Sunday, October 14, 2012

5 Tips and Tricks for Travelista's on the Go!




The Traveling Brown Girls Carnival is back in town! This go round hosted by April Thompson of Absolute Travel Addict. The last time we all came together we blogged about our Travel Pet Peeves http://blackgirlinthebigworld.blogspot.com/2012/08/travel-etiquette-my-top-5-travel-pet.html and now we are coming together again to share insight on Travel Tips and Tricks for all our Travelista's on the Go!

It's easy for us all to get overwhelmed with our next trip and sometimes get so caught up that we do things that are so out of character, like forgetting to charge the camera, or loosing our passport at the last minute.... yes this happened to me the month before I went to India :-(

Since I know most of you are on the go here are some quick tips on ways to travel with ease!





PACK LIGHT

Most travelista's know to pack light but some may not know how to do so and still feel fabulous. My secret? SCARFS! I usually pack simple tees and add a scarf to spice things up. A scarf and accessories can enhance the limited number of outfits you pick.


CHECK IN ONLINE

This may seem like the obvious but have you seen the lines at airports?! You will be surprised at how many of those people are simply checking in! For women on the go we have no time for unnecessary lines. Checking in online before arriving to the airport can give you an additional 30 mins at the airport. You can even get your boarding pass on your phone nowadays and skip printing anything at the airport all together!





SKIP FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Foreign exchange counters and centers are not only EXPENSIVE as hell but they are also time consuming most times. I like to use my debit card at an ATM and just receive my foreign currency that way. There is still a small fee depending on the bank $3-5 dollars but it beats the currency exchange fee. 



PREPARE FOR THE WORST

No...do not think that you will star in your very own version of  "Taken" lol but think ahead.  A big part of travel is dealing with the unexpected. While there are some things you will never see coming your way there are the typical things like loosing luggage, your passport, or money that we can have a plan for.

- Luggage: If your traveling alone  pack underwear, deodorant, and toothbrush/toothpaste in your carry on. If you are traveling with a friend each of you should pack an outfit in the others luggage!

-Passport: Make multiple copies of your passport and visa's. Most times if you do this you won't ever need to take your passport out once you reach your destination.

-Money: Travel with insurance and use a prepaid card rather than your most used credit or debit card if you feel comfortable.

HELPFUL TRAVEL APPS ( for iPhones)

-TripIt: (FREE) app that helps you track all your travel itineraries including flight/hotel/ and activity confirmations

-Camera+: (0.99) ultimate app for folks like me who can't afford a DSLR yet. It enhances your original camera app by allowing you greater editing features, clarity, and more.

-Postagram:(FREE and can be downloaded on Androids) allows you to use photos in your photo gallery, instagram, or Facebook to send physical postcards to family and friends for 0.99 cents each.

-WhatsAppMessenger: (0.99) the best way to communicate when abroad...it's texting for free! Send sms, images, etc. with other users.

Lastly, remember travelista's "If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness,selfishness,and fears"- Glenn Clark

These tricks and tips should help you on your next trip....do you have any tricks or tips for travelista's on the go? What are your travel secrets? 



Monday, October 8, 2012

PR First Impressions: El San Juan Resort and Casino


As you all know my mother and I went on a vacay to San Juan, Puerto Rico to celebrate her 40th birthday. #40andFabulous There's so much to tell you all but I'll start with my first impressions, and what usually creates your first impression on any vacation or trip?Your hotel and it's staff!

Long story short I LOVED our hotel .... El San Juan Resort and Casino. I was greeted by friendly smiles from everyone which immediately made me feel like I made the right choice. Nestled in the Isla Verde district we stayed in one of the city's most popular resorts. Known for it's bustling nightlife scene of gaming and dancing we were clearly in the right place for a good time. Oh but that's not all. There are also 2 salons, 2 night clubs, and 10 different restaurants, lounges,cafes, and even a sports bar. Let's not forget the casino! Momma came up on the black jack table lol. Can you say poppin?!




I can't help but sharing three photo's of my favorite part of the resort....the pool and beach!!!The hotel had three pools on the premises. The main pool has a swim up bar for guests to get wet and wavy! lol Which meant Mommy and I were bouncing around in the pool with mango mojitos heyyyy!!! The sprawling white sands of the Isla Verde beach were right outside our room which made lounging in the sun all the more convenient (although we only made it there one day). Both the pool and the beach are so beautiful and relaxing that you could spend not one but two days playing in both!



We spent most of our time out of the room ( which you will read about in later post) but the room was a simple modern design that left us with tons of closet space and comfort. In my opinion it was the average accommodation nothing over the top but just enough to keep me in the bed for a late wake up lol.

One of the greatest things about the hotel was the location! Under 10 minutes from the airport and Old San Juan. It was good to feel like we were central enough to walk around the streets and find a Walgreen's yet secluded enough to escape to peace and relaxation when we needed it.

All of this came for a little over $100 per night which is a steal in my opinion. I'm usually a budget traveler but it's good to treat yourself to a little luxury sometimes....especially when you call yourself treating your Momma  ;-)

What are your hotel preferences? Do you like to be in the action or in a secluded environment? Share your thoughts!