Backpack Europe on Budget--Backpacking and travel info for budget travelers. 10 craziest hotels in the world. - StumbleUpon Hôtel de Glace, Canada – an ice hotel opened only during winter Made entirely of ice and snow, this unique one-story structure has been rebuilt each year since 2000. The 9th season of the Ice Hotel lasted from January 4th through March 29th 2009. The Ice Hotel has become an unparalleled and world-famous winter experience. It takes 5 weeks, 500 tons of ice, and 15,000 tons of snow to craft the Ice Hotel with its ceilings as high as 18 feet, walls covered with original artwork and furniture carved from ice blocks. Waterworld Hotel, China – an amazing aquatic themed hotel Atkin's Architecture Group won first prize for an international design competition with this stunning entry. Sala Silvergruva, Sweden: a single room hotel inside a silver mine Picture this A single suite, 155m underground in historic Sala Silvermine, one of the world's best preserved mine settings. Das Park Hotel, Austria: a hotel where rooms are made of concrete pipes Jumbo Hostel ( Stockholm ): World's First Aircraft Inn
Home - OSTELLI ITALIA ITALY HOSTELS Worlds Best Street Parties/Carnivals New Orleans Mardi Gras. Spend Mardi Gras in the city that spawned jazz and party to one of the world's best festival soundtracks. Photo: Reuters From Venice and Rio to Bolivia's Oruro, some cities really know how to kick up their heels. Witness a street festival or carnival and you are guaranteed a holiday to remember, be it a pre-Lenten celebration of hedonism and repentance, or something altogether more unusual. Here is a selection of 10 of the world's best: Venice. Venice Carnival Advertisement Venice, Italy, Feb 19-20 and Feb 26-March 8; www.carnevale.venezia.it Italy's most exquisite carnival conjures up images of mystery and intrigue: revellers in baroque costumes running along canals; street performers at every corner. Rio Carnival Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 5-8 www.rioguiaoficial.com.br/en/ The samba parade is the climax of this riotous display of Brazilian bacchanal. Cologne Carnival Cologne, Germany, March 3-9; www.cologne-tourism.com Join the party and get kissed by a stranger.
How to plan a round-the-world trip Itʼs the ultimate trip: circumnavigating the planet, and stopping off wherever takes your fancy. Great for travellers who want to see it all, or who are just plain indecisive. But booking a round-the-world (RTW) trip can be a complex business. Hereʼs our guide to getting started. How to do it The most economical way to circumnavigate is to buy a round-the-world air ticket that uses one airline alliance. There are rules: you must follow one global direction (east or west – no backtracking); you must start and finish in the same country; and you must book all your flights before departure, though you can change them later (which may incur extra charges). How long you need You could whip round the world in a weekend if you flew non-stop. When to go The weather will never be ideal in all your stops. Pin this image Image by Christian Steen Where to go The classic (and cheapest) RTW tickets flit between a few big cities, for example London – Bangkok – Singapore – Sydney – LA. Tips, tricks & pitfalls
Get Paid to Travel the World - Travel Writing Tips | The Lost Girls - StumbleUpon Travel Writing — By Lost Girls on January 30, 2011 at 2:20 pm Be sure to check out our new Pitching 101 Series, including interviews with: BootsnAll editor, Katie HammelNew York Times’ deputy travel editor, Monica DrakeThe Expeditioner’s founder and editor-in-chief, Matt StabileGalavanting‘s managing editor, Joseph HernandezTravel Belles’ publisher and editor, Margo MillureGo NOMAD‘s general edit Max HartshorneTravel Agent senior editor Joe PikeTravelingMom‘s editor Cindy RichardsRecommend‘s managing editor Paloma Villaverde de Rico Want to get paid to travel? If you’re interested in sharing your travel experiences, there are several travel websites that accept pitches from freelance writers. Here are a few of them, and what they pay per word or post. Travel Websites That Pay for Freelance Articles and Posts Travel Belles $10 per post. Travel sites that accept submissions for experience, rather than a payment Some ideas and rates courtesy of Matador.com, JoAnna Haugen
A Year in the Life of a Full-Time Traveler You are here: Home / Blog / A Year in the Life of a Full-Time Traveler All my life, I’ve dreamed of traveling the world. And in 2011, I achieved what I once thought was impossible without winning the lottery: I became a full-time traveler. And it wasn’t how I pictured. You DON’T need to be insanely rich to travel the world. I’m incredibly fortunate to have built myself a life rich in time and location independence with enough money to get by. So I may not be able to jet anywhere I want at a moment’s notice. Here is what a year in the life of a full-time traveler looks like! January: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam I rang in 2011 on Khao San Road in Bangkok. There was a two-day interlude in overrated Luang Prabang, and then I entered Vietnam (not without almost getting refused to the border). After recovering, I got to know Hanoi better — drinking snake blood was one way — and then experienced Halong Bay on the greatest party cruise of all time! February: Vietnam, Cambodia May: UK, USA, Mexico
80 things we wish we knew before we started traveling - StumbleUpon Photo: Ross Borden Tips from experienced travelers, for newbies and veterans alike. HINDSIGHT IS 20/20, right? Well, foresight can be near to it when you have the expertise of some seriously savvy travelers at your fingertips. On preparing for your trip 1. 2. 3. On talking to airline agents 4. Travel in low season. Bad: “Can you get me on the next flight out – I can’t miss my connection to Europe!” Good: “Excuse me, Barbara. 5. On budgeting abroad 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Photo: Z17R0 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. On meeting people when traveling alone 20. Photo: casers jean 21. 22. 23. [*Note: Meeting people is never compulsory. On researching a trip vs winging it 24. 25. 26. 27. On adapting to a new country 28. Photo: Barnacles Hostels 29. 30. On food 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. On taking taxis and other transport 36. Carry a “dummy” wallet with some expired credit and bank cards. 37. 38. 39. 40. On staying safe 41. Photo: matiasjajaja 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. On health while abroad 50. Photo: anaulin
6 Ways to Travel Endlessly - StumbleUpon Traveling the way most people do it isn’t enough. Saving all year long at a job for just two weeks a year won’t let you see the world the way you want to see it. So you find someone to take care of your stuff while you travel the world. 1. Couch surfers are a huge network of hospitable people who open up their home to fellow travelers and let them stay on their couches (or floor) for free . In turn, the site lets you open up your home to travelers who want to use your couch. Most programs take safety seriously. Sites include: Couchsurfing, Servas, Hospitality Club, BeWelcome 2. All over the world there are amazing houses that people want you to take care of and live in for free. . Caretaker’s Gazette, Mind My House, House Carers 3. (Work Exchange) WWOOF is short for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. . WWOOF is the most well known work exchange program in the world, but there are plenty of other options available. Help Exchange, Workaway 4. (Freelance Work) . 5. . 6.
How to Be Safe in a Foreign Country Edit Article Edited by Dan Knows All, Maluniu, Jack Herrick, Zack and 49 others While being in a foreign country may be fun, there is always danger abroad, just as there is danger at home. All visitors from any country should learn what the dangers are in foreign countries and how to protect themselves no matter how sure they are that they are safe. Ad Steps 1Research the country you are going to before you go. 16If driving, be alert to changes in the rules of the road. Tips If you are in a country where political tensions are high, be extremely careful.
Planning Round the World Trip Sign up today for Plan Your RTW Trip in 30 Days and start receiving email lesson plans tomorrow – it’s free! If you’re a traveling family, sign up for the Family Edition of Plan Your RTW Trip in 30 Days. You may never have heard or read the letters R-T-W before. If you don’t know their meaning, that’s all right. If you are a travel lover, an adventurer, or are questioning what it is you really want out of life, then maybe it’s time you find out what those three little letters mean, and why it is that you should consider taking a Round The World trip of your own. Some think it’s crazy, some think it’s impossible, some think, “There’s no way I could do it.” 1. This is one of the most-used excuses in the book. Whether you’re 17 and sitting in class right now, or whether you’re already retired sitting at home sipping your morning coffee, or you’re any age in between, one thing is for sure: you are only going to get older. >> Read Why It’s Not Selfish for Parents to Travel with Young Children
25 Acts of Body Language to Avoid | DailyCognition - StumbleUpon Our body language exhibits far more information about how we feel than it is possible to articulate verbally. All of the physical gestures we make are subconsciously interpreted by others. This can work for or against us depending on the kind of body language we use. Some gestures project a very positive message, while others do nothing but set a negative tone. Most people are totally oblivious to their own body language, so the discipline of controlling these gestures can be quite challenging. Most of them are reflexive in nature, automatically matching up to what our minds are thinking at any given moment. Nevertheless, with the right information and a little practice, we can train ourselves to overcome most of our negative body language habits. Practice avoiding these 25 negative gestures: “ I speak two languages, Body and English. ” — Mae West Holding Objects in Front of Your Body – a coffee cup, notebook, hand bag, etc. Want to know powerful, dominant, confident body language postures?
Airplane Travel Tips - 100 Words or Less - Gadling - StumbleUpon Don't take sleep aids until you're in the air - Airplane tip by Melanie Linn Gutowski (RSS feed) on Aug 9th, 2010 at 11:16AM Though it may seem appealing to sleep through those long waits on the tarmac, avoid the temptation to take a sleep aid until you're up in the air. You may miss important announcements, or, worse yet, you may be asked to disembark and wait for a later plane. If you plan to take a sleep aid, be sure to take a seat where you are less likely to block in other passengers, like a window seat or a middle seat. [Photo: Flickr | mirjoran] Swap shelves in airport bookstores - Airplane tip by Erin Frank (RSS feed) on Aug 9th, 2010 at 10:16AM I've been noticing swap shelves in airport bookstores lately. A few airports, like Portland International, have used bookstores where someone has undoubtedly just sold back that bestseller you wanted, and you can pick it up for less than full price. [Photo: Flickr | jrodmanjr] Wear sunglasses during the flight - Airplane tip by Staci M. Hi.