No matter if you find yourself in London, Toronto, New York or a small town for Easter weekend, there’s always a chance that you’ll end up bored. The first thing that comes to mind is an easter-egg hunt but there are so many things to do on Easter that you have no excuse to stay at home moaning and groaning.

1. Go to the nearest bookshop or cafe library and read a story over a cup of hot chocolate.

2. Go hiking. Challenge alternatives: Choose the highest peak around you. Climb a peak for the sunrise. Pop open a bottle of champagne on the top. See our guide of 22 fun activities in the mountain.

3. Organize an Easter-themed picnic – bring all the painted and chocolate eggs under the spring sun.

4. Eat chocolate. Chocolate eaten on Easter doesn’t count, Jesus is rumored to have said.

5. Road trip time! Have a new view every morning with your coffee.

6. Learn something new. Crafts? Gardening? Travel hacks? Just type your how-to question and find a tutorial for a new skill.

7. Go cycling. Road or mountain – it’s your choice.

8. Bathe in a waterfall (weather permitting).

9. Do something extreme. A bungee jump or a parachute jump? A rafting adventure? Scientific researches have revealed that the most important part is to have a brave friend because risk-taking is contagious.

10. Take a camera and shoot a photo story about the day of an Easter egg. You can name the egg too. Harry. Or William.

11. Organize a board game contest. No need to spend money – rediscover the board games long forgotten or search for fun printable ones.

12. Become a nature explorer in a botanical garden. If you don’t have a botanical garden close to you, visit the nearest park with a plant recognizing app on your phone (for iOS: LikeThat Garden. LeafSnap; for both Android and iOS: NatureGate (including bird, fish and butterfly identification).

13. Plant flowers or herbs. There’s nothing better than your own herb garden to pick fresh cooking ingredients.

14. Clean your closet. All clothes that haven’t been used for the last 2 years can be given away for charity.

15. Plan a sightseeing walking tour of your town. Choose 10 famous attractions that you possibly pass by every day, and read more about them. Everyone of the group researches one attraction and takes the role of a guide for a while.

16. Cook anything in the shape of eggs and bunnies.

17. Travel movie night. You know what to do.

18. Spend a lazy day in a hammock. We’ve said a lot about the importance of spending enough time in a hammock. Get yourself a colorful one and please take care of your laziness levels.

19. Make interviews with all family members. Create a list of 50 questions about life and all, and ask everyone to fill it.

20. Do a good deed. Visit a senior neighbor and bring him or her flowers, freshly baked bread and news from the city.

The post 20 things to do on Easter weekend (other than egg hunt) appeared first on 203Challenges.

One of my favorite challenges from the book 203 Travel Challenges: Travel the World. Explore Your Inner Self is:

“Celebrate a traditional holiday in a non-traditional way”.

It’s not that I don’t like family reunions, but it’s diversity that makes life interesting. So why not escape tradition for a change and do something you like for Easter, while still keeping some of your favorite aspects of the holiday?

Here’s a quick DIY guide based on our most recent non-traditional Easter.

Ingredients:

1 hiking destination with a place to stay for the night.

2 Easter hikers.

2 medium backpacks packed with your favorite Easter food, water, and warm clothes.

2 train tickets to your starting point.

lovely spring weather.

>>> Read more: 17 creative and crazy things to do with friends on a weekend trip

Instructions:

1. After arriving at your starting point, hike for almost eight hours up the mountain, stopping only for a quick food and beer recharge at an old-time mountain lodge (complete with a huge portrait of the country’s former dictator on the wall).
2. On the way, ask yourself, breathless, at least 10 times why you had to be such a non-traditional nerd instead of organizing an egg hunt at home.

3. Reach your super-basic mountain shelter for the night. Light a fire in the fireplace and realize that it was worth all the buckets of sweat.

4. Wake up to see the sunrise on Easter morning.

5. After brewing your morning coffee on the fireplace, indulge in a fierce egg-tapping contest in the truest spirit of the holiday.

6. Take a lazy hike down to the tiny village you could see from your window and catch the train home. On the way, pick a bunch of flowers.

7. Repeat next year with a new destination.

All photos: © Maria Angelova/ 203challenges.com.

>>> Find more cool and unusual things to do in Bulgaria.

The book 203 Travel Challenges. Travel the World. Explore Your Inner Self is available on Amazon:

The post DIY: a cheap and unusual Easter travel idea appeared first on 203Challenges.

Whether you choose vibrant Limon city surrounded by beautiful greenery, the historical and white gravelly city of Liberia, or Costa Rica’s vibrant capital San Jose, you’re sure to have an unforgettable adventure. But if you want to experience something extra special, plan your visit during Semana Santa.

What is Semana Santa?

Semana Santa is the Easter holiday and is one of the biggest yearly celebrations. Classed as a holy week, schools are closed, and many Costa Ricans are off work. It’s a week-long period of celebrations – beginning on Palm Sunday and ending on Easter Sunday – making it popular time with tourists, too. This means that going on holiday to Costa Rica during March may cost you a little more. However, it’s worth it to witness the events and festivities!

Religious Celebrations

The week of Semana Santa is a riot of color, parades, processions and festivals. Held in cities across the country, the main celebrations take place on Thursday, Friday and Easter Sunday.

On Maundy Thursday, there are special services held in Catholic churches to mark Passover. But it’s on Friday that the real spirit of Semana Santa begins. On this day, you can witness colourful processions as locals come out to watch re-enactments of Jesus being mounted on the cross. It’s a serious and deeply religious affair, with mourners gathering and prayers said as biblical stories are portrayed.

These events lead up to a giant celebration on Easter Sunday. The end of Lent, fasts are broken, locals begin their feasts, there is cheer in the streets and church bells ring out.

Taste Traditional Foods

For tourists, one of the highlights for Semana Santa is the food – it’s a great opportunity to sample traditional cuisine. You’ll find a lot of seafood, particularly shrimp and fried fish, as well as a delicious array of desserts, with the most popular being empanadas (a type of sweet stuffed pastry) made using a seasonal squash called chiverre.

Things to Consider

If you go to Costa Rica during Semana Santa, there are a few things to remember.

Firstly, the sale of alcohol is often limited. In some places, it’s not sold for 48 hours, from midnight on Wednesday to midnight on Friday. Each county does have its own rules, so it’s worth checking before booking. Although in cities and busy tourist areas, this is likely to be less of an issue!

In addition, a lot of local businesses and banks close during this period. However, tourism focused places generally remain open.

Lastly, March is a very hot month for Costa Rica, with highs of up to 37 degrees Celsius! So, remember to pack your sun cream, spend time in the shade and drink plenty of fluids – that means water, not just alcohol!

The post Visiting Costa Rica during Semana Santa appeared first on 203Challenges.