HoliDaze Archive

solo travel

4 Weeks to Prepare for a 4-Year RTW Adventure. Oh crap.

RTW2KXV

That’s right, in just one month I will bid adieu to my house in Austin and embark on my longest and greatest adventure yet. No more ‘six weeks in this country’ or ‘six months on the road,’ this time it’s the infamous “sell all my possessions and buy a one-way ticket” scenario. The wild part … Read More

What Is Your Travel Personality (Quiz)

Contact Derek Freal, founder and head traveler of The HoliDaze

I’ve traveled to nearly 50 nations, lived and worked in six different countries and combined a long term career break with shorter adventures, holidays and weekend escapes. As a result my own travel personality, style and preferences have evolved with each experience and I have met many other travellers (and travel personalities) along the way. … Read More

To Be, Or Not To Be A Tourist ― Volunteering in Africa

Sierra Leone, Africa

Experiential travel is one of the biggest buzzwords in today’s rapidly changing travel industry, but there’s more than one way to get under the skin of a country. For ultimate cultural immersion, a voluntour provides you with the perfect mix, and there’s a deeper sense of commitment when the holiday is focused on the objectives … Read More

Life In Subic Bay, Philippines

Fishing boats on the beach at Currimao in Ilocos Norte, Philippines

The first thing to realize about life in Subic Bay is that the US military has had a navy base there since 1898, when we took control of the Philippines after defeating Spain in the Spanish-American War. Actually, it was the biggest overseas naval base of the United States. Granted, it was finally closed in … Read More