The Worst People you’ll meet at the Beach

It may not be beach season, but when it comes along, you have to be prepared. Unless you have to deal with the following annoying characters, it can be pretty awesome.

Try your best to avoid them at all costs, but try even harder not to be them.

1. People with too much stuff
The cooler, we get. The folding table, pop-up tent, portable grill and inflatable sofa? Not so much.

2. People blasting super-loud music
Mostly because it’s usually bad hip hop tunes.

3. People who let their kids act like maniacs
No no, we love getting sand kicked into our face while listening to fart jokes.

4. People wearing thongs (no matter what their body looks like)
Or worse yet: People wearing less than thongs.

5. People with terrible hand-eye coordination playing ball sports
We’re sure you’re good at a lot of things, but catching a Frisbee before it crashes into our head is not one of them.

6. Kids who dig holes and don’t fill them back in
Which we always seem to “find” and almost break our ankles in.

7. People with no regard for personal space
By all means, block our sun with your umbrella. It’s not why we came or anything.

8. The guy ogling all the girls in bikinis
Yes, dude. That 17-year-old definitely wants to meet up for some beers later.

9. The couple engaging in way too much PDA
You guys, there are children here.

10. People with the skin of a 40-year-old leather bag
Not the worst per se, we’re just worried about you guys.

11. People who litter
Really? Just don’t!

12. People who splash you when you’re clearly trying to preserve your just-washed hair
Ughhhhhhh.

13. People who shake out their sandy towels in the middle of a crowded area
Eyesight is overrated, we guess.

14. People who had one too many sips from the bottle of rosé they smuggled in
Guilty.

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These countries have the best weather in the world

Everyone has a different idea of the right weather, but it’s safe to say that once you find your happy spot, you feel like a whole new person. So whether you like it warm and sunny or super snowy, we’ve rounded up a list of places you should visit next, all with near perfect conditions.

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BEST TEMPS: ECUADOR

This South American country is the land of eternal spring, with daytime temperatures in the mid-70s (20°c) year-round. Plus, since it's, well, on the equator, you basically get the same amount of quality sunlight every single day.

SUNNIEST: ARIZONA

We know. It's not a country. But according to Guinness World Records, Yuma, Arizona, is the sunniest city on earth with, on average, 11 hours of uninterrupted sunlight per day. That’s more than 4,000 hours a year, people.

LEAST RAINY: NAMIBIA

This country wins for the least amount of rainfall. The port town of Swakopmund sees less than an inch of precipitation a year, and daytime temps average in the 70s (20°c).

BEST HUMIDITY LEVEL: CYPRUS

Climate scientists consider 50 percent relative humidity to be optimal weather conditions. This island nation can get pretty hot, but the air remains nicely arid and the ocean setting means plenty of cool breezes.

BEST SNOW: JAPAN

If you’re the type who wants to hit the slopes every day, Japan is your place. The country’s geographic location, position in the ocean, mountainous elevation and proximity to cold air from northeast Asia make it one of the snowiest locations on the planet.

MOST TROPICAL: BRAZIL

If rainforests are your thing--think warm temps with lots of moisture in the air--beeline for Brazil, which wins as the most tropical place on the planet, with 1,844,402 square miles of rainforest.

LEAST WINDY: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Smack in the centre of Africa, this place boasts some of the lowest average wind speeds, making it one of the calmest places in the world (at least from a weather perspective).

STARRIEST SKIES: CANARY ISLANDS

Venture off the coast of West Africa for the starriest sky in the entire world. Roque de los Muchachose Observatory in Caldera de Taburiente National Park has an extensive fleet of telescopes, making it a prime spot for stargazing.

CLEANEST AIR: ICELAND

Here, low population density, an abundance of forests (which act as natural air filters) and strict air pollution regulations combine to give you the world’s cleanest air.

How to become a travel writer

The life of a travel writer may look glamorous, but there's a lot more to the job than lounging in exotic locales. Organized press trips and customized "familiarization" junkets feature rigorous schedules that last from sunrise until well into the evening, attempting to squeeze as much as possible in to give writers the best sense of a destination.

While the pace can be gruelling, the rewards are priceless: visiting places around the world that you previously only dreamed about, meeting incredibly interesting people, and getting to know yourself a bit better along the way, too. Here's how to get started:

READ—A LOT

Any writer—no matter the genre—should read constantly. Get your hands on as many travel magazines, blogs, and guidebooks as you can. When a story touches you, dissect it to find out why. Did the author bring the destination to life through the people he met, through descriptions of the landscape, using captivating photos? Create a scrapbook of your favourite stories and refer to them for inspiration.

START LOCAL

Most new travel writers think they should begin by pitching stories about far-away places—the exotic destinations they are most interested in visiting themselves—but that's not the best way to begin. The most effective thing you can do to launch your travel-writing career is to bring your hometown or region to life for others. Write what you know. It might be your hometown, but lots of visitors need to have a game plan to explore it during their visit. Newspaper, magazine, website, and guidebook editors all appreciate that sort of boots-on-the-ground expertise. By covering what you know best, you'll position yourself as an expert, capture editors' attention, and catapult your career.

Looking to travel to the beautiful Mother City and tell your story? Visit Cape Town and give Airport Shuttle a call for reliable, affordable transport to and from Cape Town International Airport.

TELL A STORY

Every article should have a narrative thread. Use anecdotes and quotes to recreate the scene your readers—the classic "show, don't tell" writing mantra. Those details help transform the destination you're writing about from words on a page to a vivid place in the reader's mind.

MAKE CONNECTIONS

As a travel writer, it's your job to get to know the people in the industry in your target market. For example, if you want to become an expert in theme park vacations, start networking with public relations executives at every theme park on the planet. Reach out to attraction engineer, area hotels, and other experts covering that beat. Become an integral member of that community yourself and you'll be right there as trends unfold.

KNOW THAT A "FREE" TRIP ISN'T FREE

Most people dream about becoming a travel writer because they think their life will consist of one free trip after another. Publicists do often invite credentialed authors—and those with official assignments—on press trips, and destination visitor bureaus and chambers of commerce often host these trips, as do some hotels and resorts. Accommodations and most meals are usually included in the trip, but airfare is often only comped if you have an assignment from a compelling enough publication. (Many press trip organizers still only want to host writers representing glossy travel magazines with high circulation numbers.) You generally have to get to and from the airport yourself, tip the bellmen and waitresses, and pay for any excursions that aren't part of the sponsored trip. If you don't generate enough assignments, that free trip will end up costing you money.

Press trips are often hyper-scheduled because the organizing publicist wants you to see what her client wants you to see. There is very little time for self-guided exploration. You're also traveling with a group of journalists, so you're all seeing the same things. You'll need to be creative to spin your ideas from the trip into interesting concepts for stories that editors will be interested in.

LEARNING THE SKILLS

If travel writing still sounds like a career you'd like to explore, learn what it takes to build your own career from experts. Some experienced travel writers offer customized one-on-one coaching. Some host online courses in travel writing, travel photography, and travel filmmaking.

Every trip a woman should take before she hits 40

Did you know, 40 is the new 20? All of which gives you even more time to check these 12 must-do vacations off your travel bucket list. Ready, set…go!

-- AN HONEST-TO-GOD CAMPING TRIP

Hear us out, She Who Only Sleeps on Silk Sheets. You need to at least try camping (like in a tent…with a sleeping bag) once in your life to know if it’s absolutely not for you.

-- A ROADTRIP

Load up the car, break out the map and queue up the playlist.

-- A EUROPEAN ADVENTURE

Buy a EuroRail pass, then take the train around the continent--and feel like you’re living in another era.

-- A GIRLS' TRIP

It doesn’t matter if you’re in Paris, France, or Paris, Texas. As long as you’re with your besties, this trip will be a memorable one.

-- AN ADULT VACATION WITH YOUR PARENTS

Turns out they’re a lot less annoying when you’re not in the back seat asking “Are we there yet?”

-- A ROMANTIC GETAWAY

Even if he turns out not to be the one, you should take one whirlwind vacation together.

-- A SOLO VACATION

Yes, it’s intimidating. But we promise that there’s nothing more liberating than going somewhere completely alone. (Think of it this way: You'll never face a fight over what to do next!)

-- A LUXURIOUS GETAWAY

Save your money. Shell out for the seaside-facing room and seriously treat yourself. C’mon. You’ve earned it.

-- AND THEN SOMETHING BARE-BONES

Go backpacking. Stay in hostels. Eat at roadside stalls. Heck, go a few days without showering.

-- AN ANCIENT LANDMARK

You know, like the Egyptian Pyramids or Stonehenge. Then marvel at how darn old and crazy the world is and how many amazing things happened before you got here.

-- SOMETHING THAT TOTALLY SCARES YOU

Like bungee jumping, or sky diving or going to a country where nobody speaks English. Do it to prove to yourself that you can…and for the Instagram.

-- SOMETHING THAT GETS YOU BACK TO YOUR ROOTS

Travel to where your ancestors are from. Whether it’s a small, winemaking town in rural Italy or a fishermen’s village in Southeast Asia. Who knows? You just might find a long-lost cousin.

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