Check Every Corner Travel Guide

31/07/2021

Hello fellow travel enthusiasts and those that live vicariously through our posts! I must admit, we've dropped the ball over the last 500 days.. life has changed but our love of travel is still burning strong. We've spent the 'covid days' working hard while exploring beautiful BC on our days off. Now that the world is slowly opening up, we're making some plans to jet off and continue to explore all corners of the earth!

Stay tuned... we can't wait to pack a bag and jump on a plane again!

IG:

23/11/2020

Hi All! Just wanted to share some of the cool places we've been over the last few months! Enjoy 😆

But in all honesty, we cannot wait to get back on the road/plane/train to explore more of our world, when it is safe to do so. We hope you are staying healthy and happy, and can't wait to share some real adventures with you soon!

28/05/2020

Dreaming of long flights, delicious new food, adventurous hikes, drives for days, and exploring new lands again! This pandemic sure has slowed our lives down. We're so excited for the world to open back up but only when it's safe to do so. Until then, we'll keep making culinary masterpieces at home while reminiscing about our travels, and continue to plan for bigger and better!
We hope you're all staying healthy and happy, and can't wait to start sharing our adventures with you again 💙✈️🌍

24/03/2020

Trip interrupted...

Back in September 2019, we booked a trip to Ireland to experience St. Patrick's day in Dublin.. no matter how 'produced for tourists' a spectacle it is, we were thrilled to experience it.

Fast forward to early 2020 and the Covid-19 situation was in its adolescence by the time we were due to take off on our trip. Knowing the risks were low, and without any guidance not to, we left on our trip. The situation at the time was essentially confined to China, South Korea, and Italy, with minimal cases in a handful of other countries. Our destination actually had far less cases than our home. So off we went.

Our flights took us directly to England where we were to spend a few days before hopping to the Emerald Isle. Each day while we were away, the Covid-19 situation escalated. We kept a close eye on government information. As the situation blew up in Italy and Spain, Ireland and the UK remained calm and with relatively few cases.

A few days into our trip, news started coming from Ireland that things were beginning to shut down. First, our tours of Guinness and Jameson's, then the famous act of kissing the Blarney Stone. Eventually even the whole point of our trip, the St. Patrick's Day parade, was nixed. Still, we figured we'd make the most of Ireland, see the countryside and still drink gallons of Guinness. The straw that broke the Ireland travel's back however, was the eventual closing of most of Dublin's famous pubs. At this point we called off our travel to Ireland and decided to remain in England and make the most of our trip. England had remained calm, and it was business as usual, despite the WHO coming out and now declaring Covid-19 a pandemic.

We spent the next few days touring Western England, and aside from Covid-19 dominating every conversation we heard in any pubs, there were no concerns. You would not be able to tell anything was happening at all.

That was not to last. On March 16 both the UK and Canadian Prime Ministers went on the air to warn people about how serious this pandemic was, and specifically how it was going to affect everyday life. In the UK, Boris Johnson urged social distancing and asked citizens to not go to pubs and restaurants. In Canada, Justin Trudeau urged Canadians to return to Canada earlier than planned. He also ordered that only Canadian and American citizens could enter Canada (with some exceptions), and that only four airports across the country would be open to international flights.

Throughout the trip, we were continuously monitoring the flight situations. Looking for any opportunity to cut the trip short and get home sooner we were seeing one-way flights home for no less than $2000 each. When those sold out, flights were going for close to $8000 each. We were prepared to self-isolate ourselves in a UK hotel for as long as necessary so we stuck with our previously booked flights.

At some point on March 17, we saw a statement from WestJet informing that they were cancelling all international flights as of March 22. That wasn't much notice, and our flight on British Airways were on the 23rd. The only thing that concerned us was if other airlines would follow WestJet's lead. With that, we ended up booking flights on Air Canada departing March 20.

Once again we changed our travel plans and cancelled and booked hotels. All of this was incredibly painless with the travel booking world totally sympathetic to the unpresidented situation. I would be remissed if I failed to give a shout-out here to Hotels.com who went above and beyond in meeting our needs and cancelling bookings with non-refundable policies.

We do not regret our decision to take this trip, as the situation really was not alarming when we left.

We are now home and self isolating for two weeks. We are taking our isolation time very seriously as we know the dangers of this virus. Stay safe and healthy everyone!

29/02/2020

Our take on the Coronavirus:
A number of our followers have reached out asking about travelling right now and if we think it’s safe to do so. Our answer is fairly simple: Yes, but be smart. Pay attention to the advisories and take the necessary precautions. If you have an underlying health issue and are at risk for further compromising your immune system, avoid the high risk areas.

Yes, the Coronavirus is a new strain and has killed a number of people in a short amount of time. The unknown is frightening, however the media coverage has amplified fear throughout the world. Let’s face it: fear based news spreads far faster than any virus ever can. Here are some fun facts to help put your fears at ease:
COVID-19 has infected approximately 84,119 people worldwide; the flu has an estimated 1 billion cases worldwide per year.
COVID-19 has killed approximately 2,871 people as of February 28, 2020; the flu kills anywhere from 291,000 to 646,000 people per year.
Majority of cases being treated for the virus are recovering, which means COVID-19 is only approximately 3% fatality rate, whereas SARS was approximately 10% fatality rate.

It’s a natural response as human beings to put our walls up and turn on survival-mode when we are faced with newlines and updates featuring “GLOBAL VIRUS”. We take every precaution to protect ourselves because the news and social media says we need to stock up on antibacterial hand sanitizer and face masks. While we agree that it is important for countries to take precautionary measures to protect their citizens from an unknown virus, we also believe it is important to not let fear and anxiety take its toll on our immune systems, or to stop us from exploring.

So whether you’re travelling or staying local, it’s always important to follow these basic rules:
1. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand rub to kill viruses.
2. Maintain social distance! If someone is coughing or sneezing, keep at least three feet between you and that person.
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
4. Cover your mouth and nose with your inner elbow or tissues when you cough or sneeze.
5. If you feel sick or have any flu-like symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.

02/02/2020

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain

Couldn’t have said it better ourselves! To us, travel isn’t just about sitting on a lounge chair and drinking copious amounts of alcohol, or seeing the same resort or hotel each time. It’s about breaking out of that comfort zone and pushing ourselves beyond the norm. When we go somewhere new, we want to test our limits; whether it’s new food or drink, a grueling hike to an incredible view, an uncomfortable tiny plane/train/automobile to a remote destination, or running on little to no hours of sleep just to catch that sunrise... to us, it’s worth it. We have learned so much about the world and about ourselves over the years and continue to grow with each destination. And through this page and our website, we hope to encourage you to do the same. Happy travels!

www.checkeverycorner.com

Planning your next adventure? Or would prefer to live vicariously through ours? Either way, we hope you enjoy our travel / photo blog!

25/01/2020

"Did you know, you can quit your job, you can leave university? You aren’t legally required to have a degree, it’s a social pressure and expectation, not the law, and no one is holding a gun to your head. You can sell your house, you can give up your apartment, you can even sell your vehicle, and your things that are mostly unnecessary. You can see the world on a minimum wage salary, despite the persisting myth, you do not need a high paying job. You can leave your friends (if they’re true friends they’ll forgive you, and you’ll still be friends) and make new ones on the road. You can leave your family.

You can depart from your hometown, your country, your culture, and everything you know. You can sacrifice. You can give up your $5.00 a cup morning coffee, you can give up air conditioning, frequent consumption of new products. You can give up eating out at restaurants and prepare affordable meals at home, and eat the leftovers too, instead of throwing them away. You can give up cable TV, Internet even. This list is endless.

You can sacrifice climbing up in the hierarchy of careers. You can buck tradition and others’ expectations of you. You can triumph over your fears, by conquering your mind. You can take risks. And most of all, you can travel. You just don’t want it enough. You want a degree or a well-paying job or to stay in your comfort zone more.

This is fine, if it’s what your heart desires most, but please don’t envy me and tell me you can’t travel. You’re not in a famine, in a desert, in a third world country, with five malnourished children to feed. You probably live in a first world country. You have a roof over your head, and food on your plate. You probably own luxuries like a cellphone and a computer. You can afford the $3.00 a night guest houses of India, the $0.10 fresh baked breakfasts of Morocco, because if you can afford to live in a first world country, you can certainly afford to travel in third world countries, you can probably even afford to travel in a first world country.

So please say to me, “I want to travel, but other things are more important to me and I’m putting them first”, not, “I’m dying to travel, but I can’t”, because I have yet to have someone say they can’t, who truly can’t.

You can, however, only live once, and for me, the enrichment of the soul that comes from seeing the world is worth more than a degree that could bring me in a bigger paycheck, or material wealth, or pleasing society.

Of course, you must choose for yourself, follow your heart’s truest desires, but know that you can travel, you’re only making excuses for why you can’t.

And if it makes any difference, I have never met anyone who has quit their job, left school, given up their life at home, to see the world, and regretted it. None. Only people who have grown old and regretted never traveling, who have regretted focusing too much on money and superficial success, who have realized too late that there is so much more to living than this"

- Wunderkammer, Did you know?

05/01/2020

Now that the holidays are over, we're starting a countdown for our next getaway! In March, we're heading back over the pond to two countries we've already explored, but just couldn't get enough of. We can't wait to show you what we've got planned 🤘✈️😁

10/11/2019

Late last night, we found out that due to horrendous weather in Reykjavik, our flight has been rescheduled. Although we are losing a day exploring the beauty of Iceland, we gained an extra day in England.

If you've ever had a wrench thrown into your travel plans, you know it can be extremely stressful and frustrating. To make things a little easier, always contact your hotel, car rental and excursions as soon as possible! The sooner they know, the sooner they can help with a solution.

Sometimes it doesn't matter what hiccups come along during your journey, as long as you're with people you love and can make the best of any situation ❤️

01/11/2019

One of our top tips when planning a trip is to find something unique to the country or city you're visiting. Last night in Frankfurt we had the pleasure of visiting Frankenstein's Castle for an epic Halloween experience.
Go early to avoid the crowds and lines. Expect the actors and monsters to get in your face and grab you. The louder you scream, the more you'll be chased. If you appreciate horror and gore, this place is for you. Enjoy!

https://frankenstein-halloween.de/en/das-event/halloween/

29/10/2019

London has been an absolute whirlwind and we couldn't be happier with what we've explored so far. There is so much to see and experience in this incredible city! Tonight is our last night here...... then off to...... STAY TUNED!!

06/10/2019

Let the countdown begin!! ⌛🤘✈️🛄
Less than three weeks until our next adventure begins. Watch for updates and tips along the way.
Can't wait to show you where we're headed next!!

15/09/2019

Summer is coming to an end which can only mean one thing..... another adventure on the horizon!
One of our top destinations was Iceland because of the isolation, incredible terrain, breathtaking hikes, and cool weather.
Tell us your favorite cool climate destination!!

27/08/2019

Our next adventure has begun! Can you guess where we are right now?? ⛰️☀️🐏

19/08/2019

16/08/2019

New blog post for GREECE:

https://checkeverycorner.com/greece-blog

As a child; working on elementary school assignments about ancient Greek mythology, watching Kevin Sorbo as Hercules in the cult TV series, and hearing the stories of Achilles and the Iliad, the Greek world became so fascinating to me. Greece was the one place I dreamed of visiting from about the ag...

16/08/2019

New blog post for ICELAND:

https://checkeverycorner.com/iceland-blog

The most beautiful country we have been to outside of Canada, and a place we hope to return to again and again. The draw to Iceland is clearly all about the scenery, and the feeling we get from it. There is an overwhelming sense of freedom here. We visited in September and found that it was very col...

16/08/2019

We are Tiffany and Chris and we live in British Columbia, Canada. We have been together since early 2012 and we live our lives exactly how we want to - by seeing the world.

Very early on in our relationship we decided that we were not going to follow the standard western model, that is, the nuclear family with 2.5 kids and a burdensome mortgage. Our shared adventure began very quickly with our first trip (to Peru to see the incredible Machu Picchu) and we knew right away there was no stopping to 'settle down' - we had contracted the proverbial travel bug, high in the Peruvian Andes.

That travel bug quickly became an addiction. After our first trip together to Peru, we followed up in the same year with trips across Canada, to Central America, and to southern California and Las Vegas.

Prior to Peru neither of us had given much thought to traveling. Travel was daunting. Travel was always something that was meant for National Geographic explorers and Anthony Bourdain - not for us. After our whirlwind first year we began to realize just how accessible the world really is. Comfort zones be damned.

Suddenly adventure awaited us. Places we had seen on TV or read about in books were now within the click of a mouse and the booking of a ticket. For the first time we had bucket lists, and these were not just pipe dreams - we were actually crossing things off. Now we could watch an episode of No Reservations and see Anthony Bourdain eat an amazing meal somewhere exotic, and then actually go there and have the same experience. Not to be cheesy, but the world is our oyster!

Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport.

Tiffany and Chris

16/08/2019