Showing posts with label Travel & Leisure. Show all posts

10 Serene Summer Destinations for Avoiding the World Cup Crowds

This June, the World Cup will draw thousands of soccer fans to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For soccer fans, the host city is the ultimate summer destination.

For the rest of us, however, this is an excellent time not to go to Rio. A trip to the Brazilian capital city for the World Cup from June 14-21, including roundtrip airfare from New York and a six-night hotel stay, will cost about $3,800 per person, according to travel booking site Priceline.com.

Rio is a popular tourist destination even when it isn't hosting the biggest sports tournament in the world, and the World Cup has increased demand for flights by 222% and demand for hotels by 306%, according to Kayak.com.

If you're looking for a cheaper summer trip, here are 10 alternatives that offer all the sun and sand without the crowds. (Listed rates are based on packages listed on Priceline.com the week of April 21, 2014. Prices are per person and include airfare from New York City.)

1. Cape Town, South Africa

Kite surfers in Cape Town — People make use of good weather conditions as they kite surf at Scarborough, on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014.

Veneto Hotel Package: $922

Cape Town has mountains, beaches, amazing vineyards and a somber yet inspiring history.

Robben Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers a glimpse into South Africa's past. Buildings on the island were used as prisons and hospitals for those deemed socially undesirable. The island represents "the triumph of the human spirit, of freedom and of democracy over oppression," according to UNESCO.

2. Costa Rica

Costa Rica hanging bridge in the forest — Costa Rica offers tourists sandy beaches and tropical forests.

Barcelo Tambor Beach Hotel Package: $1,070

Not much needs to be said about Costa Rica, which has been a popular destination for years. There are beaches, there are zip lines through tropical forests, there are turtles ... You'll forget all about Rio as soon as you arrive.

The popularity of this Central American country has made it a prime destination for scoring travel deals.

3. Panama City, Panama

Panama Marriott Package: $1,187

This summer marks the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal. What better way to mark the centennial than by visiting one of Central America's most cosmopolitan cities?

In addition to the canal, the city has a rich cultural heritage. (And the beaches aren't bad, either.)

4. Cozumel, Mexico

Cozumel beach with umbrellas and chairs — Cozumel is a vacationer's paradise.

Presidente Intercontinental Cozumel Package: $1,200

The island of Cozumel has snorkeling, sunbathing and the kind of beaches you've been daydreaming about.

Located off the eastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, Cozumel gets its name from the Mayan "Ah Cuzamil Peten," which translates as the "Island of Swallows."

5. Cartagena, Colombia

Buildings in Cartagena — Cartagena is a less-visited destination in Colombia, but that makes it easy to avoid the crowds.

Radisson Cartagena Ocean Pavilion Package: $1,421

Beautiful architecture and vivid colors are abundant in the city, and the food scene has taken off in recent years, giving tourists a wide variety of culinary experiences to choose from.

6. Phuket, Thailand

Tourists on the beach in Phuket — Thailand’s sapphire blue waters, wildlife parks, delicious cuisine and raunchy red light districts have attracted tourists for decades.

JW Marriott Phuket Package: $1,970

Phuket is Thailand’s largest island, offering beaches, deep-sea diving and luxurious resorts.

There are some great surfing spots around the island, and with average temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, you won't want to get out of the water.

7. Dubrovnik, Croatia

Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Package: $2,400

The city of Dubrovnik in Croatia has a wall around it that dates back to medieval times. Not only is it historic, it's gorgeous, too.

8. Sydney, Australia

Sculpture along the water — Artist Nerine's sculpture "Life Boat/Thuyen cuu roi" seen at Sculptures by the sea in Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia.

Holiday Inn Darling Harbour Package: $2,507

Sydney is home to the famous Bondi and Manly Beaches, among others. The iconic Sydney Opera House is also a must-see.

9. Marbella, Costa del Sol, Spain

Marbella promenade — The beach cities in Spain are a popular destination among northern Europeans.

Puente Romano Hotel Package: $2,686

Marbella has long been a choice destination among celebrities and aristocrats, and it's easy to see why.

This Spanish city is situated on the idyllic Mediterranean, between Málaga and Gibraltar. There are more than 20 beaches and summer festivals keep the party going all night long.

10. Cairns, Australia

A koala looks at the camera — A koala at the Cairns Wildlife Dome.

Hilton Cairns Package: $2,777

Activities in Cairns are all about enjoying what nature has to offer.

After you go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef and hang out with koalas in the Cairns Wildlife Dome, soccer will be the last thing on your mind.

Didn’t Get Into Your Dream Business School? What to Do Next

10:34:00 Happy Signs

There’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when — after all the blood, sweat and tears you put into your application — you click on your decision letter only to read, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Put simply, it’s pretty awful.

When I got my first rejection letter, I had just arrived at Penn Station in New York City on a business trip. I reloaded the letter a couple of times on my computer, just to make sure, and then I walked to Sephora and bought myself some way-too-expensive nail polish. Then I called my mom. Ultimately, things worked out for me, but none of that mattered at the moment.

Unfortunately, given how tough the competition is, it’s possible that you won’t get into your dream business school. After you get the news, however, the fact that you didn’t get in becomes way less important than what you do about it.

Once you’ve digested the news (and indulged yourself with a little pampering for the rest of the day), it’s important to wake up the next morning fresh and ready to get to work. Here are my tips for getting past the “no” and getting back on track.

Scenario 1: You Loved Your Dream School, But You’d Be Interested in Going Somewhere Else

If you were excited about your dream school but are still open to other options, you’re actually in a pretty good place. Not getting into your top choice is definitely a bummer, but there’s bound to be another program out there that’s a great fit for you.

Of course, it’s likely that you’re still waiting for decisions from other schools you applied to and are excited about (most Round I decisions come out by the end of January). While schools typically don’t like candidates to send over additional information after the admissions deadline, if you’ve had anything big happen since you applied that was not covered in your application (e.g., you’ve taken on major new responsibilities at work or started volunteering at a local shelter), don’t be afraid to send an email to the admissions office and make sure they know about it. In the meantime, enjoy all of the holiday festivities I’m sure you’ve got coming up in the next few weeks, and try to take your mind off of the process. If you didn’t get into any of the schools you’ve already applied to, there’s still some good news:

Most schools have a second application deadline in January or February, and some programs even accept applicants on a rolling basis well into late spring. So, if you really want to start school in the fall, there’s still time to get back into research mode and find a few more programs that are a good fit.

If you decide to go this route, you’ll need to ramp up pretty quickly (i.e., you might have to write some essays over the holidays). Make sure to really plan out your next couple months so that you’ll be able to fit everything in.

Scenario 2: You Really Don’t Want to Go Anywhere But Your Dream School

If your top choice really is the only school for you, it may be time to reconsider your timeline. There’s still a chance you’ll be able to attend it, you just may need to spend a year or two bolstering your application.

Many schools allow you to call the admissions office to get feedback on your application, especially if you went in for an interview. This should definitely be your first step, as knowing what held you back will be wildly valuable as you plan out how you’ll move forward.

That being said, I’ve heard that this feedback can be pretty vague, so you’ll have to do some decoding. For example, “We didn’t feel that you demonstrated your academic and quantitative abilities to us as strongly as we would have liked to see,” could mean that you were passed onbecause of your GMAT score or GPA.

If this is the case, start studying to retake the GMAT for next year’s application, or consider taking classes at a local college to show off your academic abilities now. And if you’re still in college, you’ve got one more semester, so make it count

If you suspect the reason you didn’t get in was because of a gap in your experience — maybe you’ve never demonstrated quantitative or leadership skills at work — think about what long-term steps you can take to make you a more well-rounded candidate. For example, consider taking an accounting class or asking for more leadership responsibilities at work.

Solid candidates will likely hear the much-less-useful, “We thought you were a great applicant, we just couldn’t find space for you.” If tough competition was your problem, think of things you can do to make your application really stand out next year. Do some meaningful volunteer work, complete an impressive side project at work, or gain a marketable new skill, for example.

Whatever you need to do to improve, start taking steps to do so as soon as possible. Even if you will ultimately be executing a long-term approach, there are still things you can do now to get started — talk to your boss, register for a class, or, if you’re still in undergrad, look for a job that will get you some real-world work experience — to make sure that you’re setting yourself up for a great business school application down the road.

Scenario 3: You Got Put on the Waitlist

Waitlists are tricky, because they work differently for b-schools than they do elsewhere. Business schools are often focused on building a diverse class of students, so instead of having one list with everyone in order, they likely have many lists comprised of students from different backgrounds and sectors. For example, I have a nonprofit background, so I would be on the nonprofit, education and government waitlist.

Given that, it can be a little harder to get pulled off of the waitlist, but it’s definitely not impossible. The most important thing you can do is continue to let the school know that you’re interested (without being overbearing, of course). A friend who was successfully admitted off of the waitlist sent an email once a month to the admissions office to tell them that he still would be happy to accept an offer.

Just make sure to follow the instructions from the admissions office, including what they tell you not to do — the last thing you want to do is antagonize the person who is in charge of deciding whether or not you get in. In other words, if you follow up once and get a response asking you not to do so again, the best thing you can do is wait it out (and maybe start working on your back-up plan just in case).

Getting rejected from the school you were really hoping for can be rough, but it doesn’t have to be the end of your b-school dreams. Ultimately, what you get out of this experience will be what you put into it, so even if you end up at a different school, give it your all. It will definitely still be rewarding.

If You Like Taylor Swift's Music, You Might Enjoy These Books

07:04:00 Happy Signs

Personalization algorithms are often helpful, but not without fail — buy a gift for a friend on Amazon and suddenly you feel like a stranger in your own account.

Qloo is an iOS app launched in November that believes better recommendations come from being more holistic. You add favorites across eight categories (movies, books, travel destinations, restaurants, etc.), each with subcategories, and the app makes cross-category recommendations. You can't have more than five favorites per subcategory — an attempt to keep the app's data high-quality. Your taste in music will influence your recommendations for brunch, and so on, creating a sort of Frankenstein monster of Foursquare, Netflix, Amazon and more.

TSA Allows Soldiers to Keep Their Shoes On; You Could Be Next

10:46:00 Happy Signs

Members of the U.S. military including the National Guard, reserve soldiers and the Coast Guard can now walk past regular security lines at 100 airports across America without removing their shoes, belts and jackets. And, someday soon, you could do the same.
Soldiers were recently added to a Transportation Security Administration program called Precheck that identifies "low-risk travelers" and ushers them through shorter lines with less hassle. They had access to the program at just 10 airports prior to this deal between the TSA and the Department of Defense, but now Precheck is open to soldiers at every airport where available. Regular travelers will often not have access to the program, but TSA's website says it uses "secure flight data" to sometimes allow passengers to participate on a "random basis," and flyers will be notified on their ticket.

The military deal comes, according to TSA's site, "as part of the ongoing effort to move away from a one-size-fits-all security approach and provide more of the traveling public the ability to participate in expedited screening."
Precheck allows flyers to wait in shorter security lines, keep on all their clothing (excluding bulky jackets) and keep their laptop tucked away in a carry-on bag. Along with armed forces members, anyone who is a member of a Customs and Border Protection Trusted Traveler program such as Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI can participate in Precheck.
The program is also open to some frequent flyers, and people can apply for Precheck online. No one is guaranteed admission, though, and candidates have to pay an $85 fee and schedule a meeting at an application center to determine eligibility.
A TSA official did not immediately respond to a question about potentially expanding the program to more people. For now, it looks like only soldiers and frequent fliers have a hassle-free flying experience in their future. Unless, of course, a passenger is selected randomly.

Pinterest's Top Pins of 2013

06:26:00 Happy Signs

What do the Eiffel Tower, Boulders Beach in South Africa, and the Caves Resort in Jamaica all have in common?
The attention of Pinterest users, for one thing.

Pinterest unveiled its most popular pins of 2013 on Thursday, highlighting the top 20 or so pins from the year in more than 25 separate categories, including "Places and travel" where the beautiful locations from above all fit in. Other categories include "Women's Fashion," "History," and "Rad tattoos."
The pins included on each category board were selected based on the number of re-pins from users throughout the year. They aren't listed in any particular order, according to a spokesperson, but do provide a glimpse into the topics and trends that struck a chord with Pinterest users throughout the year. Many of the posts from the "Technology trends" board, for example, appear to be mobile phone-related.
In the spirit of Pinterest's recent international expansion, the platform also pulled out the top pins by country for Italy, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, France, and the United Kingdom.
The "Top Pins" also provide a small glimpse into who may be using the site, and for which purposes. Pinterest claims that the difference between the number of females and males who use the platform is minimal, and has top fashion boards for both genders. On the "Health and Fitness" board, however, not a single pin features a photo of a man, lending to the conclusion that men aren't using Pinterest for health and fitness motivation.

Making London's Streets Safer for Pedestrians, Cyclists

10:12:00 Happy Signs

Five cyclists were struck and killed by motor vehicles on the streets of London in early November. The deaths occurred within a nine-day period, raising the total number of biking fatalities to 13 for the year.

In protest, a large number of the city's bicyclists staged a "die-in" last week outside the offices ofTransport for London. They lit candles, painted their faces in fake blood and — essentially — played dead on the roads.

Some have argued the recent deaths have to do with the city's bike lanes: narrow, blue-painted lines on the sides of the streets that, like most cycling paths, don't offer any real separation between those in vehicles and those on bikes. Others, like Mayor Boris Johnson, say reckless bicycling is most likely to blame.

SEE ALSO: For Bike Lanes, Design Makes All The Difference

Bruce McVean, a design manager at UK-based startup Beyond Green, doesn't take the issue lightly. Three years ago, he started Movement for a Liveable London, a group focused on creating a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

It serves mostly as a meet-and-chat. Once a month, McVean invites speakers to talk about issues like speed limits, traffic congestion and bicycle rights, then encourages his listeners to spread what they've learned and demand more street-safe action from the city's politicians.

Image: Flickr, Robert Scoble

"Our focus is on events — to get people to come together and talk about these things," he says. "It's quite informal. We usually hold them in a pub or something, to make them welcoming as possible."

His speaking guests vary, from street design experts to campaign organizers. But McVean insists it's not a campaign group — it's "a way to convince existing campaigners to break out of their silos." While he's not physically advocating for a specific change — say, wider bike lanes in the city — he's hoping his seminars will inspire, educate and, above all, nudge those listening to take action.

The site is also a database of resources. Every presentation in the group's three-year history is stored in the archives. Usually, they're in the form of PowerPoint presentations. Some, like the video below of Rod King of the group 20's Plenty For Us, are filmed.

Recently, McVean says, the conversation has focused around how to reduce the amount of traffic caused by home deliveries — ahem, drones? — and create new space that's both spacious and pedestrian-only. The recent spate of cyclist deaths are one more reason to increase the debate, he says.

SEE ALSO: The 10 Most Bike-Friendly Cities in the U.S.

"It's the negative impact of motor vehicles that need the most attention," he says. "Car ownership in the city is actually falling, statistically, but the big challenge is how to manage commercial trucks and vans that have been driving people off the streets. There's no clear strategy coming from the mayor's office."

And that's a direction he's hoping to move toward. With the next mayoral elections coming up in 2016, McVean plans to monitor each potential candidates' respective stances on street safety — what plans, if any, they promise to enact — and create a library of resources on the group's website. If a Londoner is deciding between two or more mayoral candidates, McVean wants his site to be the go-to resource to help make a decision.

Image: Bruce McVean

"The main message, to people who campaign, or anyone here interested, is to be informed and consequently active about street safety," he says. "We want more leadership from the top. People who have the political will to say: 'This needs to be a city for people; where they feel safe spending time.'"

SEE ALSO: These Pedestrian Maps Are a Feat of Design, Data and Diligence

You can stay up-to-date with all the presentations, past and current, on the group's website.

Planning to visit London or another destination soon? Consider these apps as travel companions: Heywire

HeyWire You've heard of Skype and WhatsApp, and if you're a seasoned traveler, you've probably tried out Viber and Tango, too. After all, the app world isn't void of free SMS texting options, and often your geographical location determines which app you use.

But HeyWire offers something different: a meme generator. That means you can take a photo of the Eiffel Tower or the Great Wall of China, add a witty caption and send it off to your friends back home -- without paying a penny (or whatever currency you're using). The recipients don't need the app to view your creation; you just need is their U.S. phone numbers, and can send it directly for free. Apply filters to your memes, attach songs and even tweet them out from text to Twitter with no additional hassle. The app is free on iOS andAndroid and is available in English, French, Portuguese, simplified Chinese and Spanish.

5 Biggest Social Media Lessons of 2013

06:47:00 Happy Signs

It was a big year for social media. Twitter made its successful debut on the stock market whileFacebook recovered from its troubled IPO a year earlier. We also saw the launch of Vine, the rise of Snapchat and the acceptance of social media by the SEC, which said public companies could use these sites to disclose information.

And that was just in the United States.

In China, which has the world's biggest population of Internet users, ecommerce giant Alibaba spent $586 million for a stake in Weibo, the country's top microblogging service and a rival to Tencent's popular WeChat instant messaging app. Meanwhile, in the Ukraine, mobile phone operators were expecting a boom in data traffic as protests against the country's president wereorganized over social networking sites, similar to the Arab Spring of 2011.

All of which is to say that if 2013 showed us one thing, it's that

there's a growing global business in accumulating friends and followers.

Of course, similar to previous years, there were also social media gaffes and hacks mixed in, along with plenty of celebrity narcissism and, unfortunately, twerks. We still have a ways to go in understanding and applying social media to the business world, but there was no shortage of lessons to glean from 2013.

Social Media Can Move Markets

On April 23, the Associated Press’ Twitter account was hacked, sending a fake tweet that there were “two explosions in the White House and Barack Obama is injured.” In a matter of seconds, the Dow dropped 150 points.

Then in June, activist investor Carl Icahn joined Twitter, first using it primarily as a megaphone in his battle with Dell and later to announce his stake in companies, most notably Apple. On Aug. 13, Icahn tweeted that he had a "large position" in the iPhone maker, pushing the shares of the tech titan up about 5%.

Witnessing a single tweet swing the pendulum of markets proved that social media is every bit as valuable to day traders as it is to newsmakers.

Social Media Is Increasingly Visual

Sure, you can say a lot in 140 characters, but a picture is still worth a thousand words. In January, Twitter-owned Vine launched as a mobile service for sharing six-second looping videos. Then, in June, Facebook responded by enabling video on Instagram.

We also saw the rise of Snapchat, a service that allows users to share photos and videos without the permanency of other social networks. That’s because users control how long (one to 10 seconds) the recipients can see their "Snaps." Once the time is up, the photo or video disappears. The service has become so popular among young Internet users that Facebook reportedly recently offered to buy it for $3 billion. Snapchat declined.

And days before its IPO, Twitter launched a product update so that tweets with Twitter photos or Vine videos display a preview thumbnail. While this facelift is still in its early days, it's already made Twitter feel like a more visual and less-textual platform.

Social Media Isn’t Just for the Kids

From Warren Buffett joining Twitter to Jamie Dimon joining the LinkedIn Influencer program, 2013 showed us that global leaders are embracing social media.

Sometimes, the business impact can be unpredictable, as Rupert Murdoch's tweets have shown.

Social Media Advertising Is Growing, Evolving

During the Super Bowl, the most talked about advertisement wasn’t a coveted 30-second TV commercial, but rather a tweet. After a power outage at the Superdome prompted a 34 minute break in play, Oreo responded by tweeting "No power? No problem" and an image of an Oreo with the text "you can still dunk in the dark." The tweet generated strong press and proved a turning point in the opportunities for advertising on social media.

2013 also showed how much money could be made from social media advertising. In the third quarter, Facebook reported revenue grew 60% compared with a year earlier, with a large piece of that from mobile advertising. Around the same time, Facebook-owned Instagram announced sponsored posts would be coming to user newsfeeds in the United States.

Social Media Could Be TV’s Best Ally

In October, Nielsen Ratings released an analysis showing a correlation between live-tweeting during TV and having a larger, more engaged audience.

The data illustrated that 19 million people in the U.S. composed 263 million tweets about live TV in the second quarter of 2013.

Social TV is still in the early days but with television as the home to coveted big dollar ads and social media as the venue for audience amplification and engagement, this could be the beginning of a long and beautiful relationship.

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