Rock climbing is an addicting extreme sport for those who love adventure. It is a sport that enables you to challenge yourself to your limits while letting you marvel at the beauty of nature.

Whether you are a novice or an experienced climber, you would want to find superb limestone or granite cliffs to climb. You would want to climb in perfect weather conditions that are neither too hot nor too cold. You can find the perfect conditions to climb in many regions in Spain. Rock climbers enjoy their holidays to Spain because of the nation's perfect climbing conditions. In fact, Spain is rapidly becoming Europe's premier rock climbing venue. A large number of the most well-known and established crags are just a stone's throw away from main tourist areas and coastal cities. Furthermore, new climbing areas are being discovered and established.

For instance, the areas surrounding Costa Blanca exemplify some of the world's best rock climbing routes with their magnificent limestone cliffs. There are unspoiled cliffs for traditional climbing, bolted crags for sport climbing, and multi-pitch routes for multi-day climbs. Many of these routes are very accessible, with just a few minutes walk away from the road.

If you wish to go rock climbing and at the same time enjoy the nearby beaches during your holidays to Spain, go to the resort islands of Tenerife, Gran Canary, Costa Adeje Gran Hotel, Ibiza, and Mallorca. They are some of Europe's most well-known rock climbing venues featuring single to double-pitch routes on untouched limestone cliffs. Lately, Mallorca has emerged as a premier venue for deep water soloing (DWS) wherein you scale a seaside cliff without using rope. If you fall, you fall safely into the water! You can literally feel your adrenalin rush with DWS. In Ibiza, most of the rock climbing areas are in peaceful, majestic, and isolated sea cliffs and coves.

Barcelona is known as one of the finest sport climbing areas in the continent. You can try your skill in conquering the Sierra de Prades, the rock towers of Montserrat, limestone cliffs near Lleida, or mountain granite of the Cavallers.

If you are more into bouldering (climbing huge boulders instead of cliffs), head out to Albarracin where you can scramble up big ancient sandstone blocks within a cool forest.

For adventure-filled holidays to Spain, visit Travel Republic.

Tours of Europe

Our Travels and Adventures from A to Z

We have been nominated by our friends Sam of Nomadic Samuel and Ayngelina of Bacon is Magic to participate in a travel blogger meme that walks us through a series of questions, highlighting our travels from A-Z.

So let’s get going!

A: Age you went on your first international trip

Nicole – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico at age 15
Cameron – Nairobi, Kenya at age 11

B: Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where

This is a tough one. We love to sample beer when we travel and have put together a series on our favourite beer drinking moments from around the world. But, if we must choose just one…

Nicole – Belgium. Can’t recall the specific name of the beer because it was a small brewery in Brussels
Cameron – 2-litre blend of Gosser Beer in Vienna, Austria (pictured below)

Drinking Beer in Vienna, Austria

C: Cuisine (favorite)

Nicole – Fresh seafood grilled on the beach in the Philippines
Cameron – Street food in Thailand, all of it!

D: Destinations – favourite and least favourite

Nicole – Favourite destination is Easter Island because of its mysterious moai statues. Least favourite is Vietnam for a variety of reasons
Cameron – Favourite destination is Peru because there is so much more to Peru than Machu Picchu. Least favourite is also Vietnam

E: Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”

Nicole – Sleeping under the desert stars at a Bedouin camp in the Wadi Rum, Jordan
Cameron – Witnessing a Buddhist prayer session in Bangkok, Thailand (pictured below)

Buddhist Temple in Bangkok, Thailand

F: Favorite mode of transportation

Nicole – Horseback. Whenever possible!
Cameron – I love train travel. It’s the best way to see the countryside and travel slow. And let’s not forget about the Asian tuk tuk (auto rickshaw). Read about our tuk tuk experience in India

G: Greatest feeling while traveling

Nicole – That feeling of excitement and anticipation you get at the airport just before boarding the plane, knowing that you are about to discover a new destination.
Cameron – Swinging in a hammock on a lazy tropical beach with a cold beer in hand

H: Hottest place you’ve traveled to

Nicole – Dubai, UAE
Cameron – Luxor, Egypt (Udaipur in Rajasthan is a close second)

Sunrise views from Mount Sinai, Egypt

I: Incredible service you’ve experienced and where

Nicole – Victoria House on Ambergris Caye in Belize
Cameron -Ka’ana Boutique Resort in the Cayo District of Belize. Find out why here

J: Journey that took the longest

Nicole – Traveling from Chitwan Park in Nepal to Varanasi, India. In the end, we took two jeeps, 2 tuk tuks, 1 rickshaw, 2 buses and 1 overnight train for a total of 17 hours – not fun!
Cameron – Overnight bus trip from Luxor to Dahab, Egypt. The ticket agent said 12-14 hours but it actually took 22 hours with all of the stops and check points – terrible experience we hope to never repeat

K: Keepsake from your travels

Nicole – Photos. Lots and lots of photos!
Cameron – We collect masks from most countries we visit. We have a wall in our house that is filled with over40 different masks, each with their own unique story and personality

L: Let-down sight, why and where

Nicole – Halong Bay in Vietnam. Totally over-rated. But we live in British Columbia and are surrounded by natural beauty, so perhaps our standards are too high. It didn’t help that our trip was cut short because of a fast approaching typhoon.
Cameron – Scuba-diving the Great Barrier Reef in northeast Australia. Too many divers, super long travel time to dive spot and a severely damaged reef. Definitely not worth the 0 per person. Go to the Red Sea instead!

M: Moment where you fell in love with travel

Nicole – Backpacking around Europe in the summer of 1999
Cameron – Wildlife safari in Kenya’s Masai Mara in 1989

Pool at Victoria House in Belize

N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in

Nicole – Victoria House on Ambergris Caye in Belize. Private white sandy beaches, swaying palm trees, infinity pools and fantastic food.
Cameron – Iberostar del Mar in the Mayan Riviera. Although we are somewhat biased because we got married there in 2008 and received a beachfront upgrade and 5-star treatment from arrival until departure

O: Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?

Nicole – Underwater photos of fish and reef (view photos of the Belize Barrier Reef here)
Cameron – Beer (see our beer photos here)

P: Passport stamps, how many and from where?

We both have hundreds of stamps from our travels. We even had to get a new passport issued because we ran out of space well before our passports expired

Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where

Nicole – We were recently on Galiano Island and visited a place called Stone World. The photos made it look intriguing but when we got there it was literally just a bunch of stones placed upright on a hillside
Cameron – We recently published a guest post on “quirky things to see in Canada”. Read the post here

R: Recommended sight, event or experience

Nicole – Snorkeling or scuba diving the Red Sea in Egypt. Watch a short video here
Cameron – Hiking the Inca Trial to Machu Picchu in Peru. Read our story here

S: Splurge – something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling

We both pick beer. Regardless of the cost, we will enjoy a few beers while traveling. We even had a cold beer deep in the Amazon jungle!

T: Touristy thing you’ve done

Nicole – Camel surfing at the Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt. See the photo here
Cameron – Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam (pictured below)

U: Unforgettable travel memory

Nicole – Swimming with sea lions and penguins in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Cameron – Night trekking to the summit of Mount Sinai to watch the sunrise over the rugged Egyptian peninsula (see the photo of Cameron above)

V: Visas, how many and for where?

India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Egypt, Turkey, Australia, Nepal, Laos and probably more that I am forgetting

W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where?

Nicole – Riesling in Riel, a village in the Mosel region of southwest Germany
Cameron – Malbec in Medoza, Argentina

X: eXcellent view and from where?

Nicole – The majestic views of Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, located in the Canadian Rockies
Cameron – Views of Ahu Tongariki from Rano Raraku volcano on Easter Island. See photo above

Y: Years spent traveling?

We’ve done most of our traveling as a couple in the past 7 years, when we first lived in Malaysia in 2004. But we were both exposed to travel at a young age.

Z: Zealous sports fans and where?

Nicole – Soccer fans in Santiago, Chile. There’s a reason why alcohol is not served at the games!
Cameron – Hockey fans in Canada. Did you catch Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Vancouver earlier this year?! Check out the street celebrations after the Vancouver Canucks won game 5 at home (pictured above).

Congratulations! You made it to the end of our travels from A to Z

~~~~~~~~~~

Now we get to nominate 5 travel bloggers to complete their Travels from A-Z. Because we are a little late to the party, many bloggers have already completed this exercise or declined participation. So if you do not wish to participate, let us know and we can nominate someone else.

We nominate:

Earl from Wandering Earl

Mark from Migrationology

JoAnna from Kaleidoscope Wandering

Matt from Expert Vagabond

Deb and Dave from The Planet D

Tag! You’re it!

Our Travels & Adventures from A to Z is a post from: Traveling Canucks

Related posts:

1. 19 Epic Adventures by Travel Bloggers in 2011
2. Jungle Adventures in Belize’s Private Nature Reserve
3. Our Greatest Adventure has Finally Started!

Traveling Canucks

Drug addiction is something that is affecting millions in the world today. This addiction also affects those around the affected individual making it harder for them to cope with the situation. Addiction is very hard to quit but there are several very successful methods used to deal with this problem. One of the best ways to deal with addiction is drug addiction rehab.

Purpose

The aim of the patient going through young adult drug rehab is to recover the life they had before the addiction occurred. It is also important for the patient to establish the root cause of the habit and deal with the cause effectively. Rehabilitating drug addicts is not an easy task because it takes time and skill to return the patients to a successful, respectable life.

Process

The entire rehabilitation procedure is very demanding and the need to look for an expert to help in administering the treatment is essential. Many experts are specifically trained to help someone combat addiction.

Medication

One of the methods used involves giving medication to patients with the hope that it will help the patient abandon the addiction. Other experts also use psychological treatment. This is where a patient undergoes therapy to enable recovery from the addiction both physically and mentally.

Regain Clear Thinking

The therapy is very essential to patients who have been affected mentally and physically. This is because the patients become disoriented. The entire treatment procedure is geared towards helping the patient regain his or her sense of reasoning and return to a productive life.

Treatment Steps

There are various steps common in all the treatment methods. The first step is detox. The patient undergoes a procedure that reduces the substance’s effect in the body. After the drug is expelled from the body, the patient is ready for therapy. These two stages can be painful because of strong drug withdrawal symptoms. During therapy, the reason for the addiction is established and treatment is administered. This helps fight the desire to use the substance again.

Building Self-Esteem

After this is achieved, the patient is enrolled into community activities to encourage self-esteem. This sometimes includes group counseling. Exercise is also helpful in helping the patient regain physical strength and even more, mental strength. The centers will assist in solving the issues that drove the patient into addiction.

Dinner was delicious again
Travel Blog | Travel Journals, Diaries and Photos

Located on the Malawi’s border with neighboring Mozambique, Lake Malawi is arguably the world’s richest lake when it comes to marine life living in its waters. The lake which is also known by its traditional name Lake Nyasa is home to more than 1000 species of fish and other marine life. It is the third largest Lake of the African continent as it spans on an area of more than 363 miles. The fishing industry of the Lake Malawi is the major economic activity of the hundreds of small villages that dot its banks. Lake Malawi has become a favorite tourist destination in Malawi because of its crystal clear water, exotic marine life and an awesome kayaking experience.

The huge lake has all the charms one can ask for, you can find the peace and solitude along its northern banks where there is not much activity other than a few traditional fishermen going out on their daily fishing routine or you can find some world class hotels and resorts with some excellent facilities along its southern bank. If you are arriving from abroad then you will be taking a cheap flight to Lilongwe, from where you can either travel with the bus services that connect the two banks of the lake with the city or hire a car to make the journey by your self. If you have decided to stay on the northern side of the lake then don’t forget to take the camping equipment with you as there are not many resorts in that particular part of the lake but it will surely provide you with the most relaxing vacation spot.

The southern part of the lake is comparably more famous with the tourists as they have many good quality resorts and hotels they can choose from. Most of these resorts offer equipment for water sports like kayaking, scuba diving and snorkeling. The waters along the banks of the lake are lukewarm making it perfect for a shallow water swim. The exotic marine life of the lake makes it a great place for snorkeling enthusiasts and if you are a qualified scuba diver then you can always hire a boat to take you to the center of the lake and enjoy an awesome diving experience.

The biggest attraction on the northern bank of the lake is the world’s first fresh water national park, Cape Maclear. You will find thousands of fish species here but the real superstar that will catch your attention is the Lake Malawi’s Mbuna fish which is known worldwide for its beauty and its daring as it eats right out of the tourist’s hands. Kayaking is another exciting activity you can indulge yourself in and particularly kayaking to the islands of the lake has become a favorite attraction for many tourists that are arriving at Lake Malawi. There are quite a few small islands in the lake and many of them are not populated so you can take your camping equipment with you and spend a night out on these beautiful islands.

Africa flights and travel news

Emirates has announced that it will put the A380 on flights from Dubai to Melbourne and onwards towards Auckland, replacing the current Boeing 777-300ER.



Click the heading to view the full story or visit www.skyclub.com/news

SkyClub Latest News | First and Business Class Travel

19 Epic Adventures by Travel Bloggers in 2011

As the end of 2011 fast approaches, waves of year-end reviews have been circulating the travel blog community. There have been countless adventures by hundreds of travel bloggers, each special and unique in their own way.

But there were a few adventures that stood out from the rest (at least in our minds). We’ve highlighted 19 epic adventures taken by travel bloggers during the past year.

Perhaps one of these adventures will inspire your travels in 2012!

Photo credit – The Planet D

The Mongol Rally

Dave and Deb of The Planet D, Rick Griffin of Midlife Road Trip and Sherry Ott of Ottsworld formed the Social Media Syndicate and took on one of the most epic travel blogger adventures of 2011, the Mongol Rally. For those unfamiliar, the Mongol Rally is an unsupported road rally from London, England to Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia, crossing 15 Countries and over 9,000 miles (14,500 km). Read more about the adventure here.

The Ultimate Train Challenge

Michael of Go, See, Write, Nora of The Professional Hobo and Jeannie of Nomadic Chick took on the Ultimate Train Challenge, a 30-day train only journey from Lisbon, Portugal to Saigon, Vietnam. Find out who won the challenge here.

Getting Shipwrecked in Indonesia

Okay, perhaps being shipwrecked is not the best way to experience Indonesia, but it did make for a heart stopping adventure that Kate, from Adventurous Kate, will not soon forget. Read about the surreal, and potentially deadly, experience here.

Photo credit – Wandering Trader

Walking with Cheetahs in Zambia

Marcello of Wandering Trader has been on countless adventures in 2011, so it was difficult to choose just one. Aside from feeding a hyena with his mouth in Ethiopia, one of the coolest things he did in Africa was walk with a group of cheetahs.

Snorkeling with Beluga Whales in Manitoba

Ayngelina of Bacon is Magic was involved in one of the most unique adventures of 2011, snorkeling in the extremely frigid waters of Northern Canada in search of beluga whales. Yes, you heard me correctly – beluga whales! Read more about this rare adventure here.

The Great Crusade Tour of New Zealand

Craig from y Travel Blog had the amazing opportunity to attend the Great Crusade tour of New Zealand, an ultimate supporters tour that followed Australia’s Rugby team, the Qantas Wallabies, at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Read more about his epic adventure here.

Photo credit – Uncornered Market

Climbing Africa’s Highest Peak

Dan and Audrey from Uncornered Market strapped on their hiking boots and partnered with GAP Adventures to tackle Africa’s highest peak, trekking to Mount Kilimanjaro’s summit. Read about their rewarding adventure here.

Europe Train Challenge: 90 Days, 30 Countries

Sophia and Nathan from As We Travel took the challenge and visited 30 European countries in only 90 days, quite the accomplishment! They did a great job filming their European adventure and put together a fun mini-series of videos. Watch their videos here.

Croatia to Sicily: The Blog Trail

Sticking with the theme of trains and Europe, Pete and Dalene from Hecktic Travels took a break from house sitting to travel from Croatia to Italy with a sponsored rail pass from EuRail. Being Canadians that love hockey, we were happy to see that they attended a professional hockey game in Slovenia.

Photo credit – Wild Junket

Exploring the Wild of Madagascar

Nellie of Wild Junket experienced one of our world’s most unique islands. Located off the southeast coast of Africa, Madagascar is the only place on earth to find lemurs, chameleons and ferocious fosas, as well as bizarre-looking baobab trees and spiny forests. Read about her wild adventure here.

Cruise the Galapagos Islands

Dave from Go Backpacking cruised the Galapagos Islands in 2011, an epic adventure that included swimming with sea lions and hiking Martian landscapes. He put together a guide to booking a last minute cruise to the Galapagos Islands so that other backpackers can experience the wonder of the Galapagos.

Switzerland to Romania – Riding the European Rail

Earl from Wandering Earl partnered with Eurail in September and traveled from Zurich to Transylvania, discovering the ruins of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and falling in love in Ljubljana. Read more about his adventure here.

Photo credit – Landlopers

Landing a Helicopter on a Glacier in New Zealand

Matt from Landlopers had a real life IMAX experience when he flew over Mount Cook and Franz Joseph Glacier in a helicopter, touching down on the snowy glacier (we had a similar experience in Queenstown). Check out his awesome video footage here.

The Great American Road Trip

Amanda from A Dangerous Business spent her summer road tripping across the United States, traveling more than 6,500 miles across a dozen states, including the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and the Cadillac Ranch.

Travel the length of Vietnam on a Motorbike

Ant and Elise of Positive World Travel jumped on a motorbike and traveled from the North to the South of Vietnam, covering over 3,500km in two months. They enjoyed the adventure so much they even wrote a book about it! Read about their adventure here.

Photo credit – Migrationology

Jeep Safari through the Sand Sea of Western Egypt

Mark from Migrationology had an incredible time touring the giant sand dunes and rugged landscapes of Western Egypt in the back of a speeding land cruiser. Check out his fantastic collection of photos here.

Trekking the Torres del Paine W in Patagonia

John and Andrea of Inspiring Travellers spent a week trekking through the spectacular landscapes of Torres del Paine in Patagonia, including a boat trip to see the stunning blue ice of Grey Glacier. Read more about their adventure here.

Photo credit – Brendan’s Adventures

Playing with Penguins and Swimming in Antarctica

Brendan from Brendan’s Adventures fulfilled a lifelong dream earlier this year, photographing the raw natural beauty that is Antarctica. The crazy Canadian even took the plunge and went swimming in the frigid Antarctica waters. Watch a video of his adventure here.

Bicycle from Alaska to Argentina

Talk about an EPIC adventure! The Vogel family bicycled from Alaska to Argentina, cycling 17,300 miles in nearly three years, reaching the southernmost tip of South America in March 2011. Davy and Daryl now hold the world record as the youngest people to cycle the Pan-American Highway. Read more about their adventure here.

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What was your Epic Adventure of 2011?

Share your experience in the comments section below. Feel free to leave links, we’d love to read about it!

19 Epic Adventures by Travel Bloggers in 2011 is a post from: Traveling Canucks

No related posts.

Traveling Canucks

Fabulous Journeys » Fabulous Journeys

If you are planning to enjoy cheap holidays to Spain, then you should not fail to visit the plazas of Madrid, the capital of Spain. They offer sightseers lots of opportunities for them to get their cameras out and shoot photos of some of Spain's most amazing sites.

Here are just a few of the parks that you should not miss when enjoying your cheap holidays to Spain.

1. Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol is both the geographical center of Madrid and the center of Spain. Head out to the marker on the pavement in front of the Ayutamiento Building. All road distances in Spain are measured from this spot, which marks Kilometre Zero. Don't be surprised if there are many people here; it is Madrid's most famous meeting point.

2. Plaza Mayor
Just a two-minute walk from Puerta del Sol is Plaza Mayor. It was first constructed in the 15th century as a city square. Then it became the city's focal point for festivals, bullfights, and festivals after Philip II named Madrid as the country's capital. At the present time, it is a vibrant commercial center with a fine selection of bars, restaurants, shops, and business establishments. You can also see skilled artists hanging out and working on their masterpieces around this plaza.

3. Royal Palace
When on hotels in Spain, be sure to drop by the Royal Palace, an edifice where the Spanish Royal Family hold functions and important events. The place is open to tourists and private tours of the Royal Palace and the Prado Museum are available.

4. Parque del Retiro
If you want peace and quiet in the middle of the city, then Retiro Park is the ideal place for you. It is a peaceful sanctuary where you can rest and relax after an exhausting city hike. On Sunday mornings, you can spot citizens of Madrid enjoying their leisure time or strolling around. You can find people jogging, reading newspapers, or drinking coffee on a lazy day. If you want, you can also row around the man-made lake in a boat that you can hire.

For cheap holidays to Spain, get in touch with Travel Republic.

Tours of Europe

People who are very much confused in choosing the best concern for buying these kinds of efficient home and office electronics could visit the various websites which are providing the relevant information to be utilized by the customers if needed. Most of these products are being sold at reasonable rates and so anyone could buy the necessary accessories without facing any kind of difficulties. Different kinds of cameras are also available to be bought by the people ranging from dome cameras to mini cameras with specific features. Various kinds of payment options are being provided by these concerns from which the customers could choose the best option to pay for the various kinds of home and office electronics ordered by them. These kinds of home and office electronics are also manufactured with the feature of durability which in turn assists the customers to use the products without any kind of problems. Details that are provided by the people to buy these accessories will be maintained in a confidential manner and so people may not get worried for providing the details about them. Printers to be used in office are available in various types which may range from laser printer to specialty printers with distinct features.

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