thebloggersguide.com is a great website for travelers. It is in fact a network of the world’s best city blogs. This means we get to read the REAL entries of experiences from people who actually live in the destination instead of some brief and sometimes inaccurate description of someone who just happens to stop by in the city for a few hours. The website only approves quality posts with useful pointers, it’s a very useful city guide.

thebloggersguide.com is currently running a travel blogging competition called World Blogging Challenge which is sponsored by Hotels.com. And do you know what the prize is? No? I’ll tell you. There’s up to $5000 in prizes to be won. Anyone could take part in this competition, just as long as you have a blog and it’s about your city life. All you need to do is to submit the feeds from your blog or create a free blog at thebloggersguide.com. Start submitting your own city guide now!

Rule no. 1 while planning a trip to anywhere.

Always check for the weather forecast.

Bangkok weather forecast

Chiang Mai weather forecast

You wouldn’t want to run around in long sleeves under the blazing sun.

One of the reason i love traveling is because it is an opportunity for me to immerse myself in varies cultures and to experience the magnificent landscapes i don’t get to see in my own country. That is why i always look forward to visiting places that are less tourist oriented and less traveled.

Nicaragua is one of the place that i would definitely want to visit one day. It has the comfort and necessities to cater for a smooth vacation but yet a destination that still maintains it’s natural charm and beauty. Even the hotels and vacation rentals are most charming, reflecting the local’s vigor.

Take for example, Granada Nicaragua Vacation Rental , Casa Antigua.

Located in the historic area of Granada, the rental house has an interior decorated with antiques and artwork projecting a very historic and local feel. In all, the house is very spacious with 3 bedrooms, private bathrooms, air-conditioning and a fully equipped kitchen too.

With a great garden, fountain and a pool, it creates a serene environment suitable for a comfortable stay.

Or if you are more interested in the seascape or beaches, there is the San Juan del Sur Hotel which conveniently is located near the in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. This is a perfect paradise for beach lovers because San Juan Del Sur is a fishing village and also the heart of famous Nicaraguan surfing beaches.

You know what, i after checking the websites about Nicaragua, i wouldn’t mind a place of my own there. Imagine flying to Nicaragua whenever i like for a long vacation at my very own beachfront property, sipping on cocktail while enjoying the ocean view. Damn, i wish i really own a property there. It would be fantastic.

I tempted you didn’t i? Well, don’t just sit there. Check out the Nicaragua real estate and drool over the great beach!

I doubt that the political protest last year (which lead to the shutdown of Bangkok’s airports) will discourage anyone from visiting the city. Bangkok is after all the ultimate tourist destination and backpackers’ haven. In fact, i’ll be flying to the Land of Smiles in 5 days.

Nevertheless, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Thai Hotel Association (THA) had came up with a signature cocktail to give the country’s tourism industry an extra boost - not that they need any judging from the amount of tourists visiting the country all year round. The Thai newly concocted cocktail - Siam Sunrays is to join the branding culture world wide among other signature drinks around the globe such as the Bloody Mary, the Singapore Sling, the Mojito and etc.

Siam Sunrays

Ok here’s the fun part, Siam Sunrays embodies the very essence of the local Thai experience so don’t be shocked but the signature drink is based on the very Thai ingredients of tom yam soup! Using freshly-picked lemon grass, Kaffir lime leaves, Thai lime and Thai bird chilli (phrik kee nuu) an alternative to the norm of using peppermint, it is truely a Thai affair.

*Click Here* to read more about Siam Sunrays.

You know, signature drinks adds a certain identity to the local scene and most of the time reflects the flavor and culture of the origin country. It is very much of an overall experience of the destination. However, sometimes the branding is so globalized that we forget where did it come from. I mean how many of you know that Bloody Mary is from Paris? And how about Gin and Tonic?

To help you learn more about signature drinks from international destinations, here’s a list of top favorites taken from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

Gin and Tonic

Gin and Tonic

Location: London
Description: This ubiquitous drink is sipped everywhere from famous hotel bars to landmark English pubs. Make it a pink gin by adding Angostura bitters if you’re sipping at lunchtime on a Sunday.
Top spots: The Claridges Bar in the Claridges Hotel near Hyde Park and pubs such as such as Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in Fleet Street which survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 and was considered the local pub by such literary giants as Johnson, Galsworthy, Dickens, Tennyson and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Cosmopolitan

Location: New York
Description: This drink was made famous by Carrie Bradshaw and her friends in the ever-popular “Sex in the City” TV series and movie.
Top spots: Mansion — the giant trendy mega nightclub that plays host to some of the world’s best DJs located in the heart of West Chelsea on 28th Street — and trendy bars like the Hudson Bar in the Hudson Hotel on 58th West Street.

Caipirinha

Location: Rio de Janeiro
Description: This is the national cocktail of Brazil and is undoubtedly what the girl from Ipanema and all her friends are drinking. Made from Cachaça, distilled sugarcane juice blended with fresh lime juice and sugar, its best served on the rocks.
Top spots: Poolside at the famous Copacabana Hotel on the Avenido Atlantico and at all open air cafés and trendy clubs.

The Watermelon Man

Location: Berlin
Description: It goes without saying drinking beer is a national pastime in Germany but if you’re heading for the clubs, be sure to request a Watermelon Man made from vodka and watermelon liqueur.
Top spots: Club Felix on Behrenstrasse, Maxxim on Charlottenburg and Bangaloo on Invalidenstrasse all in the trendy night area of the city.

Sex on the Beach

Location: Ibiza, Spain
Description: If you’re not drinking Sangria, but sure to ask for Sex on the Beach, a fruity concoction of peach schnapps, orange juice, cranberry juice, crème de cassis and vodka.
Top spots: Café Del Mar a popular meeting place on the harbor. Club Pasha one of the island’s most famous nightclubs that has been a celebrity hangout since the Seventies.

Elephant’s Ear

Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Description: This classic cocktail is made from the fruit of the African Amarula tree. Elephants and other animals have been known to over-indulge and get intoxicated in the wilds. It’s usually served with slices of dried mango for the “ears”.
Top spots: The Planet Bar at the colonial Mount Nelson Hotel and the Bascule Bar at the Cape Grace Hotel with its spectacular views of Table Mountain.

The Pisco Sour

Location: Lima Peru
Description: This local favorite is made from a grape liqueur combined with brandy with syrup, lemon juice, egg whites and bitters and is said to have been invented in the 1920’s by American named Victor Morris.
Top spot: The Hotel Maury has a longstanding reputation for making the best Pisco Sour in the world. The city also holds a Pisco Sour festival every February.

Absolut Amethyst Twist

Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Description: Be prepared to suit up in special gear to brave the temperature that’s set permanently at -5 degrees in a bar where everything is carved out of ice including the glasses. The concept was borne out of the famous Icehotel which is rebuilt every winter in the Swedish village of Jukkȃsjarvi.
Top spots: Absolute Icebar at the Nordic Sea Hotel. And, if you’re in London, check out the Absolut Icebar on Heddon Street in Mayfair, too.

The Singapore Sling

Location: Singapore
Description: This drink consisting of equal parts gin, cherry brandy and benedictine, shaken and poured into a collins glass and topped up with club soda to the rim, was created by a barman at the Long Bar in the famous Raffles Hotel which is still a popular tourist landmark.
Top spots: The Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel and the Asia Bar in the Raffles City Complex.

The Mojito

Location: Miami, Fla.
Description: The Cuban influence is everywhere in Miami from its traditional food, Latin flavored music and of course this rum and sugar drink garnished with sprigs of fresh crushed mint.
Top spot: The Rose bar at the Delano Hotel, South Beach.

The Bloody Mary

Location: Paris, France
Description: This drink was invented by the legendary Fernand Petiot at the world famous Harry’s New York Bar and introduced cocktail lovers around the world to the concept of a spicy cocktail.
Top spot: Still Harry’s New York Bar on the rue Daunou. For the adventurous, include a visit the Hemingway Bar at The Ritz Hotel where celebrity bartender Colin Field has created a new signature cocktail for French trendsetters, called the Benderitter made from ginger and champagne.

A shot of Brennivin

Location: Reykjavik, Iceland
Description: Made from fermented potato pulp with caraway seeds added to complete the flavor, it’s traditional to down a shot of this potent drink with a chunk of rotten shark meat called hákarl.
Top spot: The 101 bar in the 101 Hotel.

Irish coffee

Location: Dublin, Ireland
Description: This “feel good” toddy is a terrific signature drink to end a good meal or to enjoy on a cold day around a warm fire. The official recipe comes from a barman named Joe Sheridan, who invented the drink to take the chill off weary travelers arriving by a propeller-driven plane from the United States at Shannon airport in Ireland: “Cream as rich as an Irish brogue, coffee as strong as a friendly hand, sugar as sweet as the tongue of a rogue, and whiskey as smooth as the wit of the land.”
Top spot: The historic Powerscourt Townhouse in Dublin and airports around the world!

And now we have Thailand’s Siam Sunrays.

Cheers!

How many of you have booked and paid for a flight for a holiday overseas or even within your own shores but had to cancel in the last minute? I bet there are quite a number of you that had been in such situation. This means the money that you have been saving up for the vacation is at lost. It’s terrible… unless, you bought travel insurance.

I’m going for a trip this July which is still a long way to go but i’m glad i bought travel insurance because who knows what will happen within a few months. I might be sick or the flight might be postponed. It’s good to know that i will get a refund if anything happens.

Speaking about travel insurance i know of a website that offers information on Australian Travel Insurance. It is a one-stop hub for everything you might want to know about Travel Insurance. There are many travel insurance policy that is quite expensive and redundant. So it is wise to check out the best policy that suits your traveling style before buying one. The Travel Insurance Guide on the website is very informative with information on how to purchase a travel insurance, how to get the best deal and how to avoid a high insurance premium.

For those on a tight budget, there is the Discount Travel Insurance. So do go to the website for more information about the coverage and schemes. Who says only the rich could afford travel insurance right?