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Solo Female Travel Tips

If you’ve ever thought about travelling alone as a woman then the chances are that you’ve been somewhat intimidated by the uncertainties and the huge amount of often conflicting information that’s out there. Sometimes, it can be so daunting that it seems to us as though we’d be better off if we just stayed at home.

Truth is, everyone feels a little daunted by the idea of solo travel, at least to begin with. But then they get the bug, and once you’re a convert to the cause, it’s hard to turn back. All you really need to get started are a few good tips, and that’s what this article is all about. Here’s what you’ll need to know!

Solo Female Travel Tips

Planning makes perfect

There’s no such thing as too much planning when it comes to travel, especially solo travel. That’s why it’s a solid idea to invest some time up front to plan out as much as you can. This takes pressure off while you’re travelling, but it also allows you to tap into early bird pricing and other discounts. Be sure to share your plans with someone you trust back home.

Invest in decent accommodation

It’s worth spending a little extra money if it means that you can secure accommodation in a decent area and from a reputable provider. You’ll sleep a lot more soundly at night, and if you’re staying in a better area then it’s also likely to be safer and less vulnerable to crime.

Pack light

One of the best things about travelling solo is that you usually end up with more time to go wandering around local markets or to pick up souvenirs for the people back at home. That’s why it’s such a good idea to pack light if you can so that you’ve got as much room (and as much remaining weight allowance) as possible.

Know self-defense

This is another one of those practical things that you can only hope you’ll never have to rely on. The good news is that learning basic self-defense skills can help to boost your overall confidence and keep you in shape, so think of the ability to defend yourself in a tight spot as an added bonus. Better still, there are a whole range of different martial arts styles for you to choose from.

Treat yourself to a cruise

If you want to see the world in style, you can’t beat a cruise. Most people think of cruising as something to be done in a group, but there are plenty of life-changing solo cruises for you to pick between, too. One of my favorite  trips was actually a cruise from Charleston, but you can also just look into which cruises are departing from a harbor town near you.

Don’t be afraid to make friends

Don’t be fooled into thinking that because you’re travelling on your own, you can’t make friends. In fact traveling solo is one of the best ways to make international friends. Most people that you’ll meet on the road will be super friendly and approachable, and making friends and travelling around with them can be a great way to get some extra security.

Do what YOU want to do

This could apply to any type of traveler, but it’s even more relevant to people who are travelling on their own. With only yourself to please and only yourself to satisfy, don’t waste time doing things that you don’t want to do. Don’t be fooled into only going for what the tourist guides talk about, either.

Take lots of photos

Embrace the selfie! We’re not just saying this because you’ll want to show off what you see to your friends and family, although that’s certainly a factor too. The main reason to take photos, though, is that you’ll be able to look back at them when you’re older and to remember your travels. And the simple act of thinking about and taking those photos can also act as an aide to your memory.

Be willing to take an off day

When you’re solo travelling, you’re rarely held back by other people and you’re free to do whatever you want, whenever you want. As part of that, sometimes you just have to acknowledge that you need a day of rest or to practice a little self-care. Think of it as making sure you’re in tip top shape for whatever your next adventure turns out to be.

Conclusion

One final thing to remember when travelling solo as a woman is that women are treated very differently in different parts of the world. For example, it was illegal for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, until as recently as June 2018.

That’s why to stay safe, especially as a solo traveler, it’s a good idea to check the way that women are treated both culturally and legally in any new country that you plan to visit. There’s never been a better time for women to solo travel, especially if you follow these tips, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Happy travels!


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Coronavirus (COVID-19) – HostelTraveler’s Commitment To You

At HostelTraveler (IWB), the health and safety of our Travelers, Partners, and Employees is our foremost concern.

For our Travelers:

We all may be putting our travel on hold for now, but that doesn’t mean we must stop dreaming about that next travel adventure. Around the globe, we’re supporting our nations, and staying home to fight the virus. But, our love for travel will not disappear. While many cannot travel for now, the crisis will end soon. And when it does, we will all enjoy seeing the world again. So, on our website, our social media, and other forms of communication, we will continue to share the many wonderful properties our partners have to offer, and announce future deals as they come along. And sometimes, just the beauty of one of our fantastic travel destinations can inspire wonder and desire for our future of traveling the world.

As we all share in this crisis, we all share the desire and motivation to get out again and explore the world as soon as it’s over. We’ll keep dreaming and planning for that day. In the meantime, we can remain positive, and perhaps constructively prepare for the future.

Here are some tips: How about brushing up on a second language? Read up on some regional cuisine that you may wish to sample, or try out a regional recipe for yourself in the kitchen. Make a list of some invaluable travel tips from magazines, books, and websites that will make your first trip more gratifying. Finally, think about acquiring a new carry-on bag or backpack that will suit your future travel style perfectly. In the meantime, please stay safe and take care of yourself and your loved ones.

To our Partners:

At HostelTraveler.com (Instant World Booking), we are working overtime to ensure our partners around the globe receive the service they need. We deeply care about your safety, health, and well-being. And, our thoughts and prayers are with you all. We also want you to know that we are concerned about the well-being of your travel business. HostelTraveler remains strong, and our company’s services and operations continue without interruption. Our high level of support, and ensuring your travel or accommodation business is supported at all times, is of the utmost importance to us.

As you monitor the situation and consider your own continuity plans, HostelTraveler is prepared to help in any capacity needed. While difficult days are here to stay for awhile, wellness and prosperity will soon again appear on the horizon. Our plans for growth and development in the coming months, particularly for the next generation of IWB services, are progressing rapidly. When you are ready to consider new and alternative solutions for your travel or accommodation business, to jump-start your own business growth, we will be ready to offer you low cost options and alternatives.

Where can I get more information?

#WEAREINTHISTOGETHER


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Case Study: How Hostels can Increase Reservations

Hostels ask us all the time how to grow their business more rapidly. As an actual case study, we were asked this exact question by a hostel in Indonesia this month, “We need your advice on how to increase increase reservation production this year.”

We thought, why not share the answer more widely, so all our hostel and lodging partners can benefit from the same great advice. Well, here is the exact advice we provided:

Yes, we have suggestions for you.

  1. Get more online web links directly to your website. Please log in to your profile at our website, then proceed to the OPPORTUNITIES page to learn more.
  2. Your hostel currently appears on 20 individual websites in our IWB network. Your profile content is currently translated to 3 languages, which means your hostel profile appears on 60 individual pages on these websites. You can increase this to 15 translations, which means your hostel can appear on 20 x 15 actual webpages. That’s 300 webpages in total, which is significant.
  3. Social Media Marketing by IWB – You have a Facebook page with about 3.8K followers and an Instagram account with about 2.3K, good job. But we can boost your social media exposure even more. With our optional Social Media Marketing service, we will handle all your weekly social media posting on 3 social media channels, mainly Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, which are the main ones for the travel market. And, we’ll rapidly grow your follower base much faster. Please let us know if you are interested. Our posting method is highly targeted, and designed to maximize your business’ social media presence. We can multiply your followers by many times in just a short period of time, and grow it from there.
  4. Professional Video Production. Video is a crucial aspect in today’s online marketing for accommodations. We can produce a custom video for your property. We will then promote your video on all our social media channels. Your video will be featured on your profile page on all 20 IWB sites that you appear on. As mentioned above, your hostel profile information can appear in up to 15 languages, which means your video can appear on 20 x 15 actual webpages. That’s 300 webpages in total, which is significant. You also receive a copy of your video for your own private and commercial use. You get to choose the theme of your video.

To view some demos of custom videos we can produce for accommodations, please see this page:
http://www.hosteltraveler.com/video-marketing-for-hotels-hostels.php

Please let us know if you are interested in these services, which will greatly enhance your marketing efforts, and grow your reservations rapidly.

Of course, this is a just a single case study. At HostelTraveler.com (Instant World Booking), we provide consulting and advice to accommodations and lodging of all sizes. We also provide custom solutions for growing accommodation businesses. Please contact us to find out how we can be of further assistance to your business.


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Can Americans still Travel to Cuba – ¿aún podemos viajar a Cuba?

This is a Spanish version of our recent article Travel to Cuba Now Possible with Instant World Booking

Los viajeros estadounidenses siguen preguntando, “¿aún podemos viajar a Cuba?” La respuesta es definitivamente sí. Pero si se pregunta cómo, esto es lo que necesita saber sobre los viajes a Cuba.

En noviembre, la administración Trump reforzó los lazos comerciales y de viaje con Cuba, parte de su esfuerzo por revertir la apertura histórica del ex presidente Barack Obama con La Habana. Las nuevas reglas llegaron casi cinco meses después de que el presidente Trump anunciara que revertiría las políticas de la era de Obama que relajaron el embargo comercial de décadas contra la isla comunista.

Las nuevas restricciones afectan principalmente a los viajeros individuales. Sí, aún puede contratar una compañía de excursiones y unirse a una visita guiada que garantice que cumple con todos los requisitos y cumple con el horario completo de actividades que requieren. Pero, ¿qué pasa con los viajeros individuales, hostelers o personas aventureras que desean apoyar la visión humanitaria de Cuba, mientras viajan de manera independiente? Bajo las nuevas reglas del Departamento del Tesoro, se han eliminado los viajes individuales de “persona a persona”, que han permitido a los viajeros estadounidenses individuales visitar Cuba con fines educativos por sí solos en oposición a un grupo de turistas. Esta eliminación ha tenido repercusiones obvias para compañías como Airbnb, que son famosas para los viajeros individuales.

Sin embargo, Instant World Booking ahora ingresó al mercado cubano y ofrece una alternativa fresca a Airbnb y otros servicios de alojamiento en pequeños hoteles y casas particulares cubanos únicos e individuales. Los legisladores han asegurado que los viajeros individuales todavía pueden visitar la isla si es en apoyo del pueblo cubano. Aunque es poco conocida por los viajeros estadounidenses de hoy, esta garantía está escrita en la ley.

Así es como usted, como viajero individual, todavía puede visitar legalmente Cuba hoy. Una de las razones aprobadas para viajar a Cuba se llama “Apoyo al pueblo cubano”. En esta categoría de viajes, participa en actividades que resultan en una interacción significativa con personas en Cuba. Esto ahora incluye actividades tales como alquilar una habitación en una residencia privada cubana (casa particular), comer en restaurantes cubanos de propiedad privada (paladares) y comprar en tiendas privadas manejadas por cubanos independientes (cuentapropistas). Por lo tanto, alquilar uno de los muchos alojamientos privados ahora disponibles en Instant World Booking puede ayudar a facilitar el viaje a Cuba que espera realizar. Pero recuerde, para cumplir con el requisito de un horario de tiempo completo, también debe contratar un Apoyo autorizado adicional para las actividades del Pueblo cubano. Le sugerimos que consulte los requisitos reales en una de estas dos fuentes oficiales:

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?mc=true&node=se31.3.515_1574&rgn=div8

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_faqs_new.pdf

Mejor aún, ¿necesita obtener algún tipo de licencia o autorización del gobierno de EE. UU.? No. Como un viajero estadounidense a Cuba, puede comenzar a planificar su viaje hoy. Se llama licencia general y, siempre que cumpla con las actividades y los requisitos descritos en las fuentes anteriores, su viaje está permitido. Pero, le sugerimos que lea las reglas a fondo. Tendrá que mantener algunos registros con respecto a su horario y viaje. Recuerde, usted es el responsable final de garantizar que su viaje cumpla con las reglamentaciones.

Para celebrar nuestro compromiso de viajar a Cuba, hemos presentado un nuevo sitio web Book Cuba Hostels, Hotels, & Casa Particulares, que ofrece un amplio conjunto de opciones de alojamiento en Cuba. Este sitio se une a más de más de 100 sitios en nuestra red propietaria de hoteles, hostales y apartamentos en todo el mundo. Además, estamos comenzando a trabajar con grupos estadounidenses y cubanos para facilitar el alojamiento de grupos de viaje oficiales dentro de nuestra red de alojamientos privados en Cuba.

Esperamos que esté inspirado por este artículo, y tal vez considere un viaje a Cuba en el futuro cercano. Recuerde que su presencia puede ayudar a apoyar a la sociedad civil en Cuba y promover la independencia del pueblo cubano. Por favor, no dude en ponerse en contacto con Instant World Booking con cualquier pregunta que pueda tener.


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20 Tips To Make International Holiday Travel Easy

Are you planning a trip out of the Country for the Holidays this year? We all think to visit family and friends out of town or to simply get away while you have a few extra days off. Let us give you some forethought and preparation to help you stay safe, healthy, and sane on your way. Traveling abroad and being in a strange place can be a bit intimidating, and to add to the stress, traveling over the Holidays! You just cant plan for everything, but keeping a few important things in mind will make your travels much easier, like keeping a list of your medications in your wallet, in case they get misplaced also, make copies of your ID, Passports, ect.

To read more about International Holiday Travel and how to prepare for your trip, see the link below:

Happy Travels!

http://www.readersdigest.ca/travel/travel-tips/20-tips-safe-holiday-travel/

www.hosteltraveler.com

 


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Everything You Need to Know to Choose the Right Accommodation

Choosing to travel is one of the best decisions any young person can make. If you’re heading off to travel the world then one of the most difficult decisions you will make is which countries and cities you should visit. The next most difficult decision is where you should stay when you arrive at your destination! To help you get that important decision right. here are a few ideas and tips for making the right accommodation choices before you set off on your adventures:

To Plan or Not To Plan?

One of the questions many backpackers ask themselves is just how much of their travelling itinerary should they plan ahead before they set off? The answer to this question lies in just how much of a free spirit you are! For some simply having a return plane ticket is too much organization. Other travelers wouldn’t feel comfortable hitting the road unless they had a full itinerary and confirmed hotel or hostel reservations in every town and city they choose to visit. The pro of booking your holiday accommodation in advance is that you can be sure you’ll have somewhere to rest your head when you get off your plane and just want a lie down! If you’re visiting a new city during an important festival or national holiday then it will also give you the security of having a room when one might be hard to come by. The con though is that it is much harder to be spontaneous: if you meet a handsome stranger and want to stay somewhere a little longer then you could lose the deposit money you’ve already laid out for future hotels if you can’t stick to the schedule you’d planned months in advance.

Which Accommodation Type to Choose

The most common accommodation type for travelers and backpackers looking to spend a significant amount of time away from home is the hotel. Obviously hotel prices vary wildly, depending on whether you’re looking for a luxury or a budget room.  Most travelers are looking for budget hotels. These will offer a comfortable bed, somewhere to shower (in either an en suite or communal bathroom) and other basic facilities, but don’t expect a maid service or mint on your pillow each night! If you’re looking to save even more money then why not try a hostel? If you’ve never stayed in a hostel before then it can be a daunting accommodation type to choose. Hostels tend to be much more basic than hotels, with fewer amenities, and you will usually have to share a dormitory style room with several other travelers that you might not know. The benefits of this, however, are that you may quickly find yourself making friends with like minded travelers and that hostel rooms are significantly cheaper than hotel rooms. If you’re travelling with a large group of friends, rather than on your own, then you may find that your numbers make it more cost effective to hire a holiday cottage or timeshare for the duration of your visit. The benefit of this is that you’ll be afforded a little more luxury in this kind of self catering accommodation, with your own kitchen and somewhere to do your laundry!

Think Food!

Finally, you should consider where you will be eating during your travels, and how your accommodation can help to accommodate this. As mentioned above, self catering accommodation such as a time share or holiday cottage will come equipped with a kitchen, making it simple to whip up some affordable eats. Many hostels also come with communal kitchens for backpackers on a budget, providing you with somewhere to make sandwiches or store food from the grocery store: much cheaper than eating out every day! If you choose to stay in a hotel then you will have fewer options when it comes to storing your own food, however you can keep some small snacks in your room: snacks in foreign restaurants can often cost as much as a meal, so this is a great way to save money Just be weary of using the mini bar, even for keeping snacks and drinks cold, as many sensitive hotel mini bars will attempt to charge you just for opening the door! If you do have tight budgetary constraints though, maybe an accommodation option that will allow you to cater for yourself is the best choice for you!


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Top Travelers Backpack with Brains – Part 4

Continued from Top Travelers Backpack with Brains – Part 3

Easy Come, Easy Go

Because we often know little about the places that we are visiting we may feel more secure booking everything in advance. By doing this we can lose out on many great opportunities. Once you’re on the road, so much information can be collected firsthand from other travelers, or from locals in the area. Accommodation doesn’t need to be booked weeks in advance, so if you’re in one place and you hear some fellow travelers raving about where they’ve just been, you can chose that as your next destination. There are plenty of websites that can provide you with accommodation options and help with last minute booking. Often, you can grab yourself some bargains doing it this way.

Travel arrangements are often easier to make once you’re in a location also. It may have seemed, from the internet that getting a plane was your easiest option, but when you’re actually in another country you begin to realize that the buses are astronomically efficient, or a train journey is an unmissable experience, or your new found friends have hired a car. Do some necessary planning but don’t be afraid to leave some spaces. Things are often much easier overseas than we are led to believe and we don’t want to limit ourselves with over precautions.

Enjoy yourself

These ideas will help you make the most of what will undoubtedly be one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have. Having some good back-up advice on-board means less needless worry and more time to focus on what really matters: having fun, meeting new people, absorbing new cultures, embracing exhilarating experiences, really ‘living’ your trip and having the time of your life.


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Top Travelers Backpack with Brains – Part 3

Continued from Top Travelers Backpack with Brains – Part 2

Ill? Me? Not Likely!

Check out the information for the countries that you may be visiting and ensure that you’ve had the right inoculations before you go. Some countries will expect you to show evidence of inoculations; particularly against Yellow Fever. It is a good idea to pack some basic supplies with you so that you only need to use pharmacies for the out of the ordinary illnesses. Painkillers, diarrhea tablets and rehydration salts are great basics. Make sure you have up to date and relevant cover should you become unwell and need emergency care. Don’t forget to ensure that you are always covered; this needs to be top of list should you decide to stay somewhere longer than originally planned. Bear in mind the activities that you may be tempted to do. If you might go bungy-jumping in the jungle, riding down the world’s most dangerous road or surfing supreme, inform yourself beforehand of any risks and ensure you’re going to be okay in any eventuality.


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Top Travelers Backpack with Brains – Part 2

Continued from Top Travelers Backpack with Brains – Part 2

Don’t Take Stuff You Can’t Bear To Lose

You’re going to be living a transitory lifestyle and safe-guarding belongings can be more difficult under those circumstances. Many hostels have security boxes but if you’re constantly trying to navigate the security of your possessions, it will be a burden. Things that are very, very valuable to you are best left at home. Things that are pretty valuable to you, keep on your person or locked somewhere secure. Even if you think you can trust everyone sharing your dormitory you can really never know.

On the street, keep valuables as close to your person as possible (either out of sight altogether or in a bag that is durable in crowds). There is no need for paranoia, but some scam artists operate by causing distractions whilst your bag is slashed and your belongings taken. Buy a bag that’s resilient or wear your rucksack forwards facing. Be careful not to be too flash with your belongings. You never know who may be watching you whilst you Skype on your IPad or counting the money you’ve just taken from the bank. Practice caution and modesty. Often it’s much more cost-effective to buy a cheap mobile phone in the countries that you visit, than to use your state-of-the-art one from home.


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