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.

Every year in April, Istanbul turns into the capital of tulips. This is when millions of bulbs show up in the parks and gardens of the city and transform old Constantinople into a flowery fairy tale.

In 2017, more than 26.5 million tulips of 160 varieties were planted across Istanbul.

If you are visiting the colorful fiesta that is the Istanbul Tulip Festival, here’s some useful information on where to go and what to see.

When do tulips in Istanbul bloom?

The exact date depends on the weather from year to year, but in general you can expect the tulips to start blooming at the end of March or the beginning of April. The flowers flourish for several weeks, until the beginning of May.

Tulips in Istanbul | Daxis/Flickr

What are the dates of the Istanbul Tulip Festival?

Usually, the festival spans the whole month of April. However, as you will see from the information below, you don’t need to plan your visit around any exact dates, as special events and brilliant spring flowers grace the city throughout the whole month. Although it’s called a ‘festival’, it would better be described as a rather loose series of events (like concerts, art workshops, and exhibitions) taking place mainly in Emirgan Park. The festival doesn’t have an official website, so the best way to discover what’s going on is to ask the staff at your hotel/hostel.

Why is the tulip a symbol of Istanbul?

The tulip is one of the most recognizable symbols of Istanbul. The flower was imported centuries ago from Iran, and its arrival created a real fever among locals, who competed to grow the best and most unusual bulbs in their gardens. A rare bulb could cost an absolute fortune at the height of tulip popularity in the city. Tulips made their way from Istanbul to Europe where, especially in the Netherlands, they caused a similar craze.

Tulips in Istanbul | Nezih Durmazlar/Flickr

Which parks in Istanbul have the most beautiful tulip gardens?

Emirgan Park (or Emirgan Korusu) – with its colorful pavilions, millions of tulips and other spring flowers, plus its stunning views over the Bosphorus, this park is the headquarters of the festival. Open stages pop up in April to host musicians, actors and other performers. You will also see traditional marble drawing demonstrations, calligraphy, glass blowing, and photo exhibitions.

Göztepe Park – This is the other festival hot spot, with plenty of events on its schedule. It is located on the Asian side of Istanbul.

Beykoz Korusu – This is another green oasis in the Asian part of Istanbul. Here you can enjoy relaxing walks along the Bosphorus, with the strait on one side and lush greenery on the other.

Gülhane Park – More than a million tulips are planted here every spring.

Yıldız Park – This park is located close to Yıldız Palace, hence the name. It used to be the sultan’s private hunting ground, but today its thick forest areas and Ottoman pavilions are open for visitors.

Sultanahmet Square – The square next to Sultanahmet Mosque – one of the main attractions in Istanbul – turns into a carpet of flowers in spring.

Çamlıca Hill – This hill is a secret part of Istanbul that few tourists ever visit. If you don’t mind a bit of a climb, you will be rewarded with the sight of thousands of tulips on the way up and a magnificent vista from the top.

Here’s a map of the best tulip parks in Istanbul:

Read more: Keukenhof: where you can see more than 800 varieties of tulips in Holland

11 quotes about Istanbul that explain why everyone loves it

14 smells of Istanbul that always bring you back there

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The post Istanbul Tulip Festival: the best parks to see flowers (+ map) 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.

Organized bike tours are cool, but it’s much more exciting to plan your own bicycle adventure. You only need a good idea and a good friend/partner to join the party (although at least once a year I take my bike and go somewhere for the weekend by myself, which is just as good). Here are a few bicycle trip ideas for your next free weekend:

#1 Ride your bicycle slowly between villages or small towns

With a smile on your face, cross villages and talk to locals about this year’s apple harvest and how much a piglet costs (I bet you have no idea). Have a beer with one of those locals who spends the day scanning passers-by in cafes on the main square.

Photo: © Maria Angelova/ 203challenges.com

#2 Swap the bike lanes and village roads for dirt tracks

You can enjoy a little bit more seclusion by escaping the main roads and hitting the dirt tracks. Some people prefer a preconceived route, but personally I’m happy to just head into the forest and see where that seductive trail leads.

#3 Try to bike as far as you can in a day

You don’t have to cycle so hard that you drop dead at the end; just keep it pleasant but still challenging. If you’re in the mood to push yourself, however, try riding as fast and furious as you can.

Cycling at Larnaca Salt Lake, Cyprus | © Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

#4 Try mountain biking

The exciting thing about mountain biking is that a smooth descent can turn into an adrenaline-fueled obstacle course in a heartbeat. If you’re trying it for the first time, you might be about to discover your latest passion. 

#5 Organize a themed day tour in your city/neighborhood

Photo: © Maria Angelova/ 203challenges.com

We often forget that our own neighborhood is someone else’s tourist destination. Pretend to be a tourist and choose a theme (cathedrals, museums, historical buildings) around which to rediscover your surroundings. Calculate the cycling route that best allows you to visit several attractions in one day. Plan a lunch stop in a park or try out a new eatery.

#6 Organize a bike picnic

Choose a green picnic spot not far from the city and ride there. Load your backpack or basket with plenty of water, a bottle of wine and some sandwiches. Here you can find a list of creative themed picnic ideas.

#7 Bike for the sunset

A memorable sunset is a great reason to hop on your bike and head to a beautiful vantage point. Don’t forget lights and a headlamp for the way back.

#8 Cycling & camping

Photo: © Maria Angelova/ 203challenges.com

Mount your bike on your car rack (or transport the bike by train or bus if possible) and go to a secluded spot where you can spend the rest of the day cycling. When night falls, instead of rushing back home, pitch your tent or go to a campsite. Let the chirp of the crickets soothe your mind. Get the ​authentic cycling information from ​the Experts here.

How to really immerse yourself in the moment: For a moment, simply imagine what life would be like if you stayed home and slept in your bed every night instead of occasionally venturing into the wild. Listen to all the noises and soak in all the sights that you’d never have otherwise seen: the starry sky, the smell of the pine trees, the sound of the creek flowing by…

#9 Bike your way to a musical venue

Most open-air concerts and festivals have special bike parking zones where you can safely stow your two-wheeler while you enjoy the night. It’s good for your health and the environment!

#10 Load up with vitamins while you pedal

Your weekly fruit and vegetable shop might turn into an old-school, French-inspired experience if you don a beret and load your basket with goodies from the nearest farmer’s market.

#11 Join a quirky ride (vintage bicycles in Tuscany, anyone?)

Why not take part in a vintage-themed cycling event, or an eco-friendly bike race? This isn’t really DIY, but these events are so cool that they’re worth mentioning. Just check your local calendar for the next notable cycling event near you.

L’Eroica, Tuscany. Every year, thousands of cyclists put on vintage leather pants, hop on their vintage bikes, don a fancy cap and embark on a journey into the past. L’Eroica vintage bike ride is one of the most exciting ways to get to know Tuscany on two wheels. The event aims to preserve the romantic beauty of cycling’s past, without the competitive aspect. Eroica cycling events are also held in other places around the world, including California, Japan, Spain and Great Britain.

>>> Do you love your bike? (Of course you do!) Here’s our fun bike-themed playlist to listen to while you’re pedaling.

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Sleeping under the stars is the best way to get new energy and ideas for work. You can do it after you finish work and go back to the office the next day on time. If you find the idea adventurous and absurd – it’s only because not everybody does it. But I guarantee you will have а broad grin spread across your face the next morning. I live in a busy capital and I practice this weekday escaping every summer.  

THIS MIDWEEK ESCAPE IDEA IS PERFECT FOR:

> seasons: summer, late spring, early autumn

> types of travelers: couples, friends, solo

How to do it in 10 easy steps

Here is our usual scenario: 

#1 Choose the closest mountain, forest, hill, camping site or another wild location you love. It’s important to choose a place that is within a reasonable distance from your office (personally I prefer it to be no more than an hour drive away). 

#2 After work on a summer Tuesday take the bus to the the closest wild place where you can put up a tent. If there is no public transportation, go by car or by bike.

#3 Set up the tent before dusk. It’s proven that sleeping in a tent gets your biological clock back to normal.

#4 For a boost of courage and to keep bears at bay, take a vodka/whisky shot or whatever medicine you have against bears.

#5 Start a fire and grill some sausages. Alternatively, take a look at my favorite camping recipes ready for under 10 minutes. 

#6 [Optional] Some locals from the near village come to visit, you have a drink together and they leave, and you go to sleep in you bed under the stars.

#7 Get up at 7 am, have breakfast and pack your stuff. If you have a Sherpa around, give them your bags. If not, carry them yourself, awaiting better times.

What a glorious place to be on a weekday morning!

#8 Take the bus back to the city and take a quick shower.

#9 Enter the office on time, a broad grin on your face.

#10  Everything works out even better if you happen to have a shower at your workplace. If you happen to be camping near a waterfall, you can take your morning shower there. 🙂

Here you can read a detailed story of how I swapped my bed for a hammock last summer (all done on weekdays).

All photos: © Maria Angelova/ 203challenges

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