Books, Movies, and TV Shows, Destinations, Editor's Picks, Entertainment, Theme and Amusement Park

The Best Harry Potter Related Tourist Destinations

01/09/2014 Shem MD Leave a comment

Summary: If you love Harry Potter, you must come to these places where magic behind the phenomenal books and movies happened.

Do you love Harry Potter as much as you love your kids? Maybe you must consider going to places where all the magic happened in the book series and movies. J. K. Rowling picked some famous places in Britain as settings for her characters, and the movie installments further enhanced the real-like magic world feeling by bringing the book settings to life. You can recreate the adventure of Harry Potter and his friends, as well as other wizards, in these places. Here are some great places to visit in Britain if you are big fans of Harry Potter.

ZSL London Zoo

Everyone who loves Harry Potter will remember the scene in the first book and movie, when little Harry made a snake escape from its glass cage with magic, and made his cousin trapped inside. The scene happened inside the ZSL London Zoo, in the reptile house for the exact. However, reptile house is not the only place you can visit in this zoo.

For example, London Zoo just opened a spot called Tiger Territory, where you can see various tiger species. There are also fun activities such as learning to be an animal keeper for the day and Junior Zoo Academy. Of course, you can always pretend to be little Harry Potter in front of the snake cage.

Alnwick Castle

Do you remember Harry Potter’s first flying lesson with Madame Hooch? Alnwick Castle in Northumberland is a location where the entire set of first flying lesson scene was made. The castle is 700 years old and very beautiful, complete with magnificent glass house, flower garden and stately rooms. There are also activities such as role-playing in Knight Quest.

Glencoe

This is a beautiful glen and valley in Scotland. Glencoe has become set for various scenes in Harry Potter from the first to the latest installment. This area is also famous as a great place for hiking, trekking and biking. Various events such as folk music performance are also held by the accommodations around the areas.

Freshwater West

This is a beautiful beach in Wales. Freshwater West became the location to film the latest installments of Harry Potter. This is the place where you saw the heartbreaking scene with Dobby and the location of Fleur and Bill’s cottage. This is a great place to surf, hold a party or just stroll along the beach, but not for swimming.

Bodleian Library

If you love historical tour, come and visit Bodleian Library in Oxford University, which became the set for Hogwart’s library. This is also the place, where great authors such as Oscar Wilde and the creator of Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien once studied.

Leadenhall Market

Finally, if you want to feel the experience of entering the famous Leaky Cauldron wizard pub, come to Leadenhall Market in England. The market itself can easily become an actual wizard market thanks to its beautiful structure with glass ceiling.

Most of these places are located in England, but some, which also appeared in the books and movies, are located in Wales and Scotland. You can also bring the kids and provide them with educative enjoyment, and have fun at the same time. Be Harry Potter and explore the places he has visited. Ready?

Travel Tips

Must Have Features Of Good Business Hotels

01/08/2014 Tim Scott Leave a comment

If you own a business hotel, it is important to know that having spacious, relaxing, and well-equipped rooms alone is not enough. You would need to cater to the specific demands of business travellers who need certain amenities and facilities to support and enable them do their business work in a smooth and efficient manner.

Here are the key features that good business hotels must have:

Convenient location
Good business hotels are situated near the airport or they are located in the city’s business district so as to make it easy for business travellers to catch up on their work. Business travellers choose to stay in such hotels so that they can conveniently travel to different parts of the city for meetings and conferences.

Internet Access
It is of the utmost importance to provide fast, easy, round the clock internet access to your business travellers. You should provide high speed Internet connection for easy and quick access. You can offer wireless hotpsots or high speed Internet access in the rooms to ensure that your corporate guests can enjoy seamless communication with their clients and colleagues.

Coffee shops/restaurants/bars
Good business hotels have nice coffee shops, bars, and restaurants where business travellers can meet their partners, clients, and business associates for discussing important things while enjoying good food and drinks. Make sure that you create the right ambience that is both formal and casual.

Swimming pool
What can be more relaxing than swimming in a beautiful and hygienic pool after attending those day-long business meetings? Let your corporate guests unwind and relax themselves in your hotel swimming pool. To provide the best pool experience to your guests, you could invest in automatic pool cleaners. With an automatic pool cleaner, you can enjoy a clean pool with little effort. Automatic pool cleaners would save you time and money, and would give you peace of mind and confidence that your hotel pools are clean and hygienic.

Fitness center
Most people these days are health conscious and they like to stick to their fitness regime even if they are on a holiday or business trip. That is why the best business hotels have gyms and fitness centres that provide access to treadmills, weights, and aerobic classes.

Prompt customer service
Professional business hotels provide quick and efficient customer service to their clients. They make sure that the needs of the business travellers are met quickly so that they are able to complete their business tasks even more quickly and easily when travelling and staying with them.

Make sure that your hotel has the above features if you want to attract business travellers and make good money out of your hotel business.

Travel Tips

Few Important Tips To Choose the Perfect Holiday Resort

01/08/2014 Tim Scott Leave a comment

Holidays are fun and enjoyable experience for one and all. People go on holidays to relax and unwind themselves and to spend quality time with their family and friends. If you are planning for a family holiday, you may have to find the perfect accommodation so as to get the most out of them.

Here are a few important tips to help you choose the perfect holiday resort for a fun-filled and enjoyable family holiday.

Go online
Most holiday resorts nowadays have their websites through which they provide all the details about their resort. You can get to know everything at the simple click of a mouse. Just check out the websites of different resorts and find out what all they are providing. See the pictures of the rooms, lobby, restaurant, children’s play area, swimming pool, and other areas that the resort has. If you find any resort appropriate, you can call them over to get further details.

Ask friends or talk to professional travel agents
It is always better to ask friends or family members who have been to the holiday destination where you are going. You can ask them in which resort did they stay and how was their experience. Resort owners would most likely share only positive customer reviews with you. By talking to friends you can get honest and fair reviews about the resort, about their service, cleanliness, and amenities.

In case you can’t find any information from friends, get in touch with professional travel agents to help you find comfortable, convenient, and budget-friendly holiday resort.

Check the Location
Finding a holiday resort that is located within the convenient distance of popular city attractions and sight seeing can make your holidays more enjoyable. You should book a resort that allows quick and easy access to different parts of the city. You should not waste your time, as well as money in getting around. The resort should be located in safe location. Do some research about the area in which the resort is located.

Make sure there is swimming Pool & other amenities
Want to have fun with your kids in the pool? Want to rejuvenate your senses by taking a plunge in cool/hot swimming pool water? Make sure that the resort has nice, clean pool. Most good resorts use robot pool cleaner to provide the best swimming pool experience to their kids. The robot pool cleaner helps resort owners clean the pool quickly and easily, allowing them to offer clean and hygienic pool to the holiday makers.

Some other amenities that you should look for in holiday resorts are restaurants, coffee shop, gym, health spas and sauna, children’s play area, playgrounds, soft play areas, games and activities for kids and adults, gold course, and excursion tours or activities. Make sure that the resort offers exceptional customer service so that you can get out of dull and boring schedule and come back home refreshed and rejuvenated.

Asia, Destinations, Editor's Picks

The delights of Yangon, Myanmar

01/08/2014 Len Rutledge Leave a comment

Words: Len Rutledge Pictures: Phensri Rutledge

Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, is green and cool with lush tropical trees, shady parks and beautiful lakes. As it rapidly develops it has also acquired traffic problems, poverty and signs of international commerce. On first sight it is a typical Asian city, but you quickly realise that it is less modern than its Asian peers and it has its own calm culture.

The city right now feels like a frontier town in transition. The locals still dress in traditional longyi and only a small percentage own a mobile phone, yet shiny new apartment blocks are springing up between the peeling colonial facades, traffic jams have become common in some areas, and pizza and donut shops are appearing.

Yangon can be enjoyed by just walking its streets. The sights, smells and sounds will be strange to most visitors. You will see women with a yellow-white paste on their faces, vendors selling betel nut, and ancient buses and taxis blowing exhaust fumes over everything. The city, however, does have its ‘not-to-be-missed’ attractions and here are some suggestions.

Shwedagon Pagoda

Few religious monuments in the world are as impressive as Shwedagon Pagoda, with its gigantic 99m golden stupa. The pagoda can be visited at any time during the day but early evening is best, when the sunset light has a transformative effect on the gold-encrusted stupa and the many subsidiary shrines. The pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with diamonds and rubies and other precious gems, and a 72 carat diamond at the very top. The whole compound is huge and glorious, with an astonishing array of carvings, statues, parks and gardens, ponds and devotional spaces.

Colonial buildings

Quite a number of old public buildings built in the time of the British occupation still remain although many are presently empty and are rotting away. For many visitors they are one of the major attractions of the city and it is hoped that most or all can be saved and recycled in the near future. The Yangon City Hall, next to Sule Pagoda, is one that is being used and it appears to be in reasonable condition. The old Supreme Court (1910) to the south-east is painted in red and yellow but it is looking rather sad. A short distance to the south is the famous Strand Hotel which was constructed in 1901 and was among the best hotels in Asia when it opened. Perhaps the most impressive building of all is the old Ministers’ office, which occupies a whole city block.

Kandawgyi Lake

This is a very attractive artificial lake, located east of the Shwedagon Pagoda, which is surrounded by the Kandawgyi Nature Park, and the Yangon Zoological Gardens. The lake and the surrounds provide a quiet, quite beautiful environment and great photographic opportunities. There are long wooden walkways built over the lake which provide nice views. There are several lakeside restaurants serving local food at reasonable prices which are very popular with locals.

Chinatown

This is probably the busiest area of Yangon. It is centred on Latha Road in the western part of downtown but it spreads across several blocks in each direction. The shops, with their bright neon lights and garish advertising, are a seething mass of people during both daytime and evening, and restaurants abound. It is an extremely important commercial centre especially for gold, jewellery, electronics, mobile phones, consumer goods and groceries.

19th Street is packed with restaurants and roadside barbeque vendors selling all manner of dishes. Aging buses run on the east-west streets while pedestrians and vendors cram the north-south streets seeking and selling fruit, vegetables, fried snacks and more.

Reclining Buddha

The 72 m reclining Buddha image in the Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda is one of the biggest reclining Buddha images in Myanmar. Originally built in 1907, it was demolished and rebuilt in the 1960s. The Buddha image is wearing a golden robe and has a white face, red lips, blue eye shadow, and red finger nails. The soles of the feet contain 108 segments in red and gold. Buddhist people burn incense sticks and offer flowers to the Buddha then pray to the shrine belonging to the day of their birth.

Circular railway

There is a very slow circle train which travels around Yangon and takes about 2.5 hours to complete the trip. Trains go in both directions approximately every hour. Most have wooden seats and no air-conditioning and visitors are encouraged to use one particular carriage which is slightly more comfortable than the others. Locals are also allowed to use this car provided they have few parcels. The rest of the train becomes very crowded but this can provide an insight into local life.

Downtown streets

The city’s street life always makes an impression on me. I find the street-side stalls, where diners tuck into bowls of steaming noodles; the ancient, overloaded, buses jostling for space at junctions with trishaws, trucks and taxis; and the open-air markets, where traders squat beside piles of fresh produce, to be quite fascinating. You can stop for refreshments in a traditional Burmese teahouse before enjoying the priceless treasures at the impressive National Museum and it can be fun to join the crowds milling around Bogyoke Aung San market or the various ferry jetties.

Len Rutledge is the author of Experience Myanmar, available as an e-book at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HPQHC5I

Travel Tips

Accommodation Options To Choose From

01/04/2014 Tim Scott Leave a comment

Whether you plan for a long duration off shore vacation or simple weekend gate away trip, accommodation options always puts your planning for the trip in confusion deadlock. Don’t worry cause there are lot more options to look out for while you are on a vacation.

The various accommodation options one can evaluate during planning a trip :-

1. Hotels: The most commonly available and used accommodation option by travelers around the globe is Hotels but they can be costlier at times though hotels give you a wide range of option to choose from. Hotels provide you with greater security and luxury as well as better connectivity in terms of facilities.

2. Serviced Apartments: When you are planning a for a longer duration of a trip then rentals can be a very good option. These aparthotels Leeds are fully furnished with almost all the amenities and facilities of an apartment at a much lower price than a equivalent luxury hotel. You can always enjoy the comforts and the privacy of your own home in serviced apartments.

3. Hostels: They are the most cheapest and accessible option for the budget backpackers. Bed bunks shared in a single large room with personal lockers. Hostels are evolving as the most common option for young travelers. Common lounge area with a kitchen, TV, games, wi-fi are generally provided in hostels.

4. Sleeper Trains: When you have to travel during the night or a long journey you can also book a sleeper train and spend the night while traveling. It enables you to save both time and money.

5. Camping: This might sound a little off beat but camping is a very good option when you want to go into the wild and spend some time surrounded by nature away from the crowded cityscape in pre-established camping sites.

6. Couch surfing: You can also get into touch with a host or local fellow traveler of the country or place you are visiting to provide you a a room or a bed to sneak in for free. Another benefit of couch surfing is free guided tours by the host in his home country.

7. Friends & Family: You can always get into contact with your long distant friends and family relatives to find an accommodation or a place to stay.

8. Home Exchange: This is one of the most cheap option to get an accommodation in a foreign country. By switching homes with fellow travelers who wants to visit your home country you can enjoy all the privacy and comfort of your own home in a foreign destination.

Use these parameters and choose your accommodation wisely to have a good time

Have a great stay !

Food, North America, Restaurant Reviews

AMERICA’S TACO CONNECTION

01/04/2014 Tim Scott Leave a comment

There is a history of love affair between America & Tacos and it is one of the most favorite finger street food popular throughout the subcontinent. Its the traditional Mexican dish made of wheat or corn tortilla rolled around a filling such as beef, pork, fish, seafood or vegetables garnished with salsa, avocado, tomato, onions or lettuce. The first ever taco feast documented in the history was held in 1520 by Herman Cortes with his captains before he & his army set out to invade the Aztecs Empire. The word ‘Taco’ was actually coined in the 18th century silver mines in Mexico which at that time actually meant ‘paper wrapped around gunpowder’. When at the beginning of the 20th century Mexican immigrants started migrating to America, they brought with them the Mexican flavors to the American way of food and thus started the Taco culture in United States.

The first Taco sighting in the United States was in 1905 and Gradually it became immensely popular with the arrival of variety in the servings such as Al Pastor, carnitas, Sudados, De Cabeza, Carne Asada, etc and the Mexican Americans of the South West reinvented the todays Tacos in many flavors and shapes. In 1954 Glen Bell opens up a little taco stand called Taco tia which he later I 1962 transformed into world’s first Mexican fast food franchise better known as Taco Bell. Today Tacos of all flavors and shapes are eaten in America and in 2012 Americans ate over 4.5 Billion tacos in one year alone. In present time there are 30,910 Mexican food restaurants in United States generating a revenue of 30.7 Billion US Dollars.
With the Baja-style tacos (grilled or fried fish typically topped with slaw, pico de gallo, and sour cream-based sauce) are becoming fiercely popular now a days here we present you with some of the best Tacos in the United States.

Puerto Nuevo style San Diego seafood restaurants ROCKIN’ BAJA LOBSTER serving Baja style lobster dinners as well as many other Mexican seafood specialties such as Fajitas, Tacos, Nachos, Burritos in many of their restaurants along the Southern California coastline.
Ricky’s Los Angeles Fish taco serving Ricky Piña and Ensenada-style fish, shrimp & lobster tacos.
Tito’s Tacos, Culver City, Calif is famous for its plump burritos and for good old American style tacos with cheese
Torchy’s Tacos, serving tortilla-bound concoctions across various Texas location in trailer parks.
El Real Tex-Mex Café, Houston serving Tex-Mex classics like chile con carne, nachos, and Frito pie is well known for their San Antonio Puffy Taco Plate
Chico’s Tacos, El Paso, Texas is quite famous for serving its signature dish: three rolled “tacos” containing ground beef covered in finely shredded cheese & red “salsa” with jalapeño salsa topping in a white cardboard boat.

Destinations, Editor's Picks, North America, South America

Are we safe? Caribbean dangers.

01/01/2014 Paul Smith Leave a comment

How often did you hear an opinion that Caribbean islands resemble paradise for every person? Did you notice that most visitors regarded this part of the world as the most precious, fragile and astonishing piece of a virgin nature.

In addition to these positive feedbacks some disturbing moods ahave been recently noticed in the tourist community. With the big amount of murders and other smaller crimes, a very important question is asked by more and more tourists: “Can we feel safe on Caribbean islands?” Indeed, today certain doubts concerning safe vacations in the Caribbean arise.

Violent crimes prevail in the Caribbean, still they usually observed only in cities, without affecting popular places for tourist like beaches and hotels. Nevertheless, tourists often become victims of such crimes as car stealing and pickpocketing. These crimes are rather widespread all over the world that is they will hardly scare travelers. Simple precautionary measures can keep us from these dangers. It’s better not to travel alone, especially at nights. A wise traveler should leave high-priced rings, necklaces, watches and bracelets at home. And of course it’s advised not to let other people see valuable things.

One of the possible factors indicating the high level of crimes is the poverty rate. For instance, the British Virginia and Barbados are the most prosperous islands among Caribbean islands. The well-trained staff providing security and closed communities are the min guarantees of our safety. But it will be unfair to say that only these two islands can be called safe from dangers. Experienced travelers will not be satisfied with popular routs. Cold mind and caution will keep us from troubles while exploring other islands.

To show the general picture of the risk level for tourists visiting Caribbean islands, the following list was made.

These are the islands with high criminal rate:

1. Jamaica

The Government of Jamaica claims that the criminal rate has recently decreased, nevertheless this Caribbean island is considered to be the most dangerous. Still, it doesn’t mean that tourists take serious risk coming to Jamaica as the violent crimes usually concern local people and rarely occur in the hotspots for visitors. The level of poverty is rather high, drugs spreading and the availability of weapons. To keep yourself from serious troubles you are advised not to spend a lot of time in the capital of Jamaica and other big cities where crimes rate is high. In case you can’t avoid visiting Kingston, general precautions will help you to keep safe during this journey.

2. Saint Kitts and Nevis

The crimes on Saint Kitts and Nevis island mainly occur among the local population. High crime rates are caused by poverty. 20 murders per 50,000 people is a very high index for such a small island. However the Government reports that most of the tourist journeys to the island have been safe. And again, travelers simply have to be careful and take care of their belongings in order to have a successful trip.

3. Trinidad and Tobago

Showing high index of crime, this island poses the threat of smaller crimes such as petty larceny and pick pocketing. But the U.S Department of State ensures tourists that they have nothing to fear as tourists are not in the risk zone of serious crimes. Heinous crimes are connected with spread of weapons and drug usage. It’s better for the travelers not ot visit Sea Lots, Laventille and Cocorite.

4. Bahamas

The Bahamas is a very popular place for people looking for warm beaches and wonderful rest. That is why it is very important for adventurers to keep common sense and be careful with their belongings, as the rate of stealing is very high on this island. Grand Bahama and New Province are the most dangerous regions as local people are mainly live here.

5.Puerto Rico

The majority of crimes taken place in Puerto Rico are connected with drug traffic. Big cities are the most dangerous areas for tourists. But Puerto Rico will become a good destination for any traveler who knows how not to get involved in any affairs connected with drugs. Besides, if the traveler stays in the places reserved for tourists, his life will not be in danger. Although the crime rate on Caribbean islands is rather high, cautious tourist has nothing to be afraid of. Caribbean islands will become a paradise for you under only one simple condition: you should take a good care of yourself!

Unique Christmas Traditions in Various Countries

12/28/2013 Shem MD Leave a comment

Your Christmas traditions probably consist of setting up a tree in the house, baking cookies, giving presents and having Christmas dinner. However, some other countries have completely unique Christmas traditions that you will think very weird. Here is a quick look on several unique Christmas traditions in various countries in the world.

La Befana, the Good Old Lady

Santa Claus is the main character in many modern Christmas traditions, but the Italians have La Befana. She is an old lady that resembles a witch with her flying broom, but she is depicted as a good witch with Santa-like role. She visits houses in early January with her flying broom, enters through the chimney and leaves presents for kids. In many Italian towns and villages, some ladies will dress up as La Befana with pheasant dresses, head scarves and carrying brooms. She is also depicted as a bit dirty from the chimney soot.

Tio de Nadal, the Defecating Log

You will not see the Yule log in the same way anymore after seeing Tio de Nadal tradition in Catalonia, Spain. In many houses, families will set up a log on a post on their dining tables, paint a face on the log and cover it with blanket. The family members will put fruits and nuts under the log’s face to ‘feed’ it.

Why do they do it? Because when Christmas morning comes, kids will gather around the log while adults beat the log several times, urging the Tio de Nadal to ‘defecate’ the presents. Behind it, an adult will hand out some presents to family members.

Krampus, Santa’s Evil Twin in Austria

This unique Christmas tradition probably will leave your own kids afraid. In Austria, there is the evil version of Santa Claus, and it is called Krampus. It dresses up like Santa, with red clothes, hat and boots. However, once it turns around, you will see a scary face. It scares bad kids while Santa goes around and gives presents to good kids. It is not uncommon to see people dresses up as Krampus in Austria during Christmas.

Night Graveyard Visits

This sounds like a scary tradition to do in holiday season, but for people in Finland, this is a must-do tradition every Christmas to pray for their dead relatives and friends. On Christmas Eve, they will go to cemeteries, light up candles around the graveyard of people they know, and pray. Actually, the view is quite spectacular, and of course, this tradition always becomes the source of headache for traffic cops in Finland every Christmas Eve.

The Scandinavian Yule Goat

Swedish people recognize the Yule Goat, a magical creature that has Santa-like roles. The goat comes in the forms of Christmas tree accessories and other ornaments. This unique Christmas tradition has its root from ancient belief related to the worship of Thor, the thunder god that is often depicted riding on a sled pulled by goats.

Caganer, the Naughty Decoration

You would not want to put this decoration in your family’s Nativity Scene decoration. Caganer is a popular decoration for Nativity Scene in various Mediterranean countries, which is depicted as a man pulling down his pants on the corner and defecating. This act is described as ‘earth fertilizing,’ and this decoration is popular as Christmas souvenir. This unique Christmas tradition always becomes a good source of laughter for kids.

Croatian National Parks

12/22/2013 Mary Stedul Leave a comment

Blessed with overwhelming beauty, Croatia is becoming number one destination for world wide travelers. Though there are many reasons on why you should visit – miles of stunning coastline, wealth of culture and great food, exploring it’s beautiful National parks is one thing that you must include in your itinerary if you choose to visit this country. Here is an overview of the most popular Croatian National parks.

Brijuni national park

Brijuni is located on the western Istrian coast and consists of 14 islands and islets, covering an area of 7.42km2. One amazing feature of the Brijuni archipelago is the biological diversity, made by the diversity of the habitat, island location, geographical location, geological base and geomorphology. You can have a sightseeing tour which includes a train ride, a visit to the Roman villa rustica, dating from the 1st Century B.C. You can also take a safari in the park to see many wild animals and such as the elephants, zebras and Somali sheeps.

Mljet island

Mljet is a beautiful island located off the coast of Dubrovnik and is often referred to as “The greenest island” in Croatia. It’s a large island consisting of bays, villages and 2 lovely sandy beaches – Blace and Saplunara. The national park is on the northwestern part of the island. Other interesting features of the islands include 2 salt water lakes and the St. Mary islet, which has a monastery on it. If you are getting there by car, you can catch a ferry from Prapratno, Peljesac. Alternatively, you can take a boat from Dubrovnik’s ferry terminal.

Kornati National Park

The islands that were made a national park in 1980, endowed with an extremely beautiful landscape consisting of a highly jagged and indented coastline. The Kornati archipelago is a great attraction for mountaineers, yachtmen, mountaineers, divers and other nature and activity lovers. You can get to the islands by organized tours or charter a sailing boat and discover the islands by yourself.

Krka National Park

Krka National Park is endowed with natural sceneries that are unmatched anywhere else in the world. A major attraction here is the series of waterfalls. The most spectacular one is Skradinkski Buk. Krka river cuts through a dense woodland and a gorge shaded by limestone cliffs, creating a series of spectacular pools and waterfalls. You can come to the park from Sibenik by bus, to the town of Skradin. From here, you can take a 25-minute boat ride up the Krka river.

Plitvice lakes

Plitvice National Park is considered to be one of the most beautiful natural sights in Europe.
There are hotels, restaurants and campsites inside the park, so you can have a comfortable and relaxed visit. People are attracted by the numerous waterfalls, a bevy wildlife, including fish, frogs and a variety of bird species. Special attractions at Plitvice, include the Veliki Splat, a 100 foot waterfall. Included in the price of admission to the park you can travel up the lake on electric boats and then hike around the waterfalls. This national park is probably the most popular national park in Croatia, counting several thousands of visitors every year.

A decision to visit one or more of these national parks will offer you an unforgettable experience that will remain edged on the back of your mind for the rest of your life. Therefore, you should consider booking your travel today!

The Great recommendations of Christmas gifts 2013 for kids and adults

12/20/2013 TravelFore Leave a comment

Christmas is approaching, and many of you must already be preparing for the annual tradition of Christmas gift giving. If you are wondering about what kind of gift you should give to your kids, cousins and family members this year, you may want to look at some creative toys from LEGO and interactive, smart phone-like gadget for kids that are trending these days.

Meanwhile, for the adults, you may want to give some gadgets or even surprising your geeky friend with weapon replica of his/her favorite movie! Here are some great recommendations of Christmas gifts 2013 for kids and adults.

Christmas Gifts for Kids

Nowadays, the popular toys are the ones that urge creativity such as those from LEGO, or learning tablet that mimics the trend of tablets among adults. However, there are also great options for more high tech toys such as pet robot and regular plush toys that are super classic options.

1. LEGO 7739, the City Coast Guard

In its tradition of celebrating various occasions and giving kids chance to fantasize about real life, cool jobs, LEGO 7739 brought forward City Coast Guard series, which consist of patrol tower and boat. There are 444 pieces in this set, and your kids will have fun constructing patrol boat with complete equipment, including emergency rafts, four extra small boats, figurines and even shark!

2. Doctor’s Bag from Doc McStuffins

This is a great toy set for kids above. The doctor’s bag set consists of a doll with doctor’s costume, syringe, stethoscope, and tool to measure blood pressure. All are made without exposing sharp corners, and all the tools come with small doctor’s bag with bright colors such as pink and purple. It is perfect for a creative, role-playing game as doctor and patient.

3. Teal Furby Boom Plush Toy

This is a great Christmas gift for kids, who want to have ‘magic’ pet that they can ‘teach’. Furby is a unique plush toy that can be ‘taught’ to speak by speaking English with it. If the kids want Furby to talk more, they have to speak more with wider range of vocabulary so the Furby can follow suit. The Furby can also be put to ‘sleep’ by pulling on its tail for about 10 seconds.

4. VTech InnoTab 3S

This is a virtual tablet for kids that are equipped with video and sound recorder, camera with many funny effects, various games and kid friendly applications, and educational games appropriate for kids. With cute Mickey Mouse picture and bright color, this kid’s tablet becomes one of the hottest Christmas gifts 2013. The tablet also has a browser with pre-selected websites, so they are appropriate for kids.

5. LeapFrog LeapPad Learning Tablet

This is also a kid friendly tablet, designed for kids aged 4 – 9 years old, but with educational functions, perfect to stimulate kid’s growth and development. There are many learning apps, videos, games and music, and the material is made super tough.

6. Zoomer Pet Dog

This is a funny pet robot shaped like a dog, which can be recharged using USB cable. Zoomer can be taught to do tricks, and it is programmed to understand commands in English, French and Spanish. It can do tricks commonly seen in dogs such as giving paw, rolling, barking and such. This is perfect for kids aged 5 years old and above, especially if they are not in condition of having a real dog.

7. POOF Slinky Spectacular Magic Show

This is a Christmas gift for all young aspiring magicians out there. If your kids are 8 years old and older, you can order this magician bag set, which contains 100 magic tricks supported by various props. Your kids can turn the bag into a table to perform, and they can learn the tricks first by using instructional DVD inserted into the package.

8. Big Hugs Elmo from Playskool

If your kids are big fans of Elmo from Sesame Street, you should buy them this smart plush toy. This toy can hug back if your kid hugs it, and it is equipped with ‘response’ system that will make your kids excited when they dance around with Elmo, talk to it and even put Elmo down to sleep.

9. Lincoln Logs Redwood Junction Set

Finally, if your kids are all about building railroad sets, buy them this Lincoln Logs Redwood Junction Set. The set contains of railroad tracks, trains, small figurine, horse and wood logs as railroad station junction. They will have fun trying to build the original piece of America’s beloved transportation history. This toy is best for kids above 3 years old.

Gifts for Adults

What about for adults? Do not worry, because there are many options of Christmas gifts for the adults, too:

1. Xbox 360 E, Kinect Holiday Value

This holiday value package for Xbox Kinect will really bring excitement to your gamer friend, especially because the value pack also comes with three free games. It is sleek, modern, and equipped with wireless controller. The Xbox will blend flawlessly with the TV, sound system and other devices in the living room.

2. Star Wars Signature Series Darth Maul Collectible Lightsaber

For your Star Wars geek buddies, you can give this collectible lightsaber, with the signature red color of Darth Maul and has realistic style glowing red light. In addition, there are special sound effects, recorded directly from the movie. The blade package has a display stand so it can proudly display your gift.

3. Nikon CoolPix AW110

At last, no one can resist a gift of good digital camera. This bright orange Nikon camera will become a great gift for anyone; it is not only waterproof, but also has a Wi-fi connection. The camera also has a shockproof quality and comes in other great colors such as blue, black and even camera with camouflage pattern! Even those who only take pictures on casual moments will not refuse such cool gift.

So, are you ready to go shopping for your Christmas gifts? Whether they are educational toys, camera, Xbox, hugging dolls or creative blocks, this year’s trend is definitely functional and high-tech gifts.

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