thrive » travel

Hotel Suites: Cooler Than Cool

Andy — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:03:40 +0000

As you may, or may not, have picked up from previous thrives, I like to travel. I do get a little fed up with the standard, bland and often soul-destroying experience of staying at a chain hotel. The boring rooms, impersonal service and general atmosphere seems to sterilise the senses. This list of hotel suites has seriously piqued my interest, particularly Hotel Everland!

When Travelling Becomes An Obsession

Andy — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:56:09 +0000

When I take a break I like to spend time relaxing, probably on the beach and just taking time to do very little. But some people don’t see travel like that, some people go on the most insane journeys! One guy has been walking the world since 1983, and he’s 82 years old. Another guy thought it would be fun to kayak for 4,500 miles around the British Isles.

Abandoned Hotels: Not Where You Want To Stay!

Andy — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:05:18 +0000

Have you ever pulled up at a hotel and thought that it looked so decrepit that it was in actual fact abandoned? I’ve been there, but have yet to see anything as bad as these abandoned hotels. I would say, however, that many popular holiday resorts frequented by Europeans such as Costa Adeje in Tenerife are littered with abandoned shells. One other case that springs to mind is the area around Balangan on the Bukit Peninsula in Bali where they started building an entire resort in the middle of nowhere, which was, of course, abandoned. One wonders what these ‘planners’ are smoking: if it looks like people won’t spend their money then don’t approve it in the first place!

Need Excitement On Vacation? Try Swimming With Sharks!

Andy — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:54:02 +0000

When you take a break from work you probably imagine yourself lounging on a sunny palm-fringed beach, powder white sand below, a gentle tropical breeze blowing and a freshly made cocktail to keep things cool. That’s perfect for me, but apparently there are people who would rather do something more adventurous. According to reports one of the fastest growing things to do on an adventure holiday is going for a swim with sharks. Is it just me or should those 2 words, swim and sharks, be in the same sentence together?

Ranking The Most Comfortable Economy Class Seats

Andy — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:09:57 +0000

I do a fair bit of travel during the year, mostly short haul puddle hops lasting no more than a couple of hours. Occasionally we will go somewhere further away, which requires a longer flight, more hassle and less comfort. Thankfully some airlines take passenger comfort more seriously than others, as you can determine from this post ranking the most comfortable coach seats. The only airlines I’ve flown with in the list are BA and Singapore Airlines, with the latter trumping the former by some way.

Pictures Of Desert Oases

Andy — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:59:26 +0000

When I saw these pictures of desert oases I couldn’t quite believe my eyes! Sorry, but I just couldn’t resist such a poorly formed pun. There are nonetheless some amazingly beautiful oases in the world, and some in unexpected places. I for one never thought that there would be an oasis in Iceland, but apparently there is!

Staying at a cool hotel

Andy — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:53:24 +0000

When you’re working 50 weeks of the year and finally get to take a break, the last thing you want is to pull up to your chosen hotel only to realise that it’s nothing more than a rundown decrepit dump masquerading as a lodge. Your choice of hotel can make or break a trip, so it’s best to do your research and book into the best you can. If you are like me and on the look-out for something that bit more relaxing, check out (or should I say, check in) this list of cool hotels! Choose wisely young padawan.

Madness: Swimming with polar bears

Andy — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:14:51 +0000

Some people enjoy watching polar bears as they wander across the arctic tundra. Some like to go a step further and go on a polar bear sightseeing trip. Others will take their children to the zoo and watch the bears put in the days. But some people, some crazy people, go swimming with polar bears. Well, nearly. At the Polar Bear Habitat in Ontario you go ’swimming’ with polar bears, who happen to be in another pool separated by a sheet of toughened glass.

Lost treasures & interesting historical events

Andy — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:58:33 +0000

I have to admit, I’m a total sucker for books and films about lost treasures. My collection is populated largely with light reading material from Paul Sussman, David Hewson, Steve Berry and James Rollins with the odd one about usability from Jakob Nielsen thrown into the mix. Indeed, I am a bonafide geek. Which is why I found this list of historical events so interesting!

Scary sharky photograhy

Andy — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:54:36 +0000

I have an interest in sharks, they just look so menacingly cool - kinda like the F117 of the underwater world. So when I saw this photo blog, I was hooked! (Pardon the pun) The thing you have to remember about shark photography like this is that someone is actually in the water while they cruise after the chum. Major kudos is due.