Month: December 2019

Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide

December 24, 2019

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Santa Claus is right on the doorstep 😉 But wait, are you still looking for a unique Christmas present and can’t make it to the city or order something? No problem! With this gift, you can definitely surprise your loved one, and they will, for sure, not forget Christmas this year.

Did you know that you can now fly directly to New York from all major German airports for less than 300€ (return flight)? For this unique surprise, you have to do the following steps!

Open the page Google Flights, enter your departure airport, and don’t forget the destination: New York. Then you can choose the travel period. The date display shows you directly when it is cheapest. I recommend flying for 4-5 days. For example, from Wednesday/Thursday to Sunday. So you don’t need to take so many holidays.

Flights booked? First, take a deep breath and be happy!!! Because it goes straight to New York!
Don’t forget your ESTA visa. It takes about 5 minutes online, and you’d need it for the entry.
Now you probably need a place to stay. I usually always book via Booking.com. It is important that you live in Manhattan. This will save you transportation costs. It is also not necessarily more expensive. You just have to find the offers on Booking. You can also check out holiday pirates or holiday gurus. They always pick out hotels that often have offers. You will pay about 350€-650€ for a double room for 2 persons in a 3 or 4-star hotel. More expensive options are, of course, always available. The NoMad Hotels often have special offers or the Hyatt Hotel on Times Square.
Now you already have a flight and a hotel. All you only need are tickets for Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building. New York is not a cheap city, and, therefore, you should be well prepared.
How you can save time & money? Just get your New York Pass from Attraction Tickets Direct. The Pass gives you access to over 100 top New York attractions. You get the tickets directly to your smartphone, and at many attractions, you have a fast track ticket and don’t have to queue. All the famous attractions are covered by the ticket. I also ordered it before one of my New York trips.
- Some attractions included are:
  - Top of the Rock
  - Empire State Building
  - Statue of Liberty
  - Madame Tussauds
  - MoMa
  - NBC Studio Tour and much more!
After about 30 minutes, you will have booked your unforgettable Christmas present. Now you only have to wrap it. At Pinterest, you can even find instructions on how to make flight tickets, for example. Or get a nice card and be creative!

I wish you a Merry Christmas & a good trip!

The Best Christmas Gifts for Travelers

December 11, 2019

by fastenurseatbelts

First Class Organization

A simple gift that I have been using for years is – cable bag. Finally, I no longer have to look for the mobile phone charging cable, the headphones or the USB charging cable in my pocket. At first, I thought I didn’t need this bag anyway. But now I don’t go on a journey without it.

In addition, I can only recommend a memory card case. It’s an important gift, after all, for the travelers who shoot countless pictures.

You can get both the cable bag and memory card case under 10€ and can be sure that nobody has this gift yet.

A Photo says More than a Thousand Words!

Every Christmas, my friends and family get a photo calendar from me with our best travel moments from the past year. Meanwhile, I am reminded weeks before Christmas that everyone would be very happy about the personalized gift again.

At the end of the year, I always give myself a calendar with the most beautiful moments I have experienced in the year.

If you don’t want to give away a calendar as a gift, you can, of course, also use other photo products. How about a photo book or your favourite skyline on a canvas? You will find a great selection of photo gifts at MEINFOTO.

Sweet Dreams

This year I forgot my inflatable neck pillow on a plane during a trip. An absolute nightmare! I don’t fly long distances without my neck pillow. Make your loved ones happy and give them pure relaxation on the way to your dream destination.

Recharge

How often have you forgotten a travel adapter in the past or haven’t had the right one with you? It has happened to me countless times in the past until I was given the travel adapter that works in 150 countries. An inconspicuous gift that brings a lot of joy and a little bit of carelessness. The recipient does not have to worry about enough electricity in the future.

Unless he needs several battery charges at the same time.

But often, there is only one socket or only one travel adapter. What then? No problem! Because I have the solution: A USB charger with several ports. With my USB charger, I charge my smartphone, headphones, camera and iPad at the same time, so that I can fully start the next day on my journey again.

Special Travel Gifts

Of course, there is no upper limit on giving them! If you want to have a “big” joy, every travel enthusiast will be happy about having headphones, luggage or, undoubtedly, a camera for capturing those unforgettable moments.

A journey always begins with a flight, car or train. To reduce the time, almost everyone listens to music, podcast or watches a film. Without headphones, you won’t get far, because you don’t want to disturb your fellow travellers.

My faithful companions are my Apple Earpods because they don’t weigh much, are handy and small. Not to forget, of course, the great sound.

My Earpods have their own compartment in my stylish and unique Douchebags backpack! I never travel without it. The best part is that they really go with everything.

If you are going on an adventure trip, I recommend the Hook Up System from Douchebags. In the Hugger 30L and the Big Bastard 90L, you can easily take everything with you on a journey and still look cool.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuBr9dMAukY/

If your destination is a bit fancy, I would always consider a RIMOWA suitcase. I tried 2x a different brand, and they only kept me for 2 months. With my RIMOWA suitcases, I have been travelling for years and am always very satisfied.

The great equipment and the unique moments should, of course, be captured with a camera and its usage always depends on the purpose. For many people, a small, user-friendly digital camera is enough. If you are interested in my photographic equipment, you can have a look at my article about my equipment.

I hope that there is something in it for some of you and that you or your loved ones can enjoy it. Enjoy the holidays and come well into the New Year!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqDKWjEAQBX/

48 hours in Doha

December 9, 2019

by fastenurseatbelts

Where to stay

It was not so easy to make the right choice at the luxurious Doha hotel deal, but we chose the Sheraton Grand Doha!

Why?

It is one of the few hotels that also has a beach. If we are already in a warm country, we always want to spend some time on the water and of course in the sun! Also, from the beach you have direct views of Doha’s skyline and if that’s not enough, you can visit the Nusr-ET restaurant on the hotel grounds.

We did not make it locally, but I have seen many impressive moments from the Nusr-ET restaurants on Instagram. We had dinner in the restaurant “La Veranda” on the seafront overlooking the skyline. The Shearaton Grand Doha is a great place to relax before heading on the next trip! The central location is ideal for exploring the city and spending little time in the car.

The Sheraton Grand Doha won me directly when the airport shuttle had Wi-Fi. I also liked the modern equipment of the gym with sea view !

Doha, Fasten Ur Seatbelts, Sheraton, Qatar Airways

What to do

Visit the Museum of Islamic Art

The Museum of Islamic Art is an absolute must in Doha. It represents Islamic art from three continents and over 1,400 years. The building itself is also beautiful, with a downstairs café and a gorgeous upstairs gourmet restaurant with spectacular views of the Doha skyline.

Visit Katara Cultural Village

Opened in 2010, Katara Cultural Village is not only a beautiful place, but also offers various workshops, exhibitions and celebrations throughout the year. Katara Masjid is one of the most beautiful masjids in Qatar and you should definitely see them! Also the way to the Katara Cultural Village is the exciting development of the city of Doha.

Visit the famous Souq Waqif

We visited the Souq Waqif during the day, I can not recommend that to you!

Visit him in the evening when not only the tourists are there, but also the locals. In many shops you can see spices and crafts and, of course, take home as a gift.

Shopping

An absolute shopping highlight is the Venetian-style Mall. As in Venice, you can take the ferries through the mall. At shops you will not miss a big name here!

Things to know

In the summer months it can be up to 50 degrees. In November it is between 25 degrees and 30 degrees. We found it very pleasant!
Qatar is a Muslim country. Especially as a woman you should always try to cover his shoulders and knees. This makes you feel safer and avoids unpleasant situations.
During Ramadan in Doha you can not eat in public places from sunrise to sunset.
No alcohol may be brought into the country. Alcohol on the spot is not necessarily cheap.
In Doha there are taxis but also UBER, which you can order via the app.
Doha is also preparing to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022, for which the country will build 12 eco-friendly stadiums, some of which can accommodate up to 80,000 people.
If you’re flying with Qatar Airways, you can enjoy a 5-star Doha hotel stay for only $ 23 offered by Qatar Airways and the Qatar Tourism Authority as part of their Qatar stopover program. This applies to both economy and business class tickets. Find out more here: Experience Qatar during your stopover.

So do not forget to check Qatar Airways on your next long-haul flight to see if you can make a quick stopover in Doha.