With Its Beautiful Daytime Attractions And Its Thriving Nightlife, Budapest Is A City Of Twos In More Ways Than One

By Sarah Parker

Don’t be fooled by the sensible and elegant appearance of the Budapest locals, as soon as the sun goes down Budapesters love to shed their stodgy image and get down at one the many hotspots located in this resurgent, cosmopolitan capital of Central Europe. The word’s been spreading, and Budapest has begun to garner a reputation as a city known not just for its amazing beauty (as seen during the daylight hours), but also as a destination for weekend-goers and young travelers hoping to experience the excitement of a city awakening from its sleepy history.

Budapest is the combination of two ancient towns — Buda and Pest — which are separated by the Danube River. With its breathtaking view, the area known as Castle Hill (on the Buda-side) offers one of the most spectacular sights of Budapest. Given it’s elevated location, this locale has historically been the most important both strategically and culturally and it’s been home to the city’s royalty throughout the years. At the top of the hill is a charming old town with quaint little bars and cafes; a great place to start out the evening on a warm, summer night. From here you can see the Chain Bridge (the suspension bridge that’s one of Budapest’s most notable landmarks) and gaze out over the many lights that seem to float over the Danube and above the city of Pest. (more…)

With Its Mix Of Modern Casinos And Historic Portuguese Past, Macau Is A Land Of Contrasts

By Justin Calderon

Just down the cobblestone alley from the ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral, a heavy-set British woman is being served a Portuguese egg tart by a Chinese street vendor. The air smells of pork cutlets cooking on a grill and the smoke lingers upwards towards the yellow and white trimmed colonial building at the base of a well manicured hillside. This kind of scene is becoming a rare reality in South China. Before globalization began making its mark with every McDonald’s franchise it could muster, colonization was the face of Asia. A face that can be seen everywhere from Shanghai’s famous British financial district — also known as the Bund — to Phnom Penh’s old French quarters. However, the elements of old colonial society and modern globalization have never met in any place quite like they have in the small Chinese municipality of Macau.

The contrasting cultures found in Macau portray a palette of color rarely seen in Asia. However, the colors most often associated with Macau aren’t those of the colonial buildings of Largo do Senado (Senate Square), but instead those of the intoxicating nightlife fueled by the rows of casinos filled with sunglass-wearing Chinese tourists in black suits hovering around gaming tables. It’s an area of contrasts; a world where Hunter Thompson himself would have found plenty of material. (more…)

Neuschwanstein Is A Bavarian Wonder Built With Fantasy In Mind

By Brandon Darnell

It’s the perfect castle in the perfect setting built during the wrong time. Perched high in the German Alps, Neuschwanstein Castle is the epitome of the fairy tale palace with its beautiful white limestone facades and numerous turrets and spires, but given that it was built several hundred years after medieval times, the large windows carved out of every wall help attest to the fact that it was built as a home, not a fortress.

Neuschwanstein Castle towers over the Bavarian village of ohenschwangau, just a short bus ride from the nearest train station in Fussen. The surrounding mountains are dotted with evergreen trees and numerous lakes; one of which was where the dead body of King Ludwig II (or the swan-King) was found floating shortly after he went mad, and many years after he ordered the castle to be built in the late 1860s as an homage to the bygone era of knights and mythology. (more…)

An Insider’s Look At The Greek Island Of Lefkada

By Andy Boxall

If you’ve never fulfilled your travel ambition of visiting a Greek island due to your reluctance to take to the open seas, located off the west coast, the Ionian island of Lefkada may be just what you’re looking for (click here for a map). Although the island is a six-hour drive from Athens, it’s possible to take a 45 minute flight from Athens International Airport and then hire a car, something considered essential once you’re there anyway. After crossing the short bridge that connects the mainland to Lefkada,
you’re almost immediately amongst an abundance of trees, reenery and mountains.

Lefkada retains the traditional Greek island feel. The livelier towns of Nydri and Lefkas have plenty of afés, restaurants, shops and a smattering of nightlife; quieter villages like Vassiliki are less touristy and better for enjoying true Greek cuisine and mingling with the locals. Travel out of town however, and the island will begin to make sense; Lefkada isn’t about busy streets, it’s about beauty. (more…)