Traveling Canucks

22 Beaches to Take Your Mind Off Winter

Traveling Canucks — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:48:44 +0000

22 Beaches to Take Your Mind Off Winter

Winter is in full swing here in Vancouver, which means the days are short and often filled with grey skies and relentless rain. To help you beat the winter blues, we thought it would be fun (or torturous) to share some of our favourite beaches from around the world.

Hey, Canadians can use a little travel inspiration around this time of year!

Bavaro Beach – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Anakena Beach – Easter Island, Chile

Tulum, Mexico

Langkawi, Malaysia

Green Island, located off the coast of Cairns, Australia

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Saint Martin, Caribbean

White Beach – Boracay, Philippines

The Split at Caye Caulker, Belize

Perhentian Islands, Malaysia

7 Mile Beach – Grand Cayman Island, Caribbean

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Dahab, Egypt

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Miami South Beach, Florida

Lonely Beach – Koh Chang, Thailand

Ambergris Caye, Belize

Amman Beach – Dead Sea, Jordan

Miraflores – Lima, Peru

Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Mykonos Island, Greece

St. Thomas, Caribbean

Where is your favourite beach to beat the winter blues?
Share your beach in the comments section below, we’d love to hear about it!

22 Beaches to Take Your Mind Off Winter is a post from: Traveling Canucks

7 Super Shots from Our Travels

Traveling Canucks — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:03:16 +0000

We were recently asked by our friends at HostelBookers.com to participate in a fun travel photo meme that showcases 7 of our photos that fall within the categories below.

We had fun putting together our Best of Travel in 2011 and Travels & Adventures from A to Z a few weeks ago, so we jumped on the opportunity to share some of our travel photos (all we need is an excuse!).

To follow along on twitter, check out the hashtag #7SuperShots

1. A photo that…takes our breath away

It’s difficult to accurately describe the feelings and emotion that we felt when we crossed over the Sun Gate and witnessed the magic of Machu Picchu for the very first time. We had just finished 3 days of hiking the Inca Trail, we were exhausted and damp from the morning rain. Months of planning, preparation and anticipation came to fruition as the clouds began to part over this treasured lost city. Our dream had finally become a reality.

This moment did much more than take our breath away – it taught us that dreams are meant to be chased, fulfilled and celebrated!

2. A photo that…makes us laugh or smile

If you’ve been following our blog for a while you know Japan is one of our favourite countries. We love the quirky and bizarre oddities that can be found throughout the country.

Case in point – this statue in front of a restaurant in Kyoto. Now, is it really necessary to show the boy’s penis? And why are there two completely different baby dogs positioned under this attacking dog? What does any of this have to do with dining at a restaurant?

Nevertheless, we had a good laugh and felt it was photo worthy.

3. A photo that…makes us dream

We had always dreamed of one day sitting in the presence of the mysterious Moai statues of Easter Island. We captured this fiery sunset and collection of Moai statues just outside the town of Hanga Roa.

To this day, we still get a slight chill down our spines when we look back at our photos. We know that we were once there, walking amongst these peculiar works of art. Although the images will forever be burned in our minds, at times we still feel like it was all just a dream.

4. A photo that…makes us think

This photo paints a chilling picture of life at the notorious Security Prison 21 (S-21) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The high school was converted into a horrifying prison shortly after the Khmer Rouge communist regime came into power in 1975. An estimated 17,000 people were unjustly imprisoned at Tuol Sleng, most victims were tortured and killed.

This photo makes us think and it makes us very sad. But it’s also a reminder to the world that we must do everything in our power to prevent such terrible atrocities from repeating.

5. A photo that…makes our mouth water

Turkey is a foodies dream destination. Virtually every mega-city in the world has restaurants that serve Turkish cuisine, but few can compete with the food that is served in Turkey – often imitated, never duplicated!

This tasty doner kebab and cold Efes beer was enjoyed in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey and final resting place of Father Turkey. Mmmm…is it lunch time yet?!

6. A photo that…tells a story

This photo is supposed to do the storytelling, but here is some background info to help – Peru, Lake Titicaca, floating reed islands, tourism, cute children selling local crafts, money, boredom.

7. A photo that…we are most proud of (aka my National Geographic shot)

Wow – there’s a lot of pressure that comes with this category!

We bounced around dozens of photos that were all worthy of such a title (like this one or this one), but this photo stood out because it’s the kind of photo we would expect to see in National Geographic.

We felt that a “National Geographic photo” needed to include nature and it needed to be a landscape that was “out of this world beautiful”. We think this photo satisfies both prerequisites.

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Because we are taking part in HostelBookers 7 Super Shots, we now we get to nominate 5 travel bloggers to complete their 7 Super Shots. For rules and guidelines click here.

We nominate:

Norbert from GloboTreks

Mark from Migrationology

Matt from Expert Vagabond

Craig and Caz from yTravel Blog

Michael from StruxTravel

Tag! You’re it!

7 Super Shots from Our Travels is a post from: Traveling Canucks

Drinking Beer Around the World – Part Eleven

Traveling Canucks — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:32:28 +0000

Memorable Moments Drinking Beer around the World

Well, it’s about that time again! Time for 2012′s first installment of our popular series about memorable moments drinking beer around the world.

As lovers of beer and travel, we try our best to take a photo of every beer that we sample while on the road, making for an awesome photo collection with over 300 different types and brands of beer.

Because tastes and preferences are so subjective, our goal for this series is not to find the “best beer in the world”, but rather to reflect on memorable beer drinking moments from our travels. Keep in mind, we don’t consider ourselves professional beer connoisseurs and our beer reviews can easily be influenced by how many were consumed that day.

The beer-tastic series continues with its 11th edition, serving up ten more unforgettable moments from around the world. Cheers!

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Belikin Beer – Placencia, Belize

This tropical beer drinking moment comes from the lazy beaches of Placencia, a small Belizean town located on the Caribbean coast of Central America. We spent many hours soaking up the laid back atmosphere at the open-aired restaurant of Paradise Vacation Hotel, our home for a few days while we searched for whale sharks in the Belize Barrier Reef.

The beer verdict – Crisp and refreshing, heavily carbonated with limited flavour. The bottles are way to small and deceivingly heavy. We give it a generous 7 out of 10

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Kingfisher Draught – Mumbai, India

These frosty mugs of beer were enjoyed at the legendary Leopold Cafe on Colaba Causeway, in the Fort area of Mumbai. The restaurant and bar has been popular with foreigners, expats and tourists for years, however it has recently become somewhat of a landmark for unfortunate reasons. It was one of the first spots to be attacked during the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks – a very dark day for humanity.

The beer verdict – Malty and bitter with skunky aftertaste, heavily carbonated but refreshing in India’s stinking humidity. We give India’s flagship beer 6 out of 10

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Pilsen Callao – Lake Titicaca, Peru

We enjoyed these tall bottles of Pilsen Callao after spending the day touring the islands of Lake Titicaca, including a stop at the floating reed islands. This was also the night we tried Cuy Chactado, a popular Peruvian dish that is basically a fried guinea pig. It was an interesting meal, but we were happy to have these beers to wash it down (what can I say – we’re just not big fans of eating greasy rodents).

The beer verdict – Sweet, tangy, somewhat flat. South America beer just isn’t very good. We give it 5.5 out of 10

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Macau Beer Blond Ale – Macau, China

Often labeled as the “Las Vegas of the East”, Macau is a dazzling metropolis that tickles your senses. Enormous casinos sparkle beside colonial Portuguese architecture and traditional Chinese temples. We sampled this blonde ale in a swanky casino restaurant that was clearly out of our league, but it was fun to mingle with the high rollers and Chinese elite (even if they were looking at us kind of funny).

The beer verdict – Light gold colour, quite hoppy for a blonde ale but decent body. It was nice to sample a local beer amongst the sea of European and American imports. We give it 7 out of 10

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Black Tusk Ale, Whistler Brewing Company – Vancouver, Canada

British Columbia has slowly become a player in the beer scene, with several micro-breweries and craft beer manufacturers scattered throughout the province. We enjoyed this tasty bottle of brown ale aboard a harbour boat cruise around English Bay, along with several of our travel blogger friends that were visiting Vancouver for the Travel Blogger Exchange (TBEX) conference in June.

The beer verdict – Caramel malt with light nuttiness, smooth with good body. We give it 7 out of 10

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Heineken Oud Bruin – Amsterdam, Netherlands

I don’t know why, but we felt the need to drink Heineken beer in Amsterdam. It’s not that the beer tastes any different when consumed in its home country (in most cases), it just felt like the right thing to do. Though I’m not typically a fan of Heineken, I had to try this Oud Bruin that was being served at a lively pub near our boutique hotel in the heart of Old Amsterdam.

The beer verdict – Nice dark colour but light body and carbonation, sweet and slightly bitter, not my favourite but I’d order a second. We give it 7 out of 10

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Sol Cerveza – Tulum, Mexico

This refreshing bottle of cerveza was enjoyed on the private deck of our fantastic beachfront villa after exploring the ruins of Tulum. With unobstructed views of the sparkling Caribbean Sea, its no surprise that this unforgettable moment made the list. When we think of tropical paradise, images of bright sunshine, turquoise water and cold beer come to mind. This moment had it all!

The beer verdict – Light and refreshing, plenty of carbonation, limited falvour. We give it 7 out of 10

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Klang Beer – Siem Reap, Cambodia

After a full day of exploring the Temples of Angkor, we spent the evening wandering around the central market of Siem Reap. In search of Cambodian beer that was not Angkor Beer, we managed to find a few cans of Klang Beer hidden in the back of a convenience store fridge. It was the first time we had seen the interesting brand of beer, leading us to believe it wasn’t a Cambodian bestseller. After our first sip we understood why – it’s not good.

The beer verdict – Light and tangy, malty with a strong alcohol aftertaste. We give it 5 out of 10

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Monteith’s Original Ale – Lake Taupo, New Zealand

This case of Monteith’s was one of the most memorable from our campervan road trip from Auckland to Queenstown. We watched the sunset over the lake and enjoyed of few beers, surrounded by New Zealand’s natural beauty. There’s something about drinking a cold beer in the fresh outdoors that just feels right.

The beer verdict – Light ale with good balance of hops, malt and sweetness. We give it 7.5 out of 10

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Ottakringer Helles Beer – Vienna, Austria

As we wandered around historical Vienna snapping photos of its stunning architecture, we found this carnival-like market in front of Vienna’s towering City Hall. It didn’t take long for the intoxicating smells of grilled sausage, sauerkraut and sauteed bacon potatoes to lure us into the market for an evening of cheerful festivities. If there’s one thing Austrians do right, it’s grilled sausages and beer!

The beer verdict – Smooth and malty, light colour but good body. It’s the perfect companion to spicy mustard and grilled sausages. We give it 8 out of 10

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I don’t know about you, but all of these photos of beer have suddenly made me thirsty. It must be beer-o-clock somewhere?!

To check out the other beers in our collection, click here – Drinking Beer Around the World

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Do you have a memorable beer moment that you’d like to share?
Share your experience in the comments section below!

Don’t forget to join our growing community on Facebook and Twitter!

Drinking Beer Around the World – Part Eleven is a post from: Traveling Canucks

Photo of the Week: Original Olympic Stadium in Athens

Traveling Canucks — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:16:11 +0000

Original Olympic Stadium – Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, Greece

When it comes to historical athletic stadiums, few can compete with Panathinaiko Stadium.

Located in the heart of Athens, the legendary stadium hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and is the only major stadium in the world that is built entirely of white marble.

We spotted the eye-catching stadium from the top of the Acropolis, while we were scanning the Athens panorama in search of its impressive landmarks. Intrigued by its design, we managed to navigate our way through the city to the stadium entrance, where we found ourselves completely alone – not a tourist or resident in sight. Sadly, the stadium was locked up so we couldn’t explore it from the inside.

Panathinaiko Stadium (also known as Panathenaic Stadium) is said to be one of the oldest stadiums in the world, originally built in 566 BC and rebuilt with marble in 329 BC. Standing in its presence, knowing that it is over 2,500 years old, is a humbling experience.

Here are a few more photos for you to check out:

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Have you visited Athens, Greece? Did you get a chance to see this marvelous stadium?
Share your story in the comments section below!

Photo of the Week: Original Olympic Stadium in Athens is a post from: Traveling Canucks

Living Locationless – It’s NOT all Beaches and Cocktails

Guest Post — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:16:02 +0000

In an effort to introduce our readers to other full-time travelers that are living their dreams, we are happy to share the story of Jason, a location independent 23 year old traveling the world and living a life without a fixed address.

“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself” – Dr. Maya Angelou

The above quote by the American poet Dr. Maya Angelou contains both the wonders of living locationless, and the difficulties of it. Almost every travel or self-improvement blog encourages its readers to get out of their comfort zones in order to better themselves. I do the same thing, as evidenced by my possessions.

The idea is that every time you leave your comfort zone, it grows a little bit. It’s the same concept that makes lifting weights effective: you tear apart your muscle fibers so they heal stronger and larger.

When you break out of your comfort zone, whether by traveling some place new or just taking social risks and meeting new people, it grows and forms around you again, this time larger and encapsulating new situations that were once scary but are now comfortable.

Permanent travelers, who are always seeking new experiences and avoiding the familiar, paradoxically long for the whole world to be home. Eventually, the whole world becomes a comfort zone.

But it can’t be, no matter how much you travel. Unless you reach some sort of state of enlightenment (which I’ve never seen, certainly not in hostels) your environment will always effect how you feel, and when you’re traveling you can never really feel at home as I described in my most recent state of the locationless living.

And that’s the tragedy of Angelou’s statement: we long for that feeling to come with us, we chase it, we try to obtain status that will allow us to have power wherever we go and treat others as if they are in our home even when they’re not, or we try to reach some spiritual serenity that will allow everywhere to be home. But I doubt anyone ever does.

My outdoor office in Tel Aviv, Israel

I’ve been living locationless for the last few years.

It’s my choice, and I wouldn’t change it. But living locationless also has its downside. When you are locationless, you are just about always outside your comfort zone, which, self-help books and travel guru advice aside, can be tiring. I know, if you’re stuck at a desk job dreaming about sandy beaches or spa offers it probably seems like I’m whining about nothing. Hey, even rock stars complain about being on the road, and they seem to be having a lot more fun than me.

Here are the Five Worst Things about Living Locationless

1. No Routine

People get bored with routines. They disparage them as sign of a life that has lost all of its sense of wonder and spontaneity. I know I used to as I quickly moved through each city during my Euro tour in 2010. But just because some routines can be soul killing, doesn’t mean all routines are bad. And when you’re on the road permanently, and every place is new, you can’t form routines.

When you find yourself in different hostels all the time, you can’t build a routine. But more importantly, when you don’t know a place, a routine feels like failure. You want to explore, you want to do something new. But if you never learn about a new place, you can’t develop routines.

Routines are comfort. Think of all the little routines in your life that you are glad you have – waking up in your bed, having a hot shower, visiting with family and friends. Routines, when they are enriching and not soul-crushing, are rituals of comfort. It’s a comfort the locationless individual goes without.

2. Everything is a risk

When you don’t know anything about where you are, every decision is a sort of risk. Now, you can certainly argue that every decision you make has a level of risk.

When you debate between ordering your favorite dish at a restaurant or something new, you are taking a risk. You can choose the dish you are familiar with and risk missing something great, or you can choose the new item and risk that it’s terrible. But when you don’t know either option (or anything on the foreign menu) there is no safe choice.

When you’re locationless, every hostel has the potential to be a nightmare, every bar can be sketchy, every part of town can be dangerous. When everything is a risk, your brain operates on a heightened level of anxiety.

3. It’s hard to build your business on the road

I’m all about running online businesses. I run three, and I recently hired my first full-time employee. But it’s hard running a business while traveling. There are always unexpected logistical issues that force me to miss work, and finding a reliable internet connection every day is frustrating. It can be hard to give my clients the personal touch I really want to when I’m constantly in different time zones and don’t have a permanent address.

4. You’ll never fit in if you’re always passing through

When you’re always just a traveler, you will never fit in with the country you’re in. This is true in varying degrees, depending on whether you speak the language, whether you are the majority race or religion, and what kind of socioeconomic background you are from and how different it is from the host country. I think that’s why many travel bloggers seem to have settled in Chang Mai or Medellin, so they can create their own social circle of misfits.

But I do believe, and I could be wrong, that these things can be overcome by an honest commitment to a place. That is, staying there, and making a life there. When you constantly travel you aren’t doing that, and no matter how authentically you travel, you will always be viewed as a tourist.

5. What’s the Goal?

Part of the reason to start traveling as a lifestyle is to get out of the “rat race.” Being locationless sets you free from the constant struggle for the next promotion, the next raise, the bigger house, a newer car. And it’s incredibly liberating in a lot of ways. But goals make life easier, in the same way that ideology makes life simpler, in the same way that nobody wants total freedom.

The truth is, as much as you’re supposed to enjoy the journey and not worry about the destination, I do sometimes think about what the destination will be.

What is the goal of being locationless? There’s not going to be a time when I see the entire world. I don’t want to stop traveling, and I don’t think I will anytime soon, but for every blog and book that celebrates permanent travel as a sort of utopian jailbreak from the prison of everyday inconveniences is inaccurate. It’s tough. And just like Dr. Angelou, I still long for the entire world to feel like home.

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Author Bio: Jason is a location independent 23 year old traveling the world, working 10-odd hours a week running 3 web-based businesses. He writes about his travels at http://www.LocationlessLiving.com/ and http://www.flashpackerguy.com/ You can also find him on Twitter and Facebook.

Living Locationless – It’s NOT all Beaches and Cocktails is a post from: Traveling Canucks

Here we go again – Giving away more FREE Stuff!

Traveling Canucks — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:16:55 +0000

We’re giving away a FREE pair of P^cubed Pick-Pocket Proof Pants!

A couple weeks ago we wrote a product review about the P^cubed Pick-Pocket Proof Pants that we tested in Whistler over the Christmas holidays. If you didn’t read the review, and are curious about what these pants are all about, you can find the article here.

Our friends at Clothing Arts were so happy that we enjoyed the pants that they have generously offered to give one lucky reader a pair of pick-pocket proof pants for FREE!

How can YOU win a FREE pair of P^Cubed Pick-Pocket Proof Pants?!

Entering this giveaway is super easy.

Simply VISIT Clothing Arts website and tell us what pants (colour and style) you would like to win by leaving a comment below — use your real name and email in case you’re the lucky winner!

We would also appreciate it if you LIKE us on Facebook — Traveling Canucks page and Clothing Arts’ page
(but this is not compulsory to win)

Details of the Giveaway

Only one entry per day (multiple entries are allowed and encouraged)
Entrants must leave a comment below in order to win (leave your proper name and email so that we can notify you if you win)
Contest ends on Friday, February 3rd, 2012
No geographical restrictions, Clothing Arts will ship to anywhere
Winner will be announced on our facebook page

Here we go again – Giving away more FREE Stuff! is a post from: Traveling Canucks

When the Tourist becomes the Tourist Attraction

Traveling Canucks — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:01:57 +0000

When the Tourist Becomes the Tourist Attraction – Agra, India

This scene became all too familiar during our travels through Northern India. Indian’s loved Nicole’s long blonde hair and tall frame. Many thought she was an ‘American movie star’ and wanted to have a picture taken with her.

This ironic moment was captured at Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular tourist attraction in the city of Agra, which also happens to be home to the magnificent Taj Mahal (located a short auto-rickshaw drive from Agra Fort).

I couldn’t help myself. I had to take a photo of this proud father taking a photo of his daughter with Nicole. We imagined the conversations they would have with friends and family when they returned home, “And this is the photo of our tall blonde friend from Canada that wears funny clothing for a woman.”

There we were, in one of India’s most beautiful forts, and we had become the attraction worthy of photos. It’s moments like this that remind us why we love traveling to foreign countries.

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Have you ever been a tourist that became the attraction?
Share your experience in the comments section below, we’d love to hear about it!

When the Tourist becomes the Tourist Attraction is a post from: Traveling Canucks

Help us Plan our European Adventure this Summer!

Traveling Canucks — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:29:02 +0000

Help us Plan our Next European Adventure!

Now that we have precious Baby B in our lives, we have to spend a little more time planning our future adventures. We now have to consider packing things like a stroller and car seat, not to mention a sufficient supply of diapers and baby wipes.

In two weeks time, we will be taking Baby B on his first international flight to Palm Springs, California. We’re excited to see how he adapts to travel, although we both agree that he likely won’t even notice the difference. Nevertheless, it will be a great trial run to see how he handles the flight and changing environments.

After much debate, we’ve decided to take Baby B overseas this summer. The general plan is to visit family in Germany so that they can finally meet the little man. After that, our plans are pretty much wide open.

This is where you come into the picture. We need your help deciding where to go and what to do!

We’ve narrowed down our list of potential destinations to…

Northern Italy - we’ve been reading great reviews about Bologna, Reggio Emilia and Genoa, which has subsequently bumped these cities up the list. If we decide on Italy, we would also like to explore ancient Rome and its famous attractions, ideally staying in Rome apartments that are centrally located.
The Swiss Alps – we love playing in the mountains and Switzerland has some of the world’s finest. Ideally we’d like to spend a few weeks hiking in the mountains, swimming in fresh water lakes and exploring it’s alpine villages.
Coast of Spain – our ideal itinerary for Spain would be to travel along the coast from Barcelona to Valencia, visiting the cities of Tarragona, Benicarlo, Castellón de la Plana and Sagunto.
The Algarve on the coast of Portugal – aside from its breathtaking landscapes, sun drenched beaches and culinary delights, we’ve heard that the network of Algarve golf courses rival the best in the world.
Southern France – we’re intrigued by the canal boat tours that are becoming quite popular in Europe (where we captain our own small house boat that sleeps 4-10 people). We’d also love to soak up the sun in the coastal cities of Marseille, Toulon, Cannes and Nice.
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Vatican City and/or Andorra – as some of the world’s smallest countries, we are considering a few days in one or two of these European countries. Of course, which ones will be dependent on the other countries we visit (Liechtenstein if we travel to Switzerland, Monaco if we visit France, Andorra is we visit Portugal, Vatican City if we visit Rome).

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

We’d love to hear your feedback on each of these destinations

Give us the good, the bad, the ugly. We will likely get a limited rail pass to take us from Germany to two or three of the above destinations.

Our plans are still quite loose, so feel free to throw a wrench in the above plans and suggest another location in Western Europe – leave your feedback in the comments section below.

Help us Plan our European Adventure this Summer! is a post from: Traveling Canucks

How to Travel the World and NOT Pay for Hotels

Traveling Canucks — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:54:04 +0000

Learn How to Travel Around the World without Paying for Hotels

Have you ever wondered how some long-term travelers are able to afford a life on the road? After all, sleeping in hotels can get expensive and easily break your travel budget.

To answer this question, we turned to the traveling couple behind Hecktic Travels to introduce you to the wonderful world of house-sitting. Learn how they successfully spent the past year traveling to Honduras, Ireland, Belgium, the UK and Spain without paying for hotel accommodations!

House-Sitting Around the World – 5 Questions with Hecktic Travels

Before we get started, please introduce yourself and tell us about your recent travels

We are Dalene and Peter Heck, a couple of Canuckleheads who sold all our belongings in 2009 to travel. We spent a year traveling around South America and returned to Canada for a family wedding, half-expecting to want to settle down after being surrounded by the comforts of home. We weren’t in Canada long when we realized that we wanted to be back out on the road again!

Since then we have spent six months in Honduras, two in Ireland, and have cruised around Europe since last summer. We are enjoying the sun in Morocco right now before we had back across the Atlantic for some time in New York City.

Q1. You have spent much of your travels house-sitting in various parts of the world. Can you explain what house-sitting is all about and why you prefer traveling this way?

House-sitting is essentially an exchange of services between a home owner and someone looking for a place to stay. The home owner needs to be away from their property, yet does not want to leave it empty for a variety of reasons – pet care, security concerns, etc.

As house-sitters, we move in for the duration of their absence and essentially live rent free while taking care of the property.

This is our favorite way to travel for many reasons! We love having a place that feels like “home” on the road; if even for a short period of time, it allows us to enjoy comforts that we wouldn’t get in hostels. The jobs we have taken have ranged from two weeks to six months, which also means we get to spend more time in one area and really get to know it well.

It is also very good for the budget – for our six month house sit in Honduras, we spent only $4,000 the entire time as the only costs we were responsible for were food, gas for the vehicle, and other personal expenses.

House-sitting has taken us to Honduras, Ireland, Belgium, the UK and Spain. Coming up we have jobs in New York City and Turkey! For us, it really doesn’t get much better than this.

Q2. If our readers are interested in house-sitting in Europe, how would they go about doing this? Where do they start?

There are several websites that match potential house sitters with home owners, and many of them have different areas in which they excel and have lots of listings. Wannabe housesitters should start by perusing all of the available housesits on each site to see which might be the best fit (it is possible to search through all jobs before buying a membership on most sites).

Consider buying memberships to more than one website to improve your chances, spend a good amount of time setting up an attractive profile, and sign up for email alerts based on desired locations.

Our preferred websites are (in order of preference):

1. Trustedhousesitters.com – This excellent site has the best functionality of them all, with great opportunities in Europe (as it is based in the UK). Use the promotional code HT09 and get 25% off an annual membership!

2. Mindmyhouse.com – Another well designed site with a good number of jobs in Europe

3. Housecarers.com – The least user-friendly website but has plenty of opportunities around the globe

Q3. What has been your best house-sitting experience and why?

Our very first one was still our best – in British Columbia!

When we decided to continue traveling but also wanted to rest up a bit, we scored two months in the Kootenays. The home owners were awesome to deal with, it was a beautiful house in the mountains, near excellent hiking and they even left kayaks on Upper Arrow Lake for our use. It was the perfect setting and we would go back to house sit there in an instant if our schedules ever mesh.

Q4. Do house-sitting assignments dictate where you will travel next or do you look for house-sitting opportunities after your travel plans are set?

They definitely have dictated our travel plans for us so far. We watch for new opportunities closely and then jump on any that fit our timeline and are in an area that we have always been interested in seeing.

We are just about to start a 6 week house sit in New York City that we applied for on a whim, same with the one following that for three months in Turkey. When we started our two month house sit in Ireland last June, all we knew was that we wanted to get to Europe, and lo and behold, we were soon offered two months in a 10th century manor in the middle of the country. What an experience!

Q5. Can you share some tips that might help a first time house sitter? What should a newbie look for when researching house sitting options?

A newbie, first and foremost, should outline their own expectations. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of securing such an opportunity and forgetting to make sure that you will actually enjoy your stay there.

Consider such things as: Would you want to take care of pets? How many and what kind? Would you rather be in a remote area or city? How much are you willing to pay (sometimes home owners will ask for utilities to be covered)?

Also, when in conversations with potential home owners, be sure to ask any and all questions that you may have - never leave anything unanswered as it has the potential to cause misunderstandings and problems down the road.

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Thanks to Dalene and Peter Heck for sharing their house-sitting experiences! You can follow their adventures by visiting their travel blog or following them on twitter and facebook.

How to Travel the World and NOT Pay for Hotels is a post from: Traveling Canucks

Photo of the Week: The World’s Coolest Cemetery

Traveling Canucks — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:29:09 +0000

Rooftop Panorama of La Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina

This week’s photo comes from a rooftop hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

La Recoleta Cemetery is located in the stylish Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, the capital and largest city of Argentina. The massive necropolis is the final resting place to Argentina’s elite, famous and wealthy, ironically making it the most expensive and sought after real estate in Buenos Aires.

We don’t usually include cemeteries on our sightseeing itinerary, but La Recoleta Cemetery is something special. Our curiousity lead us through a seemingly never-ending maze of stunning architecture, intricate statues, haunting tombs and marble mausoleums. See more photos of La Recoleta Cemetery here.

As this photo illustrates, the graveyard is like a walled city within the city, complete with its own streets and intersections. To get a sense of scale, look at the people wearing red jackets in the bottom right.

Have you checked out these photos yet?

Where is the coolest cemetery you’ve visited?
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Photo of the Week: The World’s Coolest Cemetery is a post from: Traveling Canucks