YPlan App Review – Travel App of the Month March 2015

Hot off the virtual press, YPlan promises to be an essential app for the travelling masses that like to do something fun in a new city. So far though, that fun is limited to London, Edinburgh, New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas – but the developers are promising that more locations will be rolled out.

YPlan – What is it?

The YPlan app is an app that tells you what is on where and lets you book your ticket in just two taps! The entertainment experts ensure that there is a curated list of “best stuff on” with the aim of encouraging spontaneity, by removing the need to plan ahead (YPlan… geddit?). The result is a perfect app for travellers. Just landed in a new city and want to experience some culture? This app will tell you where the hottest things are happening.

What does the YPlan app do?

Yplan lists exclusive events for a huge range of interests at the most sought-after venues around. Categories include:  Art, Burlesque, Cabaret, Cinema, Circus, Classical, Clubbing, Comedy, Cooking, Experience, Film, Food & Drink, Happy Hour, Magic, Music, Opera, Pop Up Food, Pub Crawl, Special Event, Sport, Talk, Tasting, Theatre, Tour, Wine Tasting… to list just a few. If you like something, you just tap it to book it.

If you don’t like what the list is offering you, just swipe it away, and next time, the list will be a new more improved personalised version, just for you. Clever huh?

And the tricks don’t stop there… You can even invite your friends to events from the app, and not worry about having to foot the bill for their ticket – Genius, and just what you need if you have met some new travel buddies and you don’t want to be lumbered with their thrifty ways!

YPlan Reviews

Lots of thumbs up from users so far, and a lovely selection of celebrity endorsements…

“YPlan offers a concise list of the best NYC nightlife in one app… genius.” – Pharrell Williams

“Spontaneity app YPlan makes planning ahead so passé.” – Evening Standard

“YPlan – now that’s a seriously good app. Last minute events of all kinds booked in seconds. Damned smart.” – Stephen Fry

“A real contender to Time Out.” – Eva S.

“20 Hot London Startups You Need To Watch” – Mashable

Get it yourself and try it out next time you travel

App Store

Google Play

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St Patrick’s Day 2015 – Ireland Travel Guide

If you like a drop of the black stuff, or just enjoy the sights and sounds of the Emerald Isle, a trip to Ireland for St Patrick’s Day celebrations is guaranteed to be a colourful experience!

Dublin

To experience the festivities in full swing, head straight to Dublin. There are parades, walks, talks and plenty of performing art. Expect to see traditional Irish dancing and experience live literary readings and music, paying homage to the country’s artistic talents. Hundreds of thousands of people attend the parade in Dublin, which starts at 10am – so get up early to get a good spot!

A trip to the Guinness Storehouse should be on your agenda, but be warned, it is a busy time of the year – expect crowds! It should all add to the atmosphere of the day though. This year, the Guinness Storehouse is putting on a St Paddy’s Day extravaganza:

What: St Patrick’s Day at Guinness Storehouse

When: Sat 14th to Tues 17th March

Where: St James’s Gate, Dublin 8, Ireland

  • Live music
  • Guinness variant samplings
  • Guinness and food tasting
  • Live marching bands
  • Six Nations Rugby hub
  • Face painting
  • And apparently much more!

 

Galway

Galway was once a tiny fishing village, but today it is a thriving bohemian city that has beautiful beaches to explore, traditional cobblestone streets to admire and plenty of shops to peruse. There is of course a wealth of traditional Irish watering holes too, where you’ll find your next dose of St Patrick’s Day passion in the form of real Irish music and real Irish booze.

In the run up to St Patricks’s Day you’ll find fun and frivolities abound at the fortnight-long annual Seachtain na Gaeilge festival. This gathering has become the largest celebration of its kind of the Irish language, culture and heritage – well worth looking in on whether you are already au fait with all things Irish, or have never been to visit before. 

What: Seachtain na Gaeilge Festival

When: Sun 01st  to Tues 17th March

Where: Various venues Around Galway

 

Cork

If you’ve had your fill of Guinness, then maybe you’d enjoy a pint or two of Murphy’s Irish Stout instead. This brew hails from county Cork, so a fitting tipple to enjoy while here. Cork is well known for diversity, and culture, but that doesn’t mean to say visitors to the county can’t get a good dose of all things Irish during their stay. Cork has a 4-day St Patrick’s day festival, starting on Saturday 14th march – where the city streets burst to life with live music, circus acts and street performances.

Alternatively, you can head to one of Cork’s most popular attractions, Blarney Castle for St Patrick’s Day – where you’ll see the castle lit up in glorious emerald green light. The Castle was built around 600 years ago and is renowned for its “stone of eloquence” aka the Blarney Stone. Legend has it that if you hang upside down and kiss the stone you’ll be blessed with the gift of the gab. Whoever first told that story evidently was, so you never know – it might just work!

What: St Patrick’s Day Festival

When: Sun 14th to Tues 17th March

Where: All over Cork, festival finishes with Paddy’s Night Fleadh at Cork Opera House

 

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Mother’s Day 2015 – Weekend Break Ideas for March 15th

If you’ve got a mum in a million, and a few quid in the bank too – whisking her away on a mini-break to celebrate Mothering Sunday could be just the treat she needs. We have picked some fab ideas for March 15th that won’t break the bank!

UK Countryside Break – Dorset

Mums that like fresh air, long walks and maybe a tipple of a local brew will appreciate the pleasures of Lulworth Cove in Dorset. They say that Dorset is beautiful wherever you go, and Lulworth certainly doesn’t disappoint. The Limestone Hotel has a fabulous restaurant serving up delicious foods, perfect for Mother’s Day, whether you are staying at the hotel or not. There are also a couple of pubs nearby, one in the Cove itself, which serves up posh pub grub, and another in the village that boasts a year-round ale and cider festival!

Surrounded by the rolling hills, you’ll be spoilt by the views, but this is the Jurassic Coast, which means there is something extra special on offer for visitors here – Durdle Door. Just a 20 minute walk along the coast, you’ll discover a beautiful beach with one of nature’s finest examples of a natural rock archway.

European City Break – Barcelona

There are loads of deals on weekend breaks abroad, so why not head to Barcelona to enjoy a spot of retail therapy and tapas washed down with some Mother’s Day Sangria – a perfect plan for any senorita! Barcelona is blessed with reasonably warm weather at this time of year, and because you’ll be travelling off-peak, you may well find that it is cheaper to travel here than it is to a nearby city in the UK. The other bonus is the hotel prices! You can pick up a perfectly decent pad in the centre of all the action for as little as 20 Euros per person per night!

Make sure you take time to ramble along Las Rambla and catch the enchanting street performers, and head to Park Guell, also known as Gaudi park to see the fantastic work of this artist and architect in action! Two nights in this wonderful city will leave you with enough time to sample the culinary delights of Spain, without feeling like you’ve rushed too much.

Spa Break – Champneys

A spa break has to be the ultimate indulgence, and who can do that better than Champneys! They have come up with a very special mother and daughter spa break that includes a long list of luxuries: immune boosting ginseng juice on arrival, Champneys robe and flip flops, shoulder, neck and head massage, a hearty breakfast after a night’s stay and Mum gets an additional Champneys Aromatherapy Wrap to make sure she feels extra special on the day!

Additional treatments can be added, and there are lots of exercise classes that you can both book into, and don’t forget the fabulous spa facilities, yours to enjoy during your stay! Champneys has four health spa resorts across the UK, the Mother’s Day Package is available at all of them from 01st to 31st March.

  • Champneys Henlow in Bedfordshire and Champneys Springs in Leicestershire from £278
  • Champneys Forest Mere, Hampshire from £318
  • Champneys Tring, Hertfordshire from £358.

Visit champneys.com for more information.

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Cost Split – Travel App of the Month Feb 2015

What does the Cost Split app do?

Cost Split is an expenses app that is equally useful amongst housemates and groups of friends on a night out as it is on group travels overseas. It lets you share costs within a group of people, with each person able to log what they have spent from their own devices. At the end of the night, the day, or week away, a report is generated that states who paid what, and who should pay who back, and by how much. Clever!

Other features

– Attach and sync photos to expenses

– Split expenses unevenly (either by amount or coefficient)

– Transfer support (money transactions like loans and paybacks)

– Push Notifications when someone updates your groups

– Intelligent payback algorithm

– Email reports

– iCloud support

What makes Cost Split so good for travelling?

You can choose the correct currency for the country you are in, so work in “real money”, and it has offline support, so lack of connection (for reasons of remoteness or data charges) won’t affect the tally.

Cost Split Reviews

The Cost Split reviews are good… The average rating in Sweden is 5 stars, and the app has been in the top 10 finance apps in 17 countries – but we can’t help but think there is a small obstacle with what is essentially a group app. It is only available on iPhone and iPad. This means its success, and usefulness, relies on everyone in the group having an Apple device.

Find out more about the Cost Split App or download for free from iTunes store.

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Shopaholics Travel Guide To the World

With airfares cheaper than ever, more people are hopping on a flight to bag a bargain in a different city. While it may be en vogue to take a plane from Manchester to Milan for a spot of shopping, it made us wonder where shoppers could go further afield to indulge in some retail therapy.

Seattle – Vinyl

Nope, we aren’t talking linoleum, we are on about good old fashioned records. Vinyl has made a comeback, although in a few circles they’ll say it never went, and the pastime of “crate-digging” is enjoying a revival. Seattle is well known for its music scene, so it is little wonder that it is one of the “in” places to go if you are looking for some good tunes in an old-fashioned format.

Capetown – Antiques

Milneton Flea Market is a car-boot style affair that takes place in Table Bay. There are as many as 250 stalls with a wide array of curiosities, and buried amongst them a fair few items that are worth hunting for. The promise of genuine antiques and must-have collectables draws those with a keen eye all the way to this far-out flea market!

Mexico – Crafts

Clothes, rugs, statues, plaques, dioramas, masks and many many more items lovingly crafted by the indigenous people of Mexico can be found in stalls and shops across the country. What they all have in common is how colourful they are. If you are like a magpie for handcrafted goods to bring back from a holiday, head to Oaxaca City, where you’ll find lots that will catch your eye.

Marrakech – Trinkets

Heading to the Medina is the closest you’ll ever get to experiencing the treasures of Aladdin’s Cave. Each souk is packed to the brim with bountiful goods, like jewellery, carpets, ceramics, glassware and even designer clobber. There are now fixed-price boutiques springing up, great for those who don’t fancy haggling, and for one-off super-stylish pieces that you just won’t find anywhere else. 

Singapore – Clothes

Orchard Road is home to a staggering 20 shopping centres, and pretty much sums up the obsession for retail therapy in this part of the world. This is not the only place you’ll find places to go on a spending spree either – Singapore really is a shopper’s paradise. Fashionistas will find familiar labels here, but with a far more favourable price tag than in western outlets.

Before you jet off on your holiday, make sure you get your travel insurance! For an instant quote visit worldwideinsure.com or call 01892 833338.

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15 Best Places On The Planet To Visit For Pancakes

Pancake Day is on 17th Feb, so we have found the top destinations where the best crepes, pancakes, and generally round flat batters are on the menu around the world (even if they are not celebrating Pancake Day).

15: Ethiopia – Injera

This pancake-esque treat is more of a spongy flatbread than a pancake, but it cleverly doubles as a plate in Ethiopian cuisine.

14: Columbia  – Capachas

These pancakes are made with a corn batter, filled with a fresh melted cheese filling, and folded over before serving.

13: India – Dosa

A staple side dish served with chutney. The pancake is made with from rice and lent flour, and is sometimes stuffed with meat and veg too.

12: Germany – Pfannkuchen

Thin savoury cakes of flour that can be served in numerous ways such as filled with fruit and nuts. You’ll also find them served with soups.

11: Mexico – Mexican Hotcakes

These are thick and fluffy, very similar to the American pancake dream, but made with cinnamon every time.

10: Malaysia – Apam Balik

AKA Malaysian Peanut Pancakes. These pancakes are made with a rice flour blend and stuffed to the brim with a sweet peanut filling

09: Vietnam – Bánh xèo

A tasty savoury treat, made from a rice batter loaded with turmeric. The traditional filling is a mix of pork, shrimp, green onions, and bean sprouts.

08: Greece – Tiganites

Wafer thin batter made to a recipe you’ll be familiar with, but in Greece they like to serve their tiganites topped with honey, cinnamon, and yogurt.

07: Russia – Blintzes

These thin pancakes are also known as blini, and can be stuffed with any sweet or savoury concoction – potatoes, raisins, caviar, sour cream – you name it, it goes in!

06: Netherlands – Pannenkoek

Big thin pancakes that can be filled with sweet or savoury fillings. Very much like our UK recipe, great with bacon and cheese, or topped with a sugary syrup.

05: Australia – Pikelets

Tiny but thick pancakes, quite similar to a drop scone – probably why you’ll find them served in the afternoon with jam and cream.

04: USA – American Pancakes

The fame of these pancakes is less about the batter and more about the array of fillings. Cook it up with choc chips, blueberries, top it with syrup and serve it with bacon and eggs!

03: France – Crêpes

Sophisticated, wafer-thin, and better for your waistline than most pancakes! Fill with spinach and cheese, or cover with chocolate spread and sliced banana.

02: Canada – Buttermilk Pancakes

It’s all about the pure Canadian syrup with these beasts, and the secret batter ingredient… baking powder. The result is thick, fluffy pancakes, perfect with butter and syrup of course!

01: England – Pancakes

Neither paper-thin or thick and fluffy, but perfectly primed for a traditional lemon and sugar topping. Is it this innocuous treat that leads the British to use 22 million* more eggs on Pancake Day than any other day of the year?

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Unromantic Travel Destinations – Definitive Anti-Valentine Travel Guide!

Want to take a break mid-February, but don’t want to be surrounded by couples kissing and red-rose serenades at your choice of eaterie? Check out these top destinations with a distinctly un-romantic theme.

Belgorod, Russia

From Russia with love? Not from here – St. Valentine’s Day is banned! It is believed that the day of love only promotes promiscuity. Although officially all romantic acts are banned in government buildings and schools, it is likely that visitors can take in the many religious attractions, museums and picnic areas without any romantic couples swooning around each other on St V’s Day.

Paris, France

But surely this is the city of romance? Not if you are in the sewers! The Paris Sewer Museum, aka Le Musee des Egouts de Paris will keep you well away from passionate Parisians taking up space in the cafes and restaurants. Instead, you’ll embark on a delightful tour that gives an alternative view of the city – without a love-lock adorned bridge in sight!

Rotorua, New Zealand

Do you think love stinks? This beautiful part of the world may look like a fabulous place to bring a sweetheart, but the air is in fact heavy with sulphur, so stinks to high heaven, just like a broken heart. As such, you won’t see couples candoodling in Rotorua, leaving you to indulge in the numerous spas in peace!

New Jersey, USA

Trenton to be specific – but what’s so unromantic about the town? Apparently it is the place that took the least amount of Valentine reservations in 2013. The year before it was Beaverton Oregon. Maybe a lot has changed on the romance front over the last couple of years, but we reckon it is a pretty safe bet that romantic nights out still won’t be high on the agenda at either place!

Indonesia or Dubai

Think couples should “go get a room”? Well, in a Muslim country, that could well be a stay in a jail cell if you are seen holding hands, cuddling or kissing in public! If they are lucky, lovebirds that show their affection out and about will only face a (hefty) fine, but a spell in jail is a distinct possibility – which makes these two destinations the place to go if you want a guaranteed anti-valentine break!

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My Fitness Pal Calorie Counter – Travel App of the Month Jan 2015

Our blog posts this month have been all about getting fit and eating well (if you can count mice on sticks eating well!), so we have chosen an app called Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal that will help you count calories while on holiday for our first app of the month in 2015! MyFitnessPal could be just what you need whether you are on a detox retreat, or just getting some R&R somewhere remote.

MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker – what does it do?

The app claims to be the fastest and easiest food tracking app to use on the market right now – and it has a huge database of cuisines from around the world that can be added (over 5,000,000), which is perfect if you are fond of trying new foods when you go on holiday. Having said that, we are not at all sure that it will have the likes of Fugo, Balut, Chapulunes, Cuy and Mbewa as featured in our last blog!

Features

There are lost of great things and fancy features that make this app a favourite – here are a few of them:

  • Free
  • Over 5,000,000 foods on database
  • It remembers your favourites for quick and easy entry
  • Fast and easy to use
  • Tracks exercise too
  • Is compatible with a range of wellness devices such as Fitbit
  • Import and track entire recipes and meals
  • Incudes barcode scanner for easy food input
  • Gives daily nutritional summary
  • Provides tracking reports

The app is available for iPhone, iPod, iPad and Android devices, available to download in iTunes and Google Play.

MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker Reviews

Users rate it very highly indeed, and the makers also claim that combined users have lost in excess of 200 million lbs! That is a lot of healthy eating logged right there.

To add further credit to the app it has been featured in publications as diverse as NY Times, Wired, and Marie Claire, was Consumer Reports no.1 rated diet, and took pole position as the Health and Fitness app for 4 years straight.

Need more convincing to give a free app a try? Check out some of these user reviews:

 

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Extreme Eating Around The World – Foodie Travel Tips

Does travelling abroad bring with it the excitement of untried tastes and unique cuisines? If so, you might want to base your travel plans around destinations famed for unusual culinary choices. We bring you a selection of the most notorious, dare we say extreme delicacies from around the world – some to be savoured at your own risk!

WARNING – This article contains no vegetarian options! We recommend you read: 5 of the Toughest Places to Be Vegetarian: Top Survival Tips instead.

Grasshoppers – Mexico

These tasty little morsels are commonly known as Chapulines, and can be savoured in various places in Mexico, but most commonly in the southern state of Oaxaca. The grasshoppers are toasted or fried, and seasoned with garlic, lime and salt – occasionally you’ll find a bit of chilli thrown into the mix too. Chapulines can be eaten on their own as a snack – increasingly popular at sporting events apparently, or as a filling in tortillas and the like.

Guinea Pig – Peru

Peruvian Guinea Pig, known locally as cuy, has been a regular source of protein for those living in the Andes for centuries. While many Westerners may see the cute little rodent as a pet, in Peru, it is most definitely dinner. Cuy is eaten roasted or fried, and served with rice. Be warned, roast cuy is usually served whole, and the intestines are left in with the stuffing for extra flavour.

Mouse – Malawi

Moving forward with the rodent theme, we whisk our unsated selves to Malawi, where mouse kebabs are on the menu. Mbewa is basically roast rodent on a stick, it can be any rodent, but field mice are the most common. The mice are caught after they have feasted on the grain, so they are nice and plump, then they are roasted on a stick. You can find mbewa for sale from roadside vendors who supply these delicacies to passers by on minibuses. They are seasoned with salt and cayenne pepper and are to be feasted on in much the same way as one would eat jerky.

Fish – Japan

Fish! I hear you exclaim… there’s nothing wrong with fish! There is if it is Fugu, a puffer fish so deadly that you have to have a licence to kill to cook it! Yes, it is true, only 007 types can serve this sought after Japanese delicacy after they have had training to remove (very carefully) the toxic parts so as not to contaminate the rest of the meat. This training takes three years! Fugu poison is reportedly 1200 times stronger than cyanide, and there is no known antidote. Deaths mostly occur from domestic preparation, so stick to well known eateries if you fancy a nibble!

Duck – Philippines

And we are back to street food, and another seemingly innocuous ingredient, until you find out it is duck embryo, aka balut. Balut is a developing duck embryo that is cooked in the shell – a mix of what we would recognise as tiny duck and egg. It is commonly sold by street vendors and served hot with a little salt. Balut has however become quite a delicacy, and can be found served in top restaurants fried in omelettes or as a filling in pastries.

Like taking risks when you travel? Well you better make sure that you have the right travel insurance for your needs! Give us a call on 01892 833338 and tell us what crazy things you plan to get up to while you are away and we’ll make sure we get you the right cover for your needs!

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How To See The World And Get Paid – Travel Guide

It may seem like a dream come true, but you can in fact get to travel the world and get paid for it. Jobs in travel are highly competitive, and some are better paid than others – but for most people, a taste of distant shores as part of their job keeps their hunger for travel satisfied. Here’s how to get a foot in the door!

Air Crew

Becoming a cabin crew member may not lead to long stays abroad, but you’ll definitely get the opportunity to touchdown in many countries. Long haul flights come with overnight stays, so there may be a chance to explore the destination, but short haul flights such as those delivered by easyjet will only lead to a lot of air-time! The plus point of being air crew is that you get access to discounted flights, perfect for cheap holidays!

Ship or Yacht Crew

Engineer or Hospitality? As either the hours are long, and on private charters, work is potentially 24/7 – but at least you’ll be surrounded by ocean and indulging in 5-star feasting courtesy of the on-board a la carte chef. Cruises offer a wider range of opportunities for a range of skills, but once again, you’ll need to commit to long travel times if you really want to feel the adventure!

TEFL

Teaching English as a Foreign Language is considered by some to be an easy way to get to visit new countries. You don’t need to be fluent in your host country’s language, you get a wage, and accommodation and expenses are quite often paid. To become qualified to teach you need to complete a TEFL course, which can take as little as 140 hours.

Travel Writer

A highly competitive arena, and not as glamorous for most as it sounds. Thanks to the World Wide Web, a travel writer does not have to travel the world to gather information for editorials, most research can be done online – but experience does speak best. The most successful travel writers are self-funded, already globetrotting, and able to sell their words from the destinations they are in. See also: Digital Nomad.

Au Pair

Live-in babysitters and housekeepers are in quite high demand for those with the cash, who quite often live and holiday in wonderful locations. Au Pairs can expect to experience a new culture, get a nice room, and receive tuition in the home language in return for moderate childcare and housekeeping duties. On the plus side there are vacancies worldwide, on the down side it is notoriously low paid.

Photographer/Camera Person

If you can take a fabulous photo, or wield a video camera, there are opportunities to travel and indulge in your passion. As with the Travel Writer, commissioned opportunities are hard to come by, but for the motivated traveller, getting out there and collecting images and footage can lead to a nice pay packet either whilst traveling, or when you return.

Beauty Therapists and Fitness Instructors

If you are in the beauty business, or you have an instructor qualification for personal fitness, skiing or scuba diving, then there are plenty of opportunities to head to distant shores and work. Resorts and spa hotels are always on the lookout for beauty therapists and instructors to provide services for guests during peak times. To find opportunities, check out dedicated seasonal job websites, the way to become a seasonaire!

Digital Nomad

This is a term for a virtual assistant who moves from place to place whilst still carrying out a job. This time writers, designers, personal assistants and other types of virtual office worker have a lot to thank the internet for. It is now possible to research a project from anywhere in the world, and deliver work on time. Digital Nomads are self-starters with a love for seeing the world, the motivation to be self-employed and the cunning to live where prices are low whilst working for companies that pay well.

Do you plan to work abroad? Our Longstay Travel Insurance  (aka backpackers insurance) covers working abroad too. Highlights include:

Insurance for trips from 4 to 18 months

  • Cover can be extended any number of times whilst you are still travelling
  • No restriction on time spent in any one place – visit many countries or just stay in one for the whole trip
  • Many Sports & Leisure Activities are automatically covered, others can be added such as skiing & snowboarding.
  • Super, Economy or Budget.
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