You don’t need me to tell you that this has been one strange year. Now, December is approaching, many places are back in lockdown or heading that way, and much of the normal holiday season fun is simply not-accessible. With that in mind, we came up with a list of family activities for Advent 2020 and are happy to...
If you’re a regular ourtravelingzoo.com reader, you know we are able to do our traveling largely thanks to our decision to teach overseas. We’ve called it our single biggest travel hack. We’ve frequently been approached by people who wanted to know how we got into teaching abroad, because teaching in international schools is an intriguing gig. We’ve been more...
Earlier this fall, I spotted a lady with a tote that featured Shenzhen skyline. After having lived in China for 2 years, I know that Shenzhen souvenirs are virtually impossible to find, so I accosted the poor woman to find out where she got her bag. To my amazement, it turned out that I already knew the person who...
Okefenokee Swamp Tours on Georgia/Florida border. Which one should you pick? We tried two different ones and here’s what they were like....
We’d never heard of Chester luggage until we were contacted by a representative from the company. We learned Chester Travels has been around for over two years now, and they’re seeking to make some waves with high-quality, low cost luggage. The Chester representative asked if we would be interested in trying out one of their bags. We agreed, and...
Despite all of our travels and Shon growing up in New England, neither of us had ever seen a whale in the wild. Not until we went whale watching in the San Juan Islands, that is. Most Washington state whale watching tours require travelers to drive fairly far north and then catch a boat. As we didn’t rent a...
People’s ideas of the best place to stay are as varied as their ideas on the best food or the best music. There are many factors that affect one’s choice. When we were deciding where to stay in Barcelona, we had to look for a place that could accommodate all 4 of us, had free parking nearby, and was...
So here you are, with the 1st week of December already behind you, but the holiday presents for the globe-trotting kids in your life are still unpurchased. Here are the best last-minute gifts for traveling kids and some of them don’t even require shipping. (As of the time of writing, all of these can be delivered by Christmas). All...
Jenia and I have been flying extensively since 2012. We’ve found intercontinental flights can be really draining. In the last few years we started hearing more and more about how great noise-canceling headphones are for long flights, but because good ones are expensive, we steered clear. Could they really be that nice? Are noise canceling headphones worth it? Since...
Must-Buy Things Before Moving Overseas So you’re a soon-to-be expat? You’ve signed a contract and you’ll be living overseas, abroad, in an exotic locale rubbing shoulders with fascinating people from cultures new and unexperienced. That’s wonderful! If you know anything about Our Traveling Zoo, we think you’ve made a wonderful decision that will positively change your life. A common...