Book Room 77 is one stop to find and book your next hotel room. It’s a pretty cool website, check it out!

Backpacking solo can be a true test of an individual’s spirit and endurance.  A trip alone through the wilderness requires great strength of both mind and body, not least because it means that a person must rely entirely on his or her own physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual resources while exploring the vast natural areas that still characterize much of the United States.

Best destinations and places for backpacking addicts

Few other backpacking destinations can rival the magnificent Pacific Crest Trail – an excursion that takes backpackers along more than 2,500 miles as they travel through the states of Washington, Oregon, and California.  This trail has the advantage of passing close to many cities and towns, allowing solo backpackers to emerge so they can replenish their supplies and perhaps indulge themselves in a day or two in a hotel, complete with amenities such as a pool.  Having a swim after a week’s trekking is a real luxury.

Backpacking addicts on the East Coast will want to experience the Long Trail in Vermont.  The oldest hiking trail of its length in the nation, the Long Trail extends nearly 300 miles and crosses the entire state of Vermont.  Those who traverse its length will find themselves crossing the summits of several peaks in the Green Mountains.

An excellent backpacking destination for beginners is Texas, where the Lone Star Trail offers more than a hundred miles of generally flat terrain with forests to provide shade.  Those who are just starting out with solo backpacking may find that a less strenuous hike is a good way to build confidence before tackling trails with a great deal of elevation gain.

How to have an unforgettable experience while backpacking alone

One of the best ways to have an unforgettable experience while solo backpacking is to take full advantage of the freedom that a hike alone offers you.  Group hikers may have to deal with a regimented routine of resting for ten minutes at the top of every hour, or stopping for lunch when everyone else prefers.  When alone, however, you can take rest and meal breaks whenever you please.  You can break camp early and set off at first light, or stay an extra few days at a lake that turns out to be more pleasant than anticipated.  Being able to control your own timetable means that you can truly revel in the freedom of being in the wilderness.

Tips and advice for solo backpackers

The solo backpacker must be particularly conscious of personal safety.  This means planning ahead to be sure that adequate supplies – including all maps required – are on hand throughout the adventure.  Since solo backpackers will not have a “hiking buddy” to fetch help in case of an emergency, it is imperative to hike alone only on well-traveled trails.  This precaution will help to ensure that a passing stranger can be sent for assistance if it becomes necessary.  Ideally, an injured hiker should not have to wait more than a few hours before someone comes down the trail.

Common sense also requires that a solo backpacker prepare an itinerary ahead of time and adhere to it as much as possible.  Family and friends should know the exact route the solo backpacker intends to take.  This will mean that if the hiker fails to emerge from the wilderness on time, search and rescue teams will have a good idea about where to look.

Although reception may be spotty, hikers should also be certain to take their cell phones along, but should keep them turned off as much as possible to conserve battery power.  In an emergency, turn the phone on.  Even if it is not possible to get enough signal to make a call, the switched on phone may be helpful to search and rescue teams through the technology available to pinpoint a live phone’s location.

Solo backpacking provides hikers with a challenge on several levels at once, but the rewards are worth the effort required. Those who backpack alone will get to know themselves on a deeper level not often enjoyed by campers who only experience the natural world in the company of others. Along the way, solo backpackers will build physical strength, mental confidence, and a heightened understanding of the importance of nature – qualities that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives.

Ben Brown is a freelance writer who loves travelling and meeting new people!

As a senior student in university, I, like many others, was exhausted by the graduate paper and summer internship. When the precious May Day holiday approached, my friends and I decided to make full use of the last holiday of our college life. Since the holiday only lasts for three days, we narrowed our choice to cities near Beijing. With excitement and expectation, we searched online for information of canal towns in south China because all of our hometowns are inland. Eventually, we settled on Wuzhen, a quaint and gorgeous town in Zhejiang.

The moment we set foot on the land, we smelt humidity, which was the peculiar trait of canal towns. Sweeping over, I found moulds crawling up on the white walls of all houses and buildings, between which rivers quietly flowed. With black tiles and timber framework, the small town contrasted with its grey flagging. The whole sight conjured up a Chinese ink and wash painting. Rickshaws found a promising market around scenic spots of Dong Zha and Xi Zha. Although the weather was not cooperating, we could still feel the beauty of the town under the overcast sky.

Before departure, we had booked a room near Xi Zha, one of the must-go places in Wuzhen. The proprietor of the small hotel was so considerate that he came to pick us up after a brief call. We were led into a perfectly straight and clean street, and welcomed into our room. Traveling, for girls, also means dressing up and taking beautiful pictures. My two best friends and I washed off the night-train fatigue and squeezed into pretty dresses.

Our first stop was Dong Zha. By a free bus, we arrived at Dong Zha in the afternoon. Obviously, it was a hot site for a China tour, even for local Chinese people. The beauty of Dong Zha was quite straight-forward. Snaking along the narrow lanes between wooden houses which were in Ming or Qing Dynasty style, we found ourselves surrounded by numerous unique old wooden shops, which looked ageless and adamant. The one which impressed me most was a fabric workshop producing block-printed blue-and-white banners, which were hung up high in the sky and fluttered in the wind like long flags. Among those who passed by, there were a group of Japanese who were either on Chinese language program or study abroad program, and also youngsters who were either on gap year travel or student exchange. The tranquil town was bustling with tourists from around the globe.

As dawn drew near, we hurried to Xi Zha, a twin spot like Dong Zha. Xi Zha is especially renowned for its night scene. When sun went down, numerous yellow lights started twinkling. With this luminescent glow as a backdrop, fancy coffee houses set their seats along the river and attracted customers with their delicious food. Travelers were relishing the rare and picturesque scene as their shadows dropped into the watery setting. In addition, exquisite shops were selling Chinese cheongsams, combs and other distinguished goods. Despite a brief episode during which we were tortured by our high heels, the travel was perfect.

Although the trip was brief, it meant a lot to us. Since one of my friends planned to study overseas in England while the other would pursue post-graduate study, the trip would be the last one for us. Our laughter in Wuzhen, together with the picturesque scenery there will accompany me for the rest of my life.

Tom Hopkins works for Minds Abroad your informed counselor for study abroad & travel programs in China. Learn Mandarin in China and enrich your cross-cultural experience. For more posts and information on places of cultural and historical interest that we take our students to, visit www.mindsabroad.com

–> I’d have to say Perivolas in Santorini (http://www.perivolassuites.gr/?lang=en). The views are said to be absolutely breathtaking, and the hotel itself looks incredibly tranquil, intimate and romantic – a perfect escape for honeymooners!

Bardessono in downtown Yountville is definitely very high up on the list – it’s achieved LEED Platinum certification, which is the highest distinction for environmental design. What I love about this hotel is that it totally proves that green can be hip and sexy; I feel like sometimes people think a green hotel equals toilets that don’t flush and a lack of housekeeping – not true! While Bardessono might not teach any classes about environmentalism, they certainly lead by example. From the 940 solar panels on the hotel’s rooftops that provide a large supply of the hotel’s electricity, to recycling and composting programs, the hotel can leave guests with a lot of takeaways on how to live green (stylishly) at home.

–> Don’t settle for a bad room. I recommend calling the hotel about 24 hours in advance of your stay, and letting them know your preferences. Most hotels will be more than willing to accommodate your needs.

- I don’t know if these are “upcoming”, but here are a few of my favorite boutiques:

* Library Hotel in NYC (Terrific boutique in Midtown, with lots of charm. Guest room floors correspond to categories in the the Dewey Decimal System!),

* Ace Hotel in Portland, Oregon (The ultimate hipster hotel. Stumptown Coffee serves phenomenally good coffee, right off the lobby.)

* Maison 140 Beverly Hills (Uber-charming, French-inspired hotel with just 43 rooms.)

* The Betsy in South Beach, Florida (Great location across from the beach, chic rooms, great restaurant).

I get giddy just thinking about the St. Regis Bora Bora, so if I had a million bucks to spend, I’d first and foremost book one of the Royal Overwater Two-Bedroom Pool Villas. They have private terraces, private infinity pools, outdoor showers, gazebos and glass viewing panels throughout the suite that let you look into the water below. With whatever leftover money I had, I would order tons of room service, get a lot of massages and partake in as many adventurous activities as possible.

In case our local Montreal news didn’t make it to your country (which I really hope it didn’t), our students have been protesting against tuition hikes for over 12 weeks now. The liberal government announced earlier this year that tuition would be increasing by $325 per year for the next 5 years. It’s about a 75% increase over the next 5 years.

www.ctv.ca

Some Background Info

A Quebec student currently pays about $3,500 per year for a university education.  The national average is double. The difference is due to tuition fees being frozen in Quebec since the 1990′s with the following principle in mind: making education accessible to everyone. Quebec students pay less than 20% of the cost of their education, where the difference is subsidized by the government (also known as tax payers).

Current Situation

When the protest first began, I was indifferent. Although education in Montreal in cheap,  we are all aware of situations where money is mismanaged due to corruption or lack of proper supervision. I understood where the students were coming from: before increasing tuition fees, let’s fix our bad spending habits and see how much we can save. Got it. The general public has been generally accepting of the hike since the start mainly because it’s common sense that tuition fees should increase, even if it’s simply to keep up with inflation.

The problem is that students began to annoy the public by protesting on bridges and causing traffic jams, organizing protests that turned into mini riots in the city and most recently, the the entire metro system by detonating a few smoke bombs. This entire non-sense will cost the city millions of dollars in damage control, from fixing broken windows to paying our officers overtime. And for what? $325? But what really turns me off in this situation is that they are closed to other options, such as improving financial aid and introducing the hike over 7 years instead of 5.  They are stuck on a tuition freeze and what they proposed as measures is unrealistic if you ask me. They suggested a two-year freeze in new investments in universities and increase sales tax to help finance tuition and avoid a tuition hike among other things. In which, NO, I refuse to pay more taxes! And YES, our universities need to be invested in so we can remain competitive and continue to attract international students, because they, also help to finance education for Quebec residents. It went from being a protest against the hike to a social revolution on education.

As a taxpayer, I wake up and go to work every morning to earn a living. And from every paycheck, I pay 40% worth of taxes that the government reinvest in our society, from healthcare to infrastructure to education. And I’m ok with this. But now we find ourselves in a situation where our fellow students are complaining about a hike that I find reasonable but they don’t think should pay more for education. They claim it won’t be as accessible if fees go up. I think I’m missing something here? Don’t we pay more today than we did yesterday for housing for example? That’s definitely a yes. But is anyone complaining about it? Education should be considered a self-investment. And honestly, if a student is not willing to invest in himself, why should I invest more in him?

All this to say that I think we are reaching a point where the province/government can no longer afford to pay for everything. Something’s gotta give. We want our healtcare to be free, our education to be free, etc. And knowing that with the hike, student tuition will still be lower than the rest of the country, I’m having a difficult time understanding where they are coming from. You give a kid a ball, they want a toy. That’s exactly how I feel about our students right now- completely spoiled.

This post is based on my personal views and are not related to any other article or group.

One should first consider which area of London is most convenient to stay. Whether it be the bustling centre around Oxford Road or the upper class Knightsbridge, or Kensington and Chelsea, location is probably the most decisive factor. Travelodge has hotels in Docklands, Covent Garden, Euston, Waterloo, Kings Cross, Bank, among others. Many of the locations are next to important transport hubs, usually major train stations or airports, and this should certainly be a factor in any decision, as should the noise caused by these forms of transport!

London sees millions of visitors every year, whether it be for business or pleasure, Britain’s capital is one of the most visited cities on earth. Some come to complete multi-million pound business deals, others simply for a site of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. The city is also known for its nightlife, boasting perhaps the world’s largest and most diverse selection of pubs, clubs, and restaurants. All of London’s boroughs have different reputations and the ‘feel’ of each can be very different. For example Euston will be very different to Bank, with its closeness to the Thames and the financial district.

A quick perusal of a map of London along with the locations of the hotels will all that most visitors need when finding the right Travelodge in London.

The most interesting part of visiting South Africa is definitely learning more about the country’s history. Johannesburg is not the most attractive city but let me tell you that it’s comparable to visiting a museum. It’s safe to say that most of us are aware of the apartheid, at a minimum. We know that there was segregation between the white and the black population. And until Nelson Mandela came to power in the 1990’s, there was a lot of oppression against the black population. The best part of being in Johannesburg was to get the opportunity to really understand what happened and how people felt about it.

Let’s start from the beginning. Johannesburg became popular after an Aussie discovered gold mines in the area in 1886. This is when Europeans (primarily Dutch and English) began flooding the city and the mining industry began to boom. Since the Dutch were the first to settle in the country, the Afrikaans language was enforced mainly because they were afraid of losing their power with the overwhelming number of English immigrants and schools. It’s safe to say that Afrikaans is an adapted version of Dutch.

SOWETO, a neighbouring city of Johannesburg is a town filled with such history. It stands for SOuth WEstern TOwnship. It’s where Nelson Mandela lived and where the famous Orlando stadium is located. Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife Winnie still actually lives there. It’s in SOWETO where black men coming from villages would stay when they arrived in Jo’burg to work in the mines. Most men left their villages to stay in the township’s hostels while their families stayed back home. SOWETO unfortunately welcomed a flux of people in 1948 when the Afrikaans National Party took power and began evicting the black population from Johannesburg. That’s when segregation officially began in South Africa, meaning that the whites and blacks would be treated differently for almost the following 50 years. They were required to travel with a dom pas (dumb pass in English) every time they stepped out of their designated areas. They were not allowed to simply walk in the streets of Jo’burg. If they were caught without the dumb pass, they were automatically arrested. The police or white people could request to see the dumb pass at any given time.

SOWETO gained negative popularity on June 16, 1976 when a student protest erupted in gun shots after the National Party wanted to set Afrikaans as a mandatory language to be taught in schools. Unfortunately, that day is now remembered by all South Africans due to not only the event but an infamous picture of Hector Pieterson. The older boy carrying him went on exile soon after that picture was taken and the girl is his sister. She now works at the Hector Pieterson museum.

If you’re heading to Johannesburg for one reason or another, do make sure to make a stop in SOWETO. I would strongly recommend booking a B&B and spend a few nights there.

Gatwick is fairly close to London, with only a 30 minutes express train from the airport to Victoria station. So it’s easy to make a day trip to visit one of the most vibrant and exciting cities in the world. London offers visitors an endless list of interesting things to do and see and it’s a perfect way to be introduced to London with just a quick day trip.

If you are short for time, but still want to visit a British town, be sure to stop by Horley. It’s a local town not to far from Gatwick. It’s a perfect town to get a feel for a true British town, with decent pub food, or Indian and Spanish restaurants to try and a very cute town center. Or if you need a place to stay there are many hotels located around Gatwick. These Gatwick hotels with parking are close to all travelers’ needs.

If you ever wanted to visit a Castle and only had a short time to do so, be sure to visit Hever Castle. Situated around 30 minutes from Gatwick airport, Hever Castle is perhaps most famous place for being the place where Henry’s 8^th wife spent her childhood years. It’s a very impressive castle and the gardens are beautiful to visit, especially during the spring months.

Gatwick may not sound so interesting compared to going to the world’s third busiest airport, Heathrow but considering how many things you can see and do around Gatwick, it’s not so bad. Plus there are many wonderful hotels to stay at around Gatwick.

How did the idea of starting your own travel blog come up?

I started it back in 2006 after extensive travel – I was going to write a book but life got in the way and I had so much material and experiences that I didn’t want to waste, so I decided to start Women on the Road. There weren’t many of us then.

 What travel topics do you focus on?

I empower women to travel solo – so everything I write is designed to help women travel on their own by lessening their fears, giving them tips on how to cope if and when they are afraid, practical stuff like relationships and family issues on the road, hygiene, health, budgeting… you name it, and I’ve probably written something about it. The only thing I don’t really cover are specific destinations because so many other writers do that beautifully. My destination information is more incidental to what I write.

What’s your favorite country you visited and why?

No, I can’t even go near that question. There is no country I love completely – each has a dose of reality, some good, some bad, and no country I can completely dislike. Among my favorites are Burma (I’ve been six times), Laos, Eritrea, Panama, Spain… and there are so many more. Mostly I tend to like/dislike countries based on people and culture. Sometimes it’s the food – as in Mexico or Thailand. Natural beauty helps, as in Brazil, as does a strong sense of history, which I feel across France and Italy. And so on. You see why it’s an impossible question?

What travel adventure are you off to next?

I’m thinking of backpacking across Albania… If I stay away from the coast, chances are I won’t run into too many foreigners… There’s also Vietnam, Borneo and Patagonia on the horizon somewhere.

Are you a beach, mountain or city person?

A city person most of the time. I’m a redhead so the beach is pretty much off-bounds, unless I want to end up looking like a lobster and feeling like bacon. I live in the mountains (in the French Jura) so enough of that. Cities, give me cities, with their vibrant energy. Cities I love? New York, Paris, Madrid, Bangkok, Hong Kong – I like my cities lively and bustling.

What do you most look forward to when you visit a place for the first time?

I look forward to riding the bus. It’s the first thing I do when I get somewhere. I find local buses go everywhere, so I get a sense of place. I sit there with my map and by day’s end I’m an old hand at neighborhoods. I’ve found no better way to get to know a place.

I just wanted to share with all you outdoor and travel geeks from Montreal that there is a festival that may interest coming to Parc Jean-Drapeau in May! Yes, you may be thinking “and yet another festival” but hey, it’s related to travel! How can we miss this one? And, it’s free!

This year will be my first year at the festival but from what I was able to gather, this outdoor and travel event will include exhibitions, workshops, activities and much more.

Schedule

You can read more about this outdoor and travel festival here.