Five things to consider before you book your next holiday

Is this the kind of vacation experience you want?

Travel is cheaper than it used to be, so most of us can afford to take some kind of holiday. But no matter how flush you are with cash, or how time-rich you are, you can still make a costly mistake.

Here are a few things to consider before you commit:

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Five good reasons to take a train

A statistic in a media release from Destination NSW has given me cause for thought about train travel.

(Destination NSW)

The peak tourism body for the Australian state of New South Wales revealed that 5.3 million international and domestic overnight and day-trip visitors used the train to travel in NSW during the year ending March 2017, up 4 per cent on the previous year.

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Five reasons why Airbnb is not really for me

I received a special offer from Qantas to receive extra frequent flyer points if I give Airbnb a go. I don’t think I’ll be taking it up.

Is the couch too comfy?

As I’ve said before, I prefer to stay in hotels — specifically brand-name hotels — and it’s going to take a lot of convincing to get me to go into a privately owned home. Again.

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Five things first-time visitors should know about Thailand

Thailand is one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, and it’s one of my favourite places.

Regardless of your interest — be it exploring temples, fine dining, water sports, jungle trekking or bar-hopping — you are more than likely to have a good time. But there are a few things you should know before you set out.

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Five ‘off Broadway’ destinations that are well worth a visit

The problem with big cities is that it costs big bucks to visit them.

Sao Paulo cathedral ruins in Macau

Quite often, though, there are interesting places nearby where you’re in striking distance of the big smoke but able to save a little money and have a slightly different experience.

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Five things you really can’t leave home without

“Once again, you forgot to mention the Imodium.” That was the Twitter comment about one of my posts that made me realise it’s time to go back to basics.

So, forgive me if you’ve read this before, but here are the five indispensable things to take on your travels.

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Five things that can get you arrested when you travel

Even though I love to travel, I’m the first to admit that it’s not without its pitfalls.

Recently, I’ve been reminded about some cases where travellers or expatriatess — usually Westerners — have got themselves into big trouble because they didn’t know what they were doing was illegal.

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Five reasons not to believe all that travel advice

This might seem like a strange thing to read on a travel blog, but you shouldn’t believe everything you read, or hear, about travel.

Some things last forever, others change.

It’s a big, bad world out there, and not everybody is being entirely honest in their posts, newspaper and magazine articles, podcasts, vodcasts, tweets, instas, Facebook Live broadcasts and so on.

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Five reasons why your next holiday should be a cruise

Cruising is said to be the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry. It’s no surprise why.

Explorer of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
Explorer of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

In case you have reservations about making a reservation on a ship, here are some good reasons why sailing is the answer.

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Five reasons to love cats

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Curious cat

 

1. Cats can be good for your health. Scientists at the University of Virginia discovered that kids exposed to cat dander at an early age were less likely to develop allergies than those who had only been exposed to dust mites. (Scholastic Choices, September 2001, Vol 17 Issue 1) 

2. Cats don’t shoot you; dogs do. In the past five years, at least six Americans have been shot by their dog. According to the Washington Post, there have also been recent incidents in France and New Zealand.

3. Cats can sense illness and display empathy for people suffering bereavement.

4. Cats learn quickly to use a litter tray. You don’t have to take them for walkies just for them to follow nature’s call.

5. Cats are adorable.