I went for my first wine tour in Sonoma last week. I was so excited but sad at the same time knowing I would not be able to bring back some exciting wine home.

I always travel with my bright and yellow backpack and it’s not the best mean to transport fragile products.

While I was visiting the Ravenswood winery though, I found the WineSkin for sale in a basket. For only $2 a piece, it’s the perfect solution for bringing back bottles without being afraid of ruining whatever else is in your luggage and keeping everything secure.

I tried it on my way back to Montreal with two 750ml bottles tucked in between my clothes in my bag and everything went smoothly.

This is a single-time use product but since it does not seem to be available in Canada for now, I simply cut the seal area to remove my bottles and plan to use it upside down in the future.

Check out the site and where you can get your hands on it!

Airbnb offers two great services: host guests for a daily, weekly or monthly fee or rent a room or house yourself for a day, a week or a month.

The first service is great for people who have a second bedroom to rent or want to make money when they’re away on trips by letting fellow travelers stay in their house. I’ve added my condo and even if I live by myself, I plan on renting it on weekends this summer and when I get out of the country.

But what I got really excited about is the finding a place to stay feature. It’s pretty simple, say you’re heading to Barcelona for a trip, you enter the city name and your dates and you get a list of all the places available for on those days. Rates really match any type of budget so it’s for everyone. I found a place to stay in Los Angeles in less than 30 minutes using the site and I’m looking forward to that first try. I think it’s a great balance between getting a hotel suite and trying the couch surfing experience.

What I think is really awesome about Airbnb is their collections that showcase some of the greatest houses for rent in the world. It really opens your eyes to what’s out there and it’s probably going to make you want to stay in a city you never heard of before just because you get to sleep in a boat or on a parked plane!

So go open your account right now and start sharing spaces with the rest of the world! Oh, and if you’re planning on renting, Airbnb will send you a professional photographer for free for a photo shoot of your house! Are you sold now?

Verana is a boutique hotel located at the top of a mountain and cohabiting with the jungle. The land holds 8 different and gorgeous houses, a swimming pool featuring an amazing view, a bar and restaurant for the lovely evenings and a spa right at the bottom.

It was my first time visiting Mexico and the trip to Verana made it very exciting even if I didn’t have any extra time for visiting cities.

I had to take a cab ride from Puerto Vallarta airport for 45 minutes leading me to Boca de Tomatlán. The ride was more than enjoyable as we got up the city and got a real nice view.

From there, the Verana boat was waiting for me and we started a 30-minute ride to Verana’s private dock in Yelapa, Mexico. A lot of taxi boats leave either from Puerto Vallarta or Boca de Tomatlán as it is the fastest way and sometimes the only way to get around.

Once all the new guests got off the boat, we were greeted by our host Kent. Gabriela, the very sweet girl working at the spa restaurant offered us a Tamarind water to welcome us and get us ready for our first “hike” up to Verana.

The spa is actually located outside the hotel as anyone coming by boat or from Yelapa can enjoy the services. A 5-minute walk up leads to the private hotel path.

The road all the way to the top is a real sport, especially for the first time! Fortunately, a few mules take care of getting our bags all the way to our separate houses.

After this short cardio session, we were lead to the bar to enjoy a cold lemonade cocktail and get introduced to everyone.

Verana is a very special hotel since only 16 guests approximately will be sharing the place with you. The 8 houses are all located in different sections of the land and you hardly see or hear anyone during your stay unless you go to the pool and to the restaurant for a meal.

After our cocktail, Kent lead me to the house I chose for my stay: The Jungle Suite. What a gorgeous space it was! The suite was huge and so very well decorated.

It was my first time sleeping with a net around my bed and no wall in front of me. It was such a great experience to fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle and wake up to the sun and quietness.

My stay at Verana was mixed between taking it slow at the pool or go on amazing adventures either hiking, snorkling, fishing or visiting islands by boat.

After long days in the sun, all the guests would meet at the bar in the evening for delicious drinks made by Ryan. Funny stories would be shared before enjoying a three-course meal.

The food was amazing during my whole stay at Verana and I was especially impressed by the skills and passion of the chef down at the spa for lunch time.

This has to be one of my favorite trips yet. It’s a perfect balance for the backpacker who wants to enjoy a five-star location for once in a while.

For more information, visit Verana.com.

You dream of going to Tokyo but can’t afford that $2000 plane ticket or you want to go Buenos Aires but all you find is three stops itineraries?

If you’re not in a rush for your departure date, I recommend you register to Kayak.com and add in your preferred locations for a daily price alert in your inbox!

This way you will be aware of the time to buy when the price fits our budget and also what is the fee difference between one and two stops.

When it’s time to pack, whether it’s for a week-end in the country or for a long trip around the world, we’re always wondering if we should bring that towel that might take up to 15% of the space.

Sure, you can buy one when you arrive at your destination if you have the option but you still have to keep it around for the rest of the trip.

After making a few researches and buying one myself, I now own the perfect towel that takes as much space as a pair of socks!

These polyester/nylon microfiber towels are the same ones used in swimming competitions around the world, can absorb water fast and dry much faster than regular towels.

With their perfect size and weight, it’s the ultimate solution for travelers and I recommend you get yourself one too for your next trip.

This space will contain all my travel stories but also my tips to pack light, what to do while visiting a new city, how to meet other travelers and much much more.

You will also find a store section very soon to buy a few items that will make your packing faster and also help you be more green as you obviously care if you’re here!

Cheers and enjoy your future trips!