Think overnight spa instead of red-eye stress – Airplane tip

by Gadling Staff on

Most people like to travel during the day, but I prefer to take the night flight and pamper myself. In my carry-on, I pack an eye mask, ear plugs, soothing music on my iPod, my fuzziest socks, and a journal.

As we start off, I order a glass of wine and write down my thoughts about the trip, and the top three things I have to do while I am there to feel like I experienced the place.

Then I sit back, listen to my music, wearing my eye mask and fuzzy socks. Before you know it, we have landed, and I am refreshed and ready to explore.

Ask Gadling: Kids, allergies and travel

by Annie Scott on

Traveling into unknown territory can bring up a lot of questions. We’re here to help. This week’s question comes from Sarah in Illinois, whose son has allergies that make it difficult to travel.


“My husband and I love to travel, and our son is just getting old enough to withstand long rides on the airplane. Unfortunately, he has a fatal allergy to nuts. We want to expose him to different cultures and instill our love of travel in him, but we don’t want to be irresponsible parents and are afraid to take him anywhere we don’t speak the language. Help!”

Gadling: You certainly don’t sound like irresponsible parents to me. Don’t worry, you can travel. I’m allergic to nuts myself, and it’s never stopped me. Allergies are becoming more and more prevalent these days, and that’s actually good news for you and me, because across the world, people are starting to understand. Obviously, you should consult with your pediatrician to ensure you cover all the medical bases, and here are four things you can do to help keep your son safe while you travel wherever your wanderlust takes you.

1. Get allergy language cards. Visit SelectWisely.com to purchase strongly-worded cards that explain your son’s allergy in any language and with pictures. There are language barrier issues that could confuse the situation; learning “nuts” in every language won’t necessarily be good enough. In some languages, a nut is considered a fruit, so you’d be saying your son is allergic to fruit, and they might not think twice about serving him chocolate with a little hazelnut or something cooked in peanut oil and so on. Get these cards to avoid confusion and present them at every hotel and restaurant you visit.

View more Ask Gadling: Travel Advice from an Expert or send your question to ask [at] gadling [dot] com.

2. Bring snacks. There is a danger, especially if you’re visiting a second or third world location, of there not being enough good food for your son. Nuts are staples in the diets of many countries, and the less variety of food there is available, the more miserable your son may end up being. Pack some canned food (and a can opener!), beef jerky, fruit rollups, any snacks that you know he can eat. You don’t want to be up a river on a daytrip in Africa with nothing around but groundnuts available for hours.

3. Travel with an EpiPen. This is a no-brainer. You probably already carry one of these for his safety, but in case you don’t, it’s an auto-injection device which your doctor can prescribe. If, despite your best efforts, your son starts to show signs of anaphylactic shock, a quick jab with the EpiPen could save his life by buying him time to get to an emergency room.

4. Consider a cruise. Particularly if you are hoping to travel to Asia, where so many of the sauces use nuts, consider taking a cruise. That way, you can inform the ship of your son’s allergy and eat exclusively onboard if need be.

Good luck and safe travels to you!

Drink lots of water! – Airplane tip

by Gadling Staff on

Most of us underestimate how much water we should consume on a daily basis, but we should not overlook it on the day of a flight!

Water works wonders when it comes to off-setting jet lag. It hydrates and promotes mental clarity. It also helps with fatigue, dizziness and lightheadedness, all common symptoms when we fly.

The best part is: water is free when you’re on board, and you can order as much as you need.

Pro tip: purchase a bottle after you’ve arrived at your gate, and you won’t have to ask for water on the flight.

Five reasons to unplug your vacation

by Annie Scott on

We don’t get all that many vacation days. Even if you think your hard-earned three weeks is cushy, you’ve got nothing on Europe where they typically have weeks and weeks more — even Singaporeans get 30 days. Surveys like this one have proven that Americans don’t even take all their vacation days. I understand this; there’s always a fear that you won’t get ahead as quickly or that people will think you’re “taking advantage.” Unfortunately, in many office cultures, this can be true.

And so, you feel pressured to stay available, even on your vacation. Your away message reads “available by Blackberry.” You ensure your hotel has high speed internet so you can get a little work done. You know what that is? Vacation sabotage. For sending to your boss, or maybe your spouse, here are Five reasons to unplug your vacation:

1. You’ll sleep better.
Part of the importance of vacation is to get some long hours of sleep. That iPhone buzzing, the little red Blackberry light flashing, even the knowledge that you might have a new message, especially if you’re vacationing in a different time zone; these are all things that can mess with your sleep. Though you might have withdrawl for your first night or two, with no one counting on you to be available and no deadlines looming, you’ll sleep much better.

2. Time to think.
For many of us, a day of work is a day of putting out fires. We may come into the office in the morning with a good idea, but by noon there have been several crises and we’ve forgotten all about it. This isn’t the path toward innovation. By unplugging yourself, you allow your mind time to ponder your work experience from the outside. You might be surprised at how you can simplify or improve a business matter by stepping away from it. Unplugging will help you reenter your workplace with fresh eyes, an invaluable commodity.3. Physical and emotional health.
There’s a lot to be said for taking a step back from the stresses of work. Not only can you find new ways to do a better job, but the time also gives your poor mind and body a break. Balancing the stresses of modern day life and work, both physical and emotional, can be quite a juggling act. Don’t bring your laptop and spend time hunched over it like you would back home; unplug and get a massage or lie on the beach — it may be the only rest those muscles get until next year. Furthermore, don’t worry so much about everything, which is what being available will inevitably cause you to do. Constant reminders of what you’re missing at work will interfere with your relaxation. A vacation should be a break from physical and emotional stresses — it’s what you need to have you feeling refreshed when you’re back in that office or cubicle.

4. Your family.
Your vacation may be the longest stretch of time you get to spend with your family … ever. Use the time to get to know them, play with them, love them and don’t waste their time looking for a good wifi signal or make them wait while you answer an email. Staying available and working can lead your family to feel that the vacation is some kind of favor you’re doing them and that you don’t want to be there. That’s not good.

5. You earned it.
Take your vacation days. Take them, and maybe we can get our country’s mindset about these hard-earned days back on track. Request them on one of your good days, so that your request gets returned to you with a smiley face and a “You deserve it” scribbled in the margin. You do deserve to not answer your Blackberry or iPhone while you are trying to unwind. Time things so that your bosses view your unreachability as a reward, not an inconvenience.

Genetically-engineered mosquitoes may help end malaria

by Laurel Miller on

Tropical travelers rejoice: researchers are getting closer to finding a possible vaccine for malaria, using genetically-engineered mosquitoes.

The Anopheles stephensi species is one of the main spreaders of human malaria. By altering its salivary glands, the mosquito acts as a “flying vaccinator,” carrying the Leishmania vaccine within its saliva. About 60 species of the Anopheles are vectors of the malaria parasite, which are transmitted to humans when the female feeds on blood.

Tests showed that when an altered mosquito bit its host — in this case laboratory mice — it became a transmitter of the vaccine. The bites succeeded in raising antibodies in the mice, indicating successful immunization with the vaccine.

It’s hoped that continuous exposure to bites will maintain high levels of protective immunity, through natural boosting, for a lifetime.

Researchers hope the vaccinator mosquitoes could be used to formulate a new strategy in the global fight against malaria. Every year about 250 million people are infected with malaria, and nearly one million die, according to the World Health Organization. In Africa, one in every five childhood deaths is caused by malaria.

There are, however, barriers to using this form of vaccination in the wild, including issues of controlling dosage, “medical safety issues” and the “issues of public acceptance to [the] release of transgenic mosquitoes.” It may not be as romantic as sundowners of gin and tonic (quinine is an old school anti-malarial), but it sure beats the potential side effects of Lariam.