Crafting the ultimate to-do list for the new year

Blog Courtsey: https://viewfinder.expedia.com/
By the time your calendar reads January 1, you’ll be feeling the effects of your cookie binge and eyeing the treadmill that’s been mocking you from the corner for the last few months. There is no better way to procrastinate your way out of workout goals or overdue emails than planning your epic adventures for 2017. There are plenty of reasons to get out there and explore this great big world of ours, and no shortage of exciting things happening next year that should lure you off the couch and into the greatest adventure of your life. Here are a few things to add to the ultimate 2017 bucket list.

Hop a flight to Cuba for the first time

Flight service to Cuba is officially underway, and you’ve probably been waiting a lifetime to check out the white-sand beaches and vibrant culture of this island. Since 2017 will be the first full year in recent memory that Americans can travel freely to Cuba, put a visit on your travel bucket list and book your tickets today. Once you’re there, spend your mornings traipsing through Old Havana and lazy afternoons lounging on Varadero Beach. Tour the Morro Castle and sink your teeth into street food like pork hamburgers and coconut pies.

Visit Banff National Park for free

In celebration of their 150th birthday, Canucks are letting everyone into their national parks for free during all of 2017. If a trip to Banff has been on your radar, this is the year to pull the trigger on a wilderness adventure north of the border. Put on some hiking shoes and tackle the trails, or take a breathtaking gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain. Visit the Cave and Basin National Historic Site where natural hot springs mark the spot considered the birthplace of Canada’s national park system.

Viewfinder Tip: Head to Hamburg’s Fischmarkt on Sunday morning to pick up fresh fruit and other snacks from the waterfront stalls.

See a show in Hamburg’s brand new concert hall.

Even if you weren’t creating an epic bucket list, things to do in Hamburg could easily convince you to get a stamp from Deutschland on your passport. But aside from the routine appeal of St. Pauli Piers and the Reeperbahn, there is a special reason to visit Hamburg in 2017. The much-awaited official opening of the Elbphilharmonie concert hall is scheduled for January, accompanied by a 3-week festival. Make history by seeing a show at the spectacular venue in its first year, then take a helicopter ride above the skyline to see the feat of architecture from the sky.

Support Honolulu’s newest art festival

We don’t have to twist your arm to get you to go to Hawaii. There are lots of bucket list ideas here, from surfing for the first time to attending an authentic luau. But this year there is another reason to book a trip to Hawaii’s capital city. The destination will host the Honolulu Biennial 2017, a first-time contemporary art festival that celebrates all kinds of visual art from the Pacific region. Taking place between March 8 and May 8, the festival will exhibit work at venues like Honolulu Hale and the Foster Botanical Garden. While you’re in this water sport capital, sign up for an outrigger canoe surfing experience or try stand up paddle boarding.

Watch the total solar eclipse in Great Smoky National Park

There may not be a total eclipse of your heart this year, but the moon has an appointment with the sun on August 21, 2017. The ideal viewing spots for this total solar eclipse are in a ribbon of terrain about 70 miles wide that runs from Oregon to South Carolina. The western half of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee is prime territory to see the event, and the park is organizing official viewing parties at places like Clingmans Dome and Cades Cover. While you’re visiting, check off a few other things on your adventure bucket list, such as hiking the Laurel Falls Trail and biking the Gatlinburg Trail.

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10 Blogs That Will Inspire You with Stunning Travel Videos

Blog courtesy: https://travelblogsuccess.com/

Video is the rising star of content creation. The travel industry in particular is loving video these days, and its ability to provide vivid insight on new places, cultures, and experiences.

According to the technology company, Cisco, online video audiences are expected to double by 2016 to a whopping 1.5 billion, globally. Facebook is giving that audience what they’re looking for, by pushing video to the front of our newsfeeds. And the Periscope app is allowing anyone to shoot live video from the palm of their hand.

The travel blogging industry is doing a fine job of demonstrating the power of video. Our TBS members and the blogging community as a whole have been churning out sites and sounds from all over the world, and we’ve been so inspired by the rising quality of online travel videos.

The following travel bloggers are among many who create stunning travel videos, and we hope their creations will inspire you to get out there and make your own.

Don’t know the first thing about shooting video or want to brush up on your videographer skills? Check out our course, Videography for Travel Bloggers, and you’ll be joining lists like this one in no time.

Passport and a Toothbrush

Caro and Matt are “best friends, in love”. How cute is that? Caro works in the television industry, and Matt is a researcher for a real estate firm. They also, of course, love to travel. Caro and Matt met while studying TV broadcasting, so it makes sense that they share their chemistry on screen now through travel videos of their adventures.

Kick the Grind

After securing his degree in Biology, Mike Corey decided to ditch the predictable path and go see the world. He’s visited 33 countries since, and began focusing on the creation of travel videos. Mike has since won the gold medal in Flight Centre Canada’s Best Job Ever. He continues to use video to inspire people to be curious about the world around them.

Hey, Nadine

Nadine is a Canadian travel vlogger who’s visited 45 countries and lived in 4 of them. Her videos are full of personality and beautiful sites from around the world. She believes that comedy is contagious and seeks to spread her love of travel through comedic videos of her adventures.

Travel Yourself

Cailin O’Neil is a solo travel extraordinaire. She’s been shooting video for her blog since 2009, through which she shares the ups and the downs of travel with an emphasis on experiences over destinations.

The Planet D

Dave and Deb live by the motto, “adventure is for everyone”, and they prove it through their videos of travel adventures around the world. Prior to becoming full-time adventurers, Dave and Deb both worked in the film industry. In 2004, a trip to Thailand convinced them to pursue a life of full-time travel. Since 2008, they’ve done exactly that, and have documented much of it through stunning videos.

This World Rocks

Dan travels to experience new cultures, and he’s passionate about sharing other people’s stories, which you can see in the sweet video he made of his (now ex) girlfriend Alissa, as they traveled across 40 different countries together. He hopes his articles and videos will help budget travelers get inspired and plan their next trip.

Expert Vagabond

No adventure is too crazy for Matthew Karsten, the Expert Vagabond. He aims to take risks, meet interesting people, and have fun while he’s at it. His video of hiking the Caminito Del Rey in Spain, a crumbling trail that’s suspended over a narrow gorge, provides a frightening perspective of this exhilarating experience.

Modern Motorcycle Diaries

Three years ago, Alex Chacon set off to ride his motorcycle around the world, covering over 200,000 km and helping charitable organizations along the way. He now runs a motorcycle travel consulting business in Latin America, but you can still catch a new video from Alex on his blog, every two weeks.

Hecktic Travels

Dalene and Pete Heck escaped the corporate world in 2009 with a trip to South America and have since lived a life of perpetual travel. They often use house-sitting as a means to make their way around the globe, and they have lots of tips to offer the married couple travelers. The video below shares their adventure of kayaking in Greenland.

Captain and Clark

Chris Staudinger and Tawny Clark believe that travel is their calling. They met on Kilimanjaro and were engaged at the Taj Mahal. They love to showcase the honest moments of travel. Their series “AlcoHAUL” provides entertaining explorations of, your guessed it, alcohol from around the world. The video shares some fascinating information and travel advice on the island town of Zadar.

Chris and Tawny are also the co-creators and course instructors of our TBS course, Videography for Travel Bloggers, which teaches you to create stunning travel videos, just like they do.

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7 Reasons You Must Not Miss the Great Indian Getaway in 2016

Blog Courtesy: www.riyatravels.ca , www.makemytrip.com/blog

No great story ever started with, “Oh, I stayed home…” Great stories start with new experiences, with travelling to places you’ve never been before. And what better time to travel more than right now? Because The Great Indian Getaway is back this 2016, from 23^rd – 25^th February with epic deals on flights, hotels and holidays only on the MakeMyTrip mobile app.

So if you’re looking for a reason to travel more, let me give you 7 reasons:

Reason 1: Up to 90% off on domestic hotels

 

Yes, that’s true! If you like travelling in luxury, it doesn’t get better than this! It’s is the perfect time to plan that long-standing Goa trip with your friends or take your large (or normal, by Indian standards) extended family on a holiday, and relive the old times with lots of laughter, food and photos!

Check out the sandy beaches, nightlife, best places to eat, where to shop, and more in Goa.

Reason 2: Up to Rs 10,000 discount on flights to Europe

You don’t need to act in a Yash Chopra film to stroll along the locales of Switzerland, and you don’t need to be Shammi Kapoor to spend an evening in Paris. This awesome deal makes Europe seem so much closer! So pack your chiffon saris and your printed sweaters a la Rishi Kapoor, and head to Europe!

Find out why this year is the best time to travel to Europe.

Reason 3:  Rs 1,500 discount on domestic flights

Gone are the days when you took those 2-day train journeys to get to the other side of the country. With this amazing deal, you are better off just taking a flight to your favourite destinations. So, travel to Kerala for its backwaters, to Kashmir for its breath-taking landscapes, or just pay a visit to the folks back home.

Travelling in India was never this much fun.

Reason 4: Up to Rs 20,000 discount on holiday bookings

Been meaning to book that Singapore holiday package as a surprise for your family? Or maybe you were finally planning that trip to Bhutan. Well, now’s the time: holidays have never been more affordable! Why not finally take that selfie with the Oragutans at the Singapore Zoo?

Reason 5: Buy 1, Get 1 free on hotels

We’ve all had that feeling of sheer depression on the last day of a vacation. What if you get to stay for one more day? Well, now you can! Stay longer at some of the best hotels in the country, such as Country Inn and Radisson, and spend more time at your dream destinations. Now you can visit that museum you missed, or take that perfect picture which you still don’t have.

Check out the Country Inn, Jaipur, and what you can do with one more day!

Reason 6: Up to 80% off on international hotels

You now don’t need to stay with your relatives out of India to be able to travel abroad. With this amazing deal, you can now enjoy your foreign trips with the luxury of the best hotels world-wide!

Reason 7: Up to Rs 5,000 discount on international flights

Been wanting to take your first international trip? Or maybe planning that family vacation to Australia? Well, now’s the time to take the plunge with this exclusive deal!

Looking for things to do in Australia? Here’s a handy guide.

So make the best of India’s Biggest Travel Sale! Download the app now, nahin toh ghar baithe reh jaoge!

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