Birmingham is England’s second city, but is often overlooked when it comes to culture, when the truth is that is has as much, if not more, to offer than most cities in the nation. From festivals to museums to art galleries, there is much to be enjoyed in Birmingham, and a weekend break here to take in all that this fascinating city in the West Midlands has to offer is highly recommended.

If you do come for a weekend, then at 11.30am on the Saturday morning you should be in place to take one of the guided city walks. These sightseeing walks around the city centre are a great introduction to Birmingham if you have never been before and you will find out a lot about the history of the city and the colourful figures from its past that have helped to make it the vibrant city that it is today. There are a good number of hotels in Birmingham city centre to choose from as a base to explore what the city has to offer.

The Birmingham Museum and art gallery is well worth a visit to browse around its vast collection of artefacts and pieces that tell the story of the past 400,000 years in and around the Birmingham area. As well as the permanent displays, both the museum and the art gallery house exhibitions such as the collection of pre-Raphaelite works that is currently proving extremely popular.

The premier touring ballet company in Britain is the Birmingham Royal Ballet, formerly known as Sadler’s Wells. The company relocated back in 1990 to new, purpose built premises at the Hippodrome and lead the world in creation of both new and innovative interpretations of some of the most popular ballets. When they aren’t on tour, they perform frequently at the Hippodrome and timing a visit when they are at home is highly recommended.

New York City, or the Big Apple, as tourists like to affectionately call it, is known for its glamour and exciting opportunities.  It is the place that all celebrities flock to and certainly has some of the glitziest and happening nightclubs on the eastern side of the United States.  However, for the rest of the normal population it still has some great glitzy and fun activities to take part of even if you are on a budget.  The following are just a few things you should do if you want to see and experience NYC without spending your entire month’s rent in the process.

First off, to get the true Times Square Experience you do not have to spend any money. As anyone who has been to NYC can tell you, the true experience is simply standing out on the streets watching the chaos take place.  Even if you only browse through the shops, almost every stop is a pop culture icon. From Macy’s to FAO Schwartz to looking up at MTV Studios to riding the escalator up through the Virgin Megastore, simply being at these locations is enough to feel glamorous.

After you start to get a bit excited, calm down by jumping onto a subway and head into Central Park where you will find plenty of perks and a bit slower pace than the city has to offer- all of course without leaving the city. From the zoo buried inside the Park to the horse drawn carriages and iconic statues you can easily spend a day in the park and still feel as if you missed something.

The beautiful island of Majorca is the largest of Balearic Islands that nestle in the Mediterranean Sea. It offers both some of the best beaches you will find anywhere as well as numerous pretty, traditional towns and villages that give people a real taste of Majorcan life. Exploring the stunning island of Majorca will make for a far more satisfying holiday than lying on a beach all day, so make the most of your time here.

A combination of bustling, vibrant resorts and natural beauty makes Majorca one of the most exciting holiday destinations. There are so many attractions to explore and enjoy that the longer you can stay here the better and can’t do the island justice in a week. As the economy of the island relies heavily on the tourism industry, the residents bed over backwards to ensure that all visitors here have the times of their lives.

The best to go exploring is by looking into car hire in Majorca. This gives you the freedom to go beyond the resorts and visit towns and villages that rarely appear on the maps. Local tourist information bureaus are a great place to start when seeking directions out into the countryside, and they will often have loads of information as to what gems are hidden inland waiting to be discovered.

If you are a lover of old buildings and architecture then a visit to Valldemossa Monastery will really appeal. It sits in the high hills of the Valldemossa region and is easy to spot from the ground due to its elevated position. With a long and colourful history, this is just one of the ancient buildings that are hidden away in the lush green landscape that is at odds with the blazing sun.

If you love Majorca but are tiring of the crowds and looking for something more from your holiday, hiring a car and seeing the best of the island is highly recommended, and don’t forget your camera.

This year, the Star Wars franchise celebrates its 35^th anniversary, so why not celebrate by heading to the deserts of Tunisia where most of the film was actually shot. Of course, outside of seeing the film locations there is plenty more to do since the country does offer quite a few unique luxury hotels and attractions to keep the average holiday break filled with fun.

Those who are heading to Tunisia mainly for Star Wars will want to book a room at the Dar Hi hotel, a futuristic treat that is the perfect base for sci-fans to get into the proper mood for their trip. With rooms that are situated out on a ledge and completely encapsulated in glass, the hotel itself is something to see.

Must see attractions inTunisiafor Star Wars fans include the saltlakeofChottel-Jerid, although most holiday makers are going to recognize the area as Tatooine. Also of note is the neighbouring town of Tozeur which is primarily an oasis town that was fortunate enough to call the Star Wars cast family for a few months.

Those that want to escape the Star Wars theme for a few days will want to explore the ancient city of Carthage which is now an official UNESCO world heritage site as well as spend some time out on the beach. In addition, there are plenty of markets and water parks to keep you busy and entertained until the break ends. Pasty Star Wars fans will want to make sure they bring plenty of sunscreen however, as the desert sun will fry just about anyone in a few hours.

We hear tell frequently that we live in a material world, and for many this is the case, but what would you prepared to give up in exchange for life changing experiences? This is the question that Stories Beat Stuff have been asking for a while, and in return for your stories of what you would give up, Tourism New Zealand have been giving away great free stuff to those deemed to have the best stories.

This has now reached its next phase, and the prizes up for grabs now are all expenses paid trip for the winner, and three friends to the fascinating, enchanting, and utterly beautiful country of New Zealand. With a choice of Winter Highlife and Natural Goodness, and you get to choose which one to enter depending on which you get your kicks from.

Choose the Winter Highlife trip and you will be flown across the world to enjoy some of the greatest winter sports you will find anywhere. With your accommodation thrown in and even a rental car at your disposal, and all lift passes, equipment rental etc included, you have the makings of the ultimate winter holiday. As you will be there at the same time as the Queenstown Winter Festival, the trip of a lifetime is guaranteed.

So now your attention is well and truly grabbed, you will want to enter. That’s the easy part, simply take a video or a photo of yourself with what you would give up, upload the YouTube URL of the video or the photo to the Stories Beat Stuff website and that’s it. You can choose to exchange anything as long as it is yours and you have a story of what it means to you.

Spread the word through the social networks and watch the votes come in, the winner with the most votes will be jetting off down under, you just have to decide who to take with you. It will be amazing to see just how many best friends you suddenly have, but you know who you will have the best time with.
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San Francisco, on the Californian west coast, is one of the most popular cities in the US for tourism, and millions come here looking for cheap flights to San Francisco simply to take in the stunning landmark that is the Golden Gate Bridge. There is a long and colourful history to San Francisco however, and it has come a long way to become the vibrant city that exists today, and experiencing this history is easy thanks to the many attractions covering the evolution of this city.

Its development as a worldwide centre for maritime trade is due to its location, sitting on one of the best natural harbours in the world, and it was a main trade route for the early settlers, growing into one of the most important areas of the world for sea going trade. There are many museums scattered around the city that pay homage to the sea faring history, and they are both interesting and informative to visit.

No trip to San Francisco is complete without a visit to Alcatraz, the island prison used as the setting for numerous films over the years. This was a notorious prison famed for taking those prisoners who caused trouble in other prisons as viewed as lost cases in terms of rehabilitation. The location gave it its reputation as a prison where escape was impossible, and it finally closed it gates for good in 1964.

After World War II, San Francisco became the centre of the American subculture and was accepted as the home of the hippy movement and all that it involved. Both sides of the movement are well represented in museum around the city, from the free spirited, peace loving hippy’s to the dark side with the religious cults and rampant drug culture. This is just one of the colourful aspects of San Francisco’s past that has made it into the city it is today.

Sardinia is popular with tourists during the summer months because the Mediterranean Island offers great weather, sunny beaches, culture, and history to anyone that wants a tourist destination that is off the trodden map. If you hire a car while in Sardinia there is plenty more that you can see outside of the beaches, here are just a few of the top locations to check out during a holiday on this beautiful island.

One of your first stops after looking into cheap rental cars should be to Cagliari which is the capital of the island and also the location of a gigantic castle that towers over a small town. Not only can you get some beautiful scenic photos from the top of the castle, but within the town you can visit the Poetto Beach, the Sardianian Archaeological Museum, and the Basilica di San Saturnino.

From here you should head north east and take a minute to pass through the smaller towns of Barumini to check out the archaeological monuments of Nuraghe. These artifacts date back over three thousand years ago and are stunning even today.

As you pass through Oristano you will see the 13^th Tower of St. Christophoros that was originally part of the walls of the city. Also worth looking out for is the Santa Chiara church and the 12^th century Cathedral of St. Mary.

From here you should continue heading northeast for 90kms to the city of Nuoro where there are settlements that date back well into 200oBC. The town is considered the cultural heart of the island, and if you happen to be on Sardinia during August you can even take part in the town’s annual Sagra del Redentore Festival which is a great show of culture and music.

Now you will want to veer slightly north for about 100kms until you reach Olbia which is a small port town that is home to the Cathedral of San Simplicio an also very close to Tavolara Island, a favorite among scuba divers. Then head back west 100kms to reach Sassari, a heavily populated town that has some towers, churches, and plenty of great boutiques that offer you a true taste of Greece.

Belgium is known for its fine chocolate, but outside of chocolate the country also has plenty to offer in terms of cuisine including specialty items such as mussels and frites, especially when the frites are served with mayonnaise which is the local custom. For the best taste of cuisine in Bruges you may wan to try out any of the following best restaurants in Bruges.

A short distance from the bars and outside of the tourist track lies De Drie Zintuigen which offers a great deal more than just mussels and frites, although the dish is quite tasty here as well. You can expect to pay about thirty Euros per person but the price is well worth it for fine cuisine.

We were most impressed by Bistro Den Huzaar located on Vlamingstraat 36. There was a very reasonable three course with a good choice of starters, main courses and deserts. As with most restaurants in Bruges, game features quite prominentlyon the menu and Den Huzaar was no different. For the main course I had a delicious venisson stew, very tender with a rich dark beer sauce ideal for a winter’s night.

For those attempting to stick to a budget the L’Estaminet in Astrid Park is also a grand choice where you can get either a scrumptious croquet monsieur or its world famous spaghetti for about eight Euros. Plus, the restaurant has a lovely terrace to dine out in the sun along with a fine selection of drinks to complement your meal.

Another great stop for those wanting a nice steak is the In’t Nieuw Museum which is an authentic Belgian grill restaurant that features reasonable prices and a steak that you will likely remember for years.

Finally, those that want a true local restaurant at a reasonable budget should head over to the Brasserie Medard where you can get the best spaghetti in Bruges, but beware that tourists are not welcome unless they seat themselves and adapt to the local customs.

Rome is one of the top historical tourist destinations, and with good reason because the city holds plenty of sights to captive travellers for months, let alone during a one week holiday to this stunning old world destination. Due to the amount of sights in Rome, an open bus tour is one of the best ways to tour the city as you can get a good look at most  of the historical sites within the city for about 15 euros.

In general, you should make sure that you bring a healthy amount of money with you because both drink and food are on the expensive side in the city, but those who are willing to wander out of the tourist areas will find that the local restaurants and cafes charge a much better price for their meals. Throughout the city you will also find plenty of souvenir shops and stalls, but most of them offer the same type of goods, such as religious memorabilia and rosary beads.

While in Rome every visitor should make it a point to stop by St. Peter’s where you can climb hundreds of steps to reach the top of the dome. The best time to visit is during the weekdays if you can because the place gets packed during the weekends.

Another great sight is The Coliseum which is breathtaking and well worth the long queue to get inside. For a change of pace make sure to wonder down the back streets that hide little crumbling churches that are simply stunning from the inside.

The No Brainer: Universal Studios

If you have children in tow, you’d better believe they’d never forgive you for skipping this must-see attraction. Complete with two theme parks, two hotels and nighttime fun for all you adults, you really can’t go wrong with Universal. Just make sure to buy your tickets online to save a little of your hard earned cash! And for any locals out there, you get extra savings by being a Florida resident so don’t be shy about cashing in on that discount.

Do Something Different

You’ll want a good story to tell all the folks back home from your Orlando family holidays, right? Then you should definitely invest in an off the beaten path adventure. Why not give a hot air balloon ride a try? Trust us, you and your entire family will be glad you did! As you float above the city, you’ll be wowed by all its natural beauty. Or how about a trip to Sea World? Sure, that’s not exactly super alternative, but no doubt listeners will be floored once they find out that you got to meet Shamu up close and personal.

Dining Fun: Sonic

This drive-in diner restaurant is a must see for any foreigners visiting Orlando. Although the chain is spread all around the US, you’ll want to take a bite out of Orlando’s  gooey cheeseburgers, crisp fries and various milkshakes. Rent a car, pull up to the fun order windows and order away. The servers will deliver your food to your car on roller skates of all things!  After all, what would a cultural adventure to America be without a little fast food indulgence?