(Source: maryedent)

recreationramblings:

Airport parking is a pain the derrière to anyone traveling. Add young children to the mix and suddenly daily tasks such as parking become even more of a hassle than you ever imagined. Have no fear, follow this easy-to-follow guide and planning your family trip will be easier than you thought…

themomsandthecity:

There are hotel rooms, and then there are hotel experiences, the kinds that both grown-ups and kids dream about. Sometimes the hotel experience can be even more exciting than the destination. With that in mind, we’re looking at a dozen hotel rooms truly designed with kids in mind….

(Source: orionfalls, via neonstorm)

(via Travelettes)

6. Dance, drink and laugh at a free festival

9. Get a free history lesson or ten in Sydney’s free museums

10. Explore Sydney’s Street Art as it happens

Full list here

**Of course, nothing beats a Grand Tour when you’re trying to explore all the city has to offer. Check out some other ones here!

Have you heard of these destinations? Chances are, you haven’t, and you don’t know what you’re missing! Next time you’re brainstorming ideas for your exotic vacation, check out a few of these overlooked marvels. (see the other 4 not-so-hot spots listed at Green Buzz)

Meteora ‘Suspended Rocks’  Greece

An astounding sight to behold, the Metéora, also known as ‘The Suspended rocks’, is a very large and important complex of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece.  Only Mount Athos is more important to followers of this faith. Six monasteries are built very imposingly on natural sandstone rock pillars. Located at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains, in central Greece, access was originally extremely difficult. It is thought this was deliberate, as visitors rneeded either long ladders lashed together, or large nets which could be used to haul up both goods and people. Ropes were replaced, by all accounts, only “when the Lord let them break”, so getting up to the monasteries required a lot of religious belief.

City of Bagan in Burma

Mandalay is a part of the Burmese peninsular that contains the incredibly ancient city of Bagan This place has been called by various names, including ‘Arimaddanapura’, ‘Tambadipa’ and ‘Tassadessa’ as it had been the ancient capital of several Burmese kingdom. Bagan is only unrecognized as a World Heritage Site because the ruling military junta has failed to make repairs to the ancient site that are in keeping with the original architectural styles and using modern materials which look very much out of place.  All the same, this is still a little known wonder of the world, and well worth a visit.

Torun, an ancient town in Poland

The medieval town of Toruń, in Poland  was where Nicolaus Copernicus was born. Archaeologists date the original settling of this town to 1100 BC, and from the 7^th to the 13th centuries, there is evidence of a settlement, at a river ford. Teutonic Knights built a castle nearby between 1230-31. Franciscan monks settled in the city some 30 years later, followed by Dominicans, and  in 1264 the New Town was founded. In 1280, the city (joined the mercantile Hanseatic League and became an important medieval trade centre.

Barri Gòtic, Barcelona

Click here for a list of the best places to stay in Barcelona.

(according to Christine in Spain)

3) Fiesta

Spain knows how to par-TAY. Where else can you celebrate by participating in the world’s largest food fight, or be chased down narrow streets by raging bulls all in the name of Saints?

Every town, big or small, has it’s own “feria” (festival), a week of eating, drinking, traditional dress and most importantly: no work. In fact, Spain has more festivals than any other place on earth. On any given day in Spain there is a feria happening somewhere.

2) Landscapes

Ronda, a mountain village full of white-washed houses.

Golden beaches in the South and rolling green hills in the North. There is extreme diversity here from the people to the land they live on and it’s all breathtakingly beautiful.

1) Institutionalized Napping: The Siesta (my personal favorite)

Taking a mid-day nap is perfectly acceptable in Spanish society and I won’t be judged for it.