#10
Take a VIP Tour of the Heineken Experience - Amsterdam, Netherlands
We have done plenty of brewery tours, including most of the 'big ones' such as Guinness in Dublin, Carlsberg in Copenhagen, Alexander Keith's in Halifax, Coors in Colorado and Budweiser in Missouri. They were all great, and each was well worth the visit, but the VIP Tour at The Heineken Experience in Amsterdam stood out. The tour is intimate, we initially were the only two taking the tour but were joined midway through by a small group from Columbia. Our guide walked us through the whole brewery and through a museum of the breweries history, stopping to explain every detail and tell us stories about the founders and the employees who worked there. During the tour we were able to sample some beer and were given behind the scenes access that the regular tours don't get.
After touring the brewery we were taken to a very swanky looking 'hidden' bar that was accessed through a fake refrigerator door. In this bar we were served 5 of Heineken's other name brands including our favorites, Brand 1340 and Affligem. We were also treated to a special Heineken batch that was not available anywhere else in the world. Each different beer was served with generous portions of excellent quality cheeses and other snacks. We were even offered a refill of our favorite beer!
When the tour was complete we were given special Heineken bottles etched with a custom name and phrase that we chose (full bottles of course!). We were then given wrist bands with two free beer tokens on them and sent to the basement to Heineken's Best 'Dam Bar where all of the other tours finish as well. The place was packed and had an amazing atmosphere. The two tokens got us each two more full beers, and as we walked around and explored the massive underground bar, a few people who clearly were not beer drinkers offered us their tokens as well! On one side of the bar there is a perfect pour challenge where patrons line up on four separate beer taps and attempt to pour the a pint without too much head. The winner gets another free beer and everyone drinks whatever they poured. We gave it a shot obviously and failed miserably!
By the time the experience was over and we emerged into daylight on the street; we had consumed a total of 13 free beer each! We stumbled back to our hotel and slept off the rest of the day, quite pleased with ourselves.
Get your tickets here: https://www.heineken.com/heineken-experience/
Our host and guide, Sanneke was amazing and made the tour a very memorable experience.
Down in the Best 'Dam Bar, where you can just keep drinking if you really want to... just make yourself a vulture and circle around the sick or injured people who clearly don't want their free beer!
#9
TakE a NightTime JUNK-BOAT Tour of The Harbor - Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong has arguably the most fascinating harbor of any city in the world. When the sun sets, the cityscape comes alive with neon lights, dancing spot lights, and massive advertisements. Every single night there is also a choreographed light show timed to music that will blow your mind. Dozens of buildings on either side of the harbor take part in the light show which involves flashing neon lights all over buildings and a myriad of roof-top spot lights moving in unison to music. There may also be fireworks depending on when you go.
All of this is quite the spectacle, and you can choose to view it on multiple nights and from each side of the water, but the best spot to watch it? That would be from the deck of an old traditional junk-boat! We booked our junk-boat well in advance, and if you want to watch the light show from the boat then you better as well because that time slot fills up fast. We chose to go with Dukling Icon of Hong Kong because they have a unique, very traditional three-mast boat that has been running since 1955. Dukling means "Holy Duck" because the hull sort of looks like a duck! Check them out here: https://www.dukling.com.hk/en/home/
Boarding the boat is quick and easy right at the Kowloon Public Pier on the northern side of the harbor, and you will be served beer right away! If you booked during the light show you will have a perfect seat to watch, and then you get a tour of the harbor that lets you really take in all the neon that seems to be endless. The boat itself is very comfortable, and we recommend arriving early and snagging one of the rear upper deck lounger seats. This is the best place to have an unobstructed view and you get to watch the pilot in the tiny little wheel house in front of you. The service on the boat is great and wait staff will come around and offer you drinks regularly.
If you are in Hong Kong, don't miss this fantastic experience!
Such a cool and unique boat. Absolutely the perfect way to check out the world-famous harbor. Go at night to really enjoy the lights.
It's a fairly rough and bumpy ride, so if you are not good with motion sickness, may we suggest more beer?
#8
Watch the Sunrise from the HALEAKALA Summit - Maui, Hawaii, USA
There are many famous sunrise locations around the world that have a case for being named the best; but for us, the summit of the Haleakala crater wins top spot. The beauty of Haleakala is that, at over 10,000 feet above sea level, the summit is very often above the night time cloud cover. The top of the puffy blanket of rolling clouds provides an incredible stage for the star of the show.
You begin the experience by arriving at the summit in total darkness and if you are lucky you will have a clear sky above you that is full of stars. It will be freezing cold so don't be fooled by the tropical heat on the rest of the island. Here you will need winter gear - and bring blankets and seat cushions if you have them. It's important to grab a nice spot to sit as soon as possible because there will be hundreds of people showing up, making premium eastern facing spots hard to come by. If you have a camera or GoPro on a tripod you can make an incredible video, and this is a perfect spot for a time-lapse. Just be cognizant of where you place your tripod because people will swarm to the eastern viewpoints in the dark and may knock it over. Placing the tripod slightly down the hill facing east will ensure you don't get people walking through your shots.
When the sun begins to hint of its arrival, the entire sky slowly begins to illuminate in shades of orange, pink, red and yellow. Very slowly, the increasing light reveals the blanket of clouds before you, and you can see how the clouds appear to roll over the various peaks below them; very reminiscent of vapors escaping from a block of dry ice.The peaks and valleys created by the rolling clouds cause all sorts of shadows and light tricks as the sun nears the horizon and this really is beautiful to watch.
Depending on the weather, you may be treated with a very dramatic silhouette of the other side of the crater with the sun directly behind it. If you get the beauty of the cloud cover then you miss out on this phenomena, so consider going more then once! The moment when the sun breaches the horizon and peaks above the clouds is truly magical and suddenly you feel the warmth shoot right though you, thawing out your frozen cheeks. Take a few pictures and then sit back and enjoy! After the sun has risen and the summit is fully illuminated you can walk around and see exactly where you are. We found that the clouds burned off very quickly and we could then see down to the ocean below, and all the way across the water to the big Island of Hawaii.
Haleakala sunrises now require advance booking and the number of people allowed access is limited. Book well in advance, preferably the moment you book your flights because you don't want to miss out on this experience. When you are in Maui, check online what time the sun will be rising for the day you have booked, and make sure you give yourself far more time then you think you'd need. We left our hotel in Kihei at 1:30am and we were the second vehicle to arrive at the parking lot on the summit. Keep in mind the conditions nearing the summit can be severe winter conditions at any time of the year and you could even find yourself in the middle of a blizzard. Be prepared!
Book tickets here:
https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/haleakala-sunrise-reservations.htm
The summit of Haleakala may seem barren, but it is a National Park Service protected area. In fact, if you look closely you will see totally unique plant species and possibly even high altitude animals.
Don't miss out on this magical experience when you go to Maui! It made our top 10 for good reason.
#7
Tour the Hobbiton Movie Set - Matamata, New Zealand
Welcome to movie lover's heaven! This is not some amusement park recreation, or a real life filming location that looks nothing like it did in the movie scene. No, this really is Hobbiton.
The story of how this other-world came to be is a total missed opportunity followed by a redemptive stroke of genius. When Peter Jackson flew over the cattle farm here and found the perfect location to create his vision of Hobbiton for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the owners of the cattle ranch were skeptical at best. They begrudgingly permitted Peter to construct his set and to film on the property, with one stipulation - that all structures be temporary and any trace of filming be removed when they were wrapped. Peter agreed and Hobbiton was completely dismantled when the Lord of the Rings was completed. Fast forward to the release of the trilogy and the incredible success of the films showed the ranch owners what an incredible opportunity they had passed up. Luck for them, Peter Jackson came knocking once again when he was hired to produce the follow-up Hobbit trilogy, and Hobbiton was completely recreated. Sweet luck! This time, the cattle ranch owners wised up and reversed their previous stipulations, requiring now that the set be constructed with permanent structures and left up after filming. They were now set for life.
Whether you are a die hard Tolkien fan, or you've never even heard of Lord of the Rings, a Hobbiton tour is an incredible experience and worth your time. Hobbiton cannot be accessed aside from the official guided tour. The tours can be booked at the Matamata Visitor Center in the little town nearest Hobbiton. The Matatmata Visitor Center itself looks like it was in a Lord of the Rings movie and sells some cool themed souvenirs. When you show up here to book your tickets, you will be asked which time slot you prefer. Here is a big piece of advice - ask them what time slot has NO people signed up for it and take that one. You may not be lucky enough to show up on a day with some empty time slots, but if you are, you are in for a treat. We did exactly that and we had a private tour all to ourselves! Typically, the tours can be as many people as can fit in a bus, so having a tour entirely alone with our guide made the experience all that more special. Our guide was also thrilled that she got to take us on a private tour and she joked that we must be VIPs. At one point in the tour you come to Bilbo Baggins' Hobbit hole, known as Bagend, with its giant oak tree growing above it. Our guide explained to us how this is not a real tree, but a completely artificial one, and every single one of the thousands of leaves were painstakingly hand made for the films because the original oak tree wasn't in the right spot for Peter's liking. A perk of having our own private tour? She grabbed a couple of leaves and let us take them home!
At the end of the tour, your guide takes you into the Green Dragon Inn where you pull up to the bar for a complimentary pint of exclusive Hobbit beer. Again, because we were alone on our tour, we were treated to a few extra pints! Here in the Green Dragon Inn you can sip your beer on some wing back leather chairs in front of a fireplace and really feel at home.
Links to the official Hobbiton website and the Matamata Visitor Center:
Cheesy tourist shots are a must here! This is the only Hobbit home that you are allowed to enter. Don't be disappointed when you arrive and find out that they are all just facades with no actual internal space. The owners carved just enough out of the hill behind this one so tourists could have some fun with it.
This is your welcome to Hobbitton! It is exactly as it is in the movies, right down to the entirely real vegetable gardens in the middle - which a team of staff actually continuously plant and harvest. Fans of the Lord of the Rings will recognize this exact spot from the beginning of the movie when we meet Frodo, and Gandalf rides by with his fireworks.
"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. He arrives precisely when he means to". - Gandalf (funny, that's Tiff's motto too).
#6
Float in the Dead Sea - Neve Zohar, Israel
Floating in the Dead Sea was one of our first ever bucket list items, but never seemed like a real possibility. The middle east was never really high on the list of places we were likely to travel to next, so this item took a back seat for years. The ancient rock city of Petra was also one of our first bucket list places, right from the moment we found out that the climactic scenes from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were actually filmed in a real place. Still, both places were in the middle east, so maybe one day? Well, that kind of thinking is so out of character for us and when we realized that, we booked Israel and Jordan right away. We are so happy we did!
We knew that people float in the Dead Sea, and we even knew people could lay back and read a newspaper without getting it wet. We thought that was so cool, but it must be exaggerated. When you walk into the water it feels no different then any other lake, except the sand beneath your feet is not sand; it is pure white salt, and it feels a little bit slimy on your skin. Once you wade out to waist deep, turn around and let yourself lay back onto the water. It is at this moment when you realize that something entirely different should be happening. You should be sinking, but you are not. In fact, if you lay back gently enough your back will get wet but your entire front side will never even come close the water. You can do this leaning back, or even laying forward like I am in the cover photo. Laying face down on top of the water surface and not getting a face full of water is, just, weird!
We spent a few hours playing around and seeing what we could do in the salty water, like curl up into a ball by tucking our legs up to our chest and bobbing there. If felt so different then any other experience we had ever had with water that it was hard to believe that it was water. If you head out into slightly deeper water, you can find yourself having incredible difficulty correcting yourself and standing up. The water is so buoyant that it can be nearly impossible to force your arms and legs under! This doesn't feel right at all, but it is so cool!
As far as where on the lake to access the water safely and legally, we recommend Segregated Beach just south of the resort town of Ein Bokek, Israel. While Ein Bokek has incredible beaches, Segregated Beach offers essentially the same thing, but without the crowds. Segregated Beach has all the amenities you need, including brand new change rooms and washrooms, plentiful outdoor showers, a restaurant, and a refreshment stand selling cold beer you can take back to the water with you. There is also a free parking area just steps from the sand. Segregated Beach is just under a 2 hour drive through the desert from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Here are the GPS coordinates: 31.169688, 35.367801.
Be aware that the sun is often very intense in this part of the world and you could burn very quickly. When you are done make sure you shower thoroughly because you don't want to hop back in your car and head off with salt anywhere on you!
Everyone needs to head to the lowest place on earth and experience the sensation of floating in the Dead Sea!
The Dead Sea definitely earned it's spot in our top 10. The refreshment stand selling cold beer a few steps away certainly helped the case.
The entire lake bed is salt. Reach down and scoop up a handful of pure white salt and feel how strange it is to the touch. So slimy!
#5
Drive Yourself Across the Outback - SA / NT, Australia
Australia is massive. Sometimes people forget that when they think of it as an island. Venturing into the outback will very quickly set anyone straight who may have forgotten. The drive we are referring to here is following the Stuart Highway which runs straight through the continent, a total of 2834km from the city of Port Augusta in the south to Darwin in the north. The only city along the Stuart Highway between Port Augusta and Darwin is Alice Springs, nearly dead center of the route. The southern stretch, from Port Augusta to the resort town of Yulara at the famous Uluru (Ayers Rock) is 1274km. The desert you pass through here is known as The Red Center. This stretch is one of the most desolate and isolated paved roads on the planet. And you gotta drive it!
The best way to enjoy the drive is certainly in a camper van. There are plenty of campgrounds that you can spend the night in, often for free. There is also a truck stop fairly early on in the journey that makes a good spot for the first night. The truck stop is considered the town of Pimba and includes a diner where you can enjoy really nice food... and learn about the flies you are going to encounter in the outback. Really, the flies are beyond terrible. The flies were the only part of the outback that we didn't like, and there are a lot of them. In some places, the moment you step out of your vehicle and turn around you could have hundreds of them attempting to land on and in your face. We broke down very quickly and purchased hoods made of netting and a drawstring around you neck. These were a lifesaver! Forget creams or sprays, get the nets! The locals will tell you that the "Australian salute" is swatting flies from your face. Don't worry about how silly you will look, at least you will have your sanity.
The next perfect place to spend the night is in the opal mine town of Coober Pedy. This is a totally unique town where residents mining for opals began to turn their mines into houses, and even some community buildings in order to escape the intense desert heat. The locals also realized that tourists love the idea of staying in an underground hotel, so you can find a few of those here. We stayed a few nights in an underground room inside an opal mine at the Lookout Cave Motel. We absolutely loved it!
The remaining stretch from Coober Pedy to Yulara is devoid of much of anything by way of resources, like fuel and food. Stock up in Coober Pedy because the last thing you want is to run out of either in a place where another vehicle may drive by once in an hour. There are a few stretches where you will need to drive over 250km between fuel stations. Our camper van did not have a large enough tank to be sure we'd make this so we made a point of cutting the engine and coasting on some of the straightaways to conserve our fuel. If your vehicle has the ability, carry a Jerry can.
It may not seem like it, but this is one of the most challenging and rewarding road trips on earth. Take your time and spend at least a few nights along the way as there is far more to explore then you would expect.
Here is a link to the Google Map of the driving route:
Not everyone who attempts the 1274km drive from Port Augusta to Yulara finishes the journey! This skeleton of a Wicked Campers camper van is one of many wrecked and abandoned vehicle carcasses we saw along the way. Also, no that is not graffiti - that's how this van rolled out of the Wicked lot - except we're pretty sure it had wheels and windows !
Did we mention that it's flat? It is FLAT! Forever. Falling asleep is a risk on these flat straight roads that never seem to stop. It's a really good idea to make yourself pull over every so often to stretch and get some air and water. Keep in mind that if you drive in, you have to drive out too!
#4
Get Freaked Out At Halloween Horror Nights At Universal Studios - Universal City, California, USA
One of the best nights of our lives! We've always loved haunted houses and Halloween in general, but we always snubbed our noses at theme parks. But when we found out that the theme at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios was going to be The Walking Dead, we were sold. We booked "front of the line" VIP tickets online because the crowds and lines were a big part of why we always shied away from theme parks. Boy were we glad we did!
The night begins when the park closes for the day and all of the daytime guests are herded out the gates. The staff quickly convert the park into a terrifying assortment of themed horror zones; some based on movies and some just based on what scares people... like clowns! The year we went included seven horror mazes such as The Walking Dead, An American Werewolf in Paris, Aliens Vs Predators, Clowns in 3-D (which required 3-D glasses), From Dusk Till Dawn, Dracula, and Face Off In the Flesh. The mazes are incredibly well done with professional actors, impressive animatronics, and as high a quality of props as you will ever find in a haunted house. The entire experience is so well done you will believe that you are on the set of the movie.
The 3-D Clown maze was particularly impressive. Wearing the 3-D glasses made all of the clowns and the gore pop right out at you. There was even one point in the maze where you walk through butcher shop flaps into a room where a clown is cutting up an actor on a table with a circular saw and you get sprayed with the blood while the entrails fly out... yes gross, but also incredibly terrifying! Aliens Vs Predators was by far the most jaw dropping as you would come around a corner and an 8 foot Predator would burst through a wall and blast a 10 foot Alien. All animatronic and shockingly realistic!
There are a handful of the park's regular rides open for you to try out, including Jurassic Park, Transformers, The Simpsons, The Mummy and Despicable Me. Each year the rides and mazes change so check online around late July to see what's on for the current year.
The entire park is also set up with themed horror zones that you must walk through to get from one maze or ride to another. For the year we went there were zones set up for The Purge, Black Christmas, and The Walking Dead. Each zone is decked out with props and totally full of actors dressed up in convincing costumes and makeup. The Walking Dead actors were extremely realistic and were exactly as they appear and behave on the show!
In the Universal Studios park there are large signs that show lists of all the attractions and estimated wait times for each. We added up all of the estimated wait times and realized that they totaled up to longer then the park was actually open, which means that people without VIP passes may not get to see every attraction in a single night. The VIP pass was absolutely worth the extra money because not only did we breeze past every single line and walk right into each maze or ride, but we were able to do some of them twice. The VIP pass also gave us plenty of time to take a break for food in the Jurassic Park cafeteria.
While you are waiting for the park to close and set up for horror, you can spend the afternoon at Universal CityWalk - an outdoor mall full of cool and unique shops and restaurants, and even a cinema. You can drive up and park in the massive parkades on site or take the Metro right from downtown Los Angeles and get off at the Universal City/ Studio City station.
Get your tickets and see this year's theme and special attractions here:
The entrance to the 3-D Clowns maze.. by far the most gory and realistic horror either of us had ever seen. The 3-D aspect of it really adds to the terror!
This is the Black Christmas zone. Those are all actors dressed up in full movie quality costumes... and you have to walk through them. At one point, a little person dressed as a dead elf chased us down the street with a giant axe!
#3
Soak in the Hot Waters Of the Blue Lagoon - Grindavik, Iceland
If ever there was an attraction that we had thought was most likely overrated, it was the Blue Lagoon. We expected it to be no different than any other hot springs we had been in, or even just an outdoor public pool with pretty colored water. Boy were we mistaken! The Blue Lagoon easily made our top three spot for the best experiences we've ever had. It is also the experience that we will do as often as we can. Less than one year after first enjoying the lagoon we had already booked our next visit.
So what makes the Blue Lagoon so special? Plain and simple, it is all about contrast; both visual and sensational. The combination of the temperature of the water in contrast to the air temperature, and the contrast of the water color to the mud color, to the surrounding rock color is an extremely satisfying experience for the senses. The fact that this exact experience can be found nowhere else on earth also adds to the fact that this is special.
The amazing thing is, the lagoon is man-made and was never intended to be a spa or mineral bath. The nearby geothermal plant pumps water into the earth where it is heated by magma and passes by a heat-exchanger to supply hot water to the city. After the majority of the heat is transferred via the heat-exchanger to clean water for use in the city, the water then flows back up to the surface full of suspended silica that was created by the volcanic process, and the Blue Lagoon is actually the tailings pond of this plant! Well lucky for us, the water comes up at a consistent 99-102 Fahrenheit, which happens to be perfect hot tub temperature! When you wade around the lagoon you can find areas where the cold air has cooled the water if you want to cool off a bit, or you can find the thermal vents where the slightly hotter water is flowing up into the lagoon and enjoy the heat. If you are worried about the cleanliness of the water, don't be. The only living organism found in the lagoon other then people, is blue algae which provides the tint to the water. Remarkably, fecal bacteria, environmental bacteria, and fungi, which are common in other hot springs and public pools, cannot survive here. Everyone who enters is also required to shower just to keep the water clear of hair products, oils and lotions. The water is completely refreshed about every two days anyways.
The lagoon itself is massive, covering some 50,000 square feet. There may be a ton of people in the change rooms getting ready to enter, but when you get outside and enter the pool you will find ample space for everyone. We never felt crowded while we were in the water. There are all sorts of cool areas within the lagoon including a swim up bar, a swim up mud mask bar, a swim in cave, a meandering river that leads to a waterfall, a sauna and steam room, and various coves separated by bridges you must swim under. If you'd like you can also swim over to the spa and get an in-water massage. There are purified water drinking fountains all around the lagoon, and it is recommended that you consume a lot of water during your visit to stay hydrated. The staff limit each guest to two alcoholic drinks because the hot water and alcohol can lead to medical issues.
If you are planning to go, keep in mind that you cannot just show up, you must book ahead. There are three options to choose from that will get you into the water. The first and cheapest is the Comfort level, which essentially gets you access with a towel, a mud mask, and one free drink. This option runs anywhere from 50 to 86 Euros. The second option is the Premium level, which includes everything that the Comfort level does but with a robe, slippers, a second mud mask, table reservations at the on site restaurant, and a glass of sparkling wine with dinner. This option is roughly double the price as the Comfort level. The third option is the Luxury Retreat Spa, which is a very exclusive section of the lagoon that cannot be accessed by other guests, and includes far more then Comfort and Premium. This of course will cost you! Here are the details for the Luxury Retreat Spa: https://www.bluelagoon.com/day-visit/retreat-spa
Of course, if you are a high roller, you can always stay at the on site hotel which comes with automatic access to the lagoon. Just don't be shocked if you have to pay over $1000 CAD per night! Whatever you decide to do, no visit to Iceland is complete without a full few hours spent in the Blue Lagoon.
This is one experience you will never forget. Give yourself at least a few hours to really enjoy it. Your pass has a specific entry time but once you are within the facility you may stay as long as you like.
Every pass to the lagoon comes with at least one silica mud mask. It's sort of obligatory that you do it when you're there as it's part of the whole experience. Don't worry, you aren't scooping the mud from the lagoon and wiping it on your face. They have clean and sterilized containers of it in the spa.
#2
TakE a Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride Over Thousands of Temples - Bagan, Myanmar
One of rarest experiences on our list - far less people get to experience our number two spot then probably should. Most people never get themselves up in a hot air balloon, let alone a hot air balloon in the jungles of Myanmar. Hot air ballooning is not for the faint of heart. It can be scary and there is no room for panic when it's up in the air. For those brave and steady enough to give it a shot, the experience is unbelievable... literally!
The experience begins by being picked up from your hotel very early in the morning and brought to a field where you join everyone else having a ride that day. It is still nearly pitch black and your way is lit by candles and the staff have headlamps on. You are brought to tables set up in the field and served a gourmet breakfast with tea or coffee. You sit in the candlelight and watch as the staff prepare the balloons for the flight while you get to know the folks you will be riding with. All of the balloons are laid out in the field and tractors are positioning the baskets. After breakfast is complete you get to watch as the balloons are slowly inflated, and this is quite a show in itself with massive roaring flames lighting up the dark, predawn sky. When the balloons are all ready to go, you are given a quick safety demonstration and then you jump in!
There are several companies that run sunrise balloon rides here and each of them is in its own field, but close enough that you will see all of the other balloons rising slowly above the trees around you. It is quite the spectacle to watch as dozens of red, yellow, and green balloons rise in all directions, near simultaneously. At this point it is just light enough to see but the flames of each balloon are still very dramatic as they light up the sky, ferociously forcing hot air into the balloons to make them rise.
Once you are up in the air and you first look down, you may become disoriented. The lack of depth perception combined with the fact that this is not natural may confuse the heck out of your brain - that's perfectly normal. If watching the ground makes you dizzy or start to panic, look straight on the horizon, or up at the balloon until it passes. We didn't experience any dizziness or panic but were certainly tripped out by how the ground looked to us.
The sunrise was exceptional! Our pilot rose to about 2000 feet for the sunrise which was the perfect angle to see all of the other balloons, some in our plane, some well above us and some below. It was an experience that was hard for us to believe we were really having, but it was absolutely one of the coolest things we had ever done. The ride can last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and fifteen minutes. Our pilot was great and kept us up longer then the rest of the balloons, giving us a very low flyby of the town of Bagan just before touching down in another field. After the ride everyone was treated to a light lunch and glasses of champagne. They present you with a small gift and you are given a USB stick with images and video from a GoPro that was strapped to your basket. All in, a tremendous once in a lifetime experience that we wish more people could have. Myanmar is not the most accessible of countries, but that seems to be changing.
We chose to go with Golden Eagle Ballooning and we loved every moment of it. The baskets are smaller than some of the competitors, and the smaller the basket, the less people on board and the better views you get. If you are lucky enough to be heading to Myanmar, book the ride early and make sure you leave a few days in Bagan after the ride in case it must be rescheduled due to weather.
The sunrise from the balloon was stunning. The jungle was covered in morning mist that rose and burned off as the sun came up, and began to reveal the spires of thousands of temples below. But the real star of the show was the dozens of other balloons floating silently in all directions, with the ones to the east presenting only as silhouettes. It was a magical moment as one balloon passed by and from our view entirely eclipsed the sun.
Looking down on the temples from about 2000 feet up. From this height the things on the ground look so surreal - we could have been convinced that we were looking at the scenery in a computer game or a very fine painting. There is also almost no depth perception and the basket is so calm while you float silently that not stepping out of the basket onto the giant painting below is something you have to remind yourself not to do. That's a very odd thing to say but it is true!
#1
Drink way too much at Oktoberfest - Munich, Germany
"A TOAST"
A toast, a toast
To cheer and good times
A toast, a toast
To cheer and good times.
ONE! TWO! THREE! DRINK UP!
That's the English translation of the song you will hear repeatedly during Oktoberfest called Ein Prosit. The song both perfectly sets the mood for, and sums up the festival in just a few simple words. Whenever you hear this song you better sing along and when the countdown is done you better take a big swig from your stein! By the way, the song is typically played by the band every 20 minutes or so, so expect to drink fast.
Oktoberfest is infamous the world over as an incredible beer-drinking party. If you don't drink beer, you are not going to have the same experience as everyone else there, nor will you have the experience you should. Most tents serve wine for non-beer drinkers, but as you can imagine, drinking wine really excludes you from the festivities and the splendor. This is after-all, a celebration of the golden elixir.
For the beer lovers reading this, you will never have so much fun drinking beer in your life. Nor will you ever drink so much of it at one time. That's a guarantee. The moment you take a seat in one of the beer tents is the moment you are beginning a beer-drinking marathon. The servers walk around taking orders continuously and if you ever turn one of them down when they ask if you'd like another round, you're race is over. That server is not coming back to you so you might as well head out to another tent. Sometimes the servers don't even bother to ask you first since it's faster for them to just make one trip and bring you another round before you ask for it. We found that we could be just half-way through one beer when the next round was delivered. You better finish the one you've got so the next one is still cold when you get to it. Also, the beer only comes in two sizes... liter or half-liter. Don't order the half-liter if you plan to maintain your social standing. Keep in mind that you need to bring plenty of Euros because the tents are mostly cash only. Rule number one in any tent, keep your server happy.
The atmosphere in each tent is different, and so is the decor. Try to spend some time in as many tents as you can stomach but at the very least, pop your head in and check them all out. It is a good idea to research the tents ahead of time and make decisions on which ones you intend to spend the most time in. Remember that each tent serves different beer and all of the beer served during the festival is required to have been brewed in one of Munich's breweries. There is a list of the 'big six' breweries that are the most popular. Try your best to spend some time enjoying each of these six but also make a point of trying some of the smaller brews. The big six are Paulaner, Augustiner, Spaten-Franziskaner, Lowenbrau, Hacker-Pschorr, and Hofbrau. Each of these big six brew a special batch specifically for Oktoberfest that is only available at the festival. The beer is usually 6% alcohol but it is incredibly smooth and easy to drink. We spent most of our time between Hofbrau, Spaten-Franziskaner, and Hacker-Pschorr. While most tents will have a lighter beer known as a helles, and a darker beer known as a dunkel, the Spaten-Franziskaner tent had a dunkel that was absolutely our favorite.
Find current information on the tents here: https://www.oktoberfest.de/en/beer-tents/big-tents
When you are in one of the larger tents, the electricity in the air is palpable. The crowd is buzzing, and the live band is playing traditional Bavarian music that really feels good. Every few minutes some brave soul will stand on their table and the crowd will cheer them on as they attempt to shotgun their beer. If they succeed they are met with robust cheering and clapping, and maybe someone buys them their next round. But if they fail, they can expect people to throw things at them and boo viciously. Shotgun attempts often result in immediate challengers who pop up and attempt to finish their beer first. It is great fun to watch, but don't be one of the ones who has clearly had to much because you will be escorted out. Our best tip for you if you plan to attempt a shotgun is to let a round sit and get to room temperature before you start chugging, it will go down far easier.
The beer may be the reason to go, but the food that is served in the tents is also worthy of praise. All traditional Bavarian fare, and all tremendously delicious. The schnitzel, the warm potato salad, the pretzels, the sausages, and the cheese bread all provide the perfect stomach-settling solid food you need to keep your beer marathon on track. We found that the salty and doughy cheese bread was exceptional as a share snack and we kept a pile on the table. The hardest part of finishing the marathon for us was that we would get way too full and have to stop. Our friend Nick downed a total of 14 liters of beer on one day spent sitting at a single table in a single tent, and that is how the marathon is won!
How many days you spend at the festival is entirely up to your personal beer-drinking endurance. We chose to spend five days in Munich, with four of them spent almost exclusively at the festival and that was perfect for us. Munich is a city steeped in history and rich with exceptional architecture. The Hofbrauhaus Munchin is a must-visit beer hall and is everything you expect a Bavarian beer hall to be. If you like weird stuff, check out the Rathaus-Glockenspiel at the Marianplatz a few blocks away.
Make sure you familiarize yourself with the train system so that you can find your way back to your hotel, even when you can barely remember your name, and be sure to drink lots of water. You will have the time of your life!
Find all the info you need on Oktoberfest on the festival's official site: https://www.oktoberfest.de/en
The best way to experience Oktoberfest is to go with friends. The friends you go with can make a huge difference and we were so lucky to have been joined by our close friends Nick and Erika - who are amazing people. If you don't have anybody to go with don't fret because everyone there is extremely friendly and welcoming, but don't go if you don't plan on dressing up. Half the fun is that everyone is dressed like they belonged at the original festival. Nobody cares how silly you may look!
Every one of the dozens of tents has an entirely different atmosphere. The decor is different, the arrangement of the tables is different, the lighting is different, and the music playing is different. The three things every tent has in common? 1- they will be packed, 2- they will serve bottomless beer, and 3- they will play the song Ein Prosit (A Toast) every 20 minutes and you have to drink up!
It's really hard to believe that these are all tents and they are only up for the festival. The rest of the year they sit in storage and the grounds are a bare concrete lot.
This is an Oktoberfest breakfast! If you plan to have a table in any of the tents, you can either book a reservation ahead of time, or get to the tent nice and early to grab a non-reservable table. If you go early, have an Oktoberfest breakfast with all the staples. It may be breakfast but still, you can't say no to the beer.
Not only is Oktoberfest an absolute beer drinker's heaven, but it is a family event too. Outside the tents and spread over a massive fairground are countless rides and amusement park games to try. The star of the park is the Ferris wheel with its amazing views over the festivities.
It is incredible that every single tent will have at least 2000-3000 people in it and the outside areas will be full at all times as well. The scale of this festival is staggering.
The most amazing time! It is hard to express how special this experience is. We definitely plan on one day going back to relive the whole thing.
The Ferris wheel sits as the centerpiece of the festival grounds and you have to take a ride to see the true scale of the event. From the top of the wheel you also get a terrific view over the city of Munich.
The Honorable Mentions
Float around the Canals in a Hot Tub - Netherlands
See a Show at The Gorge Amphitheater- Washington, USA
Float around the Canals in a Hot Tub - Netherlands
Rent a Hot Tug and sail around the famous Netherlands canals in your hot tub boat! The boat is literally a hot tub with a motor. The water is heated by a wood fire at the front of the boat and is propelled by a silent electric motor. The boat sits just a few inches above the water and you lay back and relax as you very slowly cruise the old brick-lined canals. You can bring your own food and drink, but if you want alcohol you must purchase from Hot Tug. You get a laminated map of the canals which shows you where it is safe to sail, and all you need to know is what time to be back. You gotta do this!
Get a Sak Yant Tattoo - Thailand
See a Show at The Gorge Amphitheater- Washington, USA
Float around the Canals in a Hot Tub - Netherlands
Sak Yant is a Southeast Asian traditional method of tattooing using a rod with an ink reservoir. Traditionally the rod would be made of bamboo but these days you will typically find stainless steel thanks to it's ability to be sanitized. The Sak Yant tattoo is quite a bit rougher then the modern motor driven tattoo gun and you will feel like you are being tortured, but remarkably it heals fully within 3-4 days. This means you will be free to get back to swimming in the ocean and sun tanning very quickly after your tattoo. The tattoo is done by a Buddhist monk and comes along with a ceremony and blessings. Do your research and chose an artist that guarantees fresh needles AND fresh ink for every tattoo. This is extremely important. If you do not see your artist open a new ink vial for you, do not get the tattoo. It is a very interesting experience and one you will always have with you!
See a Show at The Gorge Amphitheater- Washington, USA
See a Show at The Gorge Amphitheater- Washington, USA
See a Show at The Gorge Amphitheater- Washington, USA
Everyone should see at show at the natural amphitheater known as the Gorge. We were lucky enough to catch one of our favorites here: Kings of Leon. The venue is fantastic and just up the hill is a massive camping area that ranges from absolute chaos in tent city, to various levels of luxury glamping with terrific views over the river valley below. The Gorge is just a 2.5 hour drive from downtown Seattle. If you're staying in the area check out some of the fantastic wineries nearby.
Road Trip on the Coast - Oregon, USA
See the ALL blacks Do The HakA - New Zealand
See a Show at The Gorge Amphitheater- Washington, USA
The drive down the Oregon coast should be a bucket list item for everyone. The drive offers so many differing landscapes and unique attractions while being relatively free of crowds. The perfect road trip starts and finishes in Portland while driving south down the coast and then back north through the interior. Do this road trip slowly and take at least two weeks to do it if you can.
Picnic on Whitehaven Beach - Australia
See the ALL blacks Do The HakA - New Zealand
See the ALL blacks Do The HakA - New Zealand
Very possibly the most beautiful beach on the planet! Whitehaven beach is on Whitsunday Island in Queensland, Australia. The beach is only accessible by permit or with a tour company that has a group permit. This strict control means the beach maintains its pristine allure. The beach is incredibly clean and so is the water. The sand gets its incredible bright white shine from the fact that is upwards of 98% volcanic silica. The silica makes the beach unbelievably soft. You will think you are looking at and walking on a beach made of sugar. Take a tour that will give you plenty of time on the beach and one that provides a gourmet lunch and beer.
See the ALL blacks Do The HakA - New Zealand
See the ALL blacks Do The HakA - New Zealand
See the ALL blacks Do The HakA - New Zealand
The New Zealand All Blacks are probably the most famous rugby team in the world, and they owe it to the traditional Maori ceremonial dance that they perform before each match, known as the Haka. If you've never seen the Haka performed, it is characterized by a large group posturing with vigorous movements like slapping and stomping of the feet, accompanied by rhythmic shouting and intense facial expressions. When done well this ceremonial dance can give you the chills. There is no better way to experience this then live at their home field, Eden Park in Auckland.