When Tour Groups Make Sense

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Lovely Annie

There are very few instances where I will take a tour group ahead of setting out on my own. This isn’t to say tours are necessarily bad or that nobody should ever take one, but more so that they just aren’t for me. I like to walk to the beat of my own drum and see what the world has in store around the routes less travelled – you don’t often get that in a tour group.

I took a tour group here… I didn’t feel like driving!

With this in mind though, there are a lot of instances where a tour group makes a lot of sense for a particular demographic or for a specific type of traveller. Tour groups mean you don’t have to plan out every detail yourself and can let someone else plan your days while you kick back and enjoy the ride. For anyone who has planned out a very elaborate trip, the idea of doing nothing can be very alluring, so why not give it a shot?

I’ve put together a list of a few instances where going on a tour group really makes the most sense. Take a look and decide for yourself!

Students on a School Trip

Seeing the world as a student is one of the best experiences you can have, particularly as part of a school group. It’s one thing to travel with your family where you still feel like a child but it’s very liberating to be with your friends and accompanied by chaperones. For teachers it’s great because you want to show your students the world but keeping track of them all in a controlled environment can be extremely stressful – thankfully there are organizations out there that specialize in school groups.

Seniors

On the other end of the spectrum, many people never get to travel until they are much older due to financial reasons or just not having the time. Tourism on the scale in which it currently exists isn’t something many older people could take part in when they were young, so they have very little experience planning a trip or where to start. Booking a tour to see the world can allow them to travel without worrying about all the fine details.

20 Year Olds Looking to Party

Many tours these days cater to a specific age group and mentality, particularly young people who want to party. Partying overseas is amazing if done in a safe way and you can be sure there’s a tour out there that caters to this atmosphere for a reasonable price.

Day Trips

Just getting out of the city to see something on the side can be best done through a tour group, particularly if it’s last minute. Hopping on a bus from your hotel or hostel and having a guide point out things works well for people on a tight schedule or adding something that they heard about only after arriving.

Language Issues

If you’re travelling somewhere with little of your own language present, it might be easier to be a part of a group with a guide who can translate for you and deliver content in your native tongue. Some people aren’t comfortable with making their own way when there’s a language barrier so tour groups can be a big help.

Why I Am Sick of Taking Pictures

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Lovely Annie

Photography and travel seem to go hand in hand. Part of the fun of seeing something new is capturing it to remember for later or brag to others, even if you aren’t the first person to show to see it. You have to wonder what it was like for the very first person who took a camera on vacation that was capable of taking quick pictures, knowing that they were going to show their friends and family these amazing things for the first time.

Unless I can take this picture!

Sadly, we are long past that point.

I’m guilty of taking a lot of pictures when I go travelling because, uh, there are a lot of awesome things to see and capture, but there are times when I just can’t be bothered to do so. In fact, taking pictures can really annoy me. Here are my reasons:

There are Too Many Pictures Out There

I’ll credit and blame the internet for this. Doing a simple Google search for almost anything or place and you get not just a few images but a few million images – many of them the same thing. This can make it seem like not only have you seen the place or thing before but that you already have a picture of it, particularly if yours is going to be more or less the same thing.

I’m Good… but Others are Better

I like to think I’m not a half bad photographer but then I see someone who actually knows what they are doing and I feel ashamed that I’m even trying. From adjusting lenses to compensating for light, angles and then the all important photo editing software – I just don’t know how to do those things and I can’t afford the technology.

Everything Has a Camera Now

This is both a positive and a negative for virtually the same reasons. It used to be that if you wanted to take pictures of anything, you had to carry around a great big camera and have them developed in a lab. Now you can take it with your phone and the quality isn’t half bad. The only issue is, when everything has a camera and I can take a picture whenever I want, it loses it’s novelty.

I Don’t Feel Like it

Yeah… basically… I just don’t care. Sometimes I just want to live life instead of capturing it for later. The memory is enough for me!

New York – The City That Has it All

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Lovely Annie

New York City is a place that everyone needs to visit at least once in their life, if for no other reason than to see what all the fuss is about. It’s a locale that has been the star of more major films and television shows than almost any actor and even if you’ve never been there, it will feel immediately recognizable. From the Empire State Building to that Statue of Liberty and Times Square – these are the destinations many people equate with New York and even the United States of America as a whole and they shouldn’t be missed.

If you are considering a visit to the Big Apple, be sure to stay in the heart of all the action, Manhattan. From here you have quick access to many of the hot spots so many people travel so far to see, making walking to places during the day and nightlife a breeze. Finding and booking those kind of sweet places to stay is easy with Hostel Bookers as they have access to a huge number of hostels for all budgets and tastes.

Still unsure about checking out New York City? Take a look at these suggestions below on a great vacation in one of the most famous cities in the world.

History

From museums to buildings to the site of the city itself, New York City has pretty much everything a history buff could want. Take a walking tour through the historic locations, see where various important decisions or events took place and marvel at the incredible architecture that exists nowhere else.

Recreation

You can be sure you’ll have a good time being active in New York or watching others doing so. Central Park is a massive green space in the heart of the city that can’t be missed and countless professional sports teams call this city home – making for a great way to spend a day.

Great Food

Almost everything can be found in New York City for the food fan, from street meat to gourmet up scale restaurants. Head into Chinatown for some of the finest Chinese food this side of China and discover the cities Italian heritage in the shrinking but still fantastic Little Italy.

Entertainment

Professional sports fit in with this as well, but the real entertainment highs of New York City can be found on Broadway. It’s not uncommon to have major film stars in town performing stand up comedy or in a theatrical production completely unique to New York City, in addition to top notch bands and clubs.

One of a Kind Feeling

In the end, it’s all about how a city feels and for many people, New York City has a vibe all of itself. Whether it’s the pushy but endearing people, the traffic that makes the city pulse with life or everything else put together, New York City really is a place like no other.

A Food Lover’s Guide To Jamaica

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Lovely Annie

Jamaica is internationally known for its rhythmic music, lovely beaches, and historic sugar plantations. However, the distinctive flavours of its food are unmistakable and sometimes overlooked when people consider the popular holiday destination. You can travel to Jamaica using all key airports in the UK, parking can be expensive third party so make sure you head to their official sites if you wish to park; Gatwick airport parking, Heathrow airport parking and Stansted airport parking. Here are some examples of the types of foods native to Jamaica, things that make their cuisine unique, and tips on making one’s culinary tour of the island safer.

Raw Ingredients Of Jamaican Food

Jamaican dishes reflect many cultures including the native Tainos, British, French, African, Spanish, and Chinese. The mild, warm climate of Jamaica makes it the perfect place to grow the tropical fruits that are widely used in Jamaican cuisine like guava, coconut, pineapple, and plantain. Fragrant spices and flavourful herbs like allspice, scotch bonnet peppers, and thyme are creatively woven into a host of vegetable, meat, and seafood fare.

Here are some famous Jamaican dishes, and their list of main ingredients.

#1 Ackee and salt fish. This meal is Jamaica’s national dish, and it calls for the fruit ackee which is grown from an evergreen tree native to West Africa. The ackee fruit must be fully ripe before consuming because eating immature ackee fruit is toxic. Jamaicans prepare the ackee and salt fish dish by sautéing the salt cod-fish in ackee, onions, scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, and black pepper.

#2 Callaloo. In Jamaica, callaloo is made from amaranth leaves steamed and seasoned with scotch bonnet peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Jamaicans eat the spicy vegetable mix as a side or a main dish.

#3 Curry Goat. A very popular Jamaican dish that has spread throughout the world because of the Jamaican diaspora is curry goat. The ingredients of the dish include goat, salt, pepper, scallions, curry, garlic, scotch bonnet peppers, ginger, thyme, potatoes, and carrots. The delectable marinated goat dish is often paired with healthy rice and beans.

Cooking Techniques

As in most cultures, meal preparation is often influenced by the pervasive religion practised in the region. The Rastafari movement, which calls for its adherents to eat pure, healthy foods that enhance vitality or “ital,” has a significant influence on the culture. While the Rastafari have not put their stamp on every Jamaican dish, many meat-based meals still reflect the tenets of the biblical covenant commands and vegetarian meals are common.

Some Authentic Jamaican Restaurants

There are many healthy meal options available for those travelling to Jamaica no matter what one’s dietary preferences are. Most Jamaican restaurants prepare authentic dishes, but each one is bound to put their own special spin on the entrées. Here are a few popular restaurants that are known for their delicious food and island hospitality.

#1 Cosmo’s in Negril

#2 Royal Kitchen Vegetarian Cafe in Negril

#3 Dickie’s Best Kept Secret in Port Antonio

Getting Around Safely in Jamaica

Those visiting Jamaica will undoubtedly meet friendly, hospitable people willing to help visitors, but not everyone is looking out for the welfare of others. As in most countries, one should take precautions to safeguard valuables using common sense. The most valuable thing that needs safeguarding is one’s own person. When possible, prudent travellers walk in groups on well-lit streets and avoid getting inebriated to the point of impaired judgement. Travel experts to the area also advise keeping important papers and valuable jewellery locked in a hotel safe.

Spring is the Grossest Time to Travel

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Lovely Annie

Maybe it’s because of where I grew up, but spring has never been my favourite time of year. You would think maybe it would be winter with it’s cold weather, snow and near hermit living conditions, but winter has its perks. There’s something to be said about the consistent temperature, making you want to bundle up and stay warm at both home and when you go out. There are few things as enjoyable as eating a nice hot meal or drinking a hot beverage by a fireplace with good company, while it snows something fierce outside. Yes, my attitude may be different if I lived a few more hundred years ago or in poverty conditions… but I don’t. And I’m not complaining!

Spring though, just sucks. It really does.

Best case scenario… it’s pretty… I know

In the popular mindset spring is a time for rebirth and new beginnings – where the beauty of the world emerges from its cocoon and bursts forth in all its colourful majesty. It’s a time of blossoms and gentle showers and babies and returning warmth where hope returns and anything is possible. In reality, it’s as messy and disgusting as childbirth and you’re more likely to have a big pile of slop waiting for you outside than a majestically colourful backdrop.

The same goes for travel destinations. People often try to get away from wherever they are in the winter to someplace warmer or embrace the winter wonder in skiing or other snow activities, but nobody goes someplace to get in the rain or mud. Blossoms are a beautiful thing to see in places like Japan but it’s also one of the most expensive and unpredictable times of year – a strong wind or rain storm can make it all disappear.

…the rest of the time. Gross.

Hiking in the spring isn’t ideal because of mudslides and general grossness of the trails, so doing the outdoors thing isn’t for spring. I’m willing to bet most people would rather be out walking while it’s snowing gently, taking in the beautiful harbours or quaint streets of a new destination than darting from overhang to overhang when it’s raining. Rain gets through pretty much whatever you’re wearing – snow sits on the top. It would be fine too for planning if it was one or the other but in spring you never know which one you’re going to get!

This unpredictability is terrible for packing for a trip because what clothes do you bring? It’s not like going to Scotland where the weather is pretty much guaranteed to be bad, even in the summer – it could be blistering in the spring or it could be miserable. You pretty much have to have a back up plan for sightseeing because the weather could ruin it all. The trade off is that it’s not peak season in many places so crowds won’t be as much of an issue but if you’re on a tight schedule, it could be dreary the entire time you’re away, which unless you’re a down in the dumps donkey, isn’t the recipe for a great holiday.

I’m no climate expert but even though autumn is also a transitional season, the weather is typically more favourable and beautiful than spring. Warm to cold seems better to me than cold to warm and the scenery is infinitely more attractive. Of course if you have no choice as to when you travel, you have to make the best of whatever time of year you can get away – but if you have the choice, why would you ever do so in spring?

But then again… that’s just me.

(Also I’m well aware the last thing I wrote was about how much I’m looking forward to spring and how much I hate winter… what can I say… I’m complex lol)

It's Lovely Annie