So far I have found two unusual hostels in Sweden. The first I stayed at nearly 20 years ago – the af Chapman sailing boat in central Stockholm – budget price for a perfect location on water opposite the old town.
The Jumbo Hostel is a newer hostel – a converted 747 at the airport which has just opened as a private hostel. The Jumbo Hostel is not as cheap as the central IYHA af Chapman – but you always pay more for airport acocmmoodation right?
Flight Deck Room, Jumbo Hostel, Stockholm
Embarking on a major overseas trip means that early on in your travel planning you need to decide which currency you are going to budget in. For those who save in a major currency such as Euros or US$ then its easy. However if your currency is less widely used and more volatile then the first thing you need to get familiar with is an on-line currency converter.
If you are travelling for an extended period of time – say 6 or 12 months on a gap year, then currency fluctuations can make a big difference to your spending power. One of the problems with extended travel is that generally spend your savings over the whole period rather than pre-paying a lot of expenses as if typical with a package holiday. Therefore exchange rate flucatations will have a bigger effect on your budget. On the other hand, if you are owed money from the tax department or a former employer this can be an advantage, as money comes into your account just as the expenses mount up!
One way to manage your exchange risk when travelling long term is to purchase foreign cash when you consider the exchange rates are in your favour. This means that on a regular basis, when you are in an Internet cafe, check an on-line currency converter, when the price looks right buy a larger amount of either local or US$, usually available in big cities.
If you do have a budget blow-out because of the value of your currency dropping, then consider changing your itineary to include more, cheaper countries. Or just slow down – almost always spending more time in a place will rapidly decrease your daily expenses.
Although it can be challenging, on of the great joys of long term travel is that you have the flexibility to change your plans as things evolve and plans develop.
Baz Luhrman’s new movie “Australia” is being used by the Tourism Australia to encourage visitors to the land down under. The Tourism marketing board will be spending millions on a campagin which will feature Australian landscapes from filming locations in the Kimberleys and Darwin as well as Sydney. However early pics seem to be focusing more on Nicole Kidman – more info on Australia Movie here !
Kidman and Jackman, Australia
Although most people are content to travel and then return home at the end of their vacation: others dream of making a permanent move abroad. Typically those from colder climates dream of moving somewhere warm. The Brits particularly flock to Spain and France or further afield to Australia.
Bells Gorge, WA
Australia is a country built on emigration and fast-growing states such as Western Australia are full of immigrants: in fact the percentage of WA born locals is down to less than 45% in Perth. Are you considering a move to Australia – Read more about moving to Australia here
Venice is special: to be honest a little disappointed in Rome and Florence: it was all so noisy and frantic. You cant wonder the streets and expect to survive – the traffic is crazy. Loose concentration for an instant and you will fail to dodge the crazy moto (scooter) on the footpath – and trying to cross the road is a nerve-racking near-death experience.
Venice is different – its quiet – the gondolas and even the larger boats don’t make nearly as much noise And more importantly they stay on the water -you really can wonder around and forget to look where you are going and not die – oh just watch out for the water’s edge! For more information of Italy check out my knol on Italy Travel Information Tips and Advice
Paris: the most romantic city on earth? Maybe – in my view there are few other contenders but Paris certainly has a lot going for it. Along with London its probably one of the most walkable cities in Europe: the whole central city is designed to walk, and you can always hop on the metro when you get tired of that. Or stop in a wonderful patisserie for a coffee or wine.
Paris also has some of the best luxury hotels in Europe. Names such as the Plaza Athenee or the Hotel le Bristol and well-known in certain circles. Even if you can’t afford a luxury Paris hotel you can always stop by a luxury Parisian hotel lobby and check out the scene: cocktails start at around the Euro20 mark.
photo: krfulton via flickr
We all love to go on vacation but packing for either weekend or a month-long vacation seems to be source of stress and panic to many people. Chill relax, grab a glass of your favourite beverage and put it all in perspective. With the odd exception: Antarctica, low-earth orbit, you will be able to buy anything you forget to pack when you arrive. Forgetting your 3rd best set of undies or your favourite woolie jersey isn’t a drama. The only things you REALLY must remember to bring are:
Yeah that’s it, remembering the suntan lotion is a good idea: its not a disaster if you forget though. Taking less is definitely the new more and your back will love you too. Come back soon for more of my vacation packing tips and lists
Travel is a fantastic way to see new cultures and to push your comfort zone. For my money India still is the most amazing and exotic location you can find to travel in. A continent more than a country: incredibly diverse as it stretchs from the Himalayas to the Andaman Sea and the tropical southern states.
The British Raj did well in India: because India already had a strong sense of class which fitted in with the British Victorian ideals.
Whether you want to experience a top-end luxury destination or travel as the locals do: which can still be very comfortable: India always has options, far more colourful and diverse than anywhere else on the planet. Check out my India travel tips
Udiapur Rajvilas
Travel has always been my passion: I have travelled since I was small child, and all I ever wanted to do was travel as an adult. I got a degree and a good job, and even a pleasant boyfriend but all got dumped when I finally had enough money to travel properly. That was back in the 80’s when there were no cheap airlines, at least not in my part of the world, and my currency was worth very little so travelling on a budget was my only option.
I always had the option on time: limited money, unlimited time which: do you take the shorter more comfortable holiday or the longer backpacking trip? Well to me the answer was obvious: longer is always going to win with me!
So travel I did – across Asia, around Europe, throughout south America. Its never fixed the travel bug: in fact it was years before I realised that going for a long trip doesn’t cure a travel bug: it just fuels the addiction!
And you know my big secret is that it really is silly to waste travel on the young as I grow older I enjoy travel more and more.
I’ve started this blog to share some of my travel writing with a new audience: I hope you enjoy.
Read more on my travel tips for Italy
Read more about managing your money on the road
Ord River, Kununurra, Western Australia
