Travel Photography - A (easier) new way to have better photos of yourself while traveling?

I am far from a professional photographer. But I want good photos. I want myself to look good with a gorgeous background. After all, my friends and family want to see my travel photos, and they want to see me in them.

I hate that sometimes an otherwise gorgeous shot is ruined because I look tired (jetlag) or my eyes are half open.

So I was thinking that maybe I could use something like this site www.peachd.com to touch up my photos? Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

Have a traveling buddy take multiple shots (or run back and forth between your tripod and wherever you're posing a lot with a timer) so you have more to choose from. I almost always find a pretty good shot even when traveling alone by taking several.

Tripod and remote trigger does the trick for me.

I hate that sometimes an otherwise gorgeous shot is ruined because I look tired (jetlag) or my eyes are half open.

My advice would be to set up a tripod and take a LOT of photos in a row. For example, with my stock canon point and shoot under the timer option there is a "custom" option that will shoot 10 shots after 10 seconds. Do this many times (or better yet, use an intervalometer on a very short interval) and try all sorts of expressions, postures (mainly staight back), angles, and whatever else you think of. Out of ALL of those you might get one good one.

I had a friend who was always taking those arm-length self portraits. Then she got one of these!
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41vjRWqLNDL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
It's a Quik-Pod (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NPCI9I/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000NPCI9I&linkCode=as2&tag=flrtk-20) hand-held telescoping mono-pod.

I use one of these: http://joby.com/gorillapod/micro250

Along with the self timer. The Joby Micro has been one of the best little gadgets I ever owner (before that I used a small Manfrotto - similar idea).

I use one of these: http://joby.com/gorillapod/micro250

Along with the self timer. The Joby Micro has been one of the best little gadgets I ever owner (before that I used a small Manfrotto - similar idea).

I just bought one of those online! Any tips?