Have you ever heard of the Great Barrier Reef? You must have! It’s one of the wonders of the world! It’s also the worlds largest coral reef system, stretching for almost 3000 kilometres and made up of 2 900 individual reefs and 900 islands! Sounds amazing right? Wait till you see what it looks like!

The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea of the coast of Queensland, Australia. It’s very popular with tourist as well as locals but most of all, as you can imagine, it’s divers (and snorkelers) paradise.

Now if you haven’t tried diving yet, and happen to travel to this location, you most definitely have to do it. It might be scary at first but we guarantee you won’t have any regrets. There is a whole other world down there and it’s full of strange and beautiful things one has to see at least once in a lifetime.

(Try a Discover Scuba Diving course if you are still unsure about taking diving as a hobby. You’ll get a feel for what it’s like breathing underwater as well as basic scuba diver skills. In most cases you will want to go further. At this point getting your PADI open water certification would be ideal. It will allow you to dive unsupervised to a depth of up to 18 metres.)

Divers at the Great Barrier Reef will be treated to extraordinary sightings of beautiful fish and living organisms amongst which sharks (don’t worry they’re more scared of you than you are of them), dolphins, whales, potato cod, maori wrasse, stingrays, seahorses and much more. You can also visit the wreck of the SS Yongala towards the south of the reef, in open water.

Now don’t forget to write this down on your bucket list (and do it for real). Why not share what’s on your bucket list? We’d love to hear and why not try them!

London, a world cultural capital contains Four World Heritage Sites. The bustling city is rich in culture and history. It has been a major settlement for more than two millennia. Each year the city attracts up to 30 million visitors. With a wide variety of attractions to choose from, we wondered what would be the 5 most important ones that one should definitely visit while staying in London:

1. Natural History museum

If you’re a history and nature buff, this is the place to go to. The museum exhibits a wide variety of natural history including animal, plants, ecosystems, geology, etc. The permanent dinosaur exhibition will undoubtfully catch your attention and so will the massive blue whale skeleton, coming in at a whopping 10 tons!

2. London Eye

Your visit in London wouldn’t be complete without getting on the London Eye and taking in the incredible view of the city. Want to impress your date or your special other? Why not think of getting a private capsule? Sure it can be slightly expensive (approximately 350£), but you get a bottle of champagne and truffles on top of having the time of your life with that soul mate.

3. Madame Tussauds

Fancy meeting celebrities? Well this is the next best thing. At Madame Tussauds you can hang out with the precise wax replica of your favourite celebrities, including the Royal family. Although many branches are being opened all around the world, the birthplace of this particular art form started out in the UK. Marie Tussaud sculpted the first wax figure of Voltaire back in 1777.

4. Tower of London

This historical fortress was built in the 11th century and expansion was completed by the 13th century. Besieged several times the fortress was important to controlling the country. Nowadays, it serves as the home for the crown jewels. But it was also used as a prison, an armoury and a treasury.

5. Westfield Shopping centre

Are you a shopaholic? No worries, we just found your paradise. At the Westfield Shopping centre, you can indulge in a shopper’s heaven. Take a break from visiting monuments and museums. With a retail area of over 150 000 square meters (the equivalent of 30 football pitches) and it’s 255 stores, you are bound to find all what your heart desires.

Here you’ll find the basic information needed to pack your things and make sure you haven’t forgotten anything important. What you pack mostly depends on where you go. Right? However, there are a few things that you can consider to be essentials and that you’ll need whatever the destination. What can those things be? Some of you might have guessed it already:

• Travel documents: you passport, ID and vaccination. Basically, you are getting nowhere without these guys.
• Cash and/or other means of payment (bank card, travellers checks, etc)
• Contact list with important numbers
• Toiletry: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, perfume, makeup, etc
• Medication: whether you take medication or not, it’s recommended you pack the most commonly used medication (for headaches, allergies, etc)
• Electronics: camera, phone charger, computer charge, and of course a travel adapter.

Make sure all electronic devices are fully charged. A new regulation is being implemented that requires passengers to have their devices charged or at least to provide proof that it can be switched on. Electronic devices that can’t be turned on are considered a threat as they might have been tempered with.

Depending on your needs and your habits you might consider some other things to be essential too. But always pack these first.

When packing your suitcase, you always want to make the most of the space provided without exceeding weight limitations. Here are a few packing methods that will allow you to optimise your packing:

• Start by gathering all what you think you’ll need, then depending on how long your trip will be remove the excess clothing you’ve gathered. For a five-day trip for example, you’ll need five tops and one or two bottoms.  Always pack more tops than bottoms.
• Roll softer garments and fold stiffer ones: Rolled items go in the bottom of your suitcase, folded ones in the middle.
• Finally top the layers with clothes you’ll need once you unpack. Pyjamas, bathing suit, etc.
• When packing shoes, make sure you use the space within: fill them with small items, such as sunglasses, electronic devices, etc
• When packing fragile items, wrap them in sturdy clothing and place them in the middle of your bag where they will be cushioned by your clothing. Never put two fragile items side by side without any padding!

CARRY ON LUGGAGE

When packing carry on luggage, always make sure you have the most important things with you at all times: Your identification and travel documents, some cash and other means of payment and your medication. Remember that your carry on luggage is subject to strict travel restrictions if travelling by plane. You are not allowed to have more than 100ml of liquid in it. And any liquid should be packed in a sealed transparent plastic bag. In some cases such as travelling to Beijing, any quantity of any liquids is banned from carry on luggage so keep that in mind when packing.

The official website is unfortunately only available in Spanish (http://www.transantiago.cl), but you can still find your way to your destination using the Transantiago “mapa” or Map. You can even find a more detailed one in any Kiosk, just ask for the “Mapcity”. This will set you back about $8 or 6€.

Tarjeta Bip

This charge card is what allows you to pay any of your trips on public transportation. It can be purchased in most kiosks or Bip centers for approximately 3 USD. You can recharge it at any metro station or corner store with the Bip logo.

Bus

There are two kinds of buses. Local buses with the colour of the local area in which they operate and main buses that operate between local areas. The fares are also different. Local buses will be cheaper than main buses and transferring from one type to another will mean paying a small transfer fee. The bus fares are quite cheap though, between 0,80€ to 1€.

Metro

Clean and efficient, the Santiago metro is one of the most extensive metro systems in South America with 5 lines and more than 100km of route. A couple million people use it every day. During rush hour, be patient if a few trains go by before you can actually get on them. Transferring is easy enough. When you get off a train in a transfer station, you will see a sign that says something like “Cambiar a Linea” followed by the number of the line you want to transfer to. If you need to find your way, there are big maps in every metro station. Remember you need to use your “Tarjeta Bip” card to get on.

On connaît donc tous la formule :

Le style des parisiennes quoi qu’on l’on dise, en France ou dans le monde entier, fait rêver les plus grands créateurs ! Le mélange chic et décontracté, avec une touche sobre ou fun, fait qu’elles soient toujours sublimes.

La parisienne analyse bien son style, réfléchit à chaque détail, fait attention aux couleurs, et à la forme de chacun de ses vêtements. Cependant, le secret qui  la fait devenir une vraie parisienne est de paraître vraiment naturelle, comme si elle avait même pas à réfléchir pour s’habiller ! Elle n’aime pas les choses trop sophistiquées, il faut qu’elle ait l’air naturel comme si elle s’était préparée en 10 minutes le matin !

Elle porte un minimum de maquillage en choisissant souvent de souligner soit les yeux ou les lèvres, plutôt que deux. Ses cheveux sont pas toujours parfaitement coiffés, souvent simplement pris dans un chignon indiscipliné doux à la Bardot.

Cette Frenchie ne va pas suivre la mode aveuglément. Normal, puisqu’elle est certaine que c’est elle qui la fait !

Just head down to Valleta, the entry fee is 15€ which includes 20 wine tokens and a free Premium festival wine glass that you can use during the event and of course take home with you as a souvenir.  Use the wine tokens to taste wine sample, purchase a glass of wine or why not a bottle! After all summer is all about enjoying yourself!

Event from the 18th to 20th of July 2014, starting at 8 p.m  to 1 a.m 

Venu: Hastings Garden:

Remember you’re in control. Drink responsibly!

]]> http://easywayabroad.com/blog/2014/07/17/the-marsovin-summer-wine-festival/?lang=en/feed/&lang=en 0 http://easywayabroad.com/blog/2014/07/04/pourquoi-new-york/?lang=en&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pourquoi-new-york http://easywayabroad.com/blog/2014/07/04/pourquoi-new-york/?lang=en#comments Fri, 04 Jul 2014 13:54:19 +0000 http://easywayabroad.com/?p=320 With nicknames like the big apple and the city that never sleeps, New York may be one of the most...]]> With nicknames like the big apple and the city that never sleeps, New York may be one of the most sought out cities to do an internship abroad. If you have the chance to do your internship in New York I suggest you take it with both hands and run with it! Especially with New York being so multicultural, you can never feel home sick as there is always pockets of people from the same place as you somewhere, so the city really does have a little of everything for everyone.

As you are looking into going to America to do your internship, I’m sure you already know how long and drawn out the visa process can be. I know the process may be a little off putting, and it may even make you consider going somewhere else, but once the visa has been confirmed its well worth it.

There is never a shortage of things to do in New York, and if you ever think you have somehow done everything there is to do, then you have the other 51 states for you to explore. Each state is like a completely different country, with changes in weather, accents and even time zones!

The transport system in New York is very over crowded, but they are the only state to have a 24hr subway system. Not all of the busses and subways are reliable, and although they may come frequently, as they are extremely over crowded it may be difficult to find a space.

The cost of living in New York is also high, especially with accommodation and everyday shopping. Larger grocery stores usually tend to be cheaper, and also buying your food in bulk tends to be cheaper. Walmart and Target are both large chain supermarkets and if you buy larger quantities you will be able to save.

There are over 18,700 restaurants in NYC with over 222 restaurants on average opening every year.  The wide variety of meal choices in New York is staggering.  Anything you might be craving you’re sure to find it here, at any given time of day, delivered straight to your doorstep.

This psychological concept was discovered by sociologist Ruth Hill Useem. She explained that it is not really a problem of adaptation to another country, “Third Culture Kids” adapt really quickly to any country they are in, it is more a problem of not knowing where you belong and which culture you have to consider your own culture. By culture we can understand “the beliefs, customs, arts, etc… of a particular society, group, place, or time”, but also this word has a different meaning for all of us. The “third culture kid” term comes from a simple equation: Someone who has a birth culture (where he is born) and a new culture (country where he moves to) creates a third culture in which he tries to identify himself.

In fact these people are able to understand other people and other cultures way better than anyone else, they are able to make close friends in a country very easily, because they are more open-minded and understand some cultural aspects of personality better than anyone else. But it hides an important suffering: 90% of the TCK said they feel “out of sync” with their peers, they don’t feel the impression of belonging in a group or belonging in a country, they don’t feel understood.  Most of the TCK’s feel restless, and feel the need to travel. Being a TCK means never being able to know where “home” is, always have the feeling that you are looking for something you can’t reach. Being a TCK means having a globalized culture and having a chameleon-like ability to adapt in every culture without feeling any culture is yours.

This erases so many questions about identity, about culture… Would culture be defined by the place where you were born, the place you were raised, the place where you lived the longest? What’s culture anyway? Does it have he same definition for all of us?

Robert Service once said:

Did you ever feel like leaving? Leaving your whole live, burn your identity and start your life all over again in another country like Alexander Supertramp in “Into the wild”?? Do you stare at national geographics, dreaming about wild virgin places? Do you have an app that gives you the time in all the countries in the world? Are you daydreaming as soon as you see an airplane in the sky? Do you have a bucketlist of all the countries you want to visit? Well you have a high probability of having the “wanderlust” syndrome.

“Wanderlust”, comes form a German term composed of wandern (to hike) and Lust (desire). It express a really strong desire and impulse to travel and experience the world. It is a kind of restlessness that will never leave you until you will have travel the whole world (yes, you can say there’s no cure for this disease, so good luck if you suffer from it).

Want to know if you belong to the Wanderlust community too? Here are some characteristics:

•   You toss and turn at night worrying that Croatia is becoming more and more Westernized everyday.
•   You look at strangers’ Facebook pages for their holiday pictures
•   You can say ‘hello’ in a lot of different languages.
•   Your family and friends and school and work and hobbies seem like the absolute worst.
•   You don’t want a car but you only want to ride an elephant in Thailand or a camel in Morocco.
•   You follow travel bloggers on Twitter and hate them.
•   You’ve memorized all the carry-on baggage restrictions of the different companies you flew with.
•   Working as an au pair sounds like a good idea.
• You fantasize about getting on a flight and disappearing, never telling anyone where you’ve gone, maybe one day sending a letter from a lost place.

•   You set price alerts for flights from all over the world
•   You convince yourself that your hometown is slowly suffocating you and the only cure is to get on a plane and go somewhere else.

Attention all students looking for an internship abroad in a country where life is good, where locals are welcoming and where you can live on a small budget, we found THE precious gem! With a sunny climate almost all year round, this destination is perfect for combining both work and pleasure. With its three islands (Malta, Gozo and Comino) Malta has its share of surprises: sandy beaches, rocks, cruises but also clubs and bars, small hidden restaurants, and touristic sites full of romanticism. There’s something to please everyone. It is an island, and when if you plan on staying for six months, you would think that you’ll have discovered everything by then. But trust me, the island has hidden treasures that will make your stay and adventure full of pleasant surprises and wonderful people.

Transport:

A few years ago, Malta was known for its small colourful, noisy and crowded buses. But in 2011 the islands transport infrastructure was modernized when Arriva purchased the public transport service Today, Arriva no longer operates this service. Malta Public Transport is the new bus service operator and even newer vehicles were put to use in May 2014.

Air conditioning, new bus stops and timetables were put in place. The island leaped into a more modern era but managed to retain its charm. It is easy to travel around the island for a very reasonable price: 1.50 euro for an all day ticket, and 6.50 euros for a weekly one.

It is interesting to know that before 2014, ticket prices varied depending on your nationality, Maltese nationals paid 40% less than foreigners due to subsidised fares..

While buses have been modernised, the Maltese way of driving is still the same old charming one. Remember to stay calm when a bus arrives 30 minutes late and nobody flinches, or if the bus doesn’t even stop because it is full and you have to wait for the next one, with a slight chance of it being late as well.

Tickets can be bought on board with cash (preferably the exact amount), or using automatic ticket machines located at some popular stops. You can subscribe for a monthly plan in Valletta at the main office; just remember to bring ID and all necessary documents. Do not lose your ticket as they could be inspected. Remember to store it in a safe place as it can easily get lost or blow off with the wind.

Buses run from 5:30 a.m. until about 11 p.m. Past that, night buses are available (marked with an N before the bus number) even though they don’t seem to be regular and will cost you 2.50 euros.

The bus with an X before the number takes you to and from the airport. It is much faster to get there by taxi. Trips will cost around 15 euros depending on where you want to go on the island but if you share the cab, the fare will be much lower.

Find out more about public transport through the official website:

http://www.publictransport.com.mt/

 Valletta:

Valletta is Malta’s capital. It’s a fairly small town, but it has an extremely rich history. This is not just a city; it’s an entire universe of baroque architecture, small wooden balconies, small alleys and restaurants, bastions, small churches and magnificent views of the rest of the island. If you are looking for culture, and a timeless atmosphere, it’s the place to go to relax. One of the jewels of the city is the St John’s Cathedral, Baroque magnificence, which holds one of the only paintings on which Caravaggio signed his name. Do not forget to visit the gardens from which you have an impressive view of the three cities and can watch the changing of the guard.

You can get to Valletta by buse, but also by a ferry from Sliema Ferries every 30 minutes.

Gozo & Comino:

Catch a bus to Cirkewwa and take a ferry to Gozo. You can also enquire about boats leaving from Sliema. Comino is a small piece of land, there is not much to do, but the island is one of the main tourist attractions in the summer. That is where you’ll find “blue lagoon”. The water is of a heavenly blue, and the bay is full of small boats, young people enjoying the sun and water and diving from the rocks.

Gozo is a little more rural, you can get around by bus, but the “tourist” bus is more advisable as it saves you from returning to Rabat as soon as you want to go to a different place on the island (Rabat is the central city in where all buses arrive and depart). You can visit the whole island in one or two days. For a moment it feels like being in another era, away from globalization, secluded in this little paradise. Do not forget to go to the “Azur Window”, a place where land and sea magically become entangled.

Saint Julian’s, Paceville

It’s been an intensive week of interning? Need to relax? Head to Paceville in St Julian’s. You’ll discover the second facet of Malta: cheap partying and a large international community of workers/students on the island. You can go clubbing, talk to young people from all around the world, eat out at one of the restaurants, go to the cinema, and hang out at one of the bars with different themes and for all ages.

Taking a taxi to head home is easy. You’ll find transportation for more or less two euros per person. But that means sharing your cab with strangers. Take it as another opportunity to make new friends. Taxis are very reliable and insist to drop you closest to your home for your safety. Although Malta is one of the safest countries in Europe, being vigilant and responsible goes without saying. Be especially careful when going out in Paceville, as mobile phone theft is extremely frequent. Once lost, don’t expect to find it, and the Police can’t do much about it.