Yes, Polish belongs to one of the most difficult languages in the world. However, it is only difficult when you approach it the wrong way. If you have the right attitude to learning, it’s not harder than any other foreign language.

The good thing is, Polish people admire any foreigner who speaks even one word in Polish! And when I mean admire, I mean: ADORE!! It’s so seldom that any foreigner speaks Polish, that you will be ADORED for any effort you make!

To start with: it’s nearly impossible for a foreigner to learn to speak Polish fluently! The fact is: it takes a child on average 12 years to speak the English language fluently. A child learning Polish, on the other hand, needs on average 16 years to speak Polish fluently. Polish language, difficult language. It’s even the case for Poles. Speaking grammatically correct and fluent Polish is a challenge for every Pole. As an example: I was always good in the Polish language, had the best grades at school and loved reading. But after spending approximately 6 years abroad, I was taken as a foreigner upon returning to Poland! This is how quickly your Polish language skills can deteriorate.

So for all of you out there willing to learn Polish: some advice from an “international” native speaker!

1). Forget the grammar

Polish grammar is ridiculously complicated. You have 7 cases, 3 genders, and more exceptions than rules. I learned the grammar at school, so I have it in my blood (I think), but often I cannot explain to a foreigner why you spell the word the certain manner. You need to learn it by heart while you grow up. So, just skip it.

2). Don’t learn to write – speak first!

I still remember those orthography tests – they were killing me! Even today I always look at certain words to “see”, if they are spelled correctly. So, skip this one, too.

3). Do learn many words.

Learn all the words you can pick up. Just in nominative case is fine. Even if you don’t put them in the right case – it will be enough for Poles to understand you. And they will be admiring you anyway! . For a foreigner putting words in correct grammatical case is not necessary. Unlike other languages where subtle differences in conjugations and endings can change the meaning of the sentence, you will still be understood.

Here comes a story: I have a female Polish friend who is married to an Englishman and they live in England. Once I visited them and I had the pleasure to spend a nice evening with her and her husband Collin. Incredibly, Collin spoke Polish. We spent the whole evening chatting in Polish and it was such a fun evening. Did Collin know any Polish grammar, cases, gender, etc.?

None of them. But he knew lots of words and it was enough to create a great conversation! This is the way to go!

4). Do learn how to read.

Polish language uses Latin alphabet, with a few exceptions. Just learn how to pronounce these 15 letters:  ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó , ś, ź, ż, cz, dz, dź, dż, rz, sz, and you will be able to read everything. This is a great start. You always pronounce it as it is written.

5). Do learn some key phrases

There are some phrases which are helpful, like: “Która godzina?” (What time is it?), “Jak się masz?” (How are you?), “Dzień dobry” (Good morning)”, “Co jest grane” (What is up?) , “Zdrowie na budowie” (Health at the construction site – this is an insider phrase, use it before drinking some vodka! )– learn them by heart and you will be enclosed in any Pole’s heart!

“Polski język, trudny język” – “Polish language, difficult language”. But when you approach it following the above advice, you will really have fun with it! And, once you are in Poland, you will enjoy the company of Poles having fun along with you! Polish people are very open and fun loving, they would never laugh at you when you speak some “broken Polish” – they will admire you instead. Because you dared to step on this path to grasp a little of one of the most difficult languages in the world. You will be a hero and this will make your time in Poland much more enjoyable!

Just ask my husband. An American, he learned a bit of Polish following the above advice, and he is considered by my family members as someone who actually speaks Polish. My father cannot stop talking to him when they meet. Although, I must admit,  my husband is quite happy, when he can use the excuse: “Nie rozumiem” – “I don’t understand”, when my mother is talking to him!

Malgorzata is one of the top Trip Gurus on Mytripguru.com and loves to share her insights from her extensive travels. View her profile here.

Tulum, Mexico is located south of Cancun and Playa del Carmen, two world famous beach resort areas on the Mayan Riviera. As you travel further south towards Tulum, you begin to see a different Mexico. The hotels here are smaller and more boutique style than in Playa del Carmen. The beach, if you can believe it, has even finer and even whiter sand. It is a great place to visit for a week or for day trips if you are staying in a nearby resort.

The following are 5 Things To Do in Tulum, Mexico:

Explore the Mayan Ruins of Tulum

Tulum is one of the best known ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula, next to Chichen Itza, of course.  These Mayan ruins are located just outside of Tulum along one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in this part of Mexico (even the world!). Although this site is located along the coast, it was heavily fortified by the Maya. The Maya chose this site because it has the highest elevation and cliffs protect access from the ocean. In fact, there is only one small cove here that provided access from the water. The remainder of Tulum was protected by a wall surrounding the ancient city with only 4 entrances. The location of Tulum makes these ruins an easy day trip from Cancun or Playa del Carmen.

Read the full review on Tulum

Explore the Mayan Ruins of Cobá

Another famous Mayan city is Cobá, located 40km west of Tulum. Cobá is especially fun because it has one of the few pyramids that can still be climbed. In total, the grand pyramid has over 120 steep steps that require careful footing and lots of sunscreen. The view, however, is breathtaking, as you see the surrounding jungle and peaks of smaller temples sitting between tree tops. The remainder of this ancient Mayan city is great for walking as all the temples are connected via well-maintained walking and biking paths under shady trees.

Read the full review on Cobá

Swim and Snorkel in the Grand Cenote

The Grand Cenote is just 3km outside of Tulum and is often combined with a visit to Cobá as it is located on the same road. Cenotes are sinkholes with fresh water from the extensive underground network of streams and rivers in the Yucatan Peninsula. There are over 7000 cenotes here, caused because the entire Yucatan was once under water. As the water level rose, an underground network of streams were created, causing these sinkholes. The Grand Cenote is a great place for a relaxing swim in crystal clear, fresh water in the open air and in caves. The crystal clear water also makes snorkeling a lot of fun here.

Read the full review on Grand Cenote

Swim and Relax at Tulum Beach

The beach in Tulum is one of the most beautiful in the world. The sand is so fine it feels soft to the touch. It is also virtually white, making the contrast with the emerald color water an absolute treasure to behold. This area has not been over-developed by mega resorts. Instead, you will find small boutique hotels, cheap cabanas on the sand and more upscale romantic bungalows. Watching the sunrise while swinging gently from a hammock on the beach is an experience that cannot be missed here.

View the full review on Tulum Beach

Kayak through the Sian Ka’an Bio Reserve

The Sian Ka’an Bio Reserve is a huge protected area just south of Tulum. The few houses here all operate according to strict environmental regulations that were put in place to protect this fragile environment. This area teems with wildlife, especially birds and crocodiles. Touring this reserve with a Kayak and a knowledgeable guide is an unbelievable way to get closer to nature and see beautiful birds such as flamingos, pelicans, herons, egrets and cormorants nesting in mangrove islands. If you are lucky, you may even see a crocodile out hunting for prey!

Read the full review on the Sian Ka’an Bio Reserve

Everyone plans a trip differently. Some people prefer to outsource all planning and book a flight and hotel for a week from a travel agency. Others prefer to book through a tour operator who provides expert local guides and accommodation. Some fly by the seat of their pants and just go. I prefer as much Do-it-yourself (DIY) trip planning as possible. This is very time-intensive but it offers the best way (in my experience) to learn about what the destination has to offer. It is also almost always the most economical way to take a trip. Going the DIY route is full of pitfalls, though, as a lot of mistakes can be made and time is lost adjusting itineraries or factoring in new information.

The following is a description of my trip planning process. I have found it helps to minimize mistakes while traveling while also allowing plenty of room for customization, flexibility and learning.

Step 1: Get a Guidebook

The first thing I do when planning to go somewhere new is to buy a guidebook. I have generally had good experiences with Lonely Planet, as well as Moon for Panama. I use the guidebook to get a feel for the country, its people and its history. Guidebooks are also a great resource to see recommended itineraries and highlights that must be seen. I usually take the guidebook with me on a trip, but to be honest, I use it most before the trip. Most of its utility for me is in the planning phase.

Step 2: Research and Book Flights

Airfare is a big chunk of the total travel cost (despite almost always under-estimating other travel expenses). It pays to do some research. I like to go to Kayak to check prices because Kayak has a comprehensive search engine with a useful booking calendar that shows flight costs for an entire month. This lets me find the best price over the stretch of time when I want to go.

Step 3: Seek Additional Advice

Guidebooks are terrific but they are the product of one (or a selected few) person’s advice and experiences. Each traveler is different and I often find my travel needs are completely different from trip to trip. So I like to seek additional advice from locals and experienced travelers. Some services I have found to be useful include MyTripGuru (of course!), Aardvark, and travel forums found via Google.

Step 4: Book First Night

I never stay in one location for too long so staying in one hotel for more than a few days hardly ever happens. I tend to book hotels or hostels while on the trip. But for peace of mind, booking the first night is essential. For the first night, the guidebook can be a good resource for finding a hotel or hostel that caters to the type of travel I am planning. If backpacking, I will look for a backpacking hostel where I can get some friendly advice from fellow travelers over a beer on arrival or during breakfast.

Step 5: Plan the Legs of the Trip

Next I decide which highlights I absolutely want to see and begin to sketch my itinerary around these activities. This is the most time-intensive part of the planning process, as I frequently find myself revising my plans as more information comes in. This is, however, the most exciting part of the whole process as excitement for the trip starts to build. If necessary (such as late arrivals, high season), I will also book additional accommodation.

Step 6: Prepare for the Trip

This is another fun part of the pre-trip process. This includes learning about the local culture and learning some useful phrases if I don’t speak the local language. When going backpacking, I fill up my backpack with some gear and go for a couple short hikes to get used to carrying a lot of weight on my shoulders. I also try to find out what it is like at the arrival airport. What should I expect to pay to reach my hotel or the city? This is important because arriving in a new city looking like a fish out of water makes you a juicy victim for enterprising locals who can see your inexperience all over your face. Furthermore, the first few hours in a new country are the most stressful if you are experiencing culture shock. Being prepared on arrival can limit this anxiety.

Getting to know the prices for services in general is a must for budgeting the trip. How much is transportation such as buses, domestic flights, trains and taxis? What is the cost of a budget meal and how much does a nice dinner cost? When I have gathered some idea about the costs, I sketch out my itinerary on a piece of paper and estimate daily expenses. The estimate is almost always too low, but it helps to set a budget and allows me to enjoy my trip and not worry about the cost, as I have already budgeted for the essentials.

Here are some trip planning tips that I find useful. Some have been mentioned above.

• Get to know the value of the local currency. Learn what to expect to pay in all the usual situations.
• Find out what the best way is to get cash. Is it ATM, Traveler’s Check, USD or black market money changers (a Moroccan friend recommended the latter to me before a recent trip to Morocco)
• Pack smart – if you come home with something still smelling like laundry detergent, you packed too much.
• Consider doing some time in a tanning salon if you are leaving winter behind for somewhere hot and sunny.
• Learn about the culture and language. It will make your trip more intense and help you interact with locals.
• Check your visa requirements and your passport validity before you go.

The important thing is to enjoy the trip planning process. To me, it isn’t just about being well-prepared for the trip, although that is certainly important. Rather, I find the days, weeks and even months before a trip are exciting and in going through the planning process, I am able to build even more excitement and enthusiasm for the trip. And that is what it is all about! Happy Travels!

No one can doubt that the iPhone has become an indispensable travel companion. It certainly has for me. Whether I am traveling throughout Europe, hiking on long wilderness treks, or exploring the fascinating Souks of Marrakesh, there is an app for that!

Besides some of the standard iPhone apps such as Mail and Weather, below are a few of the apps I have found to be incredibly helpful while traveling:

Skype (free) – Skype has changed the way a lot of people communicate and makes communicating so much easier while traveling. Nowadays, finding a free wifi hotspot is pretty easy to do and being able to fire up Skype and make cheap (or free) calls an extremely attractive option in lieu of expensive roaming charges. If I could only take one app with me, this would be it.

1Password ($4.99) – this handy password app stores all your logins and syncs back to your Mac when you connect it to your Mac via wifi (if you buy the desktop app). The passwords are encrypted via a pin and a master password so you can securely travel with your important logins. This has been a life-saver for me on a couple of occasions when needing to make some bank transfers on an extended trip.

Shazam/SoundHound (free) – discovering new music is one of the great joys of traveling. Listening to the music at home that you heard in a local taxi helps you relive the fond memories of your trip. With either of these apps, you can quickly identify the song and buy it when you are back home. Whenever possible though, try to buy the music locally to support local tourism!

MultiConvert (free) – this one does what it says – it converts a multitude of metrics such as length, mass, speed, temperature, and even shoe sizes! There is a bit too much choice here for me, but that’s the beauty – when traveling you never know what you’ll need.

Aardvark (free) – this is a very useful app to get answers to questions quickly. It has helped me find things to do in a city and provided me with additional information about cultural questions that arose while traveling.

Currency (free) – there are a lot of apps that convert currencies for you. Some are free while others are not.  I have found Currency to be useful because it is easy to change one currency and see the adjusted rates of all your favorite currencies. This is handy when traveling through several countries and keeping an eye out on several exchange rates at once. Best of all it is free and simply does the job.

Kayak (free) – Kayak.com is the first website I visit when researching a flight. The Kayak iPhone app gives you the same searching power at your wayfaring fingertips. I have used this app a couple times while considering domestic flights on a trip.

WeatherPro ($3.99) – Like with currencies, there are lots of free weather apps, including the standard Weather app on the iPhone. I like WeatherPro because I have found the forecasts to be more accurate and the additional granularity of information. The only things missing in my opinion are sunset and sunrise times, which can differ significantly depending on where you are traveling.

Honorable Mentions – Facebook, Tweetdeck, Qype, AroundMe, WikiMe, Yelp

With over 90,000 apps in the iTunes store, there are sure to be other gems I haven’t found yet. What apps do you find useful while traveling?

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Let’s be honest – like most of Europe north of the Alps, early winter isn’t the best time to visit Germany. The days are short and it can be depressingly gray for weeks on end, making you think, beyond certainty, that the sun has abandoned you forever.

But there is a bright side to this time of year – Christmas markets. In all big cities, in most medium cities, and even in many tiny villages, you can find a Christmas Market, or Weihnachtsmarkt, that puts you in the Christmas mood. Enjoy a mug or two of hot mulled wine, Glühwein, while you socialize with friends or browse the many stalls selling handmade crafts made especially for the Christmas season. When you get hungry, fill up on excellent traditional German food such as Bratwurst. For those with a sweet tooth, the selection is even greater – such as Stollen (sweet Christmas bread filled with nuts and dried fruit) Lebkuchen (gingerbread), baked apples, crepes and roasted nuts.

Some Christmas markets are more well known than others. The most famous in Germany are those in the well-known tourist cities of Munich (see photo), Berlin, Cologne, Nuremberg, Dresden, Trier and Heidelberg. These are all worth a visit. For those who prefer some Christmas markets slightly off the beaten path, consider Wiesbaden (30 min from Frankfurt) and Regensburg (1.5 hours from Munich).

Wiesbaden – The Christmas market in Wiesbaden is relatively new but has become tremendously popular in recent years. Set in the old town across the town hall, this market is fairly small but very cozy and romantic. There are numerous stands selling crafts, food and drink as well as a stage for live music. As Wiesbaden is in the heart of the Rheingau wine region, you can also find local wineries selling their wine by the glass. On warmer winter nights, this is a great option. Wiesbaden is a very elegant city making the Christmas market here a very unique and unforgettable experience.

Regensburg – The small city of Regensburg has a terrific Christmas market that winds through much of the old town – through narrow streets and into squares both big and small. This is a great market for walking. Take a cup of Glühwein and go for a stroll through the quaint medieval streets. This market has been around for 200 years and can get quite crowded. In terms of size, it is by no means a large Christmas market but it has a distinct charm that makes it very special.

Most Christmas markets are open from the end of November until Christmas Eve, but be sure to check in advance to make sure the market you are going to is open. In smaller towns and villages, the markets are typically open only for a weekend or even just for one day. Prost!