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The Worlds Weirdest Hotels & Restaurants

StephanieP — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:49:23 +0000

Are you taking off overseas? Are you looking for a new experience or maybe something to show all your friends, why not drop on by to these weird and wonderful hotels and restaurants along the way.

Poseidon Undersea Resort
Situated just north east off the island of Fiji, Poseidon is the only permanent seafloor structures held at one – atmosphere to avoid decompression sickness. Offering 22 individual rooms which are mostly made out of acrylic, guest get the opportunity to take in the 270 degree views which each room provides. The resort also contains all the luxury’s which normal resorts have to offer such as a library, bar, restaurant, spa and conference room. To access the resort guest use one of the two elevators, and to stay in the resort guests pay a minimum of US$30,000 a couple for two nights in an overhead beach villa and 4 nights in a luxury underwater suit.

ICEHOTEL
Located just 15kms from Kiruna Airport in Sweden, ICEHOTEL is built entirely of snow and ice and is made every winter alongside the Torne River. The hotel provides guest with the choice of several rooms to stay in ranging in temperatures between -5 to -8 C. The main features of the hotel are the art and design which is used to create the feature, guest are also encouraged to part take in trying their hand at sculpting ice, in the ice factory. ICEHOTEL also accommodates weddings and functions, and holds a bar, restaurant and hotel shop.

Capsule Hotel
Found throughout Japan, capsule hotels are becoming an inexpensive way for travellers to see the country without blowing the budget. The pods are built out of plastic and are approximately 2 metres long and 1.25 metres wide, they are generally constructed side by side or stacked in blocks of two and have a curtain for privacy. Most hotels pods are fitted with entertainment such as televisions and wireless internet, visitors use communal washrooms, and larger hotels will provide restaurants, pools and lockers.

Palacio De Sal – Palace of salt
Situated just south of Bolivia’s capital La Paz, Palacio De Sal is built on one of the world’s largest salt flats. The hotel structure, furniture and decorations are built from salt blocks which provide guest with the opportunity to experience the first salt hotel built in the world. The hotel contains 16 rooms, dining room, bar, recreation room, golf course, pool and spa. A behaviour the hotel prohibits is the licking of the salt walls; this is due to salts deterioration.

The Tree House Lodge
Just one hour drive south of Liberia, Tree house lodge hotel is positioned right in front of the famous Punta Uva beach. Stretching over 10 acres of land the tranquil and private location leaves visitors feeling like they have the whole place to themselves. Offering accommodation built on stilts reaching high up in the canopies of the forest, this unusual place delivers the very best of nature and simplicity. The houses are decked out with your very own bathroom and kitchen, and the resort also offer facilities such as yoga, canoeing, surfing , white water rafting and canopy tours.

Who, What, When Friday Trivia

StephanieP — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:06:30 +0000

No one managed to answer last Fridays Trivia question, the answer was The Swiss Alps. Hopefully this week someone will know the answer!

Located in a National Park, this stunning Lake is said to be named after a princess. Surrounded by Mountains, world class lodges & restaurants, visitors can swim in the lake in warmer seasons or skate on the ice skating rink in the winter seasons.

Who, What, When Friday Trivia

StephanieP — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:42:08 +0000

Congratulations Marie! You answered last week’s trivia question correct via our blog. Found close to Rovaniemi Village, the Santa Claus Holiday Village offers visitors the chance to meet the famous man every day of the year and go home with a special gift from Santa himself. Good Luck with this weeks trivia question , which will be the last for 2011!

Hint: Extending across 5 countries , this land mass also contain man-made and natural lakes. It is also well known for the winter periods and skiing.

Who, What, When Friday Trivia

StephanieP — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 01:22:27 +0000

Great Work Barry! Your answer of the White Temple, Wat Rong Khun in Thailand was correct. The colour white was used to symbolize Lord Buddha’s purity and the white glass was used to represent the wisdom which Lord Buddha holds.

Hint: Situaed in the Northern Hemisphere of the world this place is known today for being home to one of the most famous icons in the world.

Who, What, When Friday Trivia

StephanieP — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 02:17:47 +0000

No one managed to answer last Fridays Trivia question, the answer was the beautiful Catherine Palace, located 25kms south east of St Petersburg in Russia. Hopefully this week someone will know the answer.

Hint:White in colour and representing Lord Buddha’s purity, this stunning temple recently was finished in 2008 and is known for representing both Buddhist and the Hindu religion. Also Located in one of the most popular tourist countries of the world.

Who, What, When Friday Trivia

StephanieP — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:29:24 +0000

Sadly no one managed to answer last week’s question. The answer was Mt. Gambia found right here in beautiful Australia. Lets see how you go this week, goodluck!

Hint: Found in Russia, this amazing palace features over 100Kgs of gold on the outside and statues on the roof. Rebuilt by Empress Elizabeth, what is the name of this stunning palace?

Holi Colour Festival, India

StephanieP — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:50:32 +0000

As the world starts to become more tolerant of other cultures beliefs and religions we see a lot of countries around the world taking part in festivals and celebrations which would normally not be on the countries holiday lists. This could be due to travel becoming more affordable and easier to embark on, or it could also be that more and more people throughout the world now have access to the vast array of videos , media, blogs displayed on the world wide web.

One country which you would rarely hear your family or friends say their travelling to is India. Situated on the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, India is known as being one of the most populated countries in the world. Gradually we have seen India transform form a developing country and slowly, awareness is catching on that India is the place to travel, with a fast growing economy and great culture there’s no longer an excuse to not visit the wonderful place.

Maybe you’re the type of person that wants to experience culture? Or maybe you’re the type of traveller who is after an adrenaline rush. Either way there is a great festival held annually in Indian in the month of March, which will give any traveller an experience they will never forget. The Festival known as Holi is the religious celebration held in spring throughout the world by the Hindu religion, and lasts up to 16 days.

The exact legend behind Holi is uncertain, it is said there was once an evil king named Hiranyakasipu and he had a son named Prince Prahlad. The Prince infuriated his father as he was considered Holy and would often worship Lord Vishnu instead of worshiping his father. The king is said to have tried to kill his son several ways but failed due to Lord Vishnu always saving the prince. The king eventually ordered his evil sister Holika who was immune from fire to lure his son and take him into blazing flames. It was said that because Holika was using her powers for evil, the gods stripped her of this gift and she perished in the flames. The Prince forgave his evil aunt Holika and celebration of good triumphing over evil began annually, thus the name Holi.

We also see a legend which involved young Krishna who envied his soul mates Radha’s fair complexion, Krishna is said to have gone and coloured Radha’s face with darker colours and today this legend shows the lovable prank of applying colours to love ones faces throughout Holi. This is where we see the fun of the Holi festival; throughout the celebration people throw coloured powders, water bombs and even use pichkari’s which are somewhat similar to water guns.

Locations for Holi

Marthura & Vrindavan
If you want to experience a traditional Holi visit Mathura and Vrindavan, which are approximately 2 hours south of New Delhi. The month before Holi you will see dancers from throughout India come and interpret the story of Krishna and Radha’s legend.

Jaipur
Approximately 4 hours drive south west of New Delhi lays Jaipur. During the Holi season Jaipur offers dancing, elephant beauty contests and parades, foreigners are also regularly seen at this Holi celebration.

New Delhi
To celebrate modern Holi at its best check out the Delhi Holi Cow festival. A celebration of colour, music and people the festival is held a short distance outside of the main city of Delhi. The festival is a mixture of locals, tourist and expats making it a safe place to partake in the celebrations.

Mumbai
If you would rather not partake in the festival but still be able to see and experience the culture check out Juhu Beach or Colaba. Both these locations will be safe if you are just going to watch the as this is a tourist location.

Tips for Celebration Holi in India
•If you are driving your hire car to a destination give yourself plenty of time to get there , there will be a lot of traffic – It would be best if you arrive at the destination a day or two before to avoid missing out

•Definitely avoid driving during Holi’s peak hours

•When driving during the 16 days of Holi celebrations it is highly recommended to keep your car windows closed – to avoid any powder , or coloured water accidently entering your car

•Due to Holi being one of the messiest festivals make sure to wear old clothing, it may be hard to remove certain colours.

•If buying coloured powder try and buy shades of reds – this is because the other colours have more chemicals, better yet try and find someone who is selling natural powder

•Make sure to apply coconut oil or moisturisers to your body to avoid the colours staining your skin.

•It is also best if you wear some kind of eye protection like sunglasses to avoid any mishaps with the coloured powder.

•It is highly recommended that women do not go out and celebrate Holi alone; this is due to safety concerns.

And the best tip of all… is to have fun! The festival is about celebrating culture, history, love and freedom, embrace the traditions and make sure to take lots of photos!!

Are you planning a journey through India? If so take a look at Auto Europe’s discounted prices on car hire from all major airports and cities.

Who, What, When Friday Trivia

StephanieP — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 04:37:35 +0000

No one managed to answer last week’s trivia question. The Correct Answer was Mt Fuji found in the south east of Japan, this 3776.24 metre volcano is possibly the most famous landmark in Japan. Hopefully this week we can find someone who will know the answer.

Hint: Situated in the southern hemisphere, this extinct volcanic crater is known for shifting colours during seasons.

Who, What, When Friday Trivia

StephanieP — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:51:51 +0000

Last week’s Trivia answer was Victoria Falls, located between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe this beautiful wonder spreads across 1708 metres of landscape. Congratulations to Lilly & Marie for having the correct answer! I’m sure someone will know this week’s answer or even be lucky enough to have a souvenir featuring this famous site .

Hint: One of the most recognised mountains in the world, this natural wonder is also hiding the fact that it is an active volcano. Located in a famous National Park, this mountain is considered sacred to locals and attracts thousands of visitors, artist and photographers each year.

Who, What, When Friday Trivia

StephanieP — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:22:27 +0000

It seems as though no one managed to answer the last week’s trivia question. The picture provided was of an alligator found in the subtropical wetlands of The Everglades, Florida. Hopefully someone will know the answer to this week’s trivia question.

Hint: Found in between countries Zambia and Zimbabwe this heritage site is known for being listed as one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.