1. Kayaking in Georgian Bay
Why not try your hand at wilderness living by taking your camping gear and roughing it on one of the 3000 mini islands along the eastern shore. Or just see how many islands you can travel around in a day by canoe or raft. There is much to do on these mini islands and you can improve your skills by going on one the different group excursions available.

2. Canopy Trails in Haliburton Forest
Scaling up the canopy at a height of between ten and twenty metres above the ground you will have a completely different sense of the forest and as you travel along the longest canopy walk in the world you will gain a new perspective of the forest.

3. Ice Climbing at Batchwana Bay
If you are travelling to Canada in the Winter Seasons then you might just be on for the most extreme of spectacles, the Eastern Shore of Lake Superior, Batchawana Bay Agawa canyon. But beware it is extremely hard work but they do have different grades of difficulty and different routes ranging from 10 to 200 metres, try the Mother of Pearl route if you’re a reasonably fit individual, it’s only 20 metres but has it’s challenges.

4. Mountain Biking via the Ontario North Bike Train
Mountain biking is taken very seriously in Ontario, so much so that they have introduced a train specifically for those mountain bikers all with interconnecting bike trails to explore. There are plenty of places to rent bikes as well if you don’t have your own.

5. The Niagara Falls
Let’s face it, a trip to Canada wouldn’t be the same without a visit to one of the most stunning natural wonders of the world, so a boat trip or a helicopter are the ideal methods to really get the sense of scale of the greatest water fall in the world.

Canada is not just for the retiree as you can see there are plenty of exciting things you can do and this is just one territory. Why not take a look at Vancouver holidays if this doesn’t quite take your fancy.

Andy is a travel blogger and copywriter currently working for a company that specialises in Holidays to Canada. If you have your own experiences he would love to hear them so comment below or tweet him @andym23

Spanish Property has worried Prime Minister Zapatero

An issue for those considering overseas property insurance: you may be covered against the essentials and for every aspect of the building’s maintenance whether you’re there or not, but are you sure that the construction of your house was permissible in the first place? It’s a nightmare scenario, and one which certain Spanish expatriates found themselves facing, without warning, bringing to light some of the more harrowing aspects of home ownership in a foreign land.

The homes, mainly in the south of the country, were granted planning permission within the last decade, but had been retroactively declared illegal by regional planning chiefs amid allegations of town hall corruption. Some government figures estimate that as many as 100,000 homes were built in Spain’s coastal provinces in 2000 to 2010. The disputed homes in Axarquia have even been removed from the local power grids and water mains, with the spectre of compulsory demolition looming over owners, expatriate and otherwise.

The decision will apparently now be reversed (thankfully). But the victory will be bittersweet: many UK buyers, despite having paid out for house insurance Spain and every other legally essential supplement to home ownership have already had to fight the demolition order in the courts. The move comes as the Spanish property market continues to appear in rather ill-health. Property was effectively at the root of Spain’s part in the global financial crisis: the market is now flooded with cheaply available property because the banks are selling off ‘toxic’ assets. This is great news for new buyers looking in, but for existing property owners, there’s a general wish that one could take out holiday let insurance and be at the other end of the equation. Effectively denying the very existence of 11,025 homes would not be a diplomatically intelligent thing to do in Spain at the moment. But there are still 859 homes awaiting demolition within the same province. Whilst Spain remains are very attractive, very affordable option, do make sure that there are no potential disputes before you buy.

However it is often mentioned that one aspect missing from a true holiday experience is that ability to interact with the locals for more than a few sentences you got from a phrase book. In fact many individuals now find ways to incorporate an aspect of language learning into their holidays.

One popular way to become completely immersed in a new culture is to spend some time living with a local family. Whilst this may not be up everyone’s street it is certainly and effective way to brush up on your language skills if only out of necessity more than anything else.

Of course it is always worth your while to learn as much as you can about a new language before you travel. There are multiple books, CD’s and interactive courses available for your computer that can be used to help you achieve a greater proficiency in your chosen language.

Although bear in mind that you won’t need to know all the words found in your foreign language dictionary. For example luftbefeuchter (German for humidifier) is a word unlikely to come up in casual conversation. Therefore you can make you learning experience much more efficient by focusing on the most commonly occurring words. Take Spanish as an example for which it is said of the total words in the language only 5% are required to be able to understand 95% of all conversations. So now you have no excuses for not interacting with the locals on your next holiday.

There is only one place in the world to experience the true extent and majesty of the Roman Empire and that is to visit Italy. Although the Roman influence can be seen throughout the country, the best place to immerse yourself in the culture is, of course, Rome. It’s hard to walk anywhere in central Rome without walking in to one of the cities many monuments and architectural landmarks. St. Peters Square in Vatican City is perhaps one of the most breathtaking sights in the world and one of the sights to see before you die. The Vatican City is actually a landlocked sovereign city state and its territory consists of a walled city enclave within the city of Rome. Just to the east of Vatican City is the Castel Sant’Angelo, a cylindrical castle built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Today the castle serves as a museum but it was also previously used by the popes as a fortress and castle. Of course the Colosseum is a major tourist landmark and represents the Roman Empire to many people. It is considered one of the finest examples of Roman architecture and engineering. Although the Colosseum has suffered the effects of time, earthquakes and stone robbers, the building remain an iconic structure to symbolise the Roman Empire.

I could sit here and list iconic landmarks in and around Rome, such as the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, but the city has so much more to offer and like many capitals around the world it has something to offer everyone. Trastevere is one of the historic riono (districts) and is situated just south of Vatican City. Its narrow cobbled streets lined by medieval houses offers an attractive location to spend the day and during the evenings and night, both locals and tourists alike frequent the many pubs, bars and restaurants making it a great hub for nights out and social activities.

Italy wouldn’t be Italy without sports and the Stadio Olimpico is the largest sports stadium in Rome. The stadium is home to S.S. Lazio football club and is also where the Italian national football team play their home games. Alternatively, if you are not a football fan then you may prefer rugby, and with the Six Nations Championship taking place every February you can watch first  class international rugby in the city at the Stadio Flaminio. The stadium is also home to Atletico Roma F.C. and has played host to many famous artists including David Bowie, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stone and U” to name a few.

Rome has so much to offer it’s hard to know where to start, for a city this is so saturated with historic building and monuments there is perhaps no other city to rival its culture, architecture and history.

Alex is an internet marketer working for Wexas a company that deals in America holidays

Vegas

For others, luxury is synonymous with excitement, action and nightlife.  The most in your face destination for that is Las Vegas, the gambling Mecca that’s become a byword for American gaudiness.  Despite that it always emerges as the top destination for many European holidaymakers.  According to some polls, it even tops Australia and South Africa as the preferred place to let your hair down.

Dubai As Much As You Can Afford

If you equate luxury with the opportunity to “shop until you drop”, then Dubai must also be high on the list.  It has a gaudy exuberance once described by the Daily Show’s Jon Stewart as “what happens when Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia have babies”. It depends on your taste of course, but Dubai seems to offer lots of opportunities to buy stuff (the covered Gold Souk in Deira is Dubai’s most famous gold market) or drive across desert dunes in a 4×4 while staying in a very upmarket version of Docklands.

Luxury Is Long Haul

Some people find it more comfortable, and less expensive, to seek luxury at home in the UK.  You can find some sumptuous places in Britain with excellent hotels and country manors, golf courses and spa resorts.    For many seasoned travellers however, real luxury is not local and if your idea of a truly first class holiday experience involves excellent food, superb service and accommodation and the freedom to do as you please, then genuine luxury is long haul.

Tailor Made luxury

People who turn to niche operators like Tropical Sky usually shun anything with “package” in the title like the plague!   They expect holidays to be as carefully crafted as any Saville Row suit to fit their individual needs because that’s what they’ve paid for!   Their ideal tour operator will construct a unique itinerary around individual preferences and desires – not shoehorn them into a pre-prepared basket of destinations and activities.  Luxury holidays should leave you free to have fun without the worry of meeting a tour bus schedule – it should be waiting for you!   It’s that degree of individual attention which accounts for the cost in most luxury packages.

Some remote and as yet under-exploited destinations demand this approach  simply because the usual tourist infrastructure isn’t there!  Chile doesn’t have too many Holiday Inns while Peru is more suited to rugged individualists who don’t object to a bit of comfort.  Vietnam, once considered the sole province of backpacking youth, has got a lot more luxurious with excellent international standard Five Star hotels springing up in places like Hoi An.

The Undiscovered Caribbean

But you don’t have to pick the underdeveloped or the unexplored corners of the globe to get a unique individual luxury holiday experience. More established holiday destinations like the Caribbean have thousands of unsung delights that will keep the more adventurous tourist occupied.  Specialist travel companies provide Caribbean holidays that are more interesting and unique than you’ll find with the mass market operators who tend to cater for those who just want to slob out on a beach for a fortnight.    Then again, if that’s your idea of luxury – go for it!

Fantasmic!

This truly is one of the best shows in Walt Disney World and indeed the world however you need to realise that this is also one of the busiest shows in Disney World. You will need to queue for roughly two hours if you want to get a seat in the theatre. The one thing to remember is that this is only shown a couple of times a week and on the night is shown twice. Both shows are packed normally although you will see less people in the later show. Something else to realise is that the whole show is outdoors so poor weather will put a stop to the show.

Pixar Block Party Bash

This is still relatively new at Hollywood Studios and I really like the parade because it gets people involved with the cast members and characters that they love from the Pixar movies. Although you will not need to worry about waiting for hours for this one as it is a parade you will still need to make sure you get a good spot.

Wishes!

This is arguably the best nightly Fireworks show in the world and if you are a Disney fan you will certainly agree with me on this one (if you don’t it will be because you prefer Illiuminations). Wishes is the event that puts existing the park to a complete standstill as everyone pretty much stays for the show. If you want the best spots (they are in front of Cinderella Castle) then you need to make sure get there early.

Of course these are just three of the top shows in Disney World, if you have the time I would encourage seeing them all from The Lion King Musical to the Main Street Electrical Parade and of course you can’t go to EPCOT without seeing Illiuminations: Reflections Of Earth.

There is plenty to be getting up to when you visit the land down under. One thing you need to remember however is that Australia is close to a hole in the ozone layer meaning that the suns rays are much stronger and a good pair of sunglasses will be required. These glasses can be whatever you want but just remember that designer sunglasses tend to offer a higher quality of lenses which will better protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.

Now we’ve got that out of the ways and you are all set with your shades lets talk about what there is to do in the beautiful part of the world. Of course there is a lot of fun to be had in the major cities of Australia. Most of which are located in the South East of the country along the coast. Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and is often confused as being the capital of the country. This can be forgiven as it is the biggest city in Australia and hosts many of its main attractions. Along with the Sydney harbour bridge and opera house there are many more areas worth visiting around the city such as the impressive parks.

Going further south Melbourne is claimed by many to be the cultural capital of Australia and has lots of events and activities going on to back this up. If you’re a sports fan the Australian Open, one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world, is hosted in Melbourne at the start of every year.

Finally there are many natural sites worth visiting in Australia. The Great Barrier Reef running along the coast of Queensland is obviously one of the most well known but there are many other places worth visiting as well. The West coast of Australia is relatively untouched and has some great spots for snorkelling and scuba diving such as Monkey Mia and Coral Bay.

If you’re planning a trip to Venice there is lots you need to squeeze in. The historical district of Venice has no cars, most the streets are too narrow to accommodate roads and the waterways are the most popular way to get around. Although the traditional gondolas are available these are mainly just for the tourists, the most common way to get around today is on the waterbus. Of course if you really want to drink in all the sights Venice has to offer the best way to get around has got to be on two feet.

When it comes to accommodation, you can’t get better than the heart of the Venetian city the San Marco district. This will place you right at the centre of everything that’s going on and everything will be just a short walk including some of Venice’s most iconic landmarks. St Mark’s Basilica is one of the most famous churches in the world and has been the seat of the Patriarch of Venice since 1807. If you prefer a little more privacy whilst you’re on holiday you’d probably be better suited to staying in the Castello district. Although this is the largest of the six regions making up Venice it’s also the most out the way and home to the monasteries in Venice. Venice is renowned for its art and culture and if this is what you really want to experience you need to stay in either the Dorsoduro or San Polo district.

If you want to simply sit back and take in the surroundings of Venice you can’t beat Caffe Florain, the oldest continuously coffee house in the world. If you’re after something a little stronger than a coffee you might want to pay a visit to Harry’s Bar and enjoy a bellini, this world famous classic cocktail originated in this bar in Venice. Both these places are the personification of Venice and have seen countless famous faces come through their doors throughout their many years in service.

Everyone knows Venice as the city of water and it is of course famous for its network of canals, but the city of Venice is actually made up of 117 small islands that are connected by over 450 bridges. Just outside the Venetian centre you’ll find the Venetian Lagoon full of small islands that surround the main Venice Island. Several of these islands offer a different side to the tourist heavy culture of Venice, and give you a chance to see some the authentic Venetian culture.

Kim works for Holiday Rentals who offer an extensive selection of villas and villas in italy

Whilst the wildlife may bring you to the country there are of course many more attractions for you to see once you arrive. The luscious rainforests slowly fade out to reveal some of the more impressive white sand beaches you will ever see and you will soon realise why so many people apply the term tropical paradise to this land.

With two coasts you can’t really go wrong. You will find the Pacific Ocean to the West and Atlantic Ocean to the East. It is also not far to the neighbouring country of Panama in the South where you can soak in the wonders of the Panama Canal.

As far as walking holidays go Costa Rica is one of the prime locations due to its laid back atmosphere allowing you to take in the sights at your own leisure. Most people also find walking to be a much more enjoyable way to experience the country and get up close to the wildlife. Taking a guided tour of the jungle areas around the country will bring you into contact with many species of monkeys as well of a multitude of birds and other mammals. In some cases you may even be able to spot some big cats such as the Puma or Jaguar.

Overall walking has to be the optimum way to explore the beautiful country that is Costa Rica. Not only will you be causing less damage to the spectacular ecosystem you fin yourself within you will be rewarded by being able to access areas that vehicles or other modes of transport simply cannot reach.

Additionally many people enjoy the laid back atmosphere and beautiful medieval villages that can be found dotted around the land. If two hour long lunches sound like your kind of thing then France might just be a destination you will enjoy.

So we know that France has a lot to offer from relaxation and culture to some spectacular sights and monuments but why would you choose to go camping there? To start off with France is well established with camping sites, so you and your camping equipment will be well catered for. Of course it goes without saying that you will also be able to save money by opting to camp rather than staying at a hotel. Overall the reason people choose to go camping in France though is for the experience of sleeping under the stars in some of the most picturesque spots to be found in Europe.

Indeed there are many costal towns and beautiful beaches that top the list when it comes to camping destinations in France. When you go camping in France you will find that you have many more options when it comes to deciding where you are going to stay. Every year campers choose to setup camp close to the popular destinations of St Tropez and La Rochelle. St Tropez is a vibrant location for those looking for some fun in the sun. Filled with yachts for most of the year St Tropez is considered the jewel in the crown of the Côte d’Azur. On the other hand for a more quaint and laid back experience La Rochelle, situated in the Bay of Biscay, could be more up your street.

If you really want to get away from it all you can always go and brush up on your bushcraft skills in some of the more remote regions of the country.