Zip Lining in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a haven of natural splendour, exotic tropical surroundings, and has one of the largest percentages of land protected areas in the world. It has also become one of the world’s top zip lining spots- the Monteverde Cloud Forest, being one of the best trails in Costa Rica. You can discover the rainforest in an exciting, one-of-kind way that makes you feel like Tarzan with Superman’s cape on.

Balloon Ride over the Serengeti

One of the most romantic and exhilarating ways to see the wilderness of East Africa is to glide over its magnificent plains on a hot air balloon ride. Ascending over 1000 ft. in the air, this kind of adventure offers the height lover one of the most exceptional and memorable perspectives of this vast land. The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on the planet, and is famous for its migration, with over a million wildbeest and 200, 000 zebras flowing through each year.

Grand Canyon Skywalk

One of nature’s seven wonders, the Grand Canyon is the quintessence of grandeur and exceptional beauty. The Grand Canyon Skywalk, commissioned and owned by the Hualapai Indian tribe is a glass bridge offering one of the highest vertical drops known to man. The Skywalk protrudes 20 meters and 4,000 ft. to the ground- which exceeds any skyscraper ever built.

Kauai Helicopter Ride

How about a ride in the sky in one of Kauai’s famous helicopter tours? As you journey over one of Hawaii’s most beautiful tropical paradises, you may begin to feel like you’re in a movie, though all you’d be missing are dinosaurs. Yes, Kauai was the main filming location for “Jurassic Park”. That area has since been bought by Time Warner, and been used for filming other movies such as “Tropic Thunder” starring Ben Stiller and Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr.

Bungee Jump off the Macau Tower

If you are the ultimate thrill-seeker, then the Macau Tower is the ultimate vertical challenge. Boasting the world’s highest bungee jumping point, the famed Macau Tower, gives you an incredible birds-eye-view over the city. The tower measures 338 m (1,109 ft) in height from ground level to the highest point. It is the 10th tallest free-standing tower in the world and 8th tallest in Asia. An acrophobic person’s worst nightmare, an altitude seekers dream come true.

Post from: Globetrottier

5 Amazing Travel Destinations for Altitude Addicts

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I’ve always been a huge fan of Thai food, and I was hugely relieved when I discovered how easy and fun it is to cook it yourself.  But as was mentioned earlier, you’ll first need to stock up on the basics, which may seem like a lot at first, but once you’ve bought most of the following, you’ll have them on hand whenever you need them for several months.

Ingredients

Dried black peppercorns
Sea salt
Ka-pee (shrimp paste)
Palm oil
Lemon grass
Peanuts
Shallots
Garlic
Tumeric
Thai basil
Coriander
Thai chilli peppers
Galangal root
Coconut milk
Limes
Thai curry paste
Fish sauce

Equipment you’ll need!

Wok: The wok is at the heart of most Thai cooking.  In it you can boil, steam, deep fry and stir fry.  I was recommended a cast iron wok that has been already “seasoned”.  This means the wok has been subjected to a process of heating up, cooling down, and then oiling to stop it from accumulating rust and other less than tasty, toxic materials.

Clay Pot: A good medium-sized clay pot is fantastic for cooking your more saucier meals like soups, curries and stews.  Once you’ve filled the pot with your liquids, your vegetables, meats, or fish, heat them up over a medium high-heat temperature until they boil, then just pop on your lid, reduce to a low temperature and let simmer for anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending if you’re cooking fish or meats respectfully.  Then you can simply transfer the pot from the stove top to the dinner table, making sure to wear gloves!

Stone mortar and pestle: This is where you can grind your seeds and spices or pound your pastes.

Rice Cooker: This is where you can, um, cook your rice.  You can buy a simple electric cooker or you can get fancy and buy yourself a sticky rice steamer, where the basket is made from woven bamboo and the base from aluminum.

Bamboo steamers: If you’re becoming somewhat of a cooking Jedi and you start making your own dumplings you can heat them up in this bamboo steamer.

You’ll of course also need:

Chef’s knife

Carving knife

Wooden spatula

Wire strainer

Peeler

Now that you’ve stocked up on these your journey into the delicious world of Thai cooking can begin!  One of the first meals I wanted to make was a Pad Thai, and the following recipe will not only teach you how to make this extremely popular dish, but you’ll discover a variety of other ingredients you can purchase to make an even wider range of feasts. (Cook any of these meals to perfection and guaranteed you’ll never find yourself on one of those singles vacations.)  Hope you enjoy!

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Thai Cooking: Cooking Equipment & Ingredients

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A typical South Indian Thali

Key Spices

“Masala” is the Hindi word for “spices”. Spices are fundamental to Indian cuisine, giving the food its unique flavors and aromas. It is important you do a little inventory management with your spices and keep them stored somewhere away from light or air as the spices will degrade quite rapidly. Store whole spices in tightly lidded jars. To ensure maximum freshness, buy whole spices rather than powders, and grind only what you need.

Essential spices you’ll need include:

- Red chilies
- Turmeric
- Cumin seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Dried Bay Leaf
- Green and black cardamom
- Cloves
- Cinnamon sticks
- Nutmeg
- Saffron
- Fennel
- Mustard seeds

When using spices for cooking, you should toast the spices before grinding them. This intensifies the flavours. You can dry-fry the spices simply by heating a heavy pan over moderate heat so as not to burn them then shake them until the wonderful aromas are released. That’s how you know they are ready.

Key Ingredients

In order to be able to whip up one of your favourite Indian dishes, you need the right ingredients.

Key ingredients include:

- Basmati rice
- Coriander leaves
- Plain yoghurt
- Potato
- Coconut
- Fresh ginger
- Gram flour (chickpea flour)
- Ghee (Indian clarified butter)
- Onions
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Potato
- Beans
- Chicken
- Lamb

Cooking Tips:

There is no right way to cook Indian food however there are simple things you can do to get the results you want. Pastes are essential to the cooking process when making sauces as they add thickness. You can use cashew nuts, browned onions or even coconut milk to thicken sauces. As mentioned earlier, it’s key to toast your spices to maximize flavor before grinding them.

Now that you have your basics, it’s up to you to get cooking! There are hundreds of recipes to be found on the web. I recommend this site for some authentic Indian recipes.

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Indian Food Basics: Spices & Ingredients

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Keukenhof Flower Gardens

Keukenhof, located in Holland, is the world’s largest flower garden. More than seven million bulbs are planted and cared for each year. The flowers are arranged in a wide array of patterns to incorporate both modern and historical looks. Though many of the flowers are tulips, the most famous Dutch flower, other flowers are incorporated in the designs as well, including hyacinths, daffodils and crocuses. While for many the flowers are the main attraction, children can pass the time playing on the playground and everyone can enjoy the live entertainment.  The Keukenhof also offers a romantic backdrop for young lovers to walk through, perfect for quietly slipping promise rings on delicate fingers.

Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens

Established in 1765, these gardens, located in Abbotsbury, England, are home to some of the world’s most exotic flowers. Winding waters and camellia groves make it exquisite. This 20-acre flower garden is also known for the magnolias. Rhododendron and hydrangeas also make an appearance. Visitors can explore the garden’s walled walks, cross bridges and find new, brilliant delights at every turn.

EPCOT Center

Located at Disney World in Florida in the United States, the EPCOT Center’s gardens are appealing to adults and children alike. Alive with color, they are shaped into classic Disney characters, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck and Goofy. Children can play at the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden, as well. Enjoy the unique display of roses, tulips, daffodils and other flowers, especially during the Center’s Garden Festival.

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

One of the top five flower garden shows and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, this delightful flower garden experience takes place in the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens in Melbourne, Australia. Visitors can enjoy a landscape of flowers and enjoy floral products and great food. The show incorporates a children’s garden which has face painting, a butterfly enclosure and an animal farm. Meanwhile, adults cans examine techniques to create their own exquisite flower gardens. In the Great Hall of Flowers, visitors can wander among an alley of flowers and even purchase their favorites.

Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

The Biltmore Estate, built by George Vanderbilt in the 1890’s has one of the world’s most exquisite gardens and flower gardens around. The 8,000 acres of property (less than a tenth of the original size of the estate) has planted more than 3 million trees to create a full, lush forest, which features plants which are originally from the area. Additionally, the flower garden is set up so the garden is lush and beautiful year-round.

There are beautiful flower gardens in most countries, and most cities have a park or a flower garden its residents enjoy. If you’re traveling, ask around. Many times, residents will be happy to share their knowledge of their city with out-of-town visitors.

Post from: Globetrottier

5 Best Flower Gardens Around the World

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What is a Bed and Breakfast?

Although many people think “hotel” when they hear the words “bed and breakfast” that’s not necessarily the case. Often, a bed and breakfast is simply a home that welcomes individuals, providing them with all the amenities of a hotel at a lower price. This provides a unique charm and a personal touch that many travelers enjoy.

First Things First

Before you begin, decide how many occupants you can reasonably hold. In order to succeed, the ability to sleep at least five individuals is necessary. However, adding rooms to a basement or adding a loft can still make this a possibility. Next, you have to make the rooms welcoming. You could install a picture rail in the guestrooms displaying lovely photographs that make the room walls more interesting to look at. Snacks for guests, TVs and DVD players, CDs and toiletries go a long way towards making travelers feel at home. If you are serving food, which you should be, you may need to get permission from the health center, so be sure check in with your town and county for the requirements.

Start Marketing

This step is important. If people don’t know you exist, it’s going to be pretty tough to get them to stay at your bed and breakfast. Put up a sign out front. Contact newspapers and magazines. Tell friends. Sometimes, word of mouth can be the best kind of advertising. Perhaps you could invite some friends to stay free-of-charge for a night. Though this can be expensive initially, they’ll be more likely to tell people about you if they enjoyed the experience.

Taxes

You will need to pay taxes on this business, of course. Put aside an amount each month and pay off your taxes each quarter. Remember, though it’s a business, you’re still self-employed, so you will need to pay self-employment taxes, which usually comes to about 15 percent of the profits. The good news is you can deduct many of the expenses of running the business and additional expenses from the total profits. Check with a professional accountant or financial adviser to make sure you’re going about it correctly and have all the right information.

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Transform Your Home Into A Beautiful Bed And Breakfast

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Choosing a Campground

When you’re on the road, it can be hard to decide where to stop, whether it’s for the night or a couple of days. Instead of driving until you can’t go any further, plan ahead. Consider what you’re looking for in a campground:

*Running water
*Relatively empty
*Forest
*Mountains
*Lakes
*Streams
*Paths
*Other activities
*Wildlife
*Reasonable price

All of these things are factors which you can examine before your trip.

Plan Your Route

Before leaving your home, decide how far you want to go. A good start could be a 300-mile radius. This can be easily accomplished in 5 or 6 hours, and will give you plenty of time to explore whatever areas you may end up in. If the area appeals to you, sit back and relax for a day or two.

Grab a map and look at the map’s mileage. Then, decide where you want to end up, approximately (say you’re starting in Florida and working up towards Idaho), and find out what’s along that 300-mile radius. With an RV, you can take your time, so there’s no reason to go in a straight line. Be adventurous and enjoy yourself.

You can also investigate any notable parks along the route. Decide which one best suits your needs and go. When you’re there, you can decide whether you want to stay for a few days or whether you’ll be ready to move on out the next morning.

Enjoy Yourself

Remember, in an RV you don’t need to stay somewhere that has amenities that other travelers need. If you’re not satisfied, move on. But don’t push yourself. Find a way to get the rest and relaxation you need and the experience you want. Soon, you’ll be an old hat at the whole experience.

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The People

After most vacations, you go home without remembering any of the people you encountered, except the one or two who either wooed or traumatized you. With volunteer vacations, it’s different. You interact with the other people who are a part of the project. You also interact with the people you’re helping. Whether you’re rebuilding homes in New Orleans, uncovering archaeological finds in Colorado or painting homes in Mexico, the people you helped will stick with you for years. Chances are, they will leave an impact on you too, if you let them.

The Environment

You’re in a new place but just because you’re volunteering doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore. If you know anyone who has been there before, be sure to follow any safety guidelines or tips so that you don’t cause problems or get into trouble, particularly if you’re in a foreign country.

Whether you’re at the beginning, middle or end of your volunteer vacation, the way you perceive and experience your surroundings will be shaped both by where you’re from and the people and events you’ve encountered along the way. Whether you’re in the area to experience something new or learn a language, the way you do that will be changed.

Giving Back

As opposed to the mass amount of consumption that takes place on last minute all inclusive vacations, volunteer vacations offer a chance to give back. It’s easy to take things for granted but when participating in a volunteer vacation, you have the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Not only are you giving something back to the people and to the community, you are also gaining invaluable insight into the world around you.

I had a friend who went on a volunteer vacation and became very close to someone she was helping out there. The girl was 19 years old and had had a very difficult life and had always dreamed of moving to Canada. My friend was able to help put her in touch with immigration lawyers in Toronto and within a couple of years she had successfully entered the country, giving her the chance to start anew. The point is, you never know what you’re capable of and how much you can do until you put yourself to the test. Helping this young girl was one of the most rewarding experiences of my friend’s life and to this day they have remained very close.

Reasons to Go

Other top reasons to take a volunteer vacation include:

1- Learning a language
2- Tasting foreign food
3- Sharing a skill
4- Trying something new
5- Living abroad

For those who believe “charity begins at home”, volunteer vacations are available in the United States as well as in most other countries. Whether you’re painting houses, digging at an archaeological site or providing medical supplies to individuals in desperate need, you know you’ve accomplished something great: you’ve seen a need and you’ve filled it.

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Start Saving Early

If you take an annual vacation you have twelve months to save. Think about different activities you can enjoy as a family while you’re away. For example, Montreal is a fun-filled city with plenty of festivals in the summer. You can check and see if there are any Montreal concerts of interest during the Jazz Festival for instance and incorporate that into your budget. When budgeting, the best thing to do is set aside some money every month.

Calculate the whole cost of the trip: luggage, passports, flight and car rental, gas, tolls, meals, rooms, tips, excursions, entertainment and souvenirs. When you have the total, divide it by 12 for the amount you have to save each month. If you can afford it, saving extra will give you some padding – just in case.

Look Up Flights Early

As soon as you have the date of your vacation, you can start looking up flights. Websites, such as www.Orbitz.com, have guarantees so if someone else books your flight for less, you receive their price. Some sites compare dates so you can see which days are the least expensive to leave and return on. You can also set a watch so if the prices drop you can buy tickets then.

Find Condominiums That Charge Weekly

Hotels are expensive. For families with kids, it can be troublesome to pay for two rooms for several nights, pay tips and make sure the kids aren’t getting into trouble.

How do you solve that? Many top vacation spots rent out condominiums based on a per-week price, charging less than many hotels charge for two or three nights. These have at least two bedrooms and bathrooms, a living area and a kitchen, so you can spend time together and save – without forgoing privacy.

Find Somewhere With a Kitchen

So you’re on vacation and don’t want to cook? Maybe during vacation you can switch roles and have the other person cook for a few days. Stock the kitchen with snacks and breakfast foods so you’re not eating every meal out. Buy some frozen pizzas and have lunch in, too.

Plan Activities Before Going

Looking for a nice relaxing spa while on vacation in Toronto, look up Toronto spa for your nearest options. check If you arrive in Florida and learn you’re only a few hours from Disney, the kids will want to go. Looking at the options ahead of time and discussing possible activities early can save time and money later.

Get back to the days where “vacation” means relaxation and not “stress.” Budgeting can save your vacation and make it an experience to look forward to and remember.

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You can plan a white water rafting adventure down a famous river or stream in some exotic location. White water rafting is a fun adventure and allows bonding with the guys. You can also go on a wild fishing adventure whether it be ice fishing or regular fishing, guys like to tell tall fishing tales for a long time to come. You can also go to locations around the world that offer bachelor party specials if you have the disposable income. Usually older men will have more stable careers and lots of cash to spend on things like a yacht party, a cruise that caters to bachelors and trips to exotic locations around the world.

When planning the bachelor party think outside the box and give the groom-to-be something he can remember. A wild night of drinking and going to the bars though traditional has been done to death. How about a wild night in Thailand or some exotic island getaway? Use your imagination when planning the ultimate bachelor party. The groom-to-be will thank you for the extra effort that you put into planning his celebration and it will show him that you care enough about him to want to spend time and plan carefully.

You have taken his needs and even dreams into consideration and not just given him a night of booze, women and song. You have given him an adventure and that really is what most men are looking for before they tie the knot, an adventure that they can call their very own before they settle down to make a family. That is what you can do for your groom-to-be and all the close friends and family in his life. It will truly be a wild and crazy time.

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Crazy Bachelor Party Locations Around the World

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Karaoke in Asia

The modern form of karaoke entertainment began in Japan during the 1970s, when singer Daisuke Inoue took over the management of a band that provided background music for wealthy businessmen who wanted to sing in clubs. When his band was unable to accompany one of their clients on a business trip, Inoue created a tape of music for the client to bring along on his trip. The idea proved so successful that he began to rent machines equipped with tapes and amplifiers to nightclubs throughout Kobe. Karaoke entertainment rapidly spread throughout Asia where it still enjoys widespread success. The most popular way to enjoy karaoke throughout Asia is in a karaoke box, a small room fully stocked with karaoke equipment that can be rented by the hour. Mobile phone karaoke services that allow you to play karaoke on your cell phone are increasingly popular throughout Japan with many providers offering thousands of free songs that users can download karaoke. Restaurants in China often offer “mahjong-karaoke rooms” where elderly patrons play the ancient game of mah-jong while younger generations sing karaoke. Karaoke boasts increasing popularity throughout India with many patrons enjoying hitokara, singing karaoke alone without a recorded back-up. North Korea banned karaoke bars from operating in the country in 2007, on the grounds that they threatened the socialist system of the country. People in the Philippines often own their own karaoke equipment that families use at birthday parties, Christmas, and other festive occasions.

Karaoke in North America and Europe

After being popularized in Japan, karaoke began to spread to the USA, Canada, Australia and other Western countries in the 1990’s. Manufacturers began to sell in-home karaoke systems that met with failure in the Western marketplace. They soon remarketed these systems as “home theater” systems, which enjoyed enormous popularity. Throughout the United States, karaoke quickly grew into a popular form of entertainment in bars and at parties. Many companies bring the karaoke set-up to private parties so that patrons can enjoy karaoke at these events. While most western bars do not offer karaoke seven days a week like many in Asia, an increasing number of nightclubs host weekly karaoke nights in which participants compete to win prizes. U.S. cities with heavy Asian populations such as Los Angeles and San Francisco have many establishments that offer private karaoke rooms similar to the “karaoke boxes” found in Japan. American households also buy many karaoke video games marketed to the Western market. Games such as Karaoke Revolution, SingStar (especially popular in Europe and Asia) and the Rock Band series allow participants to create characters and compete in karaoke contests.

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Karaoke Traditions around the world

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