If you find yourself in Toronto and hungry (pun intended!) for some less-touristy options away from the obvious CN Tower and Dundas Square areas, be sure to check out Tasty Tours! Tasty Tours takes you on a walk through the China Town and Kensington area of Toronto, famous for its local cuisine and anti-big-brand attitude (you won’t find a single big-brand store in the Kensington neighbourhood – Just ask Nike, they tried).
Food Tours Stockholm, Sweden Review
Are you a foodie looking to try Swedish delicacies, but don’t have the time or budget to sit down at different restaurants? Fortunately, Food Tours Stockholm’s Nordic Experience tour has you covered. This 4-hour tour will take you around Stockholm on foot and by subway to different areas to try everything from bear (yes, bear!) to cheese to chocolate and includes various non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. It is a great tour that will not only fill your stomach, but also helps you get acquainted with Stockholm’s history.
How to get discounts on DJI Drones
So you’ve decided to invest in a drone, but with the popularity of the market leading DJI brand, discounts are hard to come by. Unfortunately, direct discounts are next to impossible, but with some creativity it’s possible to save both time and some money the DJI Spark, Mavic, and Phantom!
Tip Number #1: Don’t buy from traditional retail
Traditional retail means high markups. Not to mention travel time, parking and sales tax.
Tip Number #2: Buy online and save the tax
Buy via Amazon for a chance to save the tax. ‘Chance’ because it depends on which state/province you live in. Also, ‘via Amazon’ meaning from a third party who lists on Amazon, but not direct from Amazon. Assuming the third party isn’t in the same province as you, there shouldn’t be any tax (see below). This in itself can save you hundreds of dollars.
Isle of Man Bike Rentals with Green Wheelers
Isle of Man – The small Island country found between Ireland, Scotland and England. The whole island can be discovered over the course of a few days using a combination of foot, tram (pulled by a horse!), steam/electric rail, bus and bicycle. If being outdoors is your thing, the island is very bicycle friendly and offers courses for all levels. For those who are more experienced, the perimeter of the whole island can be cycled in a day. For those who are not as ambitious, luckily there is Green Wheelers Bike Tours.
Green Wheelers offers both bike rentals and tours for beginner to intermediate cyclists. The best part is, if you’re not sure what level you are, Green Wheelers’ bicycles are all battery assisted allowing you to adjust the difficulty as you go. It is recommended that you do at least one tour with Green Wheelers and then rent their bicycles to discover the rest of the island on your own.
One must-do experience is to go to the West side of the island where the roads run along the coast line. From there, you can do an epic downhill ride down to the ocean. Don’t worry though, you have your battery assistance to get you back up if needed!
Steam Packet Isle of Man Ferry Review and Seat Class Comparison
If you’re off to Isle of Man, there are two way to get there; by Ferry or plane. Although the flight may only be 45 minutes, if you factor in having to go early, the security lineups and the fact that the Isle of Man airport isn’t in Douglas, the ferry is a very pleasant and efficient alternative, taking about 3-hours each way. The best part, the Ferry terminal docks in the heart of Douglas.
The main difference between the economy tickets, is the location of the seats. The ones near the front of the boat (with the best view) are slightly more expensive, but all economy tickets allow you to access most of the amenities. The restaurant on the ferry is reasonably priced and has a good selection of food and drinks. For those travelling with kids, there is a play area, alongside a separate two theatres to keep both adults and kids entertained. Finally, if you’re brave enough, be sure to go out on the deck to get some fresh ocean air!
Gotland Ferry Difference in Economy Versus Lounge Seats and General Tips
Considering Gotland, Sweden? There’s two ways to get there – By plane and by ferry. Although the flight may only be 45 minutes, if you factor in having to go early and the security lineups the ferry is a very pleasant and efficient alternative, taking about 3-hours each way.
If you’re in Stockholm, the closest port is Nynäshamn, which takes about 1 hour to get to by train from the main Stockholm station. It will cost about 200SEK each way. Tip: If you take this train, be careful at Västerhaninge station as half the train separates and goes back to Stockholm. Make sure you’re in the front half of the train and if the train suddenly empties, be sure to pay attention!
Once you arrive at Nynäshamn, walk south on the main road (along the same side as the water) for about 5 minutes to arrive at the departure area. Note that similar to planes, you will have to check suitcases, but there is no limit to carry-ons so long as you can carry it all yourself.
Pro tip: Viator offers some good tour options in Gotland.
Tickets and Difference Between Economy, Aft Lounge, Front Lounge, Pet Lounge, and Cabin
The main difference between the lounge seats is mostly location. The front lounge seats with the best views are the most expensive, whereas the economy seats are usually in the middle (with no window) or just general seating the the restaurant area. The Pet Lounge is obviously for those travelling with pets.
For the most part, the extra price is not worth it as you get access to everything else regardless of seat class. If you want complete privacy, the individual cabins come with small beds and showers.
Tip: If you don’t want to battle the crowds, take the ‘Cargo Departure’ ship. It’s the same boat, but due to laws around cargo and passengers, they only allow on a max of 197 passengers. Take your pick of seats!
The Best Hidden Gems of the Greater Toronto Area
It’s no surprise – The Canadian dollar stinks. Gone are the at-par days with the U.S. greenback, making overall travel more expensive (did you know airlines purchase fuel in U.S. dollars?). But with Canada turning 150 this year, the timing is perfect to stay in your own backyard to celebrate what this great country has to offer. In the Toronto area alone, there’s plenty of hidden gems to last a lifetime. When was the last time you went ice-fishing or even took the time to learn about your region’s history (did I mention Canada’s turning 150?)?
So before you decide that things aren’t exotic enough for you in Toronto, think again. Below are some hidden gems of York Region (just north of Toronto) with all of it doable over the course of a couple days.
Briar’s Spa
What’s a vacation without a little spa time? The spa at Briar’s Resort is one of the most luxurious of the region providing services ranging from massages, hydrotherapies, and hand/foot treatments. For a real treat, try the Mokkaccino Body Wrap!
…heck, just stay the night!
Gong to the Briar’s Resort only for the Spa is too much of a tease! Stay the night and enjoy one of the best resorts in Ontario with fine dining, luxury pool area, numerous fireplaces (too many to count!), and lots of historic items from around the world showcased throughout the grounds.
Air Canada Bid Upgrades Now Available
See some additional ‘hacks’ at the end of this post.
Want to fly premium economy or business class, but not pay the full price? Air Canada now allows economy ticket holders to place bids on empty premium economy and business class seats before their flight. Just like any auction, the highest bidder(s) will get the seat(s).
The process is quite simple. Bids are made online using a sliding scale with a set minimum and maximum amount. When passengers pick their price, a chart lets them know the strength of their offer. Travellers find out if they have the winning bid about 48 hours before departure.
According to Air Canada, the purposes of the Offer Strength chart is to be a rough indicator of how likely a bidder is to win the auction, although the algorithm used for this graph seems quite obscure. It is safe to assume that the chart is a marketing tool to get bidders to bid higher than they otherwise would have with the goal of making the overall top bids higher.
The Advantages of Using DJI’s Osmo as a Travel Blogger/Content Creator
As travel blogging and content creation becomes more competitive and highly geared towards video, gimbals like DJI’s Osmo can provide a big advantage. Gimbals provide on-the-go content creators the ability to create unbelievably smooth action videos that isn’t possible through exiting handheld devices such as smartphones and DSLRs. By combining anti-shake shock-absorbing technologies with electronic rotation axis points, gimbals are able to stabilize videos and keep the camera level and pointed at the intended target allowing the user to focus on the shot instead of trying to keep the video smooth.
See the with/without gimbal comparison video here.