When in Rome, do as the Romans do, states an old saying referring to the essential quality of a traveler to adapt both his tastes and habits to the local customs. Paraphrasing this saying and given we live in a period marked by an economical crisis, any traveler should seek for cost-effective travel destinations. After all, desperate times need desperate measures, right? And reportedly, that’s the principle guiding many hotel managers and airline companies which have recently resorted to rock-bottom prices in order to magnet tourists everywhere. Therefore, provided you’re a precautious traveler longing for a budget-friendly trip, here’s our top 5 recession-proof destinations that are surely to meet your interest.

Iceland

While a couple of years ago this European country was an exclusive destination for blue-blooded people or for those owning many bank accounts, it appears that it has currently become affordable even for the average tourists. Now, taking into account a night in a three-star hotel located in the capital city of Reykjavik is worth about 60$ and that the landscape is absolutely inspiring and uniquely composed of icecaps or glaciers and dotted by amazing waterfalls, you should definitely consider Iceland as your next holiday destination.

Canada

Provided you have been long craving for a holiday in a Canadian state, either gazing at the historical monuments in Montreal or skiing on an exclusive slope in Whistler, here’s your chance of turning your dream into reality. Since lately the prices in Canada are less salted, you should grab your suitcase and start packing your things! Plus, the airlines in this country have also announced some noticeable discounts.

Great Britain

There are many tourists who would spend a fortune for a tour in this spectacular country which seems to have it all: royal pump, history-soaked monuments, cosmopolitan life, outstanding landscapes…and why not face it, the most capricious weather in Europe. Now, to be honest, a trip to Great Britain is still considerably more expensive than a trip to many other southern European states, but given the pound has demonetized in comparison with its situation last year, it’s a tad cheaper this year to wander the London streets. Be prepared though! The prices might have diminished, but a spin on the London Eye remains at an approximate cost of $692. Still, you should never lose heart!

Australia

While in the past a trip to the Land of the South was included on the list of pricey destinations, it turns out that now such a trip won’t empty your pockets anymore. How come? Well, apart from the demonetization of the Australian dollar, the airline companies have recently cut down the prices at the flights leading to this destination. More precisely, a two-way ticket from New York to the capital city of Sydney is worth round 1400$. This price is counterbalanced by a low-priced accommodation and a spectacular cosmopolitan package including various cities such as: Melbourne (reckoned for its glossy shops and elegant cafes and restaurants), Canberra (dotted by museums, monuments and historically-important buildings) and Perth (offering a nightlife that is a blast). Moreover, both a trip to the Australian Alps or at the Ningaloo Reef has become an unforgettable yet recession-proof travel destination.

South Korea

If you have been long penciling a trip in a country on the Asian continent, now you can get the exotic landscape in exchange of a smaller amount of money. Make South Korea your next holiday destination and you’ll pay a reasonable price for a night out in the capital city of Seoul having also the opportunity to admire an extraordinary scenery with mountain peaks piercing the capital’s sky. Do not be afraid of tasting their aromatic, mouth-watering mixture of rice, soya sauces, tofu, vegetable and meats followed by the traditional soju drink.

All in all, even the recession is like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it has been the cause of many companies’ collapse, thus negatively influencing the national economies, but on the other hand it determined a reduction of prices in the tourism field, providing the tourists with the priceless opportunity to discover far-away lands and civilizations.

If you weight your options well, visiting a city in the period it hosts a festival is probably the best way to enjoy a merry atmosphere, to rejoice the traditions and to sense the local spirit. After all, travelling is all about getting to know new places and people and finding the relaxation you’ve long waiting for. And what better alternative than a fun-filled holiday brightened by dances and songs performed alongside the friendly locals?   

When it comes to festivals, regardless of the type, no other continent can compete with Europe since it houses hundreds of different colorful such events, holidays and celebrations all year round. Therefore, let us countdown the most important festivals to be celebrated in Europe during this summer and which usually magnet tons of tourists coming from all the corners of the world…Just in case you intend to join the party-lovers.

Festa Della Madonna Bruna

Firstly, for those of you guys flying in the south of Italy at the beginning of July, there’s an impressive fireworks festival held in the city of Matera and honoring Maria Santissima della Bruna. It’s the perfect occasion for the fun-loving people to eat a fresh ice-cream in a gelato shop, to wander admiring the adorned streets and to listen to traditional Italian music. Moreover, you can join the locals all dressed up and carrying from one piazza to another a papier machè-float featuring a religious theme.

Festival d’Avignon

Secondly, if you’re an art endeavourer you cannot miss out the theatre festival that takes place each year in Avignon between the 7^th and the 29^th July. This event was first organized by Jean Vilar in 1947 and ever since it has gained a reputation worldwide. Each year many famous actors go on stage and play either dramatic roles that make the audience burst into tears or on the contrary comic characters for the public to have a good laugh.

Ghent Festival

Furthermore, the Ghent Festival is considered to be the biggest open air cultural manifestation in Europe. Therefore, mark the period between the 18^th and the 27^th of July on your calendar and provided you travel in Belgium at the time, stop for a frolic festival that features light-hearted dramas, pop music, folkrock, rock ‘n’ roll, hip-hop, jazz, R’n'B, art exhibitions on the streets leading to the city center as well as mini cruises on the Lys river that spans over the city. And let’s not forget the incendiary, jolly atmosphere is fueled by huge pins of beer and mouth-watering food and chocolate.

National Eisteddfod of Wales

Wales boasts with the largest summer travelling folk festival in Europe, the National Eisteddfod festival which has a long tradition since it was first held in 1176. This year it will start on the first day of July and provided you are seeking for a unique manner to discover the stunning Welsh landscapes and culture, you should buy a ticket and experience an adventure filled with joy and amusement. The hotspot of the festival is the Pavilion or the place where the concerts, the ceremonies and the competitions are held. This special event is also the best opportunity for the talented artists to rise to fame. In a nutshell, as a spectator you will have the possibility to delight your taste buds with traditional specialties and in the same time gaze at the varied artworks.

Puck Fair Ireland

The Puck Fair organized in Ireland every year on the 10th, 11th and 12^th of August, with no exception is the living proof that a real, tumultuous celebration lasts three days in a row like in a fairy-tale. This street festival is set up in the center of Kerry and gained the tourists’ hearts due to its particularity. Moreover, it is believed to be Ireland’s oldest entertainment festival featuring horse and goat fairs, the pompous coronation of King Puck, competitions and concerts.

All in all, festivals give the tourists the privileged opportunity to witness a different culture, to eat tasty food and to simply have a high time. And there’s also this feeling that you carry on a tradition, that you have fun like in the old times of kings and queens when people went out on the streets of the kingdom.      

Museums preserve the worth-seeing objects representative for one field of activity or another and destined for the future generations to imagine the prior civilizations and their values. There are millions of museums scattered all over the world’s map that house history-soaked items or represent the national identity of a particular people. The art endeavourers or the tourists that burn with curiosity to know everything about a certain civilization or topic usually include in their itinerary at least a specific museum.

Nevertheless, since the human ingenuity is boundless, lengthways time all sorts of museums featuring uncommon and sometimes mystic, strange objects or themes have appeared. Now, provided we managed to pique your curiosity, we present you the top 5 most uncommon museums on the globe.

Goreme UFO Museum

Taking into account aliens have always aroused everyone’s interest, a UFO Museum is sure to act like a magnet for tourists everywhere. Leaving aside the commercial aspect, the UFO Museum built in Turkey and more precisely, in Goreme is not only unique, but also very interesting. It is the home of a large compilation of articles extracted from newspapers as well as of a huge picture portraying an alien observing a human after having captured one. A tad spooky, isn’t it?

Cat Museum

While some people adore their furry, four-legged barking pets, the locals in Kuching, Malaysia have inaugurated an entire museum in the honor of cats. More exactly, it exhibits a huge amount of information on this beloved animal, including an inventory of the varied species and also the legend about the cats being buried alongside the Egyptian pharaohs.

Tea & Coffee Museum

The Bramah Tea and Coffee Museum is located in the capital city of England; actually, it couldn’t be any other way since the English praise both the benefits of these crops and their aromatic taste. And let’s not forget about the five o’clock tea which is still a living tradition within the borders of the English territory. Coming back to the aforementioned museum, it harbours articles providing information on these plants, materials dating back in the British Empire period and pinpointing their commercial importance at the time as well as an impressive collection of tea pots and cups.

The Museum of Witch Craft

In spite of the eerie feeling a tourist might experience when venturing inside the Museum of Witch Craft in Cornwall, a tour on the corridors of this building is definitely worth every penny because you can gaze at magic potions, artifacts and you can also take a glance at books giving instructions on how to cast spells. Moreover, this museum has gained quite a reputation because it first opened its doors to the public back in 1951. In a nutshell, a visit here is both hair-raising and fun.

The Museum of Bad Art

If the Parisian museum Louvre is worldly reckoned for displaying an inestimable collection of valuable works of art, at the opposite pole lies the Museum of Bad Art on the American continent in Dedham Square, Massachusetts which exhibits many artists’ unsuccessful attempts of creating artworks. This museum was inaugurated in 1993 and ever since it has revealed every tourist’s critic side with the odd paintings putting a smile on everyone’s face.

Briefly, all these five museums are great and unrivalled manners of spending your spare time when on a holiday and wandering in the world as they are a rich source of amusement… and thought-provoking in the same time.

It goes without saying Romania took hold of a special place as a tourist destination on the map of Europe. Captious people need only pay a visit to the medieval cities in Transylvania, to the buzzing capital city of Bucharest, also known as the Little Paris, gaze at the unique monasteries in Moldavia and catch the sun beams on the sandy beaches located near the Black Sea, to be certain about that. After a trip to the Danube Delta, crowded with unique fauna and flora, every tourist will sink his teeth into the Romanian destinations. In addition, there’s this famous legend about the vampire Dracula who presumably lived in the Bran Castle many centuries ago, which acts like a magnet for tourists longing for adventure. Not to mention the tasty Romanian food like forcemeat rolls of cabbage adorned with corn mush or the pickled cucumbers with steak and following compotes and marmalades for dessert.

Bucharest

Located on the banks of Damboviţa River, the Romanian capital is dotted with green parks and lakes where one could escape the loud traffic, the heat and the crowd in the city center: Herăstrău, Lake Floreasca, Lake Tei and Herăstrău Park. Moreover, the city is studded with impressive buildings and monuments such as the Palace of the Parliament (ranked as the second-largest building in the world, which can presumably be spotted from outer space), the Triumphal Arch, a clone of the same-named monument in Paris, the Romanian Athenaeum which represents the Romanian cultural image worldwide. Arguably the most interesting museum in Bucharest is the Museum of the Romanian Peasant exhibiting national peasant costumes, artifacts and ceramic-made pots and cups. The internationally reckoned open-air Village Museum should not be left out when visiting Bucharest because it features a great number of traditional peasant houses from all the Romanian regions and dating back centuries ago. Provided you would like to spend a night out in the city and unwind, stop by Enache Diary (Lăptăria Enache) or Motors (La Motoare) two great bars, not to jarring situated near University Square. A shopping session on the Magheru Boulevard is compulsory provided you want to come back home with stiffed shopping bags.

Transylvania

All the trademarks of the vibrant capital should be visited, but do not forget the towns in other regions on the country.  For example, the medieval towns scattered all over Transylvania are the main attraction for the foreign holidaymakers. There are many tourists who choose to make a tour of the main medieval cities: Sibiu, Sighişoara and Brasov. If the case, a good starting point of the tour would be Sibiu, the 2007 European Capital of Culture with its two main historical parts: the Upper Town and the Lower Town. The Upper Town is like an open-air museum teem with squares such as the Grand Square (nowadays the heart of the city), the Lesser Square, the Huet Square, monuments and history-infused buildings like Brukenthal Palace, the Liar’s Bridge, the Council Tower and the House of the Arts.

After travelling along to the north, the next stop is Sighişoara, the place where Vlad Ţepeş, drabbed Dracula was born. However, this city has a lot more to offer than bloody legends. For example, the Clock Tower and the citadel are jaw-dropping, well-preserved edifices and savoring a cup of tea and a slice of cake in one of the bars in the citadel offers a long-lasting impression.

This mini-tour ends in Brasov, a spectacular city located at the foot of the Tampa Mountain and near Poiana Braşov, an exclusive winter resort with snow-covered mountains and modern slopes. Both in summer and in winter Braşov is swarming with visitors goggling at the Gothic Black Church and strolling in the Sfatului Square. For an outstanding panorama of this medieval city, take the cable-car to the top of Tampa because it’s an unrivalled experience. Not very far from Braşov is located the Bran Castle mostly known as Dracula’s residence. Nowadays, the castle is a museum hosting old-fashioned, unique furniture items gathered by Queen Marie.

Wooden Churches of Maramures

Once you left Braşov you should take into account stopping by Maramureş, a region situated in the northern part of the country and housing unique wooden churches, wrapped in shingles and displaying a tall tower. In Maramureş, the traditions are still respected and the locals wear the Romanian traditional costume on all the holidays.

The Merry Cemetery

While some might find the idea of a merry cemetery outlandish, most of the tourists coming here are delighted by the sight, claiming it is food for the soul. The Merry Cemetery is special due to the azure tombstones with engraved coloured pictures representative for the buried person’s life.

Moldavian Monasteries

Provided you’re seeking for a less buzzing manner to spend your holiday, plan a tour including the painted churches of Moldavia, in the eastern part of Romania. These seven churches are real works of art, unique on the continent by their religious-themed wall-paintings. In Voroneţ, the church is painted in a blue-shade that has been declared unique in the whole world.

Black Sea Riviera

Romania boasts of a sunny coastline at the Black Sea, dotted by summer resorts meeting all the tourists’ tastes. While Mamaia is an exclusive destination, chosen mainly by the adults Costineşti is reckoned for the hustling nightlife with the parties that last until dawn.

So, we’re in our second month of our contest and things are looking up, you guys have really turned the Travelgrove community into a nicer place. Some of the greatest contributors include Diana, Erato (also known in some circles as the Hedgehog catcher), Bicksa and Ultimatetravel, which was ultimately the one to lift the trophy. Well ok, there wasn’t much to lift, but that’s the idea with the iPod Nano, it’s sleek and small and cute and useful.

Ultimatetravel has been an awesome contributor to our community for some time now, so the congratulations are well in order, but let’s not forget the other guys and girls that make us feel more at home here with each passing day. A special shout goes out to lifecruiser who came in blazing, spreading free drinks to everyone.

Last but not least, while these last two monthly contests were a good start, we’re really looking forward to upping the ante, so this month we’ll be offering the now traditional iPod, a 10.2 Mega Pixel Samsung digital camera and a 7″ Digital Frame.

Looking forward to seeing you in the community section

Controversial title, I know. I bet the league of kitty lovers is already prepping files to sue me, but come on, take a look at what Erato from our community found:

Cute Hedgehog Pictures Beyond This Link

Whoever points out a cuter kitty than that spiky little guy gets a free 1,500 miles of travel from Travelgrove, airport expenses paid, all airlines included.*

*just kidding

Regardless of the destination, every journey has its charms. When it comes to Hungary, the traveler is about to discover an unrivalled culture, situated at the crossroads of Eastern and Western Europe which boast of history-soaked monuments, a buzzing capital city divided in two parts by the Danube, matchless puszta (Hungarian plains) dotted with rare species of plants and the mouth-watering, yet spicy goulash. And the list filled with surprises doesn’t stop here. A trip to Hungary can impress even the most pretentious, cold-hearted travelers with the country’s natural scenery braided with impressive architecture and glossy shops. If you were to visit this kidney-shaped land, there are some places you cannot miss out in order to capture the Hungarian spirit, their lifestyle and the culture they built.

Budapest

Every trip to Hungary should start with a long stop in its capital city, Budapest because it houses countless luring monuments, bridges, a modern zoo, clubs, elegant cafés and everything a tourist could possibly seek for. The first thing you should know when landing here is that this world-class capital is composed of two parts, separated by the Danube: Buda also called the Old City and Pesta reckoned as the New City. On the one hand, the Old City hosts the Fisherman’s Bastion, the Buda Castle (or the Royal Castle), the impressive building which served as the Hungarian Kings’ residence for centuries and which nowadays functions as a museum. In addition, it harbours the National Széchényi Library and it’s fenced with colorful gardens. On the other hand, the left bank of Danube, Pesta is marked by the spirit-stirring, neo-Gothic Parliament building where the Hungarian Crown Jewels can be admired. In this part of the city the Andrássy út with the sensational Hungarian State Opera Hose stretches over.

If you book your trip in advance, make sure you also schedule a one-day cruise on the Danube River with a guide providing you with all the information connected to the impressive buildings that line up on each bank of the Danube and which can be easily spotted when savoring a glass of champagne and a tasty portion of paprika-drenched goulash on the deck of your cozy ship. Apart from having quite a reasonable price, about ten Euros per person with the food included in the sum, this apparently trifling cruise will offer you the most amazing city panorama both by night and by day. Another interesting fact about the Hungarian capital is that none less than ten massive bridges, real works of art spanning over the Danube River and linking Buda and Pesta among which Árpád Bridge, Lágymányosi Bridge, Liberty Bridge, Margaret Bridge (leading to the Margaret Island), Petőfi Bridge, Széchenyi Chain Bridge, are arguably the most beautiful.

Provided you’re in the mood for shopping or you just want to unwind by lounging at a café, Vaci Uta is the perfect match. It’s a modern, hustling, paved street crowded with sparkling-window shops, book shops and souvenirs shops with pedestrians having exclusive access.

Lake Balaton

Lake Balaton is often referred to as the Hungarian’s seaside. Therefore, in order to enjoy a complete journey in this country, include in your itinerary this worth-seeing sight. As a matter of fact, the region is divided in two major, different parts.

Firstly, the southern coast, described as a ring of resorts is dotted by new-fangled hotels with golden beaches and taverns selling the traditional lángos (either salty or seet donuts). The resorts here are renowned for housing bustling parties that last until dawn and that are held by famous DJs.

Secondly, the northern coast, features five-star hotels, generally populated by tourist sunbathing and longing for relaxation. Do pay a visit to Tihany, an overwhelming peninsula with white, powdery-beaches, located right in the heart of the lake. Moreover, if you intend to spend a lot of time in Hungary, visit Hévíz and swim in the thermal lake.

As tourists claim, the lake changes its color constantly, but when summer is in full swing and umbrella and warm water is all you need.

Sopron

Another notable tourist draw in Hungary is Sopron, a unique medieval city, located closely to the Austrian borders. The fairy-like buildings, designed mainly in Gothic and early Baroque architecture, wrap up the city in a magic cover. You should gaze at the Fire Tower and take a walk in the City Center. When here, taste either the white or the red wine as this region is particularly renowned for the refined wine production.

In conclusion, you might be surprised by the amount of treasures this country has to offer to the wistful tourists and if the opportunity arises, book a flight and go to Hungary!

Our friends from Lifecruiser and Travel Experta invited us to have a virtual cocktail party in their “Drinks ‘Round the World Meme” event and well, we’re not ones to pass a drink Our entry won’t be quite like the others probably, as it’s not suitable for a serious corporate blog (ahem) like Travelgrove’s to share stories of how we got drunk on our holidays. Still, we decided to try writing an article about some of the hottest cocktails around and give you a short glimpse in the history of cocktails. Enjoy, fellow travellers.

The map of the ideal seaside holiday is often traced within the borders of several coordinates such as a powdery beach, crystal-clear water to dive in and a comfy beach chair covered by a colorful umbrella. We portray ourselves treating our taste buds with exotic fruit and traditional food, sipping from a bitter-sweet, refreshing cocktail. Yes, in spite of their customary presence on a travelers’ menu, cocktails are unique culinary experiences.

A journey enriches you not only with a list of magnificent natural scenery, historical monuments and towering building, but it comprises both the experience of intercultural communication and culinary delights. The different types of cocktails are constantly cultural markers as their preparation means strictly following a particular recipe for each region on the continent. What’s even more appealing for the traveler is that the ingredients offering the cocktail its unique flavor are either a fruit that grows in the mere country/region or a traditional drink. Hence, the traveler will be smitten by the Russian vodka-based cocktail, by the Mexican Marguerita cocktails with hot, fragrant tequila while the English will put a spell on their tourists with their original gin mixed with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Short Cocktail-history

Nevertheless, the first cocktail was mixed on the American territory, back in the Prohibition days as a solution to sweeten the dry taste of gin. Furthermore, this colored drink came into prominence in the 1960’s, pinpointing the Americans’ sense of style and elegance.

Provided we managed to slowly whet your appetite, here are the best summer cocktails to be spotted on the menus of the A-list bars scattered in all the corners off the world, from the Caribbean Islands to the far Indie.

The Swimming Pool Cocktail

The first position in our top, the Swimming Pool Cocktail is an inspired and flavored mixture of dry gin, vermouth, a soda and a fresh, bitter lemon juice. This cocktail can be savored both when at the swimming pool or on special occasions such as a beach party.

All-star Margarita

The bartenders who shake the pitch in order to obtain an All-star margarita use tequila, sweet-tasting water and blended with the lime syrup.  The travelers who were lucky enough to taste an All-star Margarita revealed unanimously it is the best tequila-based drink. Therefore, taste it if the occasion arises! It’s yum.

Pimm’s Cup

The fame of this drink crossed the borders of England and it’s mostly appreciated for satisfying quickly your thirst, refreshing in the same time your entire body when summer is in full swing.

The Ritz Cider

Apparently, the Ritz Cider Cocktail meets a lady’s pretentious taste. Very light and refreshing, the bartender stirs either champagne or refined wine with apple juice. The people who had the chance to drink it claim that apart from being really tasty, it quenches your thirst as well.

Ten Grand

The Ten Grand cocktail is served with two orange slices, in a martini glass and it was the popular John Shaw who discovered the magical combination of gin, pineapple and lime juice. The fruity juice dulcifies the taste sensation.

Absolute Mandarin Sunrise

This reddish, tartness cocktail is certain to put a smile on your face. The people who use to relish it state it’s the best choice when you seek to be in your cups. It is no wonder among its ingredients range the strong vodka and all sorts of mouth-watering, natural orange juices.

All in all, cocktails are magical potions poured in your glass to paint in bright shades your journey and overall, your life. Enjoy them while your taste buds last!