Travel Tips: The One Item Every Traveller Should Have In Their Bag

by Lindsay Shapka in , ,


Whether you are going to a posh hotel or living out of a backpack, there is one must-pack item that will come in handy no matter what situation you find yourself in. 

This must have, can’t live without, multi-use item is a simple, inexpensive piece of fabric — a sarong.

Many of you might think that I’m crazy — sarongs are for girls to wrap around their waist at the beach right? Well yea, that is one of the uses for them, but if you bear with me, I bet I can convince you that, male or female, rich or poor, a sarong is a fantastic travel investment.

Use it as a blanket, pillow or sheet

Have you ever been cold on a plane, train, bus or car trip?

A sarong makes a great blanket and can even be bunched up and used as a cushy barrier between your head and the cold, glass window.

Have you ever found yourself sleeping in a hostel or cheap hotel with questionable bedding?

Most sarongs are long enough to cover your body, which means that they will be the perfect buffer between you and the less-than-clean duvet cover you find yourself stuck with.

Use it as a towel

There is nothing more disgusting than a backpackers towel. It never gets a chance to dry completely and never gets washed much.

Quick dry towels made specifically to save space and for travellers are better, but they are never big enough to wrap completely around your body and they will often dye your skin the first few times you use them (trust me — I know from personal experience — that nothing makes you stand out more than a blue face).

A sarong is usually made of quick drying fabric and so makes a perfect, large towel to wrap around your body when stepping out of the shower or spending a day at the beach. 

Use it for modesty

If touring around churches, temples, or religious sights it is inevitable that there are parts of your body that will need to be covered at some point in time.

The problem is that most of these sights are located in countries that have sweat-inducing weather, and so wearing long sleeves and pants while exploring is not a realistic option.

Throwing a lightweight sarong in your purse or bag gives you an easy way to cover your shoulders, knees or hair when entering a sensitive area.

This is not just for the ladies either, there are attractions where men are required to have their heads and shoulders covered as well. 

Use it as a scarf or shawl

Need an extra layer on a chilly day? Want to up your travel fashion game?

Wrap your sarong around your neck and you have a perfect accessory that will keep you warm (and fashionable). 

Still not convinced? Here are a few more things to consider:

  • A sarong can be folded or stuffed into the smallest corner of your bag, taking up almost no room, and weighs very little.

  • Sarong’s are incredibly inexpensive and can be bought in almost any city in the world

  • This item is not gender, age, or location specific — use it anywhere!

Got your own ‘must pack’ item? Let me know! 

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5 Unconventional Travel Tips You Won't Find In Your Guide Books

by Lindsay Shapka in , ,


These travel tips, which are not usually found in guide books, are guaranteed to help make your trip a lot more fun! 

1. Fill a zip-lock bag with balloons, bobby pins, and temporary tattoos representing your country.

Rather than giving out money, the balloons and bobby pins are great little gifts for young children that you will inevitably come across in the course of your travels.

The tattoos are great to give as gifts too, but can also come in handy in countries where people knowing where you are from (instead of making incorrect assumptions) will keep you safe. It’s a nice alternative to having a huge flag sewn onto your backpack.

2. Bring a pillowcase, not a pillow

A pillowcase can easily be stuffed with clothing to create a make-shift pillow in emergencies and also makes a perfect laundry bag. 

3. Even if you aren’t a journal writing kinda person, pack a small journal and a glue stick 

It is the perfect place to keep the names and contact info for people you meet and to jot down hotel/hostel names and prices of things to pass on to friends and family.

The glue stick will keep you from losing ticket stubs, postcards or other bits that make perfect souvenirs. 

4. BYOWB — Bring Your Own Water Bottle

Preferably a one liter Nalgene-style one with a wide opening. You could easily drop hundreds of dollars buying water while touring around all day, so having your own bottle will save you money.

And, when packing, it is the perfect place to put breakable items like perfumes, or delicate souvenirs, so they won’t get squished or break in your bag. 

5. Buy postcards, but don't send them

Everyone is trying to get that perfect, tourist-free postcard-style shot of the well-known tourist sight, but that is easier said than done.

Sometimes, the best thing to do is to just buy the gorgeous postcard as your souvenir, and focus on enjoying where you are rather than taking pictures. 




Why Maligne Canyon In Canada Will Make You Want to Head North for the Winter

by Lindsay Shapka in , , ,


If you plan on travelling during the winter months, and you live somewhere cold, you are usually headed straight for sand, sun and Pina Coladas.

But, just because temperatures have dropped well below the freezing mark, requiring down-filled jackets and large insulated boots, does not necessarily mean that you should head to the summer skies in the south — especially if you are looking for a unique, tourist-free experience. 

The Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada is one of the Rocky Mountains' most impressive limestone canyons. During the summer months, its hiking trails and bridges are overrun with tourists taking in the stunning views of the smooth, steep walls and the river below. 

As soon as the snow falls however, everything changes.

The trails are covered with snow and ice and, for the most part, visitors to the park stay on the ski hills or next to the warm fire in their hotels, leaving the canyon relatively deserted and quiet.

The cold mountain temperatures freeze the Maligne river, that flows through the canyon, and the waterfalls that cascade down its edge forming breathtaking natural ice sculptures.

With some winter boots or crampons (spikes that attach to the bottom of your boots for walking on ice), you can walk right on the river and to a place that few humans get a chance to visit — inside the canyon. 

Swirling, churning water has worn the layers of limestone rock to more than 50 meters deep in places, making the sky seem very far away when standing on the frozen river.

Because the canyon is narrow, less than a meter wide in some places, and full of small waterfalls, rapids and caves, it is not a place that a boat can safely navigate and so a view at this level is only possible during the coldest months of winter. 

Surrounded by the stunning cliffs, shockingly blue ice and echoing silence, I guarantee that you will not miss the beach for a second. 

Besides, I hear there are a few bars in the town of Jasper that make a mean Pina Colada…




How To Protect Your Travel Funds And Become A Cash-Savvy Traveller

by Lindsay Shapka in , ,


Whether you are a penny-pinching backpacker or a traveller with deeper pockets, everyone loves a great, cash saving travel tip.

These tips will not only help you save and protect your money while you are travelling, but can also lead you to more genuine cultural experiences and — what every traveller loves to collect — some great stories.

First, lets start with a few tips to help prevent any cash-flow disasters:

Before you leave home call your credit card companies 

I can not stress this point enough. If you don’t call, there is a good chance that your card will be canceled or have a hold placed on it right when you have to pay for your hotel room or your expensive dinner.

A simple call alerting them where you are going, and for how long, will prevent any disasters. Many card companies also have toll-free numbers that you can call from international locations if you have any issues. 

Make sure you have a four digit pin number

Your credit and debit cards should work at most ATMs around the world, as long as you have a 4-digit pin number. Anything longer will not be compatible with international banks and cause issues when you try to take out money. 

Remember that exchanging money is not always easy.

It was almost impossible for me to exchange the Budapest forint once I had left the country. Unless you are planning on going back to the country you are leaving, exchange your extra pesosflorinsdrams, and riels before you cross the border. 

Do not keep all of your cash and cards in one place

Even if you are wearing a money belt the entire time you're traveling, it's important to have something extra tucked away just in case. I recommend sewing a small pocket in the bottom of your bag that you can tuck a card and some cash into, or placing a little cash under the insole of your shoe. 

And now for some tips that will help you save cash while still having some incredible experiences:

Unless you are staying in one place, don’t book ahead

Whenever I give this advice, the first thing that people tell me is that they have a limited amount of time and don’t want to risk not having a place to stay. Of course, if you are going somewhere that is hosting a huge event or in the peak of tourist season, booking ahead is definitely the best plan.

But, if you book ahead for the average trip, you run the risk of paying more (you can often get cheaper rates once in the actual country) or staying somewhere that doesn’t live up to its online photos. 

I do recommend booking accommodation ahead of time for the first city you will hit on your itinerary so you have a base to head to, but leave the rest for when you get there.

Here’s why; all hotels, hostels and guesthouses are associated with other hotels, hostels and guesthouses in other cities and countries. They will always — whether you want it or not — have a recommendation for you, and will often even set it up for you at a discount. 

The other reason I recommend not pre-booking is that if you do, you are forced to keep to a schedule. What happens if you want to stay a few extra days or leave early? What happens if you hear about an amazing free concert happening in a city that wasn’t in your pre-planned itinerary? There’s no risk of losing a deposit if you haven’t paid one yet, and not booking ahead allows you to take advantage of the best part of travel — spontaneity! 

Don’t take a tour

There are, of course, exceptions to this rule.

If taking a tour is safer (I took a tour into the Korean Demilitarized Zone for example) or less expensive than doing it yourself, it is absolutely worth it.

I’m referring to the walking, sightseeing, museum tours that, in the age of smartphones and Lonely Planet Travel Guides, are a complete waste of money for the budget traveler. Anything that these human guides are going to tell or show you could easily be discovered yourself with very little effort.

These paid tours are often affiliated with certain restaurants or shops and will usually begin or end with a visit to them where you will be forced to browse or eat in a ‘tourist friendly’, unauthentic environment. So, not only do they often waste your money, but your time as well.

Ask a local

Locals are your most valuable source when it comes to saving money. They are the people who can tell you where the best (affordable) spots to eat, party, and sightsee are. They are also great at giving you tips on how to experience the local (often free) hot spots. 

Remember that the concierge at your hotel (in a hostel, this is not an issue) is not necessarily a "local" when he is doing his job. He is paid and trained to tell you typical tourist things to do. Talk to waiters, bartenders, desk clerks and local business owners for more authentic tips. They are the ones who will be in-the-know about what is going on in their city. 

Only sit down to eat once a day

Limiting your restaurant dining can save you a bunch of cash.

Many hostels and hotels will include breakfast in the cost of the room, but if they don’t you can easily grab a piece of fruit, something cheap from a local bakery or a snack from a street stall. Street food is available all day and every country that I have visited, from Asia to North America has a version of a cafe where cheap sandwiches can be purchased as well. 

Most would pick dinner as their sit down meal, but if you are looking to save everything that you can, I suggest heading to a restaurant for lunch instead. Lunch menus are usually just slightly smaller versions of the dinner menu, and are often $5-10 cheaper. The portion size will still more than fill you up, and you will get the same experience you would if you were there for dinner —without having to worry about what to do with leftovers.

Embrace free entertainment

With the exception of travel in cold countries in the deep of winter, every place I have ever been has had constant street performances. I have seen Italian opera preformed on the street in Venice, acrobatics on the pavement in China, and Mozart played by classical musicians in Vienna. None of these shows cost me more than the donation that I chose to give, and I believe that they were just as impressive — in their own way — as anything I could have seen for full price in a theatre. 

Do a bit of research ahead of time, and you can even time your travels so that you are present for one of the amazing free concerts, celebrations, or street performer festivals that occur at different times of the year all over the world.

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Mosquito Bite Prevention 101: How to avoid getting eaten alive on your next trip

by Lindsay Shapka in , , ,


Nothing can ruin a vacation more than huge, itchy welts all over your body.

I learned the hard way that I react differently to mosquito bites outside of North America when I woke up one morning in Thailand and my eye was swollen shut.

A mosquito had spent the night sucking the blood out of my cheek while I was sleeping.

After the initial shock, of not being able to see out of my left eye wore off, I realized that the entire left side of my body was also itchy and looked down to find even more bites that were quickly swelling to epic proportions. 

To make the situation even worse, my travel buddy, who had been sleeping next to me all night, was completely bite free. 

From that moment on, I decided that mosquito spray was going to have to be my best friend.

Pack mosquito spray (a lot of it)

I know that they are better for the environment and your health, but in my experience, the all-natural or organic bug sprays do not work on the swarms of mosquitos that come from humid, hot climates. 

If you react like I do to foreign mosquitos, stick to sprays that contain DEET. I know, I know, it’s a chemical that can cause side effects if you are exposed to it over the long term, but it’s either that or get eaten alive and potentially contract a fatal disease from one of your swollen bites. In other words, pick your poison. 

The strategy I use is to wear a milder spray (like one of the nicely scented, child-friendly ones) during the day, and then switch to a more intense, deep-woods style spray at night. The heat of the day tends to keep most mosquitos in hiding (though they will still find you when you head to the shade), but they come out in full force once the sun goes down. 

So, other than itchy bites, what are you trying to avoid by using all this bug spray?

There are a few serious diseases that you can get from mosquitos when traveling in tropical and sub-tropical environments:

  • Malaria: there is no cure or shot for this guy, but you can take pills to prevent it

  • Dengue Fever: no cure, no shot, no pills

  • Japanese Encephalitis: there is a vaccination for this one and if you are going somewhere where it is present, get it. This nasty disease can lead to brain damage and death.

  • Yellow Fever: vaccine available and some countries won’t even let you in unless you've had it

  • Zika: no vaccine and the long-term side effects are still being investigated

Don't forget your mosquito net!

Other than wearing mosquito spray (I wore it 24 hours a day when in Southeast Asia), I suggest carrying a mosquito net with you. Many hotels will already have them installed in your room, but it’s better not to risk it. Nets are light, don’t take up much room and are easy to set up. Bring some duct tape and a screw in hook as options to hang it up yourself. 

Pack your own coils and candles

If you are planning on sitting out on decks or balconies at night, it’s also worth packing some mosquito coils or small citronella candles to burn to help keep the bugs at bay. 

Antihistamines are your friends

If you do end up getting bitten, an antihistamine will help with the swelling and itching. When I was in Thailand, one of the pharmacists there gave me Tiger Balm to put on the bites which cooled them off and took away some of the irritation as well. 

Try taking vitamin B12

Mosquitos find people using their strong sense of smell, and it has been speculated that eating bananas or taking vitamin B12 will make your blood smell bad and keep them away. There is no scientific evidence to support this, BUT after I started taking B12 daily (this was recommended to me by a Chinese herbalist), any bites that I got didn’t swell or itch.

Know where risk zones are and where help is available

Lastly, check with your local Traveler’s Health Clinic for updates on risk zones, and know where international clinics are located in the countries that you are headed to so you can find help quickly if you need it.

The CDC has great information about prevention, diseases, and where mosquitos carrying different viruses are located. 

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