Travel Movie: Roman Holiday

This classic 1953 travel film practically invented a genre. Since then Gidget, Lizzie McGuire, and even Sabrina the Teenage Witch have all had their own Roman Holidays. In fact, there are over 60 films set in Rome, not even counting ancient sword-and-sandals epics.

But this is the original Rome-antic comedy. Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck fall in love while whizzing around the city on a Vespa and taking in sites like the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, the Trastevere, and other iconic Roman attractions.

The movie introduced Audrey Hepburn to American audiences, and won her an Oscar to boot.

Verdict: Buy it

Congo Safari Blog

You can write a blog about your day in Paris, or your week in China, but if you're doing a hard slog straight through the heart of the Congo it takes a few more words.

Belgian travellers Josephine and Frederik (pictured above) did just that when they drive their Landcruiser from Lubumbashi to Kinshasa. They chronicled the journey on this forum thread, and it makes a fascinating read with tales of breakdowns, endless bribe attempts, paperwork and permits, and locals they encountered, all with a tireless enthusiasm and a much-needed sense of humour!

It's 79 pages long, but worth a read!

Word Travels Forum Round-Up #14

The forum at Word Travels has been buzzing this week! Here are a few of the most popular topics:

New Zealand travel updates

Best time of year for an African safari

Is it okay to travel in Tunisia?

Do I need a passport valid for six months?

There are hundreds more threads with topics of all sorts, so the answer to your travel question may be waiting... visit the forum now and see!

Photo by orphanjones

Win a Trip to Peru!

Want to trek Machu Picchu? See flamingos? Bushwhack the Amazon jungle? Take a dip in the most inappropriately-named lake of all time? Pet a llama?

Then click here and enter to win a 10-day trip to Peru!

Picture by Alex E. Proimos

Top 5 Places to Travel in March

You've got some vacation days saved up, and it's time to use it. What are the best places to travel in March? We've found them for you:

Colorado - One of the best times to go skiing in Colorado is March when most of the tourists have left for the season. The prices are significantly reduced, not only in hotels and lodges, but also ski lifts, food and even shopping. With heavy snowfall, blue skies and moderate temperatures, carving through the silky powder down soft white slopes is enough to make any traveller weak at the knees. From Telluride and Steamboat to Aspen and Vail, there are plenty of resorts to enjoy some spring time snow.

Rio de Janeiro - Always a party destination, Rio de Janeiro kicks things into high gear in March with the famous (or infamous) Rio Carnival. Dazzling bright colours, hot samba music, elaborate costume balls and thousands of people having a great time are the order of the day. You can also enjoy Rio's other attractions, like Ipanema beach, the iconic Christ the Redeemerstatue, and a trip to Iguaçu Falls.

Cambodia - Cambodia’s dry season is by far the best time to visit this land off the beaten track. From majestic ruins in Angkor to temples in Phnom Penh and beautiful beaches and islands, Cambodia is a treasure trove of delights just waiting to be discovered. Spend a few days cruising the Mekong River from Phnom Penh taking in the Cambodian landscape along the way. Pass through Kompong Chhnang to visit the market and pottery village, marvel at Southeast Asia’s largest lake, Tonle Sap, and shop at the largest floating village at Kompong Luong before descending on Siem Reap and the World Heritage Site of the Temples of Angkor.

Thailand - While Thailand is a popular travel destination at any time of the year, March hits the sweet spot of low season and you'll benefit from the smaller crowds and lower prices. March can be warm, but not as warm as April and May. Take advantage of the ideal weather by sunning on a beach in Phuket, exploring the nightlife of Bangkok, and soaking up the culture of Chiang Mai.

Ireland - When one thinks of Ireland, there’s only one month that springs to mind: March 17th is St Patrick’s Day, which has become synonymous the world over with all things Irish. Although the weather may not be the best, the atmosphere and energy is electric with much revelry, Guinness and craic surrounding the annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Dublin is always heaving in March when the biggest and best St Patrick’s Day Festival sees thousands of visitors flocking to the Irish capital. For a 100% authentic Irish experience, head to Galway or Cork to enjoy some traditional dancing, a single malt whiskey and a hearty meal.

Travel Movie: Leap Year

Sending the favourite redhead of the moment on a wacky rom-com odyssey across Ireland to succumb to the charms of a local lad and his irresistible accent sounds like a great movie, but unfortunately Leap Year fails as both a rom-com and a travel movie.

Boston native Anna (Amy Adams) is every obsessive and prim leading lady every written, but with red hair. She desperately wants her doctor boyfriend to propose, but he flies to Dublin for a conference instead. Conveniently, it's nearly February 29th and Anna's drunken father reminds her that it's apparently 'permissible' for women to propose on that date.

So Anna jets off to Ireland, but doesn't quite make it to Dublin and washes up on shore in Dingle, where she meets pretty but surly bar owner Declan (Matthew Goode). She hires him to take her to Dublin and hilarity ensues. Guess who she marries?

Aside from the predictable plot, Leap Year plays fast and loose with Irish geography. Many of the views depicted as Dingle were actually shot in Inishmore, Dublin doubles for Boston, and the geographical logic of taking a boat from Wales to Dingle boggles the mind a bit.

Oh, and the beautiful castle ruins pictured above? With the romantic story? Mostly CGI. It's actually the Rock of Dunamase and look like this:

Verdict: Skip it

5 Surprising things that are illegal in other countries

Over the weekend, a rather dim Canadian tourist was arrested in Berlin. His crime? Giving the Nazi salute while posing for a photo in front of the Reichstag. While he had to know that his pose was in poor taste, it's true that most tourists don't know that it is illegal to do the salute in Germany.

It pays to do a little research before you visit another country, or you may find yourself in a lot of trouble for something you didn't know was banned. The website DumbLaws.com has some rather funny examples, but there are a few that you might want to know about. Here's our list of 5 surprising things that are illegal in other countries:

Driving a car shirtless in Thailand. If you rent a car on your holiday in Thailand, better remember to throw a top on after you leave the beach or you may find yourself in a prison uniform.

Kissing on railways in France. So much for the city of love! While I'm sure this silly law gets broken all the time, it's probably best to restrain yourself on the Paris metro. Funnily enough, it is legal to touch a woman's breasts on a train (with her consent, of course)!

Valentine's Day in Saudi Arabia. If you want to be romantic around February 14th in Riyadh, best find a non-traditional way to do it, as red roses, wrapping paper, teddy bears and hearts are removed from the shelves by authorities. Oh, and remember not to kiss or hold hands in public either.

Publicly removing bandages in Canada. We know Canadians are polite, but apparently they're also squeamish. Although maybe they do have a point... who wants to see that? Do it in private.

Flushing the toilet after 10pm in Switzerland. The Swiss just love regulating things. They have rules about when you can hang your laundry, mow the lawn, wash your car, and also flush the toilet. This law applies to anyone staying in an apartment or flat. Oh, and guys? You can't urinate while standing after 10pm either. Love to know how they enforce that one...

Photo by Stewart