Golf on board Costa Cruising

Guests on the Costa Luminosa and the Costa Deliziosa can work on their short game using the customised putting green, which is just a chip away from the simulator. Situated near the top of the ship on Deck 10, the practice area is approximately 100 m2 and features six different holes. The ultra-light synthetic turf and special construction techniques provide true ball roll and make this putting green realistic for the discerning golfer.

In addition to the onboard golfing experience, the Costa Deliziosa and Costa Luminosa have introduced itineraries featuring stops at resorts with actual courses and dedicated golfing excursions.

In the 2010 (northern) summer season, both vessels’ Northern European trips include tours to world-class golf courses from the two main Norwegian ports: the Baerum GolfKlub Oslo and the Meland Golf Club in Bergen.

The Costa Deliziosa offers two regular seven-day cruises: the first to the Northern Fjords departing from Copenhagen (Denmark) with stopovers in Flam, Hellsylt, Geiranger, Bergen, Stavanger and Oslo (Norway).

The second itinerary also operates out of Copenhagen and takes in the Baltic cities with port calls at Tallinn (Estonia), St. Petersburg (Russia), Helsinki (Finland) and Stockholm (Sweden).

The Costa Luminosa is deployed on two regular 11-day itineraries: the first goes to the Baltic cities with departure from Amsterdam (Netherlands) and calls at Copenhagen (Danimarca), Stockholm (Sweden), Helsinki (Finland), St. Petersburg (Russia) and Tallin (Estonia).

The second cruise sails to North Cape from Amsterdam, and includes stopovers in Hellsylt, Geiranger, Honningsvag, Tromso, Giavdal, Trondheim, Andalsanes and Bergen (Norway). There is also an exclusive 20-day cruise to Greenland onboard the Costa Luminosa.

Next (northern) winter on their Arabian Gulf cruises, the Costa Deliziosa and the Costa Luminosa will be offering tours to famous golf clubs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi; a session on the practice range followed by a round on lush courses carved out of the desert against a backdrop of sea, endless beaches and luxury hotels.

Cruisers who choose the Mediterranean routes on one of the other Costa ships can take excursions to the Do Santo Da Serra Golf Club in Funchal, Madeira (Portugal), the Costa Teguise Golf Club in Lanzarote (Spain) and the Glyfada Golf Club of Athens amongst others.

http://www.costacruise.com/

When I was around the age of six I realised that there were people and entire countries out there that spoke different languages. It was so strange and interesting to me, it was like thinking about how the universe goes on forever, it just blows your mind!

Ever since I’ve always wondered what I’m missing out on by not being able to speak their (those foreign peoples) languages. Do they have views and ideas that can only be explained in their own language, as the English language might lack meaning, or dual meaning, or lost in translation or have no translation at all.

In Middle School I decided to give Japanese a shot. Japan seemed so far away and so different, plus it helped that one of my best mates was a Japanese exchange student, he had a hot sister and my mum had long thought Japan was going to be a huge global player and it would help me get a job. No pressure!

I spent 3 years learning the language and the culture, and I wasn’t too bad, not too good either, and I think my teacher was below average. She was a woman absolutely obsessed with the culture, but it was like watching an untrained white guy trying to play basket ball, they just can’t jump and in her case even to the untrained eye she just seemed to miss the point, or take it too far.

University came and went, and I’d lost the passion and was focused on my working career and entertaining the ladies. Hey, I know what you’re thinking, but they were laughing with me, not at me! So now I find that my Japanese is restricted to the use of a few words, which I rarely use and have always wished I’d kept it up.

Well, now I’m in my thirties and I’ve read the 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris, and after a recent stint of unemployment I found myself with plenty of spare time. Again, I can hear you thinking, ‘With all this spare time, what are you whinging about, go out, do stuff, or just relax’, but it turns out it is not that easy.

I find myself questioning what I’m doing, what should I be doing, should I be applying for jobs, or taking a breather? It’s almost impossible to relax as I know every dollar going out ain’t coming back in. I always feel on edge, I’m comparing myself, I think to myself of the lost income and what will happen with my retirement fund? And all you can think about is that you’re wasting this precious gift of time, it should be relaxing, I should be discovering what I want to do, getting involved with the community somehow, feel that connectedness that you felt was missing in the 9-5 job.

Well, the 4-Hour Work Week at Chapter 15 addresses these exact issues. It is one of the most critically important chapters I’ve read in a long time, it’s called ‘Filling the Void’, and although I don’t want to bastardise what Tim has so elegantly put together I’ll try to summarise how one can potentially go about filling the void:

Filling the void (be it through unemployment or retirement) is required, a void allows the mind to turn on itself and creates problems during periods of the nothingness. There are only so many cafe visits you can make until you either have a headache from the caffeine, feel guilty about the cash or just get bored.

I have been through the phase of just being lazy, it lasted a few weeks, it involved movies, popcorn, massages, hanging out with friends in the city during their lunch hours… and not much else. I think everyone needs it to some degree, but then you reach a point, it’s time to find something else – you need the challenge, or you’ll challenge everything that’s going on in your life. It is uncool and unfare to those around you.

To fill the void and really focus on achieving something the following are great starters:

1. Learn a new physical activity - Maybe break dancing, like Tim will show you here.

I’ve decided to give Yoga a crack, I’m 3 weeks in and absolutely loving it, especially the after session hang out time in the kitchen over a fresh cup of chai tea! If you live in Melbourne Australia here’s an awesome place to begin (It’s Ashtanga Yoga and pretty physical).

2. Really get your brain focused on a new culture and language, the goal is to get fluent within 6 months (I’m going to try 3!).This is where you the reader is required to help me.

Asides from trying to reactivate the Japanese within me, I’m looking to use Tim’s recommendations/techniques for learning a language in 3 months but I have been thinking long and hard and I can’t decide what language I want to learn.

I wish in Australia we had a significant influence, the US has Spanish, if I use that model maybe Mandarin is a good choice for down under? Although Asian languages for some reason seem to have little romance to me, so maybe a passion filled language like Italian or French is what is in order? Should I choose a European country that has good employment prospects, learning French might be good for going to Brussels (European Union and all)?

Basically, you can see how my mind works (or doesn’t), it’s not an insignficant choice, so I’m putting it out there, to you the reader. If you can suggest a language and why it’s a worthy language and I believe it is that comment that swayed me one way or the other then I’ll post you Tim Ferriss’ new book when it’s available including postage! I’m going to weigh my options up within the next 2 weeks and choose.

So, please write a comment below and tell me what Language you think I should learn, along with why. If you include any online resources you think are helpful it may also assist in swaying my mind and ultimately winning you the book… Looking forward to reading the suggestions!

This is where Flipster’s come in, they’re convenient (they’re better than disposable flip flops/thongs – or as I call them flip brokens – last pedicure I had in Singapore they lasted 5 steps out of the shop – and they wouldn’t replace them!) and I think they should have a place in the back of anyone’s car, handbag or manbag. If not for yourself, then for people like me when appropriate footwear is not worn. And frankly I don’t care if they’re made for women or men, these things keep bindi’s out and ensure I’m not going to screw up the weekends pedicures (look it was one time, but now I’m branded Mr Pedicure, so I’m rolling with it!).

On the topic of inappropriate footwear, with Spring Carnival upon us, all the women who choose to wear heels that allow them to see old man bald spots, they should consider throwing a pear of Flipster’s in the bag with the hidden booze to ensure they’re looking after their foot digits on the way home when almost all high heels get the flick.

Currently you can buy Flipster’s online at www.flipsters.com.au and enjoy free shipping for a limited time. At $29.95 in 3 sizes there is no reason not to protect your feet – let’s face it, they walk you practically anywhere, also at $29.95 if you step in something uncool at the park, just toss them and buy a new pair!

Cosy, snug and compact for napping on the go, the Westin Heavenly Travel Blanket is a lust item for any traveller. Open, it’s a full sized, soft blanket, fold and tuck into a hidden pocket and it’s a beautiful plush pillow. With a strengthening commitment to guest wellness, the Westin Heavenly Travel Blanket offers the comfort and luxury synonomous with first class travel.

Ten years ago, Westin received a wake up call from travellers, who said in a survey that the most important service a hotel can offer is a good night’s sleep. Spending over US$30 million to create the perfect night’s rest, guests were offered a little slice of heaven with the introduction of the ‘Heavenly’ product range. The ‘Heavenly’ product range is now not only available to guests but consumers worldwide. Truly divine!

www.westin.com/store

iTech Virtual Keyboard AUD$199

It looks like something you would see only in a science-fiction movie, yet this small device could very well represent the future of computing and travel. The virtual keyboard from iTech has one very unique feature: it doesn’t exist, (namely you can’t touch it) because it’s a hologram. Put briefly the VKB projects a virtual keyboard on just about any flat surface, detects your typing and displays the characters on your phone, PDA or PC via a Bluetooth connection.

The VKB is ultra portable and can fit easily into a pocket, making it the ultimate travel companion. It offers a variety of customisable options such as keyboard sensitivity, light intensity, auto-repeat of keys and also power saving options.

Franklin TGA-495 Global Translator AUD$279

Never again will you be lost in translation with the Franklin TGA-495 Global Translator. Containing over 450,000 words and 12,000 phrases and speaking 115,000 words it is ideal for speaking on almost any continent in the world. Boasting 12 different languages, Mandarin, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish it really is an indispensible travel tool.

The Global Translator also features and MP3 player, currency converter, metric converter, world clock, databank for name and phone numbers, calculator, voice recorder to practice pronunciation and games to help improve your vocabulary. The speaking Global Translator is your passport to success in business and leisure travel!

Westin Heavenly Dog Bed AUD$225

Dog owners are market niche who have been underserved in the travel industry until now. Style and fashion have now met ‘mans best friend’ with the new Westin Heavenly Dog Beds custom designed by Eloise Pet Accessories. Our pets can now too travel in comfort with the new, luscious Heavenly Dog Bed. A hit with celebrities such as Daryl Hannah and Deborah Messing these luxurious dog beds are a mirror of the famous ten-layer Westin Heavenly Bed. Pamper your pooch, after all our four legged friends deserve only the very best.

www.westin.com/store

USBCell rechargeable batteries AUD$20

Carting a handful of rechargeable batteries and a charger around the world adds more than a bit of clutter and weight to your luggage or pack. USBCell Rechargeable Batteries solve this problem by embedding the charger into the battery itself. Available in a variety of battery sizes and types, these are pure genius for Flashpackers and traveling gadget lovers.

Dick Smith Electronics

Weighing in at only 3.3 ounces and super sleek and slim you could even carry it in your pocket. The perfect travel companion! Another reason we think its fantastic is because it’s super easy to use. It features one-touch recording and digital zoom with a flip-out USB arm to plug and play directly into your computer.

The built in FlipShare software allows you to save and organize your videos, edit individual clips, make custom movies and easily email and upload them to YouTube so you can add them to all your blogs!

There are a few other awesome features we love! You can take it underwater with the custom Flip Video camera housings (LINK:http://www.theflip.com/store/Product.aspx?SKU=AWC2T) letting you record up to 30 feet beneath the surface. And, you can custom design the look and feel by uploading your very own artwork and images or choose from hundreds of unreal designs (LINK: http://www.theflip.com/store/MinoHD.aspx).

www.theflip.com

Contributions from Courntey Crow @ www.ExplorerGirls.com

Courtney Crow is editor at www.ExplorerGirls.com, a global social networking site for women who travel for adventure and action sports.

Forget them! The best way in the “noughties” to discover the inside scoop on local sights and tips without becoming an octopus or a weightlifter is to go online, download an audio tour or audio guide for your destination, put it on your iPod or MP3 player and you’re good to go.

In most major destinations around the world, audio tours and guides are now being made available by locals in the know about the best places to see and things to do. In Australia and New Zealand Talk’N Tours, an Australian company, has a growing range of audio tours and guides covering the major cities and regional destinations, some available for free download and others at a reasonable price.

Managing Director of Talk’N Tours, Greg Lawrence, believes that travellers should be able to experience their time away from home, without hassles. “Independent travellers want the freedom to explore their destinations at their own pace. They want to stop at what interests them, skip the boring bits, and don’t want to stand about on street corners looking like a tourist. They want interesting, accurate information.”

When you arrive in a new place it takes time to get yourself orientated and if you are an independent traveller relying on guide books or the free handouts from the local tourist office, you’re most likely to spend your time visiting only the “featured” attractions and missing some of the best bits. Even the organised bus tours will probably only hit the highlights, so this new way of discovering cities and places is fantastic!

I had a friend visiting Melbourne recently and suggested he download the Talk’N Tours Marvellous Melbourne tour to his iPhone. When he had a spare afternoon, off he went. Starting at Flinders St Station, (city audio tours almost always start at or near a major transport hub), he was guided through the city discovering The Block Arcade, great for boutique shopping, Chinatown, the “Old Melbourne Gaol” where Ned Kelly was hung, art galleries, gardens and stories of old Melbourne.

The tour used the free Melbourne City Circle Tram for part of the journey too. Overall he saw more and in a shorter time than if he had been sightseeing without the guided audio tour. With a cost of $14.00, the Talk’N Tours audio guide represents great value and the walking was good for him. He also felt he did his bit for avoiding greenhouse gases with the tour being very “eco friendly”!

So the next time you are travelling anywhere go online before you leave home. Without too much effort you can do an online search for an audio tour, such as Talk’N Tours, to suit your destination and interests.

For more information on audio tours and guides in Australia and New Zealand visit: www.talk-n-tours.com