In January I visited winter Outdoor Retailer (OR) 2014 — the biggest trade show for outdoors and travel brands in North America — in search of the newest, most innovative, products that help people to travel longer and better with less baggage. This list contains the most innovative, versatile, travel-friendly products that I found.

Disclaimer: This article contains several affiliate links, which means that if you click on the link and buy something I will be paid a small commission on the sale. Those links, however, had no affect on choices. Products in this list were chosen solely because I think they’re amazing.

1) The Eagle Creek Convertabrief

I travel for business quite a bit, usually to conferences. I often have to stuff my laptop bag until it’s overflowing — such as at Outdoor Retailer where I was carrying a laptop, tablet, notebook, jacket, video camera, DSLR camera, and various items that I picked up for review during the show. The Convertabrief is perfect for a guy like me.

Features:

• Large storage space and sturdy construction
• Optional shoulder and backpack straps (wearing a heavy bag with a shoulder strap gets very uncomfortable)
• Laptop and tablet sleeves that are exposed when the bag is fully unzipped and laid open, enabling the owner to simply open the bag when passing through airport security, rather than having to remove electronic devices for x-ray inspection.

To see a demo of the Convertabrief jump to 0:45 in the video at the top of the page.

Price: $175

Available: July 1st

Where to find it: EagleCreek.com, REI, Backcountry.com, and other major retail outlets

2) The Craghoppers Compresslite Jacket

It’s hard to pack for trips where you’ll encounter a wide variety of weather conditions. Clothing for the cold is usually exceptionally bulky and heavy. That’s where the Craghoppers Comprsslite jacket comes in. It’s a great all-round jacket made especially for travel that can be packed down into a pouch small enough to fit in even the smallest of daybags. And, at $85, it’s an affordable enough to buy specifically for a trip.

Features:

• Good down to -10°C
• Packs down into a tiny compression bag
• Simply designed and comes in numerous colors

To see a demo of the Compresslite jacket jump to 1:40 in the video at the top of the page.

Price: $85

Available: Now

Where to find it: Craghoppers.com

3) The CamelBak All Clear Water Purifier

I’ve spent a lot of time in countries where the tap water is not fit for consumption. It’s a huge nuisance to have to buy bottled water constantly. Water bottles are also an enormous source of waste. I would have loved to had one of these on my trip. The All Clear water purifier uses UV rays to render bacteria, viruses, and protozoan cysts infertile so that they are unable to reproduce and make you sick. Saving the hassle and waste of buying water is totally worth it to me. It could even save you money in the long run if you use it enough.

Features:

• Charges via USB
• Purifies water in 60 seconds
• Capable of thousands of purifications–enough to last years longer than you’re likely to actually use it

To see a demo of the CamelBak All Clear jump to 2:13 in the video at the top of the page.

Price: $99

Available: Now

Where to find it: Backcountry.com, CamelBak.com, REI, Cabela’s, and other major retail outlets

4) The Jetboil Flash Compact Cooking System

Eating in restaurants is pretty much unavoidable while traveling. I, however, don’t care much for restaurant food. It’s often overly greasy, fatty, and salty, because those are cheap ways to make it taste good. Eating in restaurants is also pretty much always more expensive than cooking for yourself, but that’s difficult to do on the road. Enter the Jetboil Flash system. Want to cook oatmeal and coffee for breakfast? (That’s my favorite breakfast.) Jetboil has you covered. Want soup, stew, or pasta for dinner? No problem. The characteristics that makes the Jetboil especially travel-friendly are the ease and speed of use, and the design, which enables both the stove and gas to be packed in the pot without wasting any space.

Features:

• Compact, packable design
• Goes from packed to boiling water in about 45 seconds (literally, that’s how long it takes the guy in my video)
• Jetboil provides tons of recipes for its customers

To see a demo of the the Jetboil Flash system jump to 3:09 in the video at the top of the page.

Price: $99.99

Available: Now

Where to find it: Jetboil.com, Backcountry.com, REI, and other retail outlets

5) Switch Interchangeable Lens Sunglasses (with Prescription Lenses)

Good sunglasses and eyeglasses are expensive. So, when traveling, you want to keep them protected. That means carrying bulky hard-cases to protect your eyewear. Well, that’s what it used to mean. Switch Sunglasses have a magnetic interchangeable lens system that enable you to carry only one set of glasses that allows you to simply pop out the lenses (held in place by strong magnets) and switch them for different ones. The lenses are carried in a hard case about half the size of a deck of cards. Director of Switch Sales, Sport Retail Division, Marc Sanford, who I know personally, is a quality zealot. Switch Sunglasses, despite their exceptional design and top-of-the-line polarization, cost a fraction of the price of other big-name sunglasses of comparable quality. I’ve had a pair for years, and have never wanted another.

Features:

• Magnetic interchangeable lenses
• Functional, comfortable, stylish design
• Low price compared to other sunglasses of comparable quality
• Prescription lenses available

To see how easy it is to change lenses, I strongly recommend watching the demo of the the Switch interchangeable lens system at 4:13 in the video at the top of the page.

Price: Standard sunglasses with 2 sets of lenses: $139 – $149. Custom prescription glasses with one pair of polarized lenses are around $700 – $800.

Available: Now

Where to find it: SwitchVision.com, REI, and other major retail outlets

6) Goal Zero Switch 8 Solar-Powered Device Charger

Travel — especially my personal brand of way-off-the-beaten-path-working-in-the-middle-of-nowhere travel — often results in long periods of time depending on unreliable third-world, power-surge and outage-prone, power. Or, even worse, with no power at all. If you’re traveling for pleasure, this is an annoyance at best. If you’re traveling for work it creates enormous logistical problems. Goal Zero is dedicated to creating portable, sustainable power solutions for people  like me. They have several different solar chargers and batteries that I’d love to try out, but the most broadly appealing is the Switch 8 Kit, which includes one felt tip marker-sized battery (which can be charged by USB as well as the solar panel) that can be used to charge your phone, tablet, or camera. The solar panel is small, compact, and, apparently, fits very will in an airplane window, which is pretty great for frequent travelers.

Features:

• Battery will charge in 4 hours by USB and 4 – 8 hours by solar power
• Full battery can charge a smartphone 1 – 2 times
• Full battery can charge a GoPro 1 – 2 times
• Full battery can charge a DSLR camera once
• Whole kit takes up the space of one thin notebook and on thick felt marker and weighs just 1 lb

To see a demo of the Switch 8 Kit jump to 6:02 in the video at the top of the page.

Price: Switch 8 Battery: $39.99 and Nomad 7 Solar Panel: $79.99

Available: Now

Where to find it: GoalZero.com, REI**, Backcountry.com**, and other major retailers. (**Online price for full kit at time of writing was just $99.95)

7) XShot Pro Camera Extender

This simple yet ingenious product is one of the most useful photo accessories I’ve ever come across. It’s a simple telescoping with a handle on one end and an attachment on the other end (they have models that can hold a GoPro, smartphone, or point-and-shoot camera) for taking selfies. The attachment on the end even has a ball-joint for full manoeuvrability. So simple, yet so useful for a person like me who travels alone frequently, but still wants some good photos for Facebook.

Features:

• Telescoping rod with handle
• Models that can accommodate GoPros, Smartphones, and point-and-shoot cameras

To see a demo of the XShot Pro jump to 6:46 in the video at the top of the page.

Price: Around $30 for the normal XShot and $74.95 for the XShot Pro

Available: Now

Where to find it: XShot.com, REI, and other major retail outlets

8) Pacsafe Metrosafe Bag Line

Pacsafe specializes in making anti-theft travel bags for everyone from the round-the-world backpacker to the weekend tourist. Their newly updated Metrosafe bag line is a set of affordable, inconspicuous, and stylish bags created for your average day or night out on the town that include all of their unique anti-theft features.

Features:

• Hidden wire exomesh to prevent anyone from slicing through the material
• Zippers with smart-lock security, which requires two-hands to open (as a deterrent to pickpockets) and can also be fully locked
• Slash proof straps that can easily be looped around a stationary object to prevent bag snatching
• An RFID-blocking pocket

To see a demo of the Metrosafe jump to 7:21 in the video at the top of the page.

Price: $60 – $100 depending on the model

Available: Now

Where to find it: Pacsafe.com, Backcountry.com, REI, and other major retail outlets

9) Arc’teryx Carda Jacket

The older I get, the more I find that I need to travel with clothing that’s both functional when I’m doing outdoors activities but also looks good enough to wear to a business meeting or a fancy dinner. That’s why I get so excited when I find gems like the Arc’teryx Carda jacket. This beauty is water and wind resistant, layers well, doesn’t wrinkle, and packs down to a tiny little bundle that I can put in the bottom of my day pack. It’s one of the most functional travel garments I’ve seen yet.

Features:

• Arc’teryx soft-shell wind- and water-resistant technology
• Non-wrinkling
• Small packing
• Exceptionally good-looking

To see a demo of the Carda Jacket (done by yours truly) jump to 9:20 in the video at the top of the page.

Price: $299

Available: Fall, 2014

Where to find it: Arcteryx.com, Backcountry.com, REI, and other major retail outlets

10) Nau Tech-Nique Dress

This product requires a disclaimer: Nau is my all-time brand crush. This Portland company was started by a group of former employees from some of the biggest brands in outdoors with the goal of creating  outdoor clothing that is not only functional, but also ultra-stylish and 100% sustainable. All of their products are made from innovative recycled materials, are super comfortable, and look amazing. The Tech-Nique dress just happens to be one of this season’s highlights. This urban dress is super low-maintenance, looks good with a wide variety of clothing, and is stain resistant and wrinkle-free.

Features:

• Recycled polyester stretch fabric
• Spill resistant
• Non-wrinkling
• Packs small and light
• Looks fantastic

To see a demo of the Tech-Nique dress jump to 10:24 in the video at the top of the page.

Price: $200

Available: Fall, 2014

Where to find it: Nau.com, REI, Backountry.com, and other major retail outlets

11) Kelty Flyway 43 Backpack

If I were to travel with only one carry on backpack I would definitely take the Kelty Flyway 43. Kelty has long been one of my favorite companies because they know how to design for travelers’ needs, and the Flyway 43 is one of their finest achievements. This backpack, when stuffed full, pretty much exactly hits the limit for carry-on size bags. It fully unzips exposing the main compartment for easy packing and unpacking. There are numerous compartments for keeping your electronics and other accessories organized. It also has a built-in rain cover and a laptop sleeve.

Features:

• Spacious, easy-to reach, main compartment
• Fully-packed it meets carry-on requirements
• Laptop sleeve
• Built-in rain cover

To see a demo of the Flyway 43 backpack jump to 11:17 in the video at the top of the page.

Price: $129

Available: Now

Where to find it: Kelty.com and other major retail outlets 

Have you tried any of the products on this list? Do you have any suggestions for awesome travel gear that you’ve found useful? If so, let me know in the comments so I can include it in future round-ups!

The post 11 Of The Best Travel Products You’ll Never Want To Be Without appeared first on XpatMatt.

Hawaii, USA

Location

Hawaii is an archipelago of over 137 islands located about 3200 km southwest of the mainland United States. The main islands are located just south of the Tropic of Cancer nearly halfway between the Americas and Asia, at about the same latitude as central Mexico and Vietnam.

Major Cities

Honolulu, the state capital, is located on Oahu and is the largest city with about 377,000 people. Other large cities include Kapolei (84,000), Hilo (47,000), Kailua (37,000), and Kaneohe (35,000).

Climate and Geography

Hawaii is the northernmost archipelago in Polynesia. Most people have only heard of the 8 major islands, but the archipelago is actually made up of numerous islands, atolls, and islets. The state of Hawaii officially includes 137 islands with a total land area of 16,636 km² and 1210 km of coastline spread across 2400 km. The oldest (and therefore smallest because of erosion) are in the northwest. The eight main islands, located at the southeast end of the archipelago, are all relatively new with Hawai’i, also known as the big island, being the youngest and biggest at 10,400 km².

The eight main islands, from northwest to southeast, are called Ni’ihau, Kaua’I, O’ahu, Moloka’i, Lana’I, Kaho’olawe, Maui, Hawai’i. The island chain is actually the top of a string of volcanoes that rise from as deep as 6000 m below sea level. The Big Island is made up of 5 volcanoes. The tallest is Mauna Kea, which stands 4205 m above sea level, but is actually 10,200 m from the ocean floor to the peak, making it taller than Mount Everest. Mauna Loa is the second tallest point on the archipelago at 4170 m above sea level and is the largest volcano on earth in terms of volume and area.

The islands of Hawaii are covered with lush vegetation, most of which is endemic owing to the geographic isolation of the islands, and Hawaii is also home to many endemic animal species endangered by human activities.

Hawaii’s climate is tropical, but there is a great deal of climactic variation in some areas because of the extreme difference in altitude. Hawaii’s climate can be summarized this way. At sea level the temperature ranges from 29-32 °C in the summer and 26-28 °C in the winter. The ocean temperature ranges from 25°C to 28°C throughout the year. Light rain showers are common year-round. October to March is the stormy season and, although they rarely hit Hawaii, June to November is considered hurricane season. Despite the tropical climate, the tallest peaks, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Haleakala, receive snow in the winter.

Description

Hawaii is arguably one of the best all-round destinations in the world for outdoors adventure seekers. With two National Parks, three National Historical Areas, and 53 state parks on five islands there is no shortage of untouched wilderness. It hardly needs to be pointed out that Hawaii is a world-class destination for ocean-related sports; Hawaii is the home of surfing, and has some of the best waves in the world, and wrecks, caves, and reefs are all nearby for scuba divers. Less well known, though, is the variety of sporting opportunities created by the steep and rugged volcanoes. Trekking and mountain climbing in Hawaii are excellent. Mountain biking is epic. And, with the rise of ecotourism, the popularity of ziplining above the canopy and across deep chasms has been growing in popularity.

Tourism is the largest sector of the Hawaii’s economy and accounted for 24.3% of the GNP in 1997. This means that rental equipment, guides, and tours are for almost anything you want to do are readily available. Unfortunately, Hawaii is also quite pricey—and not just for tourists. Honolulu ranks among the most expensive cities to live in in the US. In twenty-first century America, you can be sure that paradise comes with a price.

Activities

• Surfing
• Stand-up paddle boarding
• Scuba diving (wreck, reef, and cave)
• Snorkeling
• Surfing (epic)
• Sailing
• Kitesurfing
• Windsurfing
• Parasailing
• Paragliding
• Hang gliding
• Sky diving
• Bungee jumping
• Whitewater rafting
• Kayaking (river, lake, and ocean)
• Canoeing (river, lake, and ocean)
• Caving and spelunking
• Hiking/trekking (all levels)
• Ziplining
• Rock climbing (all levels)
• Abseiling
• Mountain Biking (novice to expert)
• Horseback Riding
• Skiing and snowboarding (backcountry or by helicopter)

On a Budget?

• As one would expect, hotels in Hawaii can be a bit pricey. Dorm beds start around $20 USD per person per night. A campsite at a campground in a state park is between $15 and $20 USD per night, and private campgrounds charge $10+ USD per person per night for a site.
• Eating in Hawaii tends to slightly more expensive that most US cities because everything is imported. You can bet on paying at least $5 USD for breakfast or lunch, and a bit more for dinner. Supermarkets are definitely the way to go if you are trying to pinch your pennies.

Photos

[nggallery id=35]

Images (in order) courtesy of aftab., /\ltus, PKMousie, JPhilipson, Sunova Surfboards, vissago, kmoliver, tommydavis209, Chad Podoski, 0xFCAF, KTesh, and JPhilipson on Flickr.

Map

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The information on this page was provided by My Hawaii Info. If you want to know more about Hawaii they are the people to ask.

The post Hawaii, USA Adventure Travel Guide appeared first on XpatMatt.

Ontario, Canada

Location

Ontario is a province in east-central Canada that shares a border with the United States from Minnesota to New York.

Major Cities

The largest cities in Ontario include Canada’s largest city and Ontario’s provincial capital, Toronto, and the national capital, Ottawa.

Climate and Geography

At 1,076,395 km² Ontario is enormous. If it were a country, it would be the 30^th largest in the world. Bordering on Hudson’s Bay in the north and the Great Lakes and USA in the south, Ontario is slightly larger than Egypt and a touch smaller than Bolivia. Like most of Canada, the majority of that space is thinly populated. To keep things simple Ontario is often discussed in terms of north and south. Northern Ontario comprises 87% of the land area, but only 6% of the population whereas the more temperate and fertile southern Ontario comprises only 13% of the land area, but is home to 94% of the population. This is probably the part that you would visit.

Geographically, Ontario is can be divided into three sections: 1) The Canadian Shield, which is basically an enormous plate of rock covered in a relatively thin layer of soil that extends from the northwest to the southeast of the province, accounting for more than half of the land area; 2) The Hudson’s Bay lowlands in the far north and northeast, which is an inhospitable area of low-lying wetlands and swamps sandwiched between Hudson’s Bay and the Canadian Shield that makes up about ¼ of Ontario’s land area; and 3) The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Valley in the south which is the most densely populated and climactically pleasant part of the province.

Ontario’s geography makes it extremely amenable to lakes and rivers; the province has more than 250,000 lakes.  Among those lakes are the Great Lakes (a string of enormous lakes along the US-Canada border), which include Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world, as well as two more of the five largest freshwater lakes in the world. Ontario is also home to the famous Niagara Falls, which is also sits on the US border.

Northern Ontario has a sub-arctic climate. It’s really, really cold most of the year, and kind of warm in the summer. For this reason few people go there. The south however, is more hospitable. In January, the coldest month, the average temperature ranges from about -13 °C in the southeast to -4 °C in the southwest, and in July the hottest month, the average temperature ranges from 19 °C in the southeast to 24 °C in the southwest.

Description

Ontario, with it’s numerous lakes and vast tracts of wilderness, has outdoors opportunities across the board. Ontario has a well-established reputation as one of Canada’s best destinations for outdoors tourism, so facilities, rentals, and guides are never hard to come by. There is hiking, trekking, and climbing of all levels. Whitewater rafting and kayaking are abundant, and in the winter there is also good skiing and snowboarding. Two of the more unusual activities in the province are freshwater surfing and scuba diving. The surfing is unusual because it is done on a lake on waves churned up by winds up to 40-knots. The scuba diving is unique because, as one website put it, “it’s fresh water, it’s #@*% cold, and there are a lot of very well preserved shipwrecks, as a result of those other two factors.”

A few of Ontario’s unique natural landmarks (other than Niagara Falls and the biggest freshwater lake in the world) include Wasaga Beach, the world’s longest freshwater beach, the Temagami old growth pine forest, and Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world.

Activities

• Surfing
• Stand-up paddle boarding
• Scuba diving (wreck)
• Snorkeling
• Surfing (all levels)
• Sailing
• Kitesurfing
• Windsurfing
• Parasailing
• Paragliding
• Hang gliding
• Sky diving
• Bungee jumping
• Hot air ballooning
• Whitewater rafting
• Kayaking (river and lake)
• Canoeing
• Caving and spelunking
• Hiking/trekking (all levels)
• Ziplining
• Rock climbing (all levels)
• Ice climbing
• Abseiling
• Mountain Biking (novice to expert)
• Horseback Riding
• Skiing and snowboarding
• Cross-country skiing
• Snowshoeing
• Dogsledding

On a Budget?

• In Ontario the very cheapest beds can be found in shared dormitories and hostels starting around $20 USD per night, but many cost more. Most campsites start at around $30 USD or more per night, but have low rates for additional people, and can be economical with a group.
• If you stick to low-end restaurants and groceries food and drink in Ontario is fairly reasonable. Cheap greasy spoons will serve breakfast for as low as $4 or 5 USD and lunch can be for $6 – 8 USD. But, if you really want to economize, you can cut those prices in half cruising the bulk aisle of the local grocery store.

Photos

[nggallery id=28]

Images (in order) courtesy of JDB Photos, Insight Imaging: John A Ryan Photography, joneboi, bensonkua, Steve took it, Robert Scott Photography.ca, bensonkua, Robbie’s Photo Art, Derek Purdy, pmorgan, Steve took it, and Steve took it on Flickr.

Map

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The post Ontario, Canada Adventure Travel Guide appeared first on XpatMatt.

Dear Matt,

I teach the same class of 12 and 13-year-old students every day. Normally they are enthusiastic and awesome!  But when we have writing class (on Wednesdays) they just sit there and stare at their papers. I can’t seem to get them to write.  What can I do to inspire them?

Thanks for your help!

Sincerely,

Angela

Hi Angela,

Getting students to write can be hard. Students often feel less inhibited when they are speaking because they can make mistakes without fear of repercussion. When they write, their mistakes are there for everyone to see. Fear of making mistakes (and, even worse, being reprimanded) will suck the joy out of even the funnest lesson. So, in order to encourage students to write I often employ two strategies. First, I try to reduce their fear of making mistakes and second, I try to make the topic extra fun for them.

Strategy 1: Reduce the fear of mistakes

In order to do this I give the students some guidelines so that they know very clearly what is expected. If they feel like they know what to do, students will feel more confident I doing it. So, I give a minimum amount that each student must write (six sentences, half a page, whatever works) but never a maximum, so that eager students can enjoy themselves without fear of punishment.

Then, I will review the tense that will most commonly be used with our topic and how the verbs are conjugated using that tense. Next, I will write lists of nouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives that are useful for that particular topic. They are not required to use the words. But they may use them if they wish. This way creative students have room to do what they want, and less creative students have enough information to guide them through the assignment.

Finally we will make some example sentences together as a class and I will write them on the whiteboard so that students will have a reference if they forget the tense or sentence structure that they should be using.

Strategy 2: Make it extra fun

In my experience, making writing fun lies in the subject. It’s important that the students are enthusiastic about the subject. I usually ask the class to vote on topics they like: aliens, monsters, tigers, Teacher Matt being eaten by sharks (getting kids to make fun of you is always a sure way to make them excited about the subject).

At the end of the class the earth may have exploded, Johnny’s head may be stuck in the toilet, and you may have been hit by a car, fallen off a cliff, been dismembered by lions, and then pooped on by a passing pterodactyl, but at least you’ll have a stack of papers filled with writing.

The post Ask Matt: How to Encourage Students to Write appeared first on XpatMatt.

Malta

Location

Malta is an archipelago in the Mediterranean Ocean about 100 km south of Italy.

Climate and Geography

The Maltese archipelago is made up of about two-dozen islands that cover 316 km², but only the largest three, Malta, Comino, and Gozo, are inhabited. The islands are remnants of an ancient land bridge between Sicily and North Africa. They are low-lying (the highest point is 253 m) and have numerous bays rimmed by cliffs and sandy beaches. Malta has no permanent lakes or rivers, although some small rivers will appear during heavy rains.

Malta’s climate is classified as Subtropical-Mediterranean. Summers in Malta are long, hot, and dry. With average highs around 30 °C, and an incredible average of 12 hours of sunshine per day in July, summers in Malta are pretty much guaranteed to be gorgeous. And they’re long too, lasting for 8 months (from April to November). With temperatures ranging from 12 – 20 °C the winters aren’t bad either, although it is windier and rainier in Malta during those months.

Description

Sometimes referred to as an ‘open-air museum’ Malta has a long and rich history. Malta is good for much more than just beach holidays. It’s home to some of the world’s oldest standing buildings and has been inhabited since the fourth millennium BC. Its unique history, climate, proximity to Europe, and reasonable (by European standards) prices for food and accommodation have made Malta a popular destination with European tourists. In recent Malta has also been billing itself as a medical tourism destination and drawing many British citizens seeking sunny destination in which to recover.

Wind, sun, and seas make Malta an ideal destination for ocean adventurers. Wakeboarding, sailing, windsurfing, and kite surfing are all popular on the islands, and with wrecks, reefs, and caves all nearby, Malta is a must-see for scuba divers. There is less to do on land than in the water, however, scenic coastal roads make for gorgeous bike rides, and Malta’s seaside cliffs are perfect for climbers of all levels.

Other Resources

• Hiking/Trekking
• Rock climbing
• Coasteering
• Cycling
• Paragliding
• Windsurfing
• Kiteboarding
• Water skiing
• Wakeboarding
• Sailing
• Scuba Diving

On a Budget?

• Accommodation on Malta does not come cheap. Some hostels have dorm beds for $30 USD per person per night, but many charge more, and campsites start at a little over $20 USD per person (site only, no tent).
  More information on hostels in Malta can be found here.
• Inexpensive restaurants will have breakfast for around $7-8 USD and lunch and dinner for around $11-13 USD. Of course, the supermarket is always an option.

Activities

• Malta Tourism Board
• Malta Travel Guide on WikiTravel
• Malta holidays from DirectHolidays
• Sea kayak rentals in Malta
• Malta Hikes at MaltaBulb

Have Insurance?

I like to use World Nomads. It’s not too expensive and signing up is fast and straightforward. They also have pretty good coverage for sports equipment like surf and snowboards, but it varies depending on your country of origin, so be sure double check. You can get a free quote on their website.

Photos

[nggallery id=21]

Images (in order) courtesy of KNOW MALTA by Peter Grima, larrylurex, Heini Samuelsen, Twilight Tea, gnuckx, re-ality, victoriapeckham, gnuckx, and @sahxic < twitter.

Suggested Reading

Click on the images for more information

Map

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The information on this page was provided by My Destination Malta. If you want to know more about Malta they are the people to ask.

The post Malta Adventure Travel Guide appeared first on XpatMatt.

Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary

Location

Notheastern Sabah, Malaysian Borneo

Closest Town/City/Village

Sukau village

Description

Kinabatangan Nature is one of Borneo’s premier destinations for trekking and wildlife viewing. This well-known park is home to the Kinabatangan River some of the most exotic flora and fauna in Borneo, including, but not exclusive to, saltwater crocodiles, proboscis monkeys, orangutans, pygmy elephants, and macaque monkeys, all of which may be seen on river tours and treks.

Activities

• Trekking
• Boat Tours
• Bird Watching
• Wildlife Tours (day and night)

Photos

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Map

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The post Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo appeared first on XpatMatt.

I hope you all find this as useful as I did!

1. Make two copies of your passport. Keep one in your luggage and one copy at home, so that someone can fax you a copy if needed. If you passport gets lost or stolen, this makes it much easier to replace.

2. Always purchase excess medical insurance. Keep the policy in your luggage and a card in your wallet with the insurance policy and phone number in case of emergency.

3. Keep any prescription drugs in your carry on luggage in the original containers. Also, keep vitamins in their original containers as well, or security may think you are trying to smuggle drugs.

4.Get a prescription from your doctor for Dukoral.  Dukoral is an oral medication taken in two doses. You take it approximately 2 weeks before travelling. It prevents traveller’s diarrhea and is good for 2 years.

5.Get a prescription for Sipro. It’s a general use antibiotic that’s good for infections and has a shelf life of 2 years.

6. Thieves have come up an electronic scanner that can scan the numbers of your passport, credit cards, and debit cards while they are still in your wallet or backpack. To prevent this, wrap your passport, credit cards, and debit cards in tin foil, and the electronic scanners will no longer be able to read them.

7. Always carry $30 USD in one-dollar bills when arriving in a new country. When you first arrive in a country and do not have the local currency, you may need to tip taxi drivers, porters etc., and US dollars are accepted around the world.

8. Take the oldest luggage you have. Expensive luggage is a target for airport and hotel employees. One of the best bags is a hockey bag on wheels. They are a lot stronger than regular luggage, and cheaper too. To further safeguard your luggage from thieves (this tip is for both men and women) buy really, really large ladies underwear (not the bikini type) and soil them with dirt or coffee and put them on top of your clothes. This will deter anyone from going further into your bag.

9. Take a first aid kit packed with pain killers, stomach remedies, a Swiss Army Knife, wipes, antibacterial hand sanitizer, cold/cough medication, bandages, a piece of folded tin foil, string, and wooden matches.

10. Carry a bandana. You can use it to keep the sun off your head, for wiping or washing things, to wrap around a cut to stop the bleeding, and, if it’s big enough, you can use it as a sling for your arm.

11. NEVER pack any valuables in your checked luggage.

12. Pack your clothes in large Ziploc bags and remove the excess air. That way, I if your luggage happens to sit outside for any period of time, your clothes will always stay dry.

13. Take an extra passport photo with you, you may need it for an emergency visa, permit, etc.

14. Reconfirm your return at least 72 hours prior to departure. Airlines have major schedule changes twice a year and often flights.

15. Make sure you have a local number where you can be reached.

The post Professional Travel Tips appeared first on XpatMatt.

I’m in the process of permanently moving to Southern Italy to write professionally while teaching English.  I’m writing you this email in hopes that you might give me a tip on how to get started with writing professionally.  You appear to have found success and I’m taking a shot in the dark asking for a tip or a recommendation.  Do you know of a particularly informative book?  Is it necessary to begin blogging in order to entice publishing opportunities?

Thanks,
Faith

Hi Faith,

If you’re starting from scratch, then you are going to have to invest some time and money into getting things started properly.  I did my minor in professional writing and spent about 8 years freelancing to get where I am (which is nowhere nearly as successful as it may look on my website), so be ready to put in a lot of time and effort to start making money.  That being said, if you follow the instructions and advice from the following resources carefully and remain diligent you can probably make a go of it.

First, to get an idea of what you’re getting into, start by reading these articles I wrote for Transitions Abroad. They focus on blogging, but give you an idea of one potential income stream and what it takes to get started.

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/shortterm/articles/professional-travel-blogging-jobs.shtml

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/shortterm/articles/building-a-travel-blog-getting-started.shtml

Then, buy and read these three books, written by two of the most successful contemporary travel writer/bloggers, which contain a wealth of  information about travel blogging and writing travel articles for publication:

http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-tips/build-your-own-travel-blog/

http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-tips/make-money-with-your-travel-blog/

http://travelwriting2.com/

Next, consider taking this relatively inexpensive online travel course. They have turned out some very good travel writers in the past (including Nomadic Matt) and also offer some support to help you get started:

http://matadoru.com/

Finally, work your ass off, persevere, and keep chipping away until you’ve found a niche that works for you and makes you money.  Good luck!

The post Ask Matt: Getting Started as a Travel Writer appeared first on XpatMatt.

The post <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-gibson/finding-serendipity-how-t_b_748305.html" target="_blank">Finding Serendipity | Huffington Post</a> appeared first on XpatMatt.

I have been researching living and working in Taiwan and came across your writing, tips, information and blog. I have found this to be a wonderful resource.

I have seen enough of Taiwan to know that I would be happy living there. I would like to marry my Taiwanese girlfriend and settle down there.

I am currently working on my BA, degree which I hope to complete next summer (2011). After that I would like to find a job teaching English. However, I shall be 43 in 2011. Would this be considered too old to take a teaching job? I ask this because when researching some of the websites relating to teaching, it always portrays pictures of young twenty something people. I am concerned about my age and if that will be a disadvantage.

I would appreciate any advice you may offer me.

I shall continue to follow your blog, it is very insightful and a joy to read.

Mark

Hi Mark,

It’s true that the majority of English teachers abroad are young recent graduates.  Over the last decade more and more teachers have been deciding to stay permanently.  Although they are in the minority, there is a growing number of English teachers middle-aged and older.

Looking for a job as an older person can have benefits and drawbacks.  Many schools hire English teachers for their appearance.  These schools look for white teachers that look ‘American’.  These schools are usually not very good educationally speaking, and would probably prefer to hire younger teachers.

However, schools are actually looking for responsible long-term employees will probably see the value in hiring a mature teacher that is interested in living in the country long term.  Younger teachers often only stay in Taiwan for a year or two, they go out partying, call in sick, and want to take time off to go traveling.  A mature teacher like yourself can offer a boss responsibility, stability, and security that they can’t find with a younger person.

Although age will probably affect your job search, I’ve never heard a teacher here complain about not being able to job because they were too old.

Best,

Matt

The post Ask Matt: Am I too Old to Get a Job Teaching English? appeared first on XpatMatt.