Blog entries

The Best UK Short Break Experiences

Martin Style — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:30:47 +0100

We all love our holidays but with money tight and costs soaring higher than a Jumbo heading for Hawaii, many people are realising that now is the time to think differently about getting a well-earned break.

And we should think differently, too. Weekend breaks aren`t just about the rather obvious romantic trips to Paris or stag nights in Prague; and if you think coach trips are the exclusive province of pensioners off to see the Blackpool illuminations, you need to think againRead More...

V8 Race Car Driving, Sydney

Martin Style — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:25:09 +0100

I'm not sure why the anticipation of getting into a V8 car and onto a race track made me very nervous but it did. Maybe it was because I hadn't driven a manual for a while and stalling in front of onlookers would be extremely embarrassing or perhaps it was the fear that I would be driving like a geriatric compared to everyone else.

Nevertheless, I turned up to the racetrack. Unfortunately, because it had been raining in the morning, there was quite a long delay as they needed to dry thRead More...

Utah’s Dead Horse Point State Park

Kay Fetner — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:42:33 +0100

Unusual

Unusual name for a state park wouldn’t you agree?

I should have known, bank holiday in the UK, and a plane with a 170 capacity with only 25 people on an airline I’d never heard of. The signs were ominous, Helsinki was just not the place to be. Was I right?

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"Monument Valley"

Sitting on the Utah and Arizona border, Monument Valley is a small part of the 16 million acre Navajo Reservation. No one knows for sure exactly when the first Navajo settled here, but they have raised sheep, oRead More...

Chief Joseph Scenic Highway

Kay Fetner — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:30:44 +0100

Just outside the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park and through Cooke City Montana you pick up State Highway 296. This is known as the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway that winds its way through 47 miles of spectacular views and ends in Cody Wyoming. Besides being known for its geological features and abundant wildlife it also has a unique history. The highway was named for tRead More...

The Yellowstone Grizzly- Yellowstone National Park

Kay Fetner — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:56:32 +0100

Yellowstone is bear country and no matter where you go in the backcountry you are not far from bears. Both black bears and grizzlies are found in the park. The grizzly is the largest and most powerful. Males stand seven feet tall and weigh from 400 to 600 pounds and occasionally more than 800 pounds. Females range from 250 to 400 pounds. The grizzly’s thick fur can range from Read More...

Costa Rica: Corcovado National Park, The Most Biologically Intense Place on Earth

Victor Krumm — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:39:45 +0100

Without a doubt, Costa Rica is a beautiful, spectacular country and a premier tourist destination. Most people, though, have never heard of its natural gem, Corcovado National Park. This teeny park covers only 100,000 acres (about 42,000 hectares) of the Osa Peninsula, situated along the south Pacific coast of Costa Rica, and protects eight unique habitats. It is unlike almost anywhere else on the Read More...

Home of the Spirits - Antelope Canyon Arizona

Kay Fetner — Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Ashley and I recently visited Lower Antelope Canyon on the Navajo reservation in Page Arizona. In both the upper and lower canyons there are hidden “slots” that are carved into the Navajo sandstone. Sam, our native guide told us that as a child he and the other children wanted to play in the “slot” canyons but they were not allowed. The Elders believed these to be the “Home of the Spirits”-a spiritual and sacrRead More...

Costa Rica Fishing: Where and When to Go

Victor Krumm — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:00:00 +0100

Are you an avid angler but tired of being confined to local lakes and rivers? Have you ever wanted to try something more exotic, like deep-sea angling? Costa Rica fishing is for you then!

Sure, you can fish close to home. It is always fun to catch that little trout. Three-and-a-half minutes of fun. But, imagine catching the little trouts cousin (literally, its cousin), the great marlin, weighing iRead More...

Catching - and Releasing - the Big One

Victor Krumm — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:47:00 +0100

On the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica lies Drake Bay, named after the English captain who landed there a few years before he sunk the Spanish Armada. A few miles offshore we caught--and released--a blue marlin, 13 feet long (half the length of our boat), weighing upwards of 400-450 pounds.

Drake Bay Fishing

Molokai

Denise Neal — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:09:00 +0100

A small island in the Hawaii chain that has limited tourism but what an experience for those that are looking for seclusion!

The best accommodation is to rent a condo and we were able to find one on VRBO.com, a reliable site. We stayed on the West end, less populated with awesome beaches, many that you cannot swim at but plenty that you can.

Lots of great hiking! Incredible sights to see..for those less enthusiastic about using their legs, you can drive from West tRead More...

Carnival in Rio

Marvin — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:34:04 +0100

One of the most exciting times to visit Brazil is during Carnival, an annual 4 day event that changes dates every year. The celebrations start Friday, prior to Ash Wednesday up until the following Tuesday .

It's such a massive event that performers start rehearsing months before it even officially begins. There are also lots of exciting pre-activities like dance rehearsals and street parades thatRead More...

Viva Las.......Memphis?

Rug — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:40:00 +0100

I was in Memphis a few days and loved it. I wouldn't say it was one thing in particular but it just seemed to have the right mix of things to do. I would go back there in a second, it has a great mix of culture in the form of Elvis and a lot of African-American history, cool nightlife, and a few quirky extras.

Here's a run down of the stuff that put Memphis as one of my top coolest places to viRead More...

St Augustine Ghost Tour, Florida

Rug — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:56:00 +0100

As part of a Contiki tour through the US we stopped by a town called St Augustine in Florida. Now if you've ever done a Contiki you would know that there are lots of extra activities, some are great and some are really just lame attempts to fill time while stopped in between cool places.

On this occasion it was the lame offering of a guided ghost tour throught the old town, apparently one of theRead More...

Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb

Pete Walker — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:22:00 +0100

By no means is this experience a secret, nor is it exclusive, in fact it is one of the most well known and acclaimed tourist attractions that Sydney has to offer. But the Sydney BridgeClimb is one the must-dos in Sydney (www.bridgeclimb.com).

Basically for those who don't know a Bridgeclimb enables you to climb to the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, 134m above the harbour, and what iRead More...

Cricket at the SCG

Cody — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:47:00 +0100

The SCG....Considered by many to be the most beautiful cricket ground in the world and I tend to agree. The grand old Members' and Ladies' Stands, combined with the beautiful backdrop of the Sydney skyline under a clear Summer night's sky.

Cricket...Considered by many to be one of the dullest games in the world. The many hours involved sitting around under a hot sun watching a game that most don't understand.
Read More...

Marina Restaurant, Jumeriah Beach Hotel, Dubai

Mel — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:16:00 +0100

Champagne brunch is the thing to do on a Friday in Dubai. The working week is from Sunday to Monday so Friday is when the ex-pats party. The Marina restaurant at the Jumeirah Beach hotel is the perfect place to brunch. The restaurant is at the end of a long jetty which stretch a fair way out into the shallows of the gulf. If Read More...

Australia Zoo

Ben Alcock — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:14:00 +0100

Located about an hour north of Brisbane is the world famous, Australia Zoo. The main reason that the Zoo is so famous is because it was run by the late Steve Irwin and is continued to be run by the Irwin family.

I'm not really much of a zoo person, I tend to find them mostly the same (but then I did grow up in Australia so most of the animals that amaze tourists are pretty run of the mill toRead More...

Bed Supper Club, Bangkok

Mel — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The Bed Supper club in Bangkok has to be one of most memorable dining experiences I have had.

When you arrive you feel like you are walking into a spaceship and once inside can’t help but notice there are no tables and chairs – just Bed’s all in white linen in which people are lounging on. Once everyone has arrived the entertainment begins. In the centre of the room two guys bring out a huge block of ice and starting chipping away creating a sculpture. Friends have been when the entertaRead More...