REPOST: 5 places to add to your traveling bucket list for 2015

Traveling the world is fun but choosing where to go is the hardest part of it all. This New York Daily News article enumerates five destinations you should be adding to your travel bucket list.

Aurora over Jokulsarlon, Iceland. | Image Source: nydailynews.com

 
New Year’s is not that far off, and if you've resolved to make 2015 your year of travel, here are five places you’ll want to add to your list. From cultural meccas to natural beauties, family-friendly havens and one place in particular that just has that certain je ne sais quoi about it, these top-pick travel destinations each promise eye-opening experiences all their own. All you have to do is buy the ticket.

Bahamas

Image Source: nydailynews.com

If the only things you know about the Bahamas is that a certain pop-music princess who sings about umbrellas happened to be born there or that it was on the Beach Boy’s list of travel destinations once upon a time, then might we suggest a trip to this tropical island and an updated copy of Trivial Pursuit. “The Bahamas are home to one of the most picturesque archipelagos in the entire world,” says Jackie Finley, a representative of Holiday Cruise Line. “And the fact they're so close to Florida makes going on cruises one of the most exciting things you can do with your family." Bahamian cruises are so popular in fact that Holiday has a specialty service dedicated to such excursions — might be why it's been named the “Best Bahamas Getaway Cruise” three years running by the editors at Porthole magazine.


Central America

Nicaragua, Central America | Image Source: nydailynews.com

If the is calling to you, but you’re not entirely interested in island hopping, Central America might be a better place to plan your great escape. Lying just above the equator in the Tropic of Cancer, with the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean on either side, this smallest sliver of the Americas offers warm climates, beautiful weather and plenty of awe-inspiring natural wonders at which to marvel. Panama is possibly the most recognizable Central American country, but to its north, Costa Rica has long held the crown as an ecotourism hotspot. New to the tourism scene, but equally capable of offering an exotic adventure is Nicaragua. While its war-torn history might not be far behind it, Nicaragua is charting a new course for itself as a cultural and culinary destination. Seafood lovers should stick to the Caribbean side of the country, where they are sure to enjoy the spoils of Nicaragua’s shrimp and lobster boat industries; caffeine connoisseurs might consider a trip to the country’s central highlands for a tour of its authentic coffee harvestings; and Nicaragua’s most intriguing of natural wonders, its coral reefs, are best seen by scuba diving off the coast of Corn Island — situated in the Caribbean Sea about 44 miles off Nicaragua’s mainland.


Paris

Image Source: nydailynews.com

Despite having a history that spans over 10,000 years, the City of Lights still holds a fascination for tourists. In fact, it is the ever presence of its antiquity, in the form of gothic architecture and cultural landmarks like Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tour that continue to make the Parisian capitale a perennial favorite — not to mention the Mona Lisa, Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece housed within Paris' most popular museum, the Louvre. Whether you spend your time here doing nothing more than eating macaroons while strolling along the Seine basking in the wealth of history simply surrounding you, or you pound the cobblestone pavement traversing the city from the Champs d'Elysee to Sacré-Cœur, Paris holds plenty of opportunities to make memories to last a lifetime.

Iceland

We can understand why any travel destination with the word ice in the name would be enough to raise the eyebrows of even the most unimpressed of New Yorkers — a people for whom the term polar vortex still illicits chills — but if this Nordic country is not on your traveling bucket list by now, it’s time to make an addendum. Falling just outside the Arctic Circle, a trip to Iceland is not for the faint of heart. In this case, however, fortune truly does favor the brave, because once you arrive, a veritable treasure trove of natural beauty will be at your fingertips. From getting an up-close look at glaciers to taking in the polar collision of gaseous particles better known as the Northern Lights, Iceland is awash in wonders — and not all of them require a parka to appreciate. Amongst Iceland’s main attractions are its geothermal pools. These naturally heated watering holes are reason enough to book a ticket to Reykjavik right now.

Washington D.C.

Image Source: nydailynews.com

 While part of the fun of travelling is getting to put a stamp in your passport, there are plenty of picturesque, historically significant and awe-inspiring places to visit right here in the states. One of our favorites is just a train ride away. Washington is one of the world's best museum and monument cities, according to Lonely Planet, an arbiter of all things travel oriented. For the next 12 months, our nation’s capital will in even rarer form than usual, in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Through 2015, rarely seen artifacts from America’s 16th president, like his iconic stovepipe hat, as well as the pistol John Wilkes Booth fired the deadly shot from will be on display through a partnership between the Smithsonian and Ford’s Theatre where Lincoln was fatally wounded in 1865. While the occasion warranting Washington D.C. a place in our list might be a bit somber, it's short window of opportunity makes it all the more significant.

A trip to any of these above destinations is sure to make your two weeks off of work feel like the much needed getaway it's meant to be, but whether your vacation winds up being one from this list or another port of call entirely, the experience of exploration is what’s important.

Riyesh Menon loves to travel the world because he enjoys experiencing the different cultures of every place he visits. Follow him on Twitter to find out the hottest and most beautiful destinations.

Escaping the cold and enjoying a holiday travel on the cheap

Image Source: dmhsperspective.com

When the too cold weather tags along with the Christmas holiday, it makes you want to get out of town and enjoy a warm-weather getaway. However, holiday travel is notoriously known as being a busy and expensive undertaking. Odds are, you’ll likely get discouraged and end up staying at home, hoping that the heating system will not give up on you.

Image Source: orlandosentinel.com

But, fret not, for there are deals and tactics that will let you enjoy a warm Christmas holiday, away the biting weather. In fact, Travel Channel says that there is quite a window of opportunity for a great vacation with holiday travel, only if you planned ahead and booked early. Independent Traveler affirms that fares rise as the actual holiday approaches, so booking early avoid the price of procrastination. There is no such thing as too early flight booking in this day and age.

Image Source: shetlandtaxis.co.uk

Forbes underscores that the beauty of booking travel in advance for a winter holiday is that you see maximum discounts on resort or hotel rates. A 14 to 21-day advanced booking is ideal for a 20 percent discount or more. With advanced flight booking, you can choose Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday, or the actual holiday, as these days are the cheapest times to fly to your destination. And they are less stressful, too.

Escaping winter by vacationing somewhere sunny can cause a serious dent on your budget, unless you plan well in advance and not escape town on a sudden whim.

Hi there! Riyesh Menon here! Traveling is what I love best as I get to see unique places and cultures. Follow me on Twitter to read about the places I visited and those that I plan to see soon.

REPOST: Suitcase or backpack?

Paul Burn's article from Venere.com lists down the pros and cons of using a suitcase or a backpack when traveling.

Everyone loves to travel and we all have our different ways of packing. Some of us travel light wherever we go, the rest of us pack the kitchen sink for even the shortest of trips. We don’t want to be caught unprepared for any eventuality – and of course, we might not find any shops where we are going!

Image Source: venere.com

Who carries what?
How we carry our luggage, though, is another matter. We all have our preconceptions of a backpacker as being young, cool, adventurous, traveling light and on a budget, whereas suitcase users might be considered more sophisticated, business like and more affluent. Whether you go for suitcases or backpacks they both have their pros and cons.

Pros and cons
Suitcases have one big advantage – they don’t weigh you down strapped to your back. These days they don’t even have to be carried far as they all come with wheels. These can, however, be a little tricky on medieval cobbled streets and carrying suitcases up several flights of stairs is not easy. Suitcases have an even bigger advantage in hot climates, they haven’t been attached to your back, leaving you hot and uncomfortable. Newer styles of backpack, though, are designed to eliminate this problem; although such designs might not come cheap.

It is easy to find something in a suitcase without having to totally unpack it. It opens out flat and everything can be seen and you will be surprised at the amount of luggage you can get into it. There’s no end to the pairs of shoes or holiday reading you can pack and once packed it stands upright and only its wheels have to touch the dirty ground; backpacks have a tendency to fall over and their straps can quickly become sticky and dirty. Straps tend to get tangled on airplanes and trip up the unwary. Awkward shaped and sharp objects or glass bottles that risk being broken don’t become hazards in a suitcase, they won’t spear your back as you walk.

Special needs
If you know you’re going to be traveling over rough terrain or having to walk with your luggage for any amount of time then, of course, backpacks come into their own. Your hands are left free to navigate potential hazards and you avoid falling into water or mud. Finally, image has to be considered. Turn up in that hostel in India or Thailand carrying a top of the range, hard-bodied, wheeled suitcase and you might not look that cool. Check in at a 5 star luxury hotel wearing a backpack and you might wish you’d worn your stilettos.


Get more tips on how to pack for trips by following Riyesh Menon on Facebook.