The Top Benefits of Hiking You Should Know

You know hiking is good for your health. But do you know just how good it is? If you are heading out for a hike this Memorial Day weekend, take note of all the good you are doing for your body.

For adults, regular aerobic exercise such as hiking leads to:

• Improved cardio-respiratory fitness (heart, lungs, blood vessels)
• Improved muscular fitness
• Lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
• Lower risk of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes
• Lower risk of high cholesterol and triglycerides
• Lower risk of colon and breast cancer, and possibly lung and endometrial cancer
• Increased bone density or a slower loss of density
• Reduced depression and better quality sleep
• Lower risk of early death (If you are active for 7 hours a week, your risk of dying early is 40% lower than someone active for less than 30 minutes a week.)
• Weight control; hiking burns up 370 calories an hour (154-lb person)

Kids get many of the same benefits, including:

• Improved cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness
• Better bone health
• Less chance of becoming overweight
• Less chance of developing risk factors for heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes
• Possibly reduced risk of depression and feeling less stress, more ready to learn in school
• Sleeping better at night

How Much Time?

How much activity do you need to reap these incredible health benefits? Experts say getting active for  just 150 minutes a week – doing “moderate-intensity” aerobic exercise such as moderate hiking or brisk walking – leads to most of these benefits (reducing risks of colon and breast cancer requires another hour a week). That’s only 2½ hours a week. And you don’t have to do it all at once. Sneaking in a lunchtime hike up the hill near your office counts toward your total, as long as you’re active for at least ten minutes.

If you take part in more vigorous aerobic activities, such as running, dancing, or hiking uphill or with a heavy pack, you need only half that amount of time, or 75 minutes a week, to get health benefits.

Looking forward to an adventurous nature-inspired activity? You may try Rinjani trekking, or even pursue Mount Agung trekking. Feel like diving? You can opt for Manado diving.

5 Tips For An Enjoyable Cruising With Costa Cruise

Have you been on board Costa Cruise? Many people find it so relaxing to get on the ship and embark on a 3-, 4- or 5-day cruising adventure to different Asian destinations. In general, cruising has become a popular way to travel in different parts of the world since it’s now easier to find fantastic cruise deals. More and more people have been lured to go on cruising where they can experience how it feels to sail through the night and to enjoy frolic on land excursions during day time.

Whether you’ve been on a cruise ship once or tenth times, it’s always advantageous to know things that can make the whole cruising experience enjoyable and hassle-free. Here are a few tips to consider when going on board the Costa Cruise.

Check-in Early

With thousands of cruise passengers, you will definitely see long queues during check-ins. Most cruisers are eager to get on the ship, which means that the cruise terminal can become really busy and more stressful during the first few hours of boarding. Hence, it is highly recommended to check-in early to complete all the paperwork such as passport and security checks quickly and to avoid the huge crowd. In case, you need to fill out some forms or need to print some documents, at least, you still have enough time to process them all.

Otherwise, you can do web check-in to save you some time at the boarding counter since they will already have  most of your passport information.

Plan Onboard Activities

Be sure to choose your onboard excursions wisely. You can use Costa Cruise’s daily program sheet to check the list of activities every day from free and fun activities such as learning Michael Jackson’s dance moves to paid activities like fitness classes. If you are interested in culinary arts, there are demonstrations like vegetable carving and Tiramisu making where you can learn some techniques. The program sheet also features discounts for watch, jewellery shopping and spa treatments. If you are looking forward to watching live performances, you can get the synopsis of what’s performing that evening from the sheet. There are lots of things you can do while on board the cruise, so you should plan your daily activities to avoid missing out some of the fun happenings on your tour package.

Schedule Your Meal Time

For breakfast on Costa Cruise, you can choose to have it a la carte wherein dishes will be served to you at the Fantasia restaurant or have it buffet-style at Sinfonia restaurant or Bolero Buffet. If you prefer to have a buffet, you may want to visit the restaurants either early or late (but not too late) to avoid the crowds. Sometimes, guests can be aggressive with line cutting or a little pushing which might ruin your mood.

For a la carte dinner, be sure to decide on your preferred dinner timing. There are two sittings for dinner at Sinfonia and Fantasia restaurants - 5:45 PM and 8:00 PM, and you can only enter the restaurant at the specified sitting time assigned to you. For buffet dinner, there’s no need to worry about sitting timings.

Explore Your Ship

There are plenty of onboard amenities you can take advantage of while you’re out at the sea. So in the first few days of your cruise, take some time to walk around and familiarise yourself with the ship as well as its offerings. Besides you paid for it so it’s just right to enjoy whatever it can offer to you. Aside from the bars and restaurants, you can explore the wellness & sports amenities of Costa Cruises like gym, sauna, Jacuzzis, pools, outdoor jogging track and treatment rooms. In addition, you can check out their disco, shopping centre, casino, library and Squok club.

Find A Favorite Hangout

Each cruise ship is different but all are purposely designed to provide comfortable space for every guest. So find a special place somewhere on the ship where you can truly relax and create great memories, be it on a particular bar, deck chair near the pool or cosy corner in the atrium. You have plenty of choices in Costa Cruise, so you’ll never have a hard time finding that favourite hangout.

3 Fun Things To Do In Italy

In Italy, there is a lot to shop, see and eat. Italy has one of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes in Europe; the world’s greatest hoard of art treasures; a climate that is on the whole benign; and most important of all for many, a delicious and authentic national cuisine.

To give you the opportunity to immerse yourself into the beauty of this land, we have selected for you the best Italy tour package, which include cost of air flights, most of the meals and sightseeing to the various cities, accompanied by our experienced and accredited guides. 

Our Italy tour package will give you access to the significant and enjoyable landmarks and cities of this most historically rich country. The breathtaking views, adventures on the water, archaeological sites and exquisite cuisine are endless, making sure you see it all in this Italy tour package.

 

What are the 3 fun things to do in Italy?

1. Shopping

In Italy, most of the outlet shopping malls offer a wide range of high end fashion brands. The outlet shopping malls are scattered throughout Italy, many of them on the outskirts of big cities like Florence, Milan and Rome. Many major shopping streets in Rome are lined with outposts of such European and Italian clothing store chains as Zara, Max & Co., Armani Exchange, Benetton, Sermoneta, Pinko and Accessorize. There are a number of popular shopping neighbourhoods in Rome; each has its own flavour and attractions. 

Perhaps the most famous shopping district in Rome is the area surrounding Piazza di Spagna, at the base of the Spanish Steps. Tourists flock here to see the flagship stores of Italian designer lines like Prada, Gucci, Etro, Dolce & Gabbana, Miu Miu, Bottega Veneta, Missoni, Versace, Tod's . . .  the list seems almost endless. You'll also find Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Wolford, Sephora, Jimmy Choo, Tiffany and other big global brands. Want to have some fun doing shopping, this is the place to do it.

2. Sightseeing

When it comes to world-class tourist attractions, Italy is absolutely brimming with riches. Here are some of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy (not in any particular order):

• Colosseum in Rome
• Leaning Tower of Pisa
• Pompeii
• Venice
• Vatican Museum
• “The Last Supper”
• Roman Forum
• St. Peter’s Basilica
• Amalfi Coast
• Tuscan Hills
• Palio in Siena
• Trevi Fountain
• Pantheon in Rome
• Florence Duomo
• Cinque Terre National Park
• Uffizi Gallery in Florence
• Greek temple ruins in Agrigento
• Milan Duomo
• Spanish Steps

3. Food and Wine you must taste in Italy

Italian food culture is probably very different from what you're used to at home. You never leave tongues unsatisfied with your delicious dishes.

• Nero di Seppia (squid Ink pasta) - Linguine al nero di seppia, the pasta that takes out the ugly part of everyone, with our mouths & teeth completely blackened. This pasta is a must-try but can be quite a nuisance when preparing and eating because of the black ink. 
• Tiramisu - Tiramisu comes in all sizes and styles. This espresso-soaked dessert is mostly the traditional alternating layers of cake and cream. 
• Wine Tasting - Our wine tastings take a little break from the bustling sight-seeing in Italy: you will do something enjoyable in a relaxing and friendly environment, in the wine studio dedicated to the wine tasting. . You will learn how to choose better wines when you know a little bit more about them.