The World’s Most Eco-Friendly Cities

It is a known fact the world is becoming more and more polluted every day. The oceans we swim in and the air we breathe are getting contaminated continuously. It is a global problem, and in today's age, many cities have raised their concerns. They are taking ineffective measures to live more sustainable. Those cities are benefiting the quality of life and protecting the environment. Here are the 15 most eco-friendly towns that will inspire you to become an eco-friendly traveler on your next trip.

1. Amsterdam, Netherlands

One of the most beautiful places to travel in the world also happens to be one of the most eco-friendly places. They support and encourage local farmer's markets and organic diets. Most residents prefer bicycles as their form of transportation, mostly because of convenience. If they do not own a bike, there are many bike rentals all over the city.

2. Berlin, Germany

Berlin beautifully incorporates green spaces into urban landscapes. It also has more parks than any other city in Europe. In recent years, it's recorded that there are fewer cars on the road than in many other towns with efficient transportation systems. The city is also making regulations according to recycling plastic bottles.

3. Boston, Massachusetts

The city of Boston has a high concentration of action-minded environmentalists who wants to make a change. With the city's recycling programs, solar power systems, and efficient public transportation forms, Boston is a promising sustainable city.

4. Cape Town, South Africa

The second-largest city in South Africa is striving for more energy conservation and greater use of renewable resources in recent years. The city now uses commercial wind farms for energy and are providing bike routes throughout the city.

5. Copenhagen, Denmark

Voted as the most eco-friendly city in the world, the capital of Copenhagen is committed to developing green ways of living and promoting sustainability. A popular activity to do in this city is to go biking, and most residents incorporate cycling in their everyday life.

6. Helsinki, Finland

Nature is strongly felt in the everyday lives of the citizens of Helsinki. This great city encourages eco-friendly lifestyles. Parks, forests, and seaside surround residents. There is the development of public transportation, recycling, and a decrease in unnecessary consumption.

7. New York City, New York

One of the largest cities in America is a pretty eco-friendly place. The Big Apple Is one of the most walkable urban hubs in the United States. The town is filled with subways, buses, and miles of bike lanes and routes. Residents and visitors are always found at eco-friendly destinations such as parks and local markets. New York City aims to ensure the quality of life for all.

8. Portland, Oregon

Besides the gorgeous views and popping coffee shops, Portland is a place filled with environmentalists and hippies. The city as grown to be one of the greenest places to live and visit, offering close to 100,000 acres of green land and 74 miles of hiking and running trails.

9. Reykjavik, Iceland

A beautiful and pure sight can also be one of the cleanest places in the world. Living sustainably in Reykjavik means to have hydrogen buses as transportation and efficient heat and electricity sources.

10. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

One of Brazil's famous tourist destination, which is known for its beautiful beaches and vibrant sights, also has the longest public transportation network in Latin America. Residents are found biking around the city for work and fun. The municipality aims for sufficient, sustainable growth in all their responses to emerging challenges.

11. San Francisco, California

Surrounded by blue waters, clear blue skies, and miles of natural parks and forests, San Francisco is one of the most beautiful and the greenest cities in America. Most residents walk, bikes, or uses public transportation in their everyday lives. It is also the first American city to ban plastic water bottles.

12. Seattle, Washington

Having the most significant reputation of being such a green place, Seattle is known as the Emerald City. The urban city thrives on environmental sustainability. With substantial improvements in air quality, green spaces such as parks, gardens, and arboretums, there is so much value to the city. Seattle also focuses on public transportation, energy conservations, water quality, recycling, and green buildings.

13. Singapore, Asia

Known as the greenest city in Asia, it is also aiming to become the world's greenest city. The city has one of the largest and most eco-friendly attractions such as gardens.

14. Stockholm, Sweden

This beautiful city of Sweden has a large amount of bio-fuel, which is generated from sewage for all cars. It is considered as a climate-smart city. They prioritize cycling, walking, and public transportation. Stockholm has great parks, gardens, and nature reserves all over the city.

15. Vancouver, Canada

Considered as one of the most sustainable cities in North America, Vancouver is admirably green. The town is surrounded by the ocean, mountains and lined with tons of trees. Vancouver is known for having the lowest greenhouse gas emissions in North America as well. The city of Vancouver has aimed at creating policies to advance sustainability and environmental protection.

Written by Nhi Nguyen

The One Website You Need for Cheap Flights

Hope you guys are having a wonderful summer. :-)

This World Cup has been super epic. Even though it is super sad that England didn’t make it to the finals. We are still proud of the team. They did a great job :-)

We know that a lot of you will be going on holidays this summer (and later on in the year). So we wanted to help save you guys some money. We recently came across this website called Jacks Flight Club. It is actually the most amazing thing ever. The website is great for getting really super cheap flights to anywhere in the world.

How it works is they basically look throughout the Internet to find the cheapest flights. It can be to any destination in the World. This is especially good if you are spontaneous and open to exploring any destination. After using the platform ourselves, we found that a majority of the deal emails are for fares in about 1 to 12 months time. So it gives you plenty of time to prepare for your trip once you have booked your ticket. To get the deals from Jack's Flight Club, all you have to do is head to jacksflightclub.co.uk, sign up with your email address and you will get flight deals to any destination sent directly to your email.

We love to share tips, hacks and High Spirit updates and we could not stay quiet about this one. We just had to share it with you guys. Hope you guys find it useful. :-)

10 Easy Tips and Tricks to Avoid Tourist Traps

When visiting a country you want to take in the culture, the food and the entertainment to create positive memories. Sometimes your positive experience can be tainted by tourist traps. Tourist traps are establishments or businesses solely for tourists where they overcharge you for things such as food, entertainment, souvenirs etc. They divert you away from cheaper, and more positive alternatives. Tourist traps are aware that you are a tourist and they are also aware that there is a high chance that you will not return. So they are simply after your money and care very little about giving you a positive customer experience. Tourist Traps are to be avoided, especially if you are travelling on a limited budget, but want to have the full experience of the country you are visiting. We know that some of you will be thinking of your travel plans for spring and summer so we wanted to help with your planning process. Tourist traps are everywhere, so to help you guys out we wrote 10 easy tips and tricks to avoid tourist traps. Here you go. Enjoy :-)

1.    Avoid High Season

If you want to visit a tourist destination, avoid high season. Usually this helps to avoid the dense crowds and also enables you to avoid long queues. 

2.    Use Public Transport

Figure out the metro or train systems. They are a lot cheaper for getting around. In highly populated tourist areas, taxis may overcharge for a short taxi ride, so if you want to avoid that, take a train, or bus to your destination. This will enable you to get a better insight into how the city works and will enhance your experience of the city. Also, if you are travelling with your high spirit bag, the antitheft zips against your back will take away an anxiety about keeping your stuff safe while you explore the city safely. As an added bonus, you will not need to worry about being caught off guard by pickpockets.

3.    Travel with Hand Luggage

Travel with hand luggage if you can. One thing to be aware of is that some taxis will charge extra for putting bigger luggage into the boot of their car. This is important to be aware of, especially if you will be getting a taxi ride from the airport to your hotel. When negotiating the taxi fare make sure there is an agreement on the fee before you get into the taxi. This takes away any possibility of unexpected fee charges. Also, before you arrive at your destination, find out the average price for a taxi ride from the airport to your hotel or the city centre. This is so you have that base figure in mind when negotiating the price with the taxi driver.

4. Avoid Restaurants near Tourist Attractions    

Avoid going to restaurants near tourist attractions, as these places will cost a lot of money. Also avoid the restaurants and bars that explicitly state that they cater to tourists. It is more than likely that they will overcharge and the service and quality will not be great. You can usually find quality restaurants on the side streets that are densely populated with tourists.

5.    Understand the Menu

Be aware of the menu costs. If you are not sure of how the costing works, it is best to avoid the restaurant all together. Some restaurants will overcharge on their service charge or charge by the weight of food or portion size rather than by a standard portion. Save yourself the extra stress.

6.   Plan, Plan, Plan

Plan before you leave for your destination. Get an understanding of how things are organised there. For example, are you required to tip? Are there any tollgates fees that you have to pay for in order to gain access to the city with your car? Etc. Remember that in some places you get free transport with your hotel, or a discount on travel tours. In addition, with your hotel you may also get a discount on restaurants, bars and entertainment. So take advantage of these when you can.

7. Book Tickets in Advance  

If there are any sites, museums or attractions you want to see that may require a ticket. It is best to book the tickets in advance, as it will be a lot cheaper and you will also avoid the long queues.

8.    Ask the Locals for Recommendations

Get recommendations from taxi drivers, security guards, doormen and the locals. The locals have a very good experience of their city so they will recommend their favourite places that will not be tourist traps. Just remember to be nice and friendly and they will steer you in the right direction.

9.    Ignore Hawkers and Touts. 

They will waste your time and lead you to places where it will cause you to waste your time, overspend and get a below standard experience. Always check beforehand to make sure you are getting the best deal.

10.   Understand the Local Currency

It is important to understand the local currency. Get familiar with the different coins, notes and their value. This is especially important if you are visiting a country where the conversion values are so vastly different. For example a meal in Bangkok, Thailand costs on average 800 Thai baht, but in dollars it is equivalent to about $25 dollars. The reason it is important to understand the currency is because sometimes some stores, restaurants, or bars will accidentally or even purposely give you the wrong change, which can you cause you to run out of your money faster than you expected. This very useful especially if you will be spending with cash during your trip. This seems so obvious, but it is often neglected and causes people to unknowingly lose money very quickly on their trip.