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9 Weekend Getaway Planning Tips

Sometimes long vacations can be exhausting, time-consuming and costly. So going for a small weekend trip can be adventurous, rejuvenating, memorable and economical as well.

Picking some friends or family members and going for a short trip can be a better option than digging a hole in your pocket for long vacations.

It seems to be an easy task to plan a weekend trip but it is not. Planning a short weekend trip also needs a lot of planning to make it successful and memorable for life.




You have to take care of budget, lodging, what to eat and where to eat and many more things. But it doesn’t mean that it is not doable. Below are some tips which can make your trip easy, enjoyable and memorable.

Choose a destination

This is the first and most difficult step, as many of us are not able to pick up a destination. You must keep in mind that it is your weekend trip, so you need to choose a place which suits you.

thailand beach

In case, you like water then plan for a trip in places like beaches and if you are in love with sightseeing, then choosing places near to you that have mesmerizing views would be the best option.

Always keep in mind, you are going for a short weekend trip and this means you need to choose your destination wisely. Never dwell for places which require a travel time of more than 5-6 hours.

A travel time of more than 5-6 hours will take over the time you are willing to spend at the location enjoy the beauty of the place.



Keep your luggage light

Most travelers don’t know how to keep their luggage light weighted even when the trip is very short. If you are among one of these, this is what you should focus on.

If you are going to hit the road by your personal vehicle, over-packed bags are not much of a problem as you can always put everything in the backseat of the car.

Over-packed bags start creating troubles when you have a flight or a train or any other public means of transport.

You have to first carry the highly weighted bags to the station, then you have to walk down the whole station carrying those bags and then there might be a situation when you have to lift those bags up to put them in a proper place.

So, always carry clothes that are sufficient for 2-3 days and try to avoid extra items which are not necessary as much as you can.

Book Accommodation In Advance

Hotel Room

This is another very crucial thing as you are planning a trip only for 2-3 days. Choosing accommodation very close to your destination would be your best decision.

It is always advised you to pick up an accommodation that is in a walking distance to your destination. Moreover, it is better if you choose an accommodation prior to your journey.

It will be convenient for you and will also prevent you from last time headhunting of hotels. There are a plethora of options for how it can be done. It can be done by online hotel booking or directly contacting the hotel authority for bookings. One more important thing, make sure the place is economical and hygienic.

Choose a travel partner ( or a group )

You must always be fastidious about your travel partner as it is a major factor in the success of the plan. Good travel partner can either be your family members or friends or your colleagues.

A weekend getaway is a good opportunity to spend some quality time with family especially when you find yourself too busy at work during weekdays. A good company always brings happiness and makes your trip more memorable and enjoyable.

Budget Well

This is the most important thing of all. Though you are going just for a weekend, it can still be very expensive if you have not planned it properly.

So, it becomes really important to plan out a budget so that you can avoid extra expenses. Assigning a budget to the trip compels you to avoid extra unnecessary shopping and buying other luxury items that are of a little or no use to you.



Pack some snacks and medicines

First Aid Box

It is good to carry some snacks like fruits, dry fruits, some biscuits with you as it will keep you energetic throughout the journey. You should keep you away from unhealthy and unhygienic food.




Keep basic medicines like paracetamol, antidiarrheal etc. with you as you might not find chemist nearby you when you need it the most. Keep an anti-allergic spray and insect-bite spray with you all the time.

Capture memories

Capture your memories in your camera and make your trip unforgettable. Put your phone on airplane mode as unwanted calls might disturb you during your pleasure time.

You are spending quality time with your loving ones so avoid such calls, email, messages, etc. Rejuvenate yourself during the trip so that you can focus on your office work with more energy than before.

Put your phone off or on Airplane mode

Make sure you are really enjoying the weekend trip. Make sure you put your phone off or on airplane mode. Tell your colleagues or business partners that you will be unable to receive business-related calls during the weekend trip. 

You can put the phone on during the night time or early morning to see if you have received an emergency message or call from your friends/family. In this way, you will soak up more in the environment and you will be able to enjoy your trip.

Have a rough plan for each day

If you really like to get the most out of your trip, we recommend you to come up with a rough plan for each day. Plan a rough itinerary that will help you utilize your trip better.  For example, you can make a list of things to do on Day 1 and then a list of things to do on Day 2.  

Read Best Weekend Getaways near Ahmedabad

 

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6 Tips for Eating Out Alone

 It is true that eating out alone can be haunting for most of us, we usually not think of going to a fancy restaurant to dine alone. It’s common to have a partner while eating out, we love a companion or so, to have social acceptance in a fancy restaurant.

But if you’re like me, who likes to travel alone then I believe you often face this kind of situation in which you have to dine alone. If you’re in an unknown city, wants to eat then you may feel anxious but to enjoy the real essence of solo dining, you have to leave this kind of preconception about solo dining.

It does not always depend on the restaurant to have a complete dining experience, you as a customer also plays a prominent role in it.




You’re planning to travel to a new city, then eating out alone can be a big challenge for you. Most of the time, the main problem uses to be what others would think about me, how am I going to face those people alone, be assured that everyone is busy in their own life.

In this busy life schedule, people do not have time to think about others, so clear your mindset about what people would think. Just pack your bag and start to explore what eating out feels out, maybe it can be just the thing you need to boost your life. Most of the ideas come when you’re alone.

If you’re dining alone then you may know certain rules to be followed, but to have a complete solo dining experience I would suggest to keep the following tips in mind.



Be selective
Always try to be more selective about the place and timings, you do not want to face the rush if you’re alone, waiting is something you would like to avoid if you’re alone.

Do some research about the area, try to go in family hours when things are bit informal and you can have a good meal peaceful. If you know a restaurant you want to go then try to have an advance booking to avoid unnecessary problems, normally lunchtime use to be less crowded, opt for lunch instead.

Remember, you’re going alone so you don’t want to waste your time in the queue, select the restaurant and timings accordingly.

Be relaxed
Eating out alone can be stressful, try to be relaxed, don’t treat your dining as punishment to you enjoy the food and your surroundings. Try to have a refreshing start by ordering something familiar, do not overthink about your choice.

Along with food pan to do something you would do after eating like to go for a movie or shopping. Take it as a reward to be more comfortable about eating alone. You can also add something to drink in your menu, like a beer or wine. It helps to feel relaxed, have a beer and enjoy your meal.

Dressing
Dressing plays an important role to enhance your personality and your confidence. So, when you’re planning to eat out alone always try to go for something comfortable, remember you’re going to enjoy not on a date with someone.

This mostly happens to ladies, try to be as simple as possible about your dress. Be confident, wear something which you think looks good on you and boost your confidence.

Focus more on food than your dress, so try to avoid something new so that you don’t need to think about how you look instead of what you’re going to eat.

Be occupied
Eating out alone can be pretty boring sometime, take a book along to read while you have supper. Always try to keep your mind busy so that you won’t feel boring, entertain yourself with something like a novel.

You can also watch your favorite TV show on your mobile to keep things entertaining. Remember, the key to having a good dining experience is being busy while you’re alone, you can also listen to your favorite artist while having your lunch.

Just don’t let boredom to spoil your solo dining, come up with some ideas to avoid it.




Don’t assume
One of the main problems you have eating out alone is that you assume, everyone is judging you. Don’t worry no one has time to focus on you, everyone is self-absorbed.

Try to be confident and remind yourself that you’re not the center of attraction, most of them have their own stuff to think of. Just be sure you’re feeling good and confident, let others do what they’re doing.

Be aware
Always try to be aware of your surroundings, notice what is going on around you. This can be entertaining, take a look at the couple sitting next to you or a family nearby.



You can also start a conversation if you want, you can talk about the specialty of that restaurant or the area to visit if you’re a visitor. Make sure to know what you’re doing, try not to offend someone or be in trouble.

Read  Wonderful cities for the differently-abled traveler

Read The Ultimate Tipping Guide For Travelers

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5 Tips on How to Keep Your Home Secure When You Are Abroad

You have been out with your family for a vacation abroad and you thoroughly enjoyed yourself on the trip. It was one of the best family trips you have ever had.

You are already missing all the fun you have had during the vacation and you suddenly realize that your house seems unorganized. It doesn’t seem anywhere close to how you left it while leaving for the trip.

It appears like somebody has broken into your house and stole most of your precious pieces of jewelry, electronics, cash, etc. As soon as you realize this, the happiness on your face suddenly turns into sorrow. The glee from the trip instantly changes into glum.

Such instances happen very often in households across the city. There is no certain way to completely prevent it but you can adopt following measures to lower the risk of your house being targeted by burglars or having any sort of infiltration.




1) Make it look occupied

Burglars always target the houses that seem unoccupied for quite a few days so that they don’t get caught during the theft. They ensure the in-occupancy of a house by noticing things like trash in the trash box, newspaper at your door, milk at your doormat, etc.

A stack of newspapers at your door directly indicates that there is no one in the house. This gives bad guys a clue about how long the house has been left vacant for.

Similarly, trash in trash box and milk at your doormat give them intimation about the in-occupancy of the house. Bad guys take advantage of the situation and try their level best to break into your house and steal your valuables.

You must take these things into consideration when you leave your house for a trip abroad. Best practice to avoid burglars getting notice of the in-occupancy of your house is by canceling the newspaper and milk delivery for the days you are out.

In addition to this, you must ensure that you leave your trash box partially filled so that it doesn’t attract burglars’ attention.



2) Be a good neighbor

The best way to keep your house safe while you are on a vacation is to have good neighbors. To have good neighbors you have to be a good one at first.

Having good neighbors decreases the chances of your house getting hit by burglars by almost 100 percent. This is one of the biggest perks of having good neighbors.

Before leaving your house, you may ask your neighbors to keep an eye on your house for any sort of infiltration activity. You can also ask them for the flavor of collecting the newspaper or emails in case you can’t cancel them.

3) Do not publicize your trip

People nowadays have a habit of putting everything on social media. They never even think of the problems they could get into because of this.

These people can’t resist putting their entire itinerary on social media and that’s where they make a huge mistake. This attracts the attention of all the burglars in the city to their houses.

Burglars keep a track on your social media. So once you put anything about your trip on social media, they get to know about it.

They exactly know if there is anyone left in the house or not. They also know about the number of days you are out for. This gives them very easy access to your house.

So it is always advised not to make your trips public on social media. You may tell your close ones about the trip but publicizing it on social media is highly risky.



4) Ensure the safety

You must ensure the safety of the valuables. Keep them out of sight and never leave them at a place where they are clearly visible through the window.

Put small sized things like jewelry, cash in lockers and ensure that you have properly locked it. If you want to conceal any precious thing, avoid putting it at obvious hiding places like a shoe rack, kitchen, etc.

Burglars are smart enough for these tricks. Try putting layers of cover over your valuables and put them at places that are not easily accessible to everyone.

Best practice is to hand over your cash or jewelry to any trustworthy friend or relative and take it back once you return. This won’t leave a chance of those things being stolen.




 5) Check the insurance

If you have your valuables covered under any insurance policy, ensure that the policy is valid till the time you come back. If the insurance is about to expire, make sure that you renew the insurance before you start your journey.

Check carefully all the terms of the policy and notify the insurer about the home-sitter if asked for in the policy. Check if there are any instances where the insurance doesn’t stand valid and make sure you prevent such instances if there is any.

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The History Of Blogging And Its Evolution

Introduction

Blogging is an everyday activity on this day. There personal blogs, informative blogs, and any blog you want. The evolution of blogs has taken place over the past few years. This new digital world has made it possible for people to blog from anywhere. It is a way of communicating with people of the same interests. In its early years, blogging was like a personal diary. As the years went by, it evolved from being a personal diary. Today, we find companies, organizations, and business blogging. It is a way of connecting with their customers. They are a source of news, gossips, and interesting facts. Businesses use blogs to build their brands and attract customers. There is nothing that you cannot do using blogs. But this change did not take place overnight. It has taken years to transform it into the platform it is today. Like most digital platforms, it also has a future. Below we explore the history of blogging. We focus on its humble beginnings and its change over the years.

 

1994-1999; humble beginnings



The first blog was created by a student at Swarthmore College in 1994. At that time, the term ‘blog’ had not been invented yet. So the first blog was called links.net. Justin Hall, the student, named his blog personal homepage. It was a brief content on his own life. Besides, it had links and photos that Justin found interesting while surfing the web. A group of other bloggers also started uploading their content online. Bloggers called them online diaries or personal homepages. In 1997, Jorn Barger created a blog named Robot wisdom. It was this year that the term weblogging replaced online diaries. The term came from the process of logging in to the web. In 1998, Jonathan Dube wrote the events of hurricane Bonnie for the Charlotte Observer. Open Diary was the next new platform that year. This platform allowed users to leave comments on people’s content. In 1999, Peter Merholz shortened the term web blogging to ‘blogging’. In the same year, three new blogging platforms went up. They were the ‘Blogger’, ‘and Live Journal’. The other new platform ‘Xanga.’ More people started blogging on these new platforms. The famous Pyra Labs founded the Blogger. Google later acquired the platform. Google made the platform accessible to everyone for free. This was the first step into mainstream blogging. These three platforms opened up this digital space for many people. In 1994, blog readers were family members and close friends. They did not circulate to many people as they do today. Five years later on, the Merriam Webster named it word of the year. This became pushed blogging into the mainstream as more people started blogging. From 1994 to 1999, bloggers had to update their blogs in a manual way. Bloggers used a central homepage/archive to upload their content. It was easy for programmers who could create their platforms. Otherwise, it was a very hard process to keep your readers updated.

Growth of blogging

A study in 1999 showed that there were 23 blogs at the time. By the mid-2000s, there were at least 50 million blogs. The 2000s was a new millennium that made blogging the platform it is today. Several eventful years led to the exponential growth of blogging. To start with, political blogging became popular. Several politicians used blogging to communicate their ideas. Examples of political candidates who used blogging are Wesley Clark and Howard Dean. Bloggers picked up on comments made by politicians when media houses could not. This transformed the blogging field. In 2001, bloggers started posting how-to- content. They also had blogging content on how to blog.

Meta blogs became the new big thing during this year. Some of the meta blogs that came up that year included Gizmodo. Others were Boing Boing and gawker. In 2002, the first blogging search engine was launched by Technorati. In the same year, blogger Heather Armstrong was fired. The blogger had posted content relating to her coworker’s personal lives. This was the start of the debate on privacy issues in blogging. The problem remained controversial until 2011 when the discussion was settled. It was one of the notable events in the blogging world that have affected it. That same year, Melinda Roberts founded the first mommy blog. It has been a pacesetter for over 3.9 million blogs in North America. The early 2000s laid out the foundation for present-day blogging.

2003 was also a remarkable year for blogging. The launching of the famous WordPress took place in May 2003. Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little started working on Word press from 2001. The site featured a new admin interface. It also had selection templates for the writers. Again in 2003, Six Apart launched Type pad. This platform is still used to host blogs for news companies like MSNBC and BBC. It was in this year that Google acquired Blogger and made it a free platform.

In 2004, the first blog to contain visual content was set up. Steven Garfield included short videos on his blog. A study done in 2005 showed that 32 million Americans read blogs. Also, Garrett Graff was the first blogger given press credentials by the white house. 2005 was a year that marked the presentation of video blogs. Also, the Huffington Post was launched two months later. This was the beginning of the change between traditional news and digital news. It was also the year that YouTube was launched. Google later acquired this platform in 2006. As the mid-2000s swept by, blogging gained a new perspective. Most media houses had their blog sites. They also partnered with other bloggers to provide quality content. For example, CNN worked with Mashable editors and writers for their blogs. The popular blog TechCrunch was also bought by AOL. These steps blurred the lines from blogs being a personal hobby to a full-time job. Professionalism also increased as more politicians chose to use blogs. Most of them voiced their opinions and connected with readers through blogs. By the end of 2010, there were more than 152 million blogs in the world. A large percentage of media houses owned blogs. Besides, businesses, organizations, and individuals also had blogs.

Microblogging and Tumblogs



Microblogging is the new wave in the blogosphere. Twitter was the first platform used for microblogging. It started as an internal communication platform for Odeo employees in 2006. It was also made public in July 2006. This platform has since grown such that there are 6000 new tweets every second. This platform has a traditional touch of blogging. It also allows other bloggers to follow you. In 2007, Tumblr was launched. It was a unique platform that allowed individuals to post videos. Besides, they could also use images and gifs for their content. It also allowed users to format their content as they liked. These two platforms had social media appeal to them. Individuals can connect with people of the same interests all over the world. Tumblr boasts of over 30 million active users. Microblogging has changed the face of blogging. The traditional blogs involved very long content. With microblogging, users post short content as much as they can. The other microblogging platform is Posterous. It was established in 2008. Users post their content using an email or on the online platform editor. It is a unique platform, as it is considered a live streaming app. These three apps have one thing in common. They allow users to reblog other people’s content. Reblogging is a unique way of sharing content you have liked with your followers. This has made connectivity and communication easier.

The rise of microblogging has made people more confident to share their lives. Besides. People also express their opinions with confidence. It is a platform that brought people more together. As such, there are issues caused by microblogging. This earned confidence has caused people to be spiteful and spread hatred. Most people hide behind their keyboards as they express their opinions. This is especially true for individuals who post harmful content and comments. Cases of cyberbullying through microblogging platforms are increasing. This has resulted in cases of people harming themselves. This calls for the question of online boundaries. Again a debate came up on whether to establish a set of conduct for bloggers. Kathy Sierra pushed the agenda in 2007. A draft of the bloggers’ code of conduct written by Jimmy Wales is there to establish boundaries.

The future of blogging

In 2012, the cofounder of Pyra Labs launched medium.com as a new blogging platform. Medium is a blogging platform for leaders, artists, and thinkers. It is a site where individuals publish personal stories and beliefs. Users publish articles that relate to current trends. Medium also allows individuals to blog on informative ideas. Some even publish how-to articles. It is a platform that is growing every year and allows the free expression of ideas. In the same year, the LinkedIn Influencers program was established. This program was for business figures alone. It was later made free for all LinkedIn members. The growth of technology and social media plays a big role in the blogosphere.

More people are leaning towards multimedia content creation. As such, there is an increase in the number of vloggers and podcasts. These are methods that make blogging more personal and appealing. As such, microblogging platforms are likely to grow as they have this option. Also, blogging for commercial purposes is likely to go up. Most blogging platforms allow you to connect with social media sites. This way, you gain an audience from either side. Linking these platforms is a way of gaining new customers. It is a channel of establishing commercial brands. Note that individuals are also using the blogosphere to create brands for themselves. Besides, you can earn money from blogging. More people are opting to become content creators for blogging platforms. To keep up with these new uses, the blogosphere is likely to improve. This also means that blogging is a digital platform that is here to stay. Further changes may be made to suit the transformation in the digital space.



Conclusion

The last 25 years in the blogosphere have been exciting. A lot has changed since the first blog post was made. Blogging has evolved from being personal diaries to becoming commercialized. It is a landscape that has a promising future. More people are reading blogs now than ever. Besides, almost every business, company, and organization has a blog. A large percentage have hired people to create their content. This means that jobs around blogging are likely to increase with time. Besides, most companies are using blogging as a marketing technique. We expect that it will become a channel of reaching consumers. More businesses are creating their brands through blogging. It is the best way to push a brand connected to a social media platform. Some issues are arising with blogging. The first is that on false advertising. Consumers may avoid buying items advertised through blogging. Yet, those who do vlogging and podcasts may attract customers using their platforms.

Customers appreciate the content they can relate to. Vlogging gives them this choice. Another issue is the conduct of bloggers. There are no set boundaries on most blogging sites. People may post hateful and harmful content on their websites. Cases of cyberbullying through these platforms. This has negative effects on people’s lives. Individuals between 12 to 25 years are affected by these cases. They are a large demographic using these platforms. There is a need to come up with measures to counter this issue. These issues will not affect the progress of the blogosphere. Blogging is a source of all types of information. The platform is not likely to go away any time soon.

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10 Best Things to do in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka should be top on your bucket list because of all the right reasons. It is a must go for travelers; whether you are looking for an entertaining destination for a family with kids, a quiet place for a solo traveler, or romantic getaway, there is something exciting for everyone on the island.

The island is home to the renowned ancient ruins, luxury hotels, rich national parks, and tea estates. With all this, it is hard to tell the best places to visit because it is all amazing. However, we were able to come up with a list of 10 things you should not miss to do in Sri Lanka




1. Visit the Colombo

There is a lot to learn about the colonial culture of Sri Lanka in this ancient capital. The culture, religion, and races here are incredible. The city’s sky is amazingly unique; it keeps changing to give it the old and new allure.

The neighboring towers and colonial-era buildings make it unique. Be sure to explore the colorful silks and fragrances that make the Colombo Fort a unique destination. The merrymaking ideas and kite flying make it memorable for kids.

2. Hike on Sigiriya rock

It is named by the locals as the eighth wonder of the world; it is among the seven world heritage sites of a ruined place. The rock runs from jungle to jungle and sits on the slope and summit of granite peak.

Sigiriya is not a disappointment; there are multiple galleries and a series of staircases from the gigantic lion constructed with bricks and plaster. The stone stairs are unique; it is associated with the giant teeth. On your way, you will come across pools, gardens, and villas.



3. Local cuisines

The geographical location of Sri Lanka attributes to its wide variety of rice. The melting pot cuisine is as a result of the Indian Ocean and mix of the western and eastern culture.

There is a lot to expect from the Sri Lanka kitchen because of the variety of rice. Besides, the seafood and tropical fruit add to the rich culinary styles on the island. There is a wide array of flavor combination.

4. Adam’s peak

Consider this a pilgrimage trip to the central highlands.  It is an iconic landmark on the island, which is surrounded by forested hills and distinct mountain structures.

The mountain sizes are unique; it is also home to the Buddhist place of worship. The place has been existent for the past thousand years. The goal of visiting here is to get to the peak of the mountain at sunrise. Make sure you climb at night, it is an unforgettable experience with the stars overhead.

5. Whale watching

A whale is the biggest creature in the world, it is also rare. You will not find it swimming close to the land and this is why you should visit this part of Sri Lanka.

There is a 90% chance that two or three of the blue whales will glide past you on the coast. You will come across guides that will ensure you have the best experience; you won’t miss a clear view of a whale. They also ensure you don’t disturb the natural habitat.



6. Ayurveda

Ayurveda is one of the oldest forms of healing, which is traced back to Sri Lanka. It is a combination of diet, massage, herbs, hydrotherapy, and oil treatment that saves everything from migraine, arthritis, diabetes, and blood pressure; it also helps in alleviating stress.

7. Central highland tea

Sri Lanka is at 800 ft. above sea level hence the best for tea growing. The landscape makes it the best for tea growing; the waterfalls and plunging ravines are recognized and listed in the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The highlands are also close to the hillside, which attribute to the influence of British colonial culture.

8. Galle Fort stroll

While it was discovered in the 16th century, Galle Fort developed and was recognized after the 18th century after the Dutch visited the Sri Lanka coast. It later established as a British Colombo.

Today, the buildings have been restored to modern hotels and cafes. It is a mix of the UNESCO architectural styles and traditions of South Asia.

9. Leopards in Yala National Park

Sri Lanka is diverse with its natural heritage; you have a chance to enjoy wildlife in the oldest National park on the island. It was originally used as a hunting ground for the British rule.

It is rich in varieties; at least 44 mammal varieties and 215 bird species. It is the most famous for majestic elephants, peacocks, and crocodiles. However, it is renowned for its high population of leopards. You will meet other tourists probably on the same mission.

10. Tropical beaches

Apart from the sceneries and wildlife, Sri Lanka is top on tourist destinations around the world because of its tropical beaches. The golden sand beaches and tropical coastline attribute to the beautiful beaches.



It is not easy to pick out the best beach considering it is an island on the Indian Ocean coastline. The palms, clear sand, and turquoise water make it the best place to relax on a holiday.

The beaches, wildlife, food, and welcoming locals make it a top tourist destination in the world.

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