Top Coach Destinations for Wine Lovers
If you love wine and you love holidays, why not combine the two? There is no better feeling than drinking a glass of local wine whilst gazing over the best views that the country which produced it has to offer and learning a bit more about your favourite tipple into the bargain.
France
France is, of course, one of the world’s most prolific producers of wines and trying to taste the numerous varieties from the many regions could take weeks. From the soft reds of Burgundy to the crisp whites produced in the Loire Valley, from Provencal’s famous rosés to the authentic bubbles of Champagne, France offers everything a wine lover could dream of.
Spain
The wine industry in Spain is booming and it’s not hard to see (and taste) why. It’s impossible to choose one region over another, but wine hot spots include Rioja, Ribera and Navarra. They are blessed both with a fascinating culture, beautiful architecture and great places to stay. You will also find a huge variety of wines to try in the cities, as well as enough culture to satisfy the most ardent history lover.
Italy
Wine has been produced in Italy for centuries. You will find experts at every location you care to mention offering in-depth advice and fascinating historical details. Famous for its wine production, its delicious food, its friendly people and scenery to die for, Italy may just be the perfect holiday location for a wine connoisseur. From Tuscany to Emilia-Romagna and from Veneto to Rome, you can’t help but find a beautiful spot to sit and enjoy some local wine under the trailing bougainvillea.
The Americas
Travelling further afield, why not consider a trip to California? The climate supports masses of vineyards which produce a variety of delicious wines to try. With terrain including the tallest mountains and the valleys and the plains in between, a contrasting assortment of wines are produced by the individual micro-climates that make up this great state. You are guaranteed sunshine and the welcoming atmosphere of this tourist-friendly destination will ensure you have a holiday that you will remember for years to come. If you’re feeling more adventurous, head for Chile. Try visiting the world-famous city of Casablanca for a taste of the fine sauvignon blancs, chardonnays and pinot noirs that are so characteristic of that area. Chile is now rightly regarded as a leading producer of quality wines and is a destination not to be missed.
South Africa
South Africa might not be first country that springs to mind when thinking of combining wine with travel, but think again. South African wines continue to grow in popularity and South Africa is a uniquely beautiful country with a great climate and an abundance of attractive destinations. You could consider a trip to the famous Winelands that nestle among the mountains east of Cape Town and produce some of Africa’s finest wines.
Never before have the world’s best wine-producing areas been so accessible. You can visit www.coachholidays.com to book a trip to a destination where you will find a warm welcome and, of course, a freshly poured glass of fine wine waiting for you.
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Visiting Sydney
Next month (wow, now that it’s basically August I can say that) I’ll be heading to Asia with my little sister. I am so excited about this trip, because I’ll get to show her the part of the world that has really caught my attention – and my heart. I was born in Sydney, but when I was a baby my parents moved to New Zealand. Living here, Australia doesn’t really seem exotic and most kiwis aren’t really that interested in exploring it, so we often neglect it as a holiday destination – but there’s so much to see. I found cheap flights to Sydney from Kuala Lumpur with cheapflights.com.au and decided we’d spend a few days there on the way home, so my sister could see where our mum was born and to meet some of our extended family.
When I was sixteen I decided to spend my summer holidays in Sydney. I saved up, what seemed at the time to be, a ton of money and headed there to shop and enjoy the sunshine.Years later, when I first decided to leave New Zealand on my “overseas experience”, I chose Sydney as my first port, planning to live and work there for a while to fund my upcoming travels. I lasted a week, destroyed my bank balance and promptly booked a one way flight to Thailand. I visited Sydney again last year, on my way back to Europe.
I feel like as a traveler, I’m torn. Part of me loves budget destinations, where my money stretches much further, where you can really connect to a place and its people. The other part of me loves cities that are sleek and shiny, have great shopping and offer all the Western comforts I do love.
Sydney definitely leans on the more superficial side of my traveling needs. Despite this, I’m still fond of it as a city. It was the first big city I ever visited and I’ve developed a little ritual when I visit.
I always spend one day taking the ferry out to Manly beach – it is one of my favourite beaches in the world. Sydney Zoo also tops my list of favourite zoos in the world, in part because of the zoo itself, but also because of the ferry and gondola to get there. So I always make my way to the zoo to spend a day. The third thing I’ve done each time I’ve visited, is a little trip down to circular quay. It doesn’t matter if you visit during the day or not – it’s always stunning with the harbour, the bridge and the impressive skyline. There are a ton of things to do when exploring Australia. Next time you plan to visit here consider booking your Sydney hotel with Expedia. You can search different hotels online specially by location. This way you can ensure you are conveniently located to the activities that interest you. Without a doubt, Sydney is one of the best travel destinations out there. You will not be disappointed when visiting this city.
When I visit Sydney with my sister in October, I’ll take her to all of these places. Our time in Sydney is short, so we have to cram as much as possible in.
Have you ever been to Sydney? Are you visiting Sydney anytime soon? Do you have any suggestions of things we must do?
Share in the comments below whether you are a budget traveler, or someone who enjoys the glitz and glamour of flash cities like Sydney.
Top 3 Things to do in Vegas
Vegas is the Disneyland of the world for adults. If you’re looking to enjoy yourself, splash out or shop, Vegas is the perfect place for you. Vegas also boasts great, warm weather almost year round, striking landscapes and everything seems to be open 24 hours a day, every day – ensuring the fun never stops. While Vegas is known for it’s epic scene, it’s not the only reason to plan a trip to Vegas. Here are my top 4 things to do in Vegas:
1) The Fountains of Bellagio
Vegas seems to do everything bigger and better, and these fountains are no exception. The 40 million dollar water show goes off at a variety of times, but tends to be around every 15 minutes in the evenings. There are over a thousand water emitting spouts, stretching out over an 8.5 acre lake. The water show is matched with over 30 songs and each show varies, so that you can watch the water shows a few times and still see something different. The best part? It’s free!
2) Red Rock Canyon
Okay, so this is not really in Vegas, but it’s so close it’s worth a visit whenever you’re in Vegas next. The canyon is only 15 miles west of Las Vegas and is comprised of over 200,000 acres in the Mojave Desert. Red Rock Canyon provides an interesting contrast to all the glitz and glamour of Vegas, while allowing you to drive or hike around this wonderful nature reserve. Visiting at dusk allows a really special experience; the native wildlife comes out to play and the low light casts really interesting shadows.
3) Cirque du Soleil
Adored worldwide, Cirque du Soleil puts on a performance that is sure to delight visitors of all ages. This is the perfect activity for a family spread out across a few generations, as it is impossible to walk away without feeling absolutely mesmerized by the wonderful choreography and enchanting performances. While Cirque du Soleil does tour the world, offering performances across the globe, their special Vegas location has a number of shows that can only be enjoyed here. Definitely worth a visit while you’re in town as it will be a night to remember.
Those are my top four things to do in Vegas. Have you been to Vegas? What was your favourite thing?
Traveling With or Without a Laptop
As a travel blogger, I tend to cart my laptop around with me everywhere. While it’s great to have with me so I can check emails, edit photos and watch videos on long plane and train rides, it can be a right pain. I have to worry a little more about my luggage, because my laptop is very valuable to me, especially because of all the data it contains. There have been numerous nights in dorms where I’ve slept with my laptop under the pillow because there simply were no safe lockers to secure it in. When jumping off long tail boats in Koh Phi Phi I found myself feeling a little more nervous that I might just fall off the edge of the boat and drown my laptop. Deciding whether to travel with or without a laptop can be a tricky question to answer, because there are so many reasons to leave your laptop behind when traveling, but a few pros to taking it with you:
Pros of Taking a Laptop Overseas
Easily Staying In Touch With Friends and Family
Most places I’ve been to are built up well enough for tourists to stay in touch with those back home. There are generally lots of Internet cafes and many hostels even have their own computers you can use, some of which let you use them for free. In certain places, Internet cafes and hostel computers can be very pricey to use, which can really add up quickly especially if you’re a fan of long Skype catchups. Having your own computer means you wont have to wait for others to finish, you can connect to free WIFI in places like Starbucks around the world and you can have easy access to friends and family back home.
Entertainment When Traveling
I wouldn’t have survived my long term travels without my laptop – it provided so much entertainment on long journeys and helped keep me sane. When traveling next to a friend on a bus, you can easily share headphones and watch a movie without disrupting those around you. If you’re playing drinking games in a hostel dorm room, wiping out a laptop is a great way to provide music to accompany your drinking mishaps. After your iPod’s gone flat, you can turn your laptop on and turn the screen off and get a few good hours of music out of it. My laptop has been a real gem at entertaining me while overseas.
Safety and Security
I am super paranoid about bank fraud, especially overseas. I have a fear of someone accessing my bank account details and magically withdrawing all my money, leaving me broke and alone somewhere foreign. Thankfully, this hasn’t happened and I don’t think it will. Regardless, I like the extra security of knowing that I am only logging onto my banking and Paypal accounts from my own computer.
Cons to Traveling With a Laptop:
You Never Really Disconnect
Because my work is on my computer, when I have my laptop on, I can never fully relax. A work email will pop up and I’ll check it and then get side tracked with some work. This is great when it’s a normal Monday to Friday at work, but when you’re overseas, on holiday, it can be really tiresome. Leaving the laptop at home means you can fully disconnect from the working world and focus on your holiday.
Laptops Can Weigh You Down
Have you ever been trekking carrying a laptop? Let me tell you it’s not the most fun. I was too paranoid to leave my laptop at the hostel without a locker, so I took it trekking. I did not enjoy walking up steep hills with the weight of the laptop pulling me the other way down the hill. Carrying my luggage anywhere became much more tiresome because of the extra weight of the laptop. There were numerous times where I got so frustrated with it I thought I might just abandon it. There’s something super care-free about traveling with next to nothing, and a laptop makes that impossible!
It Can Get Stolen/Break
Taking a laptop away with you increases the risk or something going wrong with it. Maybe you’ll be half asleep and walk off the plane without it. Maybe someone will steal it from your hostel dorm. Maybe you’ll fall off your boat and drop it into the ocean. So many little things can go wrong, and even the best travel insurance rarely covers full replacement costs of a laptop. Then when you factor in the loss of all the photos, data and other special things that are on your laptop, it can be a really scary thought.
Taking your laptop can be really convenient, but is it worth the risk?
Do you travel with or without your laptop? Let us know why in the comments below:
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