Almost all first time travellers dreadfully over pack for a hundred things their heavy travel guide tells them will go wrong. Most of what you will need you’ll be able to find on the road, plus you’ll be helping the local economy as well as your baggage weight if you pick up cough medicine when you need it, not if you need it.

From a well-travelled traveller who has learnt about packing the hard way, here are 5 packing essentials you shouldn’t leave home without.

eBook reader

The wonders of technology have advanced so much that we can carry 100+ books in one tiny, practically weightless piece of machinery. Don’t be fooled by the shiny, expensive versions that are sprawled across our television screens, there are many cheaper options that are slightly more travel friendly.

Use an eBook reader for not only reading material whilst killing time on the back of a truck trundling across Asia’s pot-holed roads, but for city guides and phrase books. Carry the world in your pocket at less than 300g.

Silk sleeping bag liner

A silk sleeping bag liner will keep you cool in the heat and warm in the cold, as well as protect you from the stains of the age-old mattress that probably hasn’t been changed since Emma and Richard made the world known to their night of passion on the bed post in 1987.

If a silk liner is a little out of your price range, an old bed sheet will protect you from the varying levels of hostel filth the world over, but will offer little comfort on nights of extreme humidity.

Memory Cards

Photos, photos, photos. You won’t take enough of them even if you take 50,000 and losing them will be sure to ruin a day or two of good travel. Take as many memory cards as you can so that you always have enough storage space.

If you’re one of these who insists on taking their beloved Toshiba laptop with them to the other side of the world, back the photos up on here too, just in case a memory card goes missing somewhere along the way.

Keep your pants with your passport

There’s nothing worse than landing at the airport, losing your luggage, and having to leave the problem in the not-so-capable hands of someone in New York while you fly to L.A. You’ll either never see your luggage again or it’ll end up back in Cornwall. It probably won’t happen to you, but it might, and it did happen to the traveller writing this short guide.

Maybe a full change of clothes in your hand luggage is not necessary, but some clean underwear and a t-shirt will be your friend in the event that you find yourself in a dorm room with a bunch of strangers. If you don’t pack prepared for the worst, you may soon become very friendly with the bunk below if you’re not willing to sleep in the same clothes again. Then again, if public nudity doesn’t bother you…

Flip flops

It cannot be stressed enough how grateful you’ll be for packing your old pair of flops when slipping and sliding across grim hostel bathroom floors. You’ll be spared from trying to scrape slimy drain-hair from between your toes as well as keeping your feet cool in the Australian heat.

Mastering the art of the flip-flop-hurl is something every traveller must and will perfect after three weeks of sharing dorms with nightmare snorers (there’s always one). Give your flop enough wellie to make the noise-polluter roll over, not enough to wake them and enough to bounce your footwear back to your bed vicinity. If you do wake them, however, roll over and pretend to snore yourself.

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Antler make some of the best looking and most durable cases you can buy, and when your battered little case is next to an Antler on that luggage carousel you feel ashamed to lift it of and admit that it’s yours. Their fabulous range of luggage comes in all sizes and colours and are amongst the most chic luggage you could want to accompany you on your travels.

Now, thanks to a great competition being run by travel giant Thomas Cook, everyone has the chance of winning themselves a brand new Antler large Purelife case. Imagine packing you holidays clothes into an Antler case, it will make your holiday experience even more special and give you even more right to play the luggage game yourself.

To enter this competition couldn’t be simpler, all you do it take a trip to  http://book.flythomascook.com/news/Christmas-Luggage-Competition-Win-an-Antler-Suitcase-844/  and follow the instructions to enter. They are looking for the best blogs from travellers to say what they have taken with them on holiday over the Christmas period to make their trip that little bit special and make it a Christmas to remember even though they are away from home.

There are 3 simple steps to enter; first go onto your weblog and share your thoughts on luggage essentials for the Christmas period,  share the link with your readers and let them know you have entered the contest and share the URL in the comments section of the competition post before December 19^th 2011.

The expert travel elves from Thomas Cook will be judging the competition, and the weblog they decide is the best will be decreed the winner and the name announced on the page on December 21^st 2011. So off you go and get blogging, and next time you spot people playing the luggage game you might be the one pushing your way to front and lifting the brand new shiny Antler case off the conveyor belt.

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For those interested in camping it may, or may not, come as a surprise that the amount of tents on offer is surprisingly large. With everything from festival tents to family and mountaineering tents there is something suitable for all needs. So what are the features of different tents and what do they offer campers?

With such a wide selection of tents it can be hard for those new to camping to understand the differences between different models. Tents are often designed for specific purposes and situations, enabling them to offer more targeted features and services, making them a highly variable item.

Mountaineering Tents

These tents are designed to be strong and durable, offering increased protection for those intending to camp in exposed areas which are subjected to harsher weather conditions. Whilst their primary function is to offer support and protection during winter months or camping expeditions to places such as Mount Everest, they will also be suitable for summer camping holidays as well.

Backpacking Tents

Backpacking tents offer ultimate design features within lightweight and easy to assemble casings. The whole intention of a backpacking tent is to provide users with a reliable and easy to assemble shelter. Backpacking tents are designed to be erected and deconstructed everyday and need to be lightweight in order to be carried during expeditions.

Festival Tents

Simplicity and style are the two words which sum up festival tents. These are designed to offer affordable, temporary shelters to those set to enjoy large camping events such as festivals. A number of varieties will be on offer, many of which will be classed as cheap tents – offering functionality alongside affordability. Festival tents are designed to be easy to assemble so that you can get on with enjoying the event. Colourful or luminous guy ropes are often included with the tent to make it easier to spot on large camp sites.

Pop Up Tents

Perhaps the simplest form of tent structure, pop up tents does exactly what the name suggests. These tents are some of the most versatile available and are used for a number of events – such as camping in the back-garden, festivals and summer holiday camping.

Single Birth Tents

Designed for the solitary man, single birth tents offer comfort and protection for those enjoying festivals or holidays. These tents will be large enough to accommodate a single person and will have some extra room for the storage of equipment and clothes etc. Alternatives to single man tents are bivis, a smaller tent structure that is more resembles a sleeping bag and provides warmth and protection for campers. Bivi’s are especially popular with mountaineers and those on expeditions.

Family Tents

With an increased birth capacity of six to eight people, family tents often offer luxurious comfort to its campers. The interior will often be compartmentalised to offer separated spaces for living and sleeping and multiple doors and storage pockets will also be common features.

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Bringing your memories to life is one of the most compelling arguments for owning a camcorder. Capturing momentous holidays or even just recording everyday family fun means you can relive great memories again and again.

Camcorders come in two main types – standard and high definition. You might think that standard definition, or SD, camcorders are an outdated version of their more advanced high definition (HD) cousins. But there are still lots of reasons to buy one.

They are cheaper than HD models and prices continue to fall as more and more HD camcorders appear on the market. They also tend to be smaller and lighter, which makes them easy to hold while filming and less bulky to pack on holiday. Small isn’t necessarily more beautiful though – some SD camcorders don’t have as many useful features like viewfinders or connections for external microphones.

After cost, the next major consideration is usually picture quality. And this is where HD will win hands down every time. You will always get a sharper, clearer image with superior colour, contrast and highlighting. But you do need to balance that quality against price – if you’re only going to use your HD camcorder once, it may be hard to justify the price tag. But recording something like a wedding for posterity well deserves the exceptional quality delivered by HD.

SD cameras have another thing in their favour. They tend to have much larger optical zooms than HD camcorders. You can find a sony camcorder, for example, with a huge x60 optical zoom. Compare that with HD camcorders, which have zooms of x10, x12 or, at best, x16.

The range of handycams video recorders helps consumers break down the difference between SD and HD models from entry level to semi professional. Essential features and high quality lenses are one thing, but imagine a built-in projector that allows you to share movies with family and friends on any available wall.

If you are looking for a camera instead, sony digital cameras offer other clever features like Face Detection and Automatic Backlight Correction making it easier than ever to get the best results.

Get even more from your sony cameras by investing in a range of useful camcorder accessories such as lenses, tripods and microphones.

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infographic World Happiness database

We have long turned to science to for information about the Earth, the Cosmos and what the latest news is from the ‘Quantum’ level. now, apparently, it can also tell us which holiday destinations will make us the happiest. This news come courtesy of a new infographic from Fly Thomas Cook.

This infographic has tapped in to findings made by the World Happiness database. This does a cross reference between life expectancy and happiness to come up with what they call “happy life years”.
The Thomas Cook infographic then throws some sunshine in for good measure and displays the relationship between life expectancy, life satisfaction and sunshine levels across the globe.

The head of Fly Thomas Cook, Henry Sunley, is the first to admit that this all sounds like a bit if fun, but there is a lot of research put into the infographic. Sunshine has a dramatic effect on our feelings of well being, and those who suffer from a lack of it suffer from ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’.  The aim of the infographic is to show people at a glance which are the best destinations to head for if they need sunshine to improve their well being.

Sustainable sunshine

The new infographic also takes into account our impact on the environment too. The Happy Planet Index combines the information on human well being with the environmental impact to measure the environmental efficiency with which people live long and happy lives. “The benefits of getting out in the sun don’t just improve your ‘feel good factor’, it’s also physically beneficial too,” explains Henry Sunley, “The sun is a great source of vitamin D, which is essential for healthy bones and muscles, as well as giving your immune system a boost. Natural spectrum light also helps the liver to function more efficiently and clear toxins out of the body, which is why you always feel better if you’ve spent a week in the sun on holiday,” he says.

Head for Turkey for sunshine and happiness

So where are the best places to head if you’re lacking a little sunshine and happiness? “One of the best destinations for a great feel-good factor and plenty of sunshine is Turkey,” says Henry Sunley. “Flights to Turkey are now cheaper than ever, and the country really does have everything for the perfect holiday, including plenty of sunshine all year round. The country actually has a higher annual sunshine index than countries like Morocco and Spain, so if you’re looking for a winter getaway with guaranteed sun, booking flights to Turkey is a sure-fire way of boosting your happiness quota for the year!” he concludes.

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This unique to the market app is a free download, practical and user friendly. And with the potential to save the traveler money it is the perfect companion for all travelers from the students to families. It is also a great tool from business travelers.

To be exchanged for Samsonite gifts with online purchase* the primary function of the app is the track the miles covered by the traveler.

Travel experience and photos can be instantly posted on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter since the app is synced with those social media sites.

From a practical point of view, the app provides baggage restriction details for most airlines, which is updated regularly so travelers can avoid getting caught out at check-in. It also has a Samsonite dealer locator, making for a painless search for the perfect suitcase companion.

Developed by mobile agency “In The Pocket”, in September 2010 the Samsonite Travel Miles won the Application Marathon prize in Brussels.

By downloading the app, users automatically become recognized as Samsonite frequent travelers. Using a GPS system to clock up travel miles, every time users share their trips online, extra Samsonite Travel Miles are earned and can be swapped for handy travel gadgets with their next online purchase*.

Samsonite Travel Miles can only be exchanged for gifts with the online purchase* of any product at www.samsonite.com/mobileapplication. As an example, for 100.000 miles, users can exchange their miles for a handy excursion bag.

Watch the Samsonite Travel Miles application demonstration at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp-H_0Zl_nI

To download the Samsonite Travel Miles Application directly, please visit the Google Android Marketplace or the Apple iTunes Store, and scan the QR Code with your phone camera – as seen below:

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Here is a list of 5 crime themed travel destinations put together by the authors.

Behind Bars in Liepaja, Latvia

The best place to book yourself in for a bit of rough treatment is the former naval prison in Karosta. Formerly used as a punishment block for unruly sailors, the grim-looking red-brick prison is now the venue for “Behind Bars” a two-hour interactive performance that involves being herded at gunpoint by actors dressed as Soviet prison guards, then interrogated in Russian by KGB officers. Dimly lit and decorated in floor-to-ceiling shades of black, the prison interior is enough to dampen any hopes of resistance.

Vacation like a drug lord in Tulum, Mexico

Even drug kingpins – perhaps especially drug kingpins – need a little time away from it all. The late Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, favoured beach getaways and in the 1980’s he built a mansion, nicknamed Casa Magna, in the one-street town of Tulum. After a painstaking renovation of the villa, replacing its rustic drug dealer style with minimalist Asian beach-chic, today the mansion has become the quietest, most understated resort in what’s now known as the “Mayan Riviera”.

Locked up in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Born from the gutted remains of a former military prison, Ljubljana’s Hostel Celica possesses a dozen or so conventional dorms, but it’s the twenty two-and three-bed rooms, or, more precisely, cells, that make it so unique. Different designers were assigned to come up with themes for each one, resulting in a series of funky and brilliantly original sleeping spaces – one room features a circular bunk bed, in another a bunk is perched high above the door.

Mafia country, Italy

The deep south, toe-end region of Aspromonte is still considered by many Italians to be out of bounds. For it is here, among the thick forests, crenellated mountain peaks and tumble-down villages, that the n’drangheta, or Calabrian mafia, based their empire until the 1990’s. The ringleaders were eventually driven out but many potential visitors still keep away, meaning the delights of this unexplored region of Calabria can be seen without fear of stumbling across a mafia don or a coach party.

l’ile des Pins, New Caledonia

If you have to go into exile somewhere, it might as well be the South Pacific. Measuring just 14km x 18km the Ile des Pins was a penal colony in the nineteenth century, the last stop for many dissidents from the Paris Commune in the 1870’s. The modern day visitor comes to the island by choice, of course, and can hardly fail to notice its beauty: stunning coastlines, white sand; warm, limpid water, pale blue, as far as the reef. Before you leave, take in the island’s ruined prison and monument and be thankful that you get to come and go as you please.

Buy Make the Most of Your Time on Earth or find out more by clicking on the banner below.

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The launch of the YouTube channel is just one effort out of many designed to prove that there is much to do in Tenerife than simply surf and get a tan out on the beach by showing a large collection of alternative sights, activities, and events that take place on the island.

Managing Director of the holiday website dealchecker.co.uk, Alex Saint, stated that tourism departments across the world have been slow in capitalizing on the rewards that a social media campaign can bring but now they are discovering that travellers are willing to tell other potential holiday goers about their experience by sharing their own experiences on social websites.  Thus, those considering a location for a trip will check out the social profiles to see if it is what they have in mind for their next holiday.

The Tenerife channel will show a variety of commissioned videos that highlight the best package holidays out there while also showing off the unique beauty and wildlife of the island.  In order to further enthral people with the island life, events such as fiestas and carnivals are also prominently highlighted on the video collection.

Those who watch the channel are invited not only to subscribe to it so they get to see all new Tenerife videos first, but also to join the Facebook page for the island so that they can share and read the comments and photos from other users.

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This is due to the fact that many mobile companies charge huge roaming fees that are tacked onto any phone call that is made outside of the UK.  Although there are some consistencies between mobile phone charges from countries within the European Union, outside of the EU roaming charges are not regulated, and can get quickly out of hand.

The simple solution to reducing the cost of phoning home to the UK lies in dual sim card technology, due to the fact that many mobile phones can now support two sim cards and allow the user to switch phones and lines at will.

By taking advantage of this fact, while abroad a traveller can choose to purchase a monthly sim card only deal that is tailored to provide long distance calls at a low rate.  In this manner, you can pre-pay for all long distance phone calls at much lower rates than if you were signed into a tariff package, allowing for cheap phone calls home to the UK.

There are many sim only deals available through all of the major mobile providers as well as individual providers that have access to major network services.  The difference between these deals and a contract is the fact that when you purchase a sim only deal you can choose one that matches your needs perfectly, without any of the fuss or extras you do not need that normally you would be included in a regular contract.  However, with the ability to get free sim cards and monthly temporary service you can simply purchase long term phone time when you need it and drop it when you do not.

This means that while abroad on holiday or on a corporate trip you can choose to purchase a second sim card to call home so that your rates are much cheaper over calling home under your contract.  With the ability to place both sim cards into a mobile phone or switch them at will, you can swap between your temporary sim card and your usual contract sim card as needed, so that all calls home are enjoyable instead of stressful as the minutes add up to a big bill.

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If you have ever been strolling along at a holidays resort on a balmy summer’s evening and stopped to have one of those cartoons drawn of a strange twisted view of how you look as a cartoon character, riding a surfboard while sipping on a cocktail, then you may appreciate a new and slightly off the wall Facebook application that will give you a different view of yourself.

The Holiday Match Maker from Halifax is a quirky new application for Facebook that is not only entertaining it is also actually useful, unlike many applications you may have tried only to dump a few minutes later.

Holiday Match is a truly unique idea, and is also a pretty clever twist on your Facebook profile. Basically what it does is figure out where your perfect holiday getaway destination would be based on elements of your personal profile.

The application will take a look and all kinds of pointers towards your best holiday hotspot. It will look at your hobbies, your interests, your friends and their interests, what kind of books you like, where you have travelled to before, and so much more

It does not just give you a destination and tell you that you should spend two weeks in Benidorm. It’s actually figures out for the useful information such as where you might wish to stay, attractions you might want to visit, and what the weather will be like right now, all of this is figured out from your information in your profile in order to give you a travel itinerary ideally suited for the sort of person you are, and the kind of place you would want to visit, and the things that you enjoy to do.

It will even calculate how many dust collecting dubious souvenirs you can acquire for a fiver. Just to round it off, it will also point you towards another helpful place you might want to try Halifax Travel Money

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Photo4id UK passport photo

A new service is being launched which will allow individuals to obtain an official passport photo that meets all UK requirements without leaving the house.  At www.yourpassportphoto.co.uk, customers can create their own passport photos for passport, driver’s license, student card, sport pass, or railway card applications.

With the patented three-click method, customers can create their passport photos easily and quickly without going to the photographer or photo booth. The complex requirements for a UK passport photo are supplied in step-by-step detail and the background of the photo will automatically be altered to the official accepted color.

Photo4id will supply customers with four standard 4×6” paper size passport photos. These can be received by email or by post; both delivery options are cheaper than going to a photographer or passport photo booth and will save a lot of time.

Photo4id can also create passport photos for the United States, which can be used, for example, on a visa or green card. Passport photos for other countries are available at http://www.photo4id.com.  Companies, sport clubs, schools, universities and other organizations that need passport photos of their members can join the photo4id affiliate program in order to provide their members an extra service and advantage.

Besides the U.K. market, Photo4id is active in the U.S., the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. More European countries will follow soon.

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Starting from as little as UK £5, money can be placed on the card which can then help pay for a fantastic holiday or travel experience, flight or room upgrade; even adding experiences onto a holiday or honeymoon that has already been booked. And any number of people can contribute to the card’s overall value.

The Kuoni Gift Card can be personalised to suit the recipient and is a great way to treat a friend, partner or other family member as a wedding, anniversary, birthday or late Christmas gift. All cards are valid for one year from their date of issue.

Nick Hughes, Managing Director of Kuoni, commented: “People are seeking to give in cleverer ways these days, and to ensure their gifts are genuinely used and enjoyed. Gifts that enhance well-being and help families spend more time together on rewarding holidays all help contribute to peoples memorable life experiences.”

The holiday gift cards can be ordered by calling Kuoni on: 01306 744 181, visiting the Kuoni website, or through the Kuoni travel stores.

www.kuoni.co.uk

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Presented in FSC-certified packaging in keeping with lavera’s eco-conscious principles, the set is perfect for weekend breaks, summer festivals, or simply as a cost-effective introduction to the skin-loving benefits of genuinely natural cosmetics. Available from June 2009, the set contains a mini cleanser, toner, moisturiser and mask made with 100% organic and natural ingredients to help rehydrate dry, moisture-starved skin.

The Faces Organic Wild Rose line is specially formulated to provide effective, proactive skincare with anti-wrinkle effect. Dry and mature skin lacks oil and moisture and is often thinner than normal skin. Characterised by small wrinkles, it has a tendency to flake and feel tense after cleansing.

Key ingredients in the BDIH-certified¹ formulations chosen for their optimum skin compatibility include certified organic and skin-refining extracts of grape, peach and apricot, plus moisturising jojoba oil and flower waters of wild rose, hibiscus & elderflower. Hyaluronic acid, shea butter and vegetable oils help reinforce the skin’s protective layer.

The lavera Faces Organic Wild Rose Travel Set comprises Cleansing Milk (7.5 ml), Toner (10 ml), Moisturising Cream (7.5 ml), and a Moisturising Mask (10 ml). Available nationwide from quality health food shops, natural beauty apothecaries and online beauty stores. RRP £10.00. For nearest stockists and mail order, call 01557 870567 or visit www.lavera.co.uk.

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The risk of sun damage is much greater in the snow, even though it may be cold, UV exposure is 8 to 10 percent greater for every 1,000 feet of elevation. With the snow reflecting between 50 – 90 percent of UV rays, the suns rays will be coming at you from above and below. As a result there is a significantly increased chance of getting sunburned.

Green People’s range of  water resistant organic sun lotions offer broad spectrum UVA & UVB protection with antioxidants and skin vitamins to help support the skin’s immune system and protect against cell damage. Echinacea, Myrrh and Aloe Vera are added for their soothing, healing and moisture binding properties.

Green People have natural sun lotions to suit everyone. The SPF15 contains a natural tan accelerator and is recommended in The Green Beauty Bible 2008. For fair and sensitive skin that needs a fragrance free sun lotion with a higher protection factor No Scent SPF22 is perfect.

More information at www.greenpeople.co.uk.

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