse gas inventory’. This inventory documents the sources and the quantity of the greenhouse gas emissions, counting carbon dioxide (CO2), hydroflurocarbons (HFC), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), nitrous oxide (N2O), perfluorocarbons (PFC), and methane (CH4). Think of boilers and generators, cars and buses, electricity purchases and of course, the generation of waste. For guidance and methologies one can turn to the Climate Registry, which is a non profit organization and ‘The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative’.

If you have such a survey, and adapt the systems according to their advice, you have cost-saving efficiency opportunities while managing the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, and gaining an advantage because you address greenhouse gas-emissions at an early stage, and, not unimportantly, get recognition by travelers as a leader in reducing Co2.

By cutting on energy use it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also lower energy bills! In case the travel industry also reduces its use of fossil fuel that is used in its vehicle fleet, by turning to more efficient vehicles and using alternative fuel, it will gain respect from visitors. And.. it  will pay respect to the wonderful globe we are all living on! The Travel industry should become a wholly green industry! I hope you like these great travel tips!

For  good, informative blogs on green energy and renewable energy please see: www.greenenergyplatform.net

Great travel tips when to travel to Asia

Travel to Asia

Here you find some great travel tips for Asia. Asia, as you know, is made up of many different countries with different weather patterns. If you want to travel to Asia, you will have to carefully consider  before you chose the best time to go on holiday. For instance, Hong Kong has a subtropical climate. It has hot, humid and wet summers with a cool, but generally dry winter. Hong Kong has a season with typhoons  which usually lasts from July to August. In Hong Kong the autumn season lasts from late Septem­ber to early December. This is generally the best time for visiting because the temper­ature and the humidity has fallen and you will have  many clear and nice, sunny days. Soem further great travel tips: If you consider to travel to  Macao: it  has a similar climate but the summers are a little more bearable because of the greater exposure to breezes from the sea. Macao also has lots of womderful trees that can provide  shelter during hot summer days!

Great travel tips for Japan

You might consider traveling to Japan. This country lies in the northern temperate zone in which spring and autumn are really the best travel times. Hokkaido excepted, the large Japanese cities are extremely hot during the summer. The island of  Hokkai­do is very cold in winter! If you have the time to yourself and can travel whenever you want, you should avoid  seasonal vacation periods, such as  school holidays. In those times, you will not be alone when  visit­ing temples, and palaces.

Soem further great travel tips. Let’s take another country in Asia: Korea. This beautiful country  is  located in the Northern temperate zone, characterized by a spring and an autumn that are really the best times for travel or holiday. In Korea, its  deep blue skies of late september or October and early november with its warm and sunny days and cool evenings are the best. Although it tends to be a little windy, the time of spring is also very pleasant for a holiday or traveling to Korea. There is a short but a very pronounced wet season that starts at the end of June and lasts into early August. More than fifty per cent of the yearly rainfall takes place in  this period, and it is usually rather humid and hot.

Thailand has a hot and tropical climate with a high humidity. The very best time for travel is between November to February. The period between March and May is extremely hot and the wet season comes with the southwest monsoon during June and lasts to October..

Malaysia has no marked wet or dry seasons. The time between October and January is the wettest period on the East coast.  For the West coast of Malaysia this is October and November. Sabah also has a tropical climate. Therefore  October and April-May are generally the best times for a visit. Sarawak is seldom uncomfortably hot, but on the other hand can be extremely wet. Luckily, the phenomenon of typhoons is virtually unknown in Eastern Malaysia.

The Philippines have a similar climate to Thailand, with its best time to travel during the dry season from November to March. The time between March and May is often dry and very hot. The Southwest monsoon always brings the rain from May to November. The islands north of Samar through Luzon can unfortunately be affected by typhoons during the period between July and September. The Visayas Islands, Mindanao and Palawan, are af­fected (but not so much) by the southwest monsoon. But it is still possible to travel comfortably during the wet season to the south of Samar Island, where long sunny periods are usually interspersed with rather heavy rain.

And the last one among great travel tips: Singapore. Singapore has no pronounced wet or dry season. The even, constant heat is mitigated by sea breezes while the frequent rainshowers have a small cooling effect.

Hopefully this article will be of use to you in case you are planning to travel to  Asia.

Realize how Easy Travel is?!

Modern technology has made travel easier!

In the series of great travel tips, a blog on easy travel. Traveling nowadays is incomparable to what it used to be only a few decades ago. We can barely imagine what it was like to travel without a portable telephone. We are fully accustomed to it – I’d say even addicted to it-  but I very well remember the days that I had to try and find some post-office in a tiny village Greece, Yugoslavia or Italy where I could phone my parents with a collect-call to say all was well (and that I needed some more money..). I just phoned on the off-chance they were in. If not, I had to try finding yet another local post-office to go through the same procedure. Often enough the post-office was closed for siesta, or –if open- it was impossible to get a connection, or the line was bad. I am talking of a holiday during the late 1980s only! How primitive we were at the time..! My two kids cannot imagine how life was then. Certainly no question of easy travel!

With a cell-phone and obviously a dependable, good provider you barely need to carry lots of maps with you, depending on whether the area you are travelling to. At least, maps of large cities are no longer necessary to put in your bag. And think of addresses of hotels or restaurants, Michelin guides and hotel guides! You can also leave your address book behind, your games, your cross-word puzzles, your little stereo or radio, and if you have an iphone or blackberry of some sort there is no need to go to an internetcafe. And, I am forgetting another very important device: large and heavy and in many cases fragile. Indeed, the video camera! Incredible that we are so much helped by one single device, the cell-phone! Am I getting old that I notice these changes, by the way..?! Having a cell-phone is just one of the many devices that enables easy travel! It makes modern traveling so much more comfortable and safer.

One of the devices I have only recently bought for holidays is a Kindle Fire e-reader for reading many hundreds of books. I usually carry around two or three books while traveling. No longer now!! Another great advantage is that my entire family can enjoy it!

All in all, travel is so much easier nowadays thanks to technology! I hope you liked this blog on great travel tips!

Highly recommended: the Kindle Fire, Full Colour 7 inch Multi-touch Display, Wifi!

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Holiday is good for the brain!

What holiday does to the brain

This is number one of the series great travel tips! Just sit back, close your eyes, and relax for a minute or tow and simply allow your mind to wander wherever it wants. Do not try to think of anything in particular. Did you ever wonder what’s going on inside your brain when your mind is in the relax mode like a moment ago? It turns out that the brain is rather active then! One of the astonishing qualities of a brain is its enormous appetite for energy which can account for a mere 2% of body weight, but burns an amazing 20% of the total number of calories that are consumed by the body. You may think that the brain in the relax mode would probably be conserving energy until it gets another task, but this is hardly the case..! Energy consumption of a brain that has been granted a rest decreases by 5% if compared to a brain at full swing. Recently, scientists named the energy consumed during a rest the dark energy of a brain. Why? Because the massive energy consumption during this ‘rest period’ is one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in neuroscience nowadays. Travel tips are so god to read!

What actually happens to the brain when on holiday?

The state of the brain at rest is called the default mode network (DMN). This can be described as a collection of brain regions that exhibit greater activity during rest periods than during performance in effortful cognitive tasks. This pattern of activity is associated with daydreaming as well as a light sleep. Whilst researchers did not determine the full range of processes that the brain undergoes at rest, recent evidence has revealed that resting brain abnormalities are associated with autism, schizophrenia, depression, and Alzheimers disease. In a recent study, which has been published in PLoS One, researchers in Japan at Tohoku University have found a link between general intelligence and creativity on the one hand side and the DMN on the other.

Researchers have scanned brains of 63 rather healthy volunteers during rest whilst using functional MRI to measure the cerebral blood flow (CBF) in different regions of the brain. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is a good way of measuring brain activity since regions with greater activation are demand more oxygen delivery via the blood. In order to measure the general intelligence, researchers administered a standard psychometric test to volunteers. And creativity was assessed by using a divergent thinking test that assesses the ability to think in unique ways and generate novel ideas very quickly.

‘Brain imaging’ has shown that individuals who have scored higher on measures of intelligence have also showed higher blood flow in the gray and white mass of a brain at rest. Similarly individuals who have demonstrated greater creativity exhibited higher blood flow in regions of white matter at rest but not gray mass.

What exactly does this mean? Gray mass is the portion of brain tissue consisting predominantly of nerve cell bodies which may well be thought of as the processing centre of nerve cells. White mass (or white matter) consists of nerve fibers that are covered by myelin, a protein coating responsible for the white appearance, which transmit electrical signals from one nerve cell to another. If we use a computer network as analogy, the gray matter would be the actual computers and the white matter is the network cables connecting the computers. The authors of this research are speculating that more blood flow to gray and white matter in individuals with a higher intelligence may well be an indication that they have more active brains intrinsically. It is of course possible that brains which are more active at rest are undergoing specific biochemical processes to increase the integrity and the system’s efficiency.

Creative individuals have also showed more white matter blood flow, but no difference in gray matter. This makes sense because white matter is involved in the overall connectivity of the brain and a key aspect of divergent and novel types of thinking is greater communication among distinct regions of the brain.

These results do offer exciting findings as to the function of the brain’s mysterious dark energy. The brain is actually not a machine that has an off & on state!  Rather, the brain is a dynamic system that engages in integral processes on a continuous basis, especially when we are unaware of it as with day dreaming and sleep.
Findings from research on the brain’s DMN suggest an alternative to the old adage  of  ‘an idle mind is the devil’s workshop’. The great mathematician Henri Poincaré once observed regarding his own creative process:  ‘Often nothing good is accomplished at the first attack. One takes a rest; and then all of a sudden the decisive idea presents itself to the mind’. And indeed an idle mind may well be a very useful tool to solve a problem, while coming up with an innovation, or simply maintaining a very healthy brain.

I hope you like this blog on what travel and holiday does to your brain! want some more greta travel tips? Click here for some great travel tips!

The most enjoyable travel video ever: Where the Hell is Matt..! You should watch this when you feel low and need a holiday!

Why travel?! Why do you travel?

100-reasons-to-travel

Another blog on great travel tips! Traveling and going on holiday is as old as the world. Many people engage in traveling, some go on round-the world trips, others just take a breather and travel only a few miles outside their homes. The most fanatic among us already start planning the next holiday while still away from home, lazily lying on our beach towel in the lovely sun and enjoying the great sight of a sun setting. What is so magnetic about traveling? Can you imagine what a life would be without traveling? Why do we all feel we are fully alive when we are on holiday? I am sure we all have different reasons for traveling.  I have met people who have never traveled (one farmer who was fond of his own farm with his own beloved cows and sheep) and have no intention of ever doing do. Can you imagine? You are born on a planet that you have no intention of exploring outside of your area. It happens..! But what a waste of a life.  I think there is something fundamentally different in the mindset of those who love to travel and those who don’t. ‘Why travel‘ is not easy to explain.

Most people travel out of curiosity

A curiosity to see the world they live in, to travel to far away places and because they want to learn others cultures. They want to see the difference between their culture and others. Traveling is fun seeing and experiencing other cultures, other food, oter habits and meeting other people.  I travel because I am amazed at the world’s beauty and great variety of landscapes . It is immensely gratifying to enjoy the richness of our globe, and to be grateful of being alive and being able to see all this beauty. Interestingly, you view your own country with completely different eyes when you have traveled.  Usually you also get milder in your opinion. And.. you experience that we are all basically the same species, with similar longings and feelings.

Why travel? Other people travel not so much out of curiosity, but driven by a need to get away from their stresssful life. They wish to forget everyday tediousness and be free from routine by going on holiday. It indeed helps for a while..!

Traveling is not only for the rich and privileged.  Whether  poor or  middle class or wealthy, the world looks the same for all of us. The means of travel might be slightly different (..), but nonetheless  you can travel as long as it fits your budget. Travel and holidays are always fun, exciting, rewarding and a great learning opportunity. Want to read some more great travel tips? Click here!