The San Fermín Festival is more commonly known outside of Spain as ‘The Running of the Bulls’ and is held in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona each summer, from July 6 to July 14. Today San Fermin is celebrated yearly and holds more than 10,000 visitors every July.

San Fermin first began in the 3rd century when the town’s butchers were tasked to transport the bulls from their ranches outside of the city to the bullring. The ‘pastores’ a.k.a bull minders were assigned to make sure that the bulls were safe from the busy surroundings. The young butchers ran in front of the bulls to try and make them run faster. Who knew that this technique would then transform into a competitive event? 

Much so that even the locals wanted to join what looked like fun but mostly life threatening. To participate, you must be 18+ years old – then ask the experienced runners where to start the race and how to be safe from the bulls. Don’t be alarmed, you don’t have to participate if running near bulls does not get your blood pumping for the right reasons. An enjoyable alternative would be to rent a balcony over the streets and enjoy the view from above – safe and sound.

Picture a crowd dressed in red and white, flying confetti, drink-in hand and ready to celebrate (the Spanish way)!

Source: Standard.Co

 

On July the 6th, guests are brought in the city at noon in front of the city hall to start the opening ceremony recognized as ‘Txupinazo’. Disclaimer, if you are not comfortable with big crowds and pushy people, Txupinazo may not be for you. For those who want to submerge themselves in Txupinazo, raise your red scarf (the traditional way) in the air to commence the fiesta. 

Then everyone waits for a city council member to shout: “People of Pamplona, long live San Fermin!”, the crowd begins cheering until a rocket is set from the balcony. This then signifies that you have to put your red scarf on and start drinking the celebratory drink of choice: champagne!

The traditional attire for San Fermin is to wear white pants, a t-shirt with a red waist sash and a red scarf around your neck. NOTE: You will eventually get wet with water and sangria slashed onto you from the balcony, so don’t get too precious about your hair or clothes. It will get messy, but what’s a festival without letting loose!

To end the day, fireworks rocket through the sky to announce the end of the party. Just when you thought that running near the bulls wasn’t competitive enough, every night, different companies compete in an international firework competition.The sky show lasts for about 30 minutes and indicates that it’s time to go sleep and recharge for the next day.

Source: Flickr

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: San Fermin

 

At 8 am and the Encierro (Running of the bulls) begins! Thousands of runners participate in this 800 meters long route. The bulls charge in from the bottom of the city and run to the bull-fighting ring at the end. Only 12 animals participate in the sprint, 6 of them are bull-fighting bulls and the latter being, oxen trained to lead. Although it lasts for about 5 minutes, the runners run directly in front of the bulls at the end of route and then protect themselves behind the fence shortly after. You must be thinking, who would be daring enough to participate in such a dangerous race. Out of the runners, at least 200 injuries are recorded each year. The key to being safe is to not fall during the run. That can be tricky if you have a pushy crowd behind you. Wear running shoes, speak to the professional runners and don’t abuse the champagne!

Source: Traslosmuros

 

When the adrenaline-packed race is brought to an end, the bulls stay in the ring and the bullfighting event begins in the afternoon. Thereafter, the fiesta continues in the town hall and the festival participants chant in union with candle in hand : “Poor me, poor me, for the festival has come to a close.”

Here comes the end of the fiesta! 

Sources: 

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/the-top-10-things-to-do-in-pamplona-during-san-fermin-spain/

 http://www.sanfermin.com/en/party-guide/what-is-sanfermin/

 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fiesta-de-San-Fermin

B4i.travel simplifies your communication needs when travelling and takes the risk out of high international roaming costs. We offer a range of pre-loaded, pre-activated and pre-registered world travel SIM cards so you’ll be connected when you arrive in the country you are visiting. Tourists, students and businessmen have been talking like a local in South Africa, USA, Europe with B4I.travel since 2010. It’s time to ‘Explore your world’. 

As much as people love to visit Las Vegas to try and hit the jackpot, you may not be one for gambling but still want to see what all the fuss is about. Contrary to popular belief, there is a lot more to do and see in Vegas that doesn’t involve giving your money to machines and not getting anything in return. Las Vegas is also known for its incredible clubbing scene but let’s see what is on offer other than clubbing and gambling.

Source: Unsplash

The boneyard of neon signs

So, you’ve heard of all the crazy flashing lights and intense neon signs of Vegas, and you’ve taken a drive through the city and seen them everywhere. What’s the next step? You could take a trip to the Neon Museum to see how Vegas’ magnificent signs evolved. The main section we are referring to is the Neon Boneyard, which hosts masses of unrestored signs from throughout Vegas’ history. You can get some great pictures here, whether you go in the day, or at night when the signs are illuminated with ground lighting (they even have a couple restored signs that light up to give you a feeling of what Vegas used to look like). 

Source: Vegasoffroadtours

An Adrenaline-fueled dune buggy tour

Don’t forget that you are still in the middle of a desert. Aside from the outstanding artificial lighting within the city, you get the pure natural scenes of the desert just outside. And what better way to experience this than with some awesome off-road buggy tours. It’s an adrenaline-fueled way to get a great perspective on the unforgiving landscape and take your view of Vegas to another level.

Source: Vegasexperience

The Fremont street light show

Yes, yes, we know we have mentioned lights quite a lot, but isn’t that the main reason you came to Vegas in the first place? Explore Fremont Street – this pedestrian-only street for magnificent cuisines, interesting live entertainment and, most-importantly, the light show. Fremont Street’s Viva Vision light show is a whole new experience. Displayed on a 1500-foot-long, 90-foot-wide screen which is suspended above the street, no matter how sore your neck gets, you won’t want to stop looking up at this astonishing scene.

Source: Stratosphere Hotel

The Stratosphere observation tower

This might be kind of unusual since most of the activities are close to the ground, but it’s certainly something you need to try. This 1149-foot-tall, freestanding observation tower is the tallest in the United States and offers both indoor and outdoor decks, allowing you to feel the thrill of standing in open air that high above the ground, or simply observe the 360 views of Las Vegas from the comfort of being behind the large glass windows.

Source: Juhllv

First Friday creativity

As the name implies, First Friday is an event hosted on the first Friday of every month. Artists gather together to display their work, which ranges from paintings and performances to interesting food and drinks. Go and experience the artistic diversity at this event and you will come away with a whole new appreciation for creativity.

 

There is so much to do in Las Vegas, it’s hard to list it all. If a few of your friends or family want to try their luck gambling and that isn’t to your taste, just take your pick of all that is o offer and tell them you’ll meet up later. You’ll probably find that you’ll come back with an array of pictures and exciting stories which are much more intriguing and character-building than winning a couple of extra dollars on the slots.

 

Sources:

https://www.canyontours.com/blog/31-exciting-things-to-do-in-las-vegas-that-arent-gambling-or-partying/

http://theeverygirl.com/8-things-to-do-in-las-vegas-other-than-gambling/

https://gocity.com/blog/things-to-do-in-las-vegas-besides-gambling/

 

B4i.travel simplifies your communication needs when travelling and takes the risk out of high international roaming costs. We offer a range of pre-loaded, pre-activated and pre-registered world travel SIM cards so you’ll be connected when you arrive in the country you are visiting. Tourists, students and businessmen have been talking like a local in South Africa, USA, Europe with B4I.travel since 2010. It’s time to ‘Explore your world’.

 

After more than half a million votes to choose the best European destination for 2019, Budapest has won first place! 2019 is only the second year that the city was involved in the competition, making a significant improvement from placing eighth in 2018. For this year’s voting session, Budapest managed to rack up more than 62000 votes from travellers situated in 153 different countries around the world.

 More About The Competition

The competition, hosted by European Best Destinations (EBD), included many cities such as Cavtat (Croatia), Metz (France), Athens (Greece) and Monte Isola (Italy). The winning destination would receive promotion for an entire year on the EBD website as well as on social media and in international media. So, if you follow EBD, expect to see some incredible footage of Budapest this year – to get you even more excited about visiting the city.

 What should you do when visiting 2019’s best European destination? Here are some ideas:

Source: Viator

Relax in a magnificent spa

If you’re feeling tired from your travels, you are in the perfect place to relax and recharge. Budapest has a number of luxurious spas and thermal baths, one of which is the Gellert Bath and Spa centre. Become submerged in the relaxing setting of this historical building, which was built between 1912 and 1918. The spa includes a number of pools and saunas for you to choose from with the additional option of booking a massage and spa treatment for an extra cost.

 

Source: Unsplash

Examine the historical buildings

If you are a history fan, take time to visit the Hungarian Parliament Building. It is one of the largest buildings in Hungary and boasts Gothic Revival architecture. You will be able to view the symbolic features within as well as The Crown of St. Stephen, which has crowned more than 50 kings. There are daily tours of various parts of the building which can be taken in different languages, which means anyone can take a tour and gain some impressive knowledge on their travels.

 

Source: Unsplash

Take a leisurely stroll along the promenade

Enjoy the city by foot and walk along the Danube river promenade. Although not very long, you will be able to get a look at a few of Budapest’s top sights, such as Fisherman’s Bastion, the Buda Castle and Szechenyi Istvan Square. You will also be able to stop for a cup of coffee or a meal at one of the popular restaurants or cafés if you are in the mood to relax next to the beautiful setting of the Danube.

 

Source: Unsplash

Visit the Central Market Hall

The Central Market Hall (or Great Market Hall) is the biggest and one of the oldest markets in Budapest. Apart from sitting in awe of the sheer size of the market, there are a lot of things to see and buy. Whether you want fresh goods, great ‘Instagramable’ photo opportunities or you want to find the perfect souvenir to take back home with you, the Central Market Hall has so much to offer.

Budapest is a magnificent city and certainly deserves its position as number one on the EBD list. Make sure that this destination is next on your bucket list.

 

 Sources:

https://welovebudapest.com/en/2019/02/05/budapest-wins-european-best-destination-2019/

https://www.europeanbestdestinations.com/european-best-destinations-2019/ 

https://www.thecrazytourist.com/25-best-things-budapest/ 

 

B4i.travel simplifies your communication needs when travelling and takes the risk out of high international roaming costs. We offer a range of pre-loaded, pre-activated and pre-registered world travel SIM cards so you’ll be connected when you arrive in the country you are visiting. Tourists, students and businessmen have been talking like a local in South Africa, USA, Europe with B4I.travel since 2010. It’s time to ‘Explore your world’.

Welcome to New York City, one of the most renowned cosmopolitan cities in the world. 

It’s ethnically diverse and super driven commercially. Wall Street, Broadway, Madison Avenue, Greenwich Village and Central Park are places that everyone would recognize or have heard of before, due to the popular New York culture portrayed in the media. 

As a local or tourist, there is no such thing as not having enough activities to do in the city. Bars, restaurants, museums and popular landmarks are the top attractions that both tourists and locals visit.  

Here are the 7 top things to do when visiting the Big Apple:

Go see a Broadway show!

Broadway, the epitome of theater! If you’re a huge fan of musicals and great acting, go visit the theaters near Times Square. Millions of tourists come to the city with a Broadway show on their to-do lists. The Lion King or Hamilton are the ones you should absolutely watch if you’re in for a memorable experience. To book visit: https://www.broadway.com

Central Park, the greenest space in the city

Central Park is known for being the greatest urban park to walk through and unwind in Manhattan. The park also has sports facilities, including the North Meadow Recreation Center, basketball courts, baseball and soccer fields. Whether it’s winter or summer, don’t miss out on heading to the shore of the Lake at 72nd Street to rent a rowboat or take a gondola tour. For more info visit: http://www.centralparknyc.org/

Visit the Empire State Building

Based in Midtown West, the Empire State Building is an iconic landmark and a huge tower that oversees the 360-degree views of the Hudson and East Rivers, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and more. Make sure to get on the 102nd floor to get a great panoramic view of the city. It’s worth it! Learn more here: https://www.esbnyc.com/

Have a drink at the Bemelmans Bar

It could be one of the most popular bars based in the Carlyle Hotel. But nothing is more “New Yorky” than sipping on a Manhattan and enjoying the busy nightlife in the city. Apparently the most expensive painting in this spot is the Ludwig Belmelmans murals along the walls. If you’re a great fan of art and cocktails, Bemelmans Bar is the place to be. Get more info here: https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/the-carlyle-new-york/dining/bemelmans-bar

Watch any ball game at the Yankee Stadium

Are you a sports fan? Make sure to check out their website for their schedule and when you could potentially book tickets to watch the most anticipated games in the city. The big bonus? The stadium has popular food options such as Bareburger, Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue and Tater Kegs. Find out more here: https://www.mlb.com/yankees

Outdoor movies in Bryant Park

Join a group of friends to go watch the box-office hit movies at the Bryant Park situated in Midtown West. The gates open at 5pm so make sure you bring all the picnic accessories for a nostalgic movie session. See what’s happening here: https://bryantpark.org/

New York’s quintessential symbol of American Liberty

You see it everywhere! In the movies, on postcards and possibly one of the only icons you think of when you hear about New York City. It was a gift from France and designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi as a token of friendship between the 2 countries. For an affordable trip, take a free ride with the Staten Island Ferry that sails near the robed icon. For more info visit: https://www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm

Source Article: https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/101-things-to-do-in-new-york

B4i.travel simplifies your communication needs when travelling and takes the risk out of high international roaming costs. We offer a range of pre-loaded, pre-activated and pre-registered world travel SIM cards so you’ll be connected when you arrive in the country you are visiting. Tourists, students and businessmen have been talking like a local in South Africa, USA, Europe with B4I.travel since 2010. It’s time to ‘Explore your world’.

Things to think About before Buying the “hop-on hop-off “bus ticket to do your City Sightseeing.

Many major cities offer a hop-on hop-off buses for sightseeing with several different routes however these buses are often hugely popular and there may be a long line at some of the more popular tour stops.   This is particularly true if the bus services a Cruise ship terminal or major tourist hub in a city.

If your group is small enough instead of waiting in the long line for the “hop-on hop-off “our tip is to take a Taxi or Uber to the next stop on the route and inevitably the line will be considerably shorter. Usually the stops between sites is relatively close, traffic is not an issue and there are no surcharges for “jumping the line”.

Buying a ticket online will usually also save you money and time.   The “hop-on hop-off “bus is usually less popular in the afternoons but this naturally leaves less time for stops.  It remains one of the best ways to see most of the sites in the city quickly and affordably within a day.

A great one for South Africa is City Sightseeing offering various routes daily with a main departure point being The Waterfront in Cape Town as well as Gold Reef City in Johannesburg.

Le Bastille Day

There is never a shortage of fun things to do in Cape Town, whether it’s Summer or Winter. And this weekend is no exception. Experience a little bit of France on July 15-16^th at the annual Bastille Day Festival held in Franschoek.

An extravaganza of food and wine the place to be is the Food and Wine Marquee held in the beautiful grounds of the Huguenot Monument. A R280 ticket will buy you a complimentary tasting glass and booklet of 5 tasting coupons to be used on the day. A quick word of advice-the tickets sell out fast and no tickets will be sold on the day once the marquee is full. To avoid disappointment book early.

If you are not a fan of wine or simply want to give it a skip there is Franschhoek’s main road bustling with various eateries and curio shops for you to explore. This year the Porcupine Ridge Barrel-Rolling competition is back as well as the dedicated children’s corner and the Farmer’s Market is sure to be extra vibey with a host of musicians and carnival artistes ready to entertain.

So, dust off your berets and experience one of Cape Town’s hallmark festivals. For more information including accommodation, wineries and activities click here

B4i.travel simplifies your communication needs when travelling and takes the risk out of high international roaming costs. We offer a range of pre-loaded, pre-activated and pre-registered world travel SIM cards so you’ll be connected when you arrive in the country you are visiting. Tourists, students and businessmen have been talking like a local in South Africa, USA, Europe with B4I.travel since 2010. It’s time to ‘Explore your world’.

• If you flying into Heathrow the fastest way into London is the Heathrow Express which runs every 30 minutes to Paddington Station in the heart of London then it is a short cab ride to your hotel. It takes just 15 minutes cost around £27 (undiscounted) , a black cab £60, bus or Tube train £12 but will take considerably longer. Buy your ticket online well in advance and save up to 65% off the standard ticket price. Off peak journeys, weekends and Bank holidays are even cheaper. There is no need for a more expensive First Class ticket the train is comfortable enough and the journey is really short. heathrowexpress.com

• If you flying from Gatwick Airport just South of London there is the convenient Gatwick Express which leaves from Victoria station every 30 minutes. If you buy the ticket online you save 10% for the first ticket and for two people 35%. So a little preparation pays.  The Gatwick Express is the fastest, cheapest way to get to the airport. A Black Cab will cost you around £110, Uber £55 and Gatwick Express £17.  The train is popular and can get crowded so arrive early.    gatwickexpress.com

• If you going be traveling extensively in London then consider a one day Travel Card at £12.30 but buy it only after 9am to get the off peak rate, anytime price £17.50. You can use the Travel Card on the bus as well. You can also consider a 7 day Travel card starting at £32.10 for Zone 1-2 (pretty much where all the interesting attraction are located). Kids travel at a discount.  For short journeys, it is often cheaper for three or four people traveling together to take a Black Cab rather than a Tube ride.

• London city has many one way roads so for a short journey you may find it is quicker to walk than take a cab or even a tube, use Google maps and select the on foot option. London is full of surprises so walking is a great option.

• Remember always take a Business Card from the hotel with their address just in case you should get lost.

• London is a city designed for public transport probably better than any other city in the world but it does help to plan your journey. Download the London Tube map Free on Google Play or from the Apple App store.

B4i.travel simplifies your communication needs when travelling and takes the risk out of high international roaming costs. We offer a range of pre-loaded, pre-activated and pre-registered world travel SIM cards so you’ll be connected when you arrive in the country you are visiting. Tourists, students and businessmen have been talking like a local in South Africa, USA, Europe with B4I.travel since 2010. It’s time to ‘Explore your world’.

Kite Surfing in Cape Town

Cape Town offers the traveling kite surfers everything that they could want for in a destination, and is one of the world’s best locations for kite surfing. It is also the home of the prestigious Red Bull “King of the Air” competition that attracts the world’s best kite boarders to these shores.

Strong prevailing South Easterly winds in summer with good size waves for wave-riding and flat-water areas to practice tricks and turns, are all close to the city.

The Kite surfing season in Cape Town starts as early as September and continues through to April with the peak months being November, December, January and February. During this peak period you are almost guaranteed to get good southeasterly winds at least 3-4 times a week. The swell size in summer is smaller than the winter season, where swells of 6m and larger can be recorded when the winter storms hit.

In summer the swell size averages around 2.5 m and can be a lot of fun on a twin tip or directional board.

Table Bay, with Table Mountain overlooking it, is the prime location and it stretches all the way from Milnerton Beach, through Sunset Beach, Dolphin Beach, Kite Beach, Tableview, Big Bay, Derdesteen, Haakgat, Melkbos and up to Yserfontein Beach.

Sunset Beach, Tableview and Blouberg suburbs are the hub of Kite surfing in Cape Town with great side shore southeasterly winds reaching speeds of up to 40 knots. Affordable accommodation in these areas is readily available and can be accessed on the internet via Airbnb etc.

In the coastal town of Langebaan, which is approximately an hour’s drive up the West Coast, the massive lagoon and main beach are the ideal spots to learn to kite board, or to practice flat-water turns and tricks.

Langebaan is situated in the heart of the West Coast National Park, a reserve area for fauna and flora and it is not uncommon to see an ostrich or a wild antelope on the road trip.

There are many kite boarding schools in the Sunset Beach / Tableview area and they cater for novice beginners right through to advanced riders. In most cases the lesson includes the rental of the necessary equipment.

The area also has many Kite surfing / Windsurfing stores that carry the latest equipment and they are always good for information regarding local knowledge of tides, beaches, safety and repair of your damaged equipment.

Cape Town is truly a kite surfers paradise and on the “off days” there is so much to see and do, there is nothing like kiting in great surf and wind conditions, with Table Mountain as your back drop.

You will not regret booking your trip to Cape Town today. See you soon !

 B4i.travel simplifies your communication needs when travelling and takes the risk out of high international roaming costs. We offer a range of pre-loaded, pre-activated and pre-registered world travel SIM cards so you’ll be connected when you arrive in the country you are visiting. Tourists, students and businessmen have been talking like a local in South Africa, USA, Europe with B4I.travel since 2010. It’s time to ‘Explore your world’.

A selection of Cape Town restaurants and cafés offering free wireless Internet

Everyone searches for a spot offering Wi-fi (also known as Wifi or wireless Internet) at some point or another, whether it’s so that they can quickly check emails, get their daily social media fix or just get some serious work in within a comfy environment. With so many different Wi-fi hotspots in Cape Town’s city centre, all of which differ slightly in their ambience and offering (they range from trendy and bustling to quiet and business-like), it can be quite tricky to find the setting that suits your needs.  Not to mention, the requirements for using a spot’s free Web offering can be difficult to navigate – is it necessary to order a big meal? Is it fine to just grab a coffee? So, to answer such questions and to bring you the lowdown on the Mother City’s wireless Internet scene, we’ve scoured Cape Town to find a variety of top cafés, restaurants and bars offering great food, a relaxed setting and, of course, FREE Wi-fi.

Read the full article here

 B4i.travel simplifies your communication needs when travelling and takes the risk out of high international roaming costs. We offer a range of pre-loaded, pre-activated and pre-registered world travel SIM cards so you’ll be connected when you arrive in the country you are visiting. Tourists, students and businessmen have been talking like a local in South Africa, USA, Europe with B4I.travel since 2010. It’s time to ‘Explore your world’.

One of the worst things imaginable when traveling abroad is losing your device, whether to theft or loss. All your valuable information, travel images and more could be gone in an instant and knowing how to protect your belongings in advance is the first step to preventing that.

Safeguard your device

At times you might be wearing an item without pockets, not carrying a travel bag or even going to the beach. Before your trip, ensure that you’ve purchased an anti-theft bag or a waterproof bag for the beach so that you can ensure your device is safe even if you’re unable to store it elsewhere.

Protect your personal data

If you haven’t already set up password protection on your device, ensure that you do it before you travel. Make sure you do what you can to make it complex in order to prevent making it easy for anyone to access your device should it get lost. Additional steps could include location finder and enabling remote wiping so that if all is lost, at least none of your personal data is tampered with.

Be safe in public settings

Never assume everything is fine when it comes to accessing any personal information, such as your bank accounts or company servers, etc. Do your utmost to avoid using any passwords or login id’s on public devices and instead try to only access it using your own personal devices.

Lock up and go 

Being well-aware of your surroundings and the areas you are traveling to assists you in preparing. If you are traveling to an area with a high risk of pick-pocketing or theft, instead of carrying your device with you – leave it locked up in the safe at the hotel you’re staying at. If there are no lockers in your room, ask the staff if there is perhaps safes available on the premises.

Check your location and privacy settings

At home, knowing your location could be useful for the apps that you need it for to navigate or better your experience at home but when you’re abroad, make sure that your location is turned off for unnecessary apps or social media. This is information cyber criminals could use against you at any point.

Back it up

Before you leave for your trip, backup your device where it can be stored at home. In the situation where your device was lost or stolen, you would be able to restore the backup and have access to your data again.

Update your software

Although it might come off as unnecessary, updating your software could be crucial in ensuring your device is safe, especially in a cybersecurity sense. Software updates are created with the intention of fixing any bugs and preventing malicious devices that could be attempting to access your data. Think of it like a vaccine for your phone or tablet.

Get a local SIM

Apart from protecting your device from theft you need to ensure that you protect your data, getting a local SIM when travelling to the USA will ensure you keep data costs low and won’t need to worry about not being able to make and receive local calls. View the b4i.travel data packages here: https://b4i.travel/usa/

There are a lot of things you can do to protect your device but remember that if your personal information lands in the wrong hands, it could be worse than just simply a lost phone. Take the time and steps to prevent that before and during your travels.

Be safe, have fun!