Welcome to the newest monthly feature on A Akatuki5! It's been (very creatively) named “Stuff You Should Know About” and will basically just be a collection of travel news, tips, photos, and other odds and ends that don't really fit in anywhere else but that I still really want to share with you.
Random travel news
Americans soon will be able to travel to Cuba
Earlier this year, President Obama announced that restrictions on trade with Cuba will be loosened in 2015. And, for American travelers, this means that Cuba won't be “the Forbidden Island” for much longer. Just last week a group of Senators introduced legislation that would. What do you think — do you think this will be good or bad for tourism in Cuba? Will you want to go?
It's a great (and cheap) time to travel to Europe
Bad news for Europeans: the Euro is on the verge of collapse, with the value of the currency swiftly falling. But this is good news for anyone not in the Eurozone. For example, it's predicted that the Euro will soon be of roughly equal value to the U.S. dollar. Meaning ! Where are you booking your European vacation to?
Cool travel app/website of the month
I get a lot of emails every week — sometimes every day — about new travel apps and websites. I don't write reviews very often about apps/websites (only the ones I really, really love), but some of them are still worth mentioning!
This month, check out:
Airbnb
I used to do the whole hostel thing when I traveled. It was usually cheap, but I hated sharing a room with so many other people — and don't even get me started on uncomfortable bunk beds. When I decided I'd had enough of hostels, I started spending HOURS searching for affordable hotels before every trip. And let me tell you, they are nearly impossible to find in many destinations.
Enter Airbnb. The site allows you to search for bed and breakfast-style rooms or entire apartments to rent. There are lots of options in just about every major city around the world, and the best part is that the prices are usually WAY more affordable than booking a hotel room. I've used Airbnb to book whole apartments in cities like Chicago and London and rooms (with free breakfast) in places Rome and Auckland. I book more than 50% of my accommodation through Airbnb these days, and I anticipate this number to only rise!
AND, you can get a free credit just for signing up. (You're welcome.)
Top 3 Instagram shots from January
I'm making Instagram a big focus of mine in 2015. And this past month I had one photo in particular blow up on the platform (still trying to figure out how…).
Here are my top three most-liked photos from last month:
A photo posted by Akatuki (@dangerousbiz) on
If you aren't following already, !
Featured bloggers of the month
Check out February's Featured Blogs:
Interested in being a featured blog next month?
Go here to learn more!
You should pack this
Each month, I'll feature one of my packing must-haves. This month, Im recommending:
I got this small backpack a few months ago, and have since fallen in LOVE with it. I've had a lot of small, laptop-friendly day packs in the last few years, and I have to say that this is one of the best. It has “floating” pockets inside for things like small laptops and tablets, and has plenty of other pockets both inside and out. I'm all about organization when it comes to packing, and this little bag makes it SO easy.
Bonus that it has a chest strap and water bottle-friendly pockets on the sides, and that it's built so you can't overpack it (meaning it will always fit under airline seats).
>> .
What I'm reading right now
Lastly, I love to read and am making a goal of reading MORE in 2015. Here's what I'm currently reading:
by Eric Weiner
The subtitle for this book is “One grump's search for the happiest places in the world.” And that's essentially what it is — a former NPR journalist embarks upon a journey around the world in order to research happiness and why some countries are reportedly “happier” than others. It's an easy, sometimes humorous read, and Weiner goes to some pretty interesting places (like Bhutan and Qatar). I haven't finished it yet, so I can't tell you what he eventually finds, but I definitely recommend it!
That's it for this month's edition of “Stuff You Should Know About!” Which section was your favorite, and is there anything else you'd like to see included next month?
Totally loved this post and am looking forward to next month! Can’t pick a favorite section but I’m LOVING that fact that the Euro is declining too, ha. Okay, sounds a bit mean to say but yaaaay for us! 😉
Glad you liked it, Lauren!
(And yeah, I’m pretty excited about the better Euro rates, too!)
Lots to love about this monthly feature Akatuki! I really like this concept and it drives topic and conversation. I used to do a weekly pick for some of these things. And the Euro last year destroyed my budget after Thailand when it was way over the dollar but looks like I’ll be able to go back to Europe and explore a bit more! Thanks for this great update!
Glad you like it! I used to do weekly (and then monthly) news and blog round-ups and people really seemed to like them. So I figured why not try it again in a slightly different way?
The Euro value being lower is definitely great news for travelers!
AirBnB has been mine and my partner’s go-to for a few years now- it is amazing! You can find such amazing and original accommodation on there for a fraction of the price of hostels and hotels.
Lizzy from Nomad Notebook
Yup I really love that about Airbnb! So much variety, and so far I’ve only had great experiences!
I’m a sucker for monthly round up posts and features. I’m trying to focus more on IG but China’s been killing me lately with their internet crackdowns. I have not tried air BnB but I doubt there are many good options in china for that.
You’d actually be surprised on the Airbnb front – I just did a quick search for Beijing and there were tons of results!
Great post! I’m definitely excited that I decided to change my travel plans to Europe as it probably won’t get any cheaper than it is now! That means I won’t have to worry AS much about dwindling my budget too fast. I’m also looking into AirBnb more…hostels are great and cheap but I’m starting to get past that point in my life when I’m willing to put up with them.
Yes, I don’t think Europe will ever be cheaper than it is right now! Definitely a great time to go. I’ll be there myself a few times this summer and am really excited that the exchange rate will be good!
And yeah… I hear ya on being past the point of hostels. Hence why I use Airbnb so much these days!
YES! I read The Geography of Bliss a couple years ago while I was in Asia. Great read! Poor Moldova, though 🙁
I haven’t gotten to the Moldova part yet! But yeah, great read!
That’s a great round up, Akatuki! I love AirBnb accomodations too, they have a wide range available on offer with a cool, friendly concept. All your shots are simply amazing!
Yeah, I’ll be using Airbnb a lot on my travels this spring/summer!
I love this! I’ll definitely be looking for “Stuff You Should Know About” next month.
I’ve known about Air B&B for a while now but never actually tried it. I would love to try it on my next adventure.
Oh and I currently have “Geography of Bliss” on my shelf. Haven’t read it yet, but it will be one of my next reads! I’d love to hear more about other books you read, I’m always looking for good recommendations!
I’m so glad you liked this post! The “What I’m Reading” section will be ongoing, so be sure to check that out every month for some more recommendations! 🙂
I love your shot of Ha Long Bay, that’s seriously one of my favorite places in the whole world. Fun little roundup post, can’t wait to read more!
Thanks, Leah! It’s definitely a memorable place, and clearly plenty of other people liked that Instagram shot, too!
I’m excited about being able to go to Cuba! I’ve heard a lot about it and I’m curious to see it for myself.
I’m definitely curious, too.
The Euro is getting ridiculously cheap … people should head over to Europe this summer or next, as I don’t think it will get any more affordable than this for a long time!
I totally agree! This year is definitely the time to go!
I really like random travel news as readers are always on the look out for hints and tips. I tend to put some on my blog too but only about my local area – Berlin. I love your photos and I’m not in the least surprised that others loved them too. More of the same please!
So glad this new feature has been getting some love! Stayed tuned for even more cool tidbits next month!