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shelleycollinsna · 2 years

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TRAVEL GUIDE TO TORONTO, CANADA AND MY EXPERIENCE STAYING AT HOTEL X TORONTO

Before starting a new journey (moving to Montenegro with our two cats), we decided to take a few quick trips to see family members I haven't seen in years, including my Godparents from baptism, my mother's uncle, and their children, all of whom have been living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada since 1998.

Jonathan remained with my uncle in New Jersey to care after our kitties while I traveled to Toronto to see my relatives. It was a short flight from the United States! This is my 125th nation, and I'm looking forward to meeting new people and seeing a new city! I stayed for four days, and here's a quick travel guide to help you plan your next trip to Toronto, Ontario!

SOME FACTS ABOUT ONTARIO

Ontario is a province in Central Canada that is bordered on the west by Manitoba, on the north by Hudson Bay and James Bay, and on the east by Quebec. It is the only province having direct access to the Great Lakes, which account for 21% of the world's surface fresh water volume. It is home to 14.9 million people, accounting for 40% of the population of Canada. There are things you should consider before planning your vacation, from the languages spoken to the power utilized!

Languages spoken: French and English (mainly).

Ontario is governed by a provincial government and has two capitals: Ottawa (federal) and Toronto (provincial) (provincial)

Summer temperatures can exceed 30°C, while winter temperatures in isolated places can plunge below -40°C.

Canadian Dollars (CAD): 1.00 GBP = around 1.70 CAD

Time Zone: The majority of Ontario is located in the Eastern Time Zone (five hours behind GMT). Ontario is in the Central Time Zone west of 90 degrees longitude (six hours behind GMT).

Electricity in Ontario is 120 volts with a 60 cycle per second alternating current. Plugs with three pins should be used.

WHAT ARE THE BEST PLACES TO STAY IN TORONTO?

As the provincial capital of Ontario, Toronto has a plethora of hotels, so I'm sure you won't have trouble finding a place to stay. Personally, I stayed at Library Hotel Collection's Hotel X Toronto, having previously been at their hotels in New York and Budapest. I can attest for their lovely accommodations and good service; we were never disappointed by their superb hotel or kind treatment!

From the high-ceiling, fully functional, and cozy rooms with spectacular views to Resort-Style Amenities like their 250-seat Cinema, 4 Indoor Tennis Courts & 9 Squash Courts, Dedicated Rooms for Pilates, Spinning, & Yoga, and the massive 3,000 sq ft Kids Activity Centre; and did I mention they're Pet-Friendly, too? This facility welcomes all four-legged guests! I wish I could bring Jon and our animals with me!

I slept in one of their one-bedroom rooms, which provided a stunning view of the city. I also get access to their wine and cheese reception, which is held every afternoon at all of their hotels. They also provided me with a complimentary luxury vehicle shuttle from the resort to the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which is only a 10-minute drive away.

WHAT IS THERE TO DO IN TORONTO AND THE SURROUNDING CITIES?

On the northern beaches of Lake Ontario, Toronto is a dynamic global metropolis. There is an unbelievable quantity of things to do in Canada's largest metropolis! Here are some fun things to do while you're in town!

Take a Day Trip To Niagara Falls From Toronto And Try The Famous Niagara Icewine– This is the ultimate thing to do in Toronto, and you'll be sorry if you don't! The Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls, and the Bridal Falls are three waterfalls that span the international boundary between Ontario and New York. We had planned to go on a boat excursion, but the weather didn't cooperate with us.

Tinggly Experiences, on the other hand, made sure we had a great experience. Our guide arranged for us to visit the Niagara Whirlpool and the Clock, as well as the Skylon viewpoint. It's a fantastic experience, and the Icewine, by the way, is to die for!

Enjoy a Helicopter Trip Over The Niagara Falls for Two– If you're looking for something a little more upscale, I'm sure a helicopter ride would fit the bill. The Niagara Falls are massive, and this journey will only serve to demonstrate how massive and powerful they are! This trip departs from a helipad on the Canadian side of the falls and takes you over the Niagara region, including the Sir Adam Beck generating facility, the Niagara River, and the Spanish Aero Car across the canyon. You'll pass via the Whirlpool Rapids and the Rainbow Bridge on your way to the Skylon Tower and the beautiful Queen Victoria Park, then follow the arc of the Horseshoe Falls. There will be plenty of rainbows on the way!

The CN Tower, as one of Toronto's iconic landmarks, provides a breathtaking view of the city's skyline, which you should not miss. While seeing the skyline from here is lovely, circling the tower hands-free with the Edge Walk, eating at the CN Tower's Restaurant, or enjoying a good wine with such a beautiful view at the world's tallest wine cellar will make your stay even better.

Tour around the National Historic Site of Canada and go shopping at the Kensington Market- A walk around the National Historic Site of Canada is always intriguing, and discovering a few booths offering a variety of fish, meat, cheese, and other local food just adds to the experience. It's also dotted with lovely tiny restaurants that you won't want to miss out on experiencing. Bring cash since I'm confident you won't go empty-handed (with an empty stomach, at that)

At the Aum Ayurvedic And Thai Massage, you may experience the healing power of Ayurveda. It's owned by a friend of ours, and I strongly suggest it, not just because she's my friend, but also because I believe in the therapeutic power of Ayurveda. If you're unfamiliar with Jonathan and myself, we both studied Ayurvedic Massage in India and are aware of its incredible healing power. It is a 400-year-old lifestyle practice aimed at creating body harmony, and the phrase translates to "life knowledge," which might be viewed as precious wisdom. Visit this spa to learn more about this procedure.

Take a journey around the Toronto Islands—you'll be tied to a tiny series of islands in Lake Ontario after a short boat ride from the city. They include parkland, yacht clubs, and various beaches where you may relax. During the summer, check out the Electric Island Music Series and Culture Vultures, where you may marvel at the magnificent artwork at Artscape Gibraltar Point, which is home to 15 resident artists.

The Distillery District, a pedestrian-only hamlet dedicated to arts, culture, and entertainment, is a great place to unwind. It's no surprise that this is a National Historic Site. Its streets are lined with charming cafés, restaurants, shops, and art galleries. It is a popular destination all year since it hosts a variety of festivities and events, such as the well-known Toronto Christmas Market and the Toronto Jazz Festival.

This concludes this guide. It was a short trip, but there's so much to see and see in this region of Canada that I'll surely stay longer next time. Best wishes on your journey!

The post “ TRAVEL GUIDE TO TORONTO, CANADA AND MY EXPERIENCE STAYING AT HOTEL X TORONTO “ was published first on twomonkeystravelgroup.com

Know more about various functional medicine services offered at the Toronto clinic - Toronto Functional Medicine Centre

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adventuresaroundasia · 6 years

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Tinggly: Give the Gift of Experiences This Christmas

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info. Travelers can be some of the most difficult people to shop for. How do you buy a gift for someone who values experiences over “things”? How do you shop for someone who lives out of a backpack, or whose always saving up for the next plane ticket? Sure, there’s plenty of travel gear you could buy, but what if you want…

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#gift #Tinggly #travel

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guardianstar-la-fantasia-blog · 7 years

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Possessive

“Alright Laura-ssi. You’re free to go.” Doctor Park, the assigned doctor for the surgery informed me. I looked at him in bewilderment, “You mean discharged.”

He looked up at me from his report and smiled, “Yes, discharged."

“Congratulations.” The nurse mentioned as she pulled the needle that has been on my arms for 2 months. “Isn’t this what you always wanted? But I have to brief you in a while so call who ever fetching you out and I’ll be right back.”

“Okay…” I mumbled, as I let the news sink in. I grabbed my phone on my bedside and texted my mum, telling her I’m discharged so she wouldn’t have to be worry although there is a high chance that I might end up at home for another months until I am fully capable to work as normal people did.

Normal…

To exercise like how everyone did, to jog, to finally able to learn dancing.

My lips curled upwards thinking of the things I could do with a healthier heart since it was never functioned properly since I am born.

“I’ll call you after you settle down in your own house.” My mum texted me back, “Not your boyfriend’s. Make sure he get you instead of you going over to his place."

“I know… I know.” I replied as I opened another chatroom.

Boyfriend....

I bit my lips thinking about him. He would be busy preparing for his world tour, it wouldn’t be nice for me to call him even though he did told me to call him if any changes happened. While hesitating, the nurse came back with a list of paper and medicine.

“You probably don’t need these anymore…” She mentioned, “But just in case you have hard time adjusting to your new heart, just take the medicine as prescribed and if it gets too painful, you know what to do right?”

“Yes.” I nodded as she lay out the papers in front of me, “Things of do and don’ts. In this one month, until the next check up, you cannot do anything too extreme, no running, no walking fast, no horror stories, nothing. It gonna stay for another month but when you all good, you can do anything you want.”

“Noted.” I nodded as she explained and I packed my stuff before handling my own bills and head home in a taxi. As I opened the studio apartment, in which the house my parents bought since I am living alone In Korea while they are all in Canada, I felt relief. The two months at Hospital was nothing but nightmares, though I should be accustomed by now, but I still hate the smell.

Letting my stuff at the doorway, I closed the door and let myself lay still on my bed. A sigh of relief finally escaped me and I fished my phone out of my pocket.

“I’m home.” I typed and sent it to my boyfriend, which is by now rehearsing. A phone call reach to me almost immediately and I slide my finger across the screen, to be greeted by the voice I missed the most, “What home?”

“My home.” I explained, “My studio apartment. The doctor said I’m all fine to discharge.”

“And you handled everything yourself?” He asked, from his tone, I could hear his frustration so clearly. Instead of explaining, I let my answer short, “Yes.”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“I figured you’ll be busy wi--”

“But you could have just called me.” He sighed, “Don’t go anywhere. Stay there.”

“Jimin-ah…” I called him but there was another voice calling him back in which he reacted, “Yes hyung! I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t come here if you think of ditching your practice.” I told him when I’m sure he is back in line in which he reacted, “My manager wouldn’t let me anyway. Just stay there, I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

“Okay.” I nodded although I knew he couldn’t see me. Then he hang up. I must have fell asleep because I was awaken by the heavy load beside me to see him wearing all black with his hoodies covering his head, “You surprised me.”

“I did rang the doorbell twice. How are you feeling?” He chuckled, grabbing my hand in his. Despite being known to have small hands, whenever he held mine, I feel tinggly as if it just electrified me. My lips perked up a smile when I saw his face, “I’m very well. Never felt better my whole life.”

“What the doctors said?” He asked and I sat up, facing him, “That I couldn’t do anything until the next check up which is in a month, if anything weird happen just rush to the hospital.”

“Good.” he smiled and I pushed back his hoodies, that when I realized he has a huge bag under his eyes with dark circles, “You should have got some rest. I’m fine here.”

“That… I need to talk to you about…” He said and my phone rang in which reminded me that I promised my mum that I’ll call her when I’m settled down and haven’t able to do so.

“Are you fine? Why didn’t you called me?” She asked, “I woke up and just realized that you didn’t bother to call me or anything is everything--”

“I’m fine mum.” I told her as I felt Jimin is playing with my fingers, “Jimin is here with me. So stop worrying. Tell dad I’m fine too.”

“Good. Tell us if there anything happened and we are planning to go to Korea soon.” She mentioned, “We’ll keep you updated. Have a good night sweetie.”

“But Mum!” I called out to realized she already hang up. “She hang up on me.”

“What’s the matter?” He asked as soon as I put the phone away in which I shook my head, “Nothing. My mum is planning to come here and visit but not sure when. She’ll get us informed. What was it you want to talk about?”

“Erm…” He scratched the back of his head and shrugged, “I think maybe… You can just live with us for the next couple of month. At least until Doctor said you are fully well.”

It got me dumbfounded when he hurrily explained, “I talked to the members and they let us to share one of the room while the rest of them will share the remaining room by themselves for a couple of months. Jin hyung said it’s totally fine for you to live with us.”

“But…”

“It is just temporary.” He reassured me, “If you still feel uncomfortable you can have the room all by yourself and I share the room with Taehyung. I can’t take care of you much but at least seeing you for a while at night would be better. At least I don’t have to worry about you living alone.”

“Do I even get to say no?” I sighed in defeat as he smiled, “I promise, just a couple of month or until Doctor confirmed that you’re alright”

That how it begins. Living in a dorm with 7 boys. Though it doesn’t change the fact much because I still have the house all by myself since most of the time, they either be practicing or in their own studio writing songs. It has been alright for 2 weeks until one day Jimin came back and told me we needed to talk.

“What? The guys hated me being here?” I asked him and he shook his head, “NO! Who said that? No! Not that talk. No one hates you. They even worried about you staying alone here. But I’m still not convince myself to let you alone.”

“Park Jimin…” I called him, “I’m alright. How else do I confirm to you that I am?”

“We might be leaving for Japan for a couple of weeks and I can’t leave you alone here knowing you have no one with you.” he said, “Well… At first they said it’s okay to bring you but since they scared that you are not fully recovered yet, so they asked me if I can let you live alone for a couple of week.”

“You didn’t just send me a babysitter don’t you.” I looked at him and he pulled me into his embrace, “Why would I send a babysitter when I would do anything just to be with you. I just told a friend of mine, to bring you food every now and then. His group is currently in hiatus and he said he is okay so…”

I groaned in which he reacted with a laugh and a kiss on my head, “It is only for a while.”

“Can you come back as soon as possible?” I mumbled in his arms and I could feel his nods, “As soon as the concert ended, I’m taking the first flight home.”

====================

They went off for the Japan tour leaving me the whole house by myself. As I was lazying around on the sofa, someone rang the door, “Laura-ssi? I’m Jimin friend. I brought you lunch.”

Relunctantly I opened the door to see someone who is a whole lot taller than me comes in. I noticed his blonde hair with his cap and his face mask but I couldn’t make out who he was until he took off his face mask, “Hi. I’m Taemin.”

My eyes widen in surprised to actually see one of the idol I admired is standing right in front of me.

“Ji--Jiminie send you here?” I asked and he nodded, “Yes. He also want me to make sure that you are alright.”

“I’m more than fine.” I said and noticed that I am getting hyped up in front of him, “I… Sorry… I’m just… I’m a fan. A huge fan of yours. Heard you are preparing for your solo, aren’t you busy with that instead of sending lunch?”

“Jimin said he couldn’t trust anyone else so, I agreed.” He laughed, “I sure hope you’re not allergic to anything.”

“No… I don’t.” I shook my head and headed to the kitchen where we continued our conversation. Days passed and we end up being friends, he would told me about his album preparation while I would told him about how I wanted to have friends but couldn’t since I am in and out hospital too often.

The door bell rang again at exactly 12pm, knowing that it was Taemin, I opened the door for him, “What for lunch today Taemin-ssi?”

“Oppa..” He corrected and put the bags he brought on the table, “I think we are close enough to drop the formalities.”

“If you insists.” I smiled and opened the wrapping to find Ginseng chicken, “Oh! Samgyetang!”

“It is known to be good for health so I end up buying it.” He said. As we are eating, the door unlocked, making us drop our conversation.

“Are you expecting anyone else than me?” He asked in which I shook my head, not long after that Jimin appeared in our sight and we let out a sigh of relief, “For a second I thought paparazzi.”

“I thought it was robber.” I added and we laughed as Jimin took a seat beside me, “Oh Samgyetang.”

“Why are you here?” I asked as Jimin interlaced our fingers in which he shrugged with a playful smile, “They said we have a day off, so tomorrow morning, I’m flying back Japan.”

“Aww…. You should have stay there and get some rest.” I told him. He pushed my head with his index finger, “I’m curious how you are doing. I’m glad to see you two are in good relation.”

“We get to know each other fast… Right oppa?” I looked at Taemin and he nodded, “I thought it going to be awkward but it isn’t. Now I understand why you dated her.”

“Sorry for the inconvenience hyung.” He added in which I realized that Jimin expression is a bit stiff since he came in, “You’re okay?”

“Never better.” he forced himself to smile and stood up, “I just going to wash up a bit. You two eat ahead.”

Taemin end up leaving the house right after he finished his meal, leaving a part for Jimin since he still in the room. Noticing that he has take a longer time to finish washing up, I head into our room to see him with his wet hair playing his phone on the bed.

“You said you just going to wash up a bit.” I asked as I sat on the bed beside him. As he was texting Taehyung, he mumbled, “You got really close to Taemin hyung very fast.”

“Yeah.. Like he said. We hit off with very good note.”

“But it’s only 4 days.”

“So?” I furrowed my eyebrow not understanding what he was trying to say.

“You took more than 3 months to warmed up to me.” He added later on in which I broke out in laughter, “Are you jealous?”

“No.”

“You are."

“I’m not!” he put down his phone and looked at me, “I’m telling you I’m not.”

“Then explain the sudden attitude problem.” I said, still laughing, “You’re too cute to believe.”

“Ah~ I don’t know.” He mumbled and lay his head on my lap, “Want to go Japan with me till next week?”

“You’re being very obssessive now.” I told him as my finger found its way to his hair, twirling his soft and damp hair, “Even if you’re jealous, you should have dry your hair.”

“I’m telling you I am not jealous.” He emphasized again, “I just miss you on tour and we’ll comeback before your check up.”

“My parents coming after the check up.” I told him, suddenly remember the conversation I had with my parents.

“Exactly. It’s all fine.”

“Possessive Jimin is cute.” I giggled in which he propped himself up on his elbow, “How about the manly Jimin?”

“Manly.” I said, almost like a whisper as he closing the gap between us before leaning in for a kiss. It was slow and gentle, as if he was holding a fragile glass. His soft lips against mine reminded me of why I agreed to be his girlfriend.

“I never thought I’ll be like this but I really love you.” He said after the kiss, breathless, “To the point I cannot see you with another guy and wanted to be with you all the time."

“Manly Jimin just came back to possessive Jimin.” I laughed in which he scrunched up his nose, “Pack your stuff, we’re leaving for Japan tonight."

#BTS #BTS Jimin #BTS fanfic #BTS scenarios #One-shot #fanfic #SHINee #Taemin #request

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diy-and-crafts-awesomenes · 4 years

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Unique gift ideas! Tinggly experience gift box | Like My Facebook Page >> https://ift.tt/2jty87z ... Saved from - https://ift.tt/33u4dRg

#DIY #CRAFTS #diy projects #recipes #beauty #tips #followME

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freehealthteacher · 5 years

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20 Best Gift Experiences for Adventurers in 2019 A Tinggly Travel Exprience Order Now $119, tinggly.com It's not really feasible to send a friend or loved one on a vacation; that's something they have to plan for themselves.

#Adventurers #experiences #Gift

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lovesharkstalk · 5 years

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Shark and Wildlife Experience in Florida - Tinggly Voucher / Gift Card in a Gift Box http://dlvr.it/RDv6NY http://dlvr.it/RDv6NY

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rollinbrigittenv8 · 6 years

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My 2017 Travel Favorites (countries, food, gear and more!)

As the end of the year approaches, I want to share my travel favorites from all the experiences that I had in 2017. It was a wild year, one that took me to 28 different countries, led me to 71 different accommodations and gave me some of the most memorable moments of my entire 18 years of travel.

So, here are my favorites from this year of adventures…

Travel Gift

Tinggly This has to be the perfect gift for someone that loves to travel. You choose from one of the ‘experience collections’ and the recipient receives a gift box containing 300 – 500 experiences in over 80 countries around the world that they can choose from. They then have 2 years to redeem one of the experiences. There are even versions that allow 2 people to share an experience together. Birthdays, weddings or any other occasion…who wouldn’t want to receive such a gift? Really creative and fun idea from the folks at Tinggly!

Luggage

Timbuk2 Co-Pilot Luggage Roller With my luggage, things are getting confusing. My excellent Eagle Creek Load Warrior had to be retired as I really gave that thing a beating over the past few years. It was an excellent piece of luggage though and I would highly recommend it. With that said, I decided to replace it with something different – the Timbuk2 Co-Pilot. It’s a smaller company but they make some really quality luggage and this thing is tiny, yet has more volume than my previous bag (up to 50 liters). It fits as a carry-on with any airline, keeps things very organized and is remarkably sturdy (even has ultra-strong skateboard wheels). So, this is my new luggage of choice and I’m loving it so far!

Accommodation

Riad d’Or – Meknes, Morocco Riad d’Or is just silly beautiful, with unique rooms scattered around an old labyrinth-like mansion right in the heart of the old market.

Mango Beach House – Zanzibar, Tanzania It doesn’t get more chill and impressive than Mango Beach House, especially if you want a beachfront room away from the crowds.

Merovigla Studios – Santorini, Greece Mmergovigla Studios just might be the best value on the island of Santorini, with unbelievable views from good-sized rooms and a great location…all for a fraction of what most hotels cost here.

Jaiwana Haveli – Udaipur, India I’ve been using the excellent Jaiwana Haveli on the India tours I lead and with their new renovated rooms, along with their rooftop views, awesome breakfast and lakeside location, this place has become even better.

Food and Dining

Orivy – Hoi An, Vietnam I could eat Vietnamese food at Orivy every day. Everything on the menu was award-worthy.

Fish and Zelenis – Novi Sad, Serbia We found this tiny place by accident while wandering around and we were blown away by the local appetizers and seafood they served. It’s also run by super kind people that treat everyone like an honored guest.

Soy – Berlin, Germany We went to Soy three times in one week during our stay. Let’s just say that doesn’t happen often.

Argo Restaurant – Santorini, Greece Argo just needs to be visited if you’re ever on Santorini – the traditional Greek food, the view, the atmosphere, the staff, it’s all something special.

New Country Visited

Morocco It was my first time to this country and just the landscapes alone were enough to keep me in awe for two and a half weeks. My favorite parts were the seldom-visited, but spectacular, Dades Valley and spending a night out in the Sahara Desert. I loved the experiences so much that I’ve put together another Wandering Earl Tour to Morocco for 2018 in case you’re interested in an unforgettable adventure

Cool Town for Hanging Out

Las Palmas, Gran Canaria My girlfriend and I spent 5 weeks in Las Palmas a few months ago and we liked it so much that it just might become our more permanent home base starting next year. It’s walkable, very affordable and easy to reach, it has beautiful city beaches, great food, a relaxed lifestyle, food markets, history and no shortage of excursion opportunities around the island (that’s an understatement as you have more beaches, mountains, canyons, little villages, national parks, lakes and more to explore). And most of the tourists that come to Gran Canaria stay in other parts of the island, leaving the main town relatively quiet. It’s not a town that many people think about hanging out in for a while but it definitely deserves a look. I have nothing but excellent things to say about this destination!

Tropical Destination

Seychelles I love tropical destinations and islands and beaches and all that. And now I am certain that I have seen the best out there. There is simply no other tropical location like this small Indian Ocean country and the gorgeous beaches, of which there are dozens, make the Seychelles true paradise in every single way. The island of La Digue was my favorite spot. If you like gorgeous beaches and laid-back island life (almost no cars on the island), it simply does not get better than La Digue in particular.

(Boracay came in second for me, a distant second, but nothing can match the Seychelles. Although, here’s a video I made on Boracay last week so that you can have a glimpse of this paradise too.)

Airfare Booking Site

Kiwi.com For years I would use Kayak.com and almost nothing else but this year, it seems that things have changed as I began noticing other websites were offering lower fares much more consistently. And Kiwi.com has become my new favorite because, to put it simply, I’ve found the cheapest fares on this site more times than any other site out there. They also make it easy by often combining separate tickets into one ticket, instead of forcing you to purchase two separate flights yourself if your journey is with more than one airline. That’s a huge bonus when hopping around the world.

Hotel Booking Site

Agoda.com and Booking.com This is a toss up but it’s always one of these two. With Agoda, the prices are often lower and you earn ‘Gift Cards’ almost every time you book with them. In just the past 3 months I’ve racked up $40 of gift card money to use on future bookings. But with Booking.com, once you get to the Genius Member level (only takes 5 bookings), you can really get some good discounts and perks. Between the two, I always find the lowest price for accommodation anywhere I go around the world. (I also use Airbnb a lot when an apartment would be more suitable than a hotel or guesthouse.)

*If you use this Booking.com link, you’ll get $25 off your booking (I will too!).

Travel Credit Card

Chase Sapphire Reserve This credit card is simply incredible. While it’s only for US citizens, the $400 yearly fee is nothing once you see the benefits. Those benefits include a $300 yearly travel credit, Priority Pass membership (access lounges in airports worldwide for free), great medical, trip and luggage insurance, 50,000 point sign up bonus, 3 points per travel dollar spent, Global Entry fee credit and 1.5 times points redemption ($1500 worth of points is actually worth $2250 when you redeem it for travel) and more. I’ve had the card for over a year now and it’s saved me a ton of money, led to a couple of free flights and the airport lounge access has been extra sweet. Well worth looking into if you travel a decent amount!

Headphones

Symphonized NRG 3.0 Earbuds When I wear these on an airplane, I can’t hear any of the noise around me. The noise cancelation is that good and the sound quality when I’m listening to music is excellent too. These are not a $300 pair of Bose noise cancelling headphones, but for $25, they do an awesome job. They’re also very sturdy, great for a traveler like myself that just stuffs everything in their bag.

Travel Clothes

Clothing Arts High-quality, pickpocket proof, good-looking travel clothes. That was the goal of founder and friend Adam Rapp when he set out to create a travel clothing brand. A few years later that brand has grown big time and he’s definitely producing some of the highest quality travel clothes out there. They’re not super cheap but they are super comfortable and super durable while protecting you in very unique ways from potential pickpockets as you travel.

Travel Apps

TripIt I use TripIt pretty religiously as it helps me stay organized. Every travel booking I make, I simply forward to TripIt and just like that everything – dates, airlines, hotels, reservation numbers, reservation details, etc. – are all in order and neatly visible in my app. I pop open the app and I can access any reservation I need in mere seconds.

Trover Trover is great for finding random things to do wherever I might be. Open the app, let it find your location and suddenly you have recommendations, along with photos and usually additional details, of places to visit and check out nearby. It’s better than a guidebook in my opinion and much more enjoyable to use!

WiFox WiFox was created by my friend Anil from FoxNomad.com and it allows you find Wifi networks and passwords in airports all over the world. Choose an airport from the map and a box pops up with the details you need to log onto the internet. All of the information is crowdsourced, allowing you to also add networks/passwords to the app that you find as you travel yourself.

Excursions

Masai Mara Safari, Kenya Our 3 day trip from Nairobi, Kenya into the Masai Mara Game Reserve was an absolute highlight of the year. With barely any other travelers around, we pretty much had the place to ourselves, with a private safari vehicle, a very comfortable and budget-friendly log cabin in the park and endless sightings of the Big 5 as we ventured across the wide savannah each day. We also had a chance to hang out with some Masaai villagers that invited us on a wander through the local town. A lot of people have asked me if a safari in the Masai Mara is really worth doing (and paying for) and I can definitely answer with a huge YES!

Lost Campers Road Trip – USA Renting a van from Lost Campers, we set out for a trip through California a few months ago. And it was brilliant as our reliable van allowed us to explore every destination we wanted to visit (including some remote state forests and mountain ranges) while always having a place to sleep. The van came with all the gear we needed, as well as a comfy mattress inside, and with a handful of locations in the western part of the US, picking up and dropping off the van is a breeze.

*Lost Campers has also given me a great discount code that you can use. The code “WanderingEarl” will get you 10% off ANY Lost Camper campervan, at any of their 4 locations, with no duration limit from December – March 2018

Airline

Qatar Airways For a few years now this has been my favorite airline. From aircraft to comfort to service to price, I’m not sure there’s a better value out there, at least for many of the routes I’ve flown. With that said, I only flew with them a couple of times in 2017 as I was traveling in different regions of the world than normal. But I still haven’t found another airline that matches what Qatar Airways can offer overall.

Specific Flight Route

Yeti Airlines – Biratnagar to Kathamndu, Nepal (right along the Himalayas) Any flight across Nepal is an absolute treat if you get a window seat on the correct side of the plane. A few weeks ago I was able to stare out at the Himalayan Mountains as I soared through the sky, at pretty much the same altitude as some of the peaks. It’s something to experience at least once and will instantly become one of your own travel favorites!

Precision Air – Dar es Salaam to Nairobi (right over the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro) Our February flight in East Africa caught us by surprise when the pilot suddenly announced we were only five hundred meters directly over the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. We rushed to the window on the left side of the plane and looked down. It was absolutely surreal.

And that’s my list of travel favorites for 2017. I’d be curious to hear what some of your favorite experiences, destinations, gear, meals and more might have been from your own travels!

Did I miss something? If you have a question about any of my travel favorites from this year, just let me know and I’d be happy to answer!

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