Monthly Archives: January 2011

Celebrate Australia Day with Biscuits and VB

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Making Lamingtons is long, slow work, so I improvised and made a Lamington cake instead,

Happy Australia Day!

Sure, it’s pretty much over already in Australia, but that’s no reason that you can’t keep enjoying the spirit of the land down under.

One of the best things about traveling is everything you get to bring back with you to share with others. Not just the t-shirts and snow globes and local candy bars, but all the experiences you’ve had and everything you’ve learned about the people you met and the culture you got to be part of.

For example: When I did my year abroad in Sydney, studying at UNSW, one of my first campus events was an orientation and mixer for international students.

To introduce us to Aussie cuisine, we were fed Lamingtons (yellow cake, sandwiched together with strawberry preserves, then dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut) and given billy tea to drink. It was a great way to meet some of the other students and start to feel comfortable in my new home.

Now, to commemorate my time in Australia, I have a little Australia Day celebration every year. I make Lamingtons or a Pavlova, buy ANZAC biscuits or Tim Tams if I can find them, get some VB (Victoria Bitter, the real Aussie beer), decorate my place with my favorite travel photos and souvenirs, and invite friends over to watch my “Kath & Kim” DVDs. (You may substitute in “Crocodile Dundee” movies or something with Heath Ledger, but definitely not “Australia”. Be ashamed, Nicole Kidman!).

If you can’t get out into the world, bring the world to you (and your kitchen)!

Lisa

Travel New Zealand Your Way

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Thinking about a summer trip to New Zealand? Of course you are. New Zealand is a student traveler’s dream destination, and you’re someone who likes to dream big.

New Zealand is affordable, full of adventure, and very easy to navigate no matter your time or bidget. Part of that flexibility comes from the number of transportation options you have. What you should choose depends on your style, your situation and the experience you want to have.

nzmap
I Want Total Freedom
If you don’t want to be on anyone’s schedule but your own, you’re best off traveling by standard get-me-from-point-A-to-point-B bus. Book as you go, picking the times that are best for you, and answer to no one!

You might also consider renting a car, especially if you’re traveling with friends and can split the cost.

I Want Some Freedom, But Don’t Want to Plan Every Detail
The hop-on hop-off bus is for you. These services stop at different sights between pick-up and drop-off points, can help you organize activities like skydiving, rafting or pub crawls, have drivers who can tell you about what you’re seeing, but also let you jump off whenever you like. Passes are typically good for 12 months, so you can get back on the bus days, weeks or even months later. You aren’t stuck with the group like you are with a full-on tour, so you have more flexibility in your itinerary.

I’m doing most of my travel by Magic Bus, with some day trips of my own thrown in between stops. This way I don’t have to worry about booking lots of separate bus trips, but I can also take time to do things I want to do that aren’t included in the usual schedule. I’ve also used the Oz and Kiwi Experience buses in the past and had a great time.

I Want Someone Else to Plan It All For Me
You need a tour company, like Contiki. All of your transportation and lodging will be planned for you and some meals will be included. You won’t have to do anything except show up on time and enjoy yourself, but you also won’t be able to abandon your group and hang at the beach for a few extra days if the mood strikes you. If you’re on a tight budget and only have a fixed number of days for traveling though, this can be a good way to maximize the amount of ground you cover.

Once you decide how you’re happiest when you travel, you’ll be able to narrow down the options and find what’s right for you.

Take the Royal Wedding Tour of London

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If you’re a big fan of Kate and William, then the next time you’re in London, check out the Royal Wedding walking tour that will take you to places where they ate, danced, broke up and attended other royal get-togethers.

The £15 walking tour is given by Celebrity Planet, which also offers a Princess Diana memorial tour, a Harry Potter tour, Notting Hill/Portobello Road tours, a Jack the Ripper walk and a Beatles London tour, among others.

Don’t want to pay for a tour out of your student traveller budget? Then make your own map. Many of the Royal Wedding locations are listed on the Celebrity Planet website, and there are many sites that list Harry Potter locations in London.

Grab a map and a highlighter and you can plot your own day around London, at your pace. You’ll miss out on the color commentary though, which can be part of the fun if you have a good guide.

Know of any other good walks in London?

Reading Week 2011: Fantastic Student Travel Deals

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Hopefully you already know what your Reading Week budget is going to be this year and you’ve started to make plans with friends that will keep you within that budget.

There are dozens of options for Reading Week destinations depending on how long you have and how far you want to go. Interested in one of these hot spots?

These destinations and more are available at student prices.

If skiing or snowboarding is more your idea of a good time, talk to a student travel specialist at Travel CUTS about fares to Whistler or wherever you like to play in the powder.

Vacation may have just ended, but that doesn’t mean you should put off planning your next one.

Stay Under the Sea and Sleep With the Fishies at the Utter Inn

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I try to stick to writing about affordable travel experiences, things that you can easily do on a student budget. I just found this hotel though and had to share because it’s so unusual.

The Utter Inn (which translates to “Otter Inn”) in Sweden looks like a tiny houseboat or floating cabin:

The Utter Inn: More than meets the eye

But that’s not where your beds are. From the cute little red house you climb down a hatch to a room underwater, where you can count fish until you fall asleep:

What kid wouldn't love a secret hideout like this?

Is that worth $250 or more a night? I guess it depends how much you like fish.

This isn’t the only underwater hotel out there, but it’s one of the cutest. What do you think – would it be worth saving up for? Or would you prefer a castle hostel at a reasonable price?

Keep on swimming,
Lisa

Crossing the Border? Leave the Kinder Eggs at Home

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Banned in the USA!

Banned in the USA!

Hopefully you’re smart enough not to try to smuggle drugs or alcohol across the border. Any border, really, but especially the Canadian-U.S. border. But what about your candy?

As one Canadian woman learned, Kinder Surprise eggs are not welcome in the United States. They’ve been labeled a choking hazard, and if you’re caught with one, you could face a fine, or at least a very long, serious letter.

According to the CBC News story:

“The U.S. takes catching illegal Kinder candy seriously, judging by the number of them they’ve confiscated in the last year. Officials said they’ve seized more than 25,000 of the treats in 2,000 separate seizures.”

So, note to self: When packing for my next North American road trip, just buy M&Ms for the snack bag.

Safe and legal munching to all,
Lisa

Get Up-Helly-Aa and Get Your Viking On

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up helly aa

Awesome photo by the BBC

“Oh boy, sleep! That’s where I’m a Viking!” – Ralph Wiggum

Unlike Ralph, I’ve never been able to dream myself into Vikinghood, but I’ve often thought it would be cool to experience the raw, primal Viking lifestyle.

Not for weeks, of course, but maybe for a few hours. After that I would probably want a hot shower, a comfy mattress and electricity.

Well, if you make your way to Scotland you can get a look at Viking life through one of their fire festivals. It might be too late to plan for this year, but Up-Helly-Aa, Britain’s biggest fire festival, is held in Lerwick on the last Tuesday of every January to mark the end of the pagan Yule season, so you can start planning now for next year.

And just what is a fire festival? According to visitscotland.com it’s “a 1000-strong torchlit procession of ‘guizers’ followed by the spectacular burning of a viking longship or galley. The squads of guizers then perform acts and dances in various halls into the early hours.”

Fire! Dances! People dressed like Vikings! I love it!

Lerwick’s Up-Helly-Aa isn’t the only fire festival though. Celebrations continue throughout January, February and March:

Scalloway Fire Festival                    
Nesting Up-Helly-Aa                      
Uyeasound Up-Helly-Aa                  
Northmavine Up-Helly-Aa                
Bressay Up-Helly-Aa                        
Cullivoe Up-Helly-Aa                         
Norwick Up-Helly-Aa                         
South Mainland Up-Helly-Aa           
Brae Up-Helly-Aa                                		Friday, January 14
Friday, February 4
Friday, February 11
Friday, February 18
Friday, February 25
Friday, February 25
Saturday, February 26
Friday, March 11
Friday, March 18

I can’t believe I’m missing this, but it’s going on my travel to-do list for next year. See you there?

Lisa

Virgin Atlantic Makes Travel Look Good

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Although my trips usually end with me looking exhausted and blistered and tattered, in my mind I always feel like a sexy, exotic jet setter, even if I’ve only spent a weekend in Vegas or Vancouver.

A friend sent me a link to this Virgin Atlantic commercial, and while I don’t have a lot of experience traveling with Virgin, I can say that they’ve at least got the feeling of travel right. The flying, the pampering, the Muse soundtrack, the idea that you’re leaving your life behind to wrap yourself in a new reality – it’s all there.

Watch this and tell me where it makes you want to go.

Travel Within Your Budget in 2011

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Maybe your uni costs will eat into your play money this year, or maybe there won’t be any play money this year. So La Tomatina and the Royal Wedding are out for you, but that doesn’t mean that your only trips will be to the library and the laundromat.

When you’re on a tight budget, your goal is to maximize your good times while minimizing your expenses, right?

Please meet the ISIC.

The International Student Identity Card is something most students pick up before a big trip overseas. Along with discounted student airfare and tour packages, you can flash it at:

  • hostels
  • museums
  • bus stations
  • amusement parks
  • restaurants
  • shops
  • and lots of other places that offer discounts on purchases, tickets, admissions and other travel expenses

But the ISIC isn’t just for use around tourist destinations in Europe and Australia. There are places right near you that accept an ISIC, so you can save cash even if you’re going for pizza and a movie with friends. And maybe you’ll save enough to stretch your cash as far as the ski slopes for a weekend, or to an overnight trip to catch a summer music fest.

For a full list of ISIC discounts in Canada and the U.S., check out the ISIC website. Here’s a sample of where you can save.

  • Ontario Science Centre, Toronto: 20% off general admission
  • CN Tower, Toronto: 15% discount on Look Out and Glass Floor admission
  • Madame Tussaud’s, Hollywood: $6 off price of admission
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: $10 USD admission with valid ISIC
  • Greyhound buses, Canada: 25% off an adult ticket (one way or return)
  • VIA Rail, Canada: Save 30% on the regular adult Economy class fares. Your discount can reach 50% with the VIA 6 pak – six one-way trip tickets between the same two cities.

Don’t have an ISIC yet? Get one now.

Plan Big for Travel in 2011

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La Tomatina: Your laundry's worst nightmare

Happy New Year! Hope you had a fantabulous weekend of excitement and debauchery, or at least a lot of ice cream. Ice cream is an excellent substitute for adventure when you’re in a bind.

Now that 2011 has officially begun, it’s time to think about that travel wish list that I know you’re keeping (a sort of travel bucket list, but more like places you want to go while you’re young and silly enough to enjoy them).

Sit down with a pen and paper, and maybe a map, and think about where you want this year to take you. Start by dreaming big. For example:

Get messy at La Tomatina – The biggest food fight in the world happens every year in Buñol, Spain. This year it will be held August 31st. Spain is a long way to go for a festival that only lasts one hour, but if you’re thinking about a summer trip to Europe, why not stop by? As the official site says in charming English, “It is great to be able to do something as nonsense as throwing tomatos to anyone moving for an hour. You can relieve all your tightness.”

Attend a Royal wedding – Personally, I think you’d have to be crazy to be in London on April 29th when Kate and William say their “I do”s, but if you’re willing to stand in massive crowds for hours, just for the chance to catch a glimpse of a carriage, go for it. Just book your hostel ASAP, and practice some meditative moves to keep calm as things carry on.

Howl at a Full Moon Party – The first Full Moon Party took place on the beach of Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand, back in 1987. Over the past 20 years it’s grown from a few dozen revelers to more than 10,000 celebrants each month. It’s a destination for many backpackers, and has spawned several other Full Moon events around the world.

If Thailand isn’t on your agenda, but you’re still headed south for the winter, check out the happenings on Magnetic Island, just off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Every month there’s a new Full Moon Party at base backpackers.

As always, get your ISIC before you go anywhere to take advantage of the great discounts. The more you save, the longer you can play.

If a big trip isn’t in your budget this year, no worries. There are lots of options for shorter, smaller adventures closer to home. We’ll look at those tomorrow.