Blogs

There have recently been some changes to the way toll roads work in Portugal, with roads that were previously toll-free suddenly becoming paid. Travellers headed for Portugal will come across three different types of roads: national roads, highways and SCUTs.

National roads have no tolls and they're tolerably well-maintained, particularly stretches of road connecting main cities. They have the disadvantage of having lower speed limits than highways or SCUTs. Furthermore, they aren't as direct a r


What Do You Really Do On a Nude Vacation?

Apparently the same things you’d do if you were on a fully-clothed holiday, except, we assume, horseback ride.


But, you ask, how likely is anyone to go to a nude beach or clothes optional one, and strip?


For a country settled by humorless and uptight Puritans, a surprising 49% of Americans said they would do it.
Another 19%  were undecided, and 32%  gave an unqualified "no" to  the idea of beaching "au natural."
Courtesy of TripAdvisor's
Nude Beach

One of my all-time favorite quotes on adventure and travel is this, from the great Mark Twain:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”



So when you are presented with a list of adventures like stand-up paddle boarding, surfing, exploring jungles, horseback riding down a tropical beach at sunset, 
zip-linin

Mt. Elgon climbing is a fascinating adventure. The second highest mountain in Kenya and one of the most spectacular mountains in Africa worth climbing is Mount Elgon. Due to the unpredictable rainy season, it can be wet any time of the year although the most reliable season [dry period] is between December and February. It is also reasonably high and it is advisable to prepare adequately.

From the Kenya side,the highest point is Koitoboss at 4,187m and it is accessed in 3 or 4 days depending on t

We left Umbria after 6 days of wonderful tours, meals, making new friends and never reaching for our wallet all courtesy of the Umbrian tourism authority. When in Italy be sure to visit Umbria.. We took a nice train ride of about 2 hours into Rome’s central train station.

I got off the train and desperately needed to relive myself of that morning’s espresso shots. The men’s room was as far away as it could be which only added to the desperation in my hustle. I walked into the room to find a turns

One of the great things about travelling is that you're taking part in a shared heritage, not only with the locals in the places you visit, but also with other travellers. When coming across other tourists on our journeys - perfect strangers though they may be - there's a sense of bonding that transcends nationality and language. One way in which this shared bond is expressed is through photography. There are some types of travel photography that are so commonplace as to have become cliches. The

A fun outing in the center of San Jose is to go to the Gold Museum, now called the Central Bank Museum, below the Plaza de la Cultura.

It had been years since I had visited the museum, but it remains still one of the highlights of touring Costa Rica’s capitol city. Located conveniently under the Plaza de la Cultura’s east end, just behind the National Theatre and the Grand Hotel, the museum is a cool refuge of culture in a concrete jungle.This year celebrates the 30^th anniversary of the museum. I

Handing back over your hire car at the end of your holidays needs to be a simple and quick transaction with most people having flights to catch and not allot of time to spare. Follow these tips and the whole experience should be a smooth one:

If possible leave yourself plenty of time for the return of the vehicle. If you are returning a Portugal car hire to Lisbon Airport then allow time for traffic to the airport, finding the car hire depot, checking onto your flight, airport security and findin

If an earthquake had started shaking southern California on a recent Sunday night, we might not have felt it at the Thornton Winery, in the Temecula Valley Wine Country, where guests were doing their own kind of shaking to the spirited, heartfelt beat of jazz saxophonist and singer, Mindi Abair. With her high energy vibe, Mindi was the ideal musician to launch Thornton Winery’s 24th Annual Champagne Jazz Series. Mindi and her talented band had everyone on their feet clapping, dancing and singing

Belgrade Lakes Region Business Group

Take a road trip to central Maine's premier lake area for recreation, relaxation, and wholesome family fun, in the Kennebec Valley less than a half hour north of the state capital Augusta, and famous for its sparkling scenic streams and chain of seven lakes, its panoramic views of fields, hills and woodlands, Belgrade Lakes´ inviting towns and villages, and its activities for all ages. Whether as a destination for activities and action or a retreat for peace

Arusha national park is the closest national park from Arusha town – northern Tanzania safari capital. Arusha National Park is a multi-faceted jewel, often overlooked by Tanzania safari lovers, despite offering the opportunity to explore a beguiling diversity of wild game within a few hours of game-drive.

The entrance gate leads into shadowy montane forest inhabited by inquisitive blue monkeys and colourful turacos and trogons – the only place in the Tanzania northern safari circuit where the acr

For art lovers, there is a museum in
downtown San José that you won't want to miss. Unique in its history, it used to be the terminal of Costa Rica’s old international airport, at the east end of where
Sabana Park
is today.


The
Costa Rican Art Museum (Museo de Arte Costarricense)is housed in a beautiful Neoclassical-style building built in the late 1930s. The gorgeous building, a work of art in itself, stages a permanent display of 3,200 national treasures in all media by Costa Rica’s most celeb

No matter how short or long your flight to your holiday destination, once you arrive all you want to do his hop in your car and be on your way. But it is worth taking a few moments to check both the condition of the vehicle and also the paperwork which you are signing.

One way you can prepare yourself is by booking your car hire with a broker such as Auto Europe. When you book your vehicle online or via the call centre you will be advised what extra charges may be applied locally and also it is c

by Isaac Gutiérrez

You probably wouldn't associate coming to Spain with chowing down on a big juicyhamburguesa, but the fact is that it's all the rage these days, especially in the country's capital - and even visitors from the birthplace of the burger, the U.S. of A., have noted that there are now some pretty authentic and just downright tasty offerings to be had in Madrid. Here are several of the top patty palaces. Have you been to any others not on this list? 

Home Burger Bar   This is one

In India, Rajasthan is a famous state situated in north-west region of the country. The state is renowned for its abundant of astonishing tourism sightseeing and marvelous holiday destinations. Historical monuments are the major attractions. Holidaymakers can find many numbers of wonderful forts and spots located in several cities, apart from that the city is also very famed for wildlife tourism. Keoladeo national parks and Ranthambore are the two major wildlife reserve of Rajasthan.  Every year


Imagine this scenario. You’re boarding your flight, and an announcement is made that there are three free upgrades to First Class. Free. For those whose Klout scores are 50 or higher.

Or you complain to a company about some defect in their product, and you never get an answer. But other people do, you learn. Why? The brand opts to reply only to those customers with high Klout scores, because, they reason, those are the true influencers of public opinion and are the one worth spending time on.

Sherlock Holmes was such a beloved character even during Arthur Conan Doyle's life that when the author - sick and tired of his creation - tried to kill him off, the public outcry was of so epic a magnitude that Conan Doyle had no other choice but to bring the detective back from the dead. It is, therefore, not surprising, that over half a century after Arthur Conan Doyle's death, his works and their adaptations continue to enjoy such popularity. There are many things one can learn from watching

Mount Kilimanjaro has been described by many international and local climbers. The name itself is a mystery wreathed in clouds. It might mean Mountain of Light, Mountain of Greatness or Mountain of Caravans. The local people, the Wachagga, don't even have a name for the whole massif, only Kipoo (now known as Kibo) for the familiar snowy peak that stands imperious, overseer of the continent, the summit of Africa that makes it the leading Tanzania adventure destination. Kilimanjaro is a metaphor f