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Destination Curation: Things to do in Iceland

28/7/2016

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Our #TTOT chat (Travel Talk on Twitter) posed an interesting question (by @SonjaSwissLife) to the enthusiastic, constant-itchy-feet, world-travelling participants: "Predict the next big destination and why?"
What did this group have to say about it? They come from all over the world and travel it regularly, criss-crossing the globe to experience as much adventure as possible so better listen quick to these suggestions as if the experts say it's gonna get big, then you don't have much time before EVERYONE soon gets in on the terribly-kept secret...
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First on our list of destinations that are blowing up is Iceland suggested by @MalloryOnTravel & @SonjaSwissLife, and here's why:
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Party scene: You'll surely know some friends who have already hopped over to Reykjavik for a stag do (personally haven't heard of any hens there yet but I'm sure they're coming) to take advantage of the kroner, the craft liquors and thumping nightlife. Here are some must-see bars we recommend:
  • Snaps Bistro (Þórsgata 1, 101 Reykjavík) - cool and cosy, great food, tasty drinks, great atmosphere
  • Kaldi Bar (Laugavegur 20b, Reykjavík) - sprung from the loins of the Kaldi microbrewery, a local hotspot with Kaldi beers on tap
  • Slippbarinn (Mýrargata 2, 101 Reykjavík) - cocktail bar complete with mixologists and situated in cultural hotel Reykjavik Hotel Marina; mix with locals and hotel guests alike for a swanky start to the evening
  • Paloma (Naustin 1-3, 101 Reykjavík)- end your night by dancing your socks off with a lively crowd of tourists and locals  

In the news: Remember we all were made very aware of this little island when in 2010, its impossibly-named Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted and created an ash cloud that disrupted millions of travellers' air journeys when about 20 countries closed their airspace for a period of 6 days.

Football & fan prowess: Even more recently, we applauded Iceland, an island of ~330,000 inhabitants, when their national football team beat England 2-1 to make it to the quarter-finals of the Euros 2016 (where they then lost to hosts, France). Matching the team in statistics, the Icelandic fans had some of their own: that 10% of their population bought stadium tickets to watch their team advance and an astonishing 99.8% of Iceland's TV-audience tuned in to watch the final match. To put that into actual numbers: just 298 individual viewers in the entire country were tuned to channels not showing the game. So when you visit Iceland next, you should definitely congratulate them on their impressive skills on the football field and in the fan seats!

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Travel Tips: Road Trips - Where to Go, What to Bring

2/7/2016

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Ever thought about going on a road trip just the two of you, or even with friends? Jump in a car, throw the backpacks in the boot, snacks in the front, and head off into the horizon? It's not for everybody; the close quarters, generally loose plans on where to stay each night, sometimes paired with camping in case you're really in the wilderness...and for many, those are the exact reasons they love a good road trip. In the #TRLT (The Road Less Traveled) Chat, a group very enthusiastic about road trips, was asked via @touristexclusiv:

​"What is the best region on The Road Less Traveled to do a road trip and for how long? Share a photo!"
People were only too happy to oblige:
Road Trip Idea #1: The Karoo in South Africa
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@AFKTravel: The Karoo in South Africa for a week - it's beautiful & has amazing accommodation like @BloemhofKaroo
The Karoo in South Africa is a semi-desert natural region perfect for a road trip. To quote SouthAfrica.net: 
"Spanning nearly 400,000km squared in the geographic midriff of South Africa, the Great Karoo must be one of the quietest places on Earth.

It is a place of immense spaces, wide-angle horizons, craggy mountain ranges, conical hills, an ancient inland seabed, and a sky so big that at night it feels like you can touch the stars.

The Great Karoo stands proudly with other desert tourism regions like the Australian Outback and Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and makes for a memorable road-trip.

It seems you could travel for months in and about the towns of the Great Karoo and have a different experience in each one."
Road Trip Idea #2: Sacred Valley, Peru

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Travel Expert Tips: Packing Pointers & Technology on the Go

24/6/2016

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Chatting with travel experts around the world every day, we get an overwhelming influx of information varying from the ideal holiday destinations, to tried and true packing tips, to the best apps to use while travelling. Conversations occur in real-time during Twitter Chats using various travel hashtags, such as #luxtravelchat (our favourite for obvious reasons), #RGChat and #ttot, or over longer periods of time via blog posts and their subsequent comments back and forth by the travel community. We're keeping a sharp eye on it all and will try share as much of the useful stuff with you here so you can make the most of the experts' experiences! 
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Packing
Ever wonder how you could just pack better for every occasion? Not pack too much but not too little either? Well this is what those doing it day in and day out suggest:

During the #luxtravelchat, @LuxuryTravelMom asked, what is the one thing you can't leave home without:
  • Antibacterial wipes 
    • ​@kateejamieson uses them for cleaning trays and armrests on planes. I think they'd definitely come in handy when there is no soap in a bathroom, a common occurrence! 
  • Portable battery pack 
    • Suggested by @mulia. These are great for charging phones, laptops and other devices when outlets are low in supply - make sure it's fully charged itself before leaving the house though! We suggest Anker products which are light and compact.
  • Alpine FlyFit ear plugs 
    • @amberlair brings these along on every trip to prevent ear pain caused by pressure differences and surrounding noise. 
  • Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones
    • ​A bit bulkier than ear plugs but certainly worth the luggage room, @siamac uses these as they do what they say on the tin! No flight (or any journey really) will ever be the same.
  • A Kikoy 
    • @thesafaririch brings this versatile garment to be used as a headscarf on a quad or as a wrap on the beach. 

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#Adventurechat: On the Go Adventures

11/6/2016

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Taking part in the #Adventurechat Twitter conversation on Mondays is like being slingshot straight into the week with a bang. Think immediate comraderie with essential strangers spread worldwide with one thing in common: their love for travel and adventure, and an infectious enthusiasm for wanting to share stories from the road (ok, that's two things). So meet @monicagoesshow, the fun, friendly and vivacious host of the chat posing all the questions and helping us answer them too, with her wealth of knowledge and experience from travelling the world. (See her website here.)
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@monicagoesshow kicked off the chat with an easy one: 

What is the longest trip you've ever taken?

@muddleandjoy (what a cool Twitter handle :D) started off with: "Went on a 2-week road trip through Colorado with my family. Easily my all-time favorite vacation!"
Road trip with family - impressive patience I say! 

@IBBTravel saw either a whole lot or nothing at all (just kidding) in 100 days: "Longest was 3.5 months of backpacking through Europe. It was a whirlwind trip - hit 22 countries!" 
That's an incredible journey to take anyway.

Others added images and way more time onto their answers, showcasing some serious travel experts:
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@VillageMonde: A year, sailing around the world. Craziest adventures, greatest meetings!
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@bigfatheadz: Our last trip. 10 months July 2015 to May 2016. I think I'm in post-trip denial
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@AFKTravel: The longest was 7 months in SE Asia, but the best was 4 months roadtripping around Southern Africa
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#TravelSkills: Food, Wine & Travel (what more could you ask for)

8/6/2016

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Some Twitter Chats we take part in involve lots of ongoing side conversation and related topics, and when we blog about them, we have plenty to say in our commentary. However, sometimes the information coming out of these chats is just too valuable not to share succinctly and clearly. 
This is one such chat - all about Food, Wine and Travel. There are so many excellent recommendations and tantalising accompanying pics that I'll let the content do the talking. Enjoy and let me know in the comments where you've decided to go since they will no doubt inspire your next holiday!

#TravelSkills chat was hosted by @cjmcginnis & @JohnnyJet with the help of sponsors @VikingRiver.
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Favourite food destination(s) in the world?

Answers poured in covering all participants' favourite destinations including: Mexico City, Paris, Lyon, Italy, NYC, Peru, Portugal, New Orleans, Honolulu, Singapore, Tokyo, Greece, Thailand, Morocco...

Here are some of their legit reasons below:
@HCTravels: "Paris...for wine & patisseries. NYC...for anything you can think of. Italy...because, well, Italy"
@micheleherrmann: "Italy. Pizza, pasta, gelato, roast chicken, fish, Bocci."

And some expert Travel Tips from the chat creators who know their stuff:
@JohnnyJet: "TIP Only eat at street vendors that have long lines w/ a mix of locals and expats so you know they’re good & safe"
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@cjmcginnis: TIP Eat in neighborhoods, not central city, for to learn how locals eat
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@theplanetd: Greece, Italy, Thailand, Morocco

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    The Authors

    Siamac and Julieanne are avid world travellers, sun worshippers and enjoy sharing recommendations of treats they've encountered along the way. With this blog and Concierge99's Top 5 Guides, they can help you make the most of your travels, giving you an opportunity to find interesting and unique things to do wherever you are in the world.


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