Travelling Lens Insider #003
How to cut travel expenses, a review of United's Polaris business class and how to pick the right lens for your for travel photography.
đ Hey friends,
Welcome to Travelling Lens Insider, where every weekend I send you a carefully curated letter of all things travel, photography and points optimisation.
Now, onto this weekâs letterâŚ
âď¸ Travel, Points and Miles
đ¸ Travel can get expensive, but it doesnât have to be. Here are 17 ways you can save money and to cut your travel expenses in 2025. Number 3 is definitely my favourite đ
đł Three of the best credit cards to get, according to money expert Ramit Sethi. My view: like all financial advice, the right credit card choice for your lifestyle and needs are different to the next person. Some credit cards are worth the hefty annual fee if you actually use perks.
âď¸ Unitedâs Polaris Business seat is an excellent product for sleeping in the sky. This is a review of my personal experience flying on the United Airlines Boeing 787 Polaris Business Class from Sydney to Los Angeles.
đ How âgoodâ are your point redemptions for hotels and flights? If you're a points and miles nerd (or slowly becoming one), this is a nerdy and fun breakdown on how you can maximise and calculate your redemption values to see if youâre making good use of your hard earned points.
But this is my Points Philosophy:
Itâs better to take the trip than let a âpoorâ redemption stop you!
(Like what youâre reading? Pass it along to someone who might love it too. And if thatâs you, make sure to subscribe here! Thanks so much đ)
đˇ Photography
đ¸ I love using prime lens, theyâre small, light and easy to carry around. But how to choose between the 28mm vs 35mm vs 50mm lens when taking travel photos? This 11 minute video gives you a detailed rundown (sample images included).
âď¸ is one of my favourite photographer-writers here on Substack. This is a fantastic 22 minute breakdown on why start Substack is a good alternative to Instagram for creatives and photographers. Personally, Iâve only been here on Substack for the last 3+ weeks, and have been really enjoying the community experience.
đď¸ Capturing street and city scenes when visiting a new city is one of my favourite ways to explore a new city. Fremantle is a sleepy port city in Western Australia and a fun place to get out and take some photos.
ICYMI: Want to an easy way to plan your next trip? Get the free Travel Hub trip planning system in Notion.
đ Lately
Xochi is one of the top rated Mexican restaurants in Houston.
We finally checked it out last weekend and it didnât disappoint!
Especially their signature dessert, Cacao.
An absolutely decadent chocolate dessert. It looks like a giant Cacao seed, and the whole thing is a fully-edible chocolate dream.
đ¸ Photo of the week
The hilly city of San Francisco is a photographerâs paradise.
Little Italy was full of character and great restaurants. A big reason I really like this photo is because of the warm afternoon light and the different layers that are created in the image, showing depth in the scene.
đŹ Final Words
Thatâs all for today! See you next week
Janice
(p.s. Iâm always looking to improve. If you have feedback, Iâd love to hear your thoughts on todayâs newsletter. And if you enjoyed it, please let me know why!)