Photography by Martin Kauffman for Dwell.

Copenhagen has been top on my list of places to go since watching Hans Christian Anderson as a small child. Realistic image of the Danish city? No. But still, it put that idea in my head of walking down a street of colorfully painted houses and sipping coffee in a city cafe. I’ve just started researching a weekend trip, so I thought I would use this as an opportunity to show you how I plan a trip.

I start with Lonely Planet’s website. It has useful (and free!) information on when to visit, transportation, and overall cultural information that is extremely helpful. I’ve tried other travel guides, but they just don’t speak my language like Lonely Planet does.

I move on to more modern websites and do a search on “Copenhagen” to see what they have available. Dwell is a great place to find little restaurants and shops in the area, like Hotel Central & Cafe, a tiny little hotel and cafe, or to find information on the new train station in Copenhagen. I also check my blog list to see what bloggers in that town have featured. My Scandinavian wrote about The Apartment, one of the coolest places to shop in Copenhagen.

Then I move on to Design Sponge’s guide to Copenhagen. to see what the writers recommend. I love their guides because they include a lot of neighborhood information from locals that you can’t find anywhere else.

When I’m ready to start booking, I go to Trip Advisor. No site is better informed or as extensive when you’re trying to book a hotel. I verify everything on this site!

What resources do you use when planning a trip?

Photography by Mr. & Mrs. Globe Trot.

Are you ready to be taken away to an island paradise?! Today we’re featuring another beautiful photo gallery from Julia and Yuriy Manchik. They visited the Similian Islands, a part of Thailand, in 2011. The islands are mostly uninhabited, and set apart as a national park. The nine islands make up one of the world’s top diving destinations! The visit was part of a four day dive trip, during which the couple made 14 dives! Doesn’t that sound amazing?

You can see more photos from the Similian Islands here and here. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Globe Trot for sharing your photos of the Similian Islands with us!

Photos via Banana Republic.

Limiting the things I bring on a trip also saves energy, because after a long week of lugging around a heavy suitcase, I’m flustered and drained. It also saves money on checked baggage fees. And it allows me extra room to bring home souvenirs and decor, one of my favorite parts of traveling!

Packing light essentially takes two steps: limit what you bring and pack efficiently.

Step One: Limit what you pack

Plan your clothing. Choose coordinating colors, durable materials, and simple layers. Get fancy with accessories, like jewelry and scarves. I usually pick one neutral to work with, like navy blue or gray, then build my outfits around that. I make sure each piece goes with multiple options. The cardigan can be worn with the dress, skirt, and jeans. Each top needs to go with at least two bottoms.

Limit your shoes. One dress, one casual, one active, all in similar colors. For example, a pair of ballet flats, heels, and walking shoes all in shades of brown.

Pack for the best case scenario. Forget taking everything you might need, that list will never end! Instead, pack for the best and plan on purchasing anything you might need. In all of my trips, that might have cost me $100 total.

Buy basic toiletries on site. Central America, Europe, United States. I’ve never been ANYWHERE that I haven’t been able to find travel sized toiletries that work perfectly. In fact, they’re sometimes cheaper when purchased internationally. Leave the shaving cream, shampoo, conditioner, and soap at home. But take any specialty items that you know you won’t be able to get on site (face wash, eye cream, makeup…).

For longer trips, pack for a week to two weeks, max. If you’re going anywhere for longer than 10 days, you can plan an afternoon to do laundry or use a local service which is a much cheaper option internationally. Kilkenny has a service that costs €1 per lb of clothing. Granada had another option that costs roughly $10 for a week’s worth of laundry. A simple Google search will show the most reliable source, usually posted in travel forums by English speaking travelers.

Pack a lightweight tote bag. You can check your bag on the way back and carry on all your pretty souvenirs!

Step Two: Pack efficiently

Roll, roll, roll. Take those clothes and roll them up. It’s a method taught to me by my military trained brothers. You can pack twice as much, and your clothing won’t get wrinkled.

Start with your shoes. Wrap them in bags. Plastic bags might not be as eco-friendly, but I’m convinced that cotton bags don’t really contain the dirt. Line your shoes around the edges of your bag. My bag has built in shoe holders on the lid, but I use them for holding intimates and accessories. It’s just easier that way, and they’re more flexible than bulky shoes.

Add in heavyweight items. Take your rolled jeans and sweaters, and line the bottom of your suitcase.

Add the lighter items. Camisoles, tees, intimates, and other lightweight items go in next filling in the holes and space as needed. Try to keep the layers even, it will help when you’re adding in toiletries.

Side note: I travel with a camera, but I don’t have the patience to carry a laptop bag, camera bag, AND carry-on bag. I combine my camera and laptop bags by packing my lenses in between the layers of my lighter items, making sure they are well padded and protected from liquids and jostles. 

Top with accessories and toiletries. Make sure they are bagged properly, and place them on top. I also leave room for my jacket on the very top of the bag if necessary. It’s usually uncomfortable to wear it while on a flight.

Tighten the straps. You’d be surprised how much room those seemingly useless straps will create when you tighten them down. They also keep things stable and safer.

Suggested Reading: 

• Travelista.com’s guide to packing light.
• Travelista’s guide to fall and spring travel.
• Ruche’s guide to getting 15 outfits from 15 items.
• Mr. and Mrs. Globe Trot’s guide to packing for a 6-month trip.

Spring ingredients make the best salads. Throw radishes and peas onto a salad and marvel at the crisp and crunch they add to arugula and lamb’s lettuce. Top with a simple orange flavored vinaigrette, and you have a healthy side to serve with all that grilled salmon from last week’s Cooking with Conor recipe.

Spring Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Serves: 4
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups arugula or rocket
• 2 cups lamb’s ear or other spring greens
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 6 radishes, sliced
• 1/2 cup spring peas
• juice of 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. Wash and prep the veggies. Mix together in a large bowl and refridgerate.
2. Mix the orange juice, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for 15 minutes.
3. Pour over salad and serve.

Lindos is a small town on the Greek island of Rhodes. A beach town with an overload of beautiful architecture, Greek culture, and the lovely turquoise water of the Mediterranean Sea. Take a tour with me through the lens of Yuriy and Julia, newlywed photographers and the masterminds behind Mr. & Mrs. Globe Trot.

See more photos of Lindos by clicking here.

I’ll feature even more of Yuriy and Julia’s photography later this week on the blog. Thanks to the beautiful couple for sharing their travel photos with us!