25 SECRETS FROM THE WORLD'S MOST FRUGAL FREQUENT TRAVELERS

Everybody has their own travel style, along with preferred systems and tricks to make it easier, quicker, safer, and more enjoyable. But don't just ask me: I've asked the hardcore travel community to share their own travel secrets. Here are the 25 best secrets of these frequent travelers around the world. 

Research and Booking

Here are some tips for booking cheaply and expediently, as well as taking the pain out of researching your travel arrangements.

1. Clear Your Cookies

Sofie Couwenbergh of Wonderful Wanderings is keen to the tricks of sneaky booking sites, who store cookies on your computer. "Booking websites 'remember' what you came looking for, so when you come back to look at that hotel room/rental car/flight a second time, they'll often show you higher prices to urge you to book quickly. That's why I always search booking sites in an incognito browser window."

2. Use Trip Advisor

Sofie also swears by Trip Advisor to get travel advice from locals. "They'll often be able to give you information you won't find in guide books."

3. Outsource the Legwork

Lea Woodward has lived and traveled around the world for years. If researching transport and accommodation is too time consuming, she says: outsource it! "The travel hackers over at Flightfox take the legwork out of finding the cheapest/best flight options and can save you masses of time, and I use Fancy Hands to do all my initial travel research." (If you're new to outsourcing, here is how Lea started: 20 Tasks Control Freaks Can Outsource)

4. Join the Cartel

The Travel Hacking Cartel, that is! Take the pain out of searching for frequent flyer mile deals by subscribing to a service that sends you timely alerts.

Read more here

THE 19 MOST WEALTHY AND ECONOMICALLY HEALTHY CITIES IN THE WORLD

Global design and consultancy firm Arcadis released a report on the most sustainable cities in the world.

Arcadis said it ranks 100 global cities across three sectors of sustainability — “People, planet and profit.”

Nestled within the report, entitled “Sustainable Cities Index 2016: Putting people at the heart of city sustainability” is a “profit sub-index” which ranks all the cities in the world in order of wealth and economic sustainability.

It basically examines a city’s performance from a business perspective, combining measures that are indicators that can be “broadly be thought of as capturing economic health:”

•        Transport infrastructure (rail, air and tra†c congestion)
•         Ease of doing business
•         Tourism
•         GDP per capita
•         The city’s importance in global economic networks
•         Connectivity in terms of mobile and broadband access
• ·      Employment rates

Naturally, cities that are considered major global financial centres ranked highly, as they tend to be most prosperous and have a highly-developed living infrastructure.

The more business is done in these key cities, the more money that flows through that area.

The group said “the profit sub-index is related to cities’ wealth, as the economic development indicator is the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (essentially, average economic output).”

Take a look at the top 19 cities:

19. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — The Asian city is one of the world’s key hubs for Islamic finance and has one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Read the rest of the article here.

TRAVEL GUIDE TO KUALA LUMPUR AND ITS ATTRACTIONS

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s glittering capital has all the makings of a world-class city. With its high rise buildings, contemporary hotels, swanky shopping malls, and international cuisine, Kuala Lumpur, or KL as it is commonly known, is Malaysia’s most developed and happening city.

The city, which took roots as a small time mining town, has in a matter of 150 years, grown into a completely modern metropolis, with the spectacular Petronas Towers, the world’s second tallest buildings, flaunting its rise to international fame. Kuala Lumpur’s mining industry attracted people from across the world including Britain, China and India, and the joint influences can be seen in the city’s architecture, cuisine, customs, and traditions. It is this multicultural character that makes KL such a fascinating place. The vibrant and colorful atmosphere of the city can be best experienced in the Chinatown, Little India and Kampung Baru, the heartlands of KL’s Chinese, Indian, and Malay communities.

The hedonists can find pleasure shopping to their hearts content in the sleek malls during the day and in the cranking nightlife after the sun sets. But for all its urban landscapes, KL is very traditional in heart. You can experience tranquil moments in its beautiful parks or in the impressive colonial-era buildings. Modernity blends with traditional charm— here you can see pre-was shops and hawkers share space with skyscrapers and spectacular high-rises. This is Kuala Lumpur, your gateway to a unique holiday experience.

Things To See

Take a walking tour of Kuala Lumpur to soak up the sounds, and smells of this colorful city. The central hub for all activities is Datran Merdeka (Independence Square). Also worth admiring is the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, with its intriguing mix of Victorian and Moorish architecture. Providing a striking contrast to the colonial architecture are the Masjid Negara (National Mosque) and Masjid Jamek (Friday Mosque), with their distinct Islamic influence. The ornate Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, now no longer functional, is a cross between the two architectural forms. The western suburb of Bangsar Baru, with its pavement cafes has also captured the imagination of the visitors and locals alike

You can read the full article here