adena

A romantic mood can strike in surprising places.  It seems that many of us have found ourselves on a secluded beach somewhere, perhaps enjoying a golden sunset or spectacular view…but *gasp* alone.  We’ve pooled our bloggers and our community to find out where they’d like to return with a lover.  Some have held on to these ideas for the best places to propose, or go on a couple’s holiday.  Honeymoon ideas, anyone?

Some rights reserved by Gyopi_K

Here are the tripwolf community’s picks for the top 10 most romantic places on earth.  Which do you think is the most romantic? 

(And even though we’re showcasing these top picks, we’re sure you’ll agree that any place can be romantic if you’re with the right travel ‘buddy!’)

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The “In Paznaun” series is brought to you by Ischgl, Galtür, See, and Kappl. The Paznaun region in western Tyrol is known for its ski resorts, its snow guarantee, and its events.

Everyone agrees that skiing is an absolute must in the winter!  No other sport allows you enjoyment of nature and snow better than skiing. Those who are not yet masters of their skis — but want to be — can learn how to do it from the pros at the Ischgl Ski School. The Ischgl Ski School in Tyrol is one of the most venerable ski schools in Austria.  Anyone who gains his or her first experience of skiing here will quickly be able to enjoy the slopes without any problem.  At the ski demo, the Ischgl Ski School will demonstrate that anything is possible on two skis.

Photo: TVB-Paznaun

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2011 was good to us.  We started with 150,000 iPhone app downloads, and ended the year with an incredible 3 million +.   Our app has proven itself to be one of the best out there, a top contender in this ever-expanding market.  We’re simply providing good information married with style and function the modern traveler considers a necessity.

2012 Here we come: tripwolf

The most popular tripwolf guides from more than 200 destinations are Berlin, London and New York, closely followed by Barcelona and Paris.

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With the new year comes an excuse to plan new travels. Not sure where to go in 2012?  Be inspired by the tripwolf Travel Trends 2012. These are the top travel destinations picked by the tripwolf team; where we want to go this year (and think you should, too!)

Colombia - by suzanitadz on tripwolf.

Colombia

Lose your predjudices and start packing – Colombia is attracting more and more travelers, inviting them on a journey through time and breathtaking landscapes.  tripwolf blogger Elena was in Colombia and stayed with a foreign family.  She spent three months in Bogota learning among many things, how to cook local cuisine (see her post on the tripwolf German blog, “Culinary delights from Colombia.”)

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Here is the final installment of our piece celebrating all of the PCV’s who have volunteered over the past 50 years.  My goal was to provide any potential volunteers (even those who didn’t think they were potential volunteers) with important information they might not find elsewhere.  Thanks to PCV’s Brian, Burch, Elizabeth, Vincent, Dustin and Josh for volunteering again to answer my questions.

Photo by ozziebackpacker

In this post, the questions pertain to reintegration – describing the most influential moments of their trips, how they changed, and how each one of them understood reverse culture shock upon returning home…and more of course!

Read part one here on how to join the Peace Corps, and part two for more information on what it’s really like to be a Peace Corps Volunteer!

How did you pay for day to day expenses, like food? Were you given a stipend?

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We love you guys.  I mean, just love you.  And we love to celebrate.

We had a record number of downloads for our tripwolf mobile travel guides for Android and the iPhone last week, thanks to YOU!  So, we’ve decided to give you an early Christmas gift: One more day of FREE mobile guides!

These cities will be free TOMORROW, Tuesday December 20th (So now you have time to share the gift with friends):

Berlin
Madrid
Amsterdam
Salzburg
Istanbul

(You’ll also find them for free tomorrow only in the Android Market.)

Give the gift of traveling easy…you’ll find subway maps, offline maps, augmented reality and more in our guides!

What’s strange for you may be usual for others…and the holidays are certainly no exception.  Some of us may immediately think of our families, and wish we could trade those in for new.  That might not happen any time soon, but you might think of adopting one of these unique Christmas traditions we found around the globe.

1. Tió de Nadal – “The Shitting Log” – Catalonia, Spain

Children beating a Tió de Nadal to make it shit candy. Photo source Catalan Wikipedia. Viquipèdia in català.

There is a Christmas Day or Christmas Eve tradition in Spain that may seem quite strange for those unfamiliar with it.  Each family acquires a ‘tio de nadal’ early in the month.  It sits in the house, under a small blanket, getting ‘fed’ daily up until Christmas.  That is when someone puts the tió partly into the fireplace or the middle of the room and orders it to “shit” by singing traditional songs.  To make him “shit” everyone begins to beat the log with sticks (much fun for children of adults with some stress to release I’m sure.)

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In this second installment celebrating 50 Years of the Peace Corps volunteer program, I asked volunteers to tell me about real life in the Peace Corps.  What was their first impression?  How long did it take them to feel comfortable, and were they properly prepared for their posts? If you’ve been thinking of volunteering with the Peace Corps, I’m hoping this series can get you inspired, and get your some answers on how to do it, and what to expect!  Enjoy ~ see the first piece here about how to volunteer, and look forward to the third installment coming soon.

Lazy Saturday by Lshave on flickr

What was the first impression of the place where  you were posted?

Vincent: My first impression of the place I was initially posted during my training was shocking.  My babe (father in Siswati) spent the night with me in the same hut.  He slept in a chair while I slept in the bed.  I was hot.  It was so hot that night.  I was sweating buckets.  I remember hearing so many strange noises.  I was up all night long.  Thinking about what the hell I got myself into.  I decided that this was not for me.  That next morning I had every intention of dropping out.  

I had never visited the country before.  I did not speak the language.  However, English is one of the official languages.  In the cities and towns, it was pretty easy to navigate yourself.  In the village, it was a little bit more difficult.  My first impression of the people was how friendly they were and how hospitable.  My babe (father) was just welcoming me to his home.  It was his way to show the utmost hospitality to a guest. 

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The “In Paznaun” series is brought to you by Ischgl, Galtür, See, and Kappl. The Paznaun region in western Tyrol is popular for its ski resorts, guaranteed snow through May, and its family-friendly atmosphere.

The vast ski areas, unique panorama, and delectable gastronomic offerings make Kappl in Paznaun one of the best ski areas in the Silvretta Arena skiing region. On December 16 the “Snow-pening” kicks off Kappl’s upcoming winter season — and the numerous discounted rates for a skiing holiday in Tyrol make a ski vacation even more attractive. Both professional and amateurs can benefit from the offers in Kappl that kick off the season.

Photo: TVB-Paznaun

From December 16th to 18th, discounts on day, 2-, and 3-day passes are available.  This is the 6h anniversary of the legendary “Snow-pening” in Kappl!  On this weekend and the first few weeks of the season, a skiing holiday in Tyrol can be particularly enjoyable: The season in Kappl gets more crowded later in the season, if you go early you’ll get the trails all to yourself!

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