John

Are you set for a year of fun, sun and travel? Whether it’s your gap year or sabbatical, going around the world will be the most exciting time of your life. While you might have to give up a couple of things with each country you visit – you won’t get your beloved Marmite everywhere – the one thing you won’t miss out on is playing casino games online. There are great operators on each continent so let’s have a look at the best places to try your luck while abroad. (Source: https://www.sister-sites.co.uk/)

Europe – Casino Gods from Genesis Global

Casino Gods is an online casino that only launched in 2019. The site is operated by Genesis Global Limited and is available throughout Europe in jurisdictions such as Sweden, the UK, Malta, and more. It offers over 1,000 unique games from some of the most popular game providers, and users who register at the site will have access to games including video slots, table games, jackpots, and live casino.

The online casino also provides players with a wide range of promotions and bonuses, including VIP Clubs and loyalty schemes which offers even more rewards to loyal customers. What’s more, Casino Gods has several sister sites operated by Genesis Global Limited which are available across Europe.

Australia – G’Day Casino from White Hat Gaming

G’Day Casino is an online casino operated by White Hat Gaming Limited which uses an Australian theme. You’ll spot kangaroos and the Syndey Opera House on the G’Day Casino website, and once registered will have access to a gigantic collection of casino games from some of the most notable game providers. This includes Microgaming, NetEnt, and Big Time Gaming.

If that’s not enough for you, G’Day Casino offers several exciting promotions for both new and regular players, and it has several notable sister sites from White Hat Gaming Limited, all of which provide a great selection of games and promotions.

New Zealand – Mr Play from Aspire Global

Mr Play is an online casino operated by Aspire Global Limited which offers a vast collection of casino games from video slots and table games to live casino and scratchcards. The website is known for its excellent customer service, as well as for its mobile-friendliness.

The online casino, which also operates in the United Kingdom, recently celebrated its second birthday and currently offers numerous promotions and bonuses to both new users and loyal customers. Its rewards scheme amplifies that by providing users with ways to claim additional rewards by redeeming loyalty points for bonus funds.

North America – 888 Casino from 888 Holdings PLC

888 Casino NJ is an online casino popular in North America. The online casino, which also operates in Europe, is regulated by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. It offers an extensive collection of games including video slots, jackpots, table games, and live casino too. All of the games are provided by leading developers such as NetEnt and Microgaming, and you’ll find some of the most popular casino games also.

If that isn’t enough, 888 Casino is giving away up to $2,000 as a welcome bonus across two deposits, plus a free $20 no deposit bonus too! It doesn’t end there; however, as the online casino offers regular bonuses every day of the week and even has a loyalty scheme where you can claim bonus funds and other rewards. What more could you want?

Asia – Videoslots from Videoslots Limited

This hugely popular online casino has been around since 2011 and operates in various jurisdictions around the world, including Europe, the UK, North America, and parts of Asia. The website is famous for offering over 2,000 unique casino games, most of which are video slots. However, you’ll also find table games, live casino, jackpots, and scratch cards too. All of this will help keep you busy for a long time.

What’s more, the Videoslots casino site is known for its various promotions and bonuses that are available to both new players and regular users. The customer support is regularly praised too so if you run into a problem there’s absolutely nothing to worry about.

 

It’s inevitable for you to experience problems while planning a trip. You might have problems with the reservations and other crucial details. Despite these issues, you need to find a way to pursue the trip. You can’t give up because you experience problems along the way. If every person who organised a trip decided to cancel because of some problems, nothing would happen.

There’s always an alternative

When parts of your plans don’t happen, you can always move on to the next choice. There’s no need to give up after the first try. The alternative plan might even be better than what you intended. For instance, if you can’t pursue a trip on a specific date due to the weather conditions, you can always try a different date. If you want to insist on having a trip on those dates, you can decide to look for a different place.

Stay positive

You also have to remain positive despite what happens while planning. You can feel frustrated, but don’t allow it to prevent you from doing what you want. Besides, once the trip has materialised, you will forget everything that happened. You will feel good because you know that you worked hard for this trip. You also get to visit the places that you always longed to see.

Ask for help

If you still can’t pursue the plan despite trying alternatives, it might be time to look for help. You can ask a travel agency for help. You need someone to arrange the details of the trip for you. As long as you’re willing to pay for these services, you won’t have to worry about the results.

Find a nearby place

If travelling abroad takes a lot of time and effort to organise, you can decide to stay local. It will still be a good trip, and you can find big houses to rent in a nearby place. Check the available amenities, and you might fall in love with such accommodation choices. You can experience what it is like to be a wealthy person living in a mansion. The house could have an indoor pool, fitness gym, sauna, jacuzzi, and even a golf club. It would be a great experience for you and your entire family. You might not succeed in going to another country, but you can at least try something new.

Prepare better for next time

You need to learn from any problems you might experience. Next time, your trip could be better because you already know what might go wrong. You will also allow more time to prepare for the trip. Even if you still experience setbacks, you can’t let anything stop you from pursuing future trips. Use each planning experience as an opportunity to learn and get better at it. Don’t stress out since it goes against the whole point of travelling. You want to go to other places to relax; it doesn’t make sense if the plan makes you feel exhausted and stressed.

Older people are travelling more than ever. According to a new survey from over-50s travel insurance specialist Avanti, the number of UK residents aged 65 and over travelling abroad has risen by 35% in the past 20 years, faster than the rate of growth in the over-65s population in that time.

Similar trends are being seen all over Europe. By 2020, EU figures suggest that people aged 60-plus will account for a quarter of all overseas visitors to the continent, as well as travel between European countries.

However, there is also evidence to suggest that the overseas travel trend amongst older people is not as strong as it could be. Avanti’s stats highlight, for example, that while over-65s represent 23% of the EU population, they represent just 18% of EU citizens who travel outside their own country annually.

So what might be holding senior citizens back from booking those trips abroad? Avanti’s research reveals some interesting figures which hint at a range of economic and cultural differences from country to country.

Health and money

In Spain, Germany and France, for example – three of Europe’s wealthiest economies – health concerns were the most common reason given by people aged 65 and over who had not travelled abroad in the previous 12 months (cited by 40%, 37% and 33% of respondents from those countries respectively). In Bulgaria, Hungary and Greece, by contrast, money (or a lack of it) was the most common reason for not travelling, cited by 49%, 46% and 43% respectively.

However, while it was behind financial concerns, health was also given as a reason by 36% of Bulgarian senior citizens and 33% of Greek, so on a par with France and Germany. And to confuse any straightforward interpretation that older people from Europe’s wealthier countries are less likely to be put off travelling by money concerns, 41% of survey participants from the UK said finance was their biggest obstacle to travelling, while just 12% mentioned health – the lowest figure in any country surveyed.

Just to provide a further point of contrast, in Italy there was little to choose between the number of older citizens who cited money as a main reason not to travel abroad (27%) and those who mentioned health (28%), while a similar proportion (26%) also said they simply had no interest in going overseas. Other countries with a similar level of disinterest in overseas travel amongst their older citizens included Spain (also 26%), Germany (22%) and UK (20%), while by contrast these figures dropped to 1% in Bulgaria and 3% in Hungary.

Health travel insurance costs

Overall, then, health and money stood out as they key reasons why older people across Europe might choose not to travel. And Avanti’s survey also revealed how, for many senior citizens, these two concerns collide in one very specific area – the cost of travel insurance.

Across all age groups who took part in the survey, 75% of respondents said that the price of travel insurance was likely to be the main financial concern for older people looking to travel abroad, rising to 85% of people aged 65 and over. This suggests a remarkably high level of awareness of an issue that has become increasingly prominent in recent years – that older people are getting priced out of overseas travel not by air fares or accommodation costs, but by punitive hikes in travel insurance premiums slapped on because of their age.

Insurance companies, including travel insurance providers, have been given exemptions from anti-discrimination laws passed across Europe over the past decade of so, such as the UK’s Equality Act. From a travel insurance company’s perspective, the rationale is that older people are more likely to fall ill or have an accident while abroad. As medical care in a foreign country is often very expensive, travel insurance providers view older travellers as a bigger risk, and have lobbied hard to be allowed to continue charging them more for policies.

However, questions are now being asked about just how fair the price increases applied by many insurance providers really are. A recent study by Which?, for example, found that the cost of single-trip insurance policies could double for travellers from the ages of 64 to 70, while keen holidaymakers in their 80s could expect to be charged six times more for an annual multi-trip policy than they were in their 50s. The sum effect is that many older people are finding that the cost of travel insurance is making going abroad unaffordable.

What many older travellers object to in particular is that these high price hikes are applied by insurance companies across the board, regardless of whether there is anything in their medical history to suggest they represent a higher risk. Surely a fairer service is that already offered by specialist ‘senior’ travel insurance providers, where policies are offered on the back of individual medical screening, and the details of cover as well as the cost are tailored to meet the needs of the individual.

For more insights from Avanti’s study of travel trends amongst the over-65s, click here for the full article.

With the holidays right around the corner, many people are already thinking about making New Year’s resolutions. But yours aren’t necessarily about cutting back on things you enjoy for your own good. No, you’d rather focus on indulging more in 2020, including traveling more and checking far-flung destinations off your bucket list.

After all, travel has ample scientifically-proven benefits. In particular, it can decrease stress and anxiety, boost creativity, lower your risk of depression and increase your overall level of happiness and satisfaction in life. With that in mind, you may want to consider adding the following must-see destinations to your travel bucket list for 2020:

1. Alaska

You don’t have to leave the U.S. to experience unrivaled natural beauty. Instead, you can just head north to enjoy an Alaska cruise vacation. Our 49th state has become a popular cruise destination in recent years, and for good reason: There is a staggering amount of picturesque rugged terrain and untouched natural beauty to see and experience firsthand.

Alaska has something to offer for adventure seekers and nature lovers alike. Go whale watching and spend time learning about the area’s Gold Rush history and local native cultural traditions. Love to fish? Alaska offers unmatched fishing opportunities. In fact, you can take a fishing trip with a seasoned local angler to catch some local King salmon or halibut.

For those looking for a wilder adventure, there are also glacier excursions, sea kayaking through fjords, ATV tours, ziplining and whitewater rafting. With so many uniquely Alaskan excursion options, it will be sure to be the trip of a lifetime.

2. Southeast Asia

Explore the jewels of the Far East with a cruise through Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bali and Indonesia. These areas offer abundant natural beauty and unique cuisine. Then again, traveling to this region can be an intimidating prospect due to language barriers and transportation limitations, making Southeast Asia an ideal cruise destination.

A cruise offers all the creature comforts you already enjoy and to which you’ve grown accustomed, while also providing a reliable means of travel to help you make the most of your time, including seeing the sights that each of the exotic ports of call have to offer.

From city tours of the modern metropolis of Kuala Lumpur and exploring the cultural attractions and ancient Buddhist temples in Penang to exploring the stunning beaches of Phuket and nearby Phi Phi Island, there is much to see and little left for you to plan. In particular, we recommend going on elephant safaris and heritage site tours in Bali and discovering the botanic gardens and iconic sights of Singapore.

3. Australia and New Zealand

Discover the Land Down Under by cruising around Australia and New Zealand. Both countries offer a wide variety of landscapes, from the scenic beaches of Sydney and Melbourne to the rugged terrain of Tasmania and the towering fjords of New Zealand.

This corner of the world is steeped in natural beauty, offering unique wildlife adventures, outdoor thrills and unmatched cultural experiences that include learning about indigenous Australians and Maori people. Opt for a longer stay that will allow you to see more of this special corner of the world, with can’t-miss stops like Sydney, Melbourne, Fiordland National Park, Hobart, Wellington and Auckland.

In 2020, Challenge Yourself to Experience Something New

Whether you decide to travel to Alaska, Southeast Asia or Australia in 2020 (or even all three), prioritizing exploration and experiences beyond what you already know is one of the most life-changing things you can do for yourself in the coming year. By pushing the boundaries and stepping beyond your comfort zone, you can find a wealth of self-growth and improvement far above what you may imagine.

Over the past decade or so, tourism in Peru’s shot up dramatically. Back in 2010, there were barely 2,500,000 tourists; in 2018, that number shot up to 4,419,430!

Yes, the availability of affordable flights has influenced Peru’s tourism.

But also, their beautiful country and culture are big factors as well! There is plenty to experience that you are bound to appreciate.

Wondering why the best time to go to Peru is now? We’ll tell you all about this fascinating country.

It’s Very Accessible

As I mentioned above, in general, international travel’s become easier than ever. Not only are there more flights to previously hard-to-reach places, but airlines have gotten so competitive that you’ll often find great steals for tickets.

No matter where you live in the United States, you’ll probably find an airport near you that’ll take you to Peru.

These include LAX (Los Angeles), MIA (Miami), JFK (New York), DFW (Dallas), ATL (Atlanta), IAH (Houston), EWR (Newark), and IAD (Washington, D.C.).

What’s even better is the airline LATAM is partnered with American Airlines through the Oneworld alliance, which means you can use your AAdvantage membership points to fly to Peru.

So there’s the possibility that you can fly there for free!

When you land in Peru, you won’t be restricted to just a few cities either. If you want to fly within the country, you’ll be pleased to know that the majority of flights are very affordable and even cheap. So you’ll be able to roam the country without spending an arm and a leg.

The Food Is Amazing

Perhaps you’ve heard of the dish ceviche; it’s made of raw seafood in citrus juice, other seasonings, and cilantro. Bet you didn’t know it was from Peru!

This refreshing dish should give you a clue into how fantastic Peruvian cuisine is. Even if you’re not a foodie, you’re sure to appreciate all the Latin foods available in this country.

In fact, the country’s capital Lima is pretty much the place to go in South America for Latin cuisine. Lima is home to chefs Gaston Acurio and Virgilio Martinez; the latter’s won the Chef’s Choice Award. This award is nothing to sneeze at, as it names him the best chef in the whole world.

Not only do 2 world-renowned chefs come from Lima, but it’s also host to 2 restaurants that have made it into the top 10 of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. So if you travel to Lima, make sure you dine at either Central Restaurante, Maido, or both.

But you don’t necessarily have to stick to elegant, expensive restaurants while you’re in Peru.

You should also enjoy what the local cuisine offers, such as dishes that use traditional Andean crops and Amazonian fish and fruits. Meals are inexpensive as well, so you can get a thorough taste of the local cuisine without spending too much.

Their Drinks Are Tasty

Of course, I’m talking about alcoholic drinks here. This country makes pisco, which is a type of brandy that’s either colorless or yellow. If you’re of drinking age, then don’t miss out on giving this a taste.

You can even visit the Museo Del Pisco in Lima, where you can learn all about this brandy.

After you’re done walking through the museum and have learned all about this alcoholic drink, you can then continue onto its part. Here, you can try a wide variety of cocktails.

It Has One of the 7 Wonders of the World

Yes, I’m talking about Machu Picchu. Back in 1981, this grand site was made into a Peruvian Historic Sanctuary, then a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. Finally, in 2007, it was voted as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

All the above should make it very obvious that Machu Picchu is not only a national treasure, but also a worldwide one as well.

This Inca citadel was built back in the mid-1400s, which makes it very impressive that it’s still standing today. Make sure you make room in your itinerary for Machu Picchu, as it’ll be an unforgettable experience.

Enjoy Breathtaking Beaches

Peru is home to some of the most breathtaking beaches around. If you’re a surfer, then you’ll want to visit Mancora, which is a top surf destination.

More specifically, short boarders will like Punta Roquitas, while longboarders will like Playa Wakiki instead. And if you want to conquer huge waves, visit Chorrillo, where you can find La Herradura. This is a left-hand point break you don’t want to miss out on.

Even if you’re not a surfer or lover of beach activities, it’s still worth it to make a trip down to Peru’s beaches. Whether it’s a stroll down the boardwalks or a lazy afternoon suntanning on the sand, you and your friends or family will have an outstanding time.

See Lots of Natural Landscapes

Peru is home to so many natural landscapes that are unique to this country. If you’re a fan of the great outdoors, then you’ll have a fantastic time here.

For instance, there’s the Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca). As the name suggests, this stunning peak has a wide array of colors due to erosion, glaciers, and tectonic shifting.

Other notable areas include Lake Titicaca, the Amazon River, and Colca Canyon.

If you end up loving Peru so much you want to stay there, then you might be interested in purchasing land or property. Check here for what’s available and you can even brainstorm how you’ll build up your own house.

The Best Time to Go to Peru Is Now

After reading this article, now you’ve realized that the best time to go to Peru is now!

This country is nearby and has tons to offer, so what are you waiting for? Book your plane tickets, pack your bags, and leave on a wonderful adventure!

For more fascinating articles on travel, please check out my other blog posts.