Category Archives: fun and adventure

Island Getaways for Families

Say “Fiji family fun” five times very fast.  It’s just as easy to set up a fun family trip to Fiji!  Holidays to Fiji are eye-opening for kids and adults experiencing a tropical setting for the first time.  The glorious sunsets and clear blue water surrounding the palm tree-covered islands make family memories even more special and beautiful.

Kids love to live outside, and they can come as close as possible to doing so in this paradise.  Eco camps, hiking and beach BBQs are a few ways to stay outdoors in this warm, inviting climate.  Diving and snorkeling are all-consuming daytime activities, and evening cruises get everyone settled down for a refreshing sleep so they can do it all over again the next day.

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Jet-skiing, swimming and hot-air balloon rides are also part of Fiji vacation life, and helicopter rides are available for a bird’s-eye view of the islands.  Dolphin-watch tours are also very popular, and many resorts and hotels have excellent children’s programs so that parents can get a massage and have a bubbly drink.

The fresh seafood and tropical fruits and vegetables native to Fiji keep families healthy while they enjoy captivating new tastes and island dishes.  Watermelons, mangos, pineapples and avocados grow here, and broccoli and snow peas have done well since they started planting them.

Most restaurants and resorts will serve food from Fijan, Chinese and Indian cultures that include fish, coconut milk and lime juice.  Cassava, which is like potato, yams, taro root and breadfruit are common staples that are made into side dishes.  There is no problem finding chicken, beef and pork here, either.  A ceviche-like raw fish dish is called kokoda, but pronounced “kokonda,” and is marinated in lime juice and coconut milk.

Imagine the taste of the specialty drinks here with the high-quality fresh fruit that grows in the Fiji islands.  Tea is a staple here since Fiji was a British Colony until 1970.  Fiji exports sugar from beets and cane, so it is also a staple.  Tourism is a large part of the economy aside from sugar, so Fiji is an excellent place to explore.

The average temperature in the cooler part of the year is 72 degrees Fahrenheit, so the warmer part of the year is sure to please visitors.  November through April is the warmer time since Fiji is south of the equator.  Fiji celebrates Christmas, New Year’s Day and Easter like westerners do, so holidays to Fiji could include traditional celebrations from home but with new decorations.

Fijan culture, costumes, arts and crafts and folk dance are often presented to visitors in resort and hotel venues and these events are usually good family activities.  Seeing and touching cultural items and actually experiencing local customs facilitate the understanding of a different ethnic group and faraway land better than just reading about them.

Visitors soak up culture while enjoying their vacations and establishing meaningful family bonds.  Fiji is a vacation environment filled with good things that families will remember forever.

World’s Most Prestigious Races

Guests at the world’s most prestigious races have an opportunity to rub elbows with famous faces. This article discusses events for multiple genres instead of focusing on one particular interest. All noteworthy races have rich cultural legacies that add to their mystique.

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 (image is not mine)

Royal Ascot – England

Ascot made Travel Channel’s list of the world’s best horse races with good reason. Queen Anne orchestrated the first races in 1711 and competition occurs in Ascot, England for seven days during the month of June. The Queen is a regular guest and hands out awards during Gold Cup events. Ticket levels include General Grandstand, Silver Ring and Royal Enclosure. Female guests in General Bandstand and Royal Enclosure areas must wear hats or fascinators while males wear suits.

2013 ticket prices start at $30.74 Australian dollars (AUD) per person for General Grandstand admission and $95.29 AUD for Silver Ring seating as of November 2012. Aspiring Royal Enclosure guests must have sponsorship from a current member and submit an extensive application. Children 16 years of age and younger may enter the Royal Enclosure only for weekend events.

Indianapolis 500 – United States (U.S.)

Historians consider the Indianapolis (Indy) 500 an extremely important automotive event. Occurring every May since 1911, organisers only postponed races for World Wars I and II. Indy car drivers from around the world gather to drive 200 laps on the Indianapolis Speedway in Indiana. The race spawned a series of pop culture references and memorabilia organizations.

Carburetion (Carb) Day allows guests to extend the race experience. Two days before official Indy events, drivers test out the track and special musical guests provide live entertainment. 2013 Carb day tickets are $22.25 AUD and General Admission Indy tickets start at $36.77 AUD as of November 2012. Additional options grant entry to garage areas and driver access.

London Marathon – England / New York City Marathon – U.S.

Serious runners agree England and the U.S. host equally formidable marathons. New York City (NYC) hosted its first marathon in 1970 for 127 participants. Increased public interest in running helped the event blossom into an international event. A few participants from the United Kingdom (U.K.) wondered if the idea could take root back home. London hosted the first official races in 1981 and participation remains highly competitive.

Marathons conduct lotteries for participant selection and require various entry fees. Members of NYC running clubs paid approximately $133.55 AUD while international competitors paid $223.55 AUD in 2009 for the autumn event. In the spring, 2013 London runners can expect to pay between $46.11 and $61.48 AUD. Travel and accommodation cost extra in both situations.

Prestigious events are available for people looking to hobnob with the elite or display athletic abilities. Some base exclusivity on the guest list while others generate allure with limited participation space. The world’s most prestigious races offer a little excitement for everyone.

Written by Darren W.
Apart from being a frequent traveler, Darren is also web developer and an online gaming enthusiast. His latest discovery is free slots games online. Darren also writes reviews on the latest released games.

The Albanifest Winterthur Festival

Here’ some of the recent photos that my mom took during the Albanifest Winterthur Festival or St. Alban’s Festival. It is considered to be Europe’s largest annual city festival held every year towards the end of June.  The Albanifest beckons more than 100,000 people who love to celebrate to the city centre of Winterthur, Switzerland.

The Albanifest is the festival of the associations in Winterthur where approximately 100 clubs and societies replenish their coffers with their novel festival booths. There are  lots of culinary delights , games, toys and other amusements where visitors will truly enjoy and have some fun!

huge ferris wheel

cutie stuff toys

lots of visitors

lots of huggable teddy bears

when you can climb up to the peak you will be rewarded with one sausage ^_^

my mom with her friend

 

Our Fun & Adventure Experience at Cabula’s New Pool

I just celebrated my 28th birthday last Friday together with my family and friends. We went to this newly built swimming pool located at Sitio Cabula, Barangay Lumbia, here in our city of Cagayan de Oro.

I’m glad we are the only group of family who arrive there so we feel like we exclusively own that place. hehehe…

When you arrived in that place, the first thing you will see is the Cabula River Grille restaurant on the center, the famous river for white water rafting on the left and the new swimming pool on the right.

Aside from this cool slide, one of the things that makes this swimming pool fun and adventurous is their zipline across the pool.

Too bad I don’t have a photo shots like these because aside from the fact that I’m scared and I am also worried about my bulging tummy, my hubby did not swim too so it was my in-laws who did enjoyed the fun.

Aside from zipline, the zorbing experience is a must-try.

I wasn’t able to try zorbing because the ball doesn’t have enough air so we ended up taking some pose and shots from this zorb ball.

The booming whitewater rafting market in Cagayan de Oro compelled local investors to fully expand the end-point facilities with the construction of this newly built pool and sooner, it won’t be too long that countryside inn and lodging accommodations will follow.