It’s bright and it’s pink. The lawn is perfectly manicured and the huge walk-in closets are full of clothes, shoes and handbags. Barbie’s Dreamhouse Experience has come to Europe and it opens today in Berlin! Girls of all ages, this is your official invitation to the house of your childhood dreams.

The ultimate Dreamhouse experience

Barbie The Dreamhouse Experience opens today in Berlin, a whole 2,500 square metres of pink in life-size! You’ll find this Malibu-styled home, estate rather, just off Alexanderplatz in the German capital. For some, it’s a childhood dream come true to tour Barbie’s giant plastic villa. For others, it’s a complete nightmare of a place (cue left-wing feminist protesters).

What awaits inside?

Visitors can wander around the pink mansion’s rooms and even peek into Barbie’s very spacious wardrobe, kitchen and make-up showcase room (!!!). Displays include 350+ dolls (including many limited editions). Girls are also able try on Barbie’s clothes and then strut down Barbie’s own in-house catwalk, bake cupcakes in Barbie’s very pink kitchen, even hang out in her living room.

Do we even need to mention the gift shop?

Organisers describe the experience as a,

“unique, life-size and interactive installation that brings the world famous Barbie toy house alive.”

Barbie The Dreamhouse Experience is a travelling affair so if you can’t make flights to Berlin before it closes on August 25th, you may be able to catch in another city near you. Entrance is €15 for adults, €12 for children under the age of 12.

For more info, check out Barbie: The Dreamhouse Experience

Imgs: yahoo.com, Barbie: The Dreamhouse Experience official site

In today’s economic climate the pressure is on for finding the best value for your money. So it’s no surprise that more and more British families are opting for holiday destinations that parents enjoyed as a child. No matter the destination, how to make your family summer trip a success? We’ve got the recipe.

Holidays for the entire family

Think back to when you were a child… what do you remember most from your holidays? Was it building the most gigantic sand castle on the beach? Eating ice cream on the pier? Collecting pretty shells to bring back home? The truth about family holidays is that for kids, it doesn’t really matter too much where they go as much as it matters for adults.

It’s the experiences that make an imprint in our minds, not the fact that these experiences were had on the banks of the Nile or on a golden beach in Thailand. While a holiday in Thailand is a dream come true for most of us, a beach is a beach for most kids. It’s just that Britain’s beaches are closer than Thailand’s and let’s face it: 15 hour flights for kids are a real drag.

How to fly long-haul with kids in tow

This summer’s trend seems to be a return to nostalgic holiday destinations, mostly around Britain, due to the economy but travelling close to home doesn’t need to be boring. In fact, it isn’t! Let the Jones’ enjoy their holiday to the other side of the world but just remember, you can snatch up two extra days on the beaches of Cornwall because you don’t need to set extra time apart for jet-lag and long-haul travel.

The recipe for a great summer holiday with the kids?

It’s all about what you do once you leave your house and the holiday begins. This includes the car ride if you’re travelling close to home! These experiences are sure to bring back fond memories of trips from when you were a kid. Find a nice beach (preferably a tried and tested one) and let the summer holiday planning begin!

• Eat ice cream (daily).
• Build sandcastles, or even Mary Berry “sand cakes” if you’re so inclined.
• Collect shells, pretty stones and drift wood to bring home with you.
• Buy souvenirs, the kitsch ones like rubbers, pens, magnets and key rings.
• Send a postcard (grandma and grandpa will love receiving it!).
• See how many waves you can jump in a row.
• Spend all your pennies at the arcade even if you don’t win a prize.
• Play beach games (it’s worth packing inflatable balls and toys from home).

What were your favourite things to do while on holidays as a kid? Chances are, your kids will love to do them too and the chances are even bigger that you’ll be able to do them close to home.

Img: podknox, david boyle, kazz.0 / Flickr cc.

Scientists from East Anglia and Reading universities warn that flights between London and New York could get bumpier with stronger turbulence in the future due to climate change. Here’s why.

Please, fasten your seat belts

It takes nothing more than supercomputer simulations to forecast how climate change will affect our lives in the future. Scientists at East Anglia and Reading universities have discovered that air turbulence will dramatically increase in the atmospheric jet streams over the North Atlantic. This means that you can bet your flights to NYC will be bumpier than usual as time goes on.

Their findings concluded that turbulence will rise by 40 to 170% by 2050 and that the likliest outcome will be the doubling of airspace with turbulence around the world.

Turbulence strength will also rise by 10-40% which means that you’ll be seeing that “seatbelt” sign flashing a lot more during your trans-Atlantic flights in the coming decades. Turbulence is more than just an inconvenience when you’ve been waiting for that in-flight drink trolley to come by.

Dr. Paul Williams, of the University of Reading explains,

“Air turbulence does more than just interrupt the service of in-flight drinks. It injures hundreds of passengers and aircrew every year – sometimes fatally. It also causes delays and damages planes.

The total cost to society is about $150million (£98million) each year. Any increase in turbulence would make flying more uncomfortable and increase the risk to passengers and crew.”

Atmospheric irony

Williams went on to explain that the whole situation is pretty ironic since aviation is a major reason why we’re facing climate change in the first place. It looks like the climate is plotting its revenge by making flights more turbulent and uncomfortable for flyers.

Scared of flying? How to deal

Img: bnilsen / Flickr cc.

A hundred years ago, windmills could be found around the world and were much more common features of our landscapes but modern technology has made these historic wind-powered factories practically redundant. Today is International Windmill Day so let’s celebrate the world’s most iconic windmills.

Mykonos

If you’re heading to this spectacular Greek island then the windmills will no doubt make their way into your photos. They’re a symbol of the island are the first thing you see as you approach Mykonos Town from sea. Mykonos has 16 windmills, mostly built by the Venetians in the 16th century, which were used to grind wheat. They haven’t been used for sixty or so years but are a must to visit while on holidays in Mykonos.

Kinderdijk

The Netherlands is home to some of the most famous windmills in the world. You’ll find the largest concentration of them in a small village called Kingerdijk which were used to drain water from the polders. There are 19 windmills here which were all built in and around the 1740s. Today they are excellently preserved and are still in use (mostly for educational purposes though).

Like a local: Amsterdam

Öland

Öland is Sweden’s second largest island with very few residents. The island is mostly used for farming which is why windmills had a prominent role. Öland’s windmills; there are around 400 of them, are made out of wood and have become a symbol for the place. Once used by the farmers, today these rustic windmills are all protected historic monuments.

Sweden 101: what first-time visitors should know

La Mancha

You’ll be well acquainted with Spain’s windmills if you’ve ever read Miguel Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Perched upon the hills of La Mancha, these windmills are one of the most recognised sights in the country and have been around for several hundred years. Don Quixote was published in the early 1600s and already at that time the novel’s hero was fighting these “giants.” Don’t miss out on the medieval castles and wineries also in the Castilla-La Mancha region.

Have you ever visited a windmill and explored the inside? Where was it?

Imgs: Mykonos, Kinderdijk, Öland, La Mancha

A new BBC wildlife programme presented by Ewen McGregor may be just the thing the secluded Hebrides region off Scotland’s mainland needs to boost tourism. Hebrides Puffins, dolphins, basking sharks and seals… get ready for your close up!

The BBC’s four-part series called Hebrides — Islands on the Edge has just aired its first chapter on BBC Scotland (now available on iPlayer if you’re in the UK) and offers viewers a chance to get up close and personal with one of the most secluded regions in Europe.

“Scotland’s Hebrides are Europe’s final frontier against the wild and unpredictable Atlantic Ocean. This landmark wildlife series, narrated by Ewan McGregor, introduces an unforgettable wild animal cast struggling to survive here on these Islands on the Edge.”

Isle of Harris (Outer Hebrides)

The series took three years to make and is an impressive look at landscapes across the Hebrides including close-ups of the region’s wildlife like white-tailed eagles, seals, basking sharks, the cutest Puffins and majestic red deer. If it’s a remote wilderness adventure you’re after this summer, the Hebrides could be the perfect choice.

Isles, islands, forests and lochs

The Hebrides lie of the western coast of Scotland and include remote places like the Isle of Skye, the Isle of Mull, Barra, South and North Uist, Harris and Lewis. With 130 miles worth of golden sand beaches and virtually deserted islands and mountains, you’ll wonder why more people don’t flock to these British Isles.

Getting there

The Hebrides is a significantly large area and is easiest reached with flights to Glasgow and then via car hire and finally a ferry or two to your final destination on one of the islands. The Port of Oban is the main transport hub from Scotland’s mainland with ferry connections to Barra, Mull, Coll, Tiree and others.

Would you consider a holiday in the Hebrides? Have you been there before?

Imgs: Paul Albertella, nicksarebi, bluesky4691, simaron  / Flickr cc.

Think you have to be roped into paying all sorts of extra fees when you fly low cost? Think again. From card fees to checked luggage, here’s a smart traveller’s guide to travelling for cheap without racking up the fees.

The “extras” can really add up, and sometimes cost more than the flight itself! They call it low cost flying but it certainly doesn’t seem that way once you add it all up the extras like check-in fees, debit card payment fees plus charges for bags that are too big and too heavy.

If it’s travelling cheap that you’re after, just follow these tips and you’ll be one up on your favourite discount airline.

Baggage blues

The easiest way to rack up the fees: checked-in luggage. Avoid it, at all costs. Ryanair cheekily increases its fees for hold luggage for July and August, when families are most likely to travel for longer periods of time. If you need to check luggage for your trip, quickly compare the prices with a regular airline. They could be cheaper in the long run plus you’ll get some extras in-flight.

Best solution: Take carry-on luggage ONLY and make sure your little suitcase is within the size and weight restrictions or else you’ll be asked to dish out around £50 at the boarding gate.

Paying by card

This used to be a major problem but luckily a new law has been passed which prohibits companies, especially airlines, from charging customers a fee for processing their credit and debit cards. Under the new rules, the payment surcharge will have to reflect the actual cost of the airline to process the card transaction. Yay!

Best solution: In most all cases the fees are the lowest when paying with a Visa Electron.

Checking-in

Airlines are cheeky. Ryanair got rid of its airport check-in desks and replaced them with electronic kiosks. At the same time the airline decided to start charging passengers £5 to check-in online… or £40 to check in at an airport kiosk. The only way to avoid it is by catching a promotional discounted offer that is so cheap that the extra fiver added on at the end doesn’t make too much of a difference.

Best solution: Find the cheapest possible fares and ALWAYS remember to check-in online and print your boarding passes.

Finally…

These are the main areas where airlines will catch you for a few extra quid. When going through your booking though, always double-check the travel dates, names of passengers and card details. Don’t rush because to change it later you can bet there will be even more fees involved. And the last tip, arrive at the airport early and you won’t need to worry about priority/speedy boarding.

Find more smart traveller tips on the Traveller’s Blog!

Imgs: friend JAD, herrkrueger, epos / Flickr cc.

Dutch conceptual artist Florentijn Hofman made headlines around the world last week as his travelling rubber duck sculpture, aptly named “Spreading Joy Around the World” arrived in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour. 

Spreading Joy Around the World

Hofman’s floating “rubber” duck sculpture made its grand entrance on May 2nd, pulled by a tug boat across the harbour where it will be anchored until June 9th. The duck, which stands 16.5m tall, was given a warm and ceremonial welcome by the Hong Kong police band as it moved to its new home on the South Side of Ocean Terminal in HK’s Victoria Harbour.

This isn’t the duck’s first appearance. Spreading Joy Around the World has travelled to 10 countries already, stopping in 12 cities including Auckland, Sydney and Osaka. Hong Kong is the latest stop and who knows where it’ll travel to next!

The artist writes about his “rubber duck” project,

The Rubber Duck knows no frontiers, it doesn’t discriminate people and doesn’t have a political connotation. The friendly, floating Rubber Duck has healing properties: it can relieve mondial tensions as well as define them. The rubber duck is soft, friendly and suitable for all ages!

The sculpture certainly reconnects people with childhood memories, of countless bath times with their favourite yellow companion. People’s reaction? Smiles, laughter and astonishment (likely due to the duck’s size). For a moment people forget their problems and stop to watch the inflatable duck bob in the water.

Want to see Hofman’s duck in person? Catch flights to Hong Kong before June 9th.

Imgs: getty images

Dubai is attracting all sorts these days. No longer is it just a place for business suits. Backpackers too are finding their way to this incredible city but how much is there to do here if you’re restricted by a budget? The answer is: plenty.

In a city where wealth and luxury abound, it’s hard to imagine backpackers and budget travellers surviving in Dubai without breaking the bank. If you leave the indulgence behind, there is plenty to see and do here that costs nothing, or close to it. Here are just a few of our recommendations while on holidays in Dubai.

City landmarks

Dubai Museum

You can definitely spare 50p if you’ve travelled all this way to explore Dubai’s main museum. The exhibitions follow the city’s history from its early pearl trading days in the 1930s to how it transformed into a major shipping hub in the 1960s. It is housed in a remarkable fort that dates back to 1789, without a doubt one of the oldest buildings in the city.

Admission: 3 dirhams (50p)

Dubai Camel Museum

You’ll find this unique museum behind Sheikh Maktoum’s palace and is a true testament to the Emiratis love for their camels, the so-called ships of the desert. Camels have many uses, including medicinal. In traditional society, camel urine is used to cure everything from ulcers to alopecia. Camel faeces cures nose bleeds while the fat from the humps relieves haemorrhoid aches and pains.

Admission: Free

Bastakiya Quarter

It’s hard to believe Dubai might have a historic quarter at first glance but hiding amidst the towering glass and steel structures is the Bastakiya Quarter. Persian traders settled here in the 19th century and built quite magnificent mansions to live in, many of which house art galleries today. Visit the area anytime of day but the evenings are usually quite lively.

Shopping

Gold and Spice Souks

Dubai is a city for trading which is why its souks are popular places to finding lots of rare and valuable items. The city’s traditional souks and bazaars will transport you back through time. The gold souk, along the Dubai Creek’s south bank, is one of the most famous jewellery trading centres in the world seeing 20% of the world’s gold pass through its stalls. On the opposite side of the Creek is the spice souk where you can find rare varieties of spices like cinnamon, chile and ginger. Also saffron is at a steal of a price here, so stock up.

Dubai Mall

Do we need to say more than: this is the largest shopping mall in the world. You can easily spend an entire day here with 1,000+ stores and 160+ restaurants and cafes. On top of the shopping experience, there is an ice rink, cinema and the mall is also home to the impressive Dubai Aquarium (not free).

Experiencing the city like a local

Take a ride on one of Dubai’s traditional dhow trading boats, called an agra. Rides cost 1 dirham (17p) and are by far the most exciting way to cross the Dubai Creek. It’s a bumpy ride as the small wooden boat zips across, powered by a small diesel motor, but the view of the skyline from the water is worth it.

For a look at ancient cultural traditions, it’s worth checking out a pehlwani wrestling match, sometimes known as kushti wrestling. Every Friday at 5pm hundreds of Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani labourers gather in a circle in the sandlot behind the fish market to watch men fight to victory by knocking their opponents to the sandy ground using their bodyweight. Visitors should not take pictures and women should dress modestly.

Have you been to Dubai? What other free things are there to do? 

Like to travel for free? We’ve created dozens of free city guides on the Traveller’s Blog from Venice to Vancouver, Paris to Hong Kong.

Imgs: steve brownd50, abzisse, nelson ebelt / Flickr cc.

Starting to plan this year’s summer holidays? If the kids are coming then maybe skip Majorca this year and take them on a trip they’ll remember for the rest of their lives. From the Grand Canyon to the Galapagos Islands, these are trips that will change their lives.

There is a real art to choosing holiday destinations that will inspire and capture your child’s imagination plus give you the chance to take a break and relax. Travel is the best way to learn about the world and its different cultures, maybe hear their native language spoken in a different way and see world wonders that they only know from TV or books.

This is just a short list of ideas to get you started. Some are closer to home than others and when it comes down to it the best way to choose a destination is to really take your child’s interested to heart. Do they love to dig and are a budding geologist or archaeologist? Grand Canyon. Do they love dolphins and marine life? Galapagos Islands. When in doubt, New York is always a good choice.

Grand Canyon

There are few places that can have as much impact on children and adults alike than standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon. Don’t think they’ll be satisfied by posing for photos. Taken them down, into the abyss. This is where they can learn about the layers of the Earth and what geology can tell us about history. Take them on a hike below the rim and join a ranger-led hike so discover fossils, lizards and identify wildflowers.

Galapagos Islands

Visiting the Galapagos Islands takes more planning than a holiday in Spain does. It’s also not the cheapest trip but it will certainly be a trip they remember. For families with kids under the age of 7, it’s best to stay at a hotel on land and take day trips to nearby coves and bays. With kids 8 and above, why not go for a cruise? Swim with sharks in Tortuga Bay, visit the tortoise sanctuary and hike across lava fields on Santiago Island.

Loch Ness

Planning a trip to capture Loch Ness on film could be a wild goose-chase but the adventure will no doubt capture your child’s imagination. Loch Ness is proof that myth and legend can inspire children about a place as much as reality can. Stories of a monster living in the lake go back as far as the 6th century! Spot dolphins in Firth Moray, visit the Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit and of course take a boat trip onto the lake, camera at the ready!

New York City

New York is a sort of rite of passage for anyone who hasn’t grown up there. Kids and adults alike should visit at least once (but preferably many) in their life. Each and every time you visit there is something new to discover, just in Manhattan! Essential stops include the Statue of Liberty, catching a Broadway show and if you visit in December, seeing the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Square is always fun.

Flights to New York

What are your favourite holidays spots to go with your kids? Which kind of trips do they like most?

For more ideas, check out National Geographic’s book, 100 places that can change your child’s life.

Imgs: Analogick, Dave Stokes, roubicek, pfy / Flickr cc.

There are few untouched places in the world today but the island of North Sentinel is one of them. It’s one of the last corners of the globe that hasn’t been touched by Western culture. Heading over to the archipelago of the Andaman Islands we visit the House of the Sentinelese.

North Sentinel, in the archipelago of the Andaman Islands, is a territory administered by India. “Administered,” is a term we use loosely because the island is in no way occupied or governed by India. It’s not even sure the locals know their island even has an administrator.

The native inhabitants have been occupying the island for around 60,000 years and seem to have arrived from the African continent. The population, not officially registered, is estimated to be between 50 and 400 individuals. Nothing is really known about their language; we don’t even known if they are aware of the existence of fire!

This is an island civilisation that has survived all this time without any influence from the outside world.

The island is located just south of Burma in the Bay of Bengal. It’s hard to imagine there still being an untouched island situated in one of the busiest trade routes in the world.

How has it stayed so isolate over the centuries?

There are a number of reasons, but here are just a few of the possibilities:

• Coral reef: a natural barrier for anyone wishing to arrive by sea. The wall, carefully constructed by Mother Nature, has kept out the British and the Portuguese on a number of occasions, forcing their armies to give up the idea of conquering the small island, a mere 75 square kilometres.
• Resistance: being fierce and ostentatious — when necessary — made it possible for the North Sentinelese to protect themselves against other tribes. Today they live by their own rules without any external influences.
• Rejection of the outside world: this is a natural consequence of reason above. The locals take to heart the concept much discussed in the “civilised world,” yet often neglected: privacy. They won’t take anyone spying on them!

Has anyone successfully visited the island and made it out alive to tell the story? Well… there was one recent account of a group of poachers who arrived and were subsequently killed by the island inhabitants after breaking the ban of approaching less than 5 miles from the island’s coast.

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. If a foreigner approached the island the Sentinelese attack by shooting arrows. In the 1980s, during a shipwreck rescue mission, “invaders” reached the island an killed several tribesmen, further inflaming their animosity to say the least.

The biggest enemy: tsunamis

Outsiders are no real danger to the local tribe, they’ve been protecting themselves for thousands of years. But in 2004 the worst natural disaster of modern time hit and the news reports showed major parts of India, Indonesia and Thailand were destroyed. But what about North Sentinel? A few days after the tragedy, an Indian helicopter flew over the island to make sure there were survivors and possibly offer relief.

In response, the locals made it very clear that they had survived the big wave by shooting arrows into the sky at the strange flying iron bird. Thanks to this little mission, we now have some “bird’s eye” photographs of the island as well as a few photographs of the local tribe.

Cannibalism

It’s pretty hard to prove that the inhabitants are indeed cannibals as they are often described and it’s no doubt a myth fuelled by their hostility when it comes to “welcoming” foreign visitors. Is North Sentinel a real-life Heart of Darkness?

Imgs: survivor.es