Fun for free in Melbourne

Melbourne (Creative Commons)

Melbourne is the second most populous city in Australia and there’s plenty to see and do there. But when you’re on a big trip and find that you’re paying out every day to go to a museum or visit an attraction, it’s great when you can have some fun for free in a big city. Here are just a few suggestions on how to enjoy Melbourne for free.

Head to Fed Square

In the city centre, you’ll find Federation Square, where there are often free films and concerts shown on the big screens. You can also catch a live music or dance performance there, and if you want to catch up on your emailing, the wifi is free here too.

Watch the Melbourne Cup

One of the greatest horse racing events in the world takes place in Melbourne every November. Ok, you may not be able to get into the race course for free, but all the pubs will show the action on their screens and you can join in the Melbourne Cup fever. Join Betfair and you can probably have a punt on the Melbourne Cup for free too. Betfair already has antepost prices up for this year’s Melbourne Cup and Dandino is favourite to win, priced at 16/1. When you place a bet on Betfair, as it’s a betting exchange, there’s no bookmaker taking their cut; it’s just punters like you placing and accepting bets.

Work on your tan

You’ll need to pay the bus fare, but once you get to St Kilda’s beach, you can have a day on the shore for nothing. It’s also a great place to watch the sun set.

Fitzroy Gardens (Creative Commons)

If you don’t like the sand, stay in the city and enjoy the sun in Fitzroy Gardens. These landscaped gardens are a great picnic-ing spot and you’ll find a beautiful lake and band pavilion there. Cook’s Cottage, the home of Captain Cook’s parents was moved brick by brick from North Yorkshire to Fitzroy Gardens in 1933 and you can check it out while you’re there.

Read up on Melbourne before you go and you’ll find plenty of other ways to explore the city without spending too much.

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What to do in Paris

Paris by Air Pano (Creative Commons)

When you think of a city that has it all, Paris is hard to beat. It’s one of the most popular destinations on the planet and draws people from all corners of the globe.

Often portrayed in the movies as the epicentre of romance, culture and beauty, Paris delivers on all three fronts in real life.

If you really want to explore the city, the best way is to walk. That way you get to see all the charms that Paris has on offer, and as the city centre is quite compact, and with so many iconic sights to take a pause at – most just a few hundred yards from each other – you won’t feel exhausted at the end of the day. However, when you do feel like taking a break, you can make use of the metro system, which is easy to navigate.

If you only have limited time to spend in Paris, there are some must-see places. Probably first and foremost would be the Eiffel Tower. You can view it from the ground, of course, but booking tickets to go up the first two levels or even to the summit is well worth it. Book online and you’ll be able to skip the longest part of the queue too. From the top – or second level – you can really get Paris in perspective, before you head off to the next attraction.

Two of the most celebrated churches are Notre Dame and Montmartre. Notre Dame is right on the Seine and entrance is free – always a bonus. If you’re lucky, you may catch a concert rehearsal and get to appreciate just how good the acoustics are inside the cathedral. Montmartre is a metro journey away, unless you’re feeling really fit, and sits atop a hill to the north of the centre, offering magnificent views of the city below.

Montmartre by Lebreton (Creative Commons)

There are art galleries and museums galore, but one place you almost ‘have to’ visit is the Louvre. There is a huge collection of art and sculpture here, and you could spend days exploring this one museum, but if you’re in a rush, check in on the Mona Lisa and the Venus di Milo before you leave.

As well as all the art and culture that this French city is famous for, there are some great sports events that take place there too. The Tour de France always finishes on the Champs Elysées and if you’re there on Sunday 27^th July 2014, be prepared to share the experience with thousands of others.

Slightly earlier in the summer, in May, we’ll see the French Open at the Stade Roland Garros take place in Paris. This is one of the four international Grand Slams in tennis, and this year, Rafael Nadal is going for his ninth victory. He already holds the record for the most wins at Roland Garros and according to betting websites like www.bet365.com/news/en/betting/ he is favourite to win again this year. You may not be able to get tickets, but you can always watch in a Parisian bar and soak up the atmosphere that way.

As well as taking in the biggest sights and perhaps catching a couple of sports events, one of the best ways to experience Paris is to just wander the smaller streets, allowing yourself to get lost and then find where you are a few turns later, to enjoy the magical city at its best.

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Sao Paulo a tempting option for World Cup fans

Sao Paulo skyline by maucantara (Creative Commons)

While many fans heading to Brazil for the World Cup will be looking to the beaches and landmarks of Rio de Janeiro, you could do much worse than look to spend a part of your stay in Sao Paulo. With a population of almost eight million, Sao Paulo is by far Brazil’s biggest city, housing many of the country’s biggest businesses and a city packed with diverse culture and atmosphere.

Sao Paulo has a strong argument to claim it is Brazil’s most diverse city, with immigrants from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America helping make the city a cocktail of cultures that results in some fantastic food and music.

The city was the only place to be in Brazil as the host nation opened their World Cup campaign in Sao Paulo against Croatia. A 3-1 victory for Brazil ensured the tournament got off to a bang as Sao Paulo played host to one of the biggest parties in the country’s history. With a number of exciting games set to be played at the city’s Arena de Sao Paulo stadium, fans from across the world have kept the carnival atmosphere going on ever since the first match.

Sao Paulo may not have the picturesque geography of Rio, but what “Sampa” lacks beaches and mountains, it makes up for in cultural activity. From museums and galleries, to concerts and restaurants, Sao Paulo and Rio are sometimes worlds apart and the city often attracts a very different tourist than those looking to strut their stuff on Copacabana Beach.

With the World Cup in full swing, Sao Paulo has not let Brazil down in showing visitors a brilliant time. And with the host nation still in with a chance of winning the tournament, the party could well be only just getting started.

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Night life in Seoul, South Korea

Things to do when the sun goes down in Seoul

Seoul – a place they call the special city not only because it is the capital of South Korea, but because it is deemed the largest metropolis in Eastern Asia, that boasts a population well over 25.6 million people. The city has a long history that dates back to Korea’s Dynasty, with evidence of settlement in Seoul going as far back as the 14th century. But just what happens in the historical city of Seoul when the sun goes down?

Shopping street in Seoul (Creative Commons)

Seoul stand-up comedy

When it comes to looking for something other than partying to do in the night, stand-up comedy is right up there on top of the list of alternative nightlife activities in the city of Seoul. There are loads of stand-up comedians that entertain at a wide range of venues like Stand Up Seoul an English-language standup comedy group that hosts weekly open-mic nights.

The Seoul arts center

If you’re a culturally aware person that enjoys effortless entertainment in the evenings, then Seoul arts center is the place for you. As the representative arts and culture complex of South Korea, the arts center is packed with a wide range of entertainment for you to enjoy. It houses a horseshoe shaped Concert Hall with 2,523 seats and 3 stories for live performances. The venue also houses various halls for performances of a more intimate nature, as well as an opera theatre designed for grand operas, ballets, and musicals, and also contains smaller theatres, museums and a musical fountain.

Gyeongbok Palace pavillion in Seoul by Matthew J. More (Creative Commons)

Movie theatres in Seoul

As cozy as curling up on the couch with a good movie may seem, nothing can ever match the thrilling experience of catching a movie in the theater, particularly if it’s in a city as breathtaking as Seoul. If you’re a movie fanatic you’ll be pleased with the plethora of cinema experiences available in Seoul.  Home to the world’s first 4D cinema, movie theaters in Seoul still range from small independent theaters to large nation-wide multiplexes, to give you a wide range of options.

Clubbing in Seoul

Are you a die-hard extrovert who loves to socialize and party all night long? Then the club scene in Seoul is exactly what the doctor ordered. Seoul is home to some of the biggest clubs such as Club Ellui, an awesome venue with a state of the art sound system, featuring the world’s most famous DJ’s, Club Answer which hosts events that offer free giveaways, professional dancers performing on stage, fire shows and the works, and Club Octagon one of the newest nightclubs in Seoul that has a unique underground look and feel.

Seoul’s live music bars

If live music is your cup of tea, you’re going to fall in love with Seoul. The city boasts its own unique bustling music scene, tucked away like hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. One of the best places in Seoul to hang with a small group of friends and enjoy the sounds of live music is Rainbow, located near Exit 6 of Gangnam Station, it is thought to be the oldest and the best hookah bar in Seoul.

Live performances (Creative Commons)

Casino’s in Seoul

A night out at the casino in Seoul is your best bet at fun, and fortune. The city has four casinos which offer well over 400 slots and gaming machines. There are a total of 215 table games, as well as blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, Slot machines, 3 Card Poker, Video Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker, Wheel-of-Fortune, Tai Sai, Horse Racing, Casino War, and Texas Hold’em.According to the amount of gaming machines and table games put together, the largest casino in Seoul is undoubtedly Paradise Casino. Similar to slots at Euro Palace, Paradise boasts an array of slot machines that will keep you highly entertained until the early hours of the morning.

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Top Travel Tips From 5 Adventuring Families

Traveling can be taken as a source of adventure for different families, especially those with children and would like to show them the world so that they can explore it for themselves.

Traveling as a family is one of the best activities to unite a family. You can take your children on different travel styles such as luxury hotels and this generally covers the relaxed and active destinations. It gives kids a holiday away from books and home. It’s also advisable to have a budget for your trip so that you may not overspend.

For your family travel inspiration, here are five adventuring families who show that it is indeed possible to travel the world with kids in tow…

1. The Zapp Family

Leaving in dreams can change your destiny. Take into consideration the Zapp family with their four kids who have been traveling around the world in their own car for the past 11 years.

Their irrepressible travel dreams have led them to travel all over Argentina, USA, Alaska, Canada and Oceania. As of this writing, they are currently located in Asia and their dream is never over. They still have plans of moving around the whole world in their car.

They claim that dreams can make you change your thinking capability about traveling. Father Herman dreamed of traveling when he was as young as ten years old (he is now forty-two). Herman inspires us by telling us that we should follow our dreams. He readily claims that he is not worried about his children since they learn new things regularly and also travel all over with him. His wife is a good teacher to them, and they always seem to enjoy the family adventures. Herman tells us that having children can never be a hindrance to travel and enjoy oneself.

2. Jon’s Family

A good example of a loving family who followed Herman’s advice about following their dreams. Herman gave them a good does of inspiration and told them they could succeed in whatever they wanted most. This made Jon’s family want to start immediately on their travel dream.

They also believe in faith and actions. This gives them the psych to move on with life strongly while enjoying everything along the way. This is evident when Jon pats his wife’s back and smiles telling her that having faith is what it takes to start a long journey of leisure and traveling.

3. Morgan’s Family

Morgan’s family claim that their trip with their kids was the greatest since they followed their dreams and succeeded. Morgan has moved around the world with his twin brother and their families.

4. Bob’s Family

Bob and his family were driven crazy with restlessness when it came to thoughts of the travel adventures they could have. Eventually they packed their bags and toured the world with their three-year-old and enjoyed their life as one non-stop adventure.

5. Cam’s Family

Cam was a reluctant traveler who usually talked about trips with his friends. But he built his hopes, overcame his fears, and began traveling around the world together with his kids. He’s only grown more adventurous over the years. Cam speaks highly over the ‘Pages’ section over at Groupon. “It’s a new directory featuring over one million restaurants across the US. Rafferty’s Restaurant recently saved our lives when our kids were getting moody because their blood sugar was so low on the road. It’s little tips and tricks like this that make the difference between a good and bad holiday.”

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tourism: Las Vegas Getaway

Las Vegas Getaway

Shopping, spa treatments and fantastic casinos are just a small part of what Las Vegas has to offer. If you’re looking for a special holiday for you and your girls then this is one of the first places in America that you must consider. It’s absolutely amazing to see this ‘never sleeping beauty’ at least once in a lifetime.

Las Vegas ( creative commons)

Las Vegas is not all about gambling; you can do all sorts of things while there. It’s an entertainment city and the people that come here fall in love with it the moment the sun goes down. Not to mention the shopping sessions! Grab your girlfriends and a pair of comfortable shoes and get ready to hit the shops. Of course, another imperative advice would be to have a credit card with you, you’ll need it! When you’ll get tired of surfing the shops simply sit down and relax while eating in a nice restaurant.

The Bellagio, Las Vegas ( creative commons)

If celebrities love to shop in Vegas, you’ll love it too. The Kardashians are Vegas’ biggest fans in terms of shopping and Christina Aguilera is often spotted in the coolest hang out in Vegas. The best places for shopping are the ones at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace hotel and the Premium Outlets located in the North and in the South, where you can complete your wardrobe with designer items from Armani, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana and Polo Ralph Lauren.

Las Vegas is famous for its nightlife and parties. While there, don’t miss out any major event that takes place.  If you want to make a great deal, find great prices on tickets to Las Vegas shows, attractions and tours at Best of Vegas. You’ll have the opportunity to see amazing artists in their best live performances. Apart from that, one major thing you must do while in Vegas, is taking a helicopter tour to see the Grand Canyon. It’s a memorable experience!

If you’re planning to have a total blast with your girls in Las Vegas, make sure you choose a top notch accommodation close to luxury options such as the Tanning Salons in Las Vegas, NV where you’ll get your pampering treatment: breathtaking views, wonderful spa chill out and sessions nearby. It simply can’t go better that that!

Las Vegas needs to be explored by feet. So forget about your classy high heels and opt for something more comfy. You’ll spend the evenings wandering on the streets of Vegas.

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The most important tourist sites in the Netherlands

The most important tourist sites in the Netherlands

Netherlands is densely populated state in the high Mstsaleh part of the sea with almost half of its territory below sea level. Many of the tourists Zaardh accept to visit Amsterdam in the Netherlands only. But the Netherlands has a lot to offer outside the capital. Intersected with canals, landscapes and places ideal cycling with historical city centers to, and mills classic air and other tourist sites across the country. In the west and north it is characterized by a long coastline of over a mile to a mile from the protective dunes and sandy beaches. During the spring gardens featuring flowers that the Netherlands has become one of the great areas of tourist attraction in the Netherlands to make a bold scene of bright colors.
Project Delta
Delta project is a series of facilities that were built between 1950 and 1997 in the provinces of Zeeland and South Holland to protect large areas of land from the sea. Acts of weirs are composed, and dams, barriers to storm surges. It has announced that it is one of the Seven Wonders of the talk by the American Society of Civil Engineers the world.
MaastrichtVrijthof Square is known in the city of Maastricht, a city in the most southern part of the Netherlands. It has a huge St. Servatius Church and the Cathedral of St. Jean. Vrijthof and regularly hosts big festivals at different times throughout the year, including the fall and winter festivals.
RijksmuseumRijksmuseum in Amsterdam is the largest and most prestigious Museum of Art and History in the Netherlands. It contains a large collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, including the work of Vermeer and Rembrandt. Even in 2013, it is being completely renovated in the museum, but it contains the major masterpieces are still in the show.
KendeirdegkMore than 1.000 mills ancient air that still exist in the Netherlands. It is the largest gathering of Dutch windmills that can be found near the village of Kinderdijk ( "dam Children"). To drain excess water from the reclaimed land, which lies below sea level, has been building windmills all over 191,740. It has been well preserved and to this day is far from popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands.
Hoge Veluwe
Hoge Veluwe National Park is one of the largest continuous nature reserves in the Netherlands, which consists of lawns, and sand dunes, and forest lands. Crawler Mueller Museum - with a large collection of paintings by Vincent Van Gogh is located within the park. Bikes are available free of charge to visitors of the Hoge Veluwe, with lots of space that can not be accessed by car.
Keukenhof Gardens
Keukenhof Gardens is the largest park in the world for the flower garden, and in fact, has been promoted to the Dutch flower industry. Grown nearly seven million flower bulbs a year in the garden with tulips, but also lilies, daffodils and other spring flowers on the screen. Open the last week of the gardens in March to mid-May. Keukenhof is one of the most important tourist attractions to visit in the Netherlands.
City Hall Delft
City Hall in Delft is a model for the Renaissance Market Square in a building across from the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church). Originally it was designed by Dutch architect Hendrik de Keyser, it was changed dramatically over the centuries and was in the 20th century to the emergence of the Renaissance.
West Frisian Islands
West Frisian Islands or Waddeneilanden in Dutch is a series of islands in the North Sea off the Dutch coast. They are still to the east as in East Germany, the Frisian Islands. Carrots for separating the North Sea from the shallow Wadden Sea, with tidal mud flats. Under the supervision of licensed guides them access to many of the islands by walking on the mud flats during low tide. Cycling the islands is the most convenient means of transport.
Leiden channels
It is known for Leiden's oldest canal in the Netherlands, the birthplace of Rembrandt and the beautiful canals. It has two branches of the ancient Rhine River entering Leiden in the east and autism in the city center which also contains numerous small channels. The old center of Leiden is one of the largest cities Century 17 centers in the Netherlands, second only to Amsterdam.
Amsterdam channels
Amsterdam's famous canals began in the 17th century building during the Dutch Golden Age. The three main canals, Herengracht is located in the Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht canals to form the United belts around the city center, known as grachtengordel. Today there are more than 100 km (60 miles) of canals and bridges 1500. Besides the main channels are 1,550 archaeological buildings.

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