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Travel definitely broadens the mind, and ANYWHERE is better than little old Ireland right now! So this year, rather than spending January sticking to a diet you know you won't keep, get planning your summer holiday….

For the ultimate life experience and taste of adventure, you need to hit these destinations:

Vietnam

To really get out of your comfort zone, head to the glorious country that is Vietnam. Head to the FITO Museum in Ho Chi Minh City and while you’re there go to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Rent a bike in Hoi An, a stunning old seaside town, and head to the Sand Dunes of Mui Ne and try sand sledding – yes, it is a real thing!

South Africa

For a real wildlife adventure you need to go on safari in this beautiful country. The Hluhluwe and Imfolozi National Park is the largest in Africa and you might even spot a white rhino. If you are feeling brave, hop into a kayak and have a leisurely row down Catalina Bay – just watch out for the crocs and hippos! 

Japan

Japan is an absolutely stunning destination that needs to be seen to be believed. There are so many Shrines and Temples to be explored, festivals to enjoy,  shopping to do , Japanese culture to experience and so much traditional cuisine to try that you’ll never want to leave.

Chile

This incredible South American country has so much on you won’t know where to begin. To give you a helping hand start off at the Atacama Desert, hop over to Easter Island, explore the Torres del Paine National Park, take in the incredible beauty of the Patagonia or enjoy the nightlife in Santiago and have a wander around the La Vega market.

Serbia

Not on many people’s travel wish list, this European country is truly a sight to behold. Here you can explore the capital Belgrade, visit the Djerdap, hike in the Fruska Gora or soak in the culture at Novi Sad.

Now all you need to do is get saving…. 

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Halloween is well and truly over, so now we can finally get into the Christmas spirit. And what better way than a trip to one of the many gorgeous markets dotted all over Europe.

Pick up a few trinkets, have a stroll around the town a glass of eggnog – or probably an Irish whiskey – in hand, and enjoy a few drinks in the snow as you soak up the atmosphere.

Stuck for ideas? Here are our top five markets to hit this winter.

Berlin, Germany

The home of the Christmas market, and delicious craft beer, Berlin is your one stop shop for everything festive. You should be able to pick up a fairly cheap Ryanair flight to the capital – or more likely just outside the city – but it will be worth it. You will find stalls selling scrumptious food, gorgeous jewellery and traditional festive decorations.

Brussels, Belgium

The Brussels Christmas market, Brussels' Winter Wonders, is only a quick flight away and is definitely a good contender if you don’t want to stray too far from home. Pick up a few pressies and enjoy live animations at the same time.

Lille, France

This little market will has plenty of food stalls, decorations, arts and crafts and the impressive Ferris Wheel located on the main square. Adding to the magic is the giant Christmas tree that is the main focus of the market.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Located at Tivoli Gardens, the Hans Christian Andersen Christmas fair will have you feeling like you just stepped into a fairytale.  Walk among the stalls which will be covered in hundreds of lights takeaway cup of hot chocolate in hand.

Galway Continental Market

Can’t afford to shop and pay for flights? Don’t worry, the Galway Christmas market is actually pretty incredible. Starting on Friday, 21st November, you can enjoy the live entertainment, drink German beers from the German Bierkeller and pick up a few pressies. We’re hoping for snow this year to make it that extra bit special. 

 

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A guy has actually tired the unthinkable – to walk to Bermuda in a bubble!

Reza Baluchi had a light bulb moment when he decided to build a giant bubble – a hydro pod bubble, in fact – and walk to Bermuda via the sea.

Obviously plenty of people tried to dissuade him from going, the US coast guard being one, but Reza still thought it was a good idea to set off on the 1,033 mile trip.

According to Time, the man was found “disorientated and asking for directions to Bermuda” and only had protein bars, bottled water GPS and satellite phone to keep him fed and happy on his trip. However, he wouldn’t take the Coast Guards offer of a lift home and eventually had to be rescued after he set off his Personal Locating Beacon.

At least he has a pretty good story to tell the next down he is down his local – we can definitely see this story being made into a movie! 

 

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If your summer holiday is nothing but a distant memory and a couple of idyllic Instagram snaps, fear not. You can always plan a short city break with some friends or your other half to give yourself something to look forward to (Christmas is still too far away to get excited about!). Here are out top five city breaks!

Barcelona
This city has so much character, and it’s probably even better to go around this time of year as during the summer it is VERY hot and if you’re like us, you may not be able to deal with big crowds and big heat! If you go there, make sure to find some of the traditional Spanish bars away from the touristy spots – they are really pretty, and much better value!

New York
If you have some money to spend and plenty of holidays left to take, why not jet over to The Big Apple before the Christmas rush? We would definitely go if we got the chance, imagine all the clothes, and food! Heaven!

Paris
Ah, the city of love. Climb the Eiffel Tower, eat some snails, whisper sweet nothings into your lovers ear – but whatever you do, don’t get over excited if your boyfriend bends down to tie his shoelace!

Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a brilliant city to explore any time of year. It’s got so much history, and more importantly, great shops! If you’re looking to go somewhere that doesn’t take too long to get to, this is the perfect option!

Lisbon
If you’re not a fan of the heat, but you’re quite fond of Portuguese culture, then Lisbon is a great option. It’s Europe’s second-oldest capital city next to Athens, so it has plenty of history – not to mention style. And once you’re done you can relax on the beach and watch the sunset. How much more perfect can you get?

images via Pinterest

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When recent Harvard graduate Nuseir Yassin went on a two-month backpacking trip around the world, he decided to reach out to strangers across the world with the help of a Rubik's Cube.

Across 11 countries, Nuseir got 84 strangers (plus one snake and one monkey) to do a single move on the puzzle, so they could collectively solve it.

Nuseir wrote about the video project:

"After graduating from Harvard College in May, 2014, I decided to backpack for two months and see what the world had to offer."

"I also wanted to solve a 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube throughout the entirety of my journey. To do so, I had one person do one move only in different locations I had travelled to. This is the final result."

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Surfing is cool. It’s funky. It’s different. And it’s not just for Californian stunners who look natural standing on a wooden board in the middle of the ocean.

So, if you fancy getting in on the action, and read about catching green waves, you definitely need to put these locations on your holiday to do list:

Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii
Hawaii is the home of surfing. Don’t you dare contemplate finishing a surfing holiday without heading here.

Bundoran Beach, Co. Donegal
Europe’s best surf spots is right on our doorstep. Yay!

Supertubes, Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa
Here you will find the craziest of all waves with the highest walls of water. This is not for the beginner or the faint hearted. Yikes!

Black Beach, San Diego, California
Strong currents, powerful break points – this is not for those who scare easily.

Hossegor, France
Not only will you catch a pretty good wave, you might even bump into someone rich and famous.

Now all we need to do is learn the lingo – gnarley!

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If travelling to Paris has always been on your wish list, you’re not alone. Last year, 84.7 million tourists touched down in the City of Love. That is a hell of a lot of people!

Unsurprisingly, the United States came in a close second, although the fact that it didn’t come first kind of shocked us.

This is all according to the World Tourism Organisation – the UN’s agency in charge of responsible tourism. The agency compiled a top 10 list and here it is in all its glory:

1. France

2. United States

3. Spain

4. China

5. Italy

6. Turkey

7. Germany

8. United Kingdom

9. Russian Federation

10. Thailand

Unfortunately, if you are one of those people who like to travel to places that nobody else goes to, you might want to give these a miss…

 

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Holiday souvenirs are a pain to buy. For one thing, you have no money left when you finally remember to buy something and you never have any room in your bag. Sure it’s already full of cheap booze!

So remember that when your friend hands you one of these gifts:

Fake Louis Vuitton bag
Seriously, if they can’t get you the real thing they shouldn’t have bothered.

Stick of Rock
They make your hands, face and hair sticky.

Shot glass
We’ll forgive them if they supply the alcohol as well.

A key ring
Lest we forget they went to a certain place.

A fridge magnet
See above.

A cup
Even if actually makes it back unscathed, we don’t have room for the ones we already have.

Ornaments
Ornaments require dusting.

Pen with their holiday location written on it
Oh, jeez how thoughtful.

A ‘I heart’ t-shirt
The only place we will ever wear this is to bed.

A teddy bear
What are we, five?

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When it comes to choosing a hotel for our holidays we normally go for the cheapest one we can find. That being said, we certainly would never say no to a night in one of these.

The world’s most expensive hotel suite is the Royal Penthouse Suite at Hotel President Wilson in Geneva. For £40,000 a night you can sleep in the same bed that Rihanna slept in. However, you do get value for money with four bedrooms, 12 marble bathrooms, bullet proof windows and your own security team.

You’ll find the world’s most expensive suite in India, the Maharajah’s Pavilion at the Raj Palace Hotel in Jaipur to be exact. For just £27,000 you will be treated to mirror walls, a jacuzzi and gold leaf decor.  

In third place is the Ty Warner Penthouse Suite at the Four Seasons in New York City.  Here you will be treated to 360° views of the city and your very own butler and Rolls-Royce. Nice.

According to Jack Ezon, you get what you pay for: “It’s not so much about the suite — it’s about the lifestyle it offers. It’s about the service and staff and what they can get you at a moment’s notice. You want to go to the Chanel show in Paris? It’s that kind of access you get.”

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A US travel magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, has voted Dublin as the fifth friendliest city on earth!

Readers described our fair city as a “bibliophile’s dream”, aswell as being “green, lush, and very walkable”.

They also said it was “the kind of place you stop in for a drink in a local pub, only to end up chatting with the locals for the next five hours.”

  • Well, what can we say? We do try!
  • The top ten friendliest cities were:
  • Auckland, New Zealand
  • Melbourne, Australia
  • Victoria, BC, Canada
  • Charleston, South Carolina, US
  • Dublin, Ireland
  • Sydney, Australia
  • Siem Reap, Cambodia
  • Cape Town, South Africa
  • Savannah, Georgia, US
  • Seville, Spain

However, ten unfriendly cities you might want to steer clear of are:

  • Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Cannes, France
  • Moscow, Russia
  • Paris, France
  • Marseilles, France
  • Beijing, China
  • Frankfurt, Germany
  • Milan, Italy
  • Monte Carlo, Monaco
  • Nassau, Bahamas

Ye see? Paris might have style, but we have friendly residents! Which would you prefer?

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It’s not unusual for someone to take a selfie when they are on holidays. In fact, in this day and age it would be quite weird to not take one – what are you hiding?!

However, Forest Galante has taken it to a whole new level. Not only is he travelling around the globe introducing himself to some of the world’s most dangerous animals, he is also taking a selfie with them. We think he is bonkers too!

The 26-year-old, who hails from California, has taken pictures of himself holding an anaconda, giving a crocodile a kiss and freediving with bull sharks to name a few.

The Californian has had some pretty scary encounters on his adventures and has even survived a plane crash. However, that wasn’t the scariest moment for him – “Freediving with bull sharks in a tiny boat 140 miles off the coast of Texas during an inbound hurricane was extremely intense – probably one of the scariest things I've done.”

There have been some pretty incredible highs though including feeding a giant tortoise. The biologist said: “Some of my favourites would be Palau in Micronesia for the most iconic oceanic life imaginable and Andisabe in Madagascar for its unusual animals.”

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This is seriously awkward, like really, really awkward.

25hours Hotel Bikini in Berlin – yeah, we don’t get the name either – has given guests a pretty good view of Berlin zoo, however, the view is not all that great for zoo goers.

The hotel which is only 10 storeys high has floor-to-ceiling windows – in the bathrooms. So, that means you can have a look at what the animals are getting up to while you are, eh, doing your business. At least you won’t be bored.

However, on the flip side, passersby have a view of you, eh, doing your business.

Unfortunately, so many people have noticed this that the hotel has actually had to put up a sign in the bathroom that says: “Please be careful, not only the monkeys are watching”.

Not sure we’ll be heading to this hotel anytime soon or at least we won’t be using their bathroom.

 

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