It has already become a fact of life that, aside from having fun and collecting positive memories, traveling has a way of enhancing a person’s quality of life. However, several objective studies also confirmed that traveling also enhances the quality of a person.

A research commissioned by the US Travel Association has confirmed that the exposure to an unfamiliar environment jumpstarts a person’s overall mental performance. Hence, these mild waves of ‘fight or flight’ adventurer stimuli encourage the top 5 areas of mental performance:

Spatial Intelligence

Traveling requires a good sense of direction. For better or worse, the misadventures of getting lost or going around in circles within the foreign territory develops that innate mental compass. With enough exposure (say, three months), a person can move around the unfamiliar ‘concrete jungle’ with relative ease.

Enhanced Ingenuity

In a study conducted by a professor at Columbia Business School, people who experienced long exposure to foreign cultures are more creative than their insular peers. After all, it requires a serious degree of flexibility to accommodate more than one type of society – to think outside the box, per se.

Interpersonal Skills

As an extension of ingenuity, traveling also allows individuals to effectively deal with people within the vast cultural spectrum. In fact, being able to turn on the same page with assorted personalities is (arguably) the most crucial career-oriented trait gained of all the top 5 ways traveling makes a person smart.

Knowledge Expansion

Whether it is practicing new useful skills or updating academic trivia, traveling is the ‘textbook and classroom lecture on overdrive.’ Literature provides second-hand knowledge about things that originate in other places. Traveling, however, allows explorers to acquire detailed knowledge via the original source.

Numerical Acumen

Traveling, particularly one that is done solo, entails a gruesome day-to-day logistical assessment. Making every second and every penny count becomes a natural chore of every avid traveler. Simply put it, traveling forces one to do the math on an hourly basis.

Deciding to travel is the first step towards discovering all that the world hides in its four corners. However, with so many options, it can be difficult to choose one in particular. If this rings a bell, you’re in luck! We have some tips for choosing a travel destination, without complications.

Why travel?

Before delving into how to choose a travel destination, you must ask yourself why you want to travel. Needing a break from work is different to having a desire to explore a different culture.

The reasons behind each person’s wish to travel are varied. Likewise, the experience had by each individual on their travels also differs from that which others have had or will have. For this reason, you must first ask yourself what it is you want. Travelling to popular destinations such as Vietnam or Thailand makes no sense for someone who is terrified of spending hours on an aeroplane.

On the other hand, mood will also influence the choice of travel destination, and also, of course, physical condition. The general idea is to choose an option that suits your personal circumstances at the time. If you understand the above, you can move on to our advice and make the decision.

Tips for choosing a travel destination

Identify the purpose of your trip

As previously mentioned, it is important to know what you expect from your holidays before choosing a travel destination. What do you want? Do you want to relax on a deserted beach and leave all your worries behind? If so, there are fashionable destinations like Costa Rica that combine stunning beaches with the power of a volcano. But if you want to find other options, we have some paradisiacal beach destinations for you.

If, on the other hand, you’re looking for wild experiences when it comes to choosing a travel destination, there are also options for you. Sunrises taken right out of Hollywood, animals in their natural habitat and unnavigable roads are some of the experiences that can be enjoyed in destinations such as Africa. The possibilities are endless; identify what you want to experience and adapt your journey to it.

Your time restraints

The length of a holiday is another key point when choosing your travel destination. If you have to take a long-haul flight to get there, this deducts two days from the total time you have, one for the outbound journey and another for the return. In addition to the long journey itself, you need time to adapt to the time difference.

On the other hand, given that these are the places with the longest journey time, it is preferable to opt for them if you have at least two weeks to explore. If your holiday is just seven days, perhaps it would be better to stay in Europe. If you don’t have a set return date, you can take an extra-long trip, even without a return ticket.

The size of your budget

Distance doesn’t always mean a higher price, as it is always possible to find a good offer, wherever your destination. However, it is useful to set a limit on the amount you wish to spend. You must bear in mind that not only will you have to pay for your plane ticket, you also have to think about accommodation, food and the standards of living at the destination.

Some remote areas imply a higher flight price. On the contrary, their currency is worth very little compared to yours. This means that the cost of the tickets can be compensated by lower day-to-day expenses during the holiday. Within Europe, the opposite is often the case; flights can be found at low cost, but accommodation and food costs can be extremely high.

What kind of trip you’re looking for

Continuing on from the previous point, another important point when choosing a travel destination is the type of trip. If you consider yourself an adventurous person, you can let yourself be carried away by the experience and eat in street stalls and other low-budget establishments. Also, when it comes to accommodation, you can share a room with other travellers and get around on foot or rent a bicycle if the terrain permits.

If travelling comfortably and not having to improvise is more your style, it’s going to cost you. Guided excursions, taxis or dinners in restaurants will considerably raise the budget, but will also mean that you can relax more. Make sure your destination gives you what you’re looking for.

If you are planning to travel, take note of these helpful diet tips by celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar.

There can’t be a better therapy than travelling. Escaping from the usual chores and setting yourself free at an idyllic location is something we all need at some point. Backpacking helps us to reboot our minds and soul and bury our worries for some time. But enthusiasm is not the only thing you need to make your trip a success! Eating the right food is also important as it ensures that you remain active throughout the journey. A couple of delicious samosas go great with a cup of tea while we are on the move but those chasing a fitness goal might want to keep their hands off them.

Travelling can often disrupt our eating schedule. But nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, in her latest Instagram post, offers some health tips for those bitten by the travel bug. Take a look:

Here Are Some Diet Tips Suggested By Rujuta Diwekar While You Are Travelling:

1. Avoid Tea and Stay Hydrated

A hot cup of tea or coffee is an essential beverage for journeys. However, the nutritionist advises against consuming chai on the flight and 60 minutes before and after boarding. She also suggests avoiding tea and coffee in a moving vehicle and stresses staying hydrated. Instead of hot beverages, one can keep a water bottle handy and try sipping for the whole journey.

2. Stay Active

Travelling may affect your workout regime but it shouldn’t make you completely inactive. According to the nutritionist, one should opt for hotels that offer access to a gym or provide a yoga mat. She suggests packing your own yoga mat and doing five Surya namaskars on a daily basis. In addition, one can also consider lying in ‘suptabaddhakonasana’ for five minutes at bedtime.

3. Carry The Right Food

Travelling often includes eating a lot of junk and munching a variety of snacks. The nutritionist says that travellers can order food like khichdi, dal chawal, risotto or pasta for dinner and tell the hotel staff when you would like to eat it. When you crave something while you are in transit, chewing some peanuts, pistachio, and cashews, can help deal with it.

Top family travel tips on everything from entertainment to the best time to travel

You’ve booked a dream family holiday in a bucket list destination, and now there’s just one thing standing in the way of you and sun, sea and fun – a long-haul flight.

For some people, the thought of as long as 12 hours on a plane with children is enough to put them off booking a break in a far-flung destination, but with some planning and strategic booking, you will not only be able to survive a long-haul flight with children, but maybe even enjoy it!

Here are seven tools to make long distance travel a breeze, from the time of your flight to the essentials you need in your hand luggage.

Choose your departure time carefully
This is going to be one of the most effective ways to boost your chances of long-haul flight success – choosing the right flight time for you and your family. A daytime flight increases your chances of spending lots of time pacing up and down the aisle and trying to keep little ones entertained, whereas a nighttime flight will hopefully ensure you can all get some sleep, helping the journey to go quicker.

On an evening flight you will likely have an hour or two with the lights on while the meal is served, before they are dimmed for the night, giving you all the opportunity to rest.

Pack plenty of snacks

Snacks are an essential when travelling with children, especially if you’re worried your little ones won’t eat the in-flight meals. Stash some of their favourite snacks in your hand luggage to avoid any hangry meltdowns throughout the flight. Meanwhile, if you’re travelling with a baby, advice from gov.uk states that you are allowed to carry enough baby food, milk and sterilised water as you need for the journey. There is no legal limit to how much you can take, however, individual containers of breast milk must contain no more than 2,000ml.

Bring entertainment

While you don’t want to weigh down your hand luggage with toys and books, a few carefully-selected activities can help to keep children entertained on a long-haul flight. Think colouring, activity or sticker books, or games you can all play together during the journey. Avoid packing toys or games with small pieces, as you may find that you spend much of the flight rummaging around on the floor trying to find lost parts under the seats, not fun for anyone.

A bit of screen time is okay

If there’s a time when screen time may be called for, it’s when you’re confined to the cabin of a plane for hours on end. Take advantage of the entertainment system on board most planes, which will likely have films or episodes of their favourite shows to keep children entertained for a while. You could also try audiobooks or music as a way to engage little ones without them spending the whole journey staring at a screen.

Stretch your legs

Take it in turns to get up and walk up and down the aisle every couple of hours to help children burn off any pent-up energy, keep them entertained, and stretch your legs. It’s also a good idea to encourage your children to be as active as possible at the airport before boarding your flight, to try and avoid them feeling restless early on in the journey – and maybe even tire them out enough to sleep.

Don’t worry about what other people think

There’s bound to be some challenging moments during a long-haul flight, especially with younger children and babies, but try not to worry too much about what other people think. You’re likely to find many other passengers are in the same position as you or may have been in the past, so they will be more understanding than you may think.

Remind yourself why you’re travelling

In trickier moments, remind yourself of the reason why you’re travelling, and the trip you have to look forward to once the journey is over. Take some deep breaths and try to keep calm; regulating your emotions and avoiding getting too stressed will not only help you to handle the situation better, but it can also help your child to calm down too and nip meltdowns in the bud.