Share postcards from YOUR hometown – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Whenever I travel overseas, I always pack a stack of postcards from North Carolina and my hometown, Asheville, located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains.

The postcards show beautiful scenery, and they pinpoint a location some non-Americans might be unfamiliar with. By sharing my postcards, anyone can start a generic conversation (e.g., “This is where I live…”) and go from there.

Bonus: by giving someone a postcard, it becomes a souvenir from our meeting. Add your contact info on the back, and you can always stay connected.

Pack sesame oil – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Jetting off to the Swiss Alps or making your first trek up Kilimanjaro? Besides the basics, make a quick trip through your natural health store or local grocer and grab one last essential — a small vial of Sesame Oil.

Used extensively in India as a healing agent, and often used in Asian cuisine, this inexpensive remedy can also be used to aid breathing and prevent clogged nasal passages while in extremely cold temperatures or high altitudes.

And, while most cultures say it’s rude to insert foreign objects in one’s nostril, a quick pass with an oil-slicked finger will keep you breathing free and clear… and isn’t that always more polite than constant sniffling?

Daily Pampering: Oberoi’s take on India

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you’re going to go all the way to India, you need to make the trip worth it. So, don’t waste your time thinking about short stays. Oberoi Hotels & Resorts is offering a new deal: “Oberoi Exotic Vacations. From April 16 to September 30, 2010, you’ll be able to spend at least eight nights at one of its properties in India and enjoy breakfast for two every day, an additional room for two kids (free), a car to take you from the local airport or train station to the hotel, yoga sessions and a 25 percent spa discount. Stay at least 10 nights, and you’ll be upgraded to a suite automatically (based on availability, of course).

You’ll have your choice of cities in India. Oberoi properties in New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Ranthambhore and Kolkata are participating, as well as the Wildflower Hall, Shimla in the Himalayas. Packages start at $3,050 for an eight-night stay. If you’re paying to go all the way to India, do it big.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Don’t forget to pack a snorkel – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

Whenever we go on a cruise, my husband and I always plan to snorkel on at least one island. On our first cruise, we went on a shore excursion that provided the snorkel, but then we got smart.

Instead of signing up for a snorkeling excursion, we pack our own snorkels and head to the beach. You can buy cheap snorkels anywhere, and they don’t take up much luggage space. At the island, we simply walk to the beach and start swimming — no time limit or groups to slow us down.

And the money we save? It buys lunch at a local restaurant.