6 Things no travelers should leave home without

January 10, 2020 by Leave a Comment

When you’re planning your family vacation, the trip of a lifetime or even a romantic break away with your partner, there’s nothing better than organising your itineraries, planning your travel arrangements and of course, ensuring you have everything you need, packed and ready to go. It’s all part of the excitement and anticipation!

But in all the rush and all the excitement, it’s usually common for certain items to get left behind. It’s pretty frustrating, but when you leave behind something vital, it can be enough to hinder your entire trip. So, what are the items we should prioritise and not behind? Read on for 6 things no traveller should leave home without. 

Emergency contacts

Life is unexpected. Things can change in an instant, even when you’re on a well organised holiday. You don’t always have to expect the worst but being prepared for the unexpected means that you can save yourself a lot of time, frustration and upset. Ensure you have access to your emergency contacts including your attorney – this company can help you if you’ve suffered an injury that wasn’t your fault – a local tow truck company, your insurance company and of course your next of kin. It’s also a good idea to have the number of the local emergency services if you’re in a different country.

A universal charger

From taking full advantage of the GPS, downloading apps to keep the kids entertained and taking some once in a lifetime photographs, your smart devices are going to need a lot of battery power to keep them going. So, make sure you don’t leave home without your charger – better yet, invest in a universal charger which you can use just about anywhere. That way you won’t have to remember all the adapters too.

A reusable water bottle

We all need to drink more water and if you’re visiting a hot country then it’s even more important to stay hydrated. Taking a reusable water bottle with you on your travels means you’ll save a fortune on buying bottled water and do your bit to help the environment. If the tap water at your destination is questionable then boil the water first or sterilize the water yourself with a water purifier. 

Travel insurance 

Again, being prepared is always the best option and you should never travel without having a good travel policy in place. Opt for a travel policy that covers you for medical emergencies, treatments and medications as well as travel-related mishaps such as lost luggage, delayed flights and cancelled holidays.

A simple first aid kit

Whether you’re backpacking through Asia, taking the kids camping for a weekend or you’re heading to a spa retreat with your partner, packing some simple first aid items will help you out of a jam. From headache tablets and painkillers to diarrhoea medicines, antihistamines, bandages, plasters and sunblock. Don’t leave home without them! 

Travel documents

Your passport, your boarding pass, tickets, insurance documents, visas, all these things shouldn’t ever be left behind! Keep them together in a folder for ease of access and don’t forget to make copies just in case!

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SafariHub – a New Way To Travel to East Africa

September 29, 2013 by 5 Comments

Have you heard of Safarihub, an exciting new London-based online travel agency that specialises in the East African region?  My guess is that you have not- but if you love to travel, it’s one you should know about.

This exciting new company will offer clients an unusual range of activities including tailor made family safaris, breathtaking honeymoons, diving, mountain climbing, and beach getaways which can be perfectly tailored for couples, and solo travelers.  To hear more about (and whet your appetite) to visit Tanzania, home to three of the seven natural wonders of the world and the largest natural game park, read on.

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Meet Dilip Navapurkar, owner of SafariHub.  Let’s talk travel!  Can you tell me a bit about why you decided to start this touring company?

Dilip Navapurkar- Being born and brought up in Tanzania I came to value and appreciate the touristic features this country had to offer and had always wanted to be involved in the Safari industry. It was discouraging to see neighboring countries receiving a lot more tourists and publicity although they had less than a fifth of what Tanzania had. By studying in the UK and having have lived here for many years, I was able to look at Tanzania from the perspective of a tourist and by having the knowledge of both, I was able to establish an online system that would assist in bringing  Tanzania to the forefront of the Safari industry. Having have met my fellow business partners with similar enthusiasm, we decided to make this a reality, and we are hoping that Safarihub will be one of the leading safari operators in Tanzania by 2015.

Samantha- How is this company different from other safari operators?

DN- Safarihub currently has the largest online database of safaris, hotels and lodges in Tanzania. What makes Safarihub unique is it’s main feature as a one stop shop for all enthusiasts wishing to visit Tanzania. We have included all of the popular activities under one roof from booking a safari and scuba diving excursion in Zanzibar to hot air ballooning over the Serengeti. We have agreements with the leading ground handlers in the country with the best safari vehicles and our prices are still the most competitive on the market.

S- That sounds like an easy booking experience.  You are working with other directors- how did you come to work together?

DN- This was by sheer coincidence. During a conversation regarding  a separate business deal, I mentioned the touristic marvels Tanzania had to offer and how poorly the country has been marketed. They spotted an opportunity in the Safari business. After a 10 day trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar, they were hooked on the idea and the vast potential for tourists- upon return to London a business partnership was established.
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5 Fun and Exciting Family Activities for Your Next Beach Vacation

February 24, 2013 by 1 Comment

Are you looking to create some great memories on your next family vacation? If so, why not go to the beach where the water is warm, the salt air is refreshing and you can spend hours on end just walking along the beach?

beachOf course, if you are planning to take some children along with you, they are definitely going to want to do more than swim; they are going to want to find some other ways to be entertained. And so, we have provided you with a list of five fun and exciting family activities that everyone can join in on to make the time just that much more fun.

Go fishing. Whether you’re a fishing pro or you’ve never gone fishing before, most beaches will allow you to go fishing so think about taking a couple of poles along with you or renting a boat if they have some available. Even if you decide to “catch and release” them, it can be a lot of fun to see what kinds of fish you can find.

Hunt for shells. Beaches provide beautiful scenery and one of the things that come with that are all of the pretty shells that you can find in the sand. If you or one of your children either likes to collect items or enjoys making arts and crafts, take out a couple of hours to walk along the shore to go shell hunting. You may find a couple that will be perfect for a bookshelf or dresser or that you can even turn into pieces of jewelry.
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Top 5 Tips for Taking a Family RV Vacation

January 23, 2013 by 10 Comments

RV vacations are great times for family bonding and fun outdoors. Whether you’re planning a
camping excursion, a road trip, or any other kind of break from daily life, the RV is a great way to go.
However, there are a few things you should know before heading out. Make the best possible vacation
for you and your family by following these 5 tips.

packing a suitcase

  1. Pack Only What You NeedAs big as an RV may look from the outside, once you fill it up with your family and all their luggage
    you’re going to realize quickly that space is tight. Living in such close quarters does carry the risk of
    causing tension between family members, so don’t contribute to the problem by loading up the RV
    with unnecessary bags. Every bit of space is precious–pack only the essentials and help the rest of your
    family to do the same.
  2. Bring Lots of MusicAn RV vacation means lots of time on the road, and no road trip is complete without a soundtrack.
    Today, with the advances made in MP3 player technology, we can carry thousands of songs in the palms
    of our hands. Now that there is no need to take up space with CDs or cassettes, there’s [Read more…]
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5 Great Family Winter Vacation Ideas

October 23, 2012 by 5 Comments

Winter is a great time to take advantage of the season and get your family into an environment that it’s never experienced before or doesn’t get to experience very often. Wintertime is a great opportunity to use some of those vacation days and spend your time snuggling up with those that are the most important to you as the days get colder and shorter at the same time. Vacation is a blast when you’re making the best of your cold temperatures, and we’ll talk about some of the best ideas for you and your family when you see that it’s starting to get colder out. It’s easier than you might have thought to get a great vacation out of the coldest time of the year!

1. The Cabin in the Woods. Perhaps the most classic winter vacation idea, you can always go with the good, old-fashioned cabin in the woods. There are plenty of locations that will make cabin rentals an easy reality when you and your family want to get out, and a low-tech vacation experience is a great way to bond with those to whom you’re closest. You can go as modern or as rustic as you want — your cabin can be equipped with modern amenities, or you can try and have a screen-free weekend with a deck of cards and a few good books. The possibilities are endless when you’ve got your very own cabin in the snow for a week or so.

2. New York City! The city that never sleeps is a blast during the winter, and the closer you go to Christmas, the more festive and interesting things have a tendency [Read more…]

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Rental Homes Vs. Hotels for Large Family Vacations

October 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

When you’re getting the whole family ready for a big trip, there’s a lot to take care
of, and it can be tough making sure that all of it gets taken care of right. Whether you’re
a single parent or not, coordinating a vacation involving a lot of people involves a ton of
moving parts, from packing lists to lodging arrangements, everything has to be perfectly
planned and flawlessly executed. Nothing’s worse than a vacation gone awry, so we’re
going to talk about some of the finer points of deciding whether or not you should go with
a rental home or a hotel for when you take your flock on a vacation.

Cost will, of course, always be an important factor in your decision, but we’re
going to talk about some of the other elements first, and for a good reason. The cost
advantage between a rental home and a hotel can vary based on a pretty wide variety of
factors, so we’ll begin by discussing some of the more practical needs that might factor
into whether or not you opt to go with a rental home or find some nice hotel deals.

Age factors into this decision pretty significantly, as a hotel might be a better option
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