Getting Lost in Languages on your overseas travels

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One of the most common problems and apprehensions about travelling to foreign lands is a person’s inability to communicate in the local language. It is something that is a shock to many people and particularly to Anglophiles that are travelling for the first time. This is certainly true if you are hoping to work in … Read more

Things to do in Lanzarote Canary Islands Spain

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beach on Lanzarote

Must Do Lanzarote was subjected to one of the modern world’s longest ever volcanic eruptions.  Which went on for six years from 1730 – totally transforming around one quarter of the island’s total surface area.  Wiping out villages and farmland and replacing them with lava fields and the spent peaks of 300 volcanoes. This entire … Read more

Things to do in Dublin – Ireland

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Dublin

Must Do Dublin’s most popular attraction is The Guinness Storehouse. Adjoining the brewery, this museum offers an entertaining history of Ireland’s most famous export, and entry includes a free pint of the black stuff in the elevated, panoramic Gravity Bar. What do you like best about Dublin? For a literature lover, there is no better … Read more

Things to do in Alicante – Spain

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Things to do in Alicante – Spain Welcome to our comprehensive guide on things to do in Alicante, Spain. Nestled on the Costa Blanca, Alicante is a treasure trove of unique experiences, rich culture, and picturesque coastlines. In this guide, we’ll take you through the top attractions, activities, hotels, restaurants, and how to get there … Read more

Things to do in Zagreb – Croatia

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Must Do Zagreb is a pocket- sized metropolis, culturally close to central European capitals but with more than a dash of Mediterranean atmosphere. Zagreb is the political, commercial, cultural and academic centre of the country. It’s home to almost a quarter of the country’s population (over one million). Sightseeing is easy and the most important … Read more

Things to do in Launceston – Tas – Australia

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Launceston

Launceston may be one of Tasmania’s smaller cities, but it’s certainly not short on charm or things to do. Nestled in the heart of the Tamar Valley, Launceston boasts a rich history, stunning architecture, and a vibrant arts and culture scene. Whether you’re a history buff, a foodie, or simply looking to soak up some … Read more

Things to do in Haifa Israel

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Aerial view of haifa

The main things to do in Haifa include:

Go to the Baha’i World Centre on Mount Carmel
Visit the Stella Maris Monastery
Visit the Cave of Elijah
Appreciate Japanese Art at Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art
Visit Madatech -Israel National Museum of Science, Technology and Space
Walk through the restored buildings in the German Colony

Historic Pub Crawl in London

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The Star Tavern Belgravia London

In this post I’m going to give you some details about how to do a fantastic pub crawl through London. You’ll need to do this London pub crawl in the day because some of the pubs in the city will close early. Also you’ll need a Zone 1 tube pass as you’ll need to travel … Read more

Buy vs. Rent: What’s The Best Way To Drive Australia?

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motorhome parked near a hill

If you’re heading down to Australia, you might have a road trip already planned…..if you don’t you definitely should! There’s over 817,000 kilometers of roads in the country.

If you planned a trip from Sydney (in the south-east) to Perth (Western Australia), it would take you nearly two whole days to drive there.

In other words, Australia is huge, but the best way to see it is by road. Nothing compares to the freedom you experience seeing this gorgeous country from behind a steering wheel. But that begs the question – is it better to buy a used car or rent one?

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of both options:

Renting a car in Australia

In most countries, renting a car is straightforward. You can even do it at the airport. You probably know all the big rental brands anyway – Hertz, Avis, Europcar, Thrifty, and Redspot. There’s also a ton of local players that offer cars.

The issue is the complex paperwork involved in getting a car hired. There could be issues with security deposits, insurance cover and the amount of distance you can cover.

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Damage excess for rentals varies greatly. Image: bayswatercarrental.com.au

You may fail to notice car damage as minor as bumps or scratches, before you leave the car rental lot. Then end up paying for damage you weren’t responsible for. The terms and conditions also apply many restrictions – not letting you take the car on a ferry, for example.

Our overall thoughts on renting a car in Australia

Overall, renting a car provides less freedom to do what you want. For a lot of travellers, renting is the least enjoyable part of travelling.

But if you’re only going to be visiting for a few days, renting a car rather than buying one might make sense.

Buying a second hand car in Australia

Prefer having more freedom to do what you want? Whilst saving money over the long term, buying a used car might be a better option in Australia.

You can easily buy a used car online and complete the paperwork in a few days. Australians love the open roads and there’s a lot of variety in the cars on offer.

Buying a second hand car can work out cheaper if you’re in Australia for longer than a few weeks. The one caveat is the need to inspect the car before you buy.

You can even sell the car for a reasonable price once your trip is done and you have to leave.  Just make sure you sell the car in the same state as you bought it to avoid extra paperwork.

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2006 Ford Focus with 6 months registration. Image: Gumtree Cars

At the end of the day, whether you buy or rent a car, depends on your budget and time in Australia.

It’s the perfect country for a road trip, so make sure you do your research and get the car you want before you land.

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Having a great stag party in Prague

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There are a number of reasons why having a stag party in Prague is a great idea and they are not all you think. Firstly, everyone will tell you that Eastern Europe generally has a lot of things going for it rather than going to London for a legs up big night on the town.  … Read more

Save money sightseeing in Paris

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Eiffel Tower

Visiting Paris soon? One way that travellers can save money is by pre-purchasing a Paris Pass. The Paris Pass is a sightseeing card which gives holders FREE ENTRY to over 60 sights and tourist attractions in Paris. Customers simply pay the once off price for the Paris Pass of their choice (there are three durations … Read more

Great way to save money in London

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Visiting London soon? One way that travellers can save money is by pre-purchasing a London Pass.

The London Pass is a sightseeing card which gives holders FREE ENTRY to over 60 sights and tourist attractions in London.

You pay a one off cost for the pass and then you are able to visit as many of the included tourist sites in the period that your pass is valid for.

Some of the most popular attractions which can be visited free with the London Pass are the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Windsor Castle, London Zoo – to name but a few.

The London Pass is an ideal addition to a family holiday, romantic weekend or group trip – in fact, anyone who is travelling to London can enjoy and benefit from the pass.

Homestay in Hoi An – Orchid Garden Homestay

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Entrance Orchid Garden Homestay

I spent yesterday afternoon as guests of a Hoi An Homestay – Orchid Garden Homestay.

Orchid Garden Homestay is located on Cua Dai Road halfway between Hoi An Old Town and Cua Dai Beach. The homestay is a collection of 11 bungalows so it probably better classed as a boutique hotel or self contained units than a homestay. Of these bungalows 5 of them have a self contained kitchen if you wish to cook your own food.

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The bungalows have cable TV in a lounge room with Vietnamese style lounge chairs.

Some of the bedrooms can be set up as either a double or twin beds but you should ask about this when you book.

Some of the bungalows have 2 showers one indoor and one outdoor and this is one of the bungalows individual charm each bungalow is different from the other.

There is a nice swimming pool in the homestay which would be very welcome in the summer because Hoi An gets hot. One thing I loved about the homestay was the food. Breakfast is included in he room rate and you can have a Vietnamese breakfast or Continental European.

Looking to go to the beach? You can use the homestay’s bike and ride to the beach or in the other to the Old Town. If you need some information the receptionists speak excellent English.

Rates at Orchid Garden Homestay range from US$40-70 per night.

Is Classic Holiday a scam? Few Points that Validates Classic Holidays a Signature of Excellence

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Is Classic Holiday a scam? Few Points that Validates Classic Holidays a Signature of Excellence

The world’s most recognized holiday club, Classic Holidays, has been helping families enjoy exceptional holidays since 1978. It is their forte to take care of their members in every way with their travel requirements. In all these years they have reached a position with over 650 employees, looking after almost 65,000 club members in Australia and New Zealand.

Classic Holidays takes care of the holiday arrangements of its members- everything from planning, reservation to car rentals. This year, almost over 98,000 member holidays booked in. Overall, the Classic Holidays Club system is versatile, flexible, diverse and easy to use. Take a look at the below points that make it clear why joining Classic Holidays Memberships is extremely efficient-

  • For those who love travelling, Classic Holidays make a wonderful holiday arrangement to its members to remember for the rest of your life.
  • Club member will have access to top-notch resorts and accommodation facilities in the most beautiful and exquisite areas in the world.
  • The strength of Classic Escape lies in its enduring affordability! Once you re connected as members, you get into affordable relaxation.
  • As a member, Classic Escapes entitled you to the lowest possible prices for holiday accommodation and travel. You can receive the following discounts-
  1. 15% discount off the lowest price of any resort, hotel or holiday park accommodation
  2. Up to 60+% off the price of off-peak accommodation packages.
  3. Up to 40% off on international travel bookings.
  4. Up to 30% off on cruises and cruise/travel packages.
  5. 15% minimum discount off on all-inclusive travel insurance.
  6. Up to 30% off on car rentals, transfers and activities.

When you join the membership as a Resort Owner under Classic Holidays membership club, you own a traditional week of timeshare at the home resort managed by Classic Holidays. Being a part of the wide chain of members, you can take advantage of your free membership and exchange your week for $1,000 rebate on cruise or coach tour.

 Again, as a Classic Getaway Member, you have easy access to discounted holiday ownership throughout the world. Other features including the discounts are achieved through your association with Classic Holidays and its global partners.

If you deliberately want to create a lifetime of holiday memories, join Classic Escape affordable holiday club to see how exciting it is to travel across the world. You can ask other members, or the people who work with the team, they’ll tell you that Classic Holidays’ customer-centric culture is widely acknowledged

Romantic Holiday in Brittany

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Peugeot driving through Brittany

Imagine, one day ago you were in the office in London staring at your computer screen thinking about all the places you’d rather be. It’s mid afternoon, the next 3 hours will feel like an eternity, it’s Friday and lunch felt like it happened hours ago but you’ve only been back 30 minutes, sitting, staring … Read more

Settling into life in Hoi An

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Lanterns in a shop in Hoi An

After the mayhem of travelling getting on and off planes making sure you were in the right place at the right time with your passport in hand, the last few days has been a welcome change of pace. Coupled with attempting to overcome my injuries incurred moving furniture a week ago I’m now a little … Read more

Eating Cheap in Singapore

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This is a small guide to help the first time visitor to eating cheap in Singapore. If you are a backpacker or travelling on a tight budget where you eat can make a huge difference to how much you spend as a traveller. This is particularly true in Singapore. If you eat in the tourist … Read more

Private tour of Pompeii

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pompeii

On a summers day in August 79AD the people of Pompeii were going about their everyday tasks oblivious to the danger watching over them.

The previous day was Vulcanalia (the festival for the Roman God of Fire) and in honour of the day Mount Vesuvius was likely speaking to the people. Little did they know it was about to roar to life burying the town for the next 1500 years.

Scientists say it’s most likely people were killed by a pyroclastic flow which is a surge of heat produced when a volcano erupts so when the town was excavated people were found exactly where they were when disaster struck, with no ability to try and escape the eruption.

For the next 6 hours ash rained on the town, until it was under 15 metres of ash and buried for the next 1500 years.

In 1599 a wall of Pompeii was uncovered but quickly forgotten again until the 19th century when the site was discovered and excavated.

Ever since Pompeii has been an important tourist attraction and a must on The Grand Tour of gentlemen in the 19th century and tourists today.

Today Pompeii is  UNESCO World Heritage listed and attracts well over 2 million visitors per year.

The best way to counter the crowds and the multitude of tour groups in their big buses is to take a Pompeii & Vesuvius private tours.

This will allow you to bypass the waiting for other people, be able to see gems that private travel guides know rather than see the same thing, walking the route that thousands of people on the tour buses have done before and are doing that day.

By taking Private tours in Italy it gives you the ability to customise your experience seeing the things that you are interested in, not the same old experience that everyone gets on group tours.

Try using travel guides and private tours you will find that you can get a more pleasant and customised experienced and a better holday all round.

Pay your Argentina Reciprocity fee online

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Are you about to travel to South America and are visiting Argentina? Argentina is one of the most interesting countries in South America with a large amount of major tourist attractions In Buenos Aires you can learn to tango, see a local football game or the polo and so many historic buildings to see. And … Read more

5 Adult things to do on The Gold Coast

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When everyone thinks of the Gold Coast the first thing that springs to mind are the theme parks. But what about the adults, what do they do when they visit the Gold Coast?

There are plenty of adult  things to do away from the main theme park stretch of the Gold Coast nowhere near the screaming and tantrums of those little munchkins.

Most people will go to the Gold Coast for about 5-7 days so I’ve given a quick rundown of a few things to do in that time.

  1. The quest for the perfect photo.

Everyone wants to come back with the iconic photo looking down the coast beach one side high rise buildings the other. Here are 3 ways you can get some great shots.

Firstly the romantic way. Hot Air Gold Coast offer a range of champagne breakfast/balloon ride packages over the Gold Coast hinterland, a great way to get some fantastic photos and a great way to spend the morning.

Hot Air Gold Coast will pick you up from your Gold Coast Hotel.

If you’d like to do get in the air with a little more adrenaline maybe a helicopter ride or Tiger Moths maybe more appealing.

There are a number of companies offering 15 minute helicopter scenic flights over the Gold Coast. For then even more adventurous Tiger Moth Joy Flights operate out of an airfield in Pimpama.

If none of that appeals you can always get 360 degree views from the Q1 Observation Deck at the top of the Q1 building. You also have the option of the 90 minute Skypoint climb which is the highest external building climb in Australia.

   2. Meeting the wildlife

Experience Australian wildlife by feeding kangaroos and cuddling koalas. There are bird shows, sheep shearings, Aboriginal performances and treetop ropes courses at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. It’s a must for overseas visitors who’d like to see Australian wildlife up close.

You can see Pelican feeding daily at 1.30pm at Ian Dipple Lagoon, 371 Marine Pde Labrador. You should get there early to witness the pelicans gathering before feeding time. Pack your swimmers and a picnic lunch and make an afternoon of it.

3. Around the Water

As you can imagine Gold Coast life revolves around the sea, surf and beach.

There are a number of water based activities to try.

You can learn to surf – there are many surf schools along the Gold Coast where you can learn to hang 10 and allow the inner child to show through. If you like your surfing a little less wet you can go to the Surf World Museum at Currumbin.

For horse riders you can ride along the beach try Tassiriki Ranch for details.

Lastly for the adrenaline junkies there are the power boats. Paradise Jet Boating will give you an action packed ride over the water.

4. Food

Gold Coast boasts some great restaurants and also Jupiters Casino where you will find 5 different restaurants.

Ask your hotel concierge for a local recommendation.

5. Health and Fitness

If a relaxing holiday is more your forte then there are many options for you.

If pampering is what you need there are many day spas where you can find your peace and look your best.

For fitness and well being every Monday and Wednesday morning Tai Chi classes are held at Justin Park Burleigh Heads and Australian School of Meditation also hold free yoga classes you need to contact them for more details.

If golf is your thing there are many great course on the Gold Coast try the Emerald Lakes Golf Club or the Links Hope Island Resort there are may others though.

There are plenty of things for adults to do on the Gold Coast and every place you go doesn’t have to end in the name World