Dave and Deb are a photographer and writer from Canada. During their 13 years of marriage they have hiked, bike, paddled and climbed their way across five continents and 45 countries.
From cycling 12,000km from Cairo to Cape Town to trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp and climbing to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
They are always looking for unique ways to explore the world while sharing their experiences through words and pictures. Follow their adventures at ThePlanetD.com
Cheapflights: What are your personal routine procedures every time you fly?
Dave and Deb: We always arrive at the airport 3 hours early. Security is very tight these days and checking in, going through security checks and customs takes a lot longer than it used to. We normally make it through with plenty of time to spare, so we grab a bite to eat and relax until our flight.
CF: What is your biggest travel pet peeve?
D and D: Plastic cutlery on flights. I can’t understand why business and premium classes are allowed metal knives and forks and coach has to eat with plastic. If it is about security, people with money are just as much of a threat as people the average person. Besides, that bottle of duty free alcohol that you are allowed to carry on is more of a weapon than a fork. Plus, it would be better for the environment to reuse cutlery than to throw away thousands of plastic forks and spoons each day.
CF: What kind of trip type do you prefer, and why?
D and D: We prefer to find adventures. When we travel, we look for activities that challenge us. We just finished a Muay Thai Course in Thailand and we trekked to Mount Everest Base Camp last year in Nepal and studied Yoga in India. Next up is the Mongol Rally. We are driving a car from London, England to Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia.
CF: Although it’s hard to choose, tell us what your favorite destination is, and why.
D and D: We enjoyed our month in Sri Lanka last year. It has popped up to the top of our favourite destinations. The people of the country are welcoming and genuinely friendly and it is still developing as a tourist destination so it hasn’t suffered from over development. It has everything that a traveller needs. Sri Lanka offers beautiful beaches, historical sites and culture, gorgeous scenery in the tea terraces and excellent trails for hiking. We would definitely go back.
CF: Cheapflights is all about value. What location do you think offers the best value for travelers?
D and D: We will have to say Sri Lanka again. It has the prices of Thailand 10 years ago. Accommodation is very reasonable and very high quality for what you pay. We stayed right on the beach for $16 per night including breakfast with a spacious room and private bath, free wifi and excellent facilities. Everywhere we went the accommodation was better than expected, clean, friendly and reasonable.
CF: What is your ideal airport, and what’s your advice on how to best enjoy it?
D and D: Our favourite airport is the Vancouver airport. It has many restaurants and cafés and has beautiful and relaxing ambiance with waterfalls, sculptures, totem poles and native or wilderness scenes. You can spend your time enjoying a coffee while browsing the free Internet or eating at one of the many restaurants. There is also some great duty free shopping and boutiques if you want a souvenir.
CF: If you had to sit in the middle seat on a plane, who would be your chosen (or most-feared) seat mates, and why?
D and D: The Olsen Twins. Because they are so skinny I’d have all the room in the world. Plus they’re loaded so maybe I could become friends with them and bum some money off of them.
CF: What would you classify as a hypothetical travel nightmare?
D and D: Crash Landing in an alternate dimension, like that Stephen King book the Langoliers. That would be creepy. Lost would be more fun, but then that would mean we’re all dead. How about the Planet of the Apes?
CF: How does what you do for a living give you a unique angle on traveling?
D and D: We are travel bloggers so we spend most of our time on the road. Travel is our life so we look at it very differently than other people. We can spend several days in a location just relaxing and enjoying the little things rather than spending our time sightseeing. Many times we get to know the local people and experience their way of life more than the average tourist simply because we spend so long in a place, we start to make new friends.
CF: Share with us a few insider tips on how to improve the in-flight experience, in general
D and D: We always have a little kit packed for flights. It contains our iPods, ear plugs, eye mask and travel pillow. Many seats have built in rests for your head, but not all so it is good to be prepared) We also pack a sweater and mostly only wear flip flops. It is easier to get through security and they are easy to slip on and off during the flight. A few snacks are important because the meals are becoming pitiful on many flights these days and we constantly ask for more water to stay hydrated. You feel so much better on arrival if you drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol.
