Christmas in Australia:

If you are travelling to Australia, take time to explore the country by booking 28 days or more off work. Most trips to Australia will involve travel to the large city of Sydney and a few excursions to local areas. Going on a sports tour to the Ashes allows you to really travel around Australia, visiting once in a lifetime destinations on the way. The 3rd, 4th and 5th test matches are held in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, located across the country, giving guests the chance to really explore Australia in a short period of time. The tour also includes a trip to Ayers rock in the desert, Central Australia. This remote landmark is one of the most iconic images in the world and usually difficult to access when travelling independently.

The atmosphere of a Ashes sports tour provides the perfect setting for a Christmas abroad. Going on an organised tour means you don’t have to worry about what to do at Christmas as exclusive events are already planned for you. In the Ashes 2013, travelers will spend the build up to Christmas in the fabulous city of Perth. Christmas day will be spent in Melbourne at an event yet to be decided. In 2010-2011 those on tours of the Ashes spent the day

Sometimes going abroad for Christmas can a twinge of loneliness. People tend to miss their community network, friends and family. However, on a sports tour there are many friendly likeminded invidiuals, who share the same interests of travel and sport. The group sizes are perfect to allow bonding but still create a large group of people in which to enjoy the special day. Christmas Day will be spent in celebration with a large network of new friends. New Years Eve will be spent in Sydney. In previous years this included a trip to Sydney Harbour for the evening. This trip allowed travellers to be amongst the first in the world to bring in the New Year, watching the stunning fireworks in images televised all over the world.

Whilst on a tour there will be plenty of time available for you to explore the country or visit any friends of family in Australia. The tour provides many optional excursions so you can travel to experience some of the most fantastic sights and sounds in the country. Excursions include once in a lifetime activities such as a visit to The Great Barrier Reef and Wine Tasting in the Yarra Valley. Those who choose to go on the Brisbane Tour should explore the beautiful laid back city and its surrounding areas. To the South of Brisbane is The Gold Coast, the most popular holiday destination for Australians. To the North of the city is the stunning Sunshine Coast, boasting some of the best beaches in the world.

If you would like to extend your trip, it is possible to include stopovers in places like Singapore or Hong Kong. Singapore is one of the most popular stop over destinations, famous for its pampering, sightseeing and heavenly food. It is also possible to incorporate other destinations in your travels whilst on an Ashes tour, such as a side trip to New Zealand. Some travellers are even choosing to fit a sports tour such as the Ashes, into a Round the World Trip.

AUTHOR BIO:
Neil Harbrook is a travel writer, currently based in South East Asia. He has traveled extensively throughout the world, living in Australia for almost 10 years. Neil regularly attends sports events and is looking forward to the Ashes 2013.

Camping trips in Alaska and Canada, which operate between the months of June and September, are cost effective for participants because meals and equipment are included in the total cost of each tour. While traveling by private adventure vehicle, tour members enjoy the experience of sightseeing and hiking in gorgeous outdoor surroundings. Those who want to camp in Alaska can sign up for the Alaskan Adventure tour, while those who have their sights set on camping in Canada can join the Canadian Park Trails tour or the Canadian Family Discovery tour.

Alaskan Adventure Tour

The 13-day Alaskan Adventure tour is one of the Canada and Alaska holidays open to participants who are at least 18 years of age. This tour is comprised of nine nights of camping, two nights at a wilderness camp and one night’s stay at a cabin. Beginning and ending in the city of Anchorage, the Alaskan Adventure tour extends through Denali National Park, the Alaska Range, Wrangell St.-Elias National Park, Valdez, Kenai Fjords National Park and Kachemak Bay Wilderness Camp. Planned activities include canoeing, hiking, ice climbing, mountain biking, fishing, dog sledding and whitewater rafting. While staying at Kachemak Bay Wilderness Camp, trip participants are able to enjoy beachcombing, kayaking and eating home cooked food.

Canadian Park Trails Tour

This 11-day trip is also available to people who are 18 years of age or older. A round-trip tour that departs from Vancouver, the Canadian Park Trails tour involves ten full nights of camping in areas such as Jasper National Park, Banff National Park, Yoho National Park and Glacier National Park. Other stops on this adventure tour include Clearwater, the Icefields Parkway, Athabasca Glacier, the Canadian Rockies, Revelstoke and Stanley Park. Participants are given the chance to take scenic photographs, view birds and wildlife, raft on the Kicking Horse River, hike in the National Parks, mountain bike, take a tramway ride and go canoeing. A professional tour leader guides trip members every step of the way.

Canadian Family Discovery Tour

The Canadian Family Discovery tour is a 10-day camping trip that is open to those who are at least eight years of age. The itinerary for this adventure trip includes eight nights of camping and one night’s stay at a ranch-style hotel. Starting from Vancouver, this round-trip tour takes participants on a journey through Paul Lake Provincial Park, Yoho National Park, Banff National Park, Lake Louise, Jasper National Park and Wells Gray Provincial Park. While on this family oriented trip, tourists are able to engage in a variety of fun outdoor activities, including hiking, bird watching, swimming, guided walking, bicycling, horseback riding, canoeing and whitewater rafting. This adventure holiday also offers exploration of natural scenery such as waterfalls and hot springs.

AUTHOR BIO:

Ilena Sanchez, a native of the Eastern United States, frequently writes about USA and Canada travel opportunities for a range of websites and blogs. She has traveled extensively and has a particular fondness for taking Canada and Alaska holidays. Ilena enjoys traveling whenever she can, whether solo or with friends.

The first night club to consider for your long Berlin nights is called “Silberfisch and it is located in Mitte District, being opened every day. The club is working until the morning and is full of people who love to party and drink all night long and then sleep all day. The bar staff is quite friendly and the atmosphere is just as you imagine it to be. The music is loud, played by famous DJs. The list with the drinks and the cocktails is truly impressive. Among the special drinks to be tried here are Absinthe Sour and Pina Colada, as well as Long Island Iced Tea and Jagermeister, but you should definitely try the cocktail Weltfrieden as well.

The other night club that you should pay attention to is called “C-Base Spacestation”, which is located in Kreuzberg district. The club is quite interesting and provocative for all those people who believe in the existence of aliens. The parties that are organized here are quite loud and busy, the drinks are affordable and the atmosphere is great. To be let in, you have to ring the doorbell and you can even get a tour inside if you are nice enough.

The third place that deserves to be mentioned here is a nice green area called Mauerpark. This park is to be found on Prenzlauer Berg area. It is a nice place for a walk during the day and a busy place for groupies in the evening. Once patrolled by the guards from East Germany, today the park near the Berlin Wall is a place of freedom and fun. The spot is quite popular among the young people who gather early in the evening to meet friends, play frisbee or drink beer, but on other occasions they make barbecues and lit fire or dance and sing. The atmosphere is very informal, exciting and free of expectations or prejudices. On Sundays here is also organized a flea market. It seems that everyone who comes here enjoys the park, the meetings with new friends, the music being played. So, if you want to catch that joyful atmosphere before you go to one of the night clubs or to the fast food dining places that are so many in Berlin, you can have an interesting couple of hours.

The beer garden is open from 9 until 18 o’clock and it does not work on Sundays. Well, the city of Berlin is well known for its beer gardens, but this one in particular is quite cozy and pleasant. You can sit here as long as you want. The garden is large and they serve pizza with the cold beer, so what else do you need to have a good conversation and start on the right foot? Near the beer garden is placed the dance club Der Visionare, where you can go party afterwards, but we will come to that later.

In the same district of Kreuzberg is located the open air cinema Freiluft Kino Kreuzberg, where you could bring that date of yours. They start selling tickets half an hour before the movie begins. If you have not watched a movie outdoors, there is no way you can understand the trill, but it is quite a romantic thing to do for sure! A bad thing about the movies here is that they are dubbed in German, but even if you do not understand a word from what is going on in the movie, you will still have a great experience and fun. After all you can always try to catch a German movie that comes with English subtitles or an English movie that comes with German subtitles and thus you will understand what is going on.

The evening could go on with a visit to the “Angry Chicken” restaurant, also placed in the Kreuzberg district and opened every day from midday until ten o’clock in the evening. The name rings a bell and you might thing that the food here is rather spicy, which is strange for Berlin and for the taste of the German people in general.

Anyway, the variety of options for dining here is really incredible, some of the dishes are spicy, others are not. For example, you can go for “So Angry Chicken” which is extra spicy, and for Furious Chicken that is quite hot, but if your partner does not like spicy, she can go with the Friendly Chicken, which is the classy crunchy chicken that is available. Whatever the choice, you will have a nice evening out, getting to know each other, not spending a fortune and not getting into awkward situations.

The first place that comes on our list is called “The California Breakfast Slam”, which is part of the Kreuzberg District and where you will get original American breakfast, plus pancakes and sausages, poached eggs and so on. The menu list has some gourmet meals and they change every weekend. Ooops, we forgot to mention that this place works only during the weekends. The next spot on our list is called “Chokocafe” and it could be found on Charlottenburg area, being open every day for a late breakfast and lunch, an afternoon coffee with cake and an early bite for dinner. The traveler will find here various kinds of ice cream and cakes and an excellent choice of coffee. My choice when coming here is yogurt with fruits and sometimes antipasti and baguette. The café has a nice outdoor area as well, where you can sit when it is warm outside. Inside the area is quite cozy, comfortable and pleasant.

The next spot on our list today is called “CSR Bar” and this place is located in Friedrichshain area, within easy reach to the popular street Simon-Dach. The place is ideal for some cocktails and chatting with friends. It is opened every day at 19 o’clock and has an open end, so basically you can spend the entire evening here. The small bar has a classy atmosphere, which is quite cozy. The staff here is incredible, they are very polite, the cocktails come quickly and the options are numerous. This bar is good for relaxing after a long day out on the streets of Berlin shopping and sightseeing.

In case that you, however, have power to try the local night clubs and want to dance, do not worry as there are plenty of options for this kind of activity as well, as long as you have strength and passion for dancing. The club I have in mind here is called “Sage Club” and it is placed in Mitte District open from 19 o’clock onwards until there are clients. The club is especially busy on Thursday evenings, when people gather here to listen to and dance to Indie rock music, alternative and even metal music. There is room for DJs performing here and a stage for live bands as well.

On Fridays and Saturdays in the club is being arranged a techno party and people come here dressed in leather and latex clothes. The free entry here is up until 22 o’clock, after that you will need to pay a small fee to enter.

The city of Berlin is believed to be also the birthplace of some interesting festivities connected with the Easter week. These include the Easter tree and the Easter bunny. In the past, the children in Germany were told that there is an Easter bunny, which hides eggs and chocolates for the kids, who have to find them on the morning of Easter Sunday. That nice tradition were then brought to America from some German immigrants and was spread so widely that most people today think that this is an American tradition. Nowadays, children get Easter eggs as presents on Easter day. The other tradition is connected with the egg tree. It is a tree decorated with eggs’ shells from the eggs used for the production of different cakes and specialties for the Easter Sunday. This is a tradition that is typical just for Germany and is not in practice elsewhere. The time for decoration of the Easter tree is time to spend with friends and relatives.

Another celebration that is typical for Germany and actually quite popular in the country, is the carnival called Fasching, which precedes the Lent. The Fasching carnival is most popular in the city of Cologne, but also in the capital Berlin and in the rest of the cities in Germany. It is associated with masks and large paper statues. In some other towns, locals organize another event, which symbolizes the walk of Jesus to his crucifixion and death. There is yet another celebration that is very typical for the Easter holidays in Germany and this is the special Easter fire. That fire is made from the Christmas trees that are collected at one place and are burned there. It is believed that this fire is chasing away the winter and is bringing the spring. All those traditions are carefully observed by the people in Germany, who believe that the traditions is what keeps the spirit of the nation together. For that reason, they attend the church services, celebrate with their families, prepare special meals and take part in different festivities, walks and celebrations.

The other place to consider for breakfast or for lunch and even for dinner is the café Mein Haus am See, which is open 24 hours a day and is located in Mitte District near the Rosenthaler Platz. This is a typical Berlin café and the coffee here is incredible. The same goes for the tea, the snacks, the cakes, etc. The atmosphere is very friendly and easy-going. The other spot that you might consider is called Café Datscha, which is located in Friedrichshain District and works every day from 10 a.m. onwards. The place is great for those that want to experience another culture. It is located in an old house with high ceilings and wide doors, not to mention the wooden furniture. The menu offers meals from Russia and the other republics of the once Soviet Union like Pelmeni, Blintz and Borsch. On Sunday the place opens its doors for a brunch, which is absolutely fantastic. Another interesting place for a late breakfast, lunch or an afternoon coffee is the Chokocafe, in Charlottenburg District, which serves ice cream and cakes, chocolate and coffee. The café is ideal for those who have a sweet tooth. The breakfast offers include yogurt with fruits, antipasti, baguettes, etc.

This photo of Cafe Datscha

This photo of Cafe Datscha

In the evening, there are a few nice bars to pay attention to. There is this CSR bar, which is part of Friedrichshain District. It opens every day from 7 p.m. onwards and is a small bar with great atmosphere. The cocktails served are very tasty and their list is incredible. The place is great for relaxation after long hours of shopping and sightseeing in the city of Berlin. Another cozy bar that is close to my heart is called Schwarze Pumpe and it could be found in the Mitte District, being open every day from 10 a.m. until after midnight. The dishes one can try here are very tasty, like for example the soups and the noodles, the salads and the other specialties from the German cuisine. The dishes have reasonable prices and a Sunday brunch is available as well.

If you like art and a need a cup of hot coffee or a cocktail, then you can go to Narr Bar in Neukolln area near Kreuzberg, which is open each day from 4 p.m. onwards. This bar is also a kind of an exhibition center, where one can get a drink at a very affordable price. The bar presents the work of art not only of established painters, but also of emerging ones. Of course, I should also mention the Buchkantine Bar, which to be honest, is my favorite. The place has recently changed address and is placed in Mitte district close to the river. It works every day from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. and as the name suggest offers not only excellent coffee, but also great books. The books are in German and some in English and they are new. For those that prefer reading in Internet, there is wireless connection available as well. The music they play is jazz. It is good to know that on Sundays they also play detective movies in the evening. The atmosphere of books, drinks and nice music is very pleasant, so this guarantees an hour or a two of pure relaxation.

Of course, Berlin is a busy city, like all European capitals and there are many people who are in search of a place to have something to eat, to browse the internet undisturbed, to write projects on their laptops, and so on. Well, there are many such places in the German capital, but the one that impresses me most is called “Café Sankt Oberholz”. It is situated in the Mitte District and works every day of the week from 8 a.m. (make it 9 a.m. for the weekend) until midnight. People who come here are of different age and social status, but they are all looking for inspiration and the feeling that they are part of a group – that of the new internet generation. They do not like the isolation of their homes, thus they come to this cage with their laptops and do whatever they have to do over a cup of coffee and something tasty to eat and the prices are just as they should be.

The Berlin bars are not like they used to be in the past and today these places are more than just drinking holes. There are a few bars that made an impression on me these days and I want to present them here. the first one on my list is the Spielwiese bar, located in the Friedrichshain area, which is open every day from 2 p.m, until the evening. The bar is quite cozy, as it features one room and it has more than a thousand games that the visitor can chose from. These could be Monopoly and Chess, Sieder or Magnet table, etc. if you are wandering which game to play, you can talk to the owner of the bar, who will pick a game that is just for you.

If you like art and a need a cup of hot coffee or a cocktail, then you can go to Narr Bar in Neukolln area near Kreuzberg, which is open each day from 4 p.m. onwards. This bar is also a kind of an exhibition center, where one can get a drink at a very affordable price. The bar presents the work of art not only of established painters, but also of emerging ones. Of course, I should also mention the Buchkantine Bar, which to be honest, is my favorite. The place has recently changed address and is placed in Mitte district close to the river. It works every day from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. and as the name suggest offers not only excellent coffee, but also great books. The books are in German and some in English and they are new. For those that prefer reading in Internet, there is wireless connection available as well. The music they play is jazz. It is good to know that on Sundays they also play detective movies in the evening. The atmosphere of books, drinks and nice music is very pleasant, so this guarantees an hour or a two of pure relaxation.

Of course, Berlin is a busy city, like all European capitals and there are many people who are in search of a place to have something to eat, to browse the internet undisturbed, to write projects on their laptops, and so on. Well, there are many such places in the German capital, but the one that impresses me most is called “Café Sankt Oberholz”. It is situated in the Mitte District and works every day of the week from 8 a.m. (make it 9 a.m. for the weekend) until midnight. People who come here are of different age and social status, but they are all looking for inspiration and the feeling that they are part of a group – that of the new internet generation. They do not like the isolation of their homes, thus they come to this cage with their laptops and do whatever they have to do over a cup of coffee and something tasty to eat and the prices are just as they should be.

This photo of Restaurant Reinstoff

This photo of Restaurant Reinstoff

This photo of Transit Restaurant

For those who love the special Fusion cuisine is available the marvelous “Transit” restaurant placed on Sonntagstrasse 28 in the city of Berlin. The place is not really romantic in the traditional meaning of the word, as it is quite fashionable and loud and it is bright not lit by candles or something, but it is a modern place to be and serves fantastic Asian tapas of various kinds. So, if you are not that much into the special decoration on St. Valentine’s holiday, but you still want to celebrate with your loved one, this restaurant is a great place to consider. Another good restaurant to consider while staying in the city of Berlin is called “Oranium”, which is located on Oranienburger Strasse 33. The place has relaxed atmosphere and pleasant interior, as well as leather sofas. The meals that are served here are very pleasant and tasty and they come with normal, quite affordable prices. This restaurant is often chosen for brunches – long hours of nice food, great wine, good music, intimate conversations, pampering. In case that you like Cape Town and the special meats that come from that part of the world, you can go to the “Cape Town” restaurant at Schonfliesser Strasse, in the center of Prenzlauer Berg. The atmosphere here is pleasant and easy going, the meals served are generally based on meat. This could be wildebeast, or zebra, or crocodile with sweet potatoes or green beans. Of, course, as one could expect, that this restaurant is not cheap, but after all the holiday is worth it.

A big Christmas tree shall be placed at the Red Town Hall and on the square and in the vicinity will be offered plenty of souvenirs, presents and decorations. This huge Christmas market will be open until 26^th December except on 24^th December. It will work every business day from 12 o’clock and on weekends from 11 o’clock until 10 o’clock in the evening.

Among the typical Christmas markets in Berlin is the Opera Palace market, which is located on the lovely “Unter den Linden” Boulevard, where are placed more than 200 wooden booths selling various souvenirs from the crafts people, but also confectionaries, candles, decorations, almond roasters, etc. the market also features a crib with animals and a wooden horse carousel. The area is beautifully illuminated and the atmosphere is great. The Opera Palace market shall be open every day until 26^th December, but shall be closed on 24^th December.

Travellers shall be delighted to visit the Jagdschloss Grunewald, which is the Hunting Schloss in Berlin. Every year, the greenery around the castle serves as a backdrop for a fantastic and festive fairytale atmosphere for Christmas. The romantic setting of the Jagdschloss Grunewald will await for the children and their parents on 3^rd and 4^th December from 11 o’clock to 7 o’clock and will offer products from artists and crafts people. The children will be able to see many fairytale characters such as Hansel and Gretel, Mother Hole, Cinderella, etc. The website of the event is here http://www.spsg.de

The other Christmas market that is interesting to visit is Markt der Kontinente, which is placed on Dahlem Museum. The event Kunst and Kulturen der Welt starts on 18^th November and lasts until 11^th December and its official website is here http://www.smb.museum The Markt der Kontinente will be open every weekend from 11 o’clock until 7 o’clock. It will show handcrafts from more than fifty traders coming from all over the globe. Travellers should know that by buying a certain product or souvenir, they will support the social projects in the country of origin of the artefact. For example, there will be jewels from India and hand woven cloth from Africa, as well as African tin toys and Kazakhstan felt ware. There will be also concerts from musicians coming from all over the world, as well as different music workshops.

The last market to be presented here, which will draw the attention, is the Christmas Design Market TrendMafia. It will be held in the Hackesches Quartier in Berlin MITTE from 17 December to 18 December 2011 (opening time: 13 o’clock-19 o’clock) and will present upcoming designers and artists. The market has free entry.