There are few places that can boast such stark beauty and warm hospitality as Newfoundland. It's with good reason that so many people travel there each year. But getting to Newfoundland takes a bit of foresight and travelers always debate if they should fly or take the ferry. And if they do take the ferry, which one? I'm hoping my research and personal experience will help!
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The province of Newfoundland and Labrador has two distinct (and equally amazing) parts. Labrador shares a border with northern Quebec and is accessible by plane and by car. Visiting there also requires planning and preparation for transportation -a topic deserving of it's own future blog post! The more visited island of Newfoundland is traditionally accessed by commercial airlines from other Canadian provinces (plus some international flights) and by passenger ferry run by Marine Atlantic from Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. But which way of travel is best?

I've experienced all the ferry routes multiple times and have flown in and out of St. John's and Cornerbrook quite a bit as well. I even lived in St John's for a few years during grad school! So while I'm no means an expert, this is the information I wish I had before my first few trips and some tips and tricks I learned along the way. 

Seeing two cities for the price of one? That's the beauty of a flight layover and it's a key strategy in how we see the world for less. In a recent post, we shared our best logistical tips and tricks for making the most of your layover time - and hopefully inspired some of you to embrace a layover on your next trip.  But the 'two in one' concept is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to why we're in love with layovers. If you're still a bit hesitant about embracing them,  if you're still not sure that it's worth the planning and preparation, I hope we can convince you otherwise!

Istanbul, New York, Singapore, San Francisco, Stockholm. We've seen all these cities (and more!) for free, thanks figuring out layover logistics when we travel. Layovers happen when a plane touches down for less than 24 hours in one city while on route to another and embracing them has become a key part of our value travel philosophy. 

Layovers allow us to explore new cities without spending any extra money to get there. In fact, sometimes we even save money! Most travelers avoid long layovers and indirect routes like the plague and thus these undesirable flights are often less expensive. Seeing more and playing less? We'll chose that option every time! 

If you're ready to fall in love with layovers like we have, here are some practical considerations for getting the most from the experience. 

It may seem silly to worry about something as small as rental car gas prices when you're on the trip of a lifetime. Why sweat the small stuff when you can be out there enjoying yourself? And do you HAVE to fill up a rental car before you return it or just let it go? But small steps can add up to huge saving - savings you can use to make your trip even more unforgettable. 
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Savvy travelers know that their trip budget needs to take into account more than just base prices. Hotel rooms require taxes and tips. Flight costs don't include luggage fees and airport meals. And if you're calculating how much does it cost to rent a car, remember that car rental costs are more than just an automobile's base price. There are taxes and fees, insurance options, upgrade possibilities, and even add on features like GPS rentals.  And of course you need something to get around town - you need gas! 

The next time you rent a vehicle, you will probably be encouraged to "pre-pay" for your final tank of gas. This promises to be not only a convenient choice but an economical one as well. But is it all too good to be true? Readers want to know what the most frugal choice is and I am all to pleased to do the research and run the math on all your rental car gas options!

​Here are some things to consider when it comes to car hire fuel policy matters.

Less than 12 hours after enjoying the BEST travel experience of our lives, we were off to catch the overnight train from Bagan to Yangon. An overnight train seemed to an efficient and economical way to get across the country without losing a precious day of sightseeing to transit and we were excited to try something new.

Our expectations for the train were very modest. We had done considerable research, learning a lot from The Man in Seat 61 and Lesley Leep Phoography  We had watched Anthony Bourdain’s Burmese train trip on the Parts Unknown series and had taken to heart a passage from Lonely Planet, in which a local resident advises that the train is “not as bad as you think, not as good as you hope”.

Thousands of travelers stream into Myanmar every year, anxious to catch of glimpse of the ancient temples and famous hospitality that for so long have been kept in isolation. Unfortunately, transportation routes have not kept pace with the flow of visitors and it still takes considerable time to travel between cities that are quite close to one another. This was the transportation dilemma we faced as we debated whether to include the Mandalay to Bagan boat in our plans.

We needed to go from Mandalay to Bagan, but the expense of flying was out of the question and neither the lengthy bus nor ancient train offered a comfortable or efficient option (as we would find out later in the trip!) That left the Irrawaddy River. As such we decided to travel from Mandalay to Bagan by boat and it made for a decidedly slow but relatively pleasant commute. 

I try to never lose track of how fortunate I am to travel and I always remind myself how lucky I am that my work as a travel writer introduces me to extraordinary locations, experiences, and people.  Never has this been more in focus than during my hot air balloon ride over the spectacular ancient temples of Bagan, Myanmar. Without a doubt it stands alone as the most incredible, breathtaking travel experience of my life and I'm so happy to share my memories with you here.

Today is a bland, boring day of transit and that’s okay by us! It's nearly 9 hours to fly from Istanbul to Bangkok, plus several hours hanging around airports, combined with a big time change – it’s going to be a long day!

The Plan:

We leave Istanbul at 1:00 am and we land in Bangkok at 3:00 pm.  We’re only in Bangkok for the night, as we depart for Myanmar bright and early the next day.  We’ll be flying into one Bangkok airport and out of another, so as soon as we land we’ll be making our way across town for the glamour the second airport’s hotel. We’re anticipating some serious exhaustion and want to make the next morning’s departure as smooth as possible.

Few countries are changing as rapidly as Myanmar. This gorgeous nation, with its warm citizens and spectacular temples, is popping up on every list of must-see destinations. After so many decades of seclusion, travelers are flocking to Myanmar's beautiful countryside, vibrant cities, and moving spiritual sites. But first you have to get from the airport to your main destination! As we flew in to Mandalay, we thought it would be helpful to share all our best tips for getting from Mandalay Airport to city center Mandalay.

It's important to note that this information is always evolving. By the time you read this, you may find that prices have changed significantly, transportation routes have altered, new hotels and restaurants have emerged seemingly overnight. I'm happy to share my experiences from our recent trip in hopes that I can help with practical information, as well as inspire others to visit this incredibly special country.

PS - If you're interested in learning more about the Air Asia shuttle bus, read on to see our latest update towards the bottom of the post.