Mountain Biking Made Easy - well easier!

We have recognised that some areas of YouGoDo are getting very crowded - Two wheel activity of the pedalling variety for example. The hundreds of great YouGoDo cycling activities ranged from renting a fun four wheel pedal buggy to ride along the beach, up to 11,200km cycling expeditions across the whole of South America, with everything in between!

Something for everyone which was great.

But what was not so great was looking for a specific types of biking activity. For example anyone looking to go Mountain Biking in Spain would have to wade through all the beach front bike rental shops, fun city bike tours, etc to find what they were looking for.

So for all the mountain bike enthusiasts out there we have given Mountain Biking Activities their very own category.

So if you are looking for global mountain biking activities and adventures, these are all now in one easy to filter, by country or location, place! "Simples" to quote the annoying Meerkat!

And we have done the same for mountain bike parks!

Keep the round black bits facing down!


Paul

Things to do in Belgium

A great new site has just been launched specifically for things to do in Belgium, so if you like mayo on your chips (lots of mayo), and you are partial to the odd Cherry flavoured 10%+ strength beer or two http://www.thingstodoinbelgium.com/ could be the site for you.

Belgium is often overlooked but there is quite a bit to see. Key ideas include Brugges and Ghent with their stunning canals and Medeival Buildings, Spa Franchorchamps (home of the World's best motor racing circuit) in the beautiful Ardennes (where you can ski in the winter), Brussels with its Grand Place square, Atomium and the Manneken Pis (statue of a boy urinating in the street!), the beaches around Ostende, the World War Battlefields of Ypres and the city of Antwerp to name just a few.

Try http://www.thingstodoinbelgium.com/ and get over there and try beer and chips! (with Mayo of course).

Paul

Finding more appropriate things to do

Here at YouGoDo we have been busy tweaking our data searches again to provide users with better information when they are searching for things to do in a particular town or location.

We automatically return all the great activities within a 25km radius (usually less than an hours drive - Unless you are in LA, Dubai, London..... at the wrong time of day!).

But this data was always sorted by ranking and popularity without taking into account its proximity to the location you are looking at (other than being within the 25km default range).

In some circumstances this was not giving the best results (for example Tangiers in Africa is within 25km of Tarifa in Spain). So users have been asking to be able to see the activities within the exact location they are visiting first. I guess this is a little greener also!

So, always keen to please, we have made the desired mod!

We will still, by default, show you all the great things to do within the 25km radius, but we now show you the activities at your exact location first! So you can view the great things to do in closest first sequence.

Enjoy the latest tweak from http://www.yougodo.com/ - The World's Biggest Activities and Experiences website!

Walking the Kings Walk - El Camino del Rey at El Chorro

Just come across this great high def video of some guy, with wheels of steel, doing the Kings Walk (Camino del Rey) at El Chorro, near Alora in Malaga, Spain.

Now closed to the general public, for obvious reasons, it is open to climbers.

Note how the guy trips 10 seconds in!

And I'm not sure he's using the safety zip wire at all times! Stunning video.

For an El Chorro location map see here

Or here for more info on the things to do in El Chorro

Climbing schools in the area - To invite a keen amateur (me!) along to do a review contact me via a comment!!

Paul

Whats SUP? Stand up Paddleboarding thats what!

SUP or Stand up Paddleboarding has started to appear more and more on YouGoDo, and seems to be what's hot among the surfing community!


With a larger, longer and wider than average surf board (hence super stable), you stand atop the board and paddle over the waters, catching waves as and when the fancy takes you.

Originating from Hawaii, SUP is a real healthy and invigorating sport which enhances your balance, strength and general fitness.

Its sold as being excellent fun for both surfers and those totally new to board sports

And its easier to get to grips with than pure surfing which has to be a bonus.

On YouGoDo those wanting to go SUPPING can currently SUP in Miami, SUP in Tarifa in Spain and SUP in Padstow in Cornwall in the UK, - but watch this space - more and more Stand Up Paddleboard schools and hire places are being added all the time.

Now you know 'whats sup!'



Aloha - Paul

Oman - What a fantastic country to visit

About 10 years back I was asked to go and do some work in Oman, great I thought - real adventure - and I am ashamed to say I quickly looked for a map - I knew nothing about this great country, not even where it was. My first trip to the Middle East - but it was definitely not my last.

Over the next 5 years I visited Oman on numerous occasions (as well as Dubai and Abu Dhabi), usually working in Muscat. Whilst working there I usually took the opportunity of tagging a few days holiday onto the end of each working visit (I’ve never understood why more business travellers do not do this – the company has covered the cost getting you there) to allow me to see more of this wonderful country.

For people like me, who would find a week on a small sandy 'Paradise Island' hell this is a great country. Don't get me wrong, it has superb sandy beaches, and a sea which is like getting into a warm bath in the summer months, but Oman has so much more to offer than just beaches.

The stunning sands of the Wahibi Sands Desert, the rugged mountain ranges, the culture and forts, the sights, smells and sounds of the souks with their burning scents, the wadis (river beds – often dry) which are so much fun to explore, its own grand canyon at Jabal Shams, the amazing Al Hoota caves, superb game fishing, stunning diving and snorkelling, an abundance of dolphins and turtles.....

This is a country with so much to offer its visitors. A country which has recognised the fact that many of its treasures lie within its natural beauties. With this in mind Oman carefully markets itself to eco tourists, those who come to discover and explore this wonderful place.

And I almost forgot to mention the people and the hotels - The hotels are stunning, luxurious and you are very well looked after. The people are very warm and welcoming, and always seem to carry a smile!

Oman offers you the chance to see Middle East culture, without feeling threatening. The bars and restaurants in the hotels serve alcohol, other than at the times of major religious festivals (so check if you need a drink!).

To find out more about Oman and some of the great activities on offer try http://www.thingstodoinoman.com/ and take a look at some of the great pictures of this stunning place.

Oman is close enough to Dubai to make it an ideal two centre trip – I would personally do Dubai first, see the glitz, glam and then unwind in Oman.

I recommend you make the effort to get across there.

I want to go back....



Paul

HostelBookers Travel Photo Competition

Have you ever taken some amazing travel photos? Need some inspiration for your next trip?

HostelBookers have been running a Travel Photo Competition with Rough Guides, where travellers send in their best holiday snaps. The Prize? Earthbound: A Rough Guide to the World in Pictures –a photography book filled with the best images from the Rough Guide books.

How does it work? Every few weeks, HostelBookers pick a theme featured in the book and announce it on the blog. Readers send in their photos to the HostelBookers Flickr Group or to competitions@hostelbookers.com, and then you guys pick the winner – by voting for your favourites on the blog.

The first round of the competition has already started, and is all about ‘Activities’ - there are really impressive entries on the blog, so log on and vote for your favourite now!

If you fancy entering yourself, get ready for the second round. Called ‘Time wasting’, HostelBookers are looking for images that sum up an activity that, you guessed it, ‘wastes time’ – this could be pretty much anything, so get looking through those photos!

HostelBookers are a budget accommodation website specializing in hostels, with no booking fee.

If you’re wondering what sort of hostel Dublin, London, Sydney or other destinations around the world has to offer, this site has photos, user reviews and videos of properties online.