Overseas Haven Reports

Travel hacking is the practice of using credit cards and loyalty programs to amass points, which can then be redeemed for things like free flights, hotel stays, and more.

There are all kinds of credit cards that are tied to airlines and hotel companies, including the Big 3 airlines (United, American, Delta) and brands like Marriott and Hilton. They partner with banks like Chase, American Express, Citi, and Capital One.

Both the banks and the airlines and hotel chains are competing for your business. One way to entice you to sign up for a credit card or a loyalty program is to offer a substantial sign-up bonus.

Once those points are in your account, you’re able to cash them in by booking flights, hotel stays, rental cars, cruises, or whatever else you want to do with your travel funds.

Traveling for free and making use of those perks along the way is a great feeling. It’s one way to affordably fund a lifestyle of perpetual travel. Discover how to get started at travel hacking with this Overseas Haven Report.

A “smart city” is a city that’s smartly run. The city’s movers and shakers work together, think collectively, and use technology to make the city a better place for its residents, with sustainable (and often cost-cutting) innovations…

Smart cities are all about technology working behind the scenes to improve your lifestyle… you don’t even know it’s there, but it makes urban living easier, cleaner, healthier, more efficient, and generally more pleasant…

These cities have transportation that serve residents instead of hinder them. They have local planning laws, for example, that stipulate that tall buildings (businesses and apartment blocks) must be located on a bus route, so development is organized and contained to key “urban corridors of growth.” Transport and real estate work collectively rather than reactively.

Tavira is a charming small town in the eastern Algarve. Unlike other parts of the region, it’s held on to its authenticity, both in terms of its culture and its cost of living. It features great beaches, an architecturally stunning town center, an active and beautifully embellished riverfront promenade, diverse dining options, proximity to an important national park, and a welcoming expat community…

Find out more about Tavira with this Overseas Haven Report.