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5 Awesome Travel Movies
Rebecca L. It seems like a long time since we were able to travel, in fact, it’s been over a year since I have taken a real trip. This probably rings home for most people too with all the cancellations, restrictions, and risk weighing heavy on us all during this pandemic. January is never really the most fun month, and for a lot of us it’s a cold one too, which is usually why we start thinking about our next vacation around this time. But, this could be the perfect time to get down to watching some seriously amazing travel related movies, see what’s out there and maybe find some inspiration for where you could go when you finally can. These are some of my favourite inspirational travel movies that get me wanting to find the next place to explore. Get yourself comfy, pour yourself your favourite tropical beverage, and treat yourself to a little indoor screen time vacation…. 1. The Darjeeling Limited (2007) One of the funniest and most brilliant Wes Anderson movies of all time. Follow three recently bereaved brothers on a train journey through India, as they awkwardly try to reconnect with each other. Strap yourself in for some beautiful cinematic scenescapes, and of course, one hell of a soundtrack. This is a guaranteed way to give yourself the urge to buy a train ticket and go and experience it yourself. VIEW THE TRAILER 2. In Bruges (2008) Follow a couple of hitmen hanging around in Bruges, Belgium awaiting their fate after a big mess up. Take in some historic city sights, medieval architecture and some hilarious dark humour along the way. An unusual choice as far as travel movies go, but you won't be disappointed by the blend of two different attitudes - one finds himself in love with the place, and the other cannot see the beauty that surrounds him. May remind you of a trip you once took! VIEW THE TRAILER 3. Lost In Translation (2003) Set in Tokyo, Japan, you will follow a lonely woman and an old movie star getting to know each other in unusual surroundings, both unhappy and confused by the cultural differences they are faced with. You might find yourself wondering if travel is what you need to find happiness. VIEW THE TRAILER 4. The Beach (2000) A young Leonardo DiCaprio plays a curious backpacker on the prowl for something exciting, only to stumble upon a map that will lead him to an exciting and dangerous piece of secret beach. It is fantastic to see Thailand before it became as popular with tourism as it is now, and you might find yourself wanting to find your own secret bit of paradise too. VIEW THE TRAILER 5. Midnight in Paris (2011) This is a movie filled with nostalgia and will lead you through a time-warp of Paris. You can indulge yourself in the inspiration that guided so many influential authors, poets and artists of our past. It’s an unusual choice for a travel movie, but taking in the scenes and the experiences of the characters will leave you wanting to go get inspired yourself. VIEW THE TRAILER These are just a few of my favourite travel inspiring movies that I think will give you a boost of wanderlust and leave you wanting to find your next adventure. What’s your favourite travel movie?
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Veggies Taco's, Party of 1
Easy-breezy veggie taco and virgin margarita recipes for a taco fiesta de uno!
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Our TOP Picks: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Darryl M. We're a big believer that everyone should "live" the hostel life at some point. Some of our greatest memories, people and experiences we've had while travelling all started at a hostel. Here's some of our top picks of the experiences you've shared!
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Opening the Travel Industry in the Developing World
Darryl M. As we move into a new “phase” of COVID with vaccines rolling-out in many developed countries, we wanted to dive into what that means for travel. More specifically, travel in developing countries. Perhaps using broad brushstrokes here, but in many ways the developing world has fared much better than the West in their response to COVID. Countries with the highest number of COVID-19 deaths come from the Americas and Europe, while many of the lowest death rates can be found in Africa and Asia. But why is that? First, there may be some more obvious reasons. Things such as unreliable reporting and statistics, Africa’s younger demographic and warmer climates all certainly contribute, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. In a lot of ways, diseases such as Ebola, SARS and MERS are still in the recent institutional memories of these countries, and that has instilled a level of preparedness far beyond that of the West. Using scarce resources and creativity, many developing countries know how to stop outbreaks before they become wide-spread. In addition, swift and strong decisions were made early by many leaders knowing full well that their health infrastructure simply cannot handle a population with wide-spread infection. Economically though, many of these countries rely heavily on tourism dollars. Even more than developed countries, they’ve been faced with the incredibly difficult balance between their economy and the protection of their population. In our opinion, it would be a mis-step to erase the work they’ve done so well to date, by opening up their borders too soon and/or without a strong plan to effectively deal with increased tourism. Vaccinations will obviously help, but the unfortunate reality is the developing world does not have the money, infrastructure or geography to roll-out a mass vaccination effort as effectively as the West. Fortunately, there are new organizations such as COVAX that exist, where higher income economies work with manufacturers to ensure vaccines reach those in the greatest need, wherever they live. Our prediction is travel in developing countries will really start to ramp up by the Summer. A strong vaccine roll-out in the West, along with naturally lower-case rates in the warmer weather will provide enough reassurance for governments to relax their border restrictions in a meaningful way. Soon after we’ll see major airlines increasing the number of flights to these regions, hopefully at a discounted rate. One prediction is proof of either a COVID vaccine or a negative test within 36 hours will be required to enter many of these countries without a mandatory quarantine. It doesn’t matter how “developed” the country you live in, so many of us want travel to return. Either to go on a desperately needed trip, or to re-open a tourism focused business essential to a family’s well-being. We also all want tourism to return safely, both for ourselves, and those we come into contact with. What do you think travel in the next 12-15 months looks like?
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Traditional Gluhwein Recipe!
Darryl M. If we were to name one Holiday drink that gives us all the feels, mulled wine is it. Strolling through Christmas Markets sippin' on a Gluhwein simply can't be beat. Admittedly there are hundreds of different recipes for Gluhwein, and everyone has their own personal touch, but here's a sure thing... Ingredients: 2 Bottles of Dry Red Wine (a Cabernet Sauvignon works well, and no need to break the bank with the wine choice here). 1 Orange 1 1/2 Cups of Water 1/2 Cup of White Sugar 10 Whole Cloves 4 Cinnamon Sticks 3 Whole Star Anise Amaretto or Rum ("optional", but....) Steps: Juice the orange into a bowl and set aside. Combine the water and sugar into a pot on medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat and add the orange juice, cloves, cinnamon and star anise. Simmer until it starts to look syrupy, about a minute or two. Reduce heat even lower and add the wine. Keep it at a very low simmer for at least 20 minutes. Don't boil it! Strain, add the liquor if using and enjoy! Tell us about how you like your mulled wine below!
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Amazing Christmas Markets in Europe
Darryl M. Ah there's nothing that gives us good feels this time of year than thinking about the European Christmas markets. Though we're not travelling out there first hand right now, we hope this tides you over until next year! Let's us know about your experiences at Christmas Markets below!
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