Travel Tips & Advice | Casey from Land of Marvels

A few months back I introduced you to the lovely Casey from Land of Marvels. Land of Marvels, or True Colours back in the day, was one of the first travel blogs I began reading before I even considered writing my own! Casey and her blog have provided me with numerous tips on travel over the last few years. Her advice is enlightening, yet always sincere. From Amsterdam to Hawaii, it is obvious Casey knows the ins and outs of travel. I recently asked her a few questions to get a better insight on what goes into traveling Land Of Marvels style. 

1 | What motivates you to keep travel as a priority in your life?

Travel has always been a huge part of my life ever since I grew up as an expat kid in the Middle East.  But as an adult, it’s definitely a balancing act to keep regular travel a priority, both time-wise and financially.  It’s just something that my husband and I really enjoy, so we’ve figured out ways to make that our priority.  While some of our friends are buying big houses or going out every weekend, we’re putting that money away and dreaming of where to jet off to next.

2 | How do you research a destination?

Usually we start thinking of our trips about 6+ months in advance just to work it into our work schedules.  And generally we have an idea of where we want to head to next.  But we sit down and look at photos we’ve saved or go over options.  Once we have our destination decided on, then I do a ton of research!  I start by looking at blogs, at Wikipedia, at Pinterest.  Once I have a pretty thorough overview of the place, then I head to booking flights first.  Even then though, I watch airfares for a few weeks at least, and look at flying in and out of different airports to get the best deals.  Then I move on to hotels, then activities last.

3 | Once you have chosen a destination, what steps do you follow before leaving?

Once we have our destination set and I’ve got flights and hotels booked, then I work on a day by day itinerary over the next several months.  I’ll keep doing research or mark anything that comes up that I see.  We personally like to have a plan when we travel (different for everyone) as it allows us to see a lot more if we’re organized.

4 | What are some of your favorite sites and apps that help you plan any trip?

I love Tablet Hotels for hotel research!  I’m a big fan of boutique hotels with great design (I am an Interior Designer afterall!) so Tablet filters out the big chains and just gives you options for boutique hotels.  I almost always book my hotels through hotels.com though because their loyalty program is so great.  I also love Orbitz and have had really great customer service from them over the years!  FlightTrack is one of my go to Apps while traveling to keep track of flights and gate numbers - it’s always up to date before the airlines!  And using airline apps and Passbook/Wallet to access mobile boarding passes is a must!

5 | When you are visiting a new destination do you find yourself in touristy spots or places off the beaten track?

Honestly, it ends up being a healthy mix of both.  While we generally do prefer to get off the beaten path more, we do end up spending time as well in the tourist areas, because after all, they are famous spots for a reason!  But a balance of the two is the key to a great and unique trip!

6 | You travel quite frequently for work. How do you allot yourself time for both work and pleasure when on a working trip?

I travel a lot for work.  Whether it’s jaunts across the Atlantic to South Korea or to Honolulu, I end up doing about 6-7 work trips per year.  One of my favorite ways to see more of a place while you’re traveling for work is to get up early and go for a walk around the city before everyone is up.  When I travel to Seoul, I wake up to see the sunrise every day and head out to wander a new section of the city.  It’s easier to get around when it’s quiet and empty and you’ll get to see a lot more.  Then grab a coffee on your way back to the hotel and then head out for your workday.  Another great way to see more is to have dinners in different areas so that you get to see more.  I also love letting my work colleagues take me around when I’m traveling for work as you’ll get the true local scene through them!

Land of Marvels is always my go to blog when trying to plan a holiday, so make sure to check Casey out!

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What are some travel tips you would add?
xoxo

Meet Casey | Land of Marvels

I am beyond excited to introduce you to Casey today! One of the very first blogs I ever began reading, Casey is the brilliant writer behind Land of Marvels. From travel advice to stories about growing up in the Middle East, Casey's post are guaranteed to be truthful and informative. Her frequent hang outs include Paris, Hawaii, and America's west coast. How can you not develop wanderlust after scrolling through Land of Marvels? To get to know the voice behind the blog, I asked Casey a few questions about her travels around the world. 

1 | Tell us about Land of Marvels.

Land of Marvels is a travel blog based around the idea of sharing this incredible world we call home.  I envision the space to be everything you need to plan a trip somewhere: travel tips, travel guides, honest posts about what might happen while traveling, and information all about destinations all around the world.  Travel is my passion and Land of Marvels is all about sharing that passion.

2 | What is your hometown of Portland, Oregon like?

Portland is an amazing city!  It’s very European in nature and how people look at their lives here, it’s definitely more of the “work to live, rather than live to work” mentality.  It’s also very green as is most of Oregon and there is a really high priority on living a clean, sustainable life here, which I love.  It’s also an amazing city with a rich culture of accepting everyone for who they are… another trait I love about my hometown.  It’s a city that still is one of the best kept secrets in the US…. though is getting more and more popular for tourists!

3 | You grew up in the Middle East as a third culture kid. How has that influenced your decision to make travel a priority in your life?

My childhood in the Middle East completely shaped who I am and continues to shape my adult life each day.  It’s a part of my life that taught me so many lessons about the world and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  Travel for me is just normal, seeing the world seems like the common sense thing to do.  Maybe because I grew up that way, but I am finding more and more that it’s just the essence of who I am.  My curiosity and passion for the world may have started with my travels as a child, but it’s definitely morphed more into what my life really means and what it adds to my life as an adult.

4 | What is one of your favorite destinations that you believe deserves more credit?

I find that India often gets a bad wrap from travelers.  People are overwhelmed by the whole sense of India and it often seems daunting to even think about traveling there, but Udaipur, India is one of my all time favorite destinations and I wish more people would visit there!  It’s such a stunning country and Udaipur in particular is just breathtakingly beautiful.  It’s often the places that seem the most overwhelming to visit that change you most if you give it a chance!

5 | What is the biggest travel advice you’d give to first time travelers and expats alike?

I think the best travel advice to give anyone is: have an open mind.  If you travel thinking everything is going to stay in one little box, you’ll go crazy.  Acknowledge and accept that traveling in its very nature is about something different than what you know.  If you can embrace that and keep an open mind, travel will change your life in the best possible sense.

6 | If you could pick one holiday destination to do over again (good or bad), what would it be?

Rome makes the top of this list of “do-over” locations.  We had a bad experience on our trip to Rome a few years ago and it’s taken us a while to want to return.  Though I think we’re finally at that point and are going to try it again next Spring.  It’s one of those places that I would do really differently the second time around, so hopefully we’ll like it more the next time we visit! 

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