Destination Vacation

Travel.Relax.Enjoy.

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Gap Year Series: Part 5

For the last installment of the Gap Year Series, we are going back to basics, from the most popular Gap Year adventure since the 1960’s. Interrailing.

Interrailing is offered through Interrail.eu. It’s a train pass that lets you choose from 40,000 destinations, in 30 countries, and you get to design the ultimate European destination vacation.

There website offers an interactive app for their travellers, you can check in, book advanced seats on the trains, check the schedules of 37 railways and ferries in 30 countries.

You can customize your trip to whatever you’d like. You can choose a pass that lets you explore one country in depth, with two different price settings, from economic at 43 euros, or an exclusive premium pass at 124 euros.

Interrail.eu helps international travellers with articles on hostels, travel insurance and budgeting tips. They also are the perfect website to set up your Gap Year with, anyone under the age of 27 can receive a 25% discount on their pass!

Interrail also has a really cool Instagram page, showing their customers adventures and really stunning photographs of locations offered through the pass. Head over to their Instagram if you want a visual representation of what your potential trip could look like.

If you’re thinking of travelling Europe, but are intimidated about travelling solo, having to ask people questions in different languages, or just all around loved a nice organized app to get you through your travels, check out Interrail.  

--CG

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Toronto Highlights

Thinking Of Staying Local? 

There are a lot of things to do in Toronto in the Summer Time.... that you may not know about, this city has something going on every weekend you may not hear or see anything but you just have to do some digging. Take a look at the lists below to see everything to keep you entertained this summer. 

This city is known for its amazing lake views and lively night life. No matter what  time of day you can always find something exciting to do downtown Toronto! 

The music festivals & concerts 

The amazing jazz festivals in Toronto take place in two locations 

The TD jazz music festival  located in the heart of Yorkville one of Toronto’s upscale neighbourhoods. 

The Beaches Jazz festival located in The Beaches more of Toronto’s more urban neighbourhoods. 

And don't forget Drakes annual OVO Fest every August long weekend! This is one of the most infamous concerts known across North America. Drake is known to bring some of his famous musician friends with him. Located at the Budweiser Stage in the heart of Toronto’s Lakeshore this event venue is perfect for a summer concert. 

 Visit TorontoLife Website to see more festivals and attractions to do keep yourself busy this summer. 

Don't Forget about the food! 

Anticipating that perfect summer body? Don't come here lol there are so many food festivals to keep your appetite satisfied all summer long.

check out these lists of events below.

canadianfoodtruckfestivals.com/toronto

L.M

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Cultural Shock - Personal Experience

We all know that fitting in our society can be harsh, now imagine to fit in a whole new culture, super fun. 

so, what is it?

“Culture shock is a common phenomenon and, though it may take months to develop, it often affects travelers and people living far from home in unexpected ways” Basically means to get to experience things that we never saw before. Often, it is the deeper cultural differences in way of thinking,  customs and interpersonal that develops this feeling. 

For this blog I decided to share my personal experience and how I overcame this situation. First time I moved abroad I was just 18 years old, coming from a South American country where people are super friendly and not really know what personal space is.

Atlanta was my destination, I met wonderful people, however Venezuelans are used to kiss others’ person cheek whenever we say bye, and here is when my first cultural shock experience happened. I did what in my country was normal to do but instead of a kiss back I just received an awkward look. 

Happens to be that THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR OTHER PEOPLE. My mind felt overwhelmed when I heard what others eat in their native countries, what they wear and how they behave. I felt confused, “how was this possible? I thought the whole world behave the same!” was my only thought. As the time went by, I learned how to accept all this different but amazing traditions and my perspective of the world changed! 

In conclusion, it is totally normal to feel shocked whenever you face a different culture to yours. But this feeling will disappear and great things will be with you after this. Cultural shock is almost impossible to avoid, but not to overcome. Travelling is amazing and this awkward - but funny - experiences are super worth it.

DV 

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Gap Year Series: Part 4

          Not everyone who dreams of travelling the world, experiencing culture, and growing as an individual can cough up the financials. And let’s face it, travel take a lot of “cha-ching.” For your Gap Year, consider something different. 

          There are opportunities, without having to pay for your travels, actually the exact opposite. Get paid for travelling the world.

           Places like S-Trip offer full time destination employment, where not only do you travel, but also participate in activities, make friendships, and take on place of leadership.

           S-Trip is a center that helps high schools plan graduation trips for senior classes. S-Trip was created in 1976, and has taken over 125,000 students across the world. Their main priorities as a company are creating friendships, and experiencing culture.

           Another popular student travel center is Breakaway Tours. Breakaway differs from S-Trip by offering Canadian destinations, like Mont Temblant, Quebec City and Downtown Montreal for high school students and more tropical destinations for college campus vacations.

           A big question for prospective trip leaders is: “Is this job going to feel like babysitting or am I actually going to enjoy this?”

           Amanda Olson, 26, from Oakville, has travelled to multiple locations with student tour company Breakaway Tours, as a trip leader, like Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Punta Cana. She has also travelled all over the world solo, backpacking though Europe and even lived in Thailand.

           Amanda says, “I love interacting with the younger students, the girls look at me like the cool big sister, and we have a great time together.” In Amanda’s position as a trip leader, she and other trip leaders also gets to stay an additional three to four days at the vacation destination at no expense.

           Remember this is still a job, there is still responsibility, but if you’re looking for an affordable way to travel and experience different locations and culture, we here at Destination Vacation don’t think it gets and better than getting paid to travel!  

CG 

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Speaking... to who ... YOU!!

How easy it is to speak another language when travelling abroad. 

Imagine going to a foreign country and not being able to communicate, well luckily you stopped here. 

There is a great website called Duo-lingo that helps you learn and understand new languages easy. 

Duo-lingo starts off with something like a trivia game , It gives you definitions and meanings of words or phrases that you have to memorize to pass the test. Once you pass the level you move up to the next level of more advanced words or phrases.  

The next awesome feature of this site is that it also has an app you can use on-the-go. So, while your in the French cafe eating your baguette and get stuck on a word open Duo-lingo and ask for help!   www.duolingo.com

You can also choose how many hours a day you would like to spend on learning a new language. As well as setting goals for yourself which helps you learn languages long term. 

Listed below Is a example of how you create you avatar. Duo-lingo, has exciting ways to make this process fun. By translating your name in different languages, see the colors of the avatar below translated into Spanish & Italian. 

Hope this blog gets you speaking fluently the easiest way possible. 

Happy Learning :) LM

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Learning a new culture -  International student perspective

Being surrounded by a whole new culture can be overwhelming for a lot of people, but it has so many good things that the experience will be complete worth it. 

Cultural Shock

Moving from a familiar environment to a unfamiliar one can be overwhelming for a lot of us, but is a completely normal feeling. This is called, cultural shock. It can also be shock of being separated from the important people in your life, such as family and friends - or even your lovely pet - : people you would talk to at times of uncertainty, people who give you support and guidance.

What other factors can contribute to cultural shock?

- Climate: Move to a country with a different weather as yours could be so hard - trust me, I have been there - This change could be so harsh that it may seem impossible for you to get used to I, however with time and patience you will.

- Language: Sometimes moving abroad means learn a whole new language - scary, eh? - It takes time, practice, and lots and lots - LOTS - of patience to get to feel comfortable speaking an idiom that does not feel that belongs to you, but at the end will open uncountable doors for your future. It seems like a hard work, but it not impossible to accomplish.

- Social Roles: I personally believe this is the hardest part! Coming from a forest country have a lot of advantages but also cons, sometimes things that we do or say back in our country are not appropriate in our new one and this is a difficult task to over come because it is impossible to forget old habits, but we will only learn through experiences what is good and what is wrong - I have been there too, lots of time. 

Although sounds hard, being surrounded by a new culture is an amazing experience. You will get to learn so many cool things that will make you change your perspective of the world. 

Let’s travel! 

DV

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Gap Year Series: Part 3

Why not take a Gap Summer, and enjoy everything Canada has to offer?

Listed on this interactive map is the top 5 places for young adults to travel to, promising to be a great time with friends, or even go solo and make fiends! This list is intended for the 19+ audience, because alcohol will most likely play a role in a few of these destinations:

Montreal, Quebec:  Osheaga

Osheaga is music festival heaven. Hosted annually in august at Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montréal, Quebec. Osheaga is known for arts, activities, food and yes, drinks! The artist line up is endless, so don’t be overly concerned about enjoying the music, the 2017 lineup includes artists from Lorde to Broken Social Scene.

Calgary, Alberta: Calgary Stamped

The Calgary Stampede, hosted in Calgary Alberta, has come and gone this 2017, but tickets for summer 2018 go on sale October 2! At the stampede, you can expect live music, bull riding, rodeo’s, shopping, parades, and agriculture fairs. And beer tents… lots of beer tents.

Gorge St., Newfoundland: Pub Crawl 

This one is party central: George St. has more bars per square foot than anywhere else in the world. Gorge St., St.John’s Newfoundland, is the top destination for east-coast travellers. There are bars, pubs, restaurants, and literally nothing else! The Busker's Festival and Wreckhouse Jazz Blues Festival are also hosted here in the summer months.

Whistler, British Columbia: Snowboarding & Whistler Village

Whistler, British Columbia is a number one destination for Canadians all year round. In the winter months enjoy snowboarding, skiing, or even just hanging around in the rentable plush cabins. In the summer, Whistler Villages boasts of mountain climbing, crystal lakes, and fine dining! (Meaning wine, lots of wine…)

Algonquin Park, Ontario: Epic camping

Algonquin Park is Ontario’s largest national park, and the Instagram perfect setting for a good ole’ camping trip with your buddies. Enjoy canoeing, portaging, kayaking and nature trails. If you can find your way around there’s even natural waterfalls that double as water slides. Grab a tent, a couple friends and a 24 of Canadian!

--CG 

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Spending TOO Much on your stay? Don't blow your mula away...... 

The hottest trend in the travel world right now is AirBndB. This company has taken the world by storm, entering the digital home renting industry and successfully making billions . 

 This is a  privately owned accommodation rental website which allowes home owners  to rent out their properties or rooms to guests who use the website to find somewhere to stay. 

This would be a definite way to save money when traveling. whether you are sailing the shores of Croatia or scaling the mountains of Colorado AirBndB has hosts all over the world. The average daily rate for an AirBndB room or home is about $80.67 USD as compared to the average daily rate of 123.97 USD for a hotel. Thats a huge difference when you do the math thats about 43.00 extra you can have for travel expenses. 

Safe to say you can keep this in mind for when traveling the world, it is a sure way to save $$$. 

 Thanks www.investopedia.com  you can also use these 10 tips to be aware and safe when renting. 

1. Make Sure It's Legal 2. Read the Reviews 3. Check the Cancellation Policy 4. Know the Security Deposit Rules 5. Be Aware of Cleaning Fees 6. Note the Site's Cut 7. Contact the Host 8. Use a Credit Card 9. Check Messages 10. Understand the Refund Options Safe Travels ..... 

L.M 

P.S

If your really interested in seeing how the company is doing you can visit Statista.com and see there sats and figures from 2014-2017.  https://www.statista.com/statistics/516464/airbnb-average-daily-rate-by-room-type-us/

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Gap Year Series Part 2

Welcome back to the second installment of the Gap Year Series, the question today: “Is travelling or committing to post-secondary education worth it?”

To travel…

or to educate…

For anyone this is a life changing, ground-breaking moment. Whether you decide to pack up and ship off for a year, or commit yourself to the next 2-4 years of education, both are major life decisions that will change who you are.

After reading countless travel and student life articles, the conclusion is: both parties agree that the number one issue is commitment of time, and money.

Shannon, from the blog alittleadrift.com, posted earlier this year her experiences of world travel and breaks down exactly how and where your money should be spent. She also gives advice on what countries will give you the most for your money. Shannon created a table of total expenses and traveled the world last year for $18,588.39 USD. That equivalents to about $23,600.00 CAD.

The Government of Canada website also has a list of common expenses and breakdowns. The average post-secondary student spends approximately $16,000 per year on tuition, and $8,000 on living expenses. Grand total: $24,000 CAD.

If both options are financially the same, then this is where individualism comes into play. You yourself must ask, if:

a)    Am I ready for University/College?

b)    Could I leave my friends and family for a year?

c)     Do I have a realistic career plan or goals?

d)    Can I commit to a travel plan and budget abroad?

 Education and travel boil down to doing the best you can do, with what you have, and making a life choice that will mature and stimulate learning and personal growth. 

CG

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Living Abroad - Student Perspective

Graduation is done and now you find yourself facing one of the biggest decisions of your life, what should I do now? what college should I apply for? what career would best define me? lots of questions like this will make you feel confused and even lost. But, why not to try something new? Have you thought going to a new country and experience a new culture? or maybe learn a new language? Lets go abroad! 

Each year thousands of young students decide to create new experiences by travelling to foreign countries. Studying abroad makes you get out of your comfort zone and see the world from a different perspective. Another reason that you might consider is to learn a whole new education style, you will find that completely immersing yourself in the education system of your host country is a great way to really experience and understand the people, its traditions, and its culture. 

When you study abroad you will get to try new foods - yay! - One of the biggest benefits of studying abroad is the opportunity to meet new lifelong friends from different backgrounds, and they will change your life! Another benefit to studying abroad is the opportunity to discover yourself while gaining an understanding of a different culture. Being in a new place by yourself can be overwhelming at times, and it tests your ability to adapt to diverse situations. 

Take this opportunity to travel the world with no commitments but to study and learn about new cultures. Studying abroad is an experience unlike any other! It will change your life and make you realize how big the world is and how strong and amazing you are.

DV

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Gap Year Series: Part 1

Graduating high school and committing to post-secondary education at the age of 17/18 is intimidating. Does anyone really know 100% what they want to be when they grow up? Gap Year is becoming an extremely popular trend. Maclean Magazine says only 55% of high school students attend College or University 3 months after graduation, and increases to 73% after a year, and 81% after 28 months post-graduation. So, what are all these kids doing?! Travelling. Getting to see the world and gain life experience before committing to a career path. But travelling is no cheap feat, so in this first part of Gap Year series we’re going to go over how to save big bucks in “How to Hostel.”

Hostels are low price living accommodations that provides a place to eat, sleep, and shower.

There are all women hostels, and co-ed hostels. Most have 4-6 sleepers in a room, but can be dormitory style with anywhere from 10-20 people. Hostels are also super affordable, they cost anywhere between 15-45 dollars per night. Compare that to a hotel every night for a year? You’re laughing!

Pros & Cons

Pros:

·      Cheap

·      Online booking

·      Kitchen & laundry facilities

·      Good environment to meet international travellers, make some friends!

·      Lockers located in your room, so you have somewhere to stash your pack    while sightseeing.

Cons:

·      Not very private,

·      Some hostels have “lock out times” (aka: curfew, which can be a pro if you’re looking for a full night’s rest with no disturbances from your drunk bunkmates stumbling in after 2 a.m.!)

·      Can be located in off the grid areas (not safe for single women)

·      Some hostels only accept cash.

Gapyear.com has provided a list of 5 must haves while staying in hostels:

A sarong: lightweight, can double as a sheet, and can help you cover up while changing if you need privacy.

A compact sleeping: Some hostels charge for sheets, and sometimes you don’t even want to sleep in them. Be prepared.

Earplugs: As mentioned above, travellers like to drink, if you don’t want to be disturbed, bring these little guys for your shit eye.

PLENTY of padlocks: You need to lock up your stuff, people steal, it sucks, and its life. Make sure you’re keeping your stuff safe.

Flashlight: Don’t wake up everyone at 4 am because you have to catch a train to Berlin, pack your flashlight to discreetly gather your things without everyone having to be blinded by the light!

–CG

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It’s all about Cuba

Cuba, one of the most popular destinations around 2017 for its beautiful architecture, delicious food, amazing people and incredible price deals! 

There is no better time to visit Cuba! You can explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife or become an expert salsa dancer. 

Spanish is the official language of Cuba and pesos their official currency. Lots of interesting places to visit and great memories to create are waiting for you.

Because wee want you to be totally sure about your travel decision, these are some comments from past travellers:

“For me, Cuba has always had the allure of a forbidden fruit. I love it for its uniqueness, creativity and survivalist spirit; but, above all, I love it because, despite 60 years of setbacks, it remains an upbeat and open place. Walk down the street with a Cuban friend and, within one block, you’ll have received five handshakes, four kisses, three greetings of ‘dime hermano!’ and at least two invites into someone’s...” - Brenda

“Cuba is like a prince in a poor man’s coat: behind the sometimes shabby facades, gold dust lingers. It’s these rich dichotomies that make travel here the exciting, exhilarating roller-coaster ride it is. Trapped in a time warp and reeling from an economic embargo that has grated for more than half a century, this is a country where you can wave goodbye to everyday assumptions and expect the unexpected. If Cuba were a book, it would be James Joyce's Ulysses: layered, hard to grasp, frequently misunderstood, but – above all – a classic.” - Karina

Food, food and more FOOD. Cuba’s gastronomy is unbelievable delicious. From seafood to the best steak. Restaurants have a retro atmosphere making you feel back in the 50s.

What are you waiting for?

Vámonos!

DV

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Welcome to our home away from home

This blog is where you can find all the hacks tips and tricks to turn traveling into something that doesn't break the bank. We will explore tips for saving money, safety tips, the hottest places to go, and the most fabulous attractions you just have to see!. So sit back and watch the waves roll by as we teach you how to vacation the right way. LM 

Take a look at the shot below ... This was taken from visitgreece.com what a spectacular shot eh. Greece is on everyone’s  travel list right now, there teal seas and fantastic seafood is all the rage. Seen here Navagio Beach is one of Greece’s most infamous,for being home to a ship wreck from 1980. Its ship ruins layed perfecting all over the shores,with this beach being only accessible by water, it is the perfect trip to see the coves & spend time on it’s breath taking beaches. LM