Destinations, Sport and Adventure, Travel Tips

Best Family Cycling Routes in the World

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Best Family Cycling Routes in the World

If you’re looking for a new and exciting way to have a family adventure and see the world, then consider cycling. It’s an activity that’s great for the whole family, it’s not too fast nor too slow, it’s cheap and good for fitness and health, so it’s not a surprise more and more people choose bikes to travel with. If you want to join the trend, here’s where you can start from.

Otago Central Rail Trail, New Zealand

This popular 150-kilometre trail will take you through right back in time through the once-crowded goldfields of Otago, New Zealand. Central Rail Trail connects Clyde and Middlemarch while passing through many valleys and little hills. This trail is perfect for all levels of cyclists because it never gets steep, but it still offers amazing views and beautiful nature. Even if this is a short ride, you can still stretch it, thanks to the abundance of pubs and B&Bs you’ll want to check out.

Confederation Trail, Canada

This island is just perfect for cyclists, so much that a long time ago, all motor vehicles were even banned from the island. Prince Edward Island is flat, rich in produce and food and blessed with beautiful nature such as its red cliffs around Basin Head and sand dunes in PEI National Park. So, if you don’t have enough time to check out all 470 kilometres of the trail, make sure to check out those beautiful cliffs and dunes. PEI also has some high-quality food you taste, so don’t miss out.

San Juan Island, USA/Canada

Right between Vancouver and Seattle is San Juan Island, called by many “cycling perfection”. These islands are perfect for families of all kinds because each island can be toured in a day, the weather is nice, it’s relatively flat, and there are ample ferry connections between each island. This archipelago is contained from over 100 islands, but most cyclists choose San Jan, Orcas or Lopez.

Lopez is the tamest of the three, while Orcas is perfect for more seasoned cyclists (but it offers amazing views). If you still choose Orcas, make sure to keep both eyes open for orcas as you paddle along the coast. Your kids are going to love those beautiful predators. Also, accommodation on the islands is plentiful, so you can stay a couple of days and enjoy your time together.

Isle of Wight, England

The Isle of Wight is known as one of the most bike-friendly places in Britain and is also included in Lonely Planet’s 10 best cycling destinations. It has many scenic towns, narrow lanes, and white cliffs, and you can see all that while paddling a route that’s barely over 100 km long. It makes a perfect 2-day journey for biker families.

Murray to the Mountains, Victoria, Australia

This gentle trail of only 83 km will give you a great insight into Victoria’s High Country. It can be cycled in a day, but you better stretch it out for at least two, because there’s so much to see and taste there. The route passes many cellars, hotels, and restaurants you shouldn’t miss. If you’re a family that has very little or no cycling experience, then be free to start with this trail. You’re not going to need much, just some solid bikes, helmets and some Shimano mtb shoes, and soon you’ll be ready for some more challenging adventures.

Arusha Trail, Tanzania

If you want to experience a true adventure and travel a bit further from home, then why not visit Africa for a cool safari trip. When you get bored of sitting in a jeep, you can take a bike ride through the lush landscape of Arusha just in the foothills of Kilimanjaro. Saying that the views are beautiful is an understatement, and you can see many interesting villages, coffee plantations, cow markets and chat with friendly locals. You and your kids will remember this for the rest of your lives.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Vietnam is widely famous for being a cycling country. Its also a stunningly beautiful country with many different cycling routes you can take to enjoy a perfect, relaxing vacation while taking in all the natural splendors along the way. Whether its urban centers like Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi, or the beautiful outlands and the Mekong Delta, Vietnam will surely leave a great impression on almost everyone.

As you can see, you don’t have to be a pro cyclist to have a paddling adventure with your family. Take as many stops as you need to get rest, refresh with some local drinks and food, and take in all the beautiful scenery our planet has to offer. You’ll be itching to have another adventure as soon as you get home.

Asia, Europe, Infographic, North America

The Bizarre & Amusing Translations of Place Names Around The World [Infographic]

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The Bizarre & Amusing Translations of Place Names Around The World

It’s fair to say that we don’t always put a lot of thought into the names of places we visit. In fact, unless they are in the English language, we just take them as read.

This point is widely proven across the USA and the UK, where we all enjoy poking fun at some of the truly ridiculously named villages, towns and cities across both nations.

Ridiculous Place Names

Just take a look at this very enjoyable article from The Telegraph which lists 10 of the silliest place names in Britain.

As you can see, history often plays a big role in naming certain places. Because of this, the original meaning becomes lost and ends up becoming something much more humorous!

The sheer volume of strangely named places is perfectly illustrated in this post from Thought Catalog which lists 52 across the United States, including the likes of Accident, Maryland and Coupon, Pennsylvania.

Clearly, there is no shortage of odd place names in the English language, However, if this is what one language has to offer, how many ridiculous ones exist in all of the other languages?

Well, thanks to a new infographic from clarendonlondon.com, it turns out there’s plenty of them.

The Bizarre & Amusing Translations Of Place Names Around The World

They have gone about translating some of the strangest names into English, with quite frankly hilarious results.

It’s called ‘The Bizarre & Amusing Translations Of Place Names Around The World ‘ and you can take a look below.

This infographic covers a number of continents. However, the conclusion it clearly comes to is that there are a wealth of silly named places in Europe.

Germany is seemingly a wonderful example with a wealth of giggle-inducing place names. The infographic includes Feuchtwangen, which translates as “wet cheeks” and Kotzen, which translates as “vomit”.

place names

Infographic

How To Order A Pizza/Beer/Taxi/Coffee in 15 Different Languages

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No matter where you head for your next holiday, you can be sure there will be no issues communicating with locals.

This is because a lot of countries around the world speak English. In fact, according to Wikipedia, English is the third largest language by number of native speakers in the world. If you take into account non-native speakers, it becomes the second largest.

This is obviously very helpful, especially if you’re travelling to countries very different to where you call home. However, it of course, means that you are very unlikely to make the effort to learn another language.

This lack of effort on the part of British and North American tourists is often interpreted as being rude in certain countries.

The assumption that locals will know English is a reasonable one. However, the expectation is something which understandably can seem rude to those who are already making an effort.

A great example can be seen in this article from the Telegraph. It explains why much of the British Expat community in Spain tends not to bother learning Spanish.

How To Order A Pizza/Beer/Taxi/Coffee in 15 Different Languages

It’s for this reason that before we head off on our next holiday, we should at least learn a few important things.

A great place to start is with common phrases you’re likely to use whilst away. You can find a number of great examples in a new infographic from silverdoorapartments.com.

It’s called ‘How To Order A Beer/Pizza/Taxi/Coffee In 15 Different Languages Around The World’. You can take a look for yourself below this post.

As infographics go, this one really does what it says on the tin. It covers languages from a number of popular destinations including Spanish, Italian and French. On top of this, it offers some for the more adventurous traveller, including Japanese and Russian.

Europe, Infographic

21 Things You Didn’t Know About London [Infographic]

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21 things you didn’t know about London

In recent years, the popularity of London city break has gone from strength to strength. It seems that millennials are doing away with the week beach break and instead favouring three days in one of the world’s great metropolises.

As you can see from this post from UK travel association ABTA, statistics now show that they are in fact as popular as beach holidays.

It’s really not hard to see why either. With more cheaper flights than ever and budget accommodation via Airbnb and other services, city breaks can prove to cost very little.

In fact, for the amount of money it takes to book one beach holiday, you could quite easily enjoy two city breaks.

When it comes to selecting a city break, there’s certainly a few everyone must visit. One of these is, of course, London.

London is bar far one of the most popular tourist cities on the planet. In fact, the Evening Standard reported earlier this year that a record 19 million tourist visited the English capital last year.

It’s pretty easy to see why too. London is both a city with a wealth of history and also bucket loads of contemporary attractions.

Just take a look at this post from Planet Ware, which lists a number of world famous attractions.

If you’re planning on visiting this marvelous city, it would be beneficial to learn a little about it first.

And thanks to a new infographic from Central London Apartments, you can do just that!

It’s called ‘21 Things You Didn’t Know About London’ and you can see it for yourself below.

It covers some truly fascinating things relating to contemporary London and also its rich history.

For example, do you know how many people use the London Underground each year? Or why the Palace of Westminster is positioned on the River Thames? You can find the answers and plenty more fascinating things by reading the infographic.

london

Celebrity Vacations, Entertainment, Europe, Festivals, Infographic, Travel Tips

UK, US & European Instagram Festival Map

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Imagine yourself, right now, stood at a music festival of your choice, all of your pals around you, your favourite band playing your favourite song.

Imagined it? What are you likely to do to capture this moment? Of course, it’s going to be taking a photo and uploading it to Instagram, because that’s half the fun of spending a weekend in a field, right?

Accessorize have researched into the most Instagram worthy festivals in the UK, US and Europe and plotted them on a wanderlust-worthy interactive map.

From the wonderful land of the free (USA) to the UK across to Europe – there are some pretty cool festivals to be attending.

The top ten are as follows for the US:

instagram

Coachella, of course, could not be any less than number 1 – the biggest A-Lister festival set in in the Colorado dessert, California. Whether you’re looking to pile in with friends or lounge in the lap of luxury, Coachella has lodging options for every festival goer.

The festival offers more delicious food than you could eat in a weekend, with over 100 choices serving everything from wood-fired pizza and handcrafted burgers to authentic street food and fresh-from-the-wok noodles.

instagram

It was without doubt that Glastonbury gained the throne within the UK festivals, of course – set in Somerset on Worthy Farm in Pilton, Glastonbury has been going for 47 years and started out with a capacity of 1,500 which has increasingly grown to over 135,000.

With the Great British countryside at your feet, I’d recommend signing up for your tickets for 2018.

instagram

Ohh wonderful Europe, how many festivals there are!

Sziget, based in, Hungary takes the festival crown for Europe – with a capacity of over 496,000 that attended the 2016 24th edition of the festival.

Sziget takes place on a beautiful island on the Danube every August and brings together people from all over the world, as well as musical (mainly) and other acts and events. It’s a fantastic multicultural experience, and a lot of people take advantage of it every year.

Check out the interactive map courtesy of Accessorize, and explore the rest of the UK, US and European festivals.

Editor's Picks, North America

A Road Trip from Washington DC to New York

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A road trip from Washington DC to New York

Words: Len Rutledge    Images: Phensri Rutledge

Driving in the USA can be daunting or charming depending on where you are. Despite initial reservations, my wife and I found driving between two of the country’s major cities was no great problem.

Day 1 Washington DC to Lancaster 190 km

This morning we leave Washington DC on route to Lancaster. We skirt Baltimore then follow I-83 north for 90 minutes before exiting at York. By now we have entered a beautiful region of rolling hills, neatly cultivated farms, covered bridges, and towns with unusual names like Paradise, Intercourse, and Bird-in-Hand. This is the gorgeous Amish Country, also known as Pennsylvania Dutch Country, which immediately evokes feelings of nostalgia, respect, and curiosity.

The verdant countryside is laced with rural roads and we quickly find opportunities to meet Amish and Mennonites on farms that have opened their doors for commerce. There are historical sites, pretzel and chocolate factories, covered bridges, and bustling farmers’ markets. For those unimpressed by these attractions, there are amusement parks and outlet-mall shopping.

At the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau, we are given an excellent map and visitors’ guide to the region and a wealth of brochures. The Amish with their distinctive clothes and lifestyle are the big attraction in this region but we quickly learn they are not theme-park characters but hardworking people leading busy lives. They don’t drive cars or use electricity so there are 25,000 horse-drawn vehicles in the county. These tend to stick to quieter back roads, but you will certainly see many of them as you travel around.

The Amish Experience, on Route 340 in Intercourse offers three attractions that provide an authentic illustration of Amish life, past and present. Tickets for a 40-minute multimedia show, an interpretive tour of a contemporary-style Amish home, and a guided back-road bus tour may be purchased separately. We don’t do the bus tour but learn much about the lives of these interesting people. The final highlight of the day is dinner at a family-style restaurant with some local specialties.

washington

Day 2 Lancaster to Philadelphia 127 km

Today starts with a visit to the Amish Farm and House which is a historic 1805 farmhouse, furnished like a modern Amish house. The guide explains the Amish history, clothing, customs and culture as we move through the home. There is time to wander the six-hectare farm and see a wide variety of farm animals, historic barns, a covered bridge, the one-room schoolhouse and exhibits including an authentic tobacco stripping room and an original blacksmith shop.

Next, it’s back to Intercourse to visit the Kitchen Kettle Village where there are 45 local shops, restaurants and an inn in a village. The hub of activity around here is the kitchen where locals cook up sweets, fresh baked pie and cookies, and delicious canned goods like relish, salsa and pickles. We sample some pepper jam and shoo fly pie and agree that there is something special about Lancaster cooking. Amish and Mennonite owned-stores are closed on Sundays so visit here on other days.

Road US30 East heads towards Philadelphia. Much of this follows the route of the old Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike which when built in 1794 was the first toll road and best stone and gravel road in the country. This is not the fastest route but it is the most interesting as it goes through several small towns.

Traffic is heavy as we approach Philadelphia but we find our accommodation and decide we should walk rather than drive. This is the second largest city on the east coast of the United States but it is also one of the most historic in the nation. We are hungry so head to Reading Terminal Market, an enclosed public market opened in 1892. The former train shed has over one hundred merchants and we enjoy a healthy meal.

Day 3 Philadelphia

There is a designated Constitutional Walking Tour and it seems like a good idea to follow parts of it. The African American Museum is where we start but we leave somewhat disappointed. Fortunately, the National Constitution Centre, a well-done museum about the history of the USA and its Constitution, is more interesting. This naturally leads to the Independence Visitor Center where we learn about visiting Independence Hall and other sites in Independence National Historical Park.

Immediately south is the Liberty Bell Centre where historic documents and graphic images explore the facts and the myths surrounding the famous cracked Bell. Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were adopted, is the centrepiece of the Park.

We discover there are no tickets left for admission so we make do with looking around outside. Over the next few hours, we visit the Magnificent Carpenters Hall, Franklin Court, Christ Church, and Elfreth’s Alley, which is known as the oldest residential street in the USA.

As we return back along Arch Street towards our hotel, we stop off at the Betsy Ross House, the Arch Street Friends Meeting House and the Christ Church Burial Ground.

Day 4 Philadelphia to New York 155 km

Yesterday was all about old Philadelphia and we start today by driving through Society Hill a charming district with cobblestone streets said to contain the largest concentration of original 18th- and early 19th-century residential architecture in the United States.

We make a stop at the Mütter Museum America’s finest museum of medical history before visiting the Philadelphia Museum of Art, one of the largest art museums in the country. The Franklin Institute was established in 1824 as a centre of science education and it also houses a huge statue of seated Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Time is getting away so we leave the city and head along the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95) to Newark Liberty International Airport where we drop off the rental car. The Newark Airport Express takes us to Grand Central Station in New York City and we take the subway to our hotel.

There is just time to reach the Circle Line pier to catch the Harbour Lights Cruise. The sun is low as we cruise down the Hudson River, around the Battery, up the East River, and back via the Statue of Liberty. As the sun sets and the skyline comes alive with millions of lights, we gaze in wonder at the hugely impressive scene and plan our next few days in the city that never sleeps.

www.LenRutledge.com

Asia, Europe, Infographic

15 of The World’s Oldest Buildings and Where You Can Find Them [Infographic]

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15 of The World’s Oldest Buildings and Where You Can Find Them

Travelling abroad gives us a chance to experience authentic cultures which can’t be enjoyed anywhere else.

Drinking Guinness in Dublin, eating pizza in Rome or watching a jazz band in New Orleans are great examples.

Authentic cultural experiences are often tied to history. For example, while you can take a trip on a punt or rowing boat all around the world, there’s something extra special about taking a gondola around the waters of Venice.

Venice, along with 99 other unique experiences makes up a great list from Wanderlust. If you want some inspiration for authentic trips, this is a good place to start.

Historic Sightseeing

Sightseeing is certainly a big part of enjoying authentic cultural experiences. For example, to really soak up all that Egypt has to offer, you really must visit the Pyramids.

One of the reasons visiting buildings such as these is so fascinating is because of how long they have existed.

These days, we often see Townes blocks bulldozed after standing less than half a century. However, there are some stunning structures which still exist thousands of years after their construction.

15 Of The World’s Oldest Buildings And Where You Can Find Them

If history and sightseeing are one of the biggest reasons you travel the world, you’re in luck. ŴThis is because a new infographic from Globehunters presents a number of must-see historic buildings from, around the world.

It’s called ‘15 Of The World’s Oldest Buildings And Where You Can Find Them’ and you can take a look below.

This fascinating piece presents 15 must-see locations for any history-loving sightseer.

It contains places you certainly will have heard of and other you probably haven’t. For example, probably the most famous is the Coliseum in Rome.

This truly iconic structure is one of the oldest amphitheatres on the planet and really offers a glimpse of what life was like in ancient times.

There’s also the lesser-known oldest house still in existence. The Knap of Howar sits on the island of Orkney, just off the coast of Scotland and is thought to have stood since 3700 BC.

Oldest Buildings

Infographic, Travel Tips

13 Of The World’s Oldest Living Things And Where To Find Them [Infographic]

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13 Of The World’s Oldest Living Things And Where To Find Them

While humans now wander just about every corner of the planet, there is still something truly fascinating and mysterious about the natural world.

In fact, while we have extensively mapped Planet Earth, we still know staggering little about what lives on it.

In recent years, scientists have discussed what they consider to be the number of species which have been catalogued.

According to National Geographic, they believe only 15% of all species have been discovered, that’s right, 15%!

Even among that seemingly tiny 15%, it’s fair to say that the world is full of truly fascinating nature and wildlife.

Natural Wonders of the World

The excitement of seeing natural wonders is something which many of us travel in search of.

A number of things which feature on most bucket lists are the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. You can take a look at them in this list from World Atlas.

For animal lovers, there are a number of stunning creatures to see before you die. The most common tend to be The Big Five.

The Big Five are all from the continent of Africa and are the reason so many people go on Safari. They are the Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino and Leopard.

Obviously, there is slightly more urgency to see certain natural wonders than others. This is because some species are closer to extinction than others.

13 Of The World’s Oldest Living Things And Where To Find Them

There are also a number of individual creatures which have lived for an incredibly long time. Witnessing them before they shuffle off this mortal coil is certainly something many travellers try to achieve.

You can find the most interesting of them in a new infographic by Globehunters. It’s called ‘13 Of The World’s Oldest Living Things And Where To Find Them’ and you can take a look below.

It covers everything from the world’s oldest living Black Rhino to the oldest standing tree in Europe!

Oldest Living Things

Travel Tips

How to Turn a Family Vacation into Something Unforgettable

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Children are notorious for their short attention spans. It’s, therefore, an incredible feat to keep them engaged throughout the family vacation, let alone excited. In order to achieve this, many parents bend over backward to introduce various activities into their daily schedule while they are on a holiday.

The problem is – many parents don’t know where to start and it can be a true Sisyphean effort to keep the children involved. The trick is not to engage in something that is only fun for you, but you have to take into consideration your kids’ wishes, needs, and abilities. In order to make this entire ordeal significantly easier, here is how to turn a family vacation into something unforgettable.

Nature calls

No matter where you decide to go on a vacation, you’ll never be that far from nature. For one, you and your significant other will get a chance to enjoy beautiful landscapes and some healthy recreation.

On the other hand, your children are bound to have a blast. Youngsters tend to respond really well to open spaces of untouched nature since they see it as a perfect playground with endless potential. If you can spend an entire day out in the wilderness during the vacation, make sure you grab this opportunity. Naturally, it would be ideal if you get a chance to do this every day.

Use the opportunities

If you are gone for a summer vacation, it’s expected that you’ll spend every day at the beach. This, as it has been established in the previous paragraph, is a godsend for your children. However, the beach or the national park isn’t supposed to be a playground exclusively reserved for the youngsters and it shouldn’t be.

Your involvement is equally important, so use the opportunities the terrain gives you to engage in fun activities with your children. Activities that lead to bonding can include anything from building a sandcastle on the beach to creating a “secret base” out of sticks and stones in the nearby forest. The key thing is to convince your children that you are just as invested in all of this as they are.

Add some diversity

Likewise, having a Groundhog Day vacation becomes tedious to anyone, let alone children. Try to add some diversity every now and then. You can dedicate an entire day to the trip to local historical towns or museums. These can turn into truly inspiring educational experiences for children. By immersing them into the culture of the region, you might tap into previously undiscovered intellectual potentials in your children and broaden their horizons.

A shopping day is a satisfying activity for an entire family. Most of the popular tourist destinations have a shopping district with a lot of interesting activities. The spree can get even more whacky on wheels if you mount one of the specialized Anderson shopper bicycle trolleys, carrying all the luggage throughout the narrow city streets will be a breeze.

As far as accommodations go

A plain hotel room or several separate hotel rooms for that matter are not the best choices for a family with children. Most of the large-scale accommodations of this kind have family-friendly perks like babysitting services, adjoining rooms etc., but it might be much better to find private accommodations in town.

This can provide you with a perfect opportunity to kick back and relax and have a backyard where children can run and play is always a welcome addition. A kitchen in which your family can create their own meals and adapt them to personal needs of each child is an invaluable asset.

There is so much you can discover about your children on a vacation filled with unforgettable activities. They are unbelievable sponges when it comes to external stimuli, and when they are faced with completely new environments and fresh activities, they are bound to enjoy the experience as much as you will. Just don’t forget to get completely involved and enjoy your little adventure.

Infographic

An A-Z Of European Country Name Origins [Infographic]

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An A-Z Of European Country Name Origins

No matter whether you live in Europe or outside of it, there’s no denying what an utterly fantastic holiday destination it is.

One of the biggest reasons for choosing any part of Europe is for its fascinating and rich history.

Europe’s Many Landmarks

The list of fantastic cities and landmarks is almost endless. Just take a look at this article from USA Today which lists some of the best landmarks, all steeped in history.

Over the centuries, Europe has also changed a great deal. As empires, regimes, and governments have come and gone, borders have changed, and too to have the identities of nations.

With so many outside influences, every country in Europe has been influenced by those around it many times over.

Take a look at this fascinating three-minute video on Viral Forest. It maps the massive changes in European borders over the past 1000 years, its fascination just how much has changed.

Aside of borders, one of the simplest ways to learn a great deal about European history is from the names of different countries.

An A-Z Of European Country Name Origins

Throughout history, the names of many of Europe’s countries have altered. Because of this, a great deal can be learned from the current names.

A new infographic from globehunters.com explores this very idea. It’s called ‘An A-Z Of European Country Name Origins’ and you can take a look at it below.

The infographic contains a number of fascinating facts about Europe that you’ll likely never have heard before.

For example, did you know that Monaco derives from the Greek word Monoikos? This word translates as ‘single house’ or ‘single temple’ signifying a place to rest, which is very much still in keeping with modern-day Monaco.

Another good example is the origin of Kosovo. The name is taken from the Kosovo Plain, where the Battle of Kosovo, between Serbia and the Ottoman Empire was fought in the 14th century.

european

An A – Z Of European Country Name Origins – An infographic by the team at Globehunters.com

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