Brilliant News
5 Feb 2010 | No Comment
Valentine’s Day Around the World

All over the world, people celebrate Valentine’s Day by taking the opportunity to reaffirm their love to spouses, sweethearts and special ones. While customs and traditions of celebrating vary from country to country due to social and cultural differences, the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts exchanged between loved ones are cards, fresh flowers and chocolates. Here’s a look at five different countries and how they celebrate Valentine’s Day.

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2 Feb 2010 | One Comment
Lake McKenzie – Fraser Island, Australia

Located on Fraser Island in Queensland, the world’s largest sand island, Lake McKenzie is one of the most beautiful fresh water lakes I’ve seen. Its crystal-clear, turquoise blue waters are stunning and serene. It is a perched lake sitting atop hardened organic matter preventing the waters from seeping through the sand. The lake’s beaches are composed of silica making for a striking white sand. The scene is one you’d expect to see on the coast of a Caribbean island rather than a lake in the middle of an island. If …

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1 Feb 2010 | No Comment
The Airfare Guru – The Best International Airfares

Our resident Airfare Guru, Brad, is highly regarded when it comes to finding and booking the best international airfares. Brad’s great knowledge and wisdom is the result of his many years selling international air products. He is most certainly an authority in the area of finding cheap international airfares. Don’t just take our word. Take a look at what his customers have to say. Better yet, simply send Brad your international, long haul, or round the world airfare request and see for yourself how much he can save you.

Our Airfare …

Getaways + Events, Travel Advice »

29 Jan 2010 | 2 Comments
Novi Sad – The Serbian Athens

Known as the Serbian Athens, Novi Sad has been built, destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries and is an interesting mixture of old Serbian cultural heritage, Austro-Hungarian architecture and scenic beauty. The city sits on the banks of the Danube River. It is surrounded by fertile farms and vineyards and framed with hills in the distance. Novi Sad is also a city rich in tradition.
It’s a great walking city for sightseeing with one of the highlights being the Petrovaradin Fortress sitting high atop the Danube River. While it was originally …

Lifestyle + Culture, Travel Advice »

27 Jan 2010 | 5 Comments
Hostelworld Announces World’s Best Hostels

Hostelworld announced the winners of its coveted Hoscars (HOStelworld Customers Annual Ratings) recently in Dublin, Ireland. The 8th annual Hoscar awards ceremony took place to recognize the best hostels in the world, voted for by 1 million Hostelworld customers in 2009. For the second year, running Lisbon’s Travellers House Hostel received the top honor as the best hostel in the world. Rossio Hostel and Lisbon Lounge Hostel received the second and third place spots on the list. Five of the hostels in this year’s top 10 world’s best worldwide …

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25 Jan 2010 | 2 Comments
The Daddy Long Legs Art Hotel in Cape Town

Daddy Long Legs is an art hotel that offers 13 unique rooms unlike any others in South Africa. Each room was uniquely decorated by an artist, poet, photographer, designer or musician who was afforded complete freedom to interpret the space however they wished. The result is a collection of hotel rooms that is an adventurous and humorous representation of Cape Town’s contemporary cultural landscape. The Daddy Long Legs Boutique Hotel is situated on Long Street in the heart of Cape Town’s city center. The location is ideal for exploring the …

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24 Jan 2010 | 2 Comments
Best Value Hotels in Honolulu’s Waikiki

Finding a good deal on a hotel room in Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach is easier than you might think these days. Many hotels in Honolulu are offering great deals with some of the bargains starting as low as $65 per night. What exactly are the best value hotels in Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach area and what kind of bargains are they offering? Have a look at our top 10 best value hotels in Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach area:

Lifestyle + Culture, Travel Activities, Travel Advice »

21 Jan 2010 | One Comment
The I&I Reggae Bar in Caye Caulker, Belize

The unique I&I Bar is a great little place to soak up the positive vibrations and chill out on a hammock or swing with a cocktail. One section has swings hanging from the ceiling and it’s connected by a hanging rope bridge to another section.

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20 Jan 2010 | 2 Comments
Glimmering Pearl Shells in Beagle Bay, Australia

Traveling north from Broome in Western Australia, you’ll find the Beagle Bay Aboriginal Community, one of three Aboriginal communities on the Dampier Peninsula. Beagle Bay is home to the Sacred Heart Church and its glimmering pearl shell altar. The interior of the well known church in Beagle Bay is decorated with mother of pearl, cowries and other types of shells forming the tribal symbols of the Njul Njul, the Nimanborr and the Bard people. The big draw is the church’s unique main altar which is covered with gleaming mother of …

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18 Jan 2010 | One Comment
Cascais, Portugal – A Colorful Coastal Town

Cascais was once a sleepy fishing town until 1870 when King Luis I vacationed here. It has been a destination for Lisboetas ever since. Just a short train trip outside of Lisbon, the town square is cute and offers many places to eat. While on a visit to Cascais last November, we ate at Jardim dos Frangos – Av Marginal. We had a fantastic local version of grilled chicken, a food usually overlooked in favor of the fresh fish that is typically the focus of Portuguese food. After lunch, …