Win your dream trip to Canada

by Jessica Festa on

Lonely Planet is currently hosting a contest that gives travelers the chance to explore the world’s second-largest country however they please. Whether you enjoy winter skiing or summer hiking, this contest can help you have the experience your dreams in Canada. First prize is a $10,000 travel voucher towards the Canadian trip of your choice, while the second place winner will $500 worth of Lonely Planet books.

You can enter by going to Explore Canada like a local and browsing their featured trips. Select your favorite destination/activity and then copy the URL of your choice into the form on the Lonely Planet Facebook page. After filling in your information, you will be asked to explain in 200 characters or less why this trip is your dream Canadian experience.

Preferred Pride hotel program caters to LGBT travelers

by Jessica Festa on

Nearly 100 preferred hotel group members have joined together to create Preferred Pride, a network of independently owned and operated hotels that cater to the needs of the LGBT community. In addition to being “gay welcoming”, these hotels offer equal opportunity employment and are active in their efforts to support the LGBT community.

Certain requirements exist for hotels to be able to join Preferred Pride. Hotels must be either TAG Approved (Community Marketing’s Travel Alternative Group) or be a member of IGLTA (International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association).

The Preferred Pride program was created in order to bring together a diverse group of hotels from around the world who are committed to the LGBT community, as well as a way to learn more about what this community needs in order to have a more enjoyable travel experience.

Photography class mixes nude models with Italian landscapes

by Jessica Festa on

Master Photographer Mark Laurie of Inner Spirit Photography has created an annual workshop that most people only dream about. Revealing Venus, as the program is called, allows five photographers to travel to Italy and photograph glamour and nude models in off-the-beaten path settings in Sardinia. The trip not only includes instruction by Laurie, one-on-one shooting time with the models, inclusion in a published book, and the model released photos, but it is also all-inclusive, with a private chef and hotel transfers.

Tuition with a private room costs $4,250 CAD, but there are payment plans available. To get a better idea of what to expect, check out this video:


Couchsurfer rhymes a “gift rap” to his host

by Jessica Festa on

Hello.

Couchsurfer Matthew Bloomfield really appreciated his stay at host Elmar Bierbaum’s apartment in Lima, Peru. If fact, he felt so grateful that he composed a rap as a tribute to Bierbaum (and he stayed within the 1,000-word limit for a CouchSurfing reference).

Bloomfield calls himself “The Rapping Professor”, as he not only writes rhymes for those you give him a couch to sleep on, but also for his day job. An event entertainer, the rapper has been able to break into an unusual niche and has been very successful, even performing at corporate parties in Asia.

Check out the Rapping Professor’s talents for yourself in the clip above.

Be a part of Christmas history in Weimar, Germany

by Jessica Festa on

Did you know that the first Christmas tree was erected in Weimar, Germany? Or, that one of the most famous Christmas carols, “O, Du Fröhliche” was composed there, as well? If you’re looking to have a traditional Christmas as well as be a part of the holiday’s past, then Weimar may be the perfect place for you.

In the early 1800’s, on the night before Christmas, a man named Johann Wilhelm Hoffmann decided to do something special to cheer up the poor children of the town. So, he erected a Christmas tree outside his shop in the market square for the town to enjoy.

To celebrate Hoffmann’s gesture and the holiday, the Weimar Christmas Market will take place from November 24 to December 22, 2011. During this time, the town center is illuminated by tiny lights, the air smells of roasted nuts and just-baked Stollen cake, and carolers create the background music for the cozy scene. Visitors to the market can purchase items from craftsmen and traders, such as traditional pyramids and nutcrackers, glassware, and wooden toys from different parts of Germany. An ice skating rink, mulled wine, Santa Claus and, of course, a Christmas tree, are other things to look forward to at the event.