I'm a huge fan of visiting free museums and attractions - gee, that's no surprise! Sure, it's great that you don't have to pay, but there's more to it than that. Often associated with non-profit, charitable, educational, preservation, or historic associations, these places would be amazing even if there was an admission charge - you can really appreciate the passion, knowledge, and dedication of the staff and volunteers. And to me that's more than just a great deal -it adds tremendous value to your trip. 

This photo is more than just a young calf against a fascinating landscape - he's become a bit of a mascot, my favicon, my favourite travel photo ever.
 
This photo came after a day of fantastic photo ops driving Maui's famed Hana Highway. We decided to keep going past Hana, around the south-east tip of Maui and back up the other side. It turns out that this drive is not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. Little more than a single lane, unpaved track, there were sharp cliffs going up to our right and in some places, an ever sharper drop to our left, straight down to the ocean. As we tackled one particularly horrific section - up a dramatic steep incline and around a sharp turn, my husband remarked that we'd be okay as long as it didn't rain. Seconds later, the skies unexpectedly opened up, turning the narrow, rutted road into a swampy mess.
 
So what can top this crazy, wild ride? The spontaneous presence of herd of semi-wild cattle. No humble farm beasts these, they seemed to delight in challenging our jeep, running beside us, cutting us off, kicking out wildly. I stopped my hysterical sobbing long enough to snap this shot of a jaunty youngster with the gorgeous, remote, stark landscape of Maui in the background.

It’s not very often I think of travel in terms of regret – in fact, it’s one of the things that I associate the least with regret! While there’s always things I try to learn from on each trip, even when things go badly I still think of the trip with fondness. But there are a few lingering, lasting regrets from past trips that, if I could change with the flip a switch, I would be a happier girl!

In my last post, I discussed the search for a carry on bag that worked. Finding the perfect travel bag is easier said than done! But once you have the ideal bag, you still have to do all that you can to keep it safe. This time, I am offering the following 10 tips for carry-on luggage so that you can make sure your trip is a successful one.

1.)  Know the carry-on rules for every airline of your trip and read them carefully. Many allow a carry-on bag AND a personal item (like laptop case, purse, camera bag). But some allow only one bag. And some are more strict about having your laptop case just filled with a computer and accessories, not magazines and shampoo. (Here's a comprehensive list of the major airlines to get you started.)

Do you think you're an organized and prepared traveler?  Consider the following scenario and imagine how you would fare.

It's late at night and you’re in Belgium. In just a few hours, you'll be flying to Bangkok via Istanbul, where you’ll have a 12 hour layover to go enjoy the city. You'll be in Bangkok for just under 24 hours before hoping on a cheap regional flight to Myanmar, where you'll be spending the week, travelling to 3 different cities via train and ferry. It's adventurous, it's a bit crazy, and it's the kind of thing a lot of people are doing these days – making the most of a short amount of travel time, grasping every opportunity to enjoy a city.

By now, you know that we've cashed in every frequent flyer point we've ever earned - 80,000 each - to fly around the world. In economy! That's 9 flights, 9 countries, in just 3.5 weeks. Recently, someone remarked that I should make sure to take the time to enjoy it. Of course I will! Quick, compact trips don't have to feel rushed. I believe you can experience some "slow travel" on a fast schedule.