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The Travel Bucket List - 5 Places You’ve Got To Visit While You Still Can
Like the diminishing rain forests of the world or the waistlines of the world’s top models, there are many gorgeous and mysterious places on this planet that won’t be around for much longer.
Here’s 5 of some of our favorite places on this blue planet you’ve got to visit before they implode, disappear, decline, or vanish along with the apocalypse.
And in no particular order…
1. Machu Picchu
A 15th-century Incan site located almost 8000 feet above sea level, Machu Picchu is a magical place. However because of growing tourism and transportation, it may not be as immaculate as it once was.
2. Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is comprised of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands. However, due to pollution, oil spills, and overfishing, it is diminishing like many other reefs around the world. Just 2 years ago, a bulk coal carrier (the Shen Neng 1) ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef causing an oil slick of heavy fuel oil 2 nautical miles long and the largest grounding scar to date.
3. Plitvice Lake
Located in Croatia, Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and features 16 lakes. Renowned for their wide range of blues and greens, the colours of the lakes change constantly depending on the minerals and organisms at the time.
4. The Norwegian Fjords
See them before they melt away! Alright, probably not in your lifetime, but if the global warming has anything to do with it then they may disappear eventually. Formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley into the surrounding bedrock, many are deeper than sea level. The Sognefjord is 1,308 metres (4,291 ft) below sea level!
5. The Amazon Rainforest
Still as mysterious as Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton’s marriage, the Amazon evokes a certain awe that borderlines on fear in most people. Visit while you still can as massive amounts of deforestation and pollution are diminishing it’s size faster than you can say WWF. However, those who make the visit can’t rave enough about it. Just make sure you don’t get one of these little fishies up your you know what.
“I can’t let safety and security become the focus of my life.”
Judy Blume, Tiger Eyes
7 Party Cities Every ImpulseFlyer Needs To Hit Up
Tired of seeing another palm tree or mountain? Prefer a martini overlooking skyscrapers reaching the clouds? Whether you’re looking to re-enact your own version of the Hangover or Sex and the City, these 7 cities will give you everything a city lover needs. Good food, decadent drinks, shopping, and some naughty nighttimes.
1. Las Vegas
This list would be incomplete without the city of vice on it. You name it, they have it. So if you feel like getting wasted, playing some poker, partying till the wee hours, and taking in a Celine Dion show, then this is your ticket. This city is a theme park. It’s also got some of the best shopping, restaurants, and bars in the world. Just be prepared to spend a lot of money. With all that temptation around you, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to save very much.
2. Belgrade
Belgrade is beautiful. It’s also filled with beautiful girls. One of the oldest cities in Europe, with history dating back to the 6th millenium BC, Belgrade is a mishmash of culture, excitement, and enchantment. Throw back some rakija, taste the local food, and then party all night at the multitude of night clubs in the city and on the barges floating on the Sava and the Danube rivers.
3. Bangkok
Not only does bangkok have some of the greatest clubs, it’s also a wonderful city filled with friendly people, great street food, cheap alcohol, and incredible culture. Check out RCA for the best clubs.
4. Rio Di Janeiro
Even if it’s not Carnival, it’s still a massive party. These people know how to have fun and look good. From street parties to jazz concerts to samba clubs and electro houses, Rio Di Janeiro covers it all. Be prepared to flirt, drink, dance, and have an incredible time. Hopefully, you remember it all.
5. Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is of great party renown. Very few would argue otherwise. Visitors often end up in a marathon of partying, dancing, and drinking. There’s just so much to do and see here when it comes to night life. Bars don’t open till 11 or 12 and clubs often don’t start till 2 am. The city is filled with attractive people with couples lining the streets making out and falling head over heels in love. Check out Palermo, Puerto Madero, and Palermo Soho. These neighbourhoods are filled with bars and clubs.
6. Reykjavik
Who woulda thunk, eh? Reykjavik is not only home to thermal waters and jaw-dropping landscapes but also a population of party animals. Even though the population is just 120,000 there are over 100 bars and clubs. Alcohol can get pricey here so most people pre-drink. Despite an economic collapse, the people of Reykjavik still know how to have a good time. For the daring, go on an Islandic “Runtur”, an all-night pub crawl. The word means “round tour” and it’s just that. A tour of all the bars and pubs. Have a hearty meal before embarking on this trip.
7. Berlin
Everyone flocks to Berlin. Trend setters, artists, the Bohemian chic, fashionistas, and musicians. This is the place to engage in some overly-philosophical debate on art and then get smashed while partying in the coolest night clubs in the world. Home to one of the best music scenes in Europe, you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to going out. Things start a bit later here (around 2 am) and many bars and clubs don’t even have signs. There are lots of underground clubs and parties that spring up from no where and then disappear. So keep your ear to the ground and ask around.
Hand-embroidered newspapers by Lauren DiCioccio
(via fuckyeahbookarts)
Awesome Travel Moment #8
Eating something strange and mysterious off the street and realizing you really like it.
Photo by Jonah Kessel.
It’s Hot, Humid & Sweaty But You Wanna Look Good - 5 Tips To Dressing Well In Sticky Climates
Say you’ve got a trip coming up to Thailand or Cambodia. You’ve got your 5-star resort booked, your iPad is packed with the latest edition of Foreign Affairs, and you’ve squared away any work that needs to be done.
All that’s left is the packing, which on its own is a feat worthy of Hercules.
Despite the glorious travel photos you’ll see plastered of celebrities in Maui or the happy smiling people in Cosmo, the truth is that it’s hot, humid, and sweaty. Unless you plan to be in your swimming gear for the entirety of your trip you’re going to have to do some wardrobe planning.
That being said, you don’t and shouldn’t have to sacrifice comfort for fashion.
So here are 5 tips to packing light, breezy, and Vogue-worthy.
1. Dress In White Or Light-Coloured Clothing
We all know this. Black and dark clothes attract heat like a girl in a low-cut red dress. Plus you look like you’re going to a funeral.
2. Stick To Natural Fabrics
Nothing beats Mother Nature even when it comes to summer fashion. Stick to light silks, cotton, rayon, and linen. Make sure they’re not too tightly woven as you want some air to be able to flow in and out.
3. Keep It Relaxed
You’re on holiday, you’re chillin’ by the pool, you’re reading fiction! So relax. No need for any of the daily-life formalities that can keep a man feeling stifled. Unless you’re going to a wedding leave the cuff links and tie bars at home. Women, bring a pair of wedges or dressy sandals.
Options for men: Khaki shorts, seersucker, polo tees, t-shirts, boat shoes, canvas sneakers (think Vans or Converse), leather sandals (without the socks), long sleeved shirt with a very loose weave (roll up your sleeves if you like).
Options for women: Jean shorts, high-waisted linen shorts, skirts (don’t go too short though), maxi dress, loose dress shirt with a belt around, silk tops.
However, relaxed doesn’t mean boring. You can choose colourful prints or wild patterns.
4. Wear Shorts
Men, if you’re on holiday make sure your shorts don’t go higher than 3 inches above the knee. Otherwise you’ll be bordering on gym-wear territory or worse, be that creepy tiny shorts man at the resort. Women, ensure your shorts are still form fitting and don’t look like saggy khaki.
5. Let The Accessories Do The Talking
Summer wear can to be lighter in both color and fabric. Sometimes there are less details on the clothing and as such may come off as a little bland. So spice up your look with the right accessories. Women, you pretty much have a plethora of choice before you. Men, stick to a nice watch and a great pair of Tom Ford sunglasses or Ray bans. If you’re feeling up to it, you can also grab a Panama hat.
Below: Gucci, Diane Von Furstenberg, Diane Von Furstenberg, Marni
Below: D’Marsh Couture
How not to look:
Now that’s what we’re talking about. The concrete jungle where dreams are made.
Photo taken by CATeyes.
(via newlyyorked)
What Do Vouchers & Mosquitos Have In Common? They Both Suck & Are Annoying
This cat just tried to book using a voucher.
Who Has The Time (And Patience) To Be Messing Around With Vouchers?
Seriously. Vouchers (the whole 3-day/2-night thing) and set packages kinda suck. Let’s face it, we’re all different, with different schedules, likes, dislikes, needs, and time constraints.
We think vouchers are bad. If it were up to us, we’d have all the voucher sales sites for hotels sit in a corner alone to think about what they’ve done. How dare they!
And if you’re still thinking, “Hey they aren’t so bad,” then let us give you 3 reasons why they suck.
1. You Don’t Know If The Dates That You Want Are Actually Available Till You Buy The Voucher And Try To Book
So there’s this great deal online and you decide to buy it. You’re happy. Maybe even a little thrilled. So you call up the hotel or go to their website and try to book your holiday. But guess what. The only dates you can travel happen to be unavailable for you. You’d feel pretty cruddy and we feel for you. You’ve just wasted money and now you have to see if someone else can go for you. Lame.
2. It’s A 2-Step Process That Can Take Forever
First, you have to buy the voucher. Then you need to call the hotel and see which dates are available. They say no to your first set of dates so you have to call up your boss and see when else you can go. You get a new set of travel dates and call up the hotel. They say it only works if you check in at 7 PM. WHAT THE HELL? So you go back to the drawing board and find new travel dates. You get the picture. This isn’t fun for you or the hotel either. What’s worse is that this can go back and forth for a while and who has that kind of time these days? Certainly not us.
3. If You Buy A 3-Day/2-Night Voucher, What Happens If You Want To Stay 5 Nights?
Suppose your schedule and travel needs don’t fit the voucher exactly. What do you do then? Do you buy half a voucher or 1 2/3 vouchers? There’s absolutely no flexibility here. It’s like going to the hair salon and them telling you, “We only do 1 type of haircut so I’m afraid you’ll have to get a mullet.” This is silly.
The Solution
So now we all know why vouchers suck. That’s why ImpulseFlyer provides you with a real-time booking engine. You decide how many nights and when you want to go. You’ll know on the spot if they have the availability you need for the price you want. No surprises.
This is how simple it is.
- Pick the hotel you want.
- Pick the room you want.
- Click on your check-in date.
- Click on your check-out date.
- Click submit and pay.
- You’re done and you get an email confirmation with all the details.
When you head to your tropical paradise vacation, all you’ll need is that email confirmation. Simple stuff. No fuss, no muss.
As always, we’re open to suggestions. If you have any ideas at all on how we can make your life easier and your experience on ImpulseFlyer all the more exciting and smooth, please let us know.
Just shoot Gabby, our content queen and customer happiness manager, an email at contactus@impulseflyer.com
Awesome Travel Moment #7
Having a total stranger help you out for nothing in return.
10 Sweet Sunsets
image from weheartit.com
Myanmar - Image from dvlazar
Dents-du-Midi, Val-d’Illiez, Switzerland by Francois Marclay
from weheartit.com
A flock of Red-winged Blackbirds flying into the sunset. Taken at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge.
Bangkok
Pale di San Martino (Trentino, Italy)
Sun setting from Mars
Awesome Travel Moment #6:
The fruit basket in your hotel room has fruits you’ve never tried before. “…Why hello, what’s this?”
7 Rules For The Perfect Vacation Fling
“All good things must come to an end,” as they say. However, there’s something remarkably beautiful about a short-lived love affair. Especially one on holiday. Instead of worrying about the future, you get to focus on the moment and truly enjoy your surroundings, another lovely human being’s company, and share some laughs and maybe a little between-the-sheets frolicking.
You can enjoy yourselves and one day look back at your euphoric (albeit ephemeral) time together and say, “God, that was a great vacation.”
That being said, there are a few ground rules one should follow so that no one gets hurt.
1. Accept It For What It Is
It’s a short-term, fleeting, love affair. If both of you understand this, then you’re golden. Your expectations are mutual and neither party will expect something more after both of you leave.
2. Keep It On A First Name Basis
Just in case either of you go crazy and decide to stalk one another. There’s nothing worse than obsessively Googling someone while on holiday. And yes, Facebook can be the devil. Besides, keeping this on a first name basis adds a certain mystique that in this day and age is pretty much dead.
3. Wrap It Up
Play it safe and carry condoms with you. I don’ t think we have to elaborate on this. If you still have questions about this then I suggest you go to the school nurse and ask her about the birds and the bees and the STDs.
4. Keep The Conversation Light
You’re sitting on the beach. The sun is setting. Magnolias are falling around you. The breeze is warm and soft. And suddenly you launch into a tirade about how your mother’s neglect during your childhood has blossomed into your mismanaged fear of intimacy. Sexy. Not really.
So keep your problems to yourself. You’re on holiday not a therapist’s couch.
5. Make Your Moves Fast
You have limited time so make your move fast. Otherwise you’re just going to end up with a nice friendship that lasted a few days. Boring. It may be fine to play hard to get back at home but if your flight’s leaving in 3 days, then you’re going to have to be a little bit more blatant. But just a little bit.
Nothing kills the romance than taking a girl back to a hostel or a dingy motel with a leaky faucet and what appears to be mould growing in the right corner of the ceiling. Luxury hotels are brilliant for setting the mood, amping up the passion, and ensuring you have all the privacy you need. Not to mention room service, an extravagant bathroom, and the pièce de résistance: a magnificent bed with thread-count higher than most people’s average salaries.
7. Tell The Hotel It’s Your Honeymoon
Or your anniversary. You’ll get tons of free swag. Upscale restaurants are likely to throw in some cake, chocolates, rose petals in the bath tub, candles, or free drinks.
Thinking About Turning A Holiday Fling Into Something More?
Then think carefully. You may be seeing the world through some daiquiri-induced rose-tinted glasses while you’re on holiday. Let me put it bluntly:
- Everybody looks good with a tan and under the light of a sunset
- The whole foreign language barrier is only cute for a short while
- Having no worries or problems to deal with while on holiday makes everything incredible
- Reggae music muddles your brain
- Free-flow alcohol tends to blur your judgement
- All luxury hotels are romantic
After noting all that, do you still see yourself with this person months down the line? If not, then don’t risk it. Short is sweet.
Awesome Travel Moment #5
Bringing back the perfect suntan and making all your friends just a little jealous.
