The slopes at Falls Creek

When to go: The ski season in Australia begins in June and finishes in September or October depending on the ski field. During this period, the best time to hit the slopes is mid-week when the crowds are smaller and the prices are cheaper.

Where to go: Most ski fields lie within the Snowy Mountains region which runs across New South Wales and Victoria. Australia’s largest and most popular resort is Perisher Blue, located in Kosciuszko National Park. With a 2054 metre peak and over 100 kilometres of cross-country trails, Mt Perisher is the largest alpine resort in the Southern Hemisphere. Some other leading ski resorts include Thredbo in New South Wales and Mt Hotham in Victoria. For skiers on a budget, generally speaking, Selwyn and Mt Buller are the cheapest ski fields. For even cheaper prices, opt for a ski package that includes flights, lift tickets and ski hire if possible.

Mt Hotham Village

Where to party: Don’t burn yourself out too much on the ski fields because the nightlife at some of the resorts can be just as good. Typically coming in the form of warm and cosy bars with plenty of beer, Mt Buller and Mt Hotham are said to be have nightlife reputation.

How to get there: Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne dwellers can easily drive to their surrounding ski resorts with Perisher Blue located just 2.5 hours from Canberra, and Mt Buller only 3 hours from Melbourne. Alternatively, to reach the ski resorts in New South Wales you can fly to the Snowy Mountains Airport which is then serviced by shuttle buses to the various ski resorts.

What to bring: If you’re not a regular skier, it’s easier to hire most of you gear at the slopes. Generally speaking though, warm winter clothes are a must. A water proof coat and boots will come in handy, as will sunglasses, gloves and a beanie. In addition to warm gear, you’re resort may have a hot tub or sauna on hand so you might want to pack some bathers as well.

Don’t forget: To get travel insurance. No matter how good or bad you think you are at skiing, it’s not worth the risk. When booking your holiday, talk to your consultant about travel insurance.   

There’s nothing more refreshing than celebrating the end of a long day travelling than with a nice, cold beer. But sometimes slamming down a brewski just isn’t enough. Some days you want to crack open a coldie and tip it straight over your head. And thanks to the oddball antics certain beer lovers get up to overseas, that’s now perfectly acceptable. So without further ado, here’s our guide to some of the strangest uses for beer around the world.

Soaking in it – Austria

Much as we’d like to say “only in Austria,” the truth is several European spa retreats of a decidedly amber hue endorse taking a long soak in beer.  The Landhotel Moorhof in the wonderfully named Franking styles itself as an old-fashioned health and wellbeing retreat, albeit with a difference. So enamoured with beer are our adventurous Austrian friends, they’ll fill a giant wooden tub with the amber stuff for you to sit and soak in. Franking my dear… it sounds awesome!

Conducting business – Japan

Nothing says “I’m doing business in Japan!” like getting hammered with some co-workers. By day the average Japanese salaryman is a placid, diligent company employee. By night – especially after a couple of Asahi’s – he’s ready to do business, safe in the knowledge that whatever drunken antics erupt will quickly be forgotten in Japan’s ‘work hard, drink hard’ corporate culture. Most Japanese offices possess an impressive boardroom but the real work gets done after dark in the izakayas of Tokyo and Osaka. Staggering off towards the last train home is practically a rite of passage for generations of Japanese businessmen and women.

Getting religious  - Belgium  

Monasteries tend to be sombre, stately affairs and that’s no different in Belgium. The one major difference is the fact that six of the world’s eight Trappist monasteries are located there, including the world famous Chimay Brewery in the south of country. Trappist beers are brewed exclusively by the Trappist order of monks, who use the income generated for the upkeep of their monasteries before donating whatever’s left to charity. There are Trappist breweries in the Netherlands and Austria too, but Belgium’s the place to be if you want your beer delivered with a side order of piety.

Celebrating in style – Mexico

There’s always one. At some point, somebody somewhere decided that the best way to celebrate their team’s football goal was to toss a plastic cup of beer skywards. Strangely enough, this bizarre phenomenon caught on and soon whole stands were drenching themselves in the sticky stuff. Nowhere did they take this pastime more seriously than in Tijuana, Mexico where fans of Xolos celebrated each and every goal en route to promotion with a serious beer shower. They were soon told to cut out the mayhem but it didn’t stop Xolos from unexpectedly being crowned Mexican champions in late 2012.

Paying with it – Czech Republic

Beer might be an able quencher of thirsts, but over the years it has also regularly been used as currency. From agricultural workers ploughing the fields to dodgy government officials on the take, when hard currency is in short supply, beer has often proved a ready replacement. That’s not so much the case these days – try paying your bus fare in beers and you’ll be necking them on the walk home – but in the Czech Republic, at least, the spirit of beer as currency is alive and well. At the 17-day Czech Beer Festival each May, hordes of rowdy revellers pay for their ales with a special currency called the Tolar. It’s not quite the same as bartering with six packs – but it’s the thought that counts – and better yet allows you to budget for your beers instead of waking up with a monstrous headache and an empty wallet.

Think of a Las Vegas show though and Celine Dion singing ‘My Heart Will Go On’ to a packed out house of sappy senior citizens will probably come to mind. And yes while this does take place (it’s one of the most popular shows actually), there are plenty of other, less clichéd options too. Like mind-bending circus performances, musicals, comedy and BEYONCE! Here are 13 we wish we could see in 2013.

O by Cirque Du Soleil (running all year)

Las Vegas has plenty of Cirque Du Soleil shows running throughout the year but this one stands out above the rest as it is performed on and in water. In place of a stage it has a huge water tank instead where acrobats, gymnasts and super amazing synchronized swimmers turn it out with some breath-taking tricks. It will certainly put your childhood pool performances to shame.

Image credit: Cirque du Soleil

Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque Du Soleil (running all year)

Yet another Cirque Du Soleil production (so you know it’s good), this time the crazy-amazing acrobats do their thing to the sweet, sweet tunes of Michael Jackson. An all-out tribute show complete with MJ’s dance movies and all, Michael Jackson ONE is a must for Michael Jackson fans, which is pretty much everyone.

Rock of Ages (running all year)

Let’s just get one thing clear, Rock of Ages the live music is WAY better than the movie. Firstly, it’s Tom Cruise free (yay!) and secondly it’s won five Tony Awards.

Blue Man Group (running all year)

Arrested Development fans will no doubt have a soft spot for this one. From what we can tell it features 3 ball guys painted in blue making weird noises and stuff. I guess it’s one of those things you just have to see, and when you do you’ll come out raving about how AH-MAHZING it was like every other person who has seen it.

Criss Angel Believe (running all year)

Don’t let the fact that Criss Angel spells his name Criss (shudder). Apart from painful spelling, he’s actually an incredible magician (once again ideal entertainment for Arrested Development fans) with plenty of illusions Michael.

Joan Rivers (May 31 – June 1)

Granted she’s not everyone’s cup of tea, or shot of burning tequila for that matter, but if you dig Joan Rivers’ no hold-bar sense of humour, be sure to get tickets to see her in Vegas.

Tim Allen (June 7 – 8)

Let’s just forget all of those exhausted Santa Claus movies and remember back to when he was Tim the tool man tailor! Oh and Buzz Lightyear! Tim Allen’s comedy is pretty great for a dad. If you’re a fan of dad jokes, this is where it’s at.

Beyonce (June 29)

Do you really need us to give you a reason? BEYONCE!

Alabama Shakes (July 19)

Hipsters in Vegas looking for a good, Shania-Twain-free, fun time should purchase themselves tickets to see the Alabama Shakes. Hailing from Alabama (obviously) the band found great success recently with their bass heavy, smooth sounding single Hold On. If you like Kings of Leon and the Black Keys, chances are you’ll like these guys too.

Bruno Mars & Fitz and The Tantrums (August 3)

With the Australian airways lapping up his smooth, soulful sounding pop tunes, chances are you’ve already heard Bruno Mars about 10,000 times. If you’re yet to grow sick of his songs, then you should go see him perform with soul/indie band Fitz and The Tantrums in August.

Lil Wayne, T.I. & Future (August 31)

Hitting Vegas on their ‘America’s Most Wanted tour,’ these three rappers will no doubt put on an amazing show. Just don’t forget to bring all that cash you won in the casinos so you can make it rain!

National Finals Rodeo (December 5-14)

So it might not be at the top of your priorities, but how much fun would it be to see a rodeo in Las Vegas? The National Finals Rodeo no less! A fantastic chance to see USA’s cowboys in action.

Firstly, there’s the different types of tickets…

If you’re just going on a quick and easy one-way trip then you should probably just opt for a single-journey ticket. For multiple trips though, you’re better off opting for a Eurail pass, which offers non-European residents unlimited travel throughout 18 countries on the Eurail Network.

A cheaper option is a Eurail Flexi Pass which offers a fixed number of travel days within a 2 month period. So if you only plan on using the pass for 10 or 15 train trips, then the cheaper Flexi pass would be ideal.  If you only plan on travelling by rail a couple of times, a Eurail Select Pass may be an even better option, allowing you to select between 3 to 5 countries to travel between based on your itinerary.

Then there are the classes…

Some people will tell you that first class is more preferable, particularly if you are travelling solo. But really, on a student budget, second class is more than fine. It’s the train equivalent of economy. The seats are just like those you’d find on a plane (and nothing like your high school bus) and the cabins are usually quite clean and comfortable. To be safe though, it might be a good idea to reserve a seat on the train so you are guaranteed a nice window view and be sure to keep your valuables on your body at all times.

What about night trains?

Combining travel time and a night’s accommodation in one, night trains are a great way to experience old school train travel and wake up at a new destination. If you’re keen to pay top dollar, on a night train you can curl up in a one or two bed-compartment sleeper with its own bathroom. Or if you’re more than happy to save yourself some $$$ and join cattle class, you’ll be shown to a couchette/bunk in a compartment shared with up to 5 others – which is actually ideal if you’re travelling in a group.

Once you’ve booked your trip, then you’ve got to actually catch the train...

Much like an international flight, you’ve got to rock up to the station a few hours before you’re train is set to leave. You’ve got to check-in, have your passport and ticket ready. If you’re catching it from Europe to the UK you’ll have to go through immigration (don’t forget to have your accommodation address ready), and then board the train 20 or so minutes before it’s departure time. Because it will depart on time. And don’t think you can just run and hurl your bags on it as it’s leaving like on the movies, because you’ll be sorely disappointed.

And don’t forget when boarding the train…

To get on the right carriage. And yes it does matter because more often than not, somewhere along the journey the train will split with the first half of the train heading off to Amsterdam while the other travels to Brussels. The best way to avoid a wrong destination is to check the seating plan at the station and when in doubt, ask the platform staff.

Tipping is quite a complicated business in the USA. With percentages for some people and dollars for others, the whole thing can get quite confusing for a foreigner (and requires way more brain power than I’d prefer to give on holidays). So, with questions marks above our heads and calculators in hand, we set out to find the do’s and don’ts of tipping in the USA.

Do realise that people rely on tips to live: There’s a reason why stuff is so cheap in the USA. Granted, our healthy dollar is one reason for budget-wins, but the real reason is because service taxes haven’t been added to prices like they are in Australia. When you take this into consideration, tipping makes sense. It just requires a bit of maths, which is annoying if you hate maths.

Don’t be an asshole about it: No, it’s not mandatory to tip, but you should do it anyway. Like you should say your please-and-thank-you’s and give little old ladies your seat on the bus. So don’t be an asshole about it. You’re better than that.

Do beware that there are different tips for different services. From a couple of dollars a bag for a hotel porter to $2 for the doorman if he hails you a cab and 15% at a table-service restaurant, different amounts are suitable for different services.

Don’t forget to smile: Apparently angry and cheap tippers make for bad lovers, so be generous and do it with a smile. Tipping, that is.

Do tip based on level of service: If you receive great service at a restaurant, increase your tip from 15% to 20% or more.

Don’t not leave a tip at all:  Even if the service was terrible, you should still leave a minimum tip (usually 10%) and let the manager know.

Do tip a couple of dollars to: Bartenders, housekeeping, concierge, porters, drink serves, valet parking.

Don’t think the same rule applies to other services: Hair dressers, tour guides, waiters and spa staff should be tipped a percentage of the bill, normally 10 – 20% based on satisfaction.

Do tip your cab driver: Generally speaking it’s around 15% of the fare

Don’t forget the bus driver too: If you opt for a shuttle bus instead of a cab to the airport, tip the driver a couple of dollars.

Do tip the housekeeper each day: Housekeepers may service your room everyday so will need to be tipped accordingly.

Don’t leave it on the night stand: They’re not a prostitute. General practice is to leave the tip on the counter or desk.

Do your research on tipping etiquette in different states: Just to make things even trickier, tipping amounts can vary between areas of the USA. Generally speaking though, the more rural the town, the less you are expected to tip.

Don’t be surprised if a gratuity is included: In some tourist heavy areas like New York or the Grand Canyon, gratuities are often automatically added to your restaurant bill just to help make life a bit easier.

Image credit: One of ours

Instagram is more than just a repository for shameless selfies (to be fair, it’s not your fault you were born so devilishly photogenic). It’s also an easy way to document your travel experiences and allows us to live vicariously through the images of others on their overseas exploits. Your Insta-feed is even available on the World Wide Web now, so all your hipster friends who opt for vintage Nokia 3315s can see your pics all warmed up with a Valencia filter or decked out in super contrasty goodness with Lo-Fi. Who even uses 1977 or Kelvin? They’re at the end of the filter chain for a reason.

Sure, IG may now be owned by the almighty Lord Zuckerberg but its original appeal lives on: the ability to share intimate life moments with millions of strangers instantly like an album of virtual Polaroids. After extensive time wasting research trawling through countless snapshots of brunches, beaches, street style and cats (so many cats), I present to you 11 travel-related Instagram accounts you should follow, be jealous of and inspired by. #Instatravel #Travelgram #HashtagsEqualLove. Oh, and you can also stalk our very own IG account at @StudentFlightsAU - woohoo!

Image credit: @kickthegrind

@kickthegrind

Break-dancer, marine biologist and photographer? Wrap him up, I’ll take him to go. Travel/nature videographer Mike Corey shoots everything from swimming with pigs in the Bahamas to, more recently, capturing the sunrise over Maasai village in Kenya.

Image Credit: @seattletravels

@seattlestravels

Her name is Seattle but she’s from Toronto. Go figure! If you enjoy a bit of fisheye action and snow-capped awesomeness, you’re in luck. The fulltime travel blogger loves to chow down in Southern Italy and party in Nimbin. Wait, what?

Image Credit: @legalnomads

@legalnomads

Former legal eagle Jodie swapped the courts for the cafes and now travels the world in search of her next cultural feast. She spends a lot of time in South East Asia eating lemongrass snails and magic purple soup. Yep.

Image credit: @backpackerbanter

@backpackerbanter

Proof the iPhone can take a damn fine picture, especially when you have an impressive global canvas like surfie Chris does. Skiing in Switzerland, snorkelling the Phi Phi Islands, glacier hiking in NZ? Stop it, Chris. Just stop.

Image credit: @uncorneredmarket

@uncornered_market

Move over Brangelina, there’s a new power couple roaming the globe. Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott travel ‘deep and offbeat’, capturing New Zealand’s rustic landscapes, Prague’s cobbled streets and all the pretties in between.

Image credit: @justtravelous

@justtravelous

Satisfy your travelosity and soak in the travelspiration with German-born Yvonne’s travelous photolog. Yvonne has a penchant for Balinese monkeys, Irish guys dressed up like the pope and crunchy, nutritious crickets.

Image credit: @theaussienomad

@theaussienomad

Chris Richardson enjoys long walks on the beach and ice cold beer. A fellow Aussie, Chris is taking one for the team and living the dream. He travels around Oz too, so you can see a bit of your own backyard.

Image credit: @theblondegypsy

@theblondegypsy

From cocktails in St Lucia to burgers in LA, Sweden-based Larissa swapped her point-and-shoot camera for a trusty iPhone and has been snapping away ever since. Currently she is ice fishing in Finland, as you do.

Image credit: @traveldudes

@traveldudes

Trust your fellow Travel Dudes to show you the big, wide world through crowd-sourced imagery. One day you’ll be at the Holi One festival in Johannesburg, the next day you’ll be shredding the slopes in Whistler, BC.

Image credit: @13thwitness

@13thwitness

Whoever the 13^th witness is, their travel shots are pure sex. Showing new angles in New York of iconic architecture and the Manhattan cityscape, 13-W is a pro at making you wish you were there. Big time.

Image credit: @thetravelhack

@thetravelhack

London lady Monica is Instagramming India as we speak and shortly she’s off to West Africa’s Gambia – again! Disclaimer: she often uses a legit camera to capture the moment, but the magic is all in the filters.

Essential Instamoments so you too can be as awesome as these guys:

Make sure you capture (a) the wing of your plane en route to your destination, (b) weird food you eat with extra points if the photo is actually of you eating it, (c) any iconic monument at sunrise or sunset, (d) touristy behaviours like pushing the Leaning Tower of Pisa (e) you looking pensively out across crazy beautiful vistas while the rest of us trawl Instagram in our pyjamas eating Ben & Jerry’s straight out of the tub.

As far as we’re concerned, there’s nothing better than the thrill of water slide, offering a chance to give your sensible adult side the day off and let you inner-kid out for a day of squeals and laughter. The following slides are the ultimate places to do just that – don’t forget to hold your nose when you hit the water!

Image credit: BeachPark

Insano, BeachPark, Brazil

My stomach churns just looking at it. The Insano at BeachPark in Fortaleza, Brazil is the world’s highest water slide, sending brave/insane sliders down from a height of 41 metres (14 stories). Despite its mammoth height, the slide only takes five seconds to complete and will have you flying at speeds of 100 kilometres per hour. Not for the faint hearted, or those afraid of heights, or me for that matter.

Image credit: Okeanos Group

Golden Nugget, Las Vegas, USA

Less about the stomach-churning thrills and more about the scenery, we love the Golden Nugget’s water slide for it’s location – inside a shark tank! As an enclosed tube, the slide runs straight through the centre of a  20,000 gallon tank that’s home to all types of colourful fish as well as brown sharks, zebra sharks and nurse sharks.

Image credit: Visit the world

The Leap of Faith, Atlantis, Bahamas

Hold on to your boardies and take the leap of faith at the Atlantis water park. Like the Golden Nugget slide and Insano combined, the Leap of Faith slide begins with a 60 foot almost-vertical drop from a famous Mayan Temple, transforming into a tube slide that goes through a shark tank.

Image credit: Slovenia Info

Aqualoop, Terme 3000 water park, Slovenia

Picture it: you’re just standing there, waiting for the ride to happen. Then, all of a sudden, a trap door beneath you opens and you free-fall down a 56-foot near-vertical descent. You’re falling so fast that the slide almost loops you upside down and throws you into a pool. All of this takes place in just 7 seconds. Sound like you’re idea of fun? Then Slovenia’s Terme 3000 water park is where you need to be.

Image credit: World Waterpark

The Cyclone, Edmonton Mall World Waterpark, Canada

As Australians with pools in our backyards, there’s something quite fascinating about a water park located totally indoors. While the concept of West Edmonton Mall’s World Waterpark is a novelty in itself, the park’s Cyclone ride is the piece de resistance, featuring a 17-metre drop that forms into a loop, defying gravity in itself.

“Generally speaking the further to the front you sit the better. There are a couple of reasons why; one being that you’re in front of the wing where the engines are, so it’s quieter.  And the second reason is generally that airlines usually seat their frequent flyers and elite status passengers up in the front rows. Often in this case it’s because there’s sometimes an extra inch of legroom.”

For even more legroom, our insider recommends choosing an exit row, which is the row by the emergency exit doors.

“If there is more than one exit row on your flight, opt for the last exit row because the seats recline. The first exit row seats will not recline because encase of an emergency, it needs to be easy for people to get out.”

“On a lot of airlines you can pay for an exit row, and more often than not, it’s worth it.”

Bulk head seats, which are found on larger plans, also offer more legroom. These seats are usually near bathrooms or a galley, and have a wall in front of them. The downside to this though is that bulkhead seats often where children are seated. “On an international flight I would avoid bulkhead seats as this is where bassinets are allocated.” Our insider also tells us it’s possible to ask at check-in if you can be seated away from any infants on a plane – pending that there is room.

And so what about the old aisle verse window debate? Our insider says it depends on the type of flight you’re on. “I usually prefer an aisle seat, only because it’s easier to get in and out. But if I’m on an overnight flight though I like the window seat so I can rest against the window.”

Wherever you sit though, there is a bit of debate when it comes to reclining etiquette. Some people will tell you to never do it, while others won’t ever not do it. According to our insider though there’s a time and a place.

“During dinner I think everyone should have their seat up. If someone’s sleeping then I don’t mind if they have their seat reclined, but if they’re not sleeping and leaning forward watching a movie or something, and their seat is back, then I do mind.”

Drawing from his many, many flights, our insider has also had his fair share of upgrades which, according to him, don’t usually happen when you’re on board but during check-in or at the gate.

“Firstly you have to be dressed smartly so no t-shirts or thongs. Because if you want to be upgraded to a business or premium cabin, which is for business flyers, you’re going to need to look the part.”

Apart from being courteous and not demanding, don’t be afraid to get creative as well. “Pretending I was on my honeymoon once worked for me.”

If you’re too shy to vie for an upgrade, you can always aim to nab a seat that’s in a free row. “You can ask at check-in how full the flight is, and if it’s not entirely full, ask if there’s a row with a spare seat. They’ll never guarantee it, but you might be lucky.”

And just remember, it never hurts to ask politely . Good luck!

Latin America is full of so much incredible that it’s actually quite hard to fathom. Each country, from Mexico in the north and Argentina in the south to Peru on the left and Brazil on the right, is brimming with brilliance. Not only did Mother Nature cast one hell of a beauty spell over the landscape, the people across the continent are some of the world’s most outwardly awesome too. Then there’s the ancient history, the food, the booze and the nightlife. In short, Latin America is as good as you think it is, only better. Here are a few more things about Latin America you probably didn’t know.

• Impress friends at parties by referring to Mexico as: Estados Únidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States – its official name). They’ll either think you’re one hell of a smart cookie and want to hang out with you more, or they’ll slowly back away and whisper things like, “That guy’s an idiot”, and “Yeah, I hate him too”, under their breath. Don’t sweat it. You don’t need them.

• Mexico is so keen on tequila that it actually has a tequila law. The law stipulates that every citizen over the age of 14 must drink tequila at least four times a day for their entire life. Lol jks. The law actually stipulates that at least 51% of any tequila must come from the blue agave plant. They’ve been making this stuff since the 16^th century so they take it seriously, alright?

• In the world of ancient Aztecs, a ball game known as ōllamalitzli was played. Numerous forms of ballgames were practiced in these ancient cultures and the gruesome details vary from one to another. Some – particularly the Mayans – were known to stage rigged ball games in which the losers would be decapitated (or “sacrificed to the gods”, as they were told) and the winners would gain a hero-like status. How’s that for un-sports-man-like conduct?

• Peru has over 1816 different species of birds, 3532 species of butterfly, and 3500 species of orchids. All this makes Peru a MEGA-DIVERSE country. We put MEGA-DIVERSE in caps because we think it makes it sound cooler. It also makes it sound a bit like something from Power Rangers. Anyway, MEGA-DIVERSE countries are highly regarded because they’ve got MEGA amounts of native wildlife and plant life, due largely to the richness and diversity of their ecosystems and climates. Peru’s killing it in the flora and fauna game, basically.

• In addition to Peru being MEGA-DIVERSE, it’s also got 28 different and distinct climates. So whether you travel to the world’s driest desert in the west or the tepid Amazon in the east (which makes up more than half of Peru’s ‘office space’), you will soon find that the weather in Peru changes like the wind. Literally.

 

• The ancient Inca Empire isn’t actually that ancient. It was still in full swing when the Spanish rocked up in 1526. All the Incas were just kicking back, hanging out and the Spanish were like, “QUE!?” and then they killed all the Incas. All the remaining Incas regrouped and staged a comeback fight but then the Spanish killed them all (again). Please note that this is a terrible history lesson: the conquest of the Inca Empire took more than 40 years and is an extremely complex subject. We’re just trying to keep it brief – much like the Incas, who were only in existence for around 100 years.

• Brazil has won five football world cups. That’s more than any other country in the world ever. This nimble-footed nation took the cup home in 1958, 1962, 1994, 1970 and 2002, and presumably drank all kinds of beer and liquor out of it whilst they were celebrating. Rumour has it that Ronaldo used to eat his Coco-Pops from it too.* He sure loves that chocolatey milk.**

• Bolivia is home to the two highest cities in the world – Potosí (the highest) and La Paz (the second highest). Back in the 1570s, Potosí was allegedly the most populated city in the world, which is a title now held by Shanghai. Potosi isn’t even anywhere near the most populated city in the world anymore. Potosi’s really let itself go, which is a shame. It could’ve been a contender.

• When Christopher Columbus first found Cuba in 1492 he thought he’d landed in China. What an idiot. Cuba was later captured by the British (for one year) in the 1800s, but Spain reclaimed it the following year. The US then tried to invade Cuba heaps of times, but gave up in 1848 (the wimps) and offered the Spaniards $100-million for it. But the Spanish said NO and held onto it until the end of the Spanish-American war in 1898. Cuba gained its independence from the US in 1902. Phew.

• Two of Ernest Hemingway’s most seminal novels – The Old Man and the Sea and For Whom the Bell Tolls – were written whilst he was living in Cuba. The former became a book-of-the-month selection and made Hemingway an international celebrity – and he wrote the draft of it in just eight weeks! The moral of the story? Go to Cuba for great success.

 

* This isn’t true.

** We have no idea if Ronaldo loves chocolatey milk. But it is delicious, so we estimate that it’s 82% probably true that Ronaldo loves chocolatey milk.

 

Opt for a late check out

As we all know, the best way to rid yourself of a hangover is to sleep it off. When travelling though this isn’t always an option. To gain some extra winks of shut eye and shower time, it might be worth asking your hotel if you can have a late check out.

Upgrade to air-conditioning

Trying to recover from a hangover in 40 degree heat may be good for sweating out the toxins, but it certainly won’t be enjoyable. Avoid waking up in a pool of your own sweat by upgrading to an air-conditioned room. It’ll be worth it.

Track down a cure

There’s one in every country. A cheeky substance that’s said to rid your headache and settle your stomach. In the UK its Berocca and in the USA its Pepto Bismol. In Thailand, they swear by Royal D while in Morocco, eating a few prickly pears is said to do the trick. In Italy, locals cure their hangovers with a strong espresso, in Japan they love Miso soup while in China, they prefer strong green tea. Or, if you wake up hung-over in the South Pacific, rehydrate with fresh coconut water straight from the source.

Image Source: Athena Cinema

Hit the streets

Once you’ve settled your tummy it’s time to fill it again. And the best place to do so is on the street. Street food in all its cheap and easy glory is a great way to cure a hangover, particularly if you can track down something reasonably healthy. In Asia, a stir-fry of some sorts is bound to do the trick. In Mexico, a dirty burrito will do. In places like the States and the UK it’s hard to resist a burger with the lot, while in Europe, a currywurst in Germany, savoury crepes in France and a perfect slice of pizza in Italy will hit the spot.

Head to the beach, the bar or the bus

If a beach is within reach then it’s the best place to be following a big night. Enjoy a cool dip, find a spot in the shade and take it easy for the rest of the day. Failing a beach, hotel bars, lounges and even libraries are often a great place to recline in comfort. During the day many bars and lounges also have their TVs on, providing ideal recovery conditions pending a bowl of hot chips. Or for something unique, if you happen to find yourself hung-over in Las Vegas (a likely scenario), then track down the Hangover Heaven Bus. Claiming to be able to cure your hangover within 30 minutes, the bus offers a range of treatments and packages to fuel you with fluids and get you on the path of recovery so you can do it all again.