By air or by sea: What is the best way to travel?

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You have two options when you want to travel to a foreign country. Land travel can only get you so far. The choice, therefore, is to travel either by air or by sea. If you're not sure of the best way to go, the following are prime considerations when you’re tempted to buy your airplane ticket or save yourself a spot on a cruise ship:

Cost

The price of air and sea travel can be different depending on a couple of factors. Buying a first class ticket on a plane would definitely be expensive but so is a VIP spot on a luxurious cruise ship. If you are a frequent flyer you might get more great deals on airfare, though. There are also good promos that will get you on a ship for a fair price. Ultimately, canvas prices from different cruise companies or airlines to get the best deal.

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Travel time

The ultimate advantage of air travel is that it cuts travel time significantly. It makes the world seem much smaller because access to various parts of the globe is quicker and easier. Obviously, it will take time for ships to reach your destination. If you're not in a hurry to get anywhere, cruising is a great choice.

Safety

Some say that driving a car is more dangerous than flying in an airplane but when you see news about a plane crash, it makes you wonder about the truth to that statement. On the plus side, plane crashes are rare and the pilot, crew, and airplane engineers have the expertise to prevent flight accidents. Sea travel is directly affected by weather patterns. Strong winds or heavy rain can make the voyage pretty dangerous. Proper navigation is a vital part of making sea travel safe for all people involved.

Amenities

Unless you're traveling first class, there isn't much to say about the amenities in an airplane. Even first class has nothing on a cruise ship's features and facilities. There isn’t much to do on a plane and more than half the time you will be fastened to your seat. While watching in-flight movies is probably the most fun you'll have on a plane, ships provide facilities for the comfort and entertainment of their passengers.

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REPOST: Where to Go for a Tropical Weekend Vacation

Many would absolutely love to take a tropical getaway right now to escape the winter chill in the air. This article list places that is warm and breathtakingly beautiful for a perfect tropical weekend vacation.

You’ve heard of SAD—seasonal affective disorder; a condition causing intense irritability, lack of energy, and an unceasing craving for carbs. You probably don’t have it, but that doesn’t mean your winter blues aren’t real: Each year, about half of Americans report feeling down once it gets cold. (The rest moved to L.A.) So we’ve compiled fancy gadgets, restorative beauty products, and therapeutic advice to help you get through.

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Bermuda 
Average winter temperature: 70F

Fly to the British territory, an archipelago less than two hours from New York, and check into the elegant Fairmont Southampton (starting at $369 per night). Ask for a room in the recently renovated east or west wings, where the décor is tropical and the views look out on a turquoise sea. By day, Bermuda is a paradise for divers and golfers; it has more shipwrecks and golf courses per square mile than anywhere in the world. Afterward, lounge at the opulent Grotto Bay Beach Resort spa, a 25-minute cab ride away. Order the signature Natura massage, which combines Eastern and Western techniques, or ask ahead to be pampered with a rubdown on the beach.

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Tulum, Mexico 
Average winter temperature: 82F

Although the Yucatán Peninsula’s become fashionable in recent years, Tulum retains a solar-powered, don’t-check-your-e-mail vibe. Fly into Cancún, where you can hire a driver to take you 90 minutes south to the town’s newest lodge, adults-only boutique hotel Mi Amor (starting at $425 per night). From your private alfresco hot tub, you’ll look out on the Caribbean and deserted beaches. Relax there all weekend or tour the ruins of Tulum’s pre-Mayan city wall; a staircase leads to a private slice of beach for swimming and sunbathing. If you’re feeling social, head to Gitano Mezcal Bar & Kitchen in the jungle for a dinner of whole grilled fish. Or drop by after 10 p.m., when the restaurant morphs into a nightclub, to savor the house mezcal cocktails.

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Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic 
Average winter temperature: 83F

Stay on the less touristy northern coast at Gansevoort Playa Imbert (starting at $595 per night), which opened in December. Each of the palatial rooms is suite- or loft-style, and many include private plunge pools and spacious terraces. Enjoy a Presidente beer (or four) beside the infinity pool, which cascades down three levels into a second pool overlooking the hotel’s crescent-shaped beach. Nearby, the Baia Lounge serves gourmet Mediterranean specialties and Asian-inspired fare from Giancarlo Fiori, a chef trained at El Bulli. The island terrain is stunning—venture offsite to explore the Jarabacoa Waterfalls by foot or horseback.

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Miami 
Average winter temperature: 79F

Just north of the up-all-night atmosphere of South Beach, the 74-room Metropolitan by COMO (starting at $271 per night) is housed in an oceanfront art deco building. Newly updated by Singapore’s COMO Hotels & Resorts, it has mint-green walls, cozy furniture, and eucalyptus-scented face towels that give off a Zenlike feel. Sprawl out on the private beach or by the guests-only pool, then take a free yoga or guided meditation class at the rooftop spa. A juice bar, seafood-to-table restaurant, and the Gin Club—with 30 different artisanal bottles—might keep you at the hotel for the whole trip. If you do want to explore, the staff can arrange paddleboarding, deep-sea fishing, or a yacht cruise leaving from the hotel dock.



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REPOST: Why You Really Shouldn’t Skip Your Vacation Days

Vacations are a privilege given by employers to their employees. However, some people like to just skip their vacation days. This article from Care2.com gives us five reasons not to.

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Still have vacation days left in the bank for 2014? Start planning a getaway—here are five ways taking a vacation is good for your health, happiness, and even work and home life.

Planning a vacation boosts happiness

Here’s a convincing case for taking—or at least planning—a vacation every two months: researchers found that just the anticipation of a vacation boosts happiness for eight weeks. After the getaway, happiness levels go back to what they were…meaning it’s the perfect time to start planning the next one, right?

Going on vacation makes you a better employee

Can taking a break from your job make you better at it? One study of Ernst and Young employees found that performance evaluations improved by eight percent for each additional 10 hours of vacation time they took. Those who took frequent vacations were also less likely to leave the company.

Vacations can boost your energy

All that relaxing can actually make you feel more energetic. In one study, researchers found that 94 percent of people had as much or more energy after coming back from a trip. 55 percent came back to work with higher energy levels than before the trip.

Vacations may keep your heart healthy

In one study of 13,000 men at risk for heart disease, those who skipped vacations for five years in a row were 30 percent more likely to have a heart attack than those who took at least a week off every year. And other research found a similar correlation for women—women who vacationed once every six years or less were more likely to develop heart disease and twice-a-year vacationers.

Vacations can strengthen family bonds

Planning a trip for the whole family can grow your relationships and improve your everyday home lives. 97 percent of parents reported feeling like their kids learned new things about them during a family trip. The majority also felt that a family vacation made the family more excited, relaxed, and affectionate.

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REPOST: Advent As It Was Meant to be Celebrated: In Europe

Christmas is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year and it is the perfect time to take a vacation with your family. This article by James Ruggia of  Travel Pulse shares the many fun activities you can do on a trip to Europe.

PHOTO: The Freiburg Christmas Market typifies markets throughout Central Europe where family fun trumps shopping. |
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Pretty soon Black Friday will make its annual post-Thanksgiving hash of Christmas tradition as the buying frenzy turns picking up a gift into the equivalent of trying to dig the puck out from behind the net against the Philadelphia Flyers. So if your idea of Christmas doesn’t correspond to throwing forearms and body checks at Walmart, you might consider these European holiday suggestions from tour operators and river cruisers. 

In Europe Advent runs approximately, depending where you are, four weeks from the end of November through Christmas. Forget the crowded parking lots and clotted highways. The Christmas markets in Europecome with a scent of pine, cinnamon and all spice as the Glühwein wafts out of the hot vats and the roasting nuts are purchased in small bags as you look through stalls at hand crafted nutcrackers and toys.

"For Europeans, Christmas markets are very special social events,” said Harry Dalgaard, the president of Avanti Destinations. “The markets are where locals go to hang out with their friends, have a drink and some seasonal dishes, listen to choirs and bands and watch dancing. It's like a community party that you can keep returning to.”

Avanti specializes in tailored land-only itineraries and is offering several Christmas market options. They suggest a four-day/three-night Munich vacation, priced from $495 per person double, with a Christmas market pass, sightseeing tour, daily breakfast and roundtrip transfers to the train station.

“The train system in Europe makes it possible to use cities like Munich and Nuremberg as hubs for quick daytrips - or evening trips - to see the Christmas markets in other towns,” said Dalgaard. “From Munich you can easily visit Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Augsburg, Ulm. Avanti’s Nuremberg Christmas market vacation is priced from $559.

PHOTO: Christmas markets in Europe offer something a bit more pleasant than Black Friday at Walmarts. | Image Source: travelpulse.com

If a tour is more up your alley, Insight Vacations’ 2014/2015 Winter & Spring Europe Collection also features Christmas markets. “Our Signature Events have been bought to the forefront in the popular Christmas market itineraries,” said Insight President Phil Cappelli. “This year, our guests won’t just be visiting some of the best markets in Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland – they will have the chance to meet a market stall holder in Dresden and learn about Glühwein and Stollen bread.”


CroisiEurope's Holiday Cruises, priced from $495 per person, feature both Christmas markets and New Year’s cruises. These short cruises can be added onto other European journeys offering not only markets, but local Christmas Eve masses, New Year's Eve dinners and city tours.

For instance, the Venice and the Venetian Lagoon at Christmas: Journey along the Po, from $971 per person double, adds a private boat excursion to the islands in the lagoon before heading to Venice for a tour of St. Mark’s Square and midnight mass at St. Mark's Basilica.

The four-day Christmas in Alsace: Potter Villages and Revue at the Royal Palace, from $533, explores the Rhine while visiting the Potter Village and the Christmas market in Strasbourg. The five-day New Year in the Bordeaux Region on the Gironde and Dordogne River, from $1,278, explores Bordeaux with Chateaux tours and a New Year’s dinner.

Emerald Waterways’ 15-day Christmas Markets, from $3,960 to $7,705 per person double, visits more than 25 markets, departs from Amsterdam on Nov. 29 and concludes on Dec. 13 in Budapest. Emerald Waterways also offers travelers a chance to experience the Christmas Markets on shorter sailings with two, eight-day itineraries: Amsterdam to Nuremberg, departing Nov. 29, and Nuremberg to Budapest, departing Dec. 6. Prices for the eight-day sailings range from $2,080 to $3,955.
Scenic Cruises’ Christmas Market Cruises include the 15-day Christmas Markets River Cruise departs Nov. 24 from Budapest to Amsterdam with fares of $6,555 to $10,045 per person double, while the16-day Christmas River Cruise sails the reverse route on Dec. 15 and is priced from $7,235 to $10,760.

Shorter sailings are also offered: the eight-day Christmas Market Danube Discovery Cruise on Nov. 24 travels from Budapest to Nuremburg at $3,530 to $5,350; and the eight-day Treasures of the Rhine Christmas Markets Cruise on Dec. 1 sails from Nuremburg to Amsterdam at fares of $2,975 to $4,440.

 Land cruising by rail is another way to visit the markets. Vacations By Rail New 2015 brochure includes nine-day tour that visits to four of Europe’s best Christmas markets Munich, Nuremberg, Salzburg and Vienna. Prices start at $2,195 per person double.

If you’re headed through France you might treat yourself to business class on La Compagnie, a new boutique, all business-class airline, which is offering a pre-holiday special for two people traveling together between New York and Paris Priced from $2,599. It’s valid until Dec. 12 for travel completed by Dec. 15. The airline features business class lie-flat seats, inflight entertainment provided on Samsung Galaxy Tablets, an amenity kit, and dining service created by Michelin-starred Chef Christophe Langrée.

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It’s a beachy world: Five reasons people love the waters

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Fresh air, serenity, and waves crashing over the shore… Can this setup get any better?

For travelers, these are just some of the best ways to describe a perfect vacation on the beach, which does not only offer loads of fun but also a good way for living a healthy and peaceful life. Here are a few motivations to rest easy on sand and under sky:

It enhances mood. Studies show that beaches are good mood enhancers. Dr. Matthew White, in a BBC article, explains that being near the waters enhances physical and mental health by reconnecting a person to the environment.

It relaxes the mind. Studies also show that elements that embody the sea, such as sounds of crashing waves, are many people’s idea of relaxing. These, according to scientists, are evocative and influential to how people feel.

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It offers a restorative environment. An article published in Medical Daily highlighted studies revealing that natural environments like beaches provide more restorative benefits to people than gyms and entertainment venues—making the beach one of the best places to contemplate and rejuvenate body and soul.

It is therapeutic. Sea water contains high levels of minerals that offer therapeutic and detoxifying effects so the body can heal.

It decreases depression. A beach vacation helps unplug the mind, body, and soul. Experts suggest that letting go of technologies such as smartphones and tablets while on the beach can further its benefits. 

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Indeed, the beach is a magical place that can help people stay fit both physically and mentally, so future travelers must consider spending their time on the beach once in a while, especially during stressful periods.

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Backpacker secrets: A guide for newbies

Backpacking is one of the most economical options for people who want to travel the world. Apart from it being easy on the finances, this type of travel challenges vacationers to venture on a trip they have never experienced before. The thrill comes from lodging in inexpensive hotels, enduring long trails, and immersing in nature and its stunning scenes.

For starters, however, the preparation for this journey might need a little more effort compared to conventional trips. Here is a short guide for first time backpackers on roughing it:

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Do physical training before travelling. An average backpacker carries about one-sixth and one-third of his or her own body weight. Hence, cardiovascular and muscular training are keys to survival. The training should include aerobic exercises like walking, running, biking, and swimming.

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Map out the trip. Knowing the distance to be covered per day directs time and energy toward efficient allotments. The plan should factor in fitness level, the weight of the pack, the terrain, and the condition of co-travellers.

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Complete gear and plan meals. Websites like www.backpacker.com brief travellers on the right equipment for backpacking. Meal planning avoids food and water shortage. It helps to research on the destination in order to find out from where to source food and water in case they run out.

Let travel expert Lagniappe Destinations guide you to the most memorable vacation. Learn more tips and ideas by visiting this blog.

REPOST: 5 Simple Tips For Taking Killer Instagram Travel Photos

This Huffington Post article shares pointers from Foto Ruta on how to capture beautiful travel photos for Instagram.

When you're visiting a beautiful new place, it's perfectly natural to want to capture the moment with a camera to take it home with you -- or Instagram it, so you can share it with your friends immediately.

Well, creative tourism startup Foto Ruta (that's Spanish for "photo route") is here to help optimize this combination of exploration and photography. The company provides informational tours that come with tips about how to capture each destination on camera. Currently, they run tours in Buenos Aires, Barcelona, London and Santiago, as well as pop up events in New York City.

Sound like fun? We thought so. But, if you can't get to one of these destination spots, don't fret -- Foto Ruta gave The Huffington Post a few tips for taking photos on smartphones, no matter where you are. And the photos below -- all taken with iPhones on Foto Ruta tours -- are stunning examples.

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Create a mood. Smartphone photography is as much about creating an image as capturing it. Think about what mood you want to convey in your picture, and then select an app or filter that enhances it.

 

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Move your body and think about viewpoint. Using creative angles to frame your shot will take an ordinary photo to new heights. Think of using a bird's-eye perspective, or get down to street level.

 

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Get close. Really close. The iPhone and most Androids have increasingly improved technology for capturing detail and focusing up close. Test the limits of your camera, and try some macro shots. You’ll be impressed with what you can create.

 

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Crop instead of zooming. Using your smartphone’s digital zoom can result in a loss of quality. If you’re far from your subject, take the shot and crop later.

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Look for the light. The lower the light, the more grainy the photo will be. So if you want a crisp picture, look for where the light is -- and play around with it.

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All the things you need to know about having the best vacation ever are featured on this Lagniappe Destinations blog.