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Things to do on Holiday in Bulgaria besides partying

2012-02-02T07:50:00.004+12:00

Sun, beautiful beaches, raving nightclubs and cheap hotels are some of the things to look forward to when going on holiday to Bulgaria.

Best Beach Bars in Europe

The good news though it’s that Bulgaria is much more than a popular destination in Europe for a cheap beach vacation, "hen and stag parties". Below you have some ideas of other stuff you can do in Bulgaria besides spending time at a beach resort:

1) Learn to ski

Believe it or not, one of the most popular things to do on holiday in Bulgaria is learning to ski, and if you're planning a ski vacation you'll find that Bulgaria is amazingly cheap when compared to French and Swiss ski resorts. In fact, skiing is so affordable in Bulgaria that you won’t have to worry about forking out all your savings on a family ski vacation.

Cheap Ski Vacation in Europe

If you’ve never skied and are planning to visit Bulgaria this winter you'll definitely want to give skiing a try! Honestly, you’ll be passing out a fantastic opportunity to learn to ski since ski schools in Bulgaria are some of the best and cheapest in Europe.

There are about a dozen or so ski resorts in Bulgaria though Borovets, Pamporovo and Bansko are the most popular ones in the country.

2) Take a ride of the Black Sea

A visit to Bulgaria wouldn’t be quite complete without taking a ride on the famous Black Sea. There are a few ways you can go about exploring the Black Sea. You could hire a luxury yacht for as much as 5000 Euros ($6500) for a day, or a small cruiser for as little as 450 Euros ($600) for the day.

Cheap Summer Destinations in Europe

Alternatively, you could go cruising which actually turns out to be a good option since on a cruise of the Black Sea you get an opportunity for half-day excursions to places like Istanbul, (Turkey), Constanta (Romania), and Odessa (Ukraine).

During a Black Sea cruise you can also choose to take a trip along the Danube River, which actually acts as the border between Bulgaria and Romania, and explore the interior of the region. P&O Cruises, Azamara Cruises and Holland America Line are some cruise companies you can check out if you’re interested in a Black Sea cruise.

3) Watch the birdies

If you enjoy spotting birds, you’ll be able to do plenty of bird watching while on vacation in Bulgaria not far from the capital city Sofia. The city is not far from a natural wetland called Dragoman marsh, which is a prime spot for birding and boasts a watch tower and marked trails for visitors to walk along.

Things to do in Eastern Europe

The cool thing about a trip to Dragon marsh is that it’s free to get in and the marsh is open between April and September. By the way, one of the best times to do bird watching in Bulgaria is during the migration seasons of late spring and early autumn.

4) Treat yourself to a spa

Bulgaria’s spa resorts are well renowned throughout Europe and treating yourself to a spa session is one of the most relaxing things to do on holiday in Bulgaria. There are lots of spa resorts all across Bulgaria where you can get massages, mud treatments and soaks in hot springs and mineral pools.

Things to do in Varna Bulgaria

The spa resort towns of Velingrad (south of Pazardzhik), Hisar, Sandanski (near the border with Greece) and Pomorie (on the Black Sea coast) are the most popular ones in Bulgaria. Having said this, if you visit the small villages of Shipkovo and Eleshnitsafor you can enjoy a soak in a hot mineral spring for as little as a couple of euros a day.

5) Go Extreme

If you’re looking to pack as much fun as possible during your holiday in Bulgaria, you’ll be glad to know that Bulgaria is a great place for adrenaline-junkies and sport enthusiasts.

Paragliding, whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, sky diving, horse riding, wakeboarding, hang-gliding, off-roading and go-karting are some of the things to do on holiday in Bulgaria. The main providers in Bulgaria offering these types of pursuits are “Extreme Bulgaria”, “Adventure Sport Holidays” and “Shambhala Center”.

6) Visit a cave

Bulgaria is home to over 4,000 caves, though only a few hundreds of them are opened to the public for tours. These include:

Must see places in Eastern Europe

1)Magura cave (near the town of Vidin),
2)Yagodina cave (near the village of Yagodina),
3)Dqvolsko Gurlo (not far from the village of Trigrad),
4)Devetashka Cave (near the village of village of Devetaki),
5)Ledenika (near the town of Vratsa),
6)Sueva Doupka (near the village of Brestnitsa)

All of these caves above are pretty impressive to see, though Ledenika cave boasts the biggest rock formations, while Dqvolsko Gurlo boasts a spectacular waterfall. Sueva Doupka cave is also worth passing by because of the live concerts there.

See. Things to do in Sochi Russia
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Things to do as a tourist in Nevada besides gambling

2012-02-01T11:36:00.001+12:00

Las Vegas and Reno are definitely two of the most popular places to visit in Nevada, though the "Silver State" is much more than casinos, luxurious hotels and adult shows!

Top Tourist Attractions in the US

Below, I have compiled a mini-list that should give you a good idea of things people do in Nevada besides gambling:

Explore the historic sites

If you’re a history buff, one of the best things you can do in Nevada as a tourist is explore the state’s many historic towns. Virginia City is one good place to start a historic tour of Nevada since Virginia City is a prime example of a typical Wild West town.

The whole town of Virginia City is actually a national landmark, which makes this town the largest historic area in the United States. As you enter Virginia City, you can appreciate right away the town’s mining and Old Western past because of the buildings such as the Gold Hill Hotel, the Bucket of Blood saloon, and the Delta Saloon, which is home to old faro table called the “Suicide Table”.

Places to Visit in Carson City Nevada

Virginia City is very much a tourist town and it also stages live shoot-outs to entertain its visitors. Other historic places worth checking out in Nevada are:

1) Eureka Opera House (Eureka)
2) Rawhide Jail (Hawthorne)
3) Nevada State Capitol (Carson City)
4) Caliente Railroad Depot (Caliente)
5) Sherman Station (Elko)
6) 7th Street district in Wells

Pass-by a ghost town

Visiting a ghost town is without a doubt, one of the coolest things to do as a tourist in Nevada and the great thing is that Nevada’s ghost towns offer another nice opportunity to step back into Nevada’s mining heritage.

Best ghost towns in US

Most ghost towns are mere ruins, but many of Nevada’s ghost towns are still in very good “shape” such as the ghost town of Rhyolite where you’ll find the famous Kelly’s Bottle House, which is a house built entirely of beer bottles.

Rawhide and Gold Point are two other ghost towns worth passing by in Nevada, especially Gold Point which is one of the best preserved ghosts towns in the country.

Soak in a hot spring

If you love dipping yourself in a hot spring, you’ll be glad to know that Nevada has hundreds of hot springs all across the state and the cool thing is that you won’t have to pay a penny to soak in one.

Interesting places to visit in Nevada

If you’re prepared to drive for miles you’ll find many hot springs in the Black Rock Desert area of northern Nevada such as “Trego”, “Bog” and “Frog Pond” hot springs. This last hot spring is located on private land though the owner kindly lets visitors use it.

Trego Hot springs is also very popular because it’s located not far from the famous Fly Geyser, which is one of the weirdest geothermal geysers you’ll ever see in the States. Soldier Meadows is another hot spring located in the area though it’s located inside Soldier Meadows ranch.

Other hot springs in central Nevada you can visit for free are Spencer hot springs (near Austin), and Fish Lakes hot spring (Tonopah). If you prefer a spa resort experience, it's best you head to the David Walley's Resort (Genoa), which isn’t far from Reno.

Stay at a dude ranch

If you’re planning a vacation in Nevada, staying at a guest ranch may work out to be the best option for affordable accommodation. Even if it’s for a few nights, staying at a working cattle ranch is definitely one of the great things to do as a tourist in Nevada besides gambling because many of these dude ranches offer fun activities for their guests such as horse riding lessons, cattle drives, hunting, etc.

There are dozens of guest ranches all across Nevada and some of these aren’t far at all from Las Vegas or Reno themselves. Some of these include:

1) Soldier Meadows Ranch: is located near Trego in the Black Rock Desert
2) Sandy Valley Ranch (Sandy Valley): is located about half-hour drive from Vegas
3) Cottonwood Guest Ranch: is located in Wells, near the border with Idaho
4) Verdi Trails West: is located just outside of Reno, near South Lake Tahoe
5) Tent Mountain Guest Ranch: located in Deeth, between Elko and Wells

Book tours

There are a myriad of tours you can book during your trip to Nevada like cruise, hot-air balloon, segway and off-road tours. Hopping on a paddle-wheeler for a sightseeing tour or romantic dinner cruise of Lake Tahoe is definitely one of the nicest things to do as a tourist in Nevada.

US West Coast Tourist Attractions

Booking segway tours is another fun way to explore Nevada and enjoy the outdoors. You can take guided segway tours of downtown Las Vegas, Lake Las Vegas Parkway, and downtown Reno with companies such as “Las Vegas Segway”, “Reno Fun Tours” and “Segway LV”.

Seeing Nevada from the sky is also a magnificent way to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the state. You can book tours with companies such as “Reno Hot Air Balloons”, “Balloon Nevada”, “Las Vegas Hot Air Balloons” and “Lake Tahoe Balloons”, which are some tour operators offering balloon rides in Nevada.

As far as off-road tours is concerned, you get a chance to explore up-close Nevada’s top natural attractions such as the Hoover Dam, Death Valley, and Red Rock Canyon. Companies providing off-road experiences in Nevada include “Pink Jeep Las Vegas”, “Red Rock Jeep”, “Lake Tahoe Adventures” and “Desert Odyssey Tours”.

See. Best Places to visit in California

Cities With The Best Nightlife In The US

Things Tourists do in West Virginia

2012-01-31T09:59:00.001+12:00

West Virginia is no doubt one gem of state to enjoy fun outdoor pursuits...hiking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, skiing, camping, you name it!

Things to do Outdoors in West Virginia

The great thing about West Virginia though it's that even if you aren't looking to hit the outdoors, you'll be able to find lots of great things to do as a tourist. Here it's some ideas:

Hop on a tourist train

One of the coolest things tourists do in West Virginia is to ride one of the state’s tourist trains for a bit of fun and explore the beautiful mountain scenery of West Virginia.

West Virginia boasts several tourist train operators offering different types of ride experiences (i.e. dinner, leaf-peeping, murder mystery, Santa Claus rides, etc) to choose from. West Virginia's tourist train operators are:

Interesting places to visit in West Virginia

1)Potomac Eagle: is one of the most popular tourist train operators in WV and offers scenic/nature rides of West Virginia’s mountain valley.

2)Mountain Rail Adventures: offers six different types of train experiences such as dinner train rides, scenic train rides and themed train rides.

3)Cass Scenic Railroad: offers historic train rides during the summer aboard a 1900’s steam-driven locomotive.

4)Mountain State Mystery Train: offers train trip packages such as the Cherry Blossoms tour, which is a train ride to Washington DC during the National Cherry Blossom Festival (April 13th-15th) that includes a few days staying in the capital.

5)New River Train: runs during the fall foliage and offers train ride excursions through the beautiful New River Gorge of West Virginia, which includes a couple of stop-offs in the towns of Thurmond and Hinton.

Catch a show

You can’t say you’ve been to West Virginia if you haven’t been to the American Mountain Theater to watch a comedy show, or music performance.

The theatre is one of a kind in West Virginia and offers family-friendly shows similar to the Branson shows. The American Mountain Theater is located in the small town of Elkins, which is about an hour’s drive from Morgantown.

Visit a battlefield site

West Virginia is one of the most popular destinations along the "Civil War Discovery Trail" to learn about the American Civil War and visit civil war battle sites. The most popular civil war battlefield sites in WV you can visit are Harpers Ferry National Park, Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park (Little Levels), Rich Mountain Battlefield (Beverly), Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park (Summersville), and Cheat Summit Fort (Elkins).

Places to visit in Harpers Ferry

American Civil War Battle Sites

It’s worth mentioning that the town of Beverly is home to a historic house turned museum called “Lemuel Chenoweth Museum”, which boasts very interesting civil war and Indian artifacts on display.

As far as civil war reenactments, Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, Lewisburg and Rowlesburg reenact some the best civil war reenactments in West Virginia. Droop Mountain normally takes place in October, while Lewisburg battle reenactment takes place between May 21st-22nd. The Rowlesburg reenactment also takes place annually in early May.

Enjoy wine tastings

One of the most relaxing things tourists do in West Virginia is visiting a winery. West Virginia wine country may be not as well known as California's Napa Valley but this region is certainly one of the top wine regions in the United States.

Places to visit in Huntington WV

There are plenty of vineyards you can visit in the Shenandoah Valley, as well as other wineries across West Virginia where you can enjoy wine tours and sample fine wines. Some of the wineries in West Virginia worth mentioning are Daniel Vineyards (Crab Orchard), Kirkwood Winery (Summersville), Fisher Ridge Wine (Charleston), Wolf Creek Winery, and Lambert's Vintage Wine (Weston).

By the way, if you love your wines, it'll be a good idea to visit West Virginia during a wine festival such as the WV Wine and Arts Festival in May (Martinsburg), or the Festival of Food & Wine in mid January (Morgantown).

Attend a festival

If you’re in the process of planning a vacation in West Virginia, be sure your trip coincides with one of West Virginia’s annual festivals. A visit to West Virginia is always more rewarding when you can attend an event to get a chance to mingle with the locals.

Everyone has their favorite festival in West Virginia but some of the best festivals in the state are the West Virginia Hot Dog Festival in Huntington (July 28th), West Virginia's Mountain Heritage Arts and Crafts Festival in Charles Town (June 8th-Sep 30th), the Cherry River Festival in Richwood (July 30th), and the West Virginia Roadkill Cook-off in Marlinton (Sep 29th).

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America's Best Public Parks

2012-01-28T08:01:00.001+12:00

There is no argument that New York City’s Central Park is one of the best public parks in the America and it’s also one of the most visited in the world. Central Park definitely deserves its many accolades, not only because of its size (the park is huge) but because of the many cool things you can do on the park like taking carriage rides, boating, ice skating and even rock climbing.

10 things to do in NYC

Having said this, there are many other public parks in the United States that are worthy of praise and admiration too. And here they are:

Branch Brook Park, Newark New Jersey

Branch Brook Park is no doubt one of America’s best public parks and also one of the largest urban parks in the country. Branch Brook Park has beautiful grassy fields and lakes, but its main highlight are the thousands of cherry blossom trees (one of the largest collection of cherry blossoms in the United States).

Places to See Cherry Blossoms US

There is no doubt that seeing the blossomed cherry trees is the main reason people visit Branch Brook in the first place. During the spring, the park hosts the annual free cherry blossom festival (April) and free outdoor live concerts during the summer. Another great thing about Branch Brook Park is that it's just a short half-hour drive from New York City.

Lincoln Park, Chicago Illinois

Lincoln Park is definitely, one of the nicest public parks you can visit in the States because of its fantastic location overlooking Lake Michigan. Lincoln Park is an awesome place to go for a fun day out with the family because of the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, which are located right inside the park.

The best thing about Lincoln Park though it's the beach (North Avenue Beach), which is one of the nicest beaches on Lake Michigan. During the summer, the beach hosts volleyball competitions as well as the annual Chicago Air & Water Show.

Forest Park, Portland Oregon

Forest Park is located not far from downtown Portland and it’s one of the best public parks in America closest to a national park. Forest Park has all kinds of trails to suit hiking enthusiasts such as the 28-mile long trail called “Wildwood Trail”, which is the longest in the park. Saying this, the park has also easy trails, which are great for walking your dog or taking a short walk.

Best Hiking Spots in the US

Forest Park's wildlife is another highlight...the park has many beautiful birds and other cool small mammals such as weasels, jumping mice and flying squirrels, which you can spot along your walks.

Bushnell Park, Hartford Connecticut

What’s not to love about Bushnell Park? This park was the first public park ever conceived in the US, though it's still in great nick! Bushnell Park is as historic as you can get and its old-fashioned 20’s carousel is one of the many pleasant sights in the park.

The great thing about Bushnell Park is that it’s located right in the centre of Hartford so it makes for a welcome retreat from the crowds of the downtown area. You can kick-back on the grass while enjoying a picnic and free music concerts, ride the carousel, walk your dog, or simply take photos of the sights like the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch.

Chastain Park, Atlanta Georgia

Chastain Park is located in North Atlanta and it's a beautiful public park that is certainly worth mentioning on this post. Chastain Park has one of the nicest kids' playgrounds any city’s public park would be proud of.

Chastain Park boasts a real friendly vibe and every Tuesday afternoon the community hosts a mini-picnic event (called Chastain Chill) for families where they play live music. By the way, Chastain Park is also behind the annual 4th of July parade and the arts festival (Nov 3-4), both of which are free to attend.

Discovery Park, Seattle Washington State

Discovery Park is without a doubt, another top contender on this list of America’s best public parks. If you're traveling to the Pacific Northwest region, you'll want to visit Discovery Park.

Top 10 things to do in Washington State

The park is a haven for seeing wildlife (i.e. seals, bald eagles, etc) and the park has miles upon miles of peaceful trails, which are a real joy to hike. One such trail is the Loop Trail, which takes you to a beautiful bluff (Magnolia Bluff) that offers amazing views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains of western Washington.

Cherokee Park, Louisville Kentucky

The city of Louisville does have its fair share of public parks within the city, though at a national level Cherokee Park is the very best!

Cherokee Park truly fits the title for “best recreational park in US” because of its many features such as the 2 mile-long paved trail for jogging and walking, huge grassy field areas for picnics and playing sports, dog parks, playgrounds for kids, pavilions, baseball field, sport courts, an archery range, a golf course…and the list goes on and on.

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Things people do for fun on vacation in Indiana

2012-01-27T09:43:00.003+12:00

Wondering what to do in Indiana besides car racing?

Interesting places to visit in Indiana

There is definitely more to do in Indiana than the famous Indy 500 event over the Memorial Day weekend. Don’t get me wrong, The 500 is one of the most spectacular events you can visit in the States and it deserves every bit of hype it gets. The good news is that you don’t have to be a car enthusiast to enjoy a trip to Indiana since the state has much more to offer. Let’s get to them:

Spend a day in the dunes

One of the most popular things people do for fun on vacation in Indiana is experiencing the sand dunes. Indiana has a pristine sand dune area overlooking the beautiful waters of Lake Michigan called Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Indiana Dunes is located roughly between Gary and Michigan City and it’s a great place to spend a nice outing with friends and family all year-round. You can do fun things like hiking through the soft sand dunes, birding, snowshoeing, boating, swimming, fishing, and camping as well as ranger-led activities.

Explore the caves

If you love exploring caves, one of the things you can't miss doing while on vacation is visiting Indiana’s caverns. There are many caverns in Indiana you can visit, though a few that come to mind are Marengo Cave (this one is a national landmark), Squire Boone Caverns and Bluespring Caverns Park. These caverns are open for tours and are located within the Hoosier national forest area so they aren’t too far from one another.

Marengo Cave is one of the coolest caves since you can do normal walking tours as well as proper cave exploring tours where you get to crawl through seriously claustrophobic passages. Saying this, Squire Boone Caverns boasts beautiful rushing waterfalls, while Bluespring Caverns Park has a river system that allows you to explore the passages on a boat tour.

Ride a carriage

Carriage rides are without a doubt, one of the coolest things people do for fun on vacation in Indiana. One of the most popular places to enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride tour (i.e. Yellow Rose Carriages) is in downtown Indianapolis, which is a cool way to explore the city’s attractions while riding in style!

Fun Things to do in Indianapolis

Terre Haute and New Carlisle are two other places where you can enjoy fun horse-drawn carriage rides as well as wagon and sleigh rides during the winter. P & T carriage rides is a popular tour operator in Terre Haute, while in New Carlisle you have Dream Coach Carriages.

Fruit and veg picking

One of the most enjoyable things you can do on vacation in Indiana is visiting a farm and spending a day picking fruit and veg! Fruit and vegetable picking isn’t only cool but it’s also a great way to spend a day outdoors with the family without putting a hole in your pocket.

Cheap Things to do in Fort Wayne IN

Apple and pumpkin picking are the most popular pickings, and you can do them during the fall harvest season. There are plenty of farms to choose from in northern and southern Indiana such as Tuttle Orchards (Greenfield), Anderson Orchard (Mooresville), and Stonycreek Farm Nursery (Noblesville).

Visit an Amish village

You can’t say you’ve been to Indiana if you haven’t visited one of the Amish communities such as the ones in Amish Country (Northern Indiana), and Daviess County in southern Indiana.

Daviess County is one of the largest Amish settlements in the United States and it’s a great place to visit during the spring, summer and autumn months because of the many events and festivals such as the Gasthof Fall Festival (Sep 15th), Old Settlers Festival (Aug 7th-11th), Daviess County Fair (June 22nd-30th), and Wool Fiber Arts Fair (May 19th).

Things to do in the Midwest

Amish Country is also a great place to soak in Amish culture and traditions. One such community is the Amish community of Shipshewana which is a great place to enjoy fun countryside tours, farm and buggy lane tours with local operators like Buggy Line and Buggy Lane Tours who also include a complimentary Amish meal at the end of their tours. If you plan to visit Shipshewana, be sure to visit during the town’s flea market days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the antique and livestock auctions.

Game of Basketball

Basketball is an intricate part of Indiana’s culture and if you’re a massive basketball fan, you’ll sure love visiting New Castle, which is the heart and soul of basketball in Indiana.

New Castle is home to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, which features some of the best all-time players that ever graced the basketball court. The great thing about the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame is that it’s also a high school so, you can catch a game during the regular season tournament.

By the way, even if you aren’t much into basketball, you sure won’t want to give this a miss since it’ll give you a fantastic opportunity to mingle with the locals.

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Things to do on Vacation in Nebraska for fun

2012-01-26T06:00:00.001+12:00

Wondering what to do in Nebraska while on vacation?

Most Beautiful Places in Nebraska

If you're "eyeing-up" a much deserved vacation in Nebraska, you can rest assure that hay bales and cornfields won't be only thing you'll see in the Cornhusker State! Below, I've rounded-up some of the coolest things to do on vacation in Nebraska for fun:

1. Enjoy a game of golf

Nebraska is known for its world-class golf courses and many people that vacation in Nebraska do it for a bit of golf. Golf clubs such as the Sand Hills Golf Club (Mullen), the Prairie Club (Valentine) and the Dismal River Golf course (Mullen) are some of the most prestigious golf clubs in the state, though you don’t have to stay at one of these private golf clubs to enjoy a game of golf.

Nebraska has a couple of public golf courses where you can play that won’t cost you a “leg and an arm” such as the Iron Horse Golf Club (Ashland), Tregaron Golf Club (Bellevue), Quarry Oaks Golf Club (Ashland), and Willow Lakes Golf Course (Offutt AFB).

2. Attend a Renaissance faire

Renaissance festivals are a very popular thing in Nebraska and attending one it’s a fun way to spice up your vacation, especially if you're into fancy dressing. Even if you don’t fancy dressing up, it’s cool just being at one of these Renaissance faires seeing people parading in a handmade costume while showing-off.

Interesting places to visit in Nebraska

The most popular Renaissance festival is the “Midwest Renaissance festival” in Omaha, which happens in late May. The Nebraska Renaissance Faire (mid-May) and the Midlands Pirate Festival (early May) both of which are hosted in Papillion are also worth attending if you're traveling with kids.

3. Head to a fun park

Visiting an amusement park for the day is definitely, one of the coolest things to do on vacation in Nebraska for fun. The city of Omaha is the best place to be if you want to visit a fun park since there are plenty to choose from such as Boulder Creek amusement park, Fun-Plex, Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, Amazing Pizza Machine and Family Fun Center.

You can take your pick, though you could actually end up visiting all of these parks because they all offer different things to do. For instance, Boulder Creek has batting cages, water slides, and a rock climbing wall, while Amazing Pizza has a go-cart track and a roller coaster.

Family Fun Center is a cool place to go for golfing if you don’t want to be part of a golf club since they have a beautiful 18-hole putt-putt golf course.

4. Hit the road

Driving around Nebraska is the best way to explore the state and a vacation in Nebraska wouldn’t complete without enjoying a road trip of some sort!

Top Places to go on a Road Trip in US

If you’re traveling with friends and family you could plan day excursions along Nebraska’s byways to take in Nebraska’s impressive landscapes, and explore some of Nebraska’s tourist attractions. There are loads of beautiful byways to choose from but some of the nicest routes in Nebraska are:

1)Gold Rush Byway (Highway 385): the main highlights of this route are the Museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron, and Dobby’s Frontier Town in Alliance, which is a beautiful replica of a typical Old West town of the day.

Top 10 Tourist Attractions in Nebraska

2)Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway (Highway 75): the highlights on this route are the Durham Museum and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Fort Atkinson in Fort Calhoun, and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska in Sloan.

3)Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway (Route 2): the highlights on this route are Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island, and the Historical Museum in Custer.

5. Visit a working cattle ranch

If a farm vacation is what you’re looking for, you’ll find that many of Nebraska’s working cattle ranches are fantastic guest houses where you can spend your vacation. Even if you don’t want to spend your entire vacation at a ranch, you can easily spend a few nights and experience the live of a farmer.

Things to do in the Midwest

Things like driving and feeding the cattle, branding calves, and moving hay bales is all part of a typical day of a Nebraskan farmer. Having said this, farm chores aren’t the only thing to look forward to when staying in one of these dude ranches. You can also learn to hunt, fish, saddle a horse, and round-up the cattle.

Popular cattle ranches in Nebraska include: Double R Ranch (near Mullen), Big Blue Ranch (Burchard), Ponderosa Ranch, (Crawford), Heartland Elk Guest Ranch (Valentine), and Our Heritage Guest Ranch (Crawford).

See. Things to do on vacation in South Dakota

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Things to do on vacation in South Dakota

2012-01-25T11:04:00.002+12:00

Vacationing this spring/summer in South Dakota? Here it’s some cool ideas of things you can get up to with family and friends during a vacation in South Dakota:

#1 Go on a trail ride

The spirit of the Old West is no doubt “live and kicking” in South Dakota and one of the coolest things you can do on vacation in the state is ride the scenic trails of the Black Hills just like cowboys did back then.

Family Things to do in Rapid City SD

There are plenty of operators in South Dakota offering trail ride adventures such as Paradise Valley Trail Rides (Nemo), Andy's Trail Rides (Lead), Palmer Gulch stables, Circle B Ranch (Rapid City), and Rockin R Rides Inc(Custer)..some of these operators also offer covered wagon rides and overnight camping.

#2 Have a good ol' dinner

If you’re traveling between May and September, one of the most popular things to do on vacation in South Dakota is enjoy a chuck wagon dinner show. Chuck wagons were similar to today's "mobile kitchens" used by the early settlers in the Old West to feed their cowboys and other workers during their travels along the Western Cattle Trail.

Interesting places to visit in South Dakota

Fort Worth Stockyards in Texas and Calgary Stampede Festival in Canada are known for their chuckwagon cook-offs contests and chuckwagon racing competitions, while South Dakota is known for its chuckwagon dinner shows.

Circle B Ranch Chuckwagon, Flying T Chuckwagon Supper and Fort Hays Chuck Wagon Suppers are nice places to enjoy a hearty chuckwagon meal while enjoying some good ol’ country swing.

#3 Explore the caves

South Dakota is well known across the United States for its stunning colorful caves, and visiting them is something you simply can’t miss doing while on vacation in South Dakota.

Things to see in the Black Hills

Some of the best caves in South Dakota are found in the Black Hills forest and most of them are open to the public. The most popular Black Hills caves are Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park, which are open all year-round. Saying this, the privately owned caves of Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns and Rushmore Cave are also beautiful and worth visiting for tours.

#4 Hit the Great Outdoors

South Dakota outdoors is without a doubt, one of the main reasons to visit South Dakota in the first place, and you won’t find a more rugged destination in the Midwest for outdoor pursuits than the Badlands area of South Dakota.

Things to do in the Midwest

The Badlands area is home to large open prairies where you can easily enjoy viewing wildlife like bison, prairie dogs and bighorn sheep. Viewing wildlife in the Badlands isn’t the only thing you can get up to, you can also enjoy day hikes and backcountry camping to experience the solitude 19th century trappers would’ve experienced traveling across the Badlands.

By the way, the Badlands is a national park so, you can also do other cool activities like ranger-led excursions and activities for families like star gazing and story-telling by a campfire.

#5 Enjoy a fun day out

If you’re going to be with family most of the time, one of the best things to do on vacation in South Dakota for fun is visiting a water park or/and zoo.

best water parks in the US

Rapid City is one good place to base if you’re looking for family-friendly attractions since the city is home to a water parks (Rushmore Waterslide Park and Watiki Indoor Water Park), an indoor racing center, and animal centers such as Reptile Gardens and Bear Country USA, which is a cool place where you can see North American animals such as black bears, elk, cougars and buffalo.

Rapid City is also home to a farm/ fun park (Old MacDonald's Farm) worth passing by to pet and feed the animal farms.

#6 Gold panning

Gold panning is most definitely, one of the most popular things to do on vacation in South Dakota. The best places for gold panning are in the slow-moving streams and creeks (like Rapid Creek) of the Black Hills national forest, which is where most people head anyways for gold panning in South Dakota.

top 10 natural wonders in the USA

Other areas where you can try your luck at gold panning are Custer Park, Rockerville, Rochford, Lead, and Keystone, though most of these area lands are private.

By the way, you can only pan for gold in public places so avoid doing it in historic areas like Mount Rushmore or in gold placer claims. Saying this, as long as you ask for permission you can do gold panning pretty much everywhere in South Dakota.

See. Fun Things to do in North Dakota

Must see sights in Wyoming

Attractions on the Pacific Coast of Mexico

2012-01-24T09:13:00.001+12:00

Planning a trip to the pacific coast of Mexico?

Mexico's most underrated beaches

Here it's a list of some of the must see places to see on the pacific coast (west coast) of Mexico:

Archeological Site: Monte Alban

Monte Alban is easily one of the most underrated archeological sites you can visit on the pacific coast of Mexico. Monte Alban isn't as famous as the ruin site of Chichen Itza in Cancun but it is truly a world-class Mayan site with stunningly maintained grounds.

Monte Alban is located just outside of the city of Oaxaca and it is pretty easy to get even with car rental, though public buses do run from Oaxaca to the site. It costs just $4 to get inside Monte Alban and you can easily explore the archeological site by yourself, though you may want to hire a guide (costs around $15) since there are lots of tombs and buildings to be explored.

Dolphin Adventure

Dolphin Adventure is definitely one of the most enjoyable attractions on the pacific coast of Mexico you can visit on your trip. Dolphin Adventure is located in Nuevo Vallarta and it’s worth visiting for a fun day hanging out with dolphins and sea lions.

The cool thing about Dolphin Adventure is that it offers different programs to suit young and old so even toddlers can take part in the fun. You can swim with dolphins, dive underwater, and even be a dolphin trainer for the day.

Colonial Building: Hospicio Cabanas

Hospicio Cabanas is an 18th century hospital orphanage located right in the heart of Guadalajara. Hospicio Cabanas is actually the oldest hospital building in Latin America and it’s still beautifully preserved.

Places to Visit in Guadalajara Mexico

The building is open to the public though you can only tour the main hall, which is home to the boldest paintings and murals you’d ever see. These murals (by Jose Clemente Orozco) are really jaw-dropping but they do a good job at depicting the live and hardships of Mexican people during the 1900’s.

Colonial Town: Old Vallarta

The old town of Puerto Vallarta is one of the must see places in PV and one of the best places in Mexico to enjoy a walking tour.

Places to Visit in Puerto Vallarta

The cobblestone streets of Old Vallarta are very walkable and the streets are filled with lots of cute boutique shops, galleries, restaurants, hotels, and discos. Probably the best thing about a visit to Old Vallarta is being able to take a walk along the stunning boardwalk (Malecon) for some amazing views of the ocean.

Beach Town: Mazunte

The beaches are certainly one of the biggest attractions on the pacific coast of Mexico and Mazunte is one of the best places on Mexico’s pacific coast to go to for a relaxing beach vacation.

Mazunte is a small beach town but its mile-long shoreline is dotted with only small hotels which is a great if you want a low-key vacation. If you aren't staying in Mazunte, the main reason to be in town is to visit Punta Cometa, which is a beautiful lookout where you can enjoy some of the most romantic sunsets/sunrises ever! The other attraction worth visiting in Mazunte is the National turtle center to see all kinds of sea turtles and hatchlings.

Natural Attraction: La Quebrada

La Quebrada are beautiful cliffs located in Acapulco that offer amazing views of the ocean. However, the main reason La Quebrada is one of the most popular tourist attractions on the pacific coast of Mexico is because of the cliff diving shows.

If you’ve never seen a cliff diving before, you’ll definitely enjoy the experience of watching cliff divers perform really cool diving stunts from the top of La Quebrada cliffs.

Tequila Tour: Tequila

A visit to Mexico’s pacific coast wouldn’t be complete without enjoying a bit of tequila, and what better place to do this than in the town of Tequila? The town of Tequila is home to various factories where you can enjoy tequila tours and sample fine tequila such as Mundo Cuervo and La Cofradia. There is also a small tequila museum in town that you can visit and learn about the history of tequila

By the way, if you’re a serious tequila fan you may want to consider taking a tour ride on the Tequila Express to soak in further the spirit of Tequila. The Tequila Express runs from Guadalajara to Amatitan (via the town of Tequila) and features onboard entertainment by Mexican mariachis and plenty of alcoholic beverages like tequila and Mexican beer.

See. Places to visit in Quintana Roo
Best Colonial Towns in Latin America

Places to visit in Yucatan Mexico

Things tourists do on vacation in Uruguay

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Wondering what tourists get up to in Uruguay?

Uruguay is always being one of the underrated countries in South America that get overshadow by the “big boys” - Argentina and Brazil. These two countries are always a popular “toss of the dice” among first time travelers to South America but if you want best of both then, head to Uruguay.

top tourist sights in South America

Uruguay is like Brazil and Argentina all-rolled-into-one but with its own unique charming blend of influences and character. If you’re a prospective tourist to Uruguay, you’ll definitely fall in love with the country and have a great time in the process. I leave you now with some cool things tourists do on vacation in Uruguay:

1) Attend Carnival

If you happen not to be traveling to Uruguay during Carnival season (runs between January 23rd and February 10th) you may reconsider this, why? Because you'll be missing out big time on the biggest event of the year!

Things to do in Montevideo

Carnival in Uruguay may not be as “talked about” as other carnival celebrations across the South American continent but Carnival in Uruguay is surely spectacular and it lasts a whole forty days all across Uruguay. Montevideo is where you want to be for Carnival because it’s the largest celebration and it's the best place to experience the beautiful colorful parades.

2) Take a ferry ride to Argentina

If you're on vacation in Uruguay, you can't bypass a trip to Buenos Aires Argentina especially since it's just so easy to get to. You can get a ferry from both Montevideo and Piriapolis, though Montevideo is the better option because the ferries run during the high and off-seasons, while the ferry service from Piriapolis to Buenos Aires only runs in the high season (December to March).

The ferry ride to Buenos Aires from either Montevideo or Piriapolis takes 3 hours on the normal ferry, though the high-speed hydrofoil takes about 2 hours. Buquebus is the ferry operator that offers the ferry service to Buenos Aires and you can expect to pay roughly $130 for a round-trip ticket.

3) Watch a live match

If you’ve been to South America before, you probably are aware by now about how passionate South Americans are about their football (soccer). Uruguayans love football with a passion and seeing a live football match is definitely, one of the things tourists do on vacation in Uruguay.

Even if you aren’t a football aficionado, you won’t get a more electrifying experience in Uruguay than being inside a football stadium soaking in the atmosphere. Estadio Centenario in Montevideo is where you want to go to see a football match live since it’s the historic stadium where the Uruguayan team won the World Cup.

4) Spend time in Mercado del Puerto

Mercado del Puerto (Port Market) is the most popular meat market in South America and it's an absolute heaven for meat-lovers.

The market has huge roasting racks on display where you can see all kids of Uruguayan meat cuts being roasted. If you're there be sure to sample the famous “chivitos” sandwiches, milanesas and choripan, which is a baguette filled with grilled chorizo, vegetables and mayo (incredibly tasty!)

5) Explore Ciudad Vieja

If you’re staying in Montevideo, you can’t miss exploring Ciudad Vieja (Old Town), which is the oldest neighborhood in the city. If you’ve been to the old part of Havana in Cuba, you’ll find Ciudad Vieja somewhat familiar because of the decayed colonial-style buildings.

Best Colonial Towns in Latin America

Ciudad Vieja is very walkable and the streets a dotted with bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. A tour operator called “Ciudad Vieja Tour” offers free walking tours of Ciudad Vieja on Fridays and you don’t even have to book in advance. Just show up at the Old Town’s door in Plaza Independencia (Main Square).

6) Kick back in the Uruguayan Riviera

A vacation in Uruguay wouldn’t, of course, be complete without spending some in the Uruguayan Riviera. This stretch of coast runs between Punta del Este and La Paloma and is truly stunning. The Riviera has a St Tropez/ Miami Beach vibe because of the “celebs” and "eye candy", though luckily the Uruguayan Riviera doesn’t have the annoying paparazzi.

Beaches in Argentina near Buenos Aires

Mind you, the Riviera is still the playground of the rich and famous, so be prepared to pay “top dollar” prices for beach house rentals, hotels and villas. Having said this, the Uruguayan Riviera does have the best beaches in Uruguay so, your stay there will be worth every penny.

7) Be a Gaucho for the day

One of the coolest things you can do in Uruguay during your vacation is visiting a working gaucho ranch. Gauchos are the equivalent of American cowboys in that they drive cattle and work the farm, though Gauchos do have a peculiar way of riding the horse and they rarely gallop like cowboys.

The experience of staying in a Gaucho ranch is like no other and you’ll have a blast learning their traditions, culture, get a chance to dress in the traditional gaucho attire, and do ranch chores like branding the cattle, and riding a horse. You’ll find gaucho working ranches right in the countryside of Uruguay such as Panagea and Yvytu Itaty, which are located in the area around Tacuarembo.

See. Bolivia Things Tourists do in Bolivia for fun
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Places in New York State to vacation

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Come rain or shine, New York State has to be one of the most beautiful places in America to escape for a winter, spring, fall or summer vacation. If you’re looking for an outdoors vacation, the upstate area of New York is definitely the place to go for downhill skiing, wildlife watching, boating, hiking, leaf-peeping, biking, and more.

best beaches in New York

If you prefer a more urban scene with loads to do, a city vacation in New York City, Rochester or Buffalo will do the trick. No matter where you decide to go for a vacation, New York State won’t disappoint! See below some great suggestions on places in New York State to vacation:

Old Forge

The little village of Old Forge is one lovely spot in New York State where you can enjoy a fun vacation with family and friends. Old Forge is surrounded by the beautiful mountain scenery with a pretty lake overlooking the village. The main attraction in town is the theme/water park (Enchanted Forest Water Safari), which is a fun place to take the whole family, especially during the summer months.

Sights to see in upstate NY

Old Forge is also popular for water sports since the Moose River is a great spot for whitewater rafting, tubing and kayaking. There is a rafting center just a few miles south of Old Forge called Whitewater Challengers where you can rent canoes, kayaks, and book rafting trips and biking excursions.

Things to do in Upstate NY

If you’re planning a ski vacation in New York State with kids, you can still consider Old Forge since it has a real nice family-friendly ski area (McCauley Mountain Adirondack Ski Area) that has ski runs for all level of skiers.

Top 10 Places to Ski in the US

As far as places to stay, Old Forge Camping Resort is the popular choice because of its camping cabins, cottages, and areas for tenting and RV camping, though there are a few motels and hotels right in town. A little further up the village, there is another major resort called North Woods Inn Resort, which opens all year-round.

Saranac Lakes Area

The Saranac Lakes area of the Adirondacks is definitely, one of the nicest places in New York State to vacation if you want an outdoorsy-type vacation. Saranac Lakes is home to pristine wild forests home to hundreds of trails ideal for Nordic skiing, snowmobiling, biking, and hiking. There are also lots of lakes and bodies of water within Saranac Lakes where you can enjoy swimming, birding, boating and canoeing.

As far as places to stay within the Saranac Lakes area, the towns of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake are good choices for hotels and motels, though Saranac Lake is a bigger town with more hotels, motels, and B&B’s to choose from.

If you’re fancy a proper lakeside vacation, you’ll find plenty of cabin rentals opportunities along Lake Clear, Lake Colby, and the Upper and Lower sections of Saranac Lake. Popular places include Charlie’s Inn, Point Resort, Camp Algonquin, Dryad Boathouse and Little Wolf Cabin (across from Little Wolf Beach).

It’s also worth mentioning that Adirondack Regional airport and Lake Placid airport are located a short drive either way from Saranac Lake, which is a good thing if you’re a New Yorker looking to fly out from The City.

1000 Islands

The 1000 Islands region is without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most popular vacation destinations in the state of New York, and rightly so! Thousand Islands is just an amazing place to go for a vacation all year-round, and the great thing is that tourist crowds aren’t too bad even during the summer months.

If you love boating you’re definitely going to love it up there because 1000 Islands has many waterways and marinas where you can rent boats and houseboats, speedboats, canoes and runabouts. You can also get the opportunity to sail along the Canadian waterways by booking a sightseeing boat tour or dinner cruise with Uncle Sam Boat Tours in Alexandria Bay.

As far as places to stay, the town of Alexandria Bay is home to beautiful Victorian homes, lots of cute cottages, boathouse apartments and a luxurious resort (Edgewood Resort).

Wellesley Island is a popular place in the Thousand Islands for a golfing vacation because of its many golf courses and camping opportunities. Wellesley Island has three state parks, though Wellesley Island State Park has better amenities like a full service marina, golf course, cabin rentals, cottages and areas for tenting and RV camping.

Interesting places to visit in New York State

Wherever you plan to stay in 1000 Islands make sure you visit some of the tourist sights there such as Boldt Castle (Heart Island) and Singer Castle (Dark Island), which are open to the public for guided tours. Also, be sure to pass by the town of Clayton to visit the Antique Boat Museum and Clayton Opera House.

See. Places to Visit in Albany NY
Places to visit in Syracuse NY
Top Canadian Tourist Attractions
top 10 things to do in NYC
Southern Ontario Vacation Spots

Places to go for Vacation in Kentucky

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If your idea of a vacation is peace, relaxation and enjoying a bit of outdoor pursuits, you’ll find that Kentucky delivers these and more!

Popular Vacation Destinations in the US

Kentucky boasts pristine mountain scenery, charming towns, lakes and forests areas complete with campgrounds and lake-side cabins where you can stay for a pleasant vacation with friends and family or simply enjoy a romantic getaway. Below you have some ideas on cool areas of Kentucky you can go for a fun vacation:

Red River Gorge

Red River Gorge is located within the Daniel Boone forest and it’s one easily one of the most stunning natural areas in Kentucky. You won’t find a more spectacular vacation spot in the Blue grass region for outdoor activities than Red River Gorge. You can do wildlife watching, white water rafting, tubing, hiking and rock-climbing in the Motherlode area, which is known for its crazily steep bolted lines.

Must See Places in Southern US

You can only do semi-primitive camping in Red River at Koomer Ridge Campground, though that's the beauty of this place. By the way, the campground has about 50 campsites, toilets, etc, but no hook ups. Also,
the Red River Gorge is just 1 hour’s drive southeast of Lexington so you’re never too far from Thoroughbred City.

Mammoth Cave Area

Mammoth Cave is without a doubt, one of the most popular places to go for vacation in Kentucky because of the famous caves tours. Mammoth Cave national park offers about a dozen different tours to suit pretty much everyone, which include the wild cave tour where you get to explore undeveloped areas of the caves.

Interesting places to visit in Kentucky

As far as accommodation inside the park, you can either stay at the hotel (Mammoth Cave Hotel), in one of the rustic cottages, or camping. There are three main campgrounds in the park as well as designated wilderness areas where you can do backcountry camping.

Staying at Mammoth Cave national park is great for convenience, though you’ll find a better deal if you’re staying in the area outside of the park. Places such as Nolin Lake, Cave City, Park City and Smiths Grove aren’t far at all and boast nice accommodation options such as cabin rentals, b&b’s, campgrounds, and vacation home rentals. There are also nice resorts such as Diamond Caverns Resort in Park City and Jellystone Park Camp Resort in Cave City.

Berea

The town of Berea is one of the nicest places to go for vacation in Kentucky. Berera is known as the Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky and you can definitely expect to catch some sort of event during your stay there.

Berera is also a nice place to soak in the culture and traditions of Appalachians and enjoy a bit of folk dancing at the Acton Folk Center or on the Berea College campus (Fridays). The town is also home to cute art galleries, farmers market, artisan shops and the renowned Kentucky Artisan Center where you can see locals “showing off” their crafts skills.

Cumberland Falls

Cumberland Falls state park is another cool spot within the Daniel Boone country worth considering for a vacation in the southeastern region of Kentucky. Cumberland Falls is a gem and a true hidden treasure in the United States since it is now officially the only place in the world where you can see a true moonbow.

Top 25 Places to Visit in the US

If you’re looking to do plenty of outdoor activities during your vacation in Kentucky, Cumberland Falls won’t disappoint you since you’ll be able to do fishing, hiking, hunting, horseback riding and even whitewater rafting.

Accommodation wise, you can stay at the historic Dupont Lodge or at one of the rustic 2-bedroom cottages. You can do tent and RV camping at the falls at the Cumberland Falls campground which has over 40 campsites with hook ups.

Maysville

Maysville is easily one of the nicest places you can stay in the Northern Kentucky River region. Maysville is located right on the river border with southern Ohio and it’s actually an hour’s drive by car from Cincinnati. Maysville is surrounded by beautiful scenery and it’s home to some beautiful historic places such as the childhood home of Rosemary Clooney, which you can visit on tour thanks to the Maysville-Mason County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Fun Things to do in Kentucky

Maysville also offers plenty of opportunities for recreational activities like cycling, horseback riding, off-roading in Big Rock Off Road Park, and golfing. In fact, if golf is your game you’ll be glad to know that there are about a dozen golf courses in and around the area of Maysville. You can also take a sightseeing or dining river boat tour along the Ohio River onboard the Belle of Cincinnati.

As far as accommodations are concerned, you can choose from bed & breakfasts, hotels, motels, or camping at the Maysville River Park, which has the typical camping facilities like showers and electric hook-ups.

See. Things to do in Lexington Kentucky

Weekend Getaways near Chattanooga

Ideas for College Students to do over Spring Break

2012-01-18T11:37:00.004+13:00

Wondering what to do after finals week?

I bet you can’t wait for finals week to be over and done with, so you and your friends can break away from the studying and all the necessary all-nighters you’re going to have to pull during "dead week".

Best Spring Break locations in the USA

If you're already stressing out about exams, remember it'll all be worth it in the end and you'll be rewarded with a much deserved spring break afterwards. Stay focus for now because you’ll have plenty of time to play hard after finals week! In the meanwhile to keep you going, you may want to check out this list of ideas for college students to do over spring break:

1) Head north

Who says spring break has to be fun in the sun? There is no doubt that most college students will be heading south to sunny locales such as Mexico, Florida and the Caribbean, but if you’re the type that likes heading the opposite direction to the “sheeple” then, how about going for a ski vacation over spring break?

Top places to go for a ski vacation

A ski vacation during spring break is actually not as “crazy” as it sounds since you’ll definitely avoid the herds of student college crowds and save money in the process. It’s cheaper to go on skiing vacation during the spring break since the overwhelmingly majority of college students (including other vacationers) head somewhere warm.

2) Honor "Animal House"

Attending a college student toga party is definitely, one of the most popular things to do over spring break, though if you wasn’t for the movie “Animal House” college student parties today probably wouldn’t be the same.

Most Daring things People do on Vacation

Therefore, what better way to “honor” Animal House than by hosting a proper toga party (keggers included)? Toga parties are the “crème de la crème” of all college break student parties and if you’re hosting one, you’re sure to be everyone’s best buddy and a favorite with the ladies!

3) Spend time with family

Having being a student myself, I remember that spending time with family wasn't the most popular idea of enjoying the spring break. I’m pretty sure things haven’t changed much in that respect for a lot of college students today, and I do understand since I had my own reasons for not wanting to be back home over the spring break.

However, I gave it a shot one spring break to mend things with parents and reconnect with other family members. By the way, you don’t necessarily have to spend the whole spring break at home to build bridges with the parents…a week or two max should do the trick;)

4) Volunteer overseas

Volunteering abroad has recently become one of the most popular ideas for college students to do over spring break. If you’re the type of person who feels like doing something more rewarding than attending a wet t-shirt contest or getting down on stage showing off “the you know what” then, you’ll be glad to know that you'll find hundreds of opportunities for voluntary work abroad.

Spring break volunteer projects can range from eco-friendly projects to help the environment, building homes and schools for less fortunate families, to teaching, handing out medical supplies, etc. Volunteer organizations like “a broader view” and “i-to-i” are a good start for inquiring about volunteer projects abroad.

5) Watch college movies

Just like during Christmas break we sing carols, listen to Christmas songs, and watch "Home Alone" to take in the Christmas spirit, why not do the same over spring break?

I think watching college movies are a real cool thing you and your student buddies can do over the spring break just to maintain the spirit. You can actually watch college comedy movies back-to-back since there are loads out there to be seen such as Back to School, American Pie 2, Orange County, Old School, Legally Blonde, Dead Man on Campus and, of course, National Lampoon’s Animal House.

6) Explore the States

Taking a road trip is one of the best things to do in spring break with your college friends. In fact, to me college spring break road trips represent the spirit of college spring break…hanging out with friends.

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Your road trip doesn’t necessarily have to end at one of the major spring break hotspots in the States such as South Padre Island, Panama City Beach or South Beach. You can simply hit the road whatever your hearts take you, though it’s probably a good idea to do a little planning on possible destinations and attractions you may want to see along the way.

7) "Kick-back" like a cowboy

Things to do for fun in Texas while on vacation

Another cool spring break idea to add to the mix is becoming a cowboy (or cowgirl) for a week. North Wyoming and south Texas are good places to experience the cowboy lifestyle of the Old West and learn cool things like driving and riding the cattle, learn to saddle a horse properly, and other cool stuff you would expect in a working ranch like storytelling by a campfire.

Good luck with your exams!

See. Places To Go on Spring Break With Kids

Beaches to Visit in Northeast Brazil for a vacation

2012-01-17T08:31:00.004+13:00

Planning a beach vacation in Brazil?

Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro is certainly, the most famous beach in Brazil, though the good news is that beach destinations in Brazil don't have to end there! The entire northeast coast of Brazil is home to even more stunning beaches that would give Copacabana a real run for its money.

Top Beach Destinations in the World

The northeast coast of Brazil also enjoys better weather overall, northeast Brazil beaches draw fewer tourists than the south coast of Rio, and the region (in my opinion) has the most charming Brazilian character. Anyways, here it’s some of beaches I think are nicest in northeast Brazil:

Pipa Beach (Praia da Pipa), Tibau do Sul

Pipa beach (Praia da Pipa) is located not far from the town of Tibau do Sul (Natal is less than an hour’s drive) and it’s one of the nicest beach spots you can go in Brazil for a stress-free vacation. Pipa boasts a beautiful golden sand beach area over five miles long.

Popular tourist destinations in Brazil

Some of the beach sections along Pipa beach are deserted and have nice breaks so they're ideal for body surfing. There are also bay sections along Pipa such as Dolphin Bay (Baia dos Golfinhos), which are great for dolphin watching.

Second Beach, Morro de Sao Paulo

Second Beach (Segunda Praia) is easily one of the best beaches to visit in northeast Brazil for a nice party beach vacation. Second Beach is located in the island Tinhare in the state of Bahia and it’s the liveliest hotspots in the region to hang out.

Second Beach is actually one of six beaches in the island, though this beach is nearest to the village of Morro de Sao Paulo, which is great since most of the posadas (bed &breakfasts) are located there. If you can’t find any accommodation there, you can always stay in the town of Valenca or even the city of Salvador, which is about 3 hours drive by car.

Sao Miguel do Gostoso

Sao Miguel do Gostoso is a beautiful beach town located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, which around an hour’s drive north of Natal. Sao Miguel do Gostoso is without a doubt, one of the nicest beaches to visit in northeast Brazil for windsurfing and kitesurfing.

Being a beach town, Sao Miguel do Gostoso is a popular vacation spots among tourists because of its villas and charming hotels. Saying this, Sao Miguel do Gostoso is nowhere near as busy as Rio or Sao Paulo, so you can still enjoy a fairly relaxing beach vacation.

Porto de Galinhas Beach, Ipojuca

You’ll find the Porto de Galinhas beach in the state of Pernambuco, which is just south of the city of Recife (60 minutes by car). Porto de Galinhas is easily one of the most popular beach vacation spots on the northeast coast of Brazil because of its luxury resorts and many apartment rental options.

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Porto de Galinhas boasts stunningly crystal clear beaches and a beautiful reef which contains many natural pools (piscinas naturais) where you can enjoy snorkeling among the fish..

Lencois Maranhenses national park

Lencois Maranhenses is located in the Brazilian state of Maranhao, east of the city of Sao Luis. This national park is simply breathtaking and it’s one of the most underrated natural tourist attractions in Brazil.

Lencois Maranhenses boasts amazingly pure white sand dunes, which fill up with huge lagoons when it rains. Honestly, if you’re looking for deserted beaches in Brazil you won’t find a more pristinely isolated beach area anywhere in Brazil than Lencois Maranhenses. Besides swimming in the lagoons, you’ll be able to book fun four-wheel drive tours, hire quad rides and do a bit of tubing along the river.

Jericoacoara Beach, Jijoca de Jericoacoara

“Jeri” (as the locals know it) isn’t only one of the most pristine beaches in Brazil but also one of the prettiest beaches you can visit in the world. Jericoacoara Beach is located west of Fortaleza and it kind of reminds me of the Sleeping Bear Dunes Park in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula because of the tall sand dunes, though Jeri’s sand dunes are huge!

Like in Sleeping Bear, you can have a lot of fun climbing/rolling down the dunes and even doing a bit of sand-boarding. As far as the shoreline, Jericoacoara is blessed with beautiful coconut trees, lagoons, clear and real calm waters, which is great if you’re traveling with kids. Jericoacoara also has perfect weather conditions for windsports, so it’s an excellent spot for kite-surfing.

See. Beaches in Argentina near Buenos Aires
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Family Vacation Spots in Louisiana

2012-01-14T10:52:00.002+13:00

Wondering where people go on vacation in Louisiana?

Interesting places to visit in Louisiana

The South Toledo Bend Lake Area is no doubt, one of the most popular destinations in Louisiana for a fun lake-side vacation. Along South Toledo Bend lake, you’ll find plenty of accommodation options, marinas, boat rental sites, boat launches, and scuba diving sites.

South Toledo Bend Lake Area

One of the most popular areas in Toledo Bend Lake Area is Toledo Bend Reservoir (located about 2 hours drive by car from Alexandria).

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Toledo Bend Reservoir is definitely one of the most popular family vacation spots in Louisiana because of its location next door to South Toledo Bend state park. The state park has about more than a dozen cabins, tent areas and lots of sites for tenting and RV camping, as well as a fishing pier, playing areas for kids, a boat launch, and a beach area.

Not far from South Toledo Bend state park, you’ll also find a couple of resorts - Toledo Bend Resort and Bass Haven Resort, as well as Pleasure Point Park-SRA, which is located a little further up from Toledo Bend dam. Pleasure Point is much smaller than South Toledo Bend state park but it’s a more secluded spot. It has amenities such as playground for kids, a beach area, picnic and grill areas, as well as spots for tenting or RV camping.

North Toledo Bend State Park

North Toledo Bend State Park is another popular vacation spot within the South Toledo Bend Lake Area to vacation with the family. If you’re traveling from the north of Louisiana, the city Shreveport LA is just about a 2-hour drive by car. North Toledo state park has similar amenities to South Toledo Bend state park, though North Toledo has an Olympic size swimming pool, a bigger boat launching area, a laundry, canoes and boats for hire.

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There are definitely lots more places in South Toledo Bend Lake Area where you can stay such as Twin Island Campground, Cypress Bend Resort, and Shoreline Lake House (along Shoreline Drive). There are also more boat landing sites along the lake like Kite's Landing (off Kites Landing Road), and Esto Landing (off Esto Road).

Grand Isle, South Louisiana

Grand Isle is located in southern Louisiana and it’s one of the nicest places along the coast of Louisiana where you can enjoy the beach since much of the coastline of Louisiana is marshy swamplands.

Grand Isle is a nice place for a beach family vacation, though "some" critics would tell you that Grand Isle doesn't compare to other areas of the Gulf Coast. Regardless what the critics may say, Grand Isle is a fine beach vacation spot to consider especially if you're a fan of seafood (Grand Isle has the best boiled crabs!) for fishing and crabbing). Grand Isle also has lots of accommodation options like vacation rentals, and the best bit, you’re only about 2 hours drive south of New Orleans and Jean Lafitte Preserve where you can take swamp tour to see some gators.

Cameron Parish

Cameron Parish (southwestern corner of Louisiana) is without a doubt, one of the most popular family vacation spots in Louisiana. Out of all the vacation places in Cameron Parish, Holly Beach is easily the most popular because of its location on the Gulf Coast. Saying this, it has to be said that Holly Beach hasn’t really been the same after the devastation of the hurricane in 2005.

Still, you'll find in Holly Beach (Cajun Riviera) cabin rentals and RV parks like Tides Inn RV Resort. Also, you're allowed to do beach camping anywhere on the beach, though there aren’t any camp facilities. It's also worth mentioning that you’ll find more cabins a little further west of Holly Beach in Johnson Bayou, and more RV parks in nearby Cameron (Cameron Motel & RV Park), and Hackberry (Island RV Park).

Lake Charles Area

The area around Lake Charles in Sulphur (about 60 minutes drive north of Holly Beach) has even more RV camping spots such as A+ Motel & RV Park, Hidden Ponds RV Park, and Choupique RV Park.

Sam Houston Jones state park is another spot located within the Lake Charles area and it’s also a cool place to for a family vacation. The park has about 8 cabins, lots of camping areas with hook-ups, and boat rentals.

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Places to Ski in the Midwest for all level skiers

2012-01-13T10:38:00.003+13:00

The Rockies, Whistler-Blackcomb and the Cascades region are very popular skiing destinations for downhill, snowboarding, and Nordic skiing, but what about the Midwest?

Places to Ski in the Cascades for the day

The Midwest region (particularly the upper Midwest) is definitely one of the most underrated regions of the United States to go for skiing vacation. If you’re looking for an inexpensive family skiing getaway or are planning to start-out skiing, you may find that the Midwest has many good opportunities.

Anyways, I happen to have some superb suggestions on top places to ski in the Midwest who are mainly for beginners but are also great for intermediate/advance levels. Okay, let’s get into them!

Wausau Area of Wisconsin

In the area around Wausau you’ll find a nice selection of ski areas where you can do tubing, cross-country skiing, and more. They include:

Granite Peak Ski Area

The ski area of Granite Peak is located in Rib Mountain State Park and it is the closest ski area to Wausau, which is great if you plan to stay in town. Granite Peak is definitely, one of the nicest ski areas in the Upper Midwest to take the family for a fun day out skiing.

Granite Peak has a nice variety of runs (mostly for novice skiing and snowboarding), a few black diamond ski runs, and a ski learning center for kids ($50 for 2 hours) and adults ($40 for 1 hour).

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Nine Mile Forest X-C Ski Area

Nine Mile Forest is the best in the area for cross country skiing for a few reasons: the ski area has a ski patrol team, and all the trails are groomed and lighted at night, which means you can enjoy a bit of night riding.

Greenwood Hills Country Club

Top 10 Places to Ski in the US

Greenwood Hills has always being is a nice place for cross country skiing and snowshoeing; though it’s a pity it isn’t free anymore since it used to be open to the public for free. Still, Greenwood Hills is still a cool place for a fun day out skiing if you don’t mind paying the membership, which costs around $80 for families and $40 for adults.

Big Eau Pleine Park

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Big Eau Pleine Park is located in Green Valley, so it is a little further south from Wausau. however, the 30 minute-drive by car is definitely worth it since the park is fairly remote and boasts more challenging x-c trails, which is great if you want to up a notch the skiing level.

Standing Rock Park

Standing Rock Park is located not far from Stevens Point, which is further south of Wausau. Again, it’s also worth the drive since it has nice hills that are suitable for all level skiers.

In all, standing Rock is definitely a great place for downhill, tubing and cross country skiing. To access the x-c skiing trails it costs around $8, while downhill skiing and tubing on the slopes costs around $10 for the day.

Southern Wisconsin

Southern Wisconsin is another nice skiing area of the Midwest worth mentioning because it has some good resorts such as Alpine Valley Resort, Devil's Head Resort, and Grand Geneva Resort.

Upper Midwest Tourist Attractions

Okay, to give you a quick load-down on these resorts: They all have a ski school, which offer skiing and snowboarding lessons. The cheapest are Grand Geneva Resort and Alpine Valley who charge $25 for 2 hours. Devil’s Head charges $65 for 2 hours, though it includes the rental gear.

Afton Alps Ski Area, Hastings

What is there not to love about Afton Alps? Afton Alps Minnesota is most certainly, one of the best places to ski in the Midwest. It’s surrounded by the stunning scenery of the river valley and it’s also one of the largest ski areas in the Midwest (it boasts a few terrain parks, a huge snow tubing park and lots of groomed trails for novices and expert riders).

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Ski lessons at Afton Alps are about $24 per hour so they aren't the cheapest, though you’re only a short drive from Twin Cities (which is a good/bad thing depending how look at it).

Alpine Valley Ski Area, White Lake

Alpine Valley Ski Area is located in one of the prettiest areas of southern Michigan and it’s the largest ski areas nearest to Detroit (about 50 minutes drive by car). There are a few more ski areas within the Metro Detroit area, though Alpine Valley has the largest terrain park with a 350ft long half pipe.

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Good thing about Alpine Valley is that the lift ticket for the cheapest day pass ticket is about $30, which is quite a bargain for a ski area. Kids and adults can also learn to ski in Alpine Valley at a cost of $20 for adults (1 hour), and $30 for kids.

Mont Du Lac Recreation Area, Duluth

Mont du Lac is another top place to visit for a fun day of skiing with the family. The ski area offers beautiful views over the St Louis River and boasts lots of nice trails for snowshoeing.

Things to do in Duluth MN - Duluth Attractions

Mont Du Lac has also nice hills for downhill skiing, snowboarding, and snow-tubing, as well as a kids club and night time skiing. It costs around $50 for a daily family pass, and you can also learn to ski there for around $20 (for 2 hours).

Famous Canadian landmarks

2012-01-12T10:01:00.003+13:00

US landmarks such as the statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon are certainly some of the most visited in North America and they’re popularly known around the world, but what about Canada?

most famous landmarks in US

Everyone seems to have an opinion on what Canadian landmarks are most famous in Canada and known around the world. So, to chime in, here it’s my two cents on what I think are the most famous Canadian landmarks:

Whistler-Blackcomb, Whistler

The mountains of Whistler and Blackcomb Peak are unarguably, two of the most iconic landmarks in Canada and they’re home to the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort, which is one of the most famous skiing destinations in the world. Both the summits of these two mountains are over 7,000ft high and have skiable verticals of over 5,000ft , which make Whistler-Blackcomb a dream place for skiers and snowboarders alike.

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Mind you, skiing isn’t the only thing you can do in Whistler-Blackcomb. You can do other fun outdoor pursuits such as wildlife watching onboard the gondola, hiking, biking, zip-line tours, and climbing. Also, if you’re a serious biker you’ll love the cool bike park (Whistler Mountain Bike Park), which has dirt roads and trails to suit all riding levels.

CN Tower, Toronto

The CN Tower is one of the most popular tourist attractions in southern Ontario and it’s no doubt, one of the most iconic national landmarks in Canada. CN Tower’s popularity isn’t surprising since it’s currently the third tallest tower in the world.

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The CN Tower is now even more famous because of the introduction of the edgewalk experience, which allows you to walk freely around the top of the tower. Anyways, the CN Tower has always been a fantastic attraction to visit in Canada, though the latest addition of edgewalk really gives the CN Tower the edge (pun intended) over the other towers around the world!

Parliament Hill, Ottawa

Parliament Hill is another famous Canadian landmark known across the world mainly because it looks eerily similar to the Palace of Westminster in London England. You can’t help but notice the striking similarities between the Big Ben and the Peace Tower, isn't? Still, the Hill is one of the most beloved symbols in Canada and a world-class architectural wonder with beautiful designs and stunning grounds.

Top tourist attractions in Canada

The cool thing about Parliament Hill is walking around the gardens and taking the guided tour of the main building, which is worth the admission fee. By the way, from Peace Tower you can get very dramatic views from its top so, don't miss it!

Banff Springs Hotel, Banff National Park

Banff Springs Hotel is one of the oldest buildings in Canada being built in the late 1800’s and it’s a famous landmark in Canada because of its beautiful construction right in the heart of the Canadian Rockies.

Places to Ski in the Cascades for the day

The Banff Springs Hotel is also famous for drawing celebrities and royalty alike who stay at the hotel for vacation. However, another reason Banff Springs Hotel is very famous for in Canada is because it's said to be haunted by the ghosts and spirits. Whether this is true or not, you'll be the judge of that if you're staying there...one thing that is certain it's that you can’t deny the hotel's breathtaking panoramas of the Rockies.

West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton

Famous Canadian landmarks don’t come more spectacular than the West Edmonton Mall (WEM) in Alberta. If you thought Mall of America (MOA) in Bloomington was huge, wait until you step inside West Edmonton Mall.

The WEM is humongous and the attractions inside it are equally awesome, which include a 5 acre waterpark, a twenty-ride amusement park, a hockey size ice-skating rink, a sea lion cove, and an 18-hole miniature golf course to name a few.

Olympic Stadium, Montreal

Montreal Olympic Stadium is another icon in Canada that you must visit not only because it hosted the opening/ closing ceremony for the 1976 summer Olympics, but also because the stadium is one of the most interesting architectural buildings you’ll come across in Canada.

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The Olympic Stadium tower is now an observatory, which offers wonderful views of Montreal, while the Biodome is a lovely zoological park. By the way, you’ll also be able to take a guided tour of the Olympic Stadium and the Olympic pools.

Pier 21, Halifax

Last but not least, it’s Pier 21 in Nova Scotia. Most tourists seem to forget mentioning Pier 21 when talking about places they have visited in Canada but if you’re looking to visit all the famous Canadian landmarks, you have to include Pier 21 in your itinerary. Pier 21 has changed names to National Museum of Canada, which may be more of a meaningful name for tourists, but since locals still call it Pier 21 I am too!

From a historic perspective, Pier 21 is a dream place to visit for history buffs because it was the main hub for immigrants to arrive into Canada. It also houses hundreds of documented records and stories of immigrants who were escaping the horrors of World War II, which you are compelled to read. Who knows, you might even be able to trace information on family members who were part of the ships that arrived in Pier 21?

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Things to do for fun in Texas while on vacation

2012-01-11T09:03:00.003+13:00

Wondering what to do in Texas?

Must See Places in southern US

They aren’t kidding when they say everything is big about Texas. The state of Texas is way too big to even think tackling it in one vacation! There are literary so many cool attractions to visit, things to do, and fun places to go that I'd probably need a few posts to name them all. For now, it'd be good idea to share some of the best and most popular things to do for fun in Texas while on vacation:

1)Mingle with cowboys

As any local would tell you, Fort Worth Stockyards is the place to see and be seen in Texas, and get a taste of the cowboy lifestyle. The cowboy atmosphere in Stockyards Historic District is seriously electric and as you walk the streets of the district you feel as though you have gone back in time because of the "Old Western" style shops, honky-tonks, and live cattle drives through the streets.

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In fact, if you’re visiting the Stockyards you’ll be able to experience one of these memorable cattle drives and see the famous Texas longhorn cow. While you there, be sure to check out honky-tonk bars like Billy Bob’s Texas which is a cool spot to enjoy country music and see real cowboys riding real bulls!

2)Hit the outdoors

There is nothing better to do in Texas while on vacation than hitting the outdoors for a bit of fun. If you love the outdoors, you’ll love Texas since it offers plenty of opportunities for wildlife watching, birding, hiking, climbing, camping, fishing, mountain biking, and more.

The best destinations for outdoor pursuits in the country are in the panhandle of Texas and West Texas in places like Big Ben national park, Guadalupe Mountains national park, and Palo Duro Canyon State Park. The last one (Palo Duro) is a cool place for mountain biking, hiking, camping and climbing. Another reason to visit Palo Duro is that it's the second largest canyon in the United States.

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Having said this, two of my favorite places to visit for a fun day outdoors are Hueco Tanks State Historic Site (to see the prehistoric caves with pictographs), and Padre Island National Seashore (in South Texas), which is definitely worth visiting because of the beach and the opportunity for a guided tour (if you're in season you'll be able to see the sea turtle hatchlings).

3)Learn about Texas

Learning history doesn't have to be boring and one of the things to do for fun in Texas while on vacation it’s learning about Texan history. Texas is a great place to be if you’re interested in learning a part of American history that it's very dear to Texans.

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Even if you aren’t a history buff at all, you’ll truly appreciate visiting places such as the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin for a guided tour, and the Alamo in San Antonio which is the spot where Texas declared its independence from Mexico. By the way, the Bob Bullock Museum is a great place for young and old since the museum has a cool IMAX Theatre, and offers fun programs for families.

4)Become a cowboy

Being a cowboy for the day is most certainly one of the most popular things to do for fun in Texas while on vacation, and dude ranches are the best places to go. Most working dude ranches in Texas do teach you how sort and drive the cattle cowboy-style, which is really cool when doing it for the first time. By staying in a dude ranch you also get to do horseback riding, ride cattle and learn handy tips from real cowboys on how to properly saddle and bridle a horse.

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The Texas Hill Country region is the best place to find working ranches, particularly in and around the town of Bandera (just outside San Antonio).You’ll find a dozen or so dude ranches in that area alone such as Running R Guest Ranch, Silver Spur Guest Ranch, Flying L Guest Ranch, Mayan Dude Ranch, and Dixie Dude Ranch.

By the way, even if you haven’t been on a horse before it doesn’t mean you can’t be on one while on vacation in Texas. You can always take up lessons or check out how pro horseback riders do it. The Dallas/Ft. Worth Metro area have a few equestrian centers like Las Colinas Equestrian Center (Dallas) and the Flower Mound Equestrian Center (Flower Mound) where you can see horseback riding in action.

5)Attend a the State Fair of Texas

As most people would say…you haven't experienced Texas until you attend one of Texas’ festivals such as the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, which is easily one of the most popular festivals in the United States. The State Fair of Texas is one of the biggest and longest running festival in Texas running for more than 20 days in late summer (normally between late September and October).

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If you’re a fan of state fairs, you’ll definitely love the atmosphere in the State Fair of Texas, riding the Ferries Wheel and sampling local yummy foods like churros, fried tamales, corny dogs, fried lemonade, turkey legs, and the renowned Texas fried frito pie.

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Places to Scuba Dive in the US

2012-01-10T10:58:00.002+13:00

One has to admit that the Great Barrier Reef (east coast of Australia) and the Blue Hole (Belize) are two of the most awesome places to scuba dive in the world, right? But, what about diving sites closer to home?

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I know that the United States boasts some of the most underrated scuba diving sites in the world, which is why I wanted to highlight a few of these to draw some attention to the scuba diving community. Hope you enjoy the list:

Lake Mead/ Lake Mohave, Arizona

Lake Mead recreation area is easily one of the best scuba diving areas in the US for freshwater diving. Both Lake Mead and Lake Mohave are diveable lakes all year around, though it’s best to avoid the summer months if you want to avoid the crowds and get the best visibility (instead visit in either late autumn or early spring).

Most of the coves along Lake Mohave are nice diving spots, though Cabinsite Cove is the most popular because of its wrecks. Katherine Landing (near Lake Mohave resort) is the launching point into Lake Mohave and it’s there where you can rent powerboats, fishing boats, ski boats, etc.

As far as Lake Mead is concerned, you have a few more options available for launching and renting powerboats and other water rentals. Some of these options include Lake Mead Marina (south of Lake Mead), Las Vegas Bay marina (west of Lake Mead), and Callville Bay marina (north of Lake Mead).

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In all, you'll love scuba diving in Lake Mead recreation area, which is only minutes away by car from Las Vegas (Sin City) Nevada.

Ginnie Springs, High Springs

Ginnie Springs is a popular scuba diving site in northern Florida located not far from Gainesville. Ginnie Springs is definitely a cool diving spot to add to the list of places to scuba dive in the US because of the beautiful area and crystal clear blue waters like you wouldn’t believe!

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There are in total four diving sites in Ginnie Springs including the main scuba diving site (Ginnie Springs), which has underwater cavern with beautiful formations. During the summer months, you can also scuba dive along Santa Fe river so Ginnie Springs offers a nice variety of diving opportunities throughout the year.

Ginnie Springs is located inside a private park owned by Ginnie Springs Outdoors who offer scuba diving lessons, water rentals, and diving rental gear, as well as cave diving, kayaking, camping and tubing.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef state park, Florida Keys

John Pennekamp Coral Reef is located in Key Largo (Florida Keys) and it’s probably one of the best places to scuba dive in the US with kids. John Pennekamp has a neat aquarium and shallow waters for little ones to snorkel in safety.

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The beauty about scuba diving in John Pennekamp lies in its interesting wrecks, beautiful reefs teeming with marine life, and other activities on offer such as snorkeling, fishing, camping, kayaking, and glass-bottom tours. As far as rentals in John Pennekamp, you can hire power boats, as well as water rentals such as kayaks, wetsuits, snorkels, etc.

East Shore of Maui, Hawaii

Hawaii is one of the top diving destinations in the world and Maui is without a doubt, one of the top places to scuba dive in the US. Maui may not be the cheapest place in the US to go scuba diving but marine life along the shores of Maui is truly unrivaled. The best thing of all is that many of the scuba diving sites in Maui are easily accessible to visitors, and you'll even have a cool opportunity of seeing the humpback whales migration if you're traveling during the late winter.

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Some of the nicest shore diving sites in Maui are located on the northwest and southwest coast of Maui and include Kaanapali beach and Kapalua Bay in Lahaina, Makena Landing Beach Park, Puu Olai Beach and Ulua Beach Park in Kihei.

Saying this, do visit the Molokini Crater (off the coast of Maui) for a diving excursion since this diving site is unarguably one of the most is stunning scuba diving sites in the world.

To visit Molokini Crater you have a few options: You can either book a cruise/tour (around $90per person), get a chartered fishing boat (around $140per person), or rent a boat in Kihei, which is normally the cheaper option (around $110 per hour) when traveling in a small group.

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As far as scuba diving rental gear in Maui, there are plenty of rental shops in the island to choose such as Maui Dive Shop, B&B Scuba, Maui Dreams Dive Co in Kihei, and Lahaina divers and Maui Diving Scuba Center in Lahaina.

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Places to Ski in the Cascades for the day

2012-01-07T09:09:00.003+13:00

Planning a ski trip to the Cascades?

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It’s true that a ski vacation during these recessionary times can prove expensive, especially if you’re heading to some of the most popular ski destinations in the in the Pacific Northwest such as Crystal Mountain and Stevens Pass. If you’re looking for an inexpensive ski trip in the Northwest, you’ll find that the Cascades (particularly the central/southern section) boast plenty of affordable options.

To juggle your mind, here it’s some ideas on ski destinations in the Cascades where novice and expert skiers can enjoy everything from downhill skiing to cross-country skiing:

Crater Lake national park

Crater Lake national park is unofficially one of the most underrated places to ski in the Cascades, though skiers in the know don’t mind that!

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Crater Lake doesn’t draw huge crowds like other ski destinations further north of Oregon so it’s a popular spot among experienced back-country skiers who love skiing around the rim of Crater Lake. You won't find groomed trails in Crater Lake but don’t let that put you off if you’re a novice skier since there are many flat easy trails to be found like Wizard Island and around Mazama Campground.

The most demanding cross-country trail in Crater Lake is definitely Dutton Creek trail, which starts in Rim Village (over 1,000ft) all the way down to Annie Spring station (about 5000ft).

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You can go country-skiing in Crater Lake for the day if you wish, though Crater Lake is a also a nice place for a low-key ski trip because of the charming Rim Village. This village has a lodge - Crater Lake Lodge, as well as an observation station, public showers and restrooms.

Willamette Pass Ski Area

Willamette Pass is located about an hour's drive from Eugene, and it’s without a doubt, one of the cheapest places to ski in the Cascades. Willamette Pass isn’t just more affordable than other popular resorts up in Oregon and Washington State but it also draws fewer crowds.

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In fact, Willamette Pass is a good place for starting out skiing and snowboarding, and it's also great for families looking for a “no-thrills” skiing vacation. This isn’t knocking Willamette Pass since it’s one of the best value ski areas in the southern Cascades. It’s also worth mentioning that Willamette Pass offers night and Nordic skiing, as well as tubing and snowshoeing.

Mt Shasta Area

Mt Shasta is a fantastic area that has to be added to the list of places to ski to the Cascades because it offers several skiing opportunities. Mount Shasta is one of the most pristine areas in the Cascades and a fantastic backcountry skiing destination. You’ll find dozens of backcountry skiing routes in and around Mt Shasta such as Hotlum Glacier and Avalanche Gulch. Saying this, the safest routes are located on the lower ridges of Avalanche Gulch.

There is also a lodge resort near Mt Shasta (Mt. Shasta Resort) and a ski resort park (Mount Shasta Ski Park), which offers night skiing, dozens of ski runs and terrain parks for all types of skiing level ability.

Mt Ashland Ski Area, Ashland

Mt Ashland Ski Area is not far from the border with California and it’s located as south of the Cascades as you can go in Oregon. Mt Ashland Ski Area is a small ski area but it’s an excellent spot to enjoy low-impact skiing and hone your riding skills on the open powder fields.

Diamond Lake resort, Mt Bailey

Diamond Lake is located a short drive from Crater Lake national park and it’s another ski destination worth considering for a fun day out in the snow. Diamond Lake boasts a cat-skiing operation, as well as snowmobiles, snowboards, snowshoes, sleds, and tubes for hire.

Lassen Volcanic national park, Shasta

If you’re planning to bring your own ski gear and are looking for places to ski in the Cascades for a fun day out, Lassen Volcanic would be a sound bet! Lassen Volcanic is located east of Redding and it’s a great place to visit with friends and family since little kids can enjoy plenty of fun in the snow.

You can also enjoy Nordic skiing along the park's challenging telemark runs, as well as ranger-guided snowshoe walks.

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Top Ski Destinations

2012-01-06T12:08:00.003+13:00

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Places to go for a Skiing Vacation in Canada

2012-01-06T11:50:00.004+13:00

Whistler Mountain is certainly the most popular destination for a skiing vacation in Canada, though it isn't surprising since Whistler Mountain is home to Whistler Blackcomb ski resort, which is the largest ski resort in Canada boasting the highest vertical drop in North America!

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Whistler is definitely a cool place to ski, though you need “deep pockets” if you want to go there for a ski vacation. You may be wondering, where else to go besides Whistler? Well, here it’s some ideas:

Banff National Park, Alberta

Banff national park is located right in the heart of the Canadian Rockies and it’s, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most scenic places to go for a skiing vacation in Canada. Banff national park boasts stunning scenery as well as many ski areas such as Lake Louise Mountain Resort, which is one of the best ski resorts in Canada.

Lake Louise Mountain Resort has some of the best ski facilities in North America, and it’s easily the most popular ski resort in Alberta because of its many (over 100) ski runs suitable for all-levels of skiing (including cross-country skiing).

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Probably the best bit about skiing in Lake Louise is riding the gondola to the top of Lake Louise Mountain, which is real joy in the summer. In fact, between the months May and October you can enjoy cool sightings of grizzly bears onboard the Lake Louise gondola.

Lake Louise ski resort is about 45 minutes drive by car from the town of Banff so it isn't too far. However, if you’re looking for ski areas nearby the town of Baff, it's best you head to either Tunnel Mountain Resort, Banff Rocky Mountain Resort, or Mt Norquay ski resort (all of which are within the outskirts of Banff).

Mt Norquay ski resort is another ski resort in Banff national park worth considering if you’re just starting out to ski, or are traveling with the family since Mt Norquay offers ski lessons for both adults and juniors.

Laurentian Mountains, Quebec

The Laurentian Mountains is probably one of the most underrated places to go for a skiing vacation in Canada mainly because the Laurentian don't boast the huge peaks the Rockies do. However, if you aren’t looking to splash out on an expensive ski vacation, the Laurentian Mountains is an excellent bet. There are about a dozen ski resorts, ski hills and trails where you can enjoy cross-country and downhill skiing.

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Popular places for cross-country skiing are Parc national du Mont-Tremblant, P'tit Train du Nord, and Parc national d'Oka (which is about 45 minutes drive by car from Montreal). P'tit Train du Nord is located nearby Mont Tremblant Resort, while Parc national du Mont-Tremblant is located a bit further up from Mont Tremblant Resort (about 90 minutes drive).

Purcell Mountains, British Columbia

The Purcells are also part of the beautiful Canadian Rockies and are located in the southern end of British Columbia. The Purcells are most certainly one of the top places to go for a skiing vacation in Canada, especially if you’re an expert backcountry skier (the Purcells boast miles of trackless terrain).

Another reason why you would want to consider the Purcell Mountains for ski vacation is for the opportunity of doing heli-skiing and heli-boarding. One good spot for heli and backcountry skiing is the Kicking Horse mountain resort (in the town of Golden), which boasts a couple heli-skiing operations.

Kicking Horse mountain resort is a good all-round ski resort for anyone starting out to ski, advanced skiers, and families with kids since the resort has a good a ski learning school.

A couple more ski areas in the Purcells worth considering are Panorama Mountain Village (half-hour drive west of Invermere), and Kimberley Alpine Resort. Panorama ski resort is a good place to be because it offers beautiful views of the Rockies and has a Nordic centre with over 10 miles of trails.

Saying this, Kimberley Alpine Resort does offer night skiing and it’s home to the renowned “North Star Racers Society”, which offers fun ski programs for kids and teens.

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Nice places in Hawaii to visit for the day

2012-01-05T10:53:00.005+13:00

Wondering about nice places to see in Hawaii? Be sure to add the following places to your itinerary of Hawaii...

Kailua Bay, Oahu

Kailua Bay is definitely one of the nicest places you can visit in Hawaii for the day since the bay is truly stunning and it's a fantastic place to enjoy fun water activities such as swimming, body surfing, snorkeling, and kayaking.

Hawaii Vacation

In fact, you’ll be able to rent kayaks and surf boards there, as well as booking guided kayaking tours to see sea turtles, and the nesting birds and seals in the Mokulua Islands.

Halemaumau Crater, Big Island

If you’re looking to see the crater of a volcano up-close while in Hawaii, head to Halemaumau Crater at Hawaii Volcanoes national park. You’ll be able to see this active crater up-close and enjoy hikes around its rim.

Pacific Ocean Destinations

While in Hawaii Volcanoes national park, don’t miss climbing to the top of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (at the top of Kilauea) for stunning views of the park. Also, visit Jaggar Museum if you’re interested in rocks and take the lava tube excursion along Thurston Lava Tube.

Sea Life Park, Waimanalo Beach

Sea Life Park is also located in the Island of Oahu around 20 minutes drive by car from the beaches of Lanikai and Kailua. Sea Life Park is no doubt, one of the nice places in Hawaii to visit for the day, especially if you’re traveling with kids.

You’ll be able to swim with dolphins, feed the sea turtles, see turtle hatchlings, watch fun sea lion shows, and do a bit of bird watching.

Kona Coast

Kona coast is located on the western side of Hawaii’s Big Island and it’s one of the nice places in Hawaii to visit for the day because you can enjoy fun scenic drives along the beautiful stretch called the “Road To The Sea” route, which offers dramatic views of lava cones.

Popular Vacation Spots in Hawaii

You'll also get excellent views of Manuka Bay and have an opportunity to visit Green Sand beach in South Point park to see the amazing olive-green color sand!

Dole Plantation

If you’re visiting Oahu, the Dole Plantation is one place you can’t miss passing by to see because of the huge pineapple garden maze.

Dole Plantation is definitely a cool place to hang out with the family since you’ll be able to enjoy fun activities such as pineapple cutting demonstrations, garden tours, and a narrated train ride of the plantation.

Hilo, Big Island

The city of Hilo is, along Honolulu, one of the cities to add to your itinerary of Hawaii. Hilo is home to a couple of museums (Pacific Tsunami Museum and Lyman Museum), and Hilo Farmers Market, which is a nice place to mingle with locals and buy souvenirs and taste yummy local delicacies.

If you’re in Hilo with the family, be sure to also visit Coconut Island Park for a picnic and to enjoy the views of Hilo Bay. Also, check out Rainbow Falls Park which is not far from downtown Hilo for amazing views from the lookout.

Warren & Annabelle's Show, Lahaina

The island of Maui is probably the last place in Hawaii you’d expect to see a show but if you love small-venue magic shows, you’ll enjoy a visit to Warren & Annabelle's Show. This place is certainly one of the most popular places to visit in Maui for a fun evening out since Warren & Annabelle's magic show is one of the top-rated shows in the islands.

Warren & Annabelle's runs two shows daily and admission to the magic/dinner show costs around $60 per person.

Ohea Gulch, Hana

Ohea Gulch is located on the southeast corner of Maui and it’s easily one of the most beautiful places to see in Hawaii.

Places to Scuba Dive in the US

If you’re looking for places to go outdoors you’d be sure to add Ohea Gulch to the list since there is plenty of hiking to be done around the Ohea Gulch area along the famous Pipiwai Trail, which is a 2-mile hike offering some of the most breathtaking scenery views anywhere in Hawaii! Ohea Gulch also boasts stunning falls and natural pools where you can enjoy a swim.

See. Best Museums in Hawaii
Best Beaches to Visit in Hawaii

Places in North America to see wildlife

2012-01-04T11:58:00.008+13:00

Looking for places to watch wildlife in the wild in North America?

Top Tourist Attractions in the US

Alaska’s South Coast

The southern coast of Alaska is easily one of the best places to see wildlife in the United States as it is home to wilderness areas, national parks, and forests teeming with beautiful wildlife and dramatic landscapes.

Kenai Fjords and Katmai national parks are two of the best spots in Alaska for viewing the grizzly bear (also known as the North American brown bear). If you’re visiting Katmai, Brook Falls and McNeil River State Game Sanctuary are two good spots for seeing grizzly bears going about their daily life.

Top Things to do in Anchorage Alaska

Having said this, Brook Falls is definitely the best place for being up-close to wildlife because of the campground (Brook Camp) where you can stay for a few nights (max. of 6 nights). Another reason why Brook Falls is the better spot is because it's located nearby Lake Brooks Seaplane Base, which is the landing strip for flights landing in Katmai national park.

Don't get me wrong, McNeil River State Game Sanctuary is a fantastic place to view grizzly bears too, but visitor admission to the sanctuary has been restricted. Currently, the only way to get into McNeil River Sanctuary is by filing a lottery application, which costs $20 (non-refundable). If you win, you’ll be granted a 4-day permit to access the sanctuary, which currently costs around $150-$250 for tourists.

Another place I mentioned earlier was Kenai Fjords national park, which has also grizzly bears although Kenai is best for viewing marine life such as sea lions, otters, and whales. One good thing about Kenai Fjords is that it isn’t far from the town of Seward and Anchorage (a cool 3 hour drive).

Southeast Mexico

The Southeastern corner of Mexico is a dream destination for ecotourism and it’s without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places in North America to see wildlife. Southeast Mexico may be a small region but its natural areas (biospheres) are home to more than 60% of Mexico’s birds and animals.

Wildlife you can expect to see in southeast Mexico include mammals such as jaguar, deer, weasel, skunk, and armadillo, as well as hundreds of rare bird species of toucan, woodpeckers, parrots and flycatchers only found in this region. There are also cool reptiles to be seen in southeast Mexico such as the Spiny-tailed Iguana, the Coral snake, and the Yucatan Banded Gecko.

Two of the most popular destinations in southeast Mexico for observing wildlife are Celestun wildlife refuge and Chichen-itza, both of which are found in the Yucatan peninsula. The Chichen-itza ruins are no doubt, the best preserved Mayan archeological site in the world but they're also an excellent place for viewing birds and reptiles.

Places to visit in Yucatan Mexico

If you’re looking to enjoy organized wildlife tours then, Celestun wildlife refuge is the best place for a fun day out on a tour. Celestun wildlife refuge is home to a huge colony of pink flamingos, which are a real joy to photograph. You can book a boat ride with tour operators in the town of Celestun, or with a tour agency (i.e. Adventures Mexico or Amigo Yucatan) in the city of Merida. Whoever you choose, a tour of Celestun wildlife refuge shouldn't cost more than $60 per person.

Eastern Washington State

The region in Washington State known as “Eastern Washington” is without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most beautiful places in North America to see wildlife. Eastern Washington is truly a wildlife enthusiast’s paradise since the region is home to an incredible variety of birds, reptiles and mammals such as deer, elk, coyote, squirrels and moose. Some of the best places to view wildlife in Eastern Washington are:

Top 10 things to do in Washington State

1) Big Meadow Lake (in Colville National Forest): is a very good spot for observing deer and moose because of the observation tower built there.

2)Little Vulcan Mountain: is another beautiful spot for viewing marmots, bighorn sheep and mule deer. Little Vulcan Mountain is located in the Kettle River Valley (near the border with British Columbia) and has huge open slopes where you can easily spot animals with your binoculars.

3)Sinlahekin wildlife area: is the oldest wildlife area in the state of Washington and it’s another fantastic place in Eastern Washington to watch wildlife off-the-beaten-track. If you love peace and tranquility, you’ll definitely enjoy visiting Sinlahekin wildlife area for viewing bighorn sheep, deer, rattlesnakes, black bears, and skunks.

Canadian Rockies

In terms of pristine wildlife areas, the Canadian Rockies of Canada is most certainly one of the best places in North America to see wildlife such as bears (black and brown), elk, mule deer, moose and bighorn sheep (the big five).

The Canadian Rockies is home to a half a dozen of national parks so there are plenty of spots where you can see the big five and other wildlife. Two of these spots include Vermilion Lakes and Bow valley Parkway in Banff national park. The beauty about Vermilion Lakes and Bow valley parkway is that they offer an excellent opportunity for driving or biking while seeing wildlife.

Other spots where you can watch wildlife that are worth mentioning are Maligne Lake (in Jasper national park) and Stanley Glacier (in Kootenay national park), which boasts one of the most dramatic hiking trails in the Canadian Rockies.

top tourist attractions in Canada

Maligne Lake is particularly an amazing place to go during the summer because it offers the opportunity to book a fun sightseeing cruise to Spirit Island onboard the Maligne Lake scenic cruise.

See. Off the Beaten Path Destinations
Places to Ski in the Midwest for all level skiers
Attractions on the Pacific Coast of Mexico
Most popular Canadian landmarks
Places to Scuba Dive in the US
Beautiful American Lakes
popular National Parks to Visit in America
Things People do on a Vacation in Nicaragua
fun places to go in Australia for young and old
things to do on the coast of Argentina

Best Places to Ski in Slovenia

2012-01-03T11:02:00.003+13:00

Heading to Ljubljana for ski vacation in Slovenia?

Western Europe is certainly the most popular ski destination in the world. However, if don’t like the huge crowds and inflated tourist prices but still want decent runs you’re definitely better off heading east!

Cheap Ski Vacation in Europe

Eastern Europe is a fantastic and inexpensive ski destination, and Slovenia is easily one of the best places to ski in the region. Another great thing about a ski vacation in Slovenia is that you can ski in Slovenia for a good 150 days (best months for ski are between January and March). Find below, some ideas on places to ski in Slovenia that are within driving distance of Ljubljana:

Kranskja Gora

Kranskja Gora is without a doubt, one of the best places to ski in Slovenia because of its location between Triglav national park (Julian Alps) and the Italian and Austrian borders, which offer an excellent opportunity for day trips.Kranskja Gora is truly a beautiful area and it's mainly popular for downhill skiing. The slopes and trails in Kranskja Gora and its surrounding area are great for both novices and experienced skiers.

Annoying Things Riders do in the Terrain Park

The towns of Kranskja Gora and Podkoren are the most popular ski areas. Podkoren is home to “Ski School”, which is a popular place to ski in Slovenia with kids. Ski School is also a good place to take your skis for waxing, learning to ski, and hire ski equipment. If you're an advanced skier, you'll also love it in Podkoren because its mountain is home to the famous World Cup slalom course.

Interesting places to visit in Slovenia

The ski resort in the town of Kranskja Gora is one of the best ski resorts in Slovenia because of its many facilities and verticals of over 1300ft. Kranskja Gora ski resort also has dozens of ski lifts and dozens of ski runs (black, blue and red runs) for beginner and expert levels, as well as a kid’s club, bars, casino, ice skating rink, and a ski school.

Despite its location, Kranskja Gora is very accessible and takes just an hour by car to get to from Ljubljana, where most international flights to Slovenia land.

Bohinj Area

The town of Bohinj is also located within the Julian Alps right on the southeast end of Triglav national park. Bohinj is very popular because of its close proximity to Ljubljana (around 45 minutes drive). As far as ski areas is concerned, the town of Bohinj is one of the best places to ski in Slovenia because of the many hotels, apartments, bars and restaurants available, so it’s a perfect place to head for a lively ski vacation.

Bohinj is also surrounded but other ski areas such as:

1)Kobla ski resort, which has groomed runs for beginners, a ski school and a ski rental shop. Kobla ski resort can be reached by train from Ljubljana, and it’s only a few minutes walk from the town of Bohinjska Bistrica which is home to many ski apartments and hotels such as Pension Tripic and Bohinj Park Hotel.

2)Vogel ski resort (located inside Triglav national park), and it is located 30 minutes drive by car from Bohinjska Bistrica. Being located inside Triglav national park, Vogel is a fantastic place for cross-country skiing and another great destination in Slovenia for a ski vacation with the family. Vogel ski resort also has a ski school, ski rental shop, and a snow kindergarten where kids can enjoy fun activities and learn to ski.

Beautiful places in Europe

3)Soriska Planina ski resort: is also located within the municipality of Bohinj and around 30 minutes drive by car from the town of Bohinj. Soriska Planina is a small ski resort geared towards families and it’s located northwest of Ljubljana (35 minutes drive).

Kamnik–Savinja Alps

The Kamnik–Savinja Alps area is another popular ski destination in Slovenia and home to the Velika Planina ski resort and Krvavec ski resort. Krvavec is probably the second most visited ski area in the country and one of the best places to ski in Slovenia because of the variety of trails (17 miles in total) and other ski facilities such as half-pipe, ski jumps, and lots of trails for sledding and snowboarding.

If you fancy a ski vacation in Krvavec, you’ll find that Kranj is the nearest town (just half-hour drive) to the ski resort. Saying this, Krvavec ski resort is only 90 minutes drive by car from Ljubljana so you’re never too far from the hustle and bustle of Slovenia’s capital city.

As far as the Velika Planina is concerned, the ski resort isn’t as big as Krvavec’s but it’s a good place to be if you’re just starting out to ski because of the groomed runs and low verticals. On the plus side, Velika Planina ski resort does have 6-miles of trails for cross-country skiing.

Tip

Whether you travel with friends or the family, it’s always a good idea to buy a ski lift pass in advance to save money. Thomson Ski normally offers half-price discounts for adults (2 for 1’s) and other offers for kids (like free ski lift pass) for week-long lift passes and family lift passes that include free ski equipment and ski lessons.

See. Top 10 countries to visit in Europe
Things to do on Holiday in Bulgaria besides partying
Places to Ski in the Midwest for all level skiers

Ways to Save Money While on Vacation

Interesting places to visit in Austria
Top 10 Places to Ski in the US

Tips for Booking a Flight Online

Most Daring things People do on Vacation

2011-12-31T09:29:00.004+13:00

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done on your travels?

If like me you travel a lot but aren’t particularly an adrenaline junky or a thrill seeker, you may find mind-blogging some of the audacious things people can get up to. Borderline reckless things like mooning someone isn't really my cup of tea. the most daring thing I've done to date is the edgewalk at the CN Tower during a mini vacation in Toronto visiting friends.

However, it turns out that apparently the edgewalk isn't a big deal for many, but surely walking on the edge of the CN Tower is daring, right? Anyhow, I wanted to share some of the risky things I've done and some of the craziest things people do on vacation:

Handling a snake

Going to a proper snake farm in Asia has always been a dream of mine, and early this year I had the opportunity to visit one when visiting Thailand on a three-week vacation. The snake farm in question that I visited was located in Bangkok and although it wasn’t a conventional snake charming farm it had all kinds of venomous snakes.

10 must see places in Bangkok

Seeing the snake handler extracting the venom from a king cobra was one thing but holding a python was entirely a different ball game. I know handling a snake isn’t much of a big deal for some people but when you have a natural fear of snakes you’ll agree that petting a snake is daring enough.

Ride the Death Road on a bike

Remember when I said earlier doing daring things on vacation that were borderline reckless? Well, riding a bike down the Death Road Mountain in Bolivia has to be one of the most daring things people do on vacation.

I know of some “death roads” in the states but never heard of Bolivia’s Death Road (called Yungas Road) before until I watched a TV show which highlighted why this road is the most dangerous in the world. Just have a look at the video…

Things tourist do in Bolivia for fun

After watching the video above, would you agree that riding a bike down this treacherous road qualifies as absolute madness?

Running bear through a cornfield

This dare is a personal favorite of mine, though I nearly came to regret it afterwards! Everyone has run through a cornfield at some point in their lives but running though a cornfield isn’t quite as until you decide to attempt running through it with no clothes and being shot at.

(surely you weren't expecting a nude pic, were you?)

See, a few friends and I dared each other to run through this cornfield we spotted during our road trip vacation through the Midwest. The idea was so bold and so silly at the time, but the rush of excitement was so unbelievable I had to do it. I remember laughing and joking with the others in the corn field until we started hearing gun shots being fired at us. To cut the story short, we made it out of the cornfield alive but with a new outlook on cornfields!

Cliff jumping

Jumping-off a cliff into the sea has to be one of the most daring things people do on vacation! You have to respect regular cliff jumpers for doing what they do since it’s truly an activity for the brave to jump into open sea with rocks beneath you. Jumping off a cliff into the sea is no easy undertaking and it has unsurprisingly taken many lives.

I hear most people die because they didn’t manage to pull-off the jump correctly or worse…they simply didn’t check first where they were jumping into! As it turns out, places like the Algarve (Portugal) and Mazatlan (Mexico) boast some of the most dangerous sites for cliff jumps.

Ski while gaping

If you’re into skiing and snowboarding you may be familiar with the meaning of “gaping” in a terrain park. However, since my friends and I aren’t really clued-up on snow park slang I had to look it up. A gaper is basically a clueless newbie wearing really dated skiing gear. Apparently, this is something you are supposed to avoid at all costs in a terrain park if you don’t fancy being the laughing stock.

Annoying Things Riders do in the Terrain Park

This gave me an idea for a dare that my buddies and I could do on a 2-day ski vacation in Colorado. The dare, of course, would consist of us "skiing while gaping" so, we had to find as much retro gear for skiing as we could find...things like tiny skies and colorful jackets and pants are consider normal attire of gapers. Anyways, the gaping dare turned out to be priceless because of all the comical reactions from people and snowboarders glancing back.

See. Annoying Things about Plane Passengers
Useful Travel Apps to have on a Smartphone
Tips when Traveling during the Holidays by Car
9 Tips for Avoiding Hassle at the Airport
Ways to Save Money While on Vacation
cheap places to go for backpackers
Traveling Solo Tips
Mistakes to Avoid When Booking a Flight Online

Things Tourists do in Bolivia for fun

2011-12-30T12:08:00.004+13:00

What do tourist get up to in Bolivia?

top sights to see in South America

Bolivia is one of the most underrated countries in Latin America, yet it's one of the most amazing places you can visit in the world.

Bolivia is right up there with the likes of Peru, Brazil and Argentina. If you've ever wondered what people get up to in Bolivia here it's things tourists do in Bolivia for fun:

Viewing wildlife

The northwest region of Bolivia is without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best places to enjoy wildlife tours in South America. Two of the most popular spots in the northwest of Bolivia for viewing wildlife are the Pampas wetlands and the jungle region, which is part of the Amazon rainforest basin.

In fact, if you’re planning touring the Amazon you’ll find that Bolivia is not only one of the cheapest places to enjoy jungle tours in South America but also one of the most biological diverse areas of the Amazon basin.

Rurrenabaque is the gateway town to the Amazon jungle and the Pampas so it’s the best place to head because you’ll be booking directly through the tour operators. There dozens of tour operators in Rurrenabaque offering trips into Las Pampas and the jungle such as Indigena tours, Madidi Travel and Bala tours for around $80.

You can also book tours in La Paz, though you’ll find that companies in La Paz are mostly travel agencies and not tour operators. The travel agencies in La Paz are great because the package tours they offer include transportation to Rurrenabaque.

If you’re staying in La Paz and want to get to Rurrenabaque yourself, you have a few options for getting to Rurrenabaque such as hopping on a bus or catching a flight. The plane ride takes around 40 minutes and costs around $150 round-trip; while the bus ride is less than $20 but it's over 15 hours long.

Ideally, you’ll want to tour both Las Pampas and the jungle but if you had to choose, Las Pampas would be the best place. Watching wildlife is super easy in Las Pampas because of the open spaces which allows for easy spotting cool animals such as gators, anacondas, monkeys, birds, and the famous capybara, which is essentially a huge guinea pig.

Visit the colonial towns

A visit to Bolivia wouldn’t be complete without visiting the colonial towns there. Santa Cruz, Sucre and Potosi are three of most popular places to go in Bolivia to marvel at colonial churches and cobblestone streets.

Best Colonial Towns in Latin America

Sucre and Potosi are actually not far from one another (2 hours drive) so you can easily visit these two colonial towns if you wanted to. Potosi is actually a mining town and it’s there where the National Mint of Bolivia is located. This mint was the original royal mint for silver that was built during the Spanish colonial period.

Sucre is slightly larger than Potosi but it’s one place you can’t miss passing by since it was there where Simon Bolivar declared the independence of Bolivia.

Sucre boasts lots of churches and some of the places you must see in Sucre are La Casa de la Libertad (where Simon Bolivar wrote the Bolivian constitution), the National Library, which houses documents and books dating from the 15th century; and the Sucre Textile Museum, which has a fantastic collection of indigenous weavings.

Tour the Salt Flats

Bolivia salt flats are probably the second most popular tourist attraction in the country and touring is one of the most popular things tourist do in Bolivia for fun. These salt flats are actually the largest in the world and when they’re covered with water the salt flats become one huge mirror.

Bolivia’s salt flats are knows as Salar de Uyini since the nearest town to the salt flats is Uyini. You can book jeep tours (around $100) of the salt flats from Uyini, though the town of Tupiza also offers more options in terms of tour operators. Tour operators worth checking out include Licancabur tours, Colque tours, Bolivian Expeditions, and Estrella del Sur tours.

Things you’ll be seeing during a tour of Salar de Uyuni include the famous train graveyard, Salt Hotel (a hotel made out of salt), the salt processing plants, and a giant cactus that is over 1,000 years old. Having said this, the main attraction of being at the salt flats is experiencing the amazing reflections on the snow-like landscape.

Ride the Death Road

Riding the Death Road is without a doubt, one of the top things tourist do in Bolivia for fun. Many tourist visit Bolivia with the sole purpose of biking down the infamous Yungas Road, which is officially the most dangerous road in the world. Yungas Road is quite frankly frightening and its nickname “death road” couldn’t be more appropriate since thousands of people have died when their car or bus lost control.

Local people have no other choice but to travel along Yungas Road, but if you’re the adventurous type you can join mountain biking tours such as Gravity Bolivia that take you down the 60-mile track which drops from the high plains of the Andes(16,000 ft above sea level) to the jungles of the Amazon(5,000 ft).

See. Things to do in Cochabamba Bolivia
Things tourists do on vacation in Uruguay
Nice beaches to visit in Northeast Brazil
Things People do on a Vacation in Nicaragua
things to do on the coast of Argentina
Must do things in Peru
Popular Tourist Destinations in Brazil
Popular Tourist Attractions in Chile

Annoying Things Riders do in the Terrain Park

2011-12-29T12:56:00.005+13:00

Thought you were a complete rider? Think again!

When it comes to manners it doesn’t matter whether you’re a newbie skier or experienced boarder who’s being riding for years. The bottom line is if you don’t respect other riders in the terrain park you aren’t a complete rider. The following is a list of things most people don't like about riders in the terrain park:

Tailgating

Tailgating is another term that skiers and boarders have coined at the terrain park to describe someone riding behind another rider. Experienced riders are the worse offenders when it comes to tailgating in the terrain park, though if you are a novice rider you may feel the need to closely follow your buddy.

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Whatever people say tailgating strangers isn’t only annoying but also dangerous because riders can lose their balance and fall down.

Fooling around

One of the most important things to know before riding in a terrain park is safety. Fooling around in the terrain park because you have nothing better to do may seem fun at the time but serious riders most certainly won’t appreciate it.

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Fooling around is particularly dangerous in the halfpipe and landing areas, though not so much in the flats of the terrain park.

check out the boarder on the video crash- landing right on top of the girl and you’ll understand how serious it can be not paying attention. Of course, falling down is something you can’t avoid but if you do fall down make sure you quickly get up or move out of the way. Crawl out of the way as quickly as you can, or scream your lungs out to warn others if you can’t move.

Showing-off

Show-offs belong in competitions! If you are a pro rider at the terrain park, you are ought to be respectful of others and remember that you used to be a noob. It's fine to show-off your skills with people but have some class when doing it.

Top 10 Places to Ski in the US

Don’t try to be “Billy badass” at the terrain park because you have better skills than others and feel like snaking through people and cutting people off just because you've been talking to the camera crew.

Gaping

If there is one thing that skiers and riders get really annoyed with it's gapers. Gapers are "clueless riders" who are simply unaware of their surroundings and what it's going on in the park.

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You’ll see many riders at the terrain park who are so immersed in the experience that they won’t get out of the way when someone is calling their attention. Wherever you are in the terrain park, keep-up your peripheral view at all times, be sure to communicate with other riders, and watch out for riders performing jumps and tricks.

Being Arrogant

One of the most annoying things riders do in the terrain park is being arrogant. A lot of people mistake arrogance with confidence and it’s not always the case. You’ll find many noobs at the terrain park who can’t confidently ride in a black diamond terrain park but will try to attempt tricks on the rails and boxes. Even if you have skills and fairly confident, don't let it get to your head.

Many pro-skiers, boarders and people in general don't like that kind of attitude. You won’t learn anything at the terrain park and you won't improve your skills if you are arrogant because none will want to teach you. Therefore, make sure you leave the attitude and the "wings" at home before heading to the terrain park.

Cutting the line

Whether it’s at a theme park or at the supermarket, cutting in front of the line is one of the most irritating things people you can do. It’s true that some ski tows at terrain parks are really slow but that’s not an excuse to jump the handle tow line when everyone is waiting patiently in line.

Heckling the crowds

Heckling people in the terrain park is truly one of the most annoying things riders do in the terrain park. Everyone hates a bully and harassing riders (particularly noobs) at the terrain park won’t win you any friends with the park crew. Of course, not all riders heckle but you'll see groups of people and individuals heckling people down the park thinking that they’re cool.

Terrain parks are there for people to improve their skills and not a place for disrespectful people to break the confidence of insecure riders.

Final Thoughts

You would agree that most of the stuff listed above is pretty basic and is common sense. You may not think much of it but skiing and snowboarding in a terrain park without knowing this (or the basic rules) is like driving on the road without knowing the road signs.

You won’t only be a danger to yourself and others but you’ll also annoy many people in the process. Of course, there'll always be those people who would argue that it’s not always possible or practical to adhere to an etiquette at the terrain park during busy times. While this may be true, there is certainly no need to be a moron, isn't there?

Useful Travel Apps to have on a Smartphone

2011-12-28T10:18:00.004+13:00

What are the must have travel apps for smartphones?

The travel app market for smartphones is certainly booming and with so many smartphone travel apps (travel applications) to choose from you almost feel spoiled for choice!

Figuring out the most useful travel apps to have on a smartphone isn't always easy, though a good way to tell whether a smartphone travel app is worth downloading or not is by checking its functionality. A travel app that is fast, useful and easy to use is a positive indicator since the last thing you need while traveling is a travel app for your smartphone that takes a long time to load and it’s difficult to navigate.

The smartphone travel app market has a variety of fun and must-have apps for travelers to download on their smartphone. Here it’s a list of some of the best smartphone travel apps worth downloading:

Travel Guide apps

A travel guide app is without a doubt, one of the most useful travel apps to have on a smartphone. Online travel guides such as Lonely Planet and Frommer’s have some of the most popular travel guide apps out in the market, but one of their biggest drawback is that you can only view them while your online. Therefore, this makes them expensive and unpractical in places where internet isn’t readily available.

That’s why the best travel guide apps in the market are the ones that can be downloaded and used off-line. Wikitravel, OxygenGuide, and iTravelFree are a few examples of free travel guide apps that allow you to do just that.

Appbox Pro

Appbox Pro is available for Android and iPhone and it’s both a useful and fun travel app to have on a smartphone because it has cool features that you can use on your travel such as a currency converter, tip calculator, flashlight and a translator.

Appbox Pro app consists actually of a dozen or so single apps in just one app, which makes Appbox Pro a handy smartphone app to have overall. Appbox Pro is priced between $1.99 and $2.99, but if you only want the all important travel features like the currency converter and translator you can download it's free version called “Appbox Lite”.

All Subway app

The All Subway app is another popular travel app and one very useful travel app that you’ll want to have on your smartphone when traveling to a city. All Subway app features hundreds of maps of subways from cities around the world such as NYC, Barcelona, Zurich, etc.

All Subway app is handy and it’s one of those travel apps worth downloading on your smartphone since navigating on the subways of some cities can be a real hassle! You can get the All Subway app for around $0.99. Having said this, there is a similar app called SubMaps Light that you can download for free which works on most platforms.

Trip Planner apps

If you’re a serious traveler, a trip planner app is definitely one of the most useful travel apps to have on a smartphone while traveling. There are many good trip planner apps and vacation apps to choose for your iPhone, Android, iPad or Blackberry such as Itinerary app, TripIt app, Conde Nast Traveler cruise app, and Travel Leisure's iPad app which helps you plan your vacation by offering suggestions on destinations.

The Conde Nast Traveler app is a handy cruise app that sifts information on cruise ship companies and cruise ship stats to help you find the best cruises that suit your needs.

TripIt and Itinerary apps are two other travel apps worth checking out for your smartphone particularly if you travel a lot. Both TripIt and Itinerary (iPhone only) help you organize your travel plans by keeping track of flights, hotels and itineraries.

Flight Booking apps

A flight booking app is no doubt, one of the most convenient travel apps you could ever download on your smartphone. Skyscanner app, Kayak app, Orbitz app, Hipmunk app, and OnTheFly app are some of the best flight booking apps in the travel app market and there all available on free download.

If you’re looking to get a flight booking app, you may also consider downloading a flight tracking app such as FlightTrack app, Flightstats app or Flight Status app. These flight tracking apps offer information on plane departure updates, flight delays, etc.

World Fact Book app

The world fact book application isn’t one of the most essential travel apps you can get but it’s definitely one fun travel apps to have on your smartphone. You can quickly check things like the color flags of countries, population data, etc. World Fact Book app is also available for free.

See. Things to know about the London 2012 Olympics
Most Daring things People do on Vacation
Annoying Things about Plane Passengers
Tips when Traveling during the Holidays by Car
9 Tips for Avoiding Hassle at the Airport
Ways to Save Money While on Vacation
Top 5 Cruise Tips
Traveling Solo Tips
Rental Car Companies That Rent To Under 21
Mistakes to Avoid When Booking a Flight Online

Coolest Childrens & Science Museums in the States

2011-12-27T08:59:00.005+13:00

What's the best childrens museum?

Best Aquariums in the US

There is no doubt that some of the best children's museums in North America are found in the USA. Everyone naturally has their own favorite children's museum in the country, though you may agree that the following are some of the coolest in the US:

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Indiana

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is billed as the best childrens museum in North America, and you would have to agree that this children’s museum is certainly no ordinary one! Indianapolis children’s museum boasts four levels of educational areas such as science labs, story telling corners, and playing areas. There is even a winter wonderland area called “Jolly Days” with a baby snow castle area, a reindeer stable and an ice skating area.

fun things to do in Indianapolis

Admission to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis coast about $11 for under 17, and $16 for adults over 18. The museum has special days when it allows free admission such as Christmas Eve, Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan 16), Presidents Day (Feb 20), and El Dia de Los Ninos ( April 29). Also, on the first Thursday of each month the museum allows free admissions for families between 4pm and 8pm.

Liberty Science Center, New Jersey

The Liberty Science Center (LSC) is definitely one of the coolest childrens museums in the States. What makes the LSC such a nice place is the cool deck area on its roof, which offers lovely views of Jersey City and Manhattan.

The LSC boasts cool science exhibits on kinetic energy and auditory hallucinations, which are cool to experience. The Liberty Center also has an IMAX Theatre that shows movies in normal and 3-Dimensional experience.

Fun things to do in New Jersey

Another great thing about the LSC is that it's located in Liberty State Park so, you’re never too far from other fun places to go in NYC.

If you do plan to visit the other attractions in Liberty Park, it’s a good idea to purchase the “Give Me Liberty” pass since it’ll give you cheap access to the LSC, the Statue of Liberty Monument, and the Ellis Island Museum. The “Give Me Liberty” pass costs about $25 for adults and $15 for kids.

Bay Area Discovery Museum, California

Bay Area Discovery Museum is definitely one of the best children’s museums in America where families with toddlers (under 1’s) can go to. The Bay Area museum boasts cool playing areas indoors and outdoors, and cool daily workshops for kids. The museum also features cultural events, annual celebrations such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Cinco the Mayo Fiesta, as well as regular dance performances like African and Chinese dancing.

places to visit on the West Coast of USA

Something else the Bay Area Discovery Museum has going for is its location at the foot of one USA's biggest tourist attractions - Golden Gate Bridge.

The admission price for the Bay Area Discovery museum in Sausalito is $11 for both kids and adults, though the museum has a free admission day on the first Wednesday of every month. You can also visit this museum for free when purchasing the “Go San Francisco Card” pass.

Saint Louis Science Center, Missouri

The Saint Louis Science Center is one of the coolest childrens museums in the States and one of the best places to go in St. Louis for a fun day out with the family. Young and old can have a blast at this kids museum because of the variety of activities for youth and adults such as science demonstrations for kids, camp-in overnights for families, and fun segway lessons for adults.

Things to do in the Midwest

The Saint Louis Science Center also happens to be located near Forest Park, which is home to the St. Louis Zoo and the St. Louis Art Museum Café.

The Saint Louis Science Center is free admission, though you do have to pay for some exhibits and areas such as the IMAX theatre and the Star Trek exhibition. Parking at the St. Louis Science Center isn’t free neither (costing around $10 for the day). However, if you head over to the entrance at James S. McDonnell Planetarium (a 5-minute drive) you’ll be able to park there for free.

Children's Museum of Houston, Texas

The coolest thing about the Children's Museum of Houston has to be its colorful exterior design and the giant kids holding up the museum.

Must See Places in southern US

The Children's Museum of Houston is located a block away from the Health Museum and it’s another fantastic children’s museum for parents to spend time with their toddlers. The museum is fairly big and features over a dozen galleries packed with fun things to do such as rock-climbing, science experiments, building areas, and fun workshops.

Admission to the Children's Museum in Houston is $8, though the museum does offer free family nights on Thursday evenings between 5pm and 8pm. If you are part of the ASTC passport program, admission to the Children's Museum of Houston is free.

See. Most famous landmarks in US
Best Museums in Hawaii
Best Art Museums in the USA
Top 10 Theme Parks in America

Things people do on a vacation in Nicaragua

2011-12-24T08:18:00.005+13:00

1) Boat Sailing

Sailing is one of the most popular pastimes people get up to during a vacation in Nicaragua. Whether you’re a pro sailor or newbie, you’ll find various options to suit your needs. For instance, many hotel resorts along the western coast of Nicaragua offer full/half day sailing excursions with an experienced crew.

If you’ve always wanted to learn how to sail, you can also take sailing lessons on Lake Nicaragua with sailing schools such as Velago Nicaragua.

2) Book Organized Tours

Booking an organized tour of Nicaragua is certainly one of the most things people do on a vacation in Nicaragua since it's a great way to see as much of the country in just a few days. Again, with organized tours you can book through independent tour operators such as "Nica Tour" or "Explore Nicaragua", or through the hotel where you’ll be staying at.

Most guided tours of Nicaragua last between 8-10 days, though it mostly depends on the places that you want included in the itinerary. Here it's rough idea of places on a tour of Nicaragua:

1. San Juan del Sur Beach,
2. the towns of Subtiaba and Masaya for souvenir shopping,
3. a visit to colonial cities such as Managua and Leon,
4. the Islets of Granada for a bit of sailing,
5. excursion to the Island of Ometepe to hike the volcanoes,
6. scenic drive along Lake Managua,
7. visit to Mombacho Volcano nature reserve and Masaya Volcano national park for a bit of hiking.

3) Learn Spanish

Many people that travel to Nicaragua on vacation do it with the sole purpose of learning Spanish. You can stay with the host family independently but if you’re new to the country the best way to go about learning Spanish in Nicaragua is though a Spanish school such as Nicaragua Mia Spanish School (Granada), “Spanish Ya” (San Juan del Sur), or Viva Spanish School (Managua).

Going to a Spanish school is definitely the most popular way to learn Spanish because you get to learn how to read and write in Spanish, and also get to participate in fun activities with other international students, and stay with a local Nicaraguan family.

4) Get a Massage

Going to a health center is also one of the most popular things people do on a vacation in Nicaragua. Health Centers in Nicaragua are fairly cheap when compared to the ones in North America but are still high quality and offer things like kickboxing classes and yoga lessons.

As far as massages, you can get a two-hour massage for as little as $50 which also includes your face and feet. Popular places to get a massage in Nicaragua include Pure Natural Health & Fitness Center in Granada, and Spa del Sur in San Juan del Sur.

5) Hit the Waves

Surfing in Nicaragua is without a doubt, one of the top things people do on a vacation in Nicaragua since the county is home to fantastic breaks. The best surfing spots for beginners and intermediate surfers are located along Nicaragua’s Pacific coast and include beach spots such as El Asterillo, Popoyo, Santana Beach and Playa Hermosa, which is just 20 minutes drive south of San Juan del Sur.

There are also a few surf camps in Nicaragua where you can stay such as the Popoyo Surf Lodge, The Surf Sanctuary, and Giant's Foot Surf.

6) Soak into a Hot Spring

Visiting a hot springs (or agua calientes in Spanish) for a good soak is another cool thing to do while on vacation in Nicaragua, especially since Nicaragua boasts many hot springs that haven’t been turned into touristy hot-spring resorts.

Free Places to enjoy hot-spring soaks include:

1) the town of Tititapa (10 minutes drive from Managua) has a small paying hot spring but it only costs $2 to get in
2) Apoyo Lake (15 minutes drive from Masaya)
3) Xiloa lake (20 minutes drive from Managua)
4) Consiguina Lake inside Consiguina volcano natural reserve (north of Leon)

See. South America top sights
Things tourists do on vacation in Uruguay
Nice beaches to visit in Northeast Brazil
Things Tourists do in Bolivia for fun
things to do on the coast of Argentina
Best Colonial Towns in Latin America
Belize Top Tourist Sites
Places to Visit in Chile
Tourist Sites in Costa Rica
Popular Tourist Destinations in Brazil

Annoying things about Plane Passengers

2011-12-23T10:45:00.000+13:00

Are you "that" plane passenger from hell?

Passengers who disregard other passengers are truly "those passengers from hell” who happen to be a pain on the backside at the security line and cause all kinds of theater on the plane. This post isn't an attack on airline passengers but quite the opposite. I am merely highlighting some of the things most passengers (including myself) really find annoying about other passengers:

1) Congregating at the belt

Waiting to claim our bags is easily one of the most irritating experiences we have to go through the minute we land at the airport. It’s true that passengers have no choice but to stand at the conveyor belt right in front of each other, but if everyone would only step up to the belt when their baggage approached it would make a world of difference.

2) Appropriating the Overhead

If passengers juggling too moo carry-on down the aisle of the plane wasn't bad enough, having to fight for overhead storage is simply ridiculous. Selfish passengers taking-up the entire overhead bin space is definitely one of the most annoying things about plane passengers. It’s true that overhead bin storage isn’t reserved to anyone but wouldn't be kinder to other passengers if you only took once piece of carry-on?

3) Unprepared passengers

There is no doubt that going through the TSA security checks is a very stressful experience but do some plane passengers have to make it more difficult for themselves?

I don’t agree with full body scanners and patting down kids but airport passengers who aren’t prepared and think that rules don’t apply to them are really annoying. We should all know by now that there is a limit for liquids and also that TSA officers won’t let you through if you set off the alarm. also, anyone who don't listen to the TSA officer reminding you to remove shoes and taking metal objects from pockets before arriving at the checkpoint is playing silly!

4) Out of control kids

There is surely no more irritating thing in the world of air travel than plane passengers who cannot control their kids. Imagine being on a long haul flight sitting in front of an unruly kid who likes nothing better than screaming their lungs out, kicking your seat, or pretending to be a plane.

5) Out of control adults

Kids who are out of control on planes is one thing, but adults who behave like kids, get drunk and become aggressive is another. If you’ve ever had the unpleasant and irritating experience of being a flight with loud passengers such as rowdy sport fans, you’ll know what I am talking about. Don’t mean to poke at all sport fans but the truth is that most big groups tend to become “unmanageable” to say the least.

Then, you have of course, the random passenger who is having too much to drink and becomes violent when the flight attendant refuses to serve him more booze.

6) Lounging passengers

One of the most annoying things about plane passengers are those passengers who recline their seat all the way back the entire flight. Saying this, you can’t really blame all on passengers for the “reclining seat” issue since airlines should have made more room between seats, or at least they should have stopped seats from reclining all the way back. Of course, airlines are more interested in cramming passengers into planes than a comfortable passenger.

7) Chatty Characters

If you’ve never travel on a plane by yourself and are a talkative person, you may find impossible to resist the urge of chatting up other passengers. However, the most annoying thing you can do on a plane is to become “that annoying chatty guy” who never stops yapping.

It’s funny to see this happening on the plane when you can totally tell how annoyed the other passenger is getting. Don't you find strange though how lady luck seems to always like paring-up "quite" passengers with chatty ones?

Fun places to go in Australia for young and old

2011-12-22T09:54:00.001+13:00

During my travels around Australia I got a nice opportunity to do lots fun activities such as diving tour of the Great Barrier Reef and visit cool places such as the Red Centre to see the spectacular Ayers Rock.

Best places for hiking in South Australia

As far as fun places to go in Australia, there are so many I could literary mention, but for the sake of this post I will list the places I would definitely recommend visiting in Australia. There are as follows:

Caversham Wildlife Park

If you’re traveling with small kids, you will love passing by the Caversham Wildlife Park in the city of Perth. Caversham Wildlife Park is one cool place to go for a fun day out with the family since the little ones will get to be up-close to wildlife in a safe environment.

You’ll have a blast feeding the kangaroos, patting the cute baby wombats, and enjoying a picnic at the park. Caversham Wildlife Park also boasts a farm show and a nice little village area where you can enjoy fun activities such as handcrafts, and taking rides on the train and vintage bus.

Alice Springs Desert Park

The city of Alice Springs in Australia’s Northern Territory is home to a cool nature park called Alice Springs Desert Park. If you happen to visit Alice Springs you simply cannot miss this place since it’s a fun place to learn about Australia’s desert plants and aborigine people.

Top natural attractions in Australia

The park also features fun activities, guided walks and it even has cool a nocturnal house where you can see the cute bilbys.

Questacon

Questacon is another cool family attraction that I would add to the list of fun places to go in Australia. Questacon is billed as Australia’s National Science and Technology centre, and you can definitely tell it is a very popular family attraction in Canberra by just seeing the smiles in kid's faces.

Questacon reminds me a lot to the COSI science centre in Columbus Ohio because of the many hands-on exhibits, and fun areas for kids. There is also a cool experimentation lab where you can try a hand at being a scientist, which is quite neat.

Luna Park

The capital of Australia is certainly one of the best places to go in Australia for a fun vacation because of the variety of attractions and things you can do. One of the most enjoyable places you can go to in Sydney is Luna Park, which is one of the coolest amusement parks in Australia.

Luna Park is definitely one of the fun places to go in Australia for young and old because of the variety of rides. Also, since there isn’t an admission price you only pay for the rides and attractions you want to do such as Coney Island, which is a cool funhouse with vintage arcade games, rotating barrels and moving walking platforms.

Riverlife Adventure Centre

The Riverlife Adventure Centre is another highlight attraction in Australia located in Brisbane. The beauty about this place is that you can do lots of fun outdoor activities like climbing and kayaking all in once place without having to go too far. You can hire bikes and canoes, and climbing is particularly cool because you don’t have to be a pro since the centre has instructors at hand.

Things to do in Brisbane

Riverlife Adventure Centre even offers an aboriginal experience where you get a chance to meet and interact with the local aboriginal tribe, which is okay if you’ve never seen a native tribe before.

Cairns

The north coast of Queensland is not surprisingly one of my favorite destinations in Australia since it’s in Cairns where I got to book a tour of the magnificent Great Barrier Reef. A boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef was definitely the highlight of a visit to Cairns, though there is another fun place in Cairns that you can miss passing by.

things to do on Australia's west coast

This place is called Skyrail, which is a cool cableway with gondola-type cabins that runs above the forest from the city of Cairns to the village of Kuranda (spanning 4 miles). The experience of gliding above the forest was second to none, and even better was being able to stop-off midway for a fun walk through the forest.

See. Nicest Beaches in Australia

Top 5 All-Inclusive Hotel Resorts in Cuba

2011-12-21T07:44:00.001+13:00

Heading to Cuba for a vacation?

Top 10 destinations in Cuba

Whether you’re traveling to Cuba for a family or honeymoon vacation, you won’t find a shortage of hotel resorts to choose from. If you’re wondering where to stay, we have compiled an unbiased list of five of the best all inclusive hotels in Cuba:

1. Paradisus Rio de Oro Resort, Guardalavaca

The Paradisus Rio de Oro Resort is probably one of the best all inclusive resorts you can stay in Cuba because of its location on the beautiful Esmeralda Beach. Paradisus Rio de Oro Resort is also next door to Bahia de Naranjo national park and has good connections from the town of Guardalavaca (10 minutes drive), and Holguin (45 minutes drive).

Things to do in Cuba for tourists

Paradisus Rio de Oro Resort is a 5-Star hotel so it includes things like gym, spa, disco, laundry service, sport courts, water rentals, a la carte restaurants, Jacuzzi and pools. Paradisus Rio de Oro is certainly one of the most popular all inclusive hotels in Cuba for adults and people getting married. You can expect to pay between $230 and $300 per night depending on season.

2. Iberostar Varadero, Matanzas

Iberostar Varadero is without a doubt, one of the top 5 resorts in Cuba for families. It’s located about 20 minutes drive from the heart of Varadero right on the way to Santa Marta Airport. Iberostar Varadero is one of the most popular all-inclusive five-star hotels in Cuba for families with young kids.

Iberostar boasts a kid’s club, play areas, a wading pool, and activities for both adults and kids such dancing and yoga lessons. Being a 5-Star hotel you can also expect things like gym, spa, water rentals, and a la carte restaurants.

A couple of other things Iberostar Varadero has going for are its close proximity to Varadero Beach, and Havana (around 90 minutes drive east of Havana).

3. Parque Central

Parque Central is easily one of the best hotels you can stay in the capital city of Cuba since it’s located right in the heart of Old Havana. Parque Central isn’t too far from restaurants, bars, and Havana’s main attractions such as El Capitolio, the National Museum of Fine Arts, and the Buena Vista Social Club, which is one of the best music venues in Havana to soak in the rhythm of Cuba.

Sights To Visit in Cuba

Other nice points about Parque Central besides its great location include a roof-top swimming pool that offers lovely views of El Capitolio, and colonial style rooms. As far as prices, you can expect to pay between $100 and $150 per night.

4. Hotel Melia Buenavista, Cayo Santa Maria

If you’re looking for a relaxing vacation and luxurious stay in Cuba, the island of Santa Maria is one of the top places to go in Cuba for a peaceful vacation. You won’t anything but all-inclusive luxury hotels in Cayo Santa Maria such as Hotel Melia Buenavista, which is one of the three Melia hotels in the island (Hotel Melia Las Dunas and Hotel Melia Cayo Santa Maria).

Top 10 Vacation Spots in the Caribbean

The beaches at Hotel Melia Buenavista are white sandy beaches with crystal clear waters and beautiful offshore reefs where you can enjoy plenty of diving trips. If you’re a romantic couple you will definitely enjoy a stay at Hotel Melia Buenavista since the clientele are typically married couples and honeymooners.

Another nice point worth mentioning about Hotel Melia Buenavista is that it offers a free shuttle service to the other Melia hotels, which are within walking distance from the main party hotspot village of ‘Pueblo La Estrella’.

5. Hotel Playa Pesquero, Holguin

Hotel Playa Pesquero is located along the same stretch of coast as Paradisus Rio de Oro Resort in Guardalavaca so, you can expect Pesquero Beach to be equally stunning. Hotel Playa Pesquero is relatively secluded, though you are never too far from the city of Holguin (40 minutes drive by car).

Hotel Playa Pesquero is also one of the top 5 resorts in Cuba for families traveling with kids and toddlers. Hotel Playa Pesquero offers a baby club, playing areas, fun activities for both kids and adults such as cocktail making lessons and live music shows. Hotel Playa Pesquero also boasts other typical 5-Star amenities such as sport courts, a la carte restaurants, Jacuzzis, and spa.

See. most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean
Places To Go in the Caribbean
Top Destinations in the Bahamas
Popular Beaches in Puerto Rico

Things to know about the London 2012 Olympics

2011-12-20T10:38:00.005+13:00

Planning a trip to London for the 2012 Olympics?

London top tourist attractions

Here it is round-up article on the 2012 Olympics in London that covers ticket costs, free events, buying tickets, and how to avoid falling prey to one of the many London 2012 Olympics scams.

Ticket Prices & Special offers

The London Olympics organizers have stated that ticket prices for the London Olympics will range between £20 and £725, though you can realistically expect to pay between £50 and £150 ($232) for non-final sporting events. You can definitely expect to pay anywhere between £425 ($660) and £725 ($1,125) for sporting event finals such as the men’s 100 meter sprint, gymnastics, swimming, and beach volleyball. Surprisingly, the Football men’s final and tennis finals will only cost £185 ($287) and £225 respectively.

Ways to Save Money While on Vacation

There'll be special offers for adults aged 60 or older, and children aged 16 who will only pay £16 ($24) for any sporting event (not including final events). Children under 16 years of age pay their age (i.e.14 and 15 year-olds pay £14 and £15 respectively).

Buying Tickets

As far as ticket information about the London 2012 Olympics, you will find that the London Organising Committee of Games (LOCOG) is the main provider of tickets for the London Olympics in 2012. Having said this, there were other authorized UK resellers such SportsWorld who were selling tickets a few weeks but have now run out.

There are still many more authorized and bogus resellers in the UK and abroad who are selling tickets to the public. If you’re from the UK, the best way to tell whether a website selling tickets for the London Olympics is legit or unofficial, it’s to use the website checker tool provided by the official London2012 website.

If you live overseas, your only way to get tickets for the London Olympics it’s via your local National Olympic Committee (NOC) where you live, who will also be able to direct you to authorized ticket resellers in your country.

Reselling Tickets

Tickets for the London 2010 Olympics went on sale between the 15 March 2011 and 26 April 2011 of this year. At that time, you were able to apply for as many Olympics tickets as you wanted to but what many people failed to realize was the fact that you would be charged for all winning tickets that you applied for. If you are one of the thousands of people that applied for lots of Olympic tickets that you didn't actually want, there is good news!

Locog has finally announced that they are launching a ticket exchange program between the 6 Jan 2012 and 3 Feb 2012. This means, you will be able to resell tickets that you no longer want and get the full value printed on the ticket. However, there are two catches two this: 1) You can only resell tickets through the official London Olympics website. 2) You aren’t guaranteed to get your money back so, it nobody wants to buy your ticket(s) you’re stuck!

Also, you can kiss good-bye the idea of reselling the Olympic tickets at a profit on eBay. According to the organizers for the London Olympics, they will fine anyone that is caught reselling Olympic tickets in the so called “black market”.

London Olympics Ceremonies

The grand opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics will take place on the 27 July 2012, while the closing ceremony for the London Olympics will take place on the 12 August 2012.

The opening ceremony is without the doubt, the ceremony everyone’s looking forward to because of the traditional parade by athletes representing all corners of the world. Even the Spice Girls, Iron Maiden and the Beatles legend - Paul McCartney – are rumored to be headlining the opening ceremony for the London Olympics.

Tickets for the opening ceremony and closing of the 2012 Olympics will cost anywhere between £20.12 ($31) and £2,012 ($3105), though you can bet that the demand for £20.12 tickets is "crazy", which means a one-in-a-million chance of you getting your hands on the cheapest tickets for the opening ceremony.

Watching the Olympics & “London Live”

If you didn’t win any tickets or don’t fancy forking out any cash for the London Olympic Games, you will still be able to watch the London Olympics and attend free sporting events at the London Olympics. These free sporting events include the road cycling and marathon races, as well as the triathlon events.

Hyde Park and Victoria Park will also be the main hubs during the London Olympics for live music concerts, and watching the Olympics live since the organizers of the London Olympics are planning to set-up huge screens for free viewing.

The organizers of the London Olympics will also be hosting free events on the days leading up to the opening of the London Olympics. Hyde Park will be the main hot-spot to be since Madonna (11 Jul) and Bruce Springsteen (14 Jul) will be performing live.

Tourist Places in England

By the way, if you do plan to attend the free events at Hyde Park and Victoria Park, you will be wise to book ahead of time since the “London Live” organizers won’t allow overcrowding.

You can bet that Hyde Park and Victoria Park will be jam-packed with visitors looking to enjoy the free events. Luckily, you can guarantee entry to these venues by registering at the “London Live website” (Mind you, they charge a fee of £3.50 for this service).

See. Tips when Traveling during the Holidays by Car
9 Tips for Avoiding Hassle at the Airport
Mistakes to Avoid When Booking a Flight Online

Beautiful places in Asia to visit on vacation

2011-12-17T10:07:00.002+13:00

North West Highlands, Vietnam

Vietnam is truly a gorgeous place with breathtaking landscapes and lovely people. If you’ve never visited Asia before but are planning a trip soon you would certainly want to include the North West Highlands of Vietnam in your itinerary of beautiful places in Asia.

Top 10 Places To Go In Southeast Asia

The North West Highlands is a little bit remote from most of the touristy areas of Vietnam, but that’s what makes this place so appealing. The region is filled with beautiful mountain scenery, charming villages and colorful markets such as Sapa Market.

Indonesia’s Gunung Leuser

Gunung Leuser national park is a hidden gem in Asia that has been untouched by mass tourism and oil palm plantations. If you’re a fun of wildlife, this place is one of the best spots in North Sumatra to go to for viewing tigers, rhinos, orangutans and elephants.

Gunung Leuser is located just outside Tangkuban, which is an uncommercialized village where you can book fun eco-tourist activities such as jungle treks on elephants. In fact, the elephant camp at Tangkuban is one of the highlights of a visit to Gunung Leuser national park because you get to see bathe the elephants who really appreciate their backs being scrubbed.

Victoria Peak, HK

Victoria Peak is most certainly one of the top sights to visit in Hong Kong and one of the coolest tourist spots in Asia.

Top 10 Places to See in Hong Kong

Victoria Peak is definitely on my list of beautiful places in Asia to visit on vacation because it offers some of the most dramatic views of Hong Kong and the valley. The view of Hong Kong and the surrounding are is simply amazing, particularly at sunset.

Panglao Island, Central Visayas

Panglao Island is located next to the larger island of Bohol and it’s one of the nicest beaches to visit in Southeast Asia for a beach vacation.

Beautiful places in Philippines to visit

The great thing about Panglao Island is that it isn’t as popular as Boracay Island but it’s equally beautiful, and with fewer crowds. Also, Panglao is surrounded by many islands so you get a nice opportunity for island hoping and visiting cool places such as the marine sanctuary at Balicasag Island where you can dive among some of the most beautiful marine life in the world.

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park is hailed as one of the most spectacular places to hike in the world and you can'r really argue with that statement. If you’ve been to Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho and were wowed by the landscape, you're sure to be blown away by the sights at this Indonesian national park.

Places in Java to visit for the day

Bromo Tengger boasts really astonishing landscapes littered with volcanoes and calderas such as the famous Gunung Bromo, which can only be described as something you would see in a sci-fi movie because of its moon-like surface. Bromo Tengger is also an excellent spot for off-road driving and you can book jeep tours from nearby Malang, Lawang or Surabaya, which is 3 hours away by car.

Gokarna, India

Gokarna is a fairly unknown little Hindu town located around 2 hours drive south of Goa that it’s home to some of the most unspoiled beaches in Asia. These beaches are Half Moon, Paradise, and Om beach, which are unarguably some of the prettiest beaches in the world.

Things to do in Goa India

Both Om beach and Paradise beach are pretty stunning and both boast nice hiking trails to and fro which offer fantastic views of the Arabian Sea. If you’re in the process of jetting out to Goa or Gokarna for the holidays, be sure to pass by Half Moon beach for the New Year’s celebration.

Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces, Guangxi Region

The Guangxi Region of southern China is home to another scenic spot that deserves to be included on the list of beautiful places in Asia. This place is the Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces, which boasts some of the oldest and most spectacular rice terraces you’ll ever see in Asia (even more stunning as the Banaue Rice Terraces in the Philippines if you ask me).

These terraces are steep but the climb to the top is worth it since you get to have beautiful panoramic views of the whole area. The best way to explore the Dragon Backbone’s Rice Terrace and the area around it’s on an organized hiking tour from Guilin, which is just a short drive south of Dragon Backbone.

See. Things to do on Australia’s west coast

Cheap places to go for Backpackers
fun places to go in Australia for young and old
Nicest beaches in Australia

Tips when Traveling during the Holidays by Car

2011-12-16T11:01:00.009+13:00

It is official folks!

More people will be traveling by road during the Christmas holidays within the United States than ever before according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). Saying this though, I have a niggling feeling that one of the main reasons for people hitting the roads more than ever it’s to avoid hassle at the airport at the hands of a TSA agent.

9 Tips for Avoiding Hassle at the Airport

Whichever the case may be, I am pretty sure people have always traveled in large volumes during the holidays so the figures provided by the AAA of over 80 million drivers expected to hit the road this Christmas don’t really come as a surprise. Even despite the ongoing economic downturn and the ever increasing price of everything, people have always preferred to travel by car because it’s one of the best ways to save money while on vacation (at least domestically).

Whether it’s Thanksgiving Day, Easter Week, summer or Christmas holidays, you can bet that people are traveling more and more by car, and the fact that it will be travel chaos both at airports and on the road particularly during the festive occasions of the year.

If you’re one of the millions of travelers expected to travel this Christmas, you will definitely want to minimize hassle as much as possible. I have compiled some handy tips and suggestions that can be used any time of year when traveling during the holidays by car:

1. Get ahead of the pack

Be an early bird traveler by hitting the road before the majority of most people will do. You can always tell when the majority of people will hit the road because the AAA tell us that every year.

This year’s Christmas Day falls on Sunday, which means most people are of course expected to travel on Friday (Dec 23rd) . Regardless of the day of the year, if you're traveling during the holidays by car you will want to get on the road two days before the AAA releases road figures.

2. Rent away

It isn’t too late to rent a car even if it’s only ten days to go for Christmas Day. Rates for rental cars for the last few months are at an-all-time low particularly for full size SUV’s. To give you an idea, you can rent a full size SUV for less than $200 for a full week!

Rental Car Companies That Rent To Under 21

Traveling during the holidays by car rental has never been more affordable than in recent times and hiring one for the your holidays is a smart thing to do especially if you are planning to tune up the car before traveling.

Servicing your car nowadays before your holidays can mean many $$$’s that you could use for your holiday. With a rental car you won’t only be getting s sweet deal at the moment, but you’ll also be getting a car that’s almost new and regularly maintained. This means less chance of you and your family breaking down on the road (though if you do, most car hire companies do also offer free 24-hour roadside assistance so, be sure to check that out).

3. Don’t follow the herd

Do you really want to drive the same route millions of other cars will be taking? Most people use AAA’s travel tool to plan their route. The travel tool provided by AAA or any other are great because they help you find the easiest travel route to take.

However, millions of other travelers do also check these travel tools and choosing their suggested routes can defy the point of planning ahead if you’re still going to end stuck in traffic with the rest.

4. Take it easy

We can never be reminded too many times to “watch our speed”, especially when traveling during the holidays by car! I know it’s hard to adhere to the speed limit when your foot wants to hit the pedal to the metal.

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However, it’s good to remember (this helps sometimes) that you are driving during the holidays (most likely with family), and not driving to work ('street racing'), which means that you want to get wherever you’re heading to without any hassle and without putting a small dent on your finances on gas money.

5. Sober Up

I bet you knew this one was coming! Believe it or not, most people that get done for drink and driving on the road didn’t even realize they were over the limit. The Christmas holidays and New Year time particularly are the worse times of the year for getting pulled-over by a law-enforcement officer because they treat all cases of drink and driving very seriously.

And, believe when I say that police won’t let off the hook so, be sure to keep in mind how much you drink before jumping on the steering-wheel. By the way, if you’re curious to know… if the officer finds .08 grams or more per deciliter on your blood during the BAC test you can kiss good-bye to a smooth and trouble-free journey back home!

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Visiting Europe’s most Famous Museums for free

2011-12-15T09:55:00.004+13:00

Prado Museum, Madrid

Prado Museum (Museo Nacional del Prado) is not only Spain’s most famous museum but also one of the best art museums in Europe. The Prado boasts thousands of art collections and masterpieces by revered artists such as Goya, Velazquez, Rubens, and Rembrandt.

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You can easily spend 5-8 hours at the Prado Museum if you really want to see it all. If you want to be a savvy visitor, you will want to visit El Prado during the free admission times. Many people aren’t aware that you can visit El Prado for free the last two hours of everyday Tuesday through Sunday.

The Louvre, Paris

The Louvre (Musee du Louvre) is without question one of Europe’s most famous museums and one of the most visited places in France. The beauty about the Louvre is that it used to be a palace apartment for the royals, which is the reason why the Louvre is so grand.

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The minute you set eyes on the Louvre you will be taken by its visually inspiring beauty and magnificent artworks such as Venus de Milo and Monalisa. The Louvre is another world-class museum that you can visit for free the first Sunday of every month.

Museum Island, Berlin

If you’re a serious museum buff, you won’t find a better place to go in Europe than Museum Island in Germany. Museum Island boasts five museums one of which is the Pergamon Museum, which is the crème de la crème of museums.

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The Pergamon Museum alone is possibly the best of all because it houses top exhibits such as the 8th gate of Babylon, the façade of the Jordanian palace of Umayyad, and the altar of the Turkish ancient city of Pergamon.

You can visit all five museums in Museum Island for free on Thursday evenings between 6pm and 10pm. Alternatively, there is also the "Berlin Welcome Card Museum Island", which offers free admission, 3 days of free travel, and other cool perks.

State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg

The State Hermitage Museum is one of the top places to view art in Russia and it’s certainly one of Europe’s most famous museums because of masterpieces such as The Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt.

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In fact, the State Hermitage Museum boasts an incredible collection of western European art featuring works by other famous painters such as El Greco, Leonardo da Vinci, and Monet. You will need at least an entire day to enjoy a visit at the State Hermitage, and you can visit the museum for free every first Thursday of each month.

Vasa Museum, Stockholm

The Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet) is Sweden's most beloved attraction and one of the top tourist attractions in Scandinavia to visit. The Vasa is simply one of the best maritime museums in the world and if you’re interested in pirate ships and 16th century vessels, you will love spending time learning about life for the crew on-board the Vasa warship and how the ship sank over 500 years ago before even going to battle.

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The Vasa museum is definitely a cool museum (kiddies will love the Vasa too!) and the fact that that you’re allowed to wander off the ship makes this place even more of a must see!

The Vasa museum doesn’t offer free days although it offers free tours between June and August. You can into the the Vasa for free when purchasing the Stockholm Card, which also allows free admission to other great attractions in Stockholm.

The Vatican Museums, Vatican City

The Vatican Museum in Italy is the largest museum site in the world and another fantastic museum in Europe that you can visit for free the last Sunday of every month.

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The Vatican Museums site is certainly one of the most beautiful and impressive places to visit in Rome because of the beautiful painted ceilings and frescoes on the walls, pretty courtyards, marble statues, religious antiquities, and Vatican rooms such as the famous Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo.

If you’re planning to visit the Vatican City and Rome, it’s a good idea buying the OMNIA Vatican & Rome card because it offers some great benefits such as being able to use Rome’s public transportation, and visits to the Vatican rooms of the Vatican Museums.

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9 Tips for Avoiding Hassle at the Airport

2011-12-14T11:37:00.006+13:00

Dreading airport security?

Mistakes to Avoid When Booking a Flight Online

Increased airport security may be necessary after 9/11 but it’s without question, one of the biggest hassles we have to go through, though parking and checking-in can be equally irritating.

If you’re going on vacation the last thing you need at the airport is any kind of hassle that may spoil the experience. The following pointers should give you a good idea on do’s and don’ts at the airport and how to get through airport security smoothly:

1. Check-in the day before

If you want to start your vacation on the right foot and avoid unnecessary hassle at the airport you will want to do the check-in ahead of time. You can check-in at least 24 hours before your flight though there is normally a fee for this.

When checking-in online you can also choose your plane seat and print your flight tickets, which will also save you some hassle.

2. Arrive early at the airport

If you have checked-in online already, you will still want to make sure you get to the airport at least 2-3 hours for an international flight and 1.5 hours for a domestic flight.

Annoying Things about Plane Passengers

Increased airport security is the reason why you’ll want to get to the airport well in advance because security lines can be truly memorable at some of the larger airports.

3. Get updates on your flight

Flights being delayed and passengers waiting at the airport lounges may be a typical picture at most airports around the world, but if you can avoid the hassle of waiting at the airport lounge because your flight had been delayed (or cancel), why wouldn’t you?

Useful Travel Apps to have on a Smartphone

This is why one of the 9 tips for avoiding hassle at the airport is to know whether your flight will be delayed or not. It's a good idea to check the status of your flight a few hours before it’s scheduled to depart just in case your flight has been delayed for a few hours or cancelled completely.

4. Expect the unexpected

Most of us expect to breeze through airport security without hassles when going through the TSA checkpoints. However, the TSA checkpoint is the one area at the airport that passengers haven’t got much control over, which is why anything can happen even if you follow the TSA guidelines.

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It’s a hard pill to swallow but it’s within the TSA agents’ right to stop you to one side, question you, and pat you down without giving you a reason.

5. Hold your nerve

One of the most important 9 tips for avoiding hassle at the airport is to never get into an argument with a TSA agent. If you travel a lot (even if you don’t) you will be bound to experience the painful feeling of being stopped or screened by a TSA agent. The worse thing you can do at that point is to become agitated or argumentative because the TSA officer has singled you out (remember TSA agents can and will do pretty much as they please).

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If the TSA officer is being awkward, do your very best to keep cool, bite your tongue, and be polite. Even if it feels unfair or outright outrageous, you have to remember that feelings don’t matter much to TSA officers who would happily take you up for further screening in a blink of an eye.

6. Beware of your luggage

Losing sight of your luggage is something that can happen even to the most weary travelers. No matter how it happens, becoming separated from your luggage is truly one of the worse experiences at the airport especially when someone's nicked your luggage.

However, nowadays there is a higher chance of unattended luggage being removed by the airport security staff let alone by a petty-thief. This is why you want to keep close to your belongings at all times since airport staff are notoriously slow on releasing seized luggage, and that can mean losing your flight!

7. Get TSA-approved baggage locks

Finding out that a TSA officer had to cut open your luggage or destroy your lock to conduct a search is one of the most irritating things ever!

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This is why buying a TSA-approved lock for your luggage is one of the best 9 tips for avoiding hassle at the airport because these locks can be opened by the TSA officers. Best of all, you can make a claim if TSA agents happen to misplace your lock.

8. Check the TSA website

TSA officers are responsible for screening passengers and NOT airports, and with airport security policies ever changing it’s a good idea to get in the habit of checking the TSA website before your flight.

You will be able to read the latest updates on prohibited items, carry-on items, and other bits of information such as screening procedures by TSA officers, full-body scanners, etc.

9. Don’t fly

Sorry to say it folks but the good old days of hassle-free flying are long gone! Getting through airport security will never be the same after 9/11 nor the joyful experience of being at the airport terminal.

The worse thing of all is that security at airports is not ceasing to increase, and this is putting more and more people off flying. In fact, if you are put off flying by now, you may find consolation in knowing that car travel and train travel are there for the taking.

See. Tips when Traveling during the Holidays by Car
Information about London 2012 Olympics

Things to do on the Coast of Argentina

2011-12-13T12:40:00.004+13:00

Argentina boasts one of the most beautiful stretches of coast you can road trip anywhere in the world offering a myriad of opportunities for fun activities and cool things to do along the way. Here it's some ideas and suggestions on things you can do:

Explore Tierra del Fuego National Park

Tierra del Fuego is one of the most spectacular places you can visit on the east coast of Argentina as it’s located at the southernmost point of South America (literary at the end of the world). Tierra del Fuego National Park offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor pursuits and the stunning landscapes and amazing wildlife is truly second to none!

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You could book an organized tour of Tierra del Fuego national park in Ushuaia with tour operators such as Ripio Turismo, or Comapa Turismo. Although, you can inexpensively organize a 3 day trip to Tierra del Fuego national park yourself. You can get to the park by bus from Ushuaia and stay in lodging or camping accommodation.

Walk with Penguins

One of the coolest things to do on the coast of Argentina it's to visit a colony of penguins in the the Patagonia region. One of the best places for viewing penguins has in Punto Tombo, which boasts a huge colony of Magellanic penguins.

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This colony of Magellanic penguins is located not far from the south of Trelew and it’s actually one of the largest in the world. You can book an organized tour from Trelew to see the penguins, though hiring a car is definitely the cheaper and better option since entry to penguin colony is roughly $10. Once in the park, you’ll be able to wander around the place freely crossing paths with the penguins.

Fly out to the Falkland Islands

The Falklands Islands is no doubt one of the top tourist destinations in South America for cruises, and it’s definitely one of the top things to do on the coast of Argentina. One of the most popular ways to get to the Falklands is by plane with LAN Airlines.

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LAN Airlines operates direct flights to the Falklands from Buenos Aires, though you can also book a flight from Rio Gallegos. Once in the Falklands, you’ll be able to book organized tours such as wildlife tours that will take you around the islands and out to sea to see cool marine life such as dolphins. Besides tour companies, you can also cheaply hire a four-wheel drive and explore places such as battlefield sites of the Falkland War.

Hit the Dunes

Sandboarding is definitely one of the most popular outdoor activities Argentineans get up to since it's inexpensive and a lot of fun.

There are miles of dune areas to be found along the coast of Argentina such as the ones between Mar del Plata and Bahia Blanca (province of Buenos Aires) where you’ll find plenty of nice spots for sand boarding such as Mar del Sur, Necochea and Monte Hermoso.

Learn to Tango

A visit to Argentina wouldn’t be complete without taking the opportunity to learn about the famous Tango dance, which is revered all across Argentina. Buenos Aires is certainly the capital of Tango and you'll encounter Tango even on the streets of Buenos Aires. BA also has lots of Tango schools offering short programs that teach you the basics about the dance and Tango culture.

Tango schools, of course, aren’t the only places to learn this elegant dance. There are also Tango bars and theater shows such as Evita Vive where you can soak in an evening of Tango. There are also Milongas (tango clubs) in Buenos Aires such as La Viruta (district of Palermo), Lo de Celia and Dandi in the district of San Telmo.

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Top natural attractions in Australia

2011-12-10T07:06:00.003+13:00

1. Great Barrier Reef (GBR)

If you had to describe Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in one word, it would be “amazing” because it really is! The Great Barrier Reef is no doubt one of the nature’s greatest creations and enjoying a diving excursion on the GBR is one of the coolest things you can do on the east coast of Australia.

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The Great Barrier Reef is truly spectacular and it’s one of the must see places in the world especially since the corals of the Great Barrier Reef are quickly dying because of the heavy tourism and fishing. If you had in the works a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, you may want to visit it sooner rather than later.

2. Ayers Rock (Uluru)

Ayers Rock easily ranks second on the list of top natural attractions in Australia after the Great Barrier Reef since this natural wonder is quite remarkable indeed.

Ayers Rock is located within the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the southern corner of Australia’s Northern Territory and it's is essentially the largest sand rock on earth measuring a whooping 3.5 miles in length. Another amazing thing about Ayers Rock is its beautiful color changes of fiery red and purple during sunrise and sunset. If you visit Ayers Rock on a bright early morning it seems as if Ayers Rock is literary on fire!

3. Kimberly Gorges

Western Australia is known for its spectacular gorges and none are more dramatic than the ones along Gibb River Road in the Kimberley region. Gibb River Road is one of the most popular driving routes in Australia, though it’s one heck of an arduous route to do even with a four-wheel drive.

things to do on Australia's west coast

Still, the drive along Gibb River Road is rewarding indeed because of the fantastic canyons along way such as the famous Dimond Gorge and Sir John Gorge, which boast cool swimming rock pools.

4. Fraser Island

Fraser Island is known for being the largest sand island in the world and it’s definitely one of the top natural attractions in Australia that you have to visit. Fraser Island is located off the coast of Hervey Bay and it’s an amazing place to be getting close to nature.

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Fraser Island has beautiful rainforests, lakes, and sandunes which are fun for four-wheel driving tours. There are also a ton of wildlife to be watched such as dingoes, crocs, cockatoos, tiger sharks and humpback whales.

5. Mount Kosciuszko

Mount Kosciuszko is the tallest peak in Australia and it’s also one of the most climbable peaks in the country.

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Mount Kosciuszko is located within the Mount Kosciuszko national park in New South Wales and offers a nice opportunity for anyone (regardless of experience level) to boast about being at the top of the highest point in Australia.

6. Jim Jim Falls

Australia is also known for its stunning waterfalls and if you’re planning to see one you’ll want it to be Jim Jim Falls in Kakadu national park (about 2 hours drive east of Darwin). Jim Jim falls boast a spectacular 200 meter drop which is truly a spectacle when the water flows over the falls.

Even during the dry season (May and June) when the falls aren’t flowing, you can enjoy this place because of the scenery and the huge boulders you have to climb over to reach the falls.

7. Jenolan Caves

Jenolan Caves are located in the famous Blue Mountains of New South Wales and these caves are one of Australia’s most stunning natural wonders. Jenolan Caves aren’t too far to get to from either Sydney or Canberra and are worth visiting since they’re some of the oldest caverns in the world.

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Jenolan Caves boasts countless numbers of stalactites formations and you can enjoy fun cave walks through the lit corridors with a guided tour for one of the most memorable experiences to take home from Australia.

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Things to do on Australia’s west coast

2011-12-09T09:53:00.006+13:00

Road tripping the west coast of Australia?

The west coast of Australia easily boasts one of the most stunning stretches of coast you can drive along anywhere in the world and with so many things to see and do along the way and off the beaten path that you’ll feel almost spoilt for choice. Below it’s a round up of some cool things you must do on Australia’s west coast:

1. Dive with sharks

One of the coolest things you can in Australia’s west coast is to take a dive in Ningaloo Reef to swim among the majestic whale sharks. Ningaloo Reef is one of the largest fringing coral reefs in the world and Ningaloo Reef alone is known to draw hundreds of whale sharks during feeding season (between March and July).

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Ningaloo Reef is located roughly between Geraldton and South Headland (not far from Cape Range National Park), and the best way to enjoy this place it's by booking a whale watching tour with one of the tour companies such as Kings Ningaloo Reef whale shark tours, Ningaloo Reef Dreaming, or Ningaloo Treasures in either Exmouth.

2. Overnight in Karijini National Park

Spending a night or two in Karijini National Park is one of the best things to do on Australia’s west coast since this park is the largest national park in the state. Karijini offers a nice opportunity for getting up to some really cool outdoor pursuits like four-wheel driving and hiking.

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Karijini is truly home to some of the most dramatic canyons, rock pools and stunning waterfalls ever, and there are also plenty of cool wildlife. Within Karijini National Park you will find lodges, caravan parks and camping areas such as Dale Campground, Karijini Eco Retreat, and Karratha Caravan Park.

3. Drive the Gibb River Road

Gibb River Road is located in the Kimberley region and it’s without a doubt, one of the most scenic routes you can drive in Western Australia. Gibb River Road isn’t only stunning and filled with spectacular gorges, but it's also fun to explore on a four-wheel drive since there are many great camping areas to stop off along the way.

Top natural attractions in Australia

To give you an idea of things you can do along Gibb Road include staying at a safari-style tent in Mornington Wilderness Camp, hiking along the stunning Mitchell Falls, swim in Sir John Gorge, and hiring a canoe in Diamond Gorge.

4. Try out surfing

Trying out your surfing skills is easily one of the coolest things to do on Australia’s west coast and you will find no shortage of great places to learn to surf. Perth is probably one of the most popular places in Western Australia for learning to surf because of the surf schools and beaches like Scarborough Beach whose waves are perfect for beginners.

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The Margaret River area also has many surf schools and surf shops to choose from like Sessions Surf Shop, Surfpoint, Margaret River Surf School, and Stand Up Surfing.

5. Take the ferry to Rottnest Island

A trip in Western Australia wouldn’t feel the same without enjoying a ferry ride over to Rottnest Island. This little island is located off the coast of Perth and takes only 20 minutes to get to aboard the Rottnest Express, which charges $36 for a round-trip ticket.

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Once in Rottnest Island, you’ll find lots of things to do such as biking, snorkeling, swimming, fishing, surfing, and whale watching. You can even hop onboard one of Rottnest air taxis for a cool scenic flight of the entire island.

6. Watch the feeding of crocs

Watching crocodiles feeding is one of those things you won’t get to do everyday so, it’s definitely one of the must things to do on Australia’s west coast. One of the popular places for watching crocs feasting is at the Broome Crocodile Park in Cable Beach, although Crocodylus Park in Darwin is another great place.

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Broome Crocodile Park offers a nice opportunity to learn and get close to crocodiles in a fun way while taking cool photos of them.

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Best Beaches in SE Asia

Cheap places to go for Backpackers

2011-12-08T07:47:00.010+13:00

When it comes to backpacking around the world, Thailand has to be the ‘numero uno’ destination in Southeast Asia for anyone traveling abroad, particularly backpackers. Thailand’s popularity among the backpacker community isn't surprising since Thailand is cheap, exotic, and offers something for everyone.

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If you’re a backpacker that loves to party and pamper yourself, you’ll want to head to Patong Beach or Haad Rin Beach for the Full Moon Party, which is one of the most famous beach parties in Asia. Thai massage parlors are also some of the cheap places to go for backpackers in Thailand since for as little as a few bucks you can get that million dollar feeling!

If you are the outdoors type backpacker who wants to mingle with locals and discover nature, you’ll fall in love with Thailand’s glorious forests, beaches, festivals, and food markets such as the Songkran festival (April) and Chiang Mai’s weekend markets.

top 10 places to go in Southeast Asia

By the way, Thai people also love their elephants, and the elephant conservation parks in Chiang Mai offer a fantastic opportunity to hit the outdoors while getting to know these beautiful creatures up-close.

Southeast Europe

There is no doubt that when backpacking around the world, Europe is one of the most popular destinations for backpackers because of places such as Amsterdam and Rome, which boast some of the coolest sites in Europe. However, as most travelers will tell you Southeast Europe is the last frontier for backpacking in Europe, why?

Southeast Europe is cheapest region at the moment and it's a fantastic region to explore on a shoestring. Also, Southeast Europe is home to some of the prettiest scenery and sights such as the spectacular fortresses town in Maglic Serbia, which is one of the best unknown cities in Europe.

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You’ll find plenty of good and affordable hostels in Southeast Europe in places such as Slovenia and Bosnia, which contrary to what you might have heard in the news it isn’t a battleground with tanks and burning wreckage. There are, of course, reminders of the past war but Sarajevo and Mostar in Bosnia are some of the most welcoming, multicultural and beautiful places you can visit in Europe.

Malaysia

Malaysia is close second with Thailand for the title of cheap places to go for backpackers in Asia, even though Malaysia may not be as cheap as Thailand. However, Malaysia serves as an ideal stop-over point for trips to other Southeast Asian places such as Singapore, Indonesia and even the Philippines.

Best Beaches in SE Asia

Besides its great location, Malaysia is such a marvelous destination for backpackers because of East Malaysia (Malaysian Borneo), which is home to memorable beaches such as Perhentian Kecil and South Beach; and stunning national parks such as Gunung Mulu and Kinabalu where you can enjoy plenty of trekking excursions.

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Kuala Lumpur's many attractions are also a heaven for backpackers and the best thing of KL is its large community of expats and cheap areas to stay such as Petaling Street in Chinatown where a few bucks there gets you a long way.

Australia

Australia is, no doubt, a backpackers’ delight and one hell of a destination for anyone that’s into serious adventurous traveling. If you want to feel like a explorer, the Northern Territory and Tasmania will have you sorted, particularly the island of Tasmania, which boasts some of the most dramatic scenery and wildlife anywhere in the world.

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The national parks of Uluru and Kakadu in the Northern Territory are great places to explore because of the really spectacular rock formations such as Ayers Rock (located in Australia’s famous Red Centre), which is one of the most iconic natural formations of Australia.

Then, you have Australia’s lively cities such as Perth (Western Australia), Cairns (Queensland), Sydney (New South Wales), and Adelaide (South Australia) which are home to some of the most popular backpackers’ destinations such as Bondi Beach, Byron Bay, Cairns Esplanade, Surfers’ Paradise, and the Whitsundays.

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All of these destinations are home to many hostels, great nightlife, and plenty of opportunities for beach camping, four-wheel driving, whale watching, surfing and, of course, scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef.

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Nicest beaches in Australia

2011-12-07T07:00:00.008+13:00

Bondi Beach is probably the most famous beach in Australia, but there are hundreds of other great beaches to visit that are equally, if not more stunning than some of the most famous beaches in Australia.

To illustrate, I've come up with a nice list including the best, nicest, coolest and most popular beaches in Australia:

Goolawah Beach, Crescent Heads

Goolawah Beach is located in New South Wales (NSW) and it’s easily one of the most overlooked beaches along Australia’s famous Gold Coast. Goolawah Beach is about a half-hour drive north of Port Macquarie and it’s easily one of the prettiest beaches in Crescent Head.

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Goolawah Beach boasts a gorgeous stretch of golden sand where you can enjoy beach camping and four-wheel driving. Goolawah Beach also boasts nice breaks so it’s a fantastic spot for surfing without huge crowds.

Lucky Bay Beach, Esperance

Lucky Bay is without question one of the nicest beaches in Australia you can visit. Lucky Bay boasts a 3-mile stretch of beautiful white sand and stunning turquoise clear waters, which are ideal for snorkeling.

things to do on Australia's west coast

Lucky Bay is also located inside a national park (Cape Le Grand National Park in Western Australia) so, it’s a great place for beach camping, hiking, viewing kangaroos, and whale watching. Another great thing about Lucky Bay beach is that Esperance is just 30 minutes drive by car so, you’re never too far from the nearest town.

Streets Beach, South Bank Parkland

Streets Beach is also one of the nicest beaches in Australia even though this beach is not natural. Streets Beach is man-made but the shoreline is made out of real sand beach and even boasts palm trees and other beautiful exotic plants on display.

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One of the coolest things that Streets Beach has going for is that it’s great location at the South Bank Parkland, which was the former of Brisbane’s World Expo. South Bank Parkland has been turned into an amazing place with lovely walking, grassy and themed areas, as well as shops, restaurants, and cool attractions such as a Ferris wheel (Wheel of Brisbane).

Cottesloe Beach, Perth

Cottesloe Beach is about 20 minutes drive from downtown Perth and it’s definitely one of best beaches in Australia. Cottesloe boasts a wide beach and it's a truly stunning beach with crystal clear waters and a family-friendly atmosphere.

fun places to go in Australia for young and old

Being a beach town, Cottesloe Beach is not far from playgrounds, restaurants and hotel accommodation, which is nice if you're traveling with small kids.

Manly Beach, North Steyne

Manly Beach is easily one of the most popular surfing beaches in Australia and because of its close location to Sydney is a definite hit.

cheap places to go for backpackers

Manly Beach is located about 30 minutes drive north of Sydney and it’s another beautiful beach town where you can enjoy a fabulous time because of the many facilities like shops, restaurants and sitting areas. If you aren’t renting a car in Sydney, you can still get easily and quickly to Manly beach onboard one of Sydney’s ferries.

Palm Cove Beach, Palm Cove

Palm Cove Beach is located near Cairns Queensland (northern Australia) and it’s one of the nicest beaches in Australia because of its mile-long beach of lovely white sand and palm trees.

Things to do in Cairns Queensland

In fact, Palm Cove Beach boasts such a Californian feel that it is sometimes compared to California’s Venice beach because of its luxury resorts, palm trees and upscale restaurants. Saying this, Palm Cove Beach does boast hostels and other lodging options to suit most budgets.

75 Mile Beach, Fraser Island

75 Mile Beach definitely boasts one of the coolest beach names, though this beach does live up to its name since 75 Mile Beach is about seventy-five miles long. 75 Mile Beach is one of the longest beaches in Queensland and it’s located along the southeast corner of the state (about 4 hours drive north of Brisbane).

best places for hiking in South Australia

75 Mile Beach is without a doubt, one of the most pristine spots in Australia for viewing wildlife, and since this beach isn’t suitable for swimming, you can really get to appreciate the beach’s ruggedness and even get to do a bit of off-road driving and fishing.

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Best Places for hiking in South Australia

2011-12-06T08:07:00.010+13:00

Planning a hiking trip to South Australia?

There is no doubt that spring and autumn seasons are the best times to head to southern Australia for a hiking vacation. Whether you’re planning to stay in Melbourne, Sydney, or Tasmania, I have for you some great suggestions for 1 to 3 day hikes that are suitable for most levels:

Wilsons Promontory National Park (Wilsons Prom), Victoria

Known locally as “the Prom”, the Wilsons Prom national park is no doubt one of the most popular hiking spots in the state of Victoria because of the stunning wildlife and opportunity for day hikes. The trail from Sealers Cove to Refuge Cove is one of the most popular trails for a 2-day hike in the park, though you can easily walk Sealers Cove and back in just a few hours.

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Wilsons Prom also boasts beautiful beaches where you can enjoy surfing and swimming, as well as plenty of accommodation options such as camping areas and lodges to choose from. Another great thing about Wilsons Prom is that it’s about two hours drive northwest of Melbourne so you can get to the park in no time! It’s worth renting a car if you’re staying in Melbourne since the drive from Melbourne to The Prom is definitely worth doing because of the sightseeing opportunities like seeing the penguin parade at Phillip Island.

Overland Track, Tasmania

The Overland Track in Tasmania is definitely one of the most famous treks in the world and it’s without a doubt, one of the best places for hiking in South Australia. If you’re into wilderness hiking, you’ll love trekking the Overland Track since it’s located right in the heart of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, which is one of the most pristine bushwalking areas in the world.

Fun Things to do in Tasmania

The beauty of the Overland Track is that it’s easily accessible, properly marked and offers amazing opportunities for wildlife viewing. Also, even if you haven’t got a ton of hiking experience you’ll find this track quite manageable. The Overland Track also boasts shelters and ranger stations along the way in case you run into some trouble or the weather starts playing-up.

Blue Mountains, New South Wales

The Blue Mountains is probably one of the most popular spots for hiking in Australia since it’s literary next door to Sydney. The Blue Mountains are located about 25 miles west of Sydney and can be reached very easily on a 60-minute car journey along the State Route 40 (Bells Line of Road). You can also book guided tours from Sydney or hop on a train to the Blue Mountains on the City Rail train ride, which takes about 2 hours.

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Once you get to the Blue Mountains, you'll find lots of great hiking and walking opportunities such as the Wentworth Falls hiking trail, which is one of the most popular trails in the Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains also boasts stunning lookout points such as Rocket Point, Jamison, and Evans lookouts where you can enjoy some of the most memorable views.

Lake Tarli Karng, Victoria

Lake Tarli Karng is located within the Alpine National Park and it’s one of the best places for hiking in South Australia because it's the only natural lake in the Victorian Alps.

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The area around Lake Tarli Karng is a real a beauty to hike, though bush fires and flooding wiped many of the tracks a couple of the years back. In fact, you can still find some trees scattered around the lake and closed tracks though luckily you can still enjoy nice easy day hikes along Mount Margaret track, Clive Lanigan Memorial Walk track, and Gillio track (all of which are opened).

Australian Alps Walking Track

The Australian Alps walking track is one of the most famous bushwalking trails in Australia and one of the longest in the country. The Australian Alps track spans the states of Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory passing through plains, tall forests, grasslands, beautiful national parks and stunning peaks such as the Baw Baw national park, Mt. Bogong, Alpine national park and Bimberi Peak.

fun places to go in Australia for young and old

Depending on your pace level, the Australian Alps track takes roughly between 30 and 60 days to complete, whether you start from the towns of Walhalla and Tharwa. Saying this, the Australian Alps walking track does offer good opportunities for day easy hikes. A few include:

-Walhalla town to Baw Baw national park
-Macalister Springs camp to Mt Howitt
-Namadgi Visitor Centre (10 minutes from Canberra) to Mt. Tennent

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Mistakes to Avoid When Booking a Flight Online

2011-12-03T09:05:00.012+13:00

1. Online booking sites Versus Airlines

Nowadays you can book a flight through an online booking site or directly with the airline, but booking with an airline is always a winner, why? Booking directly with the airline is always cheaper and offers more security, unlike online travel agents who charge you a commission and don't always offer any kind of compensation when anything doesn't go according to plan.

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Having said this, online booking sites do come handy since you can use them to compare airfare deals and find vacation packages. There are more than enough online booking sites such as Expedia, Skyscanner, Orbitz and Kayak offering enticing packages for the Christmas holidays and summer vacations so, it's great to check them out.

2. Entering the wrong details

It may be an obvious one but one of the mistakes to avoid when booking a flight online it’s to enter the wrong personal information and flight details. Things like typing in incorrectly your surname and the wrong flying date can cost you a small fortune and a lot of hustle (quite literary!).

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You would think that making a simple mistake like a misspelled surname could be easily and freely rectified by the airline, right? Well, many airlines don’t seem to think so since they will happily charge a ridiculous fee for a little update on their system.

This is why it's a good idea to double check (even triple check while you’re at it) the names and flying dates since many airlines won’t show you much sympathy in these days of hard economic times. There are some airlines though that will amend wrong details without charging you a penny. Airlines are constantly updating their policies so it’s a matter of checking their policy on name changes before booking.

3. Booking a flight the last minute

By last minute, I mean a couple of weeks before you’re due to travel. Two or three weeks may seem like a lot of time before booking a flight but it’s definitely not advisable since you can get much cheaper flight tickets when booking at least 8-9 weeks in advance.

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Also, you may have difficulty finding the dates you want to travel, or even worse you may not find flights at all because you’re booking during the high season.

4. Using a credit card

Another of the mistakes to avoid when booking a flight online is using your credit card. Using your credit card to pay for your vacation may be tempting but if you really don’t want to be overcharged astronomically you’ll be wise not to use a credit card (instead use a Visa debit)

Credit cards are useful sometimes but using them to pay for your vacation isn’t a great idea because airlines charge typically anything between 1% and 5% per booking . It may not sound like a lot when booking a domestic flight, but 5% per booking on a $2000 flight ticket and you’re looking at $100.

5. Booking a long-haul flight with budget airlines

Budget airlines have certainly revolutionized the air travel industry by offering very competitive and inexpensive flights, and they’re great to use for short trips abroad and domestic flights. However, the thing to remember about booking flights with budget airlines is that they have more “cons” than “pros” (particularly on long destinations).

One major drawback of budget airlines it’s that when flights are cancelled they only compensate you minimally, though luckily a new “flight delay law” have been passed, which means budget airlines do have to compensate you fully (if you choose to). However, the kicker to this is that budget airlines only have to compensate you if they flight delay is for more than 6 hours.

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Even with this new law, budget airlines are proving to be not as accommodating as traditional airlines since they also don’t offer a baggage transfer when booking a connecting flight. This means having to go through airport security all over again when you reach your connecting destination.

There you go folks! These are some of the things to consider when booking flights online. You don't necessarily have to avoid booking with budget airlines or booking flights through an online booking site but at least you know what it all means. Hope you enjoyed the post:)

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