Travel websites are spammed with marketing techniques that try to fool us into thinking that we are getting the best deals possible. Is that really the case? I’m one of those people who will tirelessly dig until I know I have exhausted all of my options before booking plane tickets or hotel rooms.
It’s a small, but valuable list… These are four travel planning tips that I think you’re going to like.
Clear cookies or search incognito
If you have the patience to search, you can find plenty of travel deals. However, sometimes if you’ve been hunting for an hour or two, Google might start catching on. In my experience, if I’m continually searching for flights to and from the same destination, the displayed prices keep rising. As a rule, I always choose to go incognito (when using Google Chrome) to prevent this from happening.
Ditch your regular booking routine
Sometimes it takes a simple change to find exactly what you’ve been searching for. Where are you planning to go? Have you looked into the airlines from your destination country? For whatever reason United States airlines charge exponentially higher than foreign airlines (from my experience). Always double check. This helped me score a round-trip flight to Brussels for $466 directly through Brussels Airlines.
Take price forecasting with a grain of salt
A new trend emerging seems to be price forecasting for airlines. Airfare prediction technology isn’t always the most reliable. At the end of the day, it’s up to your discretion of how good a deal the fare is. I will admit that apps like Hopper seem handy, but it’s unclear where they are pulling their data from. There is also Kayak’s price trend chart, which provides the likelihood of searched airfares rising or falling within the next week. The data incorporates year-over-year trends to determine when it’s the right time to buy. Kayak’s previous studies showed that the best time to book is 21 days out from your trip. Anything after that, you’ll have to bite the bullet and pay up.
Everyone is clueless as to how high or low airline prices will go. Airlines don’t even disclose how the fares are being calculated, so how reliable can “farecasting” truly be?
Beware of ‘top results’ in your search
I may be young, but I’m old enough to know that Google isn’t what it used to be. Don’t assume that anything on the first page of your search results, whether it’s a search engine or travel website. Top results, more often than not, scream “I paid to be here.” Or, it’s just a way for the company to prioritize its own services… That’s how Google got in trouble with the European Union. Go the extra mile and do extra research to verify that they really are the top pick.
When the viability of a long distance relationship comes into question, usually it’s about jealousy or suspicion. I’ve been in a LDR with my incredibly patient and loving boyfriend for about 9 months. Most of the time I get questions from people asking if I’m worried if he’s being unfaithful while I’m away, to which I reply: not in the slightest.
And I’ll tell you why. Long distance relationships are destined to fail if you have the slightest concern that the other will break your trust. Some anxieties about your relationship that you will face aren’t so obvious. Like,
How open should I be about my relationship in the workplace?
I was extremely hesitant about sharing my relationship status with coworkers because I was afraid my boss would view me differently as an employee. That maybe they would get the impression that I’m not 100% committed to my job because my significant other lives on the other side of the world. The reality is that, at some point, one of us has to move. Could I be overlooked for a promotion if my boss thought that I wasn’t with the company for the long-haul?
Am I getting too comfortable with my independence?
One positive for couples in a LDR is that your separation gives you a lot of “me” time. Something that couples who live in the same city might not experience enough of. You both live separate lives and aren’t always depending on each other. Your personal identity is very much intact. On the flip side, when does that distance become too much? Sometimes, you spend so much time apart that you worry if you’re becoming too independent; too used to being without the other.
What is the right thing to do- for us?
Simply put, I’m young. Long distance relationships, if well intention-ed, need to have an end goal. With all of the time and effort you put into it, you want to make sure you’re both working towards something that will last. I’ll be honest; it’s an internal struggle. There’s some back and forth about if my relationship will only lead to missed opportunities, or if the effort is worth the reward. One thing that I know for sure: no precious thing is achieved without sacrifices. And that, in life, there is no guarantee.
It takes a lot of confidence to be in a long distance relationship; confidence in yourself, as well as the bond between you and your significant other. Even still, confidence can only go so far and insecurities are bound to arise. At the end of the day, though, the communication with your partner is the most important thing. I have learned that there isn’t any topic in my relationship that is taboo. As long as you can say what’s on your mind and hash out the details, your relationship will continue to grow stronger.
Once November rolls around, I’ll be reminded once again of how withstanding the distance is worth it.
I think it’s safe to say that all of this traveling is finally getting to me. It’s the week after fall break and instead of feeling fully restored to continue with school, I only feel more mentally drained than when it began.
The main reason is that I was off on another trip this fall break. Wow, that made it sound like a chore. Let’s try again:
I WENT TO MOROCCO LAST WEEK, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??
A whole new continent and culture to check off my list and yet I’ve had such a difficult time sitting down to tell you about it. Well for one, I’ve certainly had a hard time recovering from the trip (and still haven’t fully recovered, by the way). Going to Morocco is like going to Mexico in the fact that you shouldn’t drink the water and you’ve got to be extremely careful in your food choices. Let’s say I chose wrong… I’ll save you the details and just leave it at stomach virus.
We started out the trip in Fez, then stayed in the desert of Merzouga for two nights and our final night was spent in Meknes. I can’t really tell you much about the city of Meknes, although I hear it is nice.. I spent the evening covered in 5 blankets convulsing, thinking I was on the brink of death from a combination of a mild cold and what I like to refer to as the Moroccan plague… It was casual.
Fez – The Medina
It was late in the evening when we arrived in Fez on Friday (30 October), so we didn’t have much time to explore. I did however get a chance to reunite with my great friend Alex Muckey who just so happens to be studying abroad with ISA in Granda, Spain this semester. ISA programs in both Spain and Brussels by some struck of luck went on this adventure to Morocco together. Muckey and I have been friends and homeroom buddies since middle school- I’m pretty sure back then we could’ve never even fathomed that the two of us would end up exploring Morocco together.
Other than that, my favorite part about Fez was by far the Medina. At first coming to Morocco was so surreal… It was hard to get used to the new architecture and arabic written across all of the signs with very little English translation. This has got to be the first country I’ve ever been in where I couldn’t use context clues in order to understand what signs were saying.
The view from the outside of the Medina.
Anyway, the Medina is at the core of Fez- built on a location rich in water and surrounded by hills, it’s a cluster of buildings stacked upon each other and hidden inside are countless markets and residential spaces. Over 300,000 people live in the Medina; it is terribly overcrowded. This can be attributed to the fact that the cost of living is very cheap here compared to other areas in Fez.
The streets are packed with people (and donkeys)- there are no cars allowed in the Medina, but even if they were they couldn’t fit through the streets because it’s hard enough for a group of people to pass through them. There’s no nightlife within the Medina, all of the shops close at sundown and there are so many little alley-like streets that you’re sure to get lost on your own.
The colors of the Medina- yummy looking fruits and vegetables.. We didn’t stop to buy any in fear that they would get us sick!LIVE SNAILS.You don’t see this everyday.. Poor camel.Dates
Saturday we spent the entire day following our trusty tour guide, Mohammad, through the Medina. I don’t know how anyone can memorize the 9,000+ streets that the Medina has to offer, but somehow Mohammad has done it. We visited a pharmacie where we got to try various spices and Moroccan remedies, a Moroccan rug ‘palace’ with 4 floors of the most gorgeous textures and patterns I’ve ever seen and the largest tannery in North Africa dating back to the 14th century.
Spices and oils on the shelves of the pharmacie. Here we got to buy goodies like Moroccan tea, saffron and murr.In the ‘palace’ I saw multiple rooms filled with countless stacks of Moroccan rugs with unique designs and beautifully bold colors. These rugs ranged in cost, but a runner typically costs around 4,500 dirhams, or 450 euros.Carpets were also displayed on the floors and walls of the ‘palace.’ I loved this rug in particular because it was made from sheep skin- so soft!Here’s an example of the complex/unique designs of the Moroccan rugs. I don’t think I saw two rugs that looked the same. These carpets are hand-woven by Berber artisans, the intricate designs and techniques used are passed from generation to generation.The walls of the leather tannery were packed with handbags, baskets and suitcases of all colors and designs.
We also made two additional trips outside of the Medina to a pottery warehouse where we were treated to a bowl-making demonstration and got an insider’s look at the design process and the front gates of the royal palace.
The bowl-making demonstration.The clay found around Fez is grey in color because it is very rich in magnesium.After drying and painting, this is the final product. The ‘showroom’ was packed with unique bowls, plates and tiles.Dating back to the 13th century, the royal palace is home to the royal family only 5 times out of the year. Think of the time it spends empty! When you see soldiers in red uniforms around the city of Fez, you know the royal family is in town.You can knock all you want, but the royal palace has never been open to the public.
Merzouga – The Sahara Desert
This was by far my favorite part of the journey, save for the bus ride to get there. I’d guess that we spent a total of 10 hours on the bus that day, but the desert views and experiences were well worth it.
Camping out in the desert proved to be a lot more glamorous than I expected. We were welcomed whole-heartedly by the Berbers who fed us, showed us the ins-and-outs of the Sahara and taught us how to embrace what they call the “Africa System.”
The entrance to our campsite from the outside.These tents probably slept around 25 people- they were massive! And the beds were actually pretty comfortable… at least it was better support than just a sleeping bag.
Our first full day in the deserted started out with an early wake-up call to get a beautiful view of the sunrise over the desert. That morning Sydné and I met Idird, who took us to the sand dunes and showed us how to write our names in Arabic. I should note that many different Berbers showed us how to supposedly write our names in Arabic, but somehow they all turned out differently. I’ll let it slide- from our own experience Bethany and Sydné are difficult names to tackle in the English language as well.
A beautiful sunrise to start a wonderful day!As he liked to refer to himself: Idird in the DesertBethany written in Arabic. This has sparked quite the debate among the Berber folk.
Monday was also dedicated to the long-anticipated camel ride through the desert. There were 100 students in the group (which I didn’t love) and that meant they had to get a camel for every single one of us. All morning lines of camels were trekking to our camp from neighboring villages. As you can imagine it takes quite some time for 100 camels to show up, given that they aren’t very fast (although I heard that camel racing does exist). So, we had plenty of time to goof off. Two Berbers showed up on dirt bikes and they’re such fun-loving people that it wasn’t hard to convince them to take me for a spin.
This was my ‘no name’ camel. I asked Mohammed (my camel man) what my camel’s name was and he went on a long existential rant about how he didn’t have the right to name the camels… So we settled to call him ‘no name’ camel.Camels are such lovable creatures… I’ve decided that if all else fails in my life I will return to Merzouga and become a camel woman.
I don’t think I’ve ever sat down to imagine what a 100 camel caravan looks like, but I can tell you that it’s equal parts overwhelming and freaking cool. Getting on a camel is one of the strangest things I’ve ever experienced- if I had to compare it to anything, it’s like being on mechanical bull in slow motion. When you mount them, the camels are laying down because they’re just so massive. It’s a little shocking when they stand up at first (1) because they’re so tall and (2) because they use their back-legs first. So if you’re not expecting it you get jerked forward, feeling like you’re going to fall 8 maybe 9 feet to the ground. Once it’s all over though, sitting on a camel makes you feel like you’re on top of the world.
We took the camels into the nearby town of Merzouga, but first we made a pit stop to climb- no run up this massive sand dune. I wanted to take a leisurely pace, but Mohammad grabbed my hand and went into a full on sprint as if it wasn’t a big deal. And I’m struggling behind him hacking away because of the sand that’s flying in my face (and also because he’s in better shape than me, obviously… but I still think it was the sand holding me back).
It doesn’t even look like I’m sitting on one of the biggest sand dunes in the desert but trust me, it was a feat.
We continued through the desert- last stop was the village of Merzouga where we stopped at pool to cool off. Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to our camels and return to camp on foot. It wasn’t extremely hot in the desert (thank goodness we went in early November) but even still it’s amazing what a difference a turban can do for your face. The turban protects you from pesky sand (which I still can’t manage to get rid of, by the way) and sunburn- I only got a little red on my face, which is pretty rare for me.
Mohammad the camel guy leading us through the desert.What I saw walking through the village.
That night our new Berber friends showed us the best sand dune to watch the sun set. They are such fun guys- they said they always enjoy it when tourists come to camp in the desert. They tell the silliest jokes and at any second they might grab your ankles and pull you down the sand dune yelling, “African bobsled!” And they are always trying to find an excuse to use your camera, or get you to take a picture of them.
It’s hard to explain how beautiful the desert truly is… Not only because the endless sand dunes contrast perfectly with the blue, cloudless sky, but also the beauty of the people that we had the pleasure of meeting. I consider the Berbers to be some of the kindest and silliest people I’ve ever met. They showed us a great time and I would love to visit again in the near future.
Bethany en Belgique 