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April 3, 2017 by Chase Vandros

Business Travel Help: Top Apps You’ll Want to Pack in Your Smartphone

In today’s connected world, packing isn’t just about your physical belongings. You can also pack virtual items – smartphone apps that can help you in various ways on your trip.

A smartphone app may even end up being one the most useful things you bring along, and it won’t even make your suitcase any heavier!

Here are some of the top apps to pack for a business trip.

Concur

Concur is the simplest way to track travel expenses, as well as submit and approve expense reports. The app allows you to import credit card data, capture and store receipts, itemize hotels charges and more.

With Concur, you don’t have to worry about carrying around receipts and can get expensive approved in real time.

TripIt

Organizing a business trip has never been easier. Simply import your confirmation emails for hotels, events, flights and more, and TripIt will automatically create an itinerary for you.

This app keeps all your reservations in one place, which helps simplify the planning process and keeps you on schedule. You can even sync it with Concur to save even more time.

Circleback

Managing business contacts can be difficult, especially if you meet a lot of new ones on your business trips.

Circleback stores all of your business contacts in one place and automatically updates their contact information if they change it. You can even scan business cards to quickly load contact info into the app.

Dufl

If you really want to pack light, this is the application for you. Dufl allows you to choose what you want to wear from a virtual closet. The company will then clean it, press it and ship it to your destination. After your trip, schedule a pickup from your hotel and they’ll hang it back up in your virtual closet.

If you hate packing or searching for your bags at the airport, Dufl can help you get out of the terminal and to your first meeting fast.

PandaDoc

PandaDoc is a sleek way to sign, send, track and store legally binding documents. With this app, you can get that contract signed on the spot and send it back to your company as soon as the deal is done.

Automatic Call Recorder for Me

When you’re on the go and you get an important phone call, it can be hard to stop and take notes. With Automatic Call Recorder for Me, you don’t have to.

You can set the app to automatically record certain calls or manually start recording when a call comes in. With this call recorder app for Android, you’ll never forget what someone told you during that important phone conversation.

Yelp

While not strictly for business use, Yelp can certainly help you find your way around an unfamiliar place. You can use this app to find a restaurant to take a client to, order some late night pizza, find a mechanic if you’re having car problems and just find fun things to do with any spare time you have. You can even make reservations easily from the app.

Hipmunk

This app compares top travel sites and shows you the best deals on hotels, flights and more. It’s great for saving money, choosing accommodations and find last-minute bookings if your plans suddenly change.

In today’s world, the apps you load onto your smartphone may be just as important as the stuff you pack in your suitcase. For a successful business trip, download a few of these top business travel apps.

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April 3, 2017 by Chase Vandros

Discovering Latin America: Understanding What Life is Like Amidst the Rainforests and Ancient Ruins

From the Panama Canal to the Mayan ruins of Guatemala, the Andes, the Amazon and everything in between, Latin America has something for everyone, breathtaking views, friendly locals and delicious food in unexpected corners of the globe.

To help you prepare for your upcoming adventure, or perhaps inspire you to embark on your own journey, we’ve gathered a few tips for traveling around in Central and South America.

Plan in Advance

From your flight to your accommodations, as well as all the good stuff you can expect upon arrival, don’t leave your Latin American adventure up to chance, do some research — get the best deal on flights, and set a loose itinerary in place.

Additionally, some countries may require a travel visa, so be sure to find out if one is needed before jumping on that great airfare deal or booking a non-refundable hotel room.

Learn Some Spanish

Being able to speak a bit of Spanish is sure to come in handy. Not only will it improve your experience during your stay (no matter what country you end up in), the locals will appreciate the extra effort, rather than the cringe-y stereotype of the loudmouth foreign visitor. Sure, you’ll come across some communication issues, but why not ease the process. You might even make a new friend or two, or even decide to stay. Here’s a look at some Costa Rica real estate, if you’re serious about making the move down south.

Make Sure You’re Physically Up to the Activities

Across Latin America, whether you’re in Mexico, Costa Rica or as far south as Chile and Argentina, expect to be moving around a lot if you want to get the full experience. In addition to planning your trip, make sure you’re physically fit enough to run after a bus, walk in high altitudes or able to enjoy activities like surfing, swimming or hiking.

In addition to physical fitness, you’ll want to look into whether you need to get vaccinated for malaria or yellow fever well in advance.

Understand the Climate

Latin America is vast, and has a diverse landscape filled with every kind of weather imaginable. If you’re backpacking across all of Latin America, be sure to pack warm clothes for mountain climates, as well as some summery garb (and plenty of sunscreen) for those days spent along the sunny coast. Do your research, but prepare for some unforeseen changes – one thing is for certain, you can’t count on the weather in no matter what country you should find yourself in.

At the end of the day, planning will save you some major headaches, but when you’re on your trip, flexibility may be the key to exploring the country, or countries you visit like a local. Keep an open mind and say yes to something unexpected—you may just get a taste of the Amazonian rainforest you weren’t expecting, or entry into a new friend’s home—adventure lies ahead, and you’ll want to take advantage!

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February 28, 2017 by Chase Vandros

Travel Photography Tips

Australia, with endless beautiful coastlines and harbours, is the perfect setting for landscape photography. With such a beautiful landscape, it is a photographer’s dream, with the setting sun over the Australian coastline offering up the opportunity to create some of the most beautiful photos ever taken.

How do you capture that experience in photography? Most individuals don’t. Instead, they show their pictures with an apology – “I wish you were there”. Some people though, always manage to come home with photos so good you can imagine them photo printed on canvas and hung in galleries or in pride of place in their home. So how do you make sure you come home with a killer shot?

The Magic Hour

Beautiful landscape photos are usually defined by the quality of light they were taken in. As a result, photographers tend to shoot very early in the morning or during late afternoons when the sun is lower, less contrasty and usually displays a subtle colour palette of moody hues. For this reason, the hours before dusk and after dawn are known as the “magic hours”. If rising at dawn doesn’t fit well with your idea of a relaxing trip, don’t worry, there are plenty of great landscape opportunities throughout the day.

Photo credit: AustralianExplorer – It’s hard to take a bad photo of an Australian sunset over the outback

Think Foregrounds

One component that can set apart your landscape photos is to think carefully about the foreground of your pictures and by placing points of interest in them. When you do this you give those viewing the photos a way into the image as well as creating s sense of depth in your photos.

Photo credit: TheCanvasFactory – The harbour and the ferry in the foreground of this shot give the whole frame a real depth. The Opera house in the background is just the icing on the cake.

Consider the Sky

The sky is also a vital element to consider in your photograph. Most landscapes will either have a dominant sky or foreground, unless you have one or the other your photos can end up being fairly boring.

In the event that you have a boring sky, do not let dominate your photos and place the horizon in the upper third of your photo (however you will need to make sure that your foreground is amazing). On the other hand, if the sky is filled with interesting cloud formations and colours, let it shine by placing the horizon lower.

Straight horizons are a must in landscape pictures, unless you want to create certain impressions. Straight horizon adds uniformity and tranquillity to the shots, while a tilted horizon puts viewers off balance. A canted horizon can be very troubling and this technique can be used for intentionally creating this effect.

Composition

Composition is vital to successful landscape shots, and if you don’t know where to start, use “rule of thirds” to get things going. Try to include some rocks, where water is flowing, a puddle reflecting the sunset sky, or even an old tree stump and its weathered texture. Use what is available and let it provide some balance to the background elements.

Photo credit: Queensland.com – The interesting composition of this shot from the Barrier Reef is what really makes the each individual piece stand out.

The Rule of Thirds

To use this rule, imagine 4 lines, 2 lying flat across the image and 2 vertical creating 9 even squares. Some pictures will look wonderful with the focal point in the centre square, but placing the subject off centre will create extra interest as it creates an attractive layout. When an image is taken using this rule the eyes will wander the frame. A photography composed by this rule is more interesting and attractive to the eye.

Polarising Filters

While polarising filters are most commonly used to cut through reflections on water or darken blue skies, they also add an exceptional richness of colours. The idea to using polarising is the understanding that they are flexible. Sometimes a photograph may need a lot of polarisation; other times a little will do, so think about its application.

Take People into Account

Landscape photography is not just about nature; people can also be a vital part of landscape photography. A gorgeous landscape images can also be perfected by a lovely girl or a cute baby jumping or running through the flowers. Place the individual in an off centre position to create interest. Select slower shutter speed if you wish to capture movement or a fast shutter speed if you want to freeze the action.

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February 24, 2017 by Chase Vandros

Top 3 Places For a Great British Holiday in 2017

Since the economic crisis of 2008 and the fall out following it, many of us were forced to start pinching the pennies and cut back on many areas of our lives as prices went up, pay failed to rise and many lost jobs. The result of this on the tourist side of things was that far fewer people went abroad and instead chose to holiday right here in the UK. This actually had a beneficial affect in many ways as it did not only give the economy a boos through the increase in tourism, it also helped a lot of people fall back in love with UK holidays.

If you want to visit some of Britain’s best landmarks and hottest tourist locations in the UK then we have hand-picked our top 3 places where you can enjoy a great British holiday this year and enjoy all the benefits that come with a domestic trip.

Cornwall

If Cornwall was 5 or 6 degrees hotter then it would be one of the World’s finest holiday destinations, unfortunately, it isn’t but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying one of the most beautiful locations in the United Kingdom. Long-stretching beaches, untouched land, quaint fishing villages like St.Ives and Port Isaac, the surfers paradise of Newquay and some of the friendliest people on Earth, Cornwall is full of possibilities for all different kinds of holiday and if you haven’t been then it is time to head across the Tamar Bridge and enjoy this glorious corner of the island, accommodation is plentiful and varied and companies like Blue Chip holidays offer some outstanding holiday cottages for you and the family.

Liverpool

As far as British cities go, London quite rightfully gets much of the headlines but Liverpool should not be discounted as a great holiday destination. The 2008 European city of culture has so much to enjoy and whilst it is a city which has been profoundly important to the UK for many years, Liverpool manages to avoid the hustle and bustle of city life but still offering the level of culture, art, museums, high-grade restaurants and excitement that a great city can. The Albert Docks is a place that shouldn’t be missed, lively bar and restaurants and the World-famous Beatles museum, Liverpool’s finest ever export.

Pembrokeshire, Wales

Wales doesn’t get nearly enough credit as a holiday location and the beaches around the coast of the country are truly beautiful. Pembrokeshire sits in the south of Wales and offers tourists a really traditional British break, The only coastal national park in Britain, Pembrokeshire gives you the best of the seaside combined with open spaces and forest wilderness settings where you can enjoy sports and backwoods living. Thanks to its popularity of the past, this area of Wales is fully geared up for tourists with them parks, hotels, beachside attractions and plenty of fish and chip shops and places to buy candy rock. If you want a truly British holiday this year then head to south Wales.

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February 24, 2017 by Chase Vandros

The ABCs of A Day In Milan

If you haven’t already, you should make 2017 a year of travels. Take yourself on a journey to see the world and discover new and old cultures, and what better place to do it than in Europe? If you are after a taste of social values of all ages, Italy is the place you need to see: Italy, the country that combines traditional cuisine, historic architecture to make you want to pinch yourself to see if you’re not dreaming, and art of the highest standard, is a place like no other. It may seem difficult to believe at first, but the Italian history is a part of everybody’s culture, since the modern thinking of the Renaissance. While you may not speak the language, or know the story of this country, you will recognize the marks left by generations of people who have helped to make the world a little more open and beautiful. And Milan, the financial hub of Italy that hosts centuries of art and culture is the ideal city to dive into the glorious Italian lifestyle.

A Like Architecture

Milan cultivates architectural landmarks like others plant geraniums in their garden: With a facility that makes the envy of many! Renowned for its trendsetting universe, Milan also has beautiful exemplars of classical architectures with il Duomo di Milano and the Santa Maria delle Grazie. Too old? Have a look at the Fondazione Prada that was finished in 2015. The best piece of advice that one could give you when it comes to seeing the Milanese architecture is to pick an accommodation in the town center. This might be difficult to reach with public transport from the airport, especially if you don’t speak Italian, so make sure to get a taxi from the airport – the booktaximilan company is specialized in Milan only transport. Most holidaymakers choose to stay around the Piazza Venezia or the Palestro, as these points are well located for visits.

B Like Buon Appetito

It’s impossible to stay in Milan without enjoying the food culture! So if you want to make the most of it, eat with the locals: They know where the best restaurants are! You will discover that the most authentic food is not in the most touristy restaurants. Traditional Milanese food is everything in town, even next to the big attractions, for those who know where to look. Al Mercante, one of the locals’ favorites, is just next to the Piazza del Duomo with the Cathedral, for example. If you want to see more of the town, try the restaurant tram, the ATMosfera that takes you on a classic ride through the city as you eat.

C Like Cenacolo

Il Cenacolo is the Italian name of the famous Da Vinci’s painting, the Last Supper. You might have seen countless reproductions of this iconic fresco on postcards and in books, but the original one is in the refectory of the monastery next to Santa Maria delle Grazie. Visits only last for 15 minutes, and you are advised to book in advance to see it, but this is worth all the wait in the world.