Top Ten Windsurfing Locations in Egypt

Alice Cuninghame    windsurfingholidays     Egypt, holidays in Egypt, Windsurfing, windsurfing holidays

Egypt’s Red Sea is well known for its underwater sports, and rightly so. However, those in the know realise that the water’s surface is just as big an attraction.

Egypt has become a major windsurfing destination, with both easy lagoon surfing for beginners, and challenging off-shore waves for the more experienced.

Whichever camp you fall in to, there are plenty of resorts to choose from in Egypt. And, from pyramids to nightclubs, you’ll find there is much to enjoy away from the water too.

Here’s our top 10 windsurfing locations in Egypt:

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Estonia: Adventure Holidays with a Nordic twist

Mark Pawlak    ash     4x4 driving holidays, canoeing, cycling, Estonia, kayaking holidays, mountainbiking, off-road, trekking, Windsurfing

With new routes opening all the time, Estonia is seeing a massive upsurge in visitors. And the director of the Estonian tourist board recently made it clear that much of the attraction is because of the country’s unspoilt countryside.

But what’s this republic really got to offer the adventure traveller? Here’s an intro to what’s to be found in Estonia and some destinations worth considering.

Introducing Estonia

The most northerly of neighbours Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, this country sits on the south side of the Gulf of Finland and is strongly influenced by Nordic culture. Independent since 1991, it’s slowly developing into a tourist magnet – so far it’s been its capital, Tallinn, that’s drawn most of the attention. A popular weekend break/stag do destination, this enchanting city is actually the front for a European adventure destination that’s slowly revealing its true potential…

Town Hall Square in Tallinn. Image: Jaak Nilson/ Enterprise Estonia

Tallinn

The capital is a fantastically preserved medieval city (European Capital of Culture, 2011) and it’s from here many of the more popular activities are organised. With so much uninhabited land around, it’s little surprise that off-road driving and Lada racing are local favourites.

Tallinn’s a great base camp for further adventures, but to see just what’s on offer, we’d recommend you use the national parks as your stepping stones.

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The North Highland Way: 10 Adventures in Scotland

Tina Irving    ash, trekkingholidays     coasteering, diving, Sailing, scotland, Surfing, trekking, Windsurfing

The north coast of Scotland is a great playground for extreme sports.  The background of the turbulent Pentland Firth and the magnificent coastline offers great facilities and opportunities for getting out and about.

Crossing to Orkney is an experience in itself when the seas are rough!  I have lived at Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of the UK mainland, for 11 years. And I am currently logging the walking route between John O Groats and Thurso with a GPS and a camera – it’s the first part of my trek across the north coast to Fort William!  Below are some other activities which can be enjoyed in this area

Dunnet Head from the air

Rib rides at John O Groats

For the real thrill seekers, take a trip in a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) ride at John O Groats – explore some of the great sea caves on Stroma and along the coast.  The sea conditions can be very exciting with swells and high water most of the year!   The swirling currents of the Merry Men of Mey make the rib ride even more thrilling and even the  ferry to Orkney must take care in the  dangerous conditions.  You will be in good hands though, as all the boat handlers are experienced seamen with years of knowledge of local conditions.

Coasteering at Dunnet  Head

The area around Dunnet Head is perfect for coasteering, which has become very popular over the last few years.  Rocky outcrops and geos provide the perfect conditions for a combination of swimming, climbing and trekking along the coast to Dunnet Bay.  Wetsuits are recommended!

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Beach Holiday: Why black sand is sometimes the best sand

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     beach, beach holiday, Canary Islands, hawaii, puerto rico, Scuba Diving, Surfing, Windsurfing

Most people’s idea of a beach holiday includes time spent wasting time on a white sandy beach. Well, there are plenty of spots around the world that serve up exactly the same beach experience, just without the white sand – and why waste time when there’s wind and waves in which to play?

Here are three destinations with black sand beaches to go on your next travel itinerary.

Canary Islands

As well as the miles of pristine light sand, these islands have a dark side. On the north shore of Tenerife, there’s La Grañosa and Los Roques (the later very popular for scuba diving) as well as several bays and ways to the sea that are dusted in black sand.

Gran Canaria also offers beach life in black and white, as does the east coast of Fureteventura, an island that’s one of the windsurfing capitals of the world.

Black sand beauty Image: Flickr/Ryan Devenish

Hawaii

One of the most beautiful, and sought after island holiday resorts sports a black sand beach. Visitors swim up to 800 miles to rest on Punalu’u beach – that’s the sea turtles that come to lay their eggs here. The black sand is so prized it’s illegal to remove it, so stick to wandering and marvelling at the scenery.

Puerto Rico

If surfing is your sport, you may have heard of Playa La Boca in Puerto Rico. Just east off this black sand beauty is a great point-break best suited to experienced surfers. The beach here runs west from the mouth of the river, and runs for miles till it whitens past the distant headland.

Black sand beaches are formed as boiling larva meets the ocean. So, if you’ve black sand under foot, you know that where you’re holidaying was once a bubbling, flowing mass of volcanic sludge (the heat you feel searing through your toes just comes from the sand’s absorption of sun rays – in case you were getting worried for a minute!)

Canary Islands holidays that chill and thrill

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     Canary Islands, Gran Canaria, kitesurfing, mountainbiking, Overlanding, Sailing, Scuba Diving, snorkelling, Tenerife, Windsurfing

Canary Islands holidays are some of the most popular holiday choices in Europe, and it’s easy to see why. With seven islands, each with its own identity, and a perfect combination of sea, sun, and sand and a little adventure, the islands will always attract the tourists.

But which island do you choose? Which is better for partying in the clubs, and which feature the wind that kitesurfers want and the dive spots scuba enthusiasts dream of? We find out in our mini-guide to the Canary Islands.

Photo Credit: Flickr/LisArt

Lanzarote

The most northerly of the islands, Lanzarote features 12 natural protected areas, a national park and even a biosphere reserve – so top eco credentials. As with other islands, it’s been formed from dramatic volcanic activity. The interior and the Mountains del Fuego have lunar qualities as well as fields of jagged rock, while in the bays and beaches you’ll walk on the finest of white sands. Top year-round conditions keep watersports fans happy: kitesurfing, windsurfing and sailing are best on the rougher, windier north coast, while swimming and scuba diving are better enjoyed off the calmer south coast.

Fuerteventura

Canary Islands holidays are commonly booked for beach holidays, and if time on the sand is your priority, Fuerteventura could be the island for you. Again its north coast is blessed with great wind, although perhaps its best attribute is found further south. As the island narrows at Costa Calma, the real beaches begin. From here to Morro Jable and with views to Gran Canaria, you’ll find incredible swathes of sand – the occasional nudist – and moments of tranquillity rarely found on any other beach holiday. Interior trekking routes are rough but rewarding, with many ending where every day trip in Fuerteventura should: the beach!

Gran Canaria

It’s the round one. And the most varied in its mix of urban populations and remote rural getaways. The capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, has both port and airport, making it a commercial hub; even so, just a short drive and you’re into lush and fertile ravines. Again distinctly volcanic, this island is noteable thanks to its diversity: At just 50kms across, you’ll enjoy tourist-sand beaches, rugged sea walls (Puerto de Morgan), Sahara-style dunes (Maspalomas), and a UNESCO recognised biosphere complete with Canadian Pine forests! As well as watersports, this islands serves up great mountainbiking routes and is a prime pick for hiking holidays.

Tenerife

Each of the islands mentioned so far have towns that like to party, that said Tenerife is perhaps the capital of Canarian night culture. Yet while there are tourist package holidays destined for the discos of Playa de las Americas, there are still plenty of folk proving that Canary Islands holidays are just as much about the great outdoors. Climb the intimidating, sulphurous peak of Mount Teide and the views reveal another island: to the north there’s the Anaga Rural Park and miles of walking routes, and all around there are mountainbiking tracks to tempt. The beach sports of windsurfing and snorkelling will always prove popular, so look up from your cocktail for a minute and you’ll find an island ready to thrill.

Photo Credit: Flickr/Tushar Pokle

La Gomera

Within an island hop of Tenerife there’s La Gomera. Ravines shaped first by volcanic activity and later by ingenious farming methods cover the island – the second smallest in the archipelago. At its centre are dense forests; at its coast are black sand beaches. It’s a cocoon of calm, favoured by walkers and golfers – mountainbikers will need those low gears. On the coast in Playa de Santiago there are boat trips and a chance to get in the water; a much-loved spot for scuba diving holidays, away from the hustle and bustle of the holidaying crowds.

La Palma

Favoured by stargazers and sun-worshippers alike: this island is home to a number of observatories. Thanks to mountains reaching almost 2.5km above sea level, it’s an island favoured by astronomers – clouds rarely form above 2,000m so resident scientists enjoy clear skies. On foot or by bike, the route up the mountains from Mirca to Roque de los Muchachos will test heart, lungs and legs to their limit. Great then that the island still has beaches and bars to aid recovery – most are found in its capital Santa Cruz de la Palma. Further south there are salt flats, secluded coastal villages and the windswept sides of the Fuencaliente volcanoes to explore.

El Hierro

Perhaps the least-well known, this island is however a favourite for tourists on scuba diving holidays. There are no natural beaches to speak of, but with a little perseverance you’ll find rock pools and access to the open water. And underwater you’ll get another view of this island’s volcanic legacy: reefs, boulder fields and step drop-offs – dive in the marine reserve at the Mar des Calmes for the calmest and warmest Canarian waters.

High above the ocean depths, there’s paragliding. With mountains that rise 1,000ft straight up from the ocean, there are plenty of launch sites – fans of flight should get to El Valle de El Golfo and ready themselves for some wonderful views of the Canarian archipelago.

Top 10 of Mad World Championships

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     Chess Boxing, Freestyle Ironing, hot dog eating, mad sports, maddest sports, mountain biking, Windsurfing, world championships

With the Olympics drawing ever closer and the summer nights lasting longer, people are again taking their sports very seriously – well, some people…

For every regular, popular sporting championship, such as windsurfing or mountain biking, there’s an odd one: a sport that defies sense, logic and sometimes plain good taste – and they often have world championships of their own.

Here are the top 10 mad world championships featuring the ten nuttiest, oddest sports around. Trust me: we are not making this up!

Poohsticks

Held in March this year in South Oxfordshire, this age old game was featured in a children’s book about Winnie the Pooh. Contestants drop sticks off one side of a bridge; the winner is the person whose stick that passes out under the bridge first – extreme!

Bog Snorkelling

Swimmers race through muddied water canals in some of the UK’s dampest and least hospitable areas. Muddy, thick and gibberingly cold, the world championships are held in Wales.

Gurning

Specific to a crab fair in West Cumbria, this is an ugly world championship sport. In fact, the uglier you can make your face by contorting it, the better your chance of a medal.

Photo: flickr/ Space Pirate Queen

Hot Dog Eating

These weiner munchers can put away up to 50 sausages at a time. Now that there’s a separate woman’s event this year in New York, we’ll really see the power and might of the world’s best hot dog munchers.

Chess Boxing

Smart moves and swift hooks meet up in this the oddest hybrid sport. A round of chess followed by a round of boxing. Beaten on the board or battered round the ring, you’ll lose by checkmate or knock out: crazy!

Tiddlywinks

Almost as violent as the chess boxing…this sport traces its history back to 1890 and has similarities to pool, as you need to flip your winks either into a container, or use them to cover your opponent’s.

Freestyle Ironing

A chance for climbers to flex their domestic muscles. Freestyle ironing world championships sees climbers carry their ironing board and a shirt to an extreme part of the rock face and get on with pressing a shirt. There are even several styles: from urban to rocky, to freestyle.

Worm Charming

Charming. To take top prize competitors need to get a set area of land, then use whichever method they prefer to get worms to come to the surface. The charmer with the most worms, wins.

Swamp Soccer

Everyone struggles when the goalmouth gets boggy, although these footy fans seem to love the rain as it guarantees what this sport needs: lots of mud! Finland is home to the real championships; finals last more than 50 minutes and by the end of it everyone is in a right state.

Underwater Rugby

Forget the tactics you’ve learned, this is all about getting the ball into a bucket not over a try line. It’s not even played with the same ball, and it’s underwater. You’ll need to hold your breath, pass on the conversions, and go easy on the tackles (you’re wearing flippers and a mask) or you’ll really end up in the deep end…

Top 10 Christmas Getaways

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, ash, bestskiholidays, Top 10 Adventure Sports Travel Lists     Asia, australia, austria, Canada, Caribbean, china, Europe, Finland, germany, Himalayas, kitesurfing, Mexico, mountain biking, north america, Scuba Diving, Skiing, Snowboarding, Surfing, Windsurfing

If staying at home is really not an option this year, then we’ve got the Top Ten Christmas getaways for you!

Now, just because you’re abroad, doesn’t mean that Christmas goes on holiday; there’s plenty of destinations that really go all out for the traditional celebrations.

Photo from Flickr user: Javier Gutierrez (de regreso)

As much as family feasting is tempting, there’s a whole world out there and it’s waiting for you. So, why not have a Christmas with a difference, throw caution to the wind and get away for a change?

Here’s the best Christmassy Xmas destinations, followed by the top spots where you can leave the reindeer and the elves far behind. read more