Matador Network's Blog, page 1331

Stinky passenger forces landing

Planes are rarely forced to land except in extreme circumstances, like engine failure and broken windows. But now, we can add “poor hygiene” to the list. Last Tuesday, a Transavia Airlines flight from Las Palmas to Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing because of a passenger’s extreme body odor.

According to a report from the Belgian news site VRT, the smell was so bad that passengers became “so violently ill they vomited or fainted in their seats.” It even prevented in-flight food and drinks from being served. We can’t imagine flight attendant training covers how to handle passengers who simply forgot to shower, but they did their best, quarantining the man in the bathroom to contain the stench. It might have been too little, too late. About two hours into the flight, the decision was made to make an emergency landing in Faro, Portugal, where the man was escorted from the flight and examined by a medical team.

This isn’t the first instance of poor passenger hygiene aboard a Transavia flight. In February, a flight was forced to land in Vienna because of an altercation between two passengers, because one of them wouldn’t stop breaking wind. An unlucky string of events for Transavia, for sure. Maybe the airline should consider a carwash-like feature at their gates, where passengers go through an intense washing, scrubbing, and polishing before being allowed to board.

H/T: Thrillist

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5 extreme sports you can do indoors

Perhaps you’re an adrenaline junkie who’s been sunburned one too many times. Or you’re deathly allergic to bee stings. Or, more likely, you just want to try a high-intensity sport in a location that’s less intimidating than the open window of an airplane flying 13,000 feet above the ground. If that’s the case, you’re in luck because there are more opportunities than ever to pursue extreme sports in more controlled — and less panic-inducing — settings. Here are some of your options.

1. Indoor skydiving

Photo: iFLY

First designed in order to train military parachuters, vertical wind tunnels, where wind rushes upwards at 120 mph and suspends you in a horizontal skydiving stance, have grown in popularity around the world. Professional skydivers use them for practice, and the rest of us can enjoy winds tunnels for the sense of falling without the sheer terror.

iFly, which has locations in sixteen US states and Brazil, offers packages of anywhere from two to five “flights” per person, at prices ranging from $69.95 to $131.95, or a package of ten flights to be shared by five people for $299.95 in its California locations. (Prices may vary by state). Unlike real skydiving, anyone over three years old can participate.

If you really want to get scared, without the actual risk, pay an extra $20 and use iFly’s virtual reality headset to feel like you are really stepping out of an airplane very, very high off the ground.

2. KART racing

Photo: K1 Speed

Not every speed demon has a death wish — or the years of training required to maneuver a Formula 1 race car through the streets of Monaco. Fortunately, there’s kart racing, where you can don a helmet, buckle up behind the steering wheel of a roofless go-kart with a 2- or 4-stroke engine, or an electric one, and channel your inner Michael Schumacher.

In fact, Michael Schumacher and quite a few other Formula 1 champions got their start in kart racing, so the adrenaline rush is legit. Many indoor kart locations also have smaller karts for younger drivers. You can find kart racing around the world, including at the Michael Schumacher kart center in Kerpen, Germany, which has both indoor and outdoor tracks, charging 12.50 EUR ($14.60) for a single 10-minute ride, and 114 EUR ($133) for a pack of ten rides.

K1 Speed is the biggest kart racing company in the US, using electric karts at its indoor speedways in fifteen US states and Canada. Pricing varies by location, but in California one roughly 10-minute race costs $22, while three cost $50, and an annual membership is $80. Burning through $22 in ten minutes might feel steep, but it’s a lot less expensive than the car Schumacher drove to in two of his victorious races, a Ferrari F2001, which costs a mere $7.5 million.

3. Wave pools

Photo: Wavegarden

If you want to surf but the theme from Jaws comes to mind every time you look out on the open ocean, or you live 1000 miles from the closest beach (Denver, for example), wave pools might be the solution for you.

Most wave pools are just attractions in amusement parks using machinery to spice up ordinary swimming pools with splashy surges of water, so don’t wax up your surfboard and head to your nearest water park expecting to carve some turns. You need to find wave pools specifically designed for surfing, which require more sophisticated systems to create rollers that can be ridden by full-sized humans on surfboards.

The technology is still developing, but we expect to see more bona fide artificial surf waves in the coming years. Most of these are outside, built on existing lakes and lagoons. The first public surf spot using WaveGarden technology was built in Wales; their second public location is in Austin, Texas, at NLand Surf Park. Prices for a 50+-minute session range from $60 to $90.

Near Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Wadi Adventures has an artificial wave pool that produces waves up to ten feet high, and can be booked for six people at a time. Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater has also designed a high-speed wave pool using secret technology near Fresno, California, but it’s not open to the public…yet. (If and when it is ever is, it’ll be wickedly expensive).

An indoor skydiving facility in New Hampshire does actually have an indoor wave, but it’s small and best for beginners. As for surfing in Denver, there are wave pools like the ones at Water World Colorado, but they’re better suited for boogie boarding. But if you’re nearest beach is a 12-hour drive away, boogie boarding may be good enough.

4. Indoor skiing and snowboarding

Photo: Ski Dubai

Indoor ski hills and snowboard tunnels promise the joys of carving turns on snow without the threat of avalanches or frostbite. Snowmaking technology makes it possible for novice skiers and even professional riders to ski or snowboard in either balmier climates or during the warmer times of the year.

Quite possibly the best-known, and most incongruous, indoor ski hill in the world is Ski Dubai, the first and, until Ski Saudi Arabia opens soon, only such hill in the Middle East. They will be joined by Ski Egypt, the first indoor skiing in Africa. It might be 107 degrees outside in Dubai, but this ski hill located inside the massive Mall of the Emirates comes complete with a chairlift, a lodge serving hot chocolate, and even penguins.

Indoor ski hills like SnowZone in Madrid, Snowhall in northern France, and SnowWorld in the Netherlands allow for snowsports where mountains are absent, and yet others, like snow tunnels with half pipes in Finland and Sweden, are geared towards athletes hoping to hone their skills throughout the year.

An indoor option that doesn’t require snow at all can be found at Woodward Ski & Snowboard Camps, which have facilities in Pennsylvania, California, and Colorado. Indoor terrain parks allow young campers to practice snowboard flips and tricks on wood tracks, landing into big pits of spongy foam pieces. A three-hour, drop-in session at Woodward Tahoe is $49.

5. Indoor rock climbing

Photo: Poprotskiy Alexey

Quite possibly the most practical inside version of any outdoor sport is indoor rock climbing. The first interior climbing facility opened in the US over thirty years ago, and now climbing walls can be found the world over, not just in climbing gyms, but also in high schools and university campuses. For schools, climbing walls don’t just promote exercise; in using the belay system, students need to work cooperatively to achieve a goal.

While a few indoor climbing walls still attempt to resemble something organic, most use colored-coded hand and toe holds to mark routes of varying difficulty. Climb So Ill in St. Louis dispensed with any pretense of looking like real rock and has one of the wildest looking climbing walls out there, with an eye-like orb you need to surmount. A day pass there will cost your $16, plus an additional $19 for equipment (shoes, belay gear, chalk bag, etc.). Planet Granite and Earth Treks operate gyms in California, Oregon, Maryland and Colorado, while New York’s Brooklyn Boulders now has additional gyms in Chicago and outside Boston.

Indoor climbing gyms are now a fixture of most major US and European cities. In Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, you’ll find indoor rock climbing, too. There are so many places to climb indoors, there’s little reason not to do so. With enough practice, you may even be ready to try it outside.


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Rural China is incredibly beautiful

China has some of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes in the world, but it is the people that really draw me to the country. One of my favorite things to do is sit, watch, and photograph people in rural China going about their daily activities. It’s also a great way to make some friends along the way.




1

The small village of Xingping lies a few hours outside of Guilin and is home to many of the traditional cormorant fishermen of China - cormorant fishing uses trained birds to assist fishermen in their daily duties. Unfortunately, due to the increase in tourism, as well as modern fishing practices, cormorant fishing is not practiced today, but I was lucky enough to meet one of the oldest traditional fishermen in the area, Grandpa Huang.

2

I saw a photo of this picturesque stone bridge a while back while scouting the internet and was immediately determined to shoot there. Luckily, my good friend from Guilin knew the spot, and we drove all the way to Tianxin Village to catch the sunrise behind the incredible karst peaks - just in time to photograph a local buffalo farmer starting his daily activities.

3

Fenghuang is a beautiful ancient town comprised of hundreds of stilt houses sitting on the bank of the Tuo Jiang river in China's Hunan province. A morning walk around the town will take you back in time as the local women are often seen dressed in their traditional headwear and dresses.

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4

Chongqing, a bustling metropolis in Central China, is home to some 30 million inhabitants. Here, a local worker gets ready to transport goods across the city.

5

Grandpa Huang gets ready to demonstrate the art of fishing with cormorants as the sun sets behind the enormous karst peaks in the distance.

6

One of my favorite ancient towns in China, Fenghuang is bustling with tourists and local sellers alike. Despite the rain, shooting this incredibly photogenic town was one of my favorite mornings to date.

7

A domestic tourist enjoys the sights and sounds of Fenghuang, while a lady dressed in traditional Hunan clothing poses for photos with the visitors.

8

My first trip to Yunnan in 2015 was nothing short of spectacular, and it was here that my interest in photographing China really started. The rice terraces, which look completely different in each season, were forged by the Hani people thousands of years ago, and remain to this day an important aspect of local life.

9

The stilt houses surrounding the river running through Fenghuang depict rural China’s ancient roots. Here, a local litter picker takes his boat out to pick up trash floating down the river.

10

A time in Yunnan is a great way to experience the quiet beauty of China, and this is one of my favorite places to visit in the country. Take a hike through the beautiful rice terraces and you'll spot plenty of farmers carrying baskets of ducks down to the water’s edge to swim amongst the terraces for the day.

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The quirkiest passports in the world

The design of a passport can say a lot about the country it represents. The coats of arms often gold gilded on the cover, the colors used, or even the decoration of the visa pages are all windows into the culture of a nation. But the covers of world’s passports contain a lot of information that are not necessarily easily understood. Here are the unusual details we noticed on several passports from around the world and the explanations behind these quirks.

1. The South African passport

Photo: MD_Photography/Shutterstock

If you take a closer look at the South African passport, you’ll note the use of the French language on the front cover (“Republique d’Afrique du Sud” and “Passeport”). Although it is common for nations around the world to have their official language(s), as well as the English language, featured on the cover, French is not one of the eleven official languages of South Africa. Neither is South Africa, unlike many African countries, a former French colony.

The reason behind this occurrence is a 1920 meeting of the League of Nations. During the Paris Conference on Passports & Customs Formalities and Through Tickets, the size, shape, validity, etc. of each passport were determined for every country in the world. It was also decided that each passport was to be in French, as well as one other language, explains Quartz. So, check out your passport carefully and if it contains some French (inside or outside), it means it’s still following the 1920 mandate, just like South Africa does.

2. The Taiwanese passport

Photo: elwynn/Shutterstock

While Hong Kong and Macau are both bearing the mention “Special administrative region – People’s Republic of China”, the Taiwanese passport only gets “Republic of China” on its front cover.

The distinction between “People’s Republic of China” and “Republic of China” is quite confusing for those who do not know the details of the division between China and Taiwan. Although, at first glance, one may be tempted to think that “People’s Republic of China” and “Republic of China” are one and the same, they are not. “People’s Republic of China” is China, AKA Mainland China, while “Republic of China” (also called R.O.C) is another name for Taiwan. Note that the Taiwanese who have no desire to be part of China reject the moniker “Republic of China” and only refer to their nation as Taiwan. Some Taiwanese advocating their nation’s independence have even gone as far as covering the mention of “Republic of China” and the gold sun (a symbol of the R.O.C) on their passport with “Republic of Taiwan” stickers and depiction of Taiwanese landmarks.

Une publication partagée par Amy Pan (@dumbopapa) le 20 Janv. 2016 à 7 :54 PST

Although China considers Taiwan as one of its provinces (one that is rather mutinous), Taiwan thinks of itself as a sovereign state with its own constitution and its own democratically-elected government. As reported by the Taipei Times in May 2016, 66.4 percent of Taiwanese are opposed to the reunification of Taiwan with China, 18.5 percent are in favor, and 15.1 percent remain noncommittal.

3. The Caribbean Community passport

Photos: Chris Fitzpatrick for Wikipedia and CARICOM

CARICOM, AKA Caribbean Community is a group of twenty countries (fifteen member states and five associate members), most of which are island states located in the Caribbeans.

The Caribbean Community logo is two capital C’s interlocked. “The two C’s are in the form of broken links in a chain, symbolising both unity and the break with our colonial past”, explains the CARICOM website.

Twelve of the fifteen members states of the Caribbean Community have a CARICOM passport (only The Bahamas, Haiti, and Montserrat don’t). All CARICOM passports are blue and have the Caribbean Community logo gold gilded at the top of its front cover. All the CARICOM passports also feature the coats of arms of their nations in gold on the front cover. The first CARICOM passport was issued on January 7th, 2005.

Here are the twelve countries carrying a CARICOM passport:

Antigua and Barbuda
Barbados
Belize
Dominica
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago

CARICOM is not the only organization of countries to have its names displayed on passports; it is also the case for countries belonging to the European Union, ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States), and Mercosur (the South American trade bloc including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay).

4. The Central America-4 passport

Photos: (WP:NFCC#4), (WP:NFCC#4), and (WP:NFCC#4)

Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua have awfully-similar looking passports. The four Central American countries signed the 2006 Central America-4 Border Control Agreement that allows their citizens to travel freely (no visa, no checks at border crossings) in the other three countries (just like the Schengen Zone in Europe). Foreign nationals who arrive in one of the four countries can also travel freely in the other three if they travel by land. Note that other Central American countries, i.e. Belize, Panama, and Costa Rica, are not part of this agreement.

To illustrate this union, the four countries have agreed on a similarly-designed passport. All four passports are blue, have “CENTROAMERICA” gold gilded at the top of the front cover, and show a map of Central America, with the respective country highlighted in gold.

5. The New Zealand passport

Photo: corners74/Shutterstock

The New Zealand passport is highly recognizable among all the other world passports. First, it is black, a rare color for a passport (less than ten countries in the world have a black passport). Second, unlike most passports, the design and writing on its front cover are not colored in gold, but in silver. And finally, instead of the coat of arms being the point of focus, like on most of the world’s passport, the New Zealand passport cover has several other interesting elements. The translation of “New Zealand passport” in Māori: Uruwhenua Aotearoa is displayed on the front; a silver fern, the symbol of New Zealand and an important flora for the Māori people is climbing on the very edges of the front and back covers; and the outline of New Zealand is embossed on the back cover. Inside, both English and Māori are used throughout and each visa page is designed to the theme of navigation and travel. The goal of this new passport that came out in 2010 was to make the New Zealand passport as Kiwi was possible and the challenge’s been met.

6. The Maldivian passport

The Maldivian official passport (blue), the regular passport (red), and the diplomatic passport (black). Photos: Maldives Immigration

The new Maldivian e-passport was unveiled in November 2016. With its bring red color, its coconut palm-focused coat of arms, and the embossment of the country’s islands on its front cover, it’s probably one of the coolest out there. It looks sleek, modern, and it displays Thaana, the fascinating writing system of the Maldivian (Dhivehi) language. The odd thing about the new Maldivian e-passport is that it turned out to be obsolete less than one year later. In October 2017, the Maldivian government introduced the “passport card”, an ID card that also works as a driver’s license, a health card, a bank card, and an insurance card. So, if you lose your Maldivian passport card abroad, you can’t go anywhere, you can’t retrieve any money or make payments, you can’t get any medical care covered, and you have no proof of insurance. Sounds like the perfect travel nightmare.

7. The Indian passport

Photo: Sudarshan negi/Shutterstock

The Indian passport may look dull at first sight (it is blue, with gold gilded writing), but the country’s coat of arms displayed on the front cover deserves some attention. The Indian coat of arms (the national emblem) represents four Asiatic lions standing back to back on a decorated, round base. It is a graphic reproduction of the sculpture The Lion Capital of Ashoka that was originally placed on top of the Ashoka pillar in the village of Sarnath, a holy site of buddhism, by Emperor Ashoka around 250 BC. The sculpture, now in a museum, became the national emblem of India in 1950 when the country became independent. The image of the four lions are to be found on stamps, bills, coins, seals, etc. Because the Lion Capital of Ashoka is such an iconic symbol of India, the wheel “Ashoka Chakra“, found depicted on the base of the sculpture, is also represented on the country’s flag.


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Things only Arizonans find funny

Gun-toting. Cynical. Survivalist. Leathery. Strong-willed. These are just a few potential adjectives that outsiders think of when they conjure up a typical native Arizonan. As a result, we Arizonans defend ourselves with a wit sharper and crasser than an infected fishhook barrel cactus thorn. Not unlike our states hot climate, our humor might seem dry at first, but once we warm you up, you’ll have a hard time not melting into laughter along with us. Here are 10 things that only Arizonans find funny.

1. That priceless face that gringo visitors make when they cover their taco in too much habañero hot sauce.

It’s truly precious how so many taco stand newbies immediately dump the hottest sauce available all over their toddler-sized carne asada burro and try to cough it down as the roof of their mouth sizzles. If you want to make any Arizonan laugh in pitiful scorn, literally start crying during your overly-macho peacocking.

2. Intentionally and loudly mispronouncing regional words — like saguaro and gila — in a mixed crowd.

The best part is adamantly instructing listeners that we’re right and all others are wrong. It’s especially funny to think of them “correcting” their friends once they get back home to Michigan.

3. The horror that non-locals experience when they see and smell their first javelina up close.

Postcards and kids’ books make the collared peccary seem tame and even soft. Hilarity ensues when non-Arizonans see those sharp tusks pointed at them for the first time and smell their musky, glandular emissions.

4. Two-wheel-drive Datsun pickups loaded way too high to get under the rapidly approaching overpass.

We can’t help but giggle and give wide berth to the 1970s trucks creeping at 20 miles per hour down the interstate. Their beds spill over with mattresses stacked sky-high, overstuffed brown couches, the occasional child, and unfinished two-by-fours hobbled together with too few, too well-worn bungee cords.

5. Mock shootouts and other Western reenactments.

It’s not that the shootouts themselves are necessarily funny, but we chuckle at how so very into it the actors and tourists get. Sites like the OK Corral are four-deep with miserable screaming fourth-graders and dedicated history buffs who should know that these traps are painfully shy of accurate.

6. Other people’s sunburns

Seriously, there is no shame in slathering SPF 70 sunscreen on and wearing a big hat, even on cloudy days. The wrath of the blistering Arizona sunburn is real. Maybe we can conjure sympathy the first time it happens to a friend or family member. After that, it’s fair game for pointing and laughing.

7. Jumping cacti

The barbs and joints of a hanging chain cholla don’t actually jump onto passersby. Or do they? Arizonans — especially the snarkiest among us — don’t necessarily care about the science behind the plants. We just find watching you pull the needles out with tweezers exceptionally comical. (Use a comb, silly!)

8. The vehicles people drive here, and how poorly they drive them.

For starters, you have ancient elders propelling golf carts on sidewalks and/or interstates traveling at about 5 miles per hour, flipping everyone off. Then there are the gigantic monster trucks toting Confederate flags and “back off” Yosemite Sam mud flaps racing way too fast on dirt roads. Next, giant swarms of pro-level cyclists buzz by your Toyota and scream at you to slow down and watch for bikes. Finally, tourists from other countries manoeuvre gigantic rented motorhomes incorrectly onto one-way streets. We also break down into uncontrollable laughter when another yahoo insists he can cross a flooding arroyo. It’s either laugh or cry, people.

9. Hikers who bring too little water.

It’s somehow both funny and not funny when Arizona natives are evacuated from popular trails just because they were too lazy or cocky to bring the gallon of water recommended for even a short desert stroll. Come on, now, dehydration is for novices. It’s not like a snakebite or killer bee stings — it’s preventable.

10. Sedona

Yes, of course, it’s gorgeous. But the woo-woo factor is painfully high, and we just can’t help but laugh at the vortex cults, the kiva divers, the avid dowsers, and the crystal and copper wearing New Yorkers, all trying desperately to find themselves on $500 Pink Jeep tours.


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The post 10 things that only Arizonans find funny appeared first on Matador Network.

You can become a hot tubologist

If I had known “hot tubologist” was a profession back in high school, I might have taken a very different career path. Like most highly professional and academic lines of work, a hot tubologist must be a discerning hot tub lover, with a great knowledge and enthusiasm about their field. For one special candidate, however, this dream job is about to become reality. Hot tub manufacturer Lay-Z Spa is looking for a hot tub enthusiast to test their products, post reviews, and be the face of the company’s social media presence.

A post shared by Lay-Z-Spa Official® (@layzspaofficial) on May 24, 2018 at 2:05am PDT

By becoming Lay-Z Spa’s official hot tubologist, you’ll not only get a ton of free Lay-Z Spa items, but also £500 (about $664 USD). It’s not all fun and games, though. You’ll be expected to post thorough reviews on the intricate details of hot tub mechanics, like how bubbly they are, how soothing the heating is, and your overall relaxation experience.

To apply for the role, you need to record a 30-second video explaining why you’re the best choice for the role, and upload it to Instagram, including the tag @LayZSpaOfficial, and the hashtag #Hottubologist. Think of it like any job interview you’ve ever had, only with much, much more at stake.

Make sure you get your entries in before midnight on June 10th.

H/T: Travel & Leisure

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What to do in Montenegro

If Montenegro isn’t ringing a bell, that’s OK. This former Yugoslav republic didn’t command much attention on the tourist front until well after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1991. But now independent, with a growing economy and budding tourism industry, the country is worth checking out. This is particularly true if you stoke out on exciting places beyond the beaten path that offer quick access to your favorite outdoor activities, sans the crowds and uber-expensive prices.

Montenegro is experiencing a tourism boom of sorts. Travel now accounts for 9% of the country’s GDP, up from 6.7% just a year ago, and the natural beauty of this Balkan nation immediately tells us why. You can lounge over cocktails at the pristine beaches of Becici, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, before heading north to summit the towering mountains of Durmitor National Park. Or do it the other way around and chill out on the beach after working up a sweat in the mountains. Montenegro should be at the top of your outdoor adventures list. Here’s how to enjoy it.

Tips for planning outdoor adventures in Montenegro

The costs are as minimal as the crowds when compared to outdoors travel hotspots like Patagonia, Switzerland, and New Zealand, but the natural beauty and opportunity for adventure are on point. The country has two international airports, one in the capital of Podgorico and another in the coastal town of Tivat. From most western countries you’ll fly through either Istanbul or Warsaw into Podgorico. The drive between the two airports takes just over an hour and a half, and drive times between outdoor activities won’t take much longer. Driving from Tivat to Durmitor National Park, where many activities are based, takes just over three hours. It’s a small country, meaning you can pack a lot into one trip.

When heading into the high country, use Durmitor National Park as your base. Skiing, snowboarding, camping, hiking, and rafting all happen either within or around the park in nearby towns, often Zabljak or northwest of the park near the border with Bosnia. There are tour operators available for just about any activity you aren’t comfortable planning on your own, and they are the recommended way to experience the outdoors in Montenegro.

Raft the Tara River

Photo: Sergey Lyashenko/Shutterstock

Take the country’s beech forests from a different angle and get out on the Tara River from the town of Zabljak. You can jump on a raft and make your way down up to 40 miles of whitewater, spending one or two nights swapping stories by the campfire, with no one else around but you and your crew.

And then dive your way down the Adriatic Coast

Photo: Angelo Giampiccolo/Shutterstock

Montenegro’s coastline is lined with scuba diving spots complete with just about everything you’ve come to expect in a good dive. Dark caverns, limestone cliffs, crazy sea life — even the occasional shipwreck site. There are multiple options for tour operators, but Dive Montenegro offers trips up and down the coastline.

Kitesurf at Ulcinj

Photo: coka/Shutterstock

Kitesurfing is popular and readily available up and down the coast. The Adriatic Sea isn’t known for killer swell, but it can and does happen. When it does, Ulcinj is the place to be. There’s no coral or rocks to worry about, just sand underfoot. During summer months, typically from May through September, a thermal wind kicks up the water a bit in the afternoons and ripens conditions significantly.

And then hike the Vrmac Ridge

Photo: Bkrzyzanek/Shutterstock

This coastal hike, located an easy commute from the towns of Kotor and Tivat, divides the bays that bear each town’s name. The hike is just under 6 miles (9 km) and starts out by passing through dense forest before climbing up above the trees and then descending down to the old village of Gornja Lastva. It’s not a loop hike — you’ll have to shuttle back to the start, unless you want to turn around — but the views of the coast and bays are unparalleled.

Ski the wide open, pristine slopes

Photo: Milena Mijatovic/Shutterstock

Montenegro’s high country boasts ski hills absent the crowds of Switzerland, Austria, or France. That means the powder is yours for the taking — but you’ll have to get up high to find it. The country’s ski resorts are located in the mountains of Durmitor National Park, with lift-accessed terrain typically open from December through the end of March. The season parallels that of the rest of Europe, but the resorts are more compact than those you’ll find in other countries — particularly the expansive, multi-village resorts of Switzerland. Savin Kuk, Zabljak, and Kolasin each offer wide open groomers along with ample above-timberline steeps for those seeking a challenge.

And check out Durmitor National Park in the summer, too

Photo: Daan Tautan/Shutterstock

The mountains and valleys of Durmitor National Park were cut by glaciers and today are home to some of Europe’s most beautiful lakes and forests, as well as the Tara and Peva rivers. Hikes are readily available throughout the park, with options for the serious trekker as well as shorter trails ideal for families and quick day hikes. But the real highlight of the park during the summer months is the Canyon of Tara, the largest canyon in Europe. As you look out over the gorge, take as many pictures as possible without losing your footing.


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The post Here’s why Montenegro is an outdoors paradise appeared first on Matador Network.

Vermont to pay for remote workers

If you’ve ever dreamed of pulling a Thoreau, and living a simpler life surrounded by nature, now might be your chance! Vermont governor Phil Scott is incentivizing remote workers to move to Vermont by offering them $10,000 over two years to cover moving and business expenses. While he’s not suggesting you move to a secluded cabin on a lake — although that could be a possibility if there’s a strong WiFi signal — the governor is trying to change the way Vermont is perceived: from a backwoods state to a hub of entrepreneurialism, education, and healthy living.

Many rural states have been trying different tactics to fill empty jobs. Some have offered incentives like student-loan paybacks, payments on houses, free land, or homes for as cheap as a dollar. South Dakota has implemented a program designed to get expatriated South Dakotans to move back home, while Maine has built affordable housing on some of its coastal islands to attract new residents.

Vermont’s strategy is a bit different. Rather than trying to fill empty jobs in their state, their focus is on attracting remote workers from other states. In 2016, Gallup found that 43 percent of American workers spent some time working remotely, so there’s certainly no shortage of remote workers to be enticed.

As former president (and Vermonter) Calvin Coolidge said: “I love Vermont because of her hills and valleys, her scenery and invigorating climate, but most of all because of her indomitable people.” Now, you could be one of them!

H/T: Slate

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Apps that actually save you money

Trip planning is an arduous process. You won’t see the perks of a smooth, well-executed trip until after you’ve done the research, spent time reading reviews, and taken the hit on your wallet of actually booking the trip. While there’s no substitute for good research and planning, there is an epic hack for the budget part: your smartphone. Before you confirm an upcoming booking, dive into the app store and download these five apps. Your bank account will thank you.

Best app for scoring ridiculously cheap flights: Hopper

Apps comparing and displaying flight prices across multiple airlines are a dime a dozen. You might find a difference of a dollar or two here and there, but most online travel agencies and flight apps pull information from the same databases. Sure, you can see the cheapest flight — but that flight might not be the cheapest one next week. When building Hopper, the creators decided to go a step further and actually monitor flight prices over an extended period of time. They built an algorithm that notes when flight prices are likely to rise and fall, and why, and put it to use to predict when you can expect to get the best price on a flight. All you have to do is tell the app where you’re going and when.

Let’s say that you need to fly from New York to London on September 15. You’ll input that info just like you would with any other flight app. Hopper displays current prices, then tells you when it expects the price to rise or fall. You can buy now, or choose to “Watch.” The app will send you regular price updates including a notification when the price drops to its lowest expected amount. On long haul flights this can literally save you hundreds of dollars — all from an app that is completely free.

Best app for last minute hotel deals: Hotel Tonight

In terms of advance planning, Hotel Tonight is the exact opposite of Hopper. Rather than monitoring a price point over a period of time, Hotel Tonight fills vacant rooms last minute, at prices often significantly below a hotel’s listed rate. The options can be limited compared to other hotel booking apps, but what you find might surprise you. If you show up in San Francisco hoping to crash with a buddy only to find out he’s not as dependable as you’d hoped, hop onto Hotel Tonight. From the hotel’s point of view, it’s better to fill the room than to leave it empty, even if that means you get get a screamin’ deal.

Best app for finding cheap local eats: Travelstoke

Crowdsourcing has revolutionized everything from accomodations (Airbnb) to dining recommendations (Yelp). Our own Travelstoke goes even deeper by actually connecting you with folks in the places you travel and learning where the local deals are. You can see their favorite spots for every type of food, and get actual advice from a real person. Plus, you can return the favor by adding your own favorite spots.

Best app for connecting with the local social scene and finding the perfect happy hour: Happy Hour Finder

As the name suggests, Happy Hour Finder is built to take the guessing game out of where to go for cheap drinks. Bars and restaurants list their happy hours and specials, and their location shows up on a map that leads you right to them. It couldn’t be any simpler, which you’ll be thankful for the next time you’re craving a stiff drink after a hectic flight. Android users, you’ll have to do a bit more research when the thirst for a drink hits. This app is currently only available for iPhone.

Best app for communicating with friends and family back home: WhatsApp

International data and call plans are expensive — like $10 per day expensive — and quickly become absurd if you’re abroad for a significant amount of time. Get yourself WhatsApp and call, text, and share information with people around the world for free. The Facebook-owned service recently dropped its already cheap annual subscription and is now completely free like it was before Facebook bought it. You can make unlimited calls, send unlimited texts, and keep the group chat with your college buddies going no matter where you are in the world. The app begs the question of whether having a traditional cell phone service is even necessary anymore, particularly for those who spend ample time overseas.


9 apps that take the frustration out of travel

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Experiencing culture with the family

When many of us take kids on vacation, we focus on how they can have “fun.” We look for nearby beaches or playgrounds, book hotels with swimming pools, and suss out the most kid-friendly restaurants.

All that effort misses the point of travel. While it’s fine – and only fair, really – to orient some part of your vacation to your kids’ interests, only by gently and even surreptitiously introducing them to the mind-expanding aspects of travel can we whet their appetite for more discovery in the future.

Here’s how to do that:

1. Watch a play in the park.

A post shared by San Francisco Shakespeare Fest (@sfshakesfest) on Jul 22, 2017 at 7:04pm PDT

Something about being outside makes sitting still more palatable to children. (And if they can’t sit still, ever, all the more reason to be outside). Cities the world over host summertime shows in parks, many of which are free or inexpensive. So while dragging your kid to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream at a downtown theater is unappealing, the idea is more tempting when you’re in San Francisco’s grassy Presidio, which hosts an annual Shakespeare festival. Since other families will be there also, your child will see that theater needn’t be just for the grown-ups.

2. Listen to a musical quartet – or an entire symphony – outdoors.

Photo: jurij krupiak/Shutterstock

Come summer, the Seattle Chamber Music Society hosts free outdoor concerts, the New York Philharmonic plays in parks throughout the city, and there are outdoor music events all over the UK. Major cities around the world often host classical music, jazz, or opera concerts outside during their warmer months. So slather on the sunscreen, pack some snacks, and go.

3. Don’t skip that kitschy dance performance

Photo: paula sierra/Shutterstock

Before you had kids, you might have scoffed at other tourists gathering for the folk dance show offered at their hotel. It might have felt contrived, and cocktails at the bar were a more appealing alternative. But in some places, like Hawaii, that music and dance provide a window into the local, indigenous culture that’s hard to find elsewhere. Moreover, the dance troupes often include kids, which will definitely make the show more interesting to your own offspring.

4. Visit a museum

Photo: iakov filimonov/Shutterstock

Taking your kid into a museum isn’t exactly a stealth way to add some culture into your trip, but the visit doesn’t have to be long to be impactful – and we have some tips to make it fun. If you plan it well, by going to a park or getting an ice cream nearby, the museum won’t feel like a deliberate, out of the way choice.

5. Climb a tower

Photo: Soloviova Liudmyla/Shutterstock

Kids can seem willfully impervious to the charms of cathedrals and castles, especially if you visit too many. As long as they’re fed and rested, though, kids will usually welcome a climb. It gives them a tangible goal and, as they whizz up narrow stairwells past older and larger travelers, a supreme sense of satisfaction as well. And they will have seen some historic architecture along the way.

6. Read a book

Photo: Smolina Marianna/Shutterstock

You’d be surprised how many books about artists, architects, and other aspects of culture are written just for kids. Before you visit Barcelona’s famed Sagrada Familia Cathedral, buy a kids’ book about the architect Antoni Gaudi. There are over a dozen in print. (We recommend Building on Nature: The Life of Antoni Gaudi by Rachel Victoria Rodriguez, which explains how nature’s forms inspired him when he was a child.) The same goes for children’s book on Mozart, Picasso, Dali, you name it.

7. Make something

Photo: Max Topchii/Shutterstock

The history of another country or region will come alive for your little ones if they can engage in it more concretely. In Venice, masks were worn for centuries for carnivals and other social gatherings. Take your kids somewhere they can paint masks themselves, and they’ll forever remember that as part of the Venetian experience. Taking a cooking class with your kids is another way to make something that’s locally relevant.

8. Eat or drink something new

Photo: nadyaeugene/Shutterstock

When confronted with an unusual menu, it’s tempting to let your kid lunch solely on the contents of the breadbasket. But your child won’t ever try new foods without that first bite. So if the grilled whole fish at the seaside restaurant isn’t going to go down well, order the fried clams, the fried sardines, or whatever seafood is fried. Fried plus battered is even more sure-fire. Non-fried options include albondigas (meatballs) in Spain and baked empanadas in Argentina. These foods are impossible not to love, and will teach your kid that different cultures can have something tasty to offer.

9. Snack on local pastry

Photo: Maria Sbytova/Shutterstock

Even if you can’t get your kid to try, or at least enjoy, the national dish of Finland (which is salmon, or reindeer if you’re up north), there’s a good chance they’ll be happy to sample the sweet stuff. So buy them a freshly baked pulla, a cardamom-cinnamon roll, and you’ve just taught your kid that if they want to eat it again, they need to travel there.


8 family travel myths debunked

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