August 2010
Travel Back to the Future in Japan
If you’ve visited Japan, then you know that they’re already living in the future. The Japanese have renewable energy, fuel-celled vehicles, ASIMO (the world’s most advanced humanoid robot), and let’s not forget umeboshi, the pickled plums that cure hangovers.
And now, they have virtual reality. Read more »
Beer Connoisseur 101
Backpacker sophistication doesn’t come from knowing your hostel etiquette (don’t snore, don’t borrow other people’s soap, don’t fall asleep on the dorm room floor, ect). It doesn’t even come from chatting with three different people in three different languages at one time. That’s merely child’s play.
Achieving backpacker prominence really comes down to one thing: know your beer. Read more »
Party Hop With Your Europass
Put up your hand if you’re “stuck” in Europe this summer with nothing but your backpack, an iPad (smeared with fingerprints), and a Europass.
Life’s a drag, isn’t it? But don’t worry – you’re not alone out there. Droves of backpackers are hopping trains across Europe in search of the next party.
You see, there’s comfort in numbers. Read more »
New Wake 'n Zip Discounts in Whistler
Land-based activities are seriously overrated. Ask any seabird: the real fun happens when you're either airborne or afloat. Going beyond just opening a new hostel there, HI is continuing in the spirit of absolutely blowing up in Whistler with even more new discounts that celebrate those who fly and those who float. Read more »
Celebrate in Festival City
The sun is high. The streets are bustling. Out on the sidewalk you see jugglers juggling and poets spitting rhymes. Just around the corner the scent of brautwerst mingle with the sound of easy blues. And out on the river, you cheer as colourful dragon boats race by.
No, this isn’t a dream. It’s just a typical summer day in Edmonton, Canada’s own Festival City. Where every day is another celebration.
Suddenly real life isn’t so boring, hey? Read more »
Last Days of Summer
Sorry to break it to you, but summer’s running out of time. As the final days of August roll by like a dog lazing in the sun, don’t forget about all those summertime activities you swore you would do.
Like hike the Grouse Grind. Or rough it out on the West Coast Trail.
Uh, well, maybe not. Read more »
Salmon BBQ at Jericho This Week
The annual Salmon BBQ at HI-Vancouver Jericho Beach is firin' up the grills again this Thursday evening. Local members get to chow down for free while enjoying some live music and see what Vancouver's first hostel has been up to over the year. All this with a new eco-friendly twist. Read more »
HI Hits the Literary World
Along with millions of other people, I loved reading Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. In the third book, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, it's mentioned in passing that a hostel on Långholmen (an island within Stockholm) has been booked for one of the characters. On impulse, I looked it up, and I'm pleased to say that the hostel in question, housed in a former jail, is a Hostelling International hostel. Read more »
Fort Edmonton Park is best place to enjoy vacations with...