Blue Hole, Espiritu Santo,Vanuatu. Photo credit: David Kirkland.

Stunning Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific, is the ultimate ocean swim destination.

On our sister blog TravelingGreener.com, we’ve blogged about Vanuatu and its annual Vanuatu Ocean Swim Series.

Equipment that fits properly is worth investing in. Photo credit: James Stokes.

Planning a scuba holiday this year?  Whether you’re looking at Cuba holidays or other destinations worldwide, take time to plan your diving adventure.

In this guest post, diving expert Ben Stokes shares his packing tips for scuba holidays.

Stokes is the co-founder of adventure travel company Dive Safari Asia. He has over 2,500 dives across 4 continents and regularly leads expeditions in remote corners of South East Asia. See www.divesafariasia.com for more details.

Let’s face it, investing in dive kit is not cheap.

Dive gear also takes up a large chunk of your baggage allowance so before you start splashing out it’s worth giving it a little thought as to what’s best for you when it comes to buying gear.

BCD and Regulator set. Photo credit: James Stokes.

Here are my 10 Packing Tips For A Scuba Holiday:

1. A good and responsible scuba operation will be able to rent you all the equipment you’ll ever need for a recreational dive. If you’re turning up empty-handed, ask to see the gear first. It doesn’t take an expert to see if it’s been well looked after or left to fade away. If it’s the latter, try another dive centre.

2. The first pieces of kit you should invest in are a mask, snorkel and fins. If these items don’t fit properly, then you’re not going to enjoy your dive. Make sure you try everything on first. A helpful sales rep from a dive store can help with this.

3. Dive computers can be put on the wrist or as a console attached to your regulator (breathing apparatus). It tells you how deep you are, how long you can spend at any given depth and when to ascend. Knowing these things at a turn of your head means you can relax and enjoy the dive more easily.

Kitting up before the dive. Photo credit: James Stokes.

4. So you’ve got your basic kit, what next? Well for me, it’s a wetsuit. A rental wetsuit that doesn’t quite fit is going to rub and be a little uncomfortable. Consider the people who’ve been in the wetsuit before you.

5. Regulators are basically what control your air flow between your tank and your lungs. These things rarely fail so that shouldn’t be a major concern. It’s more about the comfort factor, being familiar with how it functions and how much air you can take from it.

6. BCD or Buoyancy Control Devices should be considered next. Choose something that will suit your needs, spending more money doesn’t necessarily get you something better.   If you have a store where you can try it on first, this is always best.

Checking the dive computer after a dive. Photo credit: James Stokes.

7. Now buy a bag to put it in. Something padded will protect your equipment but again it’s worth thinking about weight.

8. Most international airlines offer baggage allowance of between 20Kg and 30Kg.  If you’re using an internal connection, you’re almost certainly going to pay extra for anything over 20Kg’s.

9. If you’re planning your own travel arrangements and finding a dive centre on arrival, make sure you shop around. Don’t go for the cheapest option – they all have overheads, if they’re cheaper than the rest they’re probably cutting corners.

10. Make use of a respectable tour operator when planning trips. They get preferential rates from suppliers, should be able to offer plenty of advice and you’ll be financially protected. Now go diving!

This post is brought to you by holidayhypermarket.co.uk.

Playa De Troya, Tenerife. Photo credit: Tenerife Tourism Corporation.

Heading to Tenerife aka the Isle of Contrasts?  On the largest island in the Canaries, you’ll soak up the sun and sand on its beautiful beaches.

Take time out for island culture and entertainment breaks and check out the lively Tenerife calendar of events and festivals.

Mount Teide. Photo credit: Tenerife Tourism Corporation.

Here are 5 Things To Do In Tenerife:

• Tenerife Carnival, Santa Cruz. February: A top island attraction, the exotic, day-and-night festival offers street parades, live musical performances, dance acts and “street carnival” atmosphere with drums, trumpets and Caribbean rhythms.

• Rock Coast Festival, Santa Cruz. May: The festival welcomes some of the world’s best pop groups, rock stars and electronic musicians.

• Perseid Meteor Shower, Teide National Park. August: One of the greatest natural wonders, the annual event is a light show with 60+ shooting stars every hour. Mount Teide, Spain’s tallest mountain, with its low light pollution and clear dark skies, is perfect for star spotting.

• Hearts of Tejina, La Laguna. August: Three largest districts of La Laguna – Calle de Arriba, Calle de Abajo and El Pico – compete to create the most incredible hearts made from beech, flowers, fruits and items. The two-metre long hearts are paraded to the church where they are offered to patron saint San Bartolomé.

• Los Sabandeños Festival, La Laguna. September. Artists and musicians from the Canary Islands and South America come to Tenerife to perform live.

Lion in South Africa. Photo credit: African Travel, Inc.

This is one of the stunning big cats spotted on the South Africa safari tour In The Footsteps of Mandela by African Travel, Inc.

On this adventure, South Africa’s culture, natural beauty and wildlife are explored during a stay at a luxury safari lodge.

Love lions? See Green Photos: Lions, a photo essay at our sister site TravelingGreener.com.

Far Meadow A-Frame Cabin. Photo credit: Boutique-Homes.com.

Mariana McConnell wrote this guest post on mountain cabin holidays in California.  She is a writer and travel lover currently scouring the globe for cool vacation rentals and small hotels on behalf of Boutique-Homes.com.

Dream of a California mountain cabin holiday?

Far Meadow is a holiday getaway made up of three cabins on twenty acres in the High Sierras of California, 7,000 feet above Bass Lake.

Surrounded by the Sierra National Forest, guests love the fresh air and secluded atmosphere of Far Meadow which allows them to get in touch with the natural splendor of the area.

Far Meadow is near enough to Yosemite National Park for daily visits and far enough away from tourist crowds.

The A-Frame at Far Meadow (top) takes the traditional sloped-roof shape and gives it a modern twist with 16 foot high ceilings, a floating staircase, and skylights for natural light. A green cabin, this A-Frame is off-the-grid and solar-powered.

In the summer, guests can hang out on the elevated deck and cook meals on the outdoor fire pit with barbecue grill.  While in the winter, they can use a wood-burning stove which keeps the A-Frame cozy and warm.

For info on Far Meadow and other modern vacation rentals, visit Boutique-Homes.com.

Check out more cabin photos below:

All images courtesy of Boutique-Homes.com.

Family beach volleyball in Antigua. Photo credit: Jolly Beach Resort & Spa.

Looking for family beach holiday ideas?  If you’re planning family holidays abroad, beach and island destinations usually feature tons of fun and activities for the entire family.

In Antigua, the Jolly Beach Resort & Spa now offers Family Beach Olympics for its family guests.

This tropical family resort is nestled in 40 acres of lush gardens with beautiful sea views.

Every week, family guests can participate in easygoing Family Beach Olympics.

Each family works in teams and plays football, cricket, basketball, pool, beach volleyball or the Antiguan game of Rounders.

In water sports, families can go snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boating or learn wind surfing or sailing from one Jolly Beach water sports staff.

The resorts offers children a Kidz Club (3-12 year olds) whose activities include chef facilities at chef’s corner; Caribbean story time; treasure hunts and mini volley ball.

While at the Jolly Teenz Club (13-16 year olds), teenagers can join night beach BBQs and bonfires; moonlight scavenger hunts; games area with a Nintendo Wii; Air Hockey, Foosball and Indoor Basketball.

This post is provided to you by First Choice.

Live Luggage Sports Bag. Photo credit: Live Luggage.

Leah Prendergast wrote this guest post about packing tips for women.

Packing for travel and adventure can be challenging.

If you’re a woman who feels like you need your entire shoe collection, you know you can’t pack and take everything with you.

Pre-travel planning will make it easy for you to be a globetrotter and look fabulous doing it.

Depending on your trip and itinerary, you’ll need to determine what individual items you take.  Rest assured women travel all over the globe successfully without requiring an entourage of porters carrying their designer handbag collections.

So how can you look like a girl and still pack light? It’s simple really, here’s how:

Clothing

It’s a good idea to pack a few yet versatile items that can be worn again in different combinations, dressed up, dressed down using accessories. A couple of dresses (one day, one evening), a pair of trousers and three tops are a perfect long weekend travel wardrobe. In addition, most hotels and hostels have laundry facilities these days. It may be worth calling ahead so you are never caught short if you want to pack ultra-light but are extending your vacation.

Hair

That’s it, go on… leave behind your curlers, your crimper and your straighteners. Don’t gasp, the solution is at hand in the form of a multi-styler. Straighten, crimp or curl, these amazing all-in-one inventions are perfect when you’re away from home. They can help you become your usual glamorous self yet take up virtually no room in your backpack. Whether you’re staying in a cheap Los Angeles hotel or a luxury hotel in Dubai, most properties these days will also rent or provide a hairdryer on site.

Makeup

No matter how much makeup you’re wearing, it’s difficult to look great after a long journey.  Your makeup bag can potentially take up a lot of space in your suitcase though. Be daring, remember you’re beautiful, leave all your makeup at home and go au natural.  Another option is experiment and buy makeup basics at your final destination. Or play the ‘if I was on a desert island game’ where you choose one makeup item you couldn’t live without and take just that.

Shoes

Be ruthless as your shoes take up the most room in your suitcase. Ensure you wear your most bulky shoes while in transit – boots, running shoes or walking/hiking shoes. Pack a smart pair of flats or a low-heeled shoe and a pair of glamorous heels to wear with that statement dress.

If you follow the above packing tips, there is no rolling or shrink wrapping required. You may even be able to register your bag as hand luggage on an airplane!

This post was brought to you, in partnership with HostelBookers.com, a travel booking company providing cheap accommodation worldwide.

Heart Reef. Photo credit: Tourism Queensland.

Bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean to the east, Australia’s Queensland is one of the most stunning and adventurous destinations.

This is the Heart Reef in the Great Barrier Reef of the Whitsundays on the coast of Queensland.

See more Queensland here.

A camel in Peru. Photo credit: i-to-i volunteering.

Planning to trek the Inca Trail?  Then you might fancy a camel conservation experience in Peru enroute with i-to-i volunteering.

Travelers to Peru can visit the Machu Picchu site and participate in a week’s camel conservation.  Volunteers will feed and care for these native animals and learn ancient Andean traditions including weaving camel wool.

The two-week adventure includes a homestay and guest house accommodation, meals with local families, airport pick-up, country orientation and 24-hour support.

For more info, visit the i-to-i volunteering site.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Central Australia. Photo credit: Tourism NT.

Feel like a hot air balloon adventure?  In Australia, hot air balloon flights have launched at  Uluru (Ayers Rock).

Travelers to Australia’s Red Centre will be able to see views of the iconic Uluru (Ayers Rock) (above) at dawn from a hot air balloon.

Outback Ballooning is featuring these 30-minute long flights over the Patji region just outside Uluru -Kata Tjuta National Park, with Uluru viewed from the south (depending on wind direction).

“During this spiritual journey, visitors will be able to soak up the vastness of the surrounding desert and admire the rock as it gradually changes color as the sun rises,” says Outback Ballooning.

The hot air balloon trip includes a light bush breakfast and transfers to and from accommodation.

For more info, visit Outback Ballooning online.