Cruises

We’ve written a ton about stainless steel water bottles; but as the school year approached I began to consider how I was going to transport tea to school. We had previously gotten rid of all of our BPA-infused travel mugs. So, I explored my options.

Contigo was kind enough to send a few of their travel mugs for review. Here are my thoughts.

The Best Stainless Steel Travel Mug?

I would venture to say that the Contigo mug is the best stainless steel travel mug there is. It has honestly revolutionized my life.

Why?

It’s leak proof.

Totally 100% leakproof.

So leakproof that I put it in my laptop bag (next to my laptop) filled with hot tea. I’m not much of a risk-taker, and honestly it took me awhile to trust my Contigo Stainless Steel Travel Mug enough to be able trust it, but it really can be tossed in a bag and it won’t leak. I do usually turn it up and down just to be sure it’s sealed.

Spill Proof Stainless Steel Travel Mug

Not only does the mug not leak when I travel with it, it also is spill proof when I knock it over.

BPA Free

Besides the BPA-free stainless steel travel mug, Contigo also sells BPA-free plastic. I use this to heat up water in the microwave at school to make my tea. (Probably not the best idea to put plastic in the microwave, but it works.)

Insulated

Did I mention it’s double walled and vacuum sealed? During October, when we had unseasonable cold weather and snow, I filled my Contigo travel mug with tea heading off to school. Two hours later (after waiting for the bus outside for a good while) the tea was still warm. It wasn’t piping hot, but warm enough to comfortably drink.

Kids Sippy Cups

Contigo also makes their autoseal cups for kids!

Downsides to the Stainless Steel Travel Mug

My only negative thought about this mug is that it does retain smell/taste. If you don’t wash it out right away it can really smell; we had to use a vinegar soak in it one after leaving coffee in it for a few days.

Also, since Kimbelry drinks coffee and I drink tea, we’ve found that even with a good washing it still maintains the smell taste just slightly. So, I would recommend that if you drink mulitple hot beverages you get two — use one only for coffee and the other only for tea. Alternatively, you could remember to wash it out everynight and not leave it in the car for a week…

Would I Recommend It?

I would highly recommend Contigo’s Stainless Steel Travel Mug as a gift this season for any traveler, student, or commuter. It really will change your life.

Here’s what Contigo’s website says about their mugs:

AUTOSEAL® Stainless Steel Travel Mug (Vacuum Insulated)

Never spill another drop! 100% spill- and leak-proof travel mug uses exclusive AUTOSEAL® technology to prevent accidental spills. Press the AUTOSEAL® button to sip, and release the button to automatically seal. This self-sealing lid technology is combined with a double-wall, vacuum-insulated, stainless steel mug, providing exceptional temperature retention. Beverages stay hot for 4 hours or cold for 12 hours.

Benefits:

• Patented AUTOSEAL® lid is 100% leak-proof and 100% spill-proof.
• Drinking made easy! Press to sip. Release to seal. The AUTOSEAL® Stainless Steel Mug automatically seals between sips to ensure no spills.
• Vacuum-insulated technology keeps beverages hot for 4 hours, and cold for 12 hours.
• Contoured body makes this travel mug easy to hold and easy on the eyes.
• The AUTOSEAL® Stainless Steel Mug will hold up to 16 oz. of your favorite beverage and fits most standard car cupholders.
• Constructed with a double wall and stainless steel inside and out for maximum travel mug performance.
• BPA free.

Specs

Volume: 16 oz.

Weight: 0.8 lbs.

Dimensions: 3.6”L x 7.9”H x 3.3”W

With go-anywhere style and convenience, this thermal mug features AUTOSEAL® technology for 100% spill- and leak-proof performance. Double wall construction helps retain beverage temperature and prevents external condensation.

You can buy your Contigo Stainless Steel Travel Mug on Amazon.com.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Stainless Steel Travel Mug: Contigo Mug Review

Most cities have eyesores on the landscape and one that comes to mind is the Sydney Opera House. A building admired by many from a far, when you get close up it is unattractive. The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur while impressive and tall, is another ugly looking construction.

The other day I was reading an article on Travel Mail of 10 tourist eyesores compiled by Virtual Tourist which includes such buildings as The Beehive in Wellington, New Zealand to the rather hideous looking Kosovo National Library, and Brazil’s Petrobras building.

So my question to readers is; what is the ugliest building that you’ve seen on your travels.

This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants Blog.

Name the world’s ugliest buildings from your travels

When we talk about the environment, airlines are the first to be criticised but they are not the only culprits, as consumers we have a responsibility too. I have started to see company’s concentrate on eco and green initiatives but the environment is low down on most consumers’ requirements.

Donating to local projects

According to a new startup called ekoVenture they will donate 10% of their profit to help support the local people and places. I think this is a good idea but I do hope that they are not using the environment as a unique selling point because it is a crowded marketplace.

We all have a responsibility

Everyone has a responsibility. I am probably one of a small percentage of consumers who offsets carbon emissions. Tour operators, comparison sites and airlines should be providing an easy way for travellers to donate their carbon offsets to worthy projects.

Recently I started to add more content on the Travellerspoint travel guide because it’s helping rural impoverished communities with limited access to water. I am not perfect though and as consumers we have to be more responsible about our planet.

Flights on the environment

KLM by the time I have published this post will have flown their test flight on 50% bio fuels, a number of other airlines are currently in testing phases, and it is good to see. It’s just a shame that the air passenger duty we pay on our flights is not going to help airlines.

The Irish low cost carrier is often criticised but James Avery of FlightMapping told me “that if all the building owners, farmers, manufacturers and public transport operators followed the same cost cutting measures as Ryanair, you could probably cut CO2 emissions in half overnight”

Cruises and the impact they cause

You rarely hear about cruising and the impact on the environment. On most Caribbean cruises you have to take a flight and then cruise, this increases your carbon footprint. According to Whole Travel, cruise ships emit three times more carbon emissions than aircraft.

Eco friendly gite in France

It is good to see that holiday homeowners are aware of their role. Stu Bradley runs Le Chant d’Oiseau, a gite in the Loire Valley that has an eco policy that advises consumers about recycling waste and energy usage during their stay at the gite.

I would like to start to see more hotels creating their own policy.

Luxury hotels and the environment

Wink Lorch of Wine Travel Guides tells me that she is concerned that some hotels at the luxury end are not showing any care for environmental issues. “There’s a lack of recycling, the sheets can potentially be changed twice a day. All I ask is that they give the customer a choice to be environmentally friendly”

Travel writer, Jill Starley-Grainger recently stayed in an eco luxe hotel called the Scarlet that was surprisingly environmentally friendly; recycling, supporting the local community by using local food, training staff thoroughly on how to be green within the hotel environment, reducing waste.

Discuss your eco thoughts and experiences

So you have seen some good examples of companies and airlines being more eco (or not) what do you think; is the industry becoming more eco friendly and do you agree that consumers now have to start to becoming more aware of the impacts that tourism has on the environment.

The next time you travel be more responsible and travel greener.

This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants Blog.

Let’s be more responsible and make travel greener

I stumbled upon Simple’s Satire ecoSNEAKS two years ago during my search for an environmentally-friendly alternative to my beloved Vans Prison Issue tennis shoes.

I wanted shoes that were more durable than the Vans, but as attractive. I was even willing to sacrifice the awesome velcro of my Prison Issues, but only for the right eco-friendly shoe.

Then I saw it: the Simple Satire shoe, a member of Zappo’s ecoSNEAKs line.

Features of Simple’s Satire ecoSNEAKS

• Certified organic cotton uppers with recycled PET laces
• Vegan shoe! No animal byproducts or even regular animal products
• Certified organic cotton linings
• The “pedbed” (the cushiony and supportive stuff at the bottom of the shoe) is made of super soft and squishy polyurethane and recycled car tire
• Partially recycled shoe – the bottom of this shoe is made from a recycled car tire
• The foot form inserts are made of post consumer recycled paper
• Even the boxes are environmentally friendly – made of post-consumer recycled paper, soy based printing ink, natural latex and starch based glue

I quickly ordered the black hemp version (they also come in leather, silk, and suede) and eagerly awaited their arrival.

I wasn’t disappointed when I opened the box: the shoes were cute and looked durable. I slipped them on and promptly wore them as I walked the monuments in Washington, DC. The 5+ mile walk was quite the initial test, but I wasn’t as excited as I wanted to be. I wanted to love them. I wanted them to be my go-everywhere, perfect travel shoe.

But I found them less comfortable than I hoped; specifically, the sole didn’t have enough cushion. It almost felt like I was wearing flip flops — the ball of my foot had virtually no support. And my arches were completely unsupported. I hope Simple has improved the “pedbed” in newer editions of the shoes.

The Pros and Cons of Simple’s ecoSNEAKS

In summary, the pros:

• Very eco-friendly — where else can you get a shoe made with recycled tires
• Cute
• Can dress them up or down
• Comfortable except for the sole
• Durable

The cons:

• Lacking arch support
• Not enough padding in pedbed
• Since they’re made with old tires, they’re a bit heavy for travel

Would I recommend the Simple Women’s Satire?

Yes, I would — for everyday wear. If you’re walking more than a couple miles, I’d stick with traditional tennis shoes.

I also wouldn’t recommend them as being your sole (no pun intended) travel shoe, since they’re a bit heavy and not as comfortable as other travel shoes I’ve tried. For that, I’d recommend a more supportive hiking boot.

Buy your own ecoSNEAKS on Amazon.

Check out Best Travel Shoes: Travel Sandals, Walking Shoes, and Hiking Boots plus Zappos Review for more travel recommendations.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Simple Satire ecoSNEAKS Review: Environmentally Friendly Travel Shoes

Go Green Travel Green is going to Boston this weekend for Hostelling International USA’s Boston Travel Forum and Workshop. I’ll be presenting about the Green Travel program I’ve developed with HI Minnesota.

The conference is free and open to the public so if you’re in the Boston area, make sure you stop by for some great sessions. Space is limited, so be sure to register online.

Conference Details

Workshop
Date: Friday, November 20, 2009
Time: 8:00am – 4:00pm
Location: Boston Park Plaza Hotel
Street: 64 Arlington St
City/Town: Boston, MA

Workshops Include:
- David Clemmons, founder of VolunTourism.org
- Edward Hasbrouck, author of “The Practical Nomad”
- Sean Keener, co-founder of BootsnAll Travel
- Keith Levit, Keith Levit Photography
- Elizabeth Sanberg, co-founder of Go Green, Travel Green

The afternoon forum will explore the the future of backpacking with:
- Jeff Greenwald, author and founder of “Ethical Traveler”
- Pauline Frommer, budget travel expert and guidebook author
- Rolf Potts, author of “Vagabonding”
- Tony Wheeler, founder of Lonely Planet
- And others!

This event is free and open to the public. Register online and for more information, check out the Facebook page.

What Are Your Favorite Boston Sights and Eats?

Since Kimberly and I will be in Boston for the weekend, we’re in the market for some cheap eats and entertainment. What are you favorite sites and restaurants in Boston? Tell us in the comments.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Join GGTG for HI-USA’s Boston Travel Forum this Weekend

It is quite incredible that an exhibition the size of World Travel Market does not have Wi-Fi access. I am not suggesting that it has to be free, but, why were they no hotspots either within the press lounge or exhibition halls. Is this evidence that travel hasn’t yet switched on to mobile or the internet.

London 2012 Olympics offline

The hotel I stayed in offered 24-hours internet at €20 via Orange, which was unfortunately down for most of my stay. Not the fault of the hotel but the 2012 Olympics are not that far away and I think the city really has to realise that it’s 2009 and people want access to the internet and expect it.

While walking around London I tried unsuccessfully to find hotspots to pick up emails or send photographs to my Flickr account. Sure, if I headed into coffee bar’s and paid for a coffee I found relatively good access. I think London needs to get its act together for 2012.

UK is not hot for Wi-Fi hotspots

To be fair London isn’t the only city with a lack of Wi-Fi hotspots. My home city of Leeds is the same and I have had problems using the internet on my mobile network at many cities and towns in the UK. It seems that we are lagging behind many US and European cities.

London hotels and free internet

There’s a debate going around that London hotels should provide free internet. As I wrote back in October, the problem I have is that internet is expensive and the service is usually poor. It does make me wonder if hotels are simply profiteering from a service that more of us demand.

I would be interested to hear from other hoteliers about how much it costs for a small to medium sized hotel.

Thoughts on London and WTM Wi-Fi hotspots

It is very well advertising the fact that they have internet access but if the quality of the service is poor or it is expensive consumers are going to complain. What do you think, are you bothered about having access to the internet while travelling, should WTM and ExCeL provide Wi-Fi hotspots?

This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants Blog.

UK isn’t too hot for Wi-Fi hotspots

Throughout Travel BlogCamp in 2008 I was quite relaxed knowing that it was the first event and if it didn’t go down well I could at least say that it was worth trying. This year, I felt added pressure because it had a lot to live up to, so imagine my relief when the night went by without any hiccups.

Lost networking opportunities

I would have liked to have chatted to more people, but, running around like a headless chicken meant I got very little time for networking which from my perspective is a shame. So, apologies if I didn’t get around to chat to you or if I looked distracted. It was another occasion where I was out of my comfort zone.

Highlights of Travel BlogCamp

The night had to be kept informal and I spoke to a few people before the event and they were concerned that because it had more sponsors that it would become corporate. The Q&A session with the sponsors meant that the audience could interact and it was very well moderated by Kevin, and it was kept informal.

Challenges for independent travel agents

While all of the speakers were great, the highlight of the night was listening to Murray Harrold and his experiences with the internet and social media. Listening to an independent travel agent talk made me realise the challenges that they have to take their business online.

His humour and passion really shone through for me.

Twitter and paid travel content

The rest of the night we discussed twitter (a lot) which you would expect considering 90% of the people there were regular users of the social media site. I’ve been to both the PhoCusWright ITB and Travolution conferences this year and Facebook was hardly mentioned in comparison to Twitter.

An interesting debate started about paid and free content. Would I pay for travel content? No, they are so many places on the internet where you can receive travel content. I don’t enjoy public speaking but my libel issue earlier in the year made me want to warn bloggers of the dangers.

Reviews of Travel BlogCamp

You can follow the discussions that took place on Twitter by searching for #tbcamp or feel free to read the posts below which review the night. Thanks to everyone who wrote a review because like any event it’s important to receive constructive feedback to improve further events.

Social media tips at Travel Blog Camp
Travel Bloggers’ meet-up
Travel BlogCamp 2009 review
Notebooks not needed: Travel Blog Camp review

If you have written a review but I have not included it here please get in touch. I will be sending out a survey to everyone this weekend as in the spirit of social media, it is important to receive feedback on the event so that I can improve any future Travel BlogCamp’s.

Thank you to

Firstly a massive thanks to the brave sponsors for the Q&A session; I think this does prove that the travel industry has finally started to realise that they have to grasp social media and interact with people both online and offline.

Chris Clarkson – Sunshine.co.uk
Hugo Burge – Cheapflights
Zoey Chant – Essential Travel
Alberto Knapp – I Wanna Go There

A special thank you to all of the speakers did a fantastic job at raising questions from the audience and interacting with them. The moderation on the night I am sure you will all agree was great, and the conversation was kept informal and relaxed so that everyone could join in.

Murray Harrold – Advantage Travel
Joel Brandon-Bravo – Frommer’s Unlimited
Guillaume Thevenot – Hotel Blogs
Eva Keogan – Lastminute.com
Kevin May – Tnooz

Throughout the night we experimented with live blogging, so thanks to Alex Bainbridge, for running that.

I think next year we will be looking for a larger venue so that we have a little more space, but, it will be kept to a small group of people so that it is kept informal and relaxed. I hope you enjoyed the food, I didn’t eat any I was that nervous about speaking.

Hopefully, I’ll see you next year at Travel BlogCamp 2010.

This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants Blog.

Travel BlogCamp at the World Travel Market

Can any travel be greener than traveling by bike? We hear a lot about various methods of “green” travel – ecoresorts working to preserve the environment or companies who strive to reduce their carbon footprint. But we don’t hear much about traveling in such a way as to nearly eliminate that footprint altogether.

Traveling on bicycle is one of the few methods of travel that allows a deep relationship with Mother Nature while, at the same time, treading lightly on our precious earth. Our bicycles use no fuel (other than the food we consume), and are easy on the ground we pass over. But the best part of traveling on bicycle is the opportunity to get to know the earth and her people in a much more intimate manner than any vehicle can allow.

The Vogel family of Family on Bikes. Photo credit: Nancy Sathre-Vogel.

As my family and I have traveled southward from Alaska, we’ve had the opportunity to see – really, truly see – our world. We’ve ground up mountains and plummeted back down the other side, we’ve sailed through valleys with tailwinds pushing us on, and we’ve woken up to snow blanketing our tent and the surrounding countryside. We’ve pedaled through deserts, along coasts, and through rain forests. Our children have climbed trees of every imaginable variety, swung on vines like Tarzan, and tasted exotic fruits they had never heard of. In short – the four of us have had to opportunity to get to know our world.

But we’ve also had the opportunity to get to know the world’s people. There is something about the bikes that draws people toward us; that encourages people to reach out to us in ways they never would if we were in our own car. It might be something simple like handing us a bag of apples or tomatoes, or it could be as complex as hiding caches of Gatorade along the highway, but people of all walks of life have reached out and added magic to our lives.

I can tell story after story about the people we’ve met. About the woman in Oregon who handed us the keys to her house and said, “Go on in and make yourselves at home. I’ll be there in a few hours.” And she didn’t even know our names. Or the ER doctor in California who pulled up alongside us and asked, “Would you like to stay at my house tonight?” Or the man who cycled up to where we were eating crackers and cheese in a park in Texas and invited us to his home for a warm dinner and soft bed for the night.

One day in Mexico we ended up in a migrant workers’ camp and our boys played with some of the poorest kids in the country. Another day, we were invited to stay with an incredibly wealthy family where Davy and Daryl played video games while sitting on posh, luxurious furniture. Young couples and old. Rich and poor. White, black, and brown. All have reached out to add magic where none was expected, but was greatly appreciated.

I’m convinced traveling on bike is best way to see the world. On bikes, we live the world. We experience the mountains by grinding up and plunging down. We understand the idea of valleys and coastlines. We see how life varies depending on altitude and longitude. In short – traveling on bike allows us to gain a much deeper respect for Mother Nature and the earth’s peoples than we could ever gain in any other manner.

* * *

Nancy Sathre-Vogel is a modern-day nomad and vagabond who is currently traveling the length of the Americas with her husband and twin 11-year-old sons. The family left Prudhoe Bay, Alaska – at the northernmost terminus of the Pan American Highway – and have pedaled over 10,000 miles so far to Ecuador. They plan to continue southward until they reach the southern terminus of the road in Ushuaia, Argentina near Tierra del Fuego. When they reach their destination, the boys will have earned the Guinness World Record as the youngest people to cycle the Pan American Highway. You can follow their travels at Family on Bikes.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Biking from Alaska to Argentina: One Family’s Ultimate Green Travel Experience

In retrospect, hopping on a bus from St. Petersburg, Russia to Tallinn, Estonia with nothing more than my passport and some cash was mildly crazy. But at the time, it seemed perfectly logical.

We all have those moments when we travel. There’s something about being in a new country that makes us more daring, more willing to be spontaneous. Then we return to home to our routines and that willingness to get off the beaten path fades.

But it doesn’t have to. In fact, I think we could all learn to live our lives more like a 20-year-old in Estonia.

A Spontaneous Thanksgiving Weekend in Estonia

It was Friday, November 26, 2004 –the day between Thanksgiving Day proper and our planned Russian-American-British-Finnish-German Thanksgiving extravaganza.

Elizabeth and I grabbed our passports and cash and headed to the bus station to buy tickets to Tallinn, Estonia. The plan was to leave the next morning, a Saturday, so we could celebrate Thanksgiving on Friday with our fellow study abroad students.

Of course, nothing goes as planned in St. Petersburg, Russia. When we arrived at the bus station, we were told they were sold out of tickets for Saturday. In fact, they only had tickets left for one bus the rest of the weekend. It left in an hour.

We paused to consider. It would take more than an hour to get back to our dorm, grab our bags, and return to the bus station. We would have to be crazy to head across the border to Estonia on such short notice. “What the heck?” we decided. “We’ll take two tickets.”

And with that, we spontaneously headed to Tallinn, Estonia without so much as a toothbrush, a change of clothes, or a hostel reservation. We called our resident advisor to let her know of our newly hatched plan and she sighed and wished us well.

photo credit: ezioman

In Retrospect, Jumping on the Bus Was a Good Idea

We spent a lovely weekend in Tallinn, although we don’t have pictures to prove it because, along with our backpacks and travel guide, our cameras were on the desk in our dorm room — packed for our planned Saturday departure.

In Tallinn, we walked along the waterfront, checked out the local grocery stores, and admired the ancient architecture. We also bought toothbrushes, two changes of underwear, and winter hats.

Elizabeth and I often look back on that weekend. “What were we thinking?” we’ll say with a bemused smile. But neither of us regrets the trip. In fact, it’s one of the trips we think of most fondly.

How to Act Like a 20-Year-Old in Estonia

I’m not one to toss about hackneyed expressions like “seize the day” and “there’s no time like the present.”

But I will say there’s a lesson we can learn from my 20-year-old self. Granted, it was much easier then to hop on a bus and leave the country. I didn’t have a house, a dog, or a job to hold me back.

Even so, there’s something to be said for stepping back from the daily grind to take advantage of life right now — for changing your perspective.

That might mean hopping on a train for an impromptu trip. It might just mean taking a day off of work to spend with your family. Or it might mean adding a week to your vacation so you can experience more of a new country.

After all, when you look back on your life, are you more likely to remember what you did during those 7 days in the office, or what you saw during that week as you delved deeper into the culture of a new country?

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Live Your Life Like a 20-Year-Old in Estonia

A few years ago could you imagine travel companies talking about their social media experiences to a room full of people from around the travel industry? Next Tuesday, both the sponsors and speakers will be interacting with the audience and sharing their experiences at Travel BlogCamp.

Looking at the attendee list it should be an interesting night with plenty of discussion and networking.

Speakers

Joining me will be:

Murray Harrold – Advantage Travel
Joel Brandon-Bravo – Frommer’s
Guillaume Thevenot – Hotel Blogs
Eva Keogan – Lastminute.com

Moderating the evening will be Kevin May from Tnooz who are this year’s media partner.

Gold sponsor

Sunshine.co.uk

Silver sponsors

I Wanna Go There
Cheapflights
Accor
Essential Travel

World Travel Market

I am travelling down to London on Monday, I have plans for Monday night and Tuesday, but I will be at ExCeL on Wednesday for World Travel Market, if anyone wants to meet up for a coffee, just drop me an email. Thursday I plan to do a little bit of sightseeing before heading back up North.

Fantastic support

Unfortunately, registration has now closed and I am confident that we could have filled the room twice over but I want to keep the BlogCamp to a small enough size that there’s enough time to network and for the audience to join in the talks.

I would like to thank all of the sponsors, partners and the speakers who have all been fantastic.

Let the BlogCamping commence!

This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants Blog.

Countdown to Travel BlogCamp 2009