Skint is a British word meaning broke: not rich, no cash, empty bankbook, credit card maxed. Of course, we here at Matouring believe that our readers are smart and are equally as smart with their money. But, there are times when things are a little tight, still you want - or perhaps even need - …
Spend Wisely
At one point it seemed like the whole world was backpacking and trekking this tropical paradise in South Asia. Never one to miss out, we went to see for ourselves to bring you this guide to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is roughly the same size as Ireland and sits to the south-east of India. The island…
Everyone wants their chance to fly, but no-one wants to die doing it. Both United and American Airlines sell basic economy tickets which are non-changeable. If you get sick and do not fly you lose all value of your ticket. That's a huge incentive to fly sick. (Delta makes basic economy tickets changeable through December…
One of the more fun activities we have managing this site is being able to present travel (and other) news and offers to you, our readers. We spend a lot of time looking for content that we hope you will enjoy. As you might expect, there are costs in operating a site such as this. One…
Those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, but they should throw caution to the wind — especially in this shiny glass palace that you'll find just outside of Joshua Tree National Park.
Known as the Invisible House, the elongated 22-story “horizontal skyscraper” is like a shiny, dreamy mirage in the sand. This once-in-a-lifetime stay is one of the…
If you like Europe (we sure do) you may often find that when you visit for a long time, even ninety days (the current limit) might not be enough. There's just too much to do. Of course, you can maximise the rules by staying within the ninety day limit, take a rest for a short…
It must be evident now that our planet's climate is changing, and not for the better. Are we culpable for this? Likely yes, in many ways. Can we do something about it? Yes, but it appears that our governments (most of them) are in no hurry to address the problem - with lack of money…
With almost no exceptions, many of us are able to help others - and so many of us do. And, there are so many ways to do it. One organisation that we here at Matouring like is Novica. Ostensibly supported by The National Geographic, Novica started with a dream to create a better world for…
Egypt’s High Speed Railway Project Takes-off As we often talk about here (until we're blue in the face,) rail travel is the future. In a world of diminishing resources and rising populations, the solutions that modern rail travel can bring for us all are too good to ignore. That's why we're happy to see governments…
You'd better get busy . . . Where more than half the country is forest, saunas have a 4,000-year history, and the world’s largest choral festival happens every five years... Welcome to Estonia. Often underestimated as being a small Baltic country sandwiched between Scandinavia and Russia, Estonia is undoubtedly so much more than that. Read more…
English wait staff are tiresomely polite. The French are radically rude. They’re the two stereotypes, anyway. What tourists don’t understand about ‘rude’ French waiters... They’re not being ‘rude’ – they’re being real… Is that the case? Or is it that some patrons are annoying? Or all of the above. How should one handle situations…
A major European destination just banished Airbnb. Will others follow suit? AirBnB has had a somewhat chequered past when it comes to the neighbours. Most renters are polite and responsible. But it doesn't take too many incidents for the love to sour. A recent crackdown in Barcelona portends stronger laws against short-term rentals across the…
Loo design has barely changed in 150 years – until now. Will people trade their privacy for the chance to find out exactly what is in their waste? For the past 10 years, Sonia Grego has been thinking about toilets – and more specifically what we deposit into them. “We are laser-focused on the analysis…
Germany’s green party has proposed an ambitious network of night trains across Europe, which could connect the UK with destinations including Barcelona, Paris, Copenhagen and Stockholm. The proposed network would see some 40 sleeper services operating across the continent, with routes extending as far as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Birmingham as well as London. Read more here courtesy of…
Environmental neuroscience is an emerging field devoted to studying the impact of social and physical environments on brain processes and behaviour.
From the various opportunities for social interaction to noise levels and access to green spaces, the characteristics of the urban environment have important implications for neural mechanisms and brain functioning, thus influencing our physical state.
Read…
It will come as no surprise to anyone who frequents our site that we are HUGE proponents of rail travel, especially in countries where this mode of getting around is the norm. Rail makes so much sense in so many ways.
Climate change and the slow travel trend have rekindled people’s interest in train rides.…
Yay! Common sense prevails in this day and age! The respective loyalty programs of our affiliate friends, Expedia, Vrbo, Hotels.com and other brands under the Expedia Group umbrella are to be unified into one service. The company says all brands and products will be in the program, covering flights, hotels, alternative accommodation, car rentals, cruises…
Radisson Hotel Group has secured a record year in its fastest growing region, the Middle East & Africa, with 21 signings and seven hotel openings achieved thus far.
The expansion drive includes the announcement of eight hotels in Morocco, the entry into Thakher Makkah with nearly 1,000 rooms, as well as the introduction of the Radisson…
During the Airlines Confidential podcast, former Spirit Airlines CEO Ben Baldanza told an interesting story about trying to figure out whether a new route would be profitable. In normal times airlines have great data – required and reported by the federal government. But, some looked at telephone data and remittance data to get a sense…
You can be a part of worldwide coral regeneration schemes – here's how. Coral reefs are intricate ecosystems that quite literally breathe life into the world's oceans, but they are under threat. Destruction of reefs – such as mass coral bleaching – is the result of a combination of factors including climate change and pollution.…