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Winter sports gives us the adrenaline rush. The ski pass prices though may also make most travelers just dream of the cold breeze and the drop down the slope. Snowboarding and skiing really does not come very cheap. If you have a tight budget though, you can still enjoy the winter:

Try new skiing destinations

Instead of heading to the Alps, look for other skiing destinations in Europe. Head east this time and try Bulgaria, particularly Pamporovo or Bansko where the prices are on the lower end of the scale. There is also Poland’s Zakopane that offers budget ski passes. In the U.S., you can head to Badger Pass and Snow King Mountain.

Know the discounts

You can get some discounts for getting an early-bird pass. You also get discounted rates if you are a student, going with the whole family, large groups, disabled, or if you are staying for a few weeks.

Pick the right airlines

Despite all the rush during the skiing season, you can still get budget flights. Do your homework and you will surely save a lot of money on your airline tickets. Follow your favorite airline’s social media pages and catch their posts about promos.

Go for the package deals

If you can roll together the accommodation, flights, equipment, and lift pass, you can get wonderful bargains.

Perfect timing

You can save a lot if you go off season. Find out when will be the best time to avail of the cheapest rates. Do not go when the school is on vacation since the prices will naturally spike up.

Cost cut on your gear

If you are planning to rent or purchase your skiing gear at the resort, then better say goodbye to your travel money. The wiser choice will be to get second hand gear. It needs a bit more planning but it will save you lots in the long-run.

Are you planning of visiting Norway? If you have never been in this corner of the globe, you might have seen the place only in movies. At mosts Oslo might have been shown, but there is so much to Norway than its capital. Look at some interesting things to do during your Norway holiday:

Northern Lights in Tromso

Your Norwegian holiday will not be complete without seeingn the Northern Lights. The best place to see it in Norway is in Tromso. It will be a very cold trip but Tromso as a lot of nice hotels where you can be comfortable in and some nice restaurants, too.

Train ride to Flam

There are a lot of nice train rides to enjoy when you are in Norway. The most scenic Norwegian train ride though is the one heading to Flamsbana. The mountains will serve as the backdrop as you journey from the station of Mydral, through beautiful valleys, and to the village of Flam. Along the way you will see the magnificent Kjos Waterfall.

Polar Museum in Andenes

Not a big chunk of travelers head to Andenes, a lower profile city compared to the bigger metropolis in Norway. This quaint fishing town though has something nice to offer for curious wanderers, the Polar Museum. The exhibition of the museum during winter time is down to earth impressive and the kids will surely love it. The museum also houses artifacts that details the hunting tradition of Norway.

Hardanger Fjord

If there is a place where you want to end your visit to Norway, it should be Hardanger Fjord. Enjoy the scenery as you hike up the Fjord. Do not forget your camera as you will be bombarded with frame-perfect views along the scenic routes. You will see a lot of waterfalls and some of the biggest glaciers in Norway.

Every couple shares a special passion for something. Some like dancing, while others like hiking, some want to sky dive, while others love to travel for excellent food. If you belong to the last, then read on, as the food travel destinations below are gastronomically orgasmic:

Singapore

Singapore is among the best food destinations in Asia today. It is a very small place but very popular in a big way. If you are a foodie, you can find here most flavors offered in different corners of Asia. Check out the hawker stores and explore the myriad choices from local cuisines to international dishes. You can go from the cheap stalls to the most luxurious hotels to discover the different flavors of Singapore.

Mexico

Whether couples going on a honeymoon or just people who want to treat their palates to a different taste, Mexico is always among the most exciting and fun places to visit. Foodies will enjoy the traditional Mexican dishes in Oaxaca. Aside from savoring the most authentic flavors, couples can also join cooking lessons so they can take the knowledge back to their own kitchen.

Southern France

Anything France, food, and honeymoon is always sexy. Couples may head to Provence were they can enjoy the local markets, wine tastings, and quiet afternoon strolls. It is also the place where you can see never ending fields of lavenders.

Tuscany

Aside from having the very romantic feel, Tuscany also offers couples an experience their tastebuds will never forget. Tuscany is all about olive oils and great bottles of wines. Enjoy the rustic environment, enjoy the wonderful aromas, and forget about your diet plans.

Istanbul

It is a place where people love and know their spices. It has that mystic feel that will surely make the honeymoon more memorable. Couples will enjoy the food markets, wine tasting, and even picnics. After exploring the city, you can enjoy and relax in a Turkish bath.

When we try to preserve memories of our travels through our photos, not all shots come easy. There are times when we have to deal with the poor lighting, maybe our subjects are moving, we have to shoot thru glass, or have to negotiate thru a thick crowd. Here are some useful photography tips to help you frame a memory:

Motion

Whether you are moving inside a train or bus, or your subject is moving, dealing with this scenario is always a challenge. Composing the picture will not be easy or you have to deal later on with blurry images that you cannot anymore re-take.

One technique you can do is panning. You have to follow your subject as your bus moves away from it or as the subject moves in your field of vision. If you can take multiple shots, make most of the feature and snap quickly. With action photography, timing is very crucial. Add a ton of patience too.

Crowd

When trying to shoot while in the crowd, you have to enjoy the fact that you are in the crowd. Use the heads and shoulders of people as your boundaries to frame the shot. It will also be best to find an elevated position if you think this is needed to give justice to the shot. Look for a stage, a chair, or a balcony which you can use. Try to cut down on the gear that you want to bring to so you can shoot well sans the weight of your extra cameras and lenses.

Thru the glass

If you are shooting thru a glass case or thru a window, try to get as close as possible so you can eliminate any reflection on the glass. Turn off the flash and see how this will effect the image. Try to move a bit and and find the best position to capture the best image.

Macau is the Las Vegas of Asia and is believed to rake in more income the original Sin City in the United States. There is more to Macau though than its mega casinos:

Must see spots

Macau’s Chinese origin and colonization by Portuguese blends well a culture from both sides of the world. You can see the ruins of the once great St. Paul Cathedral constructed by the Jesuits in the 16th century. It was destroyed by fire back in 1835 and all you can enjoy now is its remaining façade and stairway.

The A-ma Temple is another popular destination. This place of worship is in honor of the Chinese goddess of the sea called Tin Hau. This is a world heritage site as declared by the UNESCO.

Visit the Macau Museum inside the walls of the Monte Fort to discover the history and culture of Macau.

If you want to retreat to a green place, go to the Coloane Village. If you want to check out local goodies like jade and incense, browse the streets of Ru dos Ervanaris and he Rua de Nossa Senhora do Amparo.

Where to find great grubs

The most popular bakery in the corner is the Lord Stow’s Café serving their yummy tarts ad pateis de nata.

Head to Lung Wah Tea House if you want some Cantonese cooking. You will not find an English menu so judge by how the food looks like and grab the dim sum from the car that goes around the restaurant.

You can also dine in Michelin starred Robuchan a Galera and try their world famous sea urchin with some fennel mouse and black cod. Head to Antonio if you are craving for some Portuguese genuine dishes like goat cheese with acacia honey and olive oil.

London is one of those places that has so many different attractions, it really is hard to choose just one.  However, if you do have to choose just one – or two even, you have to make sure that you stop by the Royal Botanic Gardens.  The Royal Botanic Gardens is certainly one of the hottest places and I can tell you for sure that it is beautiful.

Spread over about 300 acres of land, the Royal Botanic Gardens are open year around and there is a ton of beauty, so many scents and certainly some sights to see here.  You can find all sorts of different sights to see!

So remember, if you go to London, you definitely have to make sure that you check this out!

One thing that you will notice whenever you go in London there are different views.  Take the London Eye for example.  This little ride certainly makes a ton of different views of the city and all of them are breathtakingly beautiful!

The wait is a little long most of the time; however I can tell you that it is definitely worth the wait.  Typically, on a good day, you can catch the wait at about thirty-minutes however; it can go a lot longer sometimes.

If you are looking for a fun and awesome ride, I can tell you for sure, that the London Eye is certainly the best option for you!

Now that we have touched on some English tea, let’s move on over to something a little bit more adventurous and something with a twist – for that is the name of the restaurant, Twist.  Twist is actually one restaurant that is for the true foodies, for it combines some beautiful food with molecular science, which is very popular right now.

Pierre Gagnaire is the chef and I can tell you for sure that he is definitely out for an adventure with his food.  All of his dishes certainly do have some beautiful touches but they do not look normal – in the least.

Take this beautiful dish here, it is actually a Napoleon Sable that you can get at Twist – try it, it’s good!

Las Vegas is one of those places that has so many things to do and definitely is one of the top places whenever you are looking to entertain your taste buds.  We have them though, in the next couple blogs, we are going to explore some of the best restaurants in Vegas and certainly make sure that you know where to go next time you are there!

Firstly, you want to make sure that you visit the Tea Lounge, which is Mandarin Oriental food.  It has all sorts of English tea available and I can tell you for sure that this place is full of sandwiches as well as some fantastic pastries.

If you are looking for high tea, this is definitely the place that you need to visit!

Washington, D.C. is another great place to go for Easter, although it might not be the first spot that comes to mind.

But think about it: the White House’s annual Easter Egg Roll is tons of fun — if, of course, you can get tickets. They are limited, but you can get them courtesy of the National Park Service, beginning on the Monday before the Easter holiday.

Don’t worry if you can’t manage the tickets though. There are plenty of other things to do.

After all, the Smithsonian is still free, and the museums therein provide some terrific fun, not to mention learning experiences.