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Ramblings From The Nature Paradise of Dominica


Photo by:Ă–zgĂĽr Donmaz

Given high fuel prices all round the world, more and more airlines are charging extra to check a second piece of baggage, packing light has become a necessity – well unless you have your own plane.

Many of the international airlines (AirTran, American Airlines, Northwest, Delta, US Airways, United) are now requiring passengers to pay fee of US$25.00 if they can’t cram all their belongings into one bay to check. Those were the days when you could travel with 2-3 pieces of luggage, well it’s still possible but just be prepared to pay the price.

If you’re like me “a poor traveler” and you just hate paying more- well you’re in luck. I found a really great website called onebage.com where this packing expect says it is possible to put all your clothes, shoes, books and hairdryers :smile: into on bag to check.

Doug Dyment of onebag.com is dedicated to the art of traveling light, and says that the key is to make a list in advance of what to pack and stick with it. He has developed a master list over the years that people can use as a starting point for creating their own.

Dyment motto is – “If it’s not on your list, it shouldn’t be in your bag.”

Many times I’ve traveled with stuff in my bags that I never use or wasn’t needed. I think what happens with people is that they pack before their trip and that packing activity consist of mostly talking to yourself and saying – well I might need this and I might need that and what if I invited to a party? And that’s death to light packing, trust me on that one.

He advises people to think of what their lists look like well before a trip — literally writing it down and then checking off one item at a time.

Two big tricks Dyment outlined for packing a bag correctly: Don’t let any space go unused, and wrap your clothes in bundles.

For example if you’re packing a pair of dress shoes, don’t forget there’s a lot of space inside those shoes that you can use to pack some underwear. When it come to clothing, travelers usually fold their clothes individually, stack them, and force them in the suitcase are making a huge mistake.

As an alternative, he suggests using a technique called bundle wrapping (never heard of it before); apparently it keeps clothes from getting wrinkled and takes up less space. Take a look at the diagram.

Diagram by:Doug Dyment

I know there will always be some wise-ass out there saying – how do you bundle warp shoes. Of course, you can’t bundle wrap shoes, the bulkiest item.

Suggestion:It’s better to just take one pair of shoes. A lot of shoes today are both casual and dressy looking at the same time. For women, may I suggest just taking a pair of dressy sandals and low heels - if you can control yourself? :grin:


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Photo Source: dominica.dm

St. Mary’s Academy student, Rohaan K. Allport, is the winner of the 2008 Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Environmental Poster Competition.

The FCCA poster competition is held annually and seeks to promote and stimulate environmental awareness among students and educate the younger generation on the importance of environmental protection this year’s poster contest attracted entries from approximately fourteen nations. Each participant’s poster should have depicted at least three (3) ways in which his/her destination can make a difference in preserving the environment.

Other programs held by the FCCA include: the annual FCCA Caribbean Cruise Conference and Trade Show, bringing together over 100 cruise executives and 800 cruise industry partners; the FCCA Foundation for the Caribbean, which serves as a tangible mechanism for the cruise industry to participate in the effort to support humanitarian and social causes throughout the Caribbean and Mexico; the Caribbean Beach Clean-Up Program; and Tourism Essay Contests for Caribbean and Mexican students.

Rohaan was awarded a cash prize of US$3000 as the winner in the senior category, along with US$3000 for his school at an exclusive luncheon aboard the Carnival Destiny. Government Officials from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Tourism as well as representatives from Discover Dominica Authority and Rohann’s parents were present at the luncheon.

Congratulations to Rohaan K. Allport.


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Hi everyone…I’m planning a trip to St Lucia for the annual Jazz Festival in May, this will be my third time to the Festival. But it’s been awhile seen I last traveled, so I’ve been doing a lot of research, planning, reading and dreaming of this vacation for a while now. In short, I’m already having a blast.

I’m planning on keeping my packing list very light, and will only be bringing a small backpack (not one of those huge camping back packs or anything) and a couple changes of clothes. If everything goes as schedule, I will be gone a couple weeks in early late April/mid May.

So here’s the question:

What are your tips (not just for me, but for anyone) for traveling light and keeping your traveling as simple and relaxed as possible?

As you can guess, I plan to keep this trip as Zen-like monk and stress-free as I can. :) I’d love to hear your tips — again, not just for me, but for anyone traveling anywhere.


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