Why Philadelphia Is Worth a Stop on Your Cross-County Road Trip

Philadelphia might not make as big a splash as New York City or Washington D.C., but it's definitely worth a road trip stop if you'll be traveling along the East Coast. From fascinating moments in history to odd attractions to world-famous foods, Philly has a little something for everyone. Discover what makes this urban center such an exciting and unique destination to add to your journey.

Historical Sites

Image via Flickr by cjsorg

 It's no secret that Philadelphia played a major role in American history. Independence Hall, where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed, is considered the top Philly spot for history buffs. Conveniently located just across the street is the famed Liberty Bell, which weighs in at an astonishing 2,080 pounds and was once mounted in Independence Hall's belfry. Philly's City Hall, the largest municipal building in the country, is an architectural gem boasting plenty of historical significance.

Cultural Attractions

Philly's rich cultural scene would take weeks to fully explore, but a few key places are worth putting on your itinerary when stopping through. Be sure to check out the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which features an impressive collection of Impressionist paintings (along with the famous steps from “Rocky”). The Franklin Institute Science Museum is packed with educational interactive displays, while the National Museum of American Jewish History features more than 30,000 fascinating artifacts. Another interesting cultural attraction in Philadelphia is the Masonic Temple, which features seven meeting rooms each designed in a different form of architecture (Renaissance, Gothic, Egyptian, etc.). 

Tasty Eats

First and foremost, your stop in the City of Brotherly Love must include a Philly cheesesteak. Geno's Steaks or Pat's King of Steaks, long-time rivals located across the street from one another, are considered the best places for authentic cheesesteaks. Another culinary spot to try is Reading Terminal Market, which is home to more than 100 vendors serving up delectable dishes from around the world. 

One particularly unique dining option in Philadelphia is City Tavern. This restaurant promises a historically accurate dining experience, complete with Colonial cuisine and costumed servers. For more inspired eats, check out this Philadelphia city guide for some excellent dining options you can incorporate into a day of sightseeing around town.

Off-the-Beaten-Path Activities

If you're looking for unique things to do in Philly, put the Mütter Museum at the top of your list. This museum, which is dedicated to medical oddities like preserved body parts, is not for the faint of heart but is undeniably fascinating. Disturbing thrills can also be found at the now-empty Eastern State Penitentiary, where many a prisoner went insane from forced solitary confinement, and the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, where you can tour the writer's murky basement.

Fortunately, not all of Philadelphia's unique attractions are quite so creepy. Philadelphia's Magic Gardens is a whimsical folk-art gallery space, while the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden is one of the most stunning traditional Japanese gardens in North America.

Experience what makes Philadelphia such a fascinating and distinctive city by making a stop here on your next road trip. 

Entertaining the Easy Way With One Pot Meals

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Entertaining guests with a delicious home-cooked meal is a cheap way to get together and a great opportunity to experiment with some interesting ingredients. The joy of cooking is always in the play of texture and flavour, but sometimes it can take a lot of effort to produce.

But instead of reaching for the takeaway menus when you don’t have the time or energy to spend the afternoon in the kitchen, you should instead go for a simple one pot. With less washing up, and most of the cooking time requiring only a modest amount of attention, the humble one pot can provide flavour without much effort.

What Do I Need to Make a One Pot Meal?

To begin with, you need to make sure that you have what you need in the kitchen. A big wok will serve plenty of people a decent stir fry meal and a large ceramic casserole dish is the perfect vessel for stews, casseroles and even ratatouille. For some really beautiful ceramic cookware, have a look at StoneFryingPans.com.

You should also look at your selection of knives. The sharper your knife, the easier it is to cut and you can move much faster. A dull blade is actually less safe than a sharp blade as it may slip and cut you by accident.

Have a look at this video to master the basics of knife work.

Which One Pot Meals Will My Friends Enjoy?

One pots are all about preparation and then, with the exception of stir-fry, can be left to cook and will be ready when you are. Stews are an obvious choice and you can serve them with a simple mashed potato. Alternatively, you could go vegetarian for a change and choose something like ratatouille which can be served with a delicious crusty loaf for rustic charm.

Chili is a great one pot meal and the longer you leave it to simmer gently, the better the flavours will develop. It’s also a great idea for the dinner table as you can serve baked potatoes (cover a potato in oil and salt and bake on a high temperature for around an hour), fajitas, tacos and tortilla chips. Instead of you doing all the work, get your guests to build their own meals and just put all the dips and extras on the table to dig into.

Cooking Ahead and Freezing

One of the best things about one pot meals is that the vast majority can be made ahead of time and frozen in portions. This is ideal for if you happen to have some leftovers or if you really are short of time and need a fast solution. Cooking ahead and freezing in portions is a brilliant way to eat cheaply, especially if you live alone as it is always far easier to cook for four than one.

So there you have it. One pot meals are the future of entertaining and eating well!

Proper Preparation For Your Trip On The Road

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The majority of times you go away, it’s likely you fly. After all, you can’t exactly drive across oceans. What’s more, flying is the cheapest option available in many cases. And, it’s certainly the fastest way to travel long distances.

Sometimes, though, we hit the road instead of the sky, and decide to drive to our location. It may be that you’re going on a city break, and driving makes more sense. Or, perhaps you’re going on a full-blown road trip, and the journey is the body of your vacation.

Either way, going long distances in your car when you aren’t used to it can be daunting. It’s likely you’ve studied your route and tried to prepare stop-offs to keep you from drowsing behind the wheel. All important stuff, of course. But, with all these big plans, it’s easy to forget about the fundamental checks you need to make before leaving. Lucky for you, we’re going to remind you of them here.

Basic maintenance

It would be foolhardy to head off without doing a few maintenance checks. This is simple stuff which could make a huge difference. You should check tire pressure, lights, and even fluid levels. It’s also crucial you check your spare tire is in place and ready to go should you spring a leak. And, though it seems obvious, you also need to make sure to fill up your tank before setting off. With everything else to worry about, you’d be surprised how many people forget this simple step. One thing’s sure, though; you’ll struggle to reach your destination on half a tank of gas. To make sure you don’t forget anything, write a checklist and cross points off as you go.

Up to date insurance

It’s also crucial you check your insurance policy is up to date and paid for. Remember that you’ll be driving roads you don’t know. As such, the risk of an accident is much higher than it would be if you were driving around your hometown. If your papers are up to date, you can at least rest secure that you won’t be left out of pocket should anything happen. Even if your insurance company attempts to squirm out of paying for damage, you could contact someone like Attorney George Kindley and company who could easily help you if you have up to date paperwork. But, without it, your trip could come to a crashing halt in the worst kind of way.

Breakdown cover

Your insurance isn’t the only policy you need to worry about, either. Breakdown cover is essential for drivers at the best of times, but even more so when you’re going on a long drive. This is especially the case if you’ll be driving on country roads for a large part of your journey. After all, if you’re in a city, you can at least head to the nearest garage. Out in the sticks, there’s nothing you can do but phone your breakdown company to come and rescue you.

Here are Some Easy Ways to Get Pests out of Your Home for Good

It can be very alarming when you realize that pests have invaded your home. Suddenly you may no longer feel safe or comfortable in your own property.

The most common pests are termites, mice, bed bugs, wasps and even ants. They can cause a surprising amount of damage in a very short space of time, leaving you with a headache and a potentially expensive clean up and repair bill.

This is why it is important to be aware of the most common pests and how to prevent them entering your home.

If they have got into your home there are several ways in which you can get rid of them for good:

Lemon Juice

This is very effective against ants. They simply don’t like the smell and are very reluctant to cross a line of this liquid. 

As well as lemon juice you can persuade your ants to leave with cinnamon or peppermint. 

You’ll need to cover their nest in one of these liquids to persuade them to pack up and go.

Electronic Devices.

There are many electronic fly traps which you can purchase through a pest control agent or even rent.

These attract flies and some other flying insects. It kills them quickly once they fly into it.

Soap

Surprisingly normal hand soap can be very effective at removing pests. This is particularly effective when dealing with stink bugs. All you need to do is combine liquid hand soap with water in a spray bottle.

Then you can spray the exterior of your home, specifically where there are cracks and other ways for the pests to get in. The pests dislike the soap mix and will leave, or not even enter your home.

Tidy Up

Flies, mice, cockroaches and many other pests are attracted to the tiny crumbs of food that you leave on your work surfaces and floors. Many of them will come out at night when you’re asleep and they won’t be disturbed.

Stop giving them food; they will quickly need to leave your house to find food elsewhere.

All you need to do is make sure your surfaces and floors are clean. Use an anti-bacterial spray to make sure of this and seal all your open packets of food in appropriate containers.

If they have no food they won’t be interested in staying at your home and you won’t be at risk of developing an illness.

Go To The Source

The most effective way of eliminating any pest is to find their nest. Killing off one or two pests might feel great but it won’t actually solve the problem.

Instead watch the pests to work out where they are coming from. You can then use this knowledge to locate their nest and destroy it.

In the process you can destroy as many of the pests as possible but without a nest they will immediately look for a new home.

The trick is to ensure they all leave your home or are killed; without creating a new nest. The best way of achieving this is to seal all possible nest sites before you attack their nest.

A professional can help you to get this approach right.

My Fake Face From Facebook

SERIOUS MEH?

Saw in Facebook... Many of my friends "played" with this FB app and I joined in the club out of curiosity and vanity..... Dug out one of my old photos taken two years ago and uploaded it to this Faceapp....

Viola!!

Nope, I did not share it on FB cos it is definitely not me!  The difference is too much....

Starting with the eyes... Reality....  Droopy eyes 

Nose.... Reality.... big nose like Jackie Chan...

Teeth.... In reality, visible gaps in between....

Overall face.... Roundish, pigmentation and acne .....

I showed this photo to a couple of friends and they agree to one thing... "No, its not you!"

If I wanna look like that, I guess I have to fly to Korea and spend my life savings on this new face! 

No more originality.... How can........

But then...  I like this New Face This App created.... LOL....

How to Get Your Yard and Garden Ready for Summer Fun

The Spring is an excellent time of year. Winter's harsh weather goes away and the new season brings moderate temperatures, sunshine, and new growth. During this season you can start living outdoors again.

Spring is a good time to start working on your yard. Here are a few projects that can help you prepare your yard and garden for summer fun.

1. Control Pests 

Garden pests, like aphids, love new growth. If you see trees and plants with poorly formed or curled leaves, this is a sign of aphids. These pests usually target fruit trees, citrus trees, and roses.

To remove aphids from your plants, wash the foliage frequently using a strong jet of water, to blast the aphids away. You can also use horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. If you want a more natural treatment, release ladybugs into your garden at dusk.

If you have a problem with slugs and snails, you can bait them, or remove them by hand. 

2. Prepare Flowerbeds

Amend your planting bed soil with organic matter. Start by spreading 3 inches of compost on the garden's surface. If you have sandy soil, you'll want to work the compost into the ground.

Compost can benefit the soil in many ways. It can enrich the soil, help maintain soil temperature, keep down the weeds, and help retain moisture around your plants. 

When applying mulch around a tree, make sure to keep it back several inches from the trunk.

3. Plant and Maintain Vegetables and Flowers

You can successfully plant vegetables, flowers, and other plants during the Spring. When you can plant would depend on your local climate and weather conditions. Contact your local garden center for specific information and planting dates.

When the weather allows, you want to start planting your summer vegetables, like tomatoes, corn, melons, and beans. This season is also an excellent time to set out summer-flowering bulbs and annuals.

If you live in a colder climate, you can plant cool-season vegetables like cauliflower, leafy greens, and broccoli. Even in cold climates, like the Northeastern U.S., you can plant a bare-root rose during the Spring. Make sure to fertilize the rose after the blooming cycle advise Outdoorartpros.com.

4. Prune

The best time to prune hedges and evergreens is when the new growth begins. Fruit trees should have been pruned in the winter when the tree was dormant. However, you can prune mature fruit trees in the Spring and Summer to strengthen and shape them.

5. Take Care of Your Lawn

For most parts of the country, Spring is an excellent time to begin making lawn improvements. You can start by watering your lawn and digging out deep-rooted weeds, like dandelions.

If your lawn's growth has slowed during the winter, apply a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, according to the manufacturer's directions. Generally, you need one pound of nitrogen for 1,000 square feet of lawn space. However, the amount required depends on the type of fertilizer you choose, read the label carefully to ensure you have the correct amount.

As the weather warms up, you should raise your lawn mower blade to 1-1/2 to 2 inches. The height increase will help make your grass more resistant to the summer heat.

6. Water and Irrigate

Small plants and seedlings need water. You'll need to plan how to manage your garden's water needs during the heat of the summer.  You'll also want to consider how drought conditions can affect your plan.

For example, if you live in an area that is prone to drought,  you'd want to avoid planting a large number of summer annuals, which require an abundance of water. 

If you have an irrigation or sprinkler system, Spring is a great time to do maintenance work or repairs.

Bye Johor, Hello Ipoh

MORNING FLIGHT...

The very next day, we have to catch the morning flight at 8am.... we switched on the alarm for 6am and off we went to the airport without any breakfast.  We have to reach there one hour before the flight departs...

At the dusk of dawn... we reached the airport in Senai....

Everything went on smoothly, no delays in flight....

Surprisingly we were not even hungry...

The scrumptious meal at Pekin was still in our tummies

The plane landed at Senai before our boarding time....

And this plane took us back to Ipoh safely and earlier than the scheduled time.... 

Our Last Johor Dinner At Pekin Restaurant, Sutera Mall

THE LAST EVENING DINNER IN JOHOR...

 It was a Saturday evening when my in-laws invited us to have a nice scrumptious dinner at Pekin Restaurant Sutera Mall.  Yes, this is one of their regular and favourite restaurants and I also love the food there very much!  Most of the dishes I have tasted are very nice and tasty and the price!   is also very nice and pricey... LOL... I am very thankful to my in-laws, they always pick up the bill whenever we have dinner there.

I always like their choice of dishes....

What they order, all I like!

Tau Kan.... Beancurd skin....

Claypot Fish...

Buttered prawns....

                                                                         fresh and succulent..

Clear and soupy dish... 

g

Glutinous rice aka sticky rice with the fragrance ...

And ended with Sang Mee..... 

What a fulfilling dinner... 

Oh yeah, some coconut pudding completed our evening meal....

Best beauty brands & products on Amazon

Looking for the best skin care, hair care or make up? We have a wide variety of brands and products to choose from. How are we supposed to know what’s really worth our time and money? Which brand is actually good for us? Maybe, by getting the knowledge about the top brands and their products. Shop using Amazon Coupons for best beauty products and choose from over 15 lakh products only at Amazon. To grab the best deals and offers visit Get Amazon Coupons. Amazon sale 2018 brings amazing discounts on all product categories.

Here are some top beauty brands and their products:

Clinique

About Clinique, one thing is for sure that their product works and it is proven by the Amazon customers. The customer has given thousands of positive reviews for this brand. Amazon provides you everything from skincare to makeup at the lower price. Products of this brands like Moisturizers, cleaner, toner, lotion and many more are available.

Check out the discount on these products:

· Get up to 58% off on Clinique moisturizing lotion.

· Flat 35% off on Clinique 3 step facial soap. The original price of makeup up kit is Rs.2873/- while on amazon you can avail this product at Rs.2155/-

· Moisturizing cream of this brand is available at Rs.2987/-. This product is suitable or dry to very dry skin combinations.

Olay

Olay is one the top most American brand which is widely used in all countries. Olay provides a wide range of beauty and skin care products. Some of the top products are anti-aging cream, instant glow fairness, foundations, cleanser, tonner and much more.

Let’s have a look at some top offers of this brand:

· Flat 20% off on fairness serum of Olay brand. The original price of this products is Rs.999/- and it is available at Rs.797/- only. Free delivery of this product is also available for this product.

· Olay natural white 7 in 1 glowing fairness day skin cream is available at Rs.340/-. This cream also contains SPF 24 in it. Amazon customer has given 4 star rating to this product.

· Olay serum is available at flat 35% discount. The original price of this product is Rs.2200/- and you can avail it at Rs.1430/- only.

Lakme

Lakme brand provides a wide range of products which is quite famous in the youth. Lakme provides products like lip shades, face cream, nail colors, eye colors and eye shadow, and other facial products. Amazon also provides online shopping for all of these products with free home delivery.

Check out the discount and offers on this brand:

· Flat 15% off on Lakme eye conic kajal which has the original price of Rs.170/- while you can shop at Rs.144/ only on amazon

· Lakme sun expert lotion is available at flat Rs.161/-

· Upto 30% off on Lakme Absolute skin lightening day cream

· Lakme compact golden medium is available at 25% off

· Lakme matte lipstick can be purchased at Rs.225/- only.

L’Oreal

L’Oréal is one of the most reputed company in the makeup development field. The products of this brand are highly recommended by most of the beauty professionals. L’Oreal provides product like Face cream, kajal, shampoos, hair care products like colors, gel, conditioners and many more. Amazon is offering discount on the product of this brand. Let’s check out them:

· L’Oreal Paris casting cream is available at flat 23% off.

· Up to 25% off on L’Oreal milky foam face wash.

· Night cream of the L’Oreal bran is available at Rs.522/- with the 25% off

· Save up to 20% off on L’Oreal Paris kajal.

Biotique

Biotique offers a wide range of beauty products like face care products, hair care products and much more. Amazon provides all the Biotique products with great discount and offers.

Let’s check out the offers on Biotique brand at Amazon:

· Get flat 30% off on Biotique scrub, the original price of this product is Rs.199/- and you can avail it at Rs.132/-

· Biotique skin lotion is available at Rs.224/- only.

· Save up to Rs. 60 /- on biotique fruit face pack.

· Biotique bio neem face wash at Rs.216/-

Amazon provides you the wide range of makeup products from all of the leading brands around the globe at affordable prices. You can not only buy these products with more than 25% discount but can also enjoy the extra 10% cashback by paying with the Amazon Pay Balance.

AirAsia Airline - The Guide To Fly With 'Em

What’s up, readers! It’s a beautiful day to write something, ain’t it? Well, while I was looking outside and thinking “What should I write today?”, I saw a plane crossing the sky in my view. It was like gazillion miles away, I wouldn’t know what airline was it. Then, it hits me. Just recently Tony Fernandes, you know, the dude that revolutionize low-cost carrier in Malaysia, yeah, that guy. He releases his own book called the Flying High: My Story. I’d figured, what the heck? Let’s just write about his first baby, AirAsia Airline for a change. I’m not an avid fan or anything, I just thought since it’s also towards the end of the year, you might be interested to know some stuff about local airlines when you plan your travelling, right? Who knows? Maybe it’ll help you have a clear information about airlines and in my entry, the AirAsia Airline of course. Firstly, where you can find the airline besides its own official website? Well, you can check out Traveloka. I saw their ad the other day and the name just popped into my head. They have deals for AirAsia airline booking that maybe you might be interested in. Anyways, let’s not jump the gun on the story here and let’s go back and see what AirAsia is all about before we start talking about flight booking.

Let’s Check-In

AirAsia is all about making things easy for its passengers. Especially in this modern technology era, boarding pass can be a pain if the traditional restrictions are in place. Now, AirAsia gives you the liberty to print and reprint your boarding pass online OR have a PDF copy of it sent to your e-mail. If you are a smartphone user, the system will give you a scannable barcode for your boarding pass directly on your phone. I don’t know about you, but that has “convenience” written all over it.

It’s All About The Baggage

Imagine when you are planning a mega vacation trip overseas and you are stuck with the question of how the whole baggage deal is with AirAsia. Here’s a little exposure for you on that matter. For carry-on baggage, you can bring in one carry-on luggage plus one laptop bag/handbag onboard. Get your measurement tape out because the maximum dimension for carry-ons is 14” in height, 22” in length and 10” in width, plus it cannot weigh more than 7 kg. Long story short, it has to be able to fit in the overhead compartments or underneath the seat in front of you. Next is the checked baggage where all the magic happens. The weight usually differs depending on your destination, but generally, it must be less than 32 kg. The baggage needs to be checked in no later than 45 minutes before flight departure so, it is wise to not giddy around if you’re bringing a baggage with you.

To Seat or Not To Seat

Regardless if it’s a 2-hours or a 14-hour flight, one would kill for the best seat. Finding the best seat in a plane is like two gladiators battling in the Colosseum. Aside from wishing you will not end up next to a very annoying passenger, the location of the seat itself plays important role in determining how you sum up your travelling experience. Good thing AirAsia have the pre-arranged seating all set up for you. Yep, you read it correctly. You can now pick your own seat beforehand. I did some digging and found that there are sections in the plane that you can keep a lookout for, like from rows 7 to 14 are called the “quiet zone”, the ones by the emergency exits and called the “hot seats” (my fav!) and “premium flatbed” which is also my fav. Who doesn’t want extra legroom?

Review Shows The Verdict

If you haven’t noticed, what we decide to depend mostly on what we read, and that is reviews. You can name anything, whether it’s movies, place to eat, what to eat, a place to go and so on and so forth. So, maybe the amount of research I spent on AirAsia’s review might differ from others, but this is my findings and feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below too if you have any. We’re all about civilised information sharing. So, based on what I’ve read about this airline, the reviews ain’t too shabby. Of course, there are some weaknesses here and there - not surprising since it’s pretty normal, but compared to the upper hand of things, AirAsia did well for themselves. It’s the top low-cost carrier in Malaysia and its efficiency are well-praised. That says something, right?

Anyways, that’s about it for today. My fingers need its rest. All in all, I hope today’s entry entertain or benefit you in some way. You are always encouraged to do your own research because I skipped some stuff too during this write-up. There is clearly other stuff that you will find interesting when you are dealing with AirAsia. Have fun researching! Have fun travelling!

Online Purchase For New Eyeglasses

My carelessness revealed..
A couple of weeks back, I was looking for my eyeglasses, I could not find it anywhere at all.  I searched practically the whole house, even my wardrobe cupboard for I experienced one time before I left it at the clothing drawer.   But to no avail, I could not find it anywhere.... until one day, I reversed my car from the house to the outside of my gate and I heard a "cracking" sound.  I came down from my car and what did I find???   Yes, you guess it correctly, there right on the road was my mangled eyeglasses "crushed" to death by my own car tires.  How did it get under the car?  The only explanation is that I must have dropped my glasses right in front of my house gate without realizing it and then when I reversed my car, my glasses were crushed!

There goes my $$!  I went to purchase another pair immediately for I could not see clearly without them.  It is very costly going to the optical shop and getting a new pair, I tell myself that I must be more careful in the future.  It cost over $100usd for a new pair of glasses.  Sigh...

After relating this incident to a friend, she told me about online shopping for glasses.  These prescription glasses are so much cheaper, as low as $11, we can get these eyeglasses which comes with thin, light index lens, anti scratch coating, full UV protection, polished lens and quality hard eyeglass case with microfibre lens cleaning cloth. All these are sold online, with no middlemen or virtually no advertising budget. With just a prescription filled by an optometrist, we can choose the wide range of frame styles from Zeelool.com.


Zeelool website is one of the most popular online optical that offers cheap, affordable and yet stylish, quality type of prescription eyeglasses for lowest price ever.  Unbelievable? Well, it says here  the eyeglasses frames comes with high quality stylish frame, thin and light 1.57 index lens, anti scratch coating, full UV protection, quality hard eyeglass case and a full guarantee.  For this festive season, Zeelool is offering special Easter discounts, they have a wide selection of  glasses frames for women, many stylish and modern designs to choose from.

All we need to do is to register and fill up the prescription form with all our eyesight details and they will do the rest.  For purchases over $59, there will be no shipping charges.  More details can be found at this website at Zeelool.  I have chosen two frames which I like to have.  After this careless incident, I need to have a spare pair of eyeglasses to keep in the house.  :)

Little Things That’ll Make Your Travels Easier

Anyone who travels a lot will know that it can be pretty stressful. But maybe it doesn’t have to be as difficult as it often is for you. There are so many ways around these kinds of problems, and you can make sure that you always get the most out of your travels by being clever about the decisions you make. Your travels are opportunities for you to experience new things and meet new people; that’s what it should be about.

It’s so often the little things that make traveling easier, despite what many people assume. You don’t need to make huge changes to how you travel in order to get more out of every travel experience. By making a few tweaks and changes to how you plan travels and implement those plans, you will get so much more out of it.

Read on to find out which little changes will make your life easier and more enjoyable as you travel.

Planning Your Trip to the Airport in Detail

Your trip to the airport will be one of the most important aspects of your journey. Your entire travels will be thrown into complete chaos before you’ve even left your own country if you miss a train or there’s a traffic jam that causes you to get to the airport late. So know your route to the airport and plan it out in as much detail as possible. If you’re traveling at a time when transport links are likely to be busy or roads jammed, factor that into your timings.

 

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Being Able to Drive Around in Your Destination

If you haven’t done so already in life, you should definitely head to driving school to help get your license. When you’re able to easily and legally hire a car wherever you’re heading to, it makes your life so much easier than it would otherwise be. You can simply hop in and get to wherever you need to go to without any fuss or hassle at all. It means that you won’t be reliant on confusing and often unreliable public transport systems, which is always a bonus.

Learning a Few Sentences of the Languages

No one expects you to master the language before you take a trip to a foreign country, but it is a good idea to pick up a few of the basics so that you can form sentences. The effort is something people always appreciate, and it’s not even that hard to do. You can find phrase books for pretty much any language out there, so make the most of them.

Using Google Maps

Most people have phones that come with Google Maps or something similar already installed on them. So why not make more use of this application when you’re trying to get around in a location that you’re not yet particularly familiar with? It could prevent you from wasting time getting lost, and that’s got to be a good thing for you. It’s much more helpful than people thing, and it can even give you ideas for places to visit and restaurant to eat in.

Carrying a Backup Battery

These days, we’re all reliant on your various electronic gadgets and devices. If we stop being able to use them because of dead batteries, it can significantly impact our travel experience in often harmful ways. That’s why you should always take a backup battery pack of some variety with you whenever you travel. These days, you can find very small and compact backup batteries, so taking them with you doesn’t have to be daunting in any way.

Giving Some Thought to Fraud Issues

No one thing’s they’re going to be the victim of fraud when they’re traveling, but these things happen. If you’re someone who’s ignoring this potential, you’ll only make yourself a bigger target. So give some thought to how your details and sensitive information is stored and handled. By doing this, you’ll be able to avoid many of the most common ways in which people get scammed abroad. It’s not a minor issue so don’t brush it to one side.

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Having a Variety of Plug Adaptors

It might be surprising that something as simple as some plug adaptors might change the entire course of your travels, but if you don’t have such things in place, you’ll quickly realise that life is going to be difficult for you on this trip. You can buy small kits that include adaptors for pretty much every plug socket system on the planet. It’s definitely worth investing in one of these because you save a lot of time and stress later.

Making Sure You Don’t Waste Money on Mobile Data

This is one thing that can really burn you if you’re not careful. There are roaming charges for data usage that you’ll be hit with if you don’t have a data roaming plan in place that will cover you. If you’re someone who travels regularly, it’s best to buy a phone plan that covers data roaming for you. But don’t use your data in other countries if you don’t have that cover because the charges can be enormous.

Paying Your Bill With Unwanted Currency Before You Leave

When you reach the end of your trip, you’re often left with a lot of old coins and notes that you will probably not have a use for because you’re heading back home. That currency should not go to waste, and having it exchanged for your home currency is a mistake too because there are always fees involved. So pay your hotel bill with all that old money. Even if it only partially covers the bill, get rid of it and then pay for what’s left with your card.

Travel shouldn’t be a chore for you. If anything, it should be a pleasure and a source of real enjoyment. So make the most of these tips and ideas to make the most of each and every trip you go on from this day forth. It will make your travels easier, better and more cost effective.