Holidays have become all about the destination, not the journey. We cram ourselves into an airplane, jet off for a couple of weeks in a different culture, and often return more exhausted than when we went away. Maybe that’s because we’re forgetting that life is a journey, not a destination.
Yet in today’s fast-paced, instant-access world, there are still amazing journeys to be had if you take a trip on a freighter ship. Deep within …
The Great British sporting event – Wimbledon
Game…set…match. There is no sporting event quite as quintessentially British as Wimbledon. Where the players have to wear whites and despite the rain (which dependably showers down to stop play) crowds swan around in summer dresses drinking Pimms and lemonade and tucking into strawberries and cream. This is sport with a stiff upper-lip at its best.
Wimbledon runs for two weeks during June-July every year. Most court tickets …
It’s always the weird sights that grab my attention on holiday.
While other tourists are admiring a gaudy temple in Ho Chi Mihn City, I’m fascinated by a frog.
He’s supposed to be compliantly waiting for death in a metal bowl in a pavement market. But this is Adventure Frog. He suddenly springs clean out of the bowl and starts hopping for freedom down the street. The stallholder leaps up and gives chase, plonking him …
Any summer vacation has got to include a visit a theme park or water park. With hundreds of park to choose from it can be a challenge finding one to suit your time and budget. So many rides, so little summer! Here are five top locations for kids of all ages to ride, slide, fly or float and have family fun in the sun.
1. Schlitterbahn, New Braunfels near Austin, Texas has been voted the …
Autumn is my favorite season. Its cooling winds bring an end to the scorching summer sun. Three months of perfect weather before winter starts to show its fury. Fall also signals the beginning of soccer and football seasons, to the excitement of millions of eager fans. The best thing about autumn, however, is the changing of the leaves. Fall foliage is part of the beautiful way nature signals to humans that the season has begun. …
Lunch with Jaws: Diving with Sharks, South Africa
There’s nothing quite like a dinner invite when you feel like part of the meal rather than a fellow guest. As fascinating as it is terrifying, you’ll get about as near to the teeth of a Great White as possible as you’re lowered underwater in a metal cage that suddenly seems incredibly flimsy now that you and the ocean’s greatest predator are eye-to-eye.
How-to: Gansbaai (a 2.5 …
When many hear of a Smoky Mountain Vacation they may picture rustic cabins, hunting or animal watching, perhaps a lazy walking trail or two, and a whole lot of peace. While peace is plentiful in many areas of the Great Smokys, there is also a plethora of highly active entertainments that will leave you with a thirst for adventure long after you make your way back home.
If …
I have something to confess. I’ve been having a luscious affair with New York City since the day I first set foot on its bubblegum-pocked streets. I try to leave, I try to explore other cities and cultures, but somehow I find myself back on Gotham soil at least once a year. I even lived here once. The adage goes that if you can survive one year in the city, you can adorn yourself …
Practicality and innovation are the key words associated with design in Brussels. The city’s style engineers sculpted its individuality with absolute respect for quality – then they dry brushed it with a good dose of humour. Whatever Belgian designers turn their artistic hands to, be it an ornament or a piece of furniture, an under garment or a ball gown, it sells almost as quickly as it is made to discerning customers in the best …
A plain old soak in the tub is now officially passé. Here are just five of the many weird and wonderful places around the world which put more zing in your bath time.
Hamam scrub-down: Istanbul, Turkey
You haven’t been to Turkey until you’ve experienced the hamam (or Turkish bath) and where better to partake in a traditional scrub and soak than in the sultan’s ex-playground of Istanbul. An experience not for the modest, a …
Getting lost in a new city is not usually on a traveler’s to-do list. But it is highly recommended that you cull your skills in the art of getting lost if you wish to throw off the tiresome stereotypes that come with being a tourist.
It might be harder than you think to truly move off the beaten path and have no idea where you are. When you feel a little disoriented, your survival instincts …
Bike sharing has exploded all over Europe in the last ten years or so. Now more than ever, it’s easy to sightsee on two wheels in many Western European cities where infrastructure for cyclists has been much improved. Next time you’re in Copenhagen or Barcelona, forget the Segway and rent yourself a classic cycle to get around town.
Copenhagen, Denmark:
In central Copenhagen 55% of the population rides to work each day and 37% …
