There is Always One More Place to See

On March 8, 2024March 8, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Travel Tips1 Comment

We originally posted this back in 2017, but the sentiments that we expressed remain as true today as they did seven years ago. No matter how much time you spend in a country, or even a city, there is always one more place to see or thing to do. Sure, it may not be the most important thing to see or do, but it probably something interesting or fun that someone else has done. After returning to the United States from spending six months in Europe, our least favorite question that people asked us when we got back was “did you go to…?”. We were working during the week, so we only had weekends to travel and didn’t have an unlimited budget, so obviously we couldn’t go everyplace. We also wanted to take advantage of our close proximity to other countries in Europe, so we couldn’t see every place in Germany, let alone Europe.

The same is true of many other trips. We spent two weeks in Spain and upon our return people inevitably asked whether we went to Madrid, Barcelona, or Portugal. We concentrated on southern Spain, so we did not make it to those places and we had a wonderful time and treasure every memory of our trip. We leave for Lisbon, Portugal in five days, so we’ll finally be able to “tick that box”. We also spent two weeks in Bolivia, but didn’t make it to the Uyuni Salt Flats due to the distance and costs from where we were. When we spent a week in Paris a few years ago, we decided to go to the Catacombs on the next to last day of our trip and it turned out that they had closed the Catacombs that day to do some repairs. It was just bad timing.

Temple on Sun Island with Moon Island in the Distance on Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

The point that we’re hoping to make is that it is okay that you don’t see everything. Don’t worry about the places you didn’t get to see, restaurants you didn’t get to try, or the attraction that happened to be closed during your visit. Our standard response to people these days is that those are just reasons to go back sometime in the future. Worrying about the things you missed is like complaining about the half empty glass. Keep traveling and your glass will only get fuller and fuller.

The Erechthion in the Acropolis in Athens

Considering Travel Insurance for Your Upcoming Trip?

On February 26, 2024February 26, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Travel Tips, Uncategorized2 Comments

We often get asked whether travel insurance is a necessity when planning a trip. For us, it is one of the most important things you need when traveling and we usually purchase immediately after booking airline or train tickets and make hotel reservations. Whether we are traveling domestically or internationally we always purchase travel insurance.

It is important to remember that even if your credit card offers travel insurance, it is often minimal coverage or only covers items that were purchased with the credit card. When you are making your decision about what type of travel insurance to purchase, you need to consider the type of trip you are taking so you can ensure that you are covered adequately.

Depending on your trip, you want to ensure that the travel insurance covers:

Visits to a doctor and/or hospital whether you are sick or injured during your trip.
Whether you have to cancel your trip for personal reasons.
If your trip is cancelled by an airline or rail service, does it cover all things that have been pre-purchased or reimburse deposits.
If you need to be evacuated from your location.
Broken or stolen electronics.
Baggage being lost or stolen.
Offers various types of plans that suit what you need.

When we travel internationally, we use World Nomads Travel Insurance. They offer comprehensive plans for all types of travel. Fortunately, we have not had to use our travel insurance, but it offers piece of mind for a minimal cost and the expenses it could save. Another reputable travel insurance company, that offers a wide variety of plans, is Visitors Coverage . We have not used them, but we know several people who have.

Regardless of who you choose for your travel insurance, it is definitely a worthwhile investment. We have been fortunate to have not been in a position where we had to use our insurance, but we have heard from so many people who having travel insurance was literally a lifesaver. Whether it was getting a helicopter to fly someone out of the jungle with a broken leg or getting home after a natural disaster, not having to worry about the added expenses that might come into play is well worth the peace of mind that travel insurance provides.

Getting the Most from Your Travel Experiences

On August 23, 2023August 23, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Blogging, Travel TipsLeave a comment

There is a saying that travel is its own reward, but there are obviously other reasons for making the decision to travel to different places. Whether for vacation, adventure, a change of scenery, or a trip of a lifetime, people travel to a variety of places every day. For the most part, people are hoping to gain something from their travels, after all it is often quite expensive. We aren’t any different, we also get something in return for traveling to all of the places that we visit. For us, it is learning about the culture, meeting the people, and experimenting with local flavors that are our rewards. We aren’t cultural anthropologists, but we do use many of those concepts when we are on a trip to a foreign country.

We certainly understand the adventure travelers who travel the world looking for different thrills. Whether diving off a reef in the Caribbean, climbing to the top of some of the worlds largest mountains, or trekking through dense forests, there are many different pulse pounding ways to spend your time when traveling. We have definitely had our share of adventures from staying in the Amazon, going down Death Road in Bolivia, climbing to the top of Colorado mountains, white-water rafting, skiing, and ziplining in different jungles. However, for us, it was visiting the indigenous villages and meeting the people that call these places home that have made the most lasting memories.

Learning About the Ancient Temples in Mahabalipuram

No one can blame people who choose to travel for relaxation. There is nothing like sitting on a beach or a mountain resort and not doing much of anything. We take several trips throughout the year and at least one of those is usually just to unwind and let the day-to-day stresses melt away. Just because we are relaxing, though, doesn’t mean that we don’t take time to meet the locals and taste the local foods. Whether in Mexico or on the Spanish Riviera, we like to learn about the people who live near the resorts and make their living by pampering all of the tourists who come to their locations. Often times, many of them have moved from their home towns to earn money and send it back to their families.

Whether traveling to a country where the citizens look similar to yourself or traveling to a place where you stand out amongst the crowds, there is so much to learn from the places that you visit. As much as the world has become smaller with the internet, television, and social media, there is no substitute for spending time in a culture that is different than your own and taking time to understand the people that live there. One of the things that constantly amazes us is when we see tourists in a different country that don’t take time to actually talk to the people who live there, but just wander through taking pictures and acting like it is an exhibit for them to see. In our opinion, those people are missing out on the best part of traveling, absorbing as much about the culture as possible. What is it that drives you to take the time and spend the money to travel to places that are foreign to you?