Blog — Trip Styler

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for. Whether we learn this through our travels or by actively observing the world around us, Thanksgiving is an opportunity to break bread with family and friends, and be mindful of the bounty of blessings in our lives.

In the spirit of thankfulness, thank you to:

  • everyone who has supported Trip Styler via this blog, facebook, twitter and offline; I hope you've been educated, inspired and entertained!
  • my husband and dog @nachoking for being my biggest fans
  • @heatherlovesit for her dishing out her design, writing & editing skills
  • alvin from bionic amigo for being a coding master
  • leah from OTfit , the brains and brawn behind healthy on the road posts

With an attitude of gratitude, Trish

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Africa Month :: Jambo!

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safari in the masai mara[trip style = safari]

The Masai Mara At this time last year my husband and I had the great fortune to go on safari in the Masai Mara---a continuation of Tanzania's Serengeti which runs into Kenya.

After attending a wedding in Nairobi, we hopped on a series of small, low-flying planes over the African plains... Nausea tried to set in, but peering out my small window at families of elephants running beneath seemed to remedy the motion sickness.

Overwhelmed by the experience, landing on a dirt runway did me in. Getting off the plane, tears flooded my eyes. Was I really in a land where animals I've only seen in zoos or read about in Nat Geo walk free? Whisked off to my lodge in a Land Cruiser, I was still in a semi-state of shock as momma and baby baboons trotted by...

Jambo An account of my journey from Nairobi to the Fairmont Masai Mara's grounds {see my hotel review here}. Each time I think of our arrival, the word "Jambo!"---"welcome" in Swahili---resounds in my mind. Every single time we entered the resort's front gates, the security guards would exuberantly welcome us with this warm and expressive word. What a way to begin a five-day adventure in the Masai Mara!

Every Friday for the rest of the month is about Kenya. This week: getting there, an adventure in and of itself!

Getting to the Masai Mara laminated air kenya boarding passes {Laminated Air Kenya boarding passes, the adventure started here. An hour later, we'd arrive.}

wilson airport nairobi {Looking out the waiting area's window at our first plane....while holding my laminated boarding passes and reading about Air Kenya's safety record.}

air kenya at wilson airport {Boarding our first plane. Notice the UN World Food Program plane in the background.}

taking off in a plane in the masai mara {When Air Kenya flies into the Masai Mara it's a milk run. Each party is dropped off at different runways coinciding with their resort's location. Here, our pilot is taking off for the last 10-min leg of our trip.}

looking out the plane window + masai mara {The quintissental tourist out-of-plane window shot, in anticipation of what's below.}

duty-free in the masai mara {No joke: the duty-free shop at our landing strip.}

masai welcome {A special Masai welcome for my friend who just got married and was staying at a resort beside ours.}

fairmont masai mara gates {Arriving at our resort/home for the next five days.}

fairmont safari land rover {Our transport/safari vehicle.}

fairmont masai mara entrance {The resort's main entrance. We were greeted with warm towels and mango juice. So apropos.}

Tips for getting to the Masai Mara

  • There are hundreds of resorts scattered throughout the Masai Mara.
  • You'll either fly {up to a two-hour flight} or drive {six to seven hours} from Nairobi.
  • If you fly, have your resort tell you the name of your specific airstrip. There are several, and you need to make sure you either a) book your flight to and from the right one and/or b) have your safari specialist travel agent book the right one.
  • Depending on your final destination, you may take a few different planes and multiple small flight segments to reach your final destination.
  • All flights for the Masai Mara depart from Wilson Airport {not Nairobi's International Airport}, about 20 mins from downtown Nairobi.
  • It is advisable to work with a travel agent to book a secure, trusted transport to and from Wilson Airport.
  • Travel smart in Nairobi: keep windows closed and doors locked at all times.

[images by @tripstyler and @nate_fri]

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Healthy on the Road :: Underwear Exercises

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hotel room + exercises + fitness[trip style = any]

Not a fan of the hotel gym? Not enough space to pack your full workout attire? No problem. With this workout, clothing is optional since you don’t even need to leave your room!

The sky is the limit in terms of designing a workout away from the gym. View the following routine as a framework upon which you can incorporate some of your favourite equipment-free exercises. All you need for this workout is a book or binder (preferably of a large size) and a chair or bench. I highly recommend morning exercise, but this routine can be done anytime of the day.

Step 1 Wake up! Splash some cold water on your face, have a small snack (e.g. banana, yogurt, almonds) and get ready to rock out to some great tunes. Music always makes working out more enjoyable. Before traveling, make sure your iPod is loaded with a great workout playlist.

Step 2 Warm up and get your sweat on! Choose one or do a combo of: running or marching on the spot, dancing like it’s your birthday, or even just some good old-fashioned jumping jacks. Do this for 5-10 minutes to get your heart pumping!

Step 3 The Mini Circuit (10-15 mins). I love circuits; they keep you focused and add variety. Beginners perform 1 set of 12-16 reps of each exercise. Modify each move to suit your fitness level. Intermediate/Advanced perform 2-3 sets of 10-16 reps. Try performing one exercise right after another to up the cardio. If needed, take a short rest in between.

  • Pushups – On your knees or toes (keeping your body straight).
  • Good Mornings – Stand with feet about hip-width apart holding a phone book or heavier book straight up overhead. Keeping your abs braced and knees slightly bent, tip from the hips and lower your torso until it is parallel to the floor, keeping your arms in line with your ears. Lift up and repeat.
  • Tricep Dips – Sit on a bench or chair with hands resting next to thighs. Push up and bring your hips out, with your bum just brushing the bench, and keep your knees bent. Bend your elbows and lower your body down (staying close to bench or chair) until elbows are 90 degrees. Push up and repeat. To up the intensity, try straightening your legs.
  • Lunges - Unless you're staying in a pod hotel, most hotel rooms accommodate at least a few lunges in a row. Step forward with one foot (don’t let your forward knee go past your big toe), bend your knees and lower into a lunge, bringing both knees into a 90-degree angle. Return to standing and step forward with the opposite leg. Move around your room doing as many as you can.

Step 4 Chill out. Spend 5 minutes doing light stretching and 5 minutes just being still. Stilling your mind and being calm is just as essential as physical activity for starting the day right. Find a comfortable position, close your eyes and breathe.

Step 5 Shower and get going!

Note: if you haven't exercised before, or have any injuries or illnesses, you should consult with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Healthy on the Road posts are published on the first Thursday of every month and written by our resident health consultant, Leah Munday, owner of OTfit.ca.

[photo by Rance Costa]

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A Tropical Experiment

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maui for the weekend[trip style = sun + beach + weekend getaway] {more pics below}

This past weekend, my husband and I conducted a tropical experiment. We did so during low season in case it was a bust.

The Experiment Fly to the tropics, in our case Maui, for an extended weekend. Leave on a Friday and return on a Monday. Easy getaway options: West Coasters = Hawaiian Islands East Coasters = Bermuda or the Caribbean.

Why We've attempted this crazy or not-so-crazy feat (depending on how you look at it) in the past for 4 nights/5 days, so being curious souls, we wanted to find out if it was possible to pull it off for a weekend. The idea of a short-burst trip filled with sun, relaxation and blue waters is soul soothing, so my goal was to see if it was doable for times when it's hard to get away for more than a few days.

The Verdict The experiment worked. Here are some best practices:

  • know your destination well so you can hit the ground running
  • only travel with a carry-on bag; time is of the essence!
  • relax and don't try to sightsee like a maniac, in fact, leave sightseeing for another trip
  • arrange a direct flight with departure and arrival times that aren't going to leave you zombie-like
  • figure out if you can handle the time change {if applicable}
  • make restaurant reservations before you leave so your getaway is dialed before you arrive

Details Flight We left out of Seattle on a Hawaiian Airlines flight (my preferred carrier for flights to Hawaii) at 10.30am Friday, and returned for the mainland on Monday at 3.05pm. These are great flight times allowing you to enjoy a portion of each travel day at your destination.

Hotel Having stayed at multiple hotels and condos in Wailea, Kihei and Ka'anapali, we chose to stay at the Fairmont Kea Lani because it's within a half hour of the airport, has a great reputation and a stunning location along the Wailea seascape. See my review of the Fairmont Kea Lani here.

Car Car rentals in Maui are close to the main airport, efficient (most of the time) and cheap. Even though we didn't do any major car excursions during our aloha-filled weekend, renting a car for 4 days is cheaper than taking a taxi or shuttle to and from the airport. In addition, our hotel offered complimentary parking, a perk you pay for in the rate, but something most other hotels on the island don't offer.

Restaurants Given we were there on a weekend, we made resos in advance at The Four Seasons Maui's Ferraros and The Grand Wailea's Humu Humu, leaving us with an open evening the day we arrived. Tommy Bahamas Cafe in the Shops at Wailea has a happy hour, or what they call island time, from 4-6pm and 9pm-close. We didn't have time to try it, but it would have been a nice option for Friday night.

Pictures fairmont kea lani {Looking from the hotel to the ocean}

kea lani architectural detail {Love the Arabian Nights-esque details}

bananas {Tempted to pick one of the bananas on the property}

fairmont kea lani chapel area {Resort's chapel area}

Related Content How to Book a Very Last-Minute Tropical Getaway High/Low Booking a Vacation in Maui

[photos by moi & husband]

Travel Apps :: Live Flight Tracker

flight trackerI've known about flight tracking apps for awhile, but never bothered to download one---why I don't know---because they can be extremely helpful. These apps are valuable planning and tracking tools, and definitely something the travel app-obsessed should have in their toolkits! Recently flight status apps came back on my radar when my mom asked about options as she filled her iTouch with apps the night before she set off for a multi-city, multi-segment trip to China. There are a few flight status apps on the market. The highest priced, FlightTrack ($9.99 Pro/$4.99 Regular) is the most robust and a frequent international traveller's dream come true. Casual jauntsetters will like the free FlightAware app.

FlightAware App Details

  • free
  • works with iPhone, iTouch, iPad; Blackberry and Android apps in the works
  • real-time flight status and tracking map for any flight in the United States, Canada or UK
  • tracks private, charter  or commercial airline flights
  • search by aircraft registration, route, airline, flight number, city pair, or airport code

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Other Travel Apps we’ve Reviewed